WHAT'S BLACK AND WHITE AND READ ALL OVER?

The latest Palette Magazine arrived today and I was very excited and honored to see this image as part of issue on Black and White paintings.  I had submitted it after seeing the call for paintings in the last issue.  I sent a few different images but never heard back if they were accepted or not.  According to the magazine, they were swamped with submissions, so I was lucky to be selected.  This is such a great magazine, I hope all of you subscribe.  You can find it on Cheap Joe's website.  The magazine always talks about design concepts instead of how-to's.  This issue is on working with intensity to create mood.  I just finished teaching two workshops last month and we covered this idea when we dealt with color as an element.  I could have used this issue as excellent examples.  I need to put it with my teaching materials.

Went to a life drawing session tonight.  I was much less tired than last time and sat in a low chair with a back.  It made a huge difference.  No back pain and I enjoyed the evening.  Check out my blog "Drawn from Limb to Limb" for details.

COVER GIRL!

I haven't received my copy but a friend was kind enough to send me this image. What an honor to make the cover of such a fine publication. I am anxiously awaiting my copy.

In the meantime, I did my sketching for the day. I also made my first attempt to draw from my short term memory. I decided a simple object would make the most sense. I have two beautiful glass birds in my kitchen greenhouse window. I starred at them trying to memorize their shapes and the negative shapes surrounding them. Then I went into a different room and tried to put it down in my sketch book. I returned with the sketchbook in hand and drew around my original drawing with the corrected shape. I did this twice (once for each bird). Next time I am going to use pen for one and pencil for the correction. This is going to take lots and lots and lots of practice to master this particular skill, but I am on my way!

The other thing I did today was totally ruin the Zentangle Frenchman. I had glued tissue over the whole thing and that looked sort of promising but turned out to be a bad idea. The paint did funny things in areas and became very ugly. I also didn't have a value plan and I really need to do that for this image. I need to see in advance what different choices will create. I learned a lot from the disaster and I still have my gesso with which to cover the entire mess. Maybe I can count this as trying something new.

January 2 and I am still on track with my goals!

SCVWS DEMO BY "TOPHER" SCHINK

Sunday, the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society had a wonderful demonstration by Christopher Schink. Everyone calls him Topher, so I shall use that name as well. He is the co-author of the "Palette" magazine, along with Skip Lawrence. With names like Topher and Skip, how can you go wrong. These guys have to be loads of fun! I keep meaning to order the magazine. I let my subscription lapse. Every page is valuable, without advertising or editorial. There are those annoying cards in some of the art magazines that are stuck between the pages and often fall out. One of them is an order form to subscribe to this publication. You can also order it from Cheap Joe's. Those are the only two ways to come by it.

I took lots of photos of his demo painting. Fortunately, I have finally solved the problem of not being able to post photographs. That kept me off the blog for 3 days while I was tearing my hair out and screaming curses. Now, if I can just get the printer to print, I will be back in business.

The first photo posted here is his palette. He uses fresh paint each time. You can see he is very generous in loading up the thing. He has some unusual colors that he must use on a regular basis. He paints with very saturated color using a "Skipper" Brush which has stiff bristles. Not your wimpy watercolor approach, to say the least. Here is the final result along with some of his words of wisdom.

"A photograph shows us everything a painting isn't"...Picasso

The "what"of the painting is not as important as they "why" you are painting it.

There are no born geniuses in art. You have to work your way up to "Genius".

and lastly: Everyone is influenced by others. Borrow then make it your own!