Bonhomie de Provence!

Sometimes magic just happens, as it did last week at Les Murets, the elegantly simple and gracious provencal home that a congenial group of painters and friends shared for six days of conversation, laughs, amazing meals and wines, and most especially amazing paintings!   How to describe?  Let’s just look at the impressions of Provence below (each done in an hour or so), done by my fellow travelers:

Martha Elder, Isle sur la Sorgue, beautiful and strong

Debbie Bruce, Isle sur la Sorgue, shimmery with great light

Cathy Groome, Oppede le Vieux, good shapes and sun

Sheryl Lott, Bastide de Voulonne, essence of the golden hour

Sandy Cox, Oppede le Vieux, great design and light effect

Jean Dortch, Bastide de Voulonne, simple and true

Ann Currey, Oppede le Vieux, beautiful color and light

There were so many nice paintings, studies, impressions -- that I could barely choose which to post!  Everyone made the leap from “Literal-ville” to creating pieces based on the subject in the atmospheric light, joyfully interpreted…so, here are a few more!

Jean Dortch, Isle sur la Sorgue, sophisticated palette

Ann Currey, Bastide de Voulonne, captured in a nut-shell

Cathy Groome, chez Les Murets, breezey and colorful

Martha Elder, Bastide de Voulonne, sparkly and open

Sandy Cox, Bastide de Voulonne, tres francais, non?

Debbie Bruce, Bastide de Voulonne, spontaneous color and light

Sheryl Lott, Bastide de Voulonne, immediate and painterly 

Cassis was our last day of painting, and I only got photos of 2 pieces, below:

Jean Dortch, Cassis Harbor (we HAD to stop for lunch) - strong foundation and composition

Debbie Bruce, Cassis Harbor, rocking those spots of color

I DID get a shot of Cathy Groome at the easel in Cassis, with her admirer, who watched her paint the entire time : ) 

Finally, SO many thanks to Ann Huff, who owns the beautiful home known as Les Murets, and Meg Harrington, her partner at Huff Harrington Fine Art, along with sweet Sarah, our liason and detail organizer, all of whom made it possible for us to have this great week together! 

Au revoir, Les Murets.....

Keepin it Free

Tell Me More, 18 x 14

I've been painting like mad, accomplishing not that much, because I've been what I call "deadline-stressing;"  that is, getting paintings done for gallery commitments, gifts, etc.  Meanwhile, I totally KNOW that my best work is from my heart, joyous and inspired.  So I have been spending a lot of energy and wipe-outs to create the free, loose, yet true paintings that I want to do.  As Dolly Parton famously said,  "It costs a lot to look this cheap!"  

I like the painting above, done with the last of my hydrangeas this year.  Below is version number one of a painting I did recently, which I did NOT like, and the new, free-er take on the same subject below:

Be Mine, 16 x 16

Last week, I also did a wedding gift for my niece, Sarah, who is getting married in October; the painting was based upon a photo of her as a child.  Of course, I caught a good likeness and feel on the first take, and then spent another entire day "refining" it to just get back to what I had!  

So, I say to myself over and over: "Relax, let it flow, stay happy!"  When I do this, it's a way better day...

Something About Her, 16 x 12

Photo of Sarah

And... best news of all, we leave for France tomorrow -- yay!  The Provence trip is here -- Michael and I go to Paris tomorrow for three nights (at Ann Huff's beautiful apartment near the Eiffel Tower), then to the south of France to stay at Les Murets, her amazing maison near Gordes.  A totally great group of painters and friends are joining us for a week of capturing the Provencal light, enjoying great food, lots of laughs, and of course, lots of WINE!  

La Petite Maison (chez Les Murets), 6 x 6

Whoa, It's August

Missing You, 12 x 9

Maybe We Should, 12 x 10

Fleurs de Provence, 10 x 8, Donation for High Arts Day

I've been painting, teaching two workshops (one on painting children, part deux, in Atlanta, and one on painting from life in Dahlonega, GA at the Art Loft), running around, swimming on sunny days, and generally enjoying the summer vibe in Atlanta.  My painting friends have been gathering each Wednesday in August to capture our favorite model, Annie, in quick studies, shown above.  In the third piece, I painted some roses for a charity donation, and let it rip with a palette knife!   

Look below to see the amazing work done in the Painting Studies of Children Workshop in late July. My apologies to Caryl Paller and Mary Anne Kresse, who did nice paintings - but I didn't catch the photos! 

 Dawn Douglas

Laura Lanford

Sandy Cox

Nancy Rounsaville

Dot Blum

Sheryl Lott

Janice Marshall

Bren Powell

Me at the easel

Mary Helen Stringer

Leslie Thomas

Jean Dortch

I love the workshop setting:  other painters willing to go out of their comfort zones and to really show up with joy and skill.  My workshop in Dahlonega last weekend was wonderfully positive, and I did not take one photo, but those fellow travelers on the art path did just that -- they showed up with joy and skill!

Summer's Fun

Starry Night, 30 x 20

Well, it was time for another  commission, and yes, I said yes, BUT... I did this painting as a wedding gift for a friend to give to her close friend's son and his wife.   Since I did one last year for a gift from this same friend for the sister of the groom, I could hardly say no : )  Below is the painting from last year:

Wedding Day, 30 x 20

I did not want the new commission to be a portrait, so I tried to keep it free but fairly true to the subject.

I think I mostly did that, and I didn't have to do two paintings this year (as I did last year) to end up with one, so that is a bit of progress, je pense ... photo reference below :

Meanwhile, kids have been back to see us in Atlanta from Alaska, and look at these cool paintings done by my little grandchildren last week:

 Eli, age 3

Sarah, age 6

Needless to say, I gave them only three colors, my limited, limited palette - see photo below:

Eli's mixtures

Creative Spirit

Going for it!

I taught a really fun one day workshop on Painting Children last Sunday at Huff Harrington, and will post on that next time!

Ooh La La

Les Couleurs de Provence, 20 x 20

Last night was the Bastille Day show and celebration of all things francais chez Huff Harrington Fine Art, here in Atlanta.  What a scene!  Loads of people,  beaucoup du vin, much excitement, and lots of fresh work by gallery artists, and most fun of all, great pieces by recent provencal travelers on painting trips to Les Murets (hosted by me last year and Bill Davidson in May, 2012 ).  

LesTournesols de Provence, 20 x 20

Glimpse of Gordes, 12 x 16

It's been a busy time, with trips to Colorado for the OPA National Exhibit, to South Carolina to spend time with Michael's family, and enjoying our Alaska kids here in Atlanta for the past week.  The  OPA show was great:  very impressive work, displayed beautifully at Evergreen Gallery in Colorado. Here is my painting on display, which happily sold at the opening : ) 

 

Back to real life now, with a workshop next Sunday on painting children, part deux, and catching up on everything else! 

Funday

 Quick Demo of Sarah, 16 x 12

Preliminary sketch, done for placement and understanding of the pose

Two days ago, I taught a one-day workshop on painting studies of children from photographs -- it was great fun, and the participants really rocked some nice paintings.  Look below to see some Funday, Sunday art!   (Excuse some of my poor photos, made on the fly)...

by Jacki Newell

by Martha Elder

by Carol Carmichael

 (check out her blog on our workshop day at www.carolcarmichaelpaints.com/)

by Berthe Mobasser

by Leslie Line

by Kathy Bowman

by Christine Bray

by Joann Richardson

by Elizabeth Lines

I am posting from Colorado, where the OPA National Exhibit opens this weekend at Evergreen Gallery of Fine Art in Evergreen, outside Denver.  Several people have asked to see the painting of mine that was accepted, which is below.  I can't wait to see all of the art, all of the people, and most of all, to attend a demo by Quang Ho (this year's judge) on Friday morning.  YAY!  Lots of fun...

Tulips in Mercury Glass, 18 x 14

Simple Shapes

In Motion, 12 x 12

I'm getting ready for my Summer workshop on painting children, which is happening next Sunday, June 17th....So I have been doing a few studies to get warmed up, focusing on the simple shape and attitude of the subjects.  

I use photos I have taken in the past few years, mostly of Sarah and Eli, my sweet grandchildren, as the basis for many of the children-themed paintings.  Usually, the photo serves as a reference for what I wish to convey.

Below, however, is a painting I did last year, where I was a bit literal -- the second painting is the revision done recently, eliminating unnecessary detail.  

Photo Reference

Here is the first one:  I put a pillow and the arm of the chair to fill in that space where I couldn't see the figures... i.e. "too loyal" to the source material.

Next photo is a recent revision of the same painting, eliminating the horizontal forms at the bottom; instead, I just suggested form with loose strokes, and I like it better.

Read to Me, 12 x 16

Painting colors are the same, more like the bottom photo, but different cameras and different light produce WAY different results, despite my editing efforts!  Anyway, to me, the bottom take on the subject has better flow.

This Sunday's workshop, "Painting Children from Photos," is being held at Huff Harrington Fine Art in Atlanta.  It is one day, from 9 until 4, and because it turned out to be on Father's Day, I have a few spaces that opened up.  If anyone is interested at the last minute, contact Sarah at Huff Harrington, 404-257-0511.   Also, I have scheduled another one-day workshop on painting children on July 22, 2012.  There are a couple of spaces left in that one as well, so call Sarah at HH if you are interested!