Thursday, June 28, 2018

Still Around and Kicking

Can't believe that my last post was at the beginning of the month and here I am the last week! So much happened that kept me away from blogging, although I wrote many in my head.

Still doctoring my sprained ankle which is much better. Have had a checkup and still have to wear my air-cast till the middle of July but have started going back to the pool. Since the best position was lying down with my ankle up, could do much computer work. Blogger on the tablet is not the same.

My daughter's cat Mishmish was found after being missing for a month. Posted her photo on the community google group. A Miracle! Lots of good people out there!
Yes, I am cat-sitting two cats while my daughter + family are having a grand tour of the far east!

Mishmish
A few days before going missing!

This week was the last lesson of our workshop. That is the workshop that is run through the regular channels of community activities. We were in for 3 whole months of "vacation". Luckily we organized with Reuven, our mentor, that we will be able to continue meeting in a different location during the months of July and August. YAY!!!!So only September we will be on vacation, which has all the holidays. The first month will be devoted to learning from the ground up "oils". Although I work in oils I never really got instructions from the ground up. Learned by doing, which has its place, and tutorials from the web. It will be an introduction to oils for those who work in acrylic. The second month we will delve in on "mixed media".We will also be a smaller group.

Wide Fields of Your Imagination
Matte Board
31.5 x 24 "
Oils + Cold Wax

Was thinking of developing this in color over the monochromatic layer but Reuven said it stands on its own.


Last week I started my e-course with Pauline Agnew, From the Heart - Painting the Face and Figure with Feeling!  I will show some of the first-weeks exercises.  Can't believe it's the end of the second week. Each exercise is a world of its own and should be done many times to really feel the effect. Not only does Pauline show us through her demos, but she also prepares excellent slide shows of various artists and explaining how important it is to learn from the masters.

Exercise I

With eyes closed draw your face while tracing your face with your non-dominant hand! Then taking a colored pencil draw your face with eyes closed by memory! This is a great warmup! As you can see mine is all over the place! Pauline says that's good.

Face Scan

Exercise II

Looking at a portrait sketch by John Singer Sargent make a drawing paying attention to the lines and ways he described his subject. Another great exercise. We are always told to learn by copying, and until you really do it you realize how true this is. I will certainly do more of his sketches as well as others!

My Sargent Sketch

Exercise III

An ink drawing from a photograph! Never did ink before. Was really freaked out! Pauline's critique was that I should have done one more layer of stronger ink.

Ink Sketch


Excercise IV

Remember the face scan, exercise I.  Do a charcoal sketch over that from another of Sargent's work!
Charcoal Sketch I
The critique was to try to define left side of the face in the shadow more


Revised Sketch
Lost some of the vibrance and paper had lost its tooth
Pauline agreed that it faded but we learn by doing
The difference in background color due to one photographed outdoors and one indoors.
Didn't spend time on photo editing!

All for today, off to the pool, I've earned it!


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