October 7, 2017

It's more people and places for us today—served up with brilliant color and a side discussion on composition. Let's begin with Bill's painting of water lilies. These are different than the type we (and Monet) are used to. They have cupped sides and thorns. But we are especially interested in the expressive brushwork, exuberant colors and composition. Yes, this was one of the paintings that sparked our discussion about composition. Look at all our paintings and then weigh in our discussion at the end.

Alan's color choices coordinate well with Bill's. But that's where the similarity ends. Alan is using Yupo for the riverside cafe scene. Notice how he can remove the paint to add new features. Now, we're waiting for him to finish Greeta on the left side.

Ken, too, is a fan of yellow, green and purple. He's making great progress on his latest mosaic cat. We love the way the whiskers blend, yet stand out on the left. And we're looking forward to seeing how he handles the whiskers on the right, against a shadowed background.

Elaine's made some progress on her latest portrait. No, she's not using the green/gold/purple palette, but there's plenty of color to be seen. And yes, she's planning to use a small touch of Opera in the hair.

Steve is also getting ready to break out the Opera. He'll be using it as part of a mixture with yellow, and he'll glaze it over the figures below to add warmth and color.

Here, Steve has lifted some of the color in the highlights to model the muscles. 

He's still working on the values on this last painting. Then, when he finishes the glazing, he'll be looking for a background color to separate the paintings from the frames. Stay tuned!

Sara's back and finishing her three guys painting. They are soft and subtle, but very real and full of character. Sara had a bit of a scare when she experienced a coffee (with cream) spill. But look closely and you'll be relieved to see that no harm has been done. Whew! And look closely at the composition. This is another painting that sparked discussion.

Greeta is painting family too. But her subjects are ancestors she only knows from sepia photos. We love how she's brought this little cutie to life and imbued her with a distinct personality.

Here's another girl. She's the sister of the girl above, but she's also got a definite personality. We're waiting to see what color dress she gets. 

Greeta's been busy! Below is another entry in her Houses of Graceland West book. This is her front door. Beautiful, isn't it? It's like she lives in a museum or a state building.

Isa is painting her personal landscape too. This is a vine on a fence. We are in love—the subtle foliage, the delicate colors and the soft shadows contrasted with the graphic boards. And there is more to come!

The foliage is part of a trumpet vine and Isa's experimenting with the flowers before adding them.

Speaking of experimentation, Isa is using the song title challenge to play with wet-in-wet. She's also inspired by Halloween, as you can see.

Madeleine is experimenting with wet-in-wet as well. This beautiful sunset spent most of the class drying. Which probably explains how the colors of the sunset managed to blend so realistically. Come back next week for some additional touches.

Susan is painting her vacation memories from the Canadian Rockies. She's revisited her Klimt era as she details the foliage around the tour bus and the two bears eating berries.

 In contrast, this view of Lake Louise is smooth and serene and evokes the clear, cold air of Canada.

We continue to be amazed by Emily. Here is her egg. Flip back and see how other newbies have handled this assignment and you'll understand why we're speechless. 

Another traditional class assignment—another stunning success by Emily. The fruit colors are great, the shadows are colorful and rich. And it's all balanced by the intensely lush background.

Talk turned to composition today. We tried to determine what makes a good composition. Various people suggested various elements that make for a good composition. For instance:

• Related masses/how shapes connect or relate to each other
• Movement within the painting
• Contrast/values
• Unifying factors, harmony and overall interest

We are not satisfied we've entirely nailed this. Most of us know it when we see it, but we're hard pressed to define it. Please feel free to comment with your definition of good composition.

Exhibitions and events

Food.  Alan and Greeta are featured artists in a group show about Food. The show runs through January, so there's still time to catch it. If you attend, you are asked to please bring a donation of non-perishable food for neighborhood food pantries.

      Where:
      Alderman Pawar's 47th Ward Office

      4243 N  Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL

     When:
     Exhibition: September 16–January 13
    

Corn and Cats.  Ken's show at Ten Cat Tavern (how appropriate!) is up. While you missed the opening reception—and it was fun—you can still drop by to see the paintings.

      Where:
      Ten Cat Tavern

      3931 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL

     When:
     September 30–November 15

El Alma de Buenos Aires / The Souls of Buenos Aires.  It's Hispanic Heritage Month and Erika Estefania Doyle's work will be on display for another week at the Harold Washington Library Center in the library's 3rd floor exhibit cases. Learn more here.