One good goal

  
  This is one of those simple ideas that just has to be shared.
Never have an empty easel.   I just realized that this simple fact is one that keeps me painting everyday.  Always having a painting to work on is one of those things that I just do, and never think about.  Today I was cleaning up my picture file on the PC and noticed there were a lot of easel shots, various works in process, and had a DUH  moment.
   So thought I would share some inspiration .....

 
 Now go get something to paint on 
Mary
    Schiros_Art

Simply Fruit

simply an apple, 6 x 6 inches, oil on wood

Available  DPW auction

Started working on a small group of paintings, 6 x 6 inches on wood panels, all of fruit.  These are a small group of paintings that I think would be simple and elegant for a kitchen or dinning room.  And the subject is great practice for developing more skill with oil painting.  Did a practice one on canvas paper and liked the way it looked so did a finished one on a wood panel.
   If you can't think of a thing to paint here you go, raid the frig and then grab a paint brush ;)
Plan to see more fruit this week.

the first practice on canvas paper

 Mary

Being true to yourself

Just a jar painted week 2 of an oil painting class

This is week two of an oil painting class I am taking at the Flint Institute of Art and just wanted to share the process.  The class is formal classic painting and so far I am loving it.  Class started this week with a short lecture on thumb nail sketching, before we were turned loose to paint a still-life.  There was a lovely well lit still-life waiting to for us, that I sat and stared at for about 20 minutes while everyone else was already putting paint down.  Just past the set up was an off white jar set not part of the set up on another table.  My eyes just kept going to that jar as if it was calling me.  So I made a few quick sketches of it at the bottom of my canvas paper and just decided it was what I wanted to paint. After a while the instructor came over, took a deep breath and said “ok I can work with this” and gave me some suggestions. 

    The story here is be true to yourself and still be wiling to learn. I know this is going to go well 11 more weeks to go and looking forward to each one.

Mary

A classic set up to paint

The jar that caught my eyes

Full picture of the painting and the sketches at the bottom.

http://mary-schiros.artistwebsites.com

http://www.zazzle.com/mbschiros 

Combining passions

Combining passions sometimes creates odd partners.
A few years ago I won first place in the women’s division of the state pistol competition, in Lansing MI. Competitive shooting, art, and gardening are all activities I deeply enjoy. And I have often tried to combine these activities. Gardening and art were simple to put together. The garden makes a wonderful back drop, and environment to for painting.
Finally, this year I managed to put the skill of shooting with art.
Last Wed. I dressed in my paint clothes, packed up my glock hand gun, acrylic paints, rice paper, plastic bags and tape and headed to the range. With the help of my husband we put together an easel/target stand and proceeded to make ART. This was the first attempt, but from one afternoon I have, one complete painting and the beginnings of several more.
The basic set up is to hang masa paper from one target stand at a close angle to a second target stand that has plastic bags filled with acrylic paint hanging off it.
Then the trick is hit the bags, (not the paper) and watch the paint fly. The hand gun produced large droplets, and a 12 gage shot gun made a fine mist of paint. As other shooters gathered, several different fire arms were suggested to try out and see what results they produced. I am looking forward to trying several different set ups next time out.
The most interesting aspect of this, is the combination of using the creative side of the mind, at the same time as, working with the discipline and skill of gun control. The fun part is not just making a huge mess, but listening to the hoots and calls from fellow shooters, saying things like “MORE BLUE..MORE RED …MORE TO THE RIGHT!”