Rachel Jones and Art

Once I was home and digested most of the information, I began again in my own space.  My music, my chair... just a very familiar atmosphere. There is much to said for your own studio space even if it is just a kitchen table. I definitely felt less pressure and no need to compare myself to those around me. It was now time to see what I could do on my own and if I actually learned anything at all. I continued to paint at a much slower pace than I had seen the others. One of the keys to this is working quickly once the set up is done. But, that didn't seem to come naturally. After a few sheets made it into the fire, I decided to work at my own pace. Walk before running. It isn't as if I am in a race. So once that was taken on the chin these are the two pieces I created for the day. watercolor by Rachel Jones  They both still need a little work, but I could see progress and therefore did not waste a week of excellent instruction. I really want to go in with inks and define

OOOPS-A-PALOOZA So when one is in a workshop for a week, and you sometimes  overexert yourself, or think too quickly you 'got it' and take off running....some serious over working often happens. Case in Point.... oops X 1000 by R. Jones After several attempts to redeem her, I realized it was time to pack up, go to my room, and enjoy a glass of wine and a Sponge Bob marathon   and start again in the morning. It was so bad, that even my camera couldn't be  bothered to take a decent photo. There was NO  chartreuse on this paper. I suppose the NIKON just felt a bit 'pukey' at the sight of it. This, however is not how the workshop ended... This project is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. This project is funded in part by a generous award from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation of SC.

The previous Post Shared an example of Janet Roger's amazing work. Without giving too much away ( I could not do it justice even if I tried ...Just take one of her amazing workshops.) I attempted one of my first watercolors. The idea is to do a "wash" then come back  in for a second pass and add more details and definition. The key is getting the first wash down Correctly the first time. I struggled with this. I found out that watercolors dry much lighter and therefore should use a heavier touch. I am NOT a heavier touch painter. But I was happy with my first attempts (though I still haven't gotten her hair in) This project is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. This project is funded in part by a generous award from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation of SC. Southcarolinaarts.com Springmaid watercolor

Springmaid So for those of you have known that I was missing in action for a bit, I was attending Springmaid Watermedia Workshop. It has a three week Spring session, and a three week Autumn session. This has occurred for over 30 years bringing in some of the best instructors and artists worldwide.  Almost 20 years ago, I was a model for the workshops. What a completely different experience attending as a student. Being completely new to watercolors, I chose Janet Rogers. http://www.watercolorsbyrogers.com/pages-janet/janet-rogers-aws.html She was offering a class that was for beginners and experienced painters and also was not too traditional. She uses unexpected splashes of color to create energetic figures and faces. It appears spontaneous and loose. Just what I was looking for! This project is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. This project is funded in part by a generous award from th

  506 ArtSpace is a gallery in North Myrtle Beach. Nice and cozy and worth visitng. They recently hosted a s mall works exhibition.  I entered a new piece.  The piece I entered was one I was hoping to paint on a large canvas at some point and time soon. I thought, how can I shrink the content into something less than 12 x 12? I needed to do a study anyway and this seemed the  perfect opportunity, I usually paint  raw and intuitively. Usually studies are NOT the norm.  But when I say large, I mean I really wanted LARGE. The wisest thing to do despite my avoidance of painting something more than once was to make a first draft. I am glad I did. This painting placed Third, I am happy to say. Please see the show before it ends December 22nd. Lots of lovely pieces still for sale. Support local art, Please.  Each purchase, affords us more paints and surfaces and all the many other little things we need. Thank you. Beholding Jubilation