...for the road

For the Road   oil   12 x 12

is a post-holiday work...one designed as a bit of practice, a return to the rigors of painting. And this particular set up involved a re-familiarization with the difficult ellipses. 

I have a family of coffee-lovers and, during the holidays, these beans abound:  those who prefer a winter spice from Trader Joe's, those who love a cup of McCafe, and those who relish grinding their own beans, the darker the roast, the better.  OK.  There are a few tea-lovers as well.

And, yes, we certainly do need a cuppa for the road.

Beer and Peanuts

Beer and Peanuts   watercolor   13.5 x 8

is the result of a paint-a-bottle challenge..so many ellipses, and each one tilted toward the horizon line!  Not to mention the challenge of a label which also involves ellipses and the additional task of rendering typography in a convincing yet not-too-detailed way.  For me, the peanuts were rendered quickly and left untouched...those passages are usually the most convincing.  The background was the toughest.  The first pass was a cool blue-green hue which, along the way, seemed unsatisfactory to me.  The graded orange wash was subsequently layered over it.  I am satisfied. 

Sinkside...a tribute to Marc Folly

Sinkside   watercolor   10.5 x 8

Our challenge in class was dishes and kitchen utensils in an arrangement of sorts...we dove head-first into ellipses broken up by the straight linear qualities of the utensils.  We, in our class, have been quite taken with the work of French watercolorist Marc Folly.  Ah.........the glories of the internet.  I am no exception.  His work has a fresh abstract quality that is easily admired.  He works at creating paths of light through the work....real light as well as patterned light that functions as a beautiful rhythm, leading the eye as well as the imagination.  Interestingly, an artist friend dropped off a few older copies of The French-publication The Art of Watercolour.  This lovely magazine is beefy and chock full of information minus the advertising.  As luck would have it, I happened on an article about Marc Folly and his process.....wow..........a complete surprise!  He spends lots of time on the pre-painting drawing; he begins with strong darks; and he is not afraid to scrub out!  As an oil painter as well, I saw the art-making possibilities for any medium.  "Sinkside" is my tribute to Marc Folly...and a way for me to channel his methodology.

Our chapeaux are off to Marc Folly!  (And let us not forget the "u" in watercolour!)

P.S. Please visit the work of Helen Strom of Paris who responded to this post.