Tag Archives: Yellow Barn

Keeping a Gouache Painting Simple

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In developing some PR for the just-ended Labor Day exhibits, I pulled out a photo of one of my earliest gouaches. Made on black paper at the suggestion of Yellow Barn teacher, Walt Bartman, I incorporated the paper’s rich black for the composition’s dark values — also his suggestion. I loved the outcome. Here it is.

Blue Girl, gouache on paper.

When I did the painting of grandson Max for yesterday’s post, I had intended to do the same thing, but wimped out in the end — not wanting a lot of black on a sweet baby’s face. I’m going to try again on my next gouache, but the restraint needed to achieve the simplicity of black shadows, etc. is hard hard hard.

Not to Distract You from the Weekend Shows . . . but It’s Time to Plan an Art Adventure for Fall!

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With art buddy, Eneida Somarriba, I’m going to teach a 10 week class on making art on the iPad — at the Yellow Barn Studio, Glen Echo, MD, 4 to 6:30 pm on Thursdays, starting September 20, 2012.

If you haven’t tried this fun and revelatory form of finger-painting, you’ve got to do it! David Hockney, a modern master, has focused on the iPad for several years, exhibiting his digital pictures at UK’s Royal Academy and elsewhere.

Arrival of Spring in Worldgate 1, a Hockney iPad Image from Royal Academy Show

After declining a request to paint a portrait of Queen Elizabeth, he changed his mind on the occasion of her recent Jubilee, presenting her an iPad picture of her aboard the Royal Barge during the festive event.

Jubilee Pageant on the Thames: The End of the Regatta

So, whether you want to make colorful stick figures, high art, or anything in between, don’t miss this opportunity to learn iPad art in a structured environment.

In tomorrow’s post I’ll give you a virtual tour of my living room, painted over a couple of weeks as I worked nightly on what I could see from the vantage of my sofa.

. . . and the Second Exhibit is also in Glen Echo Park — at the Yellow Barn

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This one is the Yellow Barn‘s 2nd Annual Drawing Exhibition, which runs contemporaneously with the Glen Echo Park show in the Spanish Ballroom (12 pm to 5 pm Saturday, Sunday, Monday). We will have a reception at the Yellow Barn at 5 pm Labor Day evening, with beverages and munchies — so come join us!

I had two drawings in last year’s show. Unless I get busy today or tomorrow, I’ll only have one drawing on display this time — based on my Make Piece days/photos. Toddler Trishtan (Ms Naomi’s grandson) often accompanied his mom when she was helping out in Ms Naomi’s excellent food service. In his early months, he was usually asleep in his stroller, so, with his mom and grandmother’s ok, I was able to soak up his beauty, peace and lovely smile (on his face during every waking moment).

Trish at sleep

Trishtan – asleep on the job. Pencil on paper.

My Gouache Geisha ~~ Cuban Gouache Backstory

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As mentioned earlier, in Cuba we painted mostly with gouache for portability. In broad terms, gouache is a type of watercolor paint that makes heavy, strong opaque colors and whites, due to the use of ground chalk or other opaque filler with the color pigments.

I found it a challenge to handle. To gain some experience before the trip, I worked only in gouache at each Yellow Barn class for the semester preceding departure. My first challenge was to paint a lovely Japanese woman dressed as a geisha. Here are photos of her poses, as well as my two paintings.

Cuba was a Trip!

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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

Plein Air Competition Trains Us in Environmentally Clean Methods

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A beautiful scene of Glen Echo Park on the day of the plein air competition

Potomac Patch's Photo of Yellow Barn's "Paint the Park Green" competition

This past weekend the Yellow Barn, situated on the lovely Glen Echo Park grounds, held a two-day plein air competition, featuring environmentally sensitive techniques for painting in oils, acrylics and watercolors. The setting was magical and the camaraderie was warm, as we fanned out around the park to develop our paintings for the Sunday evening competition.

plein air painting of arcade sign and courtyard

Oil painting of Glen Echo's Art Deco 'arcade' sign and courtyard

This is what I accomplished on Saturday. I was up on the second floor balcony looking down over the ‘arcade’ sign into the courtyard. A two-day Cajun and Zydeco music festival was also in full swing over the weekend, so I was at least able to boogie while making a dull painting!

Stephen Sits as Our Model

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Stephen and His Book

Stephen and His Book

I painted this figurative study during classes with Walt Bartman last week. Stephen was so comfy posing in the big blue easy chair that he barely took breaks during the sessions. Thank you, Stephen. We enjoyed painting your shiny pate. (This photo isn’t up to par — had too much light shining on the left part of the canvas.)

Exhibit Mechanics

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Since I’m so new to this exhibit process, I collected a few mementos from the Yellow Barn drawing exhibit last weekend:

the invitation (my drawing is the very last one in the bottom right corner);

Postcard Advertising the YB Drawing Exhibit

Postcard Advertising the YB Drawing Exhibit

a shot of the opening reception last Saturday night;

Everyone Enjoyed the Show & Goodies

Everyone Enjoyed the Show & Goodies

and a picture of my two drawings hung side by side — look, the sunlight is falling on MomMom. Beautiful.

Light Shines on MomMom

Light Shines on MomMom

Next show? Labor Day Weekend in Glen Echo Park‘s Spanish Ballroom. (At least I think so — they never responded to my application!!)

Exhibit #2: Drawings of “Mom Mom”

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This past weekend two of my drawings were in the ‘First Annual Yellow Barn Drawing Exhibition’. Each member of the Yellow Barn was allowed to enter up to three drawings. No paintings allowed this time around.

With some trepidation over sensitivity and propriety, but with my husband’s blessing, I submitted two drawings I had made of his mother toward the end of her battle with cancer. I thought her patience and tranquility in the face of final illness were admirable and moving. We were blessed to host her in her last days.

Mom Mom knew I was making drawings of her, and occasionally peeked over at my progress before carefully resuming her position. She was satisfied with the results of our collaboration. I think she appreciated a record of her stoic suffering.

MomMom Resting, bic pen on paper

MomMom with Red Purse, bic pen on paper

More Thanks

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Glen Kessler is another Yellow Barn teacher from whom I’ve learned a lot. Trained as a classical figurative artist at New York Academy of Art, Glen has a profound knowledge of the human figure in art. Glen teaches at Maryland Institute College of Art, as well as Yellow Barn. He draws high praise for his patience and his ability to coax improvement from his students, no matter how experienced or inexperienced.

Here is one of Glen’s many wonderful pet portraits:

Guinness & Ripley

Guinness & Ripley, oil on canvas, 36x24"

I’ve already posted the first two paintings I did in Glen’s ‘Painting Through the Lens’ class (Even the Skies Cry for Jody and Chef Chaouen’s Red Sea). Here’s a detail from a figurative painting I did from a live model in another class with Glen:

the Jazz Singer

Detail, The Jazz Singer, acrylic and oil on paper