Sep 27 - Finished Girl with Chickens and a New Commission

The painting is finished, and I'm pleased with it. It tells the story of a friend of mine who recently passed away from cancer, and this was her family's image. Yet it is all children everywhere interacting with other living things, and the continuity of life from youth to final passing that is a reality for all of us.

I'm getting ready to start the fourth video in the Colorful Oil Painting series, where artists can use good color every time to depict the time of day. This one will feature the soft overcast or misty light and twilight situations, and will have two complete paintings done.

I also have a new commission on my plate, of a lovely Tennessee Walker who has special meaning for her owner. I'll be starting that one as a lesson for you in the days to come.

And I'm getting the studio cleared up for a life drawing session on the first Tuesdays through my plein air painting group. And that studio will see MORE use in November, as I have only three spots left for immersion into the Color Boot Camp!

You can see my entire blog HERE.
My next workshop for 2009 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Sep 22 - Girl Feeding Chickens

It's almost finished, and I wanted to share it with you, so that you'll have a comparison from the one two days ago. The canvas is completely covered now, and all that remains to be done is to make each of the larger shapes in the composition "stand on its own" in visual interest. If I left those passages Plain Jane, I'd not be happy with it--would you say, "boring"? The variations on those areas may be subtle, but I always think they are necessary to have a canvas that really sends a message of a great work.

I'm sitting in the studio, hunkered down for one of those Santana wind conditions outside--dry, hot, windy weather--the nemesis of Southern California in the fall. But I've cleared the perimeter of our land, and Vincent van Goat and his friend Heather have taken down a lot of the overgrowth outside our fences. Preparation is the key when faced with any calamity, and I run through my mind the steps I'd take if I needed to evacuate--animals, crates, etc.

There are six people in the November workshop so it is a GO (not that there was any doubt!). Got Color? How about a Color Boot Camp? Direct link below.

Speaking of animals, when the hot weather comes on, Seiko (the watch) dog comes into the studio to keep cool. Here she is on the other side of my taboret snoozing away--snoring to the beat of "Beast of Burden" by the Stones. That's 105 pounds of Tibetan Mastiff. We ask her where she wants to go. Good dog.

You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for California this fall, 2009 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.