Playing with Pastels

Summer's magic is starting to be felt! We sat and enjoyed a campfire this past week and today the humid air reminds us that  summer is fast approaching. This painting is of a summer bouquet from last year. I bought the pitcher to use for a painting and this was the result... finished the other day. Sometimes an art inspiration takes a while to present itself. Inspired to take a class this summer? NEW! I Always Wanted To Draw... Three Saturdays, 9:30AM - 12 Noon        7/19, 7/26, 8/2       $90 An exploration of drawing as an art form for the novice or for those with some experience. Like learning scales in music this class will cover the building blocks for great drawing. Those with some experience will improve their skills in creating the illusion of depth including perspective and rendering of light and shadow. Without stress or pressure each student will learn to draw ...

I recently had a discussion with an artist about doing multiple paintings from the same subject. She was telling me a story about a gallery client who questioned her about buying a painting. He wanted assurances that the artist wouldn't create another painting using the same subject! Well, following that rule would have affected the likes of Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt and many others! Even if the subject is the same, the painting usually isn't! I started the painting on the right in class last week. I did another one at home using the same subject, below. They are different paintings, for sure!       There are many reasons to create multiple paintings from the same subject: You learn  from your mistakes on each successive painting. You gain freedom to try different styles, backgrounds, etc. You may begin to create a series that will attract a gallery to show your work.   Judy www.judyalbrightart.com

New flowers are blooming every day. The weekend was warm, but today is really chilly. Still... we long for the flowers! Vincent Van Gogh   (click on this link for more images) was my absolute favorite in my early years of thinking that maybe I could be an artist! His paintings of irises are favorites of many, too. Van Gogh is known for his simple, yet powerful and confident brushstroke. Wow! Can we learn from this? Maybe if we try a "Fifty Stroke Flower Painting" this week as a warm up exercise, we might  allow ourselves to feel the flower in an immediate way. There will be one flower and one vase... can we do it? Of course we can! Bring a surface that you want to spend 30 minutes experimenting on... Then, of course, everyone is free to work on their own vision and their own painting, any subject. Judy www.judyalbrightart.com   playingwithpastels@blogspot.com   

I don't know who said this, but it is worth repeating! Ophelia Among the Flowers, Odilon Redon "The flower does not think about competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms." NAC students have been blooming! See the information below on our student show. Odilon Redon, 1840 - 1916, painted in both oils and pastels. I love the color and mystery in his work. Redon also describes his work as ambiguous and undefinable:  Vase with Flowers and Butterflies, Odilon Redon "My drawings inspire, and are not to be defined. They place us, as does music, in the ambiguous realm of the undetermined." Look at his complete works here. Let's paint bouquets of flowers as ambiguous, colorful shapes. Be inspired by Spring!   Judy www.judyalbrightart.com   playingwithpastels@blogspot.com   

        More on looking at flowers close up... Here are two photos of flowers you might want to try your hand at. (Right click on the photo and click "save as". Save it to your desktop. You can then print it out.) I tried another painting of chives. Here was my first pass of getting the drawing and shapes in place. I didn't use charcoal this time, but rather pastels and pastel pencil. I am using basically the same palette that I used on my last two flower paintings. I'm thinking that if I show them as a group it will be nice to have three paintings that look good together! "Chivin' with...

Dear (Contact First Name), I hope you are looking forward to our focus on flowers class this week!   Blossoms on Main Street, 12x12" pastel   Introduction to Drawing and Painting  with Pastels -  Focus on Flowers   Inspired by the approaching signs of spring, this next six week series will focus on learning to draw and paint flowers . Fridays, 1 - 4 PM 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30, 6/6, 6/20   $225  Northlight Art Center   5 Calkinstown Road Sharon, CT  In tomorrow's class we will be getting up close and personal with flowers ! We will look at paintings by Georgia O'Keefe and try our hand at close ups! To get inspired, look at some of O'Keefe's famous flower paintings here. You might enjoy this short video about her paintings, too. I will be bringing some flowers and I invite you all to bring some if you like. While O'Keefe painted very large canvases, we will be sticking to whatever size you prefer. I love t...

Cloud Illusions, I Recall, pastel, 5x7" Just a reminder that there is no class this Friday, but our last class will be on April 25th. New classes begin on May 9th. It will be a bit of an irregular schedule due to some other commitments, so take note of the dates. Introduction to Drawing and Painting   with Pastels Fridays, 1 - 4 PM 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30, 6/6, 6/20  Northlight Art Center  I recently read an article by Robert Genn, a wonderful contemporary artist. He talked about some simple rules for painting and I thought you might like to read what he said. "1. Paint. 2. Put your first stroke down and move on with another stroke. Work your strokes and let your strokes work you. 3. Stop the painting before you think you should. 4. Put your painting aside and start another painting. 5. Always keep in mind that you are your own best critic. 6. Perfection in painting is probably not possible.  Excellence in ...