Tag Archives: travel

Teaching and Being Taught in Lafayette

Last week I taught a one day iPad art workshop to a number of local artists in Lafayette LA and then attended a three-day workshop in watercolor journaling held by Don Getz and organized by my sister Ceci. Another sister, Mercedes, participated in much of the fun, including the iPad session. Since I was so close to home, Ceci and I swung over to Biloxi afterward to visit our dad and his wife and more brothers and sisters.

As for making art while out-of-town, I didn’t paint while teaching. And it was so cold and windy during the plein air workshop that I didn’t do anything of note then either. In fact, after a couple of watercolor/ink drawings, I resorted to my iPad to get something — anything — down before my hands went numb. Though everything is unfinished, I’ll show you the state of play (along with a few photos of what we were memorializing) so you can get a flavor for the beauty of Cajun country. Teaser: we painted the St. John Cathedral Oak, the third largest live oak in the country.

Blessings for Christmas and All Other Winter Holidays — and Happy New Year!

My husband and I are just back from a lovely Christmas in California. We visited with family in Oakland, Lincoln and Healdsburg before returning to Oakland for a final visit with grandboy Max and his parents.

Here are the two iPad images I made to use as Christmas cards, followed by another image for those of a different religious tradition or for use as New Year card.

The Baby

The Baby

I have to give ‘The Baby’ top billing — though I was inspired to paint this rendition of a statue after painting the two statues below. (I fondly think of this vignette, based on an antique shop window I saw in New York, as ‘Two Marys and the Baby’.)

Two Marys and the Baby

Two Marys and the Baby

And this cheerful sunflower may be just what we need to banish all wintry gloom and guide us into thoughts of the New Year and new Spring coming around the bend. I hope each of you is enjoying this special time of year. All my best!

Sunflower

Sunflower

Latest Landscape Paintings

Some dear art buddies and I attended a landscape workshop at Deep Creek Lake last weekend, taught by Walt Bartman and managed by his wonderful wife Robyn. The entire group produced some lovely paintings and starts on paintings of the spectacular Fall foliage.

Here are a few of our works:

A Second Stab at Capturing Our Worthy Cuban Model

Not happy with my first gouache effort of the day, I decided to try another – this time, a profile of the farmer’s head. He wasn’t sporting his cigar at the time I did my sketch, but then again, my sketch didn’t merit a cigar. After my piece, see a photo of the real deal.

The farmer's profile

My take on the farmer's profile

Our courtly farmer, in the flesh.

The farmer makes posing a bit more bearable by chewing a cigar.

Our model, with Cuban hat and cigar.

First Morning in Cuba: Painting the ‘Bull Boy’

No disrespect intended! Walt Bartman had promised us a cowboy and his horse. What we got was a grizzled, droll, and patient farmer . . . and his bull. Of course, both were way more fun to paint than a horse and cowboy would have been.

A Farmer and His Bull Pose for our Group

Walt, painting the 'bull boy'

My perspective on the bull and rider.

From My Perspective

This was my vantage point.

And my gouache sketch. It’s not great — I spent most of my time watching Walt’s gouache techniques, trying to learn more about this unfamiliar medium.

A Pretty Pathetic Gouache, if I DO Say so Myself

Oh well . . .

A word about the gouache: Walt had encouraged us to use this easy-to-tote medium, rather than haul oil painting gear all over Cuba. This was good advice in view of the strict weight limit and our plan to bring giveaway items. But NOT so good for painting quality, in my case anyway. I’ll brief you ‘later’ on the painful months spent acquainting myself with gouache in advance of our trip.

Cuba was a Trip!

With a cohort of fellow artists from the Yellow Barn and several family members (including my hubby), I just completed an extremely interesting and fruitful trip to Cuba. We planned to interact with Cuban artists; paint Cuban people, land and cityscapes; soak up the culture; and leave behind art supplies and other items that could be useful.

We began in Pinar del Rio, in western Cuba, exploring the Vinales Valley, with its mysterious mogotes, and other environs. Here is the spectacular view from our little balcony immediately upon arrival.

Red earth, green fields, and mysterious mogotes

Vinales Valley, with Mogotes in the Distance

And a photo of fellow artists, also soaking up the beauty.

All Enjoy the View

All Enjoy the Spectacular View

And an ipad sketch I immediately began (using ArtRage3).

iPad Sketch of Vinales Valley

iPad Sketch of Vinales Valley