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Showing posts from 2016

Basic Inquiry Life Drawing - Portrait Sketch

Graphite Portrait on Toned Paper - 6x9" Well I finally did it, I finally made it down to check out Basic Inquiry Life Drawing in Vancouver.  Why did it take me so long??!?!? I usually go to Suite E Life Drawing in Coquitlam but I have been so busy with teaching at nights that I only made it to a few sessions this season so I was desperate to get some life drawing in...and I was not disappointed :) The set up was really nice as they have a curtain that hangs from the ceiling with the lighting enclosed which can be directed on the model.  Then the outside of the curtain area hey have florescent lighting so that there is good lighting on the easels...which is kind of important ;) Room Set Up The model was lovely and was so enjoyable to draw.  The session is 3 hrs but with breaks works out to about 2.5 hrs and I draw sooo slooooww.  So I had hoped to get more darks in on the left side of her face and then add some lights with white chalk and if time permitted finesse her

Figure Painting Workshop with Giorgio Dante

Oil Painting from Life - Stephanie What a perfect way to start off the summer...start summer in June and start it with a 10 day workshop with Giorgio Dante! I am so fortunate to have another opportunity to study with yet another amazing artist and instructor. Not to toot my own horn, but I am really proud of my painting :)  I rarely do figures and I have not had nearly as much practice this year as I had hoped working from live models whether it be drawing or in oil.  Something I plan to correct this season ;)  Our model was Stephanie, a model that I often book for our Suite E Life Drawing sessions so it was nice to see a familiar face even though I did not paint it ;) The workshop was 10 full days and we spent the first two days working on a drawing which I will have to post later as I need to get a photo of it.  The drawing was smaller and included the full body and face. It was a great way to get warmed up and get familiar with the model as well as the lighting set up.  The

Alla Prima Painting with Deborah Tilby

I was so fortunate to get to go to a 2 day workshop this past Mother's Day weekend in North Vancouver with the wonderful Deborah Tilby.  While I was unable to complete either painting, I got a TON of work done.  Alla prima painting is so much faster than indirect painting.  It definitely gets the adrenaline running as you know at the workshops, just like when plein air painting, you only have so much time to get things done! The landscape painting was done on the first day and really all I think it needed is to push the dark and light values further.  I always struggle with this and seem to have to keep pushing as I go to get the full value range.  I also think the barn could use a bit of fixing up, maybe a window or two? The seascape was done on the second day, I was SO sick :(  I spent the morning painting and actually considered packing up and going home after an hour.  I felt so ill...hot...cold....dizzy...nausea....Happy Mother's Day to me!  I mixed paint strings fo

Life Drawing Session - Caitlyn Sustained Pose

It has been months since I have been able to get to a life drawing session (sigh) so it was so nice to get back to drawing from a live model last night!  Sadly I have not had much time for drawing anything lately as have been busy painting.  Drawing is like exercise, if you don't do it daily or at least regularly you get flabby....or in this case, not so accurate ;) So rather than crop the drawing as I usually do...I left some distracting objects all around the portrait.  Sneaky right?  Even with my lack of current practice though, I still see a huge improvement from last year in my drawing skills so just like with exercise, there is "muscle memory" so every little bit of effort adds up.

Private Oil Painting Lessons- Student's Oil Sketch

Rough Oil Sketch by Student - 8x10" So proud of my student this morning who attempted her first oil sketch in preparation for her landscape painting...and she hit it out of the park!  We did a rough sketch using Burnt Sienna thinned down with Gamsol odorless mineral spirits. I love this stage of a painting as things fall into place so quickly and it is just so satisfying to see everything come together so quickly. Look at that focus and how she is holding the brush way, way back....makes me very happy :)

Last Day to Register - Alla Prima Oil Painting & Awash in Watercolor starts this Monday at Port Moody Arts Centre

Oil Leaf Study This is a little study I did over the summer of some leaves I found on a hike up Simon Fraser Mountain.  The tree was full of these beautiful shiny leaves, I had to paint it. I did not have my paints with me and my hiking partner (aka hubby) would not have been impressed if I had and I could not fit the tree in my trunk so a bunch of branches had to do.  The leaves are so much more chromatic than I objects I usually paint so I thought they would be fun to work with and I was right.  If you are interested in learning to paint alla prima, join me Monday nights or Mondays during the date for watercolor lessons at the Port Moody Arts Centre.  You can register online at Port Moody Arts Center Online Link or call 604-931-2008 to register. Into the Blue - Detail Watercolor on Arches Paper