DEMO FOR CAMBRIAN ART CLUB

Here is the painting I did as a demonstration for the Cambrian Art Club in San Jose, California.  Actually, this is how the painting was finished .  I had to move the right eye over a tad.  I wasn't sure if it was possible since I was using thalo blue, but fortunately I was able to do so.  Here is the painting after the demo.

I have to work flat so I am never sure how it looks until it is dry and I can stand it up. This was a good start but it needed some serious work. You can see the adjustments I made.  I am happy with the final results.

A EUREKA MOMENT!

I think this is done.  I was able to increase the saturation of color.  It just took some layering.  I am getting pretty tight with these paintings.  I will probably proceed along these lines for awhile and then get more gestural when I have the literal out of my system.  

So, what was the Eureka! moment?  I often lie in bed and imagine how different ideas will look and then fall asleep.  Often, the in the first waking moments, ideas pop into my head.  The subconscious works on the problems and comes up with solutions.  I have been trying to resolve a composition of multiple heads and hands, what size paper, what shape paper, etc.  I like to just start drawing because of the spontaneity of the line and image but it is hard to control the composition when I work this way.  It came to me that I could draw the images on tissue paper and then move them around until I found the most appealing composition and then collage them onto the paper.  I am very excited about this idea.  I want to use a color other than black, and using a stick with ink will probably be too rough on delicate tissue paper, so I think my Lizard's Lick #4 dipped in acrylic ink will do the trick.  I'm looking forward to trying this idea out this afternoon.  Stay tuned.........

ONCE AGAIN, WITH A SMALL DIFFERENCE!

I started a second painting today, having prepared the surface a few days ago.  This surface is just gesso over an old painting and some torn  tyvek collaged on top.  There is no tissue and no pattern either on the tissue or stamped into wet gesso.  I thought I would photograph this one as I went along.  I started out drawing with my stick dipped into red acrylic ink.  As you can see, even though it is acrylic it is possible to make some adjustments and rub out unwanted lines.  I am using mostly acrylic ink for the paint on this one and I am finding that intense acrylic color fades quite a bit when applied to the tyvek surface.  If you look under the neck of the background figure you can see the difference between the gesso surface and the tyvek as that dark passage was painted at the same time.  This painting needs a little more work and then I am ready to try a new combination of techniques.

EVELYN'S FRIENDS...first painting !

This is the first painting of the images I am playing with.  I am exploring different surfaces.  This one is gesso, tyvek, collage tissue and some "dirty glaze"  here and there.  I started with liquid watercolor because I could lift out paint easily.   But eventually I switched to acrylic ink because I didn't want anymore lifting.  I think I am on to something.  On to number two!

ALL IN A DAYS WORK...SAN DIEGO WATERCOLOR SOCIETY WORKSHOP

Today is the second day of the Variations Workshop.  I am working with an exciting group of artists.  Everyone is so helpful and friendly. It is a real joy to be here.  Yesterday we worked on creating shapes and changing shapes in the morning.  The afternoon was spent working on value patterns for the morning drawings.  Today we had something to start a painting with.  Everyone made at least two paintings today.  There was amazing creativity exhibited.  We had a little show and tell at the end of the day.  I took photos but I am too tired tonight to make the slide show, so stay tuned for tomorrow night.

Tuesday is the meeting night of the society and I was the program!!  The top painting is my demo for the evening.  It was drawn and painted in less than an hour.  It is a fairly straight forward portrait.  The bottom painting is my demo for the class this morning.  It is a very stylized version of the same gentleman.  I want to do another painting of this image with a few changes,  The second image is painted with acrylic inks.  This is the first time I tried these paints on this particular paper.  It dried very fast, which I liked but the lines feathered quite a bit.  Not sure  why this is happening.  I will have to explore a little more when there is more time.  

Between the end of class and the demo, we made a little trip to a Dick Blick store which was lots of fun. Across the street was a great Italian restaurant where we had an excellent dinner and time to visit a bit.

ANOTHER DEMO SEQUENCE FROM ISRAELI WORKSHOP!

This demo is on Tyvek so I had to work flat.  Using the tray as a support turned out to be a great solution.  Of course, it limits the size you can work on.

I met with my friend, Janak, today to bring him some Tyvek paper.  He is planning to visit family in India and they wanted paintings.  His solution was to work with Tyvek using acrylic and oils, then travel with them rolled up.  A great idea!  The acrylic and oil looked excellent on the paper and there was no problem with the paint flaking off when it was rolled up.

Enjoy the slide show!

PROFILE DEMO PAINTING ON TYVEK FOR SCVWS WORKSHOP

Today everyone worked on profile paintings.  The results were excellent.  It is a smaller group these last two days, so I will be combining the children's paintings with the profiles for a slide show on tomorrow's post.

This was a young man totally engrossed in his laptop computer at the airport.  He has that wonderful quality of young men who have grown tall and lanky but still have some of that awkwardness of  youth.

DEMO FOR SANTA CLARA VALLEY WATERCOLOR SOCIETY

This is the painting I did today in my demonstration for the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society. This is a companion piece to the last painting I posted on the blog....the same unknown, unsuspecting model, in profile.  I worked on the background a bit but I think I want to bring it to the same level as the first painting.  I will be conducting  two back-to-back Watercolor Portrait Workshops for SCVWS starting on Friday.  It will be a busy week as I am also conducting a one day texture workshop for a private art group in Oakland, on Tuesday.  If that one is a success, I will probably set up a similar one day workshop  later in the year, open to who ever would like to attend.

The demo today was especially fun because there were so many friends in the audience.  I usually am looking out on a sea of unfamiliar faces.  I had a little more time than usual.  This was finished in 2 hours with a break in the middle.  Actual working time probably somewhere around 1 1/2 hours.  I started with a blank piece of paper and drew directly onto the paper with a blue watercolor brush pen.  Everyone stayed attentive and there were lots of good questions as I worked.  Fortunately, I am able to talk and paint at the same time (most of the time!)

 I would like to thank Mary Paquet and her wonderful team of volunteers who made everything so easy today and who make the workshops run so smoothly.  I am looking forward to the workshops.  It is wonderful to be able to share what you know and always a joy for me to see how everyone improves in their ability to create a likeness.

 There was a lot of picture taking today.  If some of you would send me some of the images, I will create a slide show of the demo for the blog.

SAN DIEGO WOMAN FINISHED!

Here is the finished Tyvek Painting.  I posted a detail so you can see how the watercolor reacts on this exciting paper.  Now, back to my self portrait series.

I FINALLY GOT MY BRUSHES WET!

I was determined to get some painting done today.  With a demo scheduled in a few days, I went looking for an image I could use. I didn't have a lot to choose from but this image was still in the computer.  I think this woman has an interesting face. The image was quite washed out with little contrast or color.  I was able to create some interesting effects with Photoshop Elements.  It was wonderful to get my brushes wet again.  I wasn't able to keep working and finish this piece, but it's good to have something ready to go in the morning.  I started out vertically for the drawing.  I even attempted to paint it in an upright position but with Tyvek the paint just runs off the paper.

BACK IN SCHOOL!

David Lobenberg honored me by asking if I would come up to his Sacramento City College watercolor class and do a demo for the students. What fun to meet someone in person you became friends with through the internet! Naturally, the weather was fairly threatening with a big storm coming in and I had a two hour drive to get there. Add in rush hour traffic in the Bay Area. I was anticipating a harrowing journey. Just goes to show how we waste so much time worrying about what might be....it usually doesn't. The drive was easy all the way, counter commute, and I was ahead of the rain. By the time I left, everything was sunny.

David is a very joyful person and his wonderful sense of humor and fun pervades the classroom so I knew I was in for a great time. I did demonstration using Tyvek with two different inks....the Carter brand I found ad Staples which has a cool bias and a Winser Newton non-waterproof ink that had a warm bias...Permanent India Ink plus bleach. I added some carbon black at the end. While the painting was drying, the class put on a feast, pot luck style.

So, thank you David and your wonderful class for such a warm welcome. I am looking forward to receiving lots of e-mails with photos of the paintings inspired from my demo.

I am getting lots of people loving this Tyvek paper. Maybe everyone who is interested should start requesting it from Cheap Joe's. If there seems to be enough interest, maybe they will carry it again.

THE PITFALLS OF WORKING FLAT!

This is the demo painting I created for the Society of Western Artists on Saturday. It was a wonderful group of enthusiastic artists. I always have such a good time at demos.

Here is the problem: Because I work on Tyvek, a very slippery surface, I need to keep the painting flat so the watercolor doesn't slide right off. I draw the image on with a wet line, so the painting stays flat from the drawing on. There is a distortion that happens (slight parallax) and I don't discover it until everything is finished and dry! The first image is what I was seeing and the second image is what I actually drew and painted. Rats!!! I really like the head but the body and hand are too small (or the head is too big!) What to do? I have a few choices. The first is to try and scrub out the arm and hand and change it. Not too sure that will work with this paper. I could do a drastic crop. I could do it again. I think I will start with the first idea and work my way through the choices until the problem is solved.

The real question is how to prevent this in the future. A number of possibilities here, as well. First, I could draw the image on the paper with something that doesn't run so the paper would be upright and I would avoid the distortion. Second solution is to view my drawing in the overhead mirror before I start to paint. I think I would notice a distortion. The third idea is to print out the reference material with a parallax distortion and then I would automatically correct it when I drew it on my paper. The fourth idea is to use a "reducing glass". This is the opposite of magnification. It allows you to see the image you are working on as if from a distance. You can find this item in a shop that caters to quilters. They can't pick up their work in the planning stage as it would fall apart!

As with so many things, there is always more than one solution. I think starting with a distorted image is the one that appeals to me the most. Once I get started, especially with demos, I work fast and furious. I forget to slow down and check the drawing. Can't wait to try this theory.

GUALALA WORKSHOP DEMO: PROFILE

This is the demonstration I did for the workshop for the second painting, a profile. It is on Tyvek paper using Dr. Martin's Hydrus liquid watercolor.

I spent a few hours today clearing photos off my laptop and onto the auxiliary hard drive so I can download all the photos I took last week. Then I can create a slide show. I am trying to move the photos into electronic folders so I can find images by categories. This is taking lots more time than I would like, but I think it is necessary. I will probably save time in the long run by not having to go through all the photos to find the ones I want. It is the curse of the digital age.

DEMO RESULTS FOR MILBRAE ART CLUB

Monday night I had the privilege to demonstrate my watercolor technique to the Milbrae Art Club. I was requested to paint a flower since they had no members who do portraits. I searched my photo archives and found this beautiful agave plant. I love the shapes and shadows it forms but the color was uninspiring for me. Green and more green! What can you expect from a plant. I put the photo through it's paces in Photoshop Elements and managed to get some color that was exciting to me. I have posted the before and after of the photo.

I was delighted to find many friends in the meeting and everyone sat around the table I was using while I painted. I love intimate settings like that. It was a fun evening for me. I hope it was an informative evening for those that came. I had hoped to finish up the painting yesterday but time got away from me. I worked on it this afternoon. After deepening the values, I needed a way to pull everything together and make the various colored shapes make sense. Having discovered a Maxine Masterfield Book in a used bookstore the other day, I decided to use her White Line to good effect. I couldn't find my white acrylic ink so I used white gesso in the drawing bottle. That worked fine! I made sure I flushed the needle in the cap with clear water so the gesso would clog it.

Speaking of the bottle with the needle in the cap, the Masterfield book gave the supplier of this item (Maxine had discovered this tool back in the 80"s!) The company still exists and probably supplies Cheap Joe and Tap Plastic. Google Gaunt Industries in Chicago. It is the Hypo 200, 25 gage needle. The best part is you can order extra caps!!! I have permanently clogged some of mine, so now I can replace them.

On another note, a gentleman filmed my last demo at the Los Altos Art Club using Tyvek and Hydrus Liquid Watercolors. It was the other floral painting, not a portrait. He did a wonderful job filming and editing. Anyway, I have asked his permission to duplicate and share the dvd with others. I haven't heard back from him yet, but I am hoping to have that available for interested artists.

ANOTHER SELF PORTRAIT!

Today was an artists' reception where I have some paintings on exhibit and I was asked to do a demonstration. The weather turned shockingly hot for us Northern Californians (around 100) with no air conditioning. I was glad I had something to distract me from the sweat that was beading up everywhere. There was a small but attentive and interested group so I had fun. I decided to get a start on my self portrait for David Lobenberg's challenge. I used the photo on my blog heading as I have never actually painted that version before. I am also working on a collage version, so I don't know if I will submit this one to David, but at least I have one completed.

Tomorrow I am going to be doing a demonstration for the Millbrae Art Association at the Millbrae Recreation Center. Meeting starts at 7 PM. They requested a floral, so I need to pull something from the photo archives. If you are going to be in the area, stop in and join us.

HALF MOON BAY HIGH SCHOOL DEMOS

Somedays are almost perfect!! Today I had a gorgeous drive over to the Pacific Coast. The drive goes by a pristine lake, over a small mountain with forest and grassland, then drops down and travels past flower farms and greenhouses, horse farms, rustic rural enchantment all the way. Then I got to paint for several hours and share techniques, materials and ideas with an enthusiastic group. I had the honor and pleasure to do a demonstration for two different art classes at Half Moon Bay High School. It's been awhile since I have been in a classroom. It was great fun to meet the students, see their work (much of it amazing) and see the creative ideas their teacher, Larkin Evans, came up with. We didn't have this level of experience back in the day when I was going to high school. Sometimes I wish I could redo those times.

I shared my enthusiasm for watercolor and Tyvek paper and left them with 50 sheets (actually I owe them 15 sheets which I will deliver next week.) I hope I will receive some e-mails in the future, with photos of their paintings on Tyvek.

Because I had to work flat and had a time constraint, I didn't get a chance to put the painting upright and step back. Wow, I see some serious problems here!! I struggled with the hands in the first session, so totally eliminated them in the second painting. The proportions of the body, guitar and hands are way off. The head in the first painting is looking pretty good. If I can't resolve the other problems, I may have to do a major, major crop! The head in the second painting is a little off. Maybe it is my head that was a little off today. Still, I had a great time. I hope I will be invited back another time.

I don't often get "over the hill" to the coast. Half Moon Bay is a charming village with lots of little boutique type shops on Main Street. After class, I spent a few hours wandering in and out of places getting into my usual "trouble".

When I came home and checked my e-mails I found this lovely note from the Art Instructor, Ms. Larkin Evans. I thought I would share it with you.


Dear Myrna,
What a priviledge to have our students see you in action. They are so excited to try out what you inspired and I'm sure that over the weekend a few will already come back with new work. Thank you for the paper as well. You are so professional and are such a wealth of ideas, techniques and resources. It will be fun to follow your ongoing art adventures on your blog. Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Larkin Evans and the students from HMBHS Art classes

SLIDE SHOW OF SHAPE, VALUE AND LINE PAINTINGS FROM WORKSHOP!

Everyone really had fun with the LINE ELEMENT today. I shared painting on Tyvek and now I have ardent fans of this paper. Everyone is stretching, experimenting and growing. If you are wondering about some of the unusual color combinations, each person is limited to one red, one yellow and one blue selected randomly from their pile of each primary color. Some of the color combo's make for strange mixtures but others turned out surprisingly good. Part of the fun. Each day there is a random selection for some aspect of the painting. Tomorrow will be focused on color. The combinations should be more traditional but each person will have a unique color formula to work with. Can't wait to see what they come up with!

SLIDE SHOW OF THE DEMO ON TYVEK FOR ALLIED ARTISTS WEST!

Here is the demo painting that I did this morning for Allied Artists West, a group of very talented and accomplished women artists. It can be intimidating to work in front of a group like this, but it went well and everyone was very gracious. I enjoyed it very much and have fun when I do these type of events. Jane Ferguson was very kind to photograph the progress of the painting and she sent them to me, so I have made a slide show. I think you can see how I draw with the "oiler boiler" from Cheap Joe's to establish my image. I just draw directly and what ever happens, c'est la vie! This sequence was done in an hour. Because the paint will run uncontrollably, I am working flat the whole time. After I got the painting home, I set it up and looked at it. There are a number of small adjustments I am planning to do before it gets stored away. I was thinking of doing that this evening after I finish this post, but I need to get another boost of energy!

I always try to share a lot with the group I am demonstrating for and they often share in return. Today I learned that Tap Plastic has the "oiler-boiler" bottles with the thin needle. Wow, that was fabulous information! Of course, they don't call it that cutsie name. I headed straight for the plastic store on my way home and got 8 more bottles. Now I can load them up with all kinds of colors ready to go.

I want to put some white lines in this painting. I went all over looking for white ink to no avail. I did get some scrapbooking gel pens that make a nice fine white line, but I would like to be able to use dip pens and sticks, etc. If anyone knows of a source, please let me know.

I almost forgot....I wore two of my orphaned earrings today. They were an interesting mismatch but fun!

DEMO FOR FALC (Fine Arts League of Cupertino)

I had a great time painting for FALC last night. Here is the finished painting along with a slide show of images from Nava and one from Jane F. Everything is reversed because they were actually photographing the overhead mirror image. I wanted to finish the painting so I spent about an hour before dinner working on it. While I was painting, I realized how much I love working on this surface. I was lifting back and repainting, changing some of the colors and the paint just flows so effortlessly. My new little squirrel brush is ideal on the Tyvek. I thought I was finished with it but noticed one little spot I need to correct. Looking at it in the computer has the same benefit as viewing the painting from a distance.

My husband and my son surprised me with an early Chanukah present. They bought me an ipod Touch and couldn't wait for the holiday to arrive to give it to me! I am very excited. It has my calendar, address book, e-mail plus actual music! Also I loaded some photos. I think I can actually work from them while I am out. The viewing screen is pretty large! It is an amazing little gadget.

NEW VERSIONS OF BILL THE PAINTER AND MORRIS!

Here are the two paintings I have done for demos this workshop. The first one is Bill the Housepainter. I floated random color on the paper and let it dry. Then I applied two coats of diluted matte medium and finally I tried something new, Aqua Pasto. It is a thick gel like substance that creates some interesting texture. I put the Aqua Pasto in the hair, beard stubble and some in the upper left of the background. When all this was dry, I painted my image. I really like the textural effects with this new stuff. I will be experimenting again with this item.

I decided to do a quick little painting of Morris to demonstrate painting on Tyvek. He just has the perfect face to play around with.

The weather and the people here in Ocean Shores couldn't be nicer!