January 25th, 2012
Back when I first started painting in pastel, everything I painted was a custom size. I cut my paper to fit the scene. Instead of 9x12s, 12x16s and so on, I ended up with sizes like 13×17. This meant that every framing job was a custom job – and thus somewhat expensive. On a beginning artist’s budget, it didn’t take me long to figure out that painting to standard sizes would save me money, because I could buy readymade frames and precut mats.
I did this for years. But standard formats began to cramp my style. Sometimes, a landscape would demand something other than a 9×12 (or a 3:4 format), such as a double-square (1:2) or even a triple-square (1:3). As I began to explore design, I found that I was hurting myself by sticking with the standard formats. Yet, I felt that I needed to stay standard, since any sketch might turn into a masterpiece that I’d have to frame.
But when cutting paper for standard sizes, I always seemed to end up with odd-sized scraps. I began to use these for quick little sketches outdoors. I began to really enjoy doing “scrap” paintings. The practice was liberating, because I knew I wasn’t going to frame them.
Somewhere along the line, I stopped thinking about the framing altogether. I started thinking just about the painting. If, I thought, an odd-sized piece were to end up being good enough to frame, then I’d deal with it when the time came. I’d come full-circle regarding sizes.
These days, when I take my 9×12 sheet into the field, I’m likely to take a piece of tape and mask off a smaller area that fits my scene better. This always leaves me a scrap for later. Here are two sketches I did this week on a single 9×12 sheet. Neither design would work well in a 9×12 format.
By the way, we had a day of overcast and snow squalls. These were painted on that day.
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January 25th, 2012
Thrushes are a fun family of birds. Bluebirds, American robins and the flute-y thrushes like the hermit thrush and wood thrush, are all classified into this family. The American robin is perhaps the most overlooked of these species because we see them so commonly. But if you take time to watch them, you will find not only striking beauty, but delightful behaviors. We are fortunate in Tennessee to have not only our resident robins year-around, but many robins who migrate from the north to winter in Tennessee. The above painting was inspired by a flock of wintering robins that descended upon my dogwood trees in late fall. The memory of the experience was captured in the sketch you see below. Creating a sketch deepens the memory with all its sensory detail and adds to the enjoyment of the experience. I was intrigued not only with the robins and their behavior, but with the incredible beauty of the dogwood’s fall colors. A tapestry of red, maroon, purple and orange, and in their midst, the robin’s red breast and contrasting dark gray plumage. While selecting birds to include in an autumn note card series, this sketch readily came to mind. Even though I had photographs, as well, for reference, the sketch formed the basis for the painting and was my guide throughout the painting process.
Links and resources:
More about this painting: The Yellow Glow Behind the Robin at Vickie’s Sketchbook
To see my original post on these robins: A Party of Robins at Sketching in Nature
American Robin at Vickie Henderson Art
American Robin–Cornell’s all about birds
My Autumn Birds Note Cards
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January 25th, 2012
Where to donate – Art and Craft Supplies. from Getting Organized Magazine. ART AND CRAFT SUPPLIES. The CUREchief Foundation What they do: Bring hope to cancer patients, and people with other conditions that cause hair loss …
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January 25th, 2012
Well I have not one but three fantastic East London Craft Guerrilla events to tell you about. They all look fabulous so try to get to 1 or all 3! Well done Debbie, I can’t wait!
Thursday 9th February D.I.Y Craft Night….
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January 20th, 2012
Here is my Broodlord painted by my good buddy Kenny Boucher. I have dubbed my hive fleet the Colossus. I have also included pictures of the genestealers as well.
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January 20th, 2012
Traditional oil painting like the old masters did. We’ll be learning the techniques of Peter Paul Rubens, and Antony van Dyck. Our instructor Alexander Dzuybko-Doyle will be teaching his skills to us for 12 weeks. Last night was our first class. We had an introduction to the style and techniques and then began some very precise drawing of a still life that was set up for us.
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January 20th, 2012
WHAT: Fine Arts Craft Faire
WHERE: George Rogers Park, Lake Oswego, Oregon
WHEN: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
June 22-24, 2012
NOTEWORTHY:
*49th Annual Festival of the Arts.
*Limited to 120 juried fine artists and craft artists.
*Estimated attendance: 25,000.
*Application/Booth Fees ($30/$410-$755, single-double); early bird discount available;all spaces are corners.
*Security: Twenty-four hours, Thursday evening through Sunday morning.
*Promotion: National, regional, and local promotion through television, newspapers, radio, direct mail, press releases, magazines, website, and social media.
*Awards: Award winners accepted into the 2013 Craft Faire. Blue Ribbon winners receive booth fee discount.
*Amenities: Booth sitting, cold water, continental breakfast Friday & Saturday, Artists’ Reception breakfast on Sunday, artist rates with our hotel partners, drive to booth for set up and tear down.
*Parking: Offsite parking with frequent shuttles to and from the park. First come, first serve parking adjacent to the park.
*Commissions: No commissions taken by the Festival.
*For more details about the show, click HERE
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January 20th, 2012
 Sometime the simplest projects can have the most stunning impact. Such is the case with Sangeetha’s latest project she sent in. Check out the easy tutorial she featured at her blog Style By Eva Diva on how to make recycled newspaper wall art.
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January 15th, 2012
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Vardzia is a remarkable rock-cut medieval monastery complex in Southern Georgia. Founded by King George III and enlarged by his daughter Queen Tamar in 1185, it was built as a response to the threat of Mongol invasion. Constructed along a rock face of the Erusheli mountain for a total of 900 metres and on seven levels, it reached 40 metres in height and consisted of several hundred rooms with aqueducts and subterranean tunnels.
Vardzia monastic complex. Image: Wikimedia commons
Unfortunately, in 1283 and just under a century after its construction, a massive earthquake caused a landslip which resulted in the destruction of a major chunk of the complex. Its once well hidden interiors were at once exposed to the outside world. Despite this devastation a community of monks existed there until the mid 16th century, when this part of the Caucasus was invaded by the Persians. Today, a small group of monks act as caretakers of Vardzia.
Queen Tamar an icon of Georgian history
Depiction of Queen Tamar dating from 1184-86 and forming part of the wall paintings adorning the Church of the Dormition. Image: Wikimedia commons
Of the many important wall paintings within Vardzia it is the image of Queen Tamar which remains as an icon of Georgian history. Dating from the building of the monastery in the late 12th century, it can be found adorning the Church of the Dormition. Comprising images of the Virgin, donors and nationally revered saints, with scenes from the Passion of Christ, the wall paintings survive almost complete.
But their condition is alarming. Much of the painting is difficult to decipher due to smoke blackening and unsympathetic repairs. Past cleaning has not recognised their fragility. They are delicate paintings of extraordinary complexity, which may even employ oil as a binding medium.
A new understanding
The new understanding of their complexity, only realised in 2011 through preliminary scientific examination, will have huge implications for Vardzia but also for other Georgian wall paintings, which include some of the finest in the world. The conservation project at Vardzia, with detailed scientific studies and long-term training of Georgian students and conservators, will transform the understanding and care of Georgian wall paintings.
Wall paintings adorning the Church of the Dormition. Image: Claire a Taiwan, Flickr
The National Agency for Cultural heritage preservation of Georgia, the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts and the Courtauld Institute of Art – building on 15 years of Courtauld-Georgian collaboration in conservation – are joining forces for this project. It will be the first such joint conservation project to be undertaken in Georgia itself, and set within a wider framework of conservation and advice, will be a fundamental step in ensuring the future preservation of Georgia’s magnificent heritage of wall paintings.
Become a Vardzia Guardian Angel
For this project to begin in 2012, the Courtauld is raising half the necessary funding. If you would like to help by becoming a Vardzia Guardian Angel, please contact Samuel Coote of the Courtauld Development Office samuel.coote@courtauld.ac.uk. Donations by individual UK taxpayers are eligible for Gift Aid. For more information as to how donations and sponsorship can be featured, please contact Professor David Park, Director of the Conservation of Wall painting Department at the Courtauld david.park@courtauld.ac.uk
More information:
View more images of the wall paintings: http://britishgeorgiansociety.com/gallery
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January 15th, 2012
Each couple of years, our home needs a new paint job. Some of us attempt to prevent it, hoping that in case we ignore the exterior painting job at hand, it’s going to somehow vanish. Or perhaps we concern ourselves with thinking that the price of having our house painted is not fairly warranted at the current time. What we all should realize is how extremely critical exterior paint is to our property as well as the rewards to not simply getting it done on time but by professional Nashville painting contractors.
A home’s exterior paint is its only level of protection your house has from the climate. In all reality, it’s remarkable that paint lasts as long as it does! Places like Nashville aren’t known for their most perfect climates. With hot, humid summers, our residence endures an remarkable quantity of abuse. Paint is the only thing that stands in between all of this and our house’s siding. As a result of this, outside painting isn’t something that should be taken lightly. Professionals comprehend the significance of its position and have worked hard to develop a mixture of preparation, painters, and paints which will supply the top protection. Not merely this, but they’ve built up tricks of the trade to make your paint last longer and appear greater for many years to come.
Exterior painting is just not just a color on the side of your home. Very good painting Murfreesboro companies will not stop at just isolating the painting portion of their project. Particular other factors need to have to be taken into account as well. As an example, if caulking would need to be replaced around the house’s outside, it should be accomplished when the residence is being prepped. Caulk seals modest openings and crevices around windows, jambs, as well as other points of junction of various building supplies. Together with damaged or dried up caulk, this can develop an extraordinary amount of energy inefficiency within your residence.
A great exterior painting job will seal your residence from the elements. Without this kind of protective barrier, your residence will risk allowing water to seep in exactly where it’s no longer sealed. Water, mildew, and moisture really are a home’s ugliest enemy and could have a lot greater consequence in just a brief amount of time, necessitating pricey repairs and pricey overhauls later on. A skilled painting Nashville company not only knows this but is passionate about making certain your house is shielded. If your property is in need of some external painting, it is not some thing that should be put off on your list. It must be dealt with and corrected at your 1st opportunity.
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