This Post is by Lori Woodward Simons, Regular contributing writer for FineArtViews.  Find out how you can be a guest author.


What follows is an example of a recent email newsletter that I sent out to my subscribers - who, for the most part are collectors of my work. While I plan to send out periodic emails that showcase my work, what I'm doing and thinking and where I'll be showing and painting.... I additionally plan to send newsletters periodically that I think will educate and interest my collectors.

Notice that throughout this newsletter, I make a connection between the work of the Hudson River School artists and my recent work.


My Recent Collector Email Newsletter starts here:

I own a number of beautiful coffee table style books which showcase the works of prominent painters from the Hudson River School Era. Two of my favorite painters, Sanford Robinson Gifford and William Trost Richards, were part of the Luminist group of the HRS painters. Examples of their paintings are shown below.


New England Landscape Sanford Robinson Gifford  


Moat Mountain Sanford Robinson Gifford

The top painting is considered a sketch. It's about 8x15 inches. Click on his name to view more of his paintings.  Sanford Robinson Gifford

Winter 09 Watercolor Issue

For the Winter 09 issue of Watercolor Magazine, my article included step by step demonstrations - copying several paintings by William Trost Richards - who painted seascapes in oil, but he was primarily known for his stunning watercolors. Copying the masters is one of the best ways I know to improve my work - by doing so, I absorb the thinking patterns of these past masters. For example, as I was copying, I noted that each part of the landscape contained the same colors that were present in all the other parts of the landscape. This practice is called "using confluent color".

Below is one of the paintings that I copied for the article - the original was painted by Sutton Palmer, a British Watercolor painter.


After Sutton Palmer, by L.Woodward Simons 12x16

Below is an original by William Trost Richards,

"Squam Lake" The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY City

Click here to see more paintings by William Trost Richards.


Summer 09 Watercolor Issue

This month, I completed a new article for Watercolor Magazine -- the editors asked if I would write on the subject of painting from photographs. So for the article, I painted Duck Pond, a quiet, serene place at Acadia National Park.  As I composed this painting with a step by step demonstration for the magazine article, I couldn't help but be influenced by Sandford Gifford's and William Trost Richard's paintings (shown above).

Here is my photo reference of Duck Pond


Below is the study I painted on location, in artist terms painting from life is called "en plein air"



Below is the final painting for the article. I referred to both my photo references as well as my plein air study (Watercolor Magazine, Summer 09) On bookstore shelves mid-June


Duck Pond By L.Woodward Simons 10x15 watercolor

I plan to paint a larger version of Duck Pond - but this time, it will be painted with oil on linen canvas.
The small watercolor above will serve as my study.

Below is another painting from my travels to Acadia National Park.

"The Bubbles at Jordan Pond" Acrylic on paper. 11x14

In June, I'll make my annual trek to the Maine coast with my artist friend, Cindy Nixon, whose work is represented by Argosy Gallery in Bar Harbor. I have an appointment with the owner of that gallery; however, I think for the time being that I will continue to offer my work solely from my website, and forego the gallery route. Time, and the number of paintings I can get done before then, will tell.

Finally, in early August I'll be painting in Boothbay Maine and writing an article for American Artists' Workshop Magazine about Master Painter, Donald Demers.