As a result, we are missing some photos and unsure about some muses (we were all so engrossed in the art and artists that our note-taking and picture-taking both suffered!). We'll correct mistakes and omissions next week, but meanwhile, we'll begin with Greeta. Here she's painting a neighborhood graystone. Look closely to see all the lovely colors in the stone.
Greeta's also finished up her painting of a cow. We love the tag (it looks like jewelry) and the soft background which draws our eye right to the face of the cow.
Ken's corn painting is progressing nicely, from the striped leaves to the gridded background. Oh, and Pat has a correction—Ken's nickname is NOT Ken Ten, but Ken Cat (or maybe Ken Kat). We stand corrected. Ken's favorite watercolorist is Peggy McNamara, artist-in-residence at the Field Museum and noted nature painter. When you click on the artists' names, you'll go (we hope) to their Google image page. This will give you a good sense of the "vibe" of the artist. You can switch back to the "all" tab if you want to learn more about the artist.
Steve is also into nature, drawing this colorful toucan...
... having finished this serenely beautiful winter scene. See if you can spot the cardinal. It's a tiny bit of red in the trees. What a lovely touch! Steve was one of the few of us who espoused a photorealistic artist, Linda Stevens Moyer. He's fascinated by her way of seeing and layering. But he's especially drawn to Nelson Boren. Steve loves his mastery of texture.
Elaine is moving from architecture to portraiture with this beginning painting. Her absolute favorite watercolorist is John Singer Sargent. She is enamored of his ability to say so much with just a few lively brushstrokes. She's also amazed at how many subjects he's mastered. Another favorite is Edward Hopper. She loves the sharp value contrasts and the sense of story he brings to everything he paints.
Sara began drawing a Hopper-esque scene today from a recent vacation. It's a lovely composition, as you'll see next week. Meanwhile, Sara's watercolor muse is Walter Anderson. An American painter with a fascinating life story, he's admired for his energy and lively brushwork, as well as his use of color.
Bill was painting a stone archway (see the picture next week!). He looked for an artist whose style he was trying to achieve and found Iain Stewart. Stewart is an American painter with a lovely, fluid style that is quintessentially watercolor.
Madeleine chose to showcase a genre rather than an individual artist. She brought in an article featuring several artists who painted scenes from their travels. The styles were different, the skies were different, but the urge to document new experiences visually was what spoke to Madeleine. No wonder her current painting (again, you'll see it next week!) is from her recent trip to Ireland.
And Alan is adding finishing touches to the latest in his Onions series on Yupo. His favorite artist is Errol Barron, whose work bears no resemblance to Alan's color-drenched Yupo masterpieces. Still his line and wash style is beautifully elegant... and very architectural!
Our new students are zipping through the exercises. They are matching colors (including skin and the dreaded paper towel) and exploring complementaries, with plenty of time for extra-curricular painting. We are so impressed. Here's Erika....
... and here are Luciana and Pia's. Unfortunately, because we didn't do an official showtime, and none of the photographs had any identifying names, not to mention that both Pia and Lucy sat on the same side of the table, so there were no clues there... in short, we can't identify whose are whose with absolute certainty. We apologize profusely and we'll correct ourselves next week, but we think these are Luciana's experiments in complementary colors and color matching....
...and these are Pia's. Of course, we can be wrong and we'll correct that next week. Regardless of whose is whose, these are both lovely and bold. And both Pia and Lucy have mastered the art of the bloom and soft watery effects. Come back and see more!
Group Art Exhibit at Ten Cat
As
you know, October is Artists Month in Chicago and our very own Bill and
Madeleine Settles are having an exhibition at Ten Cat. You can see the art throughout October, but you are also cordially invited to
the opening reception. Mark your calendar—this is a great venue and we
always have fun. Details below:Madeleine Settles and William Settles
Recent Watercolor Paintings
Exhibition: October 3–29, 2016
Opening Reception:
Saturday, October 15, 2016, 4–7pm
Opening Reception:
Saturday, October 15, 2016, 4–7pm
3931 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago
