Off Shackleford Banks

This is just a quickie (about 45 minutes) done on a not so great support - a 16x20 piece of mat board, so not much tooth, and a grainy texture I didn't like, like the "bumpy" side of Canson. But I had a little free time and decided to play with my Pan Pastels - which I have tried a little, but not been crazy about them other than as an undercoating medium.

But in this case the whole picture was done with Pan Pastels. I guess I was influenced by all the cloud pix I've seen people posting at Wetcanvas, . This is done from a photo I took a week ago Saturday when I was down in NC, and my sister and BiL took me for a ride in their new boat.

Of course I *still* can't do water, but I yearn to be able to! Not really sure how I feel about the Pan Pastels either, but I'm still trying.

Red Roses

I'm so behind in keeping this blog up to date, but things have been crazy in my life, and I've been having to rush off and make lots of trips to NC to see my dad, and other things have just fallen by the wayside. . I've had to miss a lot of classes too, and not gotten to do anything in my personal time. But there are a few pictures from lessons past that I never got posted, and now that I'm starting a new summer session I hope to have more. This is one from a few weeks ago, as I try to catch up. I still a not crazy about doing flowers, but it's a different challenge from doing the human figure at least. :-)

Last Hurrah

It's my last hurrah for figure studies that is, I hope. Last night was the last class for my "Expressionism" class -which was half still lifes and half figure studies. This last night we had another figure - but I was trying for a bit of an abstract feel to it rather than representational. That makes the figures a bit more of interest to me.

So now I'm moving on, doing more still lifes I hope, and maybe even more landscapes when I grow up. I see my dear teacher Alex Piccirillo is teaching his evening class again this summer, and I love Alex, but just can't take another figure study class, at least not right now. I'll stay with my classes with Christina Debarry, and give figures a rest, a *long* rest I hope! But this is the last one from last night.

A basket of veggies

In art class on Wednesday we had a choice between a vase of peonies or a basket of vegetables. The peonies were utterly gorgeous, but flowers are not usually my first choice. I much prefer veggies. These were much more fun to do. The dark eggplant looks pretty black in the photo, but it's really dark maroons, purples and blues.

Apples in the Sun

I made a whirlwind visit to my dad in NC this past weekend, and I brought my pastels and swore I would produce two pictures from life. The first one is still not ready for prime time, but I may work on it more with some suggestions from Christina. It's a water scene and I still can't do water for beans. This one is the second, and it was fun to do. My dad had a couple apples on his kitchen counter that were pretty well past prime time, so rather than waste them I took them and lined them up on his porch railing and did a portrait of them. They looked quite pretty in the late afternoon light.

Hat and Peaches (fast and loose 4)

This is my second-hour painting from last night's "fast and loose" session at art class. I think I was getting tired by this point. I thought I might like this best as I loved the hat, and the peaches were so lovely looking. But I'm not very happy with it. I think it's the flowers I dislike the most, actually. Working on a one-hour time limit does put the pressure on, and I just could not seem to get them way acceptable. Maybe I can figure out some way to erase them, and just add another peach!

Blue Vase and Fruit (fast and loose 3)

We had another "fast and loose" session in art class last night, multiple still lifes set up, exactly one hour to paint one, 10 minutes to set up at a new easel, and then exactly one hour to paint a second one. I do love taking classes as it pushes me into trying things I might not do or think of on my own. Fast and loose is the style I strive for, but it's totally different when the teacher is timing you, and you know at the 1-hour mark she will call "Time", and it's time to put your sticks down. That's IT! No more time, what you see is what you get. No worrying about wonky ellipses, etc. No, "I'll just take a few minutes more and tweak a few more things."

She is constantly tell us to look for the "big picture", go for the big shapes, forget the details. It's fun! Somehow I didn't feel quite as in the groove last night as I did last week. But sometimes that's a good thing too - forcing yourself to try to create even if you don't feel the muse is with you. So anyway, this is what I did the first hour.

Fast and Loose 2 (Blue Bowl and Garlic)

This is my still life from the second hour of our "fast and loose" session. It was fun too, garlic has a rather sensuous shape. I think we are going to do the same thing again next week, so I'm looking forward to it already.

Fast and Loose 1 (Blue Vase and Limes)

My Tuesday "Expressionism" art class was fun last night! We had several still lifes set up in the studio, and we chose one to work on (or chose one that had an easel stand open!) and we had exactly one timed hour for the still life. The idea was to work "fast and loose". We were told not to worry about getting shapes right, not to worry about details. Just to go for the "picture", to get the big shapes, the lights and the darks.

It was great! After an hour we got a little break, and then for the second hour did another pictures - either the same still life, or finding a place to move to at one of the other set-ups. I chose to move, but this is what I did in the first hour.

Lilacs at Home

I had such fun doing lilacs in art class on Wednesday that I decided to try doing some of my own today. I don't have great places to set up still lifes, with cool lighting and all - but I figured I'd just set it up on my dining room table, which is what I did.

Hmmm, it came out sort of funky looking, though it was certainly fun to do. I finally stopped as it began to get overcast and I was losing the sunlight and shadows. But I might still be able to work on in another time. Maybe I'll go take a photo before the lilacs die.

P.S. - Since I always stuggle with symmetry on vases and things like that I decided I would try the technique of my fellow student from art class, and set up a comp that didn't use the entire vase.

Lilacs in Bloom

It's lilac season in New Jersey! They look and smell so beautiful. Mine are in full bloom at the side of my house. Christina had plenty in bloom too, so she brought some in for the class still life setup. I thought the dark background she set up was quite dramatic, and I had fun with this one. Maybe this weekend I'll try to do a picture of my own lilacs before they die. Alas, lilac season does not last very long.

Knife and Apples

I didn't have art class this Wednesday as Christina was already committed to a workshop in Cape May, NJ. But one thing she does is take a series of photos of the still life setup, and then emails them to everyone. She tries to get everyone's angle, so we can continue working on the paintings at home if we choose.

But I had basically finished mine in class, and thought it was fun to look at it from a different angle. I'm supposed to be resting this weekend after a minor surgery on Friday - so I decided to paint a picture this afternoon, and thought I would try the same still life as last week, but from a different angle. So this is where I've gotten to so far after about an hour or so. It may not be "done" yet, but it's about at a spot where I need to stop and think about it, and decide if worth pursuing.

A Plateful of Apples

Hurray, today was my second class with Christina Debarry - and I'm loving it more and more. Christina is a wonderful teacher, and I really like all the other students in the class as well. And what *fun* to get away from drawing the human figure, and get to try still lifes instead.

Not they are easier, by any means. While I was trying to do the drawing for tonight's set-up I found myself almost half yearning for a nice simple human torso to draw, .

No, not really! I mean a human torso would have been easier - but I wouldn't have had as much fun. Instead I agonized, but I had such a great time anyway because I was working on something I loved - eating my ice cream, rather than eating my broccoli - as I called the life drawing classes.

Legs 2

I'm really trying to move away from figure studies - so this Expressionism class may be my last one at the Montclair Art Museum, and I only took it because I was told students did work on still lifes in the class. I guess part of the class is supposed to be still lifes - but initially we are working with a live model again, grrrrrrr.

So I tried to just go for an abstract feel with this one, just sort of having fun with colors and shapes. I tried for a more stylized approach and from that standpoint I'm not unhappy with it. It did make it somewhere bearable at least.

The Wick House

Landscapes are way out of my comfort zone. I'd love to be able to do them, but have not had any instruction in them, and struggle on my own. Trees and leaves are a struggle, I have issues withe the grass, the ground, the plants - any growing thing.

But I was inspired to try one after my new teacher, Christina Debarry, said she is putting together a show this summer at the Bernardsville Public Library, and suggested that we students could put a painting into the show. She said it should be a landscape, and of something recognizable from around the Bernardsville/Basking Ridge area. I was out that way yesterday after my doctor's appointment - and decided to try a landscape from this photo I took of the Wick House at Morristown National Historical Park.

I'm not completely happy with this. Last year's PSNJ show was about 98% landscapes, and this looks so amaterish compared to the pictures in the show. I hope to work on this further and get it looking better, but figured I'd post what I've done now at about the 2-hour mark.

Flowering Quinces

Hey, I did it. I got signed up for another art class, and this one is for pastel still lifes and landscapes, taught by Christina Debarry. It will be a struggle since it starts at 6 PM on Wednesdays, and meets 40 minutes from my home, and I don't get home from work until about 5:30, and then have to walk the dogs and change clothes before I can leave. So I'll be missing class time every week.

But already I love the class and Christina, and the facilities are amazingly gorgeous too. We had a choice of two still life set-ups to work from. LOL, I was so used to getting a break every 20 minutes when the model would get up to stretch that for a brief moment I wondered why we were not being given any breaks, until it occurred to me that the flowers were not going anywhere, and I could just take a break whenever I wanted.

So it was fun, and totally different skills. Trying to do flowers, or a glass vase, is a completely different skill from trying to get fingers right, or the correct or intersting skin tones. Naturally now that I see the photo I see some problems with the vase and the way it is sitting on the table -things I didn't see last night. But I'm posting anyhow as this is a new venture for me. And I like it so far.

A Model Background

I'll say one thing about the art class last night. It took the instructor an *hour* to get the model set up in a pose. Now how crazy is that? We're paying for class time of 7:00-9:30 PM, and the instructor spends from 6:45 until 7:45 to set up a pose with the model. Everyone who knows me well knows I'm "Speedy Gonzales" in the art department. I would have had my model posed in 5 minutes tops!

So we students, who had all struggled to make sure we were early or on-time for the first day of class had to just hurry up and wait. But while the instructor and model conversed I figured I could take advantage of the situation. They had a very nice backdrop set up for the model to pose against - so while I waiting I did this "still life" of the backdrop - only about 30 minutes of work on 12x16 Canson, so just a warm-up reall. But at least I got part of my wish to be able to avoid doing the human figure.

Red Robe

I am so bummed. For three years now I've been taking life drawing classes - and I hate drawing people now as much as I did when I started, so was so excited that a new class was being offered called "Experimental Pastel" that was going to concentrate on still lifes and landscapes - taught by Christina Debarry, PSA, and former President of the PSA. I love her work. How cool is that?

And then last week I got a notice that the class had been *cancelled* due to LOW ENROLLMENT! Only two people signed up to take the class. So the museum suggested I could take either "Representational Painting and Drawing" or "Expressionism". I said the first is the one I'd taken for three years, and I loved the instructors - but I just HAD to get away from figure drawing and yearned to do still lifes. So I was told the Expressionism class allowed you to use any medium, and that students did still lifes there, so I took it!

And got to class last night and found a ........ LIVE MODEL! The instructor said they had done all still lifes last session, so she was mixing up and and now having live models. Grrrrr, I'm so bummed, and there is no refund once a class has started. So once again I'm stuck doing what I have come to hate more and more - so I did another one of my headless wonders last night. By cutting off their heads I can sort of treat the models as more of an abstraction, which makes it a bit more bearable for me. C&C always welcome - though I still hope to get completely away from painting people.

Panic mode

I finally decided I needed to try out the Pan pastels that I had bought at a 40% discount last fall, after seeing a demo at Jerry's. They seemed fun, but I was not sure how I would like them in actual practice.

And I'm still not sure! Well I mean I know I'm not crazy about them, but maybe they just need more "getting used to" time. I just used a sheet of Canson, and threw a couple colorful things onto the small round table topped with a wooden lazy susan that I have in my studio. The Pans do cover the surface admirably, with a nice creamy texture, but I found them hard to control. I didn't like using the little implements you use to apply the pastels.

So to finish this off I had to break out my sticks, so this picture is only about half Pans. I don't much like the picture - but I was not really going for composition. I just wanted something colorful to try with the Pans. And even in the less successful pictures there is usually something to like.

In this case I'm quite happy with how the lazy susan turned out. I usually get terribly wonky elipses when I'm drawing freehand, but in this case I think the ellipse looks quite good. :-)

Going to the Dogs

Our church had an auction where members were supposed to donate their "time and talents" to be purchased by others, as a scholarship fundraiser. I auctioned off a pet portrait, which a church member purchased as a Christmas gift for her daughter and son-in-law. I told them I needed a photo to work from, and it took them a year to choose a photo! But they finally did, and I finally got around to doing the portrait. So here it is, and I hope they'll like it. :-)

Lady in Waiting-near the end

Will this be my last nude? Possibly. My dear teacher Alex is returning for the spring semester, but will not be teaching the evening class, only two during the day. That means I can't take his class, but it leaves me free to take another wonderful new class being offered called "Experimental Pastel" -which will be taught by Christina Debarry, PSA. I'm really psyched.

But in the meantime we had our pregnant model make one last visit. Wow, hard to believe there is just one baby there, LOL. As usual the "regular" version can be seen at Wet Canvas

Lady in Waiting - Triptych

Well here she is with all three of the pictures placed in a row to create the "triptych". The head is a bit large, as you can see, when all the three are lined up. This was a fun project - not something I would have thought of on my own. So thanks, John, for the idea. :-)

As usual, you can see the original copy of the work at:
WetCanvas

Lady in Waiting - Feet

Well since I had already done the body and head I had to work on the feet in the last week we had this model in order to complete my "triptypch". It may not be the most amazing composition, LOL, but I had a lot of fun working on the pillows by her feet, especially the little round orange one that looks a bit like a clam shell. To be honest - pillows are more fun to work on than people. I don't even really *like* doing people - but the art museum really offers no other choices, which does make me sad sometimes.

Lady in Waiting - Head

Well part two of my triptych is the model's head. As previously mentioned, it's a tad too big to be an exact match for her body. However I hate doing heads anyway, and this didn't come out as badly as many, so I guess I'll live with it.

Lady in Waiting

Well after a month's "break" (I say with a bit of irony, since it was a wild and crazy season) it was back to art class this month, though my dear teacher Alex is still out ill, sadly. However John is filling in nicely for him even though pastels are not his thing.

Our first model was 7 months pregnant, LOL. That certainly made for some interesting shapes and curves. This was my first picture but at John's interesting suggestion I went on to create a "triptych" where, in later sessions, I did her head and then her feet. I'll show them all here, and then the completed project - although her head came out too large. I made the mistake of working on it without enough reference to the body, a mistake I didn't repeat with the feet. John wanted me to do the head over to be sized properly, but it's only a student piece so I probably won't bother. As with other works of this sort, the actual uncensored picture can be seen at: WetCanvas