Monday Morning, St. Petersburg, 8x10"

St Petersburg has rush hour in the morning, just like any large city today.  The biggest difference for me was the sight of those arresting domes hovering over the skyline.  The architecture there is unlike any I have seen before-- it made me feel so very far from home.

To bid on this painting, please click on Ann Feldman St Petersburg.

I wanted to share a mosaic I photographed in St Isaac's Cathedral with you.  At first glance, this piece looked like a stunning oil painting, but on closer inspection, it turned out to be a mosaic of thousands of tiny ceramic squares, each perfectly colored to show form and light.  I stood in front of this masterpiece with my jaw dropped and my eyes wide open for what must have been a very long time.  Long enough for my mother to finish her shopping in the cathedral gift shop, and then we were off again!

Morning, Neva River, 10x8"

The dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral is visible almost everywhere in St. Petersburg.  Luckily, our hotel was just across the street from this landmark, so we knew which way to point ourselves at the end of the day.  My favorite time to photograph the city was in the morning when the light hit the sides of the yellow and white buildings along the river.

To bid on this painting, please click on Ann Feldman Neva River.

Early Morning, St. Petersburg, Russia, 10x8"

We are back from our unforgettable trip to Russia.  A week in St Petersburg was barely enough to scratch the surface of all the city had to offer.  Naturally, the highlight of the trip for me was a day spent in the Hermitage--I made a bee line for the Impressionist wing, then I wandered about aimlessly for the rest of the day, getting lost and surprised at every turn.  I'm told that if a person took one minute to look at each object in the Hermitage, it would take seven years to see it all.

This painting represents my impression of early morning on the Neva River which runs throughout the city.  Wandering around the city is an adventure in itself, considering that all signs are unintelligible to American eyes, and the language-- forget about it!  I felt like I was truly in another world.

To bid on this painting, please click on Ann Feldman St Petersburg.

"Floral Fantasy in Pink and Green", 16x12"

At the Button Petter Gallery

Well, I guess this is "Das Vee Danya!"  I leave in just under a week to travel to Russia with my mother for a celebratory birthday.  We will be in St Petersburg, where we hope to soak up as much art and culture as we possibly can while we are there.  I have attempted to learn a bit of the language-- to practically no avail.  Mostly what I can say in Russian amounts to:  I don't speak any Russian.  I am American.  Which will come as no surprise whatsoever to anyone who speaks to me!

But I am loading up my cameras, expecting to take tons of photos which I hope will become the basis for  future paintings.  Or I may freeze altogether in the presence of such grandeur.  We will see.  Either way, it will be an unforgettable experience, and I can hardly wait.

"Daffodils", 16x12"

At the Button Petter Gallery, Saugatuck, Michigan.

"Well Hi There!", 6x6"

Please click here to bid on this painting

This painting was created through the use of SCIENCE!

I attended a lecture last week at the Art Institute of Chicago (let me take a moment to feel lucky) entitled "The Science of Impressionism".  Turns out the Impressionists were very scientific in their approach to color.  Specifically, they employed the use of color complements whenever possible to make their color appear more vivid and to make their paintings seem lively and full of movement.

A complementary color is located directly opposite from a color on the color wheel.  Typical color complements are yellow/purple, blue/orange, and red/green.

In my painting, I surrounded the yellowish umbrella with a purple-ish background to make it stand out. The bright orange umbrella is countered by the bright blue shirt on the man.  The red flowers are standing against green leaves.

During the lecture, we were able to get up close to many famous paintings to see how color complements were used.

Do you see the complements used in this Van Gogh painting?  Red and green are quite obvious, and look how he put a stroke of lavender right under her chin to play off the yellow cast of her skin.  Orange and blue dance about in the background.  Think this was an accident?  I think not!

"Calico Skies" 8x10"

"It was written that I would love you,

From the moment you opened your eyes."

-Paul McCartney

While I was putting the finishing touches on this piece, "Calico Skies" by Paul McCartney came up on my iPod, and I thought that the lyrics of this song perfectly matched the sentiment of this little portrait.  It is such a huge moment when you realize that life will no longer be just about "me", but "we" from that moment on.

"Floral Fantasy in Orange and White", 16x12"

The reception last weekend at the Button-Petter Gallery was quite a success.  Attendance was enhanced by red trolleys which brought in waves of art and wine lovers who were part of a Saugatuck/Douglas tour.  What luck to be on the itinerary!  Met so many interesting people that day, in addition to the fantastic friends and family that came to support me-- where would I be without you?  The painting above sold that weekend, which was frosting on the cake!!!

After the reception, the extended Feldman family left for parts up north.  We stayed for a week in Charlevoix, then visited Petosky and Mackinaw Island.  Michigan is beautiful this time of year!  The sand dunes were magnificent, and history abounded all around us.  Snapped hundreds of photos for future paintings-- look out for sunny verandas and hand-glazed pottery to pop up in my future art projects.

I hope that you're finding time to make the most out of summer!

Jean Luc, 14x11"

I liked the look of this young lad so much, I decided to paint him.  Sometimes a face in the crowd proves to be irresistible, so I surreptitiously snap a photo and use it as the basis for a painting.  I change things around pretty significantly, so these paintings aren't exactly wonderful likenesses, but I'm after a mood here, not a portrait per se.

"Paris", 20x16"

I'll be taking this painting to the opening this Saturday at the Button Petter Gallery in Saugatuck, Michigan.  Looking forward to it!

"Harbor Town", 9x13"

Last time I was in Saugatuck, I couldn't resist snapping a few photos for possible painting references.  This one was a natural-- it just says "Harbor Town".

New Class Announcement

"Floral Fantasy in Red"

Button Petter Gallery 

"Floral Fantasy in Yellow"

Button Petter Gallery 

"Tea Roses"

East End Gallery

Dear blogging friends, I have neglected you far too long, and I apologize for that.  In a nutshell, I have been painting like crazy.  In the spring, I had galleries to supply.  The three paintings above have sold in the last month, and interestingly, they are all florals!  Hmmm, perhaps I should pay attention to that...

After the gallery orders were filled, I retreated to my studio to continue my experimentation with the new techniques I've picked up in the last few months, particularly in CW Mundy's workshop.  My ratio of successes to failures at present is about 1/10.  The paint is flying and the canvases are filling the garbage bins.  But my hope is that I will eventually emerge from my garret with a new approach, and perhaps a new understanding of impressionist art.

NEW CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT: I will be teaching 6 week classes in Impressionism for new and continuing students at Mainstreet Art Centre in Lake Zurich, IL starting in September.  The classes will be held on Fridays.  I will also be teaching a portrait class on Monday evenings, beginning in September.  If you'd be interested in any of these classes, please call Mainstreet at (847) 550-0016.

"Siesta", 10x8"

I'm having so much fun with the "Destroy and Rebuild" technique that I learned from CW Mundy a while back, that I couldn't resist sharing it with my workshop students a week ago.  The Pencil and Palette Club in Huntley invited me to put on a workshop to explore new Impressionist approaches, and we covered a lot of ground!  This painting is a demo that I started in the workshop, then completed in my studio.  And now, it's on its way to Nantucket, and the East End Gallery!

I called it "Siesta" because it looks like the pear on the right decided to take it easy-- hmm, not a bad idea...

Gallery Paintings

Yesterday, my dear friend Jayne and I took a road trip to Saugatuck, Michigan to deliver my paintings to the Button Petter Gallery.  If you would like to see the paintings, please click on Ann's Virtual Gallery for a closer look.

The Gallery will be hosting an opening for me on July 20th, so if you'll be anywhere near the area around then, I hope you'll stop in and say hello!  It is truly a thrill for me to be part of such a beautiful gallery, amongst an amazing group of talented artists.

The Button Petter Gallery

Another Day in Paradise, 7x5"

This is a tiny thumbnail painting of a scene that we stumbled upon in Banff.  I'm in the process of creating a much larger painting (20x16") now that I have most of the bugs worked out. It's so handy to have a smaller sketch to refer to, to keep from getting lost in the larger format.

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Paradise.

"Gypsy" 16x20"

It is so good to get back to the studio and paint from life again.  I took a deep breath and tried to channel what I learned with Jeff Watts last spring.  I got out my small brushes and laid tiny color "tiles" next to each other.  Then I forced myself to put down the brushes and walk away from the painting before I softened all the personality right out of it!

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Gypsy.

"Sisters", 9x12"

This painting made me think of sisters-- all living on the same branch, but evolving into unique personalities with different outlooks.

My challenge on this one was to use a palette knife on top of a transparent wash.  I had to stop myself before I went in and developed it too far.  I wanted it to say "roses" without overstating things.

Please click on Ann Feldman Sisters for purchase information.  Thank you!

CW Mundy Workshop

"After" CW Mundy

"Before" CW Mundy

If a picture is worth a thousand words, I hope that the two versions of my simply painted apples will describe the transformation that my painting style went through after meeting and studying with CW Mundy last week in New Harmony, Indiana. Our class of 20 students had just settled in to our seats on the first day when CW told us to get up, set up, and paint a piece of fruit quickly.  My "before" version is above and it served as a benchmark for the changes I was to go through in the next few days in class.

I came in to CW's class with the intention of loosening up my painting style.  Sounds easy enough, but it turned out to be one of the most difficult processes I've ever gone through.  Surprisingly, after painting in "my" style for a few decades, it was not easy at all to break through to a new level of painting.  The left side of my logical brain was so resistant to change, it was shocking to me.  CW saw the frustration (also known as tears) in my eyes, and gave me space to wrestle with my demons.

I'm happy to say that the quiet complacent right side of my brain finally had a say in the matter.  In the stillness of my studio, my intuition is beginning to emerge.  This new style is not second nature to me yet, but in about 20 more paintings, I hope to have a sense of comfort with Impressionism.

I'll write more about the workshop in upcoming blogs.  I hope you'll stay tuned!

The idyllic town of New Harmony, Indiana

 We were treated to a talk on Visual Language by the workshop instructors:  Frank Serrano, Ken Backhaus, Carolyn Anderson, and CW Mundy

"Tall Trees, Lake Louise" 8x6"

If you've ever visited Lake Louise in Canada, you know that I'm not making up that blue! This is a palette knife painting based on a photo I shot during our trip there.  It's an unforgettable place.

And now I'm packing my bags for my trip to study with CW Mundy in New Harmony, Indiana.  I hope to learn some new Impressionistic techniques from him-- and I'll keep you posted!

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Tall Trees.  Thank you!

Park the Car in Harvard Yard, 11x14"

The Boston area is just so photogenic.  I always find lots of material to paint from when I go there to visit daughter Emily.  This one was painted mostly with a palette knife and will be donated to raise funds for the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra next week (Emily is a violist).

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!

"On His Way", 6x6"

I took a photo of my son Jordan crossing this bridge on his bike just a few weeks before he left for school in Colorado. I was on the brink of "empty nestdom", and felt it was symbolic.  He's on his way.

I think I'll keep this one.

The Conclave, 8x6"

Well, a Conclave is a gathering of Cardinals, so I thought perhaps that would describe this one pretty well! These brilliant birds continue to flock to my branches and I feel compelled to capture them in paint.

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Conclave. Thank you!

Autumn in Michigan, 20"x16"

This is a larger and more detailed version of a small painting I created earlier.  This one was painted in anticipation of a gallery opening with Button Petter Gallery in Saugatuck, Michigan, taking place on July 20th.  If you'll be in the area, I would be thrilled to see you there!

In other news, there is a write up of a painting demonstration that I put on for the Long Grove Artists' Guild in February in today's Daily Herald.  If you'd like to see the article, please click here.

The Year of the Cardinal, 6x6"

I will remember this season as the Year of the Cardinal-- every time I look out my window, my trees are filled with the most brilliant red imaginable.  Why are they flocking to my backyard?  Is it the safflower seed that I've filled the feeders with this time around?  Is this happening everywhere?  Time to pour a cup of tea and plant myself by the window for another show.

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Cardinals.  Thank you.

"Fracturing" with Julie Ford Oliver

My eyes have been opened to a new approach to Impressionist painting.  If you are not familiar with the paintings of Julie Ford Oliver, I hope that you will check out her blog and her ArtByte tutorial on Fracturing.  I downloaded her tutorial this morning, and the resulting painting is above.  Be kind-- it is my first attempt at this technique, but I got very excited about the prospect of breaking through the forms of my painting to achieve a very unique mood!

My usual painting style is shown below.  I've always felt comfortable breaking up my color into various tones in my painting, but I never disturbed the forms themselves before.  I hope that I will be able to make this technique part of my style in the future.

I'd love to know your thoughts on my attempt to fracture my painting!

Red Hat Adventures (Triptych) 6x6 each

I have a demo coming up next week, so if you are in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, I hope you'll stop by!  The topic will be "Loosening Up Your Painting Style", and it will be put on by the Long Grove Art Guild on Wednesday, February 13 at 6:30pm in the Long Grove Village Hall.  Email Barbara at artandlit@msn.com to reserve your space.

Glad to See You, 8x10"

I painted this one using a palette knife and a softening brush.  I took a little movie of my progress to show you how this painting developed.  I hope you enjoy it!

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Glad.  Thank you!

Twilight, 8x8"

My favorite time of the day is the moment the lights come up while there is still a glow in the sky. 

Twilight.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click on Ann Feldman Twilight.  Thank you.

La Playa II, 11x9"

Happy New Year!  Such a long time since I've painted.  I decided to lay the brushes down and enjoy my gathered family over the holidays.  I'm a firm believer in "down time" because I think that it allows us to receive beauty and reflect on it in new ways.

A wonderful customer was interested in a larger version of "La Playa", so I have done it again in the 11x9" format.  It's such a pleasure to bring out the bright colors when there is nothing but gray outside my window.

And now the new year starts!  Time to play the studio music loud, squeeze out some paint, and see what happens.