January 24, 2015

We have lots to show, but don't click away before you scroll to the end. There you'll find an invitation to the opening reception for Ken's show Wacker Drive. There's no better way to spend an afternoon than seeing fine art in the company of fine artists... not to mention the cozy ambiance, good food and drink. 

We're painting in themes again today, starting with things that make you go "aww!" How can you resist Elaine's soulful beagle eyes?

Or Ellen's painting of true love? She starts with a study...

 ... before beginning the real painting.

While this may not have the "aww" factor of puppies and young lovers, we can't help but toast the couple above with a lineup of spirits by Hector.

Alan's lineup of big-eyed owls takes us back to cute and cuddly.

Moving from fauna to flora, Steve's soft, fuzzy textured plant was done in a single sitting!

Sara, too, concentrates on flowers, following a process that plays to her strengths. First she starts with a lively sketch (here, a Christmas cactus).

And then she moves to a watercolor, trying to capture the energy and vitality of the sketch. The Christmas cactus sketches focus on brushwork (l) and color (r).

Here, she begins with a sketch of intricately textured hydrangea.

Then Sara moves on to a watercolor. Even at this stage, she's used the sketch to find her intention.

Combining fauna with flora (are birds considered fauna?), Abla's added flowers to her delicately painted and beautifully composed birds and branches.

Madeleine also paints a bird, branches and foliage, but she gives it a tropical feeling. You can just feel the sun on the branches.

Alan steps away and gives us a long view. He uses Yupo perfectly to depict this dreamy landscape.

Here he uses Yupo again, adding crisp texture to the foliage. Alan loves his Yupo... and it shows!

Bill is also intrigued by trees, finishing up his "Tree of life" from last week.

Trees also feature prominently in this landscape, hiding a house and reflecting in the water.

Mohmamed's landscape also has water, and the colors make it glow.

Ellen's landscape also owes much of its success to the energetic brushwork and the colorful stone.

Mark's landscape is a snowscape from a recent snowboarding vacation. When he wasn't hitting the slopes, he took time to sketch (keep going to see some of this sketches).

Hector's landscape also uses vibrant color and sparkling brushstrokes. As a bonus, his painting looks good upside down as well. Look and see!

Greeta's beautiful painting of Graceland cemetery goes to show that color enlivens even stone and concrete, yet the statue still looks like stone.

And Bill combines many of our themes in an elegant energetic sketch that captures the urban landscape. This minimalist sketch conveys the scene wonderfully.

Ken, too, loves urban landscapes.... so much so that he's basing his next series on the one he just did. Same subject, just a little more abstract. We're very excited as we really like this series!

Here's how it starts. Who would guess that this basic tattersal plaid will become the jeweled painting above? And, by the way, if you like Ken's urban landscape, be sure to join us for his upcoming show. More information at the end of the post.

We promised you a look at Mark's vacation sketches. Here they are, with Mark's signature content mashup. He mixes bison with snowboards, rings with shoes, flowers with the Great Lakes, and whiskey barrels with other whiskey barrels.

Coming next week. We're eagerly anticipating a visit from our friend Johanna Silva from Winsor & Newton. Always educational. Always fun!

Invitation to Ken's opening reception. Join us!

You're invited! If you've been reading the hints we've been dropping for the last few weeks, you'll know that Ken Schadt is having a watercolor exhibit. It features his recent series of downtown cityscapes and will be at Ten Cat Tavern. There will be an opening reception at Ten Cat next Saturday and you're invited. Please join us in the back room at 3931 N. Ashland Avenue in Chicago. For more information and a view of the paintings and the inspiration, visit his website.

January 17, 2015

Happy New Year! We're back!

And so much has happened while we were away. We have a lot to share, so we're going to get right to it!

As usual, we seem to paint in "group-think," and today is no different. Even though we haven't painted together, we seem to be inspired by the same things. The snow and frigid cold has us thinking of nature. Here Steve softly vignettes a meticulously detailed bromeliad.

And Mohammed begins a warm inviting landscape.

Ellen also paints a soft and beautifully colored landscape. We suspect she's especially attuned to color since her trip to India over the holiday. (We'll have some wonderful pages from her sketchbook at the end, so stay tuned.)

And here she starts a sketch, introducing another popular element .... trees!

Bill's tree includes branches and roots, giving a unique look at his subject.

Susan revisits an early tree painting—a trip to a bamboo forest—and gives it a new emphasis. Before and after paintings follow.

Madeleine's trees focus on the branches and her unique ink-and-wash style impart the feeling of a Japanese print.

As does Abla's as she, too, paints branches with birds.

And Alan takes the bird theme even farther. Here are a series of birds, inspired by a special-interest magazine.

Don't try to tilt your head! The painting below is right. It's an eagle on its back... having a wing surgically repaired.

Isn't this little guy adorable? Sure beats those puppies in purses, doesn't it? Seriously, just look at the textures and the beautiful pop of color.

Alan introduces people into his bird painting below. He's working on Yupo, which gives his subject the perfect touch of whimsey.

Speaking of people, Greeta does a lovely, Casatt-like portrait. She perfectly captures the quality of warm light on delicate baby skin.

Hector uses complementary colors in the striking paper bag study below. We love the graphic, architectural quality. Isn't it amazing what happens when an artist looks closely at seemingly mundane everyday objects?

Ken continues his architectural exploration, only his subjects are real buildings. He's very near to finishing his "flannel and geegaw" architectural series. Watch for an announcement of his upcoming show—and an invitation to his opening party.

We didn't crop this one as it has to be seen 3-D. Notice how the shape of the paper echoes the painted shape of the buildings? We'd talk more about the trompe l'oeil effect (if we were more sure of the spelling).

Scenes from a sketchbook. Remember back near the beginning, where we promised to update you on Ellen's trip over the holiday? It's that time! As you can see in the first sketch below, she went to India for two weeks. And in the grand tradition of artists sketching and painting their vacations, she documented her travels.

Below, we present pages from Ellen's sketchbooks. We love the exuberant color and activity—and that she documented everything from typical tourist sights like the Taj Majal to traffic jams, foliage, food, and even the birthdays of traveling companions. We won't interrupt with commentary, but urge you to enjoy the sights and sounds of India.

See you next week, when we'll have more lovely paintings and information about Ken's opening reception.