apple October Monthly Sketch Project Challenge

apples, originally uploaded by kquilts.

I am participating in the new Monthly sketch project and this was my attempt at the apples photo Leslie Hawes provided for the challenge. The red apple was not difficult, but I really had a difficult time with the green one getting it the color that I was satisfied with. I have been taking classes in acrylic painting so decided that I would use acrylics for this project.

Class-phase 3

Class-phase 2, originally uploaded by kquilts.

This was done during the third of 6 acrylic painting classes. I still need to work on foreground area and do some corrections on the taller of the jars. I also need to work on the basket of daisies. I hope to finish this with the next class. I do hope to sign up for another session of these classes. I do feel I learn more in a classroom setting than on my own.

Class-phase 2

Class-phase 1, originally uploaded by kquilts.

Today was the second day of my acrylic painting class. It went well. We went over some things and then started doing underpainting to establish the values in the painting- not so much detail yet. The teacher said that we will probably take 2 more classes to get get in the details and refine to the finished piece. I'm enjoying this class very much and would like to take the follow up class that starts in late October.

Still life

Stiil life, originally uploaded by kquilts.

Yesterday was the first day of the acrylic painting class I signed up for. I really didn't know what to expect. First day we were shown an arrangement that was set up on a table. Each side of this arrangement had a very different look. We were told to sketch the side of the arrangement that appealed to each of us, and the teacher walked around the room giving advice. Then she had us crop the image down to what we really wanted to include, and what to leave out. Next we redrew the final image on an 11 x 14 canvas.

This was all that we did on the first day. Next Tuesday we begin painting. I really think I am going to like this class. The course lasts 6 weeks.

I also have started an art journal, but really don't have anything yet to show on that front.

Time for art

IMG_0704, originally uploaded by kquilts.

This picture was taken at Sonoma Coast State Beach, up along the bluffs we hiked a week ago. I really liked this shot because of the bumble bee in it. I will be working on a painting or wc pencils (not sure yet which- aybe bot) of this one sometime this week and just thought if I put the picture up now, I will be more likely to follow through with this idea. Making the time to do the art work is hard for me and so I am looking for ways to encourage myself to do this. We shall see if this works.

Bodega Bay

Bodega Bay, originally uploaded by kquilts.

California's San Joaquin Valley gets hot during the summer months. This past week has been in the 100 plus degree range most days, so my husband and I decided to go someplace much cooler- which for us means the coast. The dilemma was deciding north or south. We opted to go north on the coast to Bodega Bay.

It was much cooler there by about 40 degrees, and we encountered a lot of fog, but it felt nice after the heat of the valley.

This little sketch was done at Sonoma Coast State Beach. I was sitting up above the beach because it was cold and starting to get windy.

We hiked the bluffs and saw all sorts of birds and one deer and a snake then went back to the car and had lunch. Then Bob went on another little hike while I stayed closer to the car and painted.

It was a lovely way to spend a weekend.

Day-lily

June is here and I have joined a blog that will hopefully keep me on track with my art goals. My June goal: I want to paint twice a week and sketch 5 days. I'm also planning to be better at posting on this blog.

Yesterday we went to Yosemite and later on this week I'll have something put up here for that. Today I played with watercolor paints and I painted this day-lily flower. I see them a lot here in California in the summer. My watercolor version of this did not make me happy at all so I did another version of it using the Neocolor II watersoluble wax pastels (I would personally just call them watersoluble crayons). This one I liked much better. I seem to have a bit more control with these. Plus it's just plain fun coloring like a kid again.