"Over the Top" Award

I was honored and excited to receive the Over the Top Award from Peggy Stermer-Cox, a superb artist. Check out her blogsite. I have chosen to pass the award along to the following people who have terrific and different blogs and show a passion for art:

1. Claire's Sketchbook
2. Charlene Brown's 1150 Word
3. Megha Chhatbar's Art on Sketchbook
4. Sheila's From Forensic to Fine Art
5. Jean's Watercolorist

Have a blast checking out their blogs by taking the live links on their blog names. I have so many wonderful blog friends with unique blogs, choosing just five is very difficult.

The guidelines follow.

As awardee, you have the opportunity to:

• pass this award on to five people,
• post on their blog to let them know I left this award
• answer a list of questions in ONE word.
• feel free to post award image on sidebar

Here are the questions with my responses; they require one-word answers.

1. Where is your cell phone? ...Purse

2. Your hair?… Short

3. Your mother?… Fun

4. Your father?… Trustworthy

5. Your favorite food?… Pasta

6. Your dream last night?… Weird

7. Your favorite drink?…Tea

8. Your dream/goal?… Painting

9. What room are you in?… Office

10. Your hobby?… Cycling

11. Your fear?… Loss

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?…Here

13. Where were you last night?… Home

14. Something that you aren’t?… Boring

15. Muffins?… Bran

16. Wish list item?… Books

17. Where did you grow up?… Vermont

18. Last thing you did?… Sleep

19. What are you wearing?… Sweats

20. Your TV?… Old

21. Your Pets?… None

22. Friends?… Special

23. Your life?… Wonderful

24. Your mood?… Happy

25. Missing Someone?… Yes

26. Vehicle?… Tandem

27. Something you're not wearing?… Earrings

28. Your favorite store?… Art

29. Your favorite colour?… Many

30. When was the last time you laughed?… Today

31. Last time you cried?… ugh????

32. Your best friend?… Bob

33. One place that I go to over and over?… Europe

34. Facebook?… Little

35. Favorite place to eat?… Home

With many holiday parties, shopping, and general mayhem, I haven't had much time for art. In drawing class yesterday we watched two videos by Burt Silverman and Richard Schmid and then went to lunch to celebrate the holidays. So I didn't produce anything. I am promising myself today that I will make time for art.

Susan's Pumpkin and a Special People in My Life

Susan's Pumkin
21" x 14"
Watercolor

In keeping with the fall theme, I am sharing a painting that I did last fall that is hanging in my kitchen dining area. I like the cheerful colors and the tonal values of this piece. It was based on a still life from my Monday Drawing Class with Bob Semans. Dear friend Susan, whom I met in the class, bought this pumpkin in Half Moon Bay, a coastal town famous for its pumpkins. Susan is also the owner of the turban squash in the last post. I did the original still life in charcoal, so all the values and highlights were already worked out before I put brush to paper and added my color choices.

Last Monday we learned from Bob Semans that he is featured in International Artist Magazine, along with other award winners in the Portrait Society of America's Annual Conference. I can't wait to buy the magazine, which I will do this evening, on my way to our ballroom dancing lesson.

I am getting my plein air gear ready to take off in the morning for Asilomar. Disappointingly, my roommate Jan has taken ill and won't be going with me. I was so looking forward to getting to be closer friends. I am hunting for a replacement, but will likely room alone. I have some wonderful plein air gear that I bought when heading off for Italy several years ago, but I didn't take it then because it proved to be rather heavy. It's a Sun Eden backpack capable of holding half sheets of watercolor paper, a wonderful easel, a stool and all my goodies. I'm now selective where I use it because it really weights me down. I am having fantasies about strapping it on the rack of my folding bike and riding from Asilomar to the locations -- hum -- might be able to do it. I have occasionally combined my cycling and art passions. Now if I could be as successful as Terri Hill is at it! Terri is in our awesome Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society and I am a big fan of her work.

I must mention fellow blogger Peggy Stermer-Cox who has had her piece, "Groovy Kitty" juried by well-known artist Christopher Schink into the Northwest Watercolor Society "Waterworks 2009" art show. "Topher" is a master colorist and I'm sure he was totally impressed with Peggy's harmonious color scheme featuring tints, shades, and muted tints. I am so proud of Peggy -- this is the second major show featuring a piece of her art this year. Coincidentally, next month Christopher Schink will be jurying awards for the SCVWS Linear Visions, our 42nd annual member show awards.

Finally, I want to thank two blogger friends for recently passing along blog awards: Claire McFeeley and Meghda Chatbar, both wonderful pencil artists. I have posted the blog awards proudly on the sidebar.

Plein Air Painting on the Coast and a New Art Workshop Network

"La Nebbia Winery Garden Entrance"
In the sketchbook

"La Nebbia Winery Garden View"
In the sketchbook

"Water at the Winery"
Watercolor
11" X 14"

Yesterday was a very hot day in San Jose, but on the coast it was lovely -- 70s and sunny. I arranged to carpool the almost 50 miles to Half Moon Bay on this "Spare the Air Day" in our area. There were four of us hardy souls who showed up. The La Nebbia winery is so charming and personal. The property is on busy Route 92 that is a main connector from 280 to the coast, but it is a charming oasis. There is a small home, nice tasting room, a big barn that includes a glass blowing studio, and beautiful gardens with picnic tables. The gazebo is adorned with some of the blown glass - flowers reminiscent of Chihully and the Belagio in Las Vegas.

First I painted the fountain on an Arches watercolor pad. I pulled the waterstreams out of the color with a thirsty brush. The greenery backing the fountain was actually roses, but I made the bushes more abstract. I found myself getting a bit carried away with the red geraniums, and Jenny reminded me that she's learned to mass colors. I've probably heard that a half dozen times, but this time it sunk in. I reworked them, pulling out some color and massing the reds. The other plants would likely benefit from massing as well, but I called it good enough.

The last 40 minutes or so, I grabbed my sketchbook and micron pen. I have a small Robert Bateman sketch book with 110 lb. paper. It holds up well to first drawing with the pen, skipping lightly over the page and then dashing on some watercolors. First I sketched the entrance from the garden to the parking lot. That was so much fun, that I sat in a shady spot and did the outdoor deck and hyderangeas with painted milk can. I remembered to mass the color!

I am delighted to write about a new website where you can list workshops or find a workshop to attend. Peggy Stermer Cox and her husband Robert have started a website for artists after seeing a need. I was pleased to be asked to list workshops here, and I posted the Betsy Dillard Stroud workshop in October offered by the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society. I will be adding more. Go here to list or find workshops on Artist Workshop Network. If you are looking for a new art adventure and a way to stretch your imagination, sign up for the Betsy Dillard Stroud workshop. Betsy is an amazing award-winning artist featured in many prominent magazines. We are honored to host her in San Jose. I will be assistant coordinator for this workshop.

Another experiment with Arabesque gowns

"Arabesque Bridal Gowns"
11" x 14"
Mixed watermedia

Thanks to Peggy Stermer-Cox for her suggestion that the background should be more geometric on the piece that was not working. Great idea. This my experimental piece that needs repainting to be a finished piece.

I cut the paper down and changed the scene to a quarter sheet landscape orientation, rather than a half sheet portrait. I looked on the Web for blurbs about the show at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, last spring and found the Arabic symbol on the left (this is only part of it) that was their logo for the show. The other two symbols are stamps that I own and are decorative lines used in the Arab culture.

Having recently taken Gerald Brommer's class, I boldly went where I never dared before -- I gessoed out the background. I then used acrylics which are very new for me to paint in the new background, with the exception of the floor rug done in watercolor. I am much happier with the feel of this design.