Nancy, I am delighted to be your friend.  You know, I cannot remember how to pull up that video from Richard on workshop 1.  I think he sent us an address to go to.  I will look through my old Emails and let you know.  I think that if we have done at least 3 workshops, which both you and I have done, we will be getting a DVD or download of the first 4 workshop videos; so we will eventually have all his teachings.  Stu

Nancy, I never used to paint people in my landscapes, but I decided to do it to give interest to them.  At first, I really struggled getting the people to look real and not sylized, but with practice, they are getting better.  If you ever go to Western Massachusetts, go to the Norman Rockwell museum; Norman Rockwell's figures in his earliest work with the Saturday Evening Post were quite stylized and they got better and better over the years.  I don't think that practice is overrated at all; it's just hard to push yourself to do it.  I am mainly self taught and have never taken a figure drawing or figure painting class.  If I can do it, I think you can also.  Go out on the beach or stroll along the shops by your house and just shoot a bunch of digital pictures and pick out some interesting figures to paint.  I probably shot 20 or 30 pictures to find one to paint that Farmer's Market picture.  That day, I was waiting in line with my wife and my daughter and her family to get into the Asian Art Museum in SF; I walked around the corner to the Farmer's Market in the plaza and just started snapping pictures.  That's the great part about digital photos; they don't cost anything unless you print them.  I just go through and pick out the ones I like, crop them, look at them in black and white and stick them in a folder in my computer that I call "Ideas to paint".  Sooner or later I'll be looking for something to paint and find one of these and paint it.   Works for me.  Thanks for your compliments.  Keep painting!   Stu

Thank you Nancy for those kind encouraging words. Thank you for being my friend and Merry Christmas to you and yours

Thanks Nancy, I can use all the friends I can get! :-)

Hi Nancy,

After the holidays I look forward to a 'chat' - I am always keen to pass on any help I can.... every painting is a learning process!

Wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Very happy to be your friend! Yes, we share ideas and help each other to paint better. By the way, today I made some changes of my workshop4. Will photo it tomorrow and let you check whether the shade of the tree is greied down enough.

I have tendency of too much details. I am too sensitive. Now I try not to over work on my painting only if there are too much errors. I always have to force myself to stop and go to do another one.  oh, your paintings showed above my comment wall so beautiful, those colours and subtle canges among them, so nice.  Anyway, back to our discussion, I have a small digital camera, I put the painting on the floor outside the building, I stand back to the sun and with a chair . I place my hands on the back of the chair to avoid  shaking. Then take a photo. But better do it in a shade area has no direct sun. I use Picasa to cut the border. But the last workshop I tried to adjust the color to be near my real painting but failed. it become more boring.  Richard put his painting under the shade of his garage, He stand face the garage to photo it.  Good luck!

Thank you Nancy.

I am going into hospital tomorrow morning for a long awaited operation - so, will have some time afterwards to sit and chat.

Warmest regards, edith.

Nancy, in fact I think your photos are good, the colour are very nice. Maybe you want to be better. I am laboring on a painting of my granddaughter. I paint her a little too fat and eyes have something wrong, have to change. Very difficult for me. Portrait is most complicated scene especially children as they are so tender and do not have obviours shade and lines. Anyway, I won't paint portrait  for a while after this. tired.  I am going to have a short trip for 5days. I will leave the day after tomorrow.  So when I come back I will set up a shade/light box to paint pear.  I like it too, good luck for your homework.

Nancy, Thank you! I deleted my photo under your help. I also appreciate your idea about white background and will try. We have a wonderful trip. We went several beaches and woods and lake and took some good photos of sunset with strong color clouds , big waves hit the rocks and peaceful lake . The problems is that I have to learn how to paint them. I just bought some books teaching paint nature step by step. Hope it will helps. I finally finished that little girl. Will upload it for you to have a fun . Her father came yesterday and one week later will take this painting back to U.S. Therefore, upload it here is the only way for me to show off, ha ha ha. I have to watch Richard's video of pears. I am so late. I saw you are on the half way,Good luck for your pears.

You are right, it is a labor of love, I labored too much on her face and found no time for some details of her clothes. But it is a fun. Tomorrow I will photo and upload it and let you know. Today I set my light box. I will work on pears tomorrow. I saw you finished your homework, they looks very good. Will discuss with you about our work after I did mine.

Nancy, Thank you for your encouragement.  Her father was realy very happy and his eyes was shining when he look at the painting.  I am nervours about pears. I still have not make decision what colors for those 4pears. After I finished, I want to discuss with you about your pears and mine. 10minutes,! I 'd better first get colors ready so I can have more time to paint.

Hi Nancy,  I've been reading your posts with Stuart on his pears.  I think you are ready to do figures.  Just try to forget that they are figures.  Approach them like you are doing a landscape or still life, (Bits of light and dark and color)  Your paintings are wonderful. 

Jane

Working with oils and start doing water colour requires quite a patience, is it not. Your oil really expressive.  I have started water colour from charcoal and soft pastels.

Will be in touch

regards,

love to be friends, nancy!!

hi nancy - thanks for your kind words! - i love that photo too - it's of my hubby and i and all five of our grands - taken at our lake cottage maybe 4 years ago...the two oldest are going on ten now and little joe on my lap will be 5 this june.  i have painted so many pics of all of them over the years...sort of my impetus for the "grand" project i'm working on...i'm hoping to paint one 6x6 of all my friends' grands...may take me the rest of my life...but i lost a dear friend last fall and i had previously painted her grandson and just got her granddaughter to her a few days before she died...seeing the look on her face was what got me determined to do this.  it was such a blessing to me that she looked so happy! - anyway - i ramble...i am loving johannes classes - and i highly recommend that book he talks up - your artists eye (i think)...i think the secret to getting in the free class is to log on at least a half hour early...once you're hooked up you can go and eat lunch or whatever ..he tries to start on time but doesn't usually..this saturday he started so late he never got around to a demo.  the homework for this week is just to go out and find or buy a bunch of rocks and draw them.  some people are writing back that they are fortunate to have rocks all over their yards...i need to go on a hunt!  gotta dash - the morning calls!!!  thanks for being my friend!

Hi Nancy - I've been enjoying your work since I started doing these workshops last year.  Thanks for accepting my friend request.

Nancy, Thank you kindly for your comment on my painting...  Much appreciated...

Hi Nancy

Nothing has changed for me.  Everything is the same.  Sounds to me you are having connection issues with your server or computer problem. I use  Google Chrome Browser and my connection is good.    Sorry I cannot help you.  Dorian

Hi Nancy.  Thank you for the friend request ...very honored to accept. 

Nancy, did you rcv my message which I sent to you this morning? Please let me know after you copied Slice- 59 from my page. Good luck.

Nancy, Thank you very much about my workshop28 winning. But, you know what, I just noticed that  Michael's work for the workshop28 now and love it and clicked the like button. Even without my vote, he have got 35votes. I should congratulate him for getting the most votes.  His paintings are so amazingly beautiful. Totally different level. I enjoy every one of his work. He was so nice to congratulate me without saying anything . And I even did not clicked his work I enjoyed.  Now I realised that he got the most votes as quite often, I am very embarrassed. I think that he must declined to be the winner always so that other students can have hope and chance.  Such a nice guy! 

Nancy, you are right. I like to follow Richard's steps as I do not know well how to paint. I hope that his concept  one day become mine own through one by one painting practise. I strongly support your idea. See you in the coming workshop.

I have not finished my piece for the project yet. as it is very difficult to understand how he did it. But I am almost there. I am waiting for it dry and soft it.  I want to upload earlier so that if there is some problem, I still have time to retouch it or do another one. Hope not.

Nancy, if you have a similar piece, we can exchange ideas how to do it. Good luck!

Nancy, LOL I did something (?).  So long ago now I dont remember.  he he

Arent oils wonderful!  You can change things and make them better.  AFter the gray layer on my Memories of Fall painting (pot with leaves), I realized that in my haste painting, I had made the top highlight on the pot to narrow.  hum!  I got sand paper and removed it back to be wider.  Repainted the edge and the white of the highlight.  he he  Ya cant tell either.  smile Once I removed an entire sky with sand paper and re painted it better.  I mean, if you dont like something, you can not hurt anything.....you already dont like it..........so try something drastic.  You learn a lot and there is a good chance you can fix it and have another "feather in your cap of things that will work". RITFLOL

Thank you accepted me to be one of your friends and for the very kind words.

You are very talented Nancy! Happy painting!

All the best,

Cristina

Thank you so much Nancy for your nice comments on my paintings.

 i have been enjoying looking through your album at all your lovely paintings.

You have been very diligent doing  so many workshops and your work is great. you have encouraged me to join up next time 

Delighted to be your friend Nancy.

I will definitely have a go at the next workshop.

There is so much I do not know. I have been doing my own thing for quite some time.

thank you for liking my picture.  I was looking at yours.  They are amazing.... I want to be just like you when I grow up!!!!

Hi again, Nancy. I understand about life getting in the way! I'm trying to break loose of the long dry spell right now. I haven't painted plein air, always live studio mostly. The florals are from long ago. I lost my youngest son almost 4 months ago and my trip to CA is to honor his request that I get back to painting, get healthy, be happy, and learn to laugh again. Tough assignment but giving it my best. Sure hope we get to see you in Paso. (Your work is lovely and interesting!) 

This sounds terrific!!  I am very glad that I took that drive to meet you because I feel that I know you so well from TCA.  Do find someone to go out painting with at home because it is so good for the body and soul.   I am sure that you are under a lot of stress every day as a full time care giver to your husband.  I have family in Orange County as well, so a workshop in Laguna or in Santa Cruz would be over the top.  Have Karen join the TCA if she hasn't already-- I will look for her there.   My wife really likes Richard as well; he is really a nice person!  Paint On!!!!