Rose Welty

A little break

Work in Progress - start of my next painting

Just popping in to say that life has gotten extremely busy for me, so I am going to have to take a week or so off of blogging. Thank you for your patience and I'll be back as soon as I can get a breath!

Back Soon!

This was my final painting from my month long class with Linda Blondheim.

I really enjoyed the class I took from her. She is a very attentive teacher and has lots of knowledge to share. If you are interested in taking a class online, check out what she offers. She runs her online classes through a private blog - a format that worked well.

School begins in just over a week, so we are squeezing in as much family time as possible - I will try and post next week, but until then, enjoy the last of summer!

My Approach to a Painting

I’m currently trying out some new ideas with my painting and so I thought I’d document my process here so I remember it and you can see how I approach a painting.

 

I began with a value study and a few color studies. Below is the color study I was happiest with:

 

Then, I began with painting in the dark elements to my painting. This is unusual for me, I usually begin with the background – and cover the whole surface with the background color. At this point I was really happy with the dark pattern.

 

Then I added in the flowers, the lighter elements of the painting. I admit at this point I am getting a little worried about the background. As hard as I worked on those initial brushstrokes, now I have to paint all around them to fill in the background – not a good way to work. However, I do know that there will be layers on top of these in all these elements, so maybe this time it is OK that I am filling in the background later.

 

You’ll find out how it went in the next post – I plan to do the background next, once the paint dries a bit and hopefully it won’t be so easy to make a huge mess!

Sketch and Empty Easel Article

After realizing that I needed to get a higher frequency of painting sessions in my schedule, I did this quick 4in x 4in sketch today. I used regular acrylics, as opposed to slow-drying ones. I did try to use thin glazes of color, but somewhere I got muddled and then just went with what felt natural.

All in all, a good way to experiment and have fun, although I don’t love anything about the 4in square board – just a little too small for my liking.

Also today my last article in the art education series on Empty Easel is available.

New Artwork: Royal Lily

 

Royal Lily

7 in x 5 in, acrylics on Gessobord

varnished and ready to frame

SOLD

I went to the grocery store looking for something to paint. I decided on these lilies because of their delicate pink color. I love delicate pink colors like that. With my ruddy complexion, I don’t look good in those colors, but I try and surround myself with it otherwise.

I love the twists and turns in the petals of lilies and irises. In this painting I wanted to capture the sense of movement that these petals have.