Cookie's Album

Most every summer I would go to the Workman's Circle children's camp. They had an adult camp and a children's camp. This was an association that my grandfather belonged to.  I had a nickname, Cookie!

Each month we are given a topic to develop at home and bring in for a critique. Today was the day!
The topic was to try to paint/draw not in the style of but more to get inside their head. I decided to try to draw not as me but me as a child of about 10. I really didn't connect with Cookie, and I felt that instead of her doing the drawing, I was drawing her in scenes of my childhood. Even so, I got good reviews. I am NOT going to give up on trying to reach Cookie.

Reuven does not use the Hebrew word Bikoret (critique) but the word Bikor (visit) both built on the same root. It is not whether it is good or bad but rather the process which is important.

Cookie's Album 

8.5 x 11" Pages

Canson Sketch Pad 90gm

Children's crayons

Click on the link to get to the slideshow

if you only get the cover image

click on this to get to the album and I think

you can view as a slideshow

It was amazing how in almost every case we could tell who the "real" artist was. I learned a lot about myself and very little about that child on the cover. Reuven mentioned an Israeli artist that also painted in a child-like fashion. Meira Shemesh.

Next month, a work based on mythology, of our choice but related to our lives today. Have to give that a lot of thought.

Workshop Catching Up

This has been an incredible 30 days. Because of the challenge, I haven't posted any of my workshop pieces. Now is the time to try to catch up.

I started working on wood and still have some that I haven't brought to a conclusion.  This piece is on a masonite panel with a white flat smooth surface. I didn't gesso the panel after a discussion with Reuven. He suggested that I see and experience the panel as is.  Well, it was quite a struggle and in the end, I really missed the texture of the canvas. I have 2 other larger panels and thought that maybe I should try the textured side to see how I feel and how it takes the paint. I can always turn it over and gesso the smooth side.

In Every Way it's Still a Family Affair

12.5 x 19.5"

Masonite Panel

Oils & Cold Wax

In the process of adding paint and scratching out forms began to emerge. 

Detail Top Left

Collage Piece

Detail Middle Right

Start

Completely Out of Contro;

Collage Time February 30in30 2018

Decided this time to try to make my own collage in Photoshop! Didn't really realize that putting 30 layers and controlling their placement would be so challenging but once started there was no return. I am stubborn that way! I remembered the little box in PS when in moving tool, auto-select, that helped me immensely. Hey, I even added text! 

This challenge was almost stress-free because I worked in series. Gelli printing makes that possible because you don't get the whole setup for printing just one, do you? My main time consumer was the extra photographing, editing, posting, titles etc. Hope to keep up the momentum, actually have 2 pieces left over, my workshop pieces to post, and 6 new at some stage of process.

Learned so much this month, Color combinations, composition, surprises, things not to do, paper qualities, probably lots more! Met some great new artists. A real treat, thank you, Leslie, for hosting and letting us publish on your site.

See What One Month Can Do
Final Digital Collage
Click to Enlarge


Don't forget to check out Leslie's challenge page!