Moving on to Pomodoro, Ken leaves the face flat and untextured amidst the whirl of texture and color. Brilliant!
Elaine T. is back and finished with this lovely self portrait. She's maintained the transparency of the watercolor yet still managed to capture the personality and likeness of the sitter. We're all hoping to see more portraits... either self-portraits or new baby pictures. You know how we like those!
Preparing for her next masterpiece, Elaine T. is swatching out her paints by color. Here are the greens....
...and the reds. This is going to be very useful!
Greeta is back from vacation and she's painting portraits too. This is a chef at one of the restaurants she stopped at. Even with his back to us, he is clearly the focus of the painting. Notice the stainless steel and the open flame? These are difficult textures, and Greeta has handled them beautifully.
Here, Greeta has painted the same chef in profile. Again, the background textures perfectly complement the subject.
How did Greeta make such spot-on choices? Here's a peek into her sketchbook. Yes, she did quick studies, testing both color and value.
And what was he cooking, you may wonder? Oysters, shown below. Again, look at the masterful way Greeta has handled the glint of the silver and the glistening iridescence of the oysters and shells.
Susan is also painting her food and she's added a twist. Calling these her Gemini paintings, she's playing with the push/pull of foreground and background. Each can stand alone, but together, they are like two paintings in one (hence, Gemini). These ribs, with vegetable rolls and avocado, rest on a blue plate in a field of tulips that get progressively smaller as they recede into the background.
Susan added the bamboo background to allude to the Asian take on the chicken soup, complete with herbs, eggs, scallions and more.
Another dinner, but this one is finished! All that's left are the bones of this pomona fish—and the smiling head!
In the Gemini spirit, Susan was in the mood to paint shrimp and paired them with these three dancers.
Alan is back from vacation as well and he's painting drinks instead of food. Here's a delicious-looking frosty margarita. We especially like the choice of the background, and the salt, and the glass—actually, we like it all!
Another in Alan's series of drinks, this is a beautiful glass of beer with a water chaser. Again, the background and colors are inspired.
This was what Alan was painting before the drinks. While all the individual elements are lovely (the reflections on the windows, the branches, shadows and leaves), we especially love the composition, contrasting the straight lines of the architecture with the exuberant foliage above the roofline.
And Alan wouldn't be Alan without a Yupo painting in the works. This is the beginning of a woodland trail. Alan is alternating work on this and the beer painting above. They're both going very well indeed!
Marva's back too with a dream-like landscape to ease us into summer. Look closely at the richly textured tree and foliage and the soft colors of the water. Makes us want to be there!
In another marinescape, Marva's sky is aglow with delicate colors reflected in the water. Notice how she's carefully broken up the foreground with the bit of driftwood.
Isa continues to explore flowers in this beautifully colored, beautifully composed study of orchids. There are more flowers to come (see the masking fluid?) and we're looking forward to seeing them emerge.
Elaine O. continues to venture into new territory for her... painting delicate flowers, sparkling glass—and using a flat brush. Yes, this painting was painted entirely with a flat brush, something Elaine hasn't touched since her newbie plaid (years ago). Come back and see how this turns out!
We have some newbies! Carolina is using an actual flat brush on her introductory plaid and managed to get some lovely watery blends where the lines cross.
In the second exercise, she's collaged colors and textures that appeal to her, preparatory to using this for another exercise. Already we notice her predilection for graphic elements, carefully chosen color and strong lines and values. Come back for more—she's going to be good!
We welcome Sara back, too, from a 6 week grand tour of Spain and France. She sketched a lot (every single day!). And she has a small watercolor sketchbook that she's using to document the adventure. She begins the night before her trip with this twilight sketch of her house.
This line and wash painting is of the view from her apartment on Easter. The grey stone is a perfect foil for the amaryllis and other bits of color.
Sara painted another window view from another apartment in Spain. This feels like vacation with the soft, sheer curtains blowing gently in the breeze.
Here's a lovely composition. Sara's husband enjoys a cup of coffee against a background of flowering trees and classic architecture.
Here's another magnificent composition by Sara. It features her husband Joe relaxing against a backdrop of Spanish architecture.
Spain is full of splendid mosaics and Sara has painted one here. The colors are so rich and glass-like, aren't they?
Be sure to come back for more adventures in Spain and France. It'll be fun! Meanwhile, back in the USA, mark your calendars for some special events.
Upcoming Events
Concert!
In the mood for some great music? The DePaul Community Chorus,
featuring our own Steve, will be performing Beethoven's Ode to Joy, plus
songs, madrigals and spirituals. It's the perfect way to welcome the
season, so plan to come if you can.There are two options and the June 9 date is FREE:Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 3pm
Gannon Concert Hall
DePaul University
2330 N. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60616
Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 8pm
Orchestra Hall/Symphony Center
220 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL
Click on icon at right for instructions on purchasing tickets online
or at the Symphony Center Box Office.
Taste of Randolph/Art Exhibition. Stop by for the chance to meet our own Isa. She'll be manning a booth for the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, as well as exhibiting one of her paintings.
June 14-16, 2019
Taste of Randolph
900 W. Randolph
Chicago, IL
And then, save the date for Art in Motion, an exhibition featuring Isa. Details will follow, but mark your calendar as follows:
Where:
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
When:
Friday, September 6
Where:
Duet Salon
4615 1/2 N. Damen
(right off the Damen Brown Line Stop)
Chicago, IL
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