Giclee prints are now available to order online from my printmaker, Bellevue Fine Art Reproduction. Prints of several of my latest works are on www.bellevuefineart.com

The image here is titled "Croatian Island Port" and will soon be available for $85 (edition of 250). They use the best laser equipped digital image capture and the finest archival inks and papers available in the world.

Certificates of Authenticity, signed by the printmaker, Scott Moore, are your assurance of the highest standards of quality control and accountability. Together, we approve and color correct all prints, to match the originals, when each edition is started.

I prefer to use Certificates of Authenticity (CA's), rather than numbering and signing individual prints, as it allows a much cleaner looking mat and frame, than the old method used for signing and numbering hand-pulled etchings, lithographs and silk screens. The "CA" then becomes your legal document, and can be displayed with the print, or mounted on the back, when they are framed.

I am involved in some very exciting plein air events, art shows, a new book being published (Best of America Pastel Artists Vol. II) and special exhibits, throughout the summer. Stay tuned!!

There are still some spaces left for the 10 day plein air painting experience on Korcula Island, in Southern Croatia, October 5-14, 2009.
I will be doing live daily demos at many sites around this beautiful island, including the ancient city of Korcula, as well as many seaside and hilltop villages, old vineyards, olive orchards and around the famous turquoise waters here.

Registration by August 5th. www.slikamilina.ca for full information and details. Only $1550 U.S. (funds are payable in Canadian dollars at current exchange rates) pays for all lodging, the workshop fee, all meals (full breakfasts, sack lunches for painting sites and beautiful dinners with wine) and ground transportation. (Non-artists spouses, travelling companions only $1350 U.S.).

The painting here is from my last trip to Korcula Island titled “Croatian Island Port”. I will be doing live daily demos at all sites, mainly in pastel, but other mediums (oils, watercolors, photography) are encouraged.

I just received notification that I will be one of 60 plein air painters accepted into this years Carmel Art Festival. It is a live event, with all artists painting around the Monterey Peninsula, next Thursday and Friday, May 14th &15th. The paintings are all juried Saturday morning, with an awards ceremony Saturday evening. A "quick draw" juried event is held on Sunday morning, for award winners from the juried show only, and allows jut 2 hours for work to be done within a short radius of the show site.

This year, the festival is hosting "Absentee Bidding" on-line for the first time, during the silent auction. If any of you are near Carmel-by-the-Sea on those dates, do stop-by to say hi and see what 60 different artists can do in just 2 days. I'll be there!

A new show at Art on the Boulevard gallery in Vancouver, Washington, opens tomorrow night, Friday, April 3rd and runs through April 28th. Seventeen gallery artists are exhibiting a lively and wide variety of still life paintings and sculpture pieces.

One of my 3 pieces "Cooking Italian III" is pictured here. This show celebrates the gallery's 3rd Anniversary and they are offering a "web special" for 2 days only. Go to the web site: www.artontheboulevard.org and click on the show to see what's in store for this weekend!

Announcing a new One Man Art Show
Steve Hill at Art on the Boulevard Gallery Vancouver, Washington


My first one man show will open with an artists' reception on Friday, March 6th from 5-9 p.m. at Art on the Boulevard Fine Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver, Washington. I am unveiling 28 new pastel paintings, many from our recent 3 month trip to Europe, as well as plein air paintings from the U.S. – all completed over the past year.




The gallery is hosting the reception with festive foods and wine throughout the evening. I am very excited to have a solo show featuring these new pieces and hope to see you at the opening reception! The gallery is located at the corner of Evergreen and Columbia, (210 W. Evergreen Blvd) (360) 750-4499.
Please visit their web site, to preview works for this show at www.artontheboulevard.org. Should you see a painting you would like to purchase, please call or email the gallery before the opening reception to have a hold placed on the original.

Special Note: Art on the Boulevard Gallery pays Washington State Sales Tax on any and all gallery sales!

Special Holiday Gallery Shows

This Saturday, November 29th, I will be among other gallery artists at the Gallery San Juan Holiday Show in Friday Harbor. Opening reception is at 5:00 p.m. They are located at 210 Nichols Street in Friday Harbor.

On Friday, December 5th during the First Friday Art Walk in downtown Vancouver, Washington, I will be participating in the annual Small Works Show at Art on the Boulevard, with other gallery artists. I have 5 new pieces in that show, including paintings from France, Croatia and Italy. Two of those pieces are pictured here.

Please go to their web site: www.artontheboulevard.org to preview the show. I hope any of my blog subscribers from these 2 areas will be able to attend openings and see the new work.





As a reminder, the show at La Conner Seaside Gallery in La Conner, WA is still hanging and we've had many very favorable reviews from patrons and visitors. This show hangs until January 5, 2009 and features paintings by myself and Mark Bistranin, photos by Mark Conley, glass work by Annette Tamm, and sculpture by Tamara Buchanan. Their web site: www.laconnerseasidegallery.com to preview the entire show.

If you are on Orcas Island, please visit Crow Valley Gallery in Eastsound to see some of my most recent plein air pieces from the islands and beyond! Crow Valley offers excellent annual holiday discounts on most items, from Nov. 28th through Christmas.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Holiday! I am looking forward to a remodeled web site soon, complete with a "print gallery" shopping section for limited edition giclee prints made from my original paintings.

Steve Hill

Painting in Georgia, Tennessee and Upcoming show events

After having an opportunity to teach a 4 day Pastel workshop in a cabin northwest of Atlanta, Georgia, I enjoyed painting some brilliant fall colors . . . as we have now traveled across northern Georgia, southern Tennessee and are back at our mountain top retreat near Armuchee, GA. We have a stunning vista overlooking the blue ridge mountains on a very large old family property amidst wild turkeys, coyotes, raptors and deer. It is very peaceful, sleep comes easy and the painting sites are endless.

Two major art events are happening when we return home from this trip: The Puget Sound Group of Northwest Painters annual auction in Lynwood, Wa www.psgart.org for details on this November 1st event.

I am also having an opening at La Conner Seaside Gallery in La Conner, WA on Saturday, November 8th with an opening reception for the artists at 5:00 P.M. I will have @25 paintings (new work) at the gallery and hope any area web site subscribers can plan to attend. I will be showing with Mark Bistranin (oil paintings), Mark Conley (photography), Tamara Buchanan (sculpture) and Annette Tamm (glass) for the month of November.

The show is titled “Synergy - Light, Glass and Stone” See their web site: www.laconnerseasidegallery.com for details.

The painting here “Afternoon Field” was awarded a First Place ribbon in the juried competition at the San Juan Preservation Trust and Plein Air Painters of Washington exhibit of artwork last Saturday, August 2. The painting was done en plein air, in pastel, at Swift Bay Farms on Lopez Island on July 27.

Over 100 pieces were hung at the paint-out at The Red Mill Farm on San Juan Island (from more than 30 artists) for this juried show, held on a beautiful 800+ acre working farm owned by Dodie Gann. A special exhibit for these works will have an opening reception at Gallery San Juan in Friday Harbor next Saturday, August 9, from 4-8 p.m. and will hang through most of August. Several pieces from the live paint-out were sold at the auction and show last Saturday, including two of my own.

All of the participating artists have work hanging in the gallery for this annual show. I hope some of you will be able to view this important exhibit of plein air paintings done by some of the best artists in Washington State. I am honored to be included in this show and to receive a major award from The San Juan Preservation Trust for my work. Half of the proceeds from painting sales benefit the San Juan Preservation Trusts' land acquisition fund.

The importance of these works are a benchmark from every artist involved in this show... as well as the people who came to buy paintings at the auction in support and all the volunteers who provided food, music and time to help create this major event. All of these folks posses a keen sense of helping to preserve the rural character of the San Juan Islands and should be commended for giving their time, money and talents to a higher cause. Gallery San Juan and The Plein Air Painters of Washington group should also be noted as major contributors to this effort, as they have proudly invested hundreds of hours to create public awareness and to make this annual fund raising event successful.

Giclee prints are available for this piece in a limited edition of 250, signed and numbered by me. Size (image) is 11 x 15”. Price is $85 unframed and includes insured UPS shipping anywhere in the continental US.. Half size prints (5.5 x 7.5 and 250 limited edition) are available at $45, including shipping. If you wish to order, please contact me.

A new print gallery will soon be available on my web site for ltd. editions from most of my artwork, including the European paintings made from our recent trip.

Tomorrow, I will be participating in the Plein Air Washington Painters paint-out on San Juan Island, to benefit the San Juan Preservation Trust. Over 30 artists are participating with works to be shown at the Red Mill Farm (Dodie Gann's) in San Juan Valley. We are also doing a “quick draw” at Red Mill Farm, for 2 hours starting at 12:30 p.m. It will be very exciting to be working among so many talented artists, in full view of the public and with a picnic to boot. I'm thinking some potato salad (I am from Idaho, you know) with carrot juice (for improved vision) will help me paint better. We shall see, but I can guarantee it will be fun and very interesting to see how so many artists can paint the same subjects in so many different ways!

The paintings (all plein air!) from this event will be displayed during the picnic and at San Juan Gallery in Friday Harbor (after the picnic), with a special opening on Saturday, August 9th. See their web site for details. www.gallerysanjuan.com

I am now showing my work in the Portland/Vancouver area at “Art on the Boulevard Gallery” in downtown Vancouver. www.artontheboulevard.org.

This gallery is managed by Kevin Weaver, formerly the curator/manager at Yoshida's Fine Art Gallery in Portland. It's great to be working with Kevin again, as he has managed to put together over 50 high quality artists (many of the best painters from Yoshida's are now showing here, as well) and is simply one of the best gallery managers I have ever had the opportunity to work with. If there isn't anything going-on around the art world, Kevin always finds a way to make something really cool happen . . . to wit, this evening is an art opening “Art in the Heart” from 5-9 where many artists are offering a one-time major discount on their works – it's ONE NIGHT ONLY, so get on down to the gallery and see what awaits! I have personally discounted a major piece (20%) titled “Boats at Vernazza Harbor and all of my other pieces are 10% off tonight only.





See the gallery web site and click on individual artists names for images. The gallery is located at Evergreen and Columbia in downtown Vancouver, Washington.

July 17, 2008

The end of our 3 month trip to paint in Europe was made perfect by a 3 night stay at a wonderful B&B “I Castagni” (the chestnut trees) only 5 km from Milan's Malpensa Airport, but nestled in the village of Casarati Sempione, a world completely apart from the busy airport activity. We got to know Carlo and Anna Colombo, owners and their wonderful Italian family, all of whom share a great appreciation for art, music and especially good food . . . we had great dinners with them and even painted at a favorite family site on a gorgeous nearby river, the night before we left. (www.icastagni-bb.it highly recommended!). What we thought might be a laid-back “catch our breath” time really underscored the whole essence of this trip – to do a lot of painting and absorb as much culture as humanly possible, in 3 short months. Every minute seemed filled with the joy of discovery and the comfort of living in true European manner, with gracious style and character always present.

The paintings from this trip are headed for finishing touch-ups in the studio and the framers soon. They will be available at my studio/gallery on Lopez, especially the annual Lopez Island Labor Day Studio Tour as well as other gallery venues, which will be announced as they come-up.

When we arrived home on Lopez Island, we were both basking in a warm feeling from the trip, as well as another for this fabulous place where we live in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. I immediately set-out to paint for 2 consecutive weeks and did the four pieces here. Jet lag and all, I feel very motivated to work and quite energized!



I know my eyes are opened wider because of this marathon painting experience (50 paintings completed in Europe) and I plan to take that to the “studio”. What I have really confirmed is that my “studio” exists outdoors wherever and whenever I get the opportunity to paint. Being more able to see the familiar landscape with new eyes is the gift from this trip abroad and there really is no place quite like home.

The San Juan Islands paintings pictured here will be part of a larger show at Crow Valley Pottery Gallery, on Orcas Island, opening reception on Friday, July 18th (4-7) - see their web site: www.crowvalley.com for details.



I will also have some local pieces for a big event to benefit The San Juan Preservation Trust - a paint-out and ‘quick draw' with the Plein Air Painters of Washington on San Juan Island, August 2nd. More details on that event and new gallery showings later. We will also announce a grand opening for our Windswept Studio Gallery here at 783 Port Stanley Rd., very soon!

Per adesso
Uno buono viaggio!!!

Stefano e Giuditta

Lucca, Italy, June 20 & 21, 2008

What a way to celebrate the beginning of summer, working first from the top of the wall surrounding Lucca, towards one of the 'Torres', then another painting from below and outside the wall surrounding this beautiful Tuscan city.

This distinctive wall seperates Lucca from all other walled cities I have painted in 3 trips to Italy. Reconstructed at least 3 times (the last I believe in the eighteenth century when it was rebuilt using bricks!) this venerable landmark has very large dimensions on a human scale. It's at least 40 feet wide at the top, where one can stroll or ride bikes for 3 ½ kilometers, completely circling the city. Large old oak and chestnut trees have been planted there and provide welcome shade as well as an invitation to walk what was once the fortification for Lucca.