Belated DOB Party at the River Club 5 ' 13

It rained yesterday, so our plan to celebrate Bruce's DOB with a round of golf at the River Club was put on hold until today.

The delay and beautiful weather only seemed to improve his game.

And he seemed to be having a great time.  Happy Belated Birthday, Bruce.

Paintings installed at the Market Common

In preparation for the grand opening next weekend, Bruce helped me install my paintings on my wall at the Seacoast Artist Guild Gallery at The Market Common in Myrtle Beach.  Thank you sweetie, you are so much better at hanging art than I am. 

Poinsett Bridge 4"13

Pointsett Bridge is the seventh of the paintings that I have completed for my State park Series this month. Some of you may remember when I visited it last October (26th 2012) . It is located just outside of Greenville South Carolina. It was build in 1820 and is believed to be the oldest standing bridge in South Carolina.The graceful 14-foot Gothic arch stone bridge spans the Little Gap Creek, and was part of a toll road that ran from Charleston, through Columbia and into North Carolina.

Fond Fairwells 4"13

It's that time of year.  All our snow-birding neighbors are packing up and heading north for the summer.  This week we bid a fond farewell to our friends,  Janet and David H..  Harry and Nancy S. will soon be heading off to their cottage at the Cape.  Hasta luego, amigos!  We'll miss you guys.

Campbells Covered Bridge 4'13

Campbell's Covered Bridge is the fifth painting I completed for my State Park Series in April. Many of you may remember it from my post of Oct. 26, 2012 when we stopped to picnic at this is a well-preserved piece of Upcountry history. It is the only covered bridge remaining in South Carolina. Campbell's Covered Bridge is named for Lafayette Campbell, owner of a nearby grist mill who allowed his property to be used for the bridge's construction. Built in 1909, it bridges a lovely, meandering stream. The Campbell's Covered Bridge site is now owned by Greenville County.

Magnolia Gardens Photo Shoot 4'13

  The Charleston Artist Guild is collaborating with Magnolia Plantation on a  exhibition of paintings of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.  Even though the exhibition won't happen until next Fall, I though it wise to visit the plantation  to start scouting out painting locations and to collect some additional reference photos .

 

Bruce volunteered to come along as chauffeur and part time equipment caddy.  ( He is incredibly patient about pulling off the highway for me to take a photo of something I've spotted along the road, and very helpful in holding my purse and camera so I have both hands free to do a quick sketch).

The fact is I enjoy his company and he is a good photographer in his own right..

 

 He introduces  interesting and different perspectives often pointing out  subjects I would have overlooked had he not been along.  e.g. it was his idea to visit the plantation's  slave village where I got this and several other  interesting photos

It is a good thing we went when we did.  Most of the camellias were already spent, and this years rains had knock off many of the azalea blossoms.  Still we did get  some very good classic shots of the grounds in bloom taken this one taken near the Administration Center Pond.

 I  have numerous reference photos of Magnolia Plantation from visits made in the Fall and early Spring but   the  none were in quite the same weather conditions.   Today was very gray and overcast, giving an entirely different look and feel to the grounds..

.. some spots were almost ethereal and others very stark compared to the exuberant photos I had taken of the same scenes  bursting with color in fall and early spring of previous years. ( see 11/20/10  "Magnolia Plantation and Gardens Photo Shoot 11 '10")

We both got some really beautiful photos.

Blackmoor Golf Club 4 '13

Today we played the Blackmoor Golf Club,which is the only course in the Myrtle Beach area designed by legendary golfer and architect Gary Player, a former Grand Slam winner. This course was built on the historic Longwood Plantation, whose heritage as a successful antebellum rice plantation on Waccamaw River. It features lakes, moss-draped oaks, pines, and cypress.You will be sure to see wild turkeys, alligators, and other wildlife during your play here.  The tranquil atmosphere and beautiful scenery will put you face-to-face with the best that nature has to offer.  Blackmoor was recently voted the Strands Golf Course of the Year, and for good reason!

Gary Player used every natural land asset he was given when designing this course. From the historical cemetery incorporated on the 13th hole, to the low elevation and swampland, every feature he found was used to create a golfing gem. Blackmoor features a course rating of 71.1 and is home to some of the area's most challenging and creatively designed holes

Taking advantage of the natural terrain and vistas with its undulations.  Blackmoor provides golfers a unique opportunity for golfers to use every club in their bags and try shots they don't normally get the chance to do, such as bump-and-run. Featuring plenty of risk-reward opportunities, Blackmoor is a fun course because it offers golfers of all ages and abilities a friendly but true test of their games. With a layout that rewards finesse over strength, Blackmoor features narrow fairways with lots of  tight doglegs and water hazards and sand traps that call for precision over raw power. But those who play it smart can put up low scores by reaching the well-manicured greens, which aren't too undulating and provide up-and-down opportunities from any point. Definitely one of the more adventurous courses we’ve played.

Whooo hooo! It feels like a real studio! 4 '13

Whoo hoo.  It's all put together, ( with no thanks to the manufacturer's  whacko directions).  Thank you, Bruce.  I could never have figured out the inaccurate directions that it came with  it, but you did (and you don't even speak Chinese).

Brian Koury at CAG 4 '13

Charleston Artist Guild's Featured Artist for April is Brian Francis Koury.

Despite rainy weather, an art exhibition by the master of photography, Brian Koury,
 is drawing in hundreds of art lovers to the 'CAG' Gallery at 160 E. Bay St, Charleston SC

Brian's Photography is eye-catching and revealing.  It challenges the viewer to pause and explore beyond the realm of color into shades of gray from the deepest blacks to the brightest whites.  His bold use of black and white  with  an occasional highlight of  a single vivid color encourages us  to look deeper at the form and rhythm of the world around us.

You can see more of Brian's Beautiful work at:

http://www.briankouryphotography.com/

Easter at Noreen's 3"13

Appetizers before  Easter dinner at Noreene's

Guess what CC found in her Easter Basket? 3'13

  Guess what BJ gave CC for Easter?

Boy did that garner a lot of comments on the course this morning.

Easter Weekend at CAG 3 '13

 It was my turn to Gallery Sit at the Charleston Artists Guild Gallery.  So glad I had refreshed my wall with Spring flowers.  The gallery  was busy busy busy with tourists and locals who were  there to celebrate the start of Spring and Easter weekend.

'Da Big Un' 3 "13

We went for a walk around the Plantation this afternoon.  All the gators were out sunning themselves on the banks of the retaining ponds.  This guy is the "Big Un".  He's a full 10 footer and weighs several hundred pounds.  Remind me not to go fishing for lost golf balls in his pond.

Mini Golfing the Grand Strand 3 "13

There are at least 38 Miniature Golf Courses in the Grand Strand ( Greater Myrtle Beach, SC area)

  Bruce has decided that we should  play all of them

We started with 36 holes at  the nearest to us  at Inlet Adventure (above)

and concluded with an additional 36  holes on the two courses at Runaway Bay ( above) --- plus a few replays of some holes while we were waiting for the party of eight ahead of us to finish their round..

Looks like our putting should be improving a lot this year.

Working Large Workshop: Saturday 3 '13

Saturday was the last day of the workshop.   We each continued to work on our painting(s), while Bill walked around coaching each of us individually.    I worked on my 30x40" painting until noon then set it aside  because I wanted it to be as dry as possible when I put it in the car.  After lunch I worked on the 18" x 24 " painting and  brought it to the same stage as the first,  Neither a complete.   Both will require fine tuning of shapes, and textures and highlights, but I am quite happy with both.

Several, like me, had miles and miles to go after the workshop ended.. About three o clock we ended the painting and gathered into a group around a set of easels for a critique. One at a time each set our paintings onto the easels.  Bill keeps his comments constructive and too the point, and he was very respectful of the opinions of the others in the group .

This was a very advanced group of painters, so often the comments from the other artists in the group were really helpful.  Often their insights were as informative as those of the instructor. When they finished critiquing my work, I not only felt good about it, I had a clear idea of where I wanted to make changes.   ( I will post some new photos of the two paintings when I complete them).

   More importantly, as the workshop's title promised, I feel I can now face the prospect of  "Working Large Without Fear"

Working Large: Friday 3 '13

When we walked into the studio on Friday morning, Bill had the large canvas he had stretched the day before, toned, and set up on his easel with the reference photo below it.

He immediately began  applying blue lines for the design and blocking in large blocks of color

All the while he answered questions about materials, techniques from the artists in the workshop.  I learned a lot from the demo... like how to thin the oil paint  with Liquin and stand oil, and how long to let a layer on a large painting dry before moving onto the next layer..  That my sound simple, but it can mean all the difference between having a bright vibrant painting or having mud.

Bill coaching Patty with her painting

 After the demo,  we were instructed to work on our own painting  for the remainder of the day In the meanwhile Bill went from person to person coaching them on how to solve the issues their painting presented.

30" x 40" painting when I stopped working on it on Friday pm.

In my case, Bill encouraged me to  let the paint set up a bit on  my first painting by starting a second painting. I agreed to let the first could dry overnight..  By the time the day ended I had a good beginning on a 18" x 24" painting from a different reference photo,

and had worked up a hearty appetite for the wonderful group dinner we had at the Purple Onion in Saluda  that evening.

Working Large Workshop: Thursday 3 '13

 Bill jumped right into instruction on the first morning of the workshop with a demonstration of how he  proofs his concept on a small  canvas before  working on a large one.  Above you can see how he taped  a reference photo to the side of his easel, then loosely sketched out the design in a thin blue wash onto a toned canvas.   He then filled in the design with large blocks of additional color which were build up from dark to light.  This gave him the first rough layer of the final painting.  

Stopping there, Bill asked each of us to put a thin wash of color upon the canvas supports we had brought with us, and select a reference photo  ( from his collection or one our own) to use as the basis for our first painting.

 I had already selected my reference photos and toned my canvas with red iron oxide prior to arriving at the workshop, so I set up my  workstation and began painting.  By lunch time I too had my design roughed in and was ready to start applying  the first large blocks of color.

But first things first.... a group lunch at the Saluda Grill.

After lunch, Bill gave us a demonstration of how to wrap a canvas onto a stretcher frame.

That was a learning experience for me.  Not at all difficult ( if you are 6'+ like Bill).  It gave me more confidence for  how I can work if I can't find the size canvas I need locally.

What's all this white stuff? 3 '13

What is all that white stuff? I got snowed on Wed. nite in North Carolina. Big surprise... caught me totally unprepared. I was late to the workshop the next morning because I couldn't see through the ice on the windshield, and I didn't have an ice-scraper in the car, so it took me an extra twenty minutes of using the defroster on high to clear the windows enough to drive safely.

Working Large Workshop: Reception 3 '13

I am in Saluda, North Carolina for the  William Jameson workshop

"Working Large Without Fear"

Jeannette, Maryann, Anne, Judy, Patty

The workshop opened on Wed. evening  with a reception hosted by Ann and Bill Jameson for all of the artists and their families .

Eddie and Bill

It was a great chance to get to know one another and the spouses. 

and to learn one another's skills

Then Bill gave  us a tour of the studio space we would be working in, and gave us an overview of the next three days' agenda.

Bill, Patty, Ron, and Veronique

He also showed us samples of his work,

and what he means by working large.

I must admit... The latter revelation was more than a bit intimidating.

Oh Well, one can's progress unless one tries. Right???