October 31, 2015

Happy Halloween! In the spirit of trick-or-treat, we submit our video above. You may think the ghoulish green light is deliberately done for the holiday, but it's really just normal rainy-day solarium lighting. On the other hand, the paintings themselves are our treat to you (okay, that may be stretching it, but the paintings are really good!).

We do have some themes going, as you'll see, even though Halloween isn't one of them. One more thing—we have to warn you that all of the paintings look better in real life due to the strange color cast in the room today. We're hoping to get back to normal next week.

We begin with a seasonally mysterious painting by Alan (welcome back!). It's painted on Yupo and Alan has managed a depth of color and a richness that's hard to achieve with this surface. We think Alan's found his best paper!

Here, Alan begins to paint an eclipse. Yes, this is on Yupo and yes, it's beautifully colorful. This is also, interestingly enough, the first of our "ray of light" paintings. You'll see it emerge from the shadows soon.

Tony also paints a ray of light emerging from the clouds. This is seen from his balcony in Greece. Notice the distinctive cypress trees?

Always on trend, Tony's second painting leads off our second theme—sacred spaces. Here's a beautifully detailed monastery atop a cliff in Meteora, Greece.

Elaine is also painting sacred spaces, but hers is a church much closer to the ground. It's an interior view of St. Gregory Church in Chicago, looking through soaring stone arches towards a beautiful shrine at the back of the church.

Sara keeps up the theme, but this temple is a redwood forest. We follow the richly textured and colored trunks as they soar towards a beautifully blue sky.

Susan hits two themes in a single painting! Here we see a shaft of light coming through a stained glass window at St. Gregory Church. Her viewpoint is almost exactly opposite Elaine's; we're looking toward the intricately carved pulpit at the front of the church.

If that weren't enough, Susan found three floral still life paintings from last summer. Each of them lacked a background, so she fearlessly added them today. Here she adds a brightly colored, almost psychedelic, background.

Here she chooses a bamboo forest...

 

...and here is an unfinished plaid. We're looking forward to seeing how this comes out.

Finally, we revisit a painting she just retrieved from a show at Blick Art Supply store downtown. The theme was 12"x12" and Susan added a Hawaiian wedding ceremony in the background of this painting of flowergirls.

 

Mohammed, like Alan, is experimenting with some unusual supports. And, like Alan, he's having tremendous success. This is leftover mat board from our giant framing session and he's painted a remarkably sophisticated portrait. The flat color of her skin and dress are enhanced by the contrast with the richly detailed texture of the background.

Next in the series, Mohammed sketches a woman on a sheet of foamcore. It's only a rough beginning, but we think this will be wonderful. The Muslim woman's face will be the focus of the painting and the surface is even smoother than the mat board above. We're excited to see how this comes out.

Bill's working on a scene that has intrigued him for quite some time. Interestingly, he's touched on several of our themes, with a woman contemplating ancient ruins. Although it's technically lovely, Bill thinks he may revisit this to better illustrate his concept. We can't wait!

Vivian is also painting conceptually, something she excels at. This thought-provoking piece features a limited palette and is a self-portrait from two different viewpoints. Most intriguing!

Madeleine moves the foliage behind some wonderfully 3D stonework. We love the shadows and the mossy green glow on the top of the railing.

With a bit of time to spare, Madeleine began to sketch her next painting. This is Bill with his donkey. Well, not technically his donkey, just a donkey he befriended in Turkey. Like all the sketches today, this is one we're anxious to see develop.

Marva continues her state park series, hitting all the themes of the day. We hope to get a better photo next week so you can see the amazing color of the background, the trees' detail and the mist rising over the water. And, of course, who doesn't love the moose?

Ken has moved to his actual painting from the study last week. This is the corner of a brick building—rather an ordinary subject. Yet the colors, the perspective and the composition take this to a whole new place. Oh, this is the Ten Cat building, by the way. To see it in person, drop by next week for Ken's opening reception. Or drop by anytime in the next month to see his art.

Yes, you see right! These are our beginner plaids. We welcome Rosemary who comes with an existing palette. We see that she's already accomplished at drybrush and look forward to seeing more.

Finally, we end as we began... with a seasonal touch that's much more. Abla sketches a skeleton in the lower corner of her page, but the final painting isn't about skeletons or Halloween. It's a conceptual painting, an allegory about the meaning of life. Seriously! Come back to see more.

Finally, some things you don't want to miss:

Upcoming events and important announcements

Expressions in Watercolor
There's still time to see our exhibition, Expressions in Watercolor, from now until mid-November. Drop by the McKeon Building and visit all the glass cases.

When:  October 8–November 15, 2015,
             9am–5pm, Monday–Friday
             9am–3pm, Saturday

Where: Truman College McKeon Student Services Building
             (behind the main building)
             1145 W. Wilson Avenue

DePaul Community Chorus Concert.

Come hear Steve in the November concert, Darkness & Light: Nordic and Mediterranean Perspectives. 150 voices strong, eight part harmony—it's beautiful and it's free!

      Where:
      DePaul Concert Hall
      800 West Belden, Chicago

     
     When:
     Sunday, November 22, 2015 at 3pm

The Ten Cat Ten Cat Show.  Ken will be having a show at Ten Cat Tavern. Come to the opening reception at (where else?) Ten Cat on Saturday, November 7.

      Where:
      Ten Cat Tavern

      3931 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL

     When:
     Exhibition: October 26–December 7, 2015
     Reception: November 7, 2015, 3pm

October 24, 2015

Can you believe October is almost over? True! It's nearing the end of Chicago Artists Month, our art exhibition, and the Cubs fans' hopes for the season. But for every good thing that comes to an end, we have something to look forward to. Next year for the Cubs. And for us, there's the start of a new term, a quarterly open sketch session at St. Gregory Church, Ken's art show and the Day of the Dead.

We start with Susan, who is painting right on theme! Here, she puts the final touches to her painting of the Hanging Coffins of Sagada, prior to entering this painting in a Day of the Dead Art Challenge. Click the link to read all about it.... there's still time for you to enter for a chance to win a $400 prize package!

As if that weren't enough, Susan moved on to another of our themes—architecture!  Anticipating this afternoon's Open Sketch session at St. Gregory, she chooses to paint a homily, adding people to enliven the lovely building.

Elaine is also painting St. Gregory Church, but her viewpoint faces opposite to Susan's. Looking to  the rear of the church, she concentrates on the beautifully carved shrines and elegant arched pillars.

In autumn, it seems all our thoughts turn to architecture. Bill paints a lovely doorway from his neighborhood.

... while Madeleine's landscapes recede behind brickwork and balustrades. Who knew bricks could be so  fascinating?

Well, apparently Ken knew. Below is a study. Sure it's the Ten Cat, but he's zeroing in on the corner of a brick building. Like Madeleine's, these bricks are incredibly lovely!

Mohammed's added a flat element to his lushly textured painting. The rich red color is perfect and we love how it appears more than once. That color really can hold its own against the lawn, wood and ropes.

Vivian is also painting people... herself, to be accurate. But her painting is abstract and dreamy and beautifully composed.

Nothing abstract or dreamy about this apple. It's as crisp as the season—and we love Isaac's clearly modeled stem and bold background. We can't wait to see the finished portrait.

Sara, too, turns to still life. Instead of a portrait of a single perfect fruit, she fills her canvas with a cornucopia of seasonal offerings. If you wondered why her painting was upside down in the video, it's to demonstrate her favorite technique. She studies her painting from every angle to be sure it's perfectly composed. Works, too!

What can we say about Marva's garden? (Except that the photographer could have focused a little better?) It's fun, it's colorful and it's a feel-good tribute to the sixties. It's flower power at its best. Makes us long for summer!

Abla finishes up her summer storm over the lake. The sky, water and lightning is amazing—and it's all been done with the tiniest of brushes. As beautiful as it is, though, we can't help but think about Hurricane Patricia and our thoughts are with the people in Patricia's path.

Upcoming events and important announcements

And now, if you haven't already marked your calendars, here's a reminder of dates you should save.

Expressions in Watercolor
There's still time to see our exhibition, Expressions in Watercolor, from now until mid-November. Drop by the McKeon Building and visit all the glass cases.

When:  October 8–November 15, 2015,
             9am–5pm, Monday–Friday
             9am–3pm, Saturday

Where: Truman College McKeon Student Services Building
             (behind the main building)
             1145 W. Wilson Avenue

DePaul Community Chorus Concert.

Come hear Steve in the November concert, Darkness & Light: Nordic and Mediterranean Perspectives. 150 voices strong, eight part harmony—it's beautiful and it's free!

      Where:
      DePaul Concert Hall
      800 West Belden, Chicago

     
     When:
     Sunday, November 22, 2015 at 3pm

The Ten Cat Ten Cat Show.  Ken will be having a show at Ten Cat Tavern. Come to the opening reception at (where else?) Ten Cat on Saturday, November 7.

      Where:
      Ten Cat Tavern

      3931 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL

     When:
     Exhibition: October 26–December 7, 2015
     Reception: November 7, 2015, 3pm

 

And finally, a word to the Cubs—Thanks for a great season. Next year for sure!

October 17, 2015

It's October—a perfect time to enjoy the crisp air, beautiful light and colorful leaves. It's also time to enjoy some Cubs baseball (can you believe we are saying that?)! And it's Artists Month in Chicago, too, so there are lots of events happening now and coming up, so read on. Our list of "save the dates" is almost as long as our list of paintings. Stay tuned for invitations to:

• our art exhibition at Truman College
• open sketch at St. Gregory Church
• Ken's art exhibition at Ten Cat
• DePaul Community Chorus' November concert

But first, it's our last class of the term—but don't worry, we start right up again next week. Meanwhile, while our numbers were small, we all painted with gusto and seemed to highlight the events and themes of the season. Looking closely, you can see Bill has perfectly captured the autumn light on Lill Street Gallery (a nod to Chicago Artists month, perhaps?)

Abla, too, paints Chicago, but hers is a detailed look at a summer storm on the lakefront.

It's one last look at summer for Madeleine as well. Here's a beautifully romantic look at nicotiana from the Chicago Botanic Garden. Sadly, this picture doesn't do it justice. Be assured that the actual painting is nowhere near this out-of-focus.

Marva's flowers are equally beautiful but totally imaginery. We love the happy Peter Max vibe we get from Marva's garden—you just have to smile, don't you?

Mohammed's girl in a garden is also progressing quickly, especially when you look at the size and level of detail. The grass and wood feel like grass and wood, don't they?

Steve is sketching the beginnings of his next painting, working out perspective and anatomy on tracing paper before he commits to watercolor paper.

Susan put the final touches on her large painting of the hanging coffins of Sagada, just in time for  Day of the Dead celebrations. Besides defining the shapes of the coffins, she added people to give a sense of size and perspective.

Elaine is also preparing, but she's getting ready for next Saturday's Fall Open Sketch session at St. Gregory the Great Church, shown here. We'll add information below since you're invited to join us.

Upcoming events and important announcements

And now, have your calendars handy. It's time to plan the final flurry of activity before the snows fly and we head indoors for cozy winter fun. Start marking your calendars. You are invited to the following ... in date order.

Expressions in Watercolor
There's still time to see our exhibition, Expressions in Watercolor, from now until mid-November. Drop by and see all the glass cases.

When:  October 8–November 15, 2015,
             9am–5pm, Monday–Friday
             9am–3pm, Saturday

Where: Truman College McKeon Student Services Building
             (behind the main building)
             1145 W. Wilson Avenue

Autumn Open Sketch date.
It's an open sketching/photography session on Saturday, October 24 from 12:30–3:30pm at St. Gregory the Great Church and we are invited! This is a great opportunity to see a magnificent architectural treasure in the beautiful autumn light, so bring your cameras, sketch pads, pens and pencils. A docent will also be on hand to answer questions.

     Where:
     St. Gregory the Great Church
     5545 N. Paulina
     Church entrance is on the corner of Gregory and Paulina;
     one block west of Ashland and one block south of Bryn Mawr

     When:
     Saturday, October 24
     12:30–3:30pm

The Ten Cat Ten Cat Show.Ken will be having a show at Ten Cat Tavern. Come to the opening reception at (where else?) Ten Cat on Saturday, November 7.

      Where:
      Ten Cat Tavern

      3931 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL

     When:
     Exhibition: October 26–December 7, 2015
     Reception: November 7, 2015, 3pm

DePaul Community Chorus Concert.
Come hear Steve in the November concert, Darkness & Light: Nordic and Mediterranean Perspectives. 150 voices strong, eight part harmony—it's beautiful and it's free!

      Where:
      DePaul Concert Hall
      800 West Belden, Chicago

     
     When:
     Sunday, November 22, 2015 at 3pm
 

And finally, as Vivian so eloquently paints it..... Go Cubs!