"Les Mandarins", 9x12", Painting in a Secret Garden

Les Mandarins, 9x12"

During our first few days in Limoux, we would stroll by huge cement walls that lined the sidewalk near the river.  Our hosts told us that there were some incredibly beautiful gardens behind those walls, and what a pity it was that we would never see what treasures were there.

And then our fortune changed!  A neighbor couple befriended us one day as we were painting the river behind their house.  They invited us to come to their home a few days hence to paint their garden.  From the elated look on our host's face, this was indeed going to be a rare treat.

Painting "Les Mandarines" in the secret garden

The view from our neighbor's window

 Winding paths led from one garden treat to another

Persimmons weighed down the branches of this tree

How fortunate we were that our neighbors opened their door to us.  We were able to see (and paint!) a secret part of Limoux that very few get to see.

"Chinese Jar and Grapefruits", 8x8"

Just as a musician practices scales before launching into a complicated piece, I like to practice simple still life setups from life to keep my observation skills sharp.  I always ask myself, what colors do I see beyond the obvious?  Where can I lose an edge or where can I sharpen one?  Is the composition balanced and pleasant to look at?

Every completed painting, large or small, informs the next painting.  Questions or problems that pop up will look for resolution in the next piece.  When the painting is smaller and the stakes are lower, I can explore new territory and push myself a little further.

"Fractured Still Life With Limes", 6x8"

Another series of my Impressionism Workshops is coming to a close, which means it's time to try our hands at fracturing some paintings!  You can hear a pin drop when everyone is concentrating on this technique.  It isn't easy, but the results can be surprising and fun.

Next week, for our last class, everyone will be bringing in an old painting that just didn't go anywhere.  We will fling some paint at them and see if we can bring them back to life.  I'm looking forward to pulling some duds out of the closet and giving them another go!

Grapefruit, Orange, Lime 12x9"

This week's Daily Paintworks Challenge is to paint some citrus fruits.  So I painted some.  Then I destroyed my painting with a dry paintbrush and repainted it.  Then I did it again.  Each time, I tried to leave some edges soft, and I tried to vary the color with each brush stroke. This "destroy and rebuild" technique is pretty fun-- you never really know how things will turn out!

The Fractured Still Life, 10x8"

Ann Feldman 

Click here for purchase information

In my last Impressionism workshop session at Mainstreet on Friday, we tried our hands at fracturing a simple still life.  You may remember that I've been experimenting with this technique since I was introduced to it by Julie Ford Oliver.  I gave the students a quick demonstration (it was a simple pear that turned quickly into fruit cocktail so I won't share that one with you) and then I set them free.  I suggested to them that if they would like to see Julie demonstrate her technique, they should download her tutorial on Daily Paintworks.  It is excellent!

This technique requires quite a lot of brainpower.  You could have heard a pin drop in the class.  When they put down their brushes, we were all amazed at the different interpretations that came from the same reference.  I've included some of their work below.

Gloria Zucaro (click to see her blog)

 Ginny Breecher 

 Carol Breyer 

Mary Ann Pailey 

 Linda Rubens

Thanks for visiting!

Clear Blue Friends, 16x12"

Painting glass is just about the most fun you can have in art, in my opinion.  The balance of transparency along with the blue color of the jars had to be just right, but I tried to keep these jars as simple as possible and not fuss with them too much.

This painting is no longer available. Thank you for your interest in my art!