"Mancini Glassware", 9x12"

Do you have a favorite painting?  One of my favorites in the world is "Resting", by Antonio Mancini.  Every time I visit the Art Institute of Chicago, I make a beeline for this painting to marvel at his loose treatment of shapes, thick paint, and rich color.  But what always gets to me the most is that glassware on the table!  How on earth did he do that?  I stand in wonderment while my companions drift into other rooms.  I can never tear myself away.

Dailypaintworks had a challenge last week, to copy a master painting.  Julie Ford Oliver, a painter I've admired for years, decided to copy a Mancini painting, and she inspired me to swallow my fear and take on the challenge of a Mancini myself!

I started out with a flat brush and quickly found out that I couldn't get his haphazard patterns this way.  I switched to a palette knife, and I was off to the races.  Most of my time was spent on the background.  I couldn't proceed to the glassware until the background was well established.  I didn't want to put in a lot of work on the objects if I had to go back in and fuss with what was behind them.  

To really get a loose effect, I had to stand back from my easel and let my whole arm move with the knife.  At times I was terrified, and at times I was elated.  The second half of the challenge is to create a new painting inspired by the painting we copied.  I hope I can find the energy to tackle it.  For now, I think I'll raise a toast to Mancini and thank him for the lessons he taught me today.

Painting With 5 Colors ( A New YouTube)

I gave a demo the other day on how to paint a still life using a limited palette of colors.  I used two reds, two blues, one yellow, and white.  Here's the painting that resulted.

Several people had questions about how to paint with such a limited number of colors, so I decided to make a YouTube video to demonstrate it!  It's 14 minutes long, but you can fast forward through it to get the idea.  Or what the heck, get out a cup of coffee and let me entertain you!

I'd be interested to know if you like these little YouTubes, and if there are other topics you'd like to have me demonstrate.

Click on Ann Feldman YouTube to see the video.

"Jack As A Young Man", 12x16"

 "Jack As A Young Man"

"Claire"

In addition to painting en plein air once a week this summer, I am painting from models in Bill Schneider's studio.  I'm considering this time as sort of a mini-camp, to sharpen my observational skills and broaden my horizons.  Everyone in our little group has something to contribute, from a new outdoor vista to try, to introducing a new model to our group.  

Jack is the son of a friend of mine, and when I met him for the first time I thought that I would love to paint him.  He is that wonderful age somewhere between boyhood and manhood, and we all loved the challenge of trying to capture that moment.  Claire is a Barrista at Starbucks, and her coloring and translucent skin were lovely to paint. I told myself not to fuss with her portrait too much, leaving it loose and impressionistic.

"After the Rain, Paris", 20x24"

There was a rare moment of stillness in this plaza near Notre Dame just after it rained.

"Montmartre Impression", 9x12" and a Letter to the Atlantic Monthly

 I created this painting of Montmartre very loosely, using a palette knife for most of it.  I loved the juxtaposition of the serene domes of Sacre Couer overlooking the hustle and bustle of the merchants and tourists below.  For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Montmartre.

I was shocked to learn recently that a letter I sent to the editor of the Atlantic Monthly had been published.  I wrote it hastily and emotionally, then clicked "send" and thought nothing more of it.  My doctor told me that he was pleased to read my letter in the latest issue, and you could have knocked me over with a feather.  It dealt with the topic of Art in the Marketplace, so you may find it interesting.  Here it is:

"A Paris Cafe", 12x9"

The warm days were numbered as fall took hold in Paris.  Cafe goers took their time enjoying the last rays of sunshine in this restaurant next to the Siene River.  I love painting my memories of France.  Moments like this one become vivid, and I feel as if I'm experiencing them all over again.

For purchase information, please click on Ann Feldman Paris Cafe.

"Steamboat Snow", 9x12"

"Steamboat Snow"

oil on canvas, 9x12" (sold)

Snow has been very scarce here in the midwest this year.  I painted this piece after walking in the mountains in Steamboat Springs over Thanksgiving while we were visiting our sons there.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support through the year by following my blog, and maybe giving me a bit of feedback now and then.  One of the greatest gifts to me is when one of you passes my blog on to another friend that you think might enjoy it.  Knowing that you are "out there", reading what I say and seeing what I've painted makes everything I do worthwhile.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

"Blue Bowl in Sunlight", 36x48"

The last half of the summer, I put my head down and got to work, getting an inventory of paintings ready for the J. Petter Gallery in Saugatuck (formerly the Button Petter Gallery).  If you are in the Midwest, and you're looking for a great destination in the fall, I recommend making the drive up to Saugatuck.  The leaves will be beautiful, the shops are great, and when you arrive at the gallery, you can have a wine tasting!  Wine and art-- what could be a better combination?

This piece is one of my largest, at 3 feet by 4.  I'm so happy to have a gallery which believes in my work and is willing to promote it!

And look who stopped by the gallery to see my work-- the Stanley Cup!  Any Chicagoan knows that now that Oprah has moved away, our biggest celebrity is Stanley.  It was so wonderful to have this visit, even though he seemed somewhat unmoved by my work...

"Summer Shadows", 40x30"

Another very large painting has made its way to the Button Petter Gallery in Saugatuck.  I enjoyed painting this one from an aerial perspective to change things up a bit.

Last week, the two Ann(e) Feldmans (my sister-in-law and I share a name!) made their way to the Santa Barbara Museum to take in the Armand Hammer Impressionist collection.  Oh my!  This exhibit knocked our socks off!  So many beautiful pieces that I'd never seen before.  Here are just a few to give you an idea of what's there.  I hope you'll have a chance to see it someday, if you haven't already.

Berthe Morisot, "View of Paris From the Trocadero"

Vincent Van Gogh, "Lilacs"

 Claude Monet, "Villas in Bordighera"

Edgar Degas, "Three Dancers in Yellow Skirts"

"Framed Rendezvous" 30"x40" And Thoughts on Going Big

I've become seriously addicted to Pinterest this year.  One of the things I like looking at the most on this site is photos of artists in their studios.  It struck me that so many of the artists were working LARGE, and I started to think, "well, why not?".  I managed to wedge a few gigantic stretched canvases from the Dick Blick art supplies store into my car, and I was off!

"Framed Rendezvous" is the second painting I completed during this phase.  It's really not more difficult to paint large, it just requires more of a commitment.  Lots of time and lots of paint are required.  Beyond that, it's not any different than painting smaller.  The biggest benefit of a larger scale is that it makes much more impact on the viewer, just because it's taking up so much more space.  Add some red to it, and it pretty much shouts "Hey look at me!".

This painting is in Saugatuck at the Button Petter Gallery.

 William de Kooning

 Jenny Saville

Michelle Doll

"The Faces of Barrington"

"Grace", 12x16"

Since September, the Barrington Cultural Arts Center has been meeting on a weekly basis, asking residents of Barrington to sit for a portrait.  The result of all this effort (and fun) is a wonderful exhibit of this work, numbering nearly 150 portraits!  If you are in the Barrington area this Friday, I would love to see you at the opening of this show at the Ice House Mall from 6:00 to 9:00pm.  Many of the models and artists will attend, and food and drink will be supplied by Barrington businesses.

I will have four portraits on display.  It would be so wonderful to see you there!

"Vesna's Daughter", 12x16", And Some thoughts from Qiang Huang

"Vesna's Daughter"

I read in Qiang Huang's excellent blog that he believes that artists tend to group into two categories: still life/portrait painters and landscape painters.  The still life/portrait folks enjoy painting the forms of things, while landscape painters look for the patterns in their surroundings.  When I read this, it was as if a gong sounded in my head-- I'm a form painter, and always have been!

I started to think about other artists through history, and they did tend to settle in one or the other of these two categories.  Qiang went on to say that after an artist has mastered one type of painting, he or she often starts to look for challenge in the other genre.

I love a beautiful landscape as much as the next person, but have had a dickens of a time painting my own.  It's good to know that there is a challenge out there on the horizon, waiting for me to put my toe into new waters.  But maybe not today.  Tomorrow's not looking good either!

Still Life by Qiang Huang

Painting Knife Workshop

I was getting ready to teach a Painting Knife workshop this weekend, and stumbled upon a couple of Oldies But Goodies that I thought I'd pull out of the archives.  Both were painted thinly at first, using a brush, then I got out the trusty knife and laid down thick paint over everything I could.  They are still among my all time favorites.

And now for a little news-- I've started to teach art in the continuing education department at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois.  So far, so good!  Still teaching at Mainstreet, too.

If you get Southwest Art magazine, you'll see an ad with some of my paintings there this month.  It was part of their American Impressionist Society feature.

Lots of teaching, not much posting!  I hope to get back to the easel very soon!

"The Sentiment of Sunflowers" 24x12"

Sometimes, when I'm feeling "stuck", I'll pull out a completely new shape of canvas to shake things up a bit.  This long rectangular shape allowed me to focus on the abstract shapes of the flowers without having to go into a lot of detail on the vase or the background.

"Paulette", 12x16" Painting with Three Colors

Last week, I taught a two day workshop in Huntley, Illinois on Color.  We worked with a limited palette of red, yellow, and blue to really learn the properties of the colors and how to mix them effectively.  On the evening between the two classes, I went to open studio to paint.  All I had on my palette were my three colors, so I decided to put my theory to the test and paint only with what I had.  This portrait is the result.

Paulette is a student of mine who has just graduated from high school.  We will miss her so much when she leaves to go to college.  An accomplished artist who will go on to do fabulous things with her life.

Below, you can see the color wheel that we mixed in class.  (My students were MUCH neater than I was).  Three colors can go a long way, and can eliminate a lot of confusion along the way.  Once we have a really good understanding of the primary properties, we can go on to add other colors to our palette.

"Reflections in Blue", 20x24"

Once again, I took a perfectly fine and "normal" looking painting and fractured it to make it more interesting (at least to me).  This one is on its way to the East End Gallery in Nantucket.  I hope it's happy there!

Tomorrow, I'll be giving my very first workshop on Color in Huntley, Illinois to the Pencil and Palette Club.  I've been having many requests for this workshop, and will be offering it in the fall at Mainstreet Art Centre.  The first day of the workshop, we'll concentrate on mixing pure, vivid colors, and the second day, we will be working in the "mud".  I'm looking forward to it!

A Portrait in Progress

I thought it might be interesting to show the process behind painting this portrait from life.  The painting on the left shows the stage where I am thinking about putting down lots of color and finding the planes of the face and features.  In the painting on the right, I've taken my trusty Langenickel soft brush and softened everything I did in the first stage, then added a few details like nostrils and highlights to bring it all together.

Here are the colors that I used in the light areas of her face.  I begin by mixing Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Scarlet, and Titanium White for a basic warm skin tone.  Then I added a drop of green, then Cerulean Blue, then Quinacridone Rose, then more Cadmium Yellow to change the color of the skin ever so slightly.

For the shadows on her face and neck, I started with a mixture of Ultramarine Blue with Quinacridone Rose and Titanium White.  To this mixture, I added Cadmium Scarlet, then a medium value green, then Cerulean Blue, and lastly I mixed Yellow Ochre to my basic purple color.  This gave me a nice range of shadow colors to play with.

When I softened her face, I tried to let the colors stay separated just a bit.  I have a tendency to over blend and lose the color excitement.  When I find a good balance, I put my brush down and walk away quickly!

Woodstock Courthouse Show

Have you considered owning a larger piece of original art but balked at the mind-boggling prices?  I've got some pieces in the Woodstock Courthouse Art Gallery for a show through February with prices that are a fraction of my usual gallery prices.  They are all framed in black or dark bronze frames, ready for hanging. The sizes listed below are for the pieces without frames.

Contact Vicky at the Woodstock Courthouse Art Center for details and shipping.  I'll give you details about the upcoming reception on February 15th, too.  I'd love to see you there!

 "DeLawn", Oil Painted OnThick Gesso On Canvas, 22x24", $425

 "Red Scarf", Oil on Canvas, 12x16",  (SOLD)

 "San Diego Morning", Oil on Gesso Board, 14x11", $225

 "La Señora", Oil on Canvas, 12x9", $185

"The Visitor", 16x12", $325 

"Claire, Freedom 58 Project" 11x14"

I was contacted by Bob Swenson, former NFL player for the Denver Broncos to help with a project that he and his wife have started, titled "Freedom 58 Project".  They are asking artists to paint portraits of freed slaves which will be on display to raise awareness of the huge problem of slavery and human trafficking worldwide.  I was more than happy to lend a hand, and I chose to paint Claire.  Her strong, optimistic spirit spoke to me, and she was a joy to paint.

New Class Announcement

"Floral Fantasy in Red"

Button Petter Gallery 

"Floral Fantasy in Yellow"

Button Petter Gallery 

"Tea Roses"

East End Gallery

Dear blogging friends, I have neglected you far too long, and I apologize for that.  In a nutshell, I have been painting like crazy.  In the spring, I had galleries to supply.  The three paintings above have sold in the last month, and interestingly, they are all florals!  Hmmm, perhaps I should pay attention to that...

After the gallery orders were filled, I retreated to my studio to continue my experimentation with the new techniques I've picked up in the last few months, particularly in CW Mundy's workshop.  My ratio of successes to failures at present is about 1/10.  The paint is flying and the canvases are filling the garbage bins.  But my hope is that I will eventually emerge from my garret with a new approach, and perhaps a new understanding of impressionist art.

NEW CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT: I will be teaching 6 week classes in Impressionism for new and continuing students at Mainstreet Art Centre in Lake Zurich, IL starting in September.  The classes will be held on Fridays.  I will also be teaching a portrait class on Monday evenings, beginning in September.  If you'd be interested in any of these classes, please call Mainstreet at (847) 550-0016.