Yesterday, some friends and I, who collaborate on all things art as The 7 Palettes, opened a new exhibit in Bethesda, Maryland. Our art — some 40+ pieces — will be displayed for three months at Maplewood Park Place on Old Georgetown Road. Come see our pretties, please — any day between now and August 24, from 10 to 4 daily. And congratulations to Sara Becker, whose large abstract painting sold during the Opening Reception!! Way to go, Sara!
At our recent workshop, Marc Hanson suggested we do a quick painting a day for 100 days and we would see a big improvement in our skills. Number small panels 1 to 100 and put each away as it’s finished, When you’re done with all of them, line ’em up in order and you’ll be surprised at what you’ve learned and how much better you’ve become. And start the next 100.
I’ve started the process. ‘Quasi-daily’ painting also ought to produce good change, right??
Here’s #1 — based on a reference photo I took on a hot summer day by the Potomac River bridge (new + old fragments) at Shepherdstown, WV. In the noonday sun, folks were swimming and kayaking on the still water and walking their dogs in the rocky shallows. My hubby and I were enjoying the cool shadowed woods along the bank. Heaven. The painting is too busy — should have simplified more, but it does ‘bring me back’!
Study #1, Potomac at Shepherdstown. Oil on Paper. 8×10. 2018.
The reference.
Pink Rooster features Maureen’s iPad Painting on its Facebook banner.
When I sent Marc his thank you drawing, I also sent another iPad thank you to Linda Rosetti, delightful owner of the charming Pink Rooster in Ocean Springs, MS. Ms Rosetti had hosted the workshop participants and Marc one evening after our plein air session for the day. Wild hair, paint-spattered clothes, sunburns and all.
In a surprise equivalent to Marc’s Instagram posting, Linda posted my image as the banner photo for the Rooster’s Facebook page. Again, the ‘likes’ were a heart-warming follow-on. Thanks, Linda!!
For those who haven’t heard of this relatively new movement, it’s a day focused on charitable giving, coinciding with the season of thanksgiving. One of my main charities is Biloxi, Mississippi’s Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, which Dad supported with the sweat of his brow (and, yes, coins) for more than a decade. The Ohr provides an array of arts-focused education to children, as well as adults in the community. And its exhibits and architecture uniquely enrich the Gulf Coast. Please consider contributing today! Thanks!
OK. So, the leeks turned out well, aaaannnndddd ~~~~ I got sassy & decided to paint some portobello mushrooms the next day.
Bad idea! There’s not much ‘there’ there. Dull colors & shapes, arranged (by me) in an overly simplistic composition. Certain artists could make a good painting out of such drab components (Morandi?), but my first effort at ‘shrooms falls short.
I was so pumped up after Wendy Artin’s workshop that, after a day of R&R, I pulled out my paints and a couple of elderly leeks from the fridge and painted another watercolor in the manner we had been practicing during the workshop. Here it is.
Leeks at Home. Watercolor on Paper.
I was tickled that it turned out nicely. Maybe I’ll have to do more!
On the last day, Wendy brought in some a bag of asparagus and I snagged three with which to wrestle.
Asparagus 1. Watercolor on Paper.
Asparagus 2. Watercolor on Paper.
Here are a few other paintings I did last week during the Artin watercolor workshop. No more nudes for now!
Radish 2. Watercolor on Paper.
Beet 1. Watercolor on Paper.
Beet 2. Watercolor on Paper.
Sorry sorry sorry, y’all! My last blog entry contained paintings of two full length nudes, neither of which was ‘out of bounds’ (IMHO). So, I was aghast when I checked to see if Facebook had re-posted it and found that the images had been sliced and diced in an unexpected manner (to say the least). I hope you clicked over to my blog to get a better sense of the overall paintings!
In any event, here’s a ‘palette cleanser’! It’s one of the radishes I painted during the Saturday afternoon session of my Wendy Artin workshop, followed by one of Wendy’s gorgeous still life watercolors — also of radishes.
Radish 1. Watercolor on Paper.
Wendy’s radishes — again, quite a difference:
Radishes, 2001, watercolor on cotton Khadi paper, 11″ x 12″
This past weekend I spent two grueling days knee-deep in watercolor. Wendy Artin, a fabulous artist and lovely person, was our instructor, at Glen Kessler’s Compass Atelier. Talk about ‘alla prima’ painting! She dives right in – no rough sketch, no gesture drawing, no nothing — just her eye, her paint & her brush to guide her relentlessly down the sheet of paper. Her tonal nudes, in which she paints ONLY the ‘shadow shapes’ yet leaves you believing the whole body, are exquisite. Her colorful fruits & veggies are more fully rendered, but are also beautiful & light.
Here’s one of her nudes:
And one of mine — a half hour pose during the workshop (quite a difference, yes??:
I was VERY happy to be able to switch to vegetables in the afternoons!