Apples Violet Underpainting Finished

I finished my Violet Underpainting class assignment a week ago but I left it at the studio to dry. I ended up leaving the fabric more violet than it actually is because I liked the purple/yellow complement. The value study exercises have really helped me.

Last Monday in class I started a new exercise. Each exercise is designed to have you use a different technique as you approach a painting. The goal is to have you explore different techniques, styles, and results as you develop your own style. The next exercise uses a combination of a value lay-in with a large filbert, applying color with a flat in short cross-hatching strokes, and finishing details with a round brush. I found a reference photo of a large MacKenzie-Childs planter made with broken pottery pieces and filled with lush greenery and flowers. Can't wait to get back to it tomorrow!

It's the perfect weather day to stay cozy in the house and get out the paints. When I was at the workshop with Elizabeth Pruitt I picked up a still life packet with brass and white roses. I can't wait to paint it today! AND I may even get out the clay! I have a small tin just begging to be covered!

Enjoy YOUR day!

Kathy

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Sarah and Nana's Great Adventure!

My seven year old granddaughter, Sarah Mae, came to visit over the weekend and together we made a Valentine's gift for her mom, my daughter, Rebecca. What a wonderful time we had! When she looked at me, hands busily rolling clay, and told me that she always had so much fun at my house I beamed with joy!

We used Studio by Sculpey clay to dress up an old vase with a pink flower and a "collar" of buds. Sarah was so proud and couldn't wait to give it to her mom. Rebecca loved it. All in all it was a great adventure!

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Violet Underpainting Step Two

I've been working...though not as much as I should...on the violet underpainting. In the first pass I painted the entire painting in violet in the correct values to reproduce the image from my source material. I posted that before the workshop.

In that reference the apples are sitting on the back of a sofa in a very sunny window with warm light. I know that the shadows will be cool so I've used alizarin crimson and ultramarine blue in the deepest shadows.

These apples shine more orange in this particular light than red. In Monday's class I'll finish this pass and then go back and probably punch up the highlights. More after that!

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Weekend Workshop With Elizabeth Pruitt

In spite of the very serious look on my face I had the most amazing weekend painting with Elizabeth Pruitt at the Charleston Chapter of Decorative Painters! The company was wonderful and the instruction eye opening! I'd like to do it again this weekend if I could!

If you haven't seen her work please check out Elizabeth's website:

http://www.elizabethpruitt.com/index.asp

It's a real treat when someone this talented can also teach. That doesn't happen all the time. Elizabeth has 3 classes at the SDP annual convention and I believe that she said they've opened up additional sessions. I only wish that I could go! If you're going, or thinking about it. don't miss the opportunity to paint with her!

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Violet Underpainting

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my painting teacher has implemented a class syllabus which begins with 3 mandatory paintings. This is the beginning stage of one of those paintings.

The reference photo, which I'll scan and post with the finished painting, is of three apples sitting on the back of a sofa in a very sunny window. Joyce has quite a few of these photos with either apples or pears. I painted another version of these apples last year using a palette knife.

I enjoy this approach of scrubbing in the values...finding the negative spaces between the apples to help define the apples. Next step, applying the color in the right value based on the values in the underpainting.

Have a good day!



Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Pears In A Sunny Window

It's been so great to get back to my class schedule after the holiday break. My teacher, Joyce Hall, has given us a wonderful curriculum for the year. It was designed to take the new student from the first class through a variety of exercises over an extended period of time. These twelve exercises are technique based and each requires us to paint two paintings, one sample from a folder of references and the second from a reference of our own, after we complete three mandatory paintings. So that would be 27 paintings in all.

The first required painting is the "onion painting" which I posted earlier. The next painting is the above Pear painting in which we're required to do a violet underpainting with a large filbert and complete with a flat starting with the dark areas and moving to the lightest. This photo makes that couch back where the pears are sitting look more purple than it actually is. I need to get my photo tent set up and use my tripod for better photos.

Next week I'll have the apple painting which is done as a violet underpainting with a large filbert and finishing dark to light with a filbert. That will complete the first three mandatory paintings and then I'll move on to the 12 exercises each to be done twice with a class reference and a personal reference.

I love having a plan for study all mapped out!

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Happy New Year

Can you believe that it's 2009? What happened to 2008? If you're like me it's a blur of memories...many good, but some not so good. Those are all the memories that contribute to the people we become, day by day, so we need to embrace them all.

I'm trying to get back to painting regularly after being very hit or miss since last Summer. Here is a larger painting for me...it's 16x20. I love the colors...especially the cool greens.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Kathy

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com