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The second day of our workshop Pam started out by showing a video of Sergei Bongardt talking and painting. The artist spoke so clearly from his heart that the video was very moving. I felt inspired by his talk and by his work. My painting this day feels looser and juicier that the one the day before. This is my goal.....loosy and juicy. I was worried that all that lavender would make the painting too sweet. I think I avoided that. The Ray for the Day is "Silver Tea".
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What a wonderful weekend we had! An old friend from grad school loaned us his house on Vashon for the oil painting workshop while he is in Ecuador. Barbara Barry, Joanne Shellan and I had a cozy time in his sweet home, talking art and life, when we were not at the Barn Works Studio painting with our teacher Pam Ingalls. Pam turned out to be charming, extremely well organized, and very generous. We worked hard, learned a lot and went home exhausted and turned on. The four stages of an oil painting plus value and temperature are the lessons I hope to hold onto. We had delicious dinners at the Hardware Store Restaurant (where Pam Ingalls had a large show, so we feasted on her paintings as well as the food), great lunches from the Thriftway, a glass of wine here and there and very satisfying painting, learning, and woman time. As I dropped each woman off at her home with her gear and new paintings I felt a little sadness at the dissolving of our life and work together. The Ray for the Day is "Morning Reflection".
Tulips in the store herald the possibility of Spring, and oranges make me think of sunshine. I made this set up for our painting session at my studio last Thursday. I am happy to be painting on a regular basis again, even though it is once a week. Since this painting I have been to a weekend workshop and have learned some more great stuff about oil painting. Those will be posted in the next couple of days. The Ray for the Day is "A Slice of Life".
So yesterday we painted at Joanne's studio. We just weren't finished painting eggs. This time we wanted raw eggs and broken shells. This is a small painting, only 9"x14". It appears to be a very simple little painting, but took as long as larger, more complicated ones. How can that be? Every painting seems to have a very fresh, fun beginning, then a kind of chaotic middle and then the finish which involves pulling it all together. Each stage has it's own joys and frustrations. Pulling it all together sometimes seems like magic.....to make a bunch of colored shapes look like raw eggs and eggshells. How does that happen? I really couldn't exactly tell you. I wonder how we will have our eggs next week. Scrambled? The Ray for the Day is "Eggs on My Brain".
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Well, it looks like food is the subject matter that compels me at this time. Perhaps after my Holiday eating it will be better to paint food for awhile rather than be eating it! Joanne and I painted today at my studio. Two Tartes Bakery called yesterday and asked me to do a show there this year. Synchronistically (funny how often than works) my new food series will fit in there very nicely. I can't wait to go photograph their pastry case and others I can think of too. The Ray for the Day is "Fried Eggs".
When I entered Joanne's house I was greeted with the fragrance of warm bread. My mouth watered. However, this loaf was not for lunch. It was part of our still life for the day. I didn't particularly like this set up when I began. It seemed so plain and so monochromatic. As I worked along I really got into both of those qualities. I feel the result to be quite warm and comforting. Perhaps that aroma of baking bread crept into the painting. This is my last painting for the year of 2009, and is my New Years painting. While making this painting I decided I would like to make paintings of food for awhile. I think this is the beginning of a new series. May the New Year sustain you like this warm loaf of bread, and may there also be sweetness in your life. The Ray for the Day is "The Staff of Life".
Three weeks ago, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my friend Joanne Shellan and I decided to start a weekly painting date. We are taking turns going to one another's studios to do oil paintings. For the time being we are focusing on still life paintings. I made this set up of Fall leaves and fruit and we each went into our personal painting zones. While I'm painting I am in the non- verbal part of my brain and it is a delicious place to be. It is not always comfortable, or blissful as some people think. At least not for me. A painting is a series of problems to solve and each stage of the painting presents a different set of problems. Along with the regular decisions to make regarding composition, color, line, and all the rest, I am learning to use the tools of oil painting. Though there are times of frustration and even anger it is, all in all, a very satisfying experience. The Ray for the Day is "Fall Leaves and Fruit".
