5.08.2019

2019 Painting Classes

 We covered a lot of territory this winter in the Painting Class:
we explored different under painting ideas, negative painting, and also things more concrete - like how to paint glass, metal and flowers.
The top 2 photos, painted from the same reference show one on a black under painting, the other on Magenta.  Changing up an under painting is an easy way to give a piece just a little bit different vibe.


The Pear and the Cardinal were both exercises in Negative painting. Notice the LARGE dark and light shapes in both pieces. This is where negative painting, or painting around shapes, creates detail by breaking up the shapes in a way that is often more sophisticated than layering paint on top of paint in a positive or additive way.
This is a technique used a lot by the best watercolor painters.


The bottom photo shows our study of glass
and things massed together using both positive and negative painting.
Flowers are great practice for painting things that are grouped,
and that have a lot of detail.
My goal is to create a sense of massing and detail with out actually painting that detail but by allowing it to appear in the eye of the viewer by using negative painting to break up the large and small shapes.
Click on any of the photos to view them larger.










UP and Coming

 Last week, my beautiful daughter Curran Grant, graduated from Azusa Pacific University  in California with a degree in Studio Fine Art. These are a just a few of the 15 paintings featured at her Senior Show titled "Seventh Sense" which examines the world of Korean popular music and the way the KPOP industry objectifies its stars. It is an ugly reality communicated in a beautiful way.  Click on any of the photos to view them larger.


Technically strong and sensitively handled, these portraits communicate, in a graphic way, the intersections of fame, humanity, greed and the universal need to be loved.
The work is all acrylic,  painted on 16"x 12" canvas panels. To say I am proud of her is a huge understatement.




The artist talking about her work and taking in some celebration with friends.