Artychoke

This is a new exercise for my colored pencil class. We used several methods to mix color when drawing this artichoke including complementary shading, local color, and also grisaille. This piece is done by laying down a tonal drawing in prismacolor black grape, and then applying the full color over that layer.
A friend told me to stop my drawing at this phase. She thought it would be more interesting than completing the artichoke.

Art Show at Sweetwaters Jan - March 2

Here are some photos of my art show at Sweetwaters on 123 West Washington Street in Ann Arbor. This show is sponsored by the Ann Arbor Women Artist organization. I am showing with Nicki Griffith (organic abstracts) and Judy Enright (Allegorical symbolism in oils). It was great fun putting it together.
It will run through March 2, 2009. See the review in the Ann Arbor News

More classes will begin starting January 20. Chelsea Center for the Arts will be offering my class on Tuesday evenings, and Ann Arbor Rec and Ed will offer it Wednesday evenings at Pioneer High and Friday afternoons at the Eberbach Cultural Arts Center at 1220 Forest Ave. in Ann Arbor.

Beginning students will be starting out with some basic exercises to develop skills in applying even coverage and shading techniques. We will then proceed to still lifes and other projects. Continuing students can repeat these beginning exercises or start on more advanced assignments, or work on something of their own creation.

Due to technical difficulties, my website was down for a few days. I am posted some images of my work here, for galleries and clients to view. Thanks, and check back soon to see the website back up!
BarbaraGoodsittStudio.com

This past weeks class was fun, we experimented with watercolor pencils and applying solvents to standard colored pencils (see sunset sky to the left). The solvents dissolve the wax and blend the pencils to have a more painterly effect.
This exercise was a slight variation on a Gary Greene exercise that appears in one of his books.

Here is a still life I finished recently. I am using this one as a lesson for my class on layering translucent colors and creating a good range of values.
Fall in Michigan is apple picking time! When my children were small, we would take them to local orchards and pick apples. It was so much fun for all of us. I want to draw more apples, and then eat the still lifes.

I just took a great art workshop from Jaclyn Wukela. Here is the result, a finished portrait.

Jackie's approach to portraits is much different than my usual way of drawing. I like to start with 'local color' and then add different layers to bring out contrasts. She had us do "sequence layering" starting with black and then layering successively lighter tones over that. At one point this face was entirely orange, but it all worked out in the end. It was a very good workshop and I recommend her classes to anyone who has a chance to attend. I hope to share some of these techniques about achieving a good range of values in skin tones with my Rec and Ed students.

The workshop was put on by the Detroit Chapter of the Colored Pencil Society of America. Don't miss the current show in Dearborn:
Midwest Color 2008 at the Padzieski Art Gallery, in the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center,15801 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI 48126
The exhibition will run through November 1, 2008 and it is really outstanding.

More flowers

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers! I am moved by their beauty. Yes, they are a subject that has been overly used by artists. But when you are outside, enjoying your yard, or nature in anyway, their beauty really can touch your soul and bring happiness into your life. I enjoyed working on this bouquet, and I added a border for fun as usual.