Friday, September 26, 2008

Yesterday's Art

These are a couple of watercolors that I have been working on with my students. The portrait is of a little boy in a magazine ad that I painted along with one of my students to show her what I had learned in my workshop. I still do not have the technique down, but I am working on it. You can also see my "doodling"usually done while showing the girls something or other. When I showed the portrait to Toby and explained that it came from a magazine he said, "Oh good, I was afraid I was suppose to recognize him."


Another of my students worked on a watercolor for an upcoming show. When she was all finished with her painting, I had her try some of the new techniques I had learned. She knocked out a gorgeous painting of poppies in about 15 minutes (sorry no photo). It seems that we all get in ruts of painting the same things and the same way all of the time. Workshops are great for learning new ideas and new techniques and for getting you out of the rut. While at a workshop I try to mimic the teacher. When I get home, I try to incorporate things I learned into my own style. The sunflowers are an example. I dropped in lots of color while the paint was wet (workshop), but I also made a more "finished" or "controlled" painting than I learned in the workshop.

6 comments:

Buck said...

I dropped in lots of color while the paint was wet (workshop), but I also made a more "finished" or "controlled" painting than I learned in the workshop.

And the result speaks for itself, IMHO. Quite nice!

So... no war stories from yesterday? Or did you go easy on the Young Ladies?

Bag Blog said...

Buck, I was pretty good yesterday. Ashley was not at art - so I did not have a partner in crime.

Jenn, Thanks, they were fun to paint.

Jo Castillo said...

That portrait technique is working well for you. Great. The sunflowers sing or shine. I love seeing your work.

Anonymous said...

Just last week I was at one of our customer's home WAY out in the country (and I mean WAY OUT) The lady's husband (a farmer) had planted her a whole field of sunflowers next to her house just to look at...ohhh awh!!! It was beautiful.

Bag Blog said...

Thanks, Jo, you are always an encouragement.

Anny, I love sunflowers - such great fall flowers. I hope they are not what is making me sneeze.

Towanda said...

Love the sunflowers! We have wonderful wild native sunflowers out here in New Mexico ... but sunflowers will always remind me of my years in Kansas.