Pink Flowers #1 & #2

Pink Flower #2
7 1/2" x 10" on Archival Unstretched Canvas

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It took me two tries to get this lesson to where I was happy with it. It's a lovely lesson on using acrylics as watermedia, and layering washes to achieve an almost watercolor look. I really like the second one, and probably would have kept it for myself if a good friend hadn't begged. hehe. However I do have to say that when I couldn't get the first one to do what I wanted, I had fun trying to salvage it.

Dark Pink Flower #1
7 1/8" x 8 1/2" on Canvas

(This lesson is from the book, Painting with Brenda Harris, Volume 2.)

Different Strokes/May: Waiting

Waiting

7" x 10 1/2" on Archival Unstretched Canvas

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Another fun challenge on the WetCanvas site is called "Different Strokes". And it means what it implys. Each month the participating artists are given a challenge to perform, and to paint it their way, and it is really interesting to see the different ways everyone comes up with for using the same set of rules. Just another way for me to expand my horizon's as I learn to paint...which I am totally loving. Wish I would have started years and years ago. :)

For April, we were given photographs of three different cats in various poses and perspectives, and were required to use at least two of them in a painting.

MAPS April/May: Auguste-Pierre Renoir

My Acrylic study (in progress) of Auguste-Pierre Renoir's 1899 Oil painting "Woman in a Blue Dress, Standing in the Garden of Saint-Cloud.

I recently joined an online artists group called WetCanvas. It is such an extensive artist's community that it is almost overwhelming in it's depth. Since I have opted to work in Acrylic, I gravitated to that area and found much to my delight a group working on studies of the Masters. It has been said by many great artists that the best way to learn to paint is to study those who came before...so I readily jumped in when I saw the MAPS...Master's Acrylic Painting Studies.

For April and May 2008, the chosen artist was Auguste-Pierre Renoir. I selected "Woman in a Blue Dress, Standing in the Garden of Saint-Cloud". as my piece to study. He painted this later in his life, 1899, so it appears to be kind of a blend of his years of different styles. While my reference photos were not the best, I found this to be an amazing challenge. A little art history lesson, a lot of learning, and some pride in accomplishing something that slightly resembles a work of one of the great masters. Anyway....here is my acrylic study in progress of his oil painting.