January 19, 2013

We're back!!!

Seems like forever, doesn't it? Well, maybe not; a number of us met up for our Changing-of-the-Seasons Sketching Party. This one may have been a little late and not quite as "plein air" as the other seasons, but there was no lack of subject matter or merriment.

Meanwhile, back to painting! We got off to a slow start, what with the requisite catching up and the room feeling like a sauna. But when we finally got down to business, we sure remembered how to work those brushes.

We start with our famous plaids (both Ken and the newbies) and seque into flowers, fruits, nuts and people. Ah, it's good to be back!

 



 

Wait, there's more—contests! We all buy art supplies (these masterpieces don't just paint themselves, after all LOL). And now, two of our favorite purveyors of fine supplies are running contests.

 

Please enter....or encourage your favorite artist to enter. They're both free. First, Blick in downtown Chicago is looking for art around the theme of "Dreams." The deadline is February 1, so there's not a lot of time to waste! See details in the flyer below.

 

And Daniel Smith is running their 11th Annual Customer Art Contest. This one runs continuously through May with weekly and monthly winners. So it's never too late to enter. Follow this link to enter (or vote). And even if you don't plan to do either, follow the link anyway—there's some fascinating reading there.

 

See you next week!

December 15, 2012

It's our last class before the holiday break. And though it was gray and rainy (instead of crisp and snowy), we couldn't find much to complain about. We had good company, good food and good paintings—what more can anyone ask for? Just look, we're starting with a picture of our holiday spread—eggrolls (pork and shrimp, and vegetable) with a homemade cookie assortment for dessert. Thanks Susan and Greeta!

Immediately after, look at Janet's beautiful salute to watercolor. It's her final student piece before joining the ranks of the advanced. It's obvious that she's already a very advanced artist—welcome aboard! Keep looking at our beautifully rich abstracts, scenes from nature, birds and rocks, and people past and present. We finish up with signs of the season—Vivian's lovely scene of holiday relaxation, and Mark's wish for snow and boots for those cozy feet.

Finally, to carry us into next year, enjoy Susan's vacation paintings. Travel along to sunny Egypt and Israel. See camels and baptisms in the River Jordan, watch a sparkling sunset, dance the hora.

And we can think of no better way to end the year than with Susan's painting of/for her tour guides. It's called "Thank You" and it pretty much sums up our feelings for everyone who's supported us or looked in on our corner of the art world this year. Thank you! We wish you the happiest, most colorful of holidays and look forwards to seeing you in the new year.

 

A spread that almost (but not quite) distracted us from painting!

 

Happy holidays!

December 8, 2012

Time certainly flies. Only one more class and we're done for the year! Can you believe it?

We'll be looking back over our year soon enough, though. Meanwhile, gather round and look at today's paintings. In our case, the egg comes first—an easy enough decision as we don't have any chickens! We move through some of our current hot subjects. There's color (today's favorite remains purple) and fabric (Ken's new fascination with clothing may mean sketching/painting parties over break that involve fabric). And we're well represented with all the other perennial artistic favorite genres—landscapes, animals, portraits, and travels.

Finally, go all the way to the end for more holiday greetings—one with a distinctly Chicago feel, as you can see in the video poster above.

 

Once again, we send you holiday greetings! It won't be hard to see the one with the Chicago feel. If you've ever lived in or even been to Chicago, you'll recognize Greeta's Art Institute Lion, wreathed. Enjoy the incredible colors and textures—and, of course, our best wishes! See you next week.