Mini Pumpkin

Mini Pumpkin, 6" x 8", 2012 Nancy Van Blaricom

Still very inspired by the work I did yesterday I grabbed another mini pumpkin from my box of fall decorations and got busy trying to keep focused on not being so uptight.

I'm pretty pleased with this one because I tried to put some paint down with my larger brush and NOT do my usual blending.  I still need to focus on shapes ... putting the paint down ... and moving on.

As you can guess, most of my fall decorations are now in the studio and not being used for decorating around the house.  *sigh, maybe I'll hang pumpkin paintings around instead. 

After Carol Marine

After Carol Marine, 6" x 8", 2012, Nancy Van Blaricom

 Carol Marine is such a talented and giving artist and her work is inspiring to so many of us artists that today I decided to take the panel of the latest (orchid) wipe-off and see if I couldn't paint one of my mini pumpkins I found in my box of fall decorations.  Setting it under a small clip-on light I just couldn't  get inspired to start and was feeling stuck before I even got started.  Then I did a little internet research and found Carol's mini pumpkin painting and with the aid of her painting and my mini pumpkin I completed this little guy.

I have heard other artists say that to copy other artists work you admire is a good way to learn.  I guess I was skeptical at this, but now that I've given it a try I feel I have learned a lot.

Thanks Carol for your inspiring work.

Notan and the White Orchid

Wow, what I thought would be a simple painting for me has turned out to be an impossible task.  I did a small notan with a gray and a black marker and then one with my oil paints.

My 3 value oil study of White Orchid ( notan ?) 2012, © Nancy Van Blaricom

Graphite line sketch, 2012, © Nancy Van Blaricom

 I started out with a graphite line sketch of my newly purchased white orchid. I felt that turned out pretty good and confident enough to go on to what I thought was a good choice for a next step... a notan study of the white orchid.

Marker Notan, 2012, © Nancy Van Blaricom

I did this small notan with a gray and a black marker and then one with my oil paints (top photo). I just couldn't seperate my values enough to be able to tell what the painting was supposed to be. Looking at the black and white photo below I think I might be able to accomplish the painting if I would just have used it instead of trying to paint it from life .... geesh. Back to the drawing board.

Black & White photo of White Orchid, 2012, © Nancy Van Blaricom