30 Paintings in 30 days

Jan. 1, 2014 I am starting day one of Leslie Saeta's  30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge!  I would suggest you visit her blog to see everyone's work posted daily.  This is a first for me, but I know people in this challenge from as far away as CA and WI.  Living in MO gives me that CENTRAL location to know lots of artist!  So starting tomorrow, between football and food, I will be painting numero uno.

Andrea modeling

  I guess I would say we were lucky this evening when the model scheduled to come didn't show up.  Andrea offered to model!  Yeah!  Sometimes the model is just so beautiful, they are difficult to paint. 

The beginning of my work.

We had a couple of painters that I did not catch their  names.  

Andrea, caught in a break!  :)

I can't stand the suspense until Adam paints her eyes.  He is so patient!  

Adam's unfinished painting of Andrea.

My painting, nearly finished.

Dec. 19 at Clague's Studio

It was another splendid evening in the Clague Studio with a model.  This will be our last night before we take a week off for Christmas.

Our model

Andrea Clague and Adam Clague.  

Andrea Clague

Our guest, Martin Jolley, joined us from Salida, CO for an evening of painting.

Adam

Andrea's charcoal drawing.  Break time for the model!

Adam

Andrea

Cathy Kline

8 x 10 oil on canvas.  This painting is for sale.

I am BLESSED

This is going to be a rather long post, and I hope you read the entire page.  The painting above is by Andrea Orr Clague.  I mentioned this painting about 2 blogs prior to this one.  The name of the painting is "Break time".  For months I watched the progress of this painting week to week as Andrea worked on it.  From the moment I saw it I was mezmorized by it's beauty.  It is hard to explain how a work of art captures you.  I dreamed of having it in my home.

Late yesterday afternoon we had a knock on our door.  My son answered the door and accepted a box from UPS.  I asked who it was for, and he simply said, its from the 'Legacy Gallery'.  My heart began to pound.  I knew that was where the painting was.  I had just asked Andrea Thursday evening if it had sold.  She gently said yes, she was notified yesterday.  My heart sank a little, but I knew whoever purchased it was going to love it as much as I did.  So I was in a 'meltdown' with the far fetched hope the painting was in that box.  I began to cry, as Oprah describes it, the ugly cry.  Kind of out of the world cry.  As I opened the box, I would see the back of a painting and an envelope.  It had a precious note from the Legacy Gallery, that an anonymous person has sent it as a gift to me.

I had talked a lot about this painting to my husband over the weeks of watching Andreas progress on it, so I suspected he purchased it for me as a surprise. But no, he did not.  He commented 'If you bought it for yourself, you are sure putting on a good act that you didn't!'  Then I knew he was serious, and didn't get it for me.  For those of you who know me, I am a woman who reads spoilers BEFORE I watch a movie to avoid surprises.  So to receive this gift was not even something I could imagine.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

When I woke this morning I went in to check the wall to make sure I hadn't been in a dream, and I was still on this earth.  It was still on the wall.   I have someone that brought this joy in to my life that gave me a gift of art that I will cherish forever!  I am BLESSED.  From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

Merry Christmas.  There are Angels walking among us.
Hebrews 13:2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” 

Thursday evening with the Clague's for portrait painting

I will post each session I attend with Adam and Andrea Clague for the Thursday evening portrait session.  If you are interested in following this blog, sign on and you will receive a notice when I post!

This is the painting I did from photo reference in my studio.  I am much happier with it.  

This week was very special.  Adam and Andrea invited a young girl from their church to model.  Elizabeth was 10 years old (if I remember correctly).  She was such a beautiful little girl, it was difficult to begin a painting.  She was a splendid model, still as a little mouse.

Elizabeth

Debbie's

Adam's

Andrea's

Peggy's

Workshop with Adam

Tina Garret and I took a mini workshop with Adam Clague this week.  Tina's daughter modeled while Adam made portrait painting look easy! Grace is only 12, but modeled like a pro! A child's beauty really throws me in the attempt to capture that essence.  I have started a painting from my photos of the session using Adams technique. I will post those photos next time.

Adams method is different for me, so I was frantic taking written notes and photos.  He spent four hours with us, giving Grace about 15-20 minute sittings then short breaks. I wish I has the whole thing on video. But hopefully my photos and notes will be sufficient.

Andrea had a pot of coffee and a wonderful veggie plate to snack on. She also took some photos and video while Adam painted and taught! They are quite the team. I would really love to just sit and watch her paint. She is amazing. I would give my eye teeth for a painting she did of her sister in a hammock! It was sent to a gallery last week. I am sure it will sell immediately.

Adam's palette.

After 'toning' with a grey he felt was 'harmonious' with the average color, he applied a blue grey with a towel and turp.

With the toned canvas panel, Adam began to wipe out areas (drawing with a paper towel to remove the grey), to decide his composition.  He also used a light application of vine charcoal to demo drawing on the canvas also.  

Adam mixed the lightest skin color using Cad Lemon (cool), Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue deep and white.  Later he added Transparent Red Oxide and Cad Yellow light to warm the mix.  

At this stage he is locating the lightest lights and darkest darks.  He is keeping the darkest areas thin and transparent.

He began to define the face with only flat color.

The darker side of the face was mixed warmer and grayer, adding Transparent Oxide or Burnt Sienna.  He also added a little Viridian green. 

He began to connect 'like' value areas.  I do that in landscape painting, but hadn't  thought of  doing that in portraits!  Duh….

Noting the 5 shadows on the face: eye sockets, under the nose, upper lip, lower lip, and chin.

Adam stressed to keep the mouth really 'soft'.

Still keeping soft edges he began to paint the eyes.  I was waiting rather impatiently for this step!

Grace began to come alive.

Nearly 4 1/2 hours later, Adam stopped at this stage and took photos for reference so he can finish it.

November Challenges

November was a month of challenges!  The trees were fantastic in their fall colors.  And Day of the Dead celebrations were not just at church!  Although I did attend mass for All Souls Day.

My friend Susan Rose put out a challenge to paint this photograph she took in the Flint Hills of KS near her house.  

We were invited to a Dios de Muertos party last weekend.  I decided to go all out and paint my face 'a la Day of the Dead'.  It was a blast, and I had lots of compliments on my face painting!  I had on a cute black hat too.

Another challenge by Greg Summers.  Paint what you see within 50 ft of your front door.  The Airstream was just waiting for this opportunity!

Brian Flowers does Civil War Reenactments and this was from a photo he posted.

Here is my painting from Susan's photo.  It is a tiny 6" square.