Kay Polk Workshop sponsored by ANA in Fayetteville, AR

Wow, and to think I just about passed on this one! Two of my good friends who are professional artists (Kippy Hammond and Urania Christy Tarbet) HIGHLY recommended Kay for her teaching and painting abilities. Her focus is portraiture, with a 35 year history to back up her credentials. In addition to winning a first place award from Portrait Society of America's 2009 show. Photo below:

"Sunny" 1st Place Portrait Society of America 2009

©2009 Kay Polk

Now, if THAT isn't enough to make your legs feel like rubber...add that from novice to advanced artists all worked with a brand new (to us) selection of pigments on our palettes that Kay showed us how to manage. 

THEN, we had a new technique she has honed over the years. It too is backward to what most of us 'know'.

I'm not finished. We were in a wonderful UofA facility, huge room with easels and taborets...but by the time 5 models are stationed around the perimeter of the room, lighted and posed, the lighting was non-existent for the ARTISTS! Some of us had dark palettes, others had dark canvases.

SO, when you peruse the photos in the slideshows, remember new color mixtures, new technique, BAD LIGHT, and max 1 hour with each model...MAYBE three 30 minute sessions. Break for lunch, and models moved so we had different models each time. 

Kay did a wonderful demo the first morning, and in the afternoon we set our palettes under her instruction. She is the most organized and prepared workshop instructor I think I've ever had! She came with a binder for each of us with all types of information: quotations from famous artists, information passed to her from her tutors, lists of her favorite books, anatomy drawings, materials list, photos of her works, etc.

Day 2, one model session, lunch, then another model session. Day 3 the same, and we made time from the last model session for a 'show' and critique.

Here is the slideshow of her demo:

Here is the slideshow of the group of paintings...remember, max 2 hours per painting, many were more like an hour:

Like the others, I was challenged...each of my paintings deserve a 'finish'. And that I will do, starting tomorrow.

Life and Times of an Artist

A very quiet Sunday here, if you don't count the loud exclamations of 'we have too much damn stuff!'

When you downsize to a more normal sized house, and don't clean out BEFORE the move...at some point, you have to deal with the stuff that won't fit anywhere else. We've been moving 'stuff' from one spot to another, to make room for another batch of stuff that could go into that spot. Kinda like musical chairs! Eventually, some of it makes it down and out to charity.

So, for the past 4 weeks, my focus has been on the upstairs studio space. I was holding out for the attic space, but with summer and the BIG fact that it only has a floor (no hvac, plumbing, walls, etc.) AND that all my studio supplies were in this sweltering space. THAT got a goal...move it or lose it.

I think we put the final touches on it today. My big David Sorg easel moved out of the hot box room (it was way to valuable for the wood to be allowed to bake). My modified Jack Richeson easel also fits, and I organized all my supplies, labelled boxes and put on the 2 stainless steel shelving units. With the artist's donkey, I can have 3 work stations! Four if you count the kitchen...:).

SO, now you know what I've been up to...next we get the Stas gallery hanging system installed upstairs and storage paintings can get out of the floors. Randy is hoping I claim the new studio space SOON so I'll clear out the breakfast room where I've been doing quite well, thank you very much for the past 7 months!

The new studio space (was designed as an upstairs media/family room and the floored attic opens off this room). The light is unfortunately from the west, but can be windows can be closed down if necessary. Thank goodness I'm not a messy painter with ivory carpet (view from the doorway):

view from the window...even room for a sofa along the right hand wall

The Sahara Studio: 

All those stainless tables are from our now closed office...they will come in very handy someday

Just inside...my flat file is full of watercolor papers and pastel papers. Hope they can take the heat:

My current space...all over the downstairs! The dining room, paintings laid out to dry and await framing. Other paintings on the floor awaiting display, gallery, or frame-robbing:

Now this is ingenious! paintings up the stairs drying, etc.

My cozy studio: The breakfast room with wonderful north light. I've painted very effectively in my nest, with my EasyL on the table. My Open Box M pastel box fits nicely on the near end. With this setup, I've painted 4 paintings that have been juried into national shows. On my left, the chair holds a cassette player where I can listen to books on tape (currently in Hunchback of Notre Dame). On my right sits an iPod portable speaker player should I just want music...:

Yup, that is the fridge and newest painting is propped up against the faucet:

View from the ipod speakers:

Can't imagine why Randy is ready for me to move up to the new studio! I spent a few minutes up there today, just putting some of my 'stink' in the air...letting the space speak to me. I can stand at each easel if I want, and move out into the hallway to get 15 feet or so away from the painting in progress. I'm also going to blame a little current weight gain on the fact that I've been sitting to paint for 7 months! 

thas my storie n I'm stickin' toit!