Blog

Upon request our art teacher, Laine Francis, led a workshop on painting pets. Five eager learners sat around the large table at Marty’s Art and watched her demo a painting of Honey, Marty’s loveable yellow lab. Laine’s dog paintings hang on numerous walls in west Burlington where many of us reside. She uses a special round brush, Old Holland Kolinsky 7001 series number 9, to paint pets’ eyes and noses. Each of us had brought a pet photograph to paint, all dogs with one exception---my photo of Janice Whitesell’s cherished cat, Yellow Kitty 1.

The story of Janice’s yellow cats is an amusing one. She had been feeding a stray yellow cat who lingered in the bushes around her patio for weeks. When Janice returned from a trip to the beach, Linda, the cat sitter, informed her that there was not just one yellow cat but two. Without realizing it, she had been feeding both at different times. Janice soon caught the cats, took them to a local vet and brought them inside for taming as pets. Hence the story of Yellow Kitty 1 and Yellow Kitty 2 and the two paintings. (Janice had immediately commissioned a painting of the second yellow cat.)

Janice and I are neighbors and personal friends who share a love for cats. I spent the first year after Larry’s death in the “survival mode” of learning to live on my own. Through Janice’s encouragement I made the decision to reenter the social community and reconnect with life. Our regular ventures now include dinners at Maria’s and the Grille, well-intended attempts at golf, and, for me, tennis and bridge. My circle of friends continues to expand through garden club, book club, the Alamance Historical Museum Board and charity fundraisers. I owe much to Janice and value her companionship.

I now own an Old Holland Kolinsky 7001 series round brush and hope to paint more pets.

Cats and friendship. My heart is full.

Sisterly Commiseration

“I want to play soccer for the rest of my life,” declared 4-year old Quinn. But not on this day. For some reason known only to my younger granddaughter and despite a round of pleas from family members, Quinn was resolute. When Piper sat down on the bench and leaned toward her with a look of sisterly concern, I quickly opened my phone camera to capture the moment.

To me, the photo is priceless though it has taken me a year to gather the courage to try and paint it. I’ve only begun to attempt children’s faces, so the challenge was real. Quinn’s expression seemed to emerge rather magically; however, I struggled with Piper’s. Skin tone in shadow. I lost count how many times I wiped off the paint to begin again. I had to “get it right”. Finally.

As a mother of two boys, the delight of having granddaughters has been beyond belief. Piper turned nine in January and Quinn will be five the end of April. Piper is an avid reader and a budding artist. She has thrived in the SPLASH program at Elon Elementary. Our little soccer player is also a gymnast and a dancer of life. She begins kindergarten in the fall.

The painting will hang on my wall, a tender and timeless moment in young lives unfolding so quickly. Sisters. My heart is full.

Tyler White O’Brien Gallery on State Street in Greensboro, NC was the location of an early April weekend workshop led by artists Helen Farson and Laine Francis. As the Gallery’s first co-teaching team, this “dynamic duo” was warming up for a week-long art course they will teach in Provence in the fall. Can you imagine the excitement of being taught by two gifted teachers? Painting from photos was the focus…specifically photographs taken by Helen and Laine during their plein air painting excursions in southern France. We sat enthralled as the demonstrations unfolded, Helen the first day, Laine the second. Interspersed were the words of wisdom we had come to expect having sat before their easels on other occasions. “Try to forget what the object is before you. Keep it simple. Let the painting have depth in order to invite. Think twice--paint once. Are you a willow tree or an oak? Live on the edge. Be your own star”

Another highlight was “going to school” when our teachers, who had studied together with many master artists, shared memorable moments from C.W. Mundy, Quang Ho, Lori Putnam, Carolyn Anderson, and others. “Painting requires strategic patience,” Helen reminded us. Once again we went over C.W. Mundy’s Seven Fundamental Truths: drawing, squinting, design, value, color, edges and paint manipulations, and were reminded of the concept, delayed absorption. Helen assured that with time we would be able to understand more fully. Instead of selecting one of their photographs, I decided to paint one taken during my own travels in Provence in September 2015. I chose the stunning pear trees in Christel’s garden. I hope you notice the “sweet spot” where the prominent pears catch the sunlight.

At the end of each workshop day we were exhausted. Remember, painting is about making a thousand decisions. When Gallery owner Kathy O’Brien emerged from the kitchen with colorful macaroons and glasses of French rosé, we sighed with gratitude. A “Prelude to Provence” wouldn’t be complete without this familiar celebration. Next fall my artist friends Susan and Beth and others will accompany Helen and Laine to Gourdes, France where Huff Harrington of Atlanta has a lovely villa. Plein air painting, colorful markets, and good food and wine await.

A takeaway statement from Laine that particularly resonated was that paintings are gifts of ourselves to others. Whether they be golden pears, white roses or children at play, my personal goal is that my paintings make people happy. A quest for joy.