Gloria J Zucaro's, Susan Ploughe's "Waterways" Workshop

     I posted so lte last week so am posting this again to Paint Party Friday this week.
This week I took Susan Ploughe’s three day workshop called “Waterways”.   If you are a member of The Venice Art Center in Venice Florida, you have a treat in store!  I understand Susan Ploughe will doing a workshop soon in your location.

In our workshop we went through written information, photos of various types of water and paintings by other artist of lakes, streams, waterfalls, the ocean, reflections and still clear waters.  Susan also did a short demo for each type before we began our own paintings.  She printed out four or five examples for us to pick from and to use as references. In the three days we did six paintings each.  It was not important that you finished a whole painting but that you tried out the technique that helped the viewer recognize the type of water setting you were trying to describe.

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I always enjoy Susan’s workshops because she makes learning and improving my skills both fun and inspiring.  She makes me feel that I am getting better, and shows me alternative ways to get there.  I like the fact that if I am not understanding a certain concept she will pull out an extra surface and demonstrate what she was advocating.  She will not paint on your canvas unless she asks you first, and always suggests that you change it afterward to your own stroke, so that it is “all yours”.  Susan is a nationally awarded painter with The Oil Painters of America and has paintings exhibited in galleries and in magazine articles.  We are so lucky to have her teaching classes and workshops on a regular basis at the Mainstreet Art Centre in Lake Zurich, IL.   You can see Susan Ploughe’s website at  http://susanploughe.com/

I will be posting to Paint Party Friday(late!), Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

My waterfall study done from a copyright free photo

12" x 9" oil on canvas board.

My Waves Study from a painting by Ivan Aivazovsky

12" x 9" oil on canvas board

My Calm Shallow Water Study from copyright free photo

9" x 12" oil on canvas board

My Reflections Study from Copyright Free Photo

8" x 10" on canvas sheet

My Shadows, Ripples, Reflections Study from Copyright Free Photo

8" x 10" oil on canvas sheet

My Mountain/Lake Reflections Study

8" x 10" oil on canvas sheet

Have a great week.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "Second Sides"

Today I have done the base on the second side of my Carolyn Dube Permission to Play Cardboard Journal pages.
I used Carolyn's "Sparks of Inspiration" as well as cut-outs from old "The New Yorker" calendar pages for 2015.  There is gesso underneath, then a layer of Heavy Gel Medium by Golden, the cut-outs, then a layer of gel medium over the top.

Have a nice weekend!
Gloria

Gloria J. Zucaro's "Wonderful Swap From Carmen Jones"

Today I would like to show you the wonderful hand painted greeting cards I received from my February Swap Partner from Community Thrive. Carmen Jones lives in Bermuda and really outdid herself making these gorgeous cards! 

Carmen's theme choice was "Bold" and using a brayer and stencils then over-painting figures or adding 3-dimensional flowers onto the stenciled backgrounds. So well done! Thank you Carmen, I love them.

During this last week I did some small changes to a pastel I had done earlier. I changed the rather larger leaf that was in front of the apples and added more variation of color to the leaves and apples.

I am happier with it now, but not sure if it is done.

I am linking this to Community Thrive and Paint Party Friday

Gloria J Zucaro's "Mainstreet Art Center Christmas Projects"

The week before Christmas is always a celebration at The Mainstreet Art Center where I go to paint twice a week.  I am one of those artists that does enjoy being in the company of other artists when I paint.  It doesn't distract me at all, and my main circle of friends is with other artists I've met since I started painting at Mainstreet in 2004.  Every year before Christmas break we do a special project and then we all eat lunch together with the morning classes staying late, and the afternoon classes coming early.  We each bring a dish to pass.  There are about 30 painters all together. The goal of our project this year was to add interesting backgrounds with different values to figures facing away from the camera.  We picked a specific color palette.  We were to bring references of figures seen from the back or side, one figure preferred, as we were to complete the painting in about 2 hours.

I got my references from Paint My Photo.  They are copyright free and all you need to do after you use a reference is let the photographer know, and link to your painting so they can see it.  If you have a page on their site you can show your painting there also.  Below is the reference called "Dancing Down The Road."  

Below is my painting from Dancing Down The Road. 

10" x 8" Oil on gessoed panel, unframed

My other reference from Paint My Photo was called "Cuban Dancers", see below. 

Since we were only to paint one figure, I had to change the arms and balance of the figure.  This is not finished.  I need to put something in her hands.  I am thinking a jump rope(?). and I need to shape her face better and put a hint of  her features but not enough to distract from the overall figure.

See my WIP painting below.

7" x 5" oil on gessoed panel, unframed

I wish you all a Happy and Healthy 2015!

Linking to Paint Party Friday, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and maybe even Instagram!

Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "The Reference As A Starting Point"

This past week I experimented with using a reference as a jumping off point for two different styles of painting.  The reference is from a photograph I took of one of the set-ups that I furnished for the palette knife workshop with Ann Feldman.

The Reference

The first painting was done with pastel in an impressionistic manner. Different colors and parts of the reference were left out.  I struggled with it, trying to get the colors and values what I wanted.

Impressionistic Version # 1

The second one came more easily because I "dreamed/thought"about it during the night, so I knew what I wanted to do when I got to the studio. It is a one-direction diagonal style pastel with lots of black interlaced.  I really like it.

Diagonal Version # 2

Both paintings may be enlarged to see more detail by clicking on the image.  After the holidays are over I may try some other styles modeled after the "Masters".          Any suggestions?  

Please contact me for purchase information.

I am linking this to Paint Party Friday, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Have a good week and thanks for taking a look.

Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "Adding Lines To Life"

Monday's "I Am The Diva" prompt #182 for August 25,2014 is "Stripes". Done on a greeting card. I noticed after I finished that the houses have different roof or wall lines when you turn them from vertical to horizontal.

7 x 5 Watercolor Card-stock.

Have a good week and enjoy all the other pen & ink drawing at iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com

Gloria Z

Gloria J Zucaro's "Visiting Artist"

Today my special guest post is work done by a 17 year old from Florida.  His name Is Chris Stevenson. He enjoys, Line Art, Graffiti and other forms of drawing including Intuitive.  He works in pen, ink and markers.  Below are two of his recent works.  I look forward to seeing more of his artwork, especially since he is my grandson! :>)

06/17/2014

06/18/2014

Have a great day!  

We would love to hear your comments, 

Thanks, Gloria & Chris.

Gloria J Zucaro's "Lakebreeze Courtyard Fountain"

Here is one of my latest pastels.  I had a photo of the water feature in my townhouse courtyard at Lakebreeze Ct.. The townhouse sold in early May, thanks to my Realtor Louis Zucaro :>) The picture inspired me to start my new gardens here at Rosewood.  How could I not be inspired when my new address has such a pretty name.  I am posting this to Paint Party Friday

"Lakebreeze Courtyard Fountain"

Pastel on sanded paper  12 x 9

 Detail # 1

Detail # 2

Before I forget, I have four pastel paintings in the Dole Gallery at Lakeside Legacy Galleries in Crystal Lake ,IL.  A group of artist friends called "The Watercooler Ladies" are showing with me. The first Friday of every month the Legacy Galleries have an opening celebration for the groups of artists on display that month. There is an open bar, great food, and this June we will have the Suzuki Strings again.  So if you live in the area and would like to come to see two different exhibits and relax with a beverage and some nibbles, come on out on  Friday June 6th from 5  PM until 8 PM. here is the Facebook link.

Gloria J Zucaro's "Laura's Cake"

This week's Diva challenge by Laura Harms is to use only two Zentangle designs.  "Well" and "Punzel".  I decided to make a cake for Laura's 34 birthday which she celebrated on Monday.  The "Punzel" design is used for the candles and the icing around the bottom of the cake.  I found that design very difficult to keep even, but it is the rule not to erase but accept what happens! The top and bottom backgrounds are variations of "Well".  Many beautiful design were done this week by other artists checked in to Laura's site.

Have a great week and don't catch the "bug" that is going around like I have!

Gloria J Zucaro's "Laurole 1, 2, 3", 4"

On Laura Harms site "I am the Diva" she asked us to do a tangle using her new Zentangle pattern, and come up with a name for it.  Because of the circles and her first name, I decided on "Laurole".  Here is the finished version, then the steps going back to my design's beginning step.  I am posting to iamthedivaczt.com and to Paint Party Friday.  Have a great weekend.

four

three

two

one

Gloria J Zucaro's "The Latest Endeavors"

Today's' post includes more of my tree series as well as two collage paintings done with Karen Sako in her mini-workshop.  On two consecutive Saturdays our group had a lot of fun making our own papers and then using Karen's references to each come up with a completely different design with a variety of mediums to seal and glaze, and using acrylic paints, inks, and pastels with various tools to add texture.

Number 23

Number 24

Number 25

First Collage with Karen Sako

Second Collage with Karen Sako

Already framed as you can see! :>)

I am linking with Paint Party Friday , The Artist Playroom, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Gloria J Zucaro's "Door County Trip"

On July 14, my friend Judy and I left for Ellison Bay in Door County Wisconsin.  We were going for a five-day workshop at The Clearing Folk School.  It is about a six hour drive from our area in Illinois, but the traffic was light, the weather was sunny and we arrived ahead of schedule. We checked in at the lodge to pick up our information packet with our name tags, room numbers and Clearing general info.  Some of our friends were already there, so all were greeted with big hugs and lots of enthusiasm.  Our first meeting of the whole group of 15 artists signed up for our workshop, the group of ten poets, and the group making marbleized papers and boxes was at supper at 6 PM in the lodge.
                   
There was also a gentleman there with his wife, (who was a painter).  He was doing "Individual Studies", which means he worked on his own without instruction.  
After dinner there was a slide show of the origin and history of The Clearing which was originally the summer home of Jens Jensen the landscape architect. Here is a quote from The Clearing website.

"The Clearing was founded in 1935 by Jens Jensen, a Danish-born landscape architect. Many consider him to be the most important American landscape architect and The Clearing his "great work."
Before founding The Clearing, Jensen achieved international recognition for designing many of Chicago's parks, along with the private estates of Armour, Florsheim, Henry and Edsel Ford and many other important Midwestern industrialists. " 

After the slide show all the guests sat in a large circle and introduced themselves, told where they were from and what workshop they were taking.  Judy and I were taking...

Oil Painting & Pastel: Creating Painterly Impressions From Your Photos Or From Life

Frankie Johnson

 We had all our classes in "The Schoolhouse" which actually has more the feel of a church.

Below is an interior picture of one of the cabins, although not ours.  But they are all similar with two beds, two desks/night tables, two closets & drawer sets, and a bathroom with a shower. The exterior view is of a cabin that now has a computer hook-up in the shed off to the side which is now enclosed. This is called Mertha's Cabin. She was the caretaker before and after Jensens' death. We were in cabin #8 and there is also a dormitory that has 5 beds, two bathrooms and an extra sink and mirror.  Each person has their own closet & drawers, too.  I had stayed there several times before rooming with Judy.

       

Some photos of some of the 128 acres.                                                                              

Here is the "class" photo from last year, this years' hasn't been put on the website yet.  This is when  Judy and I took Plein Air from Bonnie Paruch.  But a lot of the same people that attended Frankie's class this year are in this class also.  I am the blonde in red in the center back row right.

My friend Judy is the fourth person in from the right in the blue shirt.

          Tomorrow I will start posting some of my pastel paintings I did while at The Clearing.

                       

Gloria J Zucaro's "July Variations"

I have been enjoying a more leisurely pace with my artwork in the last couple of months.  I needed to pull back from 4 challenges a week and 3 in addition monthly.  Since starting my Marla inspired variations, I have amazed myself that I could really tolerate doing more than two of anything.  But since when I start a new variation, I only look at my black and white prototype, I never really get the same pastel painting twice.

I had shown you numbers one through three a couple of weeks ago.  Here are 4-9.  If you would like to be able to see more detail, click on the image and it will enlarge.  I am posting this to Paint Party Friday, which has a huge assortment of talented artists participating every week.  My gallery of works can also be found on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Number Four

Number Five

Number Six

Number Seven

Number Eight  

I could tell I was getting into and Orange and Purple rut, so Number Nine below has some different colors.  That is a quandary!  What if you are an Orange and Purple personality?

Number Nine

Thank you for visiting, and have a good week!