"Blue Sax" is IN!

I got the word yesterday, "Blue Sax" has been accepted for the show! Yippee. Now, I've got to get ready for a couple of other local shows coming up. What to choose, what to choose? Or what's framed, What's framed?

Art of the Blues II, Jazz and Blues Festival

Blue Sax, 8X10 Acrylic

This is from a photo by Lee Brown, he posted it last year for an artist challenge. I have wanted to do it for a long time and I kept picturing it as a study in blue. The announcement of the art show to accompany the Festival here gave me the perfect opportunity to give it a try.

It was tempting to use watercolor, but I kept thinking of oils. So, after some graphite sketching and then studies in Pentel pens in 5 shades of gray, I finally got up the nerve to put brush to canvas. Of course I waited so long that oils would never dry, so it ended up in acrylics.
I've submitted it for jurying, so wish me luck that it will be accepted.

My nephew likes to hang off the side of mountains: The Edge Craigieburn

I would write something here, but I'm still a bit breathless from the ride!
Whew.

While the oils are drying...

Silly me, I have three oils going right now. When I get exasperated at one, I move to another.  There are any number that I thought were finished. I take a look at them in on the computer and OOOPs. Why didn't I see that? It's the same as stepping away for a few days. You suddenly see what it needs. At least some of what it needs. That can be exasperating, but revealing.

Taking a break while pictures dry, I picked up the pen and ink. I need practice in portraiture, and there's so much to learn. (To cheap broke to pay for classes) Or something. Not wanting to offend anyone, or make them sit still, I thought of trying photographs of long gone composers. These tend to be old and grainy, to simplify values and shapes. They also tend to have lots of character in their faces.  So far I've done about eight, but these two are the only ones that anyone will see:

Toscanini 5X7

Tchaikovsky

You should see Rimsky-
Korsakov. Well, no you
shouldn't. He looks like
a walrus in my version.
"Do over!"

I feel especially embarrassed about Bernstein, he's a handsome man and I grew up on his wonderful music. OK, that's another do-over.





Last weekend was really cool. On Saturday there was an Artists Flea Market in Pleasanton. I also did some painting, it's a very picturesque town.
After church on Sunday a ran back to finish up and take a picture with the light "just right" (I forgot on Saturday). On the drive back I passed through Sunol, another painters dream, and decided to paint some more. There was a group of painters on the street! I parked nearby and painted a different scene.
For lunch I waddled across the street to pick up a sandwich and soda, passing near the group of painters. I thought I recognized one. Yep, I stopped and said a brief hello to Mark Monserrat! He was working with this group! They all had great pictures going too! He's an upper level instructor at San Francisco's Academy of Art University. I've been there(she bragged...as a model).