Monday, March 24, 2014

Ventura Beach Workshop with Leslie Saeta

PALETTE KNIFE PAINTING 
WORKSHOP 
with 

Ventura Harbor I
11x14 oil on gessobord

Avocado Halves
6x6 oil on gessobord

Ventura Beach Sunset
8x8 oil on gessobord
Carnation Beauty
6x6 oil on gessobord

Many of you have asked me about my workshop in California with Leslie Saeta. Did I like it?  Emphatically YES! Did I learn a lot? YES! The hardest part for me was painting en plein air boats and a full harbor scene.
I am completely unfamiliar with boats.
  As you would expect of me living in the desert.
 And I learned the silliest things about matching color, something I should have learned with my first ever art lesson.



THIS IS THAT LESSON

Mix the color on your palette using your palette knife (of course).
 Now hold that fully-loaded-with-color knife next to the item you are about to paint.
 Does it match in hue and value?
 No more of this "You don't know what color you have until you put it on your canvas."
Do comment but don't tell me how on earth I could have missed such common sense.



SECOND BIG LESSON
(aside from painting that is)

My very supportive husband has listened to me for years tell him I am leaving him for a few weeks in the heat of the desert summer for a cool place. (He likes heat.) Year after year after year, I ask myself where that summer place is.  Besides cool it has to be where I can't wait to paint every day. After being in California on the beach, I am now in the process of searching for my "few weeks of cool" in Maine on the beach. I have contacted someone and can't wait to hear back.

14 comments:

  1. You lucky thing, sounds like such a fun workshop. You did very well. Boy can I relate to living somewhere hot...we have just had a couple of drops of Autumn rain and I am so excited...haven't seen real rain since October :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved being in California and on the beach. It has so long since I have seen any ocean, other than from the air. You wouldn't believe how hard it was for me to do three trying things at once: paint boats about which I know nothing, paint en plein air, use only palette knives. Yet I loved it!

      Delete
  2. Carol, I'm so glad you had such a fun and exciting experience. Maine sounds absolutelt wonderful too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am making phone calls right now to get to Maine when it gets into the nineties here in NM.

      Delete
  3. Great painting. Glad it was a perfect experience.
    Main is beautiful and the people are great.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maine trip is all booked Julie. I get to escape the NM summer heat of July for two weeks of plein air and studio painting in Wyeth country.

      Delete
  4. Thank you Julie. Painting is getting to be more and more about travel. There isn't a better excuse. Thinking of your comment about Maine, I have never enjoyed painting people though have taken drawing and painting figure workshops and classes. I am thinking now I might find a salty old lobster fisherman that would make a good painting.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wonderful work Carol. High five for taking on the challenge! Your avocados look so creamy - making me hungry :)
    Enjoy your day :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ha Sheila and palette knife painting. Go to my Facebook page and see what I did to my face with my palette knife.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow Carol, your paintings are ALL so well done! LOVE the avocado!!! I can imagine you learned tons in Leslie's workshop. How wonderful that you got to go. I never thought of testing out color that way. Thank you for sharing your tip!!!

    Maine...YES.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Come along to ME...cottage chosen is right on the coast with a red dingy available for cruising'.

      Delete
  8. wow...Maine! that will be fun. I love all your paintings from the workshop--really great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maine trip in July all booked! I will be in Wyeth country for two weeks and may even visit my FB and Word Puzzle friend in Steuben while there. I am so blessed!

      Delete
  9. The fabulous boat painting! And you say you had trouble!

    ReplyDelete

Awwwww thanks for writing to me. You know I love your messages!