Cheerful and Colorful Paintings

Cheerful and Colorful Paintings in Oil, Acrylic, Mixed Media and Collage
nancystandlee@sbcglobal.net

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Carla O’Connor Workshop, Day 5, October 12, 2007 ~ Lubbock TX ~ Art Blog

Nancy's work in progress with pieces of paper suggestions for background color around the chair and hair. This photo was taken in the overhead mirror. Gouache on 1/2 sheet hot press paper.

Friday is our last day of our Carla O'Connor class, sad that it’s over but our heads are filled with thoughts of lots of new techniques to try after returning home. (Read the previous posts to learn more about the workshop.) I checked out of the Howard Johnson Express before class started early Friday morning. I was so pleased with the first floor room with wireless internet, coffee pot, and refrigerator. I stayed there once before for a workshop and it is very reasonable in price and it is about 3 miles from the workshop. At the workshop, we were directed to a darkened room where Carla showed us slides of her work and work of some contemporary artists who are friends. She felt like we’d benefit more from the slide show after we had tried to do some of the techniques.
We ordered pizza in and enjoyed our last lunch visit. I changed my painting water but I don’t think I ever placed more than a few strokes on a piece of paper as Carla was letting different students who had reached an impasse to place their work under the mirror and she would critique and make suggestions with bits of colored paper or paint. I was more interested in hearing and seeing what suggestions Carla made to other students than painting something on my own. The posted painting today was one she wanted me to be very careful with after she saw the initial sketch. Our charge on Thursday for that exercise was to draw with a large brush and paint very quickly a timed sketch of the model. She liked the red high heels and she didn’t want me to over paint it. The suggestions she made included the pink paper around the top of the painting and I will paint this in later and make her hair black (at present these are paper strips placed under the mat) and I’ll add a red earring. So I’ll try to paint on it sometime later in the week. Hugs all around and goodbyes were given with hopes of painting again with the group sometime and taking another Carla class. She is constantly on the move around the classroom and continually teaching and is very approachable to students. If you ever get the chance to take her workshop, I think you'd love her and the workshop. Bless her heart.. (We said that all week after a discussion about being able to say anything about a person (especially on the negative side), if you'd follow it up with "Bless her heart" - sorta inside joke).
A friend flew up on Friday to make the long drive back to Arlington with me and we decided to make the last tour of the day at 4:00 at the
Llano Estacado Winery in Lubbock.
I learned I was not pronouncing it correctly. There is a town in Texas that we call Llano (lah-noh) but the winery is pronounced using the Spanish (yah-naw). It’s the second oldest of more than 100 wineries in the State of Texas, and is the winery most responsible for the current wine industry renaissance. It is the best selling Premium wine in Texas and is used in 1st class of American Airlines and both President Bush's used it for the Governor’s mansion in Austin and in the White House. On Saturday, October 20th the winery will celebrate the 14th annual Grape Day. They have won national and international awards year after year. Their brochure states “Llano Estacado wines stand for what it means to be a Texan: independent, larger than life and always agreeable”.
I drove to Abilene and I was not in the least bit tired as I was still celebrating the weeks’ events and discussing every incident, but after eating dinner, I got in the passenger’s side and tried to stay awake. The Rav 4 looked a little like I was moving and there was so much “stuff” and art supplies everywhere, I waited until Saturday to unload. I've thought about the other students today as I know they are going through the same art withdrawal symptoms and facing the job of unpacking. Oh, where to put all the material I’ve used for the past two weeks that I have pulled from every nook and cranny. It will take days to go through the mail but I’ve given up on getting art supplies organized - maybe I’ll keep them packed and wait for the next workshop and I think I’ve got one coming up on Tuesday. Check back and I’ll post about that one later in the week.
Other blogs where I post:
· http://artistfoodnetwork.blogspot.com/
· http://canvasbycanvas.blogspot.com/
· http://myspace.com/nancystandlee
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· Eat Well ~ Paint Your Food ~ Laugh Often

2 comments:

Margie Whittington said...

Nancy, I want to buy some vitamines like you must be taking to do all that you are doing and accomplishing. WOW, I am so impressed and excited with your paintings and what you learned in Carla's workshop. I think if she does one here it will fill up with our groupimmediately. You have been so good to share all the pictures and info.
I have printed all out for future reference.
Thanks so much. Do you have time for a little rest before you hit the road again.
hugs,
mw

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks so much for sharing this workshop experience with us, Nancy! Great stuff and your portrait you shared is just beautiful :)
I have linked your blog to mine now, girl, and am proud to do so!