This project starts with - well - a mess! Splashing, removing, painting with paper towels. There are no flowers on the table, no photos. Just you and your imagination. Once the splotches and splashes are in place, the artist finds the bouquet, vase and table (if any) and negative shape paints (this time in a light colour) to paint out anything that is not the above. Students are encouraged to use lots of paint.

The next step is to loosely define one flower as the focus, and lightly build up the others, trying to stay loose and easy, and to maintain some of the yummy background that was first created. The results: a juicy, loosey painting of vigour, colour and personality. And, as you can see, each one unique!

Next week we will explore a similar exercise. Want to join us? Let me know through FB, by phone (613-294-0373) or by email. $20, all supplies included, Wednesday evening 7-9. I also run a program Monday afternoons from 1-3:30.

I can't complain - it was, and still is, a lovely summer. Fall is almost here, though, and I am making my list, checking it twice to pick up supplies for the fall season. Let's see...Magenta, Primary Cyan, Bright Yellow, Bright Red...

Summer saw me attending an amazing workshop with Brian Smith - Figurative Abstracts. I have spent as much time as I could trying some of the techniques, as you can see in my posts below. One of the other things I did was enroll in the portrait workshop at the Nepean Sportsplex. I am too busy to attend this fall, but enjoyed my weeks there. While working I tried to keep some of the thinking and processes in mind as demonstrated by Brian. The third image is a conte portrait on watercolour paper, accomplished in about 15 minutes. So, I have a few new bags of tricks up my sleeve, but am happy to guide in traditional techniques, and re-explore our previous projects.

Monday classes, then, will start on September 21, 1 to 3:30. Wednesday classes start that Wednesday as well, the 23rd. Children's classes will begin October 10, as Tom and I will be out Plein Air Painting on the 2-5 October. Please <click here> for more details on classes this fall.