Facebook faux pas

For those of you who follow my blog, you'll notice an absence of the Facebook icon which linked new postings to my former Facebook Artist-Instructor wall. Yesterday, a Facebook bug disabled sites/walls/pages of thousands of Facebook users. My Artist-Instructor page was one of those sites/walls/pages.

Will it be reinstated?

If you click on the enclosure link, you can read an article about the Facebook glitch on CNN.com.

Ink & Wash

Ink and wash painting. I like to do several color sketches before tackling larger work. I'm excited to work on a half sheet (approximately 15 x 22 inches in size). One friend who had seen this said she sensed an Oriental influence. I think all of us are inspired by the beautiful calligraphy of, and ink and wash paintings done by classic and contemporary Asian artists.

Ink and Wash Demo Paintings

Lundin Demo No. 4 — Three colors plus ink, wax resist, on Arches 140 lb. rough paper

Lundin Demo No. 2 — Painted wet-on-wet, three colors, 

calligraphic marks for trees and leaves

Yesterday marked the last of four classes I taught at the Range Art Center in Hibbing, MN, employing ink and wash/line and wash. The two images above include Demo Paintings No. 4 (yesterday) and No. 2 (second class). Students did amazing things during the class and it will be great fun to see how they use ink and wash, line and wash, calligraphy, in their upcoming paintings.

Girl No. 2

Girl No. 2 — collage, acrylic, and gouache.

While leafing through an old magazine I found — in my collage box, which features a myriad of "stuff" — a photo of a woman who intrigued me. She seemed like a thinker so I gave her a direct gaze; the wind was blowing outside (still is); my fireplace came on (only happens on cold, cold days). It felt like winter to me.

Early this morning, I did a quick sketch of the parts I liked, then worked on value studies (several) and selected and used the one I liked best.

I sifted through paintings that were/are not my favorite and tore off pieces featuring the colors I liked and needed and glued them in place.

My second collage. I'm loving the process and am learning a lot.

Collage a day keeps comfort at bay

Every so often, I like to bump myself out of my comfort zone. This week, my aim is to do one collage (small) each day.

"She" (above) does not yet have a title. It would be fun to hear from blog followers and art lovers.

My beginning and process: On Sunday, I dug out old, failed paintings, which I covered with coats of white gesso (acrylic), then set to dry. My studio floor was covered with gesso-coated paper and boards (yes, I have plenty of non-successful paintings; this was a mere toe dip into the mass).

Yesterday morning, I sorted through other failed paintings and drawings, tore and cut them into pieces, and sorted by value. After I tied on my painting apron, I found a photo of a face that intrigued me, drew a design plan and set to work, placing and gluing papers.

This morning, I placed one more piece of paper on her cheek, and took her photo.

Here she is: my first collage.

Atemis, Hellenic goddess

While preparing to teach my watercolor workshop (People — Heads, Features, & Faces which starts to tomorrow at the Duluth Art Institute), I've done many watercolor studies and color sketches of men and women of all ages.

I love Greek sculpture and while researching, I fell in love with the strength, beauty, and dignity of Artemis, the Hellenic goddess of the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, virginity, etc.

"Think of a mother's love for her child while you paint that subject, that is, think of the idea you want to give while you are painting." —Robert Henri.

The Girl, Steps 1 and 2

Color sketch of The Girl

Step 1: I drew a head shape, penciled in eye sockets, tip of nose, and line of mouth. I wet the paper (student grade, purchased for my grandchildren) and dropped in a wash of pale yellow, red, blue, and tipped my paper, adding water to encourage flow and melding of color. After this dried, I wet areas in shadow (light coming from our left, top) and dropped in yellow, then red, then blue.

Step 2: After the shadow shapes dried, I wet the hair area, dropped in yellow, red, blue – letting and helping colors run together. I scraped highlights with my painting knife. Student grade paper does not hold a scrape very well; the area filled in with damp paint. But I like the linear effect. I darkened the eye shapes and mouth, dampened the background and ran in red and blue to create purple.

Next, I will draw and paint The Girl on Arches 140 lb. cold press. My aim will be to paint an entirely new painting.

Lundin Watercolor Portrait Workshop • Heads, Features & Faces

I'm looking forward to teaching the Watercolor Portrait Workshop — Heads, Features, and Faces — at the Duluth Art Institute, Duluth, MN. The three-day workshop starts this Friday, October 15, from 9 AM to 4 PM. Painters of all levels are welcome to attend. For information, log onto — www.lundinart.com. To register, phone Shannon at the Duluth Art Institute, (218) 723-1310.

The image above is a detail of a color sketch I did earlier today. I used watercolor and gouache. My aim was to paint layers of transparency and translucency, to capture the  woman's gaze, the light in her eyes, the expression of her mouth, the warm and cool tones of her skin.

Inspired by AidaBaby

Baby skin is like rose petals, a baby mouth like a bud, hair, feathery wisps. Babies are a joy to paint and require a tender touch. I will install a "how to" on my website.

Workshop prep portrait

Color study — girl of the day — inspired by a hair model in Real Simple magazine. When playing with color and shape, experimenting with method, I like working from images of people I don't know. It helps to reduce variables when I don't need to think about whether or not my drawing/painting looks like Gloria or Keith or Grandma, etc.

While working on this color sketch, I thought about position/angle of her head, head architecture, proportion, neutral color, linear movement, musculature of her neck, including the bonnet strings which is how Edgar Whitney referred to the sternocleidomastoid muscles of the neck.

Makes me smile to think of how Ed Whitney always encouraged us to think.

An aside: A student once told Ed, "If I knew I'd have to think so much, I wouldn't take taken this workshop."

Lundin Watercolor Portrait Workshop

I'm teaching a three-day watercolor portrait workshop — Heads, Features, and Faces — at the Duluth Art Institute, Duluth, MN, Friday-Sunday, October 15-17, 2010, 9 AM - 4 PM.

To register, please contact the DAI. For more information, email me or post your query below (thank you).

Look forward to painting with you at the workshop.

Iris Exploration

I like to explore a new subject by doing sketches and studies. My first approach is somewhat academic: analysis of line, shape, color, and value. Tomorrow (or later today) I'll break up the (iris) shape and reorganize it and see what happens.

Dylan Days Art Exhibit 2010

Fellow artists are invited to enter artwork in the upcoming Dylan Days Art Exhibition 2010, May 27-30, at Zimmy's in downtown Hibbing, MN. All media are welcome. Basic criteria: work inspired by the life and lyrics of Bob Dylan. For more information and entry form, log onto www.dylandays.com.

Stripes

I was delighted to read (once again, in Vogue magazine's May issue) that Breton fisherman's shirts (striped shirts) are "in" again. Years ago, I bought a nautical styled tee which I will enjoy wearing this summer.

The illustration (above) features several design principles -- harmony, repetition, contrast. My aim was to achieve repetition with variation, which, according to Maitland Graves (dec.) is called harmonic repetition and "used in all art forms to produce unity with interest."

Red Hair - portrait color sketch - start to finish

I like to draw and paint people -- women, men, old and young; children. Yesterday I flipped over an unsuccessful painting (yes, there are many!) and sketched the outline of a woman with red hair. I applied initial light-valued washes.

Next, I applied mid-light washes, using same colors.

Finally added mid-value color, more detail. Is the painting finished? Stephen Quiller says that it's better to stop at 95 percent completion -- five percent BEFORE you think it's done rather than five percent after.

Spring Patterns

Reading Vogue Magazine, inspired by silhouettes of the 60s and large floral patterns.

Tulips III

"The Tulip was originally a wild flower, growing in Central Asia. It was first cultivated by the Turks as early as 1000 AD, The flower was introduced in Western Europe and the Netherlands in the 17th century by Carolus Clusius, a famous biologist from Vienna...In the beginning of the 17th century, the tulip was starting to be used as a garden decoration in addition to its medicinal use." Read more. Visit http://www.holland.nl/uk/holland/sights/tulips-history.html

Mug I

Just downloaded Painter 11 along updated drivers for my Wacom drawing tablet. Decided to draw the coffee mug that sits on my drawing table and is never far from reach. Saved the Painter file as a "Gif" to see what would happen. I like the division of color shapes behind the mug. Using Painter 11 ... I feel like (the proverbial) kid in a candy store!

Sauna Girl

Watercolor painting titled "Sauna Girl," was inspired by our granddaughter Francie, after she had taken a sauna. She wore a fluffy towel on her head and had donned her Aunt Riitta's plush robe which matched her eyes. Her cheeks were like apples.

This is the painting that was accepted into the 2010 Arizona Aqueous Exhibition at the Tubac Center of the Arts in Tubac Arizona, exhibit juried by Harley Brown.

From infancy to adolescence great changes take place in the upper as well as the lower portion of the face. Above, the face lengthens; the nose and cheek bones become more prominent. The teeth add width and depth at the lower part of the face. Jaw bones become more angular and pointed, the masseter muscles are more in evidence, and a squareness of the chin is noticeable. ~ George B. Bridgman 

Painting titled accepted into Arizona Aqueous

My painting titled Sauna Girl (watercolor and gouache on D'Arches 140 lb. Cold Press) has been accepted into the annual Arizona Aqueous Exhibition at the Tubac Center of the Arts (click title of blog entry to visit Tubac Arts). Very exciting news for this humble painter.

Arizona Aqueous XXIV

February 19, 2010 - March 21, 2010

In its twenty fourth year, the focus of Arizona Aqueous is the innovative use of water-based pigment on paper.  We are very pleased to announce that nationally recognized, award winning artist, teacher and juror, Harley Brown is the juror for this exhibition.   A complete description of the requirements for entry and a downloadable copy of the prospectus can be found in the "For Artists" section of this website under "Prospectuses."