A Painting a Day by Patti Mollica

Apple Demo

2012-01-26T22:38:00.004-05:00

I'm back home from a week on the road, (many thanks to everyone who sent me their laryngitis remedies!) and now back to classes. Today I started teaching a 10 week class, which always begins with a "Fast and Bold Demo", (usually apples or some easy shape) along with my standard lecture that nothing is boring (even apples) - its all about what we bring to the painting. All sorts of colors are lurking in unexpected places, and its up to us to find them and lure them out. Squint to see the values, open wide to see color. So easy, right? mmm, not exactly!

Two Apples

Acrylic 8x8" Price on request

Speechless

2012-01-18T12:51:00.003-05:00

I'm in upstate New York this week so I won't be able to post paintings. I gave a two hour lecture/demo last night to the lovely folks of the Cazenovia Watercolor Society and on Saturday I am speaking to an audience of 115 artists at in Syracuse. I was looking forward to it until I woke up this morning with complete laryngitis. Life, always throws curveballs when one least needs it. I'm off to the homeopathic store to pick up some wacky sounding remedies that I read about on the web. If anyone has any legit cures, do speak up (for those who can't).

Texting with Toto

2012-01-14T16:31:00.007-05:00

A classic slice of everyday life in the city, which is what I love about painting New York. Everyone is just being who they are, oblivious to the hoards of people and chaos going on around them.

Texting with Toto

Acrylic on canvas, 6x6" Price on Request

The Big Apple

2012-01-13T11:58:00.005-05:00

Anyone who has spent time on the streets of NYC knows that its all about energy, movement, a cacophoany of swirling colors, a symphony of sounds. It's truly a feast for all the senses. Capturing that spirit is what makes painting the city so challenging. In my recent explorations of working texture into my paintings, I decided to tackle the city and see what would happen. Pastes, paints, gels, ink, paper, magazines, cardboard, stamping, stencils... I threw in everything but the kitchen sink. Thats kinda what NY is - its all right there, right in your face.

The Big Apple

10x8" Mixed Media on board, Price on Request

Tuscan Hillside

2012-01-10T12:22:00.004-05:00

I'm messing around with texture by adding some new elements to my painting besides the gels, pastes and paints - I cut up an Italian newspaper and adhered pieces of that to my board as another visual element. It adds a little spice and interest in otherwise flat areas. There is no end to the amount of cool effects you can incorporate when you 'let go of the side of the pool', so to speak. The layers just keep adding up and contributing to the overall effect.

Tuscan Hillside

8.5 x 7" Acrylic on Board, Price on Request

Tuscan Church

2012-01-07T10:28:00.008-05:00

I've been experimenting with texture lately, using various mediums on my board, and using different tools to apply paint. The challenge in this piece was to communicate an intricate, weathered old building on such a tiny canvas. It seemed impossible at first but I realized I needed to approach it in a less detailed, more abstract way. Using pattern and texture, rather than rendering, to convey the landscape foliage was an interesting way to approach that.

Tuscan Church

6x6" Acrylic on Canvas, Price on request

Sunlogged

2012-01-05T12:31:00.012-05:00

Sometimes one wonders why they chose the subject matter they did. Not in this case. With frigid cold weather that cuts right to the bone, I'm wishing I could be transported to this scene, like now.

I experimented with a prepared surface (Light Molding Paste), which was very absorbent and textured, and did a washy underpainting first. I spread it on with a palette knife so that it was bumpy. The paint went on very different than the slick surface I normally paint on. In hindsight, I probably chose the wrong subject matter for a textured surface (small figures). Next time I work with texture I'll pick a simpler subject that is less detailed, so I can take better advantage of it.

Sunlogged

Acrylic on board prepped with LMP

5"x4" Price on request

Incredible Edible

2011-12-23T13:14:00.006-05:00

Yesterday my students brought in amazing stuff to eat and drink for our Holiday celebration class. Crab quiche, cookies galore, exotic cheeses and dips, champagne, wine, etc. While I was shopping for some treats to bring in too, I saw this lone delectable pastry sitting all by itself on a deli shelf. In typical form, my natural inclination is to paint it rather than eat it. I did a demo on paper, having forgotten to bring a better support to work on. Its almost impossible to do a really bad painting when your subject is so spectacular. Hmmm, maybe more pastry paintings are in my near future...

Incredible Edible

8x8" Acrylic on Paper

Shirley's Bulb

2011-12-21T10:23:00.007-05:00

This little bulb in the middle is the real deal, not some recreation of a retro design. It's about 80 years old and belonged to my mother when she was a little girl. It still has the original metal hanging hook on it, which is made of a really sturdy metal - it barely bends - in contrast to the flimsy hooks of today.

When working with Acrylics, there is a sort of built in alarm clock ticking away. They only let you work so long before they gently say, "OK, time to wrap it up now. " That happens after about an hour or so, the paint starts moving different. There are ways around this, such as using products like OPEN paints and mediums, to keep them wet longer. But I actually like this alarm clock function, it pushes me to be more decisive and efficient. If the painting doesn't work by the time my acrylics want to stop, thats OK. I'll opt for a mediocre painting with fresh brushwork and leave it at that. I can always give it to a distant relative as a christmas gift.

Shirley's Bulb

6x6 Acrylic on Board, Price on request

Sports Page

2011-12-19T18:43:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure why I automatically named this 'Sports Page', except that growing up in a sports-fanatic family I have this assumption that whenever a guy is riveted to the paper like the one here, he must be checking on the results of a game. One of the great things about the NYC subway is that you catch everyone just being who they are, sequestered in one tiny area, a total cross section of all types. Everyone needs to get somewhere, and the subway one way to do it. It also happens to be great theatre for the lurking artist.

Sports Page

24x36" Oil Price on request

Two More Demos

2011-12-16T10:51:00.005-05:00

Here are two demos I did yesterday for two back to back classes I taught. The challenge on the apple demo was getting the correct color of the bright red cloth reflecting up into the green apple, without creating a dull grey, since red and green do neutralize each other out (creating grey). The challenge of the angel statue was doing it fast, without a preliminary sketch first -there was no time, it was the end of class ...just jumping in with paint and big brushes and hoping for the best. TGIF!

Winding Road

2011-12-14T11:31:00.006-05:00

I loved the dramatic pattern of the winding road and the cypress trees in this countryside setting in Italy, with the late afternoon shadows casting cool stripes over the warm fields.

Winding Road

8x8" Oil on Gessoboard

Price on request

Two Demos

2011-12-09T14:30:00.004-05:00

Back from Art Basel, and had to hit the ground running. It was quite a trip. HUGE art fair, and impossible to see the whole thing. I hit the main largest fairs, Art Basel and Art Miami, as well as some of the smaller shows held in hotels. The overall aesthetic was contemporary art, which took me aback for a minute, till I stopped looking for more representational paintings. Once I let go of my personal agenda and opened myself up to what was being presented, I thoroughly loved it, to the point of not being able to sleep at night because my brain kept playing a slideshow of all the amazing work I saw during the day. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to see a LOT of art in one really cool city (South Beach, Miami) . The people watching and nightlife is just as entertaining as the show. Bring your fancy cocktail dresses and heels, gals - anything goes there.

No sooner did I get home than I had to teach two classes back to back. Having been deprived of doing any painting (my own, at least) since I left, I did a quickie demo for each class. When I say quickie, I mean 20 minutes and 45. I don't like to take up student time painting when they are paying for teaching, so I squeeze these in at the very tail end of the class. It felt great to have the paint flowing through my brush again. Ahhh, thats my home sweet home.

Tangerine

8x8" Acrylic on Gessoboard

Tuscan Vineyard and Grove at Dusk

8x8" Acrylic on Gessoboard

Girlfriends

2011-11-30T09:10:00.005-05:00

I'm leaving today for Art Basel Miami, to take in the big art fair, as well as co-teach a workshop in Orlando. I did this painting way back in 2006 from a trip I took to Miami Beach. These two gals in front of me were having such a heart felt conversation. It was a deja vu moment, reminding me of how lucky I am to have such great girlfriends in my life, they make all the difference.

Girlfriends

18x24" Oil on canvas

Price on Request

Eye Candy

2011-11-28T10:42:00.009-05:00

Early November I spent about a week at a trade show booth which featured bowls of taffy intended to entice passersby to stop and chat. Lesson learned: no one can chat intelligibly with taffy in their mouths. Fortunately, they work perfectly as eye candy.

Eye Candy

6x6 Oil on Canvas

Price on Request

Mo, Harry & Curly

2011-11-23T10:03:00.008-05:00

Italy shmittaly. Who needs to paint beauty halfway across the world when its screaming like a siren in front of me? Thats exactly what these funky, eccentric little squashes have been thinking, while waiting patiently for me to stop painting Italian vistas long enough to notice them. They are such comical characters, with their corkscrew bonnets and zany striped pajamas. Beauty is everywhere! I'm grateful!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Three Squashes

6x6" Oil on Board

Price on Request

Cortona Village

2011-11-22T10:14:00.003-05:00

Cortona is one of the true jewels of the Tuscan “hill towns” and is often called the “City of Art.” Olive groves, vineyards, centuries-old buildings, winding streets, texture and vibrant sunlight... an artist's dream. For those taking the workshop, this will be our home for 7 days, in addition to the other scenic places we will be taking field trips to... Lake Trasimeno, Lucignano & Val di Chiana and more.

Cortona

8x8" Acrylic on Canvas

Price on Request

Finding Colors

2011-11-20T17:47:00.014-05:00

This is another painting of Tuscany, where I will be teaching a workshop next September. The challenge in this piece, as with many landscapes, is to take what is essentially mostly green and find the colors. What made this piece tricky is that by mistake I left all my paints at home and didn't realize it till I got to my studio, all set to work. I was not driving back. So I scrounged up three trusty tubes of paint, (plus white), and managed to coax out all the colors in this piece. There is much to be said for working with a limited palette - cheaper and less schelpping!

Tuscan Vineyard

8x8" Price on Request

Tuscan Garden

2011-11-10T21:22:00.008-05:00

After a wild two weeks that included a freak snowstorm resulting in an 11 day power outage, a family emergency and a hijacking by my husband to drive with him to an Orlando trade show for the purposes of being his "booth babe" (quite a stretch for a gal my age), I have had no time to paint. Until last night. When I finally made off to my studio and stood before my easel, I found myself in a stupor. 'What was I painting before all this comotion - apples? martinis? shoes? Oh yeah - Italy!' Although this little garden pathway could be anywhere, its a Tuscan countryside scene. I've decided to focus on landscape for a bit, in early preparation for next year's Italy workshop. So many hues - all so uniquely different, adding their voice to the lush natural tapestry.

Tuscan Garden

8x8" Acrylic on Panel

Tuscany Valley

2011-10-28T10:47:00.004-04:00

The Tuscan countryside often looks like a patchwork of various greens, dotted with pinks, browns and lavenders. Altho I moved many elements around to create a more defined composition, I think I could have eliminated more of the shapes. Its always a balancing act to capture the character of the landscape, including all its colorful spots of information, and simplifying the scene for more dramatic impact.

Tuscan Valley

Acrylic on Board, 6x6"

"Modern Acrylics" by Patti Mollica

2011-10-26T10:39:00.009-04:00

Well, here it is... just got my first copy in the mail today. I'm really happy with the reproduction quality and the layout, the publisher did a great job. It can be ordered from Amazon, and you can even peek inside at many of the pages. I actually don't have much to say... its all in the book!

Field and Sky

2011-10-23T22:55:00.002-04:00

Landscapes are so forgiving. Transplant that bush and move it 6 feet left, move that mountain, fill out that forest, throw in a few flowering buds and ... ahh, the composition falls right into place. No one knows the artistic sleight of hand that was pulled and no one cares, as long as it pleases the eye.

Field and Sky

6x6" Acrylic on board

Granny & Friends

2011-10-19T10:44:00.003-04:00

Good 'ol Granny - she's always willing to pose for me. In appreciation, I always paint her good side and smooth out the lumps and bumps. Those young plump cherries, so firm and shiny, never need any help.

Granny & Friends

6x6" Acrylic on Board

Eat, Drink, Play!

2011-10-17T15:00:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I taught a full day workshop in painting techniques using Golden paints, gels and pastes. It's very rewarding - and fun - to turn artists on to completely new ways of creating artwork which is unrelated to artistic experience or drawing skills. The materials lend themselves to playing, creating, and being mesmerized by texture, sheen, and seeing how color dances with surface and light. Although I'm a representational painter, I often go to my studio and get lost in this world of color and texture magic. This is my "chicken soup for the soul" when I want to throw control to the wind and play with wild abandon. Sometimes I feel like a mad scientist conducting exotic experiments - mixing, pouring, layering, dripping, oozing, scraping, spraying, ... one idea feeding the next. I'm sure my husband would prefer some of this creative energy be directed towards cooking actual meals, like with food. No such luck anytime soon. Sorry honey, my studio is way more fun than the kitchen!

Love on the L

2011-10-14T10:17:00.003-04:00

The thing I love about New York, which struck me the moment I moved here is the lack of self-consciousness of New Yorkers. They are very comfortable being who they are and doing whatever they do, in any surrounding. I attribute that to the fact that there is rarely a moment when they have the luxury of privacy, so that feeling of worrying about what others will think falls to the wayside quickly, and morphs into 'who cares'. It makes for great people watching, especially in the subways. Take a front row seat and enjoy the daily theatre.

Love on the L

8x8" Oil on canvas

Making the Rounds

2011-10-11T10:38:00.006-04:00

These are the types of scenes I love to paint - quiet, unassuming, unremarkable moments that often go by unnoticed. The drama of the light, shadows, shapes, the little spots of colors ... they all add up to make a beautiful impression, a fleeting moment captured.

Making the Rounds

8x8" Oil on Board Price on Request

NYC Street Corner Scene

2011-10-05T10:36:00.009-04:00

In regards to the "Caroline" post, I want to thank everyone who sent such nice emails, some telling similar stories with both happy and unhappy endings. I don't have time to respond to each and every email, but the show of support was heartwarming... thankyou! (BTW, please consider posting your comments and stories by hitting the "comments" button on the blog, rather than by emails to me, so everyone can see them). The bottom line is, trusting your precious work to an unknown gallery owner is taking a big chance. I learned the hard way.

I have a small works show coming up at my gallery in Provincetown and decided to start painting some more city scenes. We sold 3 NYC paintings last month and I'm starting to run low on "inventory". I had a photo of a street corner in Soho that I liked, and a photo of 3 businessmen in Queens that was also nice. Problem was that the corner photo was taken on a sunny day, the photo of men walking was shot on a cloudy day. My challenge was to make the men look like they fit in the corner scene, including the correct lighting conditions. A bit tricky, but here is the outcome.

Shop Talk

Oil on Board, 8x8" Price on Request

Comment? (scroll down to the comment link, next to the envelope icon)

NFS!

2011-10-03T10:15:00.011-04:00

Got a minute for a great story? I've got one!

Way back in 2002 I approached a local frame shop/gallery and asked about having a show of my work, they immediately agreed. Within a few weeks, 50+ of my very best paintings were adorning their walls. The agreement was that the show would be up for about 2 months. One day, I happened to drive into town to do some errands. I normally do all errands in the neighborhood of my studio, which is two towns away, since thats where I go everyday. What made me change course on this particular day is still a mystery. I just happened to be driving by this gallery. As I approached it, I noticed a moving van parked outside its front door. Men were loading in framing equipment, counter displays and... MY paintings! My heart jumped into my throat. I screeched to a stop, parked the car and stormed in, confronting the owner who blandly told me they decided to close their doors and I could gather up my art. I took the list of work that I had given them and checked off each piece to make sure I had the entire inventory and loaded it into my car, having to make several trips. There were no excuses, no apologies, no indication that they had ever planned on telling me that they were closing their doors. Feeling like I had just dodged an enormous missile, I thanked my maker for this serendipitous inkling that led me to pass by that particular location, at that particular moment in time. I schlepped the carload of paintings back to my studio and safely re-shelved them.

Months later I was preparing to hang another show and suddenly noticed that a large oil painting I had planned on displaying was missing. It was a beautiful portrait of my 6 year old neice, Caroline, on a beach, playing in the sand. I looked high and low, and checked every feasible place it could be hiding. It's not so easy to lose a 30x40 oil painting, especially considering I have very little storage area. The painting was virtually gone, and it was one of my favorites! I won't bore you with the details of trying to contact the gallery owner to see if they had snatched the painting back while I was loading my car. I tried for a while, only to find out from credible sources that they have a long list of complaints and grievances filed against them with the police department. These were unscrupulous people, known criminals in fact, with ties to oversized goons who will break your kneecaps with a baseball bat for fun. Alas, I mourned the loss for this beautiful painting and dealt with the realization that I'd never lay eyes on it again.

Fast forward to yesterday morning, a Sunday, 10 years after this incident. My cell phone rings at 9AM. The voice on the other end tells me he is having a garage sale, and has this big painting of a little girl on the beach that has my signature on it. It was given to him as a gift by his brother who picked it up from another garage sale. He has a lady there who wants to buy it, so can I please tell him what's it worth? BIG GULP. Talk about a wake up call.

What ensued was a frantic burst of mental gymnastics, on how to orchestrate this scenario quickly and effectually, like a bank heist - there was no room for fumbling - just get to the painting. Find out where it is. Secure it in whatever way possible. Finagle, flirt, lie, cry, even buy - whatever it takes. Hope like hell the guy doesn't sell it out from under me for a few bucks before I can locate him - and it. Two frantic hours later I had secured the address, and with a wad of cash and a blank check, flew into action. 72.6 miles away, in a suburb of Long Island, sitting in a driveway surrounded by fluffy stuffed animals, garden tools, childrens videos, brick-a-brac, sat MY painting - like a mirage, there it was!

As luck would have it, the "owner" of the painting I never sold, was honest, empathetic and genuinely concerned that it be returned to its rightful owner, even tho he was just offered a pretty penny for it and needed the money for a sticky and expensive legal custody battle. I offered a small token sum of cash as a consolation for his loss, my gain. He accepted. We hugged. I cried. My painting is adorning the wall of my living room, never to be removed again. Big sigh, bigger smile, huge lesson learned, happy ending.

Caroline

30 x 40" Oil on Canvas Not For Sale!

shown below - the EX-owner with "Caroline" and my dog, Mimi

Malicious Melon Demo

2011-09-30T10:05:00.004-04:00

I started teaching a 12 week class yesterday and here is the demo I did to show the big brush, thick paint technique. It never even occurred to me at the time that I just happened to chose the country's most unpopular fruit. It's funny how the news of the day can subconsciously work its way into our work. Canalopes are cheap and so plentiful now, and their structural shapes make them really fun to paint, if you can temporarily forget the havoc they are wreaking. I think I'll focus on bananas next week.

Canelope Culprit

9x12" Acrylic on canvas

$275

Seeing Double

2011-09-29T09:48:00.003-04:00

I've really enjoyed painting this "Martini Series". The tricky thing about capturing these cocktails is that if my stance moves even a fraction of an inch to the left or right, the reflections and colors change completely. Its a bit "crazy making". I start questioning myself, 'didn't I just see a mid-value amber colored spot in the upper left area of the glass ... or was that my imagination? Then I have to reposition myself and start searching for it, or move on and wonder where it went - or if it actually existed. I also have to remind myself what was my reason for painting this particular set up. In this case it was the double image of the olive pimento being reflected up into the top surface. A subtle little gorgeous spot of red to break up the sea of cool colors... its a good enough reason for me. Now... where is that amber spot hiding?

Seeing Double

12x12" Acrylic on Canvas

Price on Request

Consente di pittura in Italia!

2011-09-27T20:49:00.013-04:00

Let's Paint in Italy!

It's not too soon to start planning to attend a fabulous painting trip in Italy for 2012. I will be teaching "Paint the Tuscan Landscape Fast, Loose and Bold" from September 8 - 15, 2012. The focus will be on creative interpretations of the Tuscan landscape (and villages) using color in a fauvist, no-holds-barred manner. We will push color to the max and be audaciously bold! You can work in whatever medium suits your taste - oils, acrylic, pastel, etc.

I will be bringing a suitcase full of Golden Gels, Pastes and Mediums that offer a variety of spectacular surfaces you can prep your canvas or paper with. Why begin your painting with a flat white canvas when you can start with a colorful, dramatic surface that has you inspired from the get-go? The old stucco buildings with peeling paint and exotic fasçades provide the perfect subject matter for exploring texture with these materials. I will be providing full instruction on how to incorporate the various gels and pastes into your work, if you choose to use them.

As always, there will be plenty of guidance and exercises on getting the values correct and creating a "road map" that will give you the freedom to let your colors sing and your spirits soar. Speaking of spirits, there will be an abundance of wine tasting, chocolate sampling and 5 star Italian culinary dining experiences. The itinerary is chock full of sensory feasts - read all about it here. As an incentive for early sign ups, registering before October 30, will save you $100.

It's going to be a fun-filled painting vacation - I hope you can join me! All levels are welcome.

Ciao for now...

Vernazza Colors

18x24" Acrylic on Canvas (SOLD)

On the Cover

2011-09-02T13:30:00.003-04:00

This may fall into the category of shameless self promotion but... if you don't toot your own horn, who will? In today's mail I got a nice surprise - my artwork on the cover of "The Artist", a UK based magazine. I had contributed some images and commentary about working with the new OPEN acrylic paints by Golden Paints, which stay "wet" 10x longer than traditional acrylics. A little fame never hurts... hey - I'll take it!

A Tall Order

2011-08-31T10:25:00.005-04:00

Coping with hurricanes is enough to drive one to drinking. We were spared from disaster, but just barely. The telephone pole in front of our place broke in half, as well as two power lines, keeping us in the dark till today. This is nothing compared to what happened in other areas. Power, straight up - it's good stuff.

A Tall Order

Acrylic on Canvas, 12x12"

Price on Request

Ladies Night Two-fers

2011-08-26T10:46:00.004-04:00

Ah, TGIF. Not that my weekends are any different than my hectic work week, but at least the potential is there. Love the idea of kicking back and sipping on a tall, frosty something or other.

Ladies Night Two-fers

Acrylic on Canvas, 12x12"

Price on Request

Moonshine Mama

2011-08-25T10:13:00.005-04:00

This one is dedicated to a dear friend. A gourmet cook and frequent party giver, she has been known to slip into the caverns of her basement to brew up her own proprietary butt-kicking concoctions, adding exotic ingredients such as the essence of various aromatic flowers from her garden. She delights in serving her friends all forms of lip-smacking delicacies, always performed in a lavish mid century modern style. This ones for you, Nata. Cheers dahling.

Moonshine Mama

Acrylic on Canvas 12x12"

Price on Request

Party of Three

2011-08-23T12:19:00.003-04:00

Well I guess its obvious that I'd rather paint cocktails than do my taxes. Last year I got audited - not fun. I needed several of these after that ordeal. And the sour IRS agent - now theres someone who could really use a few of these too. They just don't get it - artists just want to have fun!

Party of Three

Acrylic on Canvas 12x12"

Price on request

Cheers

2011-08-22T09:17:00.003-04:00

Every since I finished the book - about three weeks ago, I meant to do a painting that celebrates its completion. Problem was that I was so far behind in planet Earth matters, I found myself overwhelmed with an avalanche late stuff - bills, paperwork, correspondence, etc. There was no celebration to be had quite yet. Since I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel, I decided to jump in and start a martini series. I'll truly feel like celebrating when that last way-late monster item gets checked off my list - taxes!

Cheers

Acrylic on canvas 12x12"

Price on request

Best Gig in Town

2011-08-18T10:22:00.007-04:00

On Wednesday nights I host a "Jazz 'n Sketch" event at a local tavern. I hire a model to pose so that the artists have a choice of sketching either her or the band. My husband, a jazz musician, invites the top world class players from NYC. This results in what is undoubtedly is the best gig in town. Is there anything more delightful than sketching, sipping wine, while immersed in 360 degrees of an improvisational swinging symphony?

Pencil sketches

11x14"

Sweets From My Sweetie

2011-08-17T10:45:00.004-04:00

My sweetie often comes home after a music gig with a little gift - last week he brought a box of chocolates. My first reaction is that they are too pretty to eat, but would make a beautiful painting so I put them in the freezer till the time comes. Finally... time to indulge!

Sweets

Oil on Gessoboard 6x6"

Price on Request

Colorful Collection

2011-08-15T20:12:00.003-04:00

Finally, I get to post a painting that is not a class demo. Hopefully this will now be the norm. I was inspired by having the new still life painting box set up, so now I can control the lighting and the angles to my liking. To get back in the swing of daily painting, I pulled out my trusty collection of decades old nail polishes, which got me to thinking... it's about time I treat myself to some new shades!

Colorful Collection

Oil on Board 6x6"

Price on Request

4 Apples (Demos)

2011-08-05T11:49:00.004-04:00

Demos in "Color as Value"

Here are some quick demos I did for my class in NYC, showing various ways to interpret the same still life, using different value and color combinations. The point of the lesson is that there are many ways to interpret the values, you can try different combinations and see what you like the best.

4 Apples

12x12" Acrylic on Canvas

Corner Cafe

2011-07-21T12:20:00.005-04:00

It's always challenging to make sense out of a crowd scene from a painting standpoint. All those little faces and figures, all that architecture. I chose this scene for exactly that reason, aiming to keep the lively quality but not get too caught up in small details. Waiter - another martini please!

Corner Cafe

Oil on Panel 5x7"

White Rose 4

2011-07-20T10:52:00.006-04:00

A rose is a rose is a rose... I seem to have roses on the mind lately. They are a great shape to play with, endless opportunities to explore color and structure. This little study was done in a color-spot-by color-spot approach, a technique I was introduced to in the early 90's when I took a 5 day workshop with a colorist who studied with the late great Henry Henche. Since then I have noticed that my favorite painters were either Henche students at one time, or come from that tradition. The spot by spot approach requires that you constantly judge color relationships, by color temperature, value, and saturation or intensity. It also involves a lot of exacting color mixing, which in some ways is better suited to oils, since acrylics dry fast. I've been experimenting with Golden OPEN Acrylics and mediums lately, they dry up to 10 times slower than the regular Heavy Body Acrylics. I may paint more roses with oils just to compare. Regardless of the medium, painting a white rose against a white background is a great way to discover spots of lovely, neutral colors lurking everywhere.

White Rose 4

6x6 Acrylic on Canvas

Orange on Pink

2011-07-11T11:46:00.007-04:00

Some workshops are better than others. The workshop I taught this weekend falls clearly in the better to best category. At the top of the list is the wonderful group of gals I worked with - ranging in experience level from total beginners to very advanced art teachers. The commraderie, sharing, humor, and personality mix made this a group from heaven. They were a joy to work with as well as a hoot to hang out with. Altho I'm a taskmaster with the pace and the exercises, there was a good balance between learning and laughing. Add to that perfect weather, stunning seaside location and roomy gallery/studio sponsored by the ultimate hostess with the mostess, it doesn't get much better than this.

Here is a still life painting I did, which demonstrated using a color scheme of dominant analagous warm colors with small hints of complementary cool color as accents. The painting took an hour and was done with one 2" brush - which I rarely (if at all) dipped into water because the colors were so related. There was a lively discussion that followed about how to make subjects glow, which translated into a series of exercises on color harmony and relationships.

I always hand out an evaluation form at the end of each class and one of my questions is "What would have made this workshop better?" No matter how long the class is, whether it be 3 hours or 3 days, the answer is always the same... "more time". That makes me feel good, I'm thinking about new lessons and exercises for a 5 day workshop. The icing on the cake, however, is always the great people I meet and get to know. Thanks gals, f0r such a great weekend.

Pink on Orange

9x12 Acrylic on Canvas

Peachy Rose

2011-07-06T11:56:00.006-04:00

We are nearing a finale with the seemingly neverending book project, it has already gone thru its first set of major revisions, (way less text and bigger images) and I expect minor things like punctuation finessing from here on in. I see light at the end of the tunnel!

This weekend I'm teaching a two day workshop called "Fast and Fearless Fruit" on the North Fork of Long Island, way out there in a beautiful town called Greenport. The focus will be on technique and translating value to color, rather than on drawing, using very simple shapes. The best way for me to practice for demo-ing is to paint something with a complex form in 15 minute segments, using big brushes. Roses make a perfect subject for this exercise. I set up a white rose on a white background in my studio and did a slew of quick studies, using various color combinations...here's one.

Peachy Rose

Acrylic on Canvas 6x6"

Blue Wall

2011-06-01T12:09:00.003-04:00

OMG - it took me a few moments to dig into the crevices of my brain and remember how to post on my blog . Just thought I'd give it a go to remind myself that I WILL paint daily again, hopefully SOON. I'm finishing up the book, "Modern Acrylics" and its about 95% done. The deadline seems to be a tad looser than I was led to believe, isn't that always the case (the rule of thumb in advertising I learned many moons ago is, "never enough time to do it perfectly, unlimited time for revisions"). We are in the "refining" stage now. My publisher has requested a few more paintings to illustrate some of the points I've made in the text. Thankfully, we are in the home stretch now... the book is due to hit the art stores this fall.

Altho I should be in the studio creating those final paintings, in a weak moment I decided to get out the feather duster and start reviving my blog. My husband just handed me the world's most perfect rose from our garden. It's screaming "PLEASE PAINT ME". In a perfect world I will finish the book paintings and get to this rose while it is bursting with color, fragrance and life.

Blue Wall

8x8" Oil on Panel

St. Paddy's Blooms

2011-03-29T21:50:00.008-04:00

I'm a little late for St. Paddy's day, but I did have this still life set up around that time, with the green backround, and I painted it but wasn't happy with it. There wasn't enough color with just the yellow tulips and the green. So even tho the flowers are long gone, I went in and added the cherry, which I think gives it a nice little pop of color, to contrast all the green. I basically ended up repainting most of it because its weird to just add one element that is a totally different color. Somehow it changes the game and I had revise most of the the colors so everything played nicely together. Its much better to get the still life elements right to begin with rather than recreate the wheel colorwise after the fact. Next time I'll slow down and analyze my setup better before jumping into the paint.

St. Paddy's Blooms

6x6" oil on canvas

Apple Slices

2011-03-28T15:09:00.013-04:00

I taught an all day painting workshop yesterday at Pelham Art Center. There were 10 students, who ranged from very advanced to total beginner ( in other words, students who had never painted or drawn before). That is a typical mix and its challenging to teach so much in so little time. I am often very pleasantly surprised when working with the total beginners, their approach is so fresh. I hesitate to say "childlike" because that sounds derogatory, which is not the intention. But there is a pureness to the way they bravely apply paint to canvas - so direct, so uninhibited, such interesting color choices.

My painting demonstration took about 45 minutes. I talk the whole time I'm painting in order to explain everything from how to hold the brush to how to apply the paint, how to mix the colors, how to find and stay with the correct values, how to match colors to values, etc.

The workshop is called "How to paint Fast, Loose and Bold". After the demo its time for a lunch break and then time for the students to paint. My goal is to have them complete 3 paintings in about 4 hours, the first painting is done in 45 minutes, the second in 1/2 hr and the last one in 15 minutes. Its challenging! But I was very impressed with the outcome of the work, and took a picture of their paintings (not all the work is shown). Three paintings down, many more to go... Bravo, everyone!

Apple Slices

8x10" Acrylic on Canvas

Red Macs (Sold)

2011-03-25T11:17:00.008-04:00

I'm in the process of writing a book about acrylic painting techniques, and my publisher has decreed a "drop dead" date of May 15 for completion of all text and images. Until then, daily painting/blogging will be taking a back seat. It's becoming clear why the deadline is described in those terms. Besides all the writing, I am creating about 50 paintings to illustrate the many unique and beautiful effects made possible through working with, and incorporating acrylic materials like gels, pastes, mediums and special grounds into your artwork. If you have ever been in an art supply store and seen that imposing wall of acrylic products and thought 'what do you do with that stuff?', you will soon know - assuming I survive the rapidly approaching drop dead date.

Red Macs (Sold)

9x12" Acrylic on Canvas

Pink Brigade (SOLD)

2011-03-21T12:31:00.008-04:00

Pink Brigade (SOLD)

6x6 Oil on Gessoboard

Pretty Party

2011-03-18T10:10:00.007-04:00

I finally had a little while to get into the studio yesterday. Since I have not had a chance to paint (traditionally) in several days, I noticed an interesting phenomenon, one that I'm quite familiar with. There is an apprehension that wells up when starting a new painting, if I have not been painting everyday. It goes something like this - 'how do you do this again?,' 'can I paint that?', 'it's so detailed, I'll never get those color/value/shapes to read right', 'i bet this one will be a flop', 'where do i begin?' and on and on.... Just putting that first stroke on the canvas is actually a feat of courage, knowing that all color relationships depend on whats around them, and there is nothing yet to judge by. It's very much like putting the first piece of a 1000 piece puzzle right smack in the middle without any point of reference and knowing that the journey ahead is somewhat daunting.

Does this mental rambling sound familiar? Come to think of it, everytime I do something new in life, in general, some form of this fear raises its ugly head. The good thing about getting older is that it doesn't stop me in my tracks anymore. My favorite saying is "feel the fear and do it anyways" which is also the title of a book I read in the early 90's, which forever changed my relationship to fear. The big revelation from reading the book was ... drum roll... the fear never goes away. (Damn! Thats not what I was hoping) The other revelation was, since the fear never goes away, get comfortable with being uncomfortable - which means you are growing - which is why we are here (in my humble opinion). For me, the best way to deal with fear is to just dive in, head first. Starting a drawing, starting a painting, starting anything that requires you do dig inside and make hundreds of decisions and think on your feet, IS daunting. It is uncomfortable do a painting or drawing that turns out poorly. But the alternative, not doing anything for fear it won't turn out well - is stagnating (for me). So what if its a flop, so what if its hard, so what if I make hundreds of wrong decisions? No doubt I will learn something from the endeavor, but best of all I'll show my old pal fear, who's boss - again.

Pretty Party

6x6" Oil on Gessoboard

Click to Bid

Fashion Gal with Cool Pooch

2011-03-16T14:40:00.014-04:00

My posting has been less than daily lately... I have been working diligently on commercial assignments. Since January I have been writing a book about Acrylic paints and painting techniques, to be published and distributed in stores in October 2011. It's a very time consuming endeavor - but quite enjoyable as well. Truth be known, I am a bit behind schedule, so the daily painting takes a hit till I get caught up.

I'm also producing a line of posters and prints for a large art publisher / distributor to mass market retail stores like Bed Bath Beyond, Target, Pier 1, etc. One of the series we are working on is "Pet Fashion". This is a digital illustration I completed yesterday, an entirely different style than the Fast, Loose, Bold style I normally paint in. It's art, and it's done daily - so I'm posting it! All in all, there are about 25 paintings, mostly acrylics, a few digital, included in the collection. To see the line of prints and posters, check your local "big box" store this summer...

Fashion Gal with Cool Pooch

Digital Illustration

Green Flash

2011-03-10T10:28:00.007-05:00

These little tubes, jars and bottles of bright colors make such fun subjects to paint. We gals can end up with quite a wild and zany stock pile of purchases made on a whim. I love this iridescent green nail polish - but somehow it just doesn't look so appealing on my nails. Glad I never threw it out - somewhere along the line I knew I'd find the perfect use for it.

Green Flash

6x6" acrylic on Gessoboard

Click To Bid

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More Tulips (SOLD)

2011-03-09T10:08:00.005-05:00

The nice thing about painting this tulip is that there are no angles where it's more lovely than other angles. Every position I turn it is a painting waiting to happen. One can see why artists sometimes take one subject and paint it the rest of their lives - to depict it in all its splendor, from every viewpoint. I could go that route. But... I've already got a new subject in mind for tomorrow's painting!

Pink Tulip in a Glass Bottle - 3

6x6" oil on gessoboard

Pink Tulip in Glass Bottle -2

2011-03-08T10:08:00.004-05:00

Pink tulips are my all time favorite flower, I could paint them forever. There is something about that hot fuschia pink contrasting with the vibrant yellow- green of the stems. Those stems - so beautiful in their simple, graceful tubular way. It sure works for me.

Pink Tulip in a Glass Bottle - 2

6x6" Oil on Gessoboard
Click to Bid

Pink Tulip in a Glass Bottle

2011-03-07T12:28:00.005-05:00

This has been a long, snowy winter, and suddenly it feels like spring is in the air, or is that just wishful thinking? The snow has melted, for the most part, time will tell if another barrage is in store for us northerners. Me and my tulip are willing the spring ...we're ready!

Pink Tulip in Glass Bottle

6x6 Oil on Gessoboarad

Click to Bid

Studio Bottles

2011-03-03T12:50:00.003-05:00

A partial collection of bottles and jars in my studio...

Studio Bottles

Oil on Canvas 9x12"

Jazz n' Sketch

2011-03-01T10:52:00.005-05:00

As some of you may know, my husband is a jazz musician, (acoustic and electric bass) so going to his gigs is a perfect way to practice fast sketching. I'm going to be putting together a "Jazz 'n Sketch" night on Wednesday nights - starting March 2, tomorrow - at a local tavern where the best musicians in NYC come together to jam. Click here for details if you or anyone you know wants to join us. Fabulous music, great atmo, hip people - what's not to love?

Jazz Cats

Pen/pencil on paper

Your comments are welcome! Please share them with the group via the comment link on the blog page (rather than by email, as my e-mailbox runneth over). How? Click on the link at the bottom of the email, which goes to my blog page, then click on the "comment" link below. Thanks!

Saint Patrick's Cathedral

2011-02-28T08:55:00.006-05:00

I love to sketch, which is a whole different ballgame than painting, but drawing skills are the foundation for (representational) painting, so its very related. This is a sketch of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in NYC. I showed up with a 18x24" pad of paper and some charcoal. My initial thought was that the enormous space did not lend itself to fitting on any pad of paper, no matter how large. But, eventually it all came together. Drawing that ceiling - all those beautiful sweeping arches - the scale of the room, the exquisite architectural details, the grandeur of it all - inspiring and intimidating all at once. This is not for the faint of heart. But what a great exercise - try it! You will leave feeling like you're walking on air - or water!

Saint Patrick's Cathedral

18x24 Charcoal on Paper

Plant Spritzer

2011-02-25T10:25:00.006-05:00

I've been eyeing this little plant spritzer every time my husband sprays the Hibiscus. I fear I'm falling into a dimension where everything in life is cleverly disguised as a painting prop. I've never heard anyone describe that but for the severely obsessed painter, it surely must be a well traveled route? I can only hope I'm not alone in this...

Plant Spritzer

6x6" Acrylic on Gessoboard

Click to Bid

Lighter Darker

2011-02-23T22:38:00.007-05:00

This painting was part of a weekly painting "challenge" I do just for fun, that I mentioned in an earlier post (Blue Imperial). The requirement this week was to paint a Zippo lighter in two colors only - Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna (a reddish-brown color) plus white. It was not something that I would normally do - I love color, so this 2 color limitation felt a bit dry from the get go. But what the heck - try something new, right? Here is a link to the painting challenge site, where you can see the photo we all worked from, and the other artists' entries. I don't normally use Burnt Sienna on my palette, so I tried to create it by mixing Cadmium Red Medium (didn't have Cad red light, either) plus black. Not exactly the real Burnt Sienna, but whatever... sometimes you have to make do.

Lighter, Darker

8x10 Acrylic on Canvas

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Jazz Drummer

2011-02-23T11:38:00.005-05:00

Letting the paint flow freely is the same whether its acrylics or oils. I like allowing the paint dance on its own, without my controlling it too much. I find that it does much more beautiful things by itself - with just a little "guidance" from me, than if I force too much control on it. In otherwords, let it groove out freely - kinda like this guy!

Jazz Drummer

16x16 Oil on Canvas

Click to Bid

Bold Brush Painting Contest Finalist

2011-02-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

(again:-) I'm really starting to like this "Bold Brush Painting Contest". Notification just arrived that I won the "Outstanding Acrylic" award for the second month in a row. What makes it particularly special is the high quality of work that was entered by other painters - all 696 of them. Ditto comments from last month : love being in the same circle of winners as some of my favorite West Coast painters, I'm impressed with the high quality of work overall in this contest, and the prize money is ...always sweet.

This is one of my favorite pieces, sold recently by my gallery in Provincetown, Simie Maryles Gallery, called "Into the Light". Right about now I'm feeling very motivated to dive "Into the Acrylics".

Into the Light (SOLD)

12x12 Acrylic on Canvas

Our First Egg (SOLD)

2011-02-21T10:36:00.008-05:00

I have heard that if you have a professional blog, you're not supposed to be posting pictures of grandchildren, family vacations, etc. But this is one of those times where I'm dying to make an exception. I happen to be "mom" to 3 spectacular polish chickens. They arrived by UPS, unexpectedly, one morning about 6 months ago. You can't make this stuff up. I didn't even know polish chickens existed, much less desire to own one - or three. If you have never seen a polish chicken, I urge you to google it - you are in for a visual field day. Fast forward, one of "our girls" apparently laid her first egg. We were starting to give up on free omlettes but - voila! Yesterday morning, a perfect, sleek, svelte white egg sat proudly on a mound of sawdust. It was stunning in its elegant simplicity. So much so that... you guessed it, this painter had to immortalize it before it turned into breakfast.

I'm always telling my students - if you are painting a white egg on a white foreground with a white background, put out ALL your colors on your palette. You will see some many shades of lovely greys your head will spin. Just LOOK for them, they are there. Now it was my turn to practice what I preach.

Our First Egg

Oil on Canvas 6x6"

Click to Bid

PS - Gotta break the rules on this one...meet "the Gals"

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Cherry Reflections (SOLD)

2011-02-19T10:09:00.010-05:00

I'm playing with oils again... I'm so not used to being able to change my mind - but with oils you can change things endlessly. Talk about safety nets - if I do something I don't like, brush right over it and it magically goes away till I get it right. Acrylics does not offer that luxury unless I'm working with the new GOLDEN "Open" Acrylics, that don't dry fast. They offer lots of flexibility as well, and I'm experimenting with them too. Its clear to me that my style of painting changes a bit with the type of materials I use - and I'm working a bit slower with oils. As I get more familiar with them I'm sure I'll speed up. But for now, its a good learning experience. One of the most difficult parts of the entire painting was signing my name - since I use large brushes, plus the oily surface is wet and slippery - I couldn't get any delicate brushstroke or "traction". Nothing was working. So I had to chop down one of my brushes to get it small enough to get a tiny signature. I was ready to leave it unsigned ...but stuck with it and finally got my name painted ... I'll get it figured out sooner or later.

Cherry Reflections

6x6" oil on canvasboard

Click Here to Bid

Your comments are welcome! Please share them with the group via the "comment" button on the blog (rather than by email)... thanks!

Jon's House

2011-02-18T10:38:00.006-05:00

This is a house painting commission I did from a photograph the client gave me. Many house paintings I see look like they came off an architectural drafting table - or a CAD software program. I wanted to give the house some real personality - like real people with colorful lives live there. I found out they had a cat, so I added that. Then I thought, why not put in a halloween pumpkin to go with the black cat. It added a nice spot of color to go with the fall leaves.

Jon's House

16x20 Acrylic on Canvas NFS

Your comments are welcome! Please share them with the group via the "Post a comment" button on the blog (rather than by email)... thanks!

Cherry Tango (SOLD)

2011-02-17T10:37:00.006-05:00

I decided to try my hand at oils last night. Admittedly, I'm not as familiar with oils as I am with acrylics, but there were some obvious aspects of working with them that I enjoyed - easy blending, easy manipulating, no build up of bumpy texture, a nice precision to brush strokes, etc etc. I could go on and on. The pigment load is much higher too, so a little goes a long way. I felt a bit clutsy at first, mainly because acrylics are the consistency of yogurt, and the oil paints I was using were the consistency of cold butter (how do you pick this stuff up?) I'm used to scooping up large blobs of "goopy" acrylic in one fell swoop - its not that way with oils. Bottom line is there are plusses and minuses to everything - its all about finding the best vehicle to express your artistic voice.

Cherry Tango

Oil on Canvas, 6x6"
Comments? Please do so via the "Post a comment" button below (rather than by email)... thanks!

Pink Rose

2011-02-15T18:50:00.006-05:00

For Valentines day, a Pink Rose, (my favorite) from my sweetie.

Pink Rose

8x10 Acrylic on Canvas

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Pooch Du Jour

2011-02-14T09:20:00.005-05:00

Rube Goldberg would have smiled. No sooner had I settled in yesterday at my desk for a marathon day of 4 digital illustrations (for a Monday - today- morning deadline) with a steaming cup of coffee, when my 3-legged rescue kitty, Tut (as in King) jumped up to keep me company, and in doing so bumped my glass beaded lamp which toppled over towards the window propelling me to intercept the flying lamp causing me to knock over the entire mug of coffee which in turn spilled over, under and into both my laptop and my Wacom tablet. COMMAND Z!!!!! Next order of business was to soak up the pools of coffee and spend hours taking apart the now defunct Wacom Tablet, hit the innards with the blow dryer, jiggle cords, press buttons, restart the computer 10 times, call tech support, and ultimately go out and buy two new Wacom Tablets. Thats the easy part. Now its time to create 4 illustrations for my publishing client in 4 less hours than I originally thought I had. Um, what was that I was saying about digital artwork having more safety nets than traditional? How easily I forget...

Pooch Du Jour

Digital Image for Commercial Usage

Bandana Dog

2011-02-12T22:39:00.005-05:00

Not all of the artwork I create is done traditionally, with paint and brushes, altho 99% of it is. Here is one piece of a series of pet fashion posters I have designed that will be going to press next week. I "drew" and "painted" the images with a Wacom tablet using a pressure sensitive stylus pen. The awesome thing about working digitally is that there are so many layers, literally, of safety nets built in. You can try anything - colors, different brush strokes, certain effects, etc. and if you don't like what you did, just hit the good old Command Z keystroke (or Edit>Undo). And poof - its gone, simple as that.

If only it were so easy with traditional painting. I can't tell you how many times I have put down a big thickly loaded brushstroke that just happened to totally be the wrong color, value or shape and immediately in my mind screamed, "command Z!!!" Those command Z moments are lessons learned the hard way, which is - unfortunately - the best way. Digital artwork is clean, efficient, fast and precise. I don't end up with splotches of Alizarin Crimson and Phthalo Blue smeared across my face like war paint. It has it's plusses for sure, but my heart will always be in the down and dirty tactile world of messy, drippy paints - with no safety nets allowed.

Bandana Dog

Digital Image for Commercial Usage

Bottle and Cherries (SOLD)

2011-02-11T08:21:00.008-05:00

Yesterday was one of those deadline laden days, what else is new. I've been in the advertising business for over 30 (ahem) years , the deadlines just keep getting tighter and crazier. At least in the old days there was built in fluff time - send out for type that you physically pasted - with glue or wax - on to your boards, sending the type back for revisions... all that back and forth left plenty of time for the 3 martini lunch (for some people that is, I was never so lucky).

I have to scratch my head sometimes and ask why I have added a new self imposed deadline to the mix - daily painting. Do I really need yet another deadline? Hardly - but this one trumps all the others in terms of what it adds to my life... its for me. Its my way of showing myself that my soul needs are just as important as everyone else's business demands. I get the crumbs of time that are left over after everyone else is accommodated. But thats OK - I'll make time for it by squeezing it in somewhere, somehow, at whatever crazy hour of the day or night, because I committed to that goal. Whether the painting comes out well or is a total flop - what matters is the act of doing it.

I didn't have time to mess around with dramatic lighting - or any lighting - I just plopped the bottle and the cherries down and dove in fast. Maybe next time, when I have a little more time, I'll at least shine a light on it and see what happens. For now, this will do - I did it:-)

Now I'm running off to a trade show where I will be demo-ing and teaching people how to use acrylic pastes, gels and mediums with their paint - maybe one of my demos will be tomorrow's post...

Bottle and Cherries

Acrylic on Canvas 6x6"

Capitol Building

2011-02-10T10:37:00.006-05:00

Often I do commissioned pieces that are for the specific needs of clients - in other words, illustration. This one happens to be for an organization in Washington, I worked on gessoed masonite and got that slippery, slick surface. It may end up on the front cover of a brochure or an ad - I did it large enough so that the resolution will work for multiple usages. If only the goings on in Washington were as cheery and colorful as they appear here...

Capitol Building

Acrylic on Masonite, 16x20"

Christmas in February

2011-02-09T08:39:00.013-05:00

Uh oh. Now everyone will know how lame I am. The christmas gifts I bought for my siblings and parents have been collecting dust since, well, December. They somehow consistently drop to the bottom of my to-do list, since the family is more forgiving than the clients when it comes to meeting deadlines. Finally I seem to be catching up and realize its time to wrap those gifts and ship 'em out once and for all... NOT SO FAST... ooohh - the colors, the shiny ribbon, the loopy bow, the reflections! Needless to say that box of wrapped gifts was far too alluring for this painter to pass up. What's one more day, its already so late, they'll understand, right? The answer to that is yes, they will. Unless of course, Dad breaks a tooth on that fossilized carmelcorn.

Christmas in February

Acrylic on Canvas 7.25"x 7.25" $100

Click here to buy

New York Pretty

2011-02-07T08:02:00.007-05:00

I like to do paintings in one session (called "Alla Prima") but when they have a lot of detail, as in urban landscapes, that one session can feel like a marathon. This was one of those. I started at about 1pm and finished at 11:30 pm, taking a break only to go out for a slice of pizza, and to throw the ball for my bored-silly pooch.

Once you get warmed up and into the flow, the brushwork takes on a natural, loose quality. "New starts" can show up in a multi-session painting as passages that look stiff and forced. I want the whole painting to have the same loose quality, thus the painting marathon. Plus, I'm impatient and this was a commission with a tight deadline. That always helps.

New York Pretty

Acrylic on canvas, 18x24"

Parfum Tocca

2011-02-04T10:45:00.008-05:00

This is still wet (even tho its acrylic) and I'm still in my pajamas. A clear case of TMI (too much information) for sure, but I reveal this only to point out that until I get my daily painting done, it "hangs over my shoulders" ALL DAY. What am I going to paint? When can I squeeze it in? Is it my turn to cook dinner or can I paint at night? etc etc. Since I'm going to Les Miserables tonight -my husband, a bassist, (http://www.markhaganmusic.com) is playing the show and I get a free ticket - that set the stage (no pun intended) for my ramped up schedule, as in 'do it NOW'. So I did.

This is another wonderful little gift from hubby that gets more use as a painting prop than its intended purpose. I will make sure to put a touch of it behind my ears tonight!

Parfum Tocca

Acrylic on Canvas, 6x6"

PS ... he's also an excellent artist http://www.markhaganstudios.com/haganMain.html )

Blue Imperial

2011-02-02T17:03:00.006-05:00

Sadly, I missed out on the days of these stylish, elegant, fin-adorned cars. Not that I wasn't around, I just don't remember much of anything. Way back in the crevices of my brain I do have a vague memory of seeing a pistachio green and ivory Thunderbird, (or was it an Edsel?) viewed from the back seat of my mother's station wagon. I distinctly remember thinking that it was really cool and maybe someday I could have one...

This painting was done as an entry in a painting challenge, of sorts, organized by my one of my favorite daily painters, Carol Marine. This challenge is just for kicks - no awards, prizes or winners, just a way of everyone painting together as group and seeing what each other is up to. Kinda like we are all in the same class painting from the same model. Its always fun to see other painters' interpretation and the variety of styles. To see the other entries, click here.

Blue Imperial

Acrylic on Canvas, 6x6" $100

5 Minute Tea Cup Demo

2011-02-01T15:34:00.010-05:00

Sunday I taught a 5 hour workshop at Rockland Center for the Arts, my standard "How to Paint Fast, Loose and Bold". I've taught enough of these workshops that I can expect certain reactions from the participants. I hand out evaluation sheets at the end of the class, one question I pose is, "What would have made the workshop better?". Inevitably someone always responds "more time to paint". I find that a bit ironic, since this class is specifically about LESS time, not more. My goal is to show everyone how to paint quickly and confidently - working FAST. If I say so myself, thats a fairly tall order to teach diverse group of people, from total beginners to very advanced painters how it works. And it requires a certain amount of talking, explaining and demonstrating on my part. After I'm done with my part, its time for each student to do 3 paintings - the first is 45 miniutes, the second is 30 minutes and the last is 15 minutes. This is not exactly comfortable for those who are used to weekly, monthly or even bi-yearly paintings. By the time they have finished their second painting, however, the lightbulb goes off. And everyone starts to get it, as in better put down those small brushes because you got a lot of canvas to cover in a small amount of time. For those who think that its just impossible to do a 15 minute painting, I demo a 5 minute painting. In contrast, I explain, 45 minutes is a lifetime!

Daily painting is cool - you exercise your creativity/painting muscle, it stays limber and flexible. Nothing gets too precious because you don't have much time invested in it. If it works, great. If it doesn't, so what - try again tomorrow. I tell my students, anyone who is motivated enough has 15 minutes a day to paint, no matter how busy their life is. Keep your paints and brushes handy and ready go at a moments notice - paint ANYTHING. A spoon, a hammer, an orange... And if you need more time to paint, see what you can create in 5 minutes and gradually build up to 45. It will feel like a lifetime.

5 Minute Tea Cup

Acrylic on Canvas 4.5 x 4.5"

White Tulip

2011-01-29T11:54:00.003-05:00

Anything "White" is usually anything BUT. I love painting white objects, they reveal so much color! This painting was created to be a "mate" for another tulip painting I recently did. It's a publishing commission and therefore I am trying to match the style and the overall color sense of the original tulip. It will be cropped to a square shape but I decided to paint the entire 8x10 canvas. Working within these pre-determined set of parameters is interesting because I need to keep checking my painting against the original to make sure I don't veer off into some new flight of fancy. I think they play nice together but if my client doesn't, stay tuned for "White Tulip 2".

White Tulip

Acrylic on Canvas, 8x10"

Summer Lounge (SOLD)

2011-01-28T00:32:00.005-05:00

This was done in plein air, this past summer. I do paint in oils every now and then. I keep meaning to drag them out and play with them more, but doing the "big switch" from acrylics to oils requires me to think a bit differently, and ... well, maybe later. It was a fast pose - probably about 20-30 minutes, and the light was changing fast. No time to think - just react. Sometimes thats the best way to operate.

Summer Lounge

Oil on Canvas, 9x12"

Pink Mules

2011-01-26T10:23:00.006-05:00

My poor husband. He buys me such hip shoes. Only to see them on canvas, as opposed to seeing them on my feet. He bought these at a punk/goth boutique called "Roadkill" in New Orleans. The owner is a friend of ours and gave us a good deal on them, as well as some black fishnets. Naturally, I was urged to wear them immediately. Trapesing around New Orleans in mules and fishnets is an interesting experience, one that I'm not compelled to repeat. Do men have any clue about the dichotomy between how these look and how they actually feel? (Does it matter?)

Pink Mules

Acrylic on Canvas 12x12"

This Weekend's Boston Workshop

2011-01-24T18:20:00.012-05:00

Here is a small sampling of the work created in the Boston Workshop... 12 people created 87 small paintings / technique swatches in 1 day (5 hours).

Listed below are blog posts about this weekend's Boston workshop, "Not your Mother's Acrylics" written by two students that attended it.

They totally validate my own experience in working with these new acrylic materials -

'why would I ever want to paint on (or with) _______ (fill in the blank with a paste, gel or ground) and
'I can't stop thinking about new ways of incorporating _____(fill in the blank with a paste, gel or ground) into my work -- and I can't get to sleep!

These gals say it much better than I, so read on...

http://lindabranchdunn.blogspot.com/2011/01/just-by-doing.html

http://jeannewilliamson.blogspot.com

No wonder everyone was exhausted - in a good way, they really explored a slew of paints, gels, pastes, colors, surfaces, textures, techniques, iridescent and interference materials, and more. Some people did small reference sections on each board, with notes off to the side outlining what material and paint types they used, others did actual little paintings and used one technique for the whole thing. We encouraged everyone to write step-by-step notes of their process, because its so easy to get lost in the moment, going with the flow, then look at what you did and say "how the %$@*! did I do that?" If you want to recreate that cool thing you did, better take notes, because so much material gets covered, it can be quite overwhelming, but incredibly exciting.

I will be offering this and other types of workshops in the Rockland/Westchester area soon, through the art centers I teach at (Rockland Center for the Arts, Rye Art Center and Pelham Art Center), as well as free Lecture/Demo's where I will be giving out free paint and product samples to all that attend. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll put you on the list to be notified of upcoming classes and dates. I will post these on my blog as they are scheduled, in a new listing called "Workshops and Demos". BTW - all levels welcome!

Bold Brush Painting Contest Finalist

2011-01-23T19:28:00.009-05:00

I just returned from a weekend in Boston, where I co-taught a workshop on Acrylic techniques using the full line of Golden products. It was a long weekend - but tons of fun. When I finally got home (a 7 hour ordeal) and was checking my emails, I saw that I was chosen as a finalist in the "Bold Brush Painting Competition". The category I won was "Outstanding Acrylic". I entered on a last minute whim... and must admit I felt really daunted when I saw the 600+ other images I was "competing" against - for the most part, very high quality work. I won a $350 prize - awesome!

Posted here is the painting I entered. I worked from a really blurry photo I took with my cell phone while on the subway. I just had to capture this New York moment - clearly the guy in the foreground had one LONG day. I know the feeling, buddy... this is exactly what I looked like today in the course of my car, bus, train, bus then taxi ride home. (hmmm, I hope there wasn't an artist with a cell phone sitting across from me!) For anyone who wants to see the winners in the show, here is the link: http://canvoo.com/boldbrush/winners/42.

Bronx Bound (SOLD)

Acrylic on Canvas, 24x24" (Sold)

Pink Buckled Handbag

2011-01-20T11:42:00.007-05:00

Snow and sleet - just when I don't want it. Sometimes I actually do like it (the snow, never the sleet), but not tomorrow. I have to leave for Boston to teach a weekend workshop. And the weather reports are... stay home! Not an option... Boston, here I come.

Pink Buckle'd Handbag

Acrylic on Canvas 12x12"

Fuschia Birken Bag

2011-01-19T00:43:00.003-05:00

I'm not the dedicated follower of fashion I once was but apparently these Birken bags are all the rage. I myself go for the fakes on Canal Street -within weeks they will be covered with paint splatters, like the rest of my clothes, a festive multi-colored effect!

Fuschia Birken Bag

Acrylic on Canvas, 12x12"

Golden Artist Colors - Gels, Pastes, and Grounds Demonstration

2011-01-16T21:30:00.011-05:00

Today I did a demonstration for the Scarsdale Art Association on Golden Pastes, Grounds and Gels. Basically this was about how these Golden products can be used as grounds (as a surface to paint on) and mediums (mixed in with the paint). Every year I get invited to do a demonstration for their artists and I usually do a "Fast, Loose and Bold" painting. This year I offered them the option of teaching a mini-lecture on how these various products can provide new and interesting surfaces and textures they can integrate into their paintings. The lecture went very well - LOTS of questions about the products and the correct way to use them.

Its very fulfilling for me to share this information, because I myself find these options so exciting. The more I work with them, the more I think of new ways to use them. I have never considered myself drawn to working in thinner type watercolor-style paintings... until now. My niche is all about thick paint. Will that change? Probably not. But the fact that I so thoroughly enjoyed working on these various grounds made me realize that I want to work with them more. For instance, when I travel or paint en plein air, schlepping around a suitcase full of heavy body paints is, well.. heavy. Working in a watercolor style would lighten my load immensely. The thought I had while painting in this very fluid style was that "the painting is painting itself" - the colors were flowing and mixing and pooling in the grooves of the texture - wow - its so cool. And it felt really natural and... fun. I feel like I just discovered a treasure chest full of toys. Can't wait to get into the studio and play with them more! I'm looking forward to teaching hands-on workshops in these products, which will be posted here on my blog as I start adding them into my schedule. I will be co-teaching a hands-on workshop about Golden products in Boston this coming weekend with a friend of mine, and very much looking forward to it.

Eau De Provence (SOLD)

2011-01-15T12:18:00.010-05:00

Last night, in my late night scramble to find a subject to paint, I realized I've been neglecting glass. All those reflections! I never feel like I have enough time to get into that complexity, it seems so time consuming. Excuses, excuses. So I reached for a pretty little bottle of perfume sitting on my dresser and forged ahead bravely. Truth be known, glass is like anything else... one color spot next to another color spot, keep the values correct, don't get too fussy. When I find that my paint starts to get sticky and tacky (1- 1.5 hours) I know its time to quit. The properties of acrylic paint make it a perfect automatic alarm clock. Glass - its fun!

Eau De Provence - SOLD

Acrylic on Canvas 6x6"

My Metallics

2011-01-13T13:16:00.004-05:00

These are NOT Dancin' Shoes, I learned the hard way. Nor are they walkin' shoes. Or go to see a concert shoes. They are, however, wonderful paintin' shoes. So I did.

My Metallics

Acrylic on Canvas 12x12"

More Macs

2011-01-10T21:43:00.005-05:00

Whenever I have a new student I do a quickie demo for them, just to show the technique with the big brushes, applying color, being aware of the values, etc. I do try to keep the whole thing within about 1/2 hr -45 min., so they can see how fast it can be, after all thats the name of the class... Here's one I did today for my students. Apples are always a great demo - simple shapes, pretty colors, what could go wrong? (Answer: plenty!) I have to do 4 demos this coming weekend for a large group of seasoned painters... yikes - wish me luck!

Cup'l

2011-01-09T19:49:00.004-05:00

I've heard it's good to paint in a series - like 2, 4 or 6 paintings of the same/similar subject, same size, same style, etc. so they all go together, and potentially could be bought together as a series. Another reason is that there is something nice about having a series; it looks cohesive, they each complement the whole, and it feels like you had an idea and explored it beyond the initial attempt. I felt that "Two Cups" needed a complimentary piece to go with it, so heres what I did today.

Cup'l

Acrylic on Canvas, 6x6" $100.

Two Grannies

2011-01-07T10:37:00.006-05:00

Red Delicious (previous blog post) needed a mate - two voluptuous grannies were available and interested... maybe I should have named this Ménage a Trois?

Two Grannies

Acrylic on Canvas, 6x6" $100.

Red Hot Jazz

2011-01-05T10:34:00.003-05:00

Someone asked a question about the painting of the girl in the airport, ("Busted Flat"), whether I painted at the Airport. Painting in public places is do-able, depending on restrictions and permissions, but entails a lot of issues to cope with. What I like to do is sketch and do paintings from the sketches. I did this painting to illustrate how its done -

My husband is a jazz musician (the bass player) and often I go to his gigs and sketch the band while they are playing. Here's a pen sketch - I focused on the big shapes and the values. Not much detail, but just enough to tell a story. Then I did the painting using a limited palette, just using a few colors to indicate values. I did not take photos so I had no extra information to rely on, which forced me to improvise ... which is what the painting is all about.

Red Hot Jazz

Acrylic on canvas, 9x12"

Pink Polish

2011-01-04T09:49:00.002-05:00

Pink Polish

Acrylic on Canvas 12x12"

Eye Candy

2011-01-03T08:19:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I hung a show of 25 pieces, some of them were my smaller daily paintings, which look so nice as a grouping of 6 or 9. I mounted them on wooden 6x6" boxes that have a 2" depth so they stood away from the wall very nicely. I painted each box a coordinating color, which made for a very lively and colorful presentation. The show is in Beacon, NY, about 1 mile from the Dia Museum Art Foundation, and about 90 minutes from NYC. The curator saw my work in a group show last year and we have been planning this for several months. Its always a kick in the butt to prepare for shows - framing, promo materials, last minute touches, etc. But seeing all the work up on the wall, in their color matched boxes, mmmm - easy on the eyes and satisfying for the soul!

Eye Candy

Oil on Canvas, 6x6"

Busted Flat

2010-12-31T22:16:00.007-05:00

A couple of weeks ago lots of people, (including myself) were 'busted flat in Baton Rouge waitin' fer a plane', or more specifically, in the New Orleans Airport due to cancelled flights because of snow flurries in Atlanta (snow in Atlanta? and people are denying unusual global weather patterns?) Everyone was freaking out because they were SO inconvenienced. But not this gal - she had the right idea .... make the best of whatever life hands you. And this artist did the same - sketch and take photos of people just being people. I was presented a perfect opportunity to stop and take in the "now" because I had a wonderful few hours to stop, be in the moment, and see life just being itself.

Busted Flat

Acrylic on Canvas, 6x6"

Sneaks

2010-12-31T09:42:00.004-05:00

I used to wear these type of sneakers as a kid. Now they aren't called sneakers anymore, and they look like something out of the future with all kinds of crazy designs, embellishments and odd looking rubber sculptured heels. Found this pair in a thrift store in exactly my size - I'll take em!

Sneaks

Acrylic on Canvas 6x6" $100

Pink Stripes and Orange Slices

2010-12-29T19:32:00.002-05:00

Pink Stripes and Orange Slices

Acrylic on Canvas, 6x6" $100

Shirley's Christmas Ornament

2010-12-28T12:16:00.009-05:00

The green bulb on the left is a vintage ornament that belonged to my mother when she was a child. The metal hanger must be authentic too, because it is so sturdy and feels like metal rather than tinfoil. You can buy bulbs that are recreations of the originals, but there is a glitzy look and feel to them that you don't see in the real thing. I realize I could spend the entire new year just painting these bright, cheerful Christmas ornaments, such eye candy!

Shirley's Christmas Ornament

Acrylic on Canvas 6x6 $100

Two Cups

2010-12-27T17:47:00.007-05:00

Two Cups

Acrylic on Canvas 6x6" $100

Cup o' Cherries

2010-12-26T12:28:00.009-05:00

I wanted to do a "Christmassy" color schemed painting - ok so blue is not green, but... close enough. We are getting our white Christmas today - on the 26th ... close enough, I'll take it... hoping everyone's new year is like a bowl of cherries ... or at least a cup!

Cup O' Cherries

Acrylic on Canvas Panel 6x6" $100

Two Cupcakes

2010-12-23T14:39:00.007-05:00

Acrylic on Canvas 6x6" $100.