OK. So, the leeks turned out well, aaaannnndddd ~~~~ I got sassy & decided to paint some portobello mushrooms the next day.
Bad idea! There’s not much ‘there’ there. Dull colors & shapes, arranged (by me) in an overly simplistic composition. Certain artists could make a good painting out of such drab components (Morandi?), but my first effort at ‘shrooms falls short.
I was so pumped up after Wendy Artin’s workshop that, after a day of R&R, I pulled out my paints and a couple of elderly leeks from the fridge and painted another watercolor in the manner we had been practicing during the workshop. Here it is.
Leeks at Home. Watercolor on Paper.
I was tickled that it turned out nicely. Maybe I’ll have to do more!
On the last day, Wendy brought in some a bag of asparagus and I snagged three with which to wrestle.
Asparagus 1. Watercolor on Paper.
Asparagus 2. Watercolor on Paper.
Here are a few other paintings I did last week during the Artin watercolor workshop. No more nudes for now!
Radish 2. Watercolor on Paper.
Beet 1. Watercolor on Paper.
Beet 2. Watercolor on Paper.
Sorry sorry sorry, y’all! My last blog entry contained paintings of two full length nudes, neither of which was ‘out of bounds’ (IMHO). So, I was aghast when I checked to see if Facebook had re-posted it and found that the images had been sliced and diced in an unexpected manner (to say the least). I hope you clicked over to my blog to get a better sense of the overall paintings!
In any event, here’s a ‘palette cleanser’! It’s one of the radishes I painted during the Saturday afternoon session of my Wendy Artin workshop, followed by one of Wendy’s gorgeous still life watercolors — also of radishes.
Radish 1. Watercolor on Paper.
Wendy’s radishes — again, quite a difference:
Radishes, 2001, watercolor on cotton Khadi paper, 11″ x 12″
This past weekend I spent two grueling days knee-deep in watercolor. Wendy Artin, a fabulous artist and lovely person, was our instructor, at Glen Kessler’s Compass Atelier. Talk about ‘alla prima’ painting! She dives right in – no rough sketch, no gesture drawing, no nothing — just her eye, her paint & her brush to guide her relentlessly down the sheet of paper. Her tonal nudes, in which she paints ONLY the ‘shadow shapes’ yet leaves you believing the whole body, are exquisite. Her colorful fruits & veggies are more fully rendered, but are also beautiful & light.
Here’s one of her nudes:
And one of mine — a half hour pose during the workshop (quite a difference, yes??:
I was VERY happy to be able to switch to vegetables in the afternoons!
The Bethesda Urban Partnership sent out their weekly newsletter and one of my paintings (‘C&O Canal Faceoff’) was showcased in the ad about Gallery B. Cool.
Reminder, I’m scheduled to be at the gallery Wednesday from 3pm to 6pm. Drop by if you want to dabble in iPad art ~~~~~ or buy one of our lovely paintings! How to Visit. The gallery is also open Wed through its last day, Saturday, 12pm to 6pm. Thanks to the many who’ve visited — and purchased — our art.
Friends drove down from Long Island to join the Women’s March. The wife wasn’t feeling well and had to stay home, so I stayed to keep her company while my hubby and hers each grabbed a big copy of my ‘Stop Now’ poster and took the Metro down to the March.
It took them more than three hours to get to L’Enfant Plaza, a trip that usually takes about 40 minutes. Getting into and out of the stations meant additional long waits. Once at the site, they found the crowds incredibly well behaved, helpful, determined and upbeat. Many people thanked Pat & Bill for coming and asked to take their picture. Bill summed it up: I’m casting my lot with the women. They’re amazing! You don’t want to mess around with women!
I was bummed out to miss it, but lapped up the television coverage, getting a totally different perspective. Here are a few shots of my hubby’s day on the streets of DC.
On a whim, I doodled on my iPad in response to an open call for poster art for the upcoming Women’s March on Washington. One of its themes — “women’s rights are human rights” — reminded me of the good that women can do for everyone, when they act — and react — for the common good. Here’s what I created.
STOP NOW. Original iPad painting, 2017.
Though mine wasn’t among the five chosen from more than 5,000 entries, I’m satisfied with it nonetheless.
And I’m even prouder that my former law firm, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, is going to print the image six feet tall for display at the DC office where I practiced law for many years. Wow. Thanks go to partner Pantelis Michaelopoulos and his wife Cynthia Quarterman, also a Steptoe alum, who saw my art at last week’s champagne reception and proposed that the firm acquire ‘Stop Now’ for its collection.
We Seven Palettes are taking turns ‘sitting the gallery’ during our art exhibit this month at Gallery B. I’m scheduled for more duty on Jan. 21, and 25, from 3pm to 6pm.
If you’d like to explore digital art a bit, grab your iPad and come sit with me for awhile. I’ll show you some of my favorite techniques! Here are some of my iPad images, illustrating how varied the results can be — from very detailed representation to impressionistic line drawings and quick notations at the ball park!
C & O Canal in Summer. Original iPad painting, 2014. 1:1 aspect ratio.
Fairy Lilies. Original iPad painting, 2013. 1:1 aspect ratio.
At the Nats! Original iPad painting, 2014. 3:5 aspect ratio.
Here’s how to find & where to park for Gallery B. If you’re thinking of coming by, let me know in advance so I can alert you to any last minute schedule changes.