Category Archives: Still Life Painting

Exploring the Palette Knife with Robin Wellner – Raleigh, NC

Painting Nature’s Glory in Palette Knife

The Centerpiece – May 8 – May 9, 2024, 10 am – 4 pm, $325

7400 Six Forks Road, Suite 19, Raleigh, NC

https://www.thecenterpiece.com/services/workshops

Join us for a two-day workshop exploring the use of the palette knife in your artwork. explore the looseness and freedom the knife catheterizations knife can add a looseness and freedom to your paintings. The palette knife is an incredibly flexible tool and learning to use it effectively will help you gain the confidence to experiment with it in so many creative ways. From increasing texture and distinct edges and lines to infusing clean color into the mix. You can use it a small amount to add tactile interest or do your entire painting with the knife…or something in between.

Day one will include an introduction to the knife and the limited palette we’ll use. Together we’ll do color charts and paint a small still life or landscape from a photo, using both a brush and the palette knife. Day two we will start a landscape from a photo and expand upon your palette painting techniques.

I’ll be working in oils, but feel free to bring acrylics if that’s what you are familiar with. Feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. Hope to paint with you soon!!!

Exploring the Palette Knife with Robin Wellner – Catawba, SC

Exploring the Palette Knife Workshop

April 22-24, 2024 – 10am – 4pm $300, limited to 10 students

Holly’s Fine Art Studio https://www.hollyglasscock.com/events

3699 Harmony Road, Catawba, SC 29704

Call 803-389-3586 or email holly@hollyglasscock.com to sign up

Join us for a three-day workshop exploring the use of the palette knife in your paintings. The knife can add a looseness and freedom to your paintings. You can explore a whole painting with only a knife, or use the knife only for accents.

Some of the advantages of the palette knife, besides mixing paint of course:

Easy to clean
Great for texture and clean color
The edge creates great lines, trees, etc.
You can paint over wet layers without the paint mixing like a brush

Day One will include an introduction to the knife and the limited palette we will use. We’ll create a color chart of your limited palette. Together we’ll all start a landscape from a photo, using some brushwork and knife work. Day two we’ll finish up our landscape and start painting a still life. The still life adds the challenge and opportunity of painting from life. Day three we’ll finish out still life, review and critique.

This class is for advanced beginners to intermediate painters. I’ll be working in oils, but feel free to use acrylics if that’s what you’re familiar with. Bring your own supplies and a bag lunch. A supply list will be provided when you register. Feel free to contact me with any questions! Hope to paint with you soon!!

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!!!

Painting Buddha with a Knife – Day 26

Painting Buddha

I’ve been wanting to paint this guy for awhile. He’s one of the pieces I inherited from my Aunt Robin — who I was named after! She was a very special lady! Traveled all over the world, sang with the Robert Shaw Chorale, worked for Newsweek. Way ahead of her time, she lived in Queens in NY by herself. Once when I went to visit her we decided to meet at a musical in town. She took the subway and I took a cab. When we got there a crowd was gathered around a cabbie and an older gentleman in some sort of dispute. Everyone was standing around watching the cabbie push on the old guy. My aunt walked right into the middle of it and pushed them apart.

This Buddha statue was from one of her trips. I have a studio in my home today because of her. I moved her to Charlotte when she was struggling because of her age. After living in some assisted living situations, we decided it would be great to have her at home with us. I spent a lot of time with her anyway. We designed my studio right next to her suite, so I could be available to her whenever she needed me. Put in large hallways to accommodate her wheelchair. Anyway, she passed before it was done. But I think of her often when I’m in my studio and that part of our home. Thank you Aunt Robin for letting me be a part of your life for your last years! It was an honor and a privilege!!!

Day 26, Buddha, dedicated to Jessie Roberta Allardice, Aunt Robin.

Ode to Lesley – Day 6

This painting was inspired by my friend Lesley Powell. http://www.lesleypowellart.com She’s an incredible artist from Charlotte who does beautiful landscapes and still lifes. She recently posted a painting she’s working on with a silver pitcher in it. In my quest to find subject matter for this daily painting challenge, I realized I have one of those pitchers! Yay – one more day resolved.

Ode to Lesley

Here’s my setup:

It was fun! I wavered between handling it with a brush or a knife, and compromised on a combination.

So another day down in my 30in30 Challenge and Strada Easel Challenge. I’m learning lots and it’s a great way to get your head back into painting after the holidays!