Flower Painting Workshop

Here are a few pictures from the flower painting workshop  I taught last weekend.  I had the event at the Vienna Art Society on Pleasant St in Vienna.  It was a fantastic venue and the President of VAS was so helpful and accommodating.  She even arranged volunteers to help me set up!!  I would highly recommend the venue to other artists looking for workshop or class space.  The space was large and comfortable and each bank of lights could be turned off individually allowing for decent shadows to be created on the set-ups.  Thanks to all the students for making this a great workshop.  Everyone is so talented and it was such a great experience to see the styles of each artist.  There were so many good paintings.  Also, it was fun having many good friends in the room too.  We laughed a lot.

Soccer Son

Here is the latest start of my "kids having fun" series.  This is my son David playing soccer in his final game this Spring.  My husband has encouraged me to paint my son playing sports for several years -- sort of my version of Leroy Newman.  I got my son's likeness pretty quickly, but I have to paint over it because I really don't have any paint on his face yet. 

Today, was the last day of my flower painting workshop.  From my perspective the class was great because the students are just the best.  It was so enjoyable to be around them.  What a pleasure!  I hope they had as good a time as I did.  I'll post pictures from the workshop tomorrrow.  I always find I don't have a lot of time to take the pictures during these type of events, so I hope the few I took come out.  I wish I had gotten a group photos, but I didn't.. :-(

Tip

Put wet paintings in a dust free box to dry.  This way dust and other particles will not land on your painting and set with the paint.   This was a tip from Danni Dawson.  It never occurred to me despite several fuzzy paintings. I am now fuzz-free.

David at Cox Farm

Here is a painting I've started of my son at Cox Farm last fall or fall of 2010 (can't remember).  That was one big pumpkin and we considered buying it, but it was something like $150.  For any concerned parents, my husband was literally right next to him to grab the pumpkin after a few seconds and click of my camera.   

I may have mentioned this in a previous blog, but I'm very interested in doing a series of paintings of kids having fun.  This fits right in.  If I can ever get to the pool, one series will be of kids at the pool, kids at the beach, kids fishing, rowing, playing sports and other summer fun activities.  I'm not getting very far, but hope I can change that.   I'm taking a class with Bobbi Pratte who is going to demo people in scenes next week.  Can't wait.  I've already wasted 3 classes painting flowers, which has to stop because I'm missing my opportunity to accomplish my goal in the class - kids in scenes--Bobbi's forte.  I think there are only 3 classes left.  Chop chop.

Peonies Demo #2

Here is the actual demonstration I started for the Fairfax Art League back on June 2.  I loved the light on these peonies that I hopefully captured.  Very warm light that made the flowers look like cotton candy--well sort of.  I finally finished this a couple of weeks ago and now all it needs is a coat of varnish.  Speaking of, I got some Gamvar already pre-mixed through Judsons Art Outfitters (it's a pretty tiny bottle though).  Love that store.  They sell Miracle Muck too, but be aware that another e-store sells a half gallon for $4 dollars more than the 8 oz bottle Judsons sell.  My only beef.

Not sure where I will display this painting, but I'm thinking I will enter it into the Gallery 222 "Something Hot" show.  Also Art at the Mill deadline is coming up, so who knows.

Canvas on Panels - Cheap Panel Quest Solved!!

I am taking a summer class with Bobbi Pratte.  I always learn something when I study with someone new.  Bobbi told the class about Judson's Art Outfitters.  They have a lot of great surfaces to paint on or apply canvas to, which I have not seen elsewhere. 

In particular, Bobbi likes the "do it yourself" gatorboard.  You slap some miracle muck on the gatorboard and attach you canvas to it.  Use a bray to get out the air bubbles then put tons of books on top for a few days.  Bobbi had a few finished samples, including gatorboard with canvas.  It creates a light weight painting surface.  I think these are ideal for the Art League Bin Gallery which requires backing and mat; plein air events; and especially traveling workshops.  What I also learned from another student was that Centurion makes a linen canvas pad--e.g. pre-cut canvas in different sizes.  And it's cheap!  How did I not know this???  One thing to remember is that if you buy a 12 x 16 gatorboard and paste on a 12 x 16 linen sheet from Centurion's pad, the canvas is going to shrink when it dries.  It shrinks about the amount of space that a frame covers.  This could be a problem.  So, I'm going to try a sample and see if the shrinkage is visiable once framed.  12 x 16 canvas on gatboard probably costs all told $8.  Not bad.

In any case, I decided to buy a sample pack of Judson's surfaces.  They have this wood composite that looks awesome.  They also carry dibond, which I LOVE.  I'm not sure how you attach linen to dibond, but I plan to find out. 

So I think I solved my cheap panel quest!!

Participating in Del Ray Paint Out August 2 / Other Shows

If you are not familiar with the Art League's Plein Air Painters, you should get to know them.  It's a group of artists that gets together (mostly on a whim) to paint outside. There is no cost, but you have to be a member of the Art League.  I'm always getting good information from the group, like the information below:  Anyone interested in joining the Art League Plein Air Painters can contact Susan Johnson at toleart@earthlink.net or Jean Schwartz at JKSland@cox.net.

I plan to participate in the Del Ray event so come down and visit me.  Not sure how you will know it's me, but I'll put up a sign or something.  Artists interested in participating can check out the website below.

Del Ray "Art Walk On The Avenue". 
The only requirement is painting outside and talking with folks about what you're doing
Thursday, August 2 2012
6-9 pm,
Mt. Vernon Avenue in Del Ray
http://visitdelray.com/event/august-first-thursday

The Fall 2012 GREEN SPRING GARDENS ART SHOW AND SALE
Presented by the Springfield Art Guild & Friends of Green Spring Gardens
August 28th - October 28th
The Green Springs Show and Sale is an annual event sponsored by Springfield Art Guild and Friends of Green Springs

Painting at Fountainhead Park

I got out of the house this morning at 6:30 am and started my trek around the general vacinity to find a good landscape painting spot.  This was day two of my attempt.  Yesterday I spent two - three hours driving all over creation and never finding something just right.  I started with Occoquan Town and while there were many options (waterfall, bridge, quaint houses, boats), nothing in the shade, so then I went to Occoquan Regional Park (looks over the mansions on other side yuck)  and then the Occoquan wildlife reserve (too far to walk to the water). I even went to the Vulcan Stone Co, because I was convinced I could look down onto Occoquan town and the River.  I couldn't find such a spot-too many trees again.  In the fall I want to check out Vulcan again, because there is a huge waterfall that you can hear, but can't see.  There is also a huge quarry with water, but too many trees in the way at this point.  I'll have to wait until the leaves drop.

In any case, this morning I started with Bull Run Marina, but it is now blocked by a large metal gate and only accessible with a permit key.  For real?!!! Ugh. A nice guy entering however reminded me of Fountainhead Regional Park.  PERFECT.  It's a popular fishing spot and they have a nice boardwalk and pier.  Lots of folks in kayaks and row boats and fishing off the pier.  I tried several times to capture a boater in my painting, but they were moving too darn fast and I had to wipe them out over and over.  In any case, here is my attempt of the day.  I have to fix the sky reflection because there is no way  the sky is reflecting that low.  Sky reflection just seems misplaced.  I should fix it now while it is wet. 

I do want to put a row boater in this painting, so I might go back soon with the camera this time.  Next month is the Art League's Landscape show and if I can pull this off, perhaps I have a shot at getting juried in.  The only disappointment (besides the heat) today was with my Soltek easel.  I can't seem to tighted the arm that holds the canvas and every time I put pressure on the painting with my brush or palette knife it moved backwards drastically.  So annoying.  I tried to tighten the arm, but it is as tight as it gets.  Don't know how to fix this.  I wonder if the heat has something to the "screw loose" situation.

Peonies on Location

Back in May, I did this demo painting of the few remaining peonies still blooming. The peonies bloomed so early this year and lasted so little time that I barely made it.  For the last two years I have tried to make peony season and failed.  I almost did it again, but thanks to my friends I made it a priority.  A special thanks to my neighbor who allowed us to decend on her amazing garden.  These beautiful flowers are a masterpiece of nature.  I think I could gaze at them for hours.  At this point however, I think I have gone overboard and now have three new peony painting.  I need to think of other flowers to paint.  This painting was done partially alla prima and au plein air and partially in the studio.  I cannot last long outside with bugs and heat, but I wanted to finish it since it was so close to be done.  

Also you can see my painting "Carnations in Oil Jug" at the Art League Gallery (Torpedo Factory) this month (July). 

July 4th Morning Outting

I decided on one of the hottest days so far this year to go plein air painting in the little town of Clifton.   Call me crazy, but I needed the mental therapy.   A shady spot was a must so I decided to paint Clifton Creek, which I have wanted to do for some time.  Knowing that I would be unable to handle the heat beyond noon, I decided to paint fast.  Breaking from my normal brush I used palette knife to create this painting, which is so unlike my style.  While I wish I had made the water greener or bluer, it really was orange due to the mud at the bottom.