March Challenge, Upside-Down Artwork

This month our challenge was to produce a piece of art by drawing or painting from a photo that is upside down. It's a great exercise for improving our drawing skills; it makes us draw what we see instead of what we think we see.

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 This was a scene from North Captiva Island on the Gulf Coast of Florida.  Drawing the house upside down proved to be surprisingly accurate. 

Carmen

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For this challenge, I decided to use a photo of a fat little female baby cardinal that my daughter took in her yard several winters ago. And it really was a challenge for me. I don't usually draw with a pencil on my watercolor paper first, much less upside down. Below is my process, progress and result. Click on the image to enlarge it. 

Kathy Garvey  

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I really enjoyed this challenge.  Painting upside down forces you to really see what you are painting.  I choose a figure from a Gauguin painting because I love his paintings and I thought it would be a good challenge for me.  It was.


This is how she looked while she was still upside down.  Looks pretty close, hmmm?

This is her right side up.  Now what has to be corrected. I can see she is not leaning enough, that her blouse is too big, her hand should be more defined. The question is should I stay right side up or flip it again?

Siesta Donna Vines after Paul Gauguin

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Angry Bird

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This little guy is my upside down painting for this month's challenge.  I'm not sure why he is so 

angry, but I think it has something to do with the fact that he may have come back to North Carolina, just a little too early.  I think he is seriously thinking about turning around and heading back to Florida, because he is caught in a spring snow storm, here in the Blue Ridge Mts. 

 He is also my first painting, since I left my Florida home to live here in the mountains around Asheville.  I may be following him back to Florida if it doesn't warm up here soon!

He is 5x7" on oil and looking for a home, preferably in one of the more southern, warmer spots of the world.  Leave me a comment if you have to have him.

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Carol Schiff

March Challenge: Draw or paint something upside down!
This is a challenge I frequently give my drawing students. It really helps one look at shapes, not identify "objects." I had not tried it in a while and it is a great exercise in patience, too! The original is a line drawing by Matisse. Mine is not too bad except for the left eye is woefully out of place!
Maybe I should do it again!

The original is on right... Yes, I need more practice!

Jean Thomas


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Below is a photograph of my Great-great-great-grandmother's childhood home in Virgi. She lived there with my Great-great-great grandfather.. She was a Dressler and this picture was taken at the Dressler family re-union several years ago. I feel as if I could move right back into this home. It even has a spinning wheel. I wanted to try to draw it for this exercise, even though I am not much for sketching. I was trying to make it a values study as well. You can see I didn't succeed at that, but I did get a reasonable  drawing of the cabin.

Cathedral Rock, 20x20 Oil on Canvas

I love Sedona, Arizona, and I especially love this spot. The river is so beautiful, and Cathedral Rock towers majestically over it. We had a week's worth of adventures in Sedona, and there are many more trails that we didn't see. I believe we need more of Sedona. No wonder they talk about vortexes there. It's really an other-worldly, magical place.

PURCHASE

posted by Carmen Beecher

Maine Wave, 8x10 Oil by Carmen Beecher

This is an original oil painting on canvas board, and will be on sale at the Pieces of 8 Studio Sale on December 8.  This was from a walk on the very path where Winslow Homer painted in Prouts Neck, Maine.

I will be demonstrating oil painting at the sale. We will have refreshments, a big drawing for a prize, and many gift items at affordable prices. There will be jewelry, books, paintings, pottery, art supplies, garden art and a poetry corner. Hours are 9 to 4. Address: 3532 Samuel Place, Melbourne. Watch for our signs with the Pieces of 8 logo.

You will be amazed at the variety of talents found within our group of accomplished women!

posted by Carmen Beecher

Spoonbill Collage, 10x10

I rendered this same guy in oil, and I thought he would make a nice collage. Mixing colors on a palette and mixing them in scraps of paper are two different things. Sometimes the values are determined by the text or designs I find. In the outspread wing I was just stumped until I used red-on-white text, which gave me just the value I wanted.

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posted by Carmen