My first Start on the abstract.

I am enjoying using large Brushes, but they are hard to clean.!!!  I am so excited to be painting this way.  I"ll start on my " bat/family" picture tomorrow I hope.  Yeah....Steph was in San Diego last week and took some lovely pictures while working.  She has a new client that is publishing a cookbook for College Students.  She came home and Jeremy and her made salsa from their garden produce all weekend.  He said he doesn't want to look or eat Salsa for quite a while now.  They did 3 or 4 versions and made them from scratch with different ingredients.  I hope they kept track of what they did if they found one they loved.  I guess the Salsa garden they planted this year turned out to be a thumbs up project for them.  Oh, by the way, the pictures she took are fruit, and cactus flowers and ocean waves.  All of the pictures were paint able and wonderful.!!  We are working on ocean waves in Painting class next Thursday.

My first very abstract, large painting.

Jason took this picture while he was visiting.  This is what I am basing my painting on.  I"ll add my own touch I hope.

The big Challenge

I am getting ready to paint a dark picture that was photographed at Night.  I want to put it in the condo in Austin.  This picture will be very modern, not detailed.  I showed it to Kate and she said I need to leave the cars in the picture.  So, I have primed my canvas to paint this picture I post here.  I was at the bridge with my son's and their wives waiting for the bats to come out.  We were walking through the newspaper parking lot back to our cars, when Bob took the picture of us walking from behind.  It has a great memory for me, and I like the vagueness of it.  I primed my canvas using Veridian.  I considered  it the best color, that was opposite of the colors I will paint on the canvas when I start.
This Canvas is very large by the way.  Yeah.!!!
I have some good photo's of Brandy now also.  So I can start a portrait painting of her too.  Yeah.!!!  My neighbor is trying to learn to paint too.  She is already bored with apples and oranges she said.  so I am taking something over to paint with her tomorrow.  You can't help but spend a fortune when getting started painting, besides the setting up somewhere and I think she is very discouraged at this point.  She isn't painting between class.

Older boat painting repainted

So, I am not done with my boat painting I took to my new teacher.  I have the boat and the water to do next Thursday and then it should be done.  It really is good right now.  I wanted to paint today a little and decided to try and fix the painting I had done earlier of another sail boat scene I had tried to do.  I think I posted it earlier.  Anyway, I didn't spray the canvas or anything, just painted over the top of the canvas but with the colors that she is suggesting I learn to use and stayed away from all the rest that I have on my board.  I really think it worked out very well and I am proud of the finished product.  Her instruction stuck.!!

The Marines have arrived here in Seneca.  Keowee Key's subdivision invites some Marines from a close Military hospital to spend a week on the Lake.  They had a parade and Motorcycle's  lead the way.  Almost 500 motorcycle's were in the parade.  The Marines were in Jeep's provided by a local Jeep club.  There were lots of people along the route to wave and clap as they passed by.  The home owners of Keowee Key's will host the Marines and feed them.  They have access to boats, fishing trips, Sea Do's, swimming, and golf.  I think they have a grand old time.  Tonight there is a Bar B Q for them at a local Center, with all people in the area invited to enjoy the evening and to visit with the Marines.  There will be meals for everyone, and music to entertain.  I really admire this subdivision for putting themselves out to give these soldiers a break from the Hospital and a real home to relax in when not playing on the lake or  their golf course.

Starting some challenging pieces.

I am going to paint a very challenging piece.  It is from a photo Jason took in our back yard of that awful water fountain.  It really is a challenging picture and will be awesome as a very modern piece.  I decided to take the two colors in the picture and paint the opposite on the canvas.  So one side is blue/ I chose orange, and one side was a lime green so I chose Violet.  I am so excited for the canvas to dry so I can start with my large brushes.  The canvas is very large by the way.

Finished latest try on bottles.

Once again I am messing with bottles.  I will get them transparent one of these days. I loved doing this practice and loved the colors I used.  Oh well.:)  I bought a bottle tree when we drove up to the Highlands with Jason and Brandy last week.  I don't know if JoAnn is using her's, but I decided I wanted one too.  I know there is some reason for them.  Ghosts or evil spirits or something.  I'll have to research what it is.  I think it is Indian lore.
Hello Doves....I sent Jo a magazine article about doing an auction of paintings.  Jason and Brandy said they want Walt's picture someday.  I mentioned to them that it will be an auction painting.  I guess the article is about Art Groups putting on an Auction to raise money for their club and artists getting a chance to sell their paintings.  It said some don't get what they want or hoped to get but that is the chance you take.  But if it becomes a regular program, then paintings have to go up as people become familiar with the artists.etc.  I hope the second time I tried to send it to Jo the article loaded.

Making my own canvas

I called another Dove yesterday.  Liz.  She and that beloved dog were already up and running which I am thankful for, because I am one hour difference in time and I get up and run early.  Not run, but moving...  I needed some info on the glue and board to make my own canvas.  I bought some cotton ( not up for linen yet) when I was in Santa Fe, some cloth to make my own canvas.  I found a web sight after I bothered her and it told in detail what to do to make your own.  They don't make masonite any more.  Birch they sell around here is too thick.  So I have this finished sanded board that looks ok to use so I will practice with it.  I'll ask the neighbor to cut the board accurately.  His wife has been bored and is going to join the art class down town. She has been a stewardess, a registered Nurse and a Physicians Assistant in her lifetime.  She is going to use my stuff for Thursday.  After all she may not like doing this after all.  She is leaning toward pastel's though.  So, I ordered my special glue.. my muck sort to speak and await it's coming.  The store is closed this week for vacation. ( figures)  And they won't ship it if it will freeze.  I'll make a  little canvas at first to see if I can get it right, then move on to a large one.  I'll take my large canvas with me when I go to class, in two weeks, to start the painting for the Condo.  I"ll send you the photo I"ll be working from.  I am so excited about doing this and doing it very contemporary in style.  Since the teacher is VERY tight, I hope she can show me how or explain what to do.  She paints hair upside down, one stroke at a time.!!  I'll have to do Jason's picture over I can see that and try to do it tight like her, to practice this.
I understand Gail's class was awesome.  You painted pears, then boxes with ribbons and she taught you all kinds of new stuff.  And that Richard Kalwick will be there in October?  I should go to that one since I missed Gail's.
Take care..

my new boat picture.

bottles again

I finished my bottles today.  Different than the last post of bottles I painted.  Less paint was used that is for sure and of course Artist's pleasure in the style.  I have my new brushes and used them on some of the details on the bottles.  The brushes are called scripts and liners.  I also managed to get a 26 X 30 canvass to work with.  Once again I learned that Michaels' art store is more expensive than Hobby Lobby.  I stayed up very late and watched a movie about Jackson Pollick?  I loved his free painting.  In the end he never used a brush, just dribbled and put on straight out of the tube to do his paintings.  The movie was good and I recommend watching it.  It warns you of how crazy artists really are and how poor they stay most of their lives.  He was married to an artist that didn't really shine until she finally left him for his crazy ways.
The weather has been mountain cool around here.  The pool too cool to deal with right now.  I'll take a picture of the bottles when upstairs tomorrow.  Maybe you can tell me if they are "modern " and I can put them in the show this summer, since it is very contemporary they said.  I forgot my phone to take the picture today.Laters ladies..