Fruit and Wine in Monday Morning Drawing Class

 

"Fruit and Wine"

 

 

The wine bottle was empty, by the way!

 

It took me two sessions to get to this point. Bob showed me how to create the glow in the left inner rim of the right goblet. Diffuse the light from the bright highlight to the lower light.

 

Much going on here and little time to post. Take care and I will return when I can.

Monday Morning Drawing Class

 

"Nature's Bounty"

14" 12" Pastel

 

We had a choice of several different still life setups. I liked the contrast of the lemons and tangerines against the lovely white bowl. Instructor Bob Semans directed some light on the subject to create some lovely form and cast shadows. He also helped me push those darks. He says we are all too timid.

 

This weekly drawing session is such a part of my life these days. The class meets at University Arts in downtown San Jose. I often ride my bike to light rail and then to the class, 16 miles from my home. We have a core set of artists who continue to take the class year after year. I believe I started in 2006. Dear friend Susan and I usually go to lunch after class. Sometimes others and our instructor join us. We have our own little mini support group, helping each other through life's challenges while sharing our art.



Tyvek Portrait and Art Featured at our Church

"Thoughtful"

14" x 12" Watercolor on Tyvek

 

 

Myrna Wacknov demos watercolor on Tyvek

for Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society

I went to a demo by SCVWS member and well-known artist and teacher Myrna Wacknov a couple weeks ago. She was engaged to teach a workshop on portraiture to intermediate and advanced painters. Myrna is so very creative and did a great wonderful demo using Dr. Martin's Hydrus Watercolors on Tyvek. The paint is liquid and very intense and takes well to Tyvek, a synthetic material often used for shipping envelopes. You can use tube paints, but it must be fresh squeezed at each session. I coordinated Myrna's first workshop for us and learned so much from her.  Fellow artists Don and Alison from my South Side Art Club also attended this demo and were so intrigued by her process and results.

Our group paints together Thursday nights, so I brought some Tyvek and the Hydrus Watercolors that Myrna recommends. For the past few weeks we've been working away on our pieces. Penny did two landscapes and they came out very nicely. I've only painted people on Tyvek. Don is working on a musician. Alison is working from a Rose Bowl football game photo. Her nephew played in the Wisconsin band. The photo is dominated by a tuba reflecting the images of Alison and her family. I chose one of my favorite family subjects -- Bob. No copyright or model permission issues, the reason Myrna often does self-portraits.

 

The photo I worked from was quite dark and did not show shadows well, but I like the pose -- very Bob.  My own self-critique is that I should use a lot more dark to create shadows on the side of face and the hands, and I may go back and attempt that. I did some line work, which I like. If I add shadows, I will post again.



 

My art featured at Advent Lutheran Church

during Sunday service

 

During church services a piece of art by masters or world artists are featured on the screen behind the altar, and there is information about the artists and their work in our Sunday bulletin. I was very pleasantly surprised when Pastor Anita called to ask if I would like to supply some images of my art to display this Sunday. I sent five and they selected four. Our cellphone image is not good, but you get the idea. The images were:

 

"Rockport Headlands" (above)

"Franken Vine"

"Fall on Lake Eden"

"My Nepenthe"

 

One of our 8-year old congregants came to chat with me after church because he is an artist. I was blown away when his mom showed me some cards made from his art. I will be buying a set next Sunday. His art looks so far beyond that I would expect of someone his age. His dad told me he goes through three sketchbooks a week! He has taken lessons in acrylic on canvas from a local artist for the past two years.