Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Challenge for December: Do a Painting Using Only 50 Strokes

Carmen: This challenge is really challenging! A painting done using only 50 strokes. What a great exercise this is for making us simplify.

When I got to the last stroke my hand was itching to do just a couple more details, but I resisted.

Carmen Beecher
 "50 Strokes of Chicken"

 www.carmenbeecher.com
www.carmensart.etsy.com

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Donna:  50 strokes, no problem...after the 4th try of 4 different subjects  I finally had something!!
There are lessons to be learned here but let's just say pick something simple, a stoke is a stroke be it long or a dab, roundish strokes somehow cover more. You will notice the original photo is upside down by this time I had learned that 50 strokes is not a lot, the pear would have to stand alone.


A pear in 50 strokes

donnavinesart.etsy.com
donnavinesart.blogspot.com

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Kathy: I kept trying with this challenge. I never managed to produce something I liked well enough to leave alone after only 50 strokes. Of all my attempts (3 different birds and a butterfly), this was my best and it kept the closest to 50 strokes.
Left: 20 strokes, Middle: 33 Strokes, Right: 50 Strokes
 I was supposed to stop there!
I had to finish this little chickadee and did not count how many strokes that took! 

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Fay: Above is a photograph of a great white egret in flight. It was taken by my late friend, Tom B. Sanders, and is used as the cover for a book of his photographs of  birds along with the poems of his wife, Bonny B. Sanders. I recently helped Bonny format and edit this book. I was so taken by this image, I decided to use it for my challenge, seen below.


This challenge does not meet the requirements of 50 strokes (or pieces of paper), but it comes close. There are 47 wing feathers, 6 additional pieces of paper for the head, shoulders, shadows on the wing span and legs. I added one outline of the eye in black, filled it in with yellow and surrounded it with the typical green found around the Great White's eyes. It took 2 strokes to make the black feet. If I have counted correctly, I am still under 60. I should have made fewer feathers. No going back now.
Fay Picardi

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Denette: Above is my fifty strokes although was more sixty strokes. It was interesting but not my cup of tea. 
Glad I tried it and learned a lot. Denette Schweikert. 


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Carol: I am an oil painter....in a slump!  However, I am away from home for 3 months.  In the interest of saving space, I left my oils at home and brought a collection of watercolor, pastels, and alcohol inks.  I wanted to stretch myself, and maybe ignite a new interest in my art.

This is a watercolor, and oil pastel painting.  My reference photo had many, many more trees, but I could not add them in under 50 strokes.



This is a second try; a scene from Sanibel Island.

I will try this again.

www.CarolASchiff.com
www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com

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Mary: After several really bad tries, I used one color, alizarin crimson, and two brushes, a one-inch flat to begin and a number 10 round to finish.  Fifty strokes exactly.  Not the most interesting painting, but better than the first attempts.  It was fun to try, and just being with the Pieces is always fun!

Mary Warnick

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Sunday, December 29, 2019

Daily Painting, Seagull Painting, "The Three Stooges" by Carol Schiff, 6x8 Oil, SOLD

The three birds in today's daily painting look a little goofy to me.  Maybe they are hungry, or maybe they are plotting against one another, but I just don't trust them.

SOLD
 They remind me of my childhood and the notorious "Three Stooges", Larry, Moe and Curly.
You remember them don't you?  They were always getting into trouble.



They are looking at a fourth seagull....not in this painting, and I don't think it is in a friendly manner!  I hope to do a second painting of this group, including the fourth member.

The reference photo was shared from Shelley Smart at her wonderful blog here.  Shelley is a fantastic photographer and generous too.  She gave me permission to use her image years ago.  I hope you will visit her interesting blog, "A Year at the Beach", where she recorded the activity on the beach every day.

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www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

Friday, December 27, 2019

MY Painting in the Joker Movie!, Small Oil Paintings, Daily Painting, Still Life Painting,

How lucky can I be?

One of my paintings was recently purchased for set design in a new movie!  The Warner Brothers movie, was filmed in Harlem, Manhattan and the Bronx., and stars Joaquin Phoenix and Robert De Niro.  The title is "Joker".


The painting is one I completed in a workshop a few years back.

I am thrilled, and only hope it doesn't end up on the cutting room floor.

The movie was recently released, and I must say, IT WAS A GIANT HIT!!

30% OFF ORIGINAL PAINTINGS

Carol Schiff
www.CarolASchiff.com
www.CarolSchiffStuio.etsy.com


Thursday, December 26, 2019

Can you paint a watercolor in 50 strokes?


by Kathy Garvey

Many of the Pieces of 8 have been working on our December challenge to create a painting in 50 strokes - or less. Simple! How hard can that be? How long can that take? No problemo!

My resource photo was this adorable Splendid Fairy Wren in a photo taken by Australian photographer Terry Booth in February of 2017. (If you want to see amazing photos of birds, find "Birds" on Facebook and click Like. Almost every day someone posts a spectacular bird photo.)

I thought I could do it with something simple and by roughing it in first, which I don't usually do. Below are where I was with this photo at 17, 37 and 50 strokes respectively. (Click any photo to enlarge it.)
Left: only 17 strokes, Middle: up to 37 strokes, Right: I reached 50 at this point!

Obviously not there, yet! Should have been the end of it. 50 strokes was the requirement!

Not content to leave it at 50, I tried to finish the painting by continuing beyond the requirement. I mean, how hard could a few more strokes be? 

Below are at 100 strokes, still not finished. Then I was up to 300 strokes - birds have to have soft feathers. Oh, and tails! And more realistic branches.  I quit at over 400! Obviously I could keep going! What would I be up to if I actually added some detailed leaves and a few bugs that are my usual?
Left: up to 100+ strokes, Middle: up to 300+ strokes, Right: up to 400+ strokes
Conclusion: BIG FAIL!

While I didn't manage it here, and haven't managed it yet after three more attempts, I can't wait to see what everyone else has painted. Watch for the results on the last day of December on our blog!

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Merry Christmas to All


Merry Christmas 

to all!




I hope you all enjoy your holidays and find peace and love in the upcoming year!  I want to thank all my online friends who visit this blog and follow my art.



Our painting group, Pieces of 8, at our fun Christmas luncheon at The Dove. The Dove always makes  it a specal day, they do it right!

Clockwise, Fay on the left, Carmen, Denette Jean, Donna, Me, Mary and Kathy.
Carol Schiff
www.CarolschiffStudio.blogspot.com
www.CarolASchiff.com

Monday, December 23, 2019

Dog Portrait, Pet Portrait, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting, 6x8" Original Art

This is Cocoa.  His lives with his best friend, Louie, here in the mountains.  You may have seen Louie in my previous post.


Their owner, wanted paintings of them, that related to each other.  She supplied me with images, which I used to create the paintings.

Here is Louie, again, just in case you missed my previous post.




Thanks for dropping by today.

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

Sunday, December 22, 2019

As the year winds down and I prepare for my sorta-annual bonfire of canvases that don’t make the cut of hanging around, I always feel a need to dream up some new challenges for a new year.  I can’t really articulate those yet but as I was studio cleaning I found a stack of unused canvases and some leftover interior wall paints that were way past their “use by” dates (kidding of course).  So I pulled them all out and tried to leave my comfort zone.
If you know my “work” then you know how far afield this is for me.  Colors, drips, splats and splotches.  Actually both pieces began with a “thing” in mind (that’s just me) but the more I got into it the more I began to have definitive ideas about where the next chunk of color should go, and whether it must be light or dark. I lost all concept of the “thing.”  And I began experimenting with tools: credit cards, sponges, chop sticks and gravity.  I even got out my spray bottle of water.

A friend stopped in and spent some time studying this one at an earlier stage.  She was trying hard not to insult me and yet still ask me where it was going.  “I’m not sure,” I answered honestly.  “Does it go vertical?” she ventured.  Same answer.  “But?” I explained that right now I was playing with color and shape and motion...not very well I might add.  In all likelihood I would end up sketching a large figure on it and then painting out the background.

She looked distressed and said “Do you mean you would then cover up all your hard work?”

 
I paused.  Not once had what I was doing felt like work.  Never mind, “hard work.” More like  child’s play, experimental efforts and exploration. But not work.  Which is not to say that some days painting something (like a nose or a hand or a flower) is and feels like very hard work.  But not this.

Why are we afraid to experiment? Why must everything we do have an expected, acceptable outcome? Folks are horrified that I burn old paintings.  Is everything you do perfect? How boring!  How will you know if you like a new spice if you don’t cook with it? Fabulous or failure, to me it is worth the effort.


So I’m not sure where these will end up.  They could be my artistic break through and earn me thousands of dollars. Or they could be numbers 1 and 2 in next years burn.  Right now it does not matter.  Perfection is the enemy of a lot of things.

Let’s all vow for a bit more play and a little less work in 2020.

Cindy Michaud

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Rose Painting, Floral Still Life, Daily Painting, Small Oil Painting 8x8x1.5" Oil SOLD

Yes, yes, yes......I am still painting flowers.  I have been on quite a flower jag lately.

I was pleased with this one.

SOLD


Roses have always been difficult for me.  This time I tried to channel Elio.  I was determined not to describe each petal,  I did my best to remember the softness and translucency of a rose petal.  I wanted to pop the colors, but, not too much.  Finally, I made myself stop!

Yes, I like this one.....and I hope you do too.




www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

Friday, December 20, 2019

The Black Hat, Original Oil on Canvas 8x10 Portrait of Woman


This is quite a departure from the 50-stroke paintings I've been doing. I don't know what got into me, but I really enjoyed this one. It has a vintage look but with a timeless feel. We need a little glamour now and then.

Carmen

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Everybody Loves Chocolate!


You are probably asking yourself right now, "Am I on the right blog?".............and the answer is YES.
Last fall I was contracted to paint three fruit and candy designs to be used on the candy bags for these delicious chocolate covered fruit flavored candies.  I was so pleased to receive these samples in the mail.  Unfortunately for me, they are only being distributed on the west coast at this time, and I live 3,000 miles away on the east coast, so I will not be walking into my local Home Goods store and see them on the shelf.

It was a fabulous experience for me and I still get excited when I see MY work on the bags.  They even gave me credit as each and every bag reads "Artwork by Carol Schiff" followed with my website address!  How cool is that.

Now I have to decide whether to keep these bags or to eat the candy and maybe have the bags preserved in a frame.  My husband votes to eat the candy.  How do you vote?

CAROL SCHIFF


Medical History and Being Crafty



(Back)
Two of the artists in Pieces of Eight have inspired me this month. Jean Thomas did a journal workshop in which I participated and I learned how to make the handmade journal, above. 

During a recent doctor visit I was asked when a certain injury happened, when pain recurred, etc. and I thought that it would be handy if all that was written down in a certain place, with all symptoms, because who remembers the dates of medical problems? Fay Picardi gave me a nice little sketchbook for Christmas, and I decided that I would use that for my medical history from here forward, and include sketches of my pain locations. And of course, being me, I have already included a sketch of my doctor. To give the book more importance and assure I would actually use it, I used my newfound knowledge to fancy up the cover.

(Back)

Unlike my travel journals, for this one I say the less entries, the better!

Carmen

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Seascape Painting, Daily Painting, Small Oil Painting, Caribbean Blue, 6x12x.75" SOLD

Are you ready for another seascape?  This is one of my favorites because of the blues, greens, lavender colors.



detail
 It has a little impasto....not too much.


detail


This painting reminds me of trips to the islands.  

Thank you for viewing my blog today.

www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

Monday, December 16, 2019

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.

Purchase here
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

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Barn Landscape Painting, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting, Textured Painting, 9x12" Oil Painting

Barn Landscape Painting.

When my Pieces of 8 art buddies were visiting me, in my mountain condo, we left our paints at home.  We still had plenty to do!

Each day we would venture out, with our cameras in hand.  One day we drove through the countryside, looking for rustic barns.

Purchase here
 We found plenty to choose from.






On this painting, I used a combination of brushwork and knifework.  I concentrated on color relationships and texture.

I so enjoy fall in the mountains and wanted to share some of the sights of the season.

Thanks for viewing my blog today!

Carol Schiff

Onions, Original Oil Painting Still Life on Canvas


The Challenge for this month for the Pieces of 8 group is to paint a painting in 50 strokes. I've been enjoying that exercise. Below is my 50-stroke painting of these onions, smudges and all. I decided to refine it to a finished painting. Which one do you like best? I think the 50-stroke one is more exciting. Watch this space on December 31st to see the entries to the Challenge from everyone.

Carmen

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

A Really Big Giclee A Happy Customer, Daily Painting, Small Oil Painting, Pelican Print



Clients often ask, if the texture shows on a giclee print.  

This client, was kind enough to send me an image, which answers that question.

She is so happy, with her 36x48" framed giclee, which we shipped direct to her Florida  condo.





Carol Schiff

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Where Am I Going?, Small Oil Paintings, Daily Paintings

Traditionally, this time of the year,  is when we evaluate our performance, over the last twelve months, and look at the direction we are headed.

Artistically, I see nothing but question marks.  I want to have a clear plan, a path to follow and mark my progress, but alas, it evades me.


I looked through my posts from last year, and picked out my favorite pieces, hoping against hope that they will tell me where I am headed.



 Abstract Expressionism?


Maybe....


Thick Paint?

 Impressionism?




 Brushwork?
 Knife?

Really thin paint?




Or does it really matter?



All this thinking is making my head hurt!  

I am happy I found this many pieces, from last year, that speak to ME.  I am happy with them which makes me happy with me.

Maybe 2020 will find me treading the straight and narrow.....but somehow, I don't think so.

Thank you all, for joining me on my crazy, unplanned journey!

Ballard Park, Original Oil on Canvas

  I had not painted outside in two years, so this was quite a challenge. It was one of those paintings I had to improve upon in the studio. ...