Fall's Full of Color and Creativity!

"Enchanted Spot" 8x10 oil (on hold for show)

Happy fall all! As a painting instructor this is one of my busiest (and therefore favorite) months but because of that I haven't had that much time to participate Leslie's annual September "30 in 30" painting challenge.  But I still strongly believe that relatively small "almost" daily paintings are one of THE best ways to improve your painting skills so I hope you'll keep painting and growing!

In a previous post, I mentioned this is a sensible season to invest in both you and your creative tools. Unfortunately, I think many artists (and this is too bad) abandon art simply because they are using not the right materials. On the other end, I've had beginners spend thousands and that's not necessary either. Here are my thoughts on what you might want to upgrade or enhance in your studio or creative space:

• Does your color seem dull, strange texture? A student brand or old tube may be the culprit. Superior quality (professional artist) paint or simply fresh paint. Maybe slowly start replacing your student paint for a few nicer tubes of paint? That being said, there are some “student” paint pigments I still use and like (thalo blue for example). 
• Brushes seen better days? Better brushes or just new clean brushes with good edges, etc. I use mostly Silver Bristlons, Rosemary's and Winsor Newton Monarchs since I prefer synthetics. In general these are in the 10-25 dollar range for small/medium sizes online but they also last much longer than craft quality brushes. Tip: Winsor Newton Non Toxic Brush Wash--pricey but you don't need much and works better than anything I've ever found. 
• Have you ever worked on the very best surface you can find? For oil painters this could be linen or Ampersand Gessobord.  And for really large paintings? I use one of the weekly coupons for one of the big craft stores or wait for a sale to buy their best gallery wrap canvas. 
• Easel—I really like a crank easels—In a dry climate (where wood splits/loosens) that’s just worth the extra cost for me because I know they will last a long time. Tip you can often find good easels used and a little paint splatter won't effect the function--just be sure to test them.  
• Tempered glass palettes are super easy to clean and strong--Haven't broken one yet! I buy mine online at Store Supply Warehouse. Be sure to cover your high quality paint and store in a cool place. 

I hope those tips make your fall painting adventure more enjoyable! P.S. There are a few spots left in my my next Denver oil painting class (6 weeks) starts on WED. October 26--Please visit the studio website for more info.

Parade of Color and Thanks!

"Sea Treasures" For Sale at Parade of Homes Dream Home 

In my previous post I was sharing my thoughts about about how artists might want to consider  upgrading their studio/supplies this time of year.  Promise to return to that line of thought soon. But my art week was so robust I wanted to I wanted to send out a few "thank yous, thank yous" to the art universe...

First, a very special thanks to the lovely Foothills Art Center in Golden, CO and to my wonderful artists (several who came from far away which is always appreciated!) for a super enjoyable oil painting workshop--It was a pleasure meeting you and I look forward to returning to this inspirational venue next year!

Artists enjoy color at Foothills Art Center workshop!

I always learn something when I teach too. Some of the students where taking demo pics and writing notes along side with a cool iPad notebook app called "Bamboo" which some of you might enjoy/find helpful for classes. (Note to self--Time for a better stylus!)

"Summery Hen" oil painting workshop demo

Looking for an affordable weekend oil painting workshop? My next "Glowing Colors" transparent oil painting workshop will be one day Saturday October 28 at Curtis Art Center on October 28. You may find more info/registration links here.

Second, I'm honored to part of a special local artists show at one of the Dream Homes (not far from my studio on South Garfield) on the Denver Parade of Homes tour this year. The setting is a gorgeous contemporary home so it was a "joy and challenge" creating some contemporary abstracts that would be a good match in this special setting. (My post image today is one of these.) All the art in the house is for sale too and the show is Free so stop by if you get a chance!

Also, reminder my group Denver painting classes resume in just a few weeks on September 14--Registration is now open! The Thurs. AM class is Glowing Colors in Oil Painting (10 weeks) where I'll share my tips and techniques for working with transparent oil paints.

The PM class is "Show me the Colors" (5 weeks)--Which will be kind of "color bootcamp" with tips, theory and exercises for oil, acrylic, and watercolor painters. You can register/get more info on the Park Hill Art Club Website. 

You can win cool art books on the studio FB page this September!

Finally, be sure to follow/like my art studio news on Facebook--I'll be giving away some of my favorite art books in September--So stayed tuned for that. Thank you again everyone who supports me in my art adventures. Have a wonderful week!

Brushing Up on Your Art

Just "some" of my studio brushes--The good, the bad, the old..

Happy late August! I love summer but as a painting teacher (and an artist who loves to also take classes myself) I always look forward to this time of year. Not only is it the perfect time of year to take a class or workshop, I think it’s great time review of your art and/or craft supplies.

As an instructor, I see some well-loved supplies (as in they haven’t made that brand in over 20 years). Some “antique” supplies may be just fine but others, well frankly, it may be time to just let go.

Nowadays we could include technology in that studio enhancement as well. Every time I upgrade my "older but still OK" laptop, tablet, website, camera, phone, etc. I think—Wow this is so much easier/better/faster...I should have done that sooner.

I’m really careful when it comes to studio expenses. But I also believe that if you invest in a class or workshop it’s worth having “up to date” fresh supplies that won’t hinder your experience. There’s a good reason for instructors to include a supply list. They want you to have the tools you need to get the job done.

Another thought:  What if you’re next painting is one of your favorites or even your “chef d’oeuvre?” You’ll want to be sure you’re using the best supplies you can practically afford.

Do you like art supply deals? This is a good time of year for that too. Often local art/office/craft supply stores or online art stores (i.e. Jerry’s, Blick) feature sales and/or special pricing, free shipping, coupons, etc. this time of year. (Tip: Google shipping coupon, etc.)

Personally, my art supply spending approach is “happy medium.” This means not “found in attic/garage” or “borrowed from my kids” but also not the break the bank either. And of course you don’t have to upgrade your studio all at once.

In my next post I’ll share my thoughts about what specific supplies you might want to shop for/replace and why. Until then, I hope you all enjoy getting ready for fall art or painting classes! You may find more info about my Denver area painting workshops and classes here.  

The Light in August

"Painted Path" 8x10 oil on Ampersand Gessobord (collection artist)

Happy August everyone! Many thanks to all my summer students who keep painting and working hard despite the many other enjoyable distractions of summer.

Happy hard-working oil painters in my Denver oil painting summer class

New August Oil Painting Workshop
Before my group painting classes resume this fall, I’m really looking forward to teaching an enjoyable 2 day “summer retreat” oil painting workshop at the Foothills Art Center in Golden on August 23/24. Think of it as a 2 day painting vacation—with comfortable AC! We’ll learn lots so come join us! You may get info and register for the workshop here: http://www.foothillsartcenter.org/adultsclasses/

Summer’s Picture Perfect
Quick reminder that summer is the perfect season for what I like to call “image collection.”  Whether your summer travels take to you exotic locales or just really enjoy local exploration like I do here are some quick tips for taking painting reference photos:

• Venues like cafes, parks, farmer’s markets, gardens, street scenes, festivals, neighborhoods, trails, marinas, the beach, etc. all make for interesting photo references you could use later for a class or workshop. 
• What makes a strong painting reference photo? That’s going to differ depending on your art goals but in general it might be a subject you enjoy (like my pinto horse today), or dramatic light and shadow, interesting shapes or textures, eye catching color, early or evening light, etc. Again the more photos you take the more ideas and options you’ll have.
• Once you have man photos it can be very helpful to take a few hours and sort them into groups or galleries with painting themes like landscapes, still lifes, flowers, skies and clouds, animals, people,etc. This makes it much easier and quicker to find just the right photo when you need it later. 

Finally, be sure to have some kind of back up for your photos—either with a cloud, online storage, or on a memory stick just in case. Happy photo gathering--Have a wonderful summer and hope to see you in a class soon!

Goin' for the Gold-Finch!

"Goldfinch Blossoms" SOLD--thank you!

Happy Summer everyone! First a giant thank you to everyone who helped and supported me during my busiest event of the year--the Denver Summer Art Market a few weeks ago.

Any outdoor event in Colorado is always a bit of surprise but it was gorgeous dry sunny weekend. Almost 100 on Saturday but thankfully my tent partner had a portable bucket misting fan (from Home Depot) which was very popular! I also tried a "gel cool pad" for my chair which I threw in the freezer the night before. Highly recommend for any warm weather event for a quick cool down!

And of course thanks to Denver's best art shoppers for stopping by and collecting my art for yikes almost 20 years! (Started very, very young..;). Sold many of my favorite recent paintings like this cheerful goldfinch painting posted today.

It's a lot of work getting ready for an art event like this but it's so rewarding. You get some time out of your studio, you meet and connect with many new people, you get a ton of painting practice and build your inventory--I painted over 50 new paintings.

With the Market behind me though I'm getting ready for some exciting new art events including...
My NEW 2 Day Glowing Colors Oil Painting Workshop: August 23& 24
Location: Foothills Art Center in Golden, Colorado
Click here for more info or to register.

Foothills Art Center Golden, CO

In the workshop I'll be sharing my tips for using transparent colors to create an exciting under painting which the method I use for many of my animals, including the goldfinch here. I don't often offer a 2 day intensive workshop so this is a good opportunity if you've been looking for an in person painting experience to learn this very popular method.

And finally thanks to all my current summer students for taking time out of their busy summers to paint with me! See you at the easel soon!

June Bugs and Art Markets

"Beach Bug" 8x10 oil painting on Gessoboard (on hold for SAM)

And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days. James Russell Lowell

Happy June Everyone! Welcome to one of the most beautiful months in Colorado. I know I haven't been posting much this year. But only for good reasons--such as lots of teaching, painting, some travel (had a wonderful time as I always do recently in Santa Fe), and well thankfully that keeps my calendar pretty full. I hope this post finds you all well and enjoying the beginning a summer.

Summer Art Market: June 10 & June 11
For me, as many of you know, for 15+ years (give or take) that means getting ready for Denver's annual Summer Art Market--Weekend June 10 and June 11. Today's painting is a sneak peak of one of my paintings for the Market.

If you haven't been this is a fantastic art event with tons of original art by over 250 local artists. This year I'm looking forward to sharing a tent with a very nice Boulder artist (Ms. Lori Mattina). So come visit us on Grant Street (Booth 75--between 2nd and 3rd streets).  Yes outdoor art festivals can be a lot of work but I always look forward to shopping the festival myself as well as selling my own art.

New Summer Oil Painting Class: Starts June 14
For anyone looking to learn that very popular oil painting technique with a transparent underpainting that I love so much I'm teaching one group painting class this summer at the Goodson Rec Center. It's a really fun group of students and very affordable--so come join us if you'd like to learn this colorful fun method. Click here for more info and to register. Class starts WED June 14.

P.S. Many, many thanks to all my amazing and always hard working spring students at Park Hill Art Club and Curtis Art Center--I look forward to seeing you in the fall if we don't paint together this summer!

The Start of Something Colorful

"Purple Paint" 8x10 oil on archival gesso panel

This pinto horse painting is available at Framed Image Gallery in Denver

Beginning with audacity is a very great part of the art of painting. -Winston Churchill

Happy Monday everyone! As a painting teacher many new or "rusty" artists often ask (and rightly so) about the process of painting. More specifically, I'm asked: How do you start a painting? or What exactly do I do first?The truth is a variety of "starts" get the job done. That being said, here are four "sound beginnings" (for wet in wet oils) I find most helpful:  

1.Time for Toning?
I don't always "tone" or color wash my white canvas first but if you're the kind of artist who likes to leap and "just get going" this can be a good first warmup step. I say "wash" meaning a thin layer of acrylic (needs to dry) or "watery" oil paint (using Gamsol or other non toxic thinner.) 
I like warmer toning but you could tone in any color including black. You could also mix color into some white gesso and use that to tone--especially if you desire more tooth/texture on your surface.
2. Thin Darks to Thick Lights
Tried and true for most most occasions. Block in your darkest darks (thinly), then medium values and finally your lightest values (and thicker paint) at the end. I find the "darks first" reveal a light/dark design (i.e. notan) you can easily see from the get go. I find this is a safe, organized approach--also keeps me from using too much white too soon.   
3.Bright Color to Dull
Do you have a lot of "islands" or "spots" of bright color in your painting? If you've read Carol Marine's Daily Painting then you know she suggests starting with intense colors--imagine a bright pink bloom in a sea of dull green leaves. This approach helps keep your color notes cleaner as you work quickly with wet in wet oil paint--some might say a more "painterly" style.  
4. Colorful Under Painting
One of my favorites--But more time consuming because it can take some planning. Imagine a light blue sky painted over a peachy or magenta underpainting. Note this can be done wet in wet or over dry paint on a white (not toned) surface. Great if you like color surprises and "vibrating broken" color you seen in pastels.

In today's horse oil painting I combined darks first with bold color under painting. I hope that overview of "good starts" was helpful. How do you like to start your painting?

P.S. Speaking of new starts, I FINALLY created a studio page on Facebook so please feel free to follow me/friend me there as well. Thanks for your support!

Fresh Year, Fresh Paint!

"Sagey Sorrel" 8x10 1oil on canvas 

Available at Framed Image Gallery in Denver.

A very Happy New Year everyone!  While I don't love the cold, I do relish the fresh start and clean slate we get every January. Before jumping into 2017 though I wanted to take just a quick minute to review what I realized in retrospect was a really exceptional art year...

My thanks to everyone for your support--especially all my students and fellow artists! Let's take a quick look back at some highlights as they say. 

• Won an award at the Colorado Horse Expo which I plan to enter again this year. 
• Attended PACE in sunny Tucson where I met hundreds of artists and saw many fantastic demos. Still thinking about San Diego PACE this year...We'll see..
• Participated in my 15th Denver Summer Art Market--Always my fav art event of the year.
• Enjoyed a really informative Derek Penix painting workshop
• Met the painting legend Richard Schmid who also signed his books for me. Mr. Schmid was fortuitously here in Denver for a lovely retrospective show of his work at Gallery 1261. 
• Met 100+ local artists teaching workshops and classes 
• Refreshed my Scarlet Owl Studio website (where you can find info about my classes/ workshops)

Not bad for one year right? As I look forward now though I know I need to continue to balance all this exciting art activity with easel time. Got to put in the work for the reward as I tell my students.
Of course it's highly enjoyable "work" when it's a subject you love like my horse painting I did for my gallery's western/cowboy themed show this month. 

Until my next post, best wishes for a successful and rewarding year of creativity and color!

Building on Color (Jon Redmond Talk Notes)

Park Caretaker's House Study-9x12 oil on linen-SOLD

Happy Challenge Day 6: Isn’t it interesting to meet an artist you’ve admired “from a far?” Sunday I went to a fantastic talk by Pennsylvania painter  Jon Redmond who was in Boulder teaching a workshop (which I unfortunately couldn’t attend but am guessing students are greatly enjoying this week.)

Redmond’s oil paintings have a beautiful sense of light, simplicity and texture. If you have Al Gury’s  book “Alla Prima” you’ll find this beautiful minty green claw foot tub painting on the back cover.

Jon Redmond Tub Painting 

Redmond explained this tub was in an old building which had seen many renovations. While I enjoy organic subjects, I’m often intrigued by painting that explore the mystery of place like this. You can find some great examples his paintings (which include a variety of subjects) and a detailed interview with Redmond here.

Inspired by Redmond's sunlit building paintings, I decided to post one of my Hopper inspired paintings. I find light falling on structures like this gorgeous white house very captivating. Redmond said he enjoys painting windows especially bay windows. Speaking of white, he also mentioned he looks to black and white films for visual inspiration which makes perfect sense from a shape/value standpoint.

Redmond White House Oil Painting

I'm not a "light" traveler, so I’m always fascinated by compact lightweight painting kits. Redmond's fit into a small backpack (so he could easily bike to locations). It included: a compact camp chair (he paints seated), a trim folding panel holder/palette (think wooden laptop), his paints, (here’s his suggested color palette for another class), brushes with sharpened ends (so you can stick into the ground!) and an interesting pottery “scraping” rubber tool. 


Redmond also mentioned that he sometimes paints on frosted Mylar (in addition to a traditional gessoed panel) and I’m very interested to try this surface soon. 

Painting in the Secret Garden

"Rainbow Flyer" 8x10 oil on panel (scarlet macaw painting)

Happy September everyone! First, I want to thank everyone who attended to the “Secret Garden” Art & Birds Fundraiser over the weekend where I was honored to be one of the featured artists. Thanks to my friends and students who stopped by to support this unique event. You can see a short video of the special event here.

I enjoyed sketching the great horned owl (probably my favorite raptor), watching the other artists paint and of course taking lots of close up reference pics of all the birds including owls, hawks, eagles, and colorful parrots like this gorgeous scarlet macaw.

September 1 also means that’s it’s time to join over 1,000 other artists for the fall “30 in 30” online painting challenge! Lately, I’ve been out and about in the Denver area talking to many artists about the many pleasures, benefits (and yes trials) of “almost” daily painting. So listening to my own advice and planning to post more art this month. And if you are joining the painting challenge thanks for stopping by and best wishes for an enjoyable and productive month--in the studio or plein air.


If YOU want to paint more this fall I still have room in my Thurs. AM Denver painting class at Park Hill Art Club  (near the zoo) which starts Sept. 15. This class is also super affordable for a 10 weeks
of colorful fall painting. Please write to me via my website if you'd like to join the class. Cheers and happy September everyone!

Painting in Perfect Harmony

First my thanks to both Colorado's Louisville Art Association (LAA) as well as the Brighton Cultural Arts Commission for asking me to have a workshop and give a talk this past week. Both groups were so welcoming! One of the best parts of my "job" is meeting new artists, sharing tips and my personal art experience. Thank you again!

LAA painters enjoying some exercises at my Intro to Daily Painting Workshop

One of the aspects of daily painting that I discussed last week was working with a limited palette so I thought I'd share that info here with you. For example, with all those wonderful and tempting paint colors at the art store why work with a limited oil paint palette?

Quick note: “Limited” is a relative term. To some, less than 20 tubes may feel restricted but in general it’s 7 pigments or less. Here's a fairly versatile limited palette I've seen other daily painters use: Ultra. Blue, Aliz. Crimson, Cad. Yellow Light+ White


10 Benefits of a Limited Painting Palette

1. Simplifies overall process of painting so you’ll likely paint more
2. Mixed secondary colors and earth colors (greens, violets, oranges, browns, blacks) will often look more natural and interesting than a tube green for example (Tip: Pre mix your secondaries before painting if you feel your colors are limited.)
3. Easier to achieve color harmonies (colors will naturally all relate to each other)
4. Tends to look more natural for well natural and organic subjects
5. Faster way to paint—less mixing choices means fewer decisions
6. You can give more attention to your shapes and values
7. Easier to get “cleaner” mixes (2 colors for example) if that’s what your after—you may be tempted to use “extra” colors that aren’t really necessary for your painting
8. You’ll “get to know “ your pigments much faster (juggling just 3 balls vs. 12)
9. You’ll likely start finding what colors you really need (for your style) and what you don’t
10. Much less paint to buy, store, carry, etc.

When would you want to add extra pigments?

• You need a specialty primary color such as “hot pink” Permanent Rose or Opera 
• Time constraint—Where "convenience” colors (viridian outdoors) are handy
• Your painting calls for lots of pure color notes and/or man made objects (lots of colored costumes for example)
• You need a variety of transparent as well as opaque pigments for a particular painting technique (glazing for example)
• You're stuck in a color formula rut for things like shadows, skies, etc.

If you love color like I do and want to learn more, I'm giving a mini workshop (color talk/demo) at Blackridge Artists School on Saturday, September 24.  You can find more info here.

Brushing Up on Birds

Some of my favorite daily bird paintings

No bird soars to high if he soars with his own wings. William Blake

Happy August everyone! I wanted to share that my friend and neighbor is hosting a wonderful fundraising event on Saturday, August 27. The art themed garden party will benefit two great Denver bird rescue and education non profit organizations. You can get more info on tickets here.

Along with several Denver painters, I’ve been kindly invited to include at least one bird painting in the silent auction. So I’ve been brushing up on my birds—no pun intended. Am hoping to include at least one small owl painting in the silent auction.

So early Sat. I went on a very educational bird walk along the South Platte River. If you’ve never been on a "official" bird walk with an experienced guide I can almost guarantee you’ll find more birds than you would on your own. This also makes taking reference photos like this hummingbird much easier. 

Broad tailed hummingbird at Hudson Gardens

The rest of this month is going to be a very eventful! In addition to the bird art event, I’m teaching a sold out “Intro to Daily Painting” workshop for the Louisville Art Association .

On eve of Aug. 18 I’ll be in Brighton for another daily painting presentation to another wonderful group of artists. My sincere thanks again to both these groups or inviting me to share my art journey with them. OK time to trade the laptop for the easel. Have a wonderful weekend.

Fresh Summer Colors

"Totally Tomatoes" 8x10 oil on Gessoboard (SOLD)

In summer, the song sings itself. ~William Carlos Williams

Ahh...late July. It's that time of year in Denver when I enjoying do a lap in at my local park almost every day.  One of my seasonal art goals was to take breaks outside as often as possible and keep up my 10,000+ daily steps. (I've apparently walked the length of Italy so far--but without the likely pizza and gelato stops along the way.)

For taking reference photos (like this monarch butterfly below) I prefer visiting the park in early AM (if I can get going) or "golden hour" if it's not too warm. Yes, there's a lot of green out there but you can also find other vibrant colors such as lovely white egrets, blackbirds, gardens, sunsets, etc. And of course local farmer's markets are full of fresh color ideas. All will be welcome painting subjects when winter comes.

This month I'm teaching a really fun Wed. AM color class and also getting ready for 3 new fall group Denver painting classes: Wednesday mornings at Curtis Art Centers and  Thursday morning and afternoon at Park Hill Art Club (PHAC).

Monarch in red lily at Wash Park garden

For those of you interested in the Park Hill Class you do need to be a PHAC member but then you can take lots of great classes and workshops through the year. You can join here. Fall class registration will "live" on Tuesday, August 15. I like to give everyone a heads up because popular classes may fill up quickly.

Speaking of that a warm thanks to all my new painting students who "sold out" my color class this month at Curtis. I'm really enjoying the class and look forward to teaching a similar color theme when fall classes start there on Wed. Sept. 14.

And later this fall I'll be teaching an class specifically dedicated to one of my favorite "glowing color" oil painting techniques that is becoming very popular with online workshops. So be looking for more info on that. In the meantime, I hope you enjoying discovering "color surprises" in your world no matter what the season. 

Colors Dazzle in the Desert

My Colorful Tucson Arizona Collage: Spring Break 2016

Happy June everyone! Thanks to my friends and followers for being patient while I took a “spring break” from just about everything but art and painting. In fact, the past couple of months were jam packed with non-stop exciting art events….

• Drove to the Plein Air Convention & Expo (PACE) as a first timer in beautiful Tucson
• Taught a floral painting workshop
• Took a floral painting class (yes I enjoy painting flowers!)
• Taught 3 group classes a week until a few weeks ago
• Painted over 50 daily paintings for two art market!

Thanks to all my art collectors too who purchased paintings at the Park Hill Art Club Spring Art Show as well as the Summer Art Market last weekend. It was a beautiful but plus 90 degree June weekend so I greatly appreciate if you came out to support the event and all the 250+ artists.  Thanks!

My photo collage today is my tribute to all the dazzling desert colors from Tucson. Truthfully, I didn’t get much time to paint at PACE but did take photos every day. Late April was the perfect time to enjoy bright desert blooms and spring wildlife. I even had a lovely view of the Catalina Mountains from my patio at the relaxing El Conquistador Resort. (FYI, next year PACE is another one of my favorite cities--San Diego!)

 

There's so much I could write about PACE--from the really cool "welcome goody bag" to dozens of amazing demos and art talks by artists I've previously only seen in books or magazines. As advertised, it's a jam packed agenda from breakfast to late night. There was even a nocturne painting session with PBS parks painter Stefan Baumann.  And of course every day at PACE you meet nice artists from all over the country--So a quick hello to any fellow PACE attendees!

As an art supply lover another highlight was shopping in the Expo hall--I bought some new Rosemary and Richeson brushes, some Shiva paint (which I can't get locally)and this handy easel brush clip. LOL--You can even see me rushing around the hall in a PACE video as I side step the camera crew!

It's good though to be be back home in the studio and have some these big events behind me so I can connect with all of you as well as enjoy summer in the Rockies. Happy summer painting everyone!

The Competitive Spirit of Art

"Rooted in Red" 8x10 oil on canvas (avail. at Framed Image Gallery)

I have been up against tough competition all my life. 

I wouldn't know how to get along without it. 

Walt Disney

Happy Sunday everyone! I really enjoy this time of year because it always brings new artists into my life. I'm proud to say our town is filled with artists from all over the country as well as the world--I have several international students who are excellent painters. And last night I watched an inspiring documentary about history making ballerina Misty Copeland. It got me thinking even more about creative expression and competition.

Sometimes my art friends note (perhaps with a bit of concern) how "competitive" our town is (we do love our sports here-go Broncos!) and recently I heard a comic thank a Denver crowd for simply "coming inside." But I don't think this "outdoorsy" competitive spirit is necessarily a bad thing. (If nothing else living in a sporty fit town encourages me to be a healthier artist.)  

That being said, I don't think we want to get too hung up on what another successful artist is doing  and feel bad in our comparison. But with an art bar set high, I tend to be on the lookout for opportunities to grow and learn--In fact  have already signed up for a Derek Penix workshop in June and am really looking forward to that.


Speaking of competition one of my art goals for 2016 was to enter more juried shows.  I’m very happy to report that my little dressage horse oil painting that I posted recently was juried into the Colorado Horse Council’s upcoming March equine art show. If you like art and horses (or both) be sure to come out for this family friendly event! You can find more info here.

Spring Painting Classes Starting Soon!
My popular Thursday oil painting class Park Hill Art Club (PHAC) begins March 17—which is also the day of my demo and spring workshop preview at noon. I offer both a morning and afternoon session (you may also stay for both). Registration opens at 7A this Tuesday Feb. 23. Classes often fill quickly. Please visit PHAC for more info and to register.

If you're looking for a painting class closer to the south part of town, my Feb/March class at Curtis Art Center in Greenwood Village starts this WED. Feb 24. at 9:30. This is a really comfortable class room with super nice artists so come join us! If you have any questions about my painting classes as always please email me. Looking forward to seeing you soon at the easel or other art event!

The Touchstone of Painting

"Melon Medley" 8x10 oil painting on archival canvas panel--SOLD

Bring a brioche, I want to see you paint one: still life is the touchstone of painting. Manet

Happy mid-January everyone! I love getting “back to work” after the holidays. I’m not really someone who enjoys longs breaks so I’m really enjoying teaching all my new winter session classes out and about and in my studio.

Each week I’m blessed to work more than 30 creative painting students! If you teach you know this can be a lot of energy output but it’s so rewarding and inspiring. (For more info about my classes please visit my Denver painting class/workshop page on my website.)

As a busy art instructor (thanks students!) I'm often asked how I make time for painting. It's not always easy but it helps to stay so motivated that it would be strange NOT to paint. Painting challenges like this month's "30 in 30" help as does teaching. Winter is also a great time of year to be inventory building for the spring and summer shows.

Speaking of summer, I know watermelon is more of a summery fruit but I've always loved the intense color pop that certain fruits can add to a still life (think of Cezanne's oranges.) Or just look at these two beautiful still life examples featuring watermelons from masters Peale and Bongart. Angus Wilson (a color contemporary still life painter) also includes melons in his works.

Sarah Peale

Sergei Bongart

Thanks for stopping by! I wish you a healthy creative week and continued happy painting to all the 30 in 30 challenge artists!

Things That Have Never Been: Happy 2016!

"Blue Ice Gull" 8x10 oil on linen panel--SOLD

And now we welcome the New Year…

Full of things that have never been.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Don’t you love fresh starts? As a painter the start of the year always feels like a squeaky clean slate (or should we say big blank canvas?) on which you have the opportunity to paint your life anyway you want...

After an enjoyable but looong holiday break, I’m so excited to see my students again next week at my group classes. I still have a few painting class openings (Tues and Wed mornings) so give yourself a creative treat and paint with us! You can click here for more info about my Denver painting classes and art workshops.

As many of you know it’s not always easy painting throughout the holidays but I’ve managed to get a few bird daily paintings done such as today’s hungry gull (who like me would probably rather be at the beach) sliding around an icy pond on a sunny but frigid AM here in Denver.

For many daily painters January also means the return of Leslie’s AHA “30 in 30” painting challenge! I signed up (as I think over 1,000 artists have from around the world) and am going to try my best to keep painting and posting as much as I can during a fun but hectic teaching month. Did you know there's also now an AHA artist forum which you can find here.

Speaking of classes, since I first heard the news I’ve been looking forward to Dreama Tolle Perry’s online class which some of you may know starts next week after much anticipation. If I’m reading Dreama's emails correctly I’ll need to set my alarm for 4AM to register in my time zone. 

Since I’m teaching (thankfully) and can’t make it to a Dreama workshop this winter (as I’ve been lucky to do in the past) it’s worth it. Anyway, I can’t wait to paint “along with Dreama” again. Assuming I get in, perhaps I'll meet up with some of you "online" enjoying her class as well.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and colorful new year filled with amazing creative adventures and life changing discoveries! P.S. Happy Birthday to all you creative Capricorns like my niece who turns the big 0-9 today!