New Lesson

Ever wonder why the things you try don't turn out so well the first time around? Ever notice that the more you work with something, the easier it gets? Ever notice that the more you study the something you are working on the better you get at what it is you are doing? Life seems to work the same way that art works as well. You struggle, struggle; work; work...bad outcomes. You keep on struggling and working for more bad outcomes. Finally, instead of giving up when it is painful, you try to do it because of sheer frustration and stubborness.
This happened to me at Calloway Gardens this past Friday while I was painting with my friend Brenda. She wanted to paint the Pioneer Log Cabin. I was just along for the ride, so I sat down and started to draw. OH MY GOSH! We started at 10am and at 2:30pm, I left without a painting but with a drawing.
I became so uncomfortable with the prospect of drawing the log cabin that every thing I tried, seemed to look whacky. Perspective is a horrible concept to wrap your mind and hand around when out in the field. I have had enough lessons, thank you Cindy Mask and others to at least know what I should be doing and that is MEASURING, establishing a base unit and going from there. But, do you think that I did that at first? NO! It was after 2 or 3 failed attempts that I decided to do it the way I was taught that I finally found myself with a drawing that was coming together! I could not believe what I was doing.
Well, I liked what I was doing so much, I abandoned the idea of painting and dragged out my Rapidograph pen and filled in pencil lines with beautiful opaque, waterproof india ink! I had the best time. I was cheering myself on, talking to myself and having a good but tiring time.
My picture is submitted to the world to see. Okay, don't get excited, it is primitive, but it is a start and a new lesson for me. I keep hearing in my head, work at drawing, work at drawing, you will paint much better if you do. That is the constant mantra of all painting instructors. There is no shortcut in art and boys and girls, it works that way in life as well.
There is a reason for discomfort in your life. It tells you there is a lesson attached. Running away from the discomfort takes you away from the pain, but you will constantly have to confront it again and again until you start to work on the lesson. Don't fear the lesson...start to work.
Here is my drawing and a louzy cell phone image of the pioneer cabin.

Cades Cove

This is a painting that I just finished with in my weekly art class. We work from photos and sometimes non-copywrited material. I get some photos from Wet Canvas, they have a huge reference library of free photos to work with. This took roughly 6 lessons to do. I learned a new technique on this one, we used a sponge to paint in the trees and splattered some of the small close flowerbuds in the foreground. When the picture was finished, I felt like something else was needed, so we added from imagination a little structure.

Plein Air Auburn

Today we went to Town Creek Park. It was overcast, so the sun only came out a couple of times, long enough to find the deep shadows to put into the painting. I struggled with the weeping willow. By the time I was finished, I felt like weeping, but I realize that without the struggle, I won't ever learn anything. This was my first plein air with oils. I forgot to take a pallet with me and had to use a garbage bag to squeeze out my paints on. Thankfully that worked. For the first time I realize, that each of these times I work on something new, I learn. So, I may get off on my own some as well. I hope you enjoy.

Still Life for painting class

Today I took some stuff to do a still life for my painting class. I decided that I would start painting more from life and get Cheeko's help during class to that end. I started setting up the objects I brought, and learned a lot about placement. I shot many set ups and decided to paint this arrangement. I realized after getting into the painting that I could not accurately convey that I had a vase, pitcher and apple. I think you would agree that I accurately painted the pitcher and the apple but the vase looks like a book? A purple brick? A what??? I suppose if I had chosen a view that looked down on the image more, that vase would look more vase like, but since it was tall, all I could see at eye level was the top and not inside the vase. Should I have cheated and drawn and painted the inside of the squared vase?? I don't know...it is just practice. But it was fun cause I got it done with help from Cheeko in 2 hrs.

Tomorrow I will be painting en plein air at Town Creek Park with the Plein air Auburn group. Hope I can show you what I did.

Georgia O'Keeffe Study

Another study, this time it is from a painting done by Georgia O'Keeffe. Georgia lived from 1887-1986. Georgia O'Keeffe, known for her bold and colorful still-life compositions, was inspired by nature. We see the elements all throughout her work, flowers, driftwood, animal skulls and the infinite views of the desert. Her flower prints, especially, used bright colors as seen in "Black Iris" and "Red Poppy". Her oversized flowers are what Georgia is most well known for. She often painted huge canvases of flowers, sometimes showing the entire flower and others times she would focus on just a portion and paint a close up image of it. Flowers, though, were not the only subjects she used for her giant prints. She also painted many oversized scenes of "the faraway", the affectionate name she had for the northern New Mexico desert.

Here is my study of Oriental Poppies painted in 1928. I am submitting to the blog Following the Masters:

http://followingthemasters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Elizabeth Pruitt Workshop

I went over the weekend to a workshop with Elizabeth Pruitt this weekend and had a wonderful time painting. She is a great teacher and I learned many things. Her florals are so pretty and she makes painting look so easy. I was overcome as I watched her demo because I had never gotten so close to see the brush work she did. I was amazed at how I was able to do this myself. I know I have been painting for a while but this was where I found my confidence. I am finding myself wanting to paint more now.
We did the small crabapples first and that was such a good warmup for the more complicated peonies. We stayed at Sarah Cary's retreat in Royston, GA. As usual, Sarah provided a wonderful experience with a bed and meals each day. I want to go more. And I will. I will go to a Kathie George workshop in Sept.
Here is Elizabeth's link: http://www.elizabethpruitt.com/

Vincent van Gogh Study

As part of my art education, Cheeko had me do a study of a master painting. I had to research and find out what paints were available to that artist at the time of the painting. I had to decide on who I wanted to study and chose Vincent van Gogh. His story appealed to me on many levels, he struggled with art for many years and always thought he was not ever good enough. Added to the fact that he had mental problems made this worse for him as well. He failed in love, he barely was able to make ends meet, of course, Theo, his brother contributed to Vincent so he could buy his pigments. He spent years trying to get by only to end up in a mental institution a couple of times. Poor Vincent, if he only knew how many people would come to love his work. Mine is the one at the bottom. I hope you enjoy.

I chose The Seated Zouave to do my study. Vincent first did a study in 1888 which was different from The Seated Zouave which I chose. Read what Vincent said in a letter to his brother: "I have a model at last.. a Zouave.. a boy with a small face, a bull neck, and the eye of a tiger, and I began with one portrait, and began again with another; the half-length I did of him was horribly harsh, in a blue uniform, the blue of enamel saucepans, with braids of a faded reddish-orange, and two yellow stars on his breast, an ordinary blue, and very hard to do. That bronzed, feline head of his with a red cap, I placed it against a green door and the orange bricks of a wall. So it's a savage combination of incongruous tones, not easy to manage. The study I made of it seems to me very harsh, but all the same I'd like always to be working on vulgar, even loud portraits like this. It teaches me something, and above all that is what I want of my work. The second portrait will be full length, sitting against a white wall."