I was so proud of my Daughter’s watercolor, I had to share it! She’s 16 years old and new to watercolor. It’s 18″x 24″ which is bigger than any watercolor I’ve done! 😉 Great work girl!
Tag Archives: art
Art Museum Hopping
We went Museum hopping in Minneapolis this weekend, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and Weismann Art Museum and Bell Museum at U of M.
“Frank” Chuck Close
Best of all was the MIA, I enjoyed seeing the German Expressionists, the Cubists, Surrealists, and the French impressionists, but what left the biggest impression on me was this painting by Chuck Close. He is so imposing and 3d dimensional in person. I appreciate the difficulty, having painted heads that size on billboards in Detroit when I was a young adult. For billboards though we never painted them with that degree of realism because the images were seen from hundreds of feet away. Drips were not even visible. In this painting each hair and skin folical was articulated. I would love to see one of Chuck Close’s later works with the broken color, and be able to view it from different distances.
A Self portrait by Chuck Close
I’m recharged and ready to get home and make my humble art. It’s all about the process and the journey. I do it for myself, and it brings me joy!
A Kind of Palette Knife
I played with a new tool today! It falls between a palette knife and a brush. They are most similar to painting with a spatchella. They are called Mini Blades. They have a little bit of a lighter touch than a palette knife.
I’m satisfied with the outcome, but look forward to practicing with them more and doing a bigger painting. A nice heavy bodied paint is best.
They’re used like a palette knife, but have more give. Apply or move paint from the top, side, and back of the blade. The edge is not actually like a blade it’s very blunt and flexible.
The full name of the product is Princeton Catalyst Mini Blades. Dick Blick sells them.
If you are interested in palette knife painting, I highly reccomend them.
Light Through Trees
Oil on Stretched Canvas 16″x20″
This is another painting I did with light through the trees. They are more translucent, and sparse. It’s challenging, I had to do it a couple times before I was satisfied. It’s all about the negitive space, the holes, trying not to create patterns, and making it random. I think it would be beneficial to do more of these in the near future.
Remembering My Father
Today is my Dad’s Birthday, he would be 78. He passed away 3 years ago. This is a picture I drew of him as a child, when I was in High School. My Dad liked to draw horses from memory.
When I was a kid, I enjoyed watching him work with wood. I played in his saw dust, with the smell of cedar in the air. On the right is a picture of the grandfather clock he made. All of it’s parts are wooden, right down to the walnut screws. There isn’t any metal. The weight is a rock, because wood wasn’t heavy enough. It’s stands about 8ft tall, running with a wooden tick tock.
He inspired me to be what I am today! Happy Birthday Dad!
Tonight’s Life Drawing
We had our model in a good costume this evening. I enjoyed drawing some drapery for a change of pace. 12″x16″ hard pastel on warm gray Canson pastel paper.
“School Under the Trees” Final
I finished “School Under the Trees” this afternoon. 12″x16″ acrylic on stretched canvas. Will be auctioned to help raise money to build a school in South Sudan.
Detail of foreground.
“School Under the Trees” WIP3
Blocked out where there was too many leaves. Put in some of the background elements. Reworked the sketch in of the people. Might have to do more with all of that. Then I will work on the ground, and the picture has gallery edges.
Close up of detail
Sweet Sixteen!
My little nature girl turns sixteen today! I painted this when she was little. 12″x 16″ oil on stretched linen.
“School Under the Trees” WIP2
I painted the tree, the most challenging part of the painting. Painting the holes to shape the negitive space of the light coming through the trees is the final step of this part.
Here is part of the detail.
TracyBArt.com 