COLORED PENCIL SHOW

Yesterday, Sweetie and I drove over to Mariemont to see the Colored Pencil Show at The Barn (the Woman's Art Center of Cincinnati gallery).  It was a gorgeous show and I highly recommend it.  Take a drive over and spend some time seeing a great selection of colored pencil paintings from the Cincinnati Chapter of the Colored Pencil Society of America. 

Here are the top award winners:

First Place:  Who Rescued Whom?
By Margi Hopkins

This little dog looked like he was about to jump at you - or bark!  And you could see every little detail, like the hairs on the man's arms, the softness of the blanket, etc. 

Sorry for the reflections - lots of lights shining down meant reflections in just about every painting, when you tried to get a photo. 

Second Place:  Rock Garden
By Jean A. Malicoat

These Hens and Chickens always remind me of my grandmother, who grew them inside a rotted trunk of an old tree in our yard and inside an old tractor tire, along with cactus that bloomed every year.

Colored Pencil folks love detail - the more, the better :)





Third Place:  Love Comes to Light in a Blessing
By Debbie Hook

A scene many would look at and ignore - light streaming through the shutters on a window - but how beautiful in the hands of an artist.




Our blogger buddy, Katherine Thomas, had 2 paintings in the show - both can be seen better on her blog here.
But here they are, taken in the gallery:

Adagio
By Katherine Thomas



















Pearls
By Katherine Thomas










Tomorrow I'll share some more favorites from the show so come back to see more - and do go over to see the show if you're in the area. 

ONE WORD WEDNESDAY

Salt

Photo by Jerry H. Carpenter

CHRISTMAS CARDS

I had the cards drawn but didn't put paint to them until yesterday afternoon. 


All of them need a little tweaking (just some darks/shadows here and there) and they will be done.  I think I have 9 cards now and I may make a few more - what I don't give out this year, I can save for next year.  Once you start, this is a very enjoyable thing to do.  I recommend giving it a try.  Just use some envelopes you have (I seem to have lots of odd sizes) and cut your paper to size.  Then draw a little or just get right into painting whatever catches your fancy.

MISCELLANEOUS

Where do the days go?
When I began this blog, it was important (to me) to post something every single day.  
Now, not so much.  But still, I start to feel lazy if I haven't posted anything for a couple of days.
Of course, this time of year finds one
putting up the tree and getting out the decorations
buying presents
wrapping presents
researching presents online
emailing friends
receiving and sending Christmas cards
planning lessons for my beginner students
painting things for my lessons
exercising (well, I'm trying to make it a routine - we'll see what happens)
reading (my mother loaned me her Ken Follett books from the Century Trilogy and I am hooked)
raking the last of the leaves (I hope)
walking
meditating 
going to soccer games (Alaina's game last night began at 8:40 and the next one begins at 9:30 - pretty late for a bunch of 10-12 year olds)
baking cookies (for holiday parties)
visiting with my little sister (who turns 50 today!!) to give her presents
and
going to the hospital for MRIs and ultrasound tests (hopefully, this is a minor thing and I'll tell you about it if it becomes something more) so that adds more
phone conversations with doctor's office and insurance company and hospital

When you add it all up, I can see why I have started some drawings for more Christmas cards but haven't painted a thing since Sunday of last week.

I hope your weekend finds you well, happy, enjoying the warmer weather (and not too wet) that is around right now.  
Perhaps you went to an art show this weekend?  I'm planning to see the Colored Pencil show at "The Barn" in Mariemont this coming week. Maybe you'd like to go?  Or perhaps go over to Manifest Gallery and see their latest exhibitions.  And I think the Cincinnati Art Club is still having their weekend art sale this coming weekend.  So much to see, so much to do.  December is a busy month!

ONE WORD WEDNESDAY

Goldfinch

Photo by Jerry H. Carpenter

IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS CARDS

I had to come up with some ideas for Christmas cards yesterday since I had planned for my Tuesday morning class to do some.  I was lucky and my Strathmore blank watercolor cards came in just in time! 

Here are just a few of the ones I did - they are like Hershey kisses - you have one, then two, then three and before you know it, you have 7 or more! ha ha  And once you make you, you think of something else to do and make another, and another, and before you know it, an hour has gone by :)

I stopped painting cards for family members a few years back (I used to have an original card for each person) when it got to be too much and I was running out of ideas.

But there are always simple things you can do - like a single ornament with some extra things glued on.  (Although Sweetie says this looks like a bomb!)

Put some real or glass candy canes in a small or tall glass with some real or fake greenery (or tinsel) and paint a simple card, using black ink to draw around the candy canes if you leave the background white.






Or play with gessoed paper - did you know they make gold gesso and others of various colors.  The gold is fun to work with when you are doing ornaments.  Just paint right on the gessoed paper (once it's dried) and you can lift off anything you don't like.

And, of course, there's always pine cones or holly with red berries or snowmen and women or...the list just goes on and on!


The class seemed to have a good time.  They each brought some ideas or drawings or photos to use, or used inspiration from the table where I'd set up snowmen and various paper and card designs and showed them photographs of snow or ice-covered things.  

I had a new student come today.  I think she had a good time and will return next time to finish another card.  She did a great job and I can't wait to see her finished painting: a single pine tree in snow with a large star in a star-spattered (using liquid miskit) evening sky.

Do you paint your own Christmas cards?  Do you have them copied and send everyone copies or give out originals?  Is it hard to come up with ideas and paint your idea on a small size?  There is nothing like getting an original card from someone - I save them all - but I know how much work that can be.

SUNDAY SHARING

Time for Sunday Sharing, a day where I highlight blogs of those followers who have recently signed up.  

1.  Cuca Muro is the blog name of a Spanish artist.  I assume her name is Cuca but can't seem to find more - unless her name is Cuca Wall - which is the translation of Cuca Muro.  You can see her lovely work here.

2.  Watercolors by Celia Blanco is the blog of artist, Celia Blanco.  Lovely, light watercolors!

3.  Stacey Zimmerman has a blog called An Artist's Canvas.  Colorful, fun and full of paintings, artwork and photos, too.

All three of these blogs are worth spending some time visiting.  Lovely seascapes, a variety of watercolors and lots of photos abound!  Do go visit one or all three of these - you won't be disappointed.

OWS SHOW IN COLUMBUS, OH

Deb drove up, with Sharon and I riding shotgun and backseat passenger/GPS reader all the way.  We all talked so much, the drive seemed to go by quickly.  The hardest part was in Columbus, finding somewhere to park and taking the right roads around - we got lucky and parked right across from the Riffe Gallery building (which is pretty darned impressive).



This is Karen Pettit's painting of a zebra on yupo on the postcard - beautiful!  Karen and I were in a watercolor class (Sandy Maudlin's) year's before and Karen's work has been getting local and regional attention in all the major shows lately!


As you enter the gallery, here is what you see on the first entrance wall:

Pretty cool to use the photo on the postcard in the entryway like this.  If I remember correctly, Karen used photos from a trip to the Cincinnati Zoo of the zebras there - and this was painted in 2009.

Of course, we had to get Deb beside her painting, although I apologize for the shot of Deb - she's fuzzy because my camera focused on the painting and not on her!

Deb's painting was in a great spot to showcase her beautiful roses and all that delicate lacy background.  Of course, the gallery was so great that no painting had bad placement.





This painting drew me in from across the room when I turned, seeing it on an adjacent wall.  And when I read the artist statement, I was even more impressed and touched by it.



I could have sat and looked at this next painting for a long time.  The depth of the window, the shadow play on the wall, the texture of the walls - all showed me the work of a master watercolorist.

I have to say, there are some very talented watercolorists in the OH/KY/IN area.  There were even paintings from artists in MI, PA, CA, and NH, and all had interesting artist statements about the painting or their process to get to the painting.  Some of the artists were names I recognized:  Fred Graff, Judy Anderson, Fran Mangino, Christopher Leeper, Trish McKinney, Bruce Neville.  But many of the names I did not know and there was a large sampling of paintings in watercolor, gouache, acrylic, watercolor crayon, watercolor on yupo and on gessoed paper, etc. 

It was an easy drive up and back with a nice lunch in between and I was back home by 3:30 - before the Friday night rush hour traffic!

I'll finish up with Deb's painting, fluid acrylic on paper, called Oriental Roses:

Congratulations, Deb!

The show is permanent here at the Riffe Gallery in Columbus but will only be there until they choose 30 of the paintings (out of the 65 in the permanent show) for the traveling exhibition and it will travel all over Ohio.  Sometimes, the places it is shown are great and sometimes not so great (too dark, not enough room to stand back and see the paintings, etc.).  So, if you can, see it before it leaves Columbus.

ROAD TRIP

I am meeting Deb and Sharon this morning and we are taking a road trip up to Columbus, OH to see the Ohio Watercolor Society traveling show.  Deb is in the show so it will be fun to see her with her painting!!  I'll have photos to share later...

PEPPERS FINISHED

In class Tuesday, we all finished our pepper paintings.  Nancy had one she liked but didn't finish the glazing one so she has decided the wet-in-wet style is for her.  Linda did both styles and likes both but said she had more fun doing the wet-in-wet.  She liked both of her paintings enough to say she might put one (or both) on the wall!  That makes me happy!  I like that they are creating things that make them happy and make them feel like they are learning and growing.




Here is my finished one.


The one with the dark background is now in "the round file" = the trash!  It just didn't make it and I knew when I saw the dark green background on it that it wasn't going to make it.  Why I put in the dark background before even putting in the shadow shape, I'm not sure; just playing and seeing "what if", I guess.

Next week we're going to make some Christmas/holiday cards on the Strathmore blank cards from Daniel Smith (all the suppliers have them but DS is cheapest right now on the blank cards).

ONE WORD WEDNESDAY

Pileated

Photo by Jerry H. Carpenter

HOT PEPPERS IN VARIOUS STAGES

I added a bit more color to the smallest pepper and now this one is done.




I have two other pepper paintings in the works, which were begun in class to show techniques.






This one will be finished soon.  It is a little bit of wet-in-wet and then glazing the largest pepper instead of painting it wet-in-wet.










This one is all glazing to get the colors of the peppers.


In Tuesday's class, we will all finish our peppers (and pears) and then next time, move on to something else.  Perhaps some holiday cards?




For some reason, I am really tired today so don't plan to do much (these were done yesterday before we saw Alaina's soccer match at 7:50 pm and took everyone in the family and Alaina's best friend to DQ to have a treat.  Alaina's team didn't win the match, but they played well - they were just up against a team that had never been beaten).

SOME THINGS FINISHED

First, sorry for those who wanted me to continue with the landscape a la Christopher Leeper.  I washed it down and tried again but it just wasn't making me happy - um, guess that means I wasn't making me happy? ha ha  Anyway, not working.  So I will start over with a fresh piece of 300# Arches rough and see what happens :) 

In Tuesday's class we finished up our acrylic ink paintings.  Before they arrived just before 10 am, I had painted in the berries and gave them some highlights.  The only other thing I did to this was take some darkened red and trace over some of the "vine" areas.  And done!  A quick and easy way to have a painting on the wall in no time.  It's not my favorite painting of all time but it was fun.  Nancy removed most of the leaves and cobwebbing and then lightened some areas in her painting while Linda removed most of the cobwebbing (deciding to leave some and spray seal it) and then left her as it was.  I can see it hanging on her wall just as it is (after she gives it a couple of coats of spray sealant). 

After they spent about 1/2 hour on finishing up the acrylic ink painting on canvas, we returned to our peppers and Joy returned to her pears (she didn't want to do peppers like the rest of us).

Basically, I was trying to show them how to put in a nice shadow shape and telling them that shadows should have as much color as your subjects and be thought of us just another element/shape in the painting.  They still are working on their wet-in-wet version and their glazed version of the same painting and seeing how the glazing version takes patience and lots of time to dry.  I will go ahead and finish up the paintings I have of the peppers and we will work on them more next Tuesday.  Back to just watercolor for a while!


For all those Americans viewing, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow.  Be safe, whether you are staying home or traveling over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house!

ONE WORD WEDNESDAY

High

Photo by Jerry H. Carpenter

DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS

Well, not comparing yourself to others is a good thing - sometimes.  But comparing ourselves to others often causes us to strive to be better; or to just be happy we are where we are.  A double-edged sword, I guess, if you see yourself as "not good enough" and others "so much better".  So we won't go there. 

But I will show you the landscape at this stage - a copy of the one Christopher Leeper did in our workshop last month. 

My version is not finished, but there really is no comparison.  I don't think I'll take the time to finish it off because I'm not happy with it and feel that would be a waste of time. 






I don't need to tell you that this version is the one done by Chris, do I? ha ha

I think I will try this one again, looking at only the finished version Chris did, rather than looking at all the stages he went through to get to this.  Isn't the light on this just gorgeous?  Someday I will get there!


Right now, I'm just learning learning learning (seems like this learning thing is going to last my whole life! ha ha).

But today my class comes to the house and we work on the acrylic ink paintings (finishing those up) and the peppers in two techniques.  (Should I be ashamed that I'm teaching beginning students when I often paint so poorly myself?  Sometimes I think I should!  But I have only done a few landscapes - they just confuse me and I don't have the practice under my belt  - but give me a macro flower or a crow or even a portrait or figure painting (just not architecture and landscapes) and I think I've come a long way in less than 10 years.  Perhaps it's like knowing how to play the guitar and then being given a violin and told to play it?  Music is the same, if you read music, but not the same at all in the difference in the instruments.  Oh, well...

AND THE WINNER IS...

The winner of my 6th bloggerversary give-way is:

Sadami!!!

Sadami sent me her mailing address in Australia, and has asked for Small Seas No. 2.  The painting, along with some surprises, will go out in the mail today. 

Congratulations, Sadami :)

I have to admit, I hadn't been painting much lately.  First, Sweetie went away to Bonaire for 10 days and I was a bachelorette again.  While he was gone, I was getting ready for the painting crew to come in - which meant taking everything off the walls, boxing up books and removing bookcases and small furniture in the living room and giving the baseboards and trim work a wash.  Then last Monday and Tuesday and painters were here.  Wednesday, Thursday, Friday it was all doing everything in reverse - putting furniture back, unboxing books, deciding what paintings and photos to go on the walls (we're being much more selective this time - quality, not quantity!).  And I've gotten into an exercise routine (which was necessary after living on McDonald's caramel frappes while Sweetie was gone! ha ha  So walking 1+ mile each day and then Pilates to stretch out so not so sore.  And cleaning for class members to come tomorrow (I may be getting another new student soon which means I'll have 5 students come to the house.)

Where does the time go?  I don't know how you who have to work a 9-5 job can get any time or energy for painting!  I so admire those who do and keep working and striving and growing.

Enough excuses, though.  I mean, one can always make excuses about why they can't paint, right?  I do it enough, especially in the winter months!

Yesterday evening I did pick up the acrylic ink painting done in class October 30th and added some more distinct red berries and vines.  I think it needs a few highlights on the berries and it's done. 

I also finished the Christopher Leeper landscape.  I will share that tomorrow (when I get another photo of the finished piece). 

I hope you all have a great week.  Sadami, look for your package to arrive in a week or two (I think it will take that long to arrive in Australia?).

DO YOU FEEL LUCKY?

Today I'm giving away a painting to celebrate 6 year's of blogging! 

All you have to do to have your name in the drawing is post a comment today. 

And I am giving you a choice of one of these four paintings. 




1.
The Saddest Jester
7 1/2" x 8"
A print using acrylic paint with extra touches of acrylic paint to highlight areas.















2.
Small Seas No. 2
5" x 8 1/4"
Watercolor









3.
Small Seas No. 1
5" x 8 1/4"
Watercolor









4.
Powder Blue
9 3/4" x 11"
Watercolor





The painting or print chosen will be mailed as is, unmatted and unframed, so you can choose how to display it. 


I will mail anywhere in the world.  Just post a comment and let me know you want to be in the drawing.  The drawing will we done using the Random.org site.  Comments will be counted until midnight tonight. 

The drawing will be held this weekend and winner announced on Monday.  If you are the lucky winner, I'll let you know via email (don't forget to give me your email if it's not connected to your blog/webpage/etc.; you can let me know which painting you want when I let you know you are the winner and ask for your snail mail address.

Simple and easy.  Good luck, and check back Monday to see who won.

BLOGGERVERSARY GIVE-AWAY

Monday, November 12th marked my 6th year of blogging!  I can't believe it's been 6 years and I still am learning and trying to grow and still have something to say (maybe that last part is debatable? ha ha).

Anyway, with the painters here this week (beginning Monday morning) and cancelling class Tuesday, I didn't forget about my bloggerversary BUT I didn't have time to get anything ready for a give-away.  After the painters were gone, it was time to get all the furniture back with 3 bookcases and boxes of books stored in other rooms; doing a little bit at a time so I don't ruin my back.

So...I'm going to post something on Friday (tomorrow) and hope you join in for a drawing for a painting.

All you have to do it leave a short comment on tomorrow's post and you'll be in the drawing.  And I promise it will be something nice :)  I may offer a choice of 3 paintings...but you'll have to return tomorrow to see!

ONE WORD WEDNESDAY

Biplane

Photo by R.H. Carpenter

COPY TO LEARN

After a workshop, you often mean to try all the things you've been shown, but you go right back to your same routine.  (Some people do this right in the workshop, continuing to paint "their way" without trying the instructor's way at all!)  I had some landscape photos, taken by Sweetie.  But none of them moved me to paint them.  So, I just printed off the photos that Chris Leeper did in our workshop and am trying to copy them as a way of learning his style and technique.  Putting down those warms (Chris calls them Sun Colors) first and then letting them peak through the cooler colors you put down later. 

This is a direct copy of the first painting/demo he did for us.

First washes are all warm.

I'm trying to keep from comparing my efforts with Chris' painting because I already see so much wrong with it - like, no sky holes in the trees!

Telling myself it's all about learning the style/technique and not getting something perfect this first time.  All about learning learning learning!

SUSAN'S OPEN HOUSE/ART SHOW

It was a gorgeous fall day to drive over to Susan's and see her paintings for sale.  She had out a lot of goodies to munch on, drinks, and was her usual lovely self.  She had her paintings hanging on the walls throughout her home and then had many that were matted and wrapped to look through, too.  I found two immediately and had to decide which one I would love for years - and chose this one.  Beautiful!!!  I also picked up 2 sets of Christmas cards.

I hope she had a great 2-days and sold lots of paintings! 

I don't think I'll be doing much painting this week.  We have a painting crew coming this morning to start taking down a wallpaper border and then patching holes (from all the photographs and paintings hanging on the walls) and painting the living room, hall, entry, etc.  One guy is here now removing the paper while another is at the Sherwin Williams store picking up the paint for the job.  They estimated a 3-day job so I'll be sitting and reading and watching and practicing my Spanish :)

LOCAL ART SHOW

My friend and fellow artist, Susan Grogan, is having an art show and sale at her home in Cincinnati on Saturday and Sunday.  She will show many of her framed works as well as unframed/matted works - all for sale. 

Susan is a lovely person and a wonderful artist,  I've never seen anything she painted that I didn't like.  I'm going over to support her and hope to pick up something beautiful - perhaps an early Christmas present to myself.

If you're in the area and are interested in seeing some beautiful watercolors, go to her site here.

Ordered some new paints - the ones Christopher Leeper uses that I didn't have in my palette:
Manganese Blue Hue, Permanent Alizarin Crimson and Permanent Brown - all by Daniel Smith.

Also ordered some of the brushes he recommended:
Silver Black Velvet brushes, all rounds and one script liner (like a rigger but a bit more brush in the ferrule).  They are soft and smooshy and hold lots of water - I think I'm going to like them.

Waiting for my Arches 300# rough paper to arrive and then I should be able to paint just like Chris - right?  ha ha ha  Yeah, right! ha ha  But I won't have an excuse not to practice and try to incorporate his color sense and style in my landscapes.

Until then, I did start a little painting.  Unfortunately, I am using the Multimedia Art Board I got from Cheap Joe's a while back.  I think this would work as a surface for the acrylic inks or fluid acrylics but not watercolor, which seems to sit there and dull almost immediately.  Or maybe I just don't know the trick to working on this surface with watercolor? 

Anyway, here is the 1st and 2nd stage and it's UGLY :(



It seems like the color won't lift at all - it has set into the surface (which is actually slick - but not like YUPO slick).  At this point, the only way to save it is to go over it with gouache or acrylics.  UGH!

Maybe I'll try some little studies until the 300# rough sheets arrive...


Hope you have a good weekend.  We are having frosty, chilly mornings and then up to 65F during the day = SWEET

WATERCOLOR PROGRAM WITH TAYLOR BUSH

Yesterday, at the monthly meeting of the Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society (GCWS), our guest artist/speaker was Taylor Bush.  Taylor is a member and everyone who has ever seen her lovely, lyrical portraits of young women has been enchanted.  She talked and demonstrated how she gets that look with her portraits and the pigments she uses (many staining and all transparent pigments).  It was a wonderful demo and Taylor had worked hard to give us a step-by-step of her process, drawing and painting (in various stages) several versions of her portait for the day! 

She had a number of handouts for us, giving us information about the colors she uses and the mixes she uses to get her "shadow colors", which she uses to structure the face while looking at black and white photos of her subjects.

It was obvious, while watching her, that Taylor has spent many years perfecting her technique and knows a lot about facial structure.  She shared so much good information with us and it was a pleasure to watch her work.

She even talked about how she lights her subjects, taking many photographs to get the ones she wants to use for a portrait.  So much good information on photographing portrait subjects that I will have to ask her to return to give a program on lighting and photographing our subjects!

Taylor paints in a pale, high key style and glazes a lot of shadow colors for the "bones" of the portrait before she ever does a first "skin wash" that brings the portrait alive before you eyes!  Truly an exceptional artist who has a signature style that is very appealing, Taylor is now doing portraits amid flowers and art deco style shapes that knocked our socks off when she brought them for critique at a meeting this year.



If you are interested in painting portraits, you should add Taylor's DVDs to your library.  She sells through Amazon and here is the link to view and purchase one (or more) of her DVDs:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=Taylor+Bush+Portraits
Or you can search Amazon.com for Taylor Bush Portraits and they will come up.

ONE WORD WEDNESDAY

Weathered

Photo by Jerry H. Carpenter