Wednesday, January 26, 2011

February/March Syllabus

The February/March session meets on 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16 and 3/23.

The focus of this session is on seeing/mixing color and still life. Exercises include:

  • Double Primary Color and Complementary Color Wheel
  • Local Value versus Light Theory (Black and White on Red)
  • Reflected Light (Black isn't Black/White Isn't White)
  • Form and Color are Inseparable (Oranges on Green) 
  • Form and Light Theory or Light/Halftone/Shadow (Where is an Orange Orange)
  • Complementary Color and Intensity (Orange on Blue/Apple on Green)
  • What say the Sun (Color Blocks in Sunlight)
  • What Say the Sky (An Orange and Grapefruit in Sunlight)

We will be working with a palette knife to paint clean, color spots.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Call for Artists - Fallbrook Public Library

Call for Artists - Fallbrook, CA Library

The Art Selection Committee is now seeking submissions for the following 3 shows:

Show Title: "Watercolor Images of North County San Diego" 
Deadline for submissions: February 11, 2011
Show opening: March 8, 2011
Criteria: All styles of Watercolors (Framed, matted, wire on back, not to exceed 24 x 30" framed)
This show will depict the variety that exists in northern San Diego County, from the mountains, deserts, towns and ocean to the people and the lifestyles. 

Show title: "Wildlife Art"
Deadline for submissions: April 1, 2011
Show opening: April 27, 2011
Criteria: All two-dimensional media, including photography (Framed, matted, wire on back, not to exceed 18" x 24" framed)
An exploration of wildlife, reaching from America to the rest of the world.  

Show title: "America: One Nation, Many Voices"
Deadline for submission: May 13, 2011
Show opening: June 7, 2011
Criteria: Two-dimensional paintings, all media (Framed, matted, wire on back, not to exceed 18 x 24" framed)
An exhibition designed to illustrate the multitude of contributions to our national heritage by people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.   

To apply, submit digital pictures along with your contact information through the Friends of the Fallbrook Library website OR Artist Opportunities at Fallbrook Library.

  • Please submit no more than eight (8) images per exhibit per artist.  Images must be submitted as jpegs or tiff files.
  • Clearly mark each submission with title, medium and dimensions (h x w).
  • All interested persons are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to Southern California residents. Submissions should appeal to diverse populations and ages, reflect community interests, be representative of diverse cultures and points of view and support local cultural activity.
  • Work shall be delivered three days prior to the show or at a mutually agreed upon time and picked up after the exhibit in a timely manner.
  • Items that exceed 80 lbs. will not be accepted.
  • Artist agrees that images of artwork may be used promotionally by the San Diego County Library and the Friends of the Fallbrook Library, without fee or obligation.
  • Artists will be required to complete a waiver of indemnity and liability releasing the Fallbrook Branch Library, the County of San Diego and the Friends of Fallbrook Library and any of its agents from liability for any loss, damage or theft.
  • The San Diego County Library and the Friends of the Fallbrook Library will handle standard promotion. Any special promotion of the work shall be the responsibility of the artists themselves. Additional promotional materials (fliers, posters, press releases, etc.) need to be reviewed and approved by Library staff prior to the show.
  • Work may be "for sale." Prices will not be posted on the works; however a complete list of works and artist contact information will be available to the public at the library by request.  If work is sold it must remain in the library for the duration of the exhibit. 

Friday, December 31, 2010

2011 Oil Painting Class Calendar

I will teach five 8-class sessions of oil painting in 2011.  The first session begins on February 2nd, 2011.  Each session is $280.

The sessions are as follows:

Session 1 - 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/2, 3/9,  3/16 & 3/23
Session 2 - 3/30, 4/6, 4/13, 4/20, 4/27, 5/4, 5/11 & 5/18
Session 3 - 6/1, 6/8, 6/15, 6/22, 6/29, 7/6, 7/13 & 7/20
Session 4 - 7/27, 8/3, 8/17, 8/24, 8/31, 9/7, 9/14 & 9/21
Session 5 - 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9 & 11/16

There will be no class between Thanksgiving and the end of the year.

Thank you very much for being my students in the past and I look forward to seeing you in class again!

Happy painting,
Mary  Mulvihill 

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

December Class Syllabus

The focus in December is on figurative painting. A figurative work is not a portrait. It is about the interaction between the figure and the environment around it.  A figurative piece has a narrative quality.  It can be about the light, mood or design. The figure is a prop in the larger design.

December 1st - Design Day
Bring several pieces of reference that interest you. The reference should have enough information for you to paint the figure, but you also need an environment in which to place them.  It is possible to supplement the environment with reference from a second photo.

The class will work as a group on black and white comps from everyone's reference. You will need drawing materials - pencils or markers and a sketchbook. Comps are the start of the design process, not the ultimate solution. Do a lot of comps and work further on those that are more successful. Always do design comps in a rectangle that has a specific ratio. 1:2, 3:4, etc. You cannot judge a design without related to the four edges of the design space. Work in large shapes of black and white or black, white and one value of gray.  

December 8th - Add Color 
You should have several black and white comps with good potential. Today, color is added to the mix.  Bring small canvases (5 x 7", 6 x 8", etc.) that have the same ratio as your black and white comp. Paint quickly in large shapes. Don't put in detail or worry about edges. Black and white comps deal with design and value.  Colors have value but the property of chroma or intensity is added. A larger shape of low chroma may not have the same emphasis of as a small shape of high chroma.  

December 15th - The Big Picture
Choose the best color comp and enlarge it to a full size painting. Remember, the larger painting must be the same ratio as the color comp. Start by blocking in the large light and dark value design shapes. Because the majority of the design decisions have been made, painting should go quickly. You can focus on paint quality, edges, light temperature, detail and focal point. None of these are enough, however, to make a great painting if you do not start with a good abstract design.

A few words about reference:

Your goal is to become an artist and that is not so much about painting what you see as painting your response to it. Find a subject that inspires you, has meaning to you - not what would have meaning to me.  This is your journey.  Look at you family photos until you find one that excites you.

Very few reference photos, if any, make a good painting as they stand. Shapes need to be rearranged, focus identified, oddities eliminated, composition improved, etc. Don't search and search for the perfect photo. You won't find it. You will create a great painting by the creative decisions you make.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

The Gauntlet is Re-thrown!

We have done this before and several of you took on the challenge.  At the Colley Whisson's workshop he re-threw the guantlet!  I double dog dare myself and all of you to meet Colley's challenge of painting quick still lifes.

What kind of still life? Anything simple. No more than one to three objects. Don't focus on the finish. 

Colley's take: Use large brushes.  Don't spend more than a half an hour or so.  Focus on the light and dark masses (light and shadow).

My take: Concentrate on juicy, accurate color spots. One for each plane - front, side, top, turning, up-plane, reflected light. Anything that makes one spot on the object different from another. Make the stroke ... and let it be. 

Relax, this is practice! They can be small, 5 x 7" or so.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Realism Show at Laguna Wendt Gallery in December

The Wendt Gallery in Laguna Beach is having a realism show in December.  

Upcoming Laguna Beach Exhibition
Champions of Realism
December 2 - 27, 2010

Open Reception: Thursday, December 2 from 6 - 9 pm


A group exhibition featuring works by:

Joshua Langstaff
David Gray
Bryan Larsen
George Gonzalez
Glenn Harrington
Cesar Santos
Peter Van Dyke
Serge Marshennikoff
Tang Wei Min
Patrick Devonas
Jeffrey Hein
Casey Baugh
Juliette Aristides
And More...



Monday, November 22, 2010

Sonoma Plein Air Festival

Here is the application for the Sonoma Plein Air Festival.   Additional information and the artist's choice awards for recent years are here.

Please join us this spring for a week in the beautiful wine country of Sonoma Valley! It all happens at the 7th annual Sonoma Plein Air Festival, May 23-28, 2011. 
Application Deadline: January 26, 2011
Application Fee: $50.00
Paint on location in private estates, wineries and coastal locations. Our area is chock-full of vintage barns, Victorian houses and water towers, eucalyptus groves and meadows dotted with Valley oaks, rolling grassy hills and wooded waterways - Plein Air heaven. Commune with other Plein Air artists from around the country.
We provide complimentary lodging, maps, suggested scenic locations,welcome wine reception, many meals, ticket to the Gala on Friday, and much more.