Marva has almost finished this lovely ode to summer. She plans to add the boat on the shore but it's already an idyllic scene with the weeping willow and all the textures of summer (the bark, the grass, and the water and sky). Only half a year until we see this again!
Ellen painted tons of Christmas cards, but they're all gone. So, we present more of her Chinese Brush Painting. These two paintings use watercolor on mulberry paper. This is the best of the papers Ellen has tried. It has one shiny side and one softer, more absorbent side which gives the brushstrokes their unique character.
Don't you love the pine needles on these pine cone branches? The variety of brushstrokes is incredibly beautiful.
Moving into color, Ellen paints these flower blossoms against an azure sky. And she's added a chop at the top right. It's her name, hand carved into a wine cork. Needless to say, we all spent some time trying to fashion a logo from our initials.
Isa added to her painting from last week. We love the transition from the autumn leave to the pine trees outside the window frame. The copper cup has such fine texture. And, look closely at the way the line of the window frame complements the line of the leaf edge.
Looking back towards autumn, Isa added finishing touches to the painting below. Look closely at the subtle yellow wash she's added to the table cloth. It's just the perfect touch to tie all the warm elements together.
Elaine O. is also painting trees and leaves "off-season." In this study of Chicago's Cloud Gate in summer, the trees frame the view. It's just a small 6" x 6" study, but it really captures the feel of the city and the tourists enjoying summer in the city.
From there, Elaine O. moved on to this beloved childhood icon. Do you remember the Weinermobile? This will probably be back as Elaine O. feels she needs to add a background. Still, we all had to smile when we saw this.
It must be an Elaine thing today. Elaine T.'s painting of Ming the Merciless also drew smiles of recognition from everyone. Look closely to see how exquisitely modeled the face and hands are... and mark your calendars for January 26, when it'll be back and closer to final.
Steve finished his study below. This is a poster featuring Nijinsky in Debussy's Afternoon of a Faun ballet. (We had it rotated last week.... sorry!). We love the way the dancer's limbs and the folds of cloth move sinuously across the page. Steve claims he is experiencing "opera withdrawal" (opera is a bright pink/fuschia color that Steve uses to add excitement and warmth to skin tones) but we love the way he's modeled the body, even without opera.
Dana also painted an action figure as her final project for the class. We are impressed with the level of detail, especially given the small size of the painting. Notice how she's used a similar subject this week and last, but this time, the character is silhouetted against a dark background instead of being a silhouette against a light one.
With time to spare, Dana experimented with wet-in-wet paint blending on this butterfly. Zoom in to see the subtle gradations on the wings. And we're thrilled to congratulate Dana on her graduation from newbie to "old master" and look forward to seeing her again next term.
What better place to settle in and read about all the fantasy and action figures in the prior paintings than Sara's sofa? You can just feel the sunlight streaming into the window, can't you? You may be seeing this again as Sara has some tweaks she'd like to make, but meanwhile, just relax in this moment of calm.
Here's a study in contrast... from Sara's warm, calm interior to Ken's blustery cold exterior. He's finished this snowy study in blue...
...before beginning this painting, another moment in Ken's day. We're crossing the Dearborn bridge at night. Who knew so much happens at night? There's the snowy sky, the lights shining in the snow and the reflections on the wet pavement.
Tony's very nearly finished with his cityscape. This copy of a Van Gogh painting uses only the color that can be obtained by wetting and separating the pigments in a calligraphy pen. Yet, look at the depth and texture Tony can get from a single black marker. And for some reason, the deckle edge adds the perfect touch.
We mentioned that we had calendars from Susan. This year's calendar features scenes from her recent trip. That's right—the trip wasn't that long ago, but she's already managed a full year's worth of happy memories. This is her memento of Australia. She's using indigenous elements (boomerangs, kangaroos, etc.) to memorialize Oz.
And, not for the squeamish, she's painted a trip to a crocodile farm in Queensland, Australia. Fellow tourists hold baby crocs and pythons while a larger crocodile pops out of the water to feast on a chicken head.
Moving to New Zealand, Susan records a visit to Tamaki Maori village to experience an evening of Maori culture. Zoom in and read all about it.
And, of course, what visit to New Zealand would be complete without a visit to Middle Earth and The Shire? Here's the movie set with hobbit holes nestled among the undulating hills and roads.
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| Our 2018 class photo, courtesy of Lydia |
Exhibition Opportunity
Interested in an opportunity to exhibit your work on the 48th Ward art wall? See information in the image below.
Register for next term.
You may want to think of joining us. Registration is open. Check your calendars and think about it. After all the holiday madness, you'll want to be part of our fun and relaxing group. Spring I and II (seriously, that's what they call it) dates are:- January 26 — March 9, 2019
- March 23 — May 11, 2019 (off April 20)
For registration information—come on, you know you want to join us—visit Truman College Continuing Education.
