Summer School is Out!

Lately I have been doing more homework than painting. These are two projects I did in Photoshop for one of my summer school classes. I could not remember when I used Photoshop the last time, it's been so long! The first image is of a photograph I took inside a covered bridge while the car was moving - don't worry, I wasn't driving! I cloned some of the blurry horizontal lines. And the image below was from the ceiling of the SR Guggenheim Museum. My assignment had to do with lines. So now I've got about 20 days until both the Fall semester begins and I go back for teacher work days, so hopefully I will get to use my new studio that was completed this winter or even get outside and capture the light!!

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!!