Only half of us showed up today. We're not sure if people were getting an early start to Thanksgiving or just frightened by the first snowfall of the season. Regardless, we had a small but choice group.
We start with Greeta's lovely sunflowers. Very painterly, very fresh and summery.... the very essence of watercolor. Go ahead, zoom in to look at the fluttery petals, the textured seeds in the center and the delicate blue glass. You know you want to, so go ahead! There are fewer paintings than usual, so there's plenty of time for a closer look.
Bill, too, is painting a floral still life. Notice the blue vase and the sunny yellow color in the draperies? We seem to have that mind-meld thing going today. Seriously, look at the color palette. Wonderfully sophisticated results from such basic primary colors.
Can you sense a theme going on? Here is Madeleine's take on a still life with yellow. Notice the color path her yellow takes from the background, through the flowers, leading the eye to the miniature tea set. In a virtuoso turn, she's also added a beautiful metallic candlestick.
We love our themes, don't we? You'd never know it was snowing outside to look at our lovely flowers, lakes and landscapes. Here, Greeta leads off our second theme with her painting of children playing on a lake. The water is especially lovely in this.
More fun on the lake! Elaine adds to her painting of paddle boat racers. We're eagerly waiting for her to start painting the water. Right now, it looks like they are racing on snow (except for the shorts and t-shirts).
And here's an aerial view of a lake...without the kids. Alan has painstakingly added, removed, repainted and scratched out a field of lily pads. And it's all done on Yupo.... enough said! Seriously, if you know the qualities of Yupo, you can really appreciate this.
Back to watercolor paper, Alan looks across the lake to a cottage on the opposite bank, framed by leaves, trees, and fall foliage. We love the colors and textures—and especially the reflections!
Still on the subject of flora and foliage, Sara switches to a delicate spring palette in this close up of a zinnia bud. The purple tips are far more subtle than this photo would indicate.
Remember last week's dancing trees in Central Park? Sara takes another look at fall in Central Park but this time she adds buildings to give a better sense of place. The inked outlines perfectly describe the crisp fall air and the foreground leaves are exquisite. Did we mention this is a card to a friend? No wonder everyone asked about getting on Sara's pen pal list!
Madeleine is also working on a building. We're anxious to see the final result as there are some incredible details here.... the bricks, the cobblestones, the sign painted on the glass window and Madeleine herself. Should be good!
The highlight of Bill's watercolor-y building is the flock of pigeons calling it home. You see them side-by-side on the roofline. And there's another line coming on the lower level. Yes, it's an actual building... one we all recognized (along with the pigeons).
We leave you with Ken's painting, another in his Ten Cat series. While it may be a simple pool table, it reminds us of Sullivan architecture...and of the Thanksgiving table.
Upcoming events and important announcements
If you're reading this on Saturday, it's not too late for Steve's concert tomorrow. It's a great way to kick off the holiday season!
DePaul Community Chorus Concert.
Where:
DePaul Concert Hall
800 West Belden, Chicago
DePaul Concert Hall
800 West Belden, Chicago
When:
Sunday, November 22, 2015 at 3pm
We'll be off next week for Thanksgiving. We are thankful for every one of you and wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.
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