Pear Acrylic Painting ~ Pat Dews Workshop

"Pear" 1 of 9 10" squares Top Left To see the rest of the painting, click here:
Canvas by Canvas Whats on the Easel
I painted with the Canvas by Canvas group today in one of the member's garden room as Doug Walton was teaching at the Upstairs Gallery. Because of the 3 recent workshops I'm behind and most were painting on our Tuscany scene but I'll get to that one next week. The pears are a little more impressionistic than what we usually do and we'll have to see how the painting is received by the public.
It made me think about some of the paintings done during the past week in the Pat Dews workshop. I've also been going to thrift stores and the kitchen departments looking for "texture" stuff since class on Friday. We had a great time comparing and sharing items to make texture on our watercolor and acrylic paintings. Pat creates experimental water-media on paper and canvas and she paints the abstract essence of nature and it is very complicated. However, she treated our large class like we knew what we were doing and started our assignments with full sheets of watercolor paper and to cover the first one with texture. Don't worry about it being too busy and just try out our stuff - bubble wrap, saran wrap, newspaper, wax paper, stamps, stencils, sgraffito, collage and you just name it. Someone was always under their table scrambling for that perfect texture. We unloaded and carted mounds of supplies and laughed at the thought of Pat's bags being searched at the airport knowing what they'd find. The second sheet was more planned with white spaces and then we prepared 4 quarter sheets. Pat told us "Starts are easy, finishes are hard." We all agreed. The rest of the time we were putting on more paint, removing it or altering the painting in some way. Later in the week we all worked on a cruciform design with white space. We used inks, atomizer, watercolor, and acrylic, and brayer. Another project was to take a viewfinder and locate designs in magazines and translate those into paintings. I don't have a painting finished and ready to show yet as mine are still in the "start" stage. She uses paper plates for her palettes and when the sponge applicator isn't fast enough to apply the paint, Pat will turn up the paper plate and pour the color on. The workshop was held at the Artist's Showplace and it was a great creative environment with each member intent on their abstract work and losing themselves in the activity. Pat was great to demo and then walk around and give us personal attention and it was a learning experience to see her work and change her plan often and it takes a long time to paint a completed painting. Pat is the author of two books and a dvd, Designing Great Starts with Texture and Form, can be purchased from Cheap Joes.

Hover mouse over the slide for the caption. Some of the photos are reversed when taken in the overhead mirror but you will get the idea.

Hand and Foot ~ Rattlesnake Roundup ~ Cindy

"Hand and Foot"
Watercolor portrait of Cindy Yandell, 11" x 15"
In the art collection of C. Yandell
My photo that this painting is based on (2005) of Cindy was taken at a Canvas by Canvas painting retreat in East Texas while we were playing Hand and Foot and I painted and titled it in honor of Cindy and the game we were playing, and entered it in a SWA juried show and it won an award. During this year, I will be paying tribute to individual members of Canvas by Canvas and this post is all about Cindy and a little about the integrity of this painting. It is the original and not a copy.

In between 3 five day workshops with Robert Burridge at Dena Wenmohs, Mel Stabin in San Miguel, and Pat Dews in Dallas, I returned home and helped with the Neil Sperry Home and Garden Show. While there I found out that on Saturday Karen and Cindy (don't let that calm demeanor deceive you) had been on a Rattlesnake Roundup at a ranch west of Fort Worth. These ladies have grit. They didn't make it to the Sweetwater festival but ventured about one half way in between at a friend's ranch for a private roundup. West Texas ranchers started to control this rangeland nuisance by round ups and it has grown into a world famous event in Sweetwater. These are not any old harmless chicken snakes either but the bona fide big Texas daddies - the Western diamond back rattlesnake... the biggest and baddest of them all. They impart more serious and fatal bites than any other North American Snake and reach up to 5 feet in length and tend to swallow without chewing their prey. Read more at our Star Telegram story about Sweetwater. On Sunday at the Garden Show, Karen presented me with an envelope and said they had brought me some "snake eggs" as a souvenir and no way would I open it as I've had some experiences with Karen before. I suggested she open it and I still screamed. They had rigged up a paper clip and a rubber band device that was wound tightly in the envelope and when expanded it gave off a fast-paced buzz making you think the eggs just hatched. I found out online how to make one but I'm discouraging that type of heart failure activity.

Cindy, besides being a snake charmer and "Hand and Foot" player, orders and brings to our meetings our blank canvases, and she is always willing to drive us anywhere and she doesn't get mad if we forget to tell her to "turn here", and she's a great painter and is always ready to paint your square if you can't. She's just an all around pleasant person to be around and fun too - ready to go out to eat. to a movie, or join you for a weekend with complete strangers at an alumni campout. Cindy is taking dance lessons at the present and we expect some instruction at our next paint out.

Cindy, CBC, is so fortunate to have you as a member and I'm fortunate to have you as a friend.
But I'm glad I call De Leon my home town where we have the annual Peach and Melon Festival each August. The most fearsome thing around is the heat and you just search for a shady spot to eat some cold slices of watermelon instead of deep fried rattlesnake.

More to come about the incredible workshops but here are some Cindy and Karen photos.

Cindy and Karen

Yuk!


Cindy


Cindy putting her prize in the barrel


Karen doing likewise


Check out those rocks and bet they missed some

San Miguel ~ Mel Stabin Workshop

Mel Stabin watercolor 1/2 sheet, 15" x 22" "Hotel Posada"
Day 1 of Watercolor workshop
I've had a wonderful watercolor workshop in San Miguel de Allende February 23 and I returned March 1- my luggage returned March 3 and today I'm resorting and repacking for the Pat Dews workshop. This was my first trip to SMA and it was an unforgettable experience through Flying Colors.
San Miguel is the best known artist's colony in Mexico and it's colorful with lots of galleries and photo opportunities. Altitude is about 6,000 feet and you can walk on cobblestone streets or catch a ever present green taxi. Temperatures were perfect - 80's in the days and 40-50's at night. There isn't air conditioning or heat. I had the same goals as when I went to Italy - I didn't fall down, I didn't lose my purse, or I didn't get sick - all accomplished. I might add there were no traffic lights, no bugs, and no trash - just incredibily beautiful sights and friendly folks. I relied on other workshop participants to speak Spanish for me and help me with my coins, but many of the people there spoke English.
We stayed in a lovely hotel, Hotel Posada de la Aldea, close to the art institute and a few blocks from the cathedral and the Jardin, town square. There was a direct flight from DFW to Leon and a shuttle or a 1 1/2 hour taxi ride to the hotel. About 26 students were in the workshop with a few locals with a mix that included some beginner painters to art teachers with an interest in watercolor and plein air painting and daily demonstrations. Working in "plein air" is not my favorite way of working as they work on location to quickly capture the light effects and complete a painting on site before the light changes or some prefer to finish up in the studio. The above painting by Mel was the first demo on Monday morning and as an inexperienced plein air painter I decided I'd just look at the scene and copy from my photo and Mel's painting. This was painted in our hotel's courtyard. Later I need to erase some on the wrought iron railing and do some touch-up on mine.

Nancy's 11" x 15" copy of Mel's Hotel Posada Painting

Over the next few posts I will write about this workshop and the one I took with Robert Burridge February 17-22 at the Dena Wenmohs Ranch.

Mel cleaning his palette after the flight down.

Mel beginning his sketch at the Hotel Posada.

The Fifth Day ~ PCPC Entry

"The Fifth Day"
30" x 24" x 1 3/4"deep Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas
I have just successfully submitted my entry for the PCPC art show, deadline is noon February 14. The entries were based on Genesis and divided into 4 themes. I chose Theme One, Beginnings of Creation and specifically Genesis 1:20-22. This is the write up that I submitted:
"God spoke into being the creatures who inhabit the waters and birds to fill the expanse of the heavens. He was pleased with His 5th day of work of creating living creatures and He blessed the great and various species of fish of the deep and winged birds of the sky and fowl and commanded them to multiply. His blessing can be seen in the multiplying of the fish and fowl from year to year."
This was my big painting project at CBC's Lake House Retreat this past weekend and below this post you can see a slide show of some of the paintings that were completed. All of my friends were placing small paintings on the mantel and I continued working on "The Fifth Day" but I also completed the second in a series of "Talking" and posted yesterday, "Shop Talking". Today I entered it into the Creative Catalyst "Treasures" winter art show. Any artist can enter until the end of the month and the company has wonderful dvd art instruction titles.
I am packing for two upcoming workshops: Robert Burridge at Dena's and Mel Stabin in San Miguel with Flying Colors. I will post work and notes about them when I return. Stay warm. Weather in the metroplex will be rainy and cold this weekend.

"Shop Talking" ~ The New CBC ~ Road Trips

"Shop Talking"
20" x 20" Acrylic on paper mounted on Canvas
The second in the "Talking" series

The past week was spent preparing for our painting, spiritual, organizational
retreat to the rented Lake House on Cedar Creek Lake at Gun Barrel City. Canvas by Canvas caravanned, leaving Thursday and returning on Sunday. Plans for the group were discussed for 2008 and the nine members present found this to be the creative burst where all of our energies were focused on creating and painting and approximately 15-20 paintings were begun. Our new painting for the PCPC show exemplifies our new Genesis and beginning.
The slide show below will feature some of these paintings. The slide show has 2 photos from our photo shoot at TUG done by Dennis Hevia. On Sunday we visited a ranch where buffalo roamed and Larry was so kind to feed them so we could get some great close ups. His wife, Andy, is a jewelry designer and the owner of Kickapoo Jewelry. Watch for a buffalo painting soon.
My personal work was a "sister" piece to the "Talking" series. Two women are in front of a cosmetics counter where we see lipstick, nail polish, and perfume displayed. The seasoned shopper warrior looks to her right to see what wonderful delights await and clutches a price tag to prove her purchase was on sale. Their purses are near and a shopping bag to hold the overflow. The Star shopper with the Star tattoo thinks that the next trip should be spent looking for the perfect purse, which is a never ending quest in itself. Women ask friends to watch their purses like they ask them to watch their children. "I'm going to try this on. Watch my purse." I'm going to wash my hands. Watch my purse."
Now we are receiving emails about lab tests on our purses and handbags and the microbiologist was shocked at how dirty they really are. So our ever present companion may have the potential to make us ill so now we are purse hook shopping or as a our CBC "trash talking" evolved into why don't we carry a "portable purse protector" to place on the floor as a little mini rug to clean the handbag bottom as it protects. So maybe we need to go shopping.
To view the image on Nancy's Web site click on Nancy Standlee Art

Lake House Trip 2/08

New Beginnings ~ Genesis

"Apple"
10" square for a Canvas by Canvas painting (lower right)
CBC, some of our collaborative group of Texas painters, painted Monday at TUG and began a new year. new beginnings and appropriately our Genesis entry. We were very fortunate in the PCPC show last year with our entry and won first place in one of the themes from the 23rd Psalm with "A Table Before Me". This year the theme is based on Genesis, the beginning. I will post more about our entry when the painting is finished and registered.
Another event that we are participating in is for the Arlington Museum of Art Auction and Gala, 2008: Shine: Black and White.
CBC donated a giclee, "Circle of Friends, and other CBC members donated individual pieces that can be viewed here.
Look for CBC artists:
Barbara Hackney Hill Country Cactus and Jack and Jennie
Maryann Stephens Carnival
Karen Foster Say it With Roses
Cindy Yandell Polka Dot Girl
Elizabeth M. Taylor Done for the Day SOLD
Connie Michael Red Pears
Nancy Standlee Calypso Market

I have a book recommendation: I've started a new book, Natalie Goldberg's "Living Color: A Writer Paints Her World" and she exposes her writer/painter supremely original heart and it is indeed a colorful one and full of imagination. I have her "Writing Down the Bones" and I was so excited when I discovered that book. Savory bites of joy to see her paint ordinary and turn into fun, amazing images - wish I had the courage to drive around one of her cars. A great read to jump start your beginnings in creative expression for 2008 and I'm only on page 30. Some of her paintings can be found on ArtNet and Ernesto Mayans Gallery on Canyon Road in Santa Fe.
I hope your 2008 January has been filled with dreams of a genesis, a birth, an alpha, an emergence from the past.