This week the program focused on using glazes - both transparent and opaque - using the same 6 panels started several lessons ago. I enjoy using transparent glazes because they provide an overall tone. No commitment needed. An opaque glaze is just that - opaque! And that means edges, commitment to shapes - no wishy washy brushwork. I don't like this. I find that I put on an area of opaque paint and I quickly scrub it off. Instructor Nick suggests that our life and our art are the same - if I am not liking to risk and commit in my art, it's probably true in my life as well. That's something to ponder..... The original 6 panels have had several passes in this week 8 - I can't even track the progress from the first pass to the last. Maybe you can?
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This week's homework was to continue painting on the 6 panels started a few weeks ago, this time with a continued focus on colour but adding attention to value - the loud conversation. What is this loud conversation? The black and white, high contrast elements of the design - the parts that the eye is drawn to first. To find this or to create this, I used mostly white paint to lay down very random areas/shapes/lines. I can't say that I like any of these; I'd like to work more on them but this is just one of many layers of paint. More to come. For the past few months, I have been very involved in the organization of a showcase of the arts in my home town of Vernon BC. This took place on June 21 and was a fabulous success. A delicious long table style dinner, lots of paintings, and demonstrations, music, entertainment and a wearable art fashion show.
A week before, several painters got together to hand-paint scarves that were part of a silent auction - very well received. Here are a couple of scarves drying outside. Wow - a busy week in the program. There's about 5 to 6 hours of video to watch - not all in one, but several most with demos, some live interactive calls, some showing adjustments of student work. Very helpful and instructional - and very time consuming. When do I actually find time to do my homework???
Whine, whine, whine! Ha ha. I did find a bit of time and using a limited palette of yellow ochre, red, black and white, I jumped in to work on the principles of design and value. Here's what I ended up - btw - I don't like these at all. But... since this is supposed to be a journey of discover, maybe that's who I really am??? COLOUR!!!! Working in a series of 3 to 6 boards, our homework was to play with colour, not forgetting design and value. I spent a fair bit of time transferring acrylic paint from jars to squeeze bottles. What a nasty, messy job! And being a frugal person at heart, I couldn't stand seeing some paint still in the jar. I couldn't get it all into the squeeze tubes - so how could I use it......? Check out this week's homework boards! That's what happened to those dribs and drabs of paint that were left in the jars. This is week 4"s homework - using only black and white, focus on design and value - create differences in as many ways as possible... and then go back and look for where the loud conversation is located and where the quiet conversation is taking place. How to add interest and conversation within the loud and quiet areas; how to take the viewer on a tour of the painting... whew!
Here is one in a progression, left to right, top then bottom. The last one is a segment from the top right corner and I think it is the most powerful. What do you think? In early May, I started an online course with Nicholas Wilton - a program that I have been waiting over a year to join. So excited about it. The first assignments didn't even involve painting - we were asked to create vision boards - one for what inspires us, another for our dreams and the third to show our work past, present and future.
And finally we got to paint! Using 12" x 12" boards, we were 'played' - no particular objective other than having fun - which I did. We also created a 'throw away board' - the board where we unload left over paint etc. That throw away board is actually my favourite! Check them out! Three more weeks to work on my Jane Davies' course. And the Creative Visionary Program with Nicholas Wilton started on May 9. My show at the Bean Scene coffee shop is in 2 weeks! And.... a wedding, a family reunion, a trip to Alberta for two days of work, and a major fund raising event to work on. I'm exhausted just typing... and of course, since it's Spring - all the various around the house projects and gardening. Here's the link to our exciting arts event -if you live in the area, it's going to be fantastic. https://www.facebook.com/Arts-Council-of-the-North-Okanagan-228202608124143/ And here are some paintings from the Jane Davies workshop - I paint for 30 minutes, focusing on continual mark making and not so much analysis. I've arranged the images vertically going from first marks onward. Lots of fun.
Starting early May, I will be taking another online workshop - CVP or Creative Visionary Program with lead instructor, Nicholas Wilton. I have followed Nick's blog and been a member of his Art2Life Academy for over a year and am now ready to take the leap. It's a 12 week intensive program that many artists claim has changed their art and their lives. I can't wait to get started.
Another artist I've been following is Brian Rutenberg - fabulous abstract landscapes. Check out his website www.brianrutenberg.com |
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