Day Fifteen - Waiting For You

Waiting For You
Oil on Panel  6 x 6"

This looks like a fun way to get around and a great way to see Paris. Care to join me? I just had a cancellation today for my workshop in Southern France next June. That leaves room for you! We're going to rendevouz in Paris for a few days before the workshop and then take the train to our destination and paint for two weeks. I know you want to......

Day Thirteen - French Poppies....

Poppies of Provence (study)
Oil on Panel  6 x 6"

This was a fun little piece to paint. A close up from a photo taken in Provence. I had a hard time with the photo after dark so we'll see what it looks like in the morning. Painting daily like this is becoming a habit...a good thing.

Day Twelve - Les Deux Musee'

Les Deux Musee'
Oil on Canvas Panel  6 x 6"

This quaint Bistro across the street from the Musee d'Orsey was a nice stop for lunch and also a rest for our feet after a few hours studying the Masters with Ovanes last May.

Day Eleven - Castles of the Languedoc

Castles of the Languedoc
Oil on Linen Panel   10 x 8"

This was painted from a photo of the Languedoc Region in Southern France, the location of my upcoming Oil Painting Workshop. We will paint in and around the small villages of the region and also do some sight seeing. My hope is that we are not too late in the season for poppies!

Day Ten - There She Is

There She Is
Oil on Linen Panel   16 x 8"

This is the first time I've painted the Eiffel Tower. I found it to be a challenge in itself. The day I took this photo I was on a bus returning from the Musee' Marmottan Monet. I was on the other side of town from where I was staying in the Latin Quarter in 2009. So I was on the bus on my way back when the bus came to this observation area and there she was! Big and bold right in front of me. I headed toward her and snapped this photo. There were many more people on the corridor but I decided to omit them.

I continued to walk and walk and walk and finally I was looking way up. My feet were killing me so I grabbad a cab back to the Quarter..

Day Nine - At the Louvre

Renee at the Louvre
Oil on Linen   14 x 11"

My dear friend Renee' while enthralled with the Masters paintings last May at the Louvre. Wish I had a record of the artists whose work she was admiring. A good day indeed!

Day Eight - French Birdie?

Value Study on Linen   8 x 8"

No I did not paint a French subject today. And my day is done so it isn't going to happen. But paint I did!
I painted this little demonstration in my Oil Painting Class at the School of Light and Color today. We mixed grays and made a value scale, then we used our piles to paint a study. This was very quick and fun.

My belief is that if we learn to identify values first and then to see the value of color, we are half way there. I love having mixed grays on my palette. Just look at some of the old Russian masters, especially Nicolai Fechin. He used many grays in a dominant manner while using some vibrant color and WOW!
I am reading "The Art and the Life of Nicolai Fechin, by Galina P. Tuluzakova.

So get out the black and white, mix some grays and have at it. You can't go wrong.

Also, you don't want to miss Leslie Saeta's Blog Talk Radio Show tomorrow morning. She will be talking about the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge with Lisa Daria. Lisa has been painting a painting every day for four years.....! Leslie posted about it on her blog at  http://www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com/

See ya tomorrow....

Day Seven - Afternoon Light in Angoin

Afternoon Light in Agoin
Oil on Linen Panel  8 x 6"

Last summer I attended the workshop in the Burgandy area of France. We stayed at the Chateau ‘d  Angoin in the village of Salornay sur Guye. I took some photos one late afternoon as we walked through the small village.... good memories. 

Day Six - French Bistro

French Bistro  
Oil on Panel   6 x 6"

Continuing with my 30 paintings of all things French. I snapped a photo as we walked through the City of Beaune, in the Burgundy Region. I hope to have an opportunity to return to this wonderful little City. It had a small village feel and not a lot of tourists. I loved that we were able to take a few days and immerse ourselves into the French culture. The little Bistros stayed open late, inviting us to dine in the open air. We stayed in a very old Abbey, on the third floor. It was a job getting our luggage up some 72 steps, a winding staircase. But it was worth the stepping because the view above the streets gave us the wonderful sights of the rooftops and the bell tower was just outside our window......

Day Five - Avignon

Rhone River Walk
Oil on Linen Panel    6 x 8"

My first trip to France was in 2009. I took a workshop with two of my favorite people, artists and teachers, Brigitte Curt and Jim Smyth. Our group was to rendezvous in Avignon to rent cars and drive to our destination in the more remote villages of Provence.
My first night there I was alone, having spent a wonderful 5 days roaming around Paris before taking the train down to Avignon. I decided to take a walk through the city and just at dusk I came to the Rhone River. Just north of this area is the famous Avignon Bridge (Pont d'Avignon).
I took a bunch of photos of the bridge, cobblestone streets, steeples, and market area. Then I tasted the best gelato in my life!
I'll plan to continue my theme of all things French and share more about Avignon as I paint my way through my French travels.

Day Four - Saturday Market, Beaune, France

Saturday Market in Burgandy
Oil on Linen Panel   8 x 6"

This is a little 8 x 6 of Saturday at the Market in Beaune, France. Some of us stayed in this little wine village just North of our destination at the Chatueau, for three days prior to the workshop. It was a good decision. We enjoyed our time there while catching up on some needed sleep after our trip. I would love to visit this village again someday.

Day Three - Yvette's Kitchen

Yvette's Kitchen
Oil on Linen Panel    8 x 6"

I am having fun with this theme, "All Things French". It has taken me back to France last summer to the Chateau we stayed in for the workshop with Ovanes Berberian. Our host's took such good care of us and treated us like their personal guests for two weeks.

One early morning I snapped this picture of the light coming through the kitchen window. It was very inspiring.

Day Two - Chicks on a Plate

Chicks on a Plate
Oil on Panel  -  6 x 6"

While in France at the Ovanes Berberian workshop last May we stayed in a wonderful Chateau hosted by Eve's and Yvette. Every morning Yvette cooked our breakfast fresh from the farm. It was a delicious treat every day. (Yvette was under the impression that Americans eat eggs everyday) She would cook our eggs any way we desired. They are wonderful people who thoroughly enjoyed our company as much as we enjoyed getting to know them. And I love eggs!

Day One - French Cows

"French Cows" Oil on Linen Panel
8 x 10"

Finished up my first piece for the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. My theme is "All Things French". Last summer I attended a workshop with Ovanes Berberian in France. We stayed at a chateau north of Cluny in the Burgandy area. 

Each time we went to Cluny to eat dinner we drove along a beautiful highway with a view of the valley below. It was so beautiful and changed every day with the weather and time of day. One evening I decided to turn off the highway and we drove through this countryside. 

The cows seemed to know we were American Tourists, because they just stared at us!

Three French Hens?

Okay, I have settled on my theme for my 30 paintings in 30 days. All things French!
I was torn because I wanted to stick with France paintings, and I was considering landscapes of Southern France. Somehow it seems a little too limiting and I also love the still life so I've decided on All Things French. Perfect!
I'll start tomorrow, but I won't get to paint until we get home from Truckee in the afternoon. Hoping to post my first painting tomorrow night, but it might be Thursday morning instead. Can't wait to get started!

"Three's a Crowd" Oil on Linen
8x16" framed
 Available   $600

30 Paintings in 30 Days? Better Be Prepared......

Poppies of Provence by Randy Blasquez

oil on linen   24 x 30"

http://amsterdamfineart.com/index.html

I've decided it would be wise to have some sort of a theme for my 30 paintings so I started browsing my photos of Southern France. I might just go with that. I figure if I change my mind I can anytime I want. No rules here.
Originally I was going to go with live still life objects. I might still do that. But I am leaning towards Southern France because I am very passionate about all things French. Also I will be teaching my first workshop abroad in June through Montfaucon Tours in the South near the Coastal Region.
Now for preparation....
I'm going to get my sketch book going with some notan designs for my small paintings. I have a couple of days to do that while I'm still up at the Truckee house with my family. We plan to return home on the 2nd. Perfect!
I'll plan to post my sketches before we head for home. (I'll try)
Meanwhile if you would like, read up on the trip. I have one spot left in the Chateau....!

http://www.montfaucontours.com/tours/arts.htm
http://www.montfaucontours.com/
http://www.montfaucontours.com/tours/docs/RandyBlasquez2013Tour.pdf

Join me in this 30 day painting challenge!

Tulips and Lemons
Oil on Linen - 20" x 20"
sold

Leslie Saeta 30 Day Challenge Link

I invite you to join me in painting 30 paintings in 30 days. I think this was an excellent idea by Leslie Saeta.
Just click the link and read up about the details. There is no harm in giving it a try and so much to gain. Let me know if you decide to start out this new year right along with me. If I succeed with painting all 30 paintings in 30 days I will be surprised, but so what? I'll learn so much, and it will help me take that all important step into myself to discover my creative direction for the year.

You are up for a challenge I know it. Why don't you jump in and sign up with Leslie Saeta at the link above. This will be so good for us!

Lessons From The Palette

What could I be talking about? Lessons from the palette??
I was setting up my palette the other day and was thinking about how important it is to get it right. Your palette is a vital element in preparing to paint. I like to get my palette set up and ready to go before I begin a painting. I look at it as somewhat of a regimen or ritual of sorts. It slows me down and prepares me to be creative. I begin to get involved in the process kind of like a dancer might warm up before the dance.

I want fresh paint and plenty of it. I want mixed grays ready to go. I usually have at least three mixed grays on my palette at any given time. Below I will explain how to mix your grays if you don't have leftover paint to use. If you do have leftover paint, scrape your palette into piles of warms and cools. Automatically you have a warm gray and a cool gray.

There are several ideas that I want to share with you, but today I'll start with the importance of mixing "grays". You'll learn that having these mixes on your palette make your life easier and getting to the color and value you want  more convenient.

What is gray? To my mind it is a few colors mixed together. Sometimes they are dull and sometimes not. The ones I use the most are what I call a "cool violet gray", a "medium neutral gray", "medium warm gray" and "medium cool gray".
You can go on to have green grays, red violet grays, etc...  ( I also like to mix white and ochre together to make a "yellow gray".)

So, I start with my basic palette. Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson, Violet, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Pthalo Blue, Pthalo Green, Payne's Gray and Transparent Oxide Red.

I lay out my paints first, and begin to mix my grays. I start with white. Yes, white. Put plenty out and divide it up into piles, however many grays you will be mixing.

 In this instance I am making my "Cool Violet Gray". Starting with white, I add Ultramarine Blue.

 Start small and control the value from the beginning.

  It is much easier to add more blue and darken the value than to add to much blue and have to add white.

 Clean your palette knife with a paper towel and now add a lesser amount of Paynes Gray.

 The Ultramarine Blue and Paynes Gray are equal in value, but use a little more blue than gray. Here you can see how much you have added and compare.

 Now, you will use a tiny amount of Alizarin Crimson. It is very strong and will make your blue gray more violet.

Mix by "kneading" your paint with your palette knife. Scoop it up all together and turn it over while mixing, just like kneading bread. This is why you need a 3 inch flexible palette knife.

After mixing I adjust. This is a little light, so I will add more Ultramarine Blue until I get the value I want.

If it's too blue, add more gray, if it's too gray add more blue. You see how this goes.....

Now I scoop it up and take it to it's location on my palette. I like to keep it up near the blue family.

When I scoop up the pile, I dump it by turning the knife over, press down and then pull it away.

Now go back and scrape up the rest and dump it the same way.

My Cool Violet Gray is ready to go. Go ahead and mix a neutral gray or a cool and a warm gray and put those on the palette between the Paynes Gray and Transparent Oxide Red.

To make Neutral Gray:

Start again with white, add Paynes Gray until you get the value you want, usually a "medium" on the value scale. Now add just a touch of Transparent Oxide Red to the mix and you are done.

To make Cool Gray

Just use Paynes Gray and White.

To make Warm Gray

I use both methods of using White and Burnt Umber or White with Paynes Gray and anything warm such as Transparent Oxide Red and Yellow Ochre, or the like.

Remember you can always adjust the value. Use a value scale and find "medium" which is right in the middle. I like to use a 9 value scale as it gives me a "middle value". Once you do this a few times it will get easier to see the value. Some people use a medium gray paper under their palette to help them see the middle grays. Others put the value scale under the glass on their palette to see values. I like to use a white palette but be careful because everything looks darker on a white palette.

I use these grays a lot! I will adjust them to darker, lighter, cooler or warmer. Sometimes I add many other colors to get where I'm going. It is a journey...... I look for the color and value that I'm after, but I don't rush. I enjoy the process. There are no shortcuts.

Get used to mixing paint and you will have an easier time finding your color and value. Do it a lot until it feels comfortable. Be neat about it. A messy palette is distracting and will throw you off while painting. While in the creative mode, you want to stay there and not have to repeatedly start over. The fun goes out the window. This is really worth the effort my friends....

Write me a note and let me know what you think about this post. I'd love to help out if I can so send me your questions.. If you have ideas that you'd like to share please do. We all learn from each other. That is the blessing........