Workshop, the Day After

Newport Pier, 8 x 10

NFS

Since we missed painting on the Balboa Peninsula on Friday, a workshop classmate and new friend, Valari, and I used a bit of our inspiration from the workshop to make our own trek to the spot. Neither of us painted the Crab Cooker, but the pier instead, which was across the street.

More Workshop. . .

Debra Huse (timed plein air study), 10 x 8

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The morning the tsunami news broke here in the U.S., all sorts of odd things started happening. Most importantly, we had to change our meeting location twice. We were scheduled to meet Friday morning at the Crab Cooker on Balboa Peninsula to paint some architecture. Because there was a tsunami warning all along the West Coast (only a foot and a half for southern California, but that was enough to prod us to higher ground), we decided to go to the southern end of Corona del Mar State Park. When we got there, there were so many people out to watch the Japan tsunami hit our very own beaches, that we had to move yet again. Thus, we ended up at Mason Park in Irvine. The above picture is of painter and gallery owner Debra Huse, who hosted Randall's workshop.

Workshop (continued)

Corona Del Mar, Study 2, 8 x 10

available

Another study from our day at Corona del Mar. Nothing fancy, but as Jill Carver says, the stuff I learned probably won't end up on the canvas for another six months. I guess I'll have to wait. . . .

Workshop Work

Corona Del Mar State Beach, 8 x 10

available

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a workshop in Newport Beach, California with Randall Sexton and a dozen or so other acolytes. Randall gave a demo each day and, among many other things, emphasized the importance of squinting down to help, not only identify value relationships, but to help with the overall composition through the abstract patterns made by the large dark masses. He also stressed the benefit of painting in "large puzzle pieces" to cover the canvas, without necessarily mapping in a line under-painting first. This can help keep the painting loose. The study above and the three following are all fairly quick plein air attempts at using these methods, without later going back to "fix" imperfections.

Tank Town

Tank Town, 6 x 8

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These colorfully painted water tanks sit just outside Dripping Springs, Texas, west of Austin. I noticed it a couple years ago along U.S. 290 while returning from San Antonio. When I pulled over to take a picture, I was amused by the sign over the elevated tank, which proudly proclaims, "Tank Town."

Stately Arrival

Stately Arrival, 6 x 8

purchase here

I painted this study today, simultaneously with another that I will post tomorrow. In an effort to loosen up and focus more clearly on the shapes and values, I painted each upside down, until the last stage of adding a few defining touches. I've done this exercise a couple of times now, and I find it a lot of fun. I took the reference photo for this one on a trip last summer to Ohio. This is the new main bridge into downtown Malvern, about twenty miles east of Canton.