Back from Scottsdale.

Every year during November I teach a 5 day workshop for the Scottsdale Artist School.  I was raised in Litchfield Park, Az and later lived in Scottsdale, Az during my early twenties after Art Center and then later in my thirties to raise the kids.  It's going back to my old stomping grounds and seeing old friends.  I love Arizona.  And I love the Scottsdale Artist School.  They run a top notch program and draw an incredible roster of instructors.  I usually teach a figure class, studio and plein aire.  

Below are photos of some of the stuff I bring!  Costumes, teaching tools, paint, equipment.  Lots of stuff.    

This is the class working very hard!  We had a lot of exercises to cover over the week and this group was so receptive to experimenting!  Love that!  There were 13 students and 2 lovely models.

Sometimes I bring 5 boxes of costumes.  We had one fabulous day at a private home with a beautiful pool belonging to one of the participants.  The weather was perfect.  

Remnant Kits, big discounts.

I am pleased that I keep receiving requests for the Value and Color Kit.  Some of you may already know that I have taken it off our website and sort of discontinued the product.  Can something be successful and a nightmare at the same time? 

What happened was we created this kit.  And a DVD to go with it.  Put a ton of work into it.  Bought spray guns, sanders, chop saw and ordered a ton of kiln dried wood.  You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find spheres and cylinders.  Also bought bolts of fabrics in all sorts of colors to offer the greatest variety possible of color and value relationships.  Began production.  Rainy season.  Not painting, just cutting cloth and spraying blocks.  

Bad batch of wood!  Supposedly kiln dried but sap starts seeping like crazy.  Very discouraged.  Put out on market.  Tons of orders.  Fill them and try to make more.  Tell ourselves this is insane!!!  What about China?  Minimum order of $30,000.00!!!  Plus want to produce in USA with USA products and help.  Forget this!!  Have lots and lots of shapes left. Out of drop cloths.  Out of some shapes but plenty left of the most important ones.  

Creating remnant kits for big discounts!

So the deal is I am putting together kits that are reduced in price.  And in case you already have the Value/Color DVD I am offering any DVD you choose out of the 18 produced to go with the kit.  

Pricing below.

Contact me at peggi@krollroberts.com

                                                            And a lot more left!!

"Kit 1"

15 Shapes

Free DVD

Shipping/Handling

$68

SOLD

"Kit 2"

15 Shapes

Free DVD

Shipping/Handling

$68

SOLD

"Kit 3"

14 Shapes

Free DVD

Shipping/Handling

$68

SOLD

"Kit 4"

15 Shapes

Free DVD

Shipping/Handling

$68

SOLD

"Kit 5"

14 Shapes

Free DVD

Shipping/Handling

$68

SOLD

Display of Collection.

I was recently in Nashville, TN where I taught a workshop and judged the Cumberland Show.  I taught in a great space!  19 students and plenty of room.  Great lighting.  

 To my delight the collector and owner of the studio had several of my gouache drawings framed and beautifully displayed on the studio bathroom wall which was painted this gorgeous chocolate brown.  I wish I had that kind of vision.  

Gouache again.

This was of a model in one of our workshops.  I still keep working in Gouache so I can give myself a break from being around the toxicity of oils and the solvents.  

"Girl holding a bowl."

8" x 6"

Gouache

$23

Sold

"Back of Guy"

Gouache

8" x 6"

$23

Sold

"Young Skier"

8" x 6"

Gouache

$23

Sold

The power of value gives me freedom in color.

These images will be in my volume on Value/Tone.  I wanted to show the difference between using two values in one work and jumping to three in the other.  Using the same exact reference I was able to do some experimenting.  

This image below I allowed myself two values.  With keeping that thought up in front of everything else I went ahead and pumped up the color being careful to maintain a cohesiveness with Chroma.  This is one of my jumping off points to help free myself of my inner chains.  And I was thrilled to have this one sell right away in The Knowlton Gallery Show.  Another affirmation for me.  

A promise to myself.

As my husband Ray can attest to, I have been trying to work through an "inner mess" for two years now.  I may be on the tail end.  Hardly a world crisis though!  I won't allow myself a pity party.  It's just that I am over things.  Maybe it's because I will be 60 next year.  But I can't seem to find another beach painting in me and that's all the galleries hint for.  So, whatever the consequences may be, I will continue to move in my new direction.  I tell students all the time that at some point you have to begin to seek permission from your own self.  Easier said than done.  I give myself permission to begin and grow in new directions.  To jump on that Starship Enterprise and go where Peggi has not allowed herself to go before! 

When painting became a chore!  I went back to drawing.  Just drawing.  

And then came an opportunity from a gallery to participate in a group show that was to keep price points low and maybe help those beginning collectors find something they loved AND could afford.  I have built a strategy for myself that seems to be working and is fair!  I can't send my oils that are

 8"x10" and above.  Those prices have been established and affirmed with sales and auction records.  The only place I can sell smaller oil sketches for less is when someone takes a workshop from me.  It's an "appreciation offer".  Plus they just had to spend 3 or 5 days with me!   So what the galleries don't get from me is my personal "spirit" work.  I can price those at any level.   Below are paintings I did in gouache that are about  5"x 6" in size and beautifully framed.

This little guy is staying with me.  I try to teach that there are opportunities to eek out "5 minutes here, 15 minutes there".  That you can work it into your life no matter how hectic.  I had my set of gouache with me and while waiting for a store to open I jotted down notes of color and shapes of these two vehicles.  Just more mileage.  Have you read Malcolm Gladwell's book 

The Outliers.

I guess it's 10,000 hours now!  

Sometimes I just feel like drawing.

Yes, instead of painting, sometimes I just feel like drawing.  I can use this information for my paintings. One can either draw from the photographic images or you can draw from your sketches.  I will do both but I do feel I get a little more verve if I draw from my drawings!  I like a little "wonkinesss" to the contours of the shapes.  And as long as you know your horizon line and how they relate you can place figures anywhere!