Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Back to the Drawing, er ... Painting Board... er Canvas

Today is the day to paint and paint

Let's hope it's something good that won't make you faint

Or utter sad words like "An artist she ain't"

You could always just say "Now isn't that quaint?"



It's okay if you don't like it

I promise not to cry

But you just might hear me sigh and sigh

As I try to capture the blue of the sky



If nothing else I'll be happy if I make you smile

Just try not to crack up too much for a little while

So I won't hear you rolling around on the floor

As you wonder if you can take much more!






Here is the magnolia blossom I was working on, actually that I am still working on....





Here the instructor added a little more blue background on the left bottom side as well as helping me with more shading...this may sound crazy but I think I liked it better before and would have just made the center yellow/orange....Oh, well, I know so little and this is a learning experience...



While this is setting, she hands me another canvas and props up another ladies' painting and says to start from scratch...yikes, I thought we were stenciling in EVERYTHING. She did the first few 'good' trees on the left and then I did the sorry ones afterward. She started the clouds and I 'amplified' them...


Some neat facts from the Internet and maybe we can learn together....

Following are the tips for you to maintain good oil painting habits:

Tips for saving color:
• Clean away any mixtures near heaps of colors you are setting up to keep.
• Keep a habit to put colors in same place on palette - used up areas must be worn out & wiped for new oil paint for next painting session.
• For disposable palettes scoop off mounds of paint you desire to maintain with your knife and move them to a fresh sheet; if a skin shapes, stab and take away the skin and work with the new color under.
• If you are not regular on painting for a week - cover palette with plastic cover & place in freezer.
• When you desire to clean your palette clean off central mixing area of wooden/acrylic palette, when you are done with your oil painting,
• For caring for tube keep tubes clean, wipe necks & caps.

Caring for your brushes:
• Wipe to take away surplus paint on rags, newspaper, etc.
• Rinse in container of solvent not advisable to soak.
• Clean your oil painting brush with rags, newspaper to immerse up solvent
• You can also use mild soap (shampoo or dawn), put dab in palm of your hand, foam brush in palm moving in circle to work foam into bristles.
• Lather & wash it in lukewarm water until soap suds are snow white, & rinse with clear water; bristles might discolor.
• Press bristles into tidy, solid shape while moist.
• Let it dry and store in jar bristle-end up.

Safety precautions:
• Read labels on oil paints and mediums - some are gently toxic (cadmium colors), so you need to careful with it.
• Avoid consumption of food or smoking while you paint
• Wash hands carefully after oil painting reproduction session; try using lotion to hands before hand, paints would wash off easier
• Some solvents don't create deadly fumes, any how, must be used in well air room - open a window
• Some solvents are combustible also and toxic (gasoline, kerosene) - stick to turpentine and petroleum stuff made for artist's use.

Here's another shot of the same picture but a slightly different angle...

Now if looking at those paintings didn't make you laugh hard enough, maybe these jokes will do the trick...

The Art Collector
A famous art collector is walking through the city when he notices a mangy cat lapping milk from a saucer in the doorway of a store. He does a double take.

He knows that the saucer is extremely old and very valuable, so he walks casually into the store and offers to buy the cat for two dollars.

The storeowner replies, "I'm sorry, but the cat isn't for sale."

The collector says, "Please, I need a hungry cat around the house to catch mice. I'll pay you 20 dollars for that cat."

And the owner says "Sold," and hands over the cat.

The collector continues, "Hey, for the twenty bucks I wonder if you could throw in that old saucer. The cat's used to it and it'll save me from having to get a dish."

The owner says, "Sorry buddy, but that's my lucky saucer. So far this week I've sold sixty-eight cats."

*************
Sardar at an Art Gallery: I suppose this horrible looking thing is what you call modern art ?
Art dealer: I beg your pardon sir, that's a mirror!

**************


You might be artistically inclined if...


1.You were more concerned about the color of your car than the fuel consumption.


2.The highlights in your hair are from your palette and not Clairol.

3.You are having lunch with the girls and the fragrance you wear is eau d'linseed oil.

4.The only piece of new furniture you have in your home is a $2000 easel.

5.You butter your toast with your fingers, just to feel its texture.

6.You think about taking a picture to a movie.

7.You talk about going to a movie where the pictures don't move.

8.You are over 50 and still have no health insurance.

9.Your family takes out a life insurance plan on you for less than $5000.

10.You know what shade of green the lichen on the trees is.

11.You can't find a nice outfit for your date because everything has paint smears on.

12.Your date ends up with paint smears on her/him.

~~~Thank You Lord for the blessings of new starts with new things and new people.

17 comments:

  1. HI marcy!!!
    I liked what your instructor did with the shading on your Magnolia, but I agree with you on the center color. Yellow/orange would have been a better choice I think. But I do like it. I enlarged your trees and I thought that your trees were better than the instrutors. They reminded me more of Claude Monet's work, who is my favorite artist!
    Wonderful work Marcy. I do feel that you should keep pursueing painting.
    Love Di

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  2. Hi Marcy.
    What a talented lady you are with the painting as well - very therapautic I would think.
    I have been doing a different type of painting - decorating a bedroom which was a nice change even though my hip sounded like a machine gun from time to time when I was crawling around cutting in over skirting boards. All by "Royal Command!" hmm!
    Thank you for your kind comments at my place - knew it was you vene though the piccies do not work for some reason - must be a blogger's end I think.
    Blessings to you Marcy and see you soon ~ Eddie x

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  3. Wonderful read Marcy! Hey do you suppose all those artists starving in Montmartre garrets knew all that stuff about brushes and oils and fumes? That'd be why they starved in garrets - they didn't look after their brushes and tubes. They were probably high as kites most of the time from fumes.

    Don't tell teacher but I liked your trees better too. I thought the idea was to express what YOU see. Would not have liked to be Picasso's eyes!

    love, Angie, xx

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  4. I guess you are learning the ABC's of oil painting - proper technique....after you're finished with the ABC's you can do your own WORDS! I can't wait to see your WORDS. They will be great! They will be your own.

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  5. Very impressive. I don't even do stick figures well! My parents had two huge magnolia trees at their home and the blossoms were so pretty and smelled so heavenly. Your painting brings back fond memories. On another subject - I notice "A Cup of Simplicity" blog on your sideboard. Marilyn's other blog "A Walking Widow" recently revealed that she is sick. Would you leave her a note? She also lost her little beloved dog and bird. So sad. Thanks.

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  6. wow you are talented!!!! i'm pretty sure that i couldn't do that :-) You go girl!! Your work is lovely.

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  7. Your paintings are great Marcy, already two masterpieces in the works. I bet you are having a lot of fun, even though the tips for maintaining good habits seem like "work" Like Di I like Monet too, impressionist paintings are my favorite. I enjoyed seeing your progress...so keep showing us how it's going!

    Luv and Smiles,
    Wanda

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  8. I love it... if I hadn't mentioned it before (the other post about painting) then I will now... KUDOS for you trying something artsy and NEW. AWESOME AWESOME!!!

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  9. Marcy, your paintings are wonderful, I love them. Good for you, I'm not sure I could do anything like that........:-) Hugs

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  10. I love that magnolia picture! How beautiful! I didn't know how talented you are! Love your list from the other day!

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  11. AND YOU PAINT TOO???!!! ARGH!!! You are so talented in so many ways, best of all, as a friend!!!! miles of smiles and hugs...

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  12. Oh, Marcy!!!! I'm thrilled!!!! You love art as well!!!! How is it that it took me so long to find you???? I'm absolutely delighted with your painting!!!! Thanks for sharing my joy today!!!! God has so blessed me...with life and wonderful friends like you to share it with!!!!! Thank you!!! God bless you, my dear friend!!! ~Janine XOXO

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  13. Dear Marcy,

    I love seeing your works-in-progress; they're both beautiful! And I also prefer your trees!
    As an art teacher, I always ask people's permission before going into their painting, and I prefer showing them on a separate piece of paper. I believe, while it is good to learn the how-to, in art there is no right and wrong, and the best way to learn is to experiment and develop your own style.
    The colour you envisioned for the centre of the magnolia would work very well.
    Look forward to seeing more!
    Love, Marina xox
    P.S.: I've replied to your last comment!

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  14. Your art shows you definitely have a great artistic talent!

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  15. Lovely paintings and poetry! Love the jokes!

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  16. Hello Marcy....
    You are doing a wonderful job painting!! I love the blue color on your painting. It's such a beautiful shade of blue..I agree with you on the center color. And your trees and clouds are really good too! Sam was painting ceramic tiles today in art class. He's really enjoying his class and it sounds like you are too! I will see if I can find time this weekend to do your meme....
    Definately keep painting...I enjoy seeing what your working on...
    Love you....Jerelene

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  17. OK...What's with Blogger. My comment isn't here. It's a conspiracy! I posted one...Yes, I did...and it's not here. Did someone come in here and get it out. Was it you, Eddie?
    Hi again, Marcy. I posted about your lovely oil painting...and that I love to paint too!)
    I am so glad that you are having a good time painting. I know that it relaxes me....I escape into my own little world (and I like me there!)
    Smiles and love to you, my friend.
    I'm going to sit right here until I SEE my post pop up...and then I'm gonna check every day to see if it's still here...and if it's not...then...
    then...
    Then......I'll post it again!!!
    Love,
    Jackie

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