We're back!! Much as we enjoyed our break... and the impromptu re-formation of the sketch club.... it's great to be back. We were happy and excited to see each other again and catch up after the short break. Not to mention that we were experiencing the kind of perfect day that makes up for all the snow and ice. Is it any wonder we felt compelled to express our jubilation in paint?
Here Elaine captures the joy of the season as playgrounds open and children play.
While Abla and Mohammed showcase flora and fauna in brilliant color (do tropical fish count as fauna?).
And Mark combines fauna (a bunny and kitten definitely count as fauna!) with a happy woman in summer attire.
Meanwhile, Marva spotlights the ecstatic diver against a glorious sea and sky, and then returns to the comfort of a cabin nestled in a colorful autumn forest.
The rest of us remain fascinated by the architecture around us, beginning with Ken's explorations of sunshine and shadow in the urban canyons of downtown Chicago...
... followed by Vivian's take on Ken's series. Here, in a witty pastiche, she inverts skyscraper shapes in the negative sky space.
And on a more serious note, Susan delves into architecture that isn't there. Two women sit in what's left of a kitchen in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan. There is an interesting tension between the total devastation around the women and their calm but sad demeanor. This is the beginning of a series and we're eager to see more.
And John couldn't resist revisiting a series he thought was over! You'll immediately recognize his recent saga, but this drawing gives the backstory, featuring the author as a child. He's surrounded by characters in tales told to him by his father.
Artist of the week. We had two books on the popular library table today, both of them excellent. One was an exploration of Manet, detailing his history and featuring other artists in his circle, along with their art and history.
The other book was about watercolor in America, tracing the history from early days, through realism, all the way to abstraction and modern art. There were exquisite paintings by Hassam, Homer, Hopper, O'Keefe, Wyeth, DeMuth, Pollack, Close, Burchfield and more. Such a wonderful collection of watercolors, it's surprising we could tear ourselves away long enough to paint our own.
It's good to be back. See you next week.
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