Saturday, February 05, 2011

Strictly Learning

1. My first oil painting since high school and my second oil painting in my whole life! Pretty ridiculous!
Remember my last post and I claimed "outsider" as my proper title.

2. This is where Melora stopped me for "putting on the eyelashes" before I had blocked in enough painting. Which I stamped my feet at because as you can see below, the "eyelashes" were some of the best parts of the still life. I think there are two types of people those that save the best for last on their plate, and those that gobble up the best first. Guess which one I am?

3. "the eyelashes"

The Still life
(I like this photo much more then the painting)


My beautiful set up in Melora's Barn


I just finished my first "oil painting" class with Melora Kuhn. She is a GREAT teacher (and GREAT artist), and I am tough student. For the same reasons I always have been a tough student-I want
to learn "my way", I want to have fun and like what I'm making too. Which don't always line up with learning new things. I am in class to learn traditional methods of oil painting, so I think for next week I need to try following her suggestions with less balking. Melora is very refined and considerate in her painting techniques, which are so beautiful to observe. (The
way she sets up a pallet, the easel and table, the lighting, the layout of the subject) What she tried to impress on me as I left class today, was to consider these paintings and still life's as exercises in learning a new vocabulary-that it was less important that I like the final painting, and instead immerse myself in the learning. I think that was what I needed to hear, next week I want to bring that attitude to the canvas and surrender to the experience of learning something I may not like, be good at, or have fun doing. Sound fun!


(Melora punching the holes into the can for the paint to fall through when we're cleaning the brushes, I liked this!)

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