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| Warm up. Next time spread out. Little heads, little canvas painted by artist with big head and no idea how much room to allow. |
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| I like this"sketch" best. I got his hunch. |
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| Hoo-Ra! Color is encouraged for the man of color. But black or white, darks are dark and lights are lights; the medium tone is the difference. |
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| Orange on neck needslightening up. Otherwise, I like the shape of the head. |
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| My cool side just wasn't cool enough. |
Do you recall from childhood the fairy tale about the kid who killed five--or some number of giants with one blow of his club and then went around bragging about it? I do. He lied. But I'm not lying when I tell you I "knocked off" five "gesture portraits," watched a demonstration with pastels, (the instructor's idea of the medium closest to oils and the medium, which is the easiest one to learn the values of colors), and a demonstration and multi-color palette layout discussion. Values and shapes are everything in painting. Warm and cool are everything in setting up a palette. A palette does not have to be a lot of colors--just some form of the primaries.
I'm not bragging about my five "portraits" either. It was a full day. It was a hard day. Had I known we were going to do that many, I would have toned the canvases last night. --Now that is a lie. Once I lie down on that sofa after dinner, I'm through. I don't want to do one more thing. These days have been overflowing with information and interaction. My head is reeling.
Meanwhile I am loving the experience. It is well worth my bitching about the expense. I would take this very workshop again. I'd like another crack at it. I'll continue what I've picked up on my own along with some color mixing studies. I'm liking the idea of limiting a palette; it makes painting so much easier and it's definitely more informative and less expensive. KNOW YOUR TOOLS.
I have no idea what's on for tomorrow. But being the last day, I imagine it will be another demanding and a strenuous six hours. I can hardly wait. In the meantime, I'm icing.
I leave you with one thought: WHITE IS BLUE.
How exciting!!! I cannot wait for my first workshop!!
ReplyDeleteWhite is blue..white is blue..white is blue..ok, I'll take your word for it.
All you have to do is put a brush stroke of Titanium white across a swatch of Cadmium Yellow to see for your self. Flake white is blue too even though it's warmer. Black is blue too.
DeleteWorkshops should be called workouts.
good work! It is fun to read your updates. Cool to share the experience with you!
ReplyDeleteI owe this marvelous experience--and the beginning of a lot of similar experiences--to you. Thank you for getting me started.
DeleteLinda!
ReplyDeleteYou are a very hard worker! You very much deserve the great progress I have noticed in your portraits.
" Keep on working freely and furiously and you will make progress." Paul Gauguin
Take care.
Michael
I love it! Thank you Michael. Today it's a wrap and a beginning. I'm looking forward to flying on my own tomorrow.. I've got a portrait on my easel that I started my usual way; I'll be trying this new way of starting, plus a few others. Obviously, I've been too easy on myself.
DeleteThe intensity of good workshopping is beautifully expressed in your post. I just hope you have access to therapeutic liquids so that your necessary quiet, reflective evenings give you the maximum benefit. I usually find that some appreciation of the viticulturists art works.
ReplyDeleteAlways. The drink of the Gods soothes away the aches of the day. Thanks for commenting Mick. I think we speak the same language.
Delete[Whatever I do, it seems I can't manage the time difference between Liverpool and Michigan.]
ReplyDeleteYou are having a good time and that's great. I think the information will get 'organized' after some time, but not before the end of the workshop-or workout (lol).
White is blue, so blue has white or sometimes black... are we still talking about art or philosophy? :)
Warm regards.
Titanium and Flake white lean towards blue; they are not warm. Black is also a blue gray when white is added to it. Payne's Gray is a bit more blue than black when white is added to it.
DeleteFor the first time in my life, I've added black to my palette and it worked. Add Cerulean blue to black and it's blacker. It's art all the way. A mind teaser until you fuss around with the colors on the palette.
I absolutely love these; sure wish I was in your workshop (er, workout) xoxo
ReplyDeleteMe too. There were only ten artists there, but some of them came from distances away--far enough away where they had to leave their house a lot earlier than I did and had to put up with rush hour traffic coming into the city. I was amazed. It seems, however, that this association is the only one of its kind around here. I couldn't believe it. I always thought of the place as a township art center, not one that people would travel great distances and stay at a hotel for three nights to attend a workshop.
DeleteWonderful, feverishly energetic gesture portraits! What an accomplishment. I am sure your spongelike parts are absorbing all kinds of new infomration which will bubble up to the surface once you are back in the safety of your own studio! Workshops are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteYes they are Susan. After all my moaning and groaning, I had a superb time and came out ahead for my efforts.
DeleteThe workshop has become productive! Which collection of heads! Congratulations, I am very happy for you and with you,dear Linda!
ReplyDeleteThank you Rita. It was a very worthwhile experience--even with icing my knees every night:)
DeleteWonderful gestural portrait, Linda!! I am so very glad you are enjoying the clinic. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathryn. Those are tiny heads. Tiny heads and figures are the way to finely hone portrait painting skills. I've been set straight.
DeleteYou SHOULD brag about these 5 portraits, Linda! They are all amazing!!! It looks like an incredible workshop! I love the limited palette.
ReplyDeleteThank you Hilda, but I don't think so. They are stepping stone to amazing. I think I like the limited palette as well. I'll be doing a lot more of that in an effort to "learn my tools."
DeleteGreat stuff. I love the second one. Looks like Hemingway. Enjoy your talent.
ReplyDeleteThat's all you have to say JJ? You're blog started an interesting conversation. I expected you to add to it. You're a deep thinker.
Delete