Learn, Laugh and Share
Creative Courage shares with you the last adventures in...
Being an artist with Donna Peters
A group of oil painters share their second day of a workshop together.
Hobby Lobby
Gulfport, Mississippi
January 18 and 25, 2014
The second day of the workshop was as exciting as the
first. The night before the Gulf Coast
had been given a good coating of sleet and ice on the bridges, but by the time
the class began at 10 am, the Southern sun had come out with it magical powers
and the earth began to warm.
The coffee pot was full, the doughnuts were hot and we were
all excited to get started.
The first Saturday everyone on the class had completed a
good background and under-painting of the Pottery plate, bowl, apples and
strawberries. The black canvas set the
tone for a very saturated color effect and proved to be a very easy start.
 |
| The instructor's painting with the "real thing" set up in front. |
Special...Demo's |
The second Saturday began with a demonstration on how to clean out a turp pot without losing valuable turpentine. Another demo followed on the basic “anatomy” of a shadow.
There was very little to worry about on the remaining brush
work of the painting. It just needed to
be taken one small bite at a time with a good demonstration before each.
The bowl and the tablecloth were wonderful exercises in how
to use very soft rainbow colours to achieve an exciting addition to our
composition. Instead of using dull greys
and flat whites, we used a family of “whites” that made the painting come
alive.
Delana has no problem mixing colours! She loves colour !
The table cloth was probably the most obscure or “abstract”
element so we worked on it for a very few minutes and then moved to the
plate. Adding small details to each item
and moving around the composition, we
avoided frustration and confusion.
Step by step. Demo by demo, we walked thru each small step
until our paintings were either finished or very, very close to be
complete.
Lewis took a great group photo so we would have it to
remember our 2 wonderful days or growing, learning and laughing together.
Our final minutes were spent sharing our paintings and
admiring the wonderful things about each one.
We delighted in the variety of styles in the class and notes what was
good about each.
There was not one
weak painting in the class. Everyone
expressed pleasure and enjoyment, but above all they each felt they had learned
many new things about art… and themselves.
 |
| The Finished Painting!...well almost. Where's the sig? |
Donna’s note:
I had used my time since the last class on the Mississippi
Coast to go out and paint on location. I
chose three locations to work and reserved a day for each. After visiting each site I noted what time of
day would be best for the light on the scene and came back as the weather and time
allowed.
 |
| Painting under the "Gateway Oak" in Pascagoula, MS |
As I had promised my friends in the class, I brought them
each back in… all in an unfinished state. I will follow up with an e-mail to them with
images of the finished works. “Field
sketches” or “plein air” works are my favorite works. Being on location to smell the salt air, hear
the sound of nature and man give me the emotion with which I can paint the
magical elements of a great painting.
The goodbyes are said and we all go back to our own worlds…
With a promise to
get together again in May and paint on location at least one day.
I include here the e-mail I gathered for them with
information on easels that are used for painting on location. The photo shows my personal tools for plein air painting.
 |
| Donna's plein air work station |
You can order the tripod and other accessories for
this one. Very popular style: below.
Mabef Pochade Boxes
Consider size and weight, but also make note of how
large a canvas they will hold. I don't paint large works outside as it is
too much wind risk.
I would look for an easel that can hold an 11 x 14."
When I travel, I plan to do many small works so I can
keep moving a capturing more scenes so I like the 9 x 12" canvases.
In our class you may want to plan on a canvas about 11 x 14."
To be frugal and not sure you will do much more painting, it would be very practical to get the metal tripod at Hobby Lobby. A good buy and it can be used later for many other things. (photo above)
Then you can reward yourself with a good French
easel after you do three "plein air" works of art.
Want to really reward
yourself?
Try the Soltec from "Cheap Joe's" on the web...
The Cadillac of field
easels! (above)
Cardboard box about $13.
There are many gadgets to carry canvases. Many
are for multi-canvases or for just one side. When it come down to it, a
shallow box the size of your canvas in the car works great. If you have
the handy handle, that will get you to the car and then put the painting in a
box.
Another great on lone source for art supplies
is: http://www.jerrysartarama.com
Like a Candy Store!
The Schlepper Handle
I had trouble finding the "Canvas Schlepper"
like Kathleen had, but here is one place on the web it is listed:
Shipping
is more than the cost of the handle, so get an extra for a friend.
Ya'll are a wonderful class.
Thank you so much for having the right supplies and
being such good artists!
I love the way you laughed at yourself and each
other. I see in each of you so many wonderfully good things.
...... I enjoy teaching in part just to be around
good people!
Thank you so much!
Donna and Lewis
 | |||
| Never Overstated |
I encourage you to speak your faith.
The news is spending all their power to convince us to drop our moral
codes.
They will win if we do not use the same right to maintain and support our
standard of values.
Let your light shine!! Talk to
everyone about the good things!
See you again soon!
Donna
See my web site for my next class: www.donnapeters.com
©Copyrighted 2014• Donna Peters 35053• All Rights Reserved
like, lights up my day and warms my heart - not an easy task in IA this winter.
ReplyDelete