Two Portraits

We did a couple of portraits in the workshop, this is from a photograph.

The next is Robert's daughter who was nice enough to pose for us.

Big Tree

This is another painting I did in Robert's workshop. I hate painting trees close up so I picked the hardest subject I could find since the goal is to improve. I learned a lot and maybe I won't be so intimidated next time.

A Road in Kenya

This is a really big painting(3x4 ft.) that I started and may finish at some time. I took this picture a little north of Mombasa, Kenya. I thought the man with the bedroll on his bike was so beautiful and it almost seemed like the lush landscape would swallow him up. It is a hard life down there and amazing that the vegetation doesn't just overrun everything.

Robert Moore workshop

OK, I know I am a major slacker but I have painted some. I am really behind on my blog, though, because it still intimidates me. Last month I went to a fabulous Robert Moore workshop in beautiful Declo, Idaho. Especially in spring, it was pastoral and almost every where I looked, there was a possible painting. I took a lot of pictures for the future.

We started with a couple of tonal paintings using burnt umber and white. This always makes for stronger compositions because the focus is on dark and light and how the space is divided between the two.

I like going to workshops, because it helps me get out of whatever rut I have been in and makes me try new things or revisit techniques that I had not used for awhile.