Garden Party at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

"Crystal Springs" 9x12 watercolor on paper

My plein air group PAPO (Plein Air Painters of the Ozarks)  was invited to the garden party that Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.  They wanted it to be an educational experience for visitors so can learn how artists take in the outdoors.  They even provided the guests watercolor supplies!  CLICK ON IMAGES TO SEE BIGGER VERSION

My thumbnail sketches

Something I am training myself to do more often is to draw thumbnail sketches of my composition.  I don't know if I actually enjoy doing it but I seem to sell most pieces that I take time to do it for lol  

drawing 

 Then while keeping an eye on both the subject and my chosen thumbnail composition, I draw.  I have double vision problem so when I feel intimidated by all the details of a landscape, I use modified contour drawing method.

Painting begins

I build up the painting from light to dark which gives me option to change things as as I go and slowly enrich the colors.  Note on the upper part of photo, a guest was painting along with me.  She's a jeweler and we had a nice chat while painting :)

Finished in Bentonville!

 On my way home I saw bicyclists posing in front of this wall for photo so I thought I'd get my shot too :D

Plein Air to Farmer's Market 2015

"Bentonville Farmer's Market" 8x10 oil on canvas

I hosted the first paint out with PAPO (Plein Air Painters of the Ozark) this year.  We had it at Downtown Bentonville.  It was so spring fresh with bright green leaves on the trees and grounds and the tulips in multiple colors all over the square!  

 I decided to capture the monument and fountain which was full of tulips and the courthouse in the background.

Karolyn Ferrell and Erika Nelson photo by Cindy Ho

There are more photos from the event at this link PAPO  At lunch I decided not to join the group for lunch and headed home because I wasn't feeling well and the weather changing to the forecast-ed stormy afternoon.

This is how my painting evolved with final version as farmer's market shown on top of my palette above.

Underpainting of my piece

Erika Nelson's original plein air piece April 8, 2015

But I decided it needed to look like how I most enjoy the square - with the farmer's market going on, on a Saturday morning, with vendors and people and performers around it.  We all had a great day!

MyArtTutor.com's Ann Templeton and DPW landscape!

"Green of Spring" 5"x7" oil on masonite

What an absolutely victorious painting session to be able to combine work and art play! I created this painting to fulfill an assignment in a landscape online workshop offered by the legend Ann Templeton through MyArtTutor.com. It also fulfills my challenge submission to this week's Daily Paintworks.

I am not a landscape artist, but Ann Templeton took the fear away and put fun and sense of victory in my painting session. Here is her website : ANNTEMPLETON.COM

For DPW, this is a challenge offered by Carol Marine who wanted us to see how we would paint from her photo taken in Germany. Thanks Carol that was fun! :)

I work for MyArtTutor.com as creative "film" editor so why not check out my latest creation which happens to be a trailer for Ann Templeton's class using the technology of VoiceThread.Com
Click here Ann Templeton "Aspens" :)

MyArtTutor.com takes you to Glencoe, Scotland!

My latest trailer I've edited for MyArtTutor.com is an art workshop from Glencoe, Scotland by a lovely pastel painter and teacher named Margaret Evans. Usually I edit a whole workshop then I create a trailer so a trailer is usually a reason to celebrate!

Studying Richard Schmid

"Fallen Pine (after Richard Schmid)" 8x10 oil canvas

I signed up for an online course with Katie Swatland who is offering lessons from her mentor, the master Richard Schmid. This is after all the closest I've ever get to receiving direct contact or teachings from Schmid I'll ever get! This is the first lesson - above is my study from his original piece entitled "Fallen Pine". I'm liking it so far!

"Dappled" 9x12 oil on canvas

Feeling good about the lesson, I thought I'd do a "plein air" painting yesterday as I worked in the comforts of my air-conditioned art room, I painted my gazebo.... both as I see it in the future and as I looked at it lol My good neighbor gave me the arch from their yard which I gladly accepted because of this vision I have. If I can figure out a twining perennial vine with bright red colorful blooms I'd be in great shape! Any suggestions?

Well I'm disappointed in my little exploration here though. I painted the piece in my usual too complete and tight manner plus I sort of Kincaidized it (made it pretty). Perhaps it would help if I just painted what was actually in front of me and I could have just concentrated on shapes and lights.

At least I painted! And that in itself is big victory, right?

Tonalist landscape in oils, calcite cabochon wire wrap

"Simple Pleasures" 16x30 oil on canvas panel

My submission for my own masterminded challenge at our local art club. Some anonymous person left something like 20 uniformed but beautiful frames at the studio porch. They are this non-standard opening so some of us had to have wood cut for support. In my case I mounted canvas which I gesso a few times on it. Anyway, at one of the meetings, I thought we could share the frames as an art club by challenging members to take home a frame and create something "with it". So yeah, it will be interesting how they all interpreted that piece of instruction. Actually, it would be interesting to see just how many actually do something with it and show up for the "Arts on the Creek" event we're having Saturday. If I make it there, I'll be sure and take photos!

Wednesday was the 2nd and last day of my jewelry wrapping class. Our wonderful instructor asked us to show up with possible wrapping design for the 4-inch cabochon stonewe personally picked out. The one I chose is this "honeycomb calcite". I was the first to choose from the lot of them, but this stone stood out so uniquely and so naturally to me. I am glad I picked it too because by the time I thought about my design, it turned out to be something more intricate than my classmates chose! I also decided to do the horizontal format. My choices made it extra challenging of course because I couldn't really look over anybody's shoulders for comparison, in fact I even started out wrong as I was shapping the wrap for a VERTICAL yikes! Good thing we took a break for lunch and I came to my senses as I was figuring out where to put the bindings. It would have been a regrettable mistake as I truly love this piece I ended up with. I cannot tell you how it's so "me". I'm not flamboyant by nature, but I do like the more artsy look.


By clicking on the image below, you can better view my piece along with 5 of the other students' works. There were two more students but I think they were being shy. It is a sign of a good instructor to have her whole class yield such impressive work!