I gave the students an overview of the project and then they began painting.
We numbered the 16 – 12″x12″ canvases that made up the 4’x4′ painting. The students drew numbers to see which canvas they got to paint.
My friend and student, Shelly, came to help the kids with their paintings.
Kym Crump of the Blue Ridge Arts Council helped too!
Posted in Art Class, daily painter | Tagged 175th Anniversary of Warren County VA, acrylic, Art Class, Art Residency, daily painter, impressionism, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Artist, Warren County 175th Anniversary | 1 Comment »
As I mentioned last week, the Blue Ridge Arts Council has asked me to present a visual arts residency in each of the five elementary schools in Warren County. The residency will be conducted over the course of 4-consecutive days at each school. The art teacher at each school selected 16 – 4th graders to participate.
Each student will complete a 12”x12” acrylic original, which will be grouped and framed together (collage) and permanently displayed at the school after being shown in various locations through July.
The week with the students begins with Doug Stanley, County Administrator, talking to them about the history of Warren County. He explains why this area was settled and events of significance that have occurred. This gives me a basis then to show them the sample painting and explain why we are painting the subjects that I’ve chosen: the river, the mountains, transportation (train), wildlife, etc.
After I show them the sample painting, we discuss how to paint and how to mix color. I review the color wheel, we talk about equipment – brushes, canvas, palettes, etc.
So far the two groups I have worked with have been extremely interested in this. Today I begin working with two more schools. All this week I will share the progress of the first two schools. It was exciting to see their finished products!
Many thanks to Kym Crump at the Arts Council for bringing me this project!
Posted in Art Class, daily painter | Tagged 175th Anniversary of Warren County VA, acrylic, Art Class, Art Residency, daily painter, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Artist, Warren County 175th Anniversary, Warren County Virginia | Leave a Comment »
As I got to this stage it got harder for me to find things that I thought I could make work for the 4th grade students. Even some of the ones I had chosen to this point seemed a little difficult but I know they can do it.
And finally, I finished the piece. Well, not really as I am still fiddling with little parts of it here and there. I’ll show a final, final version next week.
The school in the upper left corner of this painting is A. S. Rhodes. As I work with each of the schools, we will paint their school into the picture. Since the paintings will become part of a permanent display at each school it was only fitting that each school be depicted by the students. The paintings size is 4’x4′.
Next week I’ll show you how A.S. Rhodes and Hilda J. Barbour’s students work turned out. I have been working with them all this week. 🙂
Posted in daily painter | Tagged 175th Anniversary of Warren County VA, acrylic, Art Residency, daily painting, impressionism, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Artist | Leave a Comment »
And sometimes an idea that seemed good at the time, didn’t make it to the final production as in the river idea on the far left bottom of the top photo.
Notice in the next photo I decided that it didn’t work and painted over it. I opted for a different view of the river in the final version.
Posted in daily painter | Tagged acrylic, Art Residency, daily painter, impressionism, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Artist | 1 Comment »
The work continued on the sample painting. I started filling in the 12″x12″ squares with elements that I thought I could make work for 4th graders while still making it correspond to the history of Warren County.
Hopefully those of you familiar with Warren County will begin recognizing some of the subjects that I chose: the Courthouse, the Gazebo, the Entrance to Shenandoah National Park…
Posted in daily painter | Tagged acrylic, Art Residency, daily painter, impressionism, Virginia Artist | Leave a Comment »
The next step in the process for the Art Residency project was to start sketching out the different elements. And then to paint.
Here you can see the beginning of A. S. Rhodes Elementary school, the Gazebo, the entrance sign to Shenandoah National Park and a barn. Look closely and you will see the Courthouse is sketched in as well.
And today I actually start the project with the kids at A.S. Rhodes Elementary and Hilda J. Barbour Elementary. Can’t wait to meet the 16 kids at each school. Hopefully they will be excited about painting and about the project.
Posted in daily painter, Small Town Life | Tagged acrylic, Art Residency, barn, daily painting, impressionism, Landscape, Shenandoah Valley, Small Town Life, Virginia, Virginia Artist, Warren County 175th Anniversary, Warren County Virginia | Leave a Comment »
As if the “Bark for the Park” series wasn’t a big enough project for this year, I have started another one. I am teaching an art residency at the five elementary schools here in Warren County. We will be painting a piece to depict the 175th Anniversary of Warren County. I’ve had to do quite a bit of research in order to tie the project into the History SOL’s for 4th grade as well as come up with interesting pictures for the kids to paint. Over the next few days I will show the progress of the sample painting that I did. Then, hopefully, I will be able to share the paintings that the kids finish.
The finished painting will be 4’x4′. Each of the 16 students selected at each school will paint one 12″x12″ panel. In order to plan a layout, I laid out a paper drawing with 16 equal squares.
Then I wrote in what I thought would work.
After having the initial design idea in place, I prepared the actual canvas that I would paint the sample on and started laying in printouts of the ideas on the canvas to see if they would work together. It was sort of like a puzzle. Stay tuned for more….
Posted in daily painter, Small Town Life | Tagged acrylic, Art Residency, daily painting, impressionism, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, Virginia Artist, Warren County 175th Anniversary, Warren County Virginia | Leave a Comment »
Take a look at these wonderful Young Artists at work. This is the Thursday class.
In today’s post I want to catch you up on some of the paintings my Young Artists classes have been doing. Take a look at their art from the last few weeks. Great job everyone!!!
Posted in Art Class, daily painter | Tagged acrylic, Art Class, daily painter, impressionism, kids paint, Virginia Artist, young artists | Leave a Comment »
Chihuahua Jack belongs to my friend Sally. Sally has rescued dogs for years and always has a pack of dogs as part of her family. Currently she has nine. That’s right, 9 dogs!!!
But this little guy has set her world upside down. She is crazy about him. He was found living outside, all alone, and it took a long time for them to catch him. But he has the good life now. He’s stolen her heart and that of the rest of his family. I think it was his underbite that did her in. 🙂
This painting is part of the “Bark for the Park” series on display at the Warren County Community Center to promote and fund the new dog park. Stop by and see it. (In private collection Raleigh, NC)
Posted in daily painter, Dogs, Pet Portaits | Tagged acrylic, Chihuahua, daily painting, Dogs, pet portrait, Rescue dogs, Virginia Artist | 1 Comment »
Really! Anyone who has ever had one wants another. They are just the sweetest dogs ever.
The Yellow Lab is a sweet pup I took a photo of at the shop a few years ago. And the Black Lab is my Jed. Both are acrylic paintings on canvas measuring 12″x12″. They are on display at the “Bark for the Park” Art Show and Sale at the Warren County Community Center, 538 Villa Avenue, Front Royal. Stop by and see it.
Posted in daily painter, Dogs, Pet Portaits | Tagged acrylic, Black Lab, daily painting, Dogs, impressionism, Lab, Labrador Retreiver, pet portrait, Rescue dogs, Virginia Artist, Yellow Lab | Leave a Comment »
The Studio 
