Before and After

"Calico Creek" 8"x10"

This is the first painting of the day from my workshop with Mike Rooney. For this painting we all worked on getting our values and correct colors blocked in - in 30 minutes. Then we worked on the details.

"BEFORE the Workshop"

"Morehead City Port View" 7-22-08

This is a painting I did in July and below you will see a similar scene, but with a totally different technique that I tried today. Let me know what you think about the difference!

"AFTER the Workshop"

"Morehead City Port View" 11-2-08

This is my second painting of today. I tried a technique that I haven't really done before. I put all of the color temperatures and values in first and then painted in the colors closer to the local color. I was a little hesitant about it, but after looking at the painting I did this summer of the similar scene - I am pretty much convinced that I need to work more with this technique! It really brings a sparkle and life to the painting. Even with the painting today being the first time trying this technique and rushing a little at the end - I think it has potential. I included the a picture of the under painting so that you can see what this painting from today looks like underneath.

This is the under painting from the painting today. I think it looks like it could be it's own unique abstract painting all by itself. It was a great workshop. It was challenging and I'm pretty much exhausted and ready to keep learning more!!

Workshop Works

"Morehead City Waterfront" 8"x10"

"Waiting for Wind" 6"x9"

Today I went to one of Mike Rooney's workshops in Morehead City. We worked on blocking in 5 values to begin with (in magenta), then painting in the colors, in the correct values. The big first step was to just block in everything and then, work on the details. I like the phrase he uses to remind us about not starting on the details too soon, "Don't put the candles on until you've baked the cake!"

This Week's Challenges!

October 22, 2008 "Smells Sweet"

Eleanor and I painted the perfume bottle this week. The reflections and colors in that bottle were endless!! This painting will probably go to the Silent Auction at the Crystal Coast Domestic Violence Fashion Show and Tea coming up in Carteret County.

October 19, 2008 "Yellow Rose"

This little rose was on the bush outside my house. It's been getting cold lately so it was a surprise to see one still blooming. There is actually another one that just opened today, so maybe I'll try another rose. It's challenging to get all the folds of the petals and the right colors and values!

October 15, 2008 "Slices"

When I look through the view finder peap hole at these shadows, they look ORANGE!! It's unbelievable! I don't think I've ever tried painting orange slices before but I think it will be fun to do again.

October 13, 2008 "Oranges"

You would not believe how challenging it is to get those reflections and shadows right on those oranges! I also think I'll take a little break from the polkadots - They're fun and kind of loosen you up, but I think I've had enough for the week!

You would think that the more you paint the less challenging it would get - I guess I still haven't painted enough!! For some reason everything this week had a new learning opportunity to go along with it! I've been really busy latey - Eleanor and I are still painting each Wednesday night and now we are taking a class at the community college 2 nights a week as well - "The Business of Art." It's getting more and more interesting, so hopefully we'll learn a lot! We have our workshop with Mike Rooney coming up next week. Eleanor's taking the weekday workshop and I'm taking the one on the weekend so we'll be able to compare notes!

Application Adventures!

Got the Grad School package mailed off last Thursday!! Done with that!!!! Ready to paint!!

Painting A Day

"Tomato" 8"x11" October 12, 2008

"Plums" 8"x11" October 11, 2008

"Brooke" October 11, 2008
One of my drawings from figure drawing this Saturday.

"Cacti" 8"x11" October 10, 2008


"Tennis Balls" 8"x11" October 9, 2008

"Apples" 8"x11" October 8, 2008

I finished and turned in my grad school application this past week!! YEA!!! I am now on to my new challenge of painting more often. So far I have painted one a day!! (It hasn't been a full week yet, but I'm working on it!) I tried painting polkadots this week. It's amazing to see the reflections in the objects. I would have posted the paintings more often but I was having a bit of technical difficulty with getting the images on the computer and trying to get good pictures. It seems like on the overcast days there is a bit of a glare on the paintings - and then what do you do to take pictures on the rainy days? Any ideas?

Sandwich Night

"PB&J" 8"x11"

It's sometimes tough to balance teaching art and creating art - not to mention all of the other things life throws your way! Tonight and last night I had a sandwich for dinner in order to have some more time to paint. It was a fun little painting to do. I showed it to my students this morning at school. They were painting still lifes of their own and I had them guess what I painted!!

Weathering the Storm

"Red Hot!" 9"x12"

"Pair of Pears" 9"x12"

This week Eleanor and I set up a few still lifes. Our goal was to tone down our negative space so that the objects in our still lifes would pop. We also tried hard to get our paint on the canvas and leave it without "futzing" too much. We had a great time painting and stayed up pretty late. It was nice knowing I had a 2 hour delay for school in the morning because of all of the wind and rain!

Conversations

My friend Eleanor and I painted these tomatoes last night (she actually used pastels yesterday). The green one is called a "Purple Cherokee." I know - it's green - the bottom turns purple when it's ripe. The little tomato on the left is my favorite. I probably painted it the fastest of anything in the painting. I think all the little tomatoes look like they are having a conversation - I wonder what they might say? Eleanor and I had a great time painting last night and were able to have some good conversations ourselves. When you are painting, it really makes all the difference to occasionally have someone to give a new point of view on your art work or to point out spots that might need a little more attention. I know it helps me see things I might not have seen. Keep up the conversations!

School's Out Early!!

"Bay Street, Morehead City"

(one of the paintings from the future collection "Our Side of Arendell" or should it "The Other side of Arendell"?)

"Calico Creek"

I got out of school early on Friday and before I taught my Body Flow class at the gym - (did I mention I'm teaching a combination of Yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates at Gold's Gym now?) I rushed home to set up my paints! I still had some energy from not having to teach the 4th and 5th graders today, so I came home and got things set up before my class at the gym. I was able to set aside some time to paint Friday, Saturday and Sunday - which was great! Here are two of the paintings I worked on some this weekend. I'm trying to get some paintings ready for a portfolio for grad school and here are 2 of the 20!!

Getting Started

I just started back at school last week. I teach art to grades Kindergarten through 5th grade and I find it hard to squeeze in time to paint once school starts. I get up, go to school, work out at the gym, eat dinner and then I'm tired and it's time to go to bed so I can get up and do it all again. I had a great summer painting with other plein air artists and friends. My goal this year is to continue to paint while I'm teaching. Here is one of my paintings from this summer. It was from a little gazebo in Morehead City. You can see the Morehead City Port in the background.