Singing Colors by Valorie Snyder

Still Life in Brass

2011-12-28T14:50:00.007-07:00

Still Life in Brass, oils, 14 x 18

The challenge of this painting was painting the reflections, which came from everywhere, and changed every time I moved. I had to close the black drape on my studio window to minimize unwanted light and reflection from outside, and place a black screen on the side of the set-up to control the light on the objects. Otherwise, brass is a lot of fun to paint! I loved painting the oranges and grapes.

The composition was designed in the classic style, to move your eye around the painting toward the focal point (the white ball on the candlestick). I was careful to keep the spout of the pot in shadow, so it wouldn't lead your eye out of the painting. The light areas were also carefully controlled, to get progressively brighter as your eye moves toward the focal point.

Fall Outdoor Workshops Update

2011-09-26T13:38:00.003-07:00

Current dates for my fall outdoor oil painting workshops are:

October 1, 9:00-4:00 and
October 8, 9:00-4:00.

Each is $75.00 for the day. For more information, please click on the Page, Painting Workshops. It's on the right sidebar of this page.

See you there!

Art Show Update

2011-09-05T16:54:00.011-07:00

This painting, "River Cave," was juried into the Artists of Colorado Show, described below.

Fall is always a busy time for art shows. I just finished a show at the Depot Art Gallery during August and Western Welcome week. I had two paintings accepted, and one of them, "River Respite" won the Peoples Choice Award.

I currently have a solo show in Golden. It is at the Miner's Alley Playhouse and runs through October 16th. The theater is at:
13th and Washington Ave, Golden.
Park and enter the theater on 13th, a half block west of Washington. Go up the stairs.
303-935-3044. http://www.minersalley.com/.

Theater is open during performances. It's advisable to call or check the website before visiting, to be certain the theater is open. You can visit the art show without purchasing a ticket, but you may want to make an evening of it and see the performance!

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I also had two pieces accepted into The Artists of Colorado show, sponsored by the Colorado Artists Guild. The show, Sept 16-October 28, 2011, is hosted by The Event Gallery 910 Arts, 910 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, in the Santa Fe Arts District. Awards juror is Susie Hyer.

Reception will be Friday, September 16, from 6:00-8:00 pm. I hope to see you there!

Hours: Tues-Sat 10-4;
First Friday, October 7, 12-9 pm;
Third Friday, October 21, from 12-8 pm.

Fall Classes and Outdoor Workshops

2011-08-23T14:40:00.011-07:00

Fall is here, already! Click on the Sidebar Pages for information on Arapahoe Community College classes in Oil Painting for all levels. See you in class!

We had such a great time at our summer outdoor painting workshops, students have requested more! The painting above was a 45-minute demonstration I did on site for one of our recent summer workshops.

We're planning to get out a couple more times this fall before the gorgeous colors are gone. Join us for a beautiful day of painting. Click on the Sidebar "Painting Workshops" page for information.

Paint Outside this Summer!

2011-05-02T16:59:00.012-07:00

Join us for a plein air (outdoor), one day, oil painting workshop. Take a relaxing day away and learn how to paint in the beautiful outdoors. We will meet at our painting location, close to Littleton. I will offer several dates; choose one or all of them, as your schedule permits.

For dates and descriptions, go to: my classes page

The above study was a class demonstration completed in about 45 minutes.

River Respite

2011-03-19T16:22:00.004-07:00

I painted this 9 x 12 study at Lair O' the Bear Park, between Morrison and Evergreen. It was a beautiful summer day, and the colors in the water were amazing!

If you would like to join a one-day outdoor painting workshop, let me know. I'll add you to the list and let you know when we get one going.

Spring Art Classes

2011-03-19T16:08:00.002-07:00

Spring is here! Registration is now open for my art classes at Arapahoe Community College. For information, click on the link on the right side bar of this page.

Hope to see you there!

NO EMAIL!

2011-01-20T13:15:00.002-07:00

Just a note to let you know my email will be down for a week! Our ISP provider is going out of business. If you have questions or need to reach me, please call my Studio Number at 303-734-4208.

Feels like going back to the dark ages!
Valorie

Movie Portrait

2010-11-24T11:24:00.009-07:00

Here's another favorite painting I created for the movie, "Homeless For the Holidays."

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The DVD is now available at area bookstores (Family Christian Bookstores) and online at walmart.com. It's an inspiring family movie!

Current Art Shows

2010-10-21T11:47:00.004-07:00

I have art works in two shows during October:

The "Artists of Colorado" show at the Alpine Arts Gallery, 826 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, in the Santa Fe Arts District. The show runs until November 6th. The gallery is open during the day, as well as the First Friday and Third Friday art walks from 6-9 pm.

The 82nd Annual Colorado Artists Guild members show at the Denver Public Library, downtown between 13th and 14th and Broadway. The show is on the 7th floor and is open during library hours. It runs through October 30th.

Both are beautiful shows with a lot of variety in painting styles and subjects. I hope you'll be able to visit!

The painting shown, "Deep Woods," (11 x 14) is at the Library Show.

Movie Project

2010-08-09T16:46:00.002-07:00

I recently finished a large commission for a movie, "Homeless For the Holidays" to be released this fall. Independent film producer, George A. Johnson, asked me to create a dozen paintings, including 7 portraits of some of the actors in the film. The art will be used for the opening title sequence.

This is the character "Eddie" in the film. I had a lot of fun with this project. The challenge was to paint the personalities of the characters in the story, not merely the likeness of the actors.

New! Intermediate/Advanced Oil Painting for Fall

2010-07-19T12:09:00.008-07:00

It's already time to be thinking about fall art classes! This fall at ACC, I have added an Intermediate/Advanced Oil Painting class. For information about this exciting new class, go to Fall 2010 Art Classes .

I hope to see my faithful returning students there!

His Boyhood Home

2010-05-10T15:13:00.004-07:00

"His Boyhood Home"

oils, 24 x 36, by Valorie Snyder.

This painting depicts the Patron's childhood home, in Amish country, Pennsylvania.

I composed the farmhouse looming high on the canvas to create the feeling of a child's eye view.

I had a lot of fun painting the glowing light on the bricks and the reflected colors in the shadow of the barn, to create a dreamlike, nostalgic memory.

Great Quote

2009-12-04T11:02:00.003-07:00

"One must from time to time attempt things that are beyond one's capacity." Renoir

3 Shows!

2009-11-08T16:07:00.005-07:00

You're invited to see my work at 3 shows in the Denver area!

1. "Artists of Colorado" 14th annual juried exhibition,

Super Oil Painting Workshops!

2009-07-30T17:40:00.007-07:00

We had a great time at our summer workshops at Jerry's Artarama! This is my demonstration painting for the "Painting Faster" workshop. This 9 x 12 oil painting was painted in about an hour. The value sketch and photo reference are below. Everyone was painting faster by the end of the day!

Wild and Remote

2009-06-09T10:10:00.003-07:00

"Wild and Remote" oils 9 x 12

This was a quick study done on location and finished in the studio. I had a lot of fun creating movement in the water and the atmospheric feeling in the distant hills and fields.

Dancing Water and Light

2009-04-03T15:35:00.006-07:00

"Dancing Water and Light" is about movement. The light bounces around as well as the water. My goal here was to move your eye around the painting, as you feel the mist from the water slamming over the rocks. I used an "S" shape composition, strong values and complementary colors to accomplish this. This was such a great location, I did another painting, "Cascading Stream" from a slightly different view. You can see it on my July 3, 2008 post.

Solo Art Exhibit

2008-09-22T17:31:00.005-07:00

You're invited to a special exhibit of my latest oil paintings from October 1-30, 2008. The show features children, landscapes, and still life paintings.

It is located at Goodson Recreation Center, 6315 South University Blvd. (between Orchard and Arapahoe Rd) in Centennial, Colorado.

Hours: Mon-Fri 5:00am-10:00pm
Saturdays: 6:00am-6:00pm
Sundays: 6:00am-7:00pm

The painting above is "Staying Clean (Mostly)", oils, 11 x 14 by Valorie Snyder

The Guard House

2008-09-04T16:20:00.003-07:00

This old fort captured my attention. I was fascinated by the way the old stones seemed to glow in the cool shadows and by the sparkling light on the wall and grass. The towering rock formations in the background provided the perfect "high desert" setting. The oil painting is 11 x 14 and almost glows in the dark!

Deep Woods

2008-08-18T15:30:00.004-07:00

In this 11 x 14 oil painting, I had a lot of fun with the variety of rich, warm and cool colors in the foreground and the glowing light in the background. I arranged it to move your eye around the painting, always returning to the light.

Workshop Update

2008-07-31T14:56:00.004-07:00

We had a great time at the color workshop on July 28th. Students learned to see and arrive at the color they were after in a very short time.

The workshop, "Painting Faster" on August 9th has only 2 more openings! Please e-mail me right away if you are interested! Supply lists will be e-mailed to those who register. I hope to see you there!

Summer Oil Painting Workshops

2008-07-11T10:38:00.016-07:00

This painting of an old mill is a study (8 x 10) I completed in about 2 hours. It's one of my favorite paintings!

Tell a Story

2008-07-05T15:13:00.003-07:00

"Waiting" oils, 18 x 24. A paintings which tells a story can draw you, the viewer, into it in a special, unique way. I intentionally made the background very plain so as not to give you any clues about the place. Who is this little girl? What, or who, is she waiting for?

You are the child, and this painting is your story. Who, or what, are you waiting for? What is the light outside for you? Is the door locked? Is someone coming? Are you hesitating to open it and go out? I'd love to hear your story and how you responded to this painting. I'll post some of your responses.

Cascading Stream

2008-07-03T17:07:00.003-07:00

This river on Kenosha Pass was just begging to be painted. As I sat on the rocks and heard the noise of the crashing water and felt the cool spray, I knew I wanted to capture that feeling. I hope you can feel it, too. The painting is 11 x 14 and can be seen at Great Western Art Gallery.

Painting Workshops!

2008-06-18T15:28:00.002-07:00

My sabbatical from teaching has been great, but I'm beginning to miss all of you students. Let's get together this summer for a couple of one day workshops! We can have a "reunion workshop" for all past students and welcome new students as well. Please e-mail me to let me know what would be most helpful to you and your best days and times. I look forward to seeing you again!

Why Oils?

2008-02-27T13:41:00.005-07:00

"Cool Veranda," 30 x 40

I love oil paints with all the rich, juicy colors and the creamy, buttery paint. It’s such fun to push the paint around on canvas, with stiff brushes, soft brushes, knife, or fingers! Just playing with the paint.

I paint out of love for the craft and for God, who created me to paint. It’s all for Him, my gift of love back to Him. Thank you for allowing me to share this love with you, as well.