New Class ..."Artfully Yours" at Riley Street

What's YOUR style ?!

I just created a new class "Artfully Yours" to be offered May 19th at Riley Street Art Store, San Rafael.  We'll start with some wild warm-up exercises to loosen-up and then experiment and explore....with each student finding his/her own path.  Who knows - you may unleash your inner Picasso!

To find out more, click on http://www.rileystreet.com/classes.html  Be sure to select San Rafael location.    Use comment section below or email me with any questions.  All levels welcome.

Save the Date &....yet another poppie painting

    7x24   acrylic              Two Poppies on Red          click to enlarge

First off...  Save the Date(s):   June 16 or 17....

Why?        Well, if you are free, I'm hoping you will drop by and visit me at the Marin Arts Festival.
I'll have a booth both days with a lot of the paintings I've been posting here...and more.  This annual festival in San Rafael great fun-- eclectic music, yummy food and a variety of pottery, jewelery, paintings and much more.  More details as we get closer. You can check out the festival site here
http://www.marinartfestival.com/

Secondly...thought I'd play with these poppies a bit more, forget about the 'glass' project - just get a little wild with red.  I've not used this size canvas by itself before, though I've done vertical diptychs with two of them.  It was fun to figure out the placement.  I  'zoomed in' visually on the flowers in the vase.  Used my fingers to 'crop' my composition.  More playful, yes?

6x6"  acrylic             Iceland Poppy        click to enlarge

Still taking advantage of the poppies while they're still perky....and worked a bit more on painting glass -  bear with me :-) 

Today was a kick - every once in awhile hubby joins me in the studio.  No agenda other than having fun.  Put some music on. Get this: in the time I painted my poppy, he painted three (3!) canvases, abstract paintings.  Free, bright....swirls of color with lots or energy.  

Black Cherries, round two.....

                 6x6                        Black Cherries      acrylic      click to enlarge

Do these look familiar to you?  Back in Sept. I painted two little cherries like this on water-color paper.  I liked them a lot so I decided to paint them on a canvas.  Don't know what it is about cherries but I find them a delight to work with.
p.s. forgive the second post today; after declaring the winner I wanted to post my piece too.

And the winner is....

Thanks to all who sent in a suggested name for the unfurling flower below.  It was hard to decide...and I surprised even myself with the winning name.  But when I looked the suggested title "Beautiful Alabaster"  up and saw this photo  - it really reminded me of my painting... just seemed right. http://www.seaotter.com/marine/research/dirona/albolineata/html/1alabaster_nudibranch.jpg.html

So "Beautiful Alabaster" it is..... submitted by Ethan, age 11.  I've got to tell you - the suggestions were wild, varied and quite fun!

Will you name it?

                acrylic    6x6                      ? ??                  click image to enlarge

Well, this was a funny experience.  I had my subject set up.  I wanted it to be loose and easy - an impression vs. a realistic image.  I began, working from dark to light areas.  It felt like I was done - then I stepped back and..surprise - it looked totally different than what I thought it would.  I played with it a bit but it just wanted to be like this.  So it's done. time to move on. But what to call it?  It's not what it started out to be.  We'll consider it an 'abstracted' piece - what would you name it?

FInally Finished! phew... (click title to see blog page)

32x32         MONTE CARLO             acrylic   

After letting it sit awhile, I decided to simplify the background on this piece.  I think it works a lot better;  hope you do.  Check out the 'not finished' version on my March 26 blog entry, just below the little boat.  click title in this email to get to blog.

I got some great advice from an instructor who said "If you question something about your piece, you probably already know the answer..."  At times, I ask hubby Phil to take a peek and "...tell me, do you think the color is too dark?  Is the tree too small?  Should the background be brighter?.."

Before he even answers (smart guy, he's always very diplomatic) I realize I already know the answer is YES.  It's hard to give up what you've already done, but the picture is telling me it needs a change - time to grab the brush and delve in with a fresh eye and bold strokes.

So, this one is done.  It better be, I've added to the website.
Thanks for sharing my blog.
Mary

More Winter Pears...and a tip about Scumbling Painting

      6x6" acrylic            Back & Forth-Pears       (click image to enlarge)

Last week I posted my first painting of these two pears; they were such good models I invited them to stay for two more 'sittings'.  After I finished this today, I even started a third. That'll be about all I'll get from these two...they get bored so easily :-)

Painting Tip: Scumbling.   The blush of red above, allowing you to see the color beneath, was achieved by scumbling. It is an effect you get by dragging a dry brush (with paint but no water or medium) lightly over the another color.  I pre-mixed some alizeron crimson with a tiny touch of both cad. orange and burnt umber.  I gently touched a dry natural bristle brush into my creamy paint mixture so it just caught on the tips of the bristles.  Then, very lightly, I brushed across the yellow (which had already started to dry).  If you think you have too much paint on your brush, dab it against a cloth once or twice first. 

Scumbling is a terrific technique - it works in so many paintings, providing depth, complexity and interest to your piece, regardless of the genre. You can use a brush or cloth. You can stroke or dab.

Caution: if either the brush is too wet (eg. from rinsing or runny paint) or the first layer of paint is too thick and wet, the colors will blend together in a solid opaque patch.)