Capitol Building

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"

Pumpkins

How did life get so busy? Its a good thing I paint fast, seems like the only time I get to indulge is in between teaching gigs and planet earth responsibilites. Which is barely enough time to set up a still life and pull out the paints. I had set up this little still life set up yesterday for my students, and by the time class is over and we've scrutinized the colors, the shapes, the values, and everything else possible, I "know" the subject so well I'm ready to paint it myself. But as life often has it, I don't have the luxury of even an hour to sink my teeth into it, usually there is something else nipping at my schedule that requires immediate attention. That was the case yesterday, and by the time I got to focus on it, it was 11 PM. By midnight I was done, tired in a good way, and feeling that nice warm glow of finally having fed my ravenous painting appetite. Next order of importance, feed my growling stomach - cap the paint, heat the oven, pop a Sam Adams, and sink my teeth into a nice hot pizza.

Pumpkins

6x6" Acrylic on Canvas

For more information or to purchase, contact: patti@mollicastudio.com

Lemon Slices

Yesterday was a painting marathon. I setup this still life for one of my students and painted along with them, painting from whatever angle I could find. I always let the students get the "good view" and I take whatever is left, but that in itself is a great lesson for me. As artists, we are often faced with less than ideal settings and situations and we have to find ways to "make it work" one way or another. If the composition doesn't work or the lighting is bad or the angles are awkward or the subject gets up and leaves, what can we do to fix it? The good news is that we have permission - aka artistic license - to do whatever it takes to make the painting work. Having a deep bag of artistic tricks, learned from dealing with many imperfect situations helps. In otherwords, learning how to best make lemonade from lemons. The other two paintings were done after class, where I could arrange the slices however I chose, stand wherever I wanted to get a good view. Interestingly enough, I like the first one the best, where I had to work dilligently from my big bag of tricks.

Lemon Slices 1,2, and 3

6x6" Acrylic on Canvas

For information or to purchase, contact patti@mollicastudio.com

Cotton Candy High Heels

This was a still life that one of my students set up in class today. I pulled out my paints and decided to join them, setting up my easel wherever I could squeeze in. I couldn't be picky about views, had to take whatever I got. The composition was interesting - one shoe in a complete profile, the other in extreme foreshortening. It worked out OK, I think! One of the things we talked about in class is that shoes are deceptively challengin to paint, because if the shoe is not drawn properly and in proportion, it will look really wrong - especially if its a high heel. Women know shoes, the way guys know cars (OK, thats a generalization, but...). And they can spot in a split second if the proportions or angles are off. Its best to get the drawing correct before jumping head first into the thick, soupy paint or ... mudpie city!

Cotton Candy Slingbacks

Acrylic on Canvas 12x12

For information or to purchase, contact patti@mollicastudio.com

Coffee and Dunkin Donuts

Calories, anyone?

Coffee and Donuts

Acrylic on Canvas 12x12"

For information or to purchase, contact patti@mollicastudio.com

Yellow Rose

A rose is a rose is a rose...

that elegant simplicity of a rose in bloom is so alluring. Yet is there anything more challenging to paint? The tendancy is to paint every single petal, accounting for the layers and layers of lush fullness that makes the rose so voluptuous. However in approaching it that way, one can quickly find themselves on a slippery slope of painting every petal and eliminating all the "magic" that struck us upon first glimpse. This is one of the many challenges of painting such an exquisite, complex, masterfully designed form. Implying the complexity but painting the simplicity and the drama ... not so easy.

My husband bought me a dozen yellow roses for my recent birthday. One of them stood out as being so "perfect" in its structure and design, so "architectural", that I decided to bring it to class and have my students paint it. What added to the challenge was that it was set against a very light backround, with little contrast to "fall back on". When everyone left, I pulled out the paints and went at it too.

Yellow Rose Acrylic on Board 10x10

If you are interested in purchasing, contact me at: patti@mollicastudio.com