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.
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