This week I’ve been too busy preparing for a workshop I’m giving to do much art. But I have managed to make a few graphite pencil portraits. When I’m under stress, sometimes it’s helpful to make a pencil portrait as an creative outlet. I made these for the Museum/Sktchy app.
Today our model was Isis, who gave us some great poses. This is my best effort.
There was much consternation in the group today because we had planned to have an art show of our life drawings (i.e., nudes) at the Bainbridge Library from November 1-30. However, because of concerns about possible objections from the public, the library board unanimously voted to nix the nudity. So now we have to renegotiate the show, redesign and print posters, and come up with less controversial art work. I’ll contribute some landscapes and portraits.
Isis at life drawing Read More »
Yesterday I traveled to Seattle to join other artists in Northwest Watercolor Society to paint at the Seattle Chinese Garden. This garden, part of a city-to-city cultural exchange with Chongqing, China, is a lovely recreation of a Sichaun garden with a courtyard, walls, and gates. About 17 people from NWWS came to paint. At noon we stopped and had the “throwdown,” in which we displayed our paintings against the wall for all to see. This is my second painting session with this group, and I found it very enjoyable to paint with other watercolor painters. There is a wide variety of skills and styles, and everyone is very encouraging. I spent most of my time on the painting of the gates, then I painted one of the NWWS members as she painted.
Seattle Chinese Garden Read More »
I painted two of my favorite subjects yet again. This must be the third painting for the net shed and Emmaus Center on Kupreanof Island. I painted these for sale in St. Germain’s Christmas Bazaar on December 3. I think they show some improvement from the previous versions. I’ll probably paint them both again.
I added figures to the net shed painting but they were too small in proportion to the shed. I daubed them with water and lifted them out with a tissue, then I added them again, larger. In the Emmaus Center painting, I added a red boat next to the dock. This is how I remember the place.
Two more Alaska watercolors Read More »
At life drawing this week our model was unable to come (she had a death in the family). So we simply posed for each other (with clothes on!). This is actually quite a nice change and a fresh challenge. I enjoyed painting my friends. When it was my turn to model I discovered that 15 minutes is an eternity when you can’t move! We kept all the poses to 15 minutes rather than our usual 20 minute poses, so I had to work quickly.
I’ve been painting with this group since 2013 (we had a year off because of Covid). There are usually about ten of us who meet in a small building tucked into the trees at Strawberry Hill Park in Bainbridge Island. The class is sponsored by the Bainbridge Island Parks and Rec program. Our models are professionals who come on the ferry from Seattle. One of us volunteers to pick the model up at the feery which arrives just before we meet.
Life drawing with clothed models Read More »
Katy, Guy and I went to Seattle for the Van Gogh Immersion Experience. On the way home, we had to wait in line for thirty minutes for the fast ferry. While we were waiting, I made these sketches of our fellow passengers.
Sketches while waiting in line for the ferry Read More »
Today I painted two watercolors of subjects I’ve previously painted: the Emmaus Center and the warehouse on Kupreanof Island. It seems that if I paint the same subject over and over, eventually I start to loosen up and the painting looks better. That seems to be the case here.
For my birthday, Katy gave me some handmade watercolor paper that has a lot of character to it. I used it for these paintings and it seems to help me loosen up.
I’ve been drafted by our life drawing group to create a poster for our upcoming art show at the Bainbridge Island Library. So far I’ve created four draft posters for the event. The art work shown in these posters may change (I just used what I had available), and the details may be modified. Of the four, which do you like best?
Poster 3
Posters for SHAG Art Show Read More »
This week I tried to paint a watercolor of Hammer Slough in Petersburg, AK. It’s a picturesque scene, with rustic warehouses on pilings built over the tidewater slough, with a background of dark spruce trees. I made a value study in grays, then I made four attempts in color. I’m afraid none of them are satisfactory. Lesson learned? I really don’t have the skills to paint reflections on a tide flat yet. I’ll keep trying because this is such a classic scene to paint. But right now I think I’ll give it a rest. Watercolor painting is hard!
I’ve shown the value study first, then the four attempts with the earliest attempt first.
An exercise in futility Read More »
When I was in Alaska last month, I made a pencil drawing of a net shed on Kupreanof Island. These net sheds are used by fishermen to store their nets when not in use. At high tide a boat can pull up to the shed and unload or load the nets.
I made a value study in black and white that I like a lot. Then I made a color version that I didn’t like as much. I put too much color in the foreground rocks, then I had to wipe it out with a wet tissue. I think the foreground needs to be muted in order to draw attention to the shed.
Net shed on Kupreanof Island Read More »