5-Day Challenge: Days 2 and 3

Here's a quick post on the results to date of my 5-Day Challenge, just to keep me honest!

After the blue pregnant lady in progress from Day 1, I switched to blank surface for Day 2. This is what I came up with:

background in waiting, 12x12 on wood panel

On Day 3 I had plans to continue the soft wash treatment on this background and see where that would lead me, but instead I got the idea to play with Bombay ink and ended up with this:

work in progress, 12x12 on wood panel

I love where this is going. It's such a new direction for me and I've no doubt it was directly influenced by the palettes we created in Mary Beth's Primary Colors workshop at S.A.W. I never expected it to go there, I just followed my intuition - one insight at a time.

I love it when that happens.

Day 4 coming soon...

Squam Art Workshops Day 3: Primary Colors

OK now I'm interrupting my 5-Day Challenge to bring you the last instalment of reports on my classes at Squam Art Workshops.

But before moving on to the class, I just had to post this picture taken by my cabin mate G:

the girls of Brae Cove + 1 (photo by Amy Gretchen)

For me much of this year's S.A.W. experience was about these women, about the comfort, the stories and the laughter we shared around the fire.

It was about my feeling worthy - and sometimes not - of having them in my life, wondering what I'd done to deserve the friendship of such wonderful kindred spirits. When I was done wondering I'd go back to the conversation in front of the fire and promptly forget all about my insecurities. I'd laugh until it hurt. Then all was good again.

Thank you ladies. From the bottom of my heart.

Now on to Day 3 shall we?

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Workshop: Primary Colors

Teacher: Mary Beth Shaw

What I learned: that three primary colours can make a LOT of other ones; that I like purple more than I thought I did; that playing with paints and experimenting with colour is potentially a great way to warm up before hitting the canvas; that scheduling a "lighter" session for Saturday morning is a great way to wind down the workshop portion of S.A.W.

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After Friday's heavy learning this light, playful workshop was just what the doctor ordered. There was music (love, love, love Mary Beth's playlist!), there was laughter and fun.

palette sample using one of the triads

But don't be fooled, just because it was fun doesn't mean I didn't learn anything. Encouraged to experiment with three differerent triads (red, blue, yellow) of different tones + white, it was enlightening to discover just how many colours can be created with only four tubes of paint. Try it, you'll see!