Tamarack Gallery Demonstration

Last Saturday I did a painting demonstration at the Tamarack House Gallery for the Stillwater Art Crawl. It was fun to see the painters that came out to watch! With the temps in the 90s and humid, it was fine with me to be in the cooled gallery! Below I posted the painting during the different stages from beginning to completion.

~The Demonstration~
1. I started out by laying in my design and large shapes using a wash of Transparent Oxide Red and Cad Scarlet - NO white. I often begin with a wash because it helps me feel out my design on canvas and it may be helpful later on in the painting if I decide to let some of the canvas show through.
2. I then start by massing in my darks.

(it's important that in this stage of the painting to be sure and step away from the painting to be certain that you like the composition)

3. Once my large darks are established, I begin to mass in the average color and value of my next largest shape ( the sweep of yellow where the path of flowers will be )

4. Starting to work in some temperature differences within the masses and describing a bit more form in trees by distinguishing lights and darks.

5. Once I had my design and large shapes of color massed in, I continued to find variety within the shapes and began to work with the different textures.

6. Then masses in the sky. With the sky I was not wanting to draw too much attention to it so kept it fairly quiet. Also thinking of the play in color with the purple juxtaposing the yellows. I love that color combination!

7. Tidying up some accents and details, trying not to 'over' due it! Also cutting back into the shapes of the tree line with the sky color and a few sky holes.

Completion!

"Minnesota Prairies"

11x14 Oil On Linen Panel

3 Day Plein Air Workshop!

95 degrees and painting!

I had yet again, the privalege of working with some amazing people in my 3 day plein air painting class last week. I can't think of a better way to spend 3 days than with people who are willing, eager to learn, stretch their painting skills and just simply want to become better painters! :) This was one tough group, it was SO hot and humid! Each lasted until the end. In fact most were still painting when I went home. :) It was a great 3 days and fun to see the growth in each painter in such a short period of time.

We painted along the Wild and Scenic St Croix River just north of Stillwater MN, my stompin' grounds! It's a gorgeous place to paint and spend your time. Thanks to all you painters that took the time to be there. Happy Painting!

Group Shot!! The Magnificent '11'

The Magnificent 11-MaryAnn :)

"Painting the river"

"95 degrees. . . and still smilin'!"

"Day 3, 95 degrees, and still standing!"

"Me Demo'ing" :)

"Last Day Demo at William OBrien State Park"

"Rhythmic Tranquility"

"Rhythmic Tranquility"

18x24 Oil On Primed Board

"Beauty in art is the delicious notes of color one against the other. It is just as fine as music and it is just the same thing, one tone in relation to another tone. Real sentiment in art comes as it does in music from the way one tone comes against another independently of the literary quality of the subject - the way spots of color come together produces painting. . . . . . There are just so many tones in music and just so many colors but it's the beautiful combination that makes a masterpiece." taken from Hawthorne On Painting

I pulled this quote from Hawthorne because it was where my head was when I did this piece. This painting has a bit of a story. This painting was initially inspired back in June when I was sitting at a Jorja Fleezanis concert during the White Pine Festival. The music was so incredibly and emotionally moving that I closed my eyes, almost as if I couldn't take in anything else other than the power of her music. To my surprise when I closed my eyes I saw brilliant colors floating on water, water lilies. It was clear and colorful! Nothing quite like this had ever happened to me so clearly before, to say the least it was a very musical painting I was seeing brought on by the music.

The following week I went out to the lily pond at my Dad's and did a color study for this painting. I went out with only notes of color in mind, responding to what my initial responce was to the color (before allowing it to process and kill the color) and ended up with enough information for my new found inspiration, this piece. :)

"Poplar Grove"

11x14 Oil On Linen Panel

My little painting pal Nick, thought it was a good day to paint. Gotta love a kid that wants to go painting with his Mom! Sunflower seeds and the chance to drive Grandpa's 4 wheeler (the official painting mobile) to get to the old poplar grove help 'seal' the deal I'd say, but never the less it was a beautiful day painting! (Nick also had his portrait done that day while sitting with his baseball hat on, watching his Momma paint) ;) It's a tough life but someone's gotta do it!