Workshop and Kiddos

Last Friday was a bit of a whirlwind.  I participated in an acrylic painting workshop at the Art 302 building in Broken Arrow with the incomparable Chantel Barber!  

OMG, acrylics are not in my wheelhouse but I wanted to try it and Chantel was the perfect instructor to help me pull it off.  I haven't finished the painting yet and don't want to share till I do at this point.  The workshop was a 3 day workshop and by the end of the first day I was ready to toss it in and go get my oils, but I decided to stick it out, to learn.  The last time I had worked with acrylics I was 14 years old and hated them then.  I'm still not a fan but it was a great way to reintroduce myself to the medium.

Chantel is absolutely was one of the best instructors I have ever had.  I learned a ton and she was kind and generous enough to share her knowledge.  She's promised to return next year!!!

After 3 longs days of learning art stuff I was then tasked to take care of the 3 year old again.  Sadly Mighty Max Sunday morning woke up not feeling well and by the end of the day Min was dropped off at her Auntie Biff's for me to get later in the day while Max was taken to the emergency room.

A baby with half a heart needs to be watched closely and quickly in the evening his temp was rising.

Poor little guy had pneumonia.  It's a common thing in these heart babies.

They quickly put him on strong antibiotics and they kicked that pneumonia's butt!  By morning Monday morning the pneumonia was gone and he was smiling.  This baby....

Min spent one more night with us but so very happy to be able to hug her little brother again.  She was really so good with us, not the potty training regression (thank GOD!)  With her getting a bit older she is so much more fun to hang around with, yet it is tiring.  I just couldn't get her to leave the house.  I really needed to go to the studio but she did NOT want to leave so we just hung at the house.  

I'm very glad that all is well with this little guy and that they are all home. Today they had to go to OKC to his cardiologist to check the heart with an echocardiogram and all turned out fine!  That's a good thing.

Patrick Saunders Workshop

What a FANTASTIC time I've had these past 3 days.  After it was canceled 2 years ago because of Covid, we FINALLY got to take Patrick Saunders workshop.  What an incredibly nice man and giving instructor he is.  He really wanted to share and help us to become better artists.  

As is usual he did a demo the first part of each day and day 1, Thursday he did that.  Watching those cows appear on the canvas was incredible.  His approach is familiar yet different and refreshing.  I was in such need of a workshop and this was the perfect one to jump start my mind again.

He even had these words to evaluate your drawing/painting process and it was great.  He then gave each of us a little business size card to keep and remember these words, again nice man.

Day 2 was florals and he is quite a master in them.  He started out his working career at Hallmark doing flowers (honestly I like these better.)

 

After each day of watching and then painting I went home absolutely exhausted, mentally mostly.  (You know I take a nap everyday and missed that!)

Day 3 was pet portraits, again he is a master.  Pet portraits and "human" portraits are basically the same process.  

My first day at the easel was a struggle to begin.  I always have that issue on the first day with a new instructor and surrounded by new people who see what I can or cannot do.  I will finish this one and yes it is quite familiar as I've painted this road several times, selling every one I have painted.

My day 2 was yet again another familiar photo that I've painted before and sold but it just spoke to me.

This one needs a bit of tweeking but I felt better painting on Day 2 and more confident.

Also Day 2 I purchased one of his paintings!  It will hang proudly on my collector wall in the dining room.  This painting is also an award winner and I'd seen it on his Facebook page loved it.

I did paint Day 3 but forgot to take a photo of it.  I'll finish and share later, it's a person.

I did finish this in the studio on Tuesday and promptly sold it!  I will probably paint it again because I love to paint roads and shadows playing on the road.

Birthday Dinner and More

Birthday food!  Yes this was my birthday dinner at the newly revamped Wild Fork in Utica Square.  I tried to get reservations at Amelia's downtown, but they were booked solid.  For my birthday I wanted to go to a restaurant and ORDER OFF A MENU!  It wasn't our first time out to eat since all the lock down stuff but the other places were small lunch places, this was BIRTHDAY DINNER! It was a great birthday all the way around. 

This week started off with a workshop.  Finally, a workshop.  The last one that was scheduled was for May with Patrick Saunders, and was canceled because of Covid-19.  I was in great need to be with other artists and learn.  (We all were masked during the workshop!)  Luckily my friend and incredible artist (one of the top in the field in the US), Derek Penix had one.  My studio partner, Linda is better friends with Derek and always enlists her to help him set up workshops in Tulsa, so I was able to jump right in.  This may be his last one in Tulsa as his entire family has moved to California and in fact this workshop was on his way out of town.  Derek can be a bit manic in the delivery of his knowledge he has to share with you, but well worth it.  He is absolutely amazing to watch and to listen too.  I was able to get this little Indigo Bunting finished in his class and posted it on Facebook and Instagram later in the evening.  I had three people interested in purchasing it and sold it to one of our cabin friends for a birthday present (they don't read this blog.)  So I know he is going to a loving home.  

Watching Derek paint his famous peaches is just something to see.  He starts out so very abstract with swooshes and swipes and all of a sudden, peaches start appearing.  

I own four Derek Penix paintings and now count this latest one as mine too...FIVE, I own.   

OMG...I love this one and he was hesitant on letting it go because it was one of his favorites, but now, it's MINE!  

Workshop Time Yet Again

Well, hello all.  Here it is May 20 and I haven't posted since April.  It's been pretty busy with a lot of work at the office (can't WAIT till we retire).  We will celebrate 40 years in business this September.  I can't believe that as the years seem to have flown by.  It's been fun, a headache, and an experience for sure.  I wouldn't trade any part of our life being self-employed for all the tea in China!  

The past week I've been at yet another workshop in Arkansas.  This was billed as a portrait workshop but started off as still life.  Linda and I were a bit confused but I think he just needed to see what he had to work with as far as students.  I usually go into these workshops very antsy and unsure of what I can do.  I can't seem to get started and end up frustrated by the end, but this time, WOW!  I don't know if he was just blowing smoke, but by the end of the first day of drawing and painting these globes and drapes, I felt like the golden child.  He was constantly taking my effort to the front of the room or telling the other students to come look at what I had done.  He seemed very impressed by my drawing capabilities.

 

At one point I put a stroke as he was standing behind me and he scared me to death as he said "FANTASTIC", then quickly grabbed the painting again to show the class my "perfect" stroke.  He said my drawing was STELLAR and that at the end should be framed!  Wow, usually the workshop stuff ends up painted over and in essence trash.  

I won't deny that by the end of the day I had a big head.  It felt really good.

Day 2 and we finally were on to actual people but quickly realized the portrait workshop was a figure workshop.  I was okay with that but I know Linda really wanted the portrait side, to learn how he gets the beautiful skin tones in his portraits, as I did too.  But, I got some practice I needed in figures. 

So Rebecca was first up.  I HATED that damn hat but it is what it is and again he kept coming around and praising my drawing.  Usually I'm not open to criticism and my responses send the instructor on to other people but I decided, with a lot of encouragement from Linda, to be different in this workshop.  I even let him put strokes on the canvas, which I DON'T like.  But, he really put very few and again my drawing was trotted out to the front of the class for praise.  It was getting a bit embarrassing, but exciting.

I HATE THAT HAT!

Day 3 and sweet Nick came to sit for us.  I loved his hair but we were yet again painting red or a shade of red.  Reds are hard to get because if you touch white it can turn pink so quickly.  

The praise was again dolled out and I was beginning to think people may hate me but it really helped me feel as "I can do it!"  He really liked how I did the pants on Nick. 

This is where I really NEEDED the portrait side of the class for skin colors and facial features.  He said my colors were fine but boy did I struggle getting them.  

Day 4 and Rebecca was back and so was the damn red tones.  She was a beast modeling for us.  She sat and sat and sat.

The drawing was a bit tougher but he liked it. 

Finally, paint, and I ended up really liking this painting and where it was going.  Of all the days this is probably my favorite.   

I don't know if I will keep any of these paintings or just paint over them but it was a great exercise and I can't wait to do a real painting of someone I know.  I feel that my drawing skills are really stepping up and that gives me a boost of confidence.  

Hopefully I won't be away so long but seems that life is just so busy lately I don't have a second to share here.  My blogaversery, 13 years is quickly approaching in June.  Can't believe I've been sharing here for that long.  So onward to the day.  Have a great day and stay safe in Tornado Alley as the weather is a beast today.

Daniel Keys

Hello out there my friends.  I know I've been kind of quiet lately but I have been BUSY!  Two weeks ago was the couple of days travel to Arkansas then back to work a bit.  Then next up last week was the big 60th Birthday Bash that I barely had time enough to recover from when this week rolled around with the painting workshop.

This week I have been planning on for months.  This workshop is why I have been purging my closets and cleaning out my home studio.  Not only were we to have the Daniel Keys 3-day workshop but I was hosting him and the artists at my house for dinner.  

The workshop began on Monday with him demoing painting roses.  Roses are hard ya'll but he makes them look easy.

He demoed in the morning and we were to try our hand in the afternoon.  So we began.  It's always a little scary for me in the beginning of a painting in front of the artist but I did it. 

I kind of like it but not really sure.  It's done and I think they look like roses! 

Day 2 and 3 is still life.  This is his still life he set up using my great-great grandmother's pitcher.  He loved it and I was thrilled.  It was a beautiful set up or composition.  He says that composition is not important but this is where I truly disagree with him.  I think it is most important.  You don't want an ugly set up to paint it won't be fun and pleasing to the eye.   

He began on Day 2 with this...

and makes it look so very easy...HAHAHAHA! 

Day 3 he filled in the pitcher and the bottom half and we continued on with our still life that we set up in the afternoon on day 2. 

OH MY GOSH!!!

Isn't this just beautiful.  I have to tell you a few months ago I had been looking for a painting of his to buy but let me tell you they are hard to get.  They are snatched up so fast you have seconds when he puts them out there, unless you want to pay THOUSANDS...and I mean thousands of dollars for them.  One day I happened to be on Facebook at just the right second when he posted another studio/workshop painting of pansies and a red canary.  The price was right and I fell in love with it.  He had it through a gallery, I clicked BUY and in that golden second it was MINE!  I was thrilled.  

Now back to this little jewel.  Normally the students of the workshop put your names in the buckets for whichever painting they would like to purchase and they draw names.  If you want it you can buy it then and there.  That bucket was FULL as was the roses painting.  My friend Linda's name was drawn for this one and I was thrilled for her.  A few minutes earlier she had told me if her name was drawn that she would let me buy it from her but I was NOT going to hold her to that.  She was thrilled with it as was I.  But as we went home that night after the three days her conscience was not letting her enjoy the purchase.  Plus she felt strongly that the piece belonged with the real pitcher.  WHAT!  She sent me a text that next morning before we were to go to our regular art class and told me she wanted me to have it if I wanted it....well, YES!  But, I wanted to make damn sure she was not going to regret it because she got it fair and square.  She assured me that it was what she felt was right and folks...this beauty is now mine. 

Oh my gosh isn't it just lovely.  I can't wait for it to dry and be framed and hang on my wall along side the canary!  Thank you so very much my friend!

Oh and this was our set up to paint...

and my painting for the last two days. 

I am tired, truly tired today, this morning.  It has been a whirlwind few months and I am absolutely pooped and it's not over as I am to go to our high school "60th Birthday" picnic at four today.  Folks it is getting hot here and not looking forward to it.  Oh I love the hot but not when I am mentally exhausted.  Still trying to decide if I want to NOT go but in the end I probably will.