Color vs Pigment
A very interesting thing is happening in the art supply world. Here at the gallery it is my responsibility to make up the orders to replenish our paints, paper, canvas etc. This week as I was making up an order I had noted that we were out of Alizarin Crimson watercolor. Karen, our gallery manager, had noted that we had 4 tubes of that color. Upon checking I found that we DID have 4 tubes of ALIZARIN, but were totally out of PERMANENT Alizarin Crimson. Let me back up and give you a bit of history concerning this incident. Alizarin...
read moreColor 2
Well, the very first week events got in the way and it’s Thursday before I get back to you. But here goes. After you have worked in those three basic colors Alizarin Crimson, French Ultramarine Blue and Cadmium Yellow Light for a while you might want to expand your palette a bit. There would be two reasons to do that. The first would be to make a larger range of greens. Let me say that I don’t buy tube greens and I paint with a lot of green. I like to have a couple of blues and two yellows and loosely mix with my brush (not...
read moreBasic Color
Happy New Year! A little late you say for that greeting. Maybe so, but I’m working on a resolution–to do much better with my blog. As anyone who knows me will tell you-holding forth on most any subject is easy enough for me. Writing it down is the problem. Therefore I am resolved to attempt to “blog” for you each Monday. We’ll see how it goes. For a while we are going to talk about COLOR. So many artists are afraid of color, using it, mixing it, blending it, etc. We are going to talk about it for quite a...
read morePortrait Sale
It is time to start planning for Christmas Portraits and Lynda English Studio is ready with 20% off the price of commissions through October 31. We know you have a favorite photo of your child, grandchild, bride, pet, home–anything. We can work from your photo or take our own and can do them in any size and almost any media. The best news yet is that there is no money down. Payment is only upon satisfaction. Christmas will be here before you know it and these are one of a kind gifts for a lifetime–so they don’t happen...
read moreSC Watermedia Competition
Competitions are funny things. I can say that today because I am delighted to report that Lynda and I have both been accepted into the South Carolina Watermedia Annual Exhibition. This is a state show and you do have to compete against some pretty significant artists. We both have won awards in these shows in the past, but if you know compeitions, you know That Don’t Mean a Thang! Can’t remember about Lynda, but I for one did not get it last year. Actually this piece was the one I entered and had rejected. It is of course...
read moreMetal Clay Fun
Lynda English Studio will soon host a Metal Clay class taught by the renowned Brenda Branson. One of our teachers, Debbie Melton, has just taken a metal clay class and reports that it was wonderful. We have invited her to be our guest blogger in order to tell you about her experience. A few weeks ago I attended a metal class. What fun I had. We were making a ring, something I was really wanting to learn. I went with a friend who had never worked with metal clay, not only did we learn a lot but we had so much fun while doing it! I knew...
read moreSing a Song of Six Pence-Lynda
I have started a new series inspired by English nursery rhymes. Even though these poems are used as childrens’ verses, when written they often had much darker meanings. Also with these paintings will be a write up of what each one might mean. Since most were written centuries ago the meanings are not always certain or even clear. The first of this series is “Sing a Song of Sixpence”. Sing a song of sixpence, a pocketful of rye Four and twenty blackbirds, baked in a pie! When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing...
read morePears on Quilt
Well here it is, Pears on Quilt, finally done after three weeks and a bit of tweeking. Actually that was quick. I thought the quilt would take much longer, but it was much easier than I expected. The blue satin and getting the darks dark enough was the more difficult work. Had thought not to enter the CPSA competition since I was so disappointed in last years judging, but I may send this one in. Shipping out to California last year was about $300 and they wouldn’t insure it in my specially made art shipping box. Whatever–...
read moreIn Defense of Long Projects
I am known for having a 3 hour workshop and expecting that the students will finish and 16×20 painting. There is a reason for that. When I first started working professionally, my children were young and in school. If I got a commission I would say I can do it by this date unless one of the kids gets sick. I don’t have a lot of sympathy with people who say they can’t paint because they have small children; because I did a lot of work AFTER mine went to bed. My work ethic became “if you get a chance to paint-GET AT...
read moreThe Monuments Men
Oft times we see many trailers for movies that never actually come to our theaters here in Florence, so I was delighted to see that The Monuments Men was scheduled to start recently at the Swamp Fox. I was sick at the time with the dreaded Yuck and then came the ice, but happily we got to see it last Sunday evening before it could get away. If you are not familiar with it–just a recap. During the last year or so of WWII, George Clooney, who I believe may have been running the Met at the time convinced Roosevelt that someone had to...
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