Coverup Symbols

Here I am trying to combine the Personal Symbols class with the cover-up assigment. Instead of doodles, I am starting with personal symbols, and then I start covering up or doodling over. This is a fun way to work, and I will keep exploring it. For a great website with lots of information go to www.creativechick.com; that is where the Personal Symbols class is.

Another Cover-Up

Here is another "cover-up" painting done in the AARP class of Steve Aimone. This is a triptych done with acrylic paint on canvas. I seem to be good at covering up as there is not much left of the original colors put down; I guess in order to get color left on the canvas, I would have to eliminate white paint! Is this the real me?

Covering Up

I have been taking Steve Aimone's online class at the AARP website and have loved the different assignments and the interaction with other artists. This week's assignment is to paint and cover up, paint and cover up etc. until the drawing/painting is done to your satisfaction. I have been working for months, really years, on a series of "Thin Places" some of which are shallow waters with reeds, and I think that this method of painting may be the perfect way for me to paint these. I am enjoying working on them!

Paint Program Fun

The AARP painting class with Steve Aimone has been so much fun. We are following his book Expressive Drawing, and he is giving us different projects every other week. We can post our results and see others results. This picture was one of my first attempts at using the Paint program, and I really enjoyed doing this. I found doing the doodles and scribbles so much fun, and I can actually see some beach sea oats in this. This is a far cry from the minimalist work I have done recently, but maybe I can reconcile the two.

Minimalist Again

Here is the latest of my minimalist paintings. It is acrylic on canvas. I am finding that this minimalist way of painting is really expressing what I want to say, and it is interesting to be able to reduce the painting down to the bare essentials and still feel that I am getting the message across. I love to play with the materials and can go on forever working on a painting, but it is a challenge to reduce it down to a minimum of action. This painting is named "Beside Still Waters"

and is another of my "still places" series. My suggestion for a website to visit is http://ruth-hunter-studio.blogspot.com.

Abstract Acrylic

I am posting an abstract acrylic painting done recently. It is a real reduction of "busy-ness" into a simplified design. I am enjoying doing these simplified big shapes with few details. One of my artist friends who is a more realistic painter and a detail person said she liked it, so I took that as a real comliment! My website recommendation for the day is http://www.emptyeasel.com/. This is a great website for technical information and inspiration.

Finishing

After having a few days away from home, I am inspired and excited to get back to work on paintings. Getting a painting finished is the hardest part for me; I can start a painting easily and get almost done, but the finish is hard! I always let paintings sit for a while and come back later to reevaluate, and I have a stack of unfinished work! I have set the goal for this summer to go through the stacks and either finish or throw out, and I am actually enjoying this. My studio is looking better! Moving towards abstraction is still the pull I am feeling, and I am finding myself more satisfied with what I might have considered unfinished in the past. I am attaching one painting which is an abstract landscape, and I do think it says all it needs to. My website recommendation for today is http://www.dailypainters.com/. I look forward to seeing this site everyday as it always shows wonderful work from wonderful artists.