September Challenge, The Perfect Pair or Pear

The challenge for September is to produce the perfect pair or pear. Hmmm....

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How Carol met the challenge

I have painted many, many pears in the last 25 years.  There is something that draws me to them, and their slightly feminine shape.  

This is my favorite attempt, although I would never call it perfect.

Carol Schiff

www.CarolASchiff.com

www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com

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How Carmen met the challenge

Pair of Pears, Watercolor

I really challenged myself and did this one as a watercolor. I was inspired by a watercolor demo last week. It's quite a departure for me, because I seldom do watercolor except in my sketch journal. 

Carmen Beecher

https://carmenbeecher.com
https://carmensart.etsy.com

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How Donna met the challenge

I really, really like painting pears and I have done many over the years. 

This painting was one of my first.  A friend wanted some voluptuous fruit which of course included pears.

But, I think my favorite was a collage I did for a Christmas quilt show.  This is my version of a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

This collage of colored papers and feathers is on a neutral acrylic background.  The pears are of course the pear tree and the feathers on the bottom represent the partridge.  I found some unusual papers for the feathers and tree then created the pears using a lot of really colorful papers.

Partridge in a Pear Tree

18x24 mixed media

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How Cindy met the challenge

A quick colored pencil execution of a pear with friend (the perfect pair) as I dash off to another adventure...a week of making mosaics at Wild Acres, NC!

How Kathy met the challenge

I love doing pears! I'm still working on my challenge pears, this time in watercolor.

If I don't get them done, below is my stand in for "the perfect pear," one of my favorites back when I was teaching myself a new version of Adobe Illustrator. 

How Denette met the challenge

I painted this for our PO8 member Cindy Micheau several years ago when she had a pear fetish.  Now it's living in my kitchen so I can enjoy it every day.  Thanks Cindy!

Jean looked at "pair" a bit differently

How about a watercolor of a pair of slippers?
I painted this in color, but converted it to black and white so I could see my value range.
Color tends to hide value, so it's a good exercise to do this from time to time.

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Last, but ....
Fay met the challenge with another homage to Georgia O'Keeffe.

Bosc Pear 

using Georgia O'Keeffe's
Green Oak Leaves, 1923
Oil on canvas. 12 x 9

You can't blame me this time. My friend and fellow Pieces member gave me a vintage address book of high quality O'Keeffe reproductions. I thought the painting pictured above would make a perfect background for my collage of a pear. As I continued to look through the pictures, I realized  the curves O'Keeffe's used in paintings of the hills close to her home resembled the curves of a pear. Et voila! The perfect medium for the collage. The pear above was cut from the print of It Was Red and Pink, 1959, a large canvas of 30x40, also done in oils, whose colors pleased me the most.  I had a hard time finding an intact reproduction after I destroyed the print making my collage.

      The original abstract is on the left. The flipped version which seems to reveal the sky, the hills and the earth is on the right.

                                                                                           

Woes of a Plein Air Painter, Daily Painting, Small Oil Painting, Florida Landscape Painting

It's not easy being a plein air painter in Florida, especially in the summer.

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I don't claim to be a plein air painter, but occasionally, I venture out.  This time I was in a plein air workshop, and let me tell you, it was not easy standing on the beach in 90+ degrees, hour after hour!  Did I not tell you, I am a pretty slow painter?

I though I was fairly well prepared, but my sunburnt ears and hands would beg to differ!

Well, they say, "You must suffer for your art.".....I did!!

Thanks for viewing.

Carol Schiff

www.CarolASchiff.com

www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com

The Joy of Being an Artist

Way back last year, I received an e-mail from young boy in Cleveland who was working on an art project.  His assignment was to interview an artist and do a powerpoint presentation.  He asked me a few general questions about my art.  This phone painting is what interested him.

8x10" oil
SOLD

I am sure many of you receive the same type of requests.  I have had several, from young students.  I always reply, trying to  answer their inquiries, without doing ALL the work for their report.  Occasionally, I will get a "thank you" in return, often nothing.

This young boy from Cleveland, Jake, is not the usual.  We had several exchanges.  He was always extremely polite , and always promised to send me reports.  And he did!  He sent me an outline of his presentation, then I got a video of him giving it.  My favorite question from his audience was "is she still alive?", which he answered with a resounding "yes"...Whew!

My children and grandchildren were excited and thrilled to see all this activity about me in Cleveland.

After a few weeks, he sent me his grade (he aced it) on the project, and I though we were through.  But no....  He also has to do a painting that emulates my work.

Jake's painting

This is my second update on his painting in progress.  Note the picture of my phone, there on the table.

And here  is the finished piece!  Didn't he do well!!?!!

I am thrilled, each time I hear from him.  This has been such an  exciting experience for me and hopefully for him too.  I now understand why people choose to teach, and, what a wonderful teacher he has.  He or she has set him on a road that will stay with him for life. What a fantastic project for a young mind.   Bravo!!

So, for me, painting has been so much more than just painting.  Today, I have a new energy and desire to get back to the easel....how lucky am I?  Thank you Jake!

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Orange Canna Lily Original OIl Painting 5x7 Floral Art

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I was shocked to realize that I haven't posted since September 1st. It's amazing what a hurricane threat does to one's daily life. First, you stock up on supplies; then you install all your storm shutters; pack up things you don't want washed away; finally, evacuate. If it's a slow-moving storm like Dorian, you wait...and wait...and wait. I am not complaining, because some of my favorite beautiful places were wiped out completely in the Bahamas. We were lucky, but the people there lost everything. Homes, livelihoods, and even loved ones. I am so sad for them. Our government won't take them in without papers, and their papers are somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic by now. What a terrifying situation for them.

The proceeds from this painting will be donated to hurricane relief for the Bahamian storm victims.

Carmen

August challenge : LEAVES

Our challenge for August is simply "Leaves."

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Carmen Beecher

Golden Ginko Leaves

I've been experimenting with gold leaf and I love the shape of Ginko leaves, so it was a good time to make golden leaves for our challenge. This is metallic gold leaf on black canvas, 12x12 inches.

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carmenbeecher.blogspot.com

carmensart.etsy.com

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Kathy Garvey

Leaves are one of my favorite subjects. For this month's challenge, I went through my sketchbook and decided to paint some Blood-root leaves found on one of my walks in the mountains of Kentucky.  Started playing with the idea and composition around ten in the morning and worked on it while my new kitchen was being installed. 

Sketch, composition, watercolor start.

Lots of banging and clunking going on in the kitchen. I couldn't do anything else, so I stuck with it until 5 pm. The finished 9x12 watercolor is below. (The banging and clunking is still going on!)

Blood-root Leaves
9x12 Watercolor on 140 lb Cold Press Arches Paper

And then, my kitchen still not done two weeks later, I looked for something to paint on this circular heavily textured watercolor paper traded with another artist in Kentucky. I found a leaf from my friend's yard that looked like it would work. (And while it looks like Marijuana, it's a Coral Tree leaf.) The paper is unusual to watercolor on. The water seems to sit on top as you work, but then sinks in and almost disappears into the paper.  Below is the progress.

And here is the final - after four to seven layers of paint in most areas. (Click on an image to enlarge.)

Coral Leaf
Watercolor on 12" Round Textured Paper

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Cindy Michaud

Eco-printing is a way to use leaves to make a direct print on fabric or paper. Naturally this phenomenon (just google it) grabbed my attention and I was all in! To make the magic happen one must first “mordant” the paper or fabric which means dipping or soaking it in a solution which prepares the material to receive (permanently) the color being transferred. I have experimented with both fabric and paper. In short, one layers the leaves in stacks, applies pressure to hold a stack tightly and steams the bundle for several hours.  Let cool and unwrap to reveal the print.

Here are some of my papers right out of the pot! It’s always fascinating to see what works and sadly, what doesn’t.  (Notice my leaf mug? Another way to use them best left to potters!) 

 Here are some “rejects” on fabric getting a new life as a wall hanging to be.

Here is a sample of a perfect print! I make these into a variety of cards with hand sewn paper inserts to write on.  Coupled with an envelope they are sold almost as fast as I can produce them.

I’m collecting leaves now of some of my tried and true varieties. As fall comes and the leaves disappear I will be happily steaming up prints and crafting new ways to use them.

Cindy Michaud 

 

art@cindymichaud.com,  www.cindymichaud.com
 

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This has been a crazy month.  I have been away for most of it and now I am lucky enough to have my grandson James with me.  I have not gotten my paints out yet or my easel set up but wanted to get started on this months challenge.  James helped me using watercolor pencils and watercolors.  He picked most of the colors and was a great help in the critique department.  So here is an attempt by a happily tired lady with some help from an energetic young man to rise to this months challenge. This is what leaves would look like in our world.  p.s. we did a lot before the lure of the video games became too much.

making progress

James has a good color sense

Leaves

Donna Vines


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That I am a pack rat  is a well established fact. Therefore, this tear-out from a 1997 copy of Country Living should be no surprise to anyone who knows me. Yes, I have been waiting that long to do something with the info in it. We are awaiting Hurricane Dorian, so it is a pleasure to escape into the memories of crisp and colorful falls.

 

Dogwood is my favorite tree. The dogwood is one of the first to change colors and is such a deep velvet red that I remember it still as vividly as one recalls those most special moments in life. Maples have the most brilliant of foliage, at least in Virginia. And they are also early to turn many different shades of gold and orange and cadmium red. The good ole oak is just plain dependable and strong.

                                          Below I have tried to do water colors of the maple and the oak. I promised myself I would do it at one of  our weekly gatherings and not go back to it. Well, the outcome is not what I envisioned. I probably should have started over and tried to get more variety and contrast. Next time.





Fay Picardi

Small Abstract Painting, Fluid Art, Acrylic Pouring, Daily Painting,

I have been continuing to research and experiment with fluid art, and finally I feel I have made a little progress.

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It is fascinating to see what appears as the paints and hues mingle, and frustrating because you can do the exact same technique twice and get two completely different results.

I was very happy with this one, that appears to be hundreds of little bubbles, but is actually hundreds of little cells.

I love how they look on household products!  These are from Kessinhouse.com.

Is this year flying by or what??

Carol Schiff
www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com
www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

Wildflowers and Windswept Tree Landscape, Colorful Art, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting, 6x8" Oil

Somedays, everything just feels right!

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It doesn't happen often, but this was one of those days.

Hope you have "one of those days" too.

Thanks for viewing my blog today.

Carol Schiff
www.CarolASchiff.com
www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com