Staying busy

Feeling a bit Surreal today, can you tell?

14 x 11 inches, Acrylic on panel, "Illusion"

Still working on completing my one hundred figure paintings, and just started the January 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.  This is day 4.

Also thought I would collage a photo together of the last bunch of figure paintings.

So I can safely say, I am staying busy this month :)

Mary

Pick up that brush

A collage of my latest group of figure paintings

I have been having fun lately, just working on figures. 

I found a group on face book call One Hundred Figures,  a group sharing various styles of figure painting.  A wonderful artist Tina Naya'li Berendsohn share demos and everybody gives them a try.

When you find a site like this just have to "pick up that brush" and join in.

#onehundredfigures

Mary

#schirosart

Ink Base

Ready for Rain, 16 x 12 inches

Acrylic inks are a great way to start a painting.  There is a loose freedom in working with ink. Thought I would share s few of the steps in creating this painting.

    First step a very quick sketch to work from using acrylic inks (magenta and yellow)

Next start an underpainting with acrylics:

When this layer is dry, start in on the details:

Letting each layer dry, it is just a bit more refining and the painting is done.

Hope you enjoyed see the steps

Thanks Mary

A Series of Studies

Found a figurative pose that just ask to be painted.  I have done two studies so far, and plan more.

For one I used Alizarin Yellow and Manganese violet, one of my favorite color combinations.  The Alizarin yellow makes a very intense warm glow.

The next painting the main colors are emerald green, caput mortuum  (violet-brown), brilliant yellow and magenta, which surprising created a cool blueish color palette.  Also with this painting I turned my photo reference up-side down and actually painted the entire painting up-side down.  I did that to stop myself from painting what I "thought" should be there, and just paint the lights and shadows as just that; lights and shadows.

These two paintings are oil on canvas 14 x 11 inches.  I am already starting another one but using water media and working a bit more abstract.  Hopefully I will be able to post that one in a day or two.  I am hoping this series of studies will lead to a larger finished painting.  With each painting I feel more comfortable with the subject and willing to see where the composition will lead.
Mary
Schiros-art.com

Some more red...

Finished up this painting this morning.....  Day 12 of 30 in 30

24 x 18 inches, acrylic on canvas, "The Bath"Available; original of print at FineArtAmerica

I know I am posting this late, but my day was busy with some of my favorite things: painting in the morning,  gardening in the afternoon, then canning in the evening.  Yes I like canning, something cool about growing your own food, putting it up for the Winter.  Kind of old fashioned but thats me.
    This painting I started at the open house for the Flint Institute of Arts, and it was painted with the same colors of the painting from yesterday. I worked on both paintings at the same time.  I find that working on 2 paintings will keep me from over working one.  I  taped several  1 and 2 minute gesture drawing on the wall in front of my easels and used them for reference.  One suggestion I can make is, if you ever have the chance to take life drawing please do.  There is no other form of drawing that will fine tune your skills as much as having to draw the human figure from life.
Mary

Always say yes

A tip I have learned along the way....
   When ask to participate in an art event, (that is free and does not involve giving away your work),
always say: "Yes, I would love to!"  and say it with a big heartfelt smile.  Now after your turn and walk away with that smile on your face, you can then panic, and think now what!  There is nothing that will get you to your easel and painting, faster than having a event to be in.  
   Wed. I had the fun of being one of the active painters, on display at the Flint Institute of Arts, Art school open house.  After jumping in and painting in public for a while now, I have learned it is very rewarding.  I get to do something I love, be around people and paint, just doesn't get any better than that.  Now if your thinking I just can not paint in public, you do not know until you try, and if you don't try you will never know...(kind of  loop there).  Yes it is scary the first time, and yes you may make mistakes, but people don't care, they will enjoy it even if you make a mess...really!
   Anyways, here is one of the 2 paintings from the open house...

28 x 22 inches, Acrylic on CanvasAvailable for sale or prints at Fineartamerica.com

Counting this as painting 11 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge, because I did finish it up today.
Also, it fits with this weeks theme, limited palette, but I did use 4 colors:  Capital Orange by Matisse (looks like a cad.red light) and Haymarket ( looks like an ochre yellow) also by Matisse.  These to are called background colors, because they are opaque and mat.  I love these paints because you can put down a lot of rich color quickly.  The other 2 colors were Golden's Ultramarine blue, and Holbein Aqua blue.
Happy painting
Mary

Painting and chatting, and two easels, hey I can multi-task :)

Save your sketches

I know I have said this before, but it is worth saying again....Save you sketches!   Even those 1 and 2 minute drawing, sometimes those have the most expression.   When cleaning my studio this Winter,  I was tempted to pitch a bunch of old drawing.  But as I sat an looked at those old 1 and 2 minutes drawings, ideas started popping into my head.
   Instead of dumping the sketches I grabbed one and started redrawing it, focusing on what I liked about it.   The following ink and color paintings are some of the places I went with one rough sketch.

14 x 11 inches, Solitude" Acrylic on canvas

                                                     AVAILABLE AT DPWS

Why

"Strides", Oil on canvas, 14 x 11 inches

Available at FineArtAmerica

Thought I would share my latest painting, and some thoughts about it.  I found some figures that were part of a statue that really caught my attention, enough that I felt the need to try and paint a version of them myself.  I was not until I had finished that painting and was viewing, I could understand the meaning.
     Two female figure reaching and running in different direction.  I saw myself trying to run from myself, something that happens in life.  But the two figures almost form one form.
    With age there is some wisdom, I can not run from myself, I am who I am and can at times accept that.  No mater how far I reach, or how long my stride, I can not run from myself. I am who I am.

    Just sharing my thoughts for the day.

Mary

 

Starting with Background

Girl and Her Cat, acrylic on paper, 14 x 11 inches

                                                                                                         Available on DPWs

I love to work on paper or canvas that has a lot of texture from gesso.

Some times I will spend a day just getting surfaces ready for painting, and set them aside to dry so they are ready to grab when I am in the mood to paint.

Once in a while the surface treatment will actually give me the idea for a painting.  When I use toned or color gesso and randomly spread it out, after spending some time just looking at the surface colors I will see suggestions of shapes and forms in it.

This is an example of that process. 

a mix of white and black gesso

starting to find the forms

 

 

 

Adding color

Light and Dark

Red Head 1, Acrylic on paper 12 x 16 inches

There is no picture with out light, and the only way to see the light is by the contrast to dark.  Such a simple fact but so easy to forget when color choices come in to play.

    Sometimes I just need to remind myself of that and work on a painting focusing only on the lights and dark.  And that is what I did with this figurative.  I did not abandon color but used it in connection to lights and dark.  A good practice to do once in awhile, thought I would share.

Mary

Schiros_Art

 

Back to figuratives

Oil on canvas, 16 x 12 inches

Day 27 was an all day painting, but still part of the 30 paintings in 30 days.  Not sure yet what to call this one yet. 
Later on I will be posting a short video of the material and process, ( I remembered to stop and take photos a long the way).

Mary
Schiros_Art