It's Not Easy Being Green

A few of us artist get together every Tuesday for lunch so we came up with the first of hopefully many painting challenges, we agreed, to do every season. Today, after changing the date several times, we finally got together to show our Seasonal Challenge: Winter, "It's Not Easy Being Green". Below is a photo of the artists. You can see me taking the photo in the mirror (I kind of like that shot of me), and the paintings in the back ground.

This was a challenge not to use other colors and to focus on the values. I found I didn't like painting in only green and I think we all agree we are kind of sick of green. With that being said, I think the little paintings came out well. Many of the artist said they will go back now and add the colors they wanted to use. We had a wonderful time and are excited to see the Spring Challenge paintings.

"It's Not Easy Being Green"

NEXT

The Seasonal Challenge: Spring 2011

"Paint an Egg"

The only rule is there has to be some kind of egg or eggs some where in the painting.

We will meet the first Tuesday in June

at Chef Lin in Frederick, MD at 12:30 pm

to show our paintings.

Morning Watch

Morning Watch  oil - 6 x 6 

The Daily Paint Works Challenge this week was a color challenge. You were to paint a painting using a complimentary color scheme. I chose blue and orange but finding a subject that worked was the challenge for me.  I haven't entered the challenges in a couple of weeks since I have been doing portraits from the photographs that were sent to me. I wanted to do a portrait for this challenge but none of my stash of photos had just the right colors. Then, I stumbled upon some photos of our dog Tug taken a couple months ago. I had already painted Tug from one of the other photos, taken that day, in a much tighter way than this looser and smaller version of her. Tug and I go on a walks every morning and she loves to hunt for squirrels, chase squirrels and sit and watch squirrels. I named the painting Morning Watch  because this is Tug's morning (squirrel) watch face.  To see Morning Watch and other paintings entered in The Color Challenge click here: DPW Challenge.

Emily

Emily  oil - 6 x 6

This is the the latest DPW Challenge, The One Stroke per Color Challenge. I chose to paint a portrait since I have been on this portrait kick for my daily paintings. Emily is a fellow artist and a very good friend. She has encouraged me in art with amazing enthusiasm. Emily is quite a beautiful and colorful lady. I know I have not done her justice but all the colors painted with one stroke each, in this painting, suits her. This was really fun to paint.

Zippo Lighter Challenge

This weeks Daily Paint Works Challenge is to paint from a photo of a zippo lighter, supplied by DPW, but the catch is, you could only use a limited palette of Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, and Titanium White.

Need a Light?  oil - 6 x 6

This exercise reminded me of the advantages of a limited palette. For one thing, the painting can't help but have color harmony. Also, there wasn't as much need for color mixing and therefore values become the focus, as they always should be anyway. I am looking forward to seeing what DPW comes up with for a challenge next week. 

Valentine's Day Rose Challenge

Yours Forever  oil - 7 x 5

Daily Paint Works' weekly challenge is to paint a rose using the supplied photo or another rose. I used the photo but changed it slightly to show hints of leaves in the background. This was the first time I have ever painted a rose in oil. Roses are challenging to paint but very appropriate for Valentines Day. I hope everyone has a day full of love.

10 Minute Challenge

Each week the Daily Paint Works is posting a challenge for artists to help them improve their skills. This is a very cool and wonderful thing they are doing for artists and it's free! I painted last week's old car challenge that I posted here as my painting for last week but this weeks DPW is to paint an object four or more times and each time paint for only 10 minutes. This has been a terrific exercise in simplifying and painting what you see the first time. There is just no time to redo or over work and area. I am posting my attempt at the 10 minute studies of a tomato, in hopes my artist friends will be inspired to try their own studies. I survived to tell you it wasn't so bad! Try it. You can learn a lot about how you paint and what to do to improve. I will be posting later this week another painting as my weekly painting. To see the DPW Challenge web site and to view the other artist's 10 minute studies go here.

Do Over  oil - 10 x 10

Old Car in Florida Challange

Imperial in Florida  oil - 6 x 6

 I am posting late in the week, this week, since I have been traveling. Funny that I am in Florida and this weeks challenge on the Daily Paint Works Challenge is a photograph, taken by Carol Marine, of an old car in Florida. This challenge was open to anyone and you can view the submitted paintings, including mine, on the web site:

 http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Challenges  

This was very cool to paint with all the reflections. I think I will get my camera out and look for other objects with as much reflection.

Seasonal Challenge: Winter

I am starting a "Seasonal Challenge" with my friends that meet for lunch on Tuesdays, but any painters are welcome to participate in the challenge. I will post photos of the paintings here. Hopefully, if there continues to be an interest in doing this, I will post a new challenge each season.

Here is the "Winter Challenge":

The name of your painting will be: "It's not easy being Green"

You may use only shades of green to paint any subject, any size.

Bring your painting to lunch,

 the first Tues. in April, 12:30 p.m. at "Chef Lin Buffet", Frederick, MD 

 The "Spring Challenge" will be announced at lunch.

 if you can not make the April lunch meeting, e-mail a photo of your painting to me at:

 dpkaelber@comcast.net

There will not be any winners, just artists sharing a challenge, lunch, and fun with other artists.

I can't wait to see these green paintings!

Have fun!

Mushrooms

It's a new year so it's time to try again to keep the old new years resolutions, (like exercising more and eating better), and to make new resolutions.  My new years resolution this year, in an effort to improve my artistic skills, is to post at least one new painting every week. Yes, that's right, I will paint 52 paintings this year. The first of these paintings for 2011, is of mushrooms on white napkins.  Painting white objects on a white background has been a challenge for me, but I wanted to not only paint and post each week, but also, to paint challenging things. I am pleased with the results but I will be trying a "white on white" challenge again soon.

Mushrooms  oil - 6x6