Tuesday, September 4, 2012

LIGHTHOUSE

A busy week is going to keep me away from painting much - but not away from art stuff.  Tuesday = class for my beginners and the lessons I want to share and the painting they will do as I help.  Wednesday - Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society meeting and Trish McKinney from the Western Ohio Watercolor Society, is our guest speaker/artist.  Trish will be presenting a program called "Nature's Palette" which will incorporate leaves, grasses, feathers, etc. in her work.  And if I'm lucky and Mom doesn't have things for me to do, I'll get to visit Deb and Sharon for a painting day either Thursday or Friday - we'll see. 



Working on lessons for my beginner class means I'm thinking and researching more than painting these days.  I want them to learn about color combinations and complements and values and everything they need to know to get a good foundation.  But I also want them to be able to paint and have fun.  A delicate balance!

Here is a lighthouse (from one of Jerry's photos taken in the Bahamas) I asked them to do, thinking first about what type of sky they wanted to paint and practicing some skies on scrap paper.  Joy has already done her's and wasn't happy but didn't want to do it again.  So that leaves 3 of the 4 to do this lesson and, hopefully, have a good result. 

This lesson is not just about skies - although a good sky can make a good painting.  It's about how to make a flat drawing (of the lighthouse) look rounded, and how to get your shadows in to convey a substance to your painting.  I hope I have done this in this finished one of mine I'll share with them today.

I hope you have a busy but artful week ahead!!


10 comments:

Unknown said...

Great picture. It succeeds in showing the techniques you are trying to teach. Lovely sky to finish it off.

http://carolking.wordpress.com said...

Nice lighthouse! It looks rounded to me. beautiful sky too.

Debbie Nolan said...

Rhonda - great lighthouse. I have always been so attracted to these wonderful structures. Know what you mean about finding time to paint. Seems like when I do carve out some time I am too tired or distracted to focus. Hoping with fall and the days growing shorter I will be in the studio a bit more. Take care and enjoy your class.

RH Carpenter said...

Thank you, Mick and Carol :)

Debbie, thanks. There is something about lighthouses - draws us in - the loneliness, the simplicity, the sense of safety in the storm :) I, too, find when I get some time I'm tired or distracted - hard to knuckle down or retreat to the art room and relax and enjoy rather than fussing over things :)

Sharon Whitley said...

I love lighthouses, this is wonderful and as Mick says it succeeds in showing the techniques you are teaching, the sky is superb, love the colours

Autumn Leaves said...

A lovely lighthouse that makes me dream, Rhonda. I don't do that often these days and it is a bit of lightness and freedom for me!

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks so much, Sharon :)

Sherry, I'm so glad this painting could take you to nice place today!

Jeanette Jobson said...

There is something about lighthouses that always appeals, isn't there? I love the sound of a fog horn, especially on a dark night when I can lie in bed and listen to it.

I agree that the sky is lovely pastel and calm. No need for a lighthouse on that day.

Harry Kent said...

Penguin?

I recently joined Pinterest and as I addictively browsed through people's art collections i thought of you as came across entire collections of crows by numerous artists. Now i've got to look out for penguins as well?

And enjoyed your pears, Rhonda. Great color.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Jeanette and Harry - Harry, always good to hear from you! Jeanette, I've never heard that foghorn in the mist - that would be a good experience :)