Plein Air Painting on a Bike

Maiden Voyage

Today was my maiden voyage — riding my bike to plein air paint.  I uplifted my bike with some big baskets so I could fit all my gear. 

Painting by bike

Fun!  Makes it so much easier to look for places to paint.  Not trying to drive a car and scope out possibilities!!  This particular tree is one that I always look at in my neighborhood.  I love the twisting branches — it looks like one of those trees on the coast that’s been windswept.  

This is Day 2 of the 30 day challenge.  Once again if you purchase this painting, half of the price will go to a charity to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Make sure and let me know which charity you prefer.  I mentioned 3 in my first blog post about 30 in 30.

All the best to you and yours!!!

 

 


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Day One – 30 paintings in 30 days – Bringing you Flowers

Once again I’m committing to doing 30 paintings in 30 days — all from life.  Dottie Leatherwood was a huge inspiration for my decision.  I always learn a tremendous amount when I paint daily, but this time it feels more meaningful.  I saw Dottie’s post about donating 50% to Hurricane Harvey victims and realized what a wonderful idea!  So for every painting that sells, 50% will be donated to victims of Hurricane Harvey.  They will be posted on Daily Paintworks, or you may contact me directly.

If you purchase one, please let me know your preference for donation – Red Cross or Houston Humane Society.  If you have a favorite charity that you’re familiar with that benefits those affected by this horrific event, please let me know.  

I received an email from the Portrait Society today.  They have set up a drive to donate art supplies to the hundreds of children who are stranded in shelters.  Many people had to leave their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs.  So they are coordinating a drive to send coloring books, art pads, colored pencils and markers to these children in the Dallas and Houston convention centers.  So that is another cause that I would be happy to send donations to as well.

All 30 paintings will be from life — so either plein air, interiors, people or still life.  My other caveat that I’m adding for my own education, is to do every painting  with a limited palette.  For instance, the painting above “Bringing you Flowers” was done with White, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Rose and Cadmium Yellow Light.

I’m excited about the opportunity to learn more — and to help some in this horrible situation in Texas.  Having experienced many hurricanes myself, I know how your life comes to a complete standstill — but I’ve never experienced any as intense and destructive as Harvey.  My heart goes out to all those folks!  

To purchase this painting http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/robin-wellner/bringing-you-flowers/620548.

All the best to you and yours!!!

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Zorn Portrait Workshop – Early Registration Savings

Dave and the Dogs

I think it’s pretty obvious that this is not an Alla Prima portrait — but it was done with the Zorn palette – white, yellow ochre, red and black.  

Talked to my partner in crime – Sarah Gay, manager of ClearWater Artists Studios and we decided to offered to waive the model fee for anyone who signs up  for the workshop by September 15th.

3-Day Intensive Workshop with Robin Wellner

Friday, Saturday and Sunday – October 6, 7 and 8, 2017 – 9:30am – 5pm

ClearWater Artist Studios, Concord, NC

$375, plus $50 model fee* per person

*waived if you sign up by September 15th

See more information on my blog or my teaching page at https://www.robinwellner.com

 

Hope you can join us!!! In the meantime, Happy Painting!!!

 

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Alla Prima Portrait Workshop Using the Zorn Palette

3-Day Intensive Workshop with Robin Wellner

Friday, Saturday and Sunday – October 6, 7 and 8, 2017 – 9:30am – 5pm

ClearWater Artist Studios, Concord, NC

$375, plus $50* model fee per person

*model fee waived if you register by September 15th

What do all of these paintings have in common???  They were all painted with only four colors!  White, yellow ochre, cadmium red and ivory black.

 

Portraits are challenging  — but so rewarding!  Simplifying my palette to something that I know works, has given me freedom to focus on other details of my work.  Anders Zorn’s limited palette gives me a beautiful range of skin tones and I’m virtually guaranteed color harmony in my painting.

Painting Each Other

I’m offering a three day workshop on this palette and other aspects of portraiture October 6, 7 and 8th, 2017 at the ClearWater Artist Studios in Concord, NC.  We will start each morning with instruction and a demo, painting the model “alla prima” (wet-on-wet) from life.  After lunch, you will all have the opportunity to paint the model with lots of one-on-one instruction and gentle critiquing.  We will focus on color, values, specifics on facial features, painting shapes rather than lines and learning to measure for an accurate likeness. There is nothing like painting from life!  Even if you choose to paint from photos in the future, painting from life will give you valuable information that will help you in that work.

“I honestly think that this class, for me, was truly perfect. Frustrating, but honestly what I needed – to be pushed and challenged and to learn more every session.  I loved it!”
 
“You are changing my way of looking at portrait models. I am ready to jump to the next level and I feel like I could do more with you.  I want you to be a mentor and teacher.”
 

ClearWater Studios offers a beautiful space in Concord, NC for this workshop. Once you register, I will send you a list of supplies and your first assignment!  Yes, I’m giving you homework!  You’ll come to the workshop prepared and already on the road to mastering some aspects of the Zorn palette.

Advanced registration is required.  Spaces are limited to make sure you get plenty of one-on-one instruction. Supply list and additional information will be sent upon registration.  Tuition will be refunded if cancellation is done 30 days before the workshop.  If for any reason the workshop is cancelled all tuition will be refunded.

I hope you’ll join us!  Please feel free to email me with questions or for more information.

Registration below or on my “Teaching/Workshop” page.




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Blue Ridge Impressions: Brush and Knife Paintings

This is one of my favorite places to paint plein air at Bass Lake in Blowing Rock, NC.  The view is spectacular and there’s plenty of shade.  In fact, Bass Lake has so many wonderful places to paint that I never run out of options.  You’ll run into lots of other painters there — as well as runners, walkers, hikers, fishermen, horseback riders, and lots of other lovely people.

I am so grateful to have the opportunity to have a show this summer with my paintings from the Blowing Rock area.   “Blue Ridge Impressions: Brush and Knife” will open July 17th and run through July 27th at Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery.  The reception is July 22nd from 5-8 pm.

The show will include lots of views of Grandfather Mountain, Cone Manor area, Bass Lake, Trout Lake, Price Lake and other landscapes from the area.  I’ve had such a great time exploring some new areas to paint while preparing for this show.  The views from Grandfather are so spectacular.  I even painted on top looking at the Mile High bridge.  I had to paint with one hand on my easel the whole time because of the wind!

Thank you to Tim and Alex at the Gallery for being so supportive!  I so appreciate the opportunity! And I am so grateful for my patient husband, Michael, who’s been my cheerleader all along and picked up the slack while I was frantically trying to get paintings done for the show!!!

Hope you can join us on the 22nd!!!

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Painting the Architect

 

Painting an Architect

The Architect, 24×28, oil/linen

What a treat and honor it was to paint this portrait!  This gentleman is an incredibly talented architect here in Charlotte.  I was lucky enough to paint both his daughters, and much to his wife’s surprise, he decided he wanted his portrait done.  There is no vanity involved here.  I think he’s just fascinated with portraiture.  He was gracious enough to also take the time to sit for me so that I could do color studies from life.  I’ve become so spoiled that I really resist painting from a photograph.  I am fascinated by the colors and subtleties of life!!!

Here’s the color study that I did from life.  Thanks to Chris Saper — one of the many things I learned from her was to keep swatches of the colors I use for various flesh tones on my study. So that’s what those colors on the side of the study are.

Portrait Color Study

Color Study for The Architect, 12×16, Oil/Linen

I learned another lesson during this process.  I decided to paint on an oversized canvas, so that I could crop later.  So many times when I’ve completed a painting, I wish that I could move something over a little.  So I decided to make sure I was happy with the final cropping.  Once I removed it from the stretchers though, it was another story!!!  Restretching a painted piece of linen is not easy!  I finally ended up taking it to a local framer and they did a beautiful job of restretching it.  

Can you tell I love painting people???  Grateful!!!

 

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Painting Portraits with an Audience, and a Ticking Clock!

This is me at the Portrait Paint Off trying to complete a painting in an hour and 45 minutes.  Clearwater Artists Studios, in Concord, host an annual portrait paint off with five selected painters.  The whole event is 3 hours — with wonderful baked goods and baskets of goodies to be raffled off.  For the last two hours, we paint, with an audience of about 150 people.  They were wonderful supportive and didn’t ask too many questions.  Which is a good thing, since I tend to switch off the talking part of my brain once I start painting.  I love the opportunity to paint with other painters.  Gordon James, Barbara Ellis, Isaac Payne and Mark Stephenson were the other featured painters.  It’s such a delight to see how everyone handles the same model in a completely different and wonderful way!
This is an iPhone shot of the final painting.  I started with my Zorn palette, but introduced some other colors because of her dress.  We had another row of painters who could set up behind us, so we had a full house of painters and audience.  

Grateful to Sarah Gay and Clearwater Artists Studios for the opportunity!!  Painting with the clock ticking is a good practice I think!

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Daily Paintings Collage

Collage of most of my daily paintings from January

I decided to post a collage of most of my daily paintings from January.  I’ve sold a few and had some questions about whether or not they are for sale.  So yes they are!!  Most are posted on www.dailypaintworks.com and most reasonably priced at $75/each.  Please go look if you’re interested!!

Thanks!  All the best to you and yours!!

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Painting Each Other – Todd Baxter

Painting Each Other

I am a part of a wonderful little group of artists who paint together every week from life.  Today our model “no showed” so Todd – one of our amazing artists – agreed to model.  This is from a 3-hour session, painted with the Zorn Palette. 

The Zorn palette has become my go to palette.  It’s so much easier to only have four colors out, and I feel like if Anders Zorn liked it, I’m good with it!! I’m starting to use my palette knife a bit more in places.  All those daily paintings using the knife has made me so much more comfortable with it.

Looking forward to teaching another Zorn class.  I’m waiting for the doctors to give us a gameplan for getting my husband well before I feel confident to put it on the calendar. Hoping to teach a beginners oil class as well — and maybe a palette knife class.  I’m really enjoying teaching!

All the best!!!

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Day 31!!! I Made It! Now for some tea!

Afternoon Tea

I can’t believe I’ve done it!  31 days of daily paintings.  I’ve learned a lot!  I’m also ready to get back to some bigger projects, but who knows I may come back to daily painting!

This teacup is a piece of Wedgewood that my Mom left me.  The pewter pitcher was one of her pieces as well.  Nostalgic to use these pieces in a piece of art.  

Thank you to the Strada Easel folks for issuing this challenge as well as Leslie Saeta for her 30in30 challenge.  I was able to combine both — doing a daily painting which satisfied Leslie’s challenge – and doing them all from life, which satisfied the Strada Easel challenge (and one extra day).  I’m grateful for all the learning!!!

Day 31 complete!!  All the best to you and yours!!!

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