Workshop #45 Jug on Elisheva's Window Sill

More on windows!!! Moving inside showing the window sill with a bit of still life. 30 x 30 oils on wrapped canvas.  So far this is one of my favorites.

Decided to give this an up-lift...

30 x 30 oils on wrapped canvas



Workshop #44 Fall Window

Fall has always been my favorite seasons, especially the fall in New England and other parts of the eastern coast. Here in Israel fall is very subtle... no stunning changes in colors... and very short. This painting was very frustrating... it went through several layers,scraping off...new layer... sanding etc.   I was almost ready to trash it...Well somehow it came through..30 x 30 oils on wrapped canvas.

30 x 30 oils on wrapped canvas

Workshop #43 View from Window

Another of my window series.  30 x 30  oils on wrapped canvas.  I am not sure that this is done, but was told not to touch it..... But in the spirit I am posting!!!

30 x 30 Oils on wrapped canvas

 

Workshop #42 Outside the Window

Every Tuesday our workshop meets at our local community center.... We work in the main auditorium...  One wall is completely glass windows and doors..overlooking an enclosed courtyard.  This painting is based on one of the photos I made of one section.  Oils on 30 x 30 cm wrapped canvas....brush and palette knife....

Oils on wrapped canvas 30 x 30 cm 

Workshop # 40 -41 Watching the River

As you can see I have started to number ALL my paintings whether they were done in my workshop sessions or smaller daily (I wish) at home.  Every painting deserves its place....  The ones done in my workshop usually take 2 or more sessions and I usually work on several at the same time.

These two are 2 views of a reference photo taken this past fall in Greece, both in different approaches.... My main objective was to simplify the  overwhelming amount of information and detail in the reference image.
The first was a close crop of the figures against the river.  Oils on 35 x 35 gessoed cardboard. Several layers with some sand papering between each. Worked with both brushes and palette knife.

Oils on cardboard 35 x 35

I am posting the second painting but I am not sure that it is DONE. After sanding the first layer I added the figures and some branches to the painting to continue working in my next session. To my surprise Heleni said not to add anymore details and that it was finished.  I am still not sure and feel the need to go back in....maybe defining the background, added branches and figures  If anyone out there would like to share their input it would be much appreciated. This was done on a dark earth red toned cardboard. 

35 x 50 cm.  Oils on cardboard

Small Work #39 Small Green Box on Red Book

I am back to numbering my small works... daily or not so daily...

This is another color study using the technique of "broken color" as described in a video by Richard Robertson  This time I took a small green box and placed it on a red book, appropriately  "The Arts" by Hendrik Willem Van Loon. A book that belonged to my mother. I am enjoying working on paper, oils dry faster, and learning this new technique. Checking the BW version I can see some spots that need to be tweaked.

Oils on brown paper 9 x 11 "

Here is the BW to check general tonality...

Color Exercize Broken Color

A while back I bought the video by Richard Robinson's on Broken Color... I don't recall  doing the exercise or if I did it probably didn't  come out very well.... so I decided today to give it a try.   Rearranged my computer/ painting table so that it would be easier to navigate for painting with my new table easel to the left , my computer screen in the middle  and in front of the monitor my palette and brushes/knives etc.

Fairly happy with the results... not perfect... but I did learn a lot... I scanned it and the colors are not exact.
I am definitively going to try some more and was pleased to see that the oils went on so well on the paper.
The trick is that the added colors on each plane or section are the same tonality.  See below the color and BW version... All in all I am happy... glad that I got a few hours of painting in....

 

Oils on 8 x 9.5 " heavy brown paper

Here is the BW... The right panel has some colors too bright and light.

Also in the left side some lights...

WDE Challenges 17-10-14

Its been a while since I posted on the All Media Art Events at wetcanvas.  I have been lurking around and so I found the sad news that one of my favorite artists Deano had passed away..  Although I never met him in person I always enjoyed viewing his work, he was one of the first artists that I would look for on the forum. He always had kind words for any work I posted. This week the Host Kathy has dedicated the event to Deano and has challenged us to use his use his  red under painting.

This was done on corrugated cardboard 30 x 25 cm. I used my Neo Color crayons and added medium with a brush.

Corrugated cardboard 30 x 25

Neo Color Wax Crayons

Workshop Old Doors Windows and Walls

This September we again meet in the community center every Tuesday morning.  New beginnings after a very long and sad summer.  Decided it was about time to take out the 10 small canvases  30 x 30 cm I bought at a sale a few months ago.

I love old buildings, houses, walls etc.  Found some wonderful images on the Wetcanvas  Reference Image Library..   These were built up slowly using a quite limited palette of my chromatic black that I make from raw umber and ultramarine blue, ultramarine blue, white and yellow ochre.  Worked mainly with the palette knife.  After each layer did a bit of sandpapering. May do it again on these three.... to soften some of the areas.

 Oils on 30 x 30 wrapped canvas

Door and Wall

 Oils on 30 x 30 wrapped canvas

Two Windows

 Oils on 30 x 30 wrapped canvas

Wide Door and Window

30 in 30 Collage

Reflections 30 in 30 challenge

First I would like to thank Leslie Saeta  for giving me to opportunity to share my work on her blog and view and learn from so many artists. Also my dear friend Meridith Adler who introduced me to these challenges and has constantly supported me.

This is my second challenge my first was in January 2014. I wasn't sure that emotionally I would be able to do the challenge but I felt that it would be some sort of therapy. I decided to work on a small format 8 x 8 inches and use mainly dry media. For personal reasons I chose the theme of hands because of what it symbolizes for me.

During this journey I found some old and new friends and want to thank them all for their support and comments.  I enjoyed working with my oil/wax crayons and sticking to a theme although at some points found it difficult. Here is the collage of the 30 day challenge. Actually left out one that I didn't like and placed 2  from day 29.

Collage was made by Photovisi 

30 in 30 Day 30

At Peace

Day 30 I wanted something special.  Something that would sort of sum up the month of the challenge and the theme I chose... hands.  Some were conceptual and some more to the realistic... all showed hands in some form or another.  For the final sketch, I feel they are all sketches, I looked at the hands of one the most famous paintings. Most recognize the enigmatic smile of Mona Lisa but her hands show such elegance and restfulness they are at peace....we all want and need peace.... within ourselves and within our world.

This is far from perfect.... rubbed down first attempt and started a new..

Charcoal and conte on grey pressed cardboard

8 x 8

30 in 30 Day 29

Sadness

This morning had some coffee with two of my workshop artists, Traudi and Neomi.... Neomi is getting ready for her first solo exhibition Traudi giving advice for invites and catalog and me just for the ride.Wonderful espresso coffee and tasted some special cheese like paste made from Macedonia nuts... that was a special treat.  Had both pose for these sketches..so I am posting two for day 29. I so  enjoy working with my own references...

Traudi    The lighting was very dramatic...

Pencil and Crayons on grey pressed cardboard

8 x 8 

Neomi  A more subtle lighting

Crayons on grey pressed cardboard

8 x 8

Can't believe only one more day... what a great ride this has been!!!

30 in 30 Day 28

Trapped

Crayons on grey pressed cardboard

8 x 8 

30 in 30 Day 27

Yummy Hot Corn

Charcoal and crayons

8 x 8 grey pressed cardboard

30 in 30 Day 26

Conversation

Our hands are a great part of our total body language, they can sometimes give us away. They can shout, plead, discuss and comfort. They can express sadness, happiness, peace and grief.

Crayons and pencil on 

8 x 8 grey pressed cardboard

30 in 30 Day 25

Peekaboo Mess

This started when a bloom from my hibiscus bush pushed its way through the side of the screen and rested on the shutters... it does that from time to time   But somehow it alluded me and turned into this crayon mess. Crayon on newsprint on grey cardboard. Lots of layers.. a bit of scraping... can't do much more with it at this stage.. so in "the spirit of" after all we learn from our "messes"!!!

Crayon on newsprint pasted on 

8 x 8  grey pressed cardboard.

30 in 30 Day 24

L'Shana Tova

On the eve of Rosh Hashana we traditional dip apple slices in honey for a Sweet and Happy New Year.
Wishing all a HAPPY HEALTHY and CREATIVE NEW YEAR...
A small collage on pressed cardboard with crayons.

Cut Newsprint + crayons

8 x 8 grey cardboard

30 in 30 Day 23

Painterly Hands

You can probably imagine the table as well!!! But the work was wonderful!!!

Crayons on 8 x 8 grey pressed cardboard

30 in 30 Day 22

Artist at Work

From my own reference photo of Uri, grandson 5yrs, making a drawing... loved the intensity of his expression... don't know if I really caught it.... difficult with crayons to get details...

Pencil and Crayons on 

8 x 8 grey pressed cardboard

30 in 30 Day 21

Beading

Little hands for little tasks...

Crayons on 8 x 8 grey pressed cardboard

30 in 30 Day 20

True Friends

I did the pencil sketch a few days ago but started the coloring part to this morning... Wish I had scanned the sketch.... anyway the coloring started out on a posterize scheme which I didn't like... and the colors took on a greenish ghoulish look ..and we are far from Halloween.... so scraped and sanded with scotch brite  and did some more layering....

Oil/Wax crayons on grey pressed cardboard

8 x 8 "

30 in 30 day 19

Pink Bubble Fun

From a reference photo I took of my grandson Noam blowing bubbles.  In this challenge my main concentration was the concept of hands..... but here I tried to get a good drawing of the hand.  Graphite on cardboard with pink crayon.....

Graphite and crayon on 

8 x 8 grey cardboard

30 in 30 Day 18

Collage Mishmash

Have seen some awesome mixed media work on the challenge and thought I would try my hand. Not much materials at hand..... will try to collect stuff for the future... lighter papers ... textures and stuff .. all I had were some newsprint and shiny stuff from travel magazines. The pieces were pasted on tracings of my grandson's hands....
I feel collage work would go greatly with my wax/oil crayons...will look for tutorials as well....

Collage on crayon drawing

8 x 8 inch grey cardboard 

30 in 30 Day 17

Bowl of Many Colors

 Oils with Crayons on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 16

Reaching Up

Crayons on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 15

Looking Through

Crayons on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 14

Resting Hand

Crayons on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 13

Small Bird

We are slowly reaching the mid-mark  two weeks.  This is another "in the spirit of" posts..... The only thing I like are the colors.... hand is some what off... actually a lot off... and the subject is a little banal ,well worn..
Not to say too worked over...And it looks too green!!!!

Crayons on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 12

Hands on Pot

Crayons + Oils on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 11

New Growth

Crayons + Oils on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 10

Pink Bubbles

Again this did not come out as I envisioned. After several tries, with sandpaper,eraser etc.  There is just so much this cardboard format will take. I am dedicating this to my good friend Meredith who supports me in my art work and gave me extra support these past months with her continuous protective pink bubbles.

Crayons + Oils on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

If there are some grains of sand... well you can thank Lily our dog who walked over some work that I had put on the floor.... my computer room/studio has limited space....

30 in 30 Day 9

Buddha Praying Hands

Closeup of a Buddha statue done first with crayons, I use Caren d'ache neocolor I,  painted medium  and added oil paint mainly using palette knife.   Think this needs some tweaking.....

Crayons + Oils on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 8

Green Ringed Hand

This is one of those " in the spirit of "posts.  This month is for experimentation... ideas concepts,,, styles so even if it doesn't come off as I envisioned... posting and moving on.

Oil on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 7

Daisy Hand

This is my variation of the tradition of drawing on hands called Henna.

In Israel, Mizrahi and Sephardic Jewish women sometimes choose to have a hennah party about a week before the wedding. 

 Oil on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 6

Three Hands

Oil on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 5

Two Hands

Oil on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 4

I am taking a very interesting course through Coursera, A Brief History of Mankind. this is the second course with Coursera On the class page is a little image from the Cave of the Hands in Argentina... my inspiration for this small painting.

Oil on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 3

Entwined hands

Oil on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Day 2

Over the weekend I made several rough starts that I brought to my weekly workshop today... for some critique and finishing. This one, which I thought was just a beginning , turned out to be finished.... since I have a tendency to "overwork" excepted the advise.

Oil on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

30 in 30 Painting Challenge Day 1

I have joined, for the second time round, Leslie Seata's challenge to do 30 paintings in 30 days.

Its been a long and difficult summer... I feel emotionally spent and empty and find it difficult to get back not only in painting mode but creative mode as well.  I feel that I am really pushing and with the doing  I will overcome and at least find a way to express my emotions.

For the beginning I have chosen the theme hands.. big,small,asking,telling ,seeing,doing hands I will be experimenting with colors, textures and concepts.  

Oil on grey pressed cardboard

8" x 8 "

Some Quick Sketches

These past few weeks have been very difficult.... haven't been able to concentrate--- bring out paints...
Since I am not going to bring politics into this blog I will just leave it at that.

One evening I felt I had to get off some of the excess energy that was building up so decided to do some fast sketches on brown paper.  The references are from WDE event for July 18th. Each took about 1/2 an hour
25 x 35 cm Charcoal,chalk  and hard red sepia stick by KOH-I-NOOR.

I have one more to add to the collection... These fast sketches helped relieve the stress!!! Will do the same for this week's WDE