cute kitty

5 gulls

Fruit tray

There was a special event in the studios last night, and I was asked to make was asked to make a fruit tray in a special design for it. Naturally I said OK! It turned out pretty. I had never bought star fruit before and this was a good time to try it. It was a nice addition.

group lesson

Six of us artists experimented with acrylic pours today. For my substrate, I chose the canvas boards Trip gave me. They worked great as they were firm enough to hold the heavy paint. These are my two. They were a lot of fun to make, and I can see why so many people enjoy the surprises in this form of art.

acrylic painting

My mother had a bad opinion of acrylics, thinking they were cheap and inferior, akin to house paint. I can't say I disagree, but in this day and age, good painters sometimes actually use house paint in big paintings to achieve the look they want! I now like using acrylic paint. It IS cheap, therefore you don't have to use it sparingly. They come in so many pretty colors! You can paint the same canvas over and over until you get something you like. That is what happened here. I used an 11 x 14 canvas that already had an underpainting. I decided to try an ocean scene though I am not good with realistic subjects. After several attempts and layers, this is what I am calling finished. I am ok with it. Of course, the camera never gets the color exactly right.

evolution

I will probably paint over it, but here goes.

So this is what happened. This canvas was already painted, mostly yellow, when I took it out to paint over. I did the top one. Then I painted over it and it became the second one from the top. Then I decided to make it vertical and paint over most of the darker colors with a gray. The gray (left) was too pink, so I made another gray to paint over some of it. Then I did a few other things. Being that I am a "glutton for punishment," I will go in a tidy it up a bit more. --- I titled it Wedding Flowers.

Watermelon water

One of the artists had this container of water with watermelon and basil in her studio for the Fourth Friday crowd.
It was pretty and refreshing.

Sold!

The studios are open to the public on Friday and Saturday. Last week I decided to make it fun again. Yesterday a nice guy came buy and was interested in this painting that I had titled Modern Art. He asked me to tell him about it, so I started with how my son had stretched the canvas and then went to talk about the specific shade of the dominant gray. Pretty soon he said he would take it. I was delighted someone saw some value in it! I liked it, too.

mission accomplished

Today being Saturday I am expected to spend some time at the studios. I decided this day was going to be different, and that  I would actually bring paint and canvases and maybe paint, or even better, I would find a visitor who would like to paint. You see, a couple of years ago, I moved all my art supplies back home, and Alice moved in with me. She was my neighbor at the AW, and we were both considering leaving. For the past couple of years, I have gone there not to make art, but to recruit artists for whatever I needed them for, or to have a meeting space, but mostly I went to socialize. It kind of took the place of my work. This morning I figured I had enough of using it selfishly, and that I should do a good deed.
I put the easel in the hall for people to see, and I started painting. Pretty soon a family came by, and I asked the little girl if she would like to paint a picture. She did! I set up the supplies, put an apron on her, and then left her with her mother to oversee. The girl painted for about 45 minutes, and this is what she came away with. It made me feel good. And they were happy, too.

April 8

The 2019 Azalea Festival is over and also the art show that I worked on for so long. Whew. I can take it easier for a few days.
Except for one cold day with heavy rain, the weather was lovely. Azaleas were in bloom and the skies were Carolina blue. Visitors came from out of town and state and shopped in our nine-day gallery. There are not enough good things to say about “my team.” Without any one of them, I do not see the outcome being as successful as it was. I was filled with love and gratitude for them. When we pool talents and abilities into one concerted effort, good things happen.
I suppose my main role was planning, communicating, and being positive and calm.
I wish I had taken pictures like I used to do.

huge easels

My art journey took me to a special place this week, an area where old paintings and sculptures are retouched, repaired, restored. I was impressed with these easels that can hold huge and heavy paintings. Good lighting is all around too, so no detail will be missed.