Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Back with copy of old Master Vermeer














Here is my attempt to copy an old Master Vermeer painting for the Old Master Challenge at http://projectoldmastercopy.wordpress.com/ . It has definitely been a challenge using large oil bars on an estimated 8"x11" surface. The reason for the small surface is that it fits directly on to my scanner surface and I don't have to photograph it(which I do a lossy job when I do). Scanning directly gets it the closest to the original painting. I know I drew her face in too wide and much of the colors are different from the model but all in all it works ok.

I still have not finished my Christmas painting and I have a portrait to do for the Different Strokes from Different Folks exchange due by the 7th of Jan. My Christmas painting will be a belated Christmas card and New Years card. I am also praying I will be over this cold I got starting yesterday too.

God bless you all and I pray you had a Joyous Christmas remembering Jesus' birth and have a great New Years. Joy in Jesus Always!

Friday, December 12, 2008

Give Credit

It has come to my mind I need to give reference sites to the 2 challenge blogs I have participated in. I have used their posted photos for their challenges. The one other group artapprentice blog group I did not use their photo as a source, I set up my own still life and painted in real time.

I believe I should give credit where credit is due.

Karin Jurick: Different Strokes from Different Folks Challenge:

http://differentstrokesfromdifferentfolks.blogspot.com

The other group is Virtual Sketch Date Challenge:

http://virtualsketchdate.blogspot.com

I will try to remember to post these blog site references when ever I use them for the challenge I am participating with when I post my painting from their photo.

I want to thank each blog site for this opportunity to do these challenges and learn from them.
Thank you.

1st Virtual Sketch Date Challenge

This is my 1st painting for Virtual Sketch Date blog challenge. Not too into doing landscapes but this looked interesting because of the shapes and colors involved.
I used Oil Bars for this one too. Learning lots.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Midnite date: Different Strokes Wkly Challenge: Boots

This is my take on the Different Strokes Weekly challenge, done in oil bars. Was a lot of fun. I am enjoying the process more using these oil bars, but I have to think in terms of less details since the bars are so large. Still have lots more to learn.

I called this "Midnite Date" or it could be called "Late Date". I like the idea of inanimate objects typifying life.

I am presently working on a Christmas card painting using acrylics which is mostly done except for the details. Wanted to do some more playing with these challenges to loosen up so when I go back to the Christmas card painting I'll feel more at ease doing the details. My Christmas cards are going to be sent out late this year but that is ok, Christmas should be year round anyway, in my opinion: giving because Jesus gave to me and to everyone.

Plan on working on 1 more challenge that is going to the Vitural Sketcher monthly challenge if I can ever get to it after all the other things I need to do too. So it is always one more thing to do before I can get to what I really would rather be doing, working on correcting this issue too.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Different Strokes Wkly Challenge Uploaded

My scanner is not working like it used to before my computer got sick so my pictures are not coming out as close to the originals as before but at least it is close. Hope you get the light to dark to beginning of light idea in this painting. Was supposed to do it looking at the upside down source photo but I got carried away with the composition and colors as it is that I forgot all about the original challenge. Oh well, I really learned a lot from this one, was done in oil paint sticks.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Art Apprentice group wkly challenge


I did this painting for the art apprentice yahoo group challenge. 3 Okinawan Squash: Large one-Subui, pumpkin shaped one-Kabocha and smaller one-Nabe-ra. It was quite the challenge for it is from life not a photo. I used water soluble oils, still not sure I'm getting what I want from them, but will keep at it a while longer.

My next painting project will be for the Virtual Sketch blog monthly challenge: it is from a photo though and another wkly challenge with art apprentice group: it will be from life.

Learning a lot as I do these and also getting some paintings produced. Very Happy am I!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Computer sick


This wk I started the weekly challenge but lost interest, couldn't seem to get a direction. Got the rough sketch, underpainting and started the layers but I just couldn't seem to want to finish it. Week 6 is coming up hopefully things will turn around, planning to do things more simply and more sketchy, I'll see where it goes. Also my computer got sick this past wk and had to go to the dr a few times, it seems to be fine now, thank God. Here is a painting I did a few years ago.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Pumpkin-Pumpkin wk 4


Wow! Week 4 this is great fun and I am learning so much. Week 4 challenge of white pumpkins is all in waterbased oils. I used only 2 colors plus white, but unfortunately the painting posted does not show much of the yellow, but I did use it in the purples and whites to tone down the purples. One thing I really want to improve on is to do a painting in 1 day(a couple of hours) instead of it taking me 2 or 3 days to complete just one. That is my next challenge for myself, hope I can do it. Anyway I want anyone who is reading these posts to know that Karin Jurick is a fantastically gifted and giving artist. I pray God bless her richly with all His goodness. Thank you Karin.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Week 3 challenge: Different strokes


Used mostly paint oil sticks for this one. Plan to go larger in the frame in the next challenge, but use the same size format. Love this learning process.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Getting my feet wet


I'm getting my feet wet with this weekly project on Karin Jurick's weekly "different strokes challenge". I'm not much into landscape painting and I am trying to learn to use water-based oils and speed things up. This is painted using one color. I wanted the feeling of heat to come through, hope that comes through. I am also going to start using oil bars/sticks in future challenges. Lots of experimenting and having fun with it all. Hope to progress to a better painter as I go along.

Saturday, September 6, 2008


Drawing I did for Karen Jurick's new weekly different strokes challenge blog for Sept 3-10,'08