Oil Painting Demonstration

I'll be giving an oil painting demonstration on:

Thursday, September 20, 2012 at 7 p.m.

at the Parish Center for the Arts, 10 Lincoln Street, Westford, MA.

I will create the painting, "Bettyann's Barn" similar to the one pictured here. 

This event is free but if you make a $10 donation, your name will be entered into a raffle to win the painting at the end of the evening.

If you cannot attend but still want a chance to win, you can either stop by Art on Main to purchase a raffle ticket, or, click the Buy Now button below and I'll create a ticket for you.  For those who don't live in the area, I'll ship the painting to your door if you win! All proceeds benefit the PCA, a non-profit arts center.

B there or B square (and bring a friend, too!)

Best regards,

Laurie

"The Dog Days of Summer" - 10 x 10 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

I spotted this hot dog vendor setting up his cart before the lunch crowd arrived.  The challenge with this painting was the amount of bright, primary colors that were competing with each other.  The umbrella was bright yellow and red, the vendor's shorts were red, the cooler was a vivid blue and the background was very busy and filled with greens.  If I didn't make some alterations, the final product would have been an overwhelming onslaught of color.

My first decision was to shift the reds to more of an orange color to make them more harmonious with the yellow.  I also toned down the blue to make it more subdued.  The background was quite busy so I darkened it and just left a suggestion of the hedge that was behind him.

"Graniteville Foundry II" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Graniteville Foundry II" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas

This summer, there was ongoing construction near my house.  Because of a detour, I found myself driving past the Graniteville Foundry much more than usual.  I've always loved the shapes and colors of this building and decided to paint it once again.

The first time I painted it, I really focused on the entrance and only showed a hint of the tall red tower.  My pallet was duller to reflect the gray/neutral colors of winter.  Looking back at my earlier painting, I'm struck by how many different ways there are to interpret the same subject.  You can see my first interpretation by clicking here.

"Sittin' Pretty" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Sittin' Pretty" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

Whenever I gallery sit at Art on Main, I always bring a painting to work on.  Last week, I arrived with nothing in mind.  Looking for inspiration, I walked around the outside of the building and found this lovely flower pot in the back.  Using a bit of artistic license, I changed both the shape and color of the pot to make it more to my liking.

For those who live in the area, Art on Main is having our monthly open house on Thursday, September 6 from 5 to 8 p.m.  Join us for a some wine, nibbles and good conversation.