April 12, 2014

We are looking to reach 70 degrees today, so it's officially spring...at least until the cold front moves in on Monday. But until then,we're opening our jackets and breathing the fresh spring air. Even mother nature is celebrating, sending up shoots and early blooms. We even saw a daffodil today!

Is it any wonder we feel compelled to bring out the light, happy colors and paint nature? From Sara's chorus line of dancing trees...
 

through Abla's lovely single bloom...

and Vivian's glowing sunrise, we are all about the beauty of nature.

And, like Spring, we're all about new beginnings. First, an exuberant color wheel. Like all of us who have gone before him, Hector's learning all kinds of things about colors....their relationships, strengths, weaknesses and more. And creating beauty in the process....

But just because you're no longer a beginner, that doesn't mean the learning and experimenting stop. Here, Steve mixes colors to find the perfect color for his mountains and lava rocks....not too plum, not too green, just warm and earthy enough.

I know we promised you'd see sea or sky last week, but Steve fooled us all and went with the mountains and rock. It's also a chance for him to experiment with a new medium (granulating medium) and try a technique new to many of us—salt. Notice the texture in the foreground? It's kosher salt sprinkled onto freshly applied paint. Once it's bone dry, he'll brush it away, revealing a pattern of starlike texture. Keep watching.

Elaine's experimenting, too—with Yupo. It's a type of paper and, like many of us, she has a love/hate relationship. Yupo is actually plastic, not paper. It's super slick (like hot press paper on steroids) and the paint behaves very differently. It moves and runs and sits on the surface; it dries slowly and doesn't blend or absorb the way it does on paper. There's no glazing or layering with Yupo—every stroke has to count. It's a great way to develop deliberate, thoughful brushwork. (Maybe that's why Elaine's doing statues; the paint moves so much, she appreciates that statues don't.)

John's experimenting with his story, too. He's not sure where it's going yet, so we just have to wait and see. Although, the woman seems to be exhibiting some level of angst or despair...

 

We're also thinking of places far and near. Mohammed's Dome is gleaming ever more brightly as he adds the blue complement.

Susan's still exploring tourist sites in the Philippines...a system of caves accessible by boat and Vigan, an old Spanish-style village. 

 

And Ken? He's fascinated by the world just outside his window.

Getting to know us....meet Ken! If you love the last two paintings, you'll be excited to learn that we're finally starting the series we promised. One by one, you'll get to know each of us a little better. Learn what inspires us, why we paint what we do, our history....or just some fun facts. Ken's the first artist up. Most appropriate, as he's been painting for about 20 years and has quite a history. He's an award-winning artist and has set the bar quite high for the rest of us today. His short talk was so full of content, it deserves a post all to itself...so tune in tomorrow to learn more about Ken and his incredible journey to the last two paintings above.

We're off next week, but we'll see you in two weeks, on April 26. And, of course, look for the Ken post tomorrow (or within a day or two, anyway). We know you want to learn all about him—believe us, it'll be worth the visit! Meanwhile, here's hoping the Easter bunny treats you well.