Sunday, December 27, 2009

AC Art Association Winter - Spring 2010 Schedule

  • Jan 11: Richard Patt - Acrylic Landscape in One Hour
  • Jan 25: Pat King - Critique
  • Feb 1: Bill Koelpin, Jr. Acrylic Demo
  • Feb 15: Bill Stanke, Critique
  • Mar 1: Sally DuBack, Pastel Portrait
  • Mar 15: Roger Gifford, Critique
  • April 5: Ken Bronikowski, Oil Demo
  • April 19: Michael Foster, Critique
  • April 22: Spring Show at Harbor Village
  • May 3: Social
  • May 13: End of Spring Show

Friday, December 18, 2009

Oil Pastel, Frame Park Waukesha


Quite pleasant Thursday, 30 F & overcast. Days are getting very short. Light goes quick. Would like to go back and paint here again. Really happy with this painting. The first thing that caught my eye was the red bush, then the bridge. I like the crooked bush on the left too.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Conte sketches of live models


Quite chilly in doors for this session.

Oil Pastel Sketch of Vernon Barn


A bit cold today (3 degrees F) and the shadow/light pattern changed very quickly.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Oil Pastel Sketch overlooking Vernon Marsh in Vernon


It was snowing lightly when we met to paint so each stayed in our cars and painted. By the time we left it was snowing heavy enough that the far hills were obscured. It is amazing how brown & green everything is now.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Oil Pastel Plein Air Sketches from Marinette County Wi


Painted the pond picture on Sunday right before we left. Like the pattern the birch trees made against the darker background. I think I managed to get the backlit effect in the grasses around the birches.

Painted the 2 field pictures on Saturday. Colors got darker toward sundown. In the middle of the day colors were kind of hazy.

Attended a critique by Lorin Willey at AC Art Association. He's an international artist specializing in impressionist landscapes with a show coming up at the Schauer Center. Couldn't find his website.

He wanted to know our intent in painting a painting. Told us to avoid using pure white in our paintings. One way to get around it is to mix a middle and light value of each color. Doing abstracts based on a theme or thought, larger is better, is a good way to key into your internal math/rhythm. Foreground grasses are usually soft because we look about 20 yards out. He says go slow to finish fast which means study and plan what you're going to paint. He said start from outside and bring your palette inside to finish a painting inside. Don't worry about finishing it outside just paint and enjoy nature. He knew a lot about art history. Sky is usually the lightest, then the ground while object perpendicular to the ground are darker. He could tell when people painted from a photo because photos have dark lines and more contrast than life. Vary values of painting to create depth. Both portraits critiqued tonight had subject to right side with left eye in center.

Oil Pastel Plein Air Sketch of Vernon Marsh


It's interesting that my color palette has changed with the season. A beautiful day. A lot warmer in the afternoon than the morning. One of my friend wears wool socks on her hands. She can poke the brush through and use it like normal while her hands stay warm.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Oil Pastel Plein Air Sketch of Garden near Lincoln Parkway

The sky was really blue Tuesday morning.

Some mini 7"x5" acrylic landscapes



These pictures of Autumn Flowers and VA buildings along with the 3 pastels posted October 12 were submitted to the ArtBar's November mini exhibit.

It's very interesting to compare my oil pastel plein air sketch of the VA buildings to the acrylic indoor painting of it from Oct 20. http://katsmishmash.blogspot.com/2009/10/oil-pastel-plein-air-sketch-at-va.html . I enjoyed painting both of them.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Oil Pastel Plein Air Sketch of Bridge Near Hart Park in Wauwatosa


At first it was a bit chilly and my hands were cold because I forgot my gloves. However after an hour it warmed up to at least 50F and it was pretty comfortable.

Acrylic Still Life from class


11x14 panel

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Oil Pastel Plein Air Sketch at VA

Oil Pastel Sketch from Drawing Class


From a photograph I took on a rainy plein air day near McKinely Marina, http://milwaukeesketchclub.blogspot.com/2009/06/wednesdays-plein-air.html

Monday, October 12, 2009

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Some pastel paintings for One Way Cafe Show





Pictures of Bear Point, Menomonee River, Marinette Co. WI. Received an honorable mention at this show for "Bear Point #2" (The picture with the people in the boat.)


















It's interesting to compare these pastel paintings painted indoors to the oil pastel sketches I did on location and posted on 8/17/09. http://katsmishmash.blogspot.com/2009/08/plein-air-oil-pastels-of-menomonee.html . I had a lot of fun painting all of these pictures

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Oil Pastel Sketch at Hoyt Park


Water is down quite a bit from spring. Overall a nice morning.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Some miscellaneous Sketches








Did 2 plein airs this week, an oil pastel sketch near Juneau Park, a water color pencil sketch at Lion's Gorge. Weather very fine. Some miscellaneous pencil sketches around town and at Retzer Nature Center's Apple Harvest. The apples & apple pies were real good. Here are the sketches in no particular order.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Pencil & Oil pastel done at McCarty Park



My niece & nephew were in a cross county event at McCarty Park so I painted there with a friend. It was fun. Some people came and sat down in front of me so I quick painted them in.

Still Lifes from acrylic classes with Fred Bell



I like the shadow in the clock face.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Pencil work



Had jury duty this week. While waiting to get called onto a jury started a color pencil painting of Menomonee River on Wisconsin Michigan border. Then during one of our long lunches while sitting on jury, I sketched Civic Center Complex/ MacAuthor Square. Very good views of skylines. You're far enough back from the buildings to see.

Friday, August 21, 2009

acrylic class still life


In process painting. Really like the pear on the left. Pears are really fun to paint.

Plein Air Oil Pastel of Back Bay Park up from Milwaukee's Lake front

Monday, August 17, 2009

Plein Air Oil Pastels of the Menomonee River on Wisconsin/Michigan border














I really enjoy traveling with my husband. He drops me off at places to paint. I had a really good time on Saturday painting. At first there wasn't anyone around but then a bunch of fishing boats went by and a bachelor party dropped anchor to fish, etc. on the island across the way. One bachelor swam across to look at my pictures. Towards the end of the day several fishing boats drifted by and a whole slew of canoes joined the bachelor party. I really enjoy painting outside with the natural observing and interacting with nature and people.