Long Time Gone!

I can't believe where this year has gone.  
Life had its' way and there were many times that I had no desire to do art.
I am finally feeling better.
I did some odds and ends of things so I will post them tonight for Paint Party Friday, and on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

I am taking an on-line class with Kate Thompson, hosted by Jeannie Oliver.
I have done a few flower studies.

I am also in a collage workshop with Karen Sako.

Thank you for looking at my art.

Have a good week and enjoy all the artists on Paint Party Friday.

Gloria J Zucaro's "UnderPear"

First of all "Happy 6th Anniversary/Birthday" to Eva & Kristins' PAINT PARTY FRIDAY site that gives many artists a place to show their artwork each week.
I always enjoy and get inspired by what my artist friends from around the world are doing. Not only do they share their artwork, but many show photos from their area of the world, offer advice on supplies and techniques and viewpoints on various topics of world interest.

A couple of weeks ago I showed you the beginnings of a mixed media project.  I got it finished this week.  I finished the background with various stencils, stamps, Neocolor Crayons, Marks All pencil, Posca Pens, collage and acrylic paint.  Now the decision was between covering most of the background and allowing it to show through in one area, or leaving the background mostly exposed and covering an area to give the eye a resting place.  Since I had tried the first option previously I decided to leave most of the background showing this time.

Here is the finished project.  The original WIP is below it.  I am calling this "UnderPear" a play on Underwear!

Here is the WIP photo shown two weeks ago

Have a wonderful week of celebration Kristin and Eva and thanks for another year of Paint Party Friday!

I would love to hear your comments.

~gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "CJS 2017 Project with Rachel Greig"

Today we had Rachel Greig as our CJS 2017 project leader. Rachel made a two part journal spread combining ink stamping, stenciling, collage, stitching and embellishments. My journal pages are below.  This week is also about quotes inspiring us.

My quote is "Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud."
I would love it if you could leave a comment.  Thank you~Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "CJS 2017 Project with Andrea Gomoll"

Andrea Gomoll's project took me longer than expected, as it involved, gesso(let dry), heavy gel and stencils(let dry) Watercolor paints(let dry) and then add embellishments with heavy gel(let dry), drizzle and drip on candle wax(because I didn't have encaustic hot sticks), and smoosh on dried up gold paint and scribble on silver Liquid Pearls.  This was all great fun!  I really like how it turned out.  I hope you enjoy it, too! Thank you Andrea!

The text refers to my 2017 vacation which will be a Roots on the Rails Music Train trip from Los Angeles to Chicago via New Orleans.  The trip continues from Chicago along the northern route through Colorado back to Los Angeles.  I found out about this trip from a workshop with artist Charlie Hunter. We will have singer/songwriters entertaining us with 3 to four hours of music every day.  There will also be lectures about the flora and fauna of the desert country and of the bayou country.  We will be in special train cars isolated from the other cars on the train.  There will be three sleepers, a dining car, a car where we will be entertained, and a observation car.

Below are views from different angles.

have fun , make art, BUY ART!!! :>)

Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's " Imitating Frida with Mario Robinson"

I will keep it short.  This week we have as our Creative Jumpstart 2016 inspiration the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.  Our first demo was with Mario Robinson who had done a wonderful self-portrait in watercolor. Mario showed us 3 or 4 watercolor techniques using both wet into dry, smooth washes, and wet into wet.  He also showed both wet into wet and wet into dry glazing layers for richer color.Below is my final project piece with Mario.  I did another self-portrait, but gave myself black hair like Frida.  I was amazed to see how much I look like my mother.  My mother is a brunette, where as I take after my father and was always a blonde(now with some help from the salon)!

"Imitation Frida"

My reference photo

One of Frida's Paintings used as reference

My second reference from Frida's paintings.

Oops!  I forgot to photograph right from the beginning, but you get the idea.

Almost done, but needs something?!

I decided to add some white ink as highlights.  The rest of the painting was done in Derwent Inktense Watercolor Pencils.

Enjoy the day!

Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "A trip to the Art Institute"

This is my very early post to Paint Party Friday, as I have a busy schedule for the rest of the week.  I am cleaning out & organizing to get my house ready to sell this Fall.

Last Saturday I went to the Art Institute of Chicago with 3 other artist friends.  I drove as I always do and would not have gone if not for having friends who always go to “the city”!  As you know I am a “country girl” and struggle with the parking and street direction issues in the city.  I would much prefer a drive out into areas with fields of corn and old barns.  However, it is good that friends suggest these adventures to me.  Two of the ladies who went had memberships, so the other two of us got in free as guests.  The exhibit was outstanding.  In glass cases there were actual gowns from the times of Renoir, Sargent, Tissot, Mary Cassatt, Manet, Monet, etc.  There were 75 paintings by artists depicting the beautiful gowns in scenes as if the gowns themselves were portraits.  In one gallery setting the floor was covered in artificial grass and there were park benches to sit on, and “birds” were tweeting!  That was the Plein Air room, of course!  It was really a very wonderful exhibit!  I suggest you all go to see it.  This is the last stop in the tour and has been extended until Sept 29, I believe. 

Even though the “Café” was closed they were serving really good lunch items on the third floor of the Modern Wing in “Terzo Piano”.  The head chef is award winning Tony Mantuano.  His team was serving modern Italian cuisine in a room with huge windows where we could see all the people entering for Lollapalooza. 

   

When we left the parking garage ,a bonus, the other three paid my share of the parking fee.  Thank you, Ladies!   But, I made a mistake, due to street closures from Lollapalooza and I drove us home by Sheridan Rd. and Willow instead of 90 & 53!  It was more scenic, and I pretended that I did it on purpose because of the construction lane closures on the highway.

The next special exhibit starting November 3 is called American Painting, Culture, and Cuisine.

Here is a link to the AI exhibit.  http://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/impressionism-fashion-and-modernity