Kenzie Woods Art

I'm Back.

2010-09-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

This summer went by very quickly and I completed neglected this blog. Here's a bit of what I did with my time:

This piece is a single block relief print.

This piece is also a single block relief print. It is one of six.

This is a four block relief print. One of five.

This is a monotype print with water based inks.

Another monotype.

Monotype.

Right now I'm working on a new series of oil paintings inspired by the sky. Pictures soon to come. I'm going to try and be more active on here again.

First Day

2010-06-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

As always I was early for my first day; 45 minutes early to be exact. I was the first one there so I snapped some pictures of the clean studio.

Today I did a lino (linoleum) cut. I focused on a simple still life design it's very similar to a painting a did a bit ago...
Carving the lino is not too difficult but I'm pretty sure my hand is going to be sore tomorrow.
These are my first set of prints done on newsprint with Daniel Smith's water based inks in black.
After my first go at it I decided that I wanted to carve more of the background out.
Then I printed some more...

I'm pleased with how my first plate turned out and I'm really loving this class so far and it's only been one day!

Summer school begins

2010-06-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

Summer school starts tomorrow. I'm going to be taking printmaking. I will also be posting a whole lot more!

It's Official

2010-05-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

I'm on my summer break! It's all done. It's amazing how fast the semesters have flown by. I only have one more to go then I will officially be a college graduate. That's pretty exciting. I'm going on hiatus for at least a week while family is visiting, but then I'll be posting my summer experiences!

One of Those Days

2010-05-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

I couldn't really get in any kind of mood to paint today. I have one week left in the semester which makes it kind of hard to concentrate. I finished my Book Arts final and I have been trying to figure out how to get adequate photos of it. It's quite three dimensional. I'll figure that out soon enough. This weekend I'll be finishing up projects and tidying up our apartment. I have so many ideas that I'm going to work on once I'm on summer break, and I'm pretty excited about it. I want to start those noooowww...

I Can't Believe it's Finals Already

2010-05-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

I worked on more circles/bubbles today. The layers are working well, but this will look completely different when it's finished. This week is going to be insanely busy!

Today was such a beautiful day! I got to eat lunch on the Embarcadero with this awesome view.

BOOK ARTS

2010-05-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

I spent all of my class time working on my book arts final today. I'm still a decent ways away from completion. I'm so glad that my teacher was there to help me figure everything out. It's a very confusing math equation. I was going to do a progress post but instead I'm just going to give this extremely vague hint of what's to come.

30 Minutes to Paint

2010-05-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

My clean sheet of palette paper waiting to be mixed upon.

The Still Life setup waiting to be painted..
The sad unfinished painting waiting to be finished...
We didn't have much time to paint today because we went on a field trip. I was also a little sidetracked getting my final painting submitted for Spring show.

On another note I picked up my photos that I got shot the other day and everything is already up on my website. Check them out with the links below!

Mixed Media
Still Life
Landscape

Productive Day

2010-05-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

Today I finished off and signed a lot of my paintings because tomorrow I'm getting them photographed professionally. It feels good to not have to think about that anymore. Now that I'm home I'm going to start my book arts. Here is a very vague hint of what's to come... For those who didn't get a chance to look at my website and the new photos I posted, here are the new monotypes I made:

Flag Book

2010-05-03T15:59:00.001-07:00

Today I made a flag book.
It has an accordion spine.
Then it has pages that confusingly fit in this amazing fashion.
It was a fun day!
Oh and I got all my boards cut. This pile will eventually be a box...

My Website

2010-05-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

I have spent the past 6 hours editing photos for my website. It's been out of date for awhile now. I finally added some mixed media paintings. Next week I'm getting my still life paintings professionally shot so those will be put up next. Check out my website by clicking here.

Still Unfinished

2010-04-30T16:09:00.001-07:00

I worked on the purse and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I still have work to do on the necklace and sunglasses.
Happy Friday!

Clean Slate

2010-04-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

My desk is finally clean. I worked for two hours to get it this way. It's so inspiring. Can't wait to start working on something.

Paper Excitement

2010-04-28T16:57:00.001-07:00

I went to Blick today while the sky was holding back tears. I made it home just in time for it to let loose. I love the sound of rain when I'm working. I found these amazing papers, which incidentally, were on sale. They are all the same texture but the most brilliant colors. I can't wait to get started on my book arts final. I happened to have a gift card so I decided to buy some printing supplies that I'm going to incorporate in my project. Yay! Happy Wednesday!

Seeing Red

2010-04-27T16:28:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure where this is going but it's fun. This is what happened to the circles from the beginning to the end of the day. It's definitely not finished yet.

Bubbles and a Box

2010-04-26T16:33:00.001-07:00

This weekend I decided that I wasn't going to watch mindless TV or spend hours on the internet like a zombie. To channel this new found restlessness I made this. The photo is just a portion of a 24inx48in canvas that I have completely covered in circles, with a sharpie (well a couple.) It was fun and tedious. I am eventually going to cover it with layers of paint. Not sure where it's going.
We made boxes today in book arts somewhat inspired by Cornell boxes. We could have made puzzle boxes instead but I liked the idea of putting random items in it.
I did some collage and also did a few stamps.

I threw in bits of string and some buttons. It's fun to shake and inspect it.

In Progress...

2010-04-23T16:08:00.001-07:00

I'm keeping up with the purse theme. I set this up today in class but I didn't have much time to work on it. I'm liking where this is going. Purses are fun to paint because even thought they are manufactured they still have gesture and movement.

This is my almost completed homework. I have a few things left to with it. I can't seem take a photo that actually looks good because the camera just make the dark purse one giant mass...
Hope you have a great weekend!

Wayne Thiebaud

2010-04-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a light day in book arts. We did some prep work for next week and I did another coptic binding. This time it was with four needles instead of two, like this one.

In mixed media today we went on a field trip to the San Jose Museum of Art to look at the Wayne Thiebaud exhibit.

These are the pictures I was able to take before the guy told me to put my camera away. It was amazing to see his work in person. His strokes are so thick and confident. Don't get me started on the color! It's amazing how vibrant his choices are. One of the paintings he started in 1983 and finished it this year. It was a great day.

Purses

2010-04-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to figure out what I could paint a series of for still life, and I've finally decided. I have an over abundance of purses, sunglasses and jewelry. This is one of my homework assignments.

To continue the theme I brought this purse to class. This is the one week block-in.
This is the finished product.
It's on a 16inx20in canvas.

Lemons

2010-04-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun today! I played around on canvases that I glued paper to. I'm continuing to experiment with what a still life is to me.
I also introduced multiple object composition.
All are works in progress. I'm having a blast.

I'm Back

2010-04-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

I'm back from my blog hiatus. For homework last week I had to finish another student's "half-done book." The book I received was fully illustrated, but with no text. Instead of adding words to this beautiful book, I left is as is and created a boxlike cover for it. The tulips on the front are carved out of the board before it is covered in paper.

Today in Book Arts, I learned a couple of hardcover bindings with open spines. The first was stab binding. The back stays closed because of the thread, and the front cover has a joint that can bend open. I made the design on the inside cover paper using paint and rice paste.

This next book is a coptic stitch. It is a traditional open-spine hardcover that can be made as thick or thin as you want. This one is tiny, only a couple inches each way. I can't wait to make a bigger one.

Spring Break

2010-03-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

Oil on 16x20in canvas.

Layers

2010-03-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

This painting has changed a lot since the beginning. I added more layers of paper and then painted again. I like the progression but there's more to be done.

This one I did on an 18x24in canvas and it is a mirrored copy of this. I like that this one is on canvas instead of vellum; it's much more substantial.
Spring Break is days away!

Celebration

2010-03-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

We had a critique in Book Arts so we didn't work on anything. I posted my mid term here. That went well and I'm glad that I wont have any homework for that class over spring break.

This is a piece that I started working on a bit ago. The pictures below are showing my progress. This style feels really natural. I'm comfortable with the looseness and color fields. I want to continue exploring these techniques.

Also today, I registered for my last semesters and I applied to graduate. I can't believe it but I'm going to be done this fall. It's nerve racking but completely exciting.

Vacation

2010-03-13T15:43:00.000-08:00

A vacation is what I want right about now. It's midterms and I'm exhausted. I finished my book.

I'm just glad it's finished! I think I'm going to go take a nap. Have a wonderful rest of the weekend and don't forget to change your clocks forward tonight.

Oil Not Water

2010-03-09T16:16:00.000-08:00

In Mixed Media today we did oil paint on vellum. It's such an interesting combination. I started with pastel and charcoal but instead of using water with it I used Turpenoid. The pastels melted and practically turned into normal oil paint.

This painting I did on canvas with matte medium. I used pastel and water. I can't decide which technique I prefer.

Box, Book, and Wallet

2010-03-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

I can not believe I made this box! It was so much fun, and it turned out so professional looking. I had someone in mind when I was making it. It's going to make a great gift.

I made this book last week. I love the paper; it's just so pretty. The binding is an accordion and gives it charm

This is the "magic wallet" that I made last week.

A Chair is a Chair is a Chair

2010-03-05T17:19:00.000-08:00

Today we had an extra long critique in Still Life so we only had about two hours to paint. I treated is as a longer quick study so it had a more finished look.

11x14in oil on board

Simple Shape

2010-03-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

I started this for mixed media. I glued rice paper on a 22inx28in canvas. I then used NuPastel and acrylic paint. I used the shape of these and the color palette of this. This is in-progress and I plan to keep layering and see where it goes.

EDIT: Follow the changes of this piece here.

Supplies

2010-03-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

The thought of going to The Art Store (Blick) on a beautiful sunny day makes me very happy. I left the house in sunglasses and by the time I walked the four blocks to get there the sky turned black. I made it to Blick before it started pouring but I did have to walk home in the rain with my new paper. Thankfully nothing was damaged.

It took me awhile to choose paper for my book. I need two different kinds. The first paper I chose is kind of a purplish brown and handmade.

The second paper I found is also handmade but it's a much heavier weight. It however did not have a price tag. I looked all over and then I asked one of the employees, and he couldn't figure it out either. Finally one of the other employees informed us that it was just the paper backing that came with another paper so they gave it to me for FREE. It was completely exciting.
This paper isn't just any old paper backing either. It has bits of metallic flecks in it and other pieces of different colored paper. Its overall color is a light grayish purple and goes nicely with the other paper. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

The other supplies that I got are for mixed media. I love buying supplies.

Vessels

2010-03-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

Today I drew and painted on canvas that I prepped with Matte Medium. I used NuPastels, charcoal and acrylic paint. I am enjoying the designed aesthetic. Hard lines and flat shapes, as well as repetition of form are my current focus.

The color in the top photo is most accurate.
Detail shots.
The two below are on gesso-ed paper.

These are sparking ideas for my final...

Catch Up

2010-03-01T17:26:00.000-08:00

Today in Book Arts we made a magic wallet book. It looks like this except with paper instead.

I forgot to take a picture and I left it there in a book press to dry, so the actual picture will have to wait until next week... Also we weren't able to get our paper back from last week so that will have to wait until next week also..

What I can show is the stack of davey board that I'm going to use my midterm:

This post is all over the place. Here is a mixed media painting I did a couple of nights ago.

And this is my Still Life 2 painting I have been working on.

It started bad and then got a little better

2010-02-26T16:12:00.000-08:00

When I got to class this morning my teacher had set up objects on the floor. Bird's eye compositions are definitely not my favorite thing to paint. It took me way too long to draw it. Even then I had my teacher help. Over all the beginning of class was frustrating and I didn't think anything good could come out of it.

By this point I had given up all hope and lost all interest. But I kept at it without holding back at all and it turned out okay...
definitely not as bad as it could have been.

More Coffee

2010-02-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it, but I finished my books arts assignment for next Monday last night. The assignment was to make a book using smell as an inspiration. I couldn't resist making my book inspired by coffee to go along with my theme. This time the book only smells slightly like coffee though. As you can see I was completely inspired by the paintings that I did yesterday in mixed media. I basically just redid them smaller for this book. Then instead of staining the paper with coffee I decided to put layers of vellum in between the pages with coffee rings on them. I used real coffee so it has a slight aroma to it. My teacher doesn't like it when you leave pages blank so I put coffee thumbprints on the backs of the pages. I didn't want any real design or drawing to compete with the little paintings so I thought that would be a nice touch.

p.s. thanks Brandon for taking the pictures!

Coffee Please

2010-02-23T16:30:00.000-08:00

I'm beginning to think I have an obsession with coffee. That, or maybe it's the most convenient subject matter considering a cup is always nearby. In mixed media we worked on gesso-ed paper. I used india ink, acrylic and water color. I enjoy the simplicity of these and the process of layering.

Apples

2010-02-22T16:24:00.000-08:00

In book arts we didn't get a whole lot of books made. Well actually we didn't make a single book. We had a long critique and then made this amazing paper with wheat paste. We mixed acrylic paint into the wheat paste and apply it liberally to wet paper. Then we used grout combs and our fingers to make designs. When the paste and paint dries it settles completely flat while still maintaining a three dimensional quality. I can't wait to see how it turns out. I completely forgot to take a photo of said paper making but I will have one next week. For our next homework assignment we have to do a book inspired by smell. I think I'll be just fine considering my last two books smelled like coffee. This time I'm going to change things a bit. Until then, here is a mixed media painting I did last night.

Sore Fingers

2010-02-21T12:22:00.000-08:00

I finished my paperless book yesterday. With all the sewing I managed to poke myself with the blunt needle a lot. I used canvas and acetate as my paper substitutes. The canvas is stained with coffee like my previous book. I love the look and that fact that it smells so delicious. I might just end up being "the girl who makes coffee books," but I'm okay with that.

These inner pages are difficult to read, as they overlap each other. I chose to do it this way to emphasize the impractically of using acetate for books and in contrast how wonderful paper is. The text is taken from Merriam Webster Online Dictionary and is definitions and example uses of the word paper.

I chose trees as a design element for the obvious reason: paper comes from trees and well I thought it was pretty. On the underlying piece of canvas I used watercolor to wash some green to show through the acetate.

A Pair of Pears

2010-02-19T16:10:00.000-08:00

16x20 inches Oil on Canvas about 4hrs

Tempera Still Life

2010-02-18T10:15:00.000-08:00

I tried out the tempera and ink technique again and this time I think I had more luck. It's all about trial and error. This first attempt I used tempera and in some places it didn't work in resisting the ink. I like the dark drippy effect and now I know how to get it in the future.

This attempt worked way better because instead of tempera I used gauche it's more expensive but it definitely did the trick. Before I put the gauche on though, I sketched and painted with water colors. I really like how this turned out and I will keep experimenting with this technique.

This one worked out okay but it's on the thinner paper so I didn't scrub it as hard as I needed to, and as you can see there is still some white paint on there.

Ink and Tempera

2010-02-16T17:30:00.000-08:00

Mixed media is throwing me for a loop. I am enjoying it but its freedom is more difficult to handle than I thought it would be. Today we did a technique with waterproof India ink and tempera paint. The first step is kind of hard to see. You paint the tempera wherever you don't want the ink. I used white but you could use whatever color you like, but just know that whatever color you do use will stain the paper. I did a light sketch before that so I knew what I was doing.

Then you wait for the tempera to thoroughly dry. After that you apply India ink and let that dry. The last step is to run the paper under water and wash off the tempera, and with the tempera comes the India ink.
The first time I tried it (see above) it didn't come clean. The paper I used wasn't sturdy enough for washing and it started tearing. So I painted acrylic and water color on top.

This one I used different paper and it worked much better.I'm still trying to figure out how to "let go" and create...

Running out of titles... I made more books

2010-02-15T16:43:00.000-08:00

Today we made accordion books with hard covers and removable spines, all without using any glue. Sounds complicated and it is... I decided to make mine black on black and while it looks cool it doesn't photograph easily.

Here is the spine. Then you can see that I slipped it out and now it becomes a full on accordion.

This book is also an accordion. It was made using eight pieces of paper. One side is brown and one side is cream. The way that it's weight makes it more like a slinky than an accordion.

The next homework assignment is to make a book without using paper...

IT'S FINISHED!

2010-02-13T23:10:00.000-08:00

I don't normally post on the weekends but I finished my book and I'm so happy. Here is a reminder of the assignment: select five random words and make a book. The words I selected were:

lew: tepid, lukewarm, weak
polytypic: having several types
chum: roommate or close friend
schedule: timetable, list
ironsmith: a worker of iron

Here is my thought process. I used the word Lew for my colour scheme. When I heard polytypic I knew I had to make more than one book. I decided to have the one book inside of the other like they are chums or roommates. I made the calendar for the word schedule and the buttons are metal for ironsmith. All in all I'm very pleased with how it came out. It definitely wasn't easy and half the time it was a pain in the ass but it was worth it for sure.

I stained the smaller book's pages with coffee; for no real reason except for that fact that it was the perfect colour and now it smells amazing.
And this is the aftermath... I'm just glad it's finally finished.

Grapes

2010-02-12T20:53:00.000-08:00

Today in Still Life I painted two of my least favorite things to paint, grapes and patterns. There would have been my three least favorite things, but I decided to crop out the fake flowers in the vase. I had an okay time getting the essence of the pattern, but it was tricky because it was painted sloppy on the vase to begin with... I might take grapes of the list because they are starting to get more fun and I'm happy with how they turned out. In the photo I took, the highlight on the highest grape looks blown out but it's not that way in real life.

11x14 in oil on canvas 4hrs

Hidden Compartments

2010-02-12T17:26:00.000-08:00

I haven't finished it yet but this is what I'm working on for book arts...

Painting Pitchers

2010-02-09T22:16:00.000-08:00

In Mixed Media today I ended up using the piece I prepared last week. I used charcoal pencil and drew outlines of pitchers. It's kind of hard for me to break away from my traditional ways but this is where I started before I came to art school. Sometimes it's tough because it seems way more vulnerable. I think this class will be good for me.

I also figured out what I'm going to do for my Book Arts assignment... :)

Sewing Pages

2010-02-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

We did so much in Book Arts today. I made 5 books and two puzzle type books. I think next week I'm going to need to bring a thimble because my thumb is not happy. The process of folding and cutting is so methodical and fascinating, and now that we started sewing, it's even more amazing.

This is a puzzle book. You can fold the pages backward and then fold them back again, like magic.

This week's homework assignment is to select five random words out of the dictionary and use those words in some way to make a book. My five words:

lew: tepid, lukewarm, weak
polytypic: having several types
chum: roommate or close friend
schedule: timetable, list
ironsmith: a worker of iron

So I'll let you know how it goes...

Still Life 2

2010-02-05T16:56:00.000-08:00

Getting back into still life painting is so refreshing. We did low key (dark) paintings today. I normally prefer doing high key (light) paintings but today I enjoyed lost edges.

11x14in oil on panel I accidently cut off the left side of the painting...

Mixed Media, Books Arts progress

2010-02-03T20:25:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was my first day of Mixed Media. We started out by using charcoal and pastels on printmaking paper then applying water. I had never tried that before and it worked very much like water color. I didn't know that pastel and charcoal were so water soluble. I just played around and made an interesting background.

I then put spray fixative and clear gesso over top. I am going to paint something on top... I'm just not sure what.

Yesterday and today I worked on my Book Arts homework. Yesterday I went to Blick and bought some amazing paper. Here is the beginning of the first book...

I couldn't get a good picture but it says "present." This paper is practically like lace. It's so delicate and I completely love working with it. I used embroidery thread to stitch the lettering. You'll have to wait to see the completed books...

Folding Paper

2010-02-01T19:53:00.001-08:00

Today was completely inspirational. I learned how to make a book. It's such a strange feeling to actually craft a book with my hands. It seems like such a distant concept. Mind you this were cute little sample books and nothing really special but it made me so happy! I am thoroughly excited about what is to come this semester. Our first assignment is to make three books. Any kind of book. It can be something that we did in class or something that we make up completely on our own. Not sure what I'm going to do yet but there are some ideas brewing. Here are the sample books that I made today.

Oh and tomorrow I have Mixed Media, I'll be posting... :)

Begin Again

2010-01-31T20:57:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the first day of the my last Spring semester. I have Book Arts and I'm really looking forward to it. I have gathered all of my supplies and have my lunch all packed. I'm also very excited about blogging more frequently. It seems that the semesters have been going by quicker and quicker, so this semester I'm really going to try and cherish it. It's my second to last one so it seems even more precious.

Fashionably Creative

2010-01-25T01:17:00.001-08:00

Though I haven't been painting much I have been exercising other modes of creativity. My good friend and boyfriend's sister, Brittany started a fashion blog and I have been doing her photography. It has been more than fun. She does all of her own styling ofcourse but it has been awesome coming up with the compositions. I have always enjoyed photography but have never done much in the way of fashion.

Hopefully she'll be able to come up to SF get some cool city shots on rooftops. Anyway check her out! Http://fairytaletaffeta.blogspot.com Just so you know this is kind of an experiment using email to post to blogger, so the font and formatting maybe off. Oh and school starts Monday so I'll be back to regular posting again.

Getting back into it.

2010-01-12T15:09:00.000-08:00

I don't have internet where I'm staying on vacation so posting is far more difficult than I had anticipated. I haven't really been doing as much painting as I had thought I would either, though I have been gathering inspiration.

I did a 12inx12in oil on canvas study of my grandmothers water pitcher and a few tangelos. I did it in about 2 hours give or take. I enjoy painting white and finding color in the shadows. There were a lot of reflections to deal with so I simplified as not to distract from the subject matter.

End of the semester

2009-12-18T10:47:00.000-08:00

All of my critiques are over and done. Everything went pretty well. It seems that every semester flies by faster than the one before it. Eventually I'll take better photos but until then these will have to do. This is my quick studies final with my final touches.This is my self portrait I did for heads and hands.

Over the break my posting will be irregular but I will be doing studies for still life 2 (I'm taking it again, because I love it so much) next semester.

Finals

2009-12-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

Due to extreme busyness I will not be posting until my finals are completed. Well I might but I'm definitely not counting on it. Including the weekend there are only 9 days left! For those of you dealing with finals good luck!

Getting work done

2009-12-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

Though I got a slow start today, I managed to make a huge dent in my Quick Studies final. I took a photo every 10-15 minutes to show progress.
I'm pretty happy with how it's going so far. I will continue to add details to finish it. This is oil on an 18x24in canvas based off of this study.

Almost the end

2009-12-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

Today the last batch of Quick Studies were due. It's amazing how fast this semester has gone. These are my last two of the six studies: Both are oil on 9x12in canvas panels.
Here are a few from class when we were working on exaggerated color:
Figures aren't necessarily my strong point but I just keep trying. I like working in exaggerated color because it forces me to really observe. This in-class studies are also oil on 9x12 canvas panel and range from 25-40 minutes.

Limited Palette

2009-12-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

Today in Heads and Hands I expanded my palette a bit. I used titanium white, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, and burnt umber. I fee like it turned out okay but I think that the neck might be too long. I took ten pictures and there is glare in every single one of them...
11x14 Oil on canvas panel 4hrs

Squared

2009-11-30T18:59:00.000-08:00

In still life 2 today we worked on a square format. I have been concentrating on my brushwork. I worked on an 18x18in stretched canvas. Somehow the orange in the photo looks much darker than the painting.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend!

Plein Air

2009-11-25T18:12:00.000-08:00

Today in quick studies we went out on location. I was standing right in front of Red's Java House and I painted HiDive. I normally don't like painting outdoors but today it was sunny and nice.

9x12in Oil on canvas panel.

Monochrome

2009-11-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

Last week I used ivory black and titanium white. This week I used burnt umber and titanium white. I enjoy the warmth of the burnt umber versus the black. The only thing that took a bit of time to get adjusted was the fact that Winsor & Newton burnt umber is transparent while Utrecht ivory black is opaque. I had to keep reminding myself to use less white and it was slightly harder to lay in dark details. I feel like I'm getting better. Next week I am expanding my palette, which I'm excited about but at the same time I like working in monochrome.model credit: Jordan Fox
4 hour pose.

I love painting apples

2009-11-23T18:05:00.000-08:00

Today in Still Life 2 we worked on extreme rectangles. 1:2 ratio. I worked on a 10inx20in canvas.
I had a lot of fun painting all the color in the white table cloth. I was very conscious of my brushwork; trying to make interesting marks. I also used more paint. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Details:

Progress

2009-11-20T19:09:00.000-08:00

My quick studies aren't due for another week and a half but somehow I have already done four out of six. It's so unlike me. I really wanted to make sure that I wouldn't be super busy next weekend (Thanksgiving), so I just got to work. All of these are oil on 9x12 canvas boards.

Preparations

2009-11-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

Today I went to Blick for my last major supply run of the semester. I bought 10 canvas boards for Quick Studies; I'd like to say that's all I need but I think I'll probably need 10 more... I gesso-ed them gray.
I finally bought a seal-able palette, (notice the blue rectangle in the top left corner) so no more wasted paint. I also bought a new zip pouch for my paints; it's smaller than my old one so I wont have to dig in a bottomless pit when I'm preparing my palette. Lastly I purchased three da vinci-MAESTRO2 brushes: #7 flat,# 4 flat and a #6 filbert. I have never used this brand before, but a friend of mine loves them and they are cheaper than I kind I have been buying. I thought I would give them a try.

When I first started art school and painting in general, I never liked all the prep work that goes into it. I would get impatient and want to just start painting already. Now I really enjoy the whole process from beginning to end; from toning and gesso-ing canvases to washing brushes. I'll admit however, if they invented a way to not need to wash your brushes I wouldn't miss the process...

All in an idea

2009-11-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

I look back on my initial sketches and realize that before they were on paper they were just a thought but before that they were nothing. I look at all my old compositions and it's hard to think of a time before they existed. I can't get rid of them. Sure they may not be in the forefront of my mind but compositions or ideas can not un-exist. The conception process has never been easy for me. I have not been one to always have a sketch book with me frantically jotting down ideas. I am getting in the habit of thinking more about design and more meaningful compositions. I really identify with still life and telling stories through inanimate objects. I am excited about my new idea for my final still life 2 project. I am going to paint an old table, that is currently my boyfriend's night stand, (hopefully he wont mind it being moved into the hallway for two weeks while I paint it...) taper candles in holders, and sunglasses and tissue box optional. I know for sure I want the candles but I can't decide if they are going to be burned a bit or not. I also don't know for sure what other objects I want on top of the table. What I do know is that I want the top of the table to be at eye level. I like it because it feels more personal, like the viewer is being formally introduced to the table; like the table is welcoming the viewer. The other variable is the canvas size and ratio. I'm debating between 2:3(24inx36) and 4:5(24inx30in). In a matter of weeks I will figure out all the "what-if's" and this will be a painting, and to think that as of yesterday it didn't exist.

Head Painting

2009-11-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

Today in Heads and Hands we started oil painting. We only worked in black and white, to keep it simple and solely based on value. Eventually we will bring in yellow ochre, ultramarine and burnt sienna, for a limited palette. I have never really enjoyed painting the head before because I would struggle with skin tone, but today because it was just a value study it was much easier for me. The proportions are a bit off but I'm pretty please with how it turned out. Hopefully with practice I will get better. This is about two hours of work.

trompe l'oeil and a portrait

2009-11-16T19:43:00.000-08:00

In Still Life 2 today, we continued working on our trompe l'oeil project. I have been working from a photo that I took:The printed version is a bit warmer so I'm pushing my painting in that direction. I'm really happy with how it's coming along. I am using a lot of glazing to get the colors right. I don't have a photo in it's most current state (I forgot to take a picture before I left school today) but this is right before I started working on it today. *sorry about the glare... After tomorrow I'll update it with the more current picture.***

Right now I'm working on a portrait for my Head and Hands class. I'm doing it on a darker paper than I am used to so I'm having a hard time making sure the values are correct. I'm fairly confident in my drawing but I would like to go lighter. I just don't think that I should put any more white pencil. I'll find out tomorrow...

Moldy Fruit

2009-11-15T12:13:00.000-08:00

For my still life class, I got the assignment to do an "extreme view" composition. I decided to put a bowl of citrus on the floor and paint it. The first week we needed to bring in thumbnails and then the second week we had to bring it in "50%" completed. So when I went to start painting it again, it had been sitting on the floor of my living room for three weeks... I set up my palette to begin painting. I then realized that it seemed as though the lime and the tangerine had shifted, but I had made sure that I didn't knock it or touch it all week. Upon closer inspection the orange in the bottom of the bowl was COVERED in mold! It was completely soft so the lime and tangerine actually sank. I decided to paint it anyway because there wasn't much I could do. It was the fruit on the bottom so I just faked the color a bit. No big deal, although it was totally gross knowing that there was rotted fruit sitting on my floor. It has been disposed of since. Here is my finished painting.

Still Life Process

2009-11-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

Step one: Drawing and block in stage. Trying to get the proportions correct while keeping the paint thin. I use Liquin and burnt umber.Step 2: I start with the background and and the dresser. Checking the values and making color decisions. I still use a fair amount of Liquin keeping the paint thin.

Step 3: I move on to the subject mater. Loosely noting the colors and values. Blocking it in without fear, know that I can change any mistakes at this stage.
Stage 4: I start to pay closer attention to the details. Putting more care into my brushwork. I use less Liquin.

Head Drawing

2009-11-14T18:31:00.001-08:00

18inx12in Charcoal pencil on tone paper, 4hrs
18inx12in Charcoal pencil on tone paper, 4hrs
18inx24in Charcoal pencil on tone paper, 10hrs

Quick Studies

2009-11-14T18:21:00.000-08:00

For my Quick Study we paint, well, quickly. All of these are in oil and were painted in less than two hours. All painted on canvas board ranging in size from 9x12in-11x14in.

Still Life 2

2009-11-14T17:49:00.001-08:00

I am in Still Life 2 this semester and I have fallen in love with the simplicity of the subject matter.
14x18in Oil on canvas panel, Palette knife

14x18in Oil on canvas panel

11x14in oil on canvas panel

11x14in Oil on canvas panel