June 23, 2012

Welcome everyone! Things are really happening around here—extra-curricular activities and good fellowship abound.

Ken's opening last weekend was a huge success, both socially and professionally. He sold a number of paintings and a good time was had by all. What more can anyone ask? If you're wondering what's next for Ken, scroll down to see the new (old) direction he's moving in. We're all excited!

We're also excited about tomorrow's Summer Solstice Sketching party where we'll all be exploring new media and stretching our drawing muscles. Thanks, Vivian! What a wonderful idea.

Finally, speaking of expanding horizons and stretching our skill sets, we'll be adding a new feature. While it's all about the art (and always has been), we've gotten good feedback about our attempts to delve a little deeper. So, going forward, at end of the post we'll highlight something in our world of art. It could be a technique we're trying, a new material or tool, the story behind one of our paintings, an exhibition we've seen or participated in.....it can be anything so long as it's about our wonderful world of art. Keep scrolling all the way through—you don't want to miss a single thing!

 

While you were scrolling though, did you notice the two girls walking? We're adding another copy below for easy reference. Very charming, very sweet. Did you also notice the technique? It's pen-and-wash—a classic watercolor technique where the emphasis is on line. The art is drawn with pen (preferably non-water-soluble ink so it doesn't bleed when it gets wet) and a watercolor wash is then added to highlight the drawing. This requires a skilled artist with fine drawing ability. Because it's ink, there's only one chance to get it right. Then, the wash part requires fine artistic sensibility to get just the perfect balance. This is a fine example of this technique, used beautifully. But here's something else you should notice. The painting is exquisitely tiny. The girls are no more than 2 inches tall, max! Imagine getting everything so perfectly right at such a tiny size?! Worth another look, don't you think?

June 16, 2012

So here it is, the middle of June already! We had a great time painting today and are eagerly anticipating Ken's opening reception (scroll down to see a photo). And here's an interesting observation. The new students were doing exploratory plaids—and so was Ken, who's won awards and is in his 20th year painting! Some things never grow old! Keep reading to see what we're up to—lots of trees, lots of landscapes, not to mention people, places, clothes and pets.

If you weren't able to make Ken's opening at Ten Cat, you can drop by and see the artwork. It's up for another month or so.

See you next week—and enjoy!

And here we are, entering Ten Cat. Ken's paintings add a splash of color to the windows, attracting admiring glances (as seen here!). Check out the paintings as you walk by. It's on Ashland, just south of Irving.

June 9, 2012

Hi! We're back! And we have lots of things to share with you—from upcoming shows to special features to the usual look at what we've been painting. So let's get going!



And what special features are we offering, you may ask? Well, during our long month off, two of our artists were very busy painting. Interestingly, both of them have painted in a series—something you often hear of artists doing (Monet's Haystacks or Cathedral series, for instance). And now we'll give you a chance to actually see a series in action!

These two series are very different, but each is a perfect example of the series genre the artist has chosen to paint. Basically, a series is a visual exploration; it can be of a place, a color, time of day, or even an idea. And that's what we have here. Susan has painted a series of location paintings; she examines a beach and the people using it at various times of day. After that, Robert visually explores an idea. In this conceptual series (and you aren't even seeing the entire series), you can actually see an idea form and develop. Each painting is different and valuable in itself, but even more interesting as part of a whole. See if you don't agree.

Location series

Conceptual series

And keep looking to see what the rest of us are up to. From telling stories to celebrating colors, shapes, people and places, we're sharing what's important in our worlds. Thanks for stopping by and see you next week! Oh, and keep scrolling—there's an important invitation at the end.

Finally, Ken will be having a show at Ten Cat Tavern. It's called Buddy and Sweetie and stripes and features paintings from his two latest series. There will be an opening reception at Ten Cat on Saturday, June 16, beginning at 3pm—and you're all invited! Mark your calendars and see you there. Here's the invitation below (in case you didn't already get yours!)