Sierra shares her art!!!

"Faces" - Sierra - July 2012

"Snow City" - Sierra - July 2012

Visual Arts Camp at Douglasville First United Methodist Church - Every artist should consider the importance of sharing their passion for art with children.    This week we had 9 children at art camp.   Each child was able to express their own creativity through painting, sketching and art activities.  Thanks to Sierra and her mom for allowing me to post some of her work on the blog.    A big thanks to fellow artist Michelle and Carole and for art lovers Lee and Darlene who helped the children explore art this week!

Share Your Passion for ART!!!

Visual Arts Camp - Douglasville First United Methodist Church
This week I had an opportunity to work with several other artist and art volunteers to share our love of art with children.     The children had a fun two days painting, drawing, and doing art activities.   It was wonderful to see the joy on each child's face as they found their own way to express themselves through art.   I'd like to encourage my fellow artist and art lovers to share their love of art with a child.

The Figure in Pastel - Margaret Dyer Workshop - July 2012

"Lady Sitting" - Pastel

Margaret Dyer Workshop on The Figure in Pastel - July 16-17, 2012  - This was a fun 2 days.   I did not finish any of the paintings but felt that I really learned a lot.   The steps Margaret teaches are:

Step 1 - Draw- sketch

Step 2 - Outline shadows

Step 3 - Insert the blackest area

Step 4 - Add and build darks

Step 5 - Add and build lights.

Step 6 - Add and build middle-tones

Step 7 - Add the the punctuation - edges, soften some, harden others.

I'll be looking for volunteers to sit for me.    Our models sat for 20 minutes at a time.   We took about 1 hour and 45 minutes breaking every 20 minutes.   Very different from portrait painting.   Margaret teaches at Spruill in Dunwoody, if you'd like to catch one of her classes.    Look up her work online.   She does some beautiful things.

"Dreaming" - 9x13 - Pastel - July 2012

"Relaxing" - 9x13 - Pastel - July 2012

"Lady with a Hat" - 9x13 - Pastel - July 2012

"Lady Resting" - Pastel - July 2012

A Figure in Pastel - Magaret Dyer -July 2012

Margaret Dyer Workshop - The Figure in Pastel - July 2012
This is a start on my first pastel figure.    First time I've ever worked with a model.   The technique we used was squint and sketch the figure shapes.   Then we filled in darks, lights, mid-tones and kept repeating the process in different colors but within the same value of dark, light or mid-tones.   One thing that was very helpful was when you are "feeling out of control" ....go back to refine the sketch, do darkest darks, lights, mid-tones, etc.     I'm anxious to finish this.    We tried another one in the afternoon where the shadows were not as apparent....much more difficult.    Great studio in Villa Rica, GA and a small class.  

Celebrating my 150th painting - Thanks to all my instructors and family and friends for encouragement!!

July 2012 - Learning something new is one of the most exciting things about life.     Painting has been a challenging and satisfying experience.    Something that has given me opportunities to meet new people and see the world through new eyes.   To date I've completed over 150 paintings.   157 to be exact.    Every time I paint I always make a photo of the painting.    I've saved these over the last 2 years.   I started painting in March of 2010 at a pastel workshop with Karen Margulis.    She began the challenge by charging each student to paint 50 paintings.    Over the past years I've logged 134 hours of instruction with artist Karen Margulis, Barbara Jaenicke, Ann Cockerill, Jack Shields, Catherine Hills, Pat Fiorello and Dr. Majid Ejlali.    In addition, I have attended weekly open studio painting classes with Ann Cockerill for part of that time.    I've entered one National Juried show.    Mark of the Potter was entered in an exhibit at the Red Cockerill Gallery.    I've just entered a portrait of my granddaughter in an exhibit at the Red Cockerill Gallery that will show July 28 - August 4, 2012.   Over the years I've given to family and friends 17 paintings.   I've sold one painting.   Thanks to them for their encouragement.   Inspired by my teachers, I've recently started a Plein Air Painting group.   Hopefully over the next year this group will grow.   Another adventure was starting this blog.   To date there are post on painting and also Galleries for 2010, 2011, 2012 and the Plein Air Painting.   

Red, White, & Blue Competion - July 28, 2012 - August 4, 2012

Gallery Exhibit -  For all my blog friends I have entered the portrait of my granddaughter in the Red Cockerill Gallery's Red, White and Blue Competition. The theme is things you love.....well what is more special than a granddaughter. Hope you can make it to the show.   See the portrait on the my blog under 2012 Gallery.    Reception is Saturday, July 28, 2012 from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. at the Red Cockerill Gallery in Austell, GA. The show runs until August 4, 2012. Drop by and take a look at the exhibit.    Thanks to Ann Cockerill for doing this for her students.

"Water Lily" - Acrylic - 11x14 - July 2012

Water Lily - Acrylic - 11x14 - July 2012
Today at Art with a Twist at the Red Cockerill Gallery we painted waterlilies and talked about Monet. I've tried this water lily in watercolor and posted previously.      I've recently downloaded a picture from a friend of lily pads that I want to paint.   That photo is below.    I like the impressionistic feel of the photo.     

Plein Air - Sweetwater Creek Park - July 2012

Sweetwater Creek Park - Pastel - 5x7 - July 2012

Sweetwater Creek Park - Version 2 - Pastel - 9x13 - July 2012

Plein Air Painting today at Sweetwater Creek Park.    The temperature was around 85 and there was a slight breeze.   Beautiful on the water.   Just me and a few ducks!

Plein Air Painting - Invitation - Tuesday- July 10, 2012 - Sweetwater Creek State Park

Plein Air Painting - Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at 8:45 a.m. at Sweetwater Creek State Park.   
I'm always looking for ways to refresh my painting experience.    There are so many beautiful spots around Douglasville, GA.    I want to start a group that will paint plein air once a month at a local spot.    I volunteer at Sweetwater Creek State Park each month as part of my Master Naturalist volunteer hours.    I've always admired the over 2500 acre conservation park and it's 250 acre lake.   It's beautiful!    If you have not been there you should plan a trip for a hike or picnic or.....join us to paint.   I'll bring a cooler of water.    Email me on facebook if you'd like to attend and I will give you the location.   

Canadian Lighthouse - 11x14 - Acrylic - July 2012

Canadian Lighthouse - 11x14 - Acrylic - July 2012
This is from the same reference photo as the watercolor.   A little easier to get the shapes and colors with acrylic.   I used acrylic and water and as I added layers I used more pigment and less water.  

Canadian Lighthouse - Watercolor - 9x12 - July 2012

Canadian Lighthouse - Watercolor - 9x12 - July 2012
I'm one of those folk that when something is hard....it motivates me even more to keep trying.    Watercolor has been a hard medium for me personally to tackle.   I have a problem with overworking the piece.    I'm working on another painting today and will change the colors.    Ann Cockerill worked with me on getting the lighthouse proportions correct but the colors didn't work.   I'm going to try a technique I learned from my teach at the Jekyll Island Watercolor class and see if that improves the effort.    Fun to paint however.   This was from a photo a Canadian friend posted.

Plein Air Painting in Backyard - Patio Garden - Pastel

Patio Garden - 5x7 - Pastel - July 2012
Decided to plein air paint on my patio today.   I just took the box of pastel I had out for another painting.   I like doing small studies.   It allows you to try a lot of different things.   If you land on a composition you like you can do a large one.  

Flowers in Watercolot - June 2012

Flowers in Watercolor - Watercolor - 5x7 - June 2012
This painting was done quickly and with a minimal light under painting.   I wanted to practice using minimal color and limited palette.