Loper Tradition class day three

Progress from day three.

Just uploaded this photo quickly before heading out to see our new granddaughter. Didnt adjust the color any, so I think it is a little bit on the yellow side.

Struggled with the background, especially in the area behind the green apple.
Need to adjust the contrast between the "white vase" and its background.

Unforgettable Art 2010

It is time once again for Unforgettable Art. It is being held on Saturday April 10 in Rockford, IL.

Plans this year are to paint something "geisha".

It's a Girl

Helen Jean 8.9 lbs 19 inches. Born Jan 31. Head full of dark brown hair.

Midnight in the Garden of Armadilloes

Revisting some more past images. I think I sold this one at an art fair in Hinsdale Illinois.

Loper Tradition class day two

I decided last week that I might add in the darker raw umber lines and chose to do it this week.

I wiped out the white chalk lines shortly after this photo. Al took it and put it inside a cabinet to restrict the light and to help show how I was doing okay with colors, but needed to work on my lights and darks.

Thought I would try checking the lights by changing the image to grayscale and selecting what color I knew to be the lightest, which was the spot on the yellow apple.


As you can see, that spot on the yellow apple is not the only light spot.

Here is the progress at the end of the day and after I had

Clearly I have increased the light area on the yellow apple, but still need to address a spot on the red apple that is a bit too bright.

Loper Tradition class

Decided to sign up for class again this week.

Much smaller class this time. Only 4 of us and we are all prior students.
So Al was able to take us to the next level and talk about still life set ups.

This is the still life I chose. And to be honest, I didnt like it. But with fewer students, we get to set up closer than before.


After I downloaded the photo, I realize that I didnt take the set up photo from the same angle that I set up my painting. But no matter. Even from the angle I chose for my painting, I made lots of adjustments. Had I not posted the real set up, who would know that I made changes?


Decided to work on a colored background again. This time I chose a raw umber mixed with white. I have a grey toned disposable palette that I am using and I thought it might help to at least have the surface I am mixing on and the surface I am painting on a similar tone.

I am thinking I might go ahead and paint in the chalk lines with straight raw umber when I go back next week.


Bonnie is back in class. Al is in the background talking with Francie.

There is going to be a Dinotopia exhibit coming in Feb to the museum. Admittedly, I am usually ready to head back home after getting up at 5:30 and making the 2 hour drive, but I probably will check out this exhibit.

Catherine Aird

Love this quote by Catherine Aird -
"If you can't be a good example, then you will just have to serve as a horrible warning"-

I Aut-o-Mate

Revisiting some old drawings. Will be a Valentine Day's card.

Had a visitor

Clearly I had a visitor while I was gone.

Too Much Snow

We ended up having about 2 feet of snow the week before Christmas.
Some views from the back door.

Fortunately it wasnt wet and heavy. But did take us all morning to clear one spot to get out of the driveway.

A rear va der chi, baby

Shoobie.

Me SKOO zee ... eh?

Djeet?

The Real Housecats of New Jersey

We laugh that we have very few "varmints" around here, even tho we back up to some scrabby looking woods. Our neighbors even talk about the one squirrel we share for several houses in the neighborhood.

One thing that we do have, tho not alot, but more so than any place else I have lived is feral cats.
Surviving out in those scabby woods certainly must toughen the creatures that live there.

I imagine that if the feral cats were to talk, they might have a bit of an attitude, one on the rough side.

So mix the Jersey shore, the Sopranos, reality shows and some tough cats and you come up with The Real Housecats of New Jersey.

It's PETacular

My friend Terry Stanley has started a new project.
It is called "It's PETacular!"

She had such a great success last year with Dog Days of Painting and had lots of requests for pet portraits that werent dogs.

Stop by her new site.

Two legged dog

What an inspiration. From the AP

Surf Taco -- Art of the Taco.

Been getting ready for Art of the Taco this coming Friday evening. It is at Surf Taco at 1003 Main Street in Belmar, NJ. Printing up alot of greeting cards. My new series, The Real Housecats of New Jersey will be available.

I participated in the event last year and had some fish tacos which they call a Surf Taco. I really like the shredded cabbage instead of lettuce. Fortunately we found a location closer to use in Forked River . Oh, btw, pronounce that "For'-ked River" if you dont want to sound like an outsider. The nice thing about the location is that there is also a coffe shop Java Brewin in the same center.

Morphing self portraits from YouTube

Master artist self portraits from YouTube

Silent Monks sing Halleluia

Silent Monks sing Halleluia on YouTube

In Philly

Was in Philadelphia the other day. Stopped at the art museum and took a few photos.

East entrance. There was a special exhibit of Arshile Gorky's work. He was rather versatile in his style. Did alot of abstracts. One in particular that caught my eye was the Plough and the Song. Not so much that it was an interesting painting but that he did so many studies for it.
I could see doing a quick sketch, but why so many separate studies? It's not like anyone is going to know you made changes on an abstract -- or that the changes werent intentional. Well, that is my thought.

Looking out down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from the east entrance. Same steps that Rocky ran up. I walked all the way from where the road bends out of view, through the whole museum (which is huge) and back again. I thought I wore comfortable shoes until I was about halfway done.

Rocky statue is at the base of the steps. Had to take a picture of the statue just to say I was there.