Firing,Garden Exhibition

It has been.....since my last.........! I have been busy getting ready for an exhibition at D.T.A.S. which is an amateur art society, I have mentioned before mentioning the newsletter...well now I am to be resposible for the web page when it is set up...what a learning curve that may turn out to be. I have been told that the blogging experience helps?! These torsoes are still unfinished and the middle one is just with black lines, but will take photos when they are finished. I am finding it such fun , the shape determining the way I am painting. I am working in acrylic and have a large painting in my head to be part of the installation. I will talk about my new dolls next time....may be tomorrow.

Bewildered

If anyone is reading this and can help me. I had to publish the last three posts separately and when I tried to 'cut and paste' them together, once more it declined to allow me to publish. It is all a bit confusing.

And again

This is the painting I did in the class, or ideed most of the work was done by 'himself'I do find it difficult to achieve in the workshop enviroment. Most of my creative time is spent endeavouring to correct and make things 'right' so the pressure of having to perform worries me. Funny as I was a 'performer' all my life, but it came from the basis of discipline and confident knowledge.

These 2 painings came from others in the class, neither of whom were used to the technique. The first is an accomplished painter of abstracts and the second, Cathie from the'Very Stuff' is a brilliant watercolourist.

Both very successful in terms of the direction of the class

second try

A Man of 'Feeling' The emphasis in the demonstration which began the class, was on 'feeling'. He talked about 'painting from memory'. Look at your image for as long as you need, several days maybe, then let it go. If you are using a camera , look then' hold the concept', record what you feel. Before using the camera always consider the element of 'feeling' over 'copying' the detail. "sometimes" he said "you paint and you know there is a problem, but you cannot resolve it, even possibly taking years.....but maybe that is the attraction" Some points

• begin with black and white then add colour
• use a lot of medium to begin with dark
• lightbrush strokes over the black
• water more transparent in the foreground, less reflection
• scrape paint when it is too wet or dark
• dust on the horizon makes it more green
• many different colours in the sky, warmer in the afternoon
• soften the edges of the clouds
• mix on the canvas rather than the palette- easier to see if you need to warm or cool it
• minimal palette
• contrast soft and sharp edges
• keep flexibility between realism and abstraction

It all seemed so easy when he did it, making all our paintings come alive as he worked owith us on our own work. A Man of 'Feeling' The emphasis in the demonstration which began the class, was on 'feeling'. He talked about 'painting from memory'. Look at your image for as long as you need, several days maybe, then let it go. If you are using a camera , look then' hold the concept', record what you feel. Before using the camera always consider the element of 'feeling' over 'copying' the detail. "sometimes" he said "you paint and you know there is a problem, but you cannot resolve it, even possibly taking years.....but maybe that is the attraction" Some points

trouble

This is by way of a test, I have not been able to publish my last post...keeps telling me I am 'in error' sounds like a certain religious group! This is a painting from a workshop I am endeavouring to tell you about.

Went to a workshop on Saturday with Charlie Tong. He is a fine artist who commands good

prices for his impressionist/realist works. I am not sure how he wold describe himself. I wrote a piece for the newletter and if you find it helpful here it is:

Promises, Promises

I said I would post on Tuesday....well I lied! This is the still life which has so many incarnations. Following the painting is the original still life. This is the next one which alsochanged a lot and I suspect has not finished those changes yet. This changed as a result of my great nephew inviting me to go to his school on grandparents' day. It was quite "out of the blue" so I was very touched by it.

New beginnings

I have missed being in the loop with posts on the blog so will begin again. I am heavily involved in my local Artists' Society and am now publishing the newsletter....what an exciting occupation I REALLY LOVE IT! I am learning so much about the computer at the same time, now know how to convert the newsletter for emailing....WOW. Anyway this blog is about art so I thought I may show what I am doing. This is one painting, based on a still life it is not finished yet but will post the finished one . Will send another post tomorrow.