I am learning to paint in acrylics. Actually, I am learning to paint. Learning something new is just about my favorite thing to do - and learning to paint is a challenge on many many levels.
The desire to learn to paint began just over two years ago when I took a class in pastels. After a significant birthday I felt the need to prepare myself for a new stage in my life - one in which I had more time to create, and more need for a way to occupy my time with something meaningful and pleasurable.
From that time on, I was hooked on the fascination of trying to capture color and light and images in pastel, and later, in pencils and markers. As I worked, and experienced both moments of elated success and dismal failure, I began to understand that each piece is a teacher. I often find myself staring at something and thinking - what did I learn? What did I do right? What would I do differently? How can I get better at this? Sometimes the answers are right in front of me, more often my growth requires outside assistance from articles, books, teachers, and my husband with his logical mind and eagle eye for details. But I have discovered one thing for sure - the answers and the progress and the learning lie in the doing.
So, now I am doing something new, something difficult, something exciting and frustrating. And I am learning - the list of what I am learning grows everyday. For example, I am learning about acrylic paints. The color names are a book in themselves. I read articles on the internet , look at the work of professional and amateur artists, and I take classes. But still, the real learning happens as I work, or rather, as I figure out HOW to work in this medium. I am discovering that some paints are opaque, others transparent. Not all the tubes provide this information - though some do. Some colors mix beautifully with others, some, not so much. I am learning about surfaces to paint on, the best size for a piece, how to choose and arrange my tools and my paints, how to keep the paint from drying out, how much paint I need, ... I could go on an on (and I will, but not right now.)
One the toughest things for me is to understand WHAT to paint, because the images that lend themselves beautifully to pastels and color pencils do not always work in paint (and vice versa.) Though I often have ideas, I lack the skill to make them work. So, one of the ways I am able to rehearse a painting is to depend on my digital tools for help. I layout designs, try different strokes and techniques, play with color and shadows, and by doing this begin to understand where the light is, how the colors work together, how to adjust the proportions to improve the composition, and so much more. And sometimes, the digital image that results in just beautiful in its own right. The image above is one I used to plan a painting called Harvest - which is still not ready for prime time - but I like this digital painting enough to share.
Now, I need to get ready for today's painting class. I can't wait to discover what I am about to learn.
This is a photo of my neighborhood in full autumn splendor. I love the way the effects transforms my quaint little 'hood into something wildly beautiful.
Yesterday was a wonderful day that began with a family photo shoot under the St. Johns Bridge. It was also the day before my grandson's second birthday - so spirits were high and it wasn't raining. Who could ask for more?
This is my photo, taken while waiting for the rest of the family to arrive - tweaked a little in my favorite tool (Photoshop of course). I think this reflects the light, the brightness and the breadth of my feelings for the ones who gathered together and made this Thanksgiving day so memorable.
My "senior class" today was a delight. My preparation, which included printing a collection of large, vibrant flowers, and even pre-sketching a few, resulted in truly lovely work, and a relaxing pre-Thanksgiving afternoon. To start the class I demonstrated how to mix and blend and deepen colors when working with Caran D'ache watersoluble crayons (which everyone loves). As my classes progress, my students (my "aspiring artists" as Lillian refers to our group) are growing more independent, and more skilled. 
Yesterday was Thanksgiving, complete with a torrential and windy Pacific storm that seemed to tear the leaves from the trees. This morning, the sun was shining, and our morning walk revealed that there were still some leaves on the trees - yellow ones. Those hearty maples are lending their golden glow to distract shoppers from Black Friday :-).
The next class in the free mandala class series was posted yesterday, and inspired me to try the technique again. One of the key points of yesterday's lesson, made so clear when I look at the work posted on the site, is that mandalas, even those based on identical patterns, offer endless opportunities for variation - in color, in intensity, outline, feeling and emphasis. Once you begin to vary the geometry - the possibilities are infinite - and fun. For today's image, I laid out the design on heavy watercolor paper, and used high quality color pencils. Still, though I layered color on, there is not enough punch. I once again used Photoshop to tweak the image and add the green background. 
I am learning to paint in acrylics. Actually, I am learning to paint. Learning something new is just about my favorite thing to do - and learning to paint is a challenge on many many levels.
My teacher is right, having a word in mind begins the process of forming the image. As the seascape (one of my favorite subjects) began to emerge, the color choices and the brush strokes just flowed naturally.
Day 22
Day 20
Day 19
