Yesterday, I had the honor of demonstrating during a fine art charity auction for Learning Ally, formerly Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic. It's an organization that records books on tape for anyone with any reading disability. Artists from around the area donate a work of their art for silent auction. I had just under 2 hours to do this little painting - it was a lot of fun. The lighting on my subject wasn't great, but it all worked out.
Here's that great little red vase again. I just can't seem to get enough of that pure color. I love picking out the shapes in the vase - it's just never-ending! I'm not crazy about the daisy - I suppose I should concentrate on flower shapes at some point. One thing I do really like about this one is the orange ground peeking through that ties in with the reflection on the cloth.
My sister found this little blue creamer in a thrift store for a quarter. It's so vintage and cute! And the egg just fits so perfectly in this tiny glass bowl. The two items seem to belong together - and remind me somehow of living on a farm (even though I never did).
This painting was definitely a challenge. We all know that white is never really white, and that if we're looking at something white, we can always find something more white. Same goes for black. The backdrop for this mug is actually a piece of scrapbook paper. I love all the colors and the things going on in it. The white mug kind of looks like a chameleon - just blending in, soaking it all in. Click on the link above to go to Daily Paintworks to see this and other entries.
This is the last painting from the Sedona trip. Our group spent a day in the little town of Jerome, about 25 miles southwest of Sedona. It's like we saved the best for last! The town is about 100 years old - a mining town with many dilapidated buildings. The town is still very much alive, with a bustling population, many quaint restaurants, many shops, and lots of painting opportunities. This building was condemned, and I just loved the shapes and colors in it.
While in Sedona, my good friend, Karen Werner, and I shared room. We took turns painting each other, which was challenging and fun. It's more difficult to paint someone you know, instead of just seeing the shapes, colors, and values that, if painted correctly, will resemble the person. With the exception of the shirt, I used the Zorne palette only, which is white, black, yellow ochre, and cad red. I learned this from my instructor, Joseph Todorovitch. To see Karen's portrait of me, just click on her name.
This painting is the result of painting in the cold, (44 degrees) the rain, the hail, and the sleet. And all of this mixed in with intermittent sun. Very difficult. There are a few major things I learned while in Sedona: that I can paint in plein air in any kind of weather; that my new guerilla box and tripod work perfectly for me; to always block in the largest shapes first, and to stick to my original value sketch, and never chase the light. Whew!
The day started out to be great - a lot of sun, few clouds. Our group went to Slide Rock, where I did this painting looking down from above and slightly upstream. I am fairly happy with it, although it seems a little too abstract for me.
Well, it was so cold and rainy off and on that my friend Karen Werner and I decided we'd had enough of the weather, and we packed up and went back to the Sedona Art Center to paint from a photo - and this is the photo we chose. No, it's not a Sedona scene, but it's near Karen's home.
This one was a simple value study, using only 4 values and massing in large shapes. This is from day 1 of the workshop with Jennifer McChristian.
Today was FREEZING - about 40 degrees and pouring rain and hail, when our group went to Slide Rock. A beautiful place! The only problem was the light that changed every 1 minute!
This is a view of Cathedral Rock in Sedona. Again- this is all about values first, and color second.
Today, our wonderful group, lead by Jennifer McChristian and her wonderful husband, Ben, went to Cathedral Rock to paint the absolutely stunning landscape. The weather was beautiful. The goal was to do value studies by massing in large shapes only, then doing the same vantage point again in color - referring to the value study as needed. This pair is the result. I have another pair to post tomorrow that includes the famous Cathedral Rock. 
This week, I am in Sedona Arizona studying plein air painting with Jennifer McChristian. Today was day 1, and I had such a great time. It was all about values, and simplifying shapes. These are two of my studies - and I am generally pleased. And being in Sedona is just amazing, and I feel so fortunate.
Gosh, I love transparent glass! I like to look for old bottles in antique stores, etc. This green one really appealed to me. The other ones are just meant to be next to it! So much fun. . .
Well - I know it's been a long time. I've missed posting and being involved with other daily painters. It's that whole balancing act between being an artist and the other hats I wear. I realize that once I pick up the brush and start something, I know this is what I'm supposed to do, and eventually, I will be a true daily painter.
Last night, the scheduled model didn't arrive, so one of the artists in our class volunteered. 
