Today's effort.

I am writing an instructional book on painting.  It will be fashioned after the way I teach my workshops.  That is "Painting Recipes."  All the information will break down into easy to follow instructions with one goal "out in front."  I approach the information on my DVDs this way as many of you know who have them.  I am really excited about this project and have already created many more lessons.  I am thinking of titling it "Peggi Kroll Roberts' Recipes for painting success" or  "Recipes for Success with your Art." And I am actually going to design the layout so it's sort of like your Betty Crocker Cookbook!     

Today's effort was creating content for the chapter on color.  One of the best ways to begin to familiarize yourself with the potential of your palette is to mix color charts.  These are just two for starters.  This top one is about mixing white with each color on my palette to create tints.  I made these charts on 8" x 10" canvas board and used blue painters tape for the grid.

The one below is starting with my Cadmium Yellow Medium and mixing gradations with all the other colors on my palette.  The palette I worked with here is Titanium White, Cad Yellow Medium, Cad Orange, Cad Red Light, Thalo Rose, Viridian, Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine Blue and Dioxinine Purple.  Look at the earth tones you get with purple and yellow.  You can eliminate some tube colors from your palette and still have all you need. 

Had a few minutes.

I had a minute so I went out to my garden, drew some simple silhouettes of plant shapes and added a background.  I think I may try to turn these into larger abstract paintings.  I want to really experiment with 2 color harmony.

9" x 12"

Gouache

I have done so many "dancing figures" and now I am moving on to "just figures" of all types and sizes!  I have taken some fun photos of random people in random places and just plan to sit, draw and paint.  This figure is of one of the basketball players that was playing on the courts in Laguna Beach, Ca.  

He's for sale!  

"Basketball Guy"

8" x 6"

Gouache

$25

SOLD

Peggi must be ADD.

You must be thinking that "Peggi must be ADD".  Well, I am and I embrace it.  Why try to fight it?  I post a lot of different work.  I post my more representational work of figures and still life.  And then I post my little figure drawings executed in gouache.  And then of course I do some work in ceramics.  I love to hand build.  I make "Pencil holders"!  Posted here,  I've been working on a series of more graphic paintings that seem abstract at first glance but one might imagine them as collages of fragments of objects. And I haven't posted any of my watercolors yet!  My husband claims, "I want it all"!   

"Iron" 

Oil on Canvas

16" x 12"

"Column"

Oil on Canvas

16" x 12"

"Wooden Vase on Table"

Oil on Canvas

16" x 12"

"Vase with Flowers"

Oil on Canvas

16" x 12

"Crest"

Oil on Canvas

20" x 16"

More drawings available.

I have had such a wonderful response to these drawings and I love doing them.  It's staying creative but with something different.  Gives me time from my oils and the solvents.  So working in gouache and drawing simple moving figures sort of takes me back to my fashion roots.  Does anyone remember those fabulous seasonal catalogs (60's and 70's)  produced by Lord & Taylor?  Everything, and I mean everything, was illustrated in those.  Boy, could I kick myself for getting rid of them through various moves.  One of my favorite fashion illustrators was Fred Greenhill along with Mia Carpenter, Jim Howard, Eula, Rene Gruau and Antonio Lopez along with many others.    

"About to Dance"

Gouache

8" x 5 1/2"

$23

SOLD

"Green Breeze"

Gouache

8" x 5 1/2"

$23

SOLD

"Double your Fun"

Gouache

8" x 5 1/2"

$23

"On the Edge"

Gouache

8" x 5 1/2"

$23

"Swing then Dip"

Gouache

8" x 5 1/2"

$23

SOLD

"This Way"

Gouache

8" x 5 1/2"

$23

SOLD

"They are Young"

Gouache

8" x 5 1/2"

$23

SOLD

"Runs Wild"

Gouache

8" x 5 1/2"

$23

SOLD

"Hipster"

Gouache

8" x 5 1/2" 

$23

SOLD

"Youth Infusing"

Gouache

8" x 5 1/2"

$23

SOLD

"Strappy Sandals"

Gouache

8" x 5 1/2"

$23

SOLD

Small gouache works.

So I started playing with the gouache on my fantastic Fabriano WC paper.  Did this of one of the dairy cows along Hwy 4 from Farmington up to Angels Camp.  Would maybe do more cows but I have to get comfortable with their conformation and proportions.  Gonna take a lot of drawing from life!

"Dairy Girl"

Gouache

6" x 8"

$65

SOLD

You saw the start of this in my post right before this post!  So I finished it trying to achieve naturalistic color.  I can tell when my color memory is starting to fade!  I do plan I trying different versions maybe raising the intensity key or the value key.  

"Beach Umbrella"

6" x 8"

Gouache

$65

SOLD

While waiting.

First!  I scored an old and wonderful box of watercolor paper cards in the coolest box by Cartiere Miliani Fabriano.  It is perfect for watercolor, gouache or acrylics.  It's a big stack and I just fold them and cut them in half.  Perfect size for me and for the quick small studies I do.  

So Ray and I are still "tag teaming" Pacific Grove.  It was my turn to come home and hold down the fort.  Had to stop and give Auggy a break so we stopped by the herd of dairy cows I have been taking pictures of and thought I'd introduce them.  He wasn't interested but the ladies were very curious!

                                      

Yes, they are still around.  They have been modernizing them over the years but this is one of the original U Haul illustrations I did.  I did dozens of cities.  There were three of us who were given the project.  John Kleber, Steve Voita and myself.  

And some dinking around with the gouache and watercolor paper.  Lays down so nicely.

Hence the title of the post.  While waiting outside the doctors office I will walk around and sketch.  Makes me want to do paintings of everyday cars in settings.  Really try and make them part of the landscape and less "the subject". 

And thinking of making some beach paintings from reference I have gathered.  Just thinking of some ideas.  This one is just a start.  Will finish this later.

Get something going!

I am trying to get organized a very special workshop involving 4 instructors.  It will take place at our home in Angels Camp, CA and the instructors will be Ray Roberts, Al Tofanelli, Carole Grey-Weihman and myself.  End of this July!!  Right around the corner.  For more information go to the Plein Aire Liason website.  I wish I knew how to post the link so you could just "click" on it.  Oh well.  

This workshop should be incredible.  Together we will cover all the fundamentals focusing on teaching our individual strengths.  You will have so much to choose from as subject matter.  My yard will be beautiful with the flowers and manicured lawn.  Trees and views looking out to our pastures available all day.  Plenty of shade to stand under.  We'll have chickens roaming! We will have costumed models and lovely still life set ups.  The whole workshop will be set off with a Sunday evening meet and greet with beverages and snacks and a slide show/lecture with all 4 teachers.  I really hope to make this a once a year event creating a community of painting and sharing.  

Late afternoon model backlit with glowing light.

Costumed models with props and settings.

The arbor in our front yard with a view of the front pasture and rolling hills, mature trees, glowing light.

Settings to inspire.

We have lots of nice views on 20 acres to scout.

Lots of colorful still life set ups with flowers and dishes and linens to work from. 

Meet the team. From left Al Tofanelli,  Ray Roberts, Carole Gray-Weihman and me behind Carole.

One view with the lawn coming in.

There will be flowers blooming.  If you'd like to know more contact Carole Gray-Weihman at Plein Air Liaison.  Feel free to email me also.  peggi@krollroberts.com

There will many opportunities for wonderful picture making during the four days with us.