A Watercolor Workshop

On February 18, 19 and 20 I took a watercolor workshop with a wonderful watercolorist, Maggie Mc Clellen. Painting someone else's subject in their style and mode of painting is always a learning experience, especially when the style of painting is a little different from your own. I always enjoy it, even if it does stretch me. For a painter you can't complain about 3 days of doing something you love. The first day we watched Maggie's manner of painting as she demonstrated painting an old fishing boat. Then we attempted to do the same. At the end of the day I had my version, and Maggie had hers. And that's why she's the teacher and I'm not! Still, for a first time, it's an acceptable painting. If you are not learning anything, why attend a workshop?

My boat painting

Watercolor 15X22

Maggie Mc Clellen's painting

Watercolor 15 X 22

Purple Artichokes

Purple Artichokes 15x22, framed to 22x28

So, it's finally declared finished! I don't think I've ever procrastinated as long on any painting as I have on this one. I have signed it and framed it so I will have to stop puttering with it. The photo doesn't show the greens off very well, but it's pretty close with everything else.

Perhaps now that I'm at home in my little home studio I will be more regular with painting and posting. It seems like the summers in Minnesota throw me off the painting schedule. I find it difficult to paint consistently when there is a lot of activity going on around me. Does everyone have that problem? Has anyone found a way to shut out the activities around you and still paint? What works for you?

Lighthouse

This is the lighthouse at Diamond Head in Hawaii. That was the challenge for the Virtual Paint Out this month. I've been painting water scenes for the paint out so I needed to find another subject and came across the lighthouse. It was a nice change from the other kind of painting I've been doing today. The "roll the paint on the walls" kind of painting. It was for a friend that needed help so there we were, an all day paint out, just not the fun kind. After that it was refreshing to think about sunny Hawaii, especially since this was the 8th straight rainy day in Minnesota. Now I have a little 5X7 piece of Hawaiian paradise for those rainy days ahead.

Light and Shadow- San Miguel

I found this neat picture of San Miguel in my files when I was looking for landscape photos. Unfortunately, it's not one that I took; it's probably from a travel magazine. I was captivated by the shadowy figure just on the edge of the light and I just had to paint it, for my own enjoyment. I loved the old walls with the cracked plaster and the bougainvillea hanging over the wall. Whoever photographed this really had an eye for the charm of the place. After the workshop with Don Andrews and his emphasis on the light and putting people in your paintings it was a perfect exercise.

A virtual on sight painting

This is my first attempt to be part of the Virtual Paint Out folks. The assignment this month was San Francisco so I went to Google Maps and tried to find an interesting place to paint. I found that was the hardest part of the assignment; I couldn't find anything but boring streets and buildings. I tried to get to China Town or the Wharf but my little yellow man in Google maps wasn't too cooperative. I finally settled on this charming Cafe on The Embarcadero. I'm not sure what the hoop things are for but they made interesting shapes and shadows. When I sent the picture off, I got messages from my server that they couldn't deliver the message but they would keep trying. I haven't checked with www.virtualpaintout to see if it was finally delivered. I hope it's there. I also have hoped to try the 20 minute challenge and post on their blog, too, but so far I haven't tried to paint a 20 minute picture. It sounds like fun, though.