Sittin' it Out

6x6 oil on board

Ok, so I left you hanging but not intentionally. The power came on Monday night while I was cooking dinner by battery powered lamp and feeling so great about scoring 6 bags of ice at a liquor store that had just opened about an hour before and still has some left. Yup, 6 unnecessary bags of ice but WHATEVER. We have electricity. We're so spoiled, really but those long dark nights are just nasty.

This little cow creamer is sitting down. Don't ask me why but I bought a sitting pig creamer and a sitting duck creamer. Don't tell Don ;)
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Value Studies

After my recent workshop with Carol Marine I'm aware that I need to study values to strengthen my paintings. When she had us mix a 'middle' gray, no one got it. All were too dark. So, I mixed and matched values right on my gray scale value chart. If I squint these grays blend into the backgrounds and that's how you know you're right on.  Values and composition are the most important elements of a painting. I also did a color wheel using Prussian Blue, Quinacridone Red and Cad Lemon.

Spider Mums and Red Parasol study

I started this painting Saturday and am sticking to Carol Marine's method here. Choose a color scheme from the color wheel. Decide on a value pattern using the rule of thirds and above all, one brush stroke at a time. I know I've heard this countless times but her work shows that less is more. I'm going for economy of brushwork.There are some good spots in this but the background may be too broken up. I always have some White Spider Mums in my house. I love them.

Three Against One

This is my value block in from Carol's Workshop. I added color and then I added some more color! I also finished the Ibis painting last night and will photograph it today. My hubby still likes it, which is good ;) We'll see what everyone else thinks.