Art Challenge:

Diana Nelson: Diana picked a favorite ceramic chicken to be the subject for her art challenge. She incorporated collage, 3D features, colorful backgrounds, watercolor etc.

Thank you, Diana for sharing.

Art Challenge:

Barbara Giller: We got to see Barbara's art earlier...her sunflower posted on September 17th .
On this  painting, she made a great use of her hard and soft edges to get her point across and for more interest. 

Thank you, Barbara.

Art Challenge:  

Karen Simpson: Karen's art challenge subject was a still life. Even though she had more for me to photo, she choose this very special pastel still life to share. She usually works in watercolor and acrylic, but her  pastel is great.

I was impressed with her choice of having an avocado as a member of her still life. It's rough texture blended great with the smooth texture of the other fruit.
Thanks, Karen, for sharing.

Art Challenge:

Stephanie Hakanson: Stephanie is a very prolific painter. Her art challenge included not only self portraits of herself, but also of her husband (I think there was talk of divorcee !!!). For a few terms now, she has been painting family portraits, so it was a natural path for her to paint herself this time.
She usually works in acrylic, but she really experimented with other mediums for this challenge...contour drawings, watercolor, colored backgrounds etc. See more of Stephanie's paintings posted Sept 13th.

This is one of Stephanie"s Plein Air acrylic paintings. We went as a class to the marina on the Klamath Lake (Oregon).

Thank you, Stephanie for sharing. 

Note: I welcome all comments or e-mails...from you International viewers too (I can even translate your message). Anyone from anywhere working in any media may be a part of this blog.

Views: This week so far...US and Sweden. 

Art Challenge: Yesterday, the college Intermediate Art Class had its first day of the term. We had fun viewing the great artwork done during the summer break and done to meet the Art Challenge. About half of the students did the challenge, but we were treated to a full gallery of super paintings. I will  for the next few days,  spotlight a different artist/student and their art challenge projects.

I have to say, the artists put in a lot of time and effort in meeting this challenge and did wonderfully. I was a proud Momma Teacher !!  I only wish I could have taken photos of all the artwork. Please check back.

The order the artists are presented is random...I picked their names out of a hat.

Colette Fleck: For her Art Challenge, Colette choose flowers. I thought that was a great way to take full advantage of the summer bounty.  She had many paintings in both watercolor and acrylic. Below are just a few.

Colette, Thank You for sharing.
There will be another art challenge artist posted tomorrow.

New Art Challenge: 
"Balance".....no limits to what you decide on...you can stack objects, things, colors etc as your subject....with their balance about ready to tumble. Any media.
(Just suggestions:...coffee cups off balance about ready to tumble, books, balls etc).
The class will show their work on Oct 16th.
Put those thinking caps on.

Blog Views: This week the views were from...US, UK, Germany & Sweden.
Readings: I just read, Painting with Pastels by Maggie Price. I wasn't disappointed. It includes lots more than just pastel techniques. I liked the chapters on painting from photos, plein air painting, composition and the age old question: "When is a painting finished !!!". 
She states that you should always use your own photos, not just because of the copyright laws of using other people's photos (from magazines, calenders, friends etc) but also you know what you are looking for....always keep in mind your painting goals when you take photos. Also that a photo is just that...it is a photo not a painting. A photo has everything in focus, where you wouldn't do that in a painting.

I recommend that everyone research the copyright laws. There is a fine line between just changing a few "things" from someone else's photo or artwork and be able to call it your own.  Don't think that you are just a single person that might not be well known and will never be caught copying.
KCC Classes: Fall term starts next week. Enrollment is very low this term...so if you are interested in a class...be sure to register very soon, as they will be canceled  Monday....due to low enrollment.

Artist Links: Check out the artist web site links at the right in the sidebar.
Viewer Contribution: 
Barbara Giller, one of my students...yea!...is sharing her painting below. Love getting the painting and the reference photo. Glad you took a break from your garden to paint...Nice.

She said: So I have had enough of my garden for a few days and did a painting....

attached is picture of and H2O painting of one of my sunflowers.

Hope to see you in the fall class.... if I can get my schedule situated.

See you soon
Barbara  

I love this quote that Barbara has attached to her e-mail...

Be the kind of woman when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says~~  "Oh Crap, She's up!"

Votes: I have received only 2 votes for the  marina composition....you can read them on "comments".  I would like to hear from more of you...anyone from the International community want to vote?

Question: What if I put a wrench in the mix and said....what about the subject matter? The focal point goes to the sailboats, but  is the subject matter the time of day, spacing of the area (background, middle ground and foreground), lighting, quietness, early morning etc? Which is more the contributing factor?...focal point or subject matter?...and how does it change the composition?...or does it?

Foreign Language: Since we are having international blog viewings, I added the language translator button. The countries that have viewed the blog this week are: USA, Russia, Germany, United Kingdom.

Have a great week.

Blog Views: I added a page view count section on the right...so now you can see how many have looked at it. 

Plein Air: Below is my second attempt at painting Elk Lake Marina. I went back on a weekday and there were less people and dogs. I had all the intentions of using my support horizontally, but after a few thumbnail sketches, I decided to use it vertically. That did present some problems...it was top heavy....24" x 11" of 1/2" thick hardboard.  Since I don't use an easel with watercolors, I had to find a tree stump that was at the right height and at the right location to help hold the long heavy support.  The morning light was steamy, but the reflections were there, unlike my first visit (See Posting Sept. 7).. It was cold...it got down to 28* that night..in August..in Bend!!! Ouch....hence, my short visit.

I changed the composition by: painting only 4 boats, using a very limited palette and adding color to the boats (focal points are to have the color and the most contrast by painting the the dark water behind the boats).

Color Palette: I used only 2 colors for the main part of this painting...then added the colors for the boats. I used Joseph Zbukvic palette, but then only a few of his colors. 

Help...This is not a Test !!!   

Vote for Your Composition Preference: 

Leave a comment.

After arriving back home and looking at this painting for a few days, I decided that the composition may not be correct. It looked okay with my thumbnails. Perhaps, I painted to fast (about 30min) or when I got to the bottom half of the painting the support was harder to balance or I misjudged my composition (that's my vote)?

Below are 3 versions of cropping. Which one do you think is the best composition? Leave a comment. 

Vote for:

A...Original Painting.

B...Little cropped off the bottom.

C...All of the bottom is cropped.

                                                                              A

  

B

C

Vote...by leaving a comment (or e-mailing me).

Blog Hits: 352....This week hits came from...USA, Russia and Germany.

Quote: "Tell me, what is your plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
                     ...Mary Oliver, poet.

Contributions: It seems that you are a little timid in posting your work. I understand, but maybe you ought to pull out that camera, take some photos of your work and e-mail them to me....you have but one wild and  precious life !!!

Viewer's Contribution:
Stephanie is sharing her acrylic paintings. She is one of my students...if you can call her that ! Thank you for sharing...they are all great.

 She is doing self-portraits and portraits of her husband as her art challenge. 

Art Challenge: How are you doing? How about a few comments or sharing? Wet our appetites a little? Running out of time?... join the club...but try and keep at it, you will be glad you did.

Have a great day.

Quiz Answer:  How many paintings did Van Gogh sell in his lifetime? One....!!!

Plein Air: There are many end results for a Plein Air Painting.

It is what it is....

1...It never is intended to be touched up or finished after returning back home. It is either  finished

     or not finished before you leave.

2...It is meant to be finished after returning back home.

3...It is a study for the painting you start and finish after returning back home.

Viewer Contribution: 

Debbie, from California, is sharing her Plein Air Painting. We also get the pleasure in seeing a photo of her view. We can see how she made it her own by how she simplified and changed the composition. Thank you...your painting is beautiful. 

Here is what Debbie said:

I am going to attempt posting a comment again.  I really like your blogsite.

Here is my Plein Aire painting to share for today....I am going out again today with a group of friends.  We'll have a lot of fun - I know.  I'll send you another post later this week.

Cedarville-Warner Mtns.

I painted this in July from under a shade tree at the Modoc District Fair Grounds.  The group I paint with meets at least a few times through the summer months and travel to different parts of the county.  Sometimes we pack a picnic for our break too.  I use Joni Leaf's plein air painting list to keep my "packing" to a limit and also so I don't forget items that I need.  I have even made a plein air paint tote so that I am not packing my entire studio paints with me.  I like the freedom that outdoor painting provides.  Everyone in the group always has a different perspective, composition, and style.  I am getting ready to go again today....

Happy painting!  

Debbie Pedersen

P.S...Also, I forgot to mention the importance of a thumbnail sketch.  During this outing I did not use one, and look! the barn is in the middle of the picture....I think I'll use this one for a "field painting" and repaint it this winter in my studio...

Thanks

Quiz: How many paintings did Van Gogh sell in his lifetime?
Reading: If you are to the point of going into the Art Business or already in business, but like to read more....try out this book. My edition is older (1998) and I don't know if it was ever revised...but I think even the older edition will have valuable information for you.
Crafting as a Business....by Wendy Rosen. It says "Crafting" but it is good for fine arts too. Wendy Rosen is a well known art business person and is very well respected.
"Crafting as a Business covers every aspect of creating a business from the ground up- from pricing to product development. Wendy Rosen writes clearly and authoritatively from a personal and professional experience, relating the information that all would-be professionals need to know."

Viewer Contribution:  
Mel McRobert, from Oregon is sharing his Plein Air Painting. 
He says, "We went camping twice, once in July and once in August. Both times it was overcast, windy, and cold. I did do one small painting and you can see it was socked in. There's still time to go out painting before winter comes in". 
That's the spirit !!!
Thank you...your painting is wonderful.

 Plein Air Painting

Plein Air...French for "Painting outdoors or in the air". Now is a great time of year to go out and find your outdoor muse! Here are some (not all) guidelines and helpful hints:

Before you start painting: Look at your view...and then decide:

* What will be your focal point?

* What can you simplify ...you do need to pick the main shapes and let others fall away.

* Composition...how can you change the composition to make a better painting? Unless you have to have a painting that represents your view exactly...you will probably change elements so your painting has a better composition. Natural isn't always best. 

* Value...find your values. Is the sky lighter than the mountain?...is the mountain darker than the sky?...etc.

* Light Source: It will change every second, not only because time tics...but clouds can cover over the sun etc..(you fainted because you didn't drink enough water). 

* Color Palette....use  limited colors. Keep your palette shaded.

* Paint small? It helps when you are chasing the light source, weather conditions and how fast paints dry.

* Do your homework on your area and expect the unexpected !!! (do as I say, not as I did!)!

While camping, I went, during early evening,  to Elk Lake to do a little Plein Air of the marina. The little lake I camp at doesn't have a lodge or marina. As I entered the gravel road into the lodge, I knew instantly I DID NOT DO MY HOMEWORK. The road was lined on both sides with parked cars, trucks, empty boat trailers and PEOPLE....making the road into a one-way only. After backing up several times to let (unfriendly) drivers through....I parked almost as far away as the lake I 

left !!! (thank goodness I pack light). There was a wedding, a concert, day users and campers. Maybe...never go on a weekend??? The shore line was packed....I'd say, 5 people per square foot.  Anyone who has met me know I don't like painting in a crowd....but I said "What would my students do?" I was brave and went for it. I found a little spot with a little stump to lean my board on next to a family of 5 and 2 dogs ( that loved the water...got the picture?). I was lucky the 2 of the children were to young to ask me questions, the older daughter was in the stage of not daring to look at anyone...so I was lucky there too. I only wish I could say as much for the 2 dogs. I did two little paintings in watercolor in about 1 hr and got out of there. I went back during mid-week and found it to be a better experience. The morning reflections were so much better too.

There are a lot of details to learn about Plein Air...the best way to learn is to go out and try it. Have fun.

 I painted only a few of the boats...my way to simplify the composition.

Early evening cast a interesting light...but the reflections were nonexistent. 

Got my Challenge Trees painted!

Share your Plein Air Paintings with us....e-mail them to me and I'll post.

What to do with all those challenge painting studies????

3D Paintings

This is one way I decided to do my Challenge Trees....those 4" x 3" studies just meant having those small little paintings with nothing to do with them, but to paste them on card fronts (been there, done that). These I can sell or send out as greeting cards.  I experimented and have 3 different ways to fold them.
Let us know about your challenge.

Below you can see my 3D painting in process and you can see my Color String (the blue to yellow-green). Mixing a color string  helps me have ready my tree values.

(I also rubber stamped words...you all know how I love adding words...onto the paper first. It wasn't water proof, so it bled some...which I liked.

What is and how to mix a Color String?

A color string is a line of paint  on your palette that you have premixed with different values. 

Start with a color and you step-by-step make that color either lighter or darker or step-by-step make that original color into another color.

I did a "2-way" string??? I started with  Blue in the middle, then I  added  it's complementary, Red, to darken the blue going in one direction..... Then going from the blue the opposite direction, I added yellow to make the blue more green and lighter. Now I had at least 3 needed values (light, medium and dark). Usually a color string starts with one color and goes in one direction to either lighter, darker or into another color.

Beginners tend to mix their paint as they go...usually guessing along the way. Premixing your values helps you get those...3 needed values, color unity, depth and a smaller color palette.

Enjoy!!!

Comments: If one keeps at it...a solution  will happen !!!  
Now....Anyone can leave a comment. Please do. 
*After you have written your comment, add your name to your message.
*Then click "Publish".
*It will ask for a Profile....click "Anonymous", (if you don't already have a blog etc).
*You will have to copy those crazy letters with word verification (that protects the blog etc).
Blog Hits: 229 views...USA, Russia, South Korea, Malaysia, Germany & New Zealand.
Quiz: What is a fugitive color? A color that's prone to fading when exposed to light.
There are some watercolor colors that change color almost immediately  after drying....some are our favorites.
Readings: Wilcox Guide to the Finest Watercolor Paints.  By Michael Wilcox. Tells all about fugitive colors plus lots more.
 Editorial Reviews.....From Library Journal

What is the difference between Cadmium Yellow and Cadmium Yellow Hue? How does this difference affect the quality of the watercolor? Which Grumbacher Red is superior, Alizarin Crimson or Thalo Red? These are a few of the many questions asked by both professional artists and serious amateurs that are answered here. In cooperation with the manufacturers and fellow artists, Wilcox has painstakingly researched this book, which allows readers to design their own pallettes choosing the best colors from the confusing array of pigments and brands available. Without a predetermined loyalty to a single pigment or manufacturer, Wilcox provides a color sample plus lightfast, washability, and health ratings for each color, while also giving a history of the particular color group and original pigment ingredient. An invaluable book that discusses what the "how to" art books do not; essential for any library with a sizable instructional art book collection.
- Jacqueline Garlesky, Cambria Cty. Lib., Johnstown, Pa.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Another book by Michael Wilcox. Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green.

Viewer Contribution: 

My friend, Lauren from Maine, spent time in Phomn Penh, Cambodia helping children. While she was there she took some photos of a loom. She sent them to me and I thought you  might be interested in seeing them. This is what she wrote: "This was taken at the Palace Museum in Phomn Penh. The loom was so long and decorated by the lovely dragon carvings at the end".

Question: Stephanie asked a question....how to get the brown kraft paper off the edges of her watercolor paintings?
Below is my best response. If you have any solutions let me know and I will pass it on.

Back in the day, I think the tape was of better quality and it released from the watercolor paper....not so much now. Sorry to say, you will probably never get it off without possible damage to your painting. I crop and cut it off. Another thing I do is I tape the wet paper down to stretch as usual with the brown kraft tape and when it is dry, I use blue painters tape to tape evenly around the white of the paper.  That way a nice clean white border is established when I am finished.  I take it off the board and I cut off the brown tape. I  also reduce my watercolor paper size to the common frame sizes (8 x 10...11x 14 etc) when I put the blue tape down. Reason is, so buyers (or yourself) can buy frames off the shelf and have more of a variety to choose from. Hope this helps.

Quiz: What is a fugitive color?...Watch for the answer.

Oh My Goodness....already there has been 203 views hits of this Blog and they have come from the US, Russia, South Korea, Malaysia and New Zealand (New Zealand may be my cousin?...as she is visiting there now...Hi Miftah!!!).  

We rock!!! Such fun.

Quiz Answer: How many paintings did Leonardo da Vinci create?   Fewer than 30.

Comments: I have heard from some about this blog....I would love hearing from more. 

 There has been 2 questions:
1...How to leave a comment?: Several have had difficulties leaving a comment. I'm working on it.
2...Can you post directly?: No...only I have the sign in password. Just e-mail me attachments of your photos and what you want said about your art etc. I'll cut and paste for you.

I'm going to start with some of what I have been doing...but I hope to start receiving stuff from others so this isn't a blog about me.

One year while camping, I drew some drawings of tree stumps with "Camping Buddies" visiting the stumps with watermelon rind. This one was Camping Buddy I.

I drew 3...Camping Buddy I, II & III. This year I added the below....Camping Buddy IV. I didn't take any watermelon, so I had to wait for a buddy to arrive....It was fun, as last year another camper had a frog in her shoe.

                                            Camping Buddy IV

And then...I couldn't resist...this drawing.

   Yes, those toilets can be the camper's best buddy (even those pit toilets)...especially if you ate to much watermelon!