Pomergranate - Sold at La Bella Luce Show

Here is my latest painting. It was sold today at La Bella Luce. La Bella Luce is a very cute antique shop that is exhibiting my work until December 7. I painted this painting last week and it was very interesting to paint. I've always wanted to paint a pomegranate and I was shocked to discover how much juice comes out of that fruit. It is a fountain, either that or I got a particularly good specimen. So, I decided to paint the puddles of juice that just seems impossible to come from this very hard, weird, seed-pod thing. I just couldn't stop this thing from dripping all over the place and on me. I looked like I had been slashed!

For my artist friends, pomegranates are like grapes. There are areas, e.g. the seeds, of differing reflected areas that need to be treated as masses and other areas that need to be distinct and treated a individual seeds, with higher valued highlights and low-lights. These individual seeds are also surrounded by very distinct dark shape and hot interiors. These factors make them pop out. There are also strange skin things that run through the interior of the fruit and they cool in color, naples yellow/cerulean blue. So odd!

I want to thank my friends for coming to the opening reception tonight. I have some new plein air items, oil sketches and small works showing - these items are more reasonably priced than my very detaile dgallery paintings--although those are available too. I invite all to come to the show.

More From Trisha Adam's Workshop

Here is another painting I did in Trisha Adam's workshop last weekend. The gerbera daisies painting was actually my first attempt and you can see I didn't keep it loose. I enjoyed keeping the leaves a mass. But, I may have gone too far with the veins and the value variation they create. I stopped finishing the leaves when I realized they were starting to have a uniform level of definition and thus affecting the focal point. I really need to finish the underside of the leaf (the cool colored one), which isn't working.

But notice again the principles Trisha highlighted in her workshop: the red/green and purple/yellow (complimentary colors) composition. The main subject is the full bloom and the other flowers are trying to point to it with the circular motion. Again I hope I achieved a strong value contrast between the flowers and the background/leaves and the high saturation (for the main subject) vs. low saturation for the leaves and background.

Trisha also talked about the notan. Trisha really presented great examples of this concept. A notan is a black and white design of your painting. Instead of having all the middle values you convert them to either white or either black (e.g. you are making decisions as to whether the middle value is more white or more black). The thought being that you should have a pleasing black white value composition (that is what reads from across the room), with not too much white or too much black dominating. I've converted this painting to a notan (well the best I can). Makes you see things in a whole different light. This notan is perhaps my ideal notan. And I like it because the whites creates two nice triangles. However, when I look at the main flower it could also read pretty dark so it is possible that my notan is nothing but black. That would be bad.

Workshop with Trisha Adams

Last weekend I took Trisha Adam's workshop. This was a treat as she doesn't teach often. I love her loose impressionistic style and thought I would learn from the master. It was one of the best workshops I've ever taken. She provided two superb powerpoint presentations, one on composition and one on color. They were so good and provided such a great foundation, I recommend her workshops to any artist. Many principles she discussed I plum forgot or never knew, including the fact that if you use complementary colors as your color design you will generally have a pleasing painting. I really never thought about that before and certainly didn't consciously plan out paintings using this principle, but it's a really good principle. It is certainly something I'm going to think about a lot now. There was also great advice given on how to get your eye to move around the painting and land on your main subject, plus the fact that you should have a main subject (which I forget often).

Anyway, here is one of my samples. Notice the blue and orange color design (Trisha's set up). Really nice color composition. Also you will notice the folds of the fabric are all pointing toward my main subject, which is the blue vase. The value contrast between the vase and the background also help focus the eye. I could go on and on with the great wisdom Trisha imparted.

I would like to finish the vase a bit more as it is too angular for this stage and correct the drawing of the vase. More tomorrow on other samples from the class. I'm off soon to the Expressions Portrait Competition Reception at Art Space.

Sunday Plein Air Painting

Yesterday I went to Georgetown to meet some friends to do a little plein air painting. There was much to do before getting downtown so I didn't arrive until about 4pm. I went to the Potomac Boathouse as that is the only place I knew that was potentially paintable without a lot of traffic. I painted right outside the gates of the club which had a great clearing and view of the Key Bridge. Here is my effort. It is 8 x 10. The size was perfect since the sun disappeared by about 6pm. Surprisingly, it takes 2 hours to only get this far. I think I will glaze a hot orange or cad yellow over the bridge once it is dry, but otherwise this is finished. It was such a blast. The only creepy thing was that there are homeless people living in the woods right behind the boat club. It made me very uneasy when the jogging and biking crowd dimished as the sun set.

Finally Done

This is the finished picture of my friend's nieces. I added the second hands/arms and darkened a few places in the water. I'm in a period now where I'm working on finishing things you have already seen, so I don't have anything really to show. I worked almost two hours on the peonies painting from before and I swear you can't tell I did anything. sigh. I need to paint something new -- I'm bored. I've got to think about what to paint for my upcoming show. I'm thinking that since the show runs mid November through first week of December I would like to paint small paintings that are more affordable. I'm open for ideas!

Beach Kids #3 revisited

Here is the almost finished painting of Beach Kids #3. I fixed the legs, hair and background yesterday. Those are done. Now I just need to finish the arms. Again, I'm letting the painting dry, so that I can add the other limbs and do some minor tweaking to the hands. Then it will be done. I really don't like to paint on a painting more than 9 hours and I just reached that limit and I'm ready for the next challenge.

Next week I'm going to start working on a commission of a friend's cat - a tribute to the long life of a much loved pet. I see the next few paintings being of pets as I have a few in the queue. Then I want to try something really crazy, a narrative, but I need a willing model. Ideally it would be for the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition that I will never finish in time...but what the heck I can try.

Fall Class Demo

Last Thursday was the first day of my fall class. I did a demo of garlic because they won't rot by class #2 and I now know I can finish a demo in 50 mintues (Paint Herndon post below). With all the talking I was going to do, however, I knew it would take an extra 30 minutes at a minimum. So I went crazy painting fast in the demo and stopped at 1.5 hours. It is not as finished as my Paint Herndon garlic and now I know why. I purposely reversed the colors of this demo to create a pair with my Paint Herndon painting. Tricia Ratliff then pointed out that I had not in fact painted a 8 x10, but a 9 x 12. Geez, so they aren't a pair after all. No wonder it took me longer and that also explains why I kept wondering why I had so much space around the garlic.

I also have a confession, and this happens with almost every painting. There is a point where I think... "OMG I'm not going to be able to pull through on this painting." I mean it looked like a sloppy, flat mess. But then I blend the edges between the light and shadow side and add the reflected lights and highlights and something presentable shows up. I should really stop freaking cause it never stays in that condition.

After the demo, I started over and blocked in the drawing. The students followed along. Then we added the background and shadow color of the garlic. Everyone did a great job, but that is where we had to stop because it was already after 10 pm. Next week, everyone is going to learn how to use the oil medium and then will find out, much to their chagrin I'm sure, that they have to repaint the shadow colors. That is a necessity so that when the light colors are added you can blend the two together to make the garlic round.

Fall Painting Course is Full-Starts Tonight

My Fall Painting Class is full and starts tonight. I am trying to negotiate more space with the Director of the gallery to accommodate the wait list, but I'm not sure that is possible. ArtSpace is a fabulous gallery that also offers classes and workshops. I still haven't figured out what my demo will be, but I think it is going to be grapes. They are so fun and quick to paint. I have to complete the demo, as promised, in 1 hour 30 minutes so it can't be difficult or complicated, e.g., no leaves! For the returning student set up, I'm bringing peanuts with the leaves still on (they are gorgeous) and colorful radishes. Not sure whether to bring a bowl or some other hardscape to paint as my radishes certainly won't make it to next Thursday. There are always replacements. I just hope all this lifting won't throw out my back again....geez I'm getting old.

Beach Kids #3

I started this painting earlier this week, then somehow wrenched my back just walking across the parking lot so I haven't finish it. This is a painting of a friend's nieces. I love the body language on these kids. The older girl appears to be helping her younger sister navigate the waves even though she looks scared herself of the big wave coming. The younger child looks like she just finished jumping up and down with excitement. Adorable! I hope I'm doing the moment justice in paint.

This painting is a more detailed painting and realistic painting than the others, despite my effort to keep it loose and impressionistic. This painting style is just where the subject took me. I love all the frothy water so I'm taking my time. Most of the center and right of the painting of water are not done (hence why the large area of greenish color on which I will put bright purple for the froth); neither are the legs, arms or hair for that matter. So I think if I work fast I probably have another three hours to go. I hate to stop painting on this one as it has been fun! I hope I get more beach painting interests as I've run out of good pics.

I'm going to wait to put in the kids' other arms in until the background is complete and dry as I've struggled enough and have wiped out those other limbs twice so far--they just keep getting in the way of the background. Once again the legs have been the largest struggle because of the strange angles and foreshortening and I see more struggles in my future. Color also needs to be adjusted as I wiped out a small section of a leg and never put the color back (oops). This means I'm going to have to repaint the legs unless I can match the color exactly, which is unlikely. The colors are far more vibrant in life than what this snapshot shows.

Fun Kids!

I have debated for a week whether to show you this stage. I call it the all-out-messy stage. This is a relatively small painting 12 x 16 if I remember correctly. Putting this much detail into a small painting is difficult as I want this to be a relatively finished painting versus a sketch.

I want to thank my friend Jean Schwartz who told me to put retouch varnish on the drawning to avoid the graphite bleeding into the paint. It worked. This represents two hours of painting. Just like the other kid paintings, I really enjoyed the start. I have some serious distortion in the photo and I keep adjusting the body to avoid large head, small body problem. The quality of my small brushes is a challenge. I wear down small bristle brushes with one painting it seems and then the paint does not go where I think it is going--it squishes out. Anyway, I think the next layer will resolve all issues with paint application, but I might need new brushes. Excuses, excuses, but honestly materials matter - believe me -- do not buy a cheap brush!

Yikes! Don't look at the shape of that drum, that will be corrected. It's good to get away from the painting to see the obvious. Funny, while usually I think I painted worse than I did, in this case I thought I painted better than I did, so I'm a bit dejected. More reason to work on this over the weekend.

One Spot Left in My Fall Oil Painting Course

I have one spot left in my oil painting course that starts next Thursday, September 22 and runs to November 17 (no class October 27). The course is 8 sessions and we meet every Thursday from 7-10pm at ArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center Street in Herndon, VA. Cost is $200. Ideal for beginners or intermediate level painters. You can send me a comment or call ArtSpace with any questions: 703 956-6590

I set up a still life every week so you don't have to worry about what to paint. But, you can work on your own projects as many returning students do. The first night I do a demo for new students. This time I'm going to try to do a 1 hour demo and then start the same demo again in steps, with students following along step by step. I will start with the drawing composition and block in with Raw Umber or Transparent Oxide Red. Then I'll evaluate everyone's drawing and we'll make corrections. Next step will be color block. Then we'll do any corrections together. Then on to getting the light and shadow areas to work together, refining the value (have to get those highlights, cast shadows and darkest darks in). Brushwork (soft edges) will be handled on the first day while the paint is still wet. Usually that is where we stop on the first class. The next week, we'll follow with color and temperature adjustments. Put on thick clean paint to correct muddy spots that may have occured last week and heighten the value on the light sides of objects to make things pop. Then hopefully tada....everyone will have a great little painting.

I usually have a still life set up for 2 or 3 weeks because I do want people to finish their paintings.

Daffodils Accepted to Art League Membership Show

I was accepted into the Art League Gallery's September Member Show. The show, and my piece, will be on display from September 7 - October 3. The Gallery is open: Mon-Sat, from 10:00 - 6:00pm; Thurs, 10:00 am - 9:00 am; Sun 12:00 - 6:00 pm.

Second Place -- Paint Herndon Competition

I decided to go to the Paint Herndon event sponsored by ArtSpace in Herndon yesterday (Sept 3). Luckily my friend and fab artist Tricia Ratliff told me that there are no rules as to subject matter. The title assumes a plein-air landscape painting event, but it was not, lucky for me.

I decided nonetheless to try my hand at plein air landscape painting and my worse subject -- architecture. I was set up in front of Zifferelli's (?) Italian restaurant, very quaint storefront in old town Herndon, but within an hour it was thundering and pouring rain, so I went back to ArtSpace -- wiped out my most horrific start of Zifferelli's -- and set up a still life. The first one I painted was the yellow wildflowers on the antique red stool. I had planned on painting one landscape and one still life, so I had jammed my car like a pack rat full of stuff, including this fabulous red stool. The yellow flowers come from the side of the road which I turned my car around for when I saw them. I have no idea what they are but they lasted all day (with water picks) and are beautiful.

I then had an hour left over and was convinced to paint another painting. I painted this small 8x10 garlic painting and it WON second prize. I painted it in 50 minutes which I think is a record. The whole day was a blast and I have to thank ArtSpace and Robin Carroll for such a great time. Unfortunately I forgot my camera, so these pictures were taken with my phone.

I've had a couple of inquiries about the price: The garlic painting is $295 and the wildflowers is $495. Both are framed. You can reach me through "comments". :-)

More Cute Kids

I drew this image on canvas in anticipation of painting it. It is not meant to be finished and certainly the values are not accurate. These are a friend's kids. Given the small size of the canvas (12 x 16), I needed a more precise drawing and why I drew this first. I'm hoping that I won't be so uncoordinated that I can't paint this small. I hope I can paint with a respectible size brush albeit small to start.

I never draw on canvas as a first step. So, I'm hoping it doesn't bleed into the paint. I used a #2 pencil rather than vine charcoal, which is very invasive. I combined two photos, which I think is obvious. I think I might have to shrink the girl as she is supposed to be in the background. I think her body is too long or something, because her head looks right and her body doesn't -- my previous blog may be spot on. Because these are separate photos, I don't have reference or relative points to measure and hence my struggle. I really wanted to do a beach painting, but when you find the perfect pose, you've got to go with it. They are so cute!!

Beach Painting #2

I had yet another blast painting this scene of kids in the surf. Class was such a charge that I don't know how I'm going to fall asleep and I have to wake up in 5 hours. Yet, here I am posting to my blog instead. This is a painting of a friend's nieces. It was fun to paint a full standing figure. I had to use a larger canvas (16 x 20) compared to the previous painting because of the standing pose and that was definitely a good decision. It took me two (albeit quick) tries before I was able to get the whole figure on the canvas with enough atmosphere to allow the viewer to "travel into the painting"--well at least I hope so.

Once again I used the process I learned at Studio Incaminati many years ago to start with an armature (stick figure and block for a head) and then paint the flesh on top of it--kind of like sculpting. That approach and 8 hours of 1-2 minute poses for two weeks cured me of any apprehension in painting figures and painting them fast. While doing the armature, I compare measurements to each other--not in any precise way--just checking to see where the top of the infant's head hits the head of the teenager, or where the infant's leg hits the teenager's leg, what is the angle of arms and legs and how they relate to one another. It is truly all relative. I might have to take a picture of this stage if I can remember to do so--because it is truly the best way to figure paint.

One of the trickiest parts is getting the size, length and angle of the legs right so they are not out of proportion with the head or arms. I know this is all gobbly gook if you are not a realistic artist, but its one of those things that took me a few good classes (e.g. kick in the pants) to measure how far the knee extends beyond the head (at least in this case). You get that distance wrong and your legs will appear too short (usually) or too long. Anyway, that was probably the biggest area of reworking throughout the night and I still think the knee needs more definition. I'm going to let it dry first however before I mess with it. Okay one quick thing before I go to bed. The waves are huge haphazard brush strokes. I like them now but I think I'm going to tone them down in case I disagree tomorrow. I can always add that texture back, but can't take it away.

PS: Mystery of the night: How does blogger know to rotate a photo when you have taken a sideways shot? Brilliant.

Reception at the Salmagundi Club

I traveled to NYC this weekend to attend the Salmagundi Club's Annual Non-member Show reception, where I'm proud to have had my "Parrot Tulip" painting displayed as a finalist. The show was spectacular, with very high quality work by all and some well known artists I recognized. I was thrilled that Jean Schwartz and her husband attended the event as well. Jean started the Art League Plein Air Painters that I have joined to paint along Old Town's waterfront. We had so much fun meeting the other artists and members of the Salmagundi Club, including President Claudia Seymour. Jill Banks, fellow painter, also had several pen and ink drawings in the show that was downstairs in the billiard room. The Salmagundi Club is a beautiful venue.

I arrived early Friday on purpose to get some photos of New York urban scenes. I also took a quiet hour and saw the show before the crowd arrived for the reception. I also took some pictures of my favorite pieces from the show, which was pretty much every painting. Jean had a gorgeous landscape of the Potomac that I have pictured above. After a beautiful sunny afternoon, I was surprised to exit the reception and it was pouring. None of us brought an umbrella, but Jean's husband Dick was nice enough to get wet and hail a cab. I tried but failed miserably, with one shoe flying into a puddle. It took a while, but we succeed in getting a cab and returned to the hotel for late nights snacks at the bar at the Washington Square Hotel -- a quaint boutique hotel with lots of character and well situated.

I have to share a funny story. After thinking I packed like a pro, I realized that I had forgotten my contacts case, so what did I do? I put my contacts in a glass of water. In the middle of the night, half asleep, I got up and got a drink of water. Can you tell where I'm going with this? Yes, I drank my contacts.

The next day, it took me a while to get organized and buy readers so I could see, but I finally made it to Central Park for more pictures. I rarely go to NYC so I thought I would take advantage of the trip. I got some great photos of people boating, the horse draw carriages and people generally milling about. In fact, there were several artists painting and teaching in the park. I took this picture of a class in session. I got brave (and because I had to watch my pennies) and took the metro to Central Park and back. Wow is that complicated. NYC makes the Paris and DC metros look like child's play. There are the locals and expresses and same color lines going different places, stops closed down for repairs and detours, plus you have to know the names of different parts of the city to know what direction you need to head in....yikes. Getting there was easy. Getting back was a mess. I mean it is a labyrinth underground. I couldn't find the exit to Waverly Place and ended up about 4 block away, with no time to spare to make the Megabus back. Needless to say there was much running and sweat. I made it with only seconds to spare.

I took the train up and the bus back. I highly recommend the train. My advice is to book the train at least 14 days in advance and each way is only $49. I paid substantially more for my indecision and last minute booking...hence why I had to take the bus back. Anyway, what an adventure. I would love to grab a few plein air painting friends, stay at the Chelsea Hotel or some other cheaper hotel and paint in Central Park all weekend. What fun that would be.

Fall Course Begins September 22 at ArtSpace Herndon

I will be teaching again this fall at ArtSpace Herndon. I call this a Beginning to Intermediate Painting course because you truly do not need experience to come to this class. You will learn the basics of three dimensional realistic painting in oil. While I set up a still life for those that don't want to think about projects, students can come with photos or other set ups if they desire (please tell me in advance however). If interested, please feel free to call ArtSpace.

Below is the course information and description:

Beginning and Intermediate Oil Painting
Thursdays 7-10 pm
Location: ArtSpace Herndon, 750 Center Street (703)956-6590
8 Sessions
September 22 - November 17, 2011
(no class October 27)
Cost $200

Learn contemporary and classical methods of realist oil painting. Students will work from a still life set up I create or can work from their own photos. Students will begin with drawing the subject and learning how to place the objects on the canvas. This will be followed by laying down large blocks of light and shadow colors. Students will learn the importance of placing the highlights and darkest darks on the canvas early in the process and how to work the values in between--the key to a three dimensional appearance. Refinements to the drawing, color temperature, contrasts and value will follow. Students will also experiment with grisaille drawings and transparent color glazes. No experience necessary. Adults and teens welcome.

Beach painting

A few days ago, I mentioned that I was planning to paint a beach painting of my friend's children. Well that didn't happen when I had hoped, but I got to it last night. I had more fun creating this painting than many before it. I feel completely lifted up and wonder what life would be like if I could do this every day. It has been a long time since the paint went flying. I think I finished this in slightly over two hours. While I need to do some correcting, I don't plan to do much.

I worked from a photo (clearly) that I took a few years ago when we all went to Hilton Head. I loved this shot, so much that I've painted it twice. One that I show you here and one that will never see the light of day because I used too big of a canvas and make a production out of it. This pose and subject to me doesn't really lend itself to a realist "production." I tried to be loose and impressionistic here. That is very hard for me because I want to paint all the detail and despite every effort the painting tightens up pretty quickly. I stopped myself by not drawing in the figures. I just did an armature (stick figure and square for the head ) and started applying paint. When I made a mistake on the figure, I used the blue background to carve out the right shape. Don't tell anyone but there is a painting underneath. That is another trick I use to force myself to work fast and thick. Anyway, I love the ultimate effect. I've got to do more of this fast painting -- hence why I've been going outside of my comfort zone and plein air painting.

Sunday's Plein Air Event

Here is my effort from a few Sunday's ago at the Plein Air painting event of the Art League Plein Air painters. I just realized this didn't post when I had planned, so it is quite delayed.

It turned out to be a study in blue, white and yellow. The sky was overcast that day. Everything was gray to start, but then the sun came out so it is a bit of a gray painting and a sunny painting.

By the time I left, I had a few "birds" in the sky. They were actually bugs that got stuck to the paint that I plucked out with tweezers when the paint dried. Ah, the pains of painting outside.

Something Hot Exhibit

I was so excited to find that both of my entries into the Gallery 222 "Something Hot" show, were accepted. I entered "Figs" and "Old Town Marina" -- the painting I painted last month with the Art League plein air painters. The show will run the month of August. The opening reception will be Friday, August 12, 2011 starting at 5:30 pm. I hope you will come.

I painted au plein air Sunday at the Old Town waterfront behind the Torpedo factory. I'll show you my effort tomorrow. Boats again of course. The Art League Plein Air painters will be painting this coming Sunday too as part of an effort to promote the waterfront. So come look for our group in the morning.

Exhibit at La Bella Luce

I am very pleased to announce that I will be the featured "artist of the month" in November 2011 at La Bella Luce, an adorable Italian antique furniture, chandelier and decorative boutique . The store is located in historic Clifton at 7137 Main Street. The store also carries Italiate pottery, linens and other decorator items. I hope you will come view my paintings and join me for the artist's reception--which is not yet scheduled. November is also a perfect time to do a little Christmas shopping...:-) http://www.labellaluceimports.com/

Peonies Session 5

UGH

Peonies Session 4

Here is my painting after the fourth painting session. I really got focused this time and decided that I would overexpose my photographs to see what was going on in all those petals. The flowers sadly are long gone. The overexposure was very interesting because I got to see a lot more cools in the petals that I think make the whole flowers more vibrant. Anyway, I realize I have a lot more sessions to go. In fact when I first posted this I thought this was after my third session, but alas this is after my fourth session. Honestly it doesn't look that different from session 3. Depressing, but it is fun still!!!

I'm going to turn tonight to painting a photograph of my friend's children at the beach. Not a very unique subject, but I would like to have more paintings that represent summer. I love summer and the thought just makes me happy. After years of painting dark paintings and backgrounds I simply feel like painting happy subjects. So that is my new theme...happy.

Quick Study

I decided to do this quick study as I have reached my 9 hour plateau on the peonies painting. This always happens to me. I love the starts and hate the finishes.

I started painting a much larger bouquet but with only 3 hours to complete this venture on Wednesday, I became overwhelmed. In the last 45 minutes, I wiped out everything but the lily on the right and painted the rest. I much prefer the composition. Very simple. I will make some adjustments and may repaint most of it since I think the saturation of the paint was diminished by the fact that I was painting over a layer of mud colored paint from what I wiped out. The background should be a more intense cool purple too. If I complete this, I might decide to enter this into Something Hot show (cross your fingers). It's 12 x 12 and I can order a gorgeous premade frame from JFM Enterprises. On the other hand the boat painting will require a custom frame that I might not get it in time.

PS: Now that I look at the photo, the paint seems pretty saturated, its the values that need some adjusting.

Peonies Session 3

There is as far as I got in my third session of painting. I worked on the main white flower, the box and background. I definitely liked the box better before, but at some point I have to bring it up to the same finished level as the flowers. The box has a bunch of filigred paper on it, which will be a challenge, so I might glaze down the box to a different value before I start to keep the box in a lower value. Overall it's going okay, but as expected, the painting is getting tight and I'm losing that painterly touch. I will be working on the shadows of the pedals of the white flower this coming week because they just don't look natural. I can't tell if the photo is distorted and crooked or the box is. I will definitely have to check out what is going on there. So much to do.

This is such a beautiful weekend, I think I'm going to go out side to paint a mini painting of a peach I bought at the farmers market with the leaves still on.

Plein Air Painting in Old Town

I went to Old Town this morning to paint with the newly formed Art League Plein Air painters. I arrived a few hours before our scheduled time because I can't stand to paint in the heat. I get agitated and cannot produce. When I arrived, the sun was directly in my eyes, that is, if I wanted to paint the marina. So, I had to find an alternative. I was very lucky to find a willow tree near the riverboat behind the Chart House Restaurant. Unfortunately, it was a bit off of the beaten track and far from the others. I had a great view of the boats, however. I started with a white canvas, as I was not prepared, but I think it worked well to create a summer feel.
It was really fun. I don't consider myself a plein air painter at all, so these last two days I anticipated would be disastrous and, like the other times, I would vow never to do that again. Instead it was fun. I was cool (just beautiful weekend). I enjoyed everyone stopping to look and ask questions. So many nice people.

The next plein air event with the Art League Plein Air painters will be August 7. The group is going to meet the first Sunday of every month. I believe we are going to be painting at the Waterfront again, right behind the Torpedo Factory. The group appears to be part of an effort to bring interest to the Waterfront and school. We had our picture taken as part of the "inaugural" event, so it might appear in the next Tidings Newsletter (on Art League Website). Yikes, I would have put some makeup on if I had known.

Plein Air Painting in Clifton

I got up early this morning to paint down in the town of Clifton. My 10-year old son got up and wanted to come too. I had recently bought him a nice sketch book and good charcoal pencils for acing his geography test. So we drove down to the town. I wanted to paint the creek, but David wanted to draw the railroad crossing (such a boy). I obliged, of course. What a good idea he had. I really enjoyed the subject much better than the creek. I'm going to have to get his advice more often. Here is my painting from today. It's not finished. I want to put in the words on the signs after the paint dries, along with the red stripes on the gates. I also want to have a few more hard edges and straighter lines (to be done inthe studio). I did pile on the paint today, which is not a comfortable place for me, but I love the look. You need to be able to draw some very straight lines, which I was having a serious problem with (as always). Perhaps starting with charcoal would work--at least to set the lines before painting. I did that on a painting of tomatoes on a box of prunes (see earlier post) because I could control the drawing much better and get precise lettering. The charcoal then bleed into paint so that I didn't have to take the brush to the edge of the line and risk crossing over or blurring the edge. It was an amazing experiment that completely worked.

Today was so fun and the weather was perfect. I was in the shade and the wind was blowing softly to create a cool breeze. I could not have asked for a better day. I plan to go tomorrow with the Art League Plein Air painters to paint at the Old Town waterfront. Unfortunately that is going to be in full sun.

Figs Accepted in July Art League Show

I got accepted into the July member show at the Art League Gallery in Old Town. If you are in Old Town swing by for a look at the painting at the Torpedo Factory. It's hanging over the desk area when you first walk into the gallery on the left. The show will be up the entire month of July.

I'm glad I decided to enter because July is the beginning of the new membership year. The significance of that is that it gives me 11 more opportunities to get juried in again. If I jury into three shows this membership year, I will have access to display my work in the bin section of the gallery in 2012. I can bring in as much work as I want (I think) that is matted and shrink wrapped and can display one small painting on the wall (no jurying to do this). Last time I got bin privileges, I didn't use them. This time will be different .... I hope. One down, two to go. Cross your fingers for me. Next month is the landscape show. I have to start painting a killer landscape!

Session 2 of Peonies

I had so much fun painting tonight. I didn't get much done, but I like what I did accomplish. Here is a photo at the end of today. I darkened the shadows, continued painting the pink peony and worked on some of the buds and some shadows in the other flowers. Lots of glare in this photo due to horrid florescent lights in the garage (my drying space). I will let this dry and do a bit of glazing over the pink flower to eliminate some of the chalkiness (even though that is how chalky it really was). Time for bed. Tough day tomorrow.

Is it finished?

I painted more background yesterday. I didn't want to completely get rid of the thin underpainting so I reserved the thicker paint for the center of the painting near the main subject. I also varied the color throughout to avoid the background being a void. I'm not sure I like it when it is photographed, but I do like it when it's in a frame. The light part on the upper left edge is a reflection, which is part of what I don't like in the photo. It doesn't show in the painting. Somehow a good frame makes any painting look better. So, the big question is: Is it finished?

Corn - Continued

I got a chance to paint for 2 hours today. I finished the background on my carnation painting (I think) and got to paint a bit more on the corn painting. This is a photo at the end of session 2. At this point, I'm working from photos, which is so much easier as nothing rots. I just can't find enough time to paint every day to set up a still life and make it useful.

I knew that things would have to get darker in this session as I need to lay the darkest layer down and then paint up in value from there. I spent a lot of time on refining the shape of the colander. I hope I got it right. Ovals, especially angled ovals, are very hard to master, plus I don't have a steady hand and the eye can fool you.

I also did some pretty dramatic underpaintings based on previous experience. For example, I know that I can get a good carmel colored wood if I underpaint it cadmium orange and then glaze it with purple. Painting it any other way just never looks rich enough. Granted this is very weathered wood so maybe it's not the same thing as a highly polished table. We'll see. I can certainly undo anything I don't like.

One problem is that you really have to paint the colander "wet on wet" in order to get the edges right. By the time I get back to this everything will be dry, so I will have to repaint alot. I complain, but the reality is, multiple painting layers make it so much richer. I don't know if there is a true rule on this, but I believe it takes 3 layers of paint (or sessions of wet on dry painting-that is-letting the paint dry between layers) to get something to look 3-D with depth. Try it, it's something I tell my students and it almost always works.

Queen of Starts - Corn

I thought I'd post another start of a painting because, well, I have no finishes...yet. I have to make finishing my main objective if I can get any free time this holiday weekend. There are a few competitions I want to enter including "Something Hot Exhibit" at Gallery 222 in Loudoun and Art at the Mill. Both have entry dates that are less than a month away and I really have very little that is available for sale, mostly because I have so little time to paint. I'm taking the summer off from teaching, however, which frees up at least one night a week.

This was a demo I started in my still life class this spring. I picked corn because I have to find fruit or vegetables that can last more than one week, so that the students have time to finish a painting. This set-up was perhaps too complicated with the corn, colander, lace drape and old biscuit box, but it was a very interesting set up--if I do say so myself. One again, I loved the energy. And, I can't resist a highly reflective surface.

I use a 200 watt clear incandescent bulb to light my subject which creates a "spot light" on the subject. I think that works well because it creates an extreme high value on the main subject, which in this case is the peeled corn (secondarily it is the colander). What are artists going to do when incandescent bulbs aren't produced anymore??

Art at the Mill

One of my favorite shows is coming up -- the Art at the Mill show --in Millwood VA. The due date for artwork submissions is July 29. The Show runs from October 1 to 16th. http://www.clarkehistory.org/. How can that be? The spring show was just over. I have to hustle, clearly if I'm going to make that date. I have to paint like mad as nothing is finished. I have lots of great demo starts that are calling my name--one in particular of tomatoes in a bowl. I also think I'm going to do a few really small paintings like before, they tend to sell. Well in fact any well executed painting sells well there. Artists should consider entering the show, its a great event.

Painting Started

Here is a new painting I started this week. I just love peonies and paint them whenever possible. I'm going to have to find a new subject at some point. Anyway, this is going to be my last "dark" painting. I've decided I want to painting lighter backgrounds for a change even though the dark backgrounds really make the subject vibrant. I bought these beautiful peonies off the side of the road outside of Salem New Jersey. There was a flower farmer who had buckets of these flowers on the side of the road-- 12 flowers for $3.50 -- what? They are normally $3-5 a stem around here. I bought 1 1/2 dozen, bought a bucket and a gallon of water from Walmart and they took the trek home with me to VA. I immediately set them up in different draping positions over this beautiful antique tea box. See photo.

I've decided to do an underpainting of very thin color before putting on the next layers. One of the key things I've figured out with painting flowers is that the centers must be really saturated and intense in color. You then put on the duller or lighter colors and that intense color bleeds through to make the flower more realistic and three-dimensional. Thecenter peonies, for example, are really white but they have an incredible yellow hue and orange center that I hope will come through in the finished painting. I love the energy in this painting...now watch me kill it :-( I'll post progression photos as I go along.

Liberace Painting on Copper

Above is a beautiful miniature painting by Robert Liberace. He painted John, a popular model at the Art League, during the "paint like Velasquez" workshop I took two weekends ago. He painted it on copper to show how to use metal surfaces. At the end of the class he sells his demos. Interested students put their names in a hat and he draws winners. I won the drawing to purchase this gorgeous painting...what luck. It is 5 x 7". One important thing about painting on copper, it oxidizes, which can change the entire painting since the copper is peaking through. Luckily he told me how to avoid that-- by putting retouch varnish on it (he said Kamar is fine) after the paint has dried. I have done that and now will be searching for the perfect frame.

Painting Accepted to Salmagundi Club Show

Yesterday I got great news that my Parrot Tulip painting was accepted into the annual non-member Painting and Sculpture Juried Exhibit at the Salmagundi Club in New York. I'm thrilled to be in this very prestigious show. This is my first attempt, so I'm a bit worried about the logistics of getting the painting there and back.

First Attempt - Liberace

This was my first painting from the Liberace workshop. I remember thinking that I did this quickly in an hour or two, but I didn't. I forgot a whole day. How do you forget a whole day? So, in recalculating,I think I took about 5 hours. I really should have gotten further along.

It was fun to paint him. Loved the long hair and with the costume, he really looked like a gentlemen from Velasquez's time. His photograph here is not the view I had from my position, but I liked it better, I had more of a profile, obviously.

I feel I made the core light and shadow to high in value. As a result, I didn't have much room for variance without going darker in large areas, which is way harder than it sounds. I'm not sure I'm a fan of the limited "earthy" palette. As stated before, it makes everything look more like a monochromatic study. I have to say on this painting, my favority is the nose. I followed the Burt Silverman hot-nose-underpainting thing and it totally worked to make the nose realistic.

I got two pieces of advice from Rob: one, to make the nose stronger as I lost the shape when I blocked-in the paint. I made the nose edge extremely sharp as a response. The other piece of advice was to make the lip stronger, I really didn't know what that meant, but I repainted it and Rob said--it was right.

My attempt - Liberace Workshop

Here is one of my attempts at painting a la Velasquez. I would love to redo the nose, my least favorite part of the painting. I completed this study rather quickly, in about three hours (I must be wrong about that because the class was longer although I did goof around for an hour at the end). I liked the loose effect. It is different than the way I normally paint. I left it very sketchy on purpose given that I almost can never do this. If I worked on it longer it would have gotten too tight with not enough time to render the entire painting.

I wish I had taken a picture of the "finished" piece at the workshop, because my hot lights at home are terrible for getting accurate color or value. Despite the new camera from my husband, I still suck at photography.

Can you see that I originally started the face and then wiped it out and flipped the canvas. Sometimes you have to know when to start over. Thank god I knew when in this case--but it was very obvious to me. The first attempt was way off and there was no real way to salvage it. In the end it was a good decision. I really liked the final drawing and, in fact, didn't want to apply paint.

I started with a much darker core light and shadow than I have in the past and I liked it. It gave me a much larger variance in values to play with. I think I will do that again. I should have underpainted the nose in a "hot" color then painted cool over it, as Burt Silverman does. It always works to make the nose look realistic and pop off the canvas. But, I didn't do it here. Big mistake. The nose looks waxy. Drawing looks slightly off. Now do I have the stomach to mess it? Probably not.

Liberace - Velasquez Workshop

I took Robert Liberace's workshop over the weekend and provided a write up for my blog, but I posted it to the wrong blog...oh boy. So instead of retyping everything, please check out the posting from 6/20. psofaambassadorpostings.blogspot.com.

I will be posting more in the next few days from the workshop in case anyone is interested.

Portrait Society of America Conference

I was not able to go to this year's PSOA conference in Atlanta. The event is always so inspiring and packed full of good ideas. I also love the new 6X9 mystery painting event. What a way to get great miniature art for a reasonable price by some well known and talented artists. Last year I purchased three. If I recall they were all painted by Competition finalists, a pretty exclusive group.

I was given this link from the Ambassador coordinator and think it is the best site to view if you were not able to go. www.underpaintings.blogspot.com/2011. Scroll down for PSOA postings.

Selected to Tour the Country

My painting "Carnations" was selected as one of 40-50 paintings to tour the U.S. as part of the Blossom competition finalists exhibition. I don't know all the locations, but they are all very impressive and so I'm just thrilled to be included. Please see the website for the competition and traveling exhibition: http://www.blossomartcompetition.com/

Sold Two Paintings at Art at the Mill

One of my favorite venues to exhibit is Art at the Mill in Millwood VA. There are two shows -- Spring and Fall. The show is held at the Burwell Morgan Mill, a beautiful old mill that is still working, mostly for tourist, but still grinding out corn meal.

The Spring show just wrapped up and I picked up the paintings today that did not sell. I was delighted however to find out that two of my paintings sold, Cherries study and Strawberries Study. I hope they went to the same person because I think they look good as a pair.

If you have not seen this show, you should take a look in the Fall. It is a great showcase for many talented artists. In addition the drive is beautiful. I went through Upperville, Middleburg and Aldie this time. I can't stop looking at the beautiful old houses and stone walls.

Robert Johnson Workshop

Boy am I delayed in getting posts up. I took a workshop with Robert Johnson in mid-February and produced two (almost finihsed) paintings. I love his workshops. If you haven't studied with him, I highly recommend it. I always produce better paintings. Now if we could convince him to teach a semester course.

Love the greenish brown background, which he taught--and something new for me which I love. Very Johnson, McGraw Leffel. Also learned that dark part of roses are very dark (black on the value scale). While I knew that by being a perpetual squinter, it is damn hard to get a black value in a salmon colored rose. So that means the lights have to be lighter. More work to be done, but almost there.