"100 SLC Porches, No. 1" - The Beginning

I’ve decided to do an art project that was partially inspired by a fellow blogger.  For quite a while now I’ve been enjoying the “100 Faces” of artist Karin Jurick on her blog – A Painting Today.  Each new face she has painted has been unique and I am in awe of her talent. I thought it also might be a good way to challenge myself as a painter by doing “100 of” something. But I’m not talented enough yet to step up to "100 Faces" but maybe something else. But what? The idea has been simmering in the back of my mind for awhile.

SLC Porches, No.1-  8"x10" watercolor on cold press

So this last Thanksgiving holiday as I was walking/jogging, trying to burn some of those consumed calories, an idea struck! For some reason as I was going along I was noticing the porches on houses. There’s a great deal of variety of houses along my favorite route, and I will admit that is part of what has made it my favorite. Each house is unique and I was finding myself focusing particularly on the porches. Each porch is unique and I couldn’t help but feel I was being given a glimpse of the people who dwell in each house. The more and more I looked at all of these porches; I saw all of the variety and the possibilities. Boom! The light bulb went on, and I thought to myself. Why not? “100 Salt Lake City Porches”!

This last Saturday during my walk I took my camera and snapped photos of about 30 different porches. I’m not sure if all of them will translate to paint well, but it’s a start.  I'm playing with the "game plan" of doing 2 porches a week.  But I really don't want to focus so much on time restraints.  I want to feel that I'm doing proper justice to each unique porch.  I, also, want to allow room for artistic inspiration, and maybe for some that might be considered a "cop-out".  But any of you that know me, know that once my mind is set on something I can be darn tenacious.  I may from time to time need a "break" from porches and may feel inspired to paint something else from time to time.  Thus, I'm not really giving myself a dead line to finish these 100 SLC Porches.  Sunday I sat down and painted the first of many.

Oh, and if anyone sees a Salt Lake City porch, or perhaps, has a porch they would like to see painted.  Drop me an email its2allgood4u@yahoo.com with an address, or a request.  I also would love to hear any feedback you have on the “100 SLC Porches”.  A co-worker has already requested for her porch to be #52. I guess its her lucky number, or maybe she figures that by #52 I’ll be accomplished enough to make her porch look really good?  Hmmm...

Mom's 10 lb. Butterball

"Mom's 10 lb. Butterball" 11" x 14" oil on canvasboard

I call this latest oil , "Mom's 10 lb. Butterball".  Mom sometimes calls her cat Butterball instead of his given name-- Buddy.  He's probably closer to 15 lbs. really.  She was teasing me about getting him a little cat treadmill to get him some exercise.  But I thought it was rather appropriate for Thanksgiving.
 Happy Thanksgiving!

One Scene - Two Approaches

"Arches - Focus on Light", 8.5" x 11.5" watercolor on cold press

This week, I played with the basic same scene but approached it from two different ways.  One way was to focus on the light in the scene.  Above you will see this scene where there's more light that shows on the stones and the wrought iron gate is perceived as white through out the darker colors of the shaded background of the arches.   The other way was to focus on color.  In this approach I chose to have the color and detail decide what is close to you.  You will find the color focused arches scene below.  Let me clarify that these are basically the same scene EXCEPT for being mirror images of one another.  I'll admit that I cut corners with the one above.  I did it in my watercolor painting class and in the interest of time... It was enlarged and then traced.  I know that was kind of BAD of me. 

The above was especially a fun water color painting class experience because it started off as a rose colored wash.  Colleen showed me various ways to remove color from a water color painting where the paint has all ready been applied.  I rather felt like a chemist as we mixed bleach 50/50 with water.  A piece of clear acetate with cut out areas for the lighter areas (like the top arches and the windows within the arches) was placed over the rose colored wash.  With the acetate taped down, an old brush was used to apply the bleach/water mix to the rose colored wash.  It was interesting to see how the rose color started to disappear.  Those areas were then masked off.  While the masking fluid was drying, Colleen then showed me the FUN of using wax.  Wax was applied to various areas of the painting to give the effect of bricks.  I would color wash an area, then apply more wash, and then apply a wash with another color.  Layer upon layer; it was almost like building brick by brick and added bits of various colors to each wash to create the end result. 

Next, it was on to the shaded areas of the arches.  The shade was built; working from greens, browns, and then finally the blues.  Then Colleen showed how to remove color from the shaded arch areas to create the feeling of the wrought iron gates.  A metal razor blade was randomly and lightly scratched over the dried water color paint.  Thus, bit by bit the gates were formed.

" Arches with a Color Focus" 9" x 12" watercolor on yupo

The other approach was a focus on color.  The closer the surface is the darker and closer it is.  Therefore, on this painting there seems to be more of a focus on the wrought iron gates.  The inside of the arches are further away and thus contain lighter colors.  The inner arch areas almost disappear away with this approach.

So which do YOU like better?  I would love to hear your input!

Win/Win-- Art, Wine, & More...

Oil paintings displayed in the living room. Some of these were from the Tale of Two Mains show I did in March.

Last week I had my little private art show that I referred to as Art, Wine & More. Overall it was a Win/Win situation, and a BIG thanks to all of those who showed. A box was filled with non-perishable foods and I ended up selling 6 paintings which 10% of the proceeds is going to the Utah Food Bank.

Watercolor paintings and a couple of new oils were displayed in another room.


I held the event on both Thursday and Friday. Thursday night I had a couple of people in attendance, and I was kind of getting concerned but I know that I had a few people that had mentioned they were coming on Friday night.

Look at all of these Food Donations!

Friday night arrived and I had a co-worker that came over shortly after work. The co-worker purchased a painting. Then, a friend arrived early and shortly after that my water color teacher, Colleen, showed up. It rather kept up steady with people arriving and leaving until about the last hour. It was during this last hour that a group of friends and myself just hung out in the living room and chatted. While we chatted we enjoyed sipping beverages and sampling food. It was a very fun and relaxed atmosphere.

I ended up having about 13 people overall visit on Friday night. At the end of Friday night, 4 water color paintings and 2 oil paintings had sold. AND the Food Donation Box was practically filled. Wow~! Thus, I'm calling it a Win/Win situation. I even managed to talk a couple of friends into taking some fudge home. Can you say," I don't need that fudge on my hips!"

***- Oh and Mom- the first picture-- that's the chair I was talking about. The one that you re-upholstered which I just LOVE!

Tone-it-Up Or Tone-it-Down: Wet-to-Dry Painting

At last night’s water color painting class, the focus was color tone with a wet-to-dry style of water color painting exercise. Tone implies color where value is the “grays” scale. Something just “clicked” and I finally actually understood the concept after this class. That’s amazing considering I’ve been taking art lessons off and on for years!

Colleen first showed us a tonal chart which had the gray scale on one end. Then, she spoke about the tint of a color is to lighten the color. In water color to tint, or lighten, the color you use more water. Next we learned about the shade of a color is to darken the color. In water color to shade the color you use the color’s complimentary color. So get out your color wheels and check to see what’s opposite. I happen to have almost gotten the color wheel beaten into my head enough over the years that I’ve absorbed it through osmosis! Some things just seem to sink in over time.


So for our exercise this week was our last of the wet-to-dry style of water color painting. We got to choose between two photos; one with evergreen trees covered in snow, or one with what I called a winter barn scene. Everyone chose the winter barn scene. This is what mine ended up looking like after I did a bit of finishing touches when I got home.

"Winter Barn"- wet-to-dry style water color on 9"x12" cold press paper.

For homework this week, we are supposed to do one more wet-to-dry watercolor with a good example of color tone, and then, do a tonal chart like the one Colleen showed us in class—which looks like this…

Color Tonal Chart-- my homework, YUCK!

Admittedly, I’m not too excited about doing the tonal color chart.   Hmmmm… maybe the “dog ate it” excuse?  Can you tell I'm not really a good student?

Oh, and P.S.--The wet-to-dry style?  Well, up until last night I've been referring to it as wet-on-wet.  We've only been doing it four weeks and I'm just catching on to that!  Yeah, I'm not the smartest pupil in the class!

Three Point Perspective...

I'm a little slow in posting this.  I will admit that part of it was because I wanted to finish an example that I started in last week's water color painting class.  It's always easier to give an actual example of something than to explain it.



Skyscrapers in water color and ink- 9"x12" on yupo



We started off the class by drawing a three point perspective city-scape on type writer paper.  I admit part of the reason for type writer paper was because I didn't feel confident about what would turn out of my drawing it.  Also, our teacher, Colleen suggested to do a smaller version of the city scene so that we could put all three points of perspective on the sheet of paper.  We placed a horizon line very near the bottom of the paper.  Then, we place two points of perspective on that horizon.  Then, Colleen told us to draw an off center vertical line up to the top point of perspective.  Having all three points on the same paper certainly did make it more manageable and ultimately allow us to get an idea of the relationship of the three different points to one another. 



After we drew a three point perspective on the type writer paper then we were ready to do some painting.  Colleen gave us several different pictures to use.  I chose one photo and because of the limited time left in the class I very quickly drew a three point perspective but not as detailed as it probably needed to be done.  I decided to do a puddle style on  yupo.  I have since finished it off with ink after the water color has dried. 

The above painting is what I ended up with.  Not too bad for a first attempt at three point perspective painting, but there's certainly room for improvement.  Also, I managed to finish another puddle style water color on yupo that I started in the make up class that took place last Monday.  This one I also played with adding a little ink.  What do you think?

Looking into the Fountain- puddle style water color with ink on yupo- 9"x12"

Points of Perspectives in Water Color Painting Class

The word for water color painting this week was "Perspective".  Right away we were at Colleen's computer station looking at examples of perspectives.  There's 1, 2, and 3 point perspectives.  We first talked about one point perspective.  Which I will be frank I have never thought of one point before.  I know it boggles the mind that at times I can be a bit obtuse!  I remember doing two point perspective in high school mostly city scenes with buildings wrapping around corners (that looked really horrible) but one point?  I never considered it or really tried to use it before.  And well, 3 point perspective... Forgit-a-boud it! But now I can see that it would be helpful to make a building see taller.  Not that I'm planning on bounding any sky scrapers on any canvas in the short future. 

Colleen showed us several examples of one point perspective (with a bit of 2 point) via paintings from Kathy Weber.  What amazing paintings this artist has!  I love her use of color-- her use of shading!  It's just wonderful!  Please check out her blog if you get the chance.

After all those wonderful examples, we were off to do a pencil drawing first of a one point perspective of a building disappearing into the one point on the horizon.  Got out those rulers and we drew lines according to Colleen's directions.  I ended up doing two different building (right next to each other-- one kind of in front of the other) working on the same one point of perspective.  Nothing too elaborate but enough to get a feel for the concept.  Next, we chose a photo that had a one point perspective to work on.  I chose a black & white photo of a horse out at pasture.  Here it is....

"Horse at Pasture"-Wet-on-wet style on cold press paper- 9"x12"



 So what do you think?  I think I did pretty well on the fence's perspective. 

Oh, and here's some other paintings that I finished this week...



"Red Fall Leaves"- wet-on-wet style on cold press-9"x12"

"Confetti'd White Stallion"- wet-on-wet style on cold press- 9"x12"

I even broke out the oils and finished this painting...

"Cycling Cache Valley's Little Red"- Oil on canvas- 16"x20"

Water Color Painting Class-- Saturation!

This week in class there seemed to be a theme—Saturation! First, Colleen discussed about how saturation of a color is relative to the vibrancy or brilliance of that color. Those colors that are lighter; like the yellows/oranges, naturally appear larger and carry more visual weight to that area of a painting. Also, those colors that are higher in intensity, i.e. pure pigments, tend to draw the eye to that area in a painting too. Colleen went on to show us several examples from Monet, Matisse, and other well known artists where they used the concept of color saturation in their composition.


Next we worked on Wet-on-Wet style of water color painting. In this we continued the concept of saturation as we literally were soaking cold press paper until it could no longer take any more water. This is the same method that we used in the prior class when we did the strawberry painting. Here again, we started by lightly drawing with pencil the outline of the painting. Colleen had us focus on the shading area of the painting. Concentrating on the darker and lighter areas of the painting would allow us also to think about the use of color saturation; as well as the values of color. I chose to do a painting based on a photo I taken up at a Sunday Silly Market in Park City. I call this painting—“Is This Hat Me or What?"

Is This Hat Me or What? - Wet-on-wet style on cold press paper



 And here are a few more of the puddle paintings that I worked on this last week...

Girls Checking Out Art - water color on yupo paper

Not too bad, huh? I might be improving just a wee bit?

Spur Exhange - water color on yupo paper

Sisters on a Sunny Sunday Afternoon - Water color on yupo paper

Meanwhile Back at Water Color Painting Class...

Sculpture in Garden- water color on yupo paper

We ended up taking a couple of weeks off from water painting class due to death in my teacher's, Colleen's, family.  But last night class was resumed.  We started off by showing what we've been doing while class was out.  I had three paintings to show for missing two weeks.  She critiqued our work and gave up helpful suggestions on how to improve our painting.  I really like that about her teaching style.  She's positive about what we do but still gives helpful suggestions on how we can improve.

Tower Against the Sky- water color on yupo paper

Then we moved onto this week's lesson; Symmetry.  We went to the computer area and she showed us samples of water color paintings on Yupo (pronounce- U- Poo - with only 1 P-- I thought it had 2 P's and I was pronouncing it- YuP-Poo-- OOppps!)  We discussed and looked at good examples and some not so good examples of symmetry.  She talked and showed us how we can improve our paintings by getting our symmetry proper.

Biking Along Vine Street- water color on yupo

Next we were working on our own examples of symmetry.  I chose a photo with two different flowered vases to work on.  She had me softly draw one vase free hand.  Then, she had me stop and decide which half of the vase looked closest to the vase in the photo.  We measured top to bottom and side to side; to determine the center point.  I drew a line down the center.  Then, I erased one half and darkened the outline on the other side that was the "good side". 



Tracing paper was placed over the "good side" with the edge down along the center line.  Carefully taping the tracing paper along the center line but above and below the drawing area.  I, then, drew on top of the tracing paper above the "good side", and flipped the paper over and rubbed along the line I drew on the tracing paper.  It left a mark when I removed the tracing paper that I used then to draw a little darker.

 

Next I drew a second vase from free hand again.  I chose the "good side" and then erased the other side.  This time I measured up and down the vase from the center line to re-draw the "bad side" to look like the "good side".  Then, we got into the fun part.... PAINTING!  And thus, I ended up with this painting below...



Two Vases with Flowers- water color on yupo paper





Water Painting Classes- Week 5 & 6- Puddle Painting...

This is my second week and I'm struggling with this style of painting.  In Puddle Painting, the painting is divided up into segments.  You start off by lightly drawing in the painting.  Then you plan you painting in segments.  Something that I will admit that I'm not very good at-- planning my painting.  Taking each segment of the painting you "puddle" water in that segment then drop color in.  It is very different in this style in that you mix the colors right in the painting rather than using a mixing tray.  I find this a bit scary in that I'm not always definite on what color I want to use in a certain segment of a painting.  Thus, I'm coming face to face with my problem of planning my paintings.  OUCH! 

I saw improvement in my second week of learning the puddle painting style of water color.  Last week's class was a disaster!  I ended up throwing last weeks attempt it was SO bad. I will admit that such things don't happen often but it did last week.  I had tried to paint a couple of young children leaning on each other.  It looked like a couple of lobster-colored aliens that were getting ready for Halloween. 

(Photo- The Highway Home- my second attempt at puddle painting.)

This week Colleen took us through a presentation of visually making our paintings have a sense of spacial feelings.  In other words, making our two dimensional paintings look 3-D.  We went over several different ways that you could accomplish this-- value, sizing, level of detail, and height on the paper.  Colleen showed up several details and also talked about the plains of a painting.  Plains is referring to those items that are closer are on a plain and those item that are farther will be on another plain.  We need to use these concepts when we are planning our paintings.  Ooopps!  There's my problem-- planning a painting! 

I chose to paint from a photo that I took from my car as I was driving home from my Omaha trip this last week.  Photo of the painting is above and believe me-- it's better than last week's attempt.  The Highway Home -- I think it looks like a highway disappearing in the distance.  What do you think?  BUT now I do need to see about getting some practice in!  See if I can improve my learning curve just a bit.