Having some fun with Color and Design

 Some of  you will  have the opportunity to  paint this design in a color family of your choice next weekend in my Color Clock Class.  It is important to play with color and shape. Forget about having a finished painting suitable for framing.  You will never learn if you don't free yourself up to fool around for the pure fun of it.  This is  a step by step rendition of a simple design, It is Color Family #9 which is yellow, yellow-orange, orange, red-orange and red. Blue is the   complement of the family.   This may look easy but it takes alot of time and thought. I started with an original     drawing, but as I used darker values in  later stages of layering I made up the shapes.

This is the under-painting

Starting to define the shapes

Coming along

Getting Closer but I need those important dark values

Finished!!!!! I fussed on the last steps. It is an intensely warm painting.

A Painter and a Hurricane

I had no idea how frustrated I would be the week Hurricane Irene hit us here in Maryland!   We lost power for 7 days!   On the first day I got a little excited thinking that I would  get lots of painting done during the day. After all, there would be no meals to cook and cleaning was out of the question.TV wasn't an issue either.but I would miss the radio.

So the first day I went to my studio and realized my water buckets were dirty. UH OH--- we are on a well that isn't working... and our tub held all the water for the week--- did I dare take that precious water out. I did the first day.  

The second day  I finished a new drawing-- I placed it on my light box in order to transfer it to the watercolors paper and quickly remembered it wasn't working.    The water became a bigger issue--- day 2 and we  lost the second bath tub holding water.

Ultimately I gave up-- I  dump my water buckets frequently and  I knew it was taking a chance to use water for my pleasure when toilets were more important.   

The ultimate frustration--- the power went on 7 days later with a teaspoon of water left in the tub and I came down with a chest cold.    Needless to say, I am watching the weather channel and praying the rest of the bad weather goes out to sea!   Hope the rest of you had a better experience with Hurricane Irene.  Happy painting Jane

Workshop : The Color Planning Secret and A Taste Of Negative Painting

This workshop is open to all painters regardless of your painting medium. My simple color theory will change the way you choose color and eliminate muddy results.

Date:  Saturday, September 17 

Place:  Maryland Hall for the Arts in Annapolis

Time:  10 am-4pm

Cost : $45 for members and $70 Non-members

Go to http://www.mdhallarts.org/   to register

In addition to color I will be offering a taste of negative painting. Each participant will get a wonderful booklet full of great hand-outs and worksheets.

The True Self

This is a good example of a negative painting done with a limited palette.--notice the circular arrangement of the colors. 

The title comes from the Course In Miracles. White lilies represent purity  and they are at the center of our being. Our true self is what is left after we subtract our egos.  This true self  is our real self.   It is hard to see and connect with the true self because we carry so much in the unconscious we are not aware of.   Judgements also get in the way of seeing the true self and in the world we live in judgements are hard to escape.

Many of my paintings come from my desire to ask spiritual questions and seek answers. These issues are reflected in the way I portray my subjects.  Sometimes I call these  watercolors painted prayers.

The Illusions of the Ego

This is another painting inspired by my favorite book, The Course In Miracles.   The title comes from Chapter 4. It says, You can change your mind. When your mood tells you that you have chosen wrongly, and this is so whenever you are not joyous, then know this not to be.

I have experienced this myself many times. I can be very angry at something that happened to me that day. I stop for a moment and remember that I create my own reality and I don't have to be upset. I simply change the way I think about the situation. In other words I change my mind and turn anger into peace.

Carrie's Flower

This is a good example of what I call "broken borders".  Once this painting is framed the rounded shapes breaking into the colored center will be more prominent. It is like painting a puzzle and I just love the process.

Lesson #62- Forgiveness is My Function As the Light of the World

This is another example of the use of negative and positive space using geometric design. What cannot be seen is the framing. The mat is covered with  a prayer from the Course in Miracles - I have written this prayer is calligraphic script which I love almost as much as the painting process.  The prayer reads: "It is your forgiveness that will bring the world of darkness to the light".    It goes on to say "Remember that in every attack you call upon your own weakness, while each time you forgive you call upon the strength of Christ in you."

For more information about the Course in Miracles , go to ACIM   or The Foundation for  Inner Peace