Small Gouache Sketches

I went with Ray down to Laguna Beach a few weeks ago to play in his landscape workshop.  I keep trying to get the landscape to speak to me but when it's just not going to happen I pull out my small gouache set up and do sketches of the painters in the class!  So fun and speaks to me more clearly. Simple shapes, simple color, simple design.  These are about 4" x 5".  Will get the hang of landscapes someday.

Working with our Value/Color System.

Sometimes it's overwhelming to just figure out what to paint.  But I know how much I want to paint and feel that brush against the canvas and love just painting relationships of color and value.  So just for the joy of painting I will use my Value/Color forms from our system and start painting.  I don't worry about   "will it sell",  "will a gallery like it", "would so and so paint this"; all those thoughts that can sometimes stop me.  And when I don't want the stress of those thoughts and just want to exercise my skills I paint from these forms and the 16 different drop cloths.  And many of the forms are color specific to my palette.  The arrangements can be limitless.  Have had so much fun! 

Sometimes I end up with piles of paint and feel the need to express myself a little differently! I love pattern. I love color. So I'll get comfortable and just make color relationships in simple patterns. I have a few hanging in my home and have come to just enjoy the decorative aspect of them. They are very relaxing to paint!

Another one of the costumes I use. Our model is my daughter Alexandra. I ask everyone to "get their drawing and then mass what's in shadow first."

Workshop at Knowlton Gallery in Lodi, Ca. I taught a 3 day workshop and our daughter Alexandra modeled for us. One of the many costumes I use. Was a really nice group.

My mother's work from the 50's!

My mother, Joyce McKittrick Kroll, was a sought after fashion illustrator in the 50's and 60's.  Aren't these amazing.  These were for O'Neils and she also worked for Gimbels,  MayCo., and Goldwaters as well as other freelance accounts.  She could draw anything despite her hands being badly deformed.  She hid them in her pockets so when she applied for work the potential employer would not judge her for this.  She told me that she had asked one of these art directors "would he have hired her if he had seen her hands?"  His reply was, "No".  And never once did she show pity for herself in front of us even though we know how deeply embarrassed she was.    

"Dance, Dance"

I am working on a series of "dance" paintings for a show in May.  My daughters and their friends are the models and they have great moves.  I'm really known for smaller works but am trying to find myself in these slightly larger works.  Both are 24" x 18".  Bigger brushes!