Friday, August 26, 2011

It's a Wonderful Life continued

 


Apple studies

Some more goodies from the Carol Marine workshop I attended earlier this month. I did a few of these to keep practicing the concepts we were learning. 


Three Cherries value study
5" x 4"

I did a few of these, too, to work on seeing values. One can never practice these enough, IMO.


Door County night life includes miniature golfing in case you didn't know. We had so much fun and Carol hit the most incredible, wackiest hole-in-one I ever did see.  


For my wall of fame :-) Thanks Carol for a fabulous week!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

It's a Wonderful Life

Apple Pair
© Nancy Laliberte
oil on panel

In my last post, I mentioned I was headed to Door County, WI, for a painting workshop with Carol Marine. WOW what a workshop! would be the best way to summarize it. Carol is an amazing teacher. Somehow in the way she explains concepts, she knows the right analogies that work for my brain. I had A LOT of aha! moments. Now, I need a few months for my hand and eye to catch up with my brain and I am actually very excited about that-- The Process! WooHoo! Thanks, Carol!

Apple Pair is the first painting I did at the workshop. It was all about incorporating shapes, saturated color, highlights, shadows, edges, transitions, and about 500 other things you need to remember in painting. I think Carol was going easy on us as she wanted to make sure we would come back the next day. ;-) 

Time(d) for Apples
© Nancy Laliberte
oil on panel

A timed painting exercise in getting the essence of our subject in one or two strokes per color. Not as easy as you may think, but really fun and challenging. 

Genius at Work

Carol's Completed Demo Painting

Note the handy panel holder the painting sits on--check out Carol's blog on how to get one of those. It really makes working on a 6 x 6 surface so much easier. 

I will include more about the workshop in my next post--which will be this month yet. I think my summer travels are over. It's been a sweet time filled with family and art!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Teaching and Learning

"Just One More"
© Nancy Laliberte
6" x 6" acrylic on panel

It's been another whirlwind week where I just returned from "Egypt." Not really, but this past week I taught a five-day art camp based on "Egypt: Past and Present" for kids ages 6-14 at the Center for the Visual Arts in Wausau. We had a great time learning about Egypt and creating artwork, musical instruments and jewelry to sell at our Egyptian Bazaar on the 400 Block in Wausau. Our camp concluded with writing and illustrating letters to Egyptian students similar in age, and meeting Mostafa, an Egyptian student living in Wausau and studying at the Technical College. It was a fun week with a great group of kids!

Now, my car is all packed and I am ready to head to Fish Creek, WI, for a workshop with Carol Marine at the Peninsula Art School. Woo Hoo! I will share when I return next weekend. 

Monday, August 1, 2011

7 Links Challenge

The 7 links challenge has been circulating blog-land. This challenge lets you take a step back, reflect and share some posts again. It has been quite fun and interesting reading other bloggers choices. My friend Carrie Waller has challenged me. Be sure to visit her blog. She is a FABULOUS watercolorist!

The challenge asks you to revisit:

Your most beautiful post
Your most popular post
Your most controversial post
Your most helpful post
A post whose success surprised you
A post you feel didn't get the attention it deserved
The post you are most proud of

Then tag other bloggers and it goes on and on. I think this is a great idea because there are some gems hidden in most bloggers archives so this is a great way to dust them off and let them be seen again. 

So here are my 7 links:


Your most beautiful post

"Midwest Quilt: A View From Above"


© Nancy Laliberte

This is probably my most favorite painting. It was one I painted shortly after I decided to follow my dream and become a painter. It depicts the farm and countryside where I grew up in western Wisconsin, where my love for landscapes became imbedded deep within my head and my heart. I submitted this piece in the first show I entered. I was worried it would be rejected for not following the theme of the show. It won Best of Show. Ignorance is bliss. 

I held onto this piece, and gifted it to my parents this past winter on their 50th wedding anniversary. Hence my most beautiful post--THANK YOU Mom and Dad :-)

Your most popular post
Page visit-wise, my most popular post is the one where I am riding on Robert Bateman's coattails. In people's quest to find information about "Robert Bateman Painting Demo," Google sends inquiring minds to my blog. Shameless! What can I say other than, "THANK YOU Google"  

Your most controversial post
Sorry to disappoint, but with so much controversy in the world, my work is about peace, beauty and tranquility. Painting from life versus a photo is about as controversial as I get, and, yes, I do both. 

Your most helpful post



© Nancy Laliberte

http://nancylaliberte.blogspot.com/2010/08/old-and-new.html
I chose this as my most helpful post, because I painted this tractor plein air. I was a little daunted at first, but I kept reminding myself, shapes and color notes, shapes and color notes. Bit by bit, stroke by stroke a tractor emerged. It was empowering.


A post whose success surprised you





Definitely, my sketchbook posts. I had no idea! I sketch to have fun, play around with watercolor, different pens and to strengthen my drawing skills. I'm thrilled they are inspiring others to do the same. I will keep posting them, if you all keep sketching, too. 
http://nancylaliberte.blogspot.com/2011/06/sketchbook-saturday.html


http://nancylaliberte.blogspot.com/2011/06/sketchbook-saturday-experimenting.html


A post you didn't feel get as much attention it deserved
This is a hard one. I have my personal favorite paintings regardless of the attention they may or may not receive. I liked this series of paintings and wanted to share them again : ) 






Square Foot Garden Series
© Nancy Laliberte

A series of nine 12" x 12" paintings colorfully depicting a square foot garden.


The post you are most proud of



Misty Day Bouquet
© Nancy Laliberte
http://nancylaliberte.blogspot.com/2009/05/misty-day-bouquet-misty-day-bouquet-6-x.html
Hands down, my first blog post is the one of which I am most proud. After following other blogs for a few months, I made the commitment to begin blogging to record my progress and share with others my love of art and painting. I posted it on Mother's Day. Like other working moms, it is a juggling act balancing studio time with being a mom. My family inspires me in ways they may not realize. I am blessed.


Now I'm challenging:
Sharon Rotz
Marilyn Miller
Nancy Goldman
Nancy Standlee
Lynn Lancaster
Carol Horzempa