Paintings from the Hyatt Moore Workshop

So here are the two paintings from the Hyatt Moore workshop I took over the past weekend in San Clemente, held at the San Clemente Art Supply Store a little less than an hour from my home. A charming and very complete supply store. I enjoyed this little workshop very much. Hyatt is an excellent communicator as well as painter and a fun guy to be around. The "Loosen Up" workshop had actual content, planning and preparation, unlike some of the others I have taken where it is just not much more than to go paint with people and maybe have a critique. This one was useful and fun.

Above is what I would consider a quick sketch. It is acrylic on paper and not intended as a finished painting although it certainly could be. I do like it, there are some things I wish I had done differently - but then that is true of every painting I do. The image size is about 12" x 14.5"

This is a completed painting I guess. Again there are some areas that I am not satisfied with, but I guess not disturbed enough to repaint it. In my quest to stop being a crazy perfectionist - which ALWAYS ruins my painting - I am working at stopping at "good enough". At least that way I don't over paint and over work the image until it is absolutely dead. This way it may have "personality quirks" but at least it still has some life to it too. Or that is what I tell myself these days. It is 22" x 28" and is acrylic and charcoal on canvas.






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Painting again

Untitled Joy
10" x 8"
mixed media/acrylic on paper

Here is another in my Joyful-Joyful Project. Again, I am not sure if this is the final format - I am still flipping it around and upside down and studying it. Right now I am leaning toward this format, also I am waiting until I feel the Project is near completion before I give them final titles. Tentatively this might be Encroaching Joy - or something like that - who knows? I don't have too much to say today really - busy trying to get re-focused, caught up and back on track - I am totally out of clean laundry!

Thank you again for all of the emails and support for my daughters. If you haven't yet read about my daughter in Los Angeles - check out her story here.

Also DO NOT MISS the videos on my blog too - of Bob Basso as Thomas Paine.





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Sushi

Sushi
6" x 4"
Acrylic on hardboard

I did this along with about 5 others for the Different Strokes From Different Folks challenge. Will post more later - right now I am so tired I can barely keep my eyes open - heading for a nap.

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Big Portrait Painting

Dog Stealer - unfinished
48" x 60"
Oil on canvas

I have successfully found a way to keep from working on the Joyful-Joyful project - and that is by working on the Dog Stealer portrait. It is nearing completion - I am pretty happy with the likeness of both my husband and my - excuse me - his - dog. But the background isn't right yet. The fingers are still a little funky too. I thought I wanted an effect like a glare coming from a big window - and I may have achieved that but I am not sure now that that is what I really want, nor do I think it is working effectively in the painting - it just isn't right. I am certainly open for suggestions and critiquing - if any of you have two cents - toss it my way, I could use some help. This portrait has become a bit of a monkey on my back and I will be glad to resolve it 's problems and move on.

I also want to say thank you to everyone who has commented and left me messages lately - I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me. Thanks.

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New Daily Painting a Day and 5 Sentences

Yellow Tulip Shadow Essence
3.75" x 5"
Oil on Hardboard

I read 5 sentences at lunch that influenced me to make today's painting. I could not even read any further - I had to practically run to the studio and paint this little painting. An article by artist Christopher Schink in the current issues of The Palette Magazine says " Simple doesn't mean easy. When you take a minimalist approach, you can do less, but you have to do it better. Legendary Russian ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev said that the problem he faced when performing was not making the difficult look easy, but rather making it look interesting. That's similar to the problem faced by experienced painters who take a minimalist approach. They have the skill to paint a barn or a figure or a bouquet of flowers in every detail, and they can convincingly depict a complicated scene or event, but reducing any of these subjects to its essence is a far greater challenge"

When I read those first 5 sentences some kind of bell rang in my head. I have been interested in moving toward more abstract work and mulling it over and over in my head. I have been sort of stuck on the big portrait the last few days, but now I think I may have a direction to get me over the hump and back on my way. Plus I like this little semi-abstract tulip today so much better than yesterdays too, it's more fun. Yay!

Now - back to work.....
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