Considering Balance

Click Here to Bid

I am home from my latest workshop and on the road to recovery. : ) A little more wine should do it. I say that but actually this one was superbly organized. If you're looking for a good workshop experience check out Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio. Every student had their very own shadow box, plenty of lights and tons of room. Every day a whole slew of food was laid out along with coffee and tea. We even had a camera and  projector so everyone had a good view of the demos. Here's a view of about half the classroom:

And below are a couple of my foreign (Canadian) students. It was tough getting past the language barrier, what with them saying MAUVE so weird (among other things), but we worked through it.

And here's a family photo - me and my kids. Aren't they cute?!

Will Perform for Alcohol

Click Here to Bid

In my workshops I stress using a viewfinder to set up a still life. Some of my kids complain that they aren't able to hold the viewfinder steady enough or can't find the same view each time after they draw a little. If you have this problem I recommend this nifty device below, or something like it. You can clamp one end to something near you (like your easel or shadowbox) and use the other clamp to hold the viewfinder. After that the only challenge is to get your head back in the same place every time. : )

One Brave Soul

Click Here to Bid

Today I started a workshop here on Whidbey Island, which, if you've never been, is a real treat to visit! Not only is the scenery to die for, the town itself is incredibly cute. My kids seem nice so far, but they always do at first. We'll see how they shape up as the week progresses. Today I painted apples for my demo, but this one is actually from last week and available. I envisioned them as young swimmers on the first day of the year it might actually be warm enough to swim ... but still chilly. And the one in front has been told to dive.

Distorting the Edge

Click Here to Bid

Tomorrow I am off to Seattle. I lived there for a year when I was 15/16, with some very nice folks who agreed to take me in (a teenager ... what were they thinking?!) and tomorrow I will visit them and generally apologize for the rotten kid I was. Then I am off to Whidbey Island for a 5-day workshop. I will post when I can. Please note the shipping of paintings will be delayed until I am back.