Speaking of Pattern Painting!

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of 

the Modernists Armory Show in NYC in 1913,  

The Copley Society of Boston Summer Members Show 

is called "Inspired by the Modernists". 

  The work references the style of one or more 

of the artists whose work was in that show.  

I submitted three "pattern paintings",

referring to the influence the Japanese woodcuts 

had on Toulouse Lautrec, Degas, Vuillard, Mary Cassatt 

and so many of the other  impressionists in the show. 

I'm excited that this one was accepted! 

Orange Vase 

10 x 8 

You can see the rest of the show here.

I'm pleased to be in such good company!  

Pattern Painting Exercise

For our last class of this session I wanted to do something 

completely different and challenging, 

so I introduced a Pattern Painting exercise. 

(See this previous blog to read more about it.)

The exercise is geared to help you think more abstractly 

and to focus on composition and design. 

The idea is to create an exciting composition using just line and color. 

The form is flattened and the design is arranged by just 

line, local color, and value. 

No light and shadow!
(Which is why this can get very confusing!) 

 I couldn't wait to show the exciting results.

They used assorted photos that I brought in for references. 

Sally just nailed those poppies! 

I'd say Jim totally got the idea!?

Joan really had fun with this. 

Great abstraction. 

We all thought this had a very 

impressionistic feel to it. 

Love the flat shapes. 

What an awesome interpretation! 

Ann Marie used a stamp 

that she happened to have with her

 for the background! 

(She uses acrylics )

This is why I love teaching. 

I learn so much!

I am now looking forward to 

my new (FULL) class at 

North River Arts Society 

that starts June 18!  

Summer is here! 

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope everyone is having a
wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. 

You would think the weather here in New England
 (cloudy, rain and COLD!) 

would dampen spirits but that is just NOT happening. 

The NRAS Festival Gala Fri night was fantastic.

Congratulations to all my pals who won awards. 

And the opening at the Cove Gallery Sat night was well 

attended and lots of fun! 

"Communication"

24 x 30

I forgot my camera so I have no pictures to post, but 

I'm happy to report that this painting,

the largest one I put in, sold! 

Thank you Larry and Liane

for putting on such a great show! 

Now let's bring on summer! 

Oh! And My Show Opens on the Cape on Saturday!

The Cove Gallery 

in Wellfleet! 

 May 23 - June 23 

"Chatham Bars Blue" 

8 x 10 

Over 20 new works, 

many featuring architecture that 

"reminisce the unpretentious charm of 

summers on Cape Cod" 

Stop by if you are in the neighborhood for the 

opening reception ! 

6 - 8 pm Saturday night! 

  

Big Weekend Coming Up!

Memorial Day Weekend kicks off the summer season

 in a big way around here. 

The North River Arts holds their annual
Festival of the Arts beginning with a gala opening Friday night. 

I'm excited that the two paintings below
will be included in the Juried show.

Bound and Determined

8 x 8 

acrylic

Scarlet Jacket 

10 x 8

oil 

All day Saturday and Sunday the festivities continue with 

music, craft booths, face painting, 

demos, and lots and lots of great

ART! 

Come on by! 

Forced Purge

We are renovating the 200 year old farm house
that our family of four has lived in for 20 years.
Every thing we've accumulated
now has to be stored (or thrown away)! 

It's a"forced purge"
and it's a HUGE undertaking.

It's all good, but while any chance of painting is on hold,
 I thought I'd share some older paintings
I ran across while "dismantling"!

"No, You Go First" 

 8 x 10 

2002

My son and his two pals on either side,

(from a photo when they were in 6th grade.)

"Grier's Dresser"

2002

I gave this to our daughter when she went off to college.

"Shopping in my own closet"

and finding great treasures.
How fun!

"Painting from Photos" Exercise

We are discussing the "ins and outs"
of painting from photos in class.
 I used this image for my demo today.

(Delray Beach, Fla.)

The "story" is the red bathing suit.

I did my map using techniques from Peggi Kroll Robert's  

"Simple Proportions of the Figure" DVD

"Daily Swim"

 quick demo 

 It's all about taking the image and
"making it your own".

NOTE:
Goodbye American Idol.
Hello The Voice!

Phew!

I feel like the semester is over and I just handed in a term paper.  

Eighteen paintings completed, signed, and off to the framer

to be delivered to the Cove Gallery next week.

(Details of opening reception 

 May 25 to follow) 

I am honored to be represented by this prestigious gallery on Cape Cod. 

My work will be showing in both galleries this summer 

(Chatham and Wellfleet) 

as well as Atlantic Workshop on Main Street in Chatham.

More about that later. 

Now I'm off to celebrate Mother's Day with a visit to the 

Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum 

to see the Andre Zorn show! 

Bring on summer break! 

Term Papering

I'm "term papering" this week

 for my upcoming show at the 

Cove Gallery 

opening Memorial Day Weekend!  

Nothing to post as it seems I'm either 

having a breakdown or a breakthrough. 

Hope it's the latter. 

However, I must thank my friend Michael Chamberlain 

(whose work is amazing and I admire tremendously) 

for walking me through his process and materials,

and sharing his time with me 

via e-mail and cellphone!
What a cool and generous guy.  

  

20 x 16 by

  Michael Chamberlain

Now that is inspiring! 

Back at it tomorrow. 

"Oils Over Acrylic" and a new class!

Remember this large acrylic painting 

I did a few weeks ago? 

24 x 30 

I kept walking by it in the studio, thinking it looked "awkward".

so yesterday I went at it with oils.  

High Noon 

24 x 30

(I took the image late in the day 

so it looks a lot cooler than it really it is)  

Painting over acrylic with oils is a great tool! 

You can work out the composition and value shifts,

changing things as much as you need to, 

then adding the oil is like 

icing the cake!   

Still experimenting with acrylics, 

but as of now, oils remain my medium of choice! 

NOTE: 

I will be teaching a new class at 

North River Art Society this June! 

Tuesdays 9:30 - 12:30

Three classes inside, three classes out side,  

covering the One Hour Approach 

with still life, photos, landscape and the figure in sunlight.

Get ready to throw some paint around!