Showing posts with label Louisa VA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Louisa VA. Show all posts

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Post 338: Virginia and DC Local Paintings by Donna Liguria

Collection of Local Paintings by Donna Liguria - VA, DC 

Painting my favorite local spots and where I have lived and visited has been a walk down memory lane at times. I've painted Monticello in Charlottesville; Virginia Beach, the Governor's Mansion in Richmond up to Gunston Hall in Lorton and Mount Vernon in Alexandria. From Rosemont in Berryville and Great Falls in McLean, and the ArtFactory and Train Station in Manassas, then on to see the sites in Washington DC, my paint brushes have captured some favorite places. Then living in Blue Ridge Shores in Louisa, Virginia brings forth its own memories of growing up there.

Local Art

Here is a look at most of my Virginia and Washington DC paintings. Some were sold and/or commissioned and prints are available, while some sold at various art shows or on my Etsy shop. There is usually a story behind each one.


"Blue Heron at Blue Ridge Shores" (SOLD)- 15x30 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; Blue Ridge Shores, Louisa, Virginia. I did several versions of this painting, with version 3 being a Commission.


Local art includes the local teams too! I've done a few variations of this mini 3x4 Capitals Hockey paintings on stretched canvas with mini easel, including Ovi

"Cherry Blossoms, An Annual DC Event" (SOLD) - 12x16 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; Washington DC. Commissioned painting. Prints are available on Etsy

"Great Falls National Park in McLean, Virginia" (SOLD) - 11x14 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; McLean, Virginia. Prints are available on Etsy

"Washington DC Cherry Blossom Explosion" (SOLD) - 11x14 Acrylic on Stretched Canvas; Washington DC

"White House Having a White Christmas" (SOLD) - 12x16 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; Washington DC. This was a Commissioned painting but Prints are available on Etsy

"Main Beach at Blue Ridge Shores" (SOLD) - 16x20 Acrylic on Stretched Canvas. This painting is where I grew up in Louisa, Virginia. Prints are available on Etsy. See blog post  Blue Ridge Shores as it Once Was for some more 3x4 minis. See also the post, Growing Up Blue Ridge Shores

"A Day at Blue Ridge Shores" - 24x24 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; Blue Ridge Shores, Louisa, Virginia. There was an old stairway coming down a steep hill on one side of the lake that was falling apart from age and I wanted to capture that rickety walk down to the pier with a blue heron flying by. 

"Marina at Belmont Bay, Occoquan, Virginia" - 16x20 Acrylic on Stretched Canvas. The painting and prints are available on Etsy

"Governor's Mansion, Richmond Historic VA Home Series" - 11x14 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; Richmond, Virginia. The painting and prints are available on Etsy

"Gunston Hall Historic VA Home Series" - 11x14 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; Lorton, Virginia. The painting and prints are available on Etsy


"Sunrise at Historic Manassas ArtFactory" - 11x14 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; Manassas, Virginia. The painting and prints are available on Etsy

"Monticello Charlottesville Historic VA Home Series" - 11x14 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; Charlottesville, Virginia. The wonderful home of Thomas Jefferson that sits above what I call the big little town of Charlottesville, Virginia. The painting and prints are available on Etsy

"Mount Vernon Historic VA Home Series" - 11x14 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; Alexandria, Virginia. The home of our nation's first president, George Washington. The painting and prints are available on Etsy

A mini 3x4 painting of the gazebo in Occoquan, Virginia

A mini 3x4 painting of the museum in Occoquan, Virginia

"Rosemont Historic VA Home Series" (Not Available) - 11x14 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; Berryville, Virginia. Make note of the tray on the wall with champagne glasses, a bucket of ice and a champagne bottle. Prints are available on Etsy

"Spring in Occoquan, Virginia" - 12x12 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas

"The Fish Aren't Biting at the Lake" - 16x20 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; Blue Ridge Shores, Louisa, Virginia. Note the fish at the bottom left next to the pier...they are looking at the guy in the boat - perhaps giggling.

"Sunrise at Historic Manassas Train Station" - 16x20 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; Manassas, Virginia. This painting won first place in the 2022 P-Art-Ners Paint! Manassas contest. The painting and prints are available on Etsy See also Paint! Manassas

"Washington Monument Amongst the Cherry Blossoms" - 12x24 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas; Washington DC

"Virginia Beach" - 11x14 Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

I just posted a collection of paintings based on Harkers Island, North Carolina including Shackleford Banks, the ponies, Cape Lookout Lighthouse and more. Be sure and check out that series too. See https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/2024/01/post-337-harkers-island-cape-lookout.html 

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Let me know if you like my paintings and if you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member. If you want to commission me to do a painting for you, please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.


*Thank you for visiting and remember to Share, to Follow, and please Comment!

Sunday, February 26, 2023

Post 291: The Fish Aren't Biting at the Lake

Painting Name: The Fish Aren't Biting at the Lake

An acrylic painting by Donna Liguria of fishing on the lake at Blue Ridge Shores in Louisa, Virginia.


SKU: 02E23AC
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 16x20 Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2023
Framed?: No
Check Availability and Prints on my Etsy Shop

What Brought About this Painting?

Living at Blue Ridge Shores in Louisa, Virginia meant time on and around the water. From swimming to water skiing to carrying a fishing pole is and was a part of "lake life". Sometimes the fish are biting and you could look forward to a nice fish fry to occasionally, the fish weren't biting today.

Update: February 28, 2023 9:47am Here is an update to the painting


A lot of tweaking from the previous photo below?



The painting is pretty close to done - it's in the studying phase...which means I 'll look at it for a little while and put in a tweak here or there. Maybe. It will eventually end up on my Etsy page, but let me know if you like it or are interested in a print. Other Blue Ridge Shores prints are available on my Etsy page too.

Do you recognize the area of the lake this is?

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Let me know if you like my paintings and if you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member. If you want to commission me to do a painting for you, please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt to shop my available Artwork.


*Thank you for visiting and remember to Share, to Follow, and please Comment!

Monday, November 21, 2022

Post 283: Blue Ridge Shores, Louisa, Virginia As It Once Was

Blue Ridge Shores As It Once Was

I did some of my growing up at Blue Ridge Shores many moons ago. Spending my teenage years there was fun and when I see the main beach when I go to visit family there, I see it as it used to be too. This series of mini BRS paintings are how I remember the days at the lake. 

From the red, blue, yellow and green umbrellas that we used to hang our beach towels from and those big red and white barrels marking the swimming area - a LOT of time was spent on that beach. A lot of those houses were not there in the background as yet either, although my aunt's house at the top of the hill certainly was.

Painting Name: BRS Memory 1

SKU: 11FO22ACM
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 3x4 Mini Stretched Canvas with Easel
Edition Year: 2022
Check Availability and Prints on my Etsy Shop

There is a mini sand castle, bucket and shovel in the foreground as well.

Painting Name: BRS in 1970s 2

SKU: 11FP22ACM
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 3x4 Mini Stretched Canvas with Easel
Edition Year: 2022
Check Availability and Prints on my Etsy Shop


Painting Name: BRS Main Beach Retro 3

SKU: 11FQ22ACM
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 3x4 Mini Stretched Canvas with Easel
Edition Year: 2022
Check Availability and Prints on my Etsy Shop


Interested in a BRS Mini Painting? 

I also painted a series of Blue Ridge Shores Mini Paintings as they are today. All of the minis are available on Etsy @DonnaLiguriaArt - also found directly at Etsy Blue Ridge Shores






Other Blog Posts about BRS

I have written other blog posts about Blue Ridge Shores as well as painted a few other things at the lake, including some Blue Heron paintings. If you search on "Blue Ridge Shores" those should come up, here are a couple of them...

https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/2022/07/post-261-day-at-blue-ridge-shores.html

https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/2021/06/blue-ridge-shores-louisa-virginia.html

I hope you enjoy.

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Let me know if you like my paintings and if you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member. If you want to commission me to do a painting for you, please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt to shop my available Artwork.


*Thank you for visiting and remember to Share, to Follow, and please Comment!

Monday, July 11, 2022

Post 261: A Day at Blue Ridge Shores

Painting Name: A Day at Blue Ridge Shores

Thanks to photographer Peter Olsen for the use of his wonderful snapshots of his visits to Blue Ridge Shores in Louisa, Virginia and the influence for several paintings I have done of BRS. And thanks to the Beckett's at BRS for those boat rides around the lake on summer evenings with my mom, bro and sister-in-law.


SKU: A Day at BRS 7-27-22 B
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 24x24 Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2022
Framed?: No
Check availability and Prints on my Etsy Shop

What Brought About this Painting?

Growing up at BRS was a wonderful experience for the most part and I've written about that before, and it's quite nostalgic - every visit. I've had this painting in mind for awhile, and finally started it while in Richmond, Virginia - house sitting, dog and cat sitting for a cousin with my aunt. My cousin's husband has an art studio in the pool house (thanks for the use, cousin!...for the POOL and the ART STUDIO!) so I set up my canvas on the easel with my paints.

When I asked Peter for permission to use his photo of the old stairs down to the pier, I believe he said they are no longer there. Someone must have cleaned that lot up but the black and white photograph of them was definitely not only striking, but a long memory of life around the lake, from years ago, having a boat and skiing around the lake and more recently boat rides with the Beckett's and family.

Painting in Progress Images…

Watch the painting as it progresses!







It's coming along, more to go though! Stay tuned for updates.


Wednesday, July 13, 2022 - Now I think I can call this one done. Tweaked it and tweaked again.


July 27, 2022 2:30 PM and I continued to tweak


Not sure if I like the previous one better or not, as you can see, the water changed. One of those, "to tweak or not to tweak, that is the question". Ugh. 

July 31, 2022 7:33 PM What can I say?




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Let me know if you like my paintings and if you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member. If you want to commission me to do a painting for you, please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt to shop my available Artwork.


*Thank you for visiting and remember to Share, to Follow, and please Comment!

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Post 157: Blue Heron at Blue Ridge Shores, Louisa, Virginia - v.3, Acrylic 15x30

Painting Name: Blue Heron at Blue Ridge Shores, Louisa, Virginia v.3

In some previous posts about Blue Herons at Blue Ridge Shores, and "Growing Up Blue Ridge Shores", this is my third in a series of 4 blue heron paintings of various sizes (and a commissioned work!).

SKU: 07CD21ACG
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 15x30 Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas
Price: SOLD
Edition Year: 2021
Framed?: No
Check Availability and Prints on my Etsy Shop

Blue with His New Owner and in His New Home


Blue Heron at Blue Ridge Shores with his new owner, Gina - of BRS and Ashburn!

What Brought About this Painting?

"I want it bigger." Those words can be music to the ears of an artist. I had previously painted 2 smaller Blue Herons at BRS paintings that were only 10x20, so a bigger one? Absolutely!  So here is the new Blue at 15x30 on a gallery wrapped canvas. Varnish and wiring will happen here shortly along with his "photo shoot." 

See the Painting in progress at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/2021/07/blue-heron-at-blue-ridge-shores-3-15x30.html




What kind of artist would I be if I didn't have my next canvas on my mind? Actually, the next several canvases! I am thinking - jellyfish.

Do you like my paintings? Do you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member? If you want to commission me to do a painting for you, please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt to shop my available Artwork.

Thank you for visiting and remember to Share, to Follow, and please Comment!

Monday, July 12, 2021

Post 154: Blue Heron at Blue Ridge Shores 3, 15x30 Gallery Wrap Acrylic Painting

Painting Name: Blue Heron at Blue Ridge Shores 3

Apparently I have a Blue Heron series going on! Various sizes of the same bird.

SKU: 07CD21ACG
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 15x30 Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas
Price: SOLD
Edition Year: 2021
Framed?: Yes
Check Availability and Prints on my Etsy Shop

What Brought About this Painting?

I recently painted a 10x20 Blue Heron at Blue Ridge Shores painting and it sold before I even completed it! I had a lot of people asking about it, so I did a second version of the "BH at BRS 2" - also 10x20 but slightly different. While on vacation at the end of June, I met a very nice lady at Blue Ridge Shores that LOVED "BH at BRS 2" but she wanted one larger for her place. Hence, this commissioned work "BH at BRS 3".

Gesso is the beginning of nearly every painting so its anywhere from 3 to 5 coats with plenty of dry time in between. Let the Gesso begin...Meanwhile on the easel, a couple of mini paintings going on while the Gesso dries. (Play the Jeopardy music here.)

Have a peek at my Etsy Shop if you haven't already https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt

Painting in Progress Images…

Everyone has seen a blank canvas so there is no need to post an image of that and watch it drying. Images will be posted once Blue starts being somebody...


Tuesday, July 13, 2021 8:46 AM Progress thus far since early on this Tuesday morning. A long way to go but shapes are forming.


Tuesday, July 13, 2021 1:04 PM The floating legless Blue Heron...


Wednesday, July 14, 2021 9:10 PM - Didn't get a lot done on BH at BRS 3 today but I did notice the Blue Herons are multiplying....


Left to Right: Blue Heron at BRS 2, Blue Heron at BRS 3, and I did a quick knocked of BH at BRS 4 who is a 5x7. Useful sometimes to use the paint you have already mixed up and do a mini guy.


BH at BRS 4 Mini is 5x7. I'll need to make a separate post for this little guy and get him on Etsy.


Back to Blue Heron 3 tomorrow.


Friday, July 16, 2021 3:04 PM - a busy week. A bit slower on this painting than I wanted to be. He's coming along though. Now he is eying me.

Update: Monday, July 19, 2021 12:12 PM - I wasn't happy with Blue's legs, so I am redoing them. 


Wednesday, July 21, 2021 12:48 PM - Alrighty, I think Blue is about there. I will look him over for a bit to see if he needs any tweaking, then its on to varnishing, wiring and presenting him to the new owner!

Shop, Share, Follow, Like, Comment and do all the social things for my painting Artworks!

See the Share options and Where to Find Me Links.

Commissions are open!
To Shop for paintings, please go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt to shop my available Artwork.

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comments are welcome!

Friday, June 25, 2021

Post 149: Growing Up Blue Ridge Shores, Louisa, Virginia

A Story of Blue Ridge Shores…

We first heard of Blue Ridge Shores that I can think of was around 1965ish from my grandparents, Doug and Louise Jackson. They had purchased a home in the new community in Louisa County, Virginia and in the summers my mom and dad would pack up the car with 3 kids and all their stuff and we would drive from Alexandria to Louisa, Virginia down 95 South. 

You know the song, "Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go..." (sing along)


Friday, June 25, 2021 9:45 AM Arriving at BRS

We did that drive very often and I do remember the aunts and uncles and ALL the kids (AKA cousins) ALL landing at G'ma's house and everyone sleeping all over the place. Kids on the floor, and their parents were scattered about. Cousins EVERYWHERE. We loved playing at that house and Grandma ruled the kitchen with an iron rolling pin. There was always a lot of laughter. And giggling. That was from G'pa.

We kids played on the rocks between Grandma's house and the Pettit's house. And I got to go fishing with my Grandpa there. And I learned to love gardening from my Grandpa. Homegrown strawberry fields forever.


This was Grandma's House

Then my parents bought a small yellow summer house on Fairview Drive. So now my parents would pack up the 3 kids, the cat and the dog and all their stuff and do the 95 South drive and we had our own home to go to for the summers. (Try driving with kitty litter being used.) Eventually, other aunts and uncles bought homes too. Close enough to walk to easily, and we did. Often.

And we got to know the neighbors, remember the Breezes? Oh Pearl and Francis, and Willie and Lula, and of course, Stoney.

All the crazy things and stories over the years, so many - here are a few:
  • Family croquet in the yard.
  • My dad breaking a leg while playing football with the family.
  • All of the 4ths of July celebrations and fireworks lighting up the night sky. Say a lot of "Ewww and Ahhhs" here. Wide eyed kids mesmerized by all the colors and wonder.
  • And the awful bands at the 4th of July celebrations and dancing on the tennis courts while the adults congregated on the hill above.
  • My mom running and WINNING a race.at the 4th of July foot races.
  • The lady baseball player who lived up from us practicing her fastball and it zipping by my windows and the LOUD smack of it landing in her friend's mitt.
  • The skunk family deciding to come out and visit during a big croquet match. 
  • My cousin riding her bike singing at the top of her lungs, hitting gravel and biting the dust while her "crush" drove by and her underwear and pjs flying up in the air.
  • The hurricane that took out the dam and the most horrible summer of damn mosquitoes that followed. (by the way, this was Hurricane Camille)
  • Digging up worms, going fishing, cleaning the fish and then cooking and eating the fish.
  • Using a small blue plastic boat to catch fish in the kiddie pool area with my dad.
  • Wondering if you swallowed watermelon seeds, if you would grow a watermelon inside of you...
Eventually, on August 8, 1969, we moved from Alexandria, Virginia to Blue Ridge Shores for good. It was a GREAT childhood. The Louisa school system was culture shock coming from Alexandria at that time but summers were grand. My mom was known as "Momma G" and flipped burgers and sold fries and candy at the concession stand. I had unnumbered adopted brothers and sisters because EVERYONE called my mom, Momma G. 

The juke box blared over the speakers while we baked in the sun. The Beatles were IT! And the Rolling Stones. We spent the whole day at the beach and many evenings too. We swam to the big raft and dived off to swim back, rinse and repeat.

Somebody I know very well blew up frogs too with fire crackers. Poor amphibians. Several frogs had shortened lives after being repeatedly tossed out into the water and swimming back to the shore, ever more slowly after each toss and eventually sinking into obscurity or depending on their size, gulped down by a fish.

The memories of snow sledding down the hill above the beach and riding the bus to school were epic. My brother, Donnie bouncing over the back seat of the bus to the seat in front of him was hilarious. Of course, my other brother Dave, doing the Evil Knievel on his bicycle off the marina into the water is not to be forgotten either.

The church at the back gate was started with the help of my whole family. It actually did have its first meetings at the "concession stand" with Reverend Petty. Then a bunch of people all helped to build Blue Ridge Shores Baptist Church right at the back gate.

Summer was when all the families from Northern Virginia and Maryland (mostly) would come on the weekends and for vacations and many friendships were started. Learning to ski was a top priority. 


George Anderson and Nathan Bozarth at the Main Beach, early 70's. Unknown name for the girl and unsure if the guy on the swing is my older brother.

So we kids grew up, started high school and started -gasp- dating. If you had a boat, you were AWESOME. A great memory is of the Olsen brothers skiing behind our boat and the older bro would start off double skiing on 2 skis with his younger bro holding his waist then climbing up on his shoulders, then Chuck would drop one ski, and around the lake we would go. Pete and Arthur Olsen, the twins would take turns climbing up the skiing Chuck.


Getting Gas at the Marina, Warren Sutherland's Boat, early 70's

So life moves on and we grew up. Then we started getting married. And buying our own home(s) at BRS. And then life changes in its various ways sometimes included moving away. But I still love coming back to Blue Ridge Shores. I still have family there so visiting is a to-do list thing.

Recently, while visiting my mom this spring, my aunt and I went for a walk about. We did all the remembering of who lived in that house and what happened here and there. How she met her husband at the beach. How I met mine. We walked up the hill and around a couple of the streets and almost anywhere and everywhere there were things to remember and point out. And seeing -wow- all the new homes, renovations, and additions.


BRS Main Beach 2021

We talked of all the people we knew, many who are now gone, some of the bad stories of bad events too. Thankfully there are not as many of those. 

And just recently, my brother, my mom and sister in law and I went for a boat ride around the lake with the Becketts. It was a nice view of the lake from the water to see all the changes too.


The Main Beach water view June 25, 2021


Second Beach


Velina G, Tim B, Dave G, and Peter B


Peg-Leg Blue


My Mom, Kelly B and "Louie, Louie, Louie - Louieeee"


Louie wanted to say hi to the geese. They weren't agreeable

And wouldn't you know when we got back to the main beach, there was a group of kids at the marina on bicycles and my brother mentioned to them that he used to ride his bike off the pier. Well, we got a great laugh when one of them did it too.

So the kids that were kids when I was a kid, are all grown up now much like the trees that tower over us as our views have changed in the lots all around BRS. And their kids are looking at the lake with the wonder that we did.

It is quite the varied history of Blue Ridge Shores and the experiences of our life stories. Some people have come back to spend their summers much like they did with their parents, while some kids have taken ownership of their parents homes and carry on with their own family traditions. Others have moved on with their lives elsewhere. 

Nonetheless, BRS will always be a warm and fuzzy memory of my childhood as an awesome, safe and great place to grow up. And maybe for you too. And your kids.


Side note on my BRS Paintings: 

Painting of Blue Ridge Shores Main Beach painted in 2020 - see the post here.
Painting of Blue Heron at Blue Ridge Shores version 1 2021 - see the post here.
Painting of Blue Heron at Blue Ridge Shores version 2 2021 - see the post here.
Wood Plaque of Blue Ridge Shores Main Beach the Early Years (link coming soon)

Shop, Share, Follow, Like, Comment and do all the social things for my painting Artworks!

See the Share options and Where to Find Me Links.

Commissions are open!
To Shop for paintings, please go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaLiguriaArt to shop my available Artwork.

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comments are welcome!