Fun Day!

Morning Snow Trees...what the sun can do with color!!

Today was a blast! I went across town to my friend Carol Nelson's house to have a lesson in fauvist portraits. For those of you who aren't familiar with Carol Nelson you have to pop over to her blog to see what she is doing with portraits! It is nothing short of AWESOME!!

For some time I have been frozen when it comes to portraits. I learned portrait painting when I started painting in watercolor many years ago, but for some reason I freak out at the thought of doing them in acrylic (NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY) or oil. So, my friend Carol graciously allowed me to come to see her work and I learned a TON! I like the idea of working in the fauvist style for portraits (and now am getting excited about ideas for landscapes incorporating some of what I absorbed from Carol) because it isn't working in the "realistic" color palette that we are used to. If you are wondering what fauvism is hop on over to Carol's blog for the visuals...but in the simplest way I know to explain it is a style of painting that artists like Matisse worked in that incorporates wild colors..."wild beasts" they were called! Somehow working in colors that were not at all realistic was a blast!...and not the least intimidating...HOWEVER, I learned...

Me...soon to be sort of fauvist...but remember it will be my FIRST attempt...so be kind...ha

Doing a portrait in acrylic is VERY difficult as it is hard to blend...so often the portrait comes out looking like a paint by number...as you will see evidence of when I post my self portrait that was my practice. I'd do it today, but I have a bit of tweaking to do...things like adjust the size of an eye and get rid of a dark shadow in green that looks a bit like a 5 o'clock shadow. I'm just not ready for the world to see me as a man...:) But, I'm up tomorrow, tweaking and then I'll post the results of my first fauvist lesson!

Second I learned the value of oil painting for landscapes as well...WHEN you are just painting...so I plan to play with that again...BUT, my collage work will remain working with acrylics as they work best for that medium. So...lots of work to do for me!! FUN!!

Carol, as is her nature, was the most wonderful of teachers...she gave me thoughts on ways to interesting up my landscapes. We artists are always looking for that "thing" that sets our work apart...I'm not different! I had almost forgotten how very rewarding it is to paint along side another fellow artist (and friend)...the ideas, the learning...the thing in common! It is a lonely life up here in the mountains for me the artist...so to have a day for this was pure heaven!!

SOOOO...since I'm not posting what I did today, today...I'm posting the pic I worked from...and a wonderful view of my trees this morning...The pink is NOT a different tree...it is the sun on the snow covered trees!! AWESOME!!

And...I promised Carol I would not post the pics I took of her painting subject today as she will be posting the finished product, but it was my son! That was incredible to see him come alive under her fingers!! SO exciting!! So...here is a pic of two of her little pups...they were quite the loving pair...I forgot their names, but I'm in love with them already!!Carol's babies!! SO sweet!

Thank you Carol for a wonderfully fun day!! Can't wait to have my painting of Jonathan for my very own!!