Upcoming oil painting workshop!!!

I will be in Bay view, Milwaukee teaching an oil painting workshop! I will be doing workshops on the last saturday of every month, starting on Feb. 26th, 2011. These workshops will be filled with lots of information, so bring your coffee, a bag lunch for when we take a break and a notebook, so you could jot stuff down when I do my demonstrations! I have noticed that the demonstrations are the most effective in my instruction, watching is a great way of learning, and a lot of fun for me, its so much easier to show you on a canvas what I am talking about rather than having to just tell you what to do. I will break the workshop into two parts. First, we will discuss composition, and setting up our still-life. we will dedicate most of our time working out our underpainting, which we will do in acrylics. (normally I would use oil, but we do have to cover a lot in one day, so to allow for less drying time we will use acrylics for the underpainting, then start in with the oils after that.) I will start each part of the class with a demo. just to get us started. after we take our snack break and allow time for the underpainting to dry, we will begin the oil painting, we will be talking a lot about mixing colors, and paint application all the way to glazing and finishing a painting by the end of the class. If you are interested in taking a workshop with me, please email me at: jody@kensingtongalleries.com

also you could visit: www.carmenbenske.com for more information on the class and other classes available at her shop located at 2674 s. Kinnickinnic ave. Milwaukee Wi. where I will be teaching these upcoming workshops!! I will have the acrylic paint for your use, along with some oil painting medium. If you would like to bring some items from your home to paint, that would be great! I also will bring a box of goodies for you to choose from. Bring your oil paints, a variety of brushes and an easel if you have one! (please let me know if you need to borrow an easel) Lets spend the day painting together!!!!

Oil painting class

I have been teaching oil painting classes at the Cedarburg Cultural Center as of lately, we have been working on an exercise, which is great for painters at any level of skill to try. We have been copying this painting By an artist from Switzerland named Anker, 1898. I picked this painting for its simplicity in color, as it lends itself to the technique we have been using to establish the under painting called "Grisaile". I have been teaching my students to focus on the very subtle changes in tonal values that help us to achieve a realistic attempt in recreating, with paint, the subject at hand. which, in this case, is this wonderful loaf of bread, avocado and a tasty glass of beer. I have posted some of the steps along the way.... (below)

The first step? Mixing the black paint. I use french ultramarine blue and burnt umber, this makes a wonderfully rich black color, and when mixed with white, you get the nicest shades of gray you have ever seen. I always mix my own black paint... I find it gives me more control over the warmth or coolness I am trying to achieve. Second step? a light wash using just a thin wash of your black paint, no white paint at this time... mix with a medium of your liking, I use turp, linseed oil and damar varnish. Notice we are also working from a black and white photo copy of the painting, another tool to help us not get distracted by color while we try to make a convincing interpretation of form and space.

Here I rough out my composition, not concerning myself with ANY detail at this time...

I work every part of the painting as I go with a bit more attention to detail, but mostly I try to stay focused on placement of the subject matter, I don't want to get too carried away with one area or another at this time... once I think its in pretty o.k. shape, I think its a good time to let the paint dry for a while... just a few days...

Now I begin to work on refining the details, again, I work on the whole painting as I go bringing about the same amount of detail on every part of the painting. Still, I step back and notice there are a few things a bit "wrong" or just slightly incorrect. I can either decide to make my corrections at this point, or leave it. I have decided to make a few adjustments, which I will post when I have finished them... after this, the underpainting is finished. The next step will be glazing with the color. My class will be working on refining their under paintings and glazing next week... so check back for more updates on finishing this exercise... until then, Happy painting!

portrait of Nick

I have been really busy these last few months and have been neglecting to update this blog, so FINALLY found a minute to share this portrait I have recently been commissioned to paint of this 11 year old boy, Nick. I have posted two pictures of it, unfortunately there is a slight glare on the top half of the painting. Portraits are my new favorite thing to paint right now... I have a bunch more in progress and will post those when they are finished. I am a bit of a nit picky painter... I tend to work many hours and weeks on the paintings, still I am trying to loosen up a bit, I think I have been unsuccessful with that:( but on I go , I keep on trying... )

I finally finished these pomegranates for my friend Jason, he has patiently waited for this here painting... wish I were a better photographer, this painting is heavily glazed, and I just could not get a good photo with out the glare. I do think the painting turned out nice, I had my worries and for some reason struggled with this one a lot. Im so glad it is finished.

Portrait of Corinna

I just finished this portrait this morning! I did start this painting while Corinna sat for me at the kitchen table, but soon she became bored and I had to snap a photo to finish this one. I really like the way it turned out! it really captures her personality... I cant wait to do my other kids.

Portrait of Adelaide

I have been working on this portrait for about a week now... it is about 50% finished, I always start my paintings very monochromatic... and work the color as I go, layer by layer... I think this one is looking pretty good so far... I will keep you updated as I finish this piece....

Owl

This is a quick little owl painting commissioned by An old good friend Jim Linnemann. Its the second one I painted of its kind, because the first one was stolen! (I will take that as a compliment!)

Self Portrait

This Truly was a learning piece! many hours of painting, I call this my "practice piece" because certainly this is not a "master piece" :) but Im finished with this one, its time to move on!

Star Fruit

This is a still life I just finished for my friend Jason. Its 8"x11" painted in oil, and heavily glazed. It was difficult to get a good photo of this one due to the glare... also it is cropped a bit too much on the left side, but you can still get an idea of what it's like... (its much nicer in real life!) 

Kitchen corner studio

This is my temporary art space I have set up in my kitchen, I have been working here until my studio is finished being set up, which is out  in one of our "out buildings" here at our old farm house. (just to give you an idea of where I have been working lately) the studio should be up and running by the middle of the next month, hopefully!

This is a pencil drawing that I worked on a few days ago just for practice, I really like how it turned out as far as sketches go. I had the urge to draw, so I began to draw the first thing that I saw. I am sure to do many more still lives of toys in the future... they are all over my house!

Baby Doll

This is a portrait I have just finished in pencil. I worked from a photograph, I would rather work from life as it seems to lend itself to a more free and less labored feel to the piece of work. I will post more sketches from life, and then some from photos... and see if you can tell the difference in the feel of the piece. This is a Portrait of Maggie, my step daughter.

Maggie

Still life with Wine Bottle

This is one of the paintings from my website, I will post just a few of these paintings here on this blog, if you would like to see more of my paintings from the last few years... go check 'em out at:

www.kensingtongalleries.com In the mean time I would like to post my latest happenings from the studio, keep in mind that I am just getting warmed up, as I have had a break in the creation process due to the other part of my life... (which has been my new little girl born last Christmas, the last of 4) So I will be working on Drawings, still lives and portraits... then onto my paintings of still lives and portraits... so, keep checking back to see what I've been up to...

and Enjoy!