Fall Art Shows
Fall, Paintings & a Very Full Car
There is something about fall that makes me want to paint everything.
The trees start showing off, the gardens get a little wild around the edges, the light changes, and suddenly every Sunday drive has me reaching for my camera. Add in cooler weather, a cup of coffee, and the possibility of finding one spectacular red tree around the next bend, and I am very happy.
It also happens to be one of the busiest times of the year for local art—and this fall, my paintings are doing quite a bit of traveling around Virginia.
First Stop: Artists in Middleburg
My fall show season started at Artists in Middleburg, where three of my paintings were accepted into Light & Shadow, the Interplay: Kaboom! Kaboom!, Date Night at the Hen House, and Charmed, I’m Sure.
The exhibit runs August 29 through September 27, so there is still time to visit. And I’m delighted to say that Date Night at the Hen House has already found a new home!
I love showing at Artists in Middleburg because Middleburg itself feels like it belongs in a painting. Horses, stone walls, old buildings, winding roads and beautiful countryside—it’s almost impossible for me to drive there without spotting something else I want to paint.
You can learn more about the exhibit and plan your visit at the Artists in Middleburg website:
Then It's Off to Art at the Mill
Next up is one of my favorite local traditions: Art at the Mill at the historic Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood.
This fall, four of my paintings were juried into the show: Moulin Rouge, Hidden Garden at Castello Lispida, Umbrella Trees at the Forum, and Secret Garden at Castello Lispida.
Apparently my paintings have developed a bit of wanderlust.
Some take you to Paris, while others came from places and moments I tucked away during travels in Italy—gardens hidden behind walls, umbrella pines framing ancient ruins, and those little scenes you discover when you wander away from the obvious tourist route.
That is one of my favorite things about painting places I've traveled. I don't necessarily want to paint the postcard view. I'm much more interested in the place around the corner—the garden you weren't looking for, the funny-shaped tree beside the road, or the view you almost walked right past.
Fall Art at the Mill runs September 19 through October 4 at the Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood, Virginia.
Find show hours, directions and more information here:
And Then… Waterford!
Just when the paintings think they can come home and relax, along comes the Waterford Fair.
The historic village of Waterford is one of those places that already feels like a painting before anyone sets up an easel. For one weekend each fall, the village fills with art, traditional and contemporary crafts, historic homes, demonstrations, music, food and people wandering through the streets enjoying it all.
This year's fair is October 2–4, and I'm thrilled to be participating in the Fine Art exhibit.
Waterford is especially fun because it isn't simply an art show. It's an entire fall day out. You can look at art, explore the historic village, watch artisans at work, listen to music and inevitably find something delicious to eat while you're doing it.
You can find tickets, schedules and all the details here:
Why I Love Fall Shows
Of course, getting paintings ready for multiple shows isn't quite as romantic as it sounds.
There are frames. Labels. Forms. Inventory lists. Drop-offs. Pick-ups. Bubble wrap. More bubble wrap. And the recurring question:
“Can I fit one more painting in this car?”
The answer is usually yes.
But once everything is delivered and hanging on the walls, I remember why I love doing these shows.
Painting is often a very solitary thing. I spend hours in my studio with paint, music, coffee and a rotating cast of dogs and cats who are absolutely convinced they are my supervisors.
Art shows bring the other half of painting back into the picture: people.
I get to meet other artists, talk with people who love art, hear the stories a painting brings up for someone, and occasionally watch one of my paintings leave with a person who connected with it enough to take it home.
That never gets old.
Come Make a Fall Art Day of It
If you're in Northern Virginia this fall, I hope you'll visit one—or better yet, all three.
Artists in Middleburg gives you an excuse for a beautiful drive through horse country.
Art at the Mill combines hundreds of works of art with the wonderfully historic Burwell-Morgan Mill.
And the Waterford Fair turns an entire historic village into a celebration of art, craft, history, music and fall for the weekend.
And if you happen to spot one of my paintings while you're wandering around, say hello to it for me.
It's probably having a much more exciting social life than I am.
— Sheila
