Bay Boats & Birds

Today I have begun a new painting....

To get an e-mail for each of the steps I will be doing over the next few days, be sure to "Join" my blog so you know when a new step has been posted.   Donna

This painting has been in the mental workroom for weeks, maybe even months.  Last month I even went back to the location to see if I was missing anything and from there I have moved on around the bend to another view point that I think I like better.
                          It is OK to change ones mind... even a very good thing at times.

I did some sketches on location, but the important work has been happening in my imagination as I have decided what not to include from the "Kodak" version of the view.  I always like to make it look as much as it may have looked 50 years earlier.  More nature, more birds, grasses and such.

This is more original inspiration photo.  Remember it is just the "seed" for the idea.  As an artist, I have the right to take away, move and even add other elements.

I made a list of what I wanted in this painting:

• Oak tree
• Shrimp boats
• old dock
• birds
• water grasses
• Spanish Moss
• Keep it looking like the location it really is.

 From my cabinet of files, I pull out other photos, sketches and tear sheets which I keep in large resource files which have collecting been for decades.

My life is in these files and I find them very nostalgic.

A collection of images helps me think outside the box and add things that will add color, texture and mood to the painting at hand.

 

I am working on an 18 x 24" sheet of masonite that I sanded and then gave three coats or more of Gesso.  I love this surface.  It makes doing detail so easy and even tho it is lots of prep work, the cost is great and the  versatility of size and shape are easy to change.

Sketches In Layers

I hope you can see the many little pieces of thin paper.  Each has a drawing on it.  I tape them to the canvas surface and each other.  I can change the placement of each one and even add or eliminate things as I design my composition. 

 

The pelicans are a fun addition to my composition.  I had actually photographed the top one on a dock just across the bay the same day so that was a natural decision.  He has to have a mate so I sketched another out to give him company.

I decided they were too close to the same size so I did another drawing of the bottom one and 

made her smaller.

 

 

 Great I like the change.  It will add depth to my comp.  

So far so good!

I will want to do something else to get away from this new work before I begin to transfer the drawing to the canvas.  

I will come back later to see if I am still happy with the arrangement.

If not, this is a great time to make changes.

note: This is the way I begin a painting in the studio.  If I were in the field, it would be a more direct approach and I would begin by drawing directly on the canvas and make decisions much faster.

If you have questions feel free to e-mail me.  The whole purpose to to help you move ahead in your own artistic growth.  

d.p.

Teaching And Sharing

The February oil workshops were a huge success.

 For those who have just joined the Creative Courage Blog, I taught three one day workshops in February in three different cities at the local Hobby Lobby stores.  We averaged 12 at each one which is about the limit for the space our equipment.  The variety of participants was a much fun as an Easter egg basket.  Beginners, Sunday painters and even a professional or 2 made for a fabulous group.  

Here are three of the many wonderful responses we have received: 

Dear Donna,

I had to take an opportunity to let you know how much I enjoyed your class yesterday at Hobby Lobby! I have tried to take art classes from other instructors before, but became very frustrated because I felt I was not receiving the type of instruction I needed, nor the individual time I needed. I did not feel that frustration in your class. I came away from the class feeling fulfilled. I received not only the type of instruction I needed, but the individual time I needed also. After your class I believe I am ready to tackle more projects with a lot more confidence.

Thank you so much! I look forward to more of your classes.

O.M.

I loved the note from Mary who has already written us to ask how to handle a canvas selection for her next painting:

                               I had a great time and looking forward to your next oil class.

Donna,

Just a quick note to thank you for the class Saturday.  I set up my

stuff in a bright area of my basement and am ready to go.  I did some

work on the painting.

I was quite overcome when a lady in the Mississippi class told me, with tears in her eyes.

“I have waited 50 years for this day.”

      When I hear things like this from friends who have joined with me to learn to paint on an adult level, I am in awe and so blessed to have them as a student.

 

I promise to give you inspiration, serious technique and support you as you grow and enrich your life in meaningful artistic experience.

Suggestions for success:

Palette:

I see more frustration and anxiety when artists try to avoid buying the best palette.  Paper plates are terrible even at picnics… and worse when used as a palette!!

Buy the Masterson blue lid box that seals.  Buy the 12 x 16" size disposable palette.  Remove only the cover of the palette and put the WHOLE disposable palette into the palette box.

To see how to clean this palette at the end of your paint day, view my video
“How The Clean a Paint Palette.”

Take the yellow top cover off the pad and place the entire pad into the box.

It is so very important to always lay out your paints in the same order!

The blue bar in the top right hand corner is reserved for your palette knife.  This one small bit of change in your paint experience can make a huge difference.  The cost of this palette and box will be paid for by the savings in paint... in your first week of painting!

Brushes:

Learning what brushes are best for you is very much like your collection of shoes:

You never have all you want.

Certain ones will always be your favorite.

When you have a special occasion, the wrong pair of shoes can ruin picture.

Take the advice of a good teacher and invest in some good brushes.  Buy them one at a time on sale or using coupons.  Take care of them.

 Never allow them to sit in the turp jar.

Clean them well after each use.

Turpentine jar:

If you use a fruit jar with a little turpentine in the bottom, you will never have a clean brush because the brush will go back into the dirty turp.  Special and affordable jars are available in all the hobby stores that have a metal coil or wire dome to allow the dirty paint to fall to the bottom of the jar.  The brush is gently rubbed across  the metal coil or wire dome.  The old paint falls thru to the bottom of the turp jar allowing the brush to be cleaned.  The turpentine should come about 1/2" over the coil. DO NOT USE BRUSH CLEANER. Use turpentine that is sold with the art supplies.  It is odorless and distilled just for this use.

Note, never allow your brushes to sit in the turp as shown. 

A very special thank you goes to 

Hobby Lobby 

and their generous use of the class rooms in Gulfport, MS, 

Cullman and Huntsville, AL

I hope that each of the visitors to my blog will gain some very good information from this edition.  Imagine getting directions from your house to a friend's home.  Remove just one sentence and I doubt you will get where 

you want to be.

donna peters

Gathering the Inspiration

A great day before teaching my class!

To inspire others, I need to be filled with enthusiasm for my own endeavors and today is that day.
The sun is warm but the slight breeze is cool.
I have returned to this same spot several times over the years. Today I sat waiting to hear the draw bridge signal to open telling me a boat was coming.

The ideas for a painting are not always instant. Some takes months or years to develop in the minds eye. It is this imagination we feed with new information and fresh inspiration.

The Little Tricks of Painting

Sharing....

It takes courage to admit emotions can deal us all trouble when we want to paint.  I tell the folks that paint with me to never put them away because once they get "cold" it is twice as hard to get them out again.

Here are a few tricks to make getting back into painting a little less intimidating.  


1. Make a date with yourself to have the paints and easel out and in the right place by 5 pm tomorrow.

2. Check your brushes to make sure they were cleaned right after you last painted.  It some feel stiff, get the brush soap and lather them up real well, working the suds into the bristles.  Let sit over-night.
        whew!  Now you can't paint for a few days because brush cleaning takes several days.  Rinse well the next day and allow them to dry for a couple of days before using. Wink!

3.  Before you paint, give yourself a day or so just to try and remember where you were with the unfinished work...... Only work on ONE at a time for now.  Turn the others to the wall.

4. Plan your day for painting.  Get the daily tasks out of the way before starting.  Turn phones off.  

5. If by now you are comfortable with painting and the world is not beating your door down, dig in and stay up all night! 

Congratulations! 

If you have painted with us on so many paint weeks on the coast when Brenda P. is with us, you will want to know her Chemo started yesterday!!  She had her hair cut off today and is sporting a snazzy wig. 
 Let's keep her in our prayers.  We have so many more paintings to do together!

Happy Valentines!

Looking forward to painting with 12 great folks this Saturday in Gulfport, MS !!
Everyone is so excited to have friends to get them painting again.  Love it!
Donna

Hobby Lobby Day of Fun!

Whoopie!

We had a wonderful day in Cullman's Hobby Lobby.  

The day began with the threat of frozen rain, but all 13 of us arrived safely.  Nestled in our back room studio we entered a day of fun and learning.  The weather no longer a problem for any of us.

The class was a perfect balance of artists.  We had 2 beginners that we helped shop for supplies. 
                       That was fun. 

There were others who had painted years ago and are now working to reclaim their earlier desire to become artists. We also had several really accomplished artists that know the value of studying with other artist just to keep their skills developing and growing.
 

The start of any good painting are the right materials, colours and a palette ready for use. 
Marion is a great artist and always curious to find now materials and colour combinations.

The room worked real well for our group. Each person had a comfortable place to paint.  The coffee pot and a snack cakes were available for anyone who needed a break. 

 With our palettes all squeezed and ready to go, we mix our first three shades of green and using the palette knife, we dab it on to be blended later using the simplest of brushes.

Easy enough and we are off into a magical day of oil painting.

 Enthusiasm is contagious as we inspire each other.  Throw in a little humor and the day is ours.

Pretty soon the canvases fill with shades of green blue and purple.  

The water of a soothing pond takes shape and it is almost time for lunch.

Each new color is explained.  Each new step is demonstrated.  By afternoon, there are 13 new paintings in the class.  We are all excited about the new techniques we have learned and excited to apply them to other paintings to come. 

The day has been wonderful.  New friends are made and we make plans to get together again to paint. 

Many thanks to Hobby Lobby, our host for the day.  

Hobby Lobby has made new hobbies available to so many people in America thru their stores.  It was just a couple of years ago that being an artist meant we had to order all our supplies from places far away and wait for days for them to arrive. 

The next workshops will be in Huntsville, AL and Gulfport, MS.
If you want to be a part of one of these days in February, let us.  It is very important that you reserve your space.  Classes can fill very quickly!


Donna

Workshops by Donna

If you see this poster in your Hobby Lobby store, I will doing a one day workshop to teach the magic and fun of painting in oil.

Each workshop is one day beginning around 9 am and with a short break for lunch we will paint and have fun until about 4 pm.

The painting will be a 10 x 20" canvas with the water lilies already drawn on it for a smooth and easy start.

The Cullman class is full, but there are a few openings in Gulfport and Huntsville.

Hope you can join us. Class fee is $50. And that includes the canvas. We love beginners!

The last dance with a painting....

The last dance....

Welcome to the final edition of this project!  I hope you will join my blog so when I begin another project on-line, you will receive an e-mail and can follow along with us.  

I love teaching and sharing.  Thank you for joining me in this project!!

donna

I decided yesterday that I would finish this painting today.  From experience I know how an artist can get entranced in the comfort of a painting and avoid finishing it. 

Each evening. I spend time making my studio and palette right for the next session. 
 I use the time to think about what will be next.

 Consistency is the key.  I make labels for my classes that fit around the edges of the palette so you not only know where to put the colours, but you learn the names of each colour.

 This is a real confidence booster!

It is important to put out enough colour each time.  Having to stop and find a tube can be a real hassle and interruption... especially in the field.


I divided the final steps up in my mind and decided which step or area I would complete next.  Mentally, I moved all the other issues of the painting to the back of my mind and attacked the first step with confidence.

I offer advice to my fellow painters to avoid the opinions of most spouses... especially if they are engineers or accountants.  (we laugh!)  Hormonal teens fit in this list too.

Knowing my subject as I do, I cannot imagine this house without the big trees.  The trees had to be put in last as a framing device that gives us all the answers and stays accurate.  I added the Magnolia first on the left.

Note: I use damar "Retouch" varnish spray to "lift" the color if that last session has dried. Once the oil colour dries, it looks dull and flat so much that when you start painting over it, it does not visually blend and does not look right.  Take the painting outside, lay it flat and give it a light even coat of "retouch" varnish.  Careful not to over-do this as it will flow and streak once you stand it back up

The Magnolia began to look a little "arranged" or "cookie cutter" so I had to back up and relax to make it more natural.  If you are not an artist this might sound strange, but it works.

 Drinking, however does not work....

I show you my palette while working on the "greens" which can be a real key to a great landscape.  Learning to create shade of "grey green" is key to really great trees and things that grow in God's garden of beauty.  To make a certain area look vibrant, it is necessary that other areas appear dull... or grey.  Also, to make things appear in the distance, you have to make them even more grey... add more blue and orange along with white to see what a difference that can make. 

The right side of the canvas needed something as well, but not the tall oaks or heavy fig trees I remembered there.  I began adding a low branch of a pin oak and it morphed into a Wisteria type bush that I liked.  I am pretty sure the family will approve of this bit of artistic improvisation.

I finally signed the painting.  

  

I usually see things I could change, but it is probably best to let it go.  There are exceptions to this rule and each artist has to decide when the desire to "fix" something overrides the wisdom to leave it alone.

 There are no rules,  just good judgement.

donna peters

2013 

I have enjoyed sharing this blog with you.  I learn a little more about the BLOG thing each time I do it.  I love teaching what I have learned about art and myself.

This week I have taken 2 hours each day to get away from the painting and sketch out doors. 

In my 2013 to-do list I committed to doing a set of sketches for some note cards.  Each card will be a sketch from a place I really enjoy sitting with a view that on God can improve on.

Set your goals high and laugh at yourself.  Spend time with people who are living and not just "consuming" life and stuff.  

Have a great year and make everyday count!

If you live near one of the cities where I will be teaching a one day class at

 Hobby Lobby, I hope you will join us.

You can find all the information about the workshops on my web site:
www.donnapeters.com



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For those friends who paint with me on the coast,  our friend, Mary, is doing well.  
She sends her love!