Day Thirty 01/30/17 "Thirty Paintings in 30 Days"

Well today is Day 30 of this 30 in 30 challenge I took on,  and I made it!!!

I have hesitated each time to sign up for this challenge because it is so time consuming.  It requires not only painting, but photographing and editing of my painting, writing in my blog, posting on Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 blog, posting on FB and on Instagram.  That is a lot of computer work for me!  But each time I have done this, I find this challenge more and more rewarding for ME!  I learn so much about all of the above.  My writing skills have improved, my photographing takes less editing, I am learning more about Social Media and it sure never hurts to paint everyday!!

So just maybe I will be back to do the next 30 in 30 this Fall.  It sure helps if you have a theme or a project in mind. This time I focused on doing those Color Charts and now they are complete.  I feel such a sense of accomplishment in getting those done.  I love referring to them when I am needing to mix a certain color or color combinations and also when looking for harmony in my paintings.

Today's painting post will be the 5th and last painting I did at Gina Brown's Workshop in Columbus, Ga.  I arranged my hydrangeas in a glass vase and borrowed a pink flower from Edna Garrett and came up with a nice set up.  I had a couple of hours before the workshop was over, so I decided to practice what Gina had taught us before leaving.  I first did a sketch using vine charcoal on my canvas, made some adjustments in the composition and then began applying my 40 strokes 'with intention'.  I stepped back and really took a look at the set up and the painting.  I got busy mixing my colors using her limited palette.  I spent more time mixing and observing than I did painting.  I tried not to do any 'noodling', instead my strokes were decisive.  In less than two hours I finished the painting.

I was pleased with the results.

Hope you like it as well.

I thank Gina Brown for mentoring me in such a positive way.  If you can, take a workshop with her, you will not be disappointed!  She teaches all levels.  And buy one of her paintings, I did and I will alway cherish it!!

Here is a picture of her painting, I am now one of her collectors!!

Day Twenty Nine 01/29/17 "Thirty Paintings in 30 Days"

One of the exercises we did at Gina Brown's workshop was to do a "practice painting" using 40 strokes.  I posted that painting yesterday.  This exercise helps you to be careful with your brushstrokes, to only lay down strokes that you are sure of, then leave them alone.  This helps you to paint with intention!!  There is no "noodling" the canvas when you are only allowed 40.

Today's painting is a larger version of yesterday's "practice painting."  I tried my best to be very economical with my brushstrokes and paint with intention.

Hope you like this one!

Day Twenty Eight 01/28/17 "Thirty Paintings in 30 Days"

I am still talking about Gina Brown's workshop!  There was one more wonderful surprise for us!! Our lovely hostess and fellow painter Mary Pat King, invited us all to her house for a social and a wonderful dinner after our first day of painting.  Her husband, Buford, was home doing all the cooking for us.  And making us his famous brownies!!

Mary Pat also had her painting buddies from Columbus there.  They called themselves The Monet's.  They were a wonderful group of artists to socialize with and they brought some yummy appetizers too!!  Here are some candid shots of our evening:

 Peggy Sue here.

 This is Buford, who cooked all our dinner!

 Gina talking to one of The Monet's.

 Mary Pat decorated our tables with artistic props!!

 Chicken Tetrazzini, green salad and homemade rolls for dinner!

 Mary Pat is on the left in black. Our gracious hostess!!

My second day practice painting is below.  I set up a pot of geraniums.  I started with a sketch using vine charcoal, then did a 40-stroke practice painting. I came back at the end of the day and finished it.  I hope you like it!

Day Twenty Seven 01/27/17 "Thirty Paintings in 30 Days"

Back to Gina Brown's workshop in Columbus, Georgia.  Mary Pat King, a local artist, hosted us at The Wynn House.  It was such a beautiful place.  We had "coffee service" brought in to us every morning.  At lunchtime we were escorted to a beautiful dining room all set up for us.  The lunches they served each day were out of this world!!  The first day we had a quiche with a green salad topped by fresh fruits and nuts and their homemade rolls.  Then we were served a fabulous dessert.  I can't say enough about our accommodations!! Thank you so much Mary Pat King for doing all this for us!
I will include some pictures, but they probably will not do the setting justice.  It was just so special.  Here are the twelve ladies (Jeannie Puckett, Mary Pat King, Janice Williams, Edna Garrett, Carol Costello, Ethelyn Riley, Katherine Waddell, Vicky Bush, Pat Jones, Peggy Gray, Alice Douglas

and myself along with our special servers.)

After lunch, I painted my first "final" painting, and had time to finish the practice "40-stroke" painting.  I hope you like it.

Day Twenty Six 01/26/17 "Thirty Paintings in 30 Days"

The Wynn House

The Wynn House

I recently attended Gina Brown's workshop in Columbus, Georgia.  It was held at The Wynn House and was hosted by a lovely lady and fellow artist Mary Pat King.


 This was a two day workshop.  I was on the waitlist for this workshop but was fortunate enough to get in the week before it started.  I was sent Gina's supply list and was shocked at her limited palette!  RED, YELLOW,  BLUE and WHITE!  If you have been following my blog, I just completed my Color Chart Project with 22 colors of oil paint!  So the night before I left for Gina's workshop, I did another Color Chart using this limited palette.  I took these charts to the workshop and they were very helpful. Gina really liked them as well. (To be fair to Gina, she did have two blues and two reds with one yellow and white.) Below is a picture of her color choices and brands and the Color Charts using these colors.  (I ran out of chart boards and had to use a small canvas on one board.)

I loved Gina's Workshop!! She is such a good teacher.  She had the twelve of us bring our own set ups to paint.  I liked this a lot as we all had different paintings.  She did a teaching demonstration each morning.  She positioned her palette so it was behind her and facing us, so we could all see.  Every time she mixed a color she verbalized 'the recipe' for us.  She was able to mix any color she wanted using this limited palette.  It was so refreshing to see this!

When it was our turn to paint our set-ups, she asked us to sketch it out first in our sketchbooks to check for composition and placement issues.  She then went around the room and checked everyone's sketch.  Then we used vine charcoal and placed this sketch on a small practice canvas.  Next she had us to start painting on this small canvas using just 40 strokes!  She wanted all our strokes to be well thought out, for us to paint with intention!!  Once this was done we could start on our larger canvas, beginning with a vine charcoal sketch.  We all completed our paintings and even had time to go back and finish the small one.

 Gina's Sketch with Vine Charcoal, Day One.

 Gina's Set-up Demo, Day One.

 Gina's 40 stroke demo.

 Q & A

 Gina's palette.

 Gina talk to us about color mixing.

 Gina's finished painting, Day One. (Which SOLD immediately!)

Her palette at the end of her painting session.

Gina's Set up Day Two.

Close up of Gina's set-up.

Gina doing first day demo.

Gina's completed demo on Day Two. (Which sold right away!)

She was very helpful to us all when it came to color mixing since most of us were not familiar with such a limited palette.

The next day was very similar, the only real difference was that she had us sketch 4 different possible set-ups in our sketchbook.  We had to move our flowers and vases around, use light from different directions, stuff like this.  Then we picked the sketch we liked best.  This was a very helpful exercise.  We did another 40-stroke small practice painting and then completed a larger one.  I even had time for a fifth painting!

I highly recommend Gina Brown as a workshop instructor! I will definitely go back to her classes.

I will discuss other highlights of this workshop tomorrow, so stay tuned!!

Below is a picture of my first 40-stroke painting. (I came back and added more strokes!)