Good Job!!!!

One of my new students just finished his first color wheel.  He did a great job mixing colors and working with a palette knife. His favorite color is blue.  Next we are starting on a complementary doodle.  A kind of an abstract working in complimentary colors.  I think he is ready for oils!

Summer Is Here!!! Look out your window!

'Hummingbird' by Zoe Paoli (10 years old)

Symplicity and Mystery Of the Color Wheel

I love the color wheel and the possibilities it represents with only 3 simple but primary colors plus black and white. One can make up just about any color.  I have a few of my students now working on their own color wheel.  Making up a color wheel is a great exercise to do when learning to paint.  You learn about the primaries, the secondaries and the compliments of each color. You start to recognize the sublties of color and the emotional impact they have on your work. You also learn how to mix....which is fun and takes practice. You learn how to make your colors POP! and that is exciting....that's when a painting ...ssssssssssings.

 I even like the color wheel as a painting onto its self.

They finally have accepted.... ....the new guy

It seems the girls have finally accepted....Mr. Bud or the Bud-ster as I have been known to call him.  Ms. Lili was not happy AT ALL the first few weeks but now she has come to the conclusion..........Buddy is here to stay....ugh...why?  Sally has an on going love/hate relationship with 'Little Man II'.  Deep down I think she is worried he is here to replace her.  As for Bud himself......he is very happy in his new diggs especially when there are so many great toys!!!! 

A Good Start! Not Bad!

One of my new students is learning to draw and recognize the full range of values (lights to darks) in a still-life.  Her first black and white charcoals she did well.  We started with a still-life of a lemon and then moved onto 2 overlapping peaches, both working in charcoal. This is her first oil painting of a grapefruit.  We kept it to a limited palette of yellow, white and black (however we did not have black so we used brown).  At first she worked on a couple of charcoal drawings of the grapefruit to understand the play of light (values).  Rachele's use of charcoal is good, she has a light touch and listens well.  This week for homework, she will finish her first still-life of a grapefruit in oil on canvas board.  I can't wait to see it!

Which color???????

Buddy wants you to choose!?

Dr. S continues

  Dr. S continues to work on his tea cup still-life.  It is coming out very nicely. He is working from both photos and an actual set up.  He is exact at getting the details just right.  I had him keep his palette to just 4 colors.  Black, white, ochre and blue.  Keeping the palette simple you can focus on creating a range of values. A piece like this takes time to create a mood.  You want to feel the light and experience the time of day.

 On a different note.  Buddy is truly a gift, welcoming all the students with complete and absolute Joy!

Starry Night by Zoe

Ok ....this has to be my favorite piece thus far by Ms. Zoe (hmmm...not sure about that).  As I mentioned earlier we took a trip to see a Van Gogh show in Palos Verdes.....or rather a show 'Just Like Van Gogh'.  They were not actual Van Gogh paintings but pieces done after Van Gogh's masterpieces.  Zoe decided to do her own version of 'Starry Night'.  Today she completed that version.  Her use of color and texture is fabulous, as is her grasp of mixing colors with confidence.

 I love her focus and concentration

as she goes about mixing and working.

  I am very proud of her.

Zoe....you did another masterpiece!

          I have a new student whose enthusiasm and eagerness to learn is a pleasure.  He wants to learn how to paint animals, plants,  still-lifes and portraits.   Last week we worked on a tiger. Not bad for a beginner! I can't wait to see how he presents the subtleties of color, light and texture in a painting.