Workshop Challenge

Workshop Challenge

Heleni gave us 2 topics for our first concept challenge this year.  The first is Eretz Nehederet, which literally means A Wonderful Country.  There is a very popular TV show of that name which is a very satirical. In my work I chose to go the conventional way and try to show my love for my adopted land.

I also made the choice of doing both projects digitally.  The main reason being that I love PS and have neglected its creatives aspect mainly compositing.  At first I thought to find a painting by one of Israel's famous painters but  in the end chose one of my own landscapes.  I wanted to work with text so I chose a poem that expressed my feeling called Song for Love  words by Ayelet Zioni . I did some digital painting on my image plus placed the text in Hebrew as part of a frame element. I haven't worked much with text so this was quite a challenge and I learned a lot. Also since Hebrew is written from left to right I had to write it backwards... couldn't use copy and paste because PS mirrored the text.

Click to enlarge

 The second project was a phrase from the marriage vows:

Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel

I chose for this concept a wedding image from my daughters wedding.  I used the text from The Prophet by
Khalil Gibran on marriage.  I used Topaz simplify filter.

And stand together yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

The Prophet by Khalil Gibran 

I will be photographing all the work by my workshop artists and will put up a link here.

Workshop # 54 Potato Field

Workshop # 54 Potato Field

Before going to the painting I want to share a great site that my painter friend Meredith sent me... Savvypainter podcasts.... I am addicted.....very inspiring.... I even painted and listened at the same time. great to be exposed to so many painters and their thoughts and work process.

This another painting from WDE events last November hosted by Wendy aka Sundiver the Potato Field . Decided to post the stages of the painting.. so I can track the WIP.

Oils on 2 30 x 30 cm wrapped canvas using palette knife.... They can viewed as one piece or each as a separate piece.

Finished

stage 2

After sanding

stage 1

Workshop Farm House with Chickens

Another farm house done on grey pressed cardboard. Oils using brush and palette knife. I am really enjoying this media and am learning to cope with the pros and cons.  One can't use the baby wipes to take off paint as one can on canvas because of the paper structure of the cardboard... but if it is still wet can be very lightly taken off with a palette knife and when dry painted over.  Not too happy with the way the chickens came out.

35 x 45 

Workshop Landscape on Hard Pressed Cardboard

I have been experimenting with this new format which is a hard 1/8" thick grey cardboard... I use mostly oils which take on a new quality because the format absorbs much of the oil and it dries faster allowing work in several layers... I use brush and palette knife. In this image I also used wax/oil crayons.  Painted on an red ochre background. 

38 x 52 cm

Workshop He Walked Through the Fields III

In this previous post   He Walked Through The Fields  I was not satisfied with just the two tones so I decided to change it adding the touch of greens.  Felt the sky was too blue and added colors to the fields

 Original

Reworked

Oil on stretched canvas 50 x 70 cm. A fragmented approach to the landscape near the spa Hamei Yoav. 

Day 24 30 in 30 Challenge

Leslie's  30 in 30 Challenge

18  x 13 cm 

Oil Pastels on covered cardboard

A small sketch of the fields we pass going home from our favorite spa.... Fields of poppies and some yellow flowers that I don't know.... Used oil pastels and some medium on a small format.  Actually did 2 but the second wouldn't scan or photograph well.... took a day off from wet painting!!!!

18  x 13 cm 

Oil Pastels on covered cardboard

Here is the second sketch... problem was that I was comparing the photo with the original under different lighting.... It is dark already and I am viewing the original under florescent lighting... photo was taken in daylight... so I am seeing more purples...now in the original!!!!. 

He Walked Through the Fields II

With the 30 in 30 challenge I seem to have forgotten to post current work done in my weekly painting workshop.  I have done 2 more panels for the -Through the Field - series see previous post.

 50 70 cm 

50 x 70 cm

These are 50 x 70 stretched canvas.   I am glad that I have someone  when to stop but some how I feel I can deepen the colors... I do however have the tendency of --overdoing--- and loosing the fresh quality.
These are done in a new concept for me... devising the canvas into smaller portions each representing a different view or scale of the whole reference....

I am trying to simplify shapes and colors and find knife work easier on larger canvases....