An art workshop at Owl's Hill Nature Center

Today my sister Beth and I participated in a painting workshop at Owl's Hill Nature Center.  It's every Friday for six weeks, and the artist/instructor is Rachael McCampbell.  Rachael is really good.  Beth and I talked about the class after we left, and we both feel that we learned a lot today.  We worked on color mixing, and with Rachael's demonstration and explanation, I understand more about warm and cool colors.  We did an exercise using a palette knife - which was fun.  Then we started on our own paintings.

I chose to paint from a photo I took in Maine in September 2016 of the Monhegan Island Lighthouse.   Here is the photo:

I used vine charcoal to sketch the basic shapes.  I just realized that I didn't take a photo of that step in the process.  Rachael suggested that since the photo has an uninteresting background that perhaps I could use artistic license and paint in a sunset background.  Why not?  So I toned the background with an orange-red color.  I will go back in and add clouds and sky.  The orange-red tone should give the sky a really cool sunset look.  Here is what the painting looks like at this point - with just the main shapes and colors blocked in.

I will let it dry a little overnight.  I’m babysitting my two youngest grandgirls early tomorrow morning until mid-afternoon; so I won’t be able to work on it again until tomorrow night.  I’m pleased with the progress so far. 

(1/20/2018). I worked on this a little more tonight.  There is still lots more to do but I like it so far.