Uncle Bud's Art Colony

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Sometimes you just want to try something, sometimes you just gotta play. That is what this painting says to me let's play.

It is our mailbox and its been banged up a little. The snowplow wacks it, kids try to hit it with cans, and a driver or two has bumped it. It still stands.

It was a very clear day when I painted this. I took my artist license and bent the rules making it without any distance or perspective.

The grasses were fun to paint and add flowers, as well as some interest to the slope of the ground. I made the post more wood like and the mailbox metallic.

I notice there are times when I paint only for myself. Shyly I offer this for your eyes but be kind this old mailbox has been badly used. It's brought me lots of stuff, good and bad.

Well I think I'll go see if I have any mail.

You've got Mail!

9:42 AM

Kathy

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Saturday, August 13, 2016

I believe I have a style of painting, its not like Vincent Van Gogh, or Monet or any other of the Impressionist, but I try to move toward them.

These painting are more realistic than any of my other paintings, they are painted in acrylic and I notice that my oil paintings are heavier and more post expressionist.

I try to experiment with backgrounds and color combinations.

The more I paint and work on ideas for designs I develop my style.
My good friend Darren from Toastmasters said," In speaking its Stage time, stage time, stage time!"

I'll say in painting and art its "Easel time, easel time, easel time!"
The more you practice, and perform the better you get at what you do!

What is your style? Who do you look up too?
Lets set out our easels and paint away!

What's your Style?

3:48 PM

Kathy

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This was a very fun painting, it is complementary colors of Blue and Yellow as the background and fore ground.

To me this is just a feel good painting. I was going for a forest with those evening shadows and leaves on the floor of the woods.

In the middle ground you can see the far trees and another woods. If you have spent five minutes in a woods you can see the trees and under story in a lighter tone in the distance.

The Birch trees have always caught my attention. First people made quick canoes from this tree, and the bark is almost like paper. On vacation in Northern Michigan and Canada I would always draw on the bark that I found on the ground. (Respect the Trees.)

The Shadows I painted in with a wash of color and the leaves were dabs of straight paint. The limbs and vines also add interest leading your eye through the painting.

I hope you enjoy this offering today and as always these painting are for sale. ( I gotta buy more paint and canvas)

The Birch Wood and Shadows

10:00 AM

Kathy

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In most art classes you will learn that there is 10 shades of Gray. From pure black to white, but when you get down to it the best grays are from complementary colors or the good old brown to blue with titanium white.

This is a copy of another one of Jerry Yarnell's paintings from PBS. I like the old road bringing you to the church. The sunset or sunrise, all of the trees in the background that adds to the drama. The tree in the fore ground also creates depth.

The grays go from Burnt Senna to Ultramarine Blue, the muted gray/white snow also leads into more of a soothing effect.

Again I have done this painting from memory. I love watching PBS and all the talented artists they present.

Add gray to your pallet and try some of these fun paintings.

Ten Shades of Brown and Blue (Grays)

10:56 AM

Kathy

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How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
This just means if its a big project break it down to smaller increments.

This was my first try ever to paint an elephant. I was watching Jerry Yarnell on PBS TV. He did an elephant with it's baby on the Africa savanna.

I decided to try his composition. This was from memory, I see now I should have gotten references and taken more time to bring up the light. I could of expanded the background, worked more on the elephants. But I tried!!

If we try one bite at a time, we can do almost anything we put our minds to (and with a reference picture.)

If you are first time painter or doing drawing, practice using a model or get pictures of your subject. I promise it will help you to see things you never saw before. this will make you a better Artist.

Now I have to make some big bread for my Elephant sandwich.

How Do you Eat an Elephant?

11:59 AM

Kathy

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These birds were so much fun to paint. I did this group one afternoon starting with the bigger rooster first, the other one just happened. I liked the yellow background as an accent for the golds and browns to bounce off of. The teal and dark feathers also snap. Light against dark.

Some people like these painting for their kitchens and it makes me feel good to see them hanging in their homes.

The painting and the process does good things for your heart. Painting relaxes you and also engages your left brain helping to bring down your blood pressure.

Hope you enjoy today's offering and let your heart soar. Let these rooster go for the Gold!

Roosters win the Gold!

9:59 AM

Kathy

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This Painting was a lot of fun again it's from a photograph. This is in Northwest Michigan, a great trout stream and the beginning of a large beaver dam.

One thing that defines this painting is the negative space, the space where the sky and trees come together, and the relationship that defines the tree form. this occurs both in the foreground and the background.

The mist and gray under story also defines the upper part of the middle ground, and tell us the pine trees are above that area.
I think it is so cool that just a little bit of information to the brain and we see or understand that is what we are looking at.

Other artist use this effect even better to define or refine the painting so we feel as though we are seeing great depth of field.

Love the beaver house as well in this picture.

So even though I'm mostly positive, lets use some negative space to define our paintings!