Bridges Over the Neva, 10x8"

Even though I've been teaching like crazy these last few weeks, I haven't been able to get St Petersburg out of my mind, and I return to my easel to paint my memories of this unforgettable place whenever I get a moment.

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Bridges.  Thank you!

"Don't Fence Me In", 10x8"

This painting was done from a photograph on a wonderful website called Lee A Brown Photography.  Lee Brown is a professional photographer who shares his work with us and invites us to paint using his references.  This piece is from Telluride, and is this month's painting challenge.  You should check this website out!

I painted this landscape upside down.  No, I wasn't upside down, but I flipped the reference over and painted the entire thing without looking at it right side up.  This is the result.  I challenged my Impressionism students to try their hands at it, and we were all amazed at how quickly and loosely they covered their canvases.

I may never paint a landscape right side up again!  I may have a small problem when I paint outdoors.  Time to sign up for yoga!

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Fences.

Morning, Neva River, 10x8"

The dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral is visible almost everywhere in St. Petersburg.  Luckily, our hotel was just across the street from this landmark, so we knew which way to point ourselves at the end of the day.  My favorite time to photograph the city was in the morning when the light hit the sides of the yellow and white buildings along the river.

To bid on this painting, please click on Ann Feldman Neva River.

"Siesta", 10x8"

I'm having so much fun with the "Destroy and Rebuild" technique that I learned from CW Mundy a while back, that I couldn't resist sharing it with my workshop students a week ago.  The Pencil and Palette Club in Huntley invited me to put on a workshop to explore new Impressionist approaches, and we covered a lot of ground!  This painting is a demo that I started in the workshop, then completed in my studio.  And now, it's on its way to Nantucket, and the East End Gallery!

I called it "Siesta" because it looks like the pear on the right decided to take it easy-- hmm, not a bad idea...

The Fractured Still Life, 10x8"

Ann Feldman 

Click here for purchase information

In my last Impressionism workshop session at Mainstreet on Friday, we tried our hands at fracturing a simple still life.  You may remember that I've been experimenting with this technique since I was introduced to it by Julie Ford Oliver.  I gave the students a quick demonstration (it was a simple pear that turned quickly into fruit cocktail so I won't share that one with you) and then I set them free.  I suggested to them that if they would like to see Julie demonstrate her technique, they should download her tutorial on Daily Paintworks.  It is excellent!

This technique requires quite a lot of brainpower.  You could have heard a pin drop in the class.  When they put down their brushes, we were all amazed at the different interpretations that came from the same reference.  I've included some of their work below.

Gloria Zucaro (click to see her blog)

 Ginny Breecher 

 Carol Breyer 

Mary Ann Pailey 

 Linda Rubens

Thanks for visiting!

"Fracturing" with Julie Ford Oliver

My eyes have been opened to a new approach to Impressionist painting.  If you are not familiar with the paintings of Julie Ford Oliver, I hope that you will check out her blog and her ArtByte tutorial on Fracturing.  I downloaded her tutorial this morning, and the resulting painting is above.  Be kind-- it is my first attempt at this technique, but I got very excited about the prospect of breaking through the forms of my painting to achieve a very unique mood!

My usual painting style is shown below.  I've always felt comfortable breaking up my color into various tones in my painting, but I never disturbed the forms themselves before.  I hope that I will be able to make this technique part of my style in the future.

I'd love to know your thoughts on my attempt to fracture my painting!

Autumn Reflections II, 10x8"

The fall here in the Midwest has been spectacular.  I couldn't resist painting another scene with our autumn colors!

Autumn on the Lake, 10x8"

"Autumn on the Lake", 10x8", Oil on Canvas mounted on Hardboard, Palette Knife

I will be donating the sale price of this palette knife painting to the American Red Cross as part of the Daily Paintworks Hurricane Sandy Relief Challenge. 

The Dock at First Light, 10x8"

Ann's Painting

If you are interested in this painting please click here.

Once a week or so, I join my good friends Frankie and Barb (both wonderful teachers and painters!) to kayak around Lake Zurich in the early morning before we start our day.  Yesterday, the light was so glorious that we vowed to return the next day at first light to paint.  

Frankie's Painting

Frankie's website

Barb's Painting

Barb's website

We spent about an hour and a half on the dock, pointed in the same direction.  I love coming up for air at the end of an intense painting session to see how each artist interpreted the same scene.  Each person leaves their distinctive "fingerprint" on the scene, and we each chose to highlight something different in our painting.

Thanks Frankie and Barb, what a great way to start the day!

Tea Roses, 10x8"

A student at Mainstreet brought in a little cluster of tea roses from her garden and put them on the front desk.  They were so perfect I couldn't resist painting them.

To bid on this painting, please click Ann Feldman Tea Roses.

Repose, 10x8" (Sold)

I am so lucky to be part of a studio where we have models come in and pose for us.  This model came in a few weeks ago for our portrait class.  I was busy painting from another model that day, but I took a few reference photos and painted her today.  I may decide to put more detail on this one, or I may just leave it loose and impressionistic as it is now.  Do you have an opinion?

This week's challenge on Daily Paintworks is to paint someone in repose.  I think I'll send this one in!

Tarts for Thiebaud, 10x8"

Tarts for Thiebaud, Ann Feldman

I can never just walk by a painting by Wayne Thiebaud.  I find myself stopping and staring at his paintings of pastries, all lined up like a row of soldiers, and I ask myself, what is it about this painting that I find so intriguing?  The pastries are displayed like icons, and they are imposing without being threatening.  They are tilted toward us invitingly.  The shapes and shadows are painted simply, but with extremely complex color shifts.  Thiebaud is pop art, contemporary art, impressionism, and realism all rolled into one.  He can't be defined, and perhaps that's why I find him so mesmerizing.

To bid on this painting, please click on Ann Feldman Tarts for Thiebaud.

Wayne Thiebaud, Four Cupcakes, 1971

Lavender Hillside, Colorado 10x8"

$125, oil on gessoboard

Well, the lavender color on the side of the hill is actually from scrub oak, but scrub oak in a painting title does not evoke the romance that lavender does!  I have entered this painting in a new challenge for me-- A Day Not Wasted June challenge.  The photograph is supplied by a professional photographer, and artists interpret it and send in their entries.  Should be fun!