Blowing Snow

The "Girls Just Wanna Paint" challenge subject this month is appropriately 

"winter". 

"Blowing Snow"
6 x 6 

I thought this pretty much says it all. 

The paintings will all be posted by sometime tomorrow 

so be sure to check out the others! 

girlsjustwannapaint.blogspot.com 

Took a Little Break

I just returned from a wonderful week long vacation with my family

 (and a self imposed moratorium on technology). 

I'm always a bit ambivalent about being away from working that long, 

because it's so hard to get the "rhythm" back when you return. 

The good news is that traveling really shakes thing up, 

(mentally, spiritually, physically)  

so I always come back ripe with new insights, ideas, and energy! 

  I did manage to squeeze in a few quiet moments by the pool to do some small sketches.   

NO DRAWING!

As an exercise this week, I had my class do a painting without doing ANY drawing first. 

This is a lot harder than it sounds, trust me. 

I let them put down three dots as a "guide"

Laying in the dark shapes

My demo


When you draw first, the tendency is to just fill in the "blanks".
By building the painting up by placing big shapes of the correct value, you can get a looser, more "energetic" painting.
Try it!

Sledding!

What a fun subject to paint! 

Here are a few studies I've done from images I took last weekend. 

End of the day shadows and all that bright light make great compositions!  

Stay tuned for more of these! 

Torn Paper Painting

A great way to "see the big shapes" is to tear them out of paper.

 I had the Mother Daughter teams this week create landscapes using torn painted tracing paper. 

They each chose an image of a landscape (from old postcards) to use as a guide. 

They then painted sheets of tracing paper the correct values of the biggest shapes in the scene. 

When dry, they tore big shapes and glued them on a toned canvas.

For beginners, this is very freeing and fun! 

I was amazed at the results!

I love that you can't tell which ones are the Mom's and which are 10 year olds! 

Great job!  

Edges

 I've been working on edges lately so yesterday I set up this bright, "hard edged" coffee pot with these "soft edged" daisies in a strong light. 

I've learned that in general, form shadow edges are softer than cast shadow edges. 

(Thank you PKR!)  

'Simple Pleasures"
12 x 12 

 On a side note, I found this sketch in my studio, signed 'Nancy Grier 1977". 

I guess while some things change, many things stay the same! 

Switching Gears

We lost power around 7:30 AM today due to a big messy storm. 

I gradually became aware that my plans of staying snuggled in the studio all day were dashed, so I relocated. 

I brought my Travel Art Bag (watercolors) with me so I could at least practice figure drawing from models in the Boden catalogue!

"Opening" Season

I love this time of year. 

Not only do we get to spend long hours snowed in in our studios, 

but there are lots of art show openings to attend! 

I have work in two this week. 

The Copley Society New Members Show 

Thursday night 

5:30 to 7:30

My first show at the Copley! 

Ready To Play
8 x 10 

The South Shore Art Center Juried Show 

"Motion"

Friday night 

6 - 8 

"Precision"
12 x 12 

Both will be very interesting shows if you're out and about! 

Mother-Daughter Painting Lessons

I'm giving two Moms and their 10 year old daughters a series of "Mother Daughter Painting Lessons"  this month.  

Yesterday was our first session. 

I set up a large table with a simple still life at one end and did a quick demo in acrylics

Here they are getting right to it! 

And here are their results! 

Like all beginners, they were a bit intimidated and scared at first but I think the results say it all! 

What a wonderful gift to get from your Mom at 10 years old! 

Mid Century Modern Beach House

This Mid Century Modern Beach house has always intrigued me. 

I've painted it a few times. 

It's simple lines, functionality and placement within the environment is what MCM architecture is all about. 

I'm afraid that color pink may be what gives the MCM period a bad name.

MCM in Pink
6 x 8

Even though that color is "period, I'd have to change it. 

To something found in nature. 

On to the Next Thing

After all the holiday "stuff" is put away and the house is clean and organized, I always put a bowl of fresh tulips on the dining room table.
These somehow ended up in this red bucket and in my studio to be painted.
Yikes. I must be channelling Valentines Day!?

Happy Valentines Day?
9 x12 oil 

Yesterday I cleaned and organized my studio to prepare for my classes starting next week. 

Dead Brushes

I was hanging on to all those dried up brushes, for what reason? 

It feels so good to purge, then head off to the art supply store! 

Weekend Workshop

Need something fun to look forward to? 

I'm teaching a fun 2 day workshop at the South Shore Art Center  

 Saturday and Sunday February 26, 27 from 10 - 4. 

"Happy Hour"
8 x 8 

Go to South Shore Art Center  website to sign up! 

Spaces are filling quickly! 

Loosen Up! 

"Painting in an Hour"

The practice of creating a painting from start to finish in one hour teaches you how to think more spontaneously and produce more lively and intuitive work. It helps simplify the process. Generous, quick, well-places strokes will give you fresher, simpler and more effective paintings. You are able to say a lot with a little. This two-day workshop will include demos, 

painting sessions and critiques. Still life and photos will be used for inspiration. 

2/26–2/27  Sat & Sun10:00–4:00 

$150M  $175NM  2 classes 

Happy New Year

I told someone that I would post my goals related to painting for the coming year on New Years Eve.  

So here we go: 

#1. Dig deeper and let it all out. (Get over myself) 

#2. Teach more. (Learn more) 

#3. Become more savvy with technology and social marketing. (Hire someone) 

That's it in a nutshell. 

I can't wait to get back to work! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

BRING ON 2011!