Thank you to everyone to came by my studio for Needham Open Studios. It was nice to talk with people who share a passion for art and to meet new people in the area.
Archive for the ‘Painting’ Category
Needham Open Studios
Posted in Painting on May 22, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Needham Open Studios is May 2 and 3!
Posted in Exhibitions, Painting, tagged Needham Open Studios, shows, Spring Events on April 24, 2009| Leave a Comment »
I’d like to remind you that next weekend I’m opening my art studio to the public along with a group of other artists in Needham as part of the Needham Open Studios. My studio is #10 on the map and located at 1548 Great Plain Ave. My studio is open Saturday, May 2, from 10am to 4pm and Sunday, May 3, from 12pm to 4pm. I’ll have original oil and acrylic paintings for sale as well as limited edition prints and photo prints. For more information check out our website at Needham Open Studios.com. We’ve got quite a large group of artists this year participating!
The Boston School Style
Posted in Art Associations, Artist Friends, Painting, Workshops on December 9, 2008| Leave a Comment »
William Bartlett did a demonstration at the Needham Art Association’s monthly meeting this past Thursday and he captivated his audience with his talent of painting classical realism. William also helped me understand more the differences between the Boston School style of classical realism and the traditional style of classical realism. William studied at the Ingbretson Studio which he describes on his website as being a “Satellite Atelier from the R.H. Ives Gammell Legacy.” Paul Ingbretson runs the only ARC accredited atelier that I know of that teaches the Boston School method. (If you’re looking for an Atelier near you check out the ARC website.)
At the meeting he set up one of our members to do a portrait and began painting. William didn’t start the painting they way I thought he would. He didn’t create an under-painting with burnt umber or do any kind of drawing. He started his painting by adding general color notes. It was very interesting to see that he paints the way the eye focuses on an object; going from out of focus, using fast broad strokes and large blocks of color, to becoming more in focus and adding subtle details. What was impressive to me was he only adds what is needed to make the details appear when the viewer stands 8 feet (or so) away from the painting.
William also didn’t use the traditional sight size approach taught at many other Ateliers. Instead he focused on making correct proportions.
William mentioned he has an interest in opening an Atelier in Needham, MA. So if anyone is interested you can post a comment here or contact William through the email information on his website.
Also, if you looking for a more detailed explanation on the difference between the Boston School style and traditional classical realism. I recommend this website.
New Release of Halloween Print
Posted in Decorations, New Paintings, Painting, Prints, tagged Halloween Decorations, Haunted House, New Release, Prints for purchase on November 11, 2008|
Prints of the Haunted House painting are now available for purchase!
The cost is $50.00 plus the cost of shipping if you need it shipped. The size of the paper is 8″x10″ so it will fit in any standard 8″x10″ frame. These prints are created by taking a high quality photograph of the original painting and printing it on Epson Premium Luster photo paper using an Epson Stylus R2400 Printer.
Haunted House
(These Prints are printed in unlimited quanitites and are not hand signed and numbered by the artist.)
Haunted House Painting
Posted in New Paintings, Painting on October 10, 2008| 7 Comments »
Haunted House
I love Halloween and I was so excited when I got a commission to paint a haunted house, complete with a witch, gravestones and pumpkins.
This is my most recent painting and it’s completed just in time for the holiday!
If you’re interested in having me create a painting to give to someone at Christmas please contact me before November 1.
Thank you,
Mary
Drawing Illusions
Posted in Painting on October 7, 2008| Leave a Comment »
During my two week vacation I did manage to complete one drawing (which I did during the 6 hour flight to Seattle). It is more of a study than a completed drawing and I’ve learned a huge lesson from it. I didn’t realize the impact of creating a drawing from a different angle or viewpoint. So here I was on the plane and I was reclining and I had my drawing pad on the tray table while I drew my husband sleeping in the seat beside me. My drawing was perpendicular to my body so when I drew the relationships it looked good from my angle but once I was finished I held up the drawing and oh my, it was all distorted. It’s an interesting phenomena. For some artist that’s what there all about, see Julian Beever’s art. He creates pavement drawings that are supposed to be viewed from a certain viewpoint and when their not, they become very distorted.
Cool Mural – JJ Long’s Art
Posted in Artist Friends, Painting on August 20, 2008| Leave a Comment »
JJ is an emerging artist who has recently stretched his artistic ability to mural paintings. He did a fantastic painting on a wall in his client’s garage. And guess what the mural’s theme was? A Garage. It’s a garage within a garage. Here’s the link so you can see it. JJ Long’s Garage Mural (scroll down on his website to view it.)
JJ Long is an artist who graduated from UNH with me in 2003.
Arts Affair Successes
Posted in Art Associations, Artist Friends, Exhibitions, Painting on August 20, 2008| Leave a Comment »
I just wanted to take a moment and give a big congratulations to my friends and fellow Needham Art Association members who won awards at this years Arts Affair at Marina Bay.
Congratulations to Paul Graveline, Evelyn Bernal, Linda Porreca, and Nancy Daly!
The Frustrations of Plein Air
Posted in Painting, Plein Air, Water-Soluble Oil Paint, Workshops, tagged Art, Water-Soluble Oil Paint, Workshops on July 20, 2008| 2 Comments »
My first Plein Air class went off without a hitch. We had beautiful weather. My second one, not so much. We set up our easels in the beautiful Fenway Rose Garden (something you can only do with permission) and began our paintings. The sky was clear and it was so sunny. We began our paintings of wonderful rose filled arches and blossoming bushes. I was very excited because my painting was coming along nicely. Being in New England it is not completely far off to have a huge storm come out of the middle of nowhere, and that is exactly what happened. We were somewhat prepared for it because we had heard there would be some rain so we all planned to head for the covered benches. Once we felt those first drops that is where we all headed. Well, the storm clouds rolled in and the rain hit full force – sideways. Everything of mine was drenched, including me. We managed to avoid getting hit by the lighting bolts that were coming down to the left and right of us.
This was when I learned my first lesson in oil painting. I looked down at my friend’s painting and hers looked great; the oil didn’t absorb the water at all, the water just ran right off. You could have dunked her painting in water and it would have looked fine. Then, I saw mine. ALL of the paint on my canvas was running to the ground. I had been using water-soluble oil paint and well – duh – it’s water-soluble. So in the end here is what my painting looks like…
Wet Painting
Lesson learned. Don’t use water-soluble oils when painting out doors if you think there is any chance of rain, or if you live in New England!
As an end note I will probably give this painting a second chance and start over, so you may still see it in a gallery someday!
Happy Painting!
Mary
Artistic Ideas 