MAC Birthday Party

Today, my group demo'd at the MAC birthday party from 2-5pm. They had birthday cake to celebrate the McConnell Arts Center being open one year. They had live music, potter demos, painting demos, and tonight there was a performance in the auditorium.

My group painted live models in two different galleries. I had a tough time again. I was a little too far away to be able to see the facial features well enough to get a good likeness. As usual, my portraits never look like the person....

These are pastel. The first one is on on Pastel Mat and the second one on suede mat board.

Painting Saturday - Male Model

We had a guy come in to sit as a model for my Saturday painting group. Since we only had 2 hours, I just used black, grey and white pastels on cream colored LeCarte pastel paper, instead of trying to use paint.

There sure isn't much resemblance between my sketch and the model though..... it's much easier seeing what is wrong after you take the photos and place them side by side...look at that huge head!! But its all about practice.

Demise of a Giant

I posted about one of my favorite trees, in a nearby park, back in March of this year. Recently, I found that it was finally cut down. I visited today at lunch and took some pics. Such a beautiful tree, but obviously, it had some rot inside.

 

Ohio Plein Air Exhibit

Come see the exhibit of my Saturday painting group's artwork. We paint each Saturday morning (year round). This is an exhibit of some of our favorite work. The exhibit will hang from November 14 thru January 13, 2011.

Painting Saturday - Small Pastels

Today we setup some stuff on the table in the middle to paint still lives.

I painted a couple small 5x7 pastels on suede mat board.

"Gala"  5x7  pastel on suede mat board

"Onion and Candle"  5x7  pastel on suede mat board

Painting Saturday at the MAC

Today was the first inside painting session for the season at the MAC. We are done painting outside for the year. Undoubtedly, there will be a few hardy souls who will paint outside all winter. But I need to start using my own studio to paint and will go to the MAC Saturday painting sessions occasionally.

I decided to just play around with pastels today. It seems like its been a long time since I used my pastels. I used a scrap of Pastelmat. I like this surface a lot and hope to do much more with it.

Here are my two sketches from today. Both used the same reference photo. The first shows the whole scene, and the second a closely cropped version. I like the second sketch quite a bit.

Sister Visit

No painting for me this weekend. My sister from Colorado flew in for two nights to visit me and see the new condo. I took her on a tour of the gallery where my winning painting was hanging, we had a nice little brunch at the french restaurant nearby, then a driving/walking tour of a couple of my favorite nature spots.

Saturday Painting - Inniswood Metro Park

Saturday we painted again at Inniswood Metro Park. I painted two small 6x8 inch oil sketches, in a hurry.  Then I took a walk around the park.

I had intentions on painting the lovely sun-lit scene below:

 But then this happened:

So that is how I decided to paint it! A whimsical painting, just for fun.

I think the first photo is a lovely view, so I may try painting that again, larger, without the VW!

Then I setup looking to the west. I have been intrigued by the light colored Japanese pines in the distance, each time I visit, so I did a quick sketch.

Here are more views of the park which show some fall color:

 

 

 

 

 

 

1st Place Award for 'Fall at Scioto Park'

I won 1st Place at the Worthington Area Art League Fall show at High Road Gallery. The award ceremony was this afternoon. I was presented with a blue ribbon and a nice check. The painting is "Fall at Scioto Park" which was painted at the end of August at Scioto Park, Dublin Ohio with my Saturday painting group. I had posted the painting in my blog at that time, but I will attach it here again. I am so pleased!!

 

Saturday Painting - Camp Lazarus

The group met at the west entrance to Camp Lazarus today. When we arrived, it was overcast and very dark down by the creek. I decided to setup near the parking area in the open where there was more light. You can see my progression and then the finished painting below. Following those are a few shots of the area.

I love fall and really enjoy being in the woods, but it was a bit too dark to paint within the woods today.

Can you see the plein air painter?