VT workshop exercises

This first exercise we did in Susan Abbott's studio was a lot of fun. She gave us a black and white photo and, turning it upside down, we painted only the darks. Essentially creating a Notan.

Then we chose analogous colors to paint the light and midtones.

Amazingly it did not matter what colors you chose!

They all looked great but I especially loved the pink ones!

This one was harder.

We chose a triad, mixed chromatic neutrals and painted with them, trying to keep a play of warm and cool going.

We retained a few spots in which to use one or more of our triad colors in its pure state-- which I think is a great idea.

I can't remember the exact assignment for this one. I think it may have been to select one or two complementary pairs and use them pure, unmixed, adding analogous color to bridge the shapes and hold the painting together. I don't think I did exactly what Susan asked but I was really trying to just break free from local color.

plein air, vermont

Vermont plein air paintings.

I loved the blocky geometry of farm buildings--I have tons of ref photos of old barns. Enough to keep me busy trying to figure out how to use everything I learned in Susan Abbott's workshop for a long time.

And below, desaturated versions.

You can see where, for example in the first one, the darks need to be extended to the edge, a suggestion of Susan's.

VT sketchbook pages

I often forget how pleasurable drawing is.

I always start with a contour line. I like line. I fill the shape in with shading if needed.

But I'd like to try to develop the ability to draw without the contour, using value shapes instead.

view from the ridge

                            8x10

                             6x8

A couple of small watercolors, done at home.

Trying to heighten color, think of warm and cool, and values. It's a lot! 

In class, Susan Abbott suggested we de-saturate photos of our paintings to more clearly see the value structure.

Can't believe I wasn't doing this!

It's also helpful to desaturate reference photos to better see where they do and don't work.

And now, another farm cat!

back from vt

Just back from a beautiful and stimulating week in Central VT painting with Susan Abbott: a superb teacher in a sublime setting.

Living at sea level as I do it was exhilarating to have green and blue mountains as a backdrop.

This is just a little colored pencil sketch of the view from our airbnb.

More to come when I've had time to absorb it all!

Here's a kitten I fell in love with at the farm where we painted!

getting the paint wet

My friend Gina and I were supposed to go to VT last week for plein air painting with Susan Abbott.

Then I got covid and we had to cancel everything.

But Susan was able to add us to next week's session and I'm covid-free, so we'll be off to VT tomorrow!

Haven't been painting-- or doing much of anything-- so today I made these small, direct paintings ... just to get the paint wet!

getting ready ...

In about a week my friend Gina and I will be driving to VT for a 5-day plein air workshop with Susan Abbott.

I've taken a couple of online classes with Susan and am looking forward to painting with her in person.

And I'm engrossed in the project of selecting what to bring!

I've filled a palette; tried the paper in a couple of small sketchbooks; and tested several brushes to see if they came to a point.

And made this little sketch.

unfinished landscapes

                                                                      7x10  

Scenes from near my home. Started these, trying to apply color more loosely ... Not sure where to go with them, so I'll leave them for now.

testing

Had a few pieces of paper I was going to discard, then thought, let me test them. Painted these little, about 3 to 5 inch, landscapes just making them up. It was fun ... and I'm keeping the paper!

on the beach

Went to the beach the other day, first time this summer, and the wind and  surf were serious! I tried to observe and paint it ... and then I guess my palette must've fallen out of my bag and gotten buried in the sand! In a thousand years some archeologist will find it!

turkey vulture

I took another class with Ian de Hoog at the Winslow Art Center this winter; this time he's concentrated on birds of prey. 

I was skeptical about this one ... I always thought turkey vultures were ugly! I can see the beauty in him now. 

Sketchbook page

A page of gulls and, below, a quick sketch I made on the beach yesterday of a laughing gull flying over.

my tiffin

                          8x10

My brother gave me a tiffin a few years back, and I take it with me every time I go out for Indian food.

Not happy with the shadows, but I am pretty pleased with the tiffin: I usually shy away from painting reflective and/or metallic things!

drawing is free

Two watercolor pencil drawings from today's Drawing Is Free session: 1 song, 1 pose. I think these sessions--you draw but nobody sees what you're drawing--can be liberating; each week you can set your mind to trying a different technique or media. And they're also a great help in confronting anxiety about drawing faces!

more classwork

                           5x8

Another study for the Mary Whyte class at Terracotta.

classwork

Watercolor artist Mary Whyte spoke to a class I was taking this winter and I was so impressed by her.

 By her paintings, of course, which are masterful and expressive, but also by her and how she spoke about the process of finding and connecting with her subjects. 

Her art seems to be driven by compassion and a zen-like appreciation for the moment.

I signed up for a class with her, through Terracotta; beginning to work through the lessons now.

These models are both from Sktchy.