Class Eight: Ending with African Masks

It is all over, my friends. My amazing class has come to a close and I have learned SO much on this journey. Seriously I cannot thank you all enough for caring and supporting me, for making this happen.

For this final class I was eager to work on the masks, and instead of doing only one big mask Ms. L had me create a collection of masks to paint, as if they we're being seen in a museum or on display at an art gallery. This gave me the opportunity to choose different styles and a few of the many pictures she had available resonated. Specifically three:

As a fan of abstract and colorful things,

 I picked out the bright ones over the brown masks.

After sketching out my plan and getting a few ideas on drawing materials (Ms. L recommended graphite sticks size 6B; they are closest to painting, she said. Oh and a kneaded eraser to go with). She also gave me some tips on using painters tape to create hard edges and that shopping in the painter's section of Home Depot is a great place to find cheap brushes for washes and large background images. Also, burnt sienna and cadmium red makes good terra cotta. Thanks Ms. L!!

I am starting to understand at this point the macro to micro style of painting. And the more I practice the easier it gets. My masks (which still aren't complete of course, I have plans to continue working on them at home) were sketched out with an ocher wash, as was the background. And I played with whether to add any masks to the background.

Creepy, isn't it? Hehe

But they got better! (They're not dead yet...)

Time flew by and I kept moving around my painting if ever I felt stuck, not becoming too attached to where things were or how detailed I wanted to get (cause the details come last!!) I was most concerned with the shadows and giving the masks depth and dimension. Also faces are hard, oh, I mean, a challenge. Lol Time flew by as it always seemed to when I crossed the threshold into the art studio. I worked right up until time to leave. I am pretty happy with my stands but it's not even close to finished.

Where I had to stop...

I like the shading of the boxes, and Ms. L got a bowl out and put a light source on it so I could see how the shadows fell on it. It really helped with the stands but the masks are still pretty flat. I need to start putting in all the details and shading. Also, I got permission to share Ms. L, her name is Lois Ames, and if you ever have the chance to take a painting or drawing class, 

And for now, this is it. But I do plan on continuing my work and posting updates of my paintings as they progress. Maybe I can keep this ritual of posting every Monday. This journal of my experience doesn't have to end because my class did! Once again, thank you to everyone who helped give me this incredible birthday present. Much love to you all!!!

Class Seven: The Landscape and The Boat

BOOM! Today felt like a breakthrough. I watched Ms. L and we analyzed her painting while I worked on mine. I was feeling hesitant, lacking in confidence about where to begin. It was all so smooth, I wasn't sure where it was safe to put my beloved texture, or as I learned today (my new favorite word) impasto. Ms. L put me at ease and gave me a few ideas to get me started.

Now today was a brilliant day for learning and so I will just give you the bullet points because I was so busy, I didn't think to take a picture until the end of the class. :) 

• Dry brushing- smooths out texture and edges
• Landscape land should also be horizontal, like the water; as it is more pleasing to the eye
• Cobalt blue is primary blue
• Impasto- texture and worth mentioning again ;)
• Greys and purples are good for background shapes 
• Fan brushes are good for grass (and waves)
• Know the rules before you break them, and why you break them.
• Don't get too attached to your work.

Ok, this one, this is where she blew my mind. I watched Ms. L work on her boat painting for two classes. And it didn't click until today that she was asking my opinion on things because she was trying to show me techniques. I know it's sounds silly, but as soon as I realized that I started looking at her painting in a whole new light! And she changed up her painting, I lost count how many times, the shoreline changed, the horizon line changed, boats would come and go... All these things she was doing and every time it worked! Be flexible and open minded, she has said, probably every class. And I need to hear it, too, cause I get so attached!! 

I have to admit, it like it. Ms. L loves it and said that I should go home and put my name on it, which I will. But I am gonna sit with it a couple days, decide if I am done. One more thing she taught me today was that each of my paintings are a lesson. This one holds much, and tho it may be missing my precious impasto, the lack of it may be in itself, the lesson.

The Landscape Study.

I took this one in the parking lot because the 

lighting was more true to form. :)

Lastly, since I have raved on about Ms. L's boat, I wanted to share it.

Isn't it gorgeous??? :)

Class Six: Landscape Study (Part One)

Yikes, I almost didn't do my post for today... Now that Mrs. C is out of town for the rest of the "semester" Ms. L and I have been doing our own thing. Today was a study on landscapes while she continued her work on this boat/shore scape. EDUCATION: Cerulean and white are the blends that create a beautiful skyline, and carefully picking your horizon line (as long as it isnt cutting the picture in half we are good), and keeping in mind that the farther away something is, the less detail it will have. Skies are blended diagonal hatch marks while the water is always horizontal. Today I took from two landscape images and melded them together (will I ever learn?).

These are the two images my study came from.

The tree and the general structure from the above image 

While using the rocks and plateaus of the bottom image.

So I made my sketches, got all my prep done, and begun my work. It still surprises me how fast time flies in here. Ms. L would mention something on her painting and point out various changes, reminding me that a painting is always evolving and nothing is set in stone. Yet another reason to leave out the details and the texture until last. My efforts to creat smooth blended bases and washes seem to be paying off...

Can you see it? So soft and blended? 

We had some communication issues today, Ms. L and I, which I of course attribute to Mercury Retrograde. :P She mentioned adding a little alizarin Crimson to the sky and completely finish up the sky before moving on. Woot! Details I am on it!

Um, oops. A bit too much crimson? Lol

But my clouds were really coming along.

Here, is the first of multiple miscommunications she and I had. Turns out she didn't want me to put details into the sky after all and then I had to go back and blend it all in. Friends, I have a fondness for texture and this class has been frustrating in this category. So I am busting my brushes to keep everything silky smooth and avoid all detail till later, when Ms. L comes over to check on my work and adds some details to my work. *Breathe* Um, ok, but I thought we were waiting until the end to do that? Oh, it's just to give me an idea of what you're talking about? Ok... But I get my panties all twisted every time someone else paints on MY canvas. I know it sounds egotistical, but my fear is that she might wind up doing things on my work that people will give me credit for, and then I feel like a fraud. I rationally understand that she is trying to explain technique, but I get frustrated. Eventually she moved to showing me things on a scrap paper, which I very much appreciated. 

She was very encouraging as well, complimenting me on my progress and telling me that I am a "real painter."  :) I wish I could pick up all the concepts she has been trying to explain, but I can definitely say without a doubt that I have improved three fold since I began. Ms. L asked me to trust her with a few things, mostly composition, after I would ask why she wanted me to put this there or add that color here. Also the size of brushes was a thing today, so much larger than I even owned, for such small areas, and she tried explaining why, but we just were off today. I will be putting my larger brushes on my to purchase list!

Viola, my half complete, composite landscape study.

Now where are those pesky lights and shadows?