Pier 23 Cafe #paint52
What a cool place Pier 23 Cafe is! Pier 23 Cafeis family owned and has been operating for the last 25 years. If you are going to be in San Francisco during the 34th America’s World Cup in 2013, you will find it a perfect spot, which will be right next door to Pier 27, the terminal building for the race. It’s one of those places that is found through word of mouth, always busy and entertains celebrities like Anthony Bourdains' list of San Francisco’s top eateries and Nancy Pelosi with her entourage of bodyguards (which I experienced the last time I was there). I tried to capture the bright sunlight, which is a result of an unusually sunny day in S.F.; the door opened ready to invite you in for a cold “brueski”.
This is my ninth painting for my #paint52 Challenge, which you can follow on Twitter. You might also like to subscribe to the my blog and follow my weekly update. The painting was painted with Atelier Interactive Acrylics on velum, measures 9" X 12" and an addition to my San Francisco Series. SOLD
Once again I really appreciate your support and following my challenge!
Bahu-#paint52
It was an overcast day like so many days in San Francisco, creating a melancholy backdrop for this scene. On one of the side streets of downtown Chinatown, I noticed a man playing an instrument I had never seen before. I wondered, how did he arrive in this country and did he at one time play this instrument, which I believe is called a Banhu, for his people in China? He seemed to be hiding from everyone in the corner, as if he wanted to be left alone to play his string instrument. He was wearing a tie, bringing some formality to the occasion, contrasted by his broken down cart containing a small box for change and an old umbrella. It was a somber setting and I hoped I captured the moment.
This is my eighth painting, measures 12” X 15”, Atelier Interactive Acrylic on velum, for my #paint52 Challenge. This also an addition for my San Francisco Series, that I plan on having an art show in the spring. The under-painting is red, which helped to liven the somber scene. I guess I can’t go totally grey, just isn’t my nature. I’m really enjoying painting with the acrylics loving the strokes, but I feel the next one I need to push myself further, more abstract, looser and full of texture. I sense I need to explore.
Thanks again, I really appreciate you sharing my journey to paint 52 paintings in one year.
Grandma's Girl #paint52
It was so great to see my granddaughter Camden this weekend. I hadn’t seen her for quite a while and missed her a lot, she is going to be six soon and growing up to be such a big girl. I love that she loves nature so, and is quite adventurous. She had no fear feeding her pet chicken Nellie. I always wanted to paint this image and thought it would be great for her to take home with her. I showed it to her mom and she actually started to well up with tears. She not only loved this painting, but was touched by the image of Camden feeding her favorite chickens.
This is my seventh painting of my #paint52 series, the challenge to paint 52 paintings in one year. The painting is 9” X 12”, painted on a linen covered Birch New Tradition Art Panel; the medium Atelier Interactive Acrylics. The New Traditional art panels are lightweight durable, and easy to carry for Plein air painting, but can be used for studio painting as well. They come in a wide variety of styles and textures. This panel will be easy to transport and pack. You might want to check out the site, it’s a great find. I under-painted the painting with Raw Sienna. Once again I prefer to paint loose and capture the essence of the moment.
Last night my son Blair said he was very proud and excited to see what I was doing and expressed that it was a great challenge. What I love about this challenge is sharing it with everyone and perhaps along the way inspiring you as well.
I really appreciate you sharing my journey.
Visitor From Machu Picchu #paint52
My fourth painting for my #paint52 Challenge, measures 24" X 24", acrylic on canvas, also a part of my San Francisco series. I love to people watch and could sit on a bench and watch people for hours. I find everyone so interesting. Everyone has their own story and can imagine what this lady's is, a beautiful big woman, wearing huaraches, with a scarf thrown over her shoulder and a purse that looks like she purchased it from a South American country. The great thing about San Francisco is that it brings people from all over the world.
I painted the canvas red and laid the darks in first, creating a silhouette of figures and buildings. I felt it gave it a mystery. This painting was not drawn first, but created again by shapes against shapes. For some reason that is my procedure of choice, when I paint with acrylics. I am going back and forth with each painting. One painting I use entirely Atelier Acrylics and then next one oil paint. I am learning the pros and cons of each one. What I love about the acrylics is the texture, gesture, looseness and spontaneity. My husband says he prefers my acrylic paintings, when I paint people and oil when I paint landscapes. It is always good to have someone's objective opinion. I still haven't tried painting oil over acrylics. I must try it.
I have changed my studio. I now have a huge glass pallet on one side of the room with oil paint and the other side a huge glass pallet of acrylic. I move my easel accordingly. Let me tell you when I enter the room it has powerful energy that I cannot resist. The block I once had no longer exists and I do believe this is one of the reasons and of course this challenge.
Ok, onward to the next painting. Thank you for visiting.
Turnabout
It's just a painting Janet, not WORLD PEACE! Well maybe it was war, between the canvas and me. This one took quite a bit of time. "Turnabout" measures 24" X 30", oil on canvas, third painting of my #paint52 Challenge, that you can follow on Twitter. It is also another addition to my San Francisco Series. If I keep moving at this rate, I should be able to have San Francisco series art show by May.
I haven't painted with oil for a while. I fell in love once again, as I opened the beautiful luscious tubes of paint. There is nothing like the hues of Daniel Smith Oil Paint. They make their own paint, highly saturated, highly permanent and with names you may have never heard before. My oils sung to me as I laid each one on my new large glass pallet. I love a large pallet and being glass makes it easy to clean. I promised myself I would always have it ready to go. Now even though I love the colors and brightness of oil paint, I'm not giving up on the Atelier Interactive Acrylics. I do believe there are a place for each acrylic and a place for oil and perhaps I will even combine the two.
My journey continues and I am feeling great. It feels good to be back full time at the easel.
Thank you for joining me.