Outing to Balboa Park

It was a great day for an outing so we went to Balboa Park and the Art Museum .... starting with the Coaster Train .... great view of the coast and the ocean from the upper deck... clean comfortable cars .. and , of course, the "ol geezer" price of only a couple bucks :-) ahhhhh such fun

the is the top of the station... right in the middle of the city ... then on around the block to catch bus #7

It was clean and light traffic for the middle of the city

balboa Park had a free trolly and a very amusing tour guide to motor us around the park and familiarize us with what and where of the park

We did arrive at the art museum which had 2 great special shows ..... Spanish art old to new and... Gustav Stickley... plus many other permanent hangings ... it was a great museum and the students enjoyed all the fine art

Some one was caught snaping fotos in the private showings :-)

On the grass in front of the botanical building there just happened to be a tribesman looking for dinner

We invited him to be a model at the atelier so he had dinner later on
We let ... tired but very happy for  a pleasant trip back and dinner at Whole Foods deli

Kindness, I've discovered, is everything in life. -Isaac Bashevis Singer

Show some kindness today

Kindness causes us to learn, and forget, many things. -Madame Swetchine

so,,, be kind today


To produce a quality studio landscape painting I am told there are a series of steps.... the first being to go out on location, stake some fotos and then do a plein air painting on the spot ....
En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors
Next step is to take the  foto and make a value study .... the value study can be done in the field prior to the plein air painting and used for a reference guide to paint the plain air painting..... see my value study below ... I did not get to do a plein air painting of this scene so my value study is made from the foto.... sometimes we need to make several value studies and select the one that works best

A final canvas size is selected and a pencil sketch is made to the scale of the final canvas... this helps when transferring the image to the canvas... my sketch is below

Final step prior to beginning the painting is painting a color study...... notice we tried several color schemes before we begin ..... sometimes we might do as many as 6

Thanks for taking this mini tour on creating a studio landscape painting

Value Study charcoal on smooth newsprint 4x5

Pencil sketch to scale 6x7 1/2

Look for the good things

There comes a time in a man's life when to get where he has to go -- if there are no doors or windows -- he walks through a wall. -Bernard Malamud


..........but I just go to the beach

Who wudda thot

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them and try to follow them. -Louisa May Alcott

Now being a model has never been a dream of mine... nor even a thought  ... but today the model was late due to car trouble and I was asked  by the instructor, Jeff Watts, to model until she arrived. I was not sure that I could sit still for 20-30 minutes but it all went well ... even some in the audience complimented me on a good job and asked if I would model for the class sometime. Jeff stated he would hire me to model if I wanted to ... all very flattering ... I may do it on a limited basis but I want to paint much more than model.
The Atelier wants to pay me for a foto shoot and additional modeling..... hey, who knows... I may be on the front of "Old Geezer Magazine" next  :-)

Jeff Watts  oil on canvas board 6x8 .. 20 minute gesture painting

Another day slavin' away

Here I am slaving away at school all day while you are enjoying your summer vacation.... going places ... doing things ... taking time off ..... but I must hit the books ... study day and night ..... draw and paint in between .....

Could anything good be hiding in a bush ?
Believe in something larger than yourself.  - Barbara Bush

hmmmm .... I got Friday off

The end of a really great day.

Down to the Beach

The beach is near so I had to head on down to Beacon Beach .... "down to the beach" is not just a way of saying it... take a look .... it is DOWN ...... and the tide was in ... when the tide is out there is much more beach
So I went there at the end of the day to catch a sunset ... not much of a sunset today but still lots of people .... and they stay until the last moment when the beach closes
Notice that all the surfers are not young kids.... there are lots of "old" kids from the Beach Boys era
Finally the sun gets closer to actually setting .... still lots of folks down there in the water and on the beach .... those in the water all had wetsuits on ... heh

Land of Fruits and Nuts

:-) ..... take that anyway you like
After a wonderful drive down the eastern Sierras and across some desert county I arrived safely and parked on the street ... as you can see it is not very crowded ... however, down by the beach it is very very crowded. To hear the concert in the park today I would have had to park a mile or so away ... not that I mind walking a mile but to walk a mile and then push my way thru a crowd at the beach just did not seem like what I wanted to enjoy. This evening I will go down to a different section of the beach at sunset.
Notice that apples grow here on this property... I picked one off the ground and ate it.
There are always flowers ... here are a couple of my favorite which I shot today.
Enjoy

The old must stick together

All big things in this world are done by people who are naive and have an idea that is obviously impossible. -Frank Richards




No body told me I couldn't do it... so I did it.. not knowing it was highly unlikely or impossible - Unocchio :-)

The Carson Valley Art Association has an anual hanging in August at the local College... the theme is always a photo chosen by the memebers and eveyone paints the same picture ... but they are all different and that's the fun of it all.
This year it is a picture of an old barn here in the Nevada-Sierra region. I love old barns, old cars, old dishes and old people :-)   ... but I may not like old food, just depends how ol it is.

Here is my effort of the "senior" barn ... it is a knife painting on 14x18 stretched canvas.

oil on strectched canvas knife painting 14x18

Here and there

Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so. -Belva Davis
It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow. -Robert H. Goddard

If you have enough fantasies, you're ready in the event that something happens. -Sheila Ballantyne
Dream big, hope big, live big in your mind... just stay within you budget and be happy - Unocchio :-)




Where ever we go there is beauty ... and something for me to paint ..... here at the foot of the great High Sierras there are always old ranches, farms and buildings that have been here (believe it or not) longer than I have been around. .... I getting ready to do some painting so I started with some sketches to put those ideas together... here is one of the sketches

While I was on the coast do you think I could just ignore one of my favorite places on earth? ... nahhhhh

This picture is focused on the ocean.. the movement... the beauty... the smell... the sounds .... sure does add to the happiness. There are always sea walls, pilings docks, and boardwalks so I included a little of that too... this is a knife painting ... except those gulls which I added with a brush.

 

Oil on gessoed masonite 9x12

Some spots along the coast the land juts out a little from the rocks and some of the rock formations are under the water... more and less as the tide moves in and out .... here we have the tide out a little and the water rolls over some of the low rock formations and tide pools form .... or course food is exposed and the gulls are up and at it... they are always hungry .....  this is still wet so if you see some of my placement marks still there don't fret... they will be erased after the paint dries.

 

Oil on gessoed masonite 9x12

Success again

Failure is success if we learn from it. - Malcomb S. Forbes
that makes me very happy

You have a good week end

Today we had a gesture painting class and a head painting class ... this is from the head painting class

                        
Oil on canvas board  9x12

Find a way

Man is so made that whenever anything fires his soul impossibilities vanish. -La Fontaine
So find a way to make it happen

Live model today.

                        Charcoal on smooth newsprint 18x24

Avoiding conflicts

I have found that the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it. -Harry S. Truman :-)

....... especially if they are adults  :-) :-)

John lives next door to his grandson ... they have a great relationship .... I drew this picture for him ... graphite on Bristol

                       
Graphite on Bristol 11x14

Dodge the Truth

Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't.-Erica Jong
and some never even ask for the advice because they already know what the answer is going to be ..... I guess we just want to dodge the truth.
Let's just look in the mirror and 'fess up   :-)

Today we had a live model again. ... it's always fun to draw from a live model

                Charcoal on smooth newsprint 18x24

Do you have no choice?

The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously. -Henry Kissinger
I guess sometimes it is so much easier if we have no choices ... like the man said, that'll clear the befuddled mind really quick. However ....
it's having all those choices in life that adds growth and strength ... think about your choices .... add app the pros and cons .....

make some good choices today


I know you are really excited about this one.... artists do well to study anatomy... from the bones out  ... here's one of our studies.. the subject of the figure fundamental class this week was "legs" .... we had a leg cast, a skeleton, a figure showing the muscles plus printed material. This was my drawing of the leg muscles from the back

Every week we have a gesture painting class ..... live model... 40 minute poses 3 times ... here is one of mine

Oil on canvas board 6x8

'ear ye, 'ear ye!

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. -Cicero
Some folks are not thankful for the features they received .... they do not like their lips or nose or ears.. or whatever .... be grateful for what you have no matter what


In learning to draw the head we must study the features one by one... the other day the project was the ear... so we drew ears from photographs..... it was fun... every ear is different and a challenge ... some are a little more challenging than other

 

Charcoal on smooth newsprint about 6x8

When all else fails

When all else fails, we are told to follow directions ... what if there are no directions?
then what? ..............
Shoot from the hip?
Run like hell ?
Ask you spouse?
Look it up in Wikipedia?
Keep trying till something works? .... dang... that could take a long time .... this can't be the most efficient way of learning .... this would be "trial and error" ....why not buy the knowledge from someone else who already went through all the tedious labor and anguish of doping it out or who learned it from someone else?
There are still "teachers" out there who think learning by watching without any explanation is the best way to learn ... they gotta be kidding! .... just because you see someone do something does not mean at all that you can figure out why or how they did it so the students are left to trial and error learning if they want to learn and do what they saw.
Sometimes parents might think a child can absorb  simply by being exposed to something ... hmmm ..... what if the kid has no idea what you are doing and especially he can not possibly dream of why you are doing it ... teaching includes far more than "see and do" . especially when things get a little more complicated.... explanations, coaching and a little help goes a long way in learning and teaching.

Weather has cooled down here to unseasonally cool .. high 60's ... but that's still OK .... a friend from Truckee said it was snowing up there just a day or so ago :-)

There is now a small heater in my room to take off the chill and dampness .... works good for me ... feels a lot better

Today was a "one class day" .... a painting day which is more relaxing ....ok... so today's piece painted with a live model may not seem all that great but it is a 6x8 portrait..... portraits are a challenge even in a larger size... but a 6x8 is much more of a challenge for a number of reasons for Unocchio ... I was not sure I could even paint a portrait this small but I got thru it.

Take care of the little things in life and the big things will take care of themselves .... at least someone thinks that is true
:-)

 

Oil on canvas panel 6x8

Bouganvillas

Bouganvilla is a South American Plant that is an evergreen where the climate allows ... they do well in coastal areas and salt air ............. they are everywhere here .... the intense color is something to behold. I don't know how long the flowers last but they have been thick for the past 3 months. They make the entire area very, very colorful.

Take time to check out the flowers where you live... it's got to brighten your day

Your Problems will melt away

Just deal with them straight on and smile  :-)

Happiness is not the absence of problems; but the ability to deal with them. -Anon

Generally we can look in the mirror to find the source an get right on with clearing up the problem. 

Today was a bank holiday but the Atelier rolled right on .... at first it did not look like anyone was going to show up ...... but then they straggled in one by one... a little late, but they made it :-)

We had a good class working on a graphite and charcoal powder drawing,,,,, a very interesting technique. Maybe it will be ready next week

Today's post is another kid study .....

Charcoal on smooth newsprint  9x12

Have you always had everything you ever wanted?

To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness. -Bertrand Russell

May is almost finished, Memorial Day is here, I guess Summer is about to begin .... hooray, summer is always great .....  more flowers; more fresh fruits and veggies; more beaching for lots of folks; more fun in the mountains for lots of folks .... does that mean summertime is the time for plenty .... it's used symbolically that way ..... but for us, anytime is the time for happiness.... and with happiness, we always have plenty.

Today's post is John, again... heh heh ... he hasn't seen this one but from the remarks after the class I think I captured him ok from the foto. We all age, one way or another. Most of the time with that aging comes wrinkles, bags, droops, falling hair and a few other things ... so what. It's the heart and attitude that really matters.


Smile today. Be happy. It's a good day.

Oil on masonite panel  9x12

Kids

Don't be afraid to take big steps. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps. -David Lloyd George

Almost everyone likes kids .. well, almost everyone.... except W C Fields ..... heh heh
Eyes are full size when you are born so proportionately they look big .....  the other facial features need to catch up .... so we keep on studying children  ... kids do not sit still, as you know ,,, so painting and drawing them from fotos is a big help .... I have never tried painting a kid from real life ... maybe never will... unless I get very fast :-)

                                            Charcoal on smooth newsprint 12 x 12

Smile Today

Happiness is something that you are, and it comes from the way you think. -Wayne Dyer

It does not matter if you are young and smooth or old and wrinkled ... you can still be happy ....  the way the skin is pulled over your body has nothing to do with happiness. Live with it :-)

Well, at least I'm trying .... The caricature class is very interesting... today we had a live model and the assignment was to draw his portrait in caricature... heh heh .... here's my attempt from the bottom of the barrel ..... some one said to become as good as the professionals it would take drawing 500 caricatures..... dang... that would be 10 per day for nearly a year .

                                            Charcoal on smooth newsprint  18x24

It's all in the attitude

The greatest part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances.-Martha Washington

Good ol' Martha ... she got it right that time.

Speaking of happy people that would be mom ...... and she finished her year 99 today and begins year 100 ... pretty amazing ..... a lot has happened in the past 100 years. Remember when you were in your teens or early 20's .... 20 years in the future was hard to even imagine let alone plan for ... it seemed like a long time .... don't agree, then look at your retirement savings. :-)  I bet when you are 100, 20 years does not seem like so much when looking back .... and those years probably flew by so fast.
You must agree that mom displays happiness and a good attitude.

“I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.”
Charles R. Swindoll

I'm still doing portrait drawing .... here is a study of a young man.

Charcoal on smooth newsprint

Ya nose wat I mean?

2 people look out the same window.... one see mud the other sees stars ..... watta ya think?

Ya nose wat I mean?

Some people are just plain nosey

Some folks have a nose for news

Up your nose with a rubber hose

May the bird of paradise fly up your nose

What usually runs in a big family? .... their noses .. hey, doesn't everyone's :-)

I nose what you are thinkin .... this is purty corny :-)

Today we drew noses in class ... I won a big one .......... it was a fun day ..... I was the only one that made corny nose jokes ... but they laughed anyway :-)

                                                 Charcoal on smooth newsprint 8x10