Summer Work: Week 2, Tuesday

           Since I had never painted an entire figure, I decided I better try.

          The porportions aren't too bad, but her head was tilted up more than I was able to represent. Also, her neck seems a little long. I again used a limited palette of venetian red, yellow ochre, ultramarine, and titanium white.  I used a larger canvas than I should have for a one sitting (16"X20"). This exercise was completed in less than three hours at Quincy Art drop-in.  With more time I obviously would have worked on accomplishing deeper values, especially in the face.

Summer Work: Week 2, Monday

I have been working out drawing issues the last few days.  Today I wanted to paint, so I set up a still of apples and did a very quick study.

Apples on a Stool

Summer Work: Week 1, Wednesday: Flavia Galinae

Yellow orbs for Galina:

Continuing to play with paint and orbs.

Summer Work: Week 1, Day 1, Tuesday

           First painting of the summer, completed on the first full day of summer, my first day of vacation:

           I continue to practice by observing from life. Today I was inspired by neighbor Jim, Giorgio Morandi, and Lynne from class and their work with either bottles or teakettles. I painted for only a few hours, and it definitely needs some additional work. The composition isn't exactly how I wanted, so I got a little bored. I had intended the Jonathan Adler teapot to fill more of the space, but somehow it ended up as it is.

AD ASTRA PER ASPERA!

Getting Back in the Swing....

            Last night I decided to paint instead of draw during Quincy Art's Tuesday drop-ins with a live model.  There are only two more Tuesday sessions, and I want to get back into painting before the summer begins.  I had taken a brief respite from painting after my class at MassArt ended.  I continue to draw, but need to organize my work space at home before I take out the paints.  In addition, I have been attempting a few abstracts for my friend, and have been battling with yellow.  Painting from the figure has occasionally been rewarding for me, and I needed to feel good about what I was doing.  I had little less than an hour and a half to paint.  I painted on a rather small 6x10 canvas with a palette knife.  I used venetian red, yellow ochre, titanium, and ultramarine.  For a medium I used liquin:

            I began to achieve some of the values, but not as much as I would have liked if I had more time.  Also, my paint was getting muddy, and one of the artists attending the session, the resident alchemist, said he would bring in some concoction for me to try next time.  Apparently, he has a good recipe for a wax medium.  He said that he begins the process with beeswax, which he heats.  He then adds (I think) oil.  It should be interesting.  At the moment he is currently mixing his own lead white!
            Perhaps the wax medium will help me with my abstracts.  The alchemist said that the wax is great for layering.  Beware, Yellow, I am going to win this war!!!!

Class 12

Final class:

I worked from a set-up, but interpreted it in my own way.  Limited palette, again: venetian red, yellow ochre, titanium, ultramarine.

Classes 10 and 11: Italy

When I signed up for my class at MassArt, I had already been scheduled to take some of my students on an expedition to bella Italia.  Unfortunately, I was forced to miss two painting classes.  I was able to draw a little, but not very much.  What was beneficial in terms of my current creative endeavor was that, as anyone who has traveled to Italy knows, upon entering the country a person's left brain functions succumb to the the right hemisphere.  Emotions and imagination dominate.  Whether one is observing the art, architecture, landscape, or the citizens of Italy, one is enveloped in beauty.  I photographed many scenes, but I still haven't had too much time figuring out how a digital camera works.  I read the beginning of a book recommended to me by my cousin to help me figure out some of the functions of my camera, but I didn't study it much or practice at all.  I cropped a few images, made a few black and white, and played with some photoshop actions, but I despise working on the computer.  I would rather be covered in paint.  I did have a little help with a few images in photoshop: the blue nuns, SPQR, the man playing the violin.  I did not need to alter the image for the few better photographs: mystical Venice. the oculus at the Pantheon, and the pink house in Torcello.

I wish I had taken my fathers 38 year old film camera instead.  I like the quality of film better than digital.

Click HERE for my photographs from Italy

I apologize for my obsession with cane and religious icons.