Wednesday, May 2, 2012

One Show, One Workshop Down, More To Go

I have been away from the blogosphere, as probably many of you have, busy with spring shows and a Robert Burridge workshop.  The "big" show that has taken so much time was the Tulip Festival in Skagit Valley, where the various art organizations show for the full month of April.  A few of the shows are still held in barns, which sort of added to the "ambiance" and nature of the Tulips Festival.  The group I belong to, Art League North, used to do "Art Bash" in barns as well, but we have been showing in in a very civilized venue for the past few years, the second floor of a Valley landmark , the Farmhouse Restaurant.  We don't have to use space heaters or wear long johns to work, but the lighting could be SO much better than it is.  Even so, I was pleased to sell four paintings and a number of cards.  I sold the heron in Stalking at Sunset the first evening at the reception, which pleased me no end!

I also attended a four-day Robert Burridge Workshop at the beginning of April here in the Valley, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was supposed to be Putting the Wow in Watercolors, but IMHO ended up being primarily a workshop that had a half a morning in watercolors, and the rest of the time we painted a great deal with fluid acrylics.  Not a problem for me, but the watercolor purists were sort of taken aback.  In the end, everyone learned a great deal and left with lots of Burridge-like paintings.

To that end, I usually recognize work done in a Burridge workshop, and really like it, but I don't want to show mine, because so much of the student work is the same. Pears, landscapes, figures.  Love 'em, but you can track them back to Robert Burrdige workshops.

So, I will tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed Bob and the workshop, and learned loads from him, and have, and will, integrate those lessons into my own work over time.   Bob, in his workshops and his DVDs, is absolutely wonderful and consistent with his lessons and "Bobisms."  As those of you who have attended his workshops know, Bob starts with warm-ups and doesn't paint from references.  Perfectly wonderful lessons for everyone, no matter what the medium! 

He spoke of the value of journaling, which reinforced, for me, the need to return to journaling, with a focus on my art.  Good kernels of wisdom, and I am benefitting from "morning papers" journaling again.

I am trying to do warm ups pretty much every day before I paint, which producesa mixed bag of results.  The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.  Below are a couple of today's relatively "good ones." 

Am hoping to get back in the groove of keeping my blog up to date, so you may see some more warm ups as I go along.

5" x 7" Acrylic Poppies Warm up #1

5" x 7" Acrylic Poppies Warm Up #2

2 comments:

JANE MINTER said...

congratulations on your sales dee you've been busy..touches of turq make the poppies sing here ...will look at robert's site .

Dee Doyle said...

Thank you, Jane. I know you are primarily a WONDERFUL watercolorist, but acrylics are fun, and they make me smile!