I gave myself until the end of February to complete at least 10 (preferably 12) of these large dirndl portraits. It will be close, but I think I will make it. I have five that are complete and another six that are almost there.

I have had to be very purposeful about creating this group of paintings; working in series doesn’t come naturally to me. I think the paintings will make quite an impression when displayed all together, so I’m glad I’m making the effort. I plan to exhibit them publicly in Munich later this year.

The pop-up gallery on Saturday was a huge success! (More details on that in an upcoming post.) This was one of the new paintings I had on display there, barely dry enough to leave the studio. It garnered some very good feedback (and a couple potential collectors), so I guess the treacherous journey across town was worth it.

I think this is my very first painting featuring Austria (although it has appeared in a lino print of mine). It’s about time Austria got a little of my studio time, especially since it’s a country I visit many times a year – most recently a couple weeks ago on a ski trip. I do love those Alps so.

Brrr! It has been extremely cold in Munich this week (-18c/1f most mornings). Maybe that’s why I was inspired to paint some beer garden scenes: I’m missing the days when you could hang out in the sun for an afternoon and still be able to feel your nose at the end of it. Munich is famous for its welcoming beer gardens (Biergärten): wooden tables, shade from tall chestnut trees, big mugs of fresh local brew. I’m looking forward to spending an afternoon in one sometime in the not-too-distant future.

My new beer garden paintings will be on display this Saturday at Munich Creative Group’s pop-up gallery. I’ll also be showing some paintings that better reflect the reality in the city this month, like this one:

Munich – snowy Odeonsplatz, 30 x 40 cm, oil on canvas, €325, ©2011 Julie Galante.

Hope to see you there!

I have nine large dirndl paintings that are in progress or finished so far, all of them hanging out around my studio. I think they’re going to make for an interesting body of work – so many beautiful women in colorful dresses all grouped together. I can’t wait to exhibit them somewhere. But first, I need to finish them!

I last shared this painting of Bea in this post back in October. I’m trying to remember to take more photos of my work at different stages, because I really enjoy looking back at them and seeing the progress I’ve made. I think this one is almost done. What do you think?

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Will you be in Munich on February 11th? Come see some of my paintings at Munich Creative Group’s Pop-Up Gallery!

Happy New Year! I’m back in my studio in Munich and painting up a storm. My first goal of 2012 is to complete the first 10 paintings in my Women in Dirndls series. I have about seven of them in progress already. For the painting you see here, I’m happy in general with how it’s progressing, but I still haven’t figured out what the background color(s) will be. Any suggestions?

2011 has been a wonderful year for me and my art career. I’ve painted more than ever. My paintings have found their way onto the walls of so many new collectors. I’m ending the year full of ideas for future projects. Things are good!

For 2012, I’m looking forward to keeping up my momentum in the studio. They say that an artist should have three exhibits’ worth of work on hand at any given time, and next year I’d like to actually do that. I’m also planning to explore new avenues for exhibiting and selling my paintings both in person and online. I’m excited to see where my art takes me next.

I am so grateful to all of you who have visited this blog and followed my progress during this past year. Thank you! And I’ll be back with more paintings and posts after the holidays.

So, Art Every Day Month is over, and I survived my Open Studio on Sunday (actually more than survived – enjoyed!). Now what? I still have a few paintings to package up and deliver to collectors, but otherwise my to-do list has become blissfully short.

In the studio, I’m looking forward to getting back to painting my dirndl portraits. I want to get the entire 10-12 painting series finished by the end of January or early February.

Since it is December, I’m also starting to think about my big goals for next year. I have some shorter-term goals for the beginning of the year, but so far I’m having trouble thinking of some good ones for all of 2012. What’s next for my art career? In general, I’d like to continue to push myself as an artist, creating work I am proud of. I’d like to continue to expand my work’s audience and collector base. But the specific way forward is still a little hazy. Hopefully it will become clearer over the next couple weeks.

What are you up to this December?

The last day! I have had so much fun during this Art Every Day Month. I’ve loved getting to know other AEDMers through their blogs, and I’m pretty pleased with the paintings I’ve produced. Thank you all so much for stopping by and especially for all your lovely lovely comments!

For me it’s now on to the next adventure – getting everything ready for my Open Studio on Sunday. Still lots to do: cleaning, hanging paintings, making sure they’re all signed and dusted, deciding what I’m going to serve… This is the second Open Studio I’ve hosted this year, so at least I know what to expect. I think I’m half as nervous as I was the first time.

November is Art Every Day Month. I’ll be posting a new small painting here each and every day. After they have had time to dry, most of the original paintings will also appear in my Etsy shop. Paintings from the beginning of the month are already there! Christmas cards, too.

More Munich for you today. This painting is kind of a companion piece to day 15′s Snowy Day in Odeonsplatz. It also depicts a winter day, but without snow (I know it’s winter by how low the sun is in the southern sky, leaving much of the square in shadow).

November is Art Every Day Month. I’ll be posting a new small painting here each and every day. After they have had time to dry (a couple weeks), most of the original paintings will also appear in my Etsy shop. Paintings from the beginning of the month are already there! Christmas cards, too.

This is a bridge in central Munich called Wittelsbacherbrücke (don’t you just love German?). The church looming in the background is St. Maximilian.

I’m on a Munich streak here, which is quite serendipitous since little Munich paintings tend to be quite popular at events like my upcoming Open Studio. Less than a week to go!

November is Art Every Day Month. I’ll be posting a new small painting here each and every day. After they have had time to dry (a couple weeks), most of the original paintings will also appear in my Etsy shop. Paintings from the beginning of the month are already there! Christmas cards, too.