Mary B Spires Watercolor & Art Stuff

10" x 8 " oil on Board I put this up in the studio just because I didn't like something about it....it didn't feel right!  Guess What! The sides were off, so in class Wednesday afternoon I corrected the pitcher and now I know it's finished!

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.

12" x 12" Oil on Canvas Painting in the impressionist style is soooooooo much FUN!  I've been studying William Schultz, Brackman, Frederick Carl Frieseke and my all time favorite  Frank W. Benson all American impressionist.  I have discovered that they all talk about " The Mechanics of Painting"  the 5 Steps that Jerry Fresia uses.  Each having a different twist.

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. 

Fall Pear Oil 8" x 10" Class Project Dan Edmondson This painting for me was all about mixing those fall colors of yellows, reds and oranges.  I had to add a couple of layers of paint to get the bright colors.  I still haven't got the lighting worked out in the studio....but it felt great being back in the class.  Looking forward to painting with Judy & Larry on Wednesday....Life is Good Happiness flourishes in the secret garden of our Soul... George Eliot (aka Mary Anne Evans)

8x10 on Canvas Board (this photo has the color more intense that it really is) One way to get better at painting is to take a workshop.....I've signed up for 2 more besides the one with David A Leffel.  Recently I was surfing the net (I've been doing more of that than I should) and came across a blog that I've watched off and on for the past couple of years.  Daniel Edmondson has a couple of on line workshops using Video's with a step by step method.  You sign up, he sends you an email with the video link plus the photograph.  The really great part of this is you get the DVD in about a week in the mail.  I signed up for the Landscape first then decided to do the still life also (he's running a special).  I have to say this is a great workshop. You can go at your own pace, so if it's a busy week you just do the class the next week.  You also get to send emails with questions plus a critique once the project is finished.  He will send a vi...

6" x 6" Oil on Board I posted this yesterday, but for some reason it didn't get posted. I'm going to try and put it on the DPW challenge for this week. I love to paint vegatables that are still attached to their leaves.

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!

This portrait was painted by Portrait Artist Ron Marvin from Florida. Every Friday morning we have open studio, with a model, at Treasure Island Art Group. It's a great opportunity to work on painting portraits. One Friday morning our model didn't show, so I got to be it! Ron "got me" with the drawing.......several of my friends got to be the model this year. I'm hoping to get Dick to sit next year..... I can't believe it's been almost a year since I last added a post! It's been a crazy year.....where does the time go? I'm hoping to get back in the groove......

6" x 6" Oil on Gesso Panel This is the third in the series......I hope to have time to do a couple more....just love my new green bowl.

6" x 6" Oil on Gesso Panel