Nude Mary

This is a sketch from my life drawing sessions, its difficult to get the beautiful line one can achieve with longer poses because you work so fast... but a twenty minute drawing session is very good practice for learning to see very quickly the shapes and the form of any object.

Ancient Ritual 21.... 4" by 4"

If you haven't noticed I tend to paint many of my abstracts using a grid method. Sometimes I will use other methods but I find I naturally paint in a grid like manner. When an artist says they paint in a grid manner, what they mean is the way the put the paint down is very much like a grid. One section down at a time in rows both vertically and horizontally. Often the rows over lap or cross over making the piece more interesting. This piece was actually 4" by 6" and I felt there were too many focal areas, so I cropped it down to a 4 by 4 and now I feel it is more soothing yet energetic all at the same time. I love these colors. I put in the circles to break up the linear shapes. The circles were actually pulled out of the wet paint to allow the paper to show thru.


You can decide which way you like it.
Here is how it looked before I cropped it.

ACEO's from my class.... Every thing from plus size models, to landscapes and abstracts...

Elena's ACEO



Jack's ACEO



Roselynn's ACEO



Tobi's ACEO



Wendy's ACEO

Beach fisherman- A painting a day

SOLD

This small 6 by 9 inch painting is painted on a page from a arches watercolor travel book.

Its for taking with you for plien aire, to capture watercolor sketches. I wanted to try it before I take it tomorrow to paint. Its our second meeting with a new art group. In fact, I am helping to start it up. Its called " The Tega Cay fine arts association" We 're putting together a group of fine artists that would like to paint together once a week in the Lake Wylie area. There are only three of us founding members so far as we are getting the By-laws and such written up. Then we'll send out press releases and invitations to other local artist. Its kinda exciting. We already got a local coffee shop to put up our paintings and reserve a wall for our group.

If your interested in this painting just email me, its $25.00. Shantmarie@aol.com

Nude 23 a painting aday

SOLD

This painting was painted in a life drawing situation where I sketched the model and painted her in the span of one hour. She was a little bit sleepy and kept tilting her head forward. Whan I started out she appeared to be a bright girl but by the end her eyes were almost closed and her head had drooped forward to give her this look of just waking up from a nap.
Its fun to paint this way and I encourage all of you to try it. You can find models from gallery owners, universities, art schools, and art institutes. They usually charge $15- 20 .00 dollars an hour and will sit for at least two hours. Painting from life has its challenges but there are many rewards. One is your speed will pick up and you will learn to block things in quickly and without hesitation. This palette is one of compliments.. a purple (bluish) /a yellow orange and also cobalt blue for some of the shadows. The skin tones are yellow and red in light combinations. Her hair is the backgound color mxed with a little raw umber.