Cheerful and Colorful Paintings

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

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Sunday Roses, 12117, Contemporary Oil Floral Still Life by Texas Artist Nancy Standlee

Sunday Roses, 12117
Oil on gallery wrapped canvas 1.5" depth
14x11x1.5
See at my online gallery at Daily Paintworks
There is a nice perk now at Daily Paintworks. If you purchase a painting you have 4 chances in 30 days to win a featured artists painting. Check out the Artist Spotlight and Giveaway icon.
In my previous two blog posts I've shown the flowers painted in the Friday and Saturday workshop days with Nancy Medina in Irving, TX.  I don't have all my notes typed up yet and I've signed up for another one with Nancy in November. Also on my fall schedule is workshops with Vicki McMurry, Don Sahli, and Harold Frontz.   Workshop supply lists are being checked and ordered and oh, hum, trying to sort through some kitchen cabinets. Not so much fun as trying to learn to paint in oils.
Don studied with Sergei Bongart and I'm now reading the book about his life by Balcomb and I'm fascinated. 
A Jerry's order did arrive this week with a new art supply I learned about from one of Nancy's students. Maybe you already know but it's a cool tool for signing your name in an oil painting. Here's the link: The Amazing Wipe-Off tool.

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Purchase paintings through my Gallery at Daily Paintworks.
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Saturday, August 25, 2012

Saturday Sunflowers, 12116, Oil Floral by Nancy Standlee Contemporary Texas Artist

Saturday Sunflowers, 12116
14x11x1.5" Oil Floral, on gallery wrapped canvas, no frame needed

See at my online gallery at Daily Paintworks
There is a nice perk now at Daily Paintworks. If you purchase a painting you have 4 chances in 30 days to win a featured artists painting. Check out the Artist Spotlight and Giveaway icon.

Last Saturday we were painting Saturday Sunflowers in the Nancy Medina Workshop in Irving. This Saturday finds me still trying to get my workshop notes typed and eventually some color charts. I'm making some progress with a 3 ring notebook (and who doesn't like to buy school supplies) and gessoed some watercolor paper for adding some color notes. It may not last as I've tried this several times but get busy and the notebook goes to the bottom of the stack but I know I would benefit. With 4 other oil workshops coming up (no make that 5 because I signed up for Nancy's November one, I expect I would remember more if I could make a few pages to jog the color memory. 

What did last was the memory of Nancy's good coffee in the Keurig coffee maker she brought to share. The Keurig experience was new to me and by watching other students in the break room I learned how this amazing coffee maker works. This week I've been coffee maker shopping and this morning enjoying a Tully's French Roast.  So who doesn't like to buy art supplies and coffee?

Here is a photo of the flower table for us to prepare our own arrangements and look at that spacious room, always a beautiful sight - space.
Here is my personal set up and each student was painting from one at their table in the P.M. Nancy requested we take a photo after we got a layer of transparent color down but I think I got too involved in the painting and forgot so here is the beginning and at the top, the finished painting.

 TEXAS DAILY PAINTER, OIL PAINTING, SMALL OIL STILL LIFE,  ARTISTS OF TEXAS BLOG, NANCY STANDLEE , FINE ART,  DAILY PAINTWORKS, CONTEMPORARY FINE ARTS INTERNATIONAL, PINTEREST, SUNFLOWER OIL FLORAL, FLOWERS IN OIL,

BLOG                  Nancy Standlee Art Blog
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WEBSITE            Canvas by Canvas
Contact:             NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net

Purchase paintings through my Gallery at Daily Paintworks.
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Saturday, August 18, 2012

Nancy Medina Workshop, Summer Flowers in Oil, "Hydrangea Impression" 12115 by Texas Artist Nancy Standlee


Hydrangea Impression 12115
14x11 on Ampersand Pastelbord panel, oil

See at my online gallery at Daily Paintworks

There is a nice perk now at Daily Paintworks. If you purchase a painting you have 4 chances in 30 days to win a featured artists painting. Check out the Artist Spotlight and Giveaway icon.

See my online gallery HERE.

Heading out for a weekend (Friday, August 17-19, 2012)  of Painting Summer Flowers in Oil with Nancy Medina.
On packing day I get my supply list and start checking items off and placing them on the couch and it usually is an all day affair with my slow working ways. Fortunately I'm not catching a flight for this workshop but driving about 30 miles to Irving so I can pack lots and be casual (pack lots). Let's get the oil paints together first.
Choosing and Packing my Oil Paints:
I've found a good quick resource to look up pigment numbers HERE at Art is Creation and the charts HERE Pigment numbers are listed in very small letters and print on each tube of paint and they identify what colors are in that particular tube of paint. So why would you want to know what pigment number Grumbacher Red had? Thursday I was packing supplies for the workshop and trying to add all the oil colors Nancy had on her supply list and whoa! no Grumbacher Red. Next question. Do I have another red that is similar so I need to know the pigment number. I see the information on Grumbacher's site is that it's similar to Cadmium Red Medium but more transparent and it is a napthol red. My Cadmium Red Medium will do in a pinch. After searching in my paints, I find I have a Lucas Geranium Lake PR122..whoo hoo.. I'll substitute that for the Grumbacher Red as it's a PR122 also and what a lovely name. Now to the Cobalt Blue Light by Rembrandt I see it's a single pigment and is PB28. I was thinking it might be a cobalt with white added since Light is in the name and I could adjust but I will have to see if I have a blue pigment PB28. No. I do not have Cobalt Blue Light and after calling several of my local art stores I located a tube but it was $29 on sale. My regular old Cobalt Blue will be fine for $29.00. To see the rest of the Nancy Medina supply list click HERE.
You can check online also and find out a lot of information on specific colors such as Cheap Joe's. 
Now the rest is easy. I don't have the panels she recommends but it will be interesting to see her work with her favorites and learn why she prefers them. I've chosen some 11x14's and put two coats of Utrecht professional gesso on them. I'm also bringing a Ampersand Pastel board for an experiment.
The Hours will be 9-4 with her painting a floral demo in the morning and then we can paint along with her in the PM or go off on our own. I'll paint along on one of my 11x14 panels, trying to "build powerful color from a transparent ground". Oh, yes, she requested we get rid of the white canvas with some raw umber. Done.
My Easel:
I ordered the James Coulter system and gave it a trial run in Tucson with Peggi Kroll Roberts for plein air but this workshop will be in the studio. Here is a good YouTube video of how James sets up the standard easel. Click HERE.. 
Fast forward.. much too busy last night to blog about the workshop because I had to attend the AMA art opening. Here I am after painting all day, stopping by Hobby Lobby for more odorless turp.


Here is a photo of Nancy Medina getting ready for prep for her demo Friday and please check out her blog HERE for steps and good photos of her finished hydrangea oil painting. On the left is a knee high stack of torn paper towels ready for her "clean the brush after every stroke" mania. I've never seen anything like it and her hubby was there today to video tape some of today's demo and I had to ask if he'd ever figured in the paper towel expense because she just might not be breaking even or need to start charging more per painting. No. Just kidding. That's why her paintings have good clear color and are not muddy and she doesn't have to worry about sales either.

Nancy M and Nancy S and boy do we look pale in comparison to a room full of hydrangea and sunflower paintings. Next time I'm putting a sunflower between my teeth.
In the morning the class was wowed by Nancy's demo and  then in the afternoon we could set up our own floral arrangement or we could paint along with her (I chose to paint along) and she played like Vanna White.. painting and walking and talking...around and around the room helping all of her poor struggling wanna be's. First suggestion, snug up those tables.. she's been standing all morning now more standing and walking and explaining it all over again. Note our great room at the Jaycee Art Center in Irving but be warned IF you haven't been there lately. Use your GPS. I had to go around 3 times before I found the opening off 183. The entry that I was used to using has been walled off and oh, well, you will figure it out eventually, but you better get off at Story Rd. and drive s l o w and oh, no, now you've missed it again. 

After all that easel talk and prep I'm been sitting using my table top easel and about those paint color choices on the supply list.... Nancy will send you a supply list when you sign up for the workshop.  People check her online one also. They have some differences and she just likes to see if you're paying attention but check both of them out and get that brush she recommends. It's less than $2.00 and she painted that whole painting Friday with it..well, maybe she did use a smaller brush for some of the initial drawing on the toned ground. 

If you like to paint colorful florals and brush up on some new oil tricks take her next workshop. See the when and where HERE.
And check that supply list but by then she may have added another favorite color or two but be assured that lady knows how to use that color and knows how to run through a couple of rolls of paper towels per demo.

For making it this for in reading this post here is a treat...Nancy Medina's Friday Demo. I took it from her blog because I think she may have added a few more touches since my last photo.


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BLOG                  Nancy Standlee Art Blog
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Purchase paintings through my Gallery at Daily Paintworks.
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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

California Roses #2, #4 ,#5 and #6, Highly Textured Mixed Media Abstract Floral Abstract Paintings by Texas Contemporary Painter Nancy Standlee

California Roses #2 SOLD
10x10" highly textured mixed media abstract floral acrylic painting

California Roses #4
10x10" highly textured mixed media abstract floral acrylic painting

California Roses #5
10x10" highly textured mixed media abstract floral acrylic painting

California Roses #6
10x10" highly textured mixed media abstract floral acrylic painting


The edges of the gallery wrapped canvas

See at my online gallery at Daily Paintworks
There is a nice perk now at Daily Paintworks. If you purchase a painting you have 4 chances in 30 days to win a featured artists painting. Check out the Artist Spotlight and Giveaway icon.

See my blog post HERE about how these paintings came to be at the Robert Burridge mentoring workshop in Arroyo Grande CA.

Today I've decided to type up a disclaimer and attach it to the back of each of these 6 paintings and below is what I think needs to be said. (one has sold, the #2 and the rest are for sale on my online gallery)

California Roses (series 1-6) Thank you for purchasing one of these small 10x10” highly textured, mixed media, abstract florals. I live in Texas and traveled to CA for a mentoring workshop and needed to travel light, without wooden stretcher bars. I purchased flat canvas, cut it up into the desired sizes, gessoed and textured it at home, and painted it in CA. On the return trip I made a painting sandwich with 4 mil plastic between the layers and rolled up the canvas. It was all an experiment to see if it would work. At home I ordered wooden stretcher bars, used a staple gun and went to work stretching painted highly textured canvases. Do not attempt this. It is hard to do. Lol but I got it done and not the best job because with all the texture you can’t get a taut a canvas than if you’d stretched it then painted but I wanted to try it. (Maybe you could if you have more stretching muscles than I do.) I came through check in at 50 lbs and didn’t have to pay any extra baggage fee so it met one of my goals but TSA did their usual baggage check with my paints and equipment.
I’ve applied two coats of semi-gloss varnish after stretching. The paintings are signed on the side so they can be hung in any orientation. No hanging devices are on the back because of this and I’ve found these smaller pieces will fit flush up against the wall better if two nails are driven into the wall and the painting is hung over them. One of the paintings sold at the workshop and will be on its return trip to CA. There will be other sizes, other colors but none with this particular story. I have since ordered an electric staple gun to use up the rest of the canvas and stretcher bars but I WILL be texturing and painting after the canvas has been stretched. I hope you enjoy your very experimental California Rose painting. 

Save the date for the AMA reception August 17, 2012. I delivered 3 paintings yesterday for the Heartbeat invitational show that runs from Aug 15-Sept 21.

CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACT ACRYLIC PAINTING, PAINTINGS FOR SALE, DAILY PAINTWORKS, FLORAL PAINTINGS, MIXED MEDIA ABSTRACT PAINTING. MIXED MEDIA  ABSTRACT, TEXAS DAILY PAINTER, ACRYLIC MIXED MEDIA TEXTURED ABSTRACT PAINTING, ARTISTS OF TEXAS, CONTEMPORARY FINE ARTS INTERNATIONAL, NANCY STANDLEE ART, DAILY PAINTERS ABSTRACT GALLERY, PINTEREST, PAINTINGS ON CANVAS

BLOG                  Nancy Standlee Art Blog
WEBSITE            Nancy Standlee
WEBSITE            Canvas by Canvas
Contact:             NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net

Purchase paintings through my Gallery at Daily Paintworks.
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Friday, August 10, 2012

California Roses Mixed Media Abstract Florals by Contemporary Texas Artist Nancy Standlee


California Roses #3, 12106 10"x10" on gallery wrapped canvas, acrylic abstract mixed media floral
Heavily Textured 

See at my online gallery at Daily Paintworks

There is a nice perk now at Daily Paintworks. If you purchase a painting you have 4 chances in 30 days to win a featured artists painting. Check out the Artist Spotlight and Giveaway icon.


 There are six paintings in this series and you see see the edges here where the flowers are carried over onto the edge. I was in a mentoring workshop with Robert Burridge and took flat canvases, textured and ready to paint. See blog post HERE.http://nancystandlee.blogspot.com/2012/07/painting-in-bobland-and-california.html
This was all experimental as I did not know how the canvases would travel before or after texturing/painting but I made 4 mil plastic sandwich sheets between and rolled them up for suitcase travel. When I returned home to Texas, I was shocked I couldn't find 10" stretcher bars in 1 1/2" depth so after an internet search I found this site, Breathing Color, and placed an order for 50 lbs of stretcher bars. Next on the list was tracking down my canvas pliers for stretching and my staple gun. After finishing/stretching 6 and I'd advise - don't try this. It is so hard. Wait until the canvas is stretched before painting and texturing if you can but I got them stretched - oh, just so-so. Now to begin on some 14x11 figures but fortunately they are not heavily textured but I did go to Ace Hardware to buy an ELECTRIC staple gun. I haven't tried it yet and will let you know how that works out. I read a lot of reviews and they can be very problematic. But this method worked for me on this particular trip because I didn't want to go to the expense of shipping stretched canvases and now I have extra canvases and stretcher bars for other projects.

The California Six series

Top row, the first one in this row has been sold and is heading back to California soon.
 
Here is a comment from my online gallery about one in the series "
"So joyful I laughed out loud when I zoomed in -- love it!" 

and I just have to think about the Andy Warhol quote 

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”

I sold one of my favorites today.. a mixed media figurative abstract with the acrylic painted fairly transparent and using telephone pages for texture and collage. "That's What I Like About You" 12x12

And when we get so distracted with stretcher strips and what we should, shouldn't be eating, and the weather, and what shows to enter, I just had to share this little joke that so speaks to me that was posted on FB.

CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACT ACRYLIC PAINTING, PAINTINGS FOR SALE, DAILY PAINTWORKS, FIGURATIVE PAINTING. MIXED MEDIA FIGURATIVE ABSTRACT, TEXAS DAILY PAINTER, ACRYLIC MIXED MEDIA TEXTURED ABSTRACT PAINTING, ARTISTS OF TEXAS, CONTEMPORARY FINE ARTS INTERNATIONAL, NANCY STANDLEE ART, DAILY PAINTERS ABSTRACT GALLERY, PINTEREST, MIXED MEDIA TEXTURED FLORAL ABSTRACT

BLOG                  Nancy Standlee Art Blog
WEBSITE            Nancy Standlee
WEBSITE            Canvas by Canvas
Contact:             NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net

Purchase paintings through my Gallery at Daily Paintworks.
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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Mixed Media Abstract Figures with Torn Paper Collage, California Focus, 12112 by Contemporary Texas Painter Nancy Standlee

 California Focus, 12112


14x11 on gallery wrapped canvas
Abstract Acrylic Figures with Torn Paper Collage

I took some collage papers with me, made a few while there, and got into Bob's papers (just a pinch) at the Robert Burridge mentor workshop in Arroyo Grande CA.. (See previous posts) and was thinking Klimt when I worked on this one with spirals and circles.


 Bob's wall in his studio with work he's preparing for the Sausalito Art Festival in September. His goal is about 200 paintings.

 He showed us one way to start a figure by drawing "carrot shapes".

 Some of his circus and magician series for the big Labor Day weekend.



No your monitor is O.K. this is Bob's new handout slip to remind us to Focus. Please check out the photo above of his fire extinguisher. Who but Bob would have a "Opera" colored fire extinguisher? If you've taken a workshop with Bob before you know he likes a little Opera in most paint mixtures or a little touch of it in a finished painting. In honor of his new Focus sign (here it is taped on my kitchen cupboard) I had to title my painting California Focus.

See at my online gallery at Daily Paintworks

There is a nice perk now at Daily Paintworks. If you purchase a painting you have 4 chances in 30 days to win a featured artists painting. Check out the Artist Spotlight and Giveaway icon.

CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACT ACRYLIC PAINTING, PAINTINGS FOR SALE, DAILY PAINTWORKS, FIGURATIVE PAINTING. MIXED MEDIA FIGURATIVE ABSTRACT, TEXAS DAILY PAINTER, ACRYLIC MIXED MEDIA TEXTURED ABSTRACT PAINTING, ARTISTS OF TEXAS, CONTEMPORARY FINE ARTS INTERNATIONAL, NANCY STANDLEE ART, DAILY PAINTERS ABSTRACT GALLERY, PINTEREST, TORN PAPER COLLAGE

BLOG                  Nancy Standlee Art Blog
WEBSITE            Nancy Standlee
WEBSITE            Canvas by Canvas
Contact:             NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net



Purchase paintings through my Gallery at Daily Paintworks.
Follow me on Pinterest