Workshop with William Wray

I haven't been posting a lot in the last months, but this longer hiatus just now was due to me being on vacation ;-).
I spent 10 wonderful days in the Washington, D.C. area - relaxing, sight-seeing (including the National Gallery in D.C. and a personal tour of the Capitol Building!), meeting up with dear friends... and of course painting.

I took a 3-day workshop with William Wray at the Easton Studio & School. What a great experience! I love William's Urban Landscapes - strong, modern yet timeless, often high contrast of light and dark, often wonderful development of colors. The almost abstract nature of some of his paintings definitely speak to me as well.

So of course I was looking forward to taking this short but intense workshop. William started off with a quick demo explaining how he always looks for and makes use of the fundamental idea of a three-value sketch. By identifying shapes of the same value - light, mid-value and dark - and clustering them together in the primary sketch as well as the first layer of painting, it is much easier to achieve a stong composition as well as good darks and lights. And it helps with staying loose and not getting lost in details..!
We spent the first two days sketching an painting outside, mainly concentrating on those three values. While it definitely did take us 'back to basics', it was such a great exercise and it tought me to START. WITH. SKETCHES. Every time, for every painting. Do it!

So, here's one of the sketches, done plain air. Very basic, three values. If the layout in the sketch doesn't work, it's probably not the best idea to do a painting of the subject - especially not plain air where you have just a limited time to paint before the light changes too much.

And that's what a color sketch would look like - still sticking with the three values (more or less....):

The third day we painted inside the studio from photos - still doing the values sketch and the color sketch before doing the 'actual' painting. Here's my first sketch and the painting from it:

  "Gotham Tower"

5" x 7"

 And the final painting for this workshop - William provided a few photos to paint from, and I just loved the strong composition in this one. It did come together very quickly, so I think all the sketching and 'value observing' of the days before did work out here.

"Tracks"

7" x 5"

I really enjoyed the workshop, William's demo, teaching and help, meeting other great artists and last but not least our host Luis. And I'm ready to get painting now!

HH4 Challenge - Those ripples...

Lydia chose a wonderful reference picture for our challenge, and I was really looking forward to painting the little girl enjoying the water.
Well - it was quite a challenge, but really good fun.

'Ripples'

Oil, 8'' x 10''

 Two of my HH4 Group did go for a swim as well:

 'Noodling Along'

Lydia Jechorek

 'Dunkin'

Maria Bennett Hock

HH4 Challenge #9 - The Travelling Bluesman

Ok, I don't really know how it happened...

But - I forgot to post the last HH4 Challenge! Well, I didn't really forget but had to postpone. And a bit more... and then it kind of slipped my mind. Oops.

Still, the results of the last challenge are really great. It was my turn again to pick a reference, and I dove into my A-list and chose a picture I had taken three years ago in Scottsdale, Arizona. A travelling musician playing the blues. With a big smile and sparkling eyes.
We started to chat when he took a break and found out that he has a son living just a 15 minutes drive from where I live. In Switzerland! - small world, isn't it?

'Willie plays the Blues'

Oil, 8'' x 8''

It's wonderful to see that my friends enjoyed the challenge as much as I did:

 'Panama Hat'

Maria Bennett Hock

 

 'Playing the Blues'

Lydia Jechorek

 Chris Werst

HH4 Challenge #8 - "Like it?"

The Hilton Head Four not only love to meet at the wonderful sandy beaches of South Carolina, but are also partial to travelling. So once again we meet up on Paris, this time at the Monet exhibit at the Musée de l'Orangerie!

I love the reference provided my Chris Werst - and it reminds me of many museum visits, watching the patrons discussing the works of art. Or maybe talking about something else completely?

'Like it?

Oil, 8'' x 8''

This couple has also been imortalized in my friend's paintings, along with some artists-in-the-making.

 'We're in the Monet'

Maria Bennett Hock

'A Monet in Time'

Lydia Jechorek

Chris Werst

HH4 Challenge #7 - Shades

Isn't this little guy just cool? Shades in place, all business - and just wait till he grows up!

'Shades'

Oil, 4'' x 4''

The reference photo was taken by Lydia Jechorek as our fortnighly challenge - have a look at what the HH4 ladies came up with, I like how we all chose a different 'soom factor'!

Chris Werst

 

 'Yeah, That's My Ride'

Maria Bennett Hock

 'Hanging Out'

Lydia Jechorek

HH4 Challenge #6 - Kindred Spirits

You know, this is called a 'challenge' for a good reason - sometimes I get the painting done early, with no deadline pressure at all. And then there are weeks like the last. I actually got to painting on the day of the deadline, when one of my friends had already mailed out her entry.
I told her.
She replied: "Hahaha.  That is why it is called a challenge!!!  Good luck!".
Soooo... no more postponing, I set up my easel and painted from 9pm to 11pm. Took a picture, mailed it out. Made it in time.

Again, we had a wonderful reference picture to paint from . thanks, Maria! It was actually almost too cute to even tackle it (maybe that's why I waited so long?), but I must say I'm quite happy with my result.

 

'Kindred Spirits'

Oil, 8'' x 8''

And here are the museum pieces of my HH4 - take a look at the artist's blogs by clicking on their names.

 

 'Someday'

Lydia Jechorek

Chris Werst

'I want that'

Maria Bennett Hock

 

HH4 Challenge #5 - Paris mon Amour

It was my turn againg to pick the HH4 challenge. So instead of a single reference I chose a couple of pictures. The theme: HH4 goes to Paris!

Soo... Close your eyes.... picture this:  Paris on a lovely warm Sunday in late September, with all the Parisians back from their August summer break and enjoying the warmth in the Tuileries Gardens - or Jardin des Tuileries as we like to call it...
Aaaah, c'est la vie!

'Paris à Deux'

Oil, 8'' x 10''

And of course my HH4 friends joined me in Paris - take a look at the artist's blogs by clicking on their names.

 'Paris in Pink'

Maria Bennett Hock

 'Beau Roux'

Lydia Jechorek


Chris Werst