Raffle Winner!

 The winner for September's painting raffle, "Nowhere to Hide #2", is Rena Diana. Rena is a prolific and accomplished abstract painter. Check out her website here.

October's painting raffle is called "The Fallout". It is another in my scribbles and florals series, this one a little more landscapey in feel. It could be the autumn foliage, a forest burn, or a volcano erupting. Take your pick. Since it's October, I'll go with the autumn foliage at the edge of a marble quarry. Very Vermont.

 

The Fallout, 18x24"

Buy chances to win "The Fallout". The drawing will be at the end of October. All revenue from ticket sales goes to support the Rupert Village Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to creating community in Rupert, Vermont. See our website here.

A WINNER!

Thanks for all your participation in this giveaway!  And thanks for the complements on my flat files - I passed them on to my father.  The winner of the collage papers is:

Karen in Black Mountain, North Carolina!

Karen, just e-mail me with your mailing address, and I'll get the package off to you.

I was so impressed with the international participation, that I am going to send small envelopes of collage papers to the following:

• Jane Perala from British Columbia
• Annemarie from The Netherlands 
• Melva from Beniarbeig Spain
• Nicky Moore from the wilds of Northumberland, England
• Penny from Back Valley (Australia)
• Tjoeks Reynhardt from an art-deprived South Africa

So... Jane, Annemarie, Melva, Nicky, Penny, and Tjoeks:  Pleas e-mail me with your mailing addresses.  These will be just envelopes with a few collage papers, but I love the idea of spreading them out globally!  Don't worry, Karen, these are not coming from your prize.  Your box is already packed, and I'm including a few Golden paints.

Thanks for all of your comments, and for visiting my blog. 

A WINNER!

The winner of the 14-pc set of Golden Paints is Gayle from St. John, New Brunswick.  Congratulations!  E-mail me, Gayle, with your mailing address, and I'll get that out to you shortly.

Thanks to ALL of you who commented.  You have given me a lot to think about.  A couple of you expressed interest in an online class in which we work only (or primarily) in black and white.  I'd be interested to hear any more thoughts on that, as I will be developing new classes for 2016.

Here is one more digital collage:

If you would like to print this out, I've formatted it in higher resolution on a ground measuring 8.5"x11".  I suggest you print it on Matte Photo Paper, or "presentation paper".

Download Digital Collage #3 here.

I follow a few Pinterest boards of art in black and white.  Take a look:

Black and White Art
White House / Black Market
Abstract Art: Black and White and Neutral
Black White Gray
Noir et Blanc

Enjoy the eye candy!

Winner of the OPEN Acrylics

Jan from  Green Valley, AZ is the winner of our set of OPEN acrylics from Golden (well, the giveaway is from me, but Golden makes these fabulous paints).  Jan needs them because regular acrylics dry much too quickly in Arizona.  Thanks, everybody, for participating.  Jan: e-mail me with your mailing address, and I will send them out next week.

Here are two pieces in process in my studio.  Both are 30"x44", which is WAY big for me.  OPEN acrylics are great for working large as well.

This one is probably finished.  30"x44" on paper

This is a close-up, sort of, of the above.

This one is definitely NOT finished.

Celadon Winner!

Our winner, of the celadon paint package is Trish from Duluth.  Congratulations, Trish!  e-mail me with your mailing address, and I'll ship it out.  But the rest of you now know how to mix this color, so you should not lack for gorgeous neutral variations on Celadon.  If you order it from Blick, please ask them to make it available in 8 oz bottles.  AND tell them that the small bottles are hard to squeeze.  The more people who tell them these things, the more likely they are to offer what we want.  In fact, you can CONTACT BLICK and make these suggestions, without placing an order.

The Blick Matte Acrylics are better than cheap craft paint, but not nearly as heavily pigmented as professional grade paints.  However, what I like about them is their consistent opacity.  I generally use the white, black, celadon, and a few other neutrals:  sage blue, warm gray, Nimbus gray, and some of the pale oranges, turquoises, etc.  They are great for good coverage in muted colors.

One of you pointed out that Liquitex makes a similar color called Baltic Green.  I've used that as well; it's gorgeous, but a bit darker and over twice the price as Blick Matte Celadon.

In the above 9"x12" pieces you can see how the celadon makes the red really pop.  This is one of the issues we explore in Balancing Opposites: using muted colors to enhance bright colors.  We also look at busy areas vs. quite areas; soft edges vs. hard edges, and working with complimentary color pairs.  It is a fun way to look at the whole issue of composition.

Thanks for all your comments and participation in this giveaway.  Enjoy all your color mixing adventures!

We Have A Winner

Thank you ALL so much for your kind comments on my guest blog post!  The response was overwhelming, and I wish I had a set of Golden paints for each and every one of you.  But I can give you a couple of downloadable "handouts":

• Working In Series (short article)
• Color and Paint (basic color terms and paint recommendations)

THE WINNER IS... Christine Jermyn in Toronto.  Congratulations, Christine!  E-mail me with a shipping address and I'll get the paints out to you.

Meanwhile, since I can't do a blog post without some kind of image, I'll show you what I'm working on in the studio: a series of "pieces" (really, they are just experiments) exploring all-over atmosphere, color, texture, without strong contrast of any kind.

Well, this one has a bit of contrast, but really soft edges.

I like the really monochrome aspect of this one.

I like these last two, but they stray from my initial intention of being mostly monochrome.  Will keep experimenting. We may do a series like this (with all technique demos) in the Abstract Painting workshop.  But you could try it on your own.

Thanks again for all your terrific comments on my guest post.

The Winner of the Golden Fluid Acrylic Set

Is....  Melanie on Salt Spring Island, BC.  Congratulations.  Now, Melanie, YOU have to e-mail me to give me a shipping address.  If I don't hear from you in a few days I will pick someone else, but I hope you do check in to read this. 

To answer some of your questions, for info on High Flow acrylics and Golden Open Acrylics, go to Golden's web site or see my Tutorials page.  For information on acrylic mediums, go to Golden's web site.  For other brands, go to the manufacturers' web sites or see Blick Art Materials' videos.  The Utrecht matte medium does come in smaller sizes than the gallon I use.  Other brands of matte medium tend to be more fluid.

You can gain a lot of information by just playing with your paints.  Ask a specific question, and then answer it yourself by trying it out.  Can I use a hair dryer on acrylic paints?  Try it.  Is this paint opaque?  Try painting over black stripes or a strong color with it.  Can I mix brands?  Can I mix mediums?  What happens if I add loads of glazing medium to my paint?  What happens if I add water?

Ultimately, you gain knowledge of your paints by using them a lot, but the above resources, plus your own time and curiosity, will contribute as well.  Thanks for all your comments!!

Winner of Extreme Composition Online Class

I wish I could take ALL of you in this class!  Such enthusiastic response.  Thank you for participating.  The winner is .... Lisa Ridolfi.  So, Lisa, it is your job to e-mail me with your info so I can sign you up.  Congratulations. The class is FULL to the brim now, so I am offering it again starting July 22.  Take a look here.

More on studio activities later in the week.  Hope those of you celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday have a great holiday.  So much to be thankful for!  Thanks to all of YOU who come to my blog and create this great community.

Here is a video I did a little while ago, and just revised a teeny bit.  It's just for fun, nothing that you don't know already:

100 Drawings Workshop Winner

Wow!  What a lot of great response we got from this generous giveaway by a reader.  Thanks to Anonymous Reader.  LOVE all the "unique names".  All I meant was to put a first and last name, or something that would identify you uniquely.  Good ones all. I wish I could let ALL of you into this class in January, but then I would not be able to give everyone individual feedback.  That is the limiting factor  - my time. 

Yadda yadda...  Terrie Purkey is our winner.  Terrie, it's your job to e-mail me and I'll get you all set for the course.  have you taken online courses before?  Just in case you need it (or if anyone else is interested), here is my Blogger Tutorial, which covers basic posting and commenting.

The second offering of 100 Drawings on Cheap Paper is beginning in September.  So if you are interested, click here.  I'll do more giveaways of online classes, since this was so popular.

On another subject...  I am working on a new web site that will be my online art gallery.  Here is a little sneak preview of the Home page:

Top part of the Home page, which has a little slide show

Scroll down and you get links to my "collections", which are organized by size and material.

 I will, of course, be keeping my current web site, where all my workshops and information are.  This new one is simply a gallery, and there are links back and forth so you can find the content you are looking for.

Thanks to all of you who participated in this giveaway drawing!  Stay tuned.

Winner of Stencil Giveaway

And the winner is.....   Helene from Long Island!  Congratulations.  E-mail me with your mailing address so I can get these stencils to you.  Hope you enjoy them!

Here are a few images (can't do a blog post without eye candy) of student work from a workshop I did last week at AVA Gallery in Lebanon, NH.  It was Balancing Opposites: the Yin and Yang of Abstract Composition.

In this and the next two pieces, we're working with pairs of opposite, or complimentary, colors.

In this and the next two images we're working with busy/active areas contrasting with quiet areas.

We put some of our work up on the wall so everyone could see everyone else's work.  And everyone could take pictures.

We Have A Winner!

Two, actually.  Our winners are Vickie Turner and Sue Marrazzo.  You two get in touch with me with mailing addresses, and I'll get your books out next week. Congratulations!  Hope you enjoy the book. 

I love doing these giveaways.  If you have suggestions for giveaways, please let me know.  Do you prefer books, art supplies, which kind of art supplies?  Would you be interested in a giveaway of a piece of my art?  An online class?  Any thoughts you have on future giveaways is much appreciated.

Here is what I've been working on in the studio.  Yes, more of the 9"x12" Drawings On Cheap Paper.

This is a whole group I started with bubblegum pink and purple, colors I don't ordinarily use.

Of course, I paint over a lot of the too-sweet colors, and get in some neutrals and clashing colors.

This and the next are just a couple that have developed into finished pieces.

Another thing I'm working on in the studio is cataloging all of these drawings and other works on paper - including lots of the big fat art pieces - in preparation for opening an online gallery from which I can offer my original work for sale.  Currently it is available as prints from Fine Art America, and it will continue to be so after I open the gallery.  Hope to have it up before the end of the year.

A Winner!

Thanks to all of you who have commented on my Open Acrylics post and giveaway.  First, I want to address some questions that came up:

• Yes, the Opens are great for use with the gel plate.  See this post for a demo.  They are also fabulous for dry climates.
• Yes, I use the High Flow Acrylics too.  See this post for a demo.
• Here is a tip from Joanne S that I thought I'd share:  "this little hint for keeping the paint out of the neck of the tube and cap for easy opening the next time you need it. After you squeeze some paint on the palette, stand the tube upright and tap it a few times on the table top. All the paint will settle down in the tube and won't backfill into the cap so no more stuck caps if a tube has to sit a while."
• Exactly how long do the Opens take to dry? How long is "forever"?  Depends on the humidity.  Test it in your studio. Golden recommends an application no thicker than a dime.
• Colleen:  YES, I will come to California to teach as soon as someone invites me.  Anyone out there:  please suggest any CA venues you think might be a good fit.  Ditto Dallas.
• The Van Dyke Brown is straight up paint, not a glaze and not mixed with any medium.
• I'm not really ambidextrous.  Only with some kinds of marks.  I write with my left, and do most other things with my right (slice bread, throw, hammer, lift, etc.).  In painting and drawing it seems natural to use both the fine motor skill (left) and broad sweeping gestures (right).

Now, the winner is.... S.J.Killian!  If you do not contact me in the next several days (I'll give you until Tuesday), then I'll pick another winner at random. Congratulations - e-mail me with your mailing address.

Now, some visuals having nothing to do with Open Acrylics.  Here a little progression of on of a group of piece I'm working on.  They are all 19.5" x 25.5", or Big Fat Art size.

This is many layers in, but still just a beginning.

A few layers more found the piece here.

This piece seemed to call for covering up more and more color.

See what I mean?  And since this photo, I've painted over even more.

I'll post more of these sequences in a few days.  Maybe even some finished pieces.  Thanks for visiting.

We Have A Winner

Thanks so much to ALL of you who participated in the giveaway.  I would like to be able to send something to each and every one of you.  So I'm going to.  HERE is a printable version of my Red 3'x3' piece.  I don't have a title for it yet.  Download it, and print on 8.5"x11" photo paper.

The winner is Kat McCullough, the gal that described herself as "computer stymied".  Congratulations, Kat.  We do have a runner-up prize, though, for Roberta in Nova Scotia.  I thought there was another commenter from Nova Scotia, from Bear River, but I can't find the comment.  You get a runner up prize too, if you contact me. 

Thanks again for your participation and comments!

This is how the print will look on the 8.5"x11"

Brush Giveaway Winner

So great to hear from all of you - your brush habits, other cleaning tips, etc.  Thanks for commenting and entering the brush giveaway drawing.  THE WINNER IS.... Diann S. Verrette, chosen at random.  Diann, it's your job now to e-mail me with your mailing address so I can send you the brushes.

Meanwhile, starting tomorrow I will be at a five-day intensive drawing workshop with North Country Studio Workshops, held at Bennington College.  The teacher is Leonard Ragouzeos.  Read about the workshop here.  Apparently, we'll be doing a lot with India ink on Yupo.  And two mornings of figure drawing.  This is definitely out of my comfort zone, and I am looking forward to the stretch.  I took an encaustic workshop at NCSW two years ago, which you can read about here.

And only because I can't do a post without a picture, I'll post a little progress from my series that started as deli paper prints:

This one I liked better a few stages back, but you can only go forward.  So I'll see where I can take it from here.

This one seems close to done, but we'll see.

Not much to say about this one... still in its adolescent awkward stage.

THANKS for visiting my blog!  And congratulations to Diann.  I'll include a little surprise with the brushes.

Gel Plate and Open Acrylics Winner

The winner is Robin Broitman!  Congratulations, Robin.  Now it is your job to e-mail me with your shipping/mailing address so I can send you the goodies.  THANKS TO ALL OF YOU for your comments, your enthusiasm, and for joining in the conversation.  All the attention has gone to Amelia's head, and she is strutting around like a rooster.  I'm sure there are more collaborations in our future.  Here is a picture of her:

And this is one of the prints finished, I think:

This is the preliminary version of the piece above.

Thanks again for your participation in this giveaway.  We will be using gel plate techniques in the following upcoming workshops:

• Stencils and Masks in Kansas City, March 21
• Monoprint Collage in Portland, OR, April 11
• Monoprint Collage in Coupeville, WA (Whidbey Island), May 9 - 10

And more after that.  See my full 2014 schedule of workshops.  I am not currently offering workshops on chicken art, but maybe Amelia will at some point.

NEW WINNER

It turns out that Kaye62 is not in the continental United States, and so I have to move to the next person on the list for a winner.  Which is.... Liz Hoffman!  It's up to you to e-mail me, Liz, with your mailing address, so I hope you're reading this.  Sorry, Kaye!

BTW, it is my 50th birthday today!

We Have A Winner!

The book giveaway, Patti' Brady's "Rethinking Acrylic", goes to Lorinda Fraser.  Congratulations!  E-mail me with your mailing address (I'm sending the book from my post office), and I'll get the book out to you.  THANKS to everyone who commented on my giveaway post.  It's great to have such enthusiastic participation.  Stay tuned for more video demonstrations, or come to one of my workshops.  Next up are:

True Colors: A Collage Studio Adventure, at the Rowe Center in Rowe, MA.  January 3 - 5, 2014.

 Read more about it here and here.  There are only a few spots left.

Extreme Composition: Breaking All The Rules, an online class in which we tackle abstract composition from non-traditional approaches.  Starts January 8, 2014.

 

 I'll plan another giveaway too. So fun!