Cape Henry Show

I recently finished painting this Pink Peony. It's ready to go to Cape Henry High School for a Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists show along with Red White and Blue and A Rose is A Rose. The show runs from October 1st to November 17th at 1320 Mill Dam Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23454 and the viewing hours are Monday through Friday during the day. The Opening is scheduled Thursday October 3rd form 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

The Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists are a local group that encourages painters in this area. This year I have taken on being the program chairperson. I am scheduling some interesting programs for the monthly meeting including Sterling Edwards in March 2014. This month we are looking forward to Amy Snowden a portrait artist from the Williamsburg area. Check her work out at http://amygsnowden.wix.com. The meeting is on October 13th at 1:00 pm at the Kempsville Library.

I have wanted to paint a peony for a long time and welcomed the opportunity. In painting it I pushed my value changes. I usually make an area darker and then blend it in so that the value change is subtle. I feel I am on the verge of getting to my style in painting flowers I want them crisp in some areas and soft in others. I am able to achieve the crisp edges but still struggle with the softer areas. I've only just been able to see the soft edges and now I need to try and depict them.

I must say that I feel like the weight of the world has lifted off me and I am enjoying getting back to the life that I love. I want to thank all of you that have been supportive of me this past year.

My Daughter Kim

I painted this painting of my daughter Kim in one of the classes that I teach. Everyone did so well and we had many versions of her. You could have one hundred people paint from the same picture and you would have one hundred different paintings. Kim lives in California and spent the summer on the Outer Banks so we got to see each other more than we usually do. She had asked us to come down and dog sit for her and her beau Bryant to go down to Okracoke. I'm so happy to say that she got engaged. Congratulations to Kim and Bryant!!! When I was painting her I experienced such love for her while I was laying down colors and stroking my brush around the shapes of her face. I have felt these feelings while painting before. Sometimes I feel like I go into a trance and the brushstrokes just come naturally. I call it being in the zone. Other times I feel like I'm just using my technique to create a likeness but I do not have any emotional attachment to the process. I have admired the paintings of Mary Whyte for a long time. Recently I saw her show of her Working South Paintings at the Penninsula Fine Art Center. It was breathtaking. I went twice with two different groups of my students and I saw even more the second visit. I loved many of her paintings, the feelings that she captured being right there on display. My favorite was Shroud. It had such movement to it and it captured a dreamlike state. I just sat down and allowed it to envelope me into its mood. I recently was looking through her book Watercolor for the Serious Beginner. In the last chapter she discusses Forming a Personal Vision. She talks about making a Five Senses List by listing your five senses in a notebook. Over a week or two write down ten items in each column that really move you. The list should be very personal and individual. I am going to do this and have my students do it too. If you want to try it please do and just put it on a comment so that we can share it. I am looking forward to starting this blog up again. I have some ideas for it. Thank you for coming along for the ride.

Posting Pictures

I have been trying to post pictures to my blog and it has not been working. I have tried everything on Blooger help and none of tt works. It is ironic because I have just come back to keeping up my blog. Has anyone else had this problem? I will continue to try and figure it out.

A New Year

This has been a very bad year for our family.  On August 9th my sister-in-law passed away from cnacer.  We took her into our home on hospice and tried to allow her passing to be as comfortable as possible. It was emotionally exhausting.  I have recently gone to the Outer Banks and relaxed a little and I'm starting to feel better.  I am ready for a new year and to get back to a more normal life which will include keeping up my blog.