A Teacher!

I took a chance and went to a class at the Loft in downtown Seneca.  The Loft is a bunch of rooms that artists rent to keep their stuff in, and show their work.  A new painter to this area is willing to do a oil painting class.  I started this Thursday.  I took an old photo of a sail boat on a lake that I had done similar before.  I really don't understand trees in the distance and how to paint water or sky for that matter.  So I showed up with my canvas prepped by using orange in the middle ( opposite of green) and yellow ( opposite of blue) on the top and bottom.  She has walked me through basic's and blocking and it really looks good.  She uses a very limited pallet and showed me how to get certain colors.  And everything flows and doesn't clash.  Now, if I can just remember how to do this. Practice time.!!!!   I have to get a detail brush.  They are small with very long bristles, and just a few, not really thick with bristles.  Her mom and sister are painters, and her mom used to buy every book she could on how to paint this or that.  She loves doing animals and is very good at that, but she can paint flowers and vases and landscapes and faces, from what I see up stairs.  She said she has tried every medium and likes oil the best.  She is soooo patient.  And I was so lucky that I was the only student that showed up.!!  Here is my started painting.  I am not to touch it until next week when we try and finish it.  Right now all it has is the blocking.  ( and there isn't any red in my pallet.right now.!!)

We are going out with our neighbors to a new restaurant on the lake, called the Light House.  Because we are going in the evening we will drive instead of take the boat over in the dark.  The lake is low and the sky is cloudy so it will get dark early and navigating all the shallow spots won't work for us, even though the boat can go as low as 4 feet.  Here is my start on the painting.
She is asking me how I like to paint.  I told her I use a lot of paint, but other than that I don't have a style of painting I like yet.  She is a very tight painter, and although I like that, it is hard to do I think.  So, we will see how this turns out.  Right next door is a cup cake store.  I told them, I will come in and get two cup cakes every Thursday.  I have a vanilla one and coconut one for today.  We had a strawberry and peanut butter one the last time we visited that place.

Some Carl Plansky art

The first picture is called apple tree and there is this tiny tiny white/blue bird in the middle of the tree.  And the second picture is called self portrait.  The canvas is full of paint... I love it.

Carl Plansky

Hello for the holiday weekend.  I hope you live close enough to put flowers on your graves and can gather together for a weekend of family.  Not the case at this house.  We did have company from Bartlesville. Bob went fishing with them to Jocasee lake and caught trout.  I joined them on Lake Keowee and only one big mouth Bass was found and a fishing pole lost...( it broke).  I think the sun was pretty hard on me tho.  They enjoyed the scenery.  Saturday was Seneca Fest so we strolled downtown to Ram Cat Alley to look around.  A bar b que contest left many chefs with meat to share and the artists were out in abundance.  I found a new artist in town that wants to teach oil.  She loves to paint animals and was working on a snake and a bear and they were very good paintings.  She works with students on Thursday afternoon.  I"ll let you know what I think about her.  She said she travels all over the world to get pictures to paint of animals.  She has been doing it since 12 years old.  Anyway a friend suggested I go to the gallery and see Shirley's huge paintings that were artist of the month and the art of Carl Plansky they had in the main gallery.  I have to say he is modern almost abstract, but he is one of those painters that Anne Spoon called lush in paint.  You had to stand back just like Walt's paintings to tell what the subject was.  One of his paintings was called Lemon Tree, but the tree was green, but the surrounding area's of sky and ground had a lot of yellow in them.  All the paintings were large and for sale at around $4000.00 each.  I liked his style a lot.  I guess I just like PAINT on the canvas.  You can google him to see more of his paintings.  I took one picture I'll share here.  www.carlplansky.com
So, I'll miss Gail's painting class starting next week in Bartlesville, but did find someone down here to help inspire me to continue.  Have a good holiday weekend Doves. Oh, and Shirley's paintings were fantastic.  I love the way she paints flowers.  She definitely had her own style and it was fun.

June Southwest Art Magazine

I haven't been painting.  I started two but haven't been up stairs.  The pool is open and it is still cold.   ( So, what's my point?)...The kids came out for a weekend.  We have again been fixing and fixing  ( repairs) the house.  We challenged the Country tax office in a meeting and are waiting to hear back about that.  Quaing has had quite a class going on in Austin.  It looked like a real winning class.  Most  art sessions that he offers are really a good deal.  He brings in wonderful artists.  I think he has something going on in Fredricksburg, Texas soon also.  Bartlesville is busy, busy, with classes and rearranging the Art building.  I hope they post pictures.
Well, if you don't buy Southwest Art Magazine, get the latest copy.  There is a Plein Air program  called www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/prix-de-west-june2012,  at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.  It looks like quite an experience, for artists to meet famous artists, and for buyers of art.  I wish I could go to it.  One of our paintings that we love  is by Walt Gonske, who will be showing there also.  I am in awe of his powerful paintings.  Maybe you like David Leffel?

Art Awards

Some of the Doves did very well at the Bartlesville Art Association Spring show.  Gale Rogers placed first with her still life.  (I wish I had a picture of it to display here.)  And Elizabeth Huff was a money winner also with her painting of a  beloved pet.
I understand Dedra sold her Cowboy boot painting.  Again I wish I had pictures to post.  But I want to let everyone know, how proud I am of their painting ability and success.  If I missed anyone I am sorry.  This is all Jo mentioned to me and she was worn out from being ill and President of the Association leading this years first show.  I understand it was a great success and still a high point of Bartlesville Art.

re-done's.

Well, upstairs I went today to see if I could correct my original  paintings.  I worked on these two that I had done earlier and posted.  A great improvement as far as I am concerned.  And I started another bottle picture.  I am determined to be able to paint them I guess.  I also will start a HUGE painting for the condo.  I have a subject picked out and it will be muted and grey, but some blue that was on some clothes.  I am excited about it.  So, back to bottles tomorrow right after the mamogram that had to be redone.  ( makes you not want to trust anything medical doesn't it?

Full moon artists

There is this group of artists called Full moon.  They are at www.fullmoonartists.com.  They have a sale twice a year and open their studios for tours and sell their wares at a discount.   Then they invite one other artist to each studio to display their art, and do demo's for the day.  We knew about the open house from the paper, and two of them just happen to be very close to us, so we stopped and visited.  The Lady above is a guest artist.  She has a commercial art degree and loves to paint in water color ( her demo above she was working on)  and oil.  She agreed with me that she knows  no oil painting teachers in this area.  She puts some white stuff on the paper that peels off when she wants a clear white area.  Didn't know about that, but she is very good on painting buildings .  There also is a group in Clemson, an art guild, but theater arts are included in this group.  They meet on Tuesday evening once a month.  Their fee is $40.00a year also, but that and another $10.00 gives you a space in their shows for joining. ( haha that is for me.)  So I had some art experiences this weekend.  We watched a woodworker make a bowl, and see ceramic's in another studio that are very functional.  Not just for looks.  She is good at her work too.  So, this area is teeming with artists, I just haven't found what fits yet.  Their studio's were specially built and really were nice.  But they have been doing their art for 30 years.....So visit their web sight and tour. Her name is Beti Strobeck by the way.