Grey, a new favorite wall color according to House Beautiful readers

Recently I read an article in House Beautiful (HB) which features the 2012 Color Report. Readers vs interior designers. I strongly agree with most of it. In fact much of it confirms what I see in my clients homes. How can they be wrong, right? They polled their readers from the entire USA!

I love GREY walls especially in living rooms. What can I say, but everything looks great on a neutral grey wall. Most of all art! According to the House Beautiful poll, the under-45 crowd chose GREY as their favorite for living rooms. See below a photo of my latest painting, "River Song" on a grey wall. It was created for my collector who had recently designed her living/family room using the palette; light grey, dark grey and yellow green.

Other color facts according to HB that are interesting...

• ORANGE is in! Many blogger and readers love Orange.
• BLUE is the number one bedroom color! ahhhh... so soothing.
• YELLOW slightly wins over WHITE as the favorite kitchen color.
• Designers still love RED in dinning rooms.
• GREEN and PURPLE are rising stars.

If you have a yen to redo your space, here's a helpful color tool that House Beautiful offers. They call it their Complete Guide to Color.  http://www.housebeautiful.com    Happy painting!

(c) Lisa Palombo, 2012. www.lisapalombo.com

Original Paintings on Paper

Spring has sprung onto paper at Lisa Palombo Studios!!!

"Iris Sorbet", 18" x 12", acrylic on paper

You may have noticed my new Etsy shop. This is where I have recently featured my acrylic paintings on paper. Why has this longtime, die-hard oil painter now found herself painting with acrylics? Well there is no simple answer except that last summer I started painting artist embellishments with acrylic on my giclee canvases and... LOVED it! Acrylic paint is very different from oil. Pigments have a wide variety and they dry FAST! 

Acrylic paints have come a long way since the last time I used it 20+ years ago. They are completely archival, meaning the colors will not fade in sun light exposure. I have been using Golden Acrylics, which offers a wide variety of pigments and fluid consistencies. I also use 140 lb. watercolor paper for a support and will start painting on canvas too in the near future.

"Sunflower Celebration", 19" x 13",  acrylic on paper,  detail

To my oil collectors, don’t worry, I haven’t deserted oils. In fact, I have been bouncing between the two. Teaching workshops this winter in my studio and doing demos at art centers has my brush in two pots, sort of speak.

This spring there are several exhibitions where you can see my new acrylics on paper including my annual Spring Open Studio (May 5 & 6). Be sure to mark your calendars. Details are below...

Not in the NJ? Well, there is my Etsy Shop and website. Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or requests.

"Orange Water Lilies", 22" x30", acrylic on paper

"Sunset Water Lilies" 22" x 30", acrylic on paper, detail

April 3 - Women's Club of Glen Ridge, Exhibition, Luncheon & Presentation 
(11:30am-2pm) "Presby Iris Garden - a local Legend since 1927"  
Women's club of Glen Ridge, 219 Ridgewood Ave., Glen Ridge, NJ 973-748-5459.

April 3 - Evening art exhibition reception, meet the artists (7pm-9pm) -  
Women's club of Glen Ridge, 219 Ridgewood Ave., Glen Ridge, NJ 973-748-5459. more information and reservations

April 18 - ReFocus on Art, Exhibition and Sale 
(7-10pm) New Jersey Arts Incubator, 495 Prospect Avenue,West Orange, NJ. 
100 Pieces of Art for 100 Years! Celebrate the NCJW/Essex centennial at this 
special one-night-only fundraising event! A special evening of cocktails, 
hors d'oeuvres and art for sale, including flat art, fine glass, fine crafts, 
and outdoor sculpture. $50 in advance, members and nonmembers; 
$75 at the door (if available). more information and reservations or contact ncjw@ncjwessex.org 

May 5 & 6 - Spring Open Studio (12pm-5pm)
55 Mountain Ave., Caldwell, NJ (973) 364-0280
This is our 11th annual Spring Open Studio show. 
Come join us in my studio for a weekend of fine art 
and yummy treats. We look forward to seeing you there!  
directions to the studio

Reeves Reed Arboretum Receives a Special Donation

Gayle Petty-Johnson, director of RRA and Ruby Faust

I am so proud of my six year old daughter. Last October the east cost had a terrible early snow storm that damaged much of the area. Our favorite arboretum, Reeves Reed Arboretum was especially hit hard. My six year old daughter, Ruby decided she wanted to help out. At my last annual Holiday Open Studio she exhibited some of her paintings and quietly asked for a small donation towards "saving the trees" at the Reeves Reed Arboretum in return for a piece of her art. How could I say no? 

Pictured here is Ruby presenting her donation can along with $60 to the Reeves Reed director, Gayle Petty- Johnson. Below is what Ms. Petty-Johnson wrote in a recent E-Newsletter. If you'd like to make a donation to the Reeves Reed Arboretum click here.

From the director at Reeves Reed Arboretum:

At this time of year, the spirit of giving is a wonderful tradition. The Board of Trustees and Staff are grateful for the support and dedication of so many members, volunteers, donors and friends.  This year, in particular, has had its challenges and we truly recognize the value of your commitment to Reeves-Reed Arboretum. 

Every gift has made a difference, but I wanted to share with you a recent donation by a very young philanthropist, six year old Ruby Faust.  Ruby is the daughter of artist Lisa Palombo.  The Arboretum has been the inspiration for many of her mother's paintings and evidently Ruby is also inspired.  At a recent open studio of her mother's, Ruby arranged a display of her drawings and set out a coffee can decorated with flowers and trees and a sign inviting people to take one of her drawings and place a donation to bring back the trees at Reeves-Reed Arboretum.  Ruby raised more than $60 - quite a sum for such a young artist - and brought her can of donations to us last week.  It is generosity like Ruby's, gifts large and small, that we celebrate and acknowledge during this season of giving.

Gayle Petty-Johnson, Executive Director

Daffodil Day - April 10th

Daffodil Day at the Reeves-Reed Arboretum is April 10th and less than two weeks away! We in Northeastern USA are very anxious for spring. We have had an unusually brutal winter with snow still on the ground and have yet to put away our winter wear. That said, spring is ever faithful and will not disappoint us. At the Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit, NJ the daffodils are on track to make their annual event not one to miss! Come join us April 10th (1-4pm).

Reeves-Reed Arboretum view of the Wisner House from the Daffodil Bowl

About the Daffodil Bowl

The  Arboretum’s paved serpentine walk overlooks a roll of land ending in a glacial bowl that each year hosts over 30,000 daffodils blooming sequentially throughout April in this naturalized setting. The bowl or kettle is a depression that remained after the Wisconsin glacier retreated some 17,000 years ago. The Wisner’s (first owners) planted daffodils on the property, but when the Reeves purchased The Clearing (name of the property before it became Reeves-Reed Arboretum) in 1916, it was Susie Reeves who expanded the collection. The daffodils constitute the first major spring display that prompts the steady flow of visitors throughout the Arboretum growing season.

Information adapted  from The Clearing on the Hill – The Story of Reeves-Reed Arboretum by Betty McAndrews

Daffodil Day -- April 10th (1-4 pm)

Over 40,000 daffodils
·  Performance by the Oak Knoll Ensemble
·  Container Gardening with herbs and tea sampling in the Herb Garden
·  Crafts, Victorian games and pony cart rides for children
·  Hat parade
·  Refreshments at the new Tea Rose Café
·  Photos by Bruce Lorenz among the daffodils

"Impressions of a Garden," solo exhibition by Lisa Palombo -- March 10th- May12th

Reeves-Reed Arboretum 165 Hobart Ave. Summit, NJ  www.reeves-reedarboretum.org

"Women Impressionists and Myself"

In honor of  Women's History Month, yesterday I presented, "Women Impressionists & Myself" at the Reeves Reed Arboretum, Summit, NJ.  My lecture coincides with my solo exhibition, "Impressions of a Garden."  I don't often have an opportunity to speak in a public venue about the Grande Dames of Impressionism and how they continue to inspired me, so this was a real treat! 

The Four women considered the center of the Impressionist movement of the late 1800’s are Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzales, and  Marie Bracquemond. Not only did these women have to over come a new movement , Impressionism, but they had to overcome being a woman and all that it meant at that time. 

"Sleepy Baby" (c) Mary Cassatt 1910

 























In this beginning of a new century where modern woman artists are an equal force to the men gender in the art world, the example of Mary Cassatt who insisted on painting women as subjects and not objects remains highly significant. The most charming part of Cassatt's story was her profound dedication to her work. Despite prejudices against female painters she still had the perseverance to realize her life's ambition of being an artist. This paved the way for the prominence of female artists in the 20th Century and to present day.

"Impressions of a Garden" will be on view at the Wisner House till May 8th, 2001. 

Mark your calendars for Daffodil Day, April 10th.. Reeves Reed Arboretum

"A Penny For Your Thoughts" oil on linen 5" x 7" (c) Lisa Palombo

Artist interview

Recently Joanne Van Zuidam interviewed me for the Caldwell Patch. We talk about where I live/paint for the past 10 years (Caldwell NJ), color and my daughter's Crayola crayons.

Whether she's painting en plein air, or sketching a still life in her Caldwell studio, artist Lisa Palombo masterly captures the colors, light and contours of her subject—which is usually flowers. Her signature style: brushstrokes of bold, beautiful florals, such as lush peonies, glorious roses, and stunning black-eyed susans....Click on Caldwell Patch to read more.



photo by Peter Jacobs



NJ Audubon Society, Wattles Stewardship Center

The NJ Audubon Society honored Mr. & Mrs. Wattles today at the new Warren county Wattles Stewardship Center. Last summer NJ Audubon Society partnered with local farmers to grow sunflowers for black-oil bird seed, as part of  the S.A.V.E. program. Fortunately, I was able to see and paint the sunflower fields before they were harvested.

Good Morning Sunshine

"Good Morning Sunshine" 30"x40" oil on linen

DETAIL of "Good Morning Sunshine" 30"x40" oil on linen

This summer I discovered a wonderful program, S.A.V.E. (Support Agricultural Viablity and the Environment) sponsered by the NJ Audubon Society (NJAS). My painting, "Good Morning Sunshine" was based on one of the farms that is involved with the program. They grow a sunflower crop and harvest the seeds to sell through the NJAS. NJ farmers are are working with NJAS to grow a "greener" more environmentally and bird friendly black-oil sunflower seed. Please visit, NJ Audubon Society for more information about the S.A.V.E. program and how you can help.

Anderson Park Sept 11th &12th

September is around the corner and I am pleased to announce that I will be participating in the twenty-seventh annual Fine Arts & Crafts at Anderson Park, Upper Montclair, NJ. This year the event will be Sept. 11th & 12th (10am -5pm) rain or shine. Anderson Park is located on the corner of North Mountain Avenue and Bellevue Avenue in Upper Montclair, NJ. I hope to see you there! more information on the event

"Let's Dance" oil on linen 35"x44"

Detail of "Let's Dance" oil on linen 35"x44"

Reeves Reed Arboretum

The Reeves Reed Arboretum has peaked with gorgeous roses! The garden boasts over 250 rose bushes (some dating back to 1950).  It is a wonderful place to visit and spend the afternoon. My daughter and friends love to have picnics here. Reeves Reed Arboretum

NJ Peony Garden on Martha Stewart

One of my favorite gardens, Peony Envy Garden in Berndardsville, NJ will be featured on the Martha Stewart Show on Monday, March 15th! Discover the latest in peonies and learn how to plant some of the most exquisite plants with Kathleen and Martha. Check your local listing for channel and time or visit Martha Stewart Online.

Peony Envy has a wonderful catalog, visit http://www.peonysenvy.com/.

Here is a small piece I painted on site, plein air last spring. Irises among the peonies...a heavenly combination!

"Peony Envy Garden" 5'x7" oil on linen SOLD

Article on Holiday Open Studio

We had a wonderful Holiday Open Studio this past weekend! The studio was filled with lots of friendly faces and good conversation. If you missed it, send us your contact information and we will notify you when we have our Spring Open Studio.

The Progress wrote a very nice article on our event. Click here to read it.

Reeves Reed Rose Garden

One of my favorite gardens, the Reeves Reed Arboretum has roses still in bloom! My favorite model and I headed out this morning with digital camera and picnic basket.

Although famous for it's roses the arboretum is open year round with a calendar on it's website listing what's in bloom. To find out more about the arboretum please click on this link, Reeves Reed Arboretum.

Sergei Bongart

Has anything ever stop you in your tracks and make you say, "WOW! now that guy knows what he's doing!" ? My artist friend, Miro Sinovcic just sent me this link to artist Sergei Bongart.

If you like to paint, or appreciate well done fresh and juicy art. You must check him out! As my friend Miro says, "Hold your chair, it will blow you off."

Miro is an excellent artist in his own right... after you get back on your chair check his work out at http://nyframeofmind.blogspot.com/ and prepare yourself for another ride.

Why Plein Air Painting is Exhilarating

"Claude Monet Painting by the Edge of the Wood" by John Singer Sargent 1885

I often get asked, "Do you paint outside or in the studio?" Well, the answer is both, but when I can, I love love love painting en plein air!

If you are inspired by nature, painting in the midst of it is truly exhilarating. I feel like I paint with all my senses when outdoors. It is so exciting to SEE true color in day light. Light moves quickly so you are forced to make your marks quickly, which takes on a fresh feeling to your painting. Any plein air painter will tell you there is nothing like it and if you haven't tried it you are missing out!

Wikipedia explains:(plān-âr', Fr. plĕn-ĕr')
En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors.
Artists have long painted outdoors, but in the mid-19th century working in natural light became particularly important to the Barbizon school and Impressionism. The popularity of painting en plein air increased in the 1870s with the introduction of paints in tubes (resembling modern toothpaste tubes). It was during this period that the "Box Easel", typically known as the French Box Easel, was invented. It is uncertain who developed it first, but these highly portable easels, with telescopic legs and built-in paint box and palette, made treks into the forest and up the hillsides less onerous. Still made today, they remain a popular choice even for home use since they fold up to the size of a brief case and thus are easy to store.


I too have many French easels. They are wonderful! I use them painting outside as well as in the studio when I teach students. It is very convenient to rest your palette on the drawer that pulls out in front of you under the canvas. They fold easily and most all of your supplies fit in the box.

Peony Garden

I had the pleasure of visiting Kathleen Gagan's Peony Garden recently in Berndardsville, NJ. It is such a heavenly hideaway with lots of tree peonies and herbacious varieties. She also has many irises and a few red chickens roaming the property. At the moment the herbacaious peonies are in full bloom!

The garden is open to the public from 11 am- 5pm from May 1st-June 15th. Visit her website for more information. I plan on painting, plein air there next week and breathing in all the delicious perfumed peony aromas.

Rose Garden Friends

Detail of "Rose Garden Friends," oil on linen, 5"x 7"

Private collection

To see more Paintings like this, click on, Mini Collection.

This is a detail of a mini sketch from a new series I am beginning. Every winter I tuck myself away in my studio and birth something new for the year. It is joyfully challenging to include my favorite subjects; flower gardens and my daughter. Stay tuned... I'll be posting others soon.

Painting Plein Air

Painting en plein air this morning at the Presby Memorial Gardens in Montclair, NJ was a real treat!!! A nice lady took this photo of me.

I was able to finish this small 8x10 painting in one sitting. For more information on how you can join our June Workshop and learn how to paint quickly too, click on this link -

art classes.

TV interview

Here's the link to my recent TV interview on WMBC-TV. Click on, http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3821986799349706208.

Spring Open Studio Event

"Summer Garden #2," oil on linen, 24"x36"
To see more paintings like this click on my LANDSCAPE page of my website.

I am very excited to announce our 7th annual Spring Open Studio, Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th (12pm-5pm). I will be unveiling a new series called GARDEN LANDSCAPES. I am still finishing up a few more paintings so check back often or, better yet, come the show!