PROGRAM DEMONSTRATION

I was asked to give a demonstration of fluid acrylics for the Southeastern Indiana Art Guild at their May meeting.  I took some paintings done with the fluid acrylics for "show and tell".

Since I had about 45-60 minutes to give the demo, rather than try and paint something quickly, I began a painting at home which I divided into 3 parts.

I put a piece of tape to divide the first 1/3 from the rest of the painting, and put a wash of paint on the flowers, leaves and background on the right 2/3.

When that was dry, I added more paint to begin bringing out the flowers and leaves.

Another layer onto the right side.

 A final layer on the right side.

At this point, my demo was ready for the meeting.

For my demo, I removed the blue tape and showed how I typically begin my paintings on the untouched left 1/3 of the painting.  Then I added more color to the middle portion - so that they could see the beginning, middle and end.

My hope is to complete the painting, tying it all together.  Stay tuned!

THE VISITOR

NON - ART RELATED POST

PHOTO ALERT - IF VIEWING REPTILES GIVES YOU THE "WILLIES", 

SKIP THIS POST!!!

The dog began going nuts, barking and racing from window to window.  I suspected his Nemesis, the squirrel, was driving him to distraction.  

However, when I looked out the dining room door - it was not a squirrel I saw - - but this - - -

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YOU WERE WARNED . . . . .

Yep - a big old black snake!

He was all stretched out - I'm guessing a good 6 feet long.  

Just then my husband appeared on the deck and I motioned to him and told him there was a snake on the porch.  He agreed:  "Yes, that's a snake" he said!  (Can't fool that guy!)

As I watched, the snake turned and slithered behind some deck detritus between the dining room and kitchen doors.  

Not sure how long it stayed there, but the dog would bark, nose in and then jump backwards! Finally I let the dog in - QUICKLY! - and the snake has not been seen since.  Thank goodness!

GLASS REFLECTIONS - FINAL

Here is a photo of the students (one lady had to leave early) holding their paintings.  Some are more completed than others.

Several emailed me photos of their finished paintings - and all said they had a great time!

GLASS REFLECTIONS - 1

My Glass Reflections workshop was the weekend of April 25-26 and I'm just now getting around to posting about it!  Oh well, better late than never!

 I brought a couple of other similar paintings for reference, which you can see in the photo below.

Looks like everyone is working hard here . . . 

. . . but not here!!!

  Most everyone knew each other, so we had a really fun group.

 These photos were taken as we were breaking for lunch so people were scattered about.

It was a small group - which allows for even more individual instruction.

PEARS AND GLASS - 4

Working on the stripes - from light to dark.

The finished product.

This entire painting was done with the QoR colors.  It took more glazing to get as dark as I needed to, but I'm not sure if it was the paper or the paint.  Once completed, I'm fairly content with the painting.

PEARS AND GLASS - 3

Deepening the shadows and more work on pears and berries.

Beginning the stripes.

PEARS AND GLASS - 2

More color added to the berries, pears and shadows.

  

PEARS AND GLASS

This painting is done with the QoR paints on Fabriano hot press paper.  I forgot to take a photo of just the drawing, but here is the next step.  I have dropped some color onto the areas of the pears and shadows.

Then I began adding color to the berries and more color to the pears.

DRIVING AROUND - 2

Here are two road sign posts – these were typical for the county!  My husband has had this rule for years – “don’t drive in Franklin County after dark” (he would actually get nervous!!!).  I have a rule “never drive in Franklin County without the county map”. 

However . . . in the past couple of years our rural county apparently got some stimulus money, because all of the old signs are being taken down and new ones put up – shiny green and white on a metal post – no character at all – it just ain’t the same.  Although my husband will no longer be getting lost!

The scenery is so “wild and wooly” – I really love it (but it is kinda scary!), so my husband and I have another rule about areas like this - “don’t have an accident here!”  We figure that if we have a wreck in one of these places they may never find our bodies!

And here is a sad but true story.  Several years ago a small plane took off from Aurora, IN, another local town located along the Ohio River.  A short time later a farmer in Franklin County heard a plane that didn’t sound quite right, then a crashing noise.  He proceeded to finish plowing his field, then went to the house, got some help on four-wheelers (you might call them quad-runners or ATVs) and went looking for the plane.  They also called in the police at that time and a real search took place but had to stop due to darkness.  It wasn’t until the next day, and then only after a helicopter was called in, that the plane was found in the trees.  (Sadly, the pilot died).