Thank you for dropping by! I hope you will click on this gallery photo below to see more of my art websites and paintings. Don't forget to come back here to read my journal blog! http://patlblair.webs.com/
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
MY JOURNAL - July 18th Studio Art Reception
Seven paintings sold today during my Wine & Cheese Reception. How nice that they have found good homes!
Monday, July 13, 2009
MY JOURNAL
Already it is Mid-July and I have only painted once! I spent a half day last Friday painting with an artist friend , Elizabeth M. who lives in San Francisco. Glenda C. was supposed to join us but was ill that day. and she was missed! We painted The Antique Furniture Barn in Jacksonville and Glenda would have loved that! Elizabeth is a watercolor painter turned journalist painter. We met a few years back in a Journaling workshop and struck up a friendship immediately. At that time Elizabeth was living in Jacksonville. We enjoyed that first journaling workshop so much that we repeated the workshop the following summer! I believe it was the instructor, Marti Peet of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and the other seven artist in the group that made it so special. Everyone came back for the second workshop that was held at The Willows, a Bed & Breakfast Inn just outside of Jacksonville. I have not pursued my journaling in the same manner as Elizabeth (who is very accomplished) but have managed to keep up my journaling since then too. Mine have taken on the form of illustrated record-keeping. I use drawings, colored sketches and photographs to keep my blogs, that is my main journal and another one about painting in plein air :
http://paitblair.blogspot.com/ &
two blogs for The Children's Festival:
http://blair67.blogspot.com/and
http://blairsfredspot.blogspot.com.
I also keep my artist sketch journals I use when I go out to paint En Plein Air!
http://paitblair.blogspot.com/ &
two blogs for The Children's Festival:
http://blair67.blogspot.com/and
http://blairsfredspot.blogspot.com.
I also keep my artist sketch journals I use when I go out to paint En Plein Air!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
MY JOURNAL -- 4TH OF JULY IS PAST
TABLE ROCK FROM TAYLOR ROAD
Although I had thought I would take the summer off -- I have an unexpected opportunity to begin a new series of watercolor classes for a select group! My dear friends, Anne and Rob Duncan and my new dear friend, Judy Mooster came over this past Thursday for a 3 hour painting lesson. They all agreed that they wanted to continue with the "whole enchilada" so I will begin a class for them on July 28th! We will have a great time since they are all already experienced artists and just need to work in watercolor! I am definitely looking forward to this class! We will begin with the rules of painting and work from there! It will be a challenge for me to keep ahead of them!
Monday, June 29, 2009
MY JOURNAL - It's the end of June already!
MacKenzie, Caitlin and Caienna sketching Butler-Petrozzie Fountain in Lithia Park
MacKenzie, Caitlin and Charlie painting in my studio
For the past two Fridays and again today I have made a concentrated effort to get my grandchildren involved in doing their art. Each one of these teens have exceptional talent as artists! I enjoy their different approaches to art! MacKenzie wants to become a designer. Caienna is interested in abstract art and is quite accomplished! Caitlin has exceptional drawing and painting skills and Charlie is becoming quite the painter too! I am so fortunate to have all of my grandchildren living either in Medford or Ashland and very pleased that they enjoy spending time with me in my studio!
I have two additional granddaughters who are also very interested in art. Sascha and Maia were both away at camp when the "olders" were doing their thing!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
MY JOURNAL - A Wet June!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
MY JOURNAL
Maintaining my New Year's Resolution to paint en plein air every week is more difficult than I first thought. Some weeks the weather has been too wet and cold and at other times other commitments have gotten in the way. All in all, however, I have been going out to paint as often as I can. Although I always try to have a painting partner when I go out and it is more fun than going out alone. I suppose this is because I am basically a very social person but I will go by myself if no one is ready to go!
This past Friday my painter friend, Glenda and I drove over to Eagle Point, Oregon to do a plein air painting of the Butte Creek Mill which is a historical site. It is an actual working flour mill and they have a delightful country store with everything you might want. Candy sticks, ice cream bars, their own flour bagged for sale in large or small quantities, maple syrup in the log cabin tins we all remember, and much more! After painting all morning we rewarded ourselves with a shopping spree in the store!
This Friday three of us, Glenda, Judy and myself will be driving up past Roxy Ann for another beautiful view of the valley. Judy has picked the spot which requires traveling up a rocky road for a distance but she promises a wonderful rewarding view at the end of the road! I am ready and the weather promises to cooperate! We'll take our straw hats and sunscreen!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
MY JOURNAL
Teaching drawing and sketching classes is something I have added to my schedule of class offerings just this year. I am loving it! So far I have had two students finish an 8 week course and the second class is halfway through. It is challenging for me! Luckily I have had very motivated students who are ready to work for 2.5 hours straight and willing to do homework assignments! I can barely get the social greeting portions completed before these eager and talented students are doing "show and tell"!
My lesson plans include perspective, proportions of the human figure, values - contrasts and shading and composition. We have done still life, human portraits, landscape with pen and ink and also charcoal drawing. In each of the eight week sessions we do an in-class project, stop long enough for a sip of tea, then we do a second drawing project. It is amazing how quickly that two and a half hour session goes by!
Labels:
Drawing,
human figure,
landscape,
portraits,
sketching,
still life
Monday, April 6, 2009
MY JOURNAL
My photograph of Mount Thielsen, Oregon . . . should I paint it
in my studio or just go there and paint en plein air?
My first love is the out of doors and painting en plein air, but since the weather here isn't always perfect even in the summer, the studio is a logical respite. I have spent a lot of time in my studio this year, too much time. But, the reality is that studio work is an integral part of this artist's life.
I am committed to working from life, either in the studio with still life setups or outside on location. I take a lot of reference photos which I use in my studio when composing a new studio painting. The thing that I must learn to do in my studio paintings is to paint in the same manner as the plein air pieces. That is, with a lot of paint and spontaneity.
Watercolor is a seductive medium with a will of its own and I work constantly towards conquering it or at least feeling somewhat successful! I spend many hours working on composition, values and technique. When I achieve perfection I will let you know!
Oil painting is a constant challenge and a medium that I feel is more conducive to working en plein air. My goal is to spend more time outdoors painting either in oil or watercolor this year and perhaps encourage others to join me for a plein air class in this Spring and Summer. I intend to push myself "out there"!
Teaching is a wonderful learning experience, since it requires that the instructor be ‘brushed up’ on her knowledge, and having to verbalize that knowledge reinforces it. It’s also amazing how much students give in return.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
MY JOURNAL ~~ Rainy Day Painting
My latest composition watercolor painting
I prefer going out to paint en plein air but in Oregon there are days in the Winter and Early Spring that just do not work well with watercolor painting or with sketching. On such days (sometimes a week at a time) it is just very necessary to stay indoors! Complaining and grumbling does not help. On these days I read, watch television movies and art instruction CD's (such as Richard McKinley's great workshop on painting in pastel) or spend hours in my studio working on composition paintings. I have spent the past two weeks working on a composition painting.
I began a new Drawing and Sketching class on March 10th. Only two students this time too but they are great!
both are highly motivated and ready to learn whatever I can teach them. It is so much fun to have eager learners! I have to work to keep ahead of them. It is amazing how much you can learn when you have students with so much potential! I am getting spoiled because the previous two students I had in the January/February class were also great!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
MY JOURNAL
Pen & Ink of Jacksonville from the Cemetery
February has come and gone! How did that happen? I suppose I shouldn't complain but last year I at least had one more day before the month ended! Somehow Oregon winters come and go before we have any really bad weather! Now I am thinking. . . did it really snow?
Here we are in March and I am looking forward to lots of nice sunny days (in between the rainy days) to go outdoors for more Plein Air painting! On the 27th of February one of my painter friends went out with me for an afternoon of painting from the Jacksonville Cemetery. The cemetery is located on a hillside right in town and it is a lovely spot to see! Karen chose a view looking East over the rooftops towards Medford and I chose the rooftop view of downtown Jacksonville. It was a very peaceful afternoon, no noise, very little distractions except for a couple of hikers out for an afternoon stroll. We stayed until about 3:30 pm when the chill came in with the hillside shade. We promised to bring our sketches or painting to show when we meet this week and this time we will have three people to go unless we encounter bad weather. It is such a great experience and one that should be shared with other painters! I wish you could join us!
Friday, February 6, 2009
MY JOURNAL
Roxy Ann Across The Vineyard
Pastel en Plein Air
Today I had time to do many things that I love to do and somehow this time each one thing led to another in a rather fluid motion.Sunday, January 11, 2009
MY JOURNAL 2009
Here it is, 2009!
It is already the second week of January and I am well into the new year!
I had taken a hiatus from painting during an exceptionally busy Holiday Season and my home is the gathering place for my Clan. We had Thanksgiving and Christmas here and although it is quite noisy with 6 excited grand kids and a crowded dinner table at times we all enjoy being together "at Grammy's"
I started up a new class the first week after New Year's in Drawing and Sketching. I only have two students in this class which is good for all three of us! I enjoy being able to give instruction one-on-one when we can spend time working out each one's individual problems. I am looking forward to the next seven weeks since both students have a natural talent and are eager to learn!
Friday I returned to my painting too. My good painter friend and I planned to do Plein Air painting but it seemed too cold and foggy so we elected to work in her studio. We each had projects on which to work and spent a half day doing studio paintings together. I wanted to paint The Rogue River Gorge (completed painting above) from a photograph I took about three summers ago. This was my chance! It is great to have immediate feedback sometimes from another artist while you are painting. At other times, however, I need to paint in solitude.
We have committed to doing Plein Air painting on Fridays each week. Let's hope we can continue doing just that for this whole year! Hopefully we can include other "fair weather" painters as we move into warmer weather in about mid February or March!
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WORKSHOP "CREATING & KEEPING ART JOURNALS " MAY 27,2011 . CALL TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT!
GALLERY & STUDIO SALES
My Gallery/ Studio is in my home and I am fairly successful in selling my work by having an open house studio/gallery reception about twice a year (one in the Summer and one in early winter.) I find it fun to do and usually set a three hour time for the gallery sale to run. I serve wine and cheeses and spend a lot of time visiting with my friends and neighbors. (Sixteen of my paintings sold in my last sale during a three hour time period!)
Let me know if you'd like to be on my invitation list.
Just email me at: blair432@charter.net.
Let me know if you'd like to be on my invitation list.
Just email me at: blair432@charter.net.