Posters in the wild! Thanks for sending the pix, love it!

This is mid century mod cool

I never did manage to connect with this hotel, which is awesome btw, we stayed there many years ago. But I like this image. Yes its mine :-)

Loving the yellows

It’s tricky getting this printer to render a decent yellow - unless it is a warm, saturated yellow, like sunflower yellow. I’ve been trying to find the right place for these monarch butterflies. Hey! Farms around here are increasingly planting sunflowers. This is a super summery scene. Very happy.

It debuted at the gallery this morning and it sold almost right away :-)

We were in DC this weekend

We hiked Rock Creek Park. There are so many parks, and views of/from water - it’s a very livable city and fun to visit.

Old Town Alexandria

There is so much that is picturesque there but perhaps it’s greatest beauty is in the blocks and blocks on cobblestone streets lined with history. Hard to choose which exactly, so here are some images of actual or almost actual houses in Old Town.

This is a fun one. I made it for the November races which will be here soon enough.

There’s even a matching coffee mug

Lolz

Bobby Lee today

In the style of Maxfield Parrish

‘The’ illustrator of his time. Pinancle of 1920s glam. Known for his famous ‘Parrish Blue’

Combination of watery brush work, collage, digital

Today is the day

“Surrender

I, Robert E. Lee of Lexington, Virginia do solemn, in the presence of Almighty God, that I will henceforth faithfully support, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Union of the States thereafter, and that I will, in like manner, abide by and faithful support all laws and proclamations which have been made during the existing rebellion with reference to the emancipation of slaves, so help me God.” –— REL 1865

“Boom” —REL 2021

and the horse he didn’t ride in on (this dude never set foot in Charlottesville, nor id ‘Stonewall’ or any of ‘em)

Cool story - my poster on Hulu

A movie/series (?) is being shot right now in the area and my poster will be in a scene in the background. So, I was contacted by Hulu for permission and the tiniest of payments to license it for this one use. I feel sure it will be on the wall of some dreadful ethics-free pharmaceuticals executive or something, perhaps a K street lobbyist or a Pay for Play coin operated congresscritter.

Oil stick painting, on paper from 1992(ish)

Around this time I made an enormous (for me - 6’x4’ composed of 2’x2’ sqare canvases) red painting on the oil well fires during one of those George Bush wars. No photo of it easily accessible. So there’s this. It was a smoky ember quality that seems sadly appropriate as we approach fire season.

Copyright Barbara Shenefield. OK?

Ransomware attacks

are everywhere and I get ransomware fishing emails through this account regularly yet Squarespace cannot be bothered to filter them out. I supoose there is a chance this website will go away? Or moved to a new URL, stay tuned. Squarespace used to be a great platform until it was sold, of course, cashed in; and now it’s rent-seeking penny pinching and all the rest that Silicon Valley and Wall Street are about. Sorry for the rant. It wasn’t the best week, for democracy for most of us.

Expressive

Unusually expressive statuary, unusually prominent, too, for a federal building in DC (Federal Trade Commission). Love the symbolism here. Perhaps a 2021 version would have The Common Man wrestling a spaceship back to earth?

(My photo, besides it is in LOC and eff off to the ransomware trolls any change to my blog triggers)

On the boards

Maymont is a gilded age estate in Richmond, on the bluffs of the James River. The Italian Gardens are lovely though some features have no weathered the eras too well. In my research I learned 1. there were peacocks roaming the property when the Dooleys owned it, and 2. there are 300+ species of rosa and though I would love to accurately depict the actual species found at Maymont, that’s a bit beyond me.

Recent home portraits

It is an honor to make a home portrait for a family. It’s my favorite thing to do.

Cville Arts, gallery in Charlottesville

Thankfully, and with a lot of help, our cooperative seems to have weathered COVID19. It was pretty touch and go there for a moment, for several long moments. It is so good to have folks back in the store, locals and visitors. It’s always interesting to chat with people who are passing through the area, or students/residents moving in or moving on. This organization is really a bit of a marvel; that a group of artists and craftspeople work together in ways that benefit each other and it’s lasted 25 (?) years, too, through economic downturns, right wing kook riots, weather extremes, pandemic - what next? We’re resilient!

An honor for my work to be in your home

Thanks for sending me pix of the posters - it’s always interesting and really an honor to see them relocated in folks’ homes