"Second String" Colors

I had to bring in some "second string" colors for these beach toys.  

Pthalo blue, quinacranome red, and cad orange.

"Orange Bucket"

6 x 6 

Pthalo blue reminds me of my new puppy, Cello. 

It gets in to everything and can be very hard to control! 

This is my submission to the GJWP challenge 

 this month, which is "Beach Day".
Check out the groups entries to be posted on April 1! 

Group Show Opening!

I am thrilled to be one of five artists involved in a
show entitled "Suddenly Spring" 

opening at the South Shore Art Center

this Fri March 30. 

I will be showing eight of new my Beach Series paintings. 

"Come For Lunch" 

16 x 20 

This promises to be a very eclectic and FUN show! 

The other artists are:

Lisa Daria Kennedy, Brooks Kelley, Sally Dean, 

and Judith Mehring. 

Rockport Art Association Weekend Workshop

I am getting very excited about the 

weekend workshop I'll be giving at the
Rockport Art Association
April 20 - 21!

Rockport, MA
A great weekend get-away!

ONLY TWO SPOTS LEFT! 
Click here for all the information!

Not too big. Not too small.

I recently bought a bunch of 11 x 14 panels.

The thought was that that size might "bridge the gap" for me 

in my eternal struggle to paint bigger.

Not too big. Not too small.

"Sitting Tight"

11 x 14 

I was trying to accentuate that "big sky" feeling 

at the beach so I think the composition works. 

Although I feel like I cheated a little! 

I painted a small painting, tucked it one corner, 

and made the rest sky! 

Is that really painting bigger? 

Forcing Abstraction

Before I had my class paint from upside down images last week, 

I did this "practice" demo in my studio 

I purposefully chose a busy photo. 

Painting upside down certainly forces you to think more abstractly 

and some very interesting things can happen. 

My friend Lisa Daria Kennedy does it all the time.

That's how she gets those wonderful loose expressive paintings! 

AD 20/21 Show

My husband and I are big fans of Mid Century Modern 

design and this weekend the

AD 20/21 Show is in Boston.

(Art and Design of the 20th and 21st Century) 

There are over 50 exhibitors offering 

modern to contemporary fine art, photography, 

jewelry, vintage and contemporary furniture, 

decorative arts, sculpture, fine prints, drawings and more.

Check it out if you are near the South End over the weekend. 

I'm excited that two of my North End paintings
will be showing in the Copley Society exhibition booth.  

Off Salem Street 

16 x 20 

Off Margin Street

16 x 20 

And I'm looking forward to going to this 

panel discussion on Saturday at 3:00! 

Boston Expressionism: Modernist Art at Mid-Century and Today.

Join panelists Richard Baiano, President, Childs Gallery; Judith Bookbinder, author ofBoston Modern: Figurative Abstraction as Alternative Modernism; and Katherine French, Executive Director, Danforth Museum and School of Art, for a lively exchange.  Moderated by Judith Tolnick Champa, Editor, Art New England.

Upside Down Exercise

I had my last class of this session today, so I wanted to do 

something challenging and fun. 

I brought in a bunch of simple images of figures and animals
and had them paint them upside down.

That way they HAD to just put in the big shapes 

in the right value and color!
It's really a stretch for everyone, but the results are amazing. 

Here are a few, in the works. 

We had about 45 minutes left after we talked about them

so they did one more quick one. 

This was an amazing group of ten very diverse and talented painters.

As always, I feel like I learned more from them.

I am so grateful to be able to do what I do.  

Switching gears

  I signed on to teach a one day workshop in May 

called"Figure in the Sunlight".
We're going to be doing quick studies with a model outdoors. 

 I'm going to need to practice that a lot before the workshop
so when it gets warmer out I'll plan some outdoor painting days with my pals
and we can all model for each other. 

For now,  I did this from a photo. 

My idea was to just start painting the big shapes without drawing.

and kept my brushstrokes "less deliberate".

I want to really loosen up for this. 

No gridding!  

  

Painting from Photos

I taught my favorite exercise in class this week. 

"Painting from Photos!" 

Here is my 20 minute demonstration, 

highlighting how to get the big shapes 

down quickly.  

 I brought in images that have 

a strong light and shadow pattern 

for the students to paint from. 

Sadly, I can't post any of their work due to camera issues.

******

Meanwhile, check out the work done today

 by the Alzheimer patients! 

"Education is Expensive"

That's what my husband and I say whenever 

we spend too much money or time 

on something that doesn't work out as planned. 

It somehow puts a positive spin on things! 

Today, I decided to try many of the (much appreciated) suggestions

 I received about this painting, 

to see what would happen. 

The "before" 

24 x 30 

I removed the deck on the left, 

(added more laundry in it's place)  

I extended the tree on the right and added trees in the sky section. 

I lightened the side of the house in sun 

and tried to soften the sheets. 

Bottom line: 

It feels even more over worked and uptight 

and now I'm bored with the whole thing. 

Thanks to all of you helped me with this particular lesson!

Time to move on and chalk it up to

some "expensive education"! 

More "large painting" issues

The soft curves of the sheets against all those 

horizontals and verticals in this scene is what 

initially caught my eye.   

Laundry Day 

24 x 30 

I struggled with this and think, in the end, it feels "studied" and tight. 

As much as I enjoy painting on a larger scale,  

I can't seem to capture the spontaneity or looseness of my smaller work.
Gotta work on that!