Portraits are coming along.

I was pleased so far with my progress on portraits.  Mark introducted me to a new color (to me) and it is great, almost like a burnt sienna but not as brown.  I have another session in the morning with the model and I can practice with this new color.

I sketched on the big "George the Bartender" painting (about 5 feet high) and will work on that a little tonight to get some blocking-in done to see if the design will work out.  It's on my to-do list for this year so I'm determined to get it done. 

Afraid of the dark!

It's true.  Regarding portrait work, I've been over correcting, not putting the darks into my "faces" because I used to be too dark and it took me a while to lighten up.  Now the reverse is true.  We are always making adjustments to keep on course, or is it 2 steps forward and one step back?  I guess that's why we are so happy when we have a really good day and feel like we actually got somewhere.

I heard some nice comments about my painting at the North Shore Art Association's current show, nice nice nice!  Maybe on Sunday I'll take a ride over to see the show.

Paintings

I guess I didn't say much about painting in my last post.  I finished the Carol's Market Day little 6x6" painting but haven't posted it, and I did a portrait that I liked at the Haverhill Portrait Group at the church in Bradford, and I'm working on a portrait of John Kane which is one of the things on my to-do list for this year.  I want to say thanks to Susan Manning O'Briant for recommending Mark to me. 

100 things a day

That's the way it feels these days, way too much going on.  The days are flying by, as usual, but somehow, maybe its the wonderful weather, a lot is getting done--I just don't get around to posting it here.  Sorry.

I've been painting portrait work and getting help with Mark Hayden.  I have a little break from teaching art because my student had an operation.  I'm meeting with a new student today who is joining the 1st phase of my program.  Teaching skating lessons is coming along, we drew the qualifications for this years regionals on the 1st of May but his is the first year in a decade at least that I don't have anyone skating official events.  We may have a new senior skater from Maine.  Gardening has taken my focus this past week or more and it looks like at least another week might get things in some kind of good shape.  Along with the usual reading of art books and magazines, etc., I've read a few fiction books (not art) and it feels like cheating.  I guess my brain needed a little change of pace.

I reached a point with computing and making new web pages where I was NEAR finished and then got sidetracked, so nothing to report there.  Here is a new site where you can play with photos and make some very interesting things:  http://ipicey.com/
Make a photo collage, calendar, and other things.

It feels good to be strong and physically active which is partly to blame on the weather and I'm walking, gardening, and just enjoying being outside again. 

Yesterday's student and my small painting

My art student is coming along by leaps and bounds.  She wants to have a show next fall to celebrate her one-year anniversary.  This woman is very focused and determined and fast.  Teaching her is like riding on a run-away stage coach where you lost the reins.  Seriously though, she's trying very hard and most likely is being very patient with me.

Since she is moving forward at lightning speed, I'm trying not to hover over her so today I worked on a small painting while she worked on her painting.  I'll check it later today, do any last minute touchups and then post it to my facebook art page and it will go on auction on Carol Marine's Daily Paintworks page.  I'm with PayPal now so anyone can quickly and easily purchase a painting. 

Carol's Flower Market, 6x6" oil

Later today I'll try to emphasize the sun and shade aspect where some of these flowers are shaded by the umbrella. 

Video Art Magazine

Video Art Magazine
This site has wonderful demos and stories about today's master artists.

I'm still working on learning web building software, so even though I want to paint today, I have to get this web learning curve behind me.

There is a free video on the APVM site, and it's almost 2 hours long.  You can skip through it and there are 4 or 5 segments.  A surprise for me was one on Michael Klein's watercolor technique which is an oil painting approach to watercolor.

Happy Spring!

Best Art and Art Website Links

Great resource page, Business & Marketing Of Art – with Leah Markham

This site rivals the ever so popular blog page of.Stapleton Kearns.

Stapleton's is about art and Leah's is about marketing.

So today, I'm concentrating on my art web page redesign which is smaller than that other site I'm working on, and easier I hope, and with a snow storm blowing outside, it's just the right atmosphere for working on the computer.  OK, maybe I'll have to take a break to read an art mag in the comfort of my cozy bed.  Paint?  Nope, not today.

Share my pain-website trouble

Well, it's not the art site, but I've been working for days on a web site using a software called WebPlusX4 and first thing this morning I lost the whole thing, yes I saved it many times, but the page that comes up is practically blank.  It's taken me all day to get over it.  Well, now I will start all over again and try to save it more ways than one.  I guess I'll be pretty good at it by the time I do another one, then, hopefully, there won't be any more surprises like this. 
The good thing about all this is that I was in a very happy place while I was involved with the production of this site, feeling good about learning things, and making good progress.  I hope all that optimism and satisfaction returns for the second time around.