A LITTLE SURVEY!

MADMAN OF BORDEAUX

This is a painting I did based on a photograph I took in Bordeaux.  When I travel, I love to collect images of the people I see.  I also love to sketch people while sitting in cafes, or in markets, and other interesting places.  

I have been thinking about giving a workshop in Italy where we would have the opportunity to paint some of the local residents who would come and sit for us.  Along with instruction on drawing people in settings where they will be moving, not posing.  Naturally, there will be plenty of time for touring, shopping and let us not forget eating!

I will be putting together a list of interested artists.  I will keep them informed of details of future plans.  If you would be interested in having your name on the list, send me an e-mail at myrnawack@prodigy.net and I will keep you updated.

THANKFULNESS!

CONEJO BOTANICAL PARK HIKE THANKSGIVING WEEKEND 2012

CONEJO BOTANICAL PARK HIKE #2

We are back home from a wonderful Thanksgiving week where we had the blessing of being with all of our children and grandchildren.  Everyone still enjoys each other's company.  In today's world where everyone is scattered around the country and around the world, not everyone can gather the clan together for special holidays.  We feel very fortunate and appreciative.  

Unlike myself, my children LOVE hiking and wanting to be part of the group experience, I go, too.  I am the only one out of breath dragging up a steep incline.  They are always there to lend a hand or an arm in the more precarious areas.  In spite of myself, I get some needed exercise and a good aerobic workout  plus some photos of beautiful areas.  No time to paint during the hike but I have been adding to my new leather bound sketchbook while sitting comfortably in front of my iPad working from some of the photos.  The Oak trees in California have the most amazing twisted limbs which feel so expressive and fun to draw and paint.  As an aside, for those of you not familiar with Spanish names, the name Conejo is pronounced KA-NAY-HOE.  It translates as rabbit.  

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving shared with special people you care about be it family or friends.

ON THE MOVE! FROM ORCAS ISLAND, WA. TO SACRAMENTO, CA. !

Susie Shipman hand made leather bound watercolor sketchbook (binding)

Susie Shipman Leather bound watercolor sketchbook front cover

LIME KILN PARK, SAN JUAN ISLAND, WASHINGTON...Hike to light house 

MORAN STATE PARK, ORCAS ISLAND, WASHINGTON....waterfall trail hike

MORAN STATE PARK, ORCAS ISLAND, WASHINGTON....waterfall hike

My youngest son bought a beautiful secluded vacation home on Orcas Island, Washington.  We spent the week up there enjoying the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.  This involved taking hikes which are often challenging for me.  My boys watch out for me and help me with the steep and/or slippery spots.  These little watercolor paintings were done from photographs I took from the hikes.  The sketchbook was a gift from my children and I had the wonderful good fortune to meet the woman, Susie Shipman, who hand makes these fabulous books.  The paper is Saunders Waterford from England and I am able to paint on both sides without buckling.  She told me she used to sell them all over but has scaled back and now I believe they are only available on Orcas Island or you can order from her website.  If you want more information, here is a link for Susie  . The size I have is 5 x 7 and, as you can see, I was able to flatten out the page and paint across the paper for a 2 page spread.  

Barely back from our great adventure up North and I am preparing to drive to Sacramento tomorrow for a demo for the Watercolor Artists of Sacramento Horizons Inc.  It will be around 2PM when I start and is being held at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center.  If you are in the area, I hope you will be able to stop by.   For those of you who can't make the drive, I will post the results on Tuesday.

GLAZING!

HMMM...Stage 3

Working with liquid acrylic, I am slowly working my way forward.  I am not sure how much of the collage I want to remain.  I also would like it to be more stylized, (abstracted) but not sure I don't need to start out with a more abstracted drawing.  I think this is the benefit of multiple paintings based on the same image.  I may be trying to explore too many things at once.  Overall, I think the process has potential.  I will keep going and see where it leads.  Here is a detail where you can see the collage and glazed color better.

HMMM... Stage 3 detail

PROGRESS!

HMMM...Stage 2

This has been interesting to observe how the first stage is impacting the next.  I need to finish the hand and deal with the shirt, then on to the next stage.  Here is a closeup of this step in the process.

HMMM...Detail stage 2

HMMM...Stage 1

I decided I wanted to try being more systematic in my approach, so I actually wrote down the steps I wanted to work through.  In the past, I usually start with an abstract collage background and draw the image on top.  This series I am embarking on starts with a drawing first, then collage, then paint and more drawing.  I decided to use markers for the drawing.  I wanted a grisaille image that would impact the value of the collage papers.  I also plan to do the entire collage in one temperature and then add in the opposite strategically in only 10 or 20% of the image.  Since I work so much in the cool side I decided to make this one a warm dominance.  I got so involved that I forgot to photograph the drawing before I started in with the collage.  This is a full sheet of watercolor 300 lb hot press.  

INTENSE! SHOW AT MISTRAL WITH ART LIAISON

Thursday night from 5 to 7 PM is the Reception for the latest installation by Art Liaison's at Mistral Restaurant in Redwood Shores.  I am excited to be participating along with 3 other artists.  This is the first time all four of my large self portraits have hung at the same time side by side.  It is pretty intense!!!  The fifth piece I am exhibiting is also visually very dramatic.  You can see it when you walk into the restaurant if you look straight ahead.  It fits on the wall between the two restrooms.  It just might scare the......oh well, you get the idea!  Hope some of you can make it.  The paintings will be up through early January, so if Thursday doesn't work out, perhaps you can stop by another time.