Will Paint for Food! Small format show

The co-op gallery in Breckenridge that I have my work in is doing a small format show this holiday season to benefit our local food bank. We are calling the show "Will Paint for Food" and we have asked the artists to use the food theme for their artwork. It doesn't have to be a bowl of food as I have above (onions) but it could be cows in a field, a cafe scene, a sign; anything that relates to the food theme somehow. We will have prizes and also a "people's choice" award. Our visitors always like being a part of the show, and we are asking them for a can a food or $1 for each vote. They can vote as often as they like for their favorite! In fact, we would love it if they stuff the ballot box. Anyone can enter, and if you are interested, you will find the info on our website at www.summitarts.org/events. Just go to the Small Format show section and click on the "application" link for information.

What fun, a New Zealand watercolor workshop!

I was born in New Zealand. It is a fabulous little country with wonderful, friendly people and I go back there as often as possible. I have mentioned here that my sister, Adele, is an artist. She has taught many watercolor painting workshops in Italy, France, and here in the States.

She and I have noticed that no one does workshops in New Zealand. There are lots of offerings in Italy, France, England, Portugal, even Croatia! But none in our favorite spot in all the world. We decided to fix that, and she and her good friend, artist Joe Garcia are going to teach one, or maybe two, watercolor workshops in February/March 2012, about 18 months away. I take workshops, not teach them, and I am an oil painter. However, I get to go and be the van driver, breakfast maker, and chief cook and bottlewasher. I am thrilled! We will be in the North Island of New Zealand where Adele and I grew up, so anyone going will have tour guides who really know the area and all the great painting locations. Joe and his wife, Anne, have vacationed there with us many times, and know it about as well as we do.

We must have hit on a something, because after she mentioned it on facebook and her blog, she had a huge response, and we are now considering adding a second session a few days after the first one. I am really looking forward to it, and hope to spend an extra month there after the workshops are over. If you have any interest, let her know so you can get a spot. Each group can have up to 20 people, with two instructors.

After the Jill Carver workshop

I didn't come out with a completed painting! We painted every day, and I got a couple of good starts, but nothing finished. I did finish one of them today (I think) but haven't photographed it yet. The photo above is of Jill painting a cottonwood as her first demo. I met one of our fellow bloggers there. Pam Holnback also took the workshop. I enjoyed getting to know her and her husband Peter, both former schoolteachers. She did a much better job than I did of posting about the workshop as we took it, and she finished her paintings! I was lucky to get my block ins done.

The workshop was fabulous and I learned a lot! However, it is a bit difficult to see nothing but Cadmium yellow and yet paint using neutrals (greys). The color in Rico was awesome, and whole hillsides were bright yellow and orange! I commented on how orange one little patch of trees in the distance was against the dark pines, and Jill told me that it wasn't really orange, but a "peachy pinky grey". She is the master and I am just the student, so I believed her, but I sure wanted to use my Cad yellow and Indian yellow!

The second photo was taken at Trout Lake, just over Lizard Head pass from Rico, about halfway to Telluride. I loved the orange color in the mountain. In some lights it was really bright orange, and I wondered who would believe me if I actually painted it that color. They would think I was taking a little artistic license.