Mary B Spires Watercolor & Art Stuff

8" x 10" Oil on Panel I set this still life up in the Pumfrey's oil class at the Beach Art Center.  The past couple of weeks I have been painting on canvas, but the texture of the canvas make the brush drag and I don't get those loose impressionist strokes.  The gesso panels are wonderful, they let you lay down one stroke and the brush hairs show.  I use a soft synthetic flat brush.  The small detail is done with a small round synthetic brush.

8" x 10" Oil on Board As many of you know I'm schedule to take a workshop on Lake Como next fall with Jerry Fresia ( http://www.fresia.com/  ).  He also has a 3 minute video on You Tube and a wonderful instrucitonal book, plus two small books of his  paintings.......Wednesday afternoon in the Pumprey's class I copied one of his paintings .....just to get the feel of what his brush strokes felt like....what an eye opening experience.  I painted it in one hour on a Masonite board with a soft hair brush.  I first scumbled in the dark and middle values per his instructions. The squinting thing is sooooo important......this morning I actually used my computer to blur the image.....this is a great help in seeing the dark, middle and light shapes. 

In Full Bloom 11" x 11" Step by Step Instructions available on my web site http://www.maryspires.com/ My Landscape Workshop #2 I received my critique over the week end.....I just can't believe how fast he does the critique.  He like the snow painting and only had one suggestion, add a little more light on the right bank of the water.  I'm really looking forward to starting the Still Life Workshop next week.  I hope to do this workshop along with the landscape workshop.  I made it to the dentist yesterday (morning and afternoon).  We are planning on getting everything finished in 3 weeks so we can go to Ohio for Thanksgiving.  My granddson is here until Saturday, spending a lot of time at the beach.  He going to move to Jacksonville this weekend, starting school the first of January.  Soooooo nice having him in the state!

8x10 Watercolor on Rice Paper This was the first time painting with the batik technique.  It's like using masking fluid to reserve the white of the paper.  My friend and wonderful artist Kathi George has been painting in this style for many years.  I've always wanted to try it, but didn't understand the process 9it is just like doing batik on fabric). She was featured in the August 2011 Watercolor Artist Magazine!  I really enjoyed the painting process but need a little more practive.  This Hollyhock I also painted in oil and transparent watercolor.  I really enjoyed the process of painting the same subject in all three media.  It is a way of truly getting to know your subject!

HOLLY HOCK 8x10 This is my first blog entry of doing the flower first in Watercolors then painting it in oils. I always say oils are easier, but after this project I don't know that this is true. I have been reading the book Simple Abundance, by Sarah Ban Breathnach. If you notice at the top of of my blog it says" The Canvas of My Life". When I set up the blog several years ago,I used this phrase as a focus of the blog and my daily life. Sometimes things happen that give you a "WOW" moment , well one of Sarah's quotes is "Pick up the needle with me and make the first stitch on the canvas of your life". This gave me a step back, take notice' great mother spirit telling me? Hope you all have a wonderful Mother's day tomorrow!

10"x 8" Oil on Canvas Board Convention is over, classes went great, plus I got to meet new students and visited with old friends. I can't believe it's been so long since I painted and had something I could post. I have been working on landscapes, but it's isn't going well! It's about practice! urg ! I have made a few changes, I joined an on line gallery Artid Gallery. It's a great gallery with wonderful artist in all media. For a small monthly fee you can put your paintings in their eBay store for 30 days. If the painting sells you pay a small commission. I hope to get it up and running this week. I haven't posted anything in my Etsy store, but hope to get caught up this week.

14"x10" Oil On Masonite I'm not completely happy with this one, but I like the reflections on the table.....I have to keep reminding myself these are the exercises for learning!