Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

I did it again! 

This feels over worked and too literal,   

"Playground"

20 x 16 oil 

compared to my initial impression.   

(below).

I wish I had left it alone. 

Shoulda coulda woulda.    

Connected Online

I am blessed to be connected

 to so many other artists on line. 

Recently, a former student (and friend) sent me an image 

asking for advice on cropping.  

After editing it, I asked her if I could 

experiment with it myself.

My first version 

"Woman with Hat" 

8 x 8 

oil on carton board 

Version Two 

"Woman with Hat"

20 x 20 

oil on canvas 

I'm finally experimenting with a new approach

I learned at MDN workshop in AZ last month.

NOTE:

I sent this image of my initial start to an artist I met in AZ  

and was flattered that she wrote back that it reminded her
of this incredible painting.  

"Seated Figure with Hat" 

Richard Diebenkorn 

1967

I wish! 

Oh how I love the Internet.  

Painting in Stages

Painting in stages is foreign to me. 

When I let the paint dry in between visits, 

I tend to loose my immediate, intuitive reaction to the subject
and I end up changing the whole idea with each visit. 

Example:

Day 1:

My quick block in 

(over an old painting)

 Day 2:

(After fooling around with it on my I Pad)

I lightened the background, outlined some shapes, 

and changed the red flower in front to yellow. 

Then I fixed the vase and cleaned up the shapes.

I like the first one best.

Need to do some more of this. 

 NOTE: 

This approach allows for some 

wonderful texture!  

. 

New Approach

 I'm experimenting with painting over old paintings, 

loosely washing in the shapes of color,

then letting it dry, before I go back in to it. 

PlayGround 

(work in progress) 

This is a totally new approach for me 

(I used to teach a class called the One Hour Painting!) 

and find it intriguing. 

It gives me time in between sessions 

to think about where I want to take it next. 

The trick will be 

to keep from overworking it.   

"Local Color" Collage program

Yesterday I did a program on Collage

with my fellow Garden Club members.

Our topic was "Celebrating our Local Landscape."

They picked locations out of a hat 

for inspiration. 

Here are just a few of the incredible works  

done by these "non-artists".  

The Glades 

Powder Point Bridge 

World's End 

Peggotty Beach 

Saquish Light

Cranberry Bogs 

Collage is liberating and allows magic to happen. 

There is a reason it is becoming so popular.

NOTE: 

Our daughter and her husband had their baby boy on Saturday April 5.  

He was three weeks early and happily, all is well.

They are home now have begun their amazing journey!   

Homer Edward Colwell

7 lb. 1 oz. 

Needless to say, I haven't had much studio time lately. 

 Looking forward to getting back to painting when the dust settles!  

Posted Too Soon

After re-looking at the painting I posted yesterday,
I realized it needed some tweeking.
Today I rounded out the figures
and changed the color of the blue jacket. 

The New MIT 

(revisited)

First version:

NOTE:
I toned some big canvas's today
and got out some old paintings to paint over.
No telling when I'll get to them.
Spring is here and it's time to play.
(and gather reference material!)

Happy Spring! 

Kendall Square

I recently re-discovered Kendall Square in Cambridge. 

Having not been there for years,  

I was impressed by all the 

modern construction! 

"The New MIT"

9 x 9 oil on board 

I did this for the Copley Society's 

Annual Fresh Paint Auction

May 4

Members were asked to represent a location 

in or around Boston for our donation, 

so I chose Kendall Square.   

Here is another one I've been working on. 

The New Kendall Square 

11 x 14 oil 

Not sure which one I'll submit. 

Mass Art Auction

I'm pleased that my painting 

"Pink Sheets" 

will be part of the Annual Mass Art Auction this Saturday.

Pink Sheets 

16 x 24  oil 

The proceeds provide vital scholarship aid and
academic program support for deserving students.

You can see all the artwork available and
bid on line
HERE! 

Have a great weekend.

Workshop Work!

Day 2, we set up a large complicated still life
on a low table in the middle of the room. 

First we did random sketches,
zooming in to find large shapes of color.  

We then painted, using our sketches, 

(or I phone images) as reference. 

student painting

Then we took our paintings downstairs,

and did paper collages using our paintings as reference. 

student paper collage from painting 

These are just some examples of the many 

incredible results from this experiment.

1st painting

collage

painting 

collage 

Then we went back upstairs 

and painted paintings from our collages! 

Third "pass" at the subject! 

Distilling a subject down in three stages, 

helps you see the big shapes.

The work becomes more about shape, color, and line 

instead of the actual subject! 

More samples of work done over the weekend! 

3rd pass painting

pattern painting

Designing with Three Values 

Two value /Crazy color exercise 

Testing the Waters

I'm testing the waters this weekend  

at my Expressive Painting workshop at NRAS.

Introducing new exercises based on designing paintings 

with shape, color and line,

as opposed to literally representing 

what is in front of you. 

Day One 

Some Student Work! 

As always, I'm shocked, awed, and inspired.

Can't wait to see what we come up with tomorrow!