Fall Classes Start Monday

Quick Sketch of Phoebe

Welcome back!  We have a full class starting Monday and I'm excited to get started. See you all at GCA next week.

Something Smells Fishy in the Studio

The Bronzino

                                                                                                              It's that time of the year again... Time to clean out the mess in the studio!  Just a quick reminder if you have things stored in the racks be prepared to bring them home tonight. Who knows what it will smell like by the Fall session!

Self Portrait Show in June

Self Portrait

                                                                                                         The Eleanor Ettinger Self Portrait Show is coming up from June 14th through July 14th.  It's great to see all the different takes on self portrait in one room. I'm looking forward to it.  This is my painting for the show.

Monday Is Demo Night

Since there are only four classes left in our last session, I would like everyone to come prepared to paint along with me.  I hate the idea of taking a painting day away from you with so few to go. The demo will be there to peruse on the breaks and I will still come around to see how your doing.  

Don't Starve Your Palette

Recently, I noticed the tendency of students to squeeze out small bits of paint for a class.  Painting when you don't have enough paint affects your whole attitude toward the work. It says "I'm probably not going to make a good painting so why waste good paint."  That's a poor position from which to start anything.  If you want to progress, then as a student, it's your job to use enough paint to learn.  Some may say cost is an issue but I think if you look at the bigger picture, the cost of hampered learning is much higher. Learning to paint can be frustrating. But some frustrations are easily fixed with good brushes and enough paint. 

Sometimes you won't use all the paint you put out. Nothing is more annoying then when I put out paint and don't use it. It gets a skin and it's done.  If you feel this too, then get your palette knife and some old support.  Make a simple study from palette scrapings.  It's fun and instructive!  Don't worry over it, don't do a drawing under it.  Just practice mixing the right color, value and shape. Place them in their relative proportions.   The more you paint, the more you learn!

Below is a small (8x10) palette knife study done with palette scrapings. Try it.
This idea is not mine, I read it in a Richard Schmid book years ago. Thank you, Richard

New class Demos

Here are some recent demos from class. Sorry I haven't been keeping up with posting them as promised. I know it's helpful for you to see them here.  I talk so much during demos they come out kinda wonky 'to my eye'. That makes it easy to forget posting them.

A few more sketches from Italy

When it's cold out and I'm all bundled against it, I get through by daydreaming about wonderful warm places I've painted.  Remembering the great people I met on painting trips and spending hours outside in the sun always warms me.  Right now, I'm thinking about Castello Del Bosco, that memorable place I went to last year.  Some have asked me to post more sketches from the trip so here you go!