Carol Nelson Workshop

Carol Nelson

I went to a Carol Nelson Workshop at Lake Granbury ArtAssociation the last week of May. Carol is wonderful and I recommend her workshops to anyone. Her  website is Carol Nelson Fine Art and she her blog is Carol Nelson Fine Art Blog .  Her work is dynamic so be prepared. Thanks Carol, you are inspiring and a great teacher! 

Stanza  Allegro #1, acrylic  

 

Stanza Allegro #2, acrylic 

 

Stanza Allegro #3, acrylic 

 

Mother and Child, acrylic faux batik

 

Granma's Garden, acrylic faux batik

 

 Forest Primary, Acrylic and Watercolor Collage

Mixed Media Prize

Zen and Wax

This mixed media encaustic abstract placed 2nd place in the Lake Granbury Art Association Spring 2012 Show.

 

Betty Carr Workshop

Watercolor With Light

 

This spring I took a watercolor workshop with Betty Carr who is a wonderful artist who is known for her dramatic use of light. Her book, Artist Guide to Painting Light is available on Amazon, and her website is Betty Carr Fine Art. She is a wonderful and dramatic watercolorist. She works from dark values to light, which is opposite to most techniques. Although the two paintings that I finished were not favorites of mine, I definitely became bolder with darks and lights for the other realistic paintings that I did this summer.

Welcome Home, Watercolor

 

Wild Surprise, Watercolor



Abstract

Abstract Experiments #4

I like the first of the following two abstracts.  The color and composition appeal to me and I plan to create a larger version of this painting. The second version looked better vertically.

 

Unknown #1, oil

Unknown #2, mixedmedia

 



Abstract

Abstract Experiments #3

This group of experiments were not as focused as the last group and although I like the third one, I have no plan to make a larger abstract from this series at this time.

 

Cubist #1, oil

 

Cubist #2, oil

 

Cubist #3, mixed media



Abstract

2nd Abstract Experiments

 

This series of experiments were based from organic leaves from my sketchbook.  I do have a larger painting in beginning stages from these paintings.

 

Growth 1, oil and smoke

 

Growth 2, oil

 

Growth 3, oil collage

 

Growth 4, oil mixed media

 

Abstracts

First Abstract Oil Series Experiments

 

I finished these oil mixed media abstracts this June. My intent when I began these was to repeat the same design in four diffent color or color/texture techniques in a small format.  I then thought that If one was really successful I would repeat it in a larger painting.  I have no plans to enlarge one of these paintings. 



 



Spirit 1, oil







 

Spirit 2, oil

 

Spirit 3, oil

 

Spirit 4, oil



Fun With Collage

Blue Belle; Watercolor Pencil Under-painting; Collage 2012

When I began these collage's which were a set of symmetrical and asymmetrical designs, I had no idea that I would have so much fun.  I think that it is obvious that the collage is much more interesting than the under-painting. The under-painting is important as both a plan, and as filler in case there are little bits of the background which may show when the collage is added.

Cool Violet, Watercolor Pencil Under-painting; Collage 2012

After finishing I decided to try my hand at creating text collage which is shown below.  I am in progress of completing several more before I move on to something else. 

Middle, Acrylic and Text 2012

Gee, Acrylic and Text 2012

Dreams, Acrylic and Text 2012

Design Examples

Rabbit Valley, 2012 ( Perspective)

I spend quite a lot of time playing with design examples for my classes.  This posting will contain all of the examples for this last year.

Santa Fe  2011,  (Space)

Art, 2012 (Text and Perspective)

Dragon, 2011 (Organic Line)

   Duck, 2011 (Positive Negitive Shape)

     Princess,, 2011 (Negitive Space)

            Sunflower, 2011 (value)    Tulip, 2012 (value)

Lighthouse, 2011 (Surrealism)

Bobcat, 2011   Dillo, 2012 (value)

 The Way to Play, 2011 (Pattern Prints)

Leaf, 2011 (reduction print)
     

Swish, 2011   Organic, 2012 (Color Project)

Spring, 2012 Texture Design- modeling paste, acrylic with alcohol and salt

Adoration, 2012 Texture Design- modeling paste and papers, acrylic with bleach pen

 

Eternity Squared, 2012 Texture Design - modeling paste, acrylic with salt and alcohol and cracked glue

Boogie Woogie, 2012 Texture Design-modeling paste and texture gels, acrylicmedium

Standing on One Foot, 2011 (Balance Project)

Technology Challenges

Illustrator Geisha, Adobe Illustrator 2011

It is really emotionally and physically healthy to learn new things.  Change, though it may be difficult is good for us.  One of the ways that we grow as artists is to learn to improve, step out of our comfort zone and learn, or at least try new things.  This year I learned to use a number of software programs that I had not used before.  As they say in TechEd.  Learn it this morning, teach it this afternoon, which I did. 

The problem is, that as soon as you learn something new in technology, it has changed and moved on.  It is obsolete as soon as it is out of the box.  This goes with art software as well.  Looking back, I am satisfied that I added new software to my bag of tricks, and looking forward need to continue to do the same next year!  This Geisha was one of a number of Geisha that I made in Illustrator and created a line of Geisha Greeting Cards on the computer.

Mixed Media Experiments with Oil

Deep Purple Serenade, Oil - Mixed Media

If you look at a lot of works by artists, the majority of people using mix media paint in acrylic.  There are so many interesting effects that can be achieved using acrylic mediums and through collage materials with acrylic paint.  Oil can be mixed with sand and other things. But as a rule most of the oils I find are oil, period.

 "Still Life with Chair Caning" Pablo Picasso

Don't forget,  it was Picasso, who first combined oil which opened the doors to all the twentieth century experimentation.

"1954" Robert Raushenberg

I also have to mention Robert Rauschenberg, who combines painting: oil, paper, fabric, newspaper, printed reproductions, wood, metal, and mirror on three canvas panels.

However, when you look for examples of people working with mixed media and oil, they are few and far between.  The painting above is one of my examples of mixed media collage with oil.  A lot of my mixed media with oil work does include the use of acrylic, before the painting is started, then gessoed and painted with oil.  The Deep Purple Serenade began with this technique but then includes lacquers and beeswax as well as oil paint.