Wine glasses (WIP) and some news!

MY NEWS:  I am now President-Elect of the Ann Arbor Womens Artists Organization. It is one of the largest arts groups in Southeast Michigan. After serving on the board in one capacity or another for the past few years, I look forward to serving this group of very active artists over the next 2 years.

ART: I am working on a still life made up of glasses and strawberries on a metal tray. This is over half done. I need to work on the shine of the tray and render the fruit a bit more.  The wine glasses are coming along pretty well, but could use more polishing too. I am challenging myself to develop more complex still life compositions. I will post more of this piece as it nears completion.   I also want to explore a variety of textures and experiment with abstractions.

Thanks for reading….

© Barbara Goodsitt

© Barbara Goodsitt

© Barbara Goodsitt

VegFest and Daryl Hannah

Barb and Daryl Hannah

Check out Daryl Hannah's very cool blog 

This past weekend I attended VegFest Michigan. The headline speaker was Darryl Hannah, who spoke extemporaneously about the many reasons to be vegetarian and try to live a sustainable life style.  She is a very articulate and inspiring speaker.  It is beneficial to our bodies and the planet to eat less meat and consume less fossil fuels.  Ms. Hannah is living off the grid by using solar power and biofuels. Her philosophy is "Love Life".   Being as kind and compassionate as you can has its own reward. It is not easy for people to totally give up a way of eating that has been practiced for centuries by our families and culture, but science shows that better health does result from eating a plant based diet.

Michigan VegFest was attended by thousands of people right here in the heartland of America. More people are becoming aware of living a healthy, compassionate, and sustainable lifestyle. Each year our numbers grow and many corporations are changing to accommodate our wishes (and get our business). Change is happening from the grass roots level and I feel encouraged.

Link to dhlovelife.com

New Art Work

I had a lot of fun with this piece. It is a very stylized hydrangea drawing.
Prismacolor Pencils, Icarus drawing board, 18" x 24" on Stongehenge Paper

© Barbara Goodsitt

© Barbara Goodsitt

Here is a whimsical piece. This will be included in the display by the Michigan Chapter of the Colored Pencil Society of America  at the National Convention in Florida this summer.
Prismacolor Pencils, 6" x 12" on U-art sanded pastel paper

Exploring a Combination of Techniques with Colored Pencils

© Barbara Goodsitt

I am working on another piece that is carrying through on the theme of hydrangeas.  This is a detail photo of a work in progress (WIP). I combined several  drawing techniques such as making an  impressed line, sequential tonal layering, and using an Icarus heated drawing board. I felt influenced by asian art, creating a flat, more decorative style here. I  will post the final piece when it is finished.

Drawing bright, colorful flowers is fun considering the winter we have had in Michigan. Even though I have been busy teaching and doing some traveling, the record snowfall and cold has been affecting my mood.  I am really looking forward to spring this year. 

HONORABLE MENTION

Uppity Blue Hydrangea
©Barbara Goodsitt

My colored pencil piece Uppity Blue Hydrangea, received an Honorable Mention Award at the Ann Arbor Women Artists Winter Exhibition. This art show is on display until March 14th, 2014 at the Ypsilanti District Library on 5577 Whittaker Rd., Ypsilanti Township. The "lowly colored pencil" is slowly making its way up the ladder of respectability in the art world!  I am very encouraged by the wonderful praise from Ms. Young, and I may be doing a series of hydrangea pieces now!  There are many lovely paintings and some 3d work in this show too. If you live in the area, it is well worth stopping by to take a look.

Winter Abstract

© Barbara Goodsitt

We have had record cold and snowfall this winter. I have spent sometime indoors contemplating life and art.  I am working on this winter abstract colored pencil piece and plan to paint a larger version of it on canvas.

The winter makes me appreciate spring and summer so much more than if I hadn't survived this cold season. I believe you can treasure happy times in your life so much more after you have survived hard times. Here is a thoughtful quote that I recently came across:


“The Paradoxical Commandments"

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.” 
― Kent M. Keith, The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student 

January 2014 Colored Pencil Drawing Classes

Brighten up the cold gray winter with colored pencil classes

Create stunning artwork with this versatile medium. You will learn basic techniques and color theory to explore creative possibilities of colored pencils. Colored pencils can be combined with watercolors, acrylics, pastels and ink on various surfaces. Have fun with this versatile medium. 

Uppity Blue Hydrangea
18" x 22" Colored Pencil
© Barbara Goodsitt

Evening Classes, Winter 2014:

I will be offering colored pencil classes in the evenings at Washtenaw Community College on Tuesdays 6:30 pm- 8:25; 6 sessions starting January 21, 2014, ending February 25, 2014. Click here to register

Daytime Classes, Winter 2014:

I will be offering colored pencil classes in the afternoons with Ann Arbor Community Education and Recreation Jan 22 - March 19 on Wednesdays 1pm to 3 pm. Click here to register.

Kansas City, the Chicago Art Institute and a Studio Holiday Open House

We spent a wonderful Thanksgiving with relatives in Kansas City, MO. It is a city full of fountains, museums, and friendly people. We had a very interesting tour of the World War 1 Museum.

After  an enjoyable visit in KC, we were off to Chicago. I reunited with more relatives, and was also able to visit  the Art Institute of Chicago. I wandered throughout the museum by myself, and at my own pace. It was wonderful!  Here are some photos I snapped of some of my favorite pieces in their collection. Please look up better images on their website.

Mary Cassatt

Marc Chagall

Grant Wood

Georgie O'Keefe

Georgie O'Keefe

Georgie O'Keefe

Gaston Lachaise

Paul Cezanne

Claude Monet

Holiday Studio Open House

Lidia Kaku and Barb Goodsitt in Barb's Studio

Thank you to our friends who stopped in for our Holiday Studio Open House. It was held this past weekend by some of  the artists who rent studios above Dancing Dog Gallery in Ann Arbor.