Still Life Workshop

Second Still Life Painting from Workshop

It's taken me a while to photograph this painting as I've been a bit challenged with light (or the lack of it) and rain. Yesterday there was a brief moment when the rain stopped and I rushed out onto the deck and managed to grab this image before the rains started again. :-) This is the second painting I did at the Still Life Workshop last weekend. We had about two hours to complete each piece, allowing our instructor Keith Hiscock, to come around to each of us a few times, giving us feedback.

Keith acknowledged that critiquing is very valuable but that we don't always have someone there to critique our work, so he recommended regular self critiques. To do this, he suggested choosing an artist whose work we admire, selecting an aspect of their painting skills that we would like to develop in our own painting skill set, and work on that aspect. It's not to copy their style, but to understand and develop things like brushwork etc.  After the completion of each painting, we should do a comparison of our work against theirs, to gauge our improvement. The skill and artist should keep changing as we improve our skill set. I think most of us do this on a casual basis, but by specifically choosing a skill for improvement, focusing on that, and doing regular comparisons to monitor development, results will be much greater. I think this an excellent and easy to do tool for self development, and  feel quite excited to get started on this.

Still Life Workshop

Sidney Fine Art Show 2010

Tutti Frutti  Original Acrylic Painting 
24 x 24  $800 + shipping and handling
Please contact for shipping information

A-peeling  Original Oil Painting 11 x 14 
$650 + shipping and handling
Please contact for shipping information

I am thrilled and honoured to have two paintings, Tutti Frutti and A-peeling accepted into the Sidney Fine Art Show 2010, in Sidney BC. Last evening was the Opening and Awards Ceremony, which I attended, and it was a superb and exciting affair. The calibre of work and variety of disciplines was wonderful. It's truly a beautiful show and if you live in the area, do make a point of dropping by as you won't be disappointed.

If you are not from the area, following is the a description of the show presented by the organizers - The Community Arts Council of the Saanich Penninsula:

After more than a year's preparation, the 2010 Sidney Fine Art Show will open it's doors to the public at 9:00 am on Friday, October 15 at the Mary Winspear Centre in beautiful Sidney by the Sea. Now in its 8th year, the Sidney Fine Art Show has become one of the largest and most anticipated shows in British Columbia and a highlight on the cultural calendar of Vancouver Island.

Sidney Fine Art Show 2010

Apeeling

On the weekend I wrote that I had planned to post this step by step, but then decided not to because I'm thinking of entering this painting in a show, and I thought it would be against the show rules. I reviewed the rules and think it's fine. I was being a bit a too diligent I think. So here's the post.

Here is the value study of my painting 'Apeeling'. I drew it out using a view finder, and measuring the proportions and angles with my paintbrush. Then painted in the abstract shapes and values.

I've started blocking in the big abstract shapes.

This is the modeling phase, where I'm trying to see and create the subtle changes in colour, tone and temperature. Working on creating the volume of the objects, seeing colours reflected into the underside of the chrome bar, and starting to create the reflection of the peel onto the tabletop.

Original Oil on Linen  11 x 14  $650

This is the highlight and accent phase. I added the highlights and applied some impasto paint to further emphasize the apple and peel. I'm trying to decide if I should further define the chrome edge of the table. I tried to downplay it so it wouldn't compete with the apple, but I'm thinking it needs some crisping up. Any comments?

 



 

Apeeling