Go To Church? Shop? Sit In The Garden!

 4th Presbyterian Church view looking north east. 

Non-stop Begonia. Used Alizarin and Hookers Green for the darkest leaves and Daniel Smith Mayan Blue Genuine for the blue ones. 

July 25, 2026 — Elaine O.

I'm very attracted to contre jour scenes...and then I struggle with the darks. Here's one I'm determined to get right. This is the first color/value study. I still think I can heighten the value contrast but I'm okay with the colors and I'm ready to try again. This time, I'll be pulling out to include more of the subject than just his head and shoulders.

Class Photo — Summer 2026

You know how it is in summer—some people are on vacation, one is under the weather, but we still make a good showing (complete with blooming plant), don't we?

Apocalyptic Beauty….

 

Well, this turned out a little more dramatic than I intended, but I like the darks and lights on the garden. The sky kind of got away from me and that tree looks more like an incoming explosion…doesn’t help that the Subaru Outback turned into a Tesla truck. It’s 5x7 and believe it or not, I gave to my friend as a birthday card! (She took the original source photo. ) War of the Worlds in Racine WI!

Three Little Pics

These are all 5x7,  The size just seems to suit me lately.
 

July 18, 2026 — Elaine O.

I ran across an old photo that intrigues me. It's small, with faded color and contrast but I love it. So I started by zeroing in on just a small part to get more familiar with the shapes. For now, this is very light and tentative; I will be adding the deep shadows that are part of the attraction for me. But for now, I'm still looking and thinking about a final color palette and values...and how much of the original snapshot to include. 

10" x 14"

Buckle up—I think this is going to be a series, so get used to it!

Matt - art therapy

Alan Summer 2026-4

 I finished this painting of the view looking towards Biloxi on the Mississippi coast. On coldpress 140#  

This is a view from Truman looking north from the A train stop. It’s in my hot press sketchbook. Somehow the paper got damaged so I’m just going to have some fun with it by trying anything I can imagine. Got a lot of work to do but I have some ideas. 

Orthodox Convent - Trascău Valley, Transylvania | recovered from scrap paper

Museum of Natural History - Vienna