KEEPING ALL THE PLATES SPINNING!

I have spent the last several days finishing up several paintings and getting supplies together for a workshop I am taking starting Monday with Gerald Brommer.  Collage is a passion of mine and he is the master! He is also the master at teaching. This collage workshop is about value, direction, space, movement, etc.   This is my second workshop with him.  I was so impressed with the way he structured each lesson.  I know I will come away with great insight for my own work and helpful ideas for my teaching.  

Speaking of teaching, I just was asked to present my beginning portraiture workshop in Bend, Oregon at Art In the Mountains the week of July 25th, 2011.  This is a fabulous place to give (and take!) a workshop.  Perhaps I will see some of you there. 

I didn't want to start a new painting so I spent some time creating more drawings from drawings.  I discovered this amazing marker by copic.  It is capable of making a very very wide mark and also a very fine line plus everything inbetween.  The best thing is it is refillable!   A little messy, but it makes the marker more cost effective .  Here are the last three drawings that I did.  I was thinking about line variety, simplifying the number of lines, positive and negative space, shapes, etc.  In fact I was focusing on everything BUT likeness and portraiture.  It was fun trying different ways to angle the marker and using different edges for different marks.