Meringue if you do. Meringue if you don't.

I bought an  art creation from a well known Brookings, Oregon artist, Audi Stanton  It is from her  new Incredible In-edible series.   She sculpted, painted and photographed desserts and has them for sale at the Brian Scott's Gallery, also, located in Brookings. When I saw her show, I fell in love with her wonderful, sculpted, lemon meringue pie on a pedestal.  In addition, she has her watercolors showing at the local library. Can you tell she is a hard working artist?
 When I saw the lemon meringue pie, I had to have it so I could paint it. So in between the screaming cat, spring cleaning, preparing for a garage sale, pulling weeds, and walking to the beach, I started this piece.  It needs a few adjustments.

Oh and I thought it was best to post it unfinished so my husband won't think I am on vacation.

Tomorrow is Finally Here

You can see the transparent rose through the tablecloth where I didn't overwork it.

You can still see the transparent red oxide in the leaves and the Indian yellow under the orange wedge.

I struggled with the shadow being too dark so I lost the transparency in the table cloth. I had to correct a drawing issue, too. It is important to have an accurate drawing with this technique.

Keep it simple.

Here is my finished pieces from the Advanced Techniques class with Susan Sarback. I am still exhausted from learning so much. What a wonderful opportunity.

Advanced Techniques

I am taking a four day workshop at the  School of Light and Color with Susan Sarback called Advanced Techniques. I  truly believe I have witnessed art history in the making with her new painting method.  Here is a  piece I am working on at the beginning stages.  Interesting approach. I am finding it challenging and enjoying every minute.   I will post the completed work tomorrow.

More Color

9x12 Oil with Palette Knife on Board

The camera will never be able to capture the color in this completed still life study.  While finishing the last stage, I was reminded to look at the cast and form shadows to successfully paint the shell. It was a good lesson.

Slight Adjustment

I know I said I limited the previous cityscape to 60 minutes but I noticed the car in front was too small. So, here is just a slight adjustment.

Clearing The Road For a Challenge

I told myself I would do Terry Miura's cityscape challenge. The deadline was today so I waited until the last minute to start painting.  I kept the composition simple, kept my paint time to 60 minutes and used a 5X7 canvas. It was fun piece to paint.

5x7 Oil on Canvas - Cityscape Challenge

Keeping My Brushes Wet

I worked on this piece from Thursday's landscape class. I am still struggling with the values.  Before I over work it, I put it in the refrigerator and  will wait until Thursday to get some much needed instruction to complete it.

Landscape Study 9x12 Oil on Linen

To Paris and Back In 3 Hours

Today's open studio model wore a costume reminiscent of Paris. It was a fun study. I kept it very simple. This meant little or no detail. I focused on moving from blocking in the shadow and light to adding two more values to the light and not doing much to the dark.

9x12 Oi on Canvas Board with Brush

I can see  now that I need to fix the arm of the shirt. It might need some more adjusts. 

Ah - Pearadise

I got up this morning and worked on a few value studies, put on Susan Sarback's dvd on landscapes and did laundry. I then put on her still life dvd and painted a pear in the sun.

"Ah, Pearadise" - 5x7 on board with palette knife

Figuring It Out

Painting live models has been fun. Most of the time, though,  I just can't figure out what shape I am seeing.  I stand with a confused look on my face for what seems like several minutes.  You know the look. Mouth open, eyes squinting, brush in one hand trying to mime the strokes. I usually mumble to myself  while I am doing this and shake my head in disgust.  At the end, I either  ignore that part of the painting,  make it up or I get an "aha" moment. These studies were a little bit of both.
In the top piece, the model was sitting with his knee tucked under him. It was foreshortened. I left it alone. I, also, didn't do much to describe  his hands.
The other piece, I got too indecisive about small things.  I wouldn't commit myself to my drawing nor to the shadow and light.
Still a great paint day.

Caught Up In the Paint Color

I wanted to try a new color, manganese,  on a piece in class. I used it in the shadow side of a terracotta urn.  It turned out to be the compliment to the light side of the urn. It was a fight from the beginning trying to keep the shadow  from going to a dull, unforgiving grey. The instructor helped me by suggesting a few colors to mix on top of it.

9x12 oil with palette knife on gessoboard - Class piece

It certainly taught me not use that color for this subject, again. But without thinking, I got caught up in the pretty paint color and not with what I was actually seeing.
If I were to paint this, again, I would use magenta on the urn's shadow.

Self Critique

I worked this piece several times on inexpensive paper canvas.  I think I have the values correct and have worked out most of the problems.
I realized that I spaced the light on the shore at the same distance and I need to fix that. 
I need to warm the sky with yellow. 
I might have put too much light on the dominant tree in the foreground. This means I need to analyze the light and shadow in that tree.
I am, also, thinking I need to put some sky holes the back ground trees. It looks like a bird would knock itself out trying to fly through them.

Changes

I made changes to the portrait study from last week. The models head was tilted down and leaned slightly to the left.  I decided to straighten the eyes and reduce the skull size. It is a fix but it means I didn't resolve how to paint her in her current pose.

Living For the Painting

I worked on a  painting from a live model today and then came home to block out and simplify a landscape.
Here are both. I need to take a small break and see what needs to be done to fix them. 
My mind is racing over trying to simplify rock formations and still make them look like rocks. I need to re-read a blog I read this morning for the answer. My memory has failed me.

Why Can't Everything Just Be Black and White?

I have always had problem with gray areas - ask my husband. I am a black and white person. Trying to simplify a landscape  with shadow and lights just makes wish I had a reboot button for my brain.  All I want to do it put down pretty brush strokes and that isn't going to happen until I learn to group the shadows and light. Else, I will just move paint around....
Here is a quick  study. One black and white and then a limited palette.