Still Painting

I'm embarrassed by the fact that I haven't posted in almost two months.  The summer has been great, and I have even done a little painting.  I spent another week in the mountains painting scarves with my sister.  It was cool enough that we could paint outdoors on the porch beside the creek.  I'll post some of our creations soon.

My studio was broken into and the thief stole all of my paints and many brushes.  What, pray tell, would someone other than an artist want with oil paints?  I was surprised that it was very depressing for me - sort of took the wind out of my artist's sails for almost a month.  My landlady has been great, and we now have a new alarm system.  I've replaced about half of the tubes of paint and several brushes.  I should be ready to paint again in September.

My plan for the fall is to get back to regular (at least two days a week) painting.  I'm taking a figure class from Andy Braitman on Mondays beginning mid-September.  I'm really looking forward to this!  During the summer, I've let golf, water aerobics, bridge, taking care of others (not a burden, but a joy), and travel fill most of my time.  Art is back on the  priority list for the fall and winter! 

Nell's Scarf

My sister Nell painted this scarf!  Isn't it a beauty!  We worked together on the background (each of us starting on opposite ends and meeting in the middle) to change the color from blue to green.  Won't it be pretty when it is tied!

Another scarf!

Here's another one of the scarves that I painted while at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Murphy.  We hung our scarves on the windows and doors for the "show-and-tell"session and for our teacher's demonstration. 

For some reason, I got "into" twin figures and panels of colors.  I think the double ladies will be a lot prettier once they are cleaned, ironed, and worn - and not hanging on a glass, classroom door!  

Silk Painting

My sister Nell and I just spent a week in a silk painting class at John C. Campbell Folk School in Murphy, NC.  We stayed at the Franklin guest cabin that we love which is fifty-minutes away.  We had so much fun - painting, visiting, sitting by the creek, and relaxing.  At left is one of my scarves.  It will of course look better after it is taken off the rack, steamed, dry cleaned, and pressed. 

Wayah Waters Guest Cabin

Last year, a friend of ours told us about a great little cabin outside of Franklin, North Carolina.  Chuck and I went and stayed there for his birthday, and I have been there twice by myself while Chuck was on business trips.  Over spring break, my sister and I went and stayed for almost a week.  It was great!  The cabin is right beside a rushing creek!  I took a photograph of the front and have spent the last couple of mornings working on this painting.  Hope it will give you an idea of what a neat little place it is. 

Kirk

I painted this about a year and a half ago.  I had seen a photo in a local state magazine of a young man serving coffee.  I loved his vest, the cup and saucer, and the dishes behind him.  So, off I went!  UNTIL I got to the face.  In the photo, the man was nerdy looking with glasses and a cone shaped hat.  I decided to substitute my son Kirk's face.  The photo I used for the painting was his senior picture.  You can see from the inset that he has changed quite a bit in eight years.  (It was also one of my first portrait attempts, and I made his face a little too dark.) When I finished the painting, I gave it to him.  Now, he has it out each time I visit him in Raleigh.  (Not sure if he gets it out only for my visits - ha! ha!)  He is, and always has been, one of my biggest supporters with my art.

Roughing it up!

I had a great time with this painting!  In one of the workshops I attended, I learned how to prepare canvases with different types of textures.   This painting was done on a very roughly textured canvas which was developed with a base of gesso and then a sprinkling of a sandy substance used by ceramic artists.  I loved this exercise because it gave me a chance to experiment with, not only the rough texture, but also with a soft wash and blending of the background.  I also had the opportunity to work on facial features and hands and to practice value and shading.