May 11, 2019

Happy Mother's Day! We're all about the holiday today—those of us who showed up instead of getting an early start, that is. And our paintings show it. Elle finished her painting of her granddaughter. Adorable, isn't she? Interestingly enough, Elle had more trouble deciding on a background than she did with the rest of the painting. We think she chose wisely—the background sets off the subject without distracting.

With minutes to spare, Elle cranked out another grandchild painting. This quick study makes us smile. His expression is precious and the composition is perfect—circles around circles around circles.

Steve began work on the swim suits and added a layer to the skin. What does this have to do with Mother's Day, you ask?  Don't you think Mom would enjoy a relaxing day in the sun?

If you thought the psychedelic swim trunks were fun, just wait for Ken's latest in the Woman/Mosaic series. He spent most of today working on the glorious mane of hair and pondering his background strategy. We are in love with this.

What's Mother's Day without some flowers? Isa steps up to the plate with two very different takes on flowers. Here, she's placed orchids in front of a subtly beautiful brick wall. She's only used two colors (yellow and purple) to achieve all the colors and textures in the background. Incredible, isn't it?

And from the sophisticated elegance of the painting above, she moves on to this exuberant, vibrant painting. She's calling it Dancing in the Light and we think that says it all. No further comment necessary, is there?

Elaine is painting flowers too. This African violet is very nearly complete.... except for the background. She's planning to add a layer of gold watercolor ground over the rich red. In a painting this small, she thinks it will draw the viewer in and give the plant icon status. Come back to see if she's right.

Yes, food is an integral part of Mother's Day. Susan has finished the woven background for her fish head, baked clams and calamari dinner....

... before painting another dinner feast. This time, it's baked ribs, with fresh veggie roll and avocado sides. Any mom would be happy to eat this well. And notice the springtime tulips in the border?

Time does fly.  We've finished our Spring session and will be taking a break until June 8. See you then. Meanwhile, mark your calendars for these upcoming events.

Upcoming events  

Improv Show. In the mood for some improv fun? Ken and Elaine O. are in an improv group that will be having a show at the Harold Washington Library downtown. It's free and fun, so plan to come if you can.

     Where:
     Harold Washington Library Center
     Video Theater, Lower Level
     Chicago, IL

     When:
     Tuesday, May 21
     1:30 pm.

Art Exhibit. May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and our own Susan Silvano is having an exhibit at one of the Chicago Public Library Branches. The exhibit runs throughout May, so drop by before then.

     Where:
     Martin Luther King Jr. Library
     3436  S. King Drive
     Chicago, IL 60616

     When:
    May 1-31, 2019

Art Exhibit. Save the date for Art in Motion, an exhibition featuring our own Isa. Details will follow, but mark your calendar as follows:

     Where:
     Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

     When:
     Friday, September 6