May 14, 2016

While we didn't have a full house today for the last day of class, those of us who came were glad we braved the cold. It was Sara's birthday and she brought delicious muffins to celebrate. Happy birthday, Sara (the name, by the way, means Princess)!  As for the rest of us, we happily chatted and painted. Tony finished his castle. Notice the small snowdrifts? We hope that's the last snow we'll see for awhile!

In a different vein, here is a plein air painting Tony did while sitting on a beach early one morning in Mexico. The lighting in our solarium seems to throw an unfortunate color cast when there isn't any sun and all our paintings are a bit off this week. But it's especially evident in a minimalist painting like this one. Still, look closely to see the sea, sand and sky—and the small figure of the fisherman casting his net. His cap is the only touch of color in this subtle masterpiece. And despite the subject's small size, it immediately draws focus. We love this painting!

Tony used his time in Mexico well. Here is another plein air sketch from his trip.

Sara finished her tree in preparation for her annual self-portrait. She's removed all the visible bud points and strengthened the contrast between the trunk and branches and everything else. We love how the changes really emphasize the halo of greenish light at the edge of the leafy canopy.

Ken is also into green plants... although his latest subject is corn. This is going to be one of our favorite series yet, judging by this abstract of a corn field. Actually, this isn't Ken's first foray into the world of corn. He went back into the "Ken archives" and found some early watercolors of corn. Still, we can't wait to see how this series progresses.

Rosemary is also dipping into the green area of the spectrum, but she's adding birds (her new series). Here, you can only see the initial washes on the ground and some of the new leaves, but we are looking forward to seeing this develop.

Madeleine is also painting winged harbingers of spring. Here are two butterflies on a feeder at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Center. That's not pen and ink, by the way. Madeleine is using paint with her new magic liner brush. We admire her control and her skill in capturing textures—from the metallic feeder to the soft wings.

Susan couldn't be with us today, but she stopped by for muffins (smart girl!)...and to show us what she painted during the week. The colors perfectly describe the iridescent surface of the shell.

Bill is doing another study for his dual portrait. Here he's concentrated on the background and on bringing the feel of the background and clothing to the level of the faces. Each study is better than the last and he's certainly achieved what he set out to do! In the process, he's discovered that this particular brand of watercolor paper can't withstand scrubbing well. It's best used for the watercolor version of alla prima painting. 

Another lesson he learned? For a portrait, it's a good idea to zero in on the faces. His brushwork  perfectly captures his subjects. We love the man's hair and eyebrows. And we like the looser background which doesn't distract from the focus of the painting.

How's this for a portrait? It's Ellen and friends. No, they aren't clubbing; they're at the Adler Planetarium and it's a heat map. And yes, Ellen is texting. We're sure you recognized the classic pose. Despite the unusual coloration, this is immediately recognizable as a portrait... and immediately recognizable as a portrait of particular people. What fun!

Elaine is also having fun with color... and with her subject matter. This is a Chicago business sign (now gone) that she wants to remember. She's trying for a retro feel in her color selection and it certainly looks like she's having fun with this one. 

And now for some invitations!

We will be off until June 11, but you don't have to miss us. We'll be meeting to sketch on Saturday mornings and you're invited. We'll keep you apprised of the dates and times, starting with St. Gregory's next week. And if you're more interested in looking at art than in sketching, drop by the library where Susan is part of the show.

You're invited.... Open Sketch date
We won't have class next week, but we'll all be meeting for an open sketching/photography session on Saturday, May 21 from 11:30–2:30pm at St. Gregory the Great Church—and you are invited! 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, May 21
     11:30–2:30pm

You're invited.... Art exhibit
 If you are near the Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago, go to the third floor, where Susan is one of the exhibitors in the Asian Pacific Heritage Art Exhibit. She has eight watercolors on display.

 

 Where:
     Harold Washington Library
     400 S. State Street

     3rd Floor Exhibit Cases

     When:
     May 1–July 31, 2016

 We'll be back on June 11 and hope to see you then.... unless we see you at our Sketching Saturdays!

May 7, 2016

No weather report today—it's even too confusing for native Chicagoans! 80 degrees yesterday, cold and rainy this morning, sunny and windy later. Who can keep track? So we don't even try. We keep our heads down painting people, places and things. We think that's a wise choice. Look and see if you don't agree. And then, keep reading for some fun invites—to an open sketch and an art contest.

As promised, we started with people. Vivian's dual portrait achieves great depth despite its apparent simplicity. And look at the sliver of background. This is going to be wonderful!

Here, Vivian takes an old portrait and overlays it with an organic mesh pattern. We're eager to see how it ends up. Another experiment gone right!

Bill continues to do studies for his dual portrait. And each study adds something new to his portraiture skills. Here, he tries an alla prima sketch, drawing with his brush and moving very quickly from there.

Today's attempt has Bill beginning with a pencil sketch. The faces are skillfully shaped with washes of paint, looking very natural and consistent with the feel of the fabric and hair. This is getting better and better with every study.

Ellen's painting of a deer in Wisconsin gets high marks (that is, if we got marks in this class at all) for composition, brushwork and color. Beautifully composed to draw our focus to the deer/dog, the painting engages us everywhere we look. The reflections, the birch trees, grass and pine trees are all energetically painted; but overall, the feeling is one of serenity and quiet.

Madeleine paints another location dear to our hearts...Montrose Harbor. She's made good use of her new liner brush to add grass to the foreground. From there on, we love the graphic quality of the buoys and cement and the softer feel of the city as it recedes beyond the trees.

What artist hasn't tried their hand at sky? Here, Madeleine does the same, filling her canvas with an active rendering. Nothing but sky!

Rosemary finished this atmospheric beauty in one class. We love the sky, the water and the misty horizon, not to mention the gentle shadows. We also can't help but love the boat... inspired as it may have been by our discussion of Boaty McBoatface. Yes, we're into current events!

Ken's finished his rework of a train against an atmospheric background. He's added texture to all the surfaces of the train, as well as the ground, sky and background...

...before switching to a new series based on.... corn. That's right, corn! Below is the beginning of his first Corn painting. He's using yellow ochre (either that or raw sienna) to explore the structure of corn in this origami-like painting.

Susan's exploring a new subject and style too. She's still using painting to document her life events, but here she's zooming in closely to commemorate a lone red tulip from her yard. Especially worth noting are the beautiful colors!

Yes, it's spring, so of course we are painting living, growing things. And of course, Sara is painting a tree. Here she is trying to capture the green veil of buds against the strong stark trunk and branches of a tree silhouetted against the morning sun. We love the halo of light surrounding the foliage.

 

About halfway through, Sara stopped to do the quick sketch below in which she tried to capture the essence of her vision of the painting before proceeding. It's an experiment in "responding" to our paintings as we do them. More to come as we understand the concept better.... or maybe not. 

Finally, Elaine's study after Sargent is finished. It's been quite educational as she tried different techniques—from slavishly copying the master's brushstrokes to painting the thing itself in the master's style. No, she's no Sargent.... but who is? Nonetheless, this is why copying the old masters is such a venerable technique.

And now for the news of the week. If you joined Ellen last night at Will's Northwoods Inn for the keg party, you know you had a great time. If you weren't able to make it, keep watching for other invitations. We can't promise free Leinies, but it's always fun to hang with us.

And now for some invitations!

You're invited.... Open Sketch date
It's an open sketching/photography session on Saturday, May 21 from 11:30–2:30pm at St. Gregory the Great Church and we are invited! 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, May 21
     11:30–2:30pm

Also, if you are interested in plants and/or animals, there will be a church tour on May 15 after the 10:30 mass (beginning about 11:30am). The tour will be all about the animals and plants depicted in the church and its art.


You're invited.... Blick Father's Day Art Show

If you remember last week, Susan exhibited at the Blick store downtown. They run regular contest/exhibits and we're all welcome to participate! The prizes are great (we love their supplies!) and it'll be fun to attend the reception. The next show has a theme of "Dad" for Father's Day. See the note below for details, but submission photos are due by May 30, so don't delay.

Until next week, happy painting!