Virtual Paintout Challenge - July Hong Kong

Seems like the last few months my painting time has been greatly reduced. I was glad to get back to it, and enjoyed how quickly the painting came together especially since I have very limited experience painting people.

Here is my submission for the July Virtual Paintout challenge.  Hong Kong street view from Google maps

My Mom, The Style Icon: Mona Lisa Smile

My Mom, The Style Icon: Mona Lisa Smile: "Mona Lisa Smile"

My mother was an artist and so wish she was here to see that I am painting.

Stavanger, Norway - March Virtual Paintout

This is my submission for the March challenge for Virtual Paintout Challenge.  Thanks to the demo given by LaNell Arndt  at the Woodlands Art League, for help on the sky.  Watching her demo helped me with this.

Kitchen Sink

This is my submittal for the Rookie painter challenge, that I missed the deadline.  Oh well, and the original picture.  I enjoyed trying to get the liquid reflection in the pan right, and was happy in general with it.  

Virtual Paintout Challenge February 2010 San Francisco Bay Area

This month is SF Bay Area  for the Virtual Paintout Challenge  My old home.  Enjoyed exploring old spots and new ones for the challenge.
This is Sheridan Street in the Presidio.  The old Army base by the Golden Gate Bridge.

Here is the Google shot I worked from, it was too washed out, so I brightened it up.  I tried to do a painterly technique.  Not too sure about it, and after dropping my pallette knife across it and having to try to fix it.

But fun and done rather quickly for a change.

Rookie Painter Challenge

This is my first submission to the Rookie Painter challenge blog.  I loved the photo and wanted to try it.
I enjoyed working on the oranges.

Here is the original photo

Fruit Week

Oh the ellipse.  I am trying so hard to improve in my drawing of them.  I have re read my art books, practices and am still suffering in trying to get them correct.  

Starts

Starts, trying to do more quick studies.  This is on a piece of canvas paper from a still life I set up.

Virtual Paint out Challenge January 2010 Corsica

I started participating in the Virtual Paint out monthly challenge where a place is listed and using Google maps, you take the street view to pick  a location to paint from the map.  It was fun to see the different spots in Corsica and to pick a location.  The blog to see the submissions is:  http://virtualpaintout.blogspot.com

Here is the spot I picked and my interpretation.
It is on a panel, in oil 6 x 6

6 Impasse de la Route de Ville, Bastia, Northern Corsica, France


I had some difficulty in getting the corner bricks right, and I enhanced the color as it was very washed out in the original photo making everything look sort of gray.

2010

I am not a big fan of New Year's resolutions. But sometimes it is good to think about the year ahead to put things into perspective and to at least give a little thought and focus to the months ahead.

I do want to try to do more painting this year.  Not to get so hung up on making finished paintings, but doing lots of starts and studies as many artists and books advise.  Get more at ease with color choices, getting the starts down, seeing the shapes, lights and shadows, subject material.

All of these areas will teach me more about the craft and can help me improve.

I won't set some sort of number or goal to achieve, but will work to carve time out to retreat to my studio, to let the creative side be nurtured and encouraged.

Here is to a creative and growing year!