"VARIATIONS" WORKSHOP SCHEDULED FOR SAN DIEGO!

I am excited to report that I am scheduled to do a workshop in Solana Beach, California (San Diego area) at the Studio of Arts and Design the last week in February! The Frenchman series is in preparation for the workshop. We will be using a different face but creating as many "variations" as possible during the week. The space is limited to 15 people max, so if you are interested, contact Rikki at info@StudioofArtandDesign.com

All of my computer memory was used up with too many photos so I spent a few hours transferring images to an auxillary hard drive. I finally cleared enough memory to print a contact sheet of my distorted Frenchman and then made these drawings. I was also viewing the latest CCP Video by John Salminen on Urban Landscapes (lots of great ideas and info) and worked some on my collage painting. The collage painting is looking very "clownish" but I can tinker with it once all the papers are applied. I want to do some additional drawings and then I will have loads of material for painting. If you are working along with me, send in those images. I need a few more for another slide show.

PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS DISTORTIONS FOR FRENCHMAN!

I spent an hour or two playing with Photoshop Elements rearranging the face of our dear Frenchman. This gives new meaning to the expression "messing with his head". I can't wait to start drawing these and then making some new paintings. The filter I used was to "correct" camera distortion. I think it is much more fun to create camera distortion after the fact.

MORE SKETCHES OF PRESIDENT ELECT OBAMA

Here are two sketches I did of our new President Elect. The papers are filled with excellent source material so I thought I would practice drawing his face. Subtle facial muscles make a big difference in getting a likeness. The first one missed the mark but I think the second one is pretty accurate. The first place winner of the Smithsonian portrait competition not only receives $25,000 cash but also a commission to paint a famous American (to be decided with the committee) I have decided to think as big as I can, so I am practicing in case I am selected to paint the new president's portrait. Well, I guess you can't think any bigger than that! You know what they say, "Success is when opportunity meets preparation" or something to that effect. Don't know about the opportunity, but I definitely am going to be prepared. That is the one thing I have control over. I am reading a book by Eric Maisel, an art coach. It must be influencing my thinking.

I worked on the collage painting today,too. This is going to be a slower process than I usually do but it should be an interesting painting when I am done.

PEN & INK SKETCH

This series of sketches was done from a wonderful image in the paper this morning of an elderly black man after voting for Obama. I loved the photo and wanted to capture the pose, hands and face. I don't believe in erasing but prefer to draw again and again until I feel I have what I was after. I started on the right, then left, then down. You can see how accuracy begins to show up eventually. I do like the feel of the first one but the head was way off.

I collaged the background of my Frenchman today using the paper towels that absorbed excess paint for the Japanese papers I painted the other day. I separated the 2 ply paper and had two usable pieces but it stretched pretty badly when I was "gluing" it down. The color is wonderful, however. I'm not sure how this will workout with such low grade paper collaged on, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I was hoping to get more work done today but we wound up dealing with a major plumbing problem. The Rotor Rooter guy actually has a camera on the end of the "snake" and they make a video of the inside of your pipes! Who knew plumbing had gone so high tech. He wound up digging up the front yard but found the problem (roots had invaded the pipe and created a blockage) and removed the nest of roots without having to replace the pipe and dig a longer trench. That little camera showed that the rest of the line was clear. I will not soon take for granted the luxury of indoor plumbing. It's one of those comforts we don't appreciate until it disappears.

ANOTHER MOMENT IN HISTORY!

I remember the moment when I watched a man step upon the surface of the moon! Surreal. Tonight was another observed moment in history that also feels surreal. The connection to art is about possibility, vision and working to make it happen.

I managed to get some art work done today. I started a Frenchman painting with my new open acrylics. So far it looks hideous. the good news is that it is acrylic so I can repaint it as much as I need to. The paints have a very creamy consistency. They thin out very easily. I covered what was left on the palette with plastic wrap so it should stay moist. I was so disgusted with my progress on the painting so far, I decided to start on the collage piece. This is the drawing for it. I will start putting the painted papers on tomorrow. It should be an interesting project.

I SIGNED UP FOR "ART EVERY DAY MONTH"

For the sixth year in a row, Leah Piken Kolidas is sponsoring "Art Every Day Month". November is the month and lots of artists are signing up to commit to posting their creative efforts for 30 consecutive days. Click on the title to go to her blog. I just completed the little drawing seen above. I actually spent a few hours painting pieces of Japanese papers with watercolor in preparation for a collage painting. They look very anemic but I will persevere. Actually, the paper towels I put them on to dry are the most interesting! I think I will see if they are "collagable". I am used to using tissue paper for collage, so this is going to be interesting. I may find acrylic is a better paint to color the papers. Perhaps I will have more time tomorrow to work on that painting. I also bought a trial set of open acrylics with my gift certificate from Accent Arts, so I want to make a Frenchman painting with those as well. This always happens to me. Too many ideas bumping around in my head at the same time. I need to focus on one idea at a time.

FRENCHMAN: SHAPE ALL ANGLED LINES W/EXAGGERATION!

This was so much fun to paint! I think I can be a cartoonist. Every time I draw this face from my drawings rather than from the photo, it gets looser and looser. Stylizing it this way releases me to use more inventive color. I learned a lot from my first effort on this new paper. I think I kept the color fresher and was able to control the application much better this second time around with the Stonehenge Paper. I used all flat brushes on this painting. The angled edges of the shapes made the flats a good choice plus I can control the amount of water on the paper better with a flat. I decided to make the left side cool this time and I like the sense of light on the face. Although this is very exaggerated, I like the emphasis on the two different sized eyes, his interesting nose and his long creased face. As a thank you for lending me his face, I gave him back his youthful dark hair and eyebrows. It's only fair.

Tomorrow I am going to do a collage painting. I read the directions in the new Daniel Smith Winter Sale Catalog.

November is Paint everyday month. I think the goal is to post everyday as well. I am off to a good start so I will set this for my goal. Thirty shape paintings? I will throw in some other stuff. I am in awe of the Urban Sketcher blog. I am going to try my hand again at fast sketching on sight.