Petit Jean

“Generations” A Mother and Daughter Art Exhibition 

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Evelyn and I extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for attending our exhibition. Your support and enthusiasm made this event truly special. Meeting new people and engaging in conversations about the creative process added an extra layer of joy to the experience. Your appreciation and curiosity fuel our artistic endeavors, and we are grateful for the connections we’ve made.

Thank you for contributing to the success of our exhibition and making it a memorable journey. We look forward to more opportunities to share our art and connect with fellow art lovers in the future.

Generations is an exhibition that celebrates art and the special bond between mother and daughter through their love of art.   Generations is about sharing the love of art, imagination, and creativity and how this passion has been passed down through the generations of our family.  Included in the exhibit is a piece from my son Clayton and my grandson Bearrett Laurence, who stepped up to the easel with his first painting “The Black Hole”. 

The exhibit will be on display at the Gallery at the Argent Public Library from December 15, 2023 – January 4, 2024. The Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Arkansas Pastel Society – Paint Out

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On Saturday, June 3rd, ten artists from the Arkansas Pastel Society spent the afternoon Plein Air painting on Petit Jean Mountain, Arkansas. Plein Air is a French phrase meaning “in the open air” and describes the process of painting a landscape outdoors. What better place than Petit Jean Mountain State Park.

We gathered for breakfast at Mather Lodge, I missed a photo opportunity. Then we headed out to paint around Pavilion A & B, Davies Bridge, and Lake Bailey. We were fortunate enough to have a Bald Eagle watch us from a nearby tree.

Some of the artists had a the opportunity to visit other areas of the park and take photos, possibly for future paintings.

After we finished painting, I had the honor to have the artists come by my studio to cool off, catch up on the day, share art tips, and enjoy each other’s company. It was a resounding yes to make this an annual event.

I’ve included the four 20 – 30-minute sketches I started today. I may work them some more in the studio.

Thank you all for an amazing day!!

The “Big Mural”

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Back in September I wrote about “The Opportunity of a Lifetime”. In that post I mentioned a second mural my daughter and I would be working on at the Museum of Automobiles in Morrilton, AR. We finished that mural this weekend. It is now the largest mural we have done at 6′ x 25′. The car is approximately 17′ with Petit Jean Mountain in the background. It was an honor to create this lasting memory mural for the Hoelzeman family.

Here is a little more about the car: 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Hardtop owned by former long time Museum of Automobiles Director Buddy Hoelzeman and his wife Tootsie.  He worked at this Museum for 55 years from 1966 to 2021, being the Director 53 of those years from 1968 until his retirement in 2021.

If you are in the area, stop by and take a tour. The murals are in the lower level of the museum.

Now on to the final mural…stay tuned.

Sometimes it is good to work in other mediums

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I find that it is good to swap mediums once in a while. The painting below is done in oils and is a work in progress. What are the differences between working in oil vs pastel?

1) With oil I need to mix the colors I want vs pulling pastel right from the box with the color, value and intensity work already done. Mixing the colors reinforces the basics of color theory.

2) I need to adjust mark making to create textures and do so from a brush at the end of the stick vs holding the pastel with my fingers.

3) I need to understand how wet medium reacts to the canvas vs dry pastel on papers.

4) The downside of oil painting is waiting for the paint to dry 🤣

5) There is also prep and clean up time I need to build in 30-45min.

As you can see the skills are transferable, it takes patience and practice.

Welcome to Caprise Studio

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Welcome to Caprise’s Art Studio, where I share news and images of my pastel paintings.  If this is your first visit to my website, I’d like to share a little about myself and my art.  

About Caprise

I work primarily in pastels but also explore oil and pencil. I’ve been passionate about art since a very young age and began collaborating and studying with other artists at the age of sixteen at Studio in The Woods in Wauconda, IL.

I have an Associate’s Degree in Fine Art from the College of Lake County and won several awards throughout my career. After a 20-year break to raise a family, I returned to my practice at Mainstreet Art Center in Lake Zurich, IL.

My new studio is in Arkansas on Petit Jean Mountain, an area adjacent to the Arkansas River between the Ouachita Mountains and Ozark Plateaus. You’ll find much of this area represented in my work.

Lost in the Moment – Petit Jean Mountain

 Thank you! 

To see a full range of my work, please visit my online gallery.

Petit Jean State Park

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CCC Overlook

My studio is in Arkansas, on Petit Jean Mountain in Petit Jean State Park. CCC Overlook is my favorite spot on the mountain. The colors of the rocks just glow during sunset. It is a peaceful place where I like to bring my sketchpad. The CCC Overlook is on the bluff of Cedar Creek Canyon. Named for the Civilian Conservation Corps, which built it in the 1930s, this native stone overlook offers views of the Canyon and the Petit Jean River.

CCC Overlook
24 x 12
oil on canvas
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