Get Your Paint On - Week 3

"candy"

So, here it is... Week 3 already! Our class is just zipping by! This week was all about color. The assignment was to use 4 colors. I struggled a bit with a subject to paint, and then I finally decided on some retro candy. There's a great candy shop near our house that is loaded with retro candies! I came home with a bagful for inspiration and finally settled on a few pieces for the painting. In case you're wondering what the white blobs are, they are the Brach's nougat candies with fruit-flavored gummies inside and the round green candies are Appleheads, even though they look like giant peas! It's been a busy week so this is a small one.



Gouache • illustration board • 5x5"

Get Your Paint On - Week 2

Our second painting assignment this week from Get Your Paint On was to find another artist that we love and that something from that artist/painting as literally or as figuratively as we like. So my inspiration was from Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co.

I love her gouache paintings! What I love about Anna's work for one is that she paints in gouache. But, what really intrigues me is her simple, opaque shapes. I like all of her work, but I really like her flowers, and perhaps because it's springtime I really felt compelled to paint flowers. That being said, I really struggled with making simple shapes and not a lot of detail. I feel like it's less like Anna's work and more like my own which is more detailed. I guess while I was working on it, I just felt like I couldn't go with less detail. I don't know if that even makes sense. Perhaps it's because it's just my style to be more detailed. I don't know... Since typically I paint in traditional watercolor I also struggled with what to do in the vase with the stems. While I was working I knew exactly what I would have done with translucent watercolor, but I felt with the gouache it was more of a challenge. I do like how the piece turned out overall, but I stressed a lot.

Gouache on cold press illustration board

Get Your Paint On : Week 1

Our first assignment of Get Your Paint On is to draw inspiration from Gee's Bend quilters of Alabama.

In our class we could choose between gouache or acrylic. I painted with gouache "a little" in a college and from time to time I paint with that medium still so I decided to go with that for my first painting.

I really wanted to use a color scheme that was something that I wouldn't normally think of. I was inspired by a selection of colors in a Pantone book, called Woodland colors. I really liked the woody tone mixed with hot and bright colors too. It was really fun to do something geometric and with really no planning, which is so not me. I really enjoyed it. :)

Can't wait for our next assignment on Monday!

get your paint on 2012

I have to tell you about something that I'm really, no REALLY EXCITED about. I'm taking an online painting class (Get Your Paint On), per a recommendation via my friend Nicole (also, another illustrator - Sloe Gin Fizz). The class isn't just any ol' painting class, it's taught by the super talented and cool illustrators Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough. If you haven't heard of them, check 'em out! I love their work!

Okay, so some people may wonder, why are you taking a painting class? You know how to paint. Yes, I do know how to paint, but I feel like continuing education is always a good thing. I'm hoping to open myself up to new ideas and gain some artistic freedom from this course. I love the whimsical styles of both of the instructors so I'm hoping a little of that will rub off on me. :)

Yesterday I went to the art supplies store and picked up a few items that I needed for class. Our first class starts tomorrow. Each week we're given a bit of a reading assignment and inspiration then we paint and post our paintings to a private Flickr site for everyone in the class to critique. I'll post my paintings here though, so you can see them. It reminds me of art school again and I just loved being in art school.

More to come on this soon!