Reminder of the Painting Journey - 2010 to 2014

"Jekyll Island Club Hotel" - Pastel - 9x12 - June 2014

"Jekyll Island Club Hotel I" - Pastel - 9x12 - April 2010

 

Reminder of the Painting Journey -  Since I started painting in 2010, I have kept photos of all my paintings.   The good, bad and ugly alike have been saved to my "All Paintings" file.   I haven't looked back in a while but as I painted the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, I was reminded that it was one of the first images I ever painted.    The paintings above represent a journey from April 2010 - June 2014.   While there are many, many things I am still working on today, I am happy with the journey.   There has been the natural benefit of improving from painting #17 to painting # 192 but there is also the personal joy of painting and reliving experiences.   An added benefit has been the new friends I've made and the "new" way of looking at the world through painting.    

Vacation Trips Make for Great Reference Photos - Jekyll Island, GA

"Sunny Bay" - Pastel - 9x12 - June 2014 - Jekyll Island, GA

Vacation Trips Make for Great Reference Photos -    Several years ago I attended a Road Scholar Watercolor Workshop on Jekyll Island.   It was my first extensive experience with watercolor and we painted lots of beach scenes.   While I was there I stayed at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.   The hotel has lots of grounds and behind the hotel I found this lovely spot in the inland waterway.  It's taken me a while to get back to some of those photos, but I love this scene.   It's a reminder of the quiet calm of the island in the evening.

Barry Sholder Watercolor Workshop - June 2014

"Country Home" - Watercolor - June 2014 - Barry Sholder Workshop - Red Cockerill Gallery

This workshop utilized a one inch brush for the entire painting.   A small thin brush was used for some lines but the exercise was focused on the one inch brush.   Basic concepts of drawing a loose sketch and identify composition, color, values and  using values 1-4 (white to dark),    I've attended other watercolor workshops where the focus is minimal detail and loosely worked.    Probably a good exercise for me since I tend to overwork paintings.   

Barbara Jaenicke Workshop - 2014

"Winter Road" - Pastel - 9x12 - 2014 - Barbara Jaenicke Workshop

"Winter Road" - This painting was done at a Barbara Jaenicke Workshop.  Not sure how I misplaced this one because the workshop was in the winter sometime.   I love the snow shadows.   Great workshop.

Monastery of the Holy Spirit - Conyers, GA - June 2014

"Monastery of the Holy Spirit" - Pastel - 9x12 - June 2014

Monastery of the Holy Spirit - This monastery is located in Conyers, GA.   It's a beautiful place to visit.   Prayers are in the chapel at noon lead by the monks.   There is a great garden center with lots of bonsai and bonsai supplies and books, bread, candy, jellies, etc. sold in their shop. 

Senoia Mill House - Pastel - June 2014

"Senoia Mill House" - Pastel - 9x12 - June 2014

Starr's Mill Revisited - This painting is of a mill house behind Starr's Mill in Senoia, GA.   It was a grassy field but somehow I envisioned it as a wildflower field.    Pastel on wallis paper.    

2014 Challenge

2014 Challenge - The last few years I haven't made the time to paint as much as I did the first year.   I've only been painting since 2010 so I don't have much of a reference point, but I find that I have to find ways to motivate myself.   Funny ....since painting is something that I love, but life has a way of just happening.    So these days I have permanently set up my easel in my sun room.   It's not an ideal painting location and I find that the light is not always good...but it keeps painting in front of me.   I've also discovered that I must have a "working" painting on the easel all the time.  It tends to draw me to it, so as soon as I complete one painting I immediately put up the next blank canvas or paper.    The other thing I've done is focused on my own photos.  I have used photos made by friends with their permission.   It is satisfying to paint beginning to ends something from my own work.   It also is a good excuse to go on day trips and connect with friends looking for the next painting.

Since 2014 I have had two art shows and entered my paintings into numerous shows.   My goal for 2014 is to complete 50 original paintings from my own photos.    Of course I will thrown in a painting completed at a workshop each month as I continue to study with some of my favorite artist.  

10 paintings out of 50 is the count.    8 original work from my own or friends reference photos and 2 from workshops.  

Painting Flowers in Acrylic - June 2014

"Hydrangeas" - Acrylic - June 2014

"Hydrangeas" was painted at a Red Cockerill Gallery Art with a Twist Workshop.   I love these workshops that Ann Cockerill does each month.   She is a wonderful artist and each month she takes one of her paintings and walks the class through the steps in painting their own version.    It's amazing that each one is different and has their own unique beauty.   I love my pastels but I must say that working with acrylic is more satisfying when painting flowers.   I always feel I can put lots of colors layered in and it seems to never refuse to accept more.    I love hydrangeas and this dark background really sets this apart.   A few things I'd change but sometimes you just have to walk away.  I thing I will do a series on my favorite flowers--lets see......hydrangeas....sunflowers.......roses..........    There is not a flower that I don't love.  

Memory Painting Exercise - Barbara Jaenicke Workshop - June 2014

"Still Life" - Pastel - 5x6 - June 2014 - Jaenickie Workshop

Memory Painting Exercise - Took a workshop from Barbara Jaenicke this week and she had us do a memory painting exercise to improve our observation skills.    She set up a still life and we were given 5 minutes to study it.   Then we went in another room and were to paint from memory.    We did this several times back and forth.   It was a difficult exercise but fun.   We frequently are glued to our reference photo and don't just simply look at our painting and figure out what's wrong.   My next still life project is to get sunflowers and my watering can and make a still life arrangement to paint.

Starr's Mill - Pastel - 9x12 - June 2014

Starr's Mill was one of many mills that were built in mid 19 century taking advantage of the endless supply of water power.   This mill in Fayette County was built by Hananiah Gilcoat and was the first grist mill along Whitewater Creek in 1825.  The Gilcoat land was less than a mile from Creek Indian territory.   Hilliard Starr took over the property in 1866 and it was a working mill for 13 years using the Starr name.   The mill is just over 100 years old and was the first mill constructed on the mill foundation.   Visit the mill just outside of Senoia GA.    I took photos on a recent trip to Senoia, GA.   This pastel was satisfying except for the structure.   I know what to do just couldn't make it work before I got to much pastel on the painting.    Need to soften the edge of roof and blend into background.    I may try this one again in a larger version.  My family on the Pylat side were originally from Senoia, GA.   My daughter and her family current live there....history come full circle.

"Reflections" - Pastel - 9x12 - June 2014

"Reflections" - Pastel - 9x12 - June 2014 - Darien, GA

"Reflections" - This painting was inspired by a photo taken by a friend of a scene in Darien, GA.    I love the Georgia coast but don't ever remember going to Darien.   The inland waterways are beautiful.   This was actually a sunset but somehow I wanted to see more colors.   I just order a couple of pastel painting books and am learning some new techniques.   I want to try this one again with some of the techniques in Maggie Price's book.   The other book is by Richard McKinley.   Both are great.