Spinning In The Wind - Completed

Not the very best photo, but I have completed my latest painting in my Body Language series.  "Spinning In The Wind" is done in oils.  Although the figure is spinning, it is a sort-of a controlled spin in the way that dancers do.  I want to represent that: yes, even when we feel out of control, there may be some aspects of our lives that we can hang on to.  Is the figure freeing themselves from the pole or hanging on?  Are the threads that are unraveling around their head creating a halo or a cage?  I wanted movement, but still a feel of quiet.  The contrasts represent the pull of many things in our lives, sometimes in different directions.  Are we stopping the spin?  Or making things spin faster?

Umbrella On The Beach - Class Project

Umbrella On The Beach – Acrylics

Project by Artist Jackie Stacharowski  ©2016

Supply List:  8x10” canvas, acrylic paints:  permanent yellow, permanent red, permanent blue, ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, white.  Flat brushes ½”, ¼” and a small round brush.  Water container, paper towels, ruler, chalk, blue painter’s tape, paper plate for palette.

This composition is done in a vertical or portrait orientation.  Measure 4” up from the bottom and use the blue tape under the mark to preserve the horizon line.

                       

Using permanent blue and white, paint in the sky area having it darker at the top and gradually get lighter towards the horizon.

Remove the tape.  Mix permanent blue and yellow to make a greenish blue for the ocean.  Paint in a triangular area being careful to not get water color into the sky area.  If you do, it can be touched up but do your best.  The water is lighter towards the horizon and gets a deeper color towards the beach.  The line right where the water touches the sky is darker. 

Mix burnt sienna and white to get a sandy color and paint in the beach area.  Paint the edges of the canvas with the appropriate color all around the sides.  This will give a nice finished looked to the painting.  Touch up the horizon area if it needs it.

Take a break!  Let the canvas dry for about 10-15 minutes.

Mix some white with some clean water and scrub in some clouds along the horizon.  

Scrub in some waves in the water parallel to the beach.  Use a ruler and paint in the pole for the umbrella.

Add interest to the sand by mixing a watery yellow and burnt sienna and glaze them over the sand area.  Use the yellow in the sunny area and the burnt sienna in the area that is shaded by the umbrella.

Use the chalk to sketch in the shape of the umbrella.  I used 4 sections, you can put more or less in if you’d like.  You can paint each section whatever colors you’d like.  It will take several coats to cover the sky area and get good coverage.  Mix white into the colors for the first few coats.  Then if you want a deeper color use the paint out of the tube.  Once the solid color is in, paint a lighter side to each section to the left and the right edge paint it a slightly darker shade of that color.

Add a few birds in the sky.  Sign it.  You’re done!

                         

Small Paintings

The Seacoast Artists Gallery, which is where I have my paintings displayed, raises money for art scholarships for local students by selling small 5x7" paintings.  I donate on a regular basis.  The past couple that I have done are:  "Crab", "Are You Okay?" and "You're Sweet".  Crab was done in acrylics, the other 2 in oils.  The pears and apples I gave them a dialogue with their stems.

These small paintings not only go to a very good cause, they give me a chance to practice my casual realism style.

Crab - acrylics

Are You Okay?  -  oils

You're Sweet  - oils

Progress On Paintings

I have been working diligently on my two latest paintings.  Still not completed but much further along.

Prisoner of Past Mistakes

Spinning In the Wind

2016 Paintings - In Progress

OK, I am the first to admit I am not good at keeping up with my blogs.  But its a new year and my resolution is back into the spotlight so I am getting off to a good start for this year.

I have 3 paintings in progress right now.  Hope to get 2 of them completed in time to enter them into the WACG Juried Show.  Entries are due early to mid February.  So I have some time.  I know what I want to do, now it just getting the paint on the canvas.  All of them are in my Body Language series.

Prisoner of Past Mistakes

Sketch 

Current State of Almost Done-ness

As you can see I still need to paint the ribbons that hold my person captive.  I added one across the face, I feels that adds to the prison feel.  The ribbons on the left are there to show the viewer that the ribbons are just that and not iron bars, ribbons that may easily be broken or removed.  There is glare on the right side of the photo, the background is essentially dark blue with a few lighter streaks, but the same across the canvas.  The person and background I believe are done.  I will vary the colors of the ribbons but keep them in the yellow family - I think.

Spinning in the Wind

Sketch

In Progress

How do you feel when your life seems to be spinning out of control?  In reality you're in the same spot, but that is not how you feel.  I made the painting smaller than I had originally planned, its now large enough but not too large.  I made it feel as if it is outside in a simple landscape to enhance the concept of wind.  I added a couple panels to the whirly-wig.  I laid it out in acrylics but am finishing up with oils.  Only the two panels near the figure are done and the background.  I will adjust the coloration of some of the other panels as I go over them.  The figure will be more realistic in shape but I need the front panels to dry before I can work on them.  Much work to do.

Looking Up

Sketch

I have the canvas with the drawing sketched onto it, but that is the extent of the physical painting.  The work I have done in addition to the concept and the sketch, has been to decide on the color scheme and to get the feeling that you get if you are laying flat on the floor (or where ever) and am looking up at people looking down at you.  This is the view point of an infant, an invalid, or anyone that feels helpless and off-balanced.  Just getting started.  I need to finish the other two first.

That is my to-do list as far as my paintings go.  Class demo's, newsletters, illustrations, goofing off... they are on the list too.  Keeping up with my blog is way down the list, but I will try to do better this year - really!

2016 Winter/Spring Class Schedule

The Open Studio at the Base Rec Center here in Myrtle Beach will resume this Thursday January 7th.  It will run - probably until the end of June on Thursdays from 9 am until noon.

We will miss a few weeks.  I will be traveling in February to Costa Rica so there will be no class on the 11th and 18th of February.  There will probably not be a class on the Thursday before Easter - March 24th, I will probably have company in town.  Not sure of the last week of May but its too soon to say for sure.

Come join us!  Every works on their own project at their own pace.  Beginners thru experienced artists are welcome.  Oils, acrylics, w/c, color pencils, pastels are all welcomed. I do a small demo about half way through the session.

Family Secrets -finished painting

I completed the painting in oils.  I am very happy with the result.