Fall Squash in Drawing Class

"Fall Turban"

14" x 12"

Pastel

One of my fellow students bought this beauty while visiting in Pescadaro on the coast. I decided to use pastels and did not have the exact color so I layered yellow-green, black, reddish brown, and deep green. The highlights are a pale grey and the squash surface has some golden yellow. I was pleased that Bob liked what I did. He suggested I add a bit of reflected light into the shadowed underside of the squash, so I used the golden yellow from the table covering. I learn so much about seeing and rendering values from my drawing instructor, Bob Semans. The mastering of faithful rendering is a years-long process, but I can see the work paying off in my paintings.

While doing the bicycle/light rail trip to class, I always have some time to read. Today I studied John Vanderpool's, "The Human Figure, " first published in 1935. The book is on our reading list for the drawing class. John analyzed and recorded the human figure in mass and detail. There are numerous illustrations with each section that deals with a facial feature or body part. Bob always says "we draw what we know, not what we see." Increasing our knowledge of structure, value, light, and perspective will allow us to draw what we see. On the morning ride I studied the eye, learning about the planes, the orbicular muscle, and everything about the structure of the eye and how it is affected by reflected light. On the afternoon return trip, I studied and drew the mouth from different perspectives and made some notes. The mouth is a very complex structure. When I analyzed my charcoal and conte of Gina last week, I mentioned that the right eye and the mouth needed work. I will apply my study to improving the life drawing.

At our Thursday night art group, I transfered my drawing of Gina to watercolor paper and started a wet-in-wet painting using a method described by Jean Pederson in her book, "Expressive Portraits: Creative Methods for Painting Portraits." I'm about a third done. I will also be starting work on a commissioned piece this week and traveling to Asilomar for thee days at the "Carmel Paint Out" sponsored by the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society for plein air painting on the coast. If you take the link to the society website, I am the person in front on the left in the featured picture of the plein air group at Uvas Falls, a beautiful area in the hills just 10 miles from my home. /p>

Monday Drawing Class - Gina with Hat

"Gina with Hat"

9 " x 12"

Charcoal and Conte

This is phase one of drawing Gina at art class this morning. We are to bring the piece back to continue working with shading next Monday. Bob moved her nose a smidge to the left, and I see now that the mouth and right eye need rework. When our instructor was at Atelier in Florence, they would work for three weeks on a piece, so surely I can refine this for another three hours! Gina wore the most wonderful green hat with feathers. With her lovely bone structure and natural ability to pose, she is a delight to draw. Another very satisfying class with friends.

Home gallery and "Anything Goes" Art Reception

A watercolor, a pastel, and a charcoal and conte

Recent florals in watercolor

My primary gallery is my home. These paintings are hanging in the livingroom (hence the top of a harp is evident in one picture). Bob had cut mats for me recently and I was inspired by helping to hang the "Anything Goes" show in Palo Alto. I learned that unlike mediums can be hung harmoniously. So I framed some recent works and rearranged some art this morning.

The top photo includes on the left "Public Art Speaks," a watercolor, with "Pitcher and Peppers," a pastel below it. To the right is "Ancient Vase," a charcoal and conte. My drawing instructor, Robert Semans, will be happy to see these pieces framed. The bottom photo shows "Glamorous Peonies," watercolor on the left, and "Millbrook Farm Lilies," watercolor on the right. I am quite happy with the overall results.

Now that I am retired from the Corporate world and have expanded my art career, I am doing shows. "Anything Goes" by the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society, is my first entry in a society show. I sent out e-mail alerts to friends and collectors about the reception on Friday evening. A number of them attended, including some former co-workers that I miss very much.

The venue, the Elizabeth Norton Gallery in the Pacific Art League building in downtown Palo Alto, is really lovely. The gallery is on the second floor of a wonderful old Spanish building. Doors lead outside to a rooftop patio. Janice Faulstich personally cooked almost every item served at the reception, which included some lovely wines. What a treat. The evening was sunny and a perfect temperature. We had very large crowds, many from the Friday Night Artwalk held monthly in Palo Alto. I am aware that at least one large painting sold in the first ten minutes of the show, along with an unframed piece by the same artist, a very promising start.

A busy week

"Onion"
Charcoal and conte

The post-wedding week has been very busy with cleanup, gift transport, ballroom dancing, teaching cycling on a 50-miler, and preparing for Open Studios. Plus, I've had some computer problems, which Bob has worked on for me. Nice having my own system administrator.

Our drawing instructor, Bob Semans, returned from Washington, DC, with good news that he received the People's Choice award at the Portrait Society of America International Competition at their annual conference. We are very proud of him. He set us back to work on simpler shapes using some onions. I chose to do just one and use just charcoal and conte, rather than pastel, to focus on the values without the distraction of color. However, the color is very seductive and I will likely go back to pastels next week.

My house is in a upheaval with frames, matboard, and art pieces all over the livingroom and diningroom. Bob will begin cutting mats tomorrow and I will be doing the framing. I've been sending out invitations to Open Studios and stopping by local shops to put out flyers. I hope to get back to painting tomorrow. I've been reading a wonderful book I bought, Nita Leland's Confident Color. I have learned a lot from my first pass. Now I want to go back and do the exercises, especially making color wheels for various pallettes and experiment with color schemes. Mike Bailey has some paintings in this book; he is a real master of color. Mike brought these very paintings into our class when I took Watercolor Beyond the Obvious; so I easily spotted his work in the book. Incidentally, SCVWS will be offering Mike's WBTO class again in the fall if you care to enroll. http://www.scvws.org

Robert Semans, Fine Arts

"Antique Vase"

Charcoal and conte crayon, 8" x 11"

This vase is a small study done during my Monday drawing class taught by Robert Semans. My art career began in the 90s after the children had left home and I had some time to devote to myself. I went to an art gallery and reconnected with the art part of my brain. With a busy career at IBM, I had to find small blocks of time when I could do art. In preparation for retirement, I requested a flexible work schedule and worked three nine-hour days for two and a half years, freeing up my Mondays and Fridays. I noticed a small blurb in the watercolor society newletter about a drawing class offered at University Arts on Monday mornings. I began my art career doing watercolors with no formal drawing training, so this class sounded like the perfect way to spend my Mondays. I've continued taking the class now that I am retired.

The ongoing drawing class is taught by a top-notch artist, who does many genres, and specializes in portraiture and figures. Bob Semans has made his living as an artist for many years. One of my earlier posts is a charcoal I did of Bob.
http://mary-artadventures.blogspot.com/2009/01/charcoal-of-our-instructor.html
You can check out Bob's biography and work here:

http://www.robertksemans.com/

I am very impressed with the Governor Gray Davis portrait that Bob was selected to do by the state of California. Bob's latest accomplishment is being chosen as one of 15 finalists in the Portrait Artists of America 2009 International Competition! Bob travels to Washington, DC, this weekend to participate in the celebrations. We are rooting for him to bring home the gold medal with his portrait of an elderly neighbor. He's in erudite company. Past winners include Andrew Wyeth, Richard Schmid, and Everett Raymond Kinstler, to name but a few. You can read more about the competition here: http://www.portraitsociety.org/

Bob is the nicest, most humble man, and a wonderful instructor. He was classically trained in this country and in Florence, Italy. I feel so blessed that he wants to take the time to teach others what has taken him a lifetime to learn. My drawing skills have improved immensely, which is reflected in my most recent art. I have a long way to go, but devoting most Monday mornings to drawing class for the past three years have paid off.