Mary B Spires Watercolor & Art Stuff

4" x 4" on Watercolor Paper After visiting Italy a few times and having the opportunity to view the illuminated letters in Vatican collection, I've been wanting to play around with doing one. In fact a few years ago at the Lancaster Festival we had a guest artist from Chicago that did wonderful work. He even mix his own pigments, my first time seeing maganese blue in it pure state. The background behind the letter is Gold, but it doesn't show very well, I'll try to get a better picture next time.

Watercolor 11" x 14" My grandaughter Brittney was our model a couple of years ago at Tuesday Morning Class.......now she is a mother of two great grand kids......I know I know I don't look that old!!!!! I'm teaching this as a project for the HOOT Convention in August in Columbus, Ohio.

Since all the grand kids are grown. Living on their own.......I miss coloring Eggs! I have been playing around with a new art form called Zentangles.....check out Rich & Maria's web site http://www.zentangle.com/ What FUN!

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......

10 x 8 Oil on Canvas Board Last year I was lucky enough to see a demo by David Leffel. I am total hooked on Chiaroscuro Style painting. "Chiaroscuro" literally means light/dark. In Chiaroscuro painting, your eye follows the light. The light gives the picture its flow-it takes the eye from one place to another, and the shadows structure the painting. Quoted from Oil Painting Secrets from a Master, by Linda Cateura.

4"x4" Oil on Board Sorry for the shinny photograph......I have these little 4x4 frames with a little board.......so I gessoed these little guys and what a wonderful painting surface.

7" x 12" Ink on Yupo This little abstract was done in Carole Fry's workshop.......lots of fun, but I hate YUPO ! So I won't be working in that slippery stuff!!!! One needs to learn what they don't like.....it was truly a learning experience....... Carole's a great teacher and we had lots of fun......she does wonderful abstract colorful paintings......but I'll stay with watercolor and oil for now!