Painting Binge

I have been experiencing my first real Painting Binge. Prior to today, I had painted five small paintings in oil. In the last week and a half or so, I have completed five paintings of varying sizes. I have learned so much from this experience and hope the FEAR factor has learned it is not in control any longer. I will try to post in order of creation.  I would prefer not to show the first painting, but think it is only right to show progress.  My goal was to see lights and darks and basic shapes and shadows.

Paste Paper Calligraphy Book

 
Some pages from my paste paper book--"When the Frost Is on the Punkin" by James Whitcomb Riley.

Hadley Anne was about eight months old when the photo for this painting was taken.  She has lost most of the floppy-I an going to take flight look-that she had then, but she is as happy as ever today, a few months later.  Have a lot to learn about painting portraits, but it is fun to be able to capture something of an expression.

The fun and saving grace feature of Yupo allows one to work and rework a piece.  One can kill a beautiful piece as always, but inexperienced artists can try any type of form, shadow, line, color, etc. and get effects without totally committing as with typical W/C.  Great way to learn.  Band aids and Dum Dums was such a piece for me.  Here it is in its final form.  It is a memory of my own, but has many implications.  

Fleeting Joys

This painting was done on Yupo, a plastic material meant for outdoor commercial work.  The water color paint is not absorbed into the surface, rather it sits on top allowing for some patterns and paint behaviors not always predictable. 
This work was created from a memory.  I was probably four years old and my Dad had just said to be careful, my ice cream cone was going to fall.  Well, I was heart broken when, of course it did drop to the ground.  I was to learn that there are many fleeting joys in this life.  I like the ethereal quality that Yupo makes possible.  

Values and simple portraits of grandchildren

Zoe was six when this photo was taken.
She is quite the mature, playful 12 year old today.  She has many wonderful qualities and talents that I wish I could capture with my paints and brushes.
This painting was done with blue plus white and indigo blue for darker areas.

Second Oil Painting

Here is my second oil painting.  I did it in a class at the Ann Arbor Art Center with teacher Pat Johnson.  It is just a tiny portion of a larger set up with fruit, a wine bottle and a Chinese carry-out box.  I truly loved working on this.  One can work and rework oil paint.  


I wanted to compare my success with oil to my work with pastels.  Actually, this is not a very fair comparison because the substrate for the pastel is a very course board which I had never used before.


Shall we go for lunch with a picnic lunch?

                                                 

Key Challenge--212 Arts Center

Key Challenges due tomorrow. Always exciting to see what others create given a KEY. There will be a Peoples Choice vote with this challenge. If you can get to the 212 Arts Center during the next month, go in and vote for my piece, Phenomena. Woman. Thanks, Anne

My Best Art Friend

It is so nice to have an art friend who makes original art and gives it as a gift to me. This fanciful butterfly mobile hangs in my living room bay window. This spot was made for the mobile, obviously. She said the price to an interested buyer is $ thousands! I can see why. Pegge works with paper; cutting, folding, pasting to create wonderful one of a kind pieces of fragile art. Some of my pieces have lasted for years! Merci Beaucoup! Pegge.

You are so fab.

Hot Day in Seattle

Here is MeiMei enjoying the new tire in the living room. Later her Dad put the huge tire in the tiny pool in the yard. I hope I captured the warmth of the summer Seattle sky and the lush vegetation from all the moisture of that climate. MeiMei and her brother had so much fun playing together here.

Partners in Crime

Love the way my grand kids play together. This was done in pastels as a birthday gift for my son. They were not aware of his photoing them. She was on her toes when she spotted the cottage cheese container. Hmmm. Just as she is almost three, she seems to think she is almost this tall. Son loved the painting.

Latest Pastel Work

Just finished these two pieces. Koko is a friend's therapy dog---friend is recovering from spinal meningitis. The still life will be hung in a non-juried show in an A2 office for the next two months.

Just finished a piece I started a year ago. Mary Portrait had suggested that I put it away until I had more experience with pastels. Lo, how quickly a year does pass at times. This past year of portrait instruction has focused mostly on drawing. Seldom did I get far enough along to use color. That is my excuse for the way the painting turned out. LOL It involved a lot of trial and error for skin tones, making the eyes darker, etc. Hopefully, I will get more comfortable with what I can do and will be able to make it more interesting. Hopefully, confidence with come with practice.

Took my first class in oils this past weekend. This is the piece that I did. It is from a photo taken last summer at Mathaei Gardens. Size-- 8 X 10. Loved working with oils. UhOh!!!

Watercolor Gift

Joel met Gretchen at Kendall Cooking School in Chicago. I am hoping they will like this wedding gift. I combined a FaceBook photo of them with photo shots I took of a restaurant in Charleston. Hopefully, they will recognize themselves.

212 Micro-Challenge

212's June challenge was to take microscopic art forms as black and white outlined images found in a reference and incorporate them into an art piece. I was able to use my calligraphic skills on this piece. I saw fish in the references and added found objects to further this thought. One tag is actually a metal piece from my husband's grandfather. It signifies that he was a dental student in the '20s in Colorado. My text is from Psalm 139.

Camp Cupcake

Cake challenge was due today. A challenge is always fun because each artist gets to "show and tell." This is what my Camp Cupcake is about.

The federal prison that housed Martha Stewart and now houses Monica Conyers has been dubbed “Camp Cupcake” because of the perks offered there. These perks include washers, dryers, hair dryers, curling irons as well as mate-to-mate pedicures. When I read the DetroitNews.com comment by Monica Conyers when asked about her stay at the prison, I knew it would be fun to feature her sharing cell bunks with Martha Stewart. Among other things, M and M enjoy is watching Cake Eaters on TV Food Network. A cartoon featuring Martha speaks of her High Expectations from prison as does Monica’s comment.

BTW Monica complained that the food portions were small and she couldn't have seconds on something good.

Wedding Gift

Making progress with my portraits. This is a gift for a young couple's wedding. The photo that I had to work from was difficult as I changed their positions to put him on the right. A groom should not be looking away from his bride. Right?

My Second Rooster

This is the same fellow as in the last blog. He seems to be searching for a tidbit. I am continuing my attempt to just apply color to paper. I have been doing pastels for close to a year and a half now. It takes a long time to learn about the colors, strokes, composition, etc. Hopefully I am developing a style of my own.

My First Rooster

I have always loved roosters. Never thought I could draw a decent one. Decided it was time to put aside negative self talk and exchange that with "my brain doesn't like to get out of its comfort zone, but I am going to do it anyway. It doesn't matter what the results are as much as it matters that I start putting color on paper in spite of groanings from brain." This rooster image is from a recent trip to Charleston.