The lost month-June-Putnum

Mary Pyche with Lori Putnum in Canandaigua, NY

The reason June was 'lost' was not that I wasn't painting, it's because I wasn't posting.  The marketing aspect of art is a challenge for me.  I try to be disciplined, but sometimes I lapse.  In order to post regularly, I like to have something to show, like a finished painting.  I have a lot of unfinished paintings in the works right now.  The one I just posted, needs a tiny tweak, so I'll post that one again, maybe today--The Swan Family. 
I also have not been on my computer much lately and now I can't remember half my passwords.  I guess that can be a good thing, as we are supposed to change them periodically.
So related to this photo above, I was very fortunate to be able to attend a workshop with Lori Putnum.  My Italy trip friend, Sandi, and I signed on early (back in January I think) for Lori's Canandaigua NY workshop.  The town was very nice and quaint and there are many good places to paint.  It is the location of an annual Plein Air Paint Out event.  Sandi and I arrived the day before and were able to see the show attached to the Paint Out and enjoy the refreshments under the big tent at the Sonnenberg Gardens Mansion.  We also had fair weather.  The first day was perfect, the second and third day were overcast and a few sprinkles.  Luckily, the hostess' front porch was large enough to keep us covered during demos, critiques and talks.  Lori, featured in numerous issues of American Art Collector Magazine, and most recently, Plein Air Magazine, is recognized as one of the finest American Impressionists of our time. She has been chosen as an Artist Faculty member for the Annual Plein Air Convention, hosted by Plein Air Magazine, for the past two years. was an excellent teacher and did pay good attention to all attendees.  What were the take-aways?  For me, I enjoyed using a primary palette again and enjoyed her color selection of Napththol Red (M.Graham & Co.).  I used the new Gamblin solvent-free gel medium and LOVE IT.  Mostly it was her way of explaining using the medium value to guage all my color choices against.  I like it because it is logical and organized.
I will post some progression pictures of her first demo in tomorrow's blog.

Spring Fever

Thankfully, Spring has arrived, but now I feel like a lazy person and want to take a little time off to enjoy the weather without the pressure of painting (painting guilt).  I have tons of paintings to do and I really feel the pressure, so I need to relax.  I'll do a little yard work, and who knows, maybe I'll paint later.
I've been sketching this week, getting geared up to do a Boston City Scene for Carol's latest challenge to paint a busy city scene.  I took this photo a few weeks ago, and I like it, but the drawback for me is that it's not colorful.  I have to do something else with it to make it interesting or exciting.  It was taken on a rainy day.  I have some ideas about how to start it in a new way using acrylic underpainting in an abstract way.  I won't be able to spend a lot of time on it because I'm so excited about spring and pretty colors and getting ready for a workshop I'm taking in upper state NY next month with Lori Putnum.  I'm making a new glass palette just for plein air colors, and in particular, her suggested palette.
Yesterday I spent hours with Carol Pike going over our plans for our Italy painting trip in September and the itinerary for the last few days where we are leaving the group and going to Sorrento and Capri.

European Painting

I haven't really painted anything that reflects the great european trips I have taken over the past five years.  While I was working with my art student today, I got started on a outdoor cafe scene with arches and umbrellas that has nice bright colors of yellows, oranges.  I hope I can remember to take photos as I paint it so that I can show the progression from beginning to end.
I bought some plastic containers to house my palettes.  I need to keep separate palettes for plain air, studio, landscape colors, still life, etc.  I'll be preparing soon for the Lori Putnum workshop in NY and getting the palette together and experimenting with it.

Lori Putnum workshop

I am getting so psyched about attending and working with Lori Putnum in June in upper state NY!
I went yesterday to the Art and Design Show in Boston.  They always give away tons of magazines at these affairs.  In the latest Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, she is featured in the article Artists Making Their Mark. 
Here is the photo that went with that article: View with a Room
I was happy with myself, finding this link.
The treatment of the foreground inspired me to use a similar treatment on my current painting that has a lot of space devoted to the foreground but it is not the center of interest.