It's a Puzzle

I worked on this piece in three and a tenth class sessions. The third session I spent my time with my internal struggle wanting to make up color, value and temperature. It really should had taken less than ten minutes to finish this piece but I wasn't willing to accept what I was seeing. I wanted to make it up.

 I kept trying to push the shadow flowers brighter and warmer than they were. Finally, I had a break through. I realized that it was one big puzzle.  The ceramic vase, the flowers and the background had to be compared each time to ensure they were not alike.   They were very similar and the point of this study was to see the subtle differences of the objects . The next session, I finished this immediately and started work on another puzzle.

How's Your Values?

I painted a live model yesterday and was surrounded by wonderful artists. I watched their painting techniques and the layering of paint. It was awe inspiring. I wasn't able to spend enough time on my own and I see that it is flat.  I am seeing this more with the way I am painting with the brush. I am ending up with everything in the mid value range. I need to take my time, compare and see. Start with the darkest dark and compare. Return to the basics and simplify the shapes.

Instructor's Demo

I attached the painting that an instructor demoed for me Wednesday as I began to make it too complex.  She simplified shapes by combining darks and lights. It looks 3 dimensional. Notice the difference.

Painting and Posting

I  have painted everyday but not posted. So here is another catchup session. I returned to working on stage 2 paintings. I found I was overworking and not paying attention to the values enough. I took a large canvas sheet and did several studies. This is just one piece.
I see that I am rushing through the process and not comparing my darks.  This is a good lesson. I have become lazy and it shows.  It is always good to reevaluate your work  and be honest with yourself.

Professional Instruction and Practice

I am learning figure drawing and painting.  I can't get over how fortunate I am to have professional instruction from Terry Muira. His  teaching method works. Here are my three paint studies created from one class session. It is hard work and, as with anything, you need to practice, practice, practice.

Color Intensive Workshop Lesson

The more you learn art, the more you need to remember when composing a painting. I spent three hours drawing this piece. I still ended up with a tilted vase and short legs on the horse. I need to keep practicing.
I realized as I watched the beginning class demonstration, that there are steps I have skipped. I need to return to the basic steps when painting.

11x14 Oil On Board

Last Friday's Open Studio Portrait

I have spent every waking hour drawing, painting and reading art. At times, I have been extremely frustrated and I love it. Why? Frustration to me means I am being challenged and I love  a good challenge.
Here is last Friday's portrait study.  I had a difficult time with the model's right side of her face and eye. I couldn't get the face to turn rather than appear flat.

Learning Color Takes Practice, Patience and Great Instruction

I am attending my third Color Intensive Workshop at School of Light and Color  and it is amazing how much I learn every time I attend. (This is my third time through). The energy, information and the instruction from Susan Sarback is always good. 
I think this current study is a wonderful learning tool. I have a problem with my medium values, dulling my colors and making my shadows too heavy.  This will help me as I continue to train me how see and paint color.
The photo was taken with my cell phone so the quality isn't that great but I think you get the idea of what the beginning stage looks like. 

Painting Portraits

12x16 Oil On Canvas Sheet

Here is the portrait study from my other class. I take it after the figure class so I can keep the momentum going. The model was wonderful and the class is always good.

Figure Painting Is Hard But Worth It

12x16 Oil On Canvas Sheet

I have a love hate relationship with my figure painting class. It is hard.  It is so hard. It is so $@*! hard.  I love it. I spent the afternoon painting a study with ultramarine blue and titanium white. I continued to learn about the cast shadows and form shadows. Great lesson but it was hard.

Painting So Much I Didn't Have Time to Post

I am catching up on my postings today. I have been busy studying, painting, practicing and learning.  Here is the completed study from the School of Light and Color.  I whined out loud a few times during the painting process. Why?  I couldn't see that the magnolia and the shadow were the same value. I asked the instructor if I have been painting my shadows too dark all this time. Thank goodness she is a patient teacher. " No,  the value of the shadow and the flower are, in fact, the same", she explained.  "Squint harder".  I squinted and squinted and I still couldn't see it. She finally mixed the paint and put the value down for me. I am telling you, this was a difficult study and  a perfect learning tool!

8X10 Color Study

This Is As Far As It Goes

I caught an aggressive cold that was going around after Thanksgiving.  I can't remember being that  ill since I was 6 and it genuinely surprised me that a cold could take me down.   I slept two weeks straight and limited my activity for a few weeks afterwards - not by choice-  I just didn't feel well. I didn't even  paint for about three weeks which lets you know how nasty this thing was.  That is why I didn't get back to this study until today. I found it in the freezer and  I filled in the white spaces and called it done.
Here is the finished study on a 9x12 oil on board. I think it looks fine incomplete.

Hot from the Kiln

Pompeii Ash and Temaku Cone 5/6 Glaze

Pompeii Ash and Power Turquoise Cone 5/6 Glaze

I ran my kiln with a few of my wheel thrown pottery  pieces. They are fired with  cone 5/6 glazes, Pompeii ash, temaku and power turquoise. I prefer the temaku glaze , the reddish brown glaze, since I am partial to the brown matte.

A Sincere Thank You

I would like to thank all of you who purchased my paintings. Sales have continued to increase this past year and it  is all because you. It means so much to me and  I hope you enjoy them as much I enjoyed creating them.
Thank you, again,
Eva  Marie Tanner-Klaas

New Year's Resolution

Pastel artist, Rob Decker, and I spent New Year's Day celebrating the unusually warm weather painting at Harris Beach on the Oregon coast.  There was a wide range of ages from children to octogenarians wanting to know all about plein air.  A few promised to return the next nice day to paint with us. So, if you are looking for a New Year's resolution, why not celebrate the beauty along the Oregon coast creating art with the local plein air artists. Cast out your fears and live your dream.  As Rob always says to people who wish they could sit outdoors and draw like him,  "I saved you a place right next to me. Pull up a chair".

Rob Decker, myself and the famous Minnow  in the background

Moving the Horizon Line

It was a beautiful day on the coast with whales going by and sightseers.  I went out about 10 AM and painted until 4:45  PM with fellow painter, Rob Decker.
I started the morning  with a warm up painting of the park entrance road surrounded by trees on an 8x10 board.
I then turned my attention to the ocean and did a few value sketches. That is when I  asked Rob his thoughts  about moving the horizon line of the ocean and sea. I wanted to know was it better to paint what I saw or adjust the horizon line down between a large rock.  He thought I would run into a perspective problem.  I decided to paint both. It was fun. I put the 5x7 boards next each other on my easel and painted them side by side.I need to add some branches and a few waves but here are the results.
As you can see, these are similar to yesterday's studies but with more detail.

Park Entrance painted on 8x10 board with oil

Ocean Study with Horizon Line Lowered painted on 5x7 board with oil

Ocean Scene Study with Normal Horizon Line painted on 5x7 board with oil