Concept for a Painting

I don't always do as I teach, but when it's a large painting, I do feel that thumbnail sketches for layout and composition are highly in order. It gives you a map anyway. The painting will be a large canvas of 24" x 36", with a gallery wrap, so it's a big piece. I start with some small marker sketches, to figure out just what looks good, for the placement of the blooms. I like the three and three look, even though it's an even number. There may be room for a seventh blossom, depending on how large I make each bloom. I also like the diagonal format, it just has a nice feel to it, and the negative space is big enough to be a relief, small enough to not look like wasted space. I like the three sides running into the wrap, off the edges. I do a second, larger sketch using the thumbnail I've chosen. Next I'll add some watercolor.

Working Out a Painting Concept

The finished painting.

Once I have an idea of the layout, the placement of shapes, and where my light source will be, I add some color. These are done with watercolor pencil, and then just loose watercolor. I haven't exactly settled on the background color, but since the painting will go on a yellow wall, I am thinking a gradated color in warm light green and cream. I will keep the background quite neutral, but warm and soft, since there will be a lot of color in the blooms. Or I may decide when it's said and done to go to a muted mauve tone, which would be a complement to the yellow wall.

Another Saturday Life Drawing Session

Another Saturday morning session at Montgomery College. It takes the starch right out of me, it takes such concentrated effort. But oh, such good practice, those three hours. This is the same model as the first week, can you see improvement?

Life drawing

Last week we had the most elegant model, long and stately.

Lovely lines to draw.

Ahhhhh, Life Drawing!

One of the nice things about being back in the Maryland area is that I still have a few art connections. On Saturday mornings, at Montgomery College, there's a wonderful open life drawing session. The artists all chip in to pay the model, and yesterday we had a splendid model. It felt so good to be drawing again, even though I'm rusty and many of my proportions are off.

Tube Wringer

This is my favorite new toy. It's manufactured by the Gill company, and I got it from Dick Blick for around $20.00. Very well worth it. It's a metal clamping system for wringing all the paint out of each tube, and it works just great. I can hardly believe I've been painting for almost three years now without one. They are also available in plastic. The link is here: tube wringer
We'll put it in the category of great tools!

Art Books Sold

I've deleted all the posts about selling art books. Thanks to all of you who rescued books for me, they have all been sent out, and you should be getting them within the next week.

Thanks again!

Selling Acrylics

I've been thinking about this for awhile, and since I haven't been selling many paintings, this is the time. I hauled out all my acrylics, potions and mediums, and arranged them all for photos. And am now offering it all up on ebay. A great deal for anyone who happens to stop by this blog within the next few days. All these fun toys for cheap! here's the link:

acrylics auction

I've put shipping high, as this all will weigh a lot, I think: all those mediums and tubes and jars.

Thanks for stopping by. If you bid on all this stuff, good luck!