#5 of 56 Green and red

I really need some good lights for taking photos!

# 3 and 4 of 56

coming soon.  or not.  may have a bust!

#2 of 56 - complimentary

Jade Green Bauer Jug

in process...

sometimes things get a bit messy in the process!

Well.  This is a very exciting event.  I have done a painting without overusing and abusing white paint!!  Whiter whites, brighter brights...darks separated!

#1 of 56 - primary colors

The real value of the Studio Class is the opportunity to bring in old or current work so that the Instructor, Louis Copt, can see what you're up to and what you need to work on.  His immediate response to my previous work was that I needed to push values...a lot...and to incorporate more color into my intentionally limited palette.  I had set the goal to do a painting a day, or nearly every day, so I laid out an academic exercise for the first seven paintings.


This first effort is a return to the very basics.  While Louis had suggested using complimentary colors, I started with the primary colors.  Choosing red, blue and yellow books as the base, literally and figuratively, created a very defined palette that I tried to maintain.  All of the colors come into play in the background as well as the reflected light and shadow on the white vase.

Hanging this up on the wall next to my other work the higher contrast values made all of the other paintings disappear into a fog like the one outside my studio!

studio class sketch

So I go to the first session of the Studio Class.  The idea is for artists to work independently and get comments and critique from the instructor and other students.  I had no idea how it was really going to work or how I would spend the two hours.  So I just threw some paints, a couple of small canvas boards, a couple of items to make a still life with and a selection of the work I've completed lately into a box and hauled it all in. 

As it turns out, I was the only new student.  The rest have been doing this class for a few or many sessions and they all brought in either a fresh canvas (large, by my standards) or a work in progress and they set up and got to work.  Oh.  In looking around for a spot with good light, I saw that one gal had set up in the spotlight used for figure dwg models. I was completely taken with the light on her tackle box, pallet and the edge of the table she was using.  Then two other students came in and set up near by.  I decided to punt the still life and do a quick oil sketch of the three of them working.  I may do more of these during the class session and just bring in the week's work for critique..

white vase with globe

I'm starting a studio class tomorrow.  I have decided as a goal for this eight week experience is to produce a 'pot portrait' a day.  That will get me through about 75% of my pottery collection which I love but have decided these lovely objects need to earn their keep!

litho tin bank in a bag

I saw a really great little painting on Don Gray's site and it just made me chuckle.  So later while I was cleaning up around the place and found an empty clear plastic bag, I had to do this.  Thanks Don for your constant inspiration!

In Progress - Portrait of Lily

This one had to be set aside.  I could not work the paint without expsing the dark gray ground so I've been letting it firm up a bit before completing.  Still lots to learn about this oily medium!