Thursday, November 14, 2024

classwork

.                            6x8
In order the studies painted in SaltyWaterArt's class.
Probably no tree that's more fun to paint than a birch--those black slashes!
The 3rd one, above, I painted on some 300lb Fabriano I have. I think it stayed wet a bit longer.
Below: started my bigger painting.
I think it might be close to done!
Lately I am really favoring unfinished paintings.
.                            11x15

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

homework

.                           11x14
                             11x11
Working on a small series of paintings for a class. These are the first two.
Painted from photos I have taken of the old houses built along the creeks here.
Struggling with two others ... So I'm going to take a break from them for a couple of days.

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

trees


                            6x8
Some tree practice.
Interesting to me that one is wetter, softer than the other: I painted them at the same time.
I think it'd be fun to paint like eight of these all at once.


Monday, November 11, 2024

classwork

.                               6x8
Started a six-week class on painting trees. I'm excited about trying different approaches.
Who knows, maybe I'll learn to paint trees! How great would that be!

Sunday, November 10, 2024

still life

                                8x8
A little still life.
I really did not have high hopes for this when I started it-- even though I selected the objects!
But I just kept at, for once without overworking it, I think.

Saturday, November 09, 2024

plein air

                                                             14x14
.                               .                              8x8
Was so nice out we went out to paint for a couple of hours.
Trees are a difficult subject for me. So I thought of start wet in wet ... Then I kept fruitlessly poking away at it!
I think adding darks will help.
My fave is my last, this monochrome drawing.

I am really going to miss these good, joyful, competent people.

Friday, November 08, 2024

practice

                  @6x8, hot press
Practicing water ripples and refections.

Thursday, November 07, 2024

still life

                                8x10
A little still life session with my friend Gina.
Still lifes are so hit or miss for me.




Wednesday, November 06, 2024

paintalong

                                8x8
Painted this on a paint along with Cynthia Armstrong online at Winslow Art Center.
The paint along was free, one of many generally 1-hour-long classes over 3 days; they're all free and introduce you to the WAC instructors. The classes are recorded, and remain free, if you want to check them out.
WAC has some great instructors and classes and they're very well produced, still, a lot of the prices are high for me. But you can buy 2 months of access to the recordings of some of the classes for only $40. 

Tuesday, November 05, 2024

studies

                               6x8
Well these are a mess but I had (some) fun. Leafed through a couple of books of JS Sargent paintings and tried to make little copies. All way too wet; I'll try to be more patient next time.

Monday, November 04, 2024

classwork

                            10x12
Trying to keep it loose but I wasn't able to pull anything special out of it.
Below are the small, 5x7, studies I did to try to get ready.

Sunday, November 03, 2024

drawings

i really enjoy drawing with a Micron or Sharpie pen: I just start somewhere and keep going, even if there are mistakes. It's pretty relaxing!

Saturday, November 02, 2024

classwork

                                 8x8
Homework for my interiors class.
I think I made it too small, got a little fussy. I like the subject to and may do it bigger.

Friday, November 01, 2024

classwork

                            8x11
Three of my cats. Probably watching a squirrel!
Painted wet in wet, with some details added when it dried.

Thursday, October 31, 2024

classwork

.                             10x12
These are in reverse order. Below is my first sketch. The top one is my last try; it got very wet, but it is my favorite because it's the only one that shows a patch of light in the distance between the two shores.
.                            5x7

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

found still life

My friend Gina invited me to dinner and I loved the look of all the things on her counter.
The colors were great too. So I hope to paint this.

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

glass ornaments

                             7x11
Jo MacKenzie, who you can find on YouTube, does the most amazing paintings of glass Christmas tree balls.
It's been a few years since I even attempted them ... But I tried on last night.
It wouldn't be too bad-- though it's a far cry from Jo's!--if I hadn't kind of lost track of the drawing.

I saw a bird at my birdbath yesterday that I never saw before. He was heartstoppingly beautiful! I didn't know what he was, but I knew he was a warbler, probably. I consulted a couple of field guides and I'm almost certain he was a black throated blue warbler. 
I hope he comes back so I can get another look!

Monday, October 28, 2024

                              8x8
Another from my Molly Hashimoto class.

Sunday, October 27, 2024

classwork

         8x12 moleskine, 2 page spread
.     7x11 stillman & birn, 2 page spread
.                             5x7
I signed up for a 3- hour sketchbook class with Molly Hashimoto at Winslow Art Center, where I take a lot of great classes.
Molly's sketches are really beautiful: fresh and colorful.
The reference photos she provided for us were of Yosemite and other places out west. I have to add Yosemite to my list of places I want to go to paint!

Saturday, October 26, 2024

classwork

                               8x6
An exercise in the interiors class I took with Susan Greenstein. Tonight was our last class. There were only three sessions but I feel like I learned a lot; I enjoyed Susan's exercises and her demos.
One of the best things for me was realizing there are "interior" subjects everywhere! I used to think an interior had to be, idk, picturesque? Cozy chair, pretty lamp, Victorian wallpaper ... Not so. If I look around I can find something to paint.

Friday, October 25, 2024

classwork

                            8x10
A couple of flower paintings from my expressive watercolor class that I wish were more expressive.
It's weird how you can get caught up in trying to replicate what you're looking at even when that's not what you want.
In my case I wonder if it isn't because no matter how unhappy I may be the results, that's the process I'm comfortable with. 
If I were actually to get expressive I'd have to go somewhere I'd be uncertain.