Sharing a Visit

This pandemic has been a difficult, trying and frustrating time, but I find it is teaching us some valuable lessons. One such lesson is, don't take things for granted.  Before the pandemic, I would make weekly visits to my daughter and grand-sons.  It's a fairly simple drive, half an hour on the major highway to Jerusalem. I took these outings for granted. Tuesday morning was art workshop day, Wednesday visit Yael. When they were much younger my weekly visits were helpful because that was the day Yael had evening classes to teach and I had to make supper, see that they took their bathes, and read before bedtime. It was a sleepover when they were still living in Aminadav, outside of Jerusalem. Since their move to Neve Shalom two years ago, the visits are easier, I can drive, and Yael usually is at home, so we enjoy a coffee together while catching up. The kids don't "need my help" but my presence is important to them. 

This changed with Covid, lockdowns and visiting restrictions.

So when I can make a visit WOW what a treat!  Noam wasn't at home because his school allows him to take part in their boarding school, two weeks at school, two weeks at home, but I had an enjoyable visit with Uri, 11, and Yael. Maybe next week Uri will start school. It was good to get out of the house in the fresh air! 

  

View from the deck

They built the house around the tree!

Zoom homeschooling

Caught Uri in the middle of his class, later went out on the deck to paint. A lesson in intuitive painting!

My creation

Gouache + oil pastel 

Uri's drawing

Uri's painting with a view of the garden

Uri's painting closeup

Gouache

Not going to take these visits "for granted."

New Work

WIP

Cut Canvas 19.75 x 27.5 "

Graphite Mark Making

WIP

Cut Canvas 19.75 x 27.5 "

First layers using prompts

colored pencil oil pastels oils

Summer Heat and Catching Up

My computer room/studio has no AC! Summer heat, we all know summer heat plus humidity!
What I don't get done in the morning when the room is relatively cool, just doesn't get done. Then I keep procrastinating.

July at the workshop is all about oils. Most paint with acrylics so for them it's their first taste of using oils. Some like it and some don't. We are getting very specific lessons, YAY, in the use of oils in the classic way. Think I wrote about this before. Anyway, first light charcoal sketches (real), working in sienna or raw umber in a tonal study, and then adding color. Learning to put down the masses/shapes and not get tied down in details.

Have also done some figure sketches with color.

Bacchus

Study in Oils

13.75 x 17 "

On Gessoed Paper

Study in Greens

Oils

19.75 x 13.75 "

Gessoed Paper

Figure after Mattisse Drawing

Charcoal + Caran D'ache Neocolor I Crayons + Oils

13.75 x 19.5

Gessoed Paper 

Reclining Woman

Charcoal + Caran D'ache Neocolor I Crayons + Oils

19.5 x 13.75 "

Gessoed Paper

Model from Croquis Cafe 

Uri on Boat Vietnam

Raw Umber Tonal Study

19.5 x 13.75 "

Gessoed Paper

Uri on Boat Vietnam

Caran D'ache Neocolor I Crayons  + Medium

19.5 x 13.75 "

Gessoed Paper

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

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