July 13, 2019

Another small crowd today—all the people who were on vacation last week are back today and vice versa—but we made up for our small numbers with high quality paintings. We begin with Sara, who almost finished her annual birthday self-portrait. All the portrait painting she's been doing has really paid off. This is easily the best self-portrait she's done. We love the light on her face and the way she's caught a fleeting expression.

Sara's also done a study of her granddaughter Nora. She's growing quickly, isn't she?

But that's not all. Sara's gone back to an old favorite... trees. Here, she's painted a tangle of leafy tree branches with oil pastels....

...leading to this exquisite watercolor of the same subject.

And today, Sara painted this portrait study from an oil painting. All in one morning—and despite the fact that we took advantage of our small numbers to chat non-stop about our backstories. Did you know Sara and Pat were both born in the same hospital in a state far, far away? What are the odds?

Ken's mosaic lady is coming along. He's added sparkle to the background and dimension to her dress and veil. Now, all that's left is to finish off her face. This is also based on another medium... in this case, a black and white photo.

Elaine T. is channeling John Singer Sargent in this gorgeous wedding portrait of her mother. We are in awe of how she's managed to convey the texture and dimension of the fabrics and walls, how she's used a limited color palette to do it (this is also based on a B&W photo) and the mood of regal serenity she's achieved. Come back to see the final painting—it's going to be worth it!

Elaine O. is also painting a regal lady, but her subject is much older. This is watercolor (and a touch of white gouache) on gold watercolor ground. It began as an experiment, but we're liking the way the gold ground affects the transparent paint.

From there, Elaine O. returns to another of her favorites, the urban landscape. This is a building in Chicago, and she's intrigued by the point of view...from a slight angle and above. And in another backstory convergence, our Elaines share more than their first names and  career choices. They both lack a confirmation name—and for the same reason.

Susan returned to her kwek-kwek painting. This time, she kept the orderly mandela format, but carefully modeled each of the quail eggs, adding an interesting push-pull between realism, symbolism and abstraction.

Another convergence.... we all love food! Especially delicious fruit, like Carolina's subject. Here, she's doing the three-way fruit exercise. At the top are very dry and combination efforts. The bottom painting is her wet version. Like most of us, she struggled to paint dry enough and was amazed at how little control the wet gave her. We love her combination version!

We'll be back next week, for the last class before our summer break. Meanwhile, you're invited to join us for some special events. Get your pencils and calendars ready!

Upcoming Events

Watercolor Challenge. Blick is sponsoring a Watercolor Challenge. Submit a photo of your original watercolor for a chance to win a prize pack of watercolor supplies. Get your entry in by July 21.

Art Exhibition.  Ken will be showing at the Ten Cat Tavern. Drop by to see the art and maybe play some pool. Be sure to come to the opening reception on Saturday, July 20.

      Where:
      Ten Cat Tavern

      3931 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL

     When:
     Exhibition: July 13–September 1, 2019
     Reception: July 20, 2019, 4–7 pm

     

Art Exhibition. Save the date for Art in Motion, an exhibition featuring our very own Isa. Isa's art (and the entire exhibition) will be free to view during the day. In the evening, this will be a fundraiser—and the cost will go up considerably! More details will follow, but get this on your calendar now:

     Where:
     Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

     When:
     Friday, September 6

Art Exhibition. Want a great haircut/style... with a chance to enjoy some art at the same time? Drop by Duet Salon, currently exhibiting artwork by our own Elaine O.

     Where:
     Duet Salon
     4615 1/2 N. Damen
     (right off the Damen Brown Line Stop)
     Chicago, IL