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Class Notes--Week 2

1/29/2018

Composition is the gravity that holds a painting together."
Frank Webb

Composition must be considered as you plan your painting and there are certain things you can do:

Use a compliment color as an underpainting. For example: If you are painting a landscape that is composed of mostly green trees, use a soft red to cover your entire canvas before your begin the painting. When finished, your painting will have bits of the compliment color visible throughout your painting.
Use similar shapes throughout the painting and use different sizes of the same shapes. This is often referred to as using papa bear, momma bear, and baby bear shapes.
Include a combination of lost (fuzzy) and found (sharp) edges. Often lost edges are used in the distance and found edges are used in the foreground.
Although you should use a combination of strokes, make sure you use the same strokes in different areas of your painting.
Don't use equal amounts of warm and cool colors. One should be dominate.
Use odd rather than even numbers. For example, If you are painting a still life of pears, use an odd number of pears rather than an even number of pears.
Avoid kissing objects. In other words, in a painting objects that are just touching are awkward. Either move objects apart or overlap them.
Sometimes it is good to take a break from a painting and come back to it later.

Anthony also shared a handout on how to critiquing paintings, including our own.

Homework assignment: Understanding the use of values--lights and darks

Create a monochromatic still life painting--a painting where you use only one color and tints of that color.
The still life should contain at least 6 objects. (Most successful paintings have 7-12 shapes.)
Create a contour drawing of the shapes in your still life.
Sketch in the values.
Consider the point of interest with the rule of 3rds.
Create the painting using red, blue, or green plus white for the color.

*not quite sure if this qualifies as a still life

Blessed

1/27/2018

But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them.
Psalm 103:17-18

I remember looking out the window in my Grandmother's kitchen and seeing my Grandfather standing beside their car. One hand was resting on the top of the opened door, the other on the top of the teal and white Chevy.

I asked my Grandmother, "Why does he always stand there for awhile before he gets in the car?"

"He always asks God to watch over and protect him before he goes anywhere," my Grandmother replied.

Thank you Lord for parents, grandparents, and the generations before them that followed you.

Class Notes--Week 1

1/19/2018

During the first week of the UNF painting class our instructor, Anthony Whiting, explained the importance of understanding a split primary color wheel. Honestly, I had never heard of a split primary color wheel before. It is a color wheel used by painters that includes both warm and cool primaries.

The warm primaries: cadium red medium, cadium yellow medium, and ultramarine blue.
The cool primaries: naphthol crimson or alizarin crimson, cadmium yellow light or lemon yellow, and cerulean blue.

According to Anthony, understanding how to properly use warm and cool primaries creates more vivid colors and adds depth to your paintings. Here is a picture of my finished color wheel.

Anthony also shared a five step procedure to apply when creating a painting:

Make a note of the inspiration for the painting and name the painting.
Produce several sketches of what you want to paint.
Take 1 of the sketches and draw the shapes. Next add the darks and lights (values) to the shapes. Value is extremely important because is helps determine the center of interest.
Create a few color studies for the painting.
Deliberately center your point of interest using the rule of thirds. You can lightly graph in your lines. The center of interest should be on one of the four points where the lines converge. The center of interest should have the lightest light next to the darkest dark, be the brightest color, or be where the lines converge on a perspective painting.

Below is my homework assignment.

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."
Goethe

Let the painting begin!

1/16/2018

Today I attended my first class as an UNF OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) student. The class, Use Acrylic Paints to Create Impactful Art, is being taught by Anthony Whiting. Whiting is one of the top painting instructors in jacksonville. He has studied and taught classes all over the world. I am excited for this opportunity and look forward to all I can learn from him. It is a good feeling to get my paints back out.

Roxy is a great mom

1/15/2018

I remember reading every book on childbirth and parenting I could get my hands on when I was expecting. I was afraid I wouldn't know what to do or how to do things right. I've been thinking about this as Roxy takes care of her pups. She can't read. She can't listen to podcasts or check out blogs on parenting. She can't discuss child rearing issues with her mom or friends--yet, she knows exactly what to do. She feeds, baths, protects, nurtures and cuddles her babies. She is a great mom! God created Roxy with all the mothering instincts she needs to take care of her pups. It is a great reminder of what an incredible creator our God is!

We have puppies!

1/13/2018

1/11/2018 -- 10:30am
Vet Appointment for X-rays. Everything looks good but the size of babies indicates a C-section will probably be needed (a common thing for Frenchies). Roxy's vitals are fine. Five strong heartbeats. Scheduled an appointment for Monday.

1/11/2018 -- 5:45pm
We think Roxy's water possibly broke. Returned to Vet. Roxy's vitals are good. Babies heartbeats are strong and all looks good on the ultrasound. No indication that water actually broke.

1/11/2018 -- 8:00pm
Roxy gets up to pee and all of a sudden a fetal sac is protruding. Rushed to Veterinarian ER hospital. First puppy was feet first and became stuck. The doctor had to manually remove her. She didn't make it. Roxy prepped for C-section and four more puppies delivered. Two girls, two boys. Roxy and pups stayed the night because Roxy did not appear to be producing enough milk. The babies were supplemented with esbilac.

1/12/2018 -- 7:00am
Roxy and babies loaded up to come home.

Roxy Update...

1/11/2018

FIVE little pups!

Wordless Art

1/11/2018

If you haven't heard of Wordless Art by Maria Fabrizio you need to check it out. Maria begins each day reading the news. She chooses one article from the day and sketches, digitizes, and posts an illustration that represents the story. At the bottom of the post is a link to the article. Below is the post from today.

RELATED STORY: NY TIMES
climate change, gender, sea turtles

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Class Notes--Week 2

Blessed

Class Notes--Week 1

Let the painting begin!

Roxy is a great mom

We have puppies!

Roxy Update...

Wordless Art

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