Figure Studies of Brigitte

Figure Study I of Brigitte

at the Wednesday evening drawing group
in Kennebunkport, Maine on August 26, 2015
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, #3 graphite,
on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, sold framed, $100 plus $5.50 sales tax plus $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Figure Study II of Brigitte

12" x 9", framed, sold framed, $170 plus $9.35 sales tax plus $15.65 shipping = $195.00

Vermont Arti and Choke

Vermont Arti and Choke

at Jo's mother's house garden in Plainfield, Vermont
on August 14, 2015, sketched on August 18, 2015
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
NFS

 

I left this painting as a thank you to my gracious host, Jo Mackenzie,
her art blog HERE, who offered me her mother's summer house
for my workshop painting visit to Vermont. It was
a treat to get to know Jo and see her studio,
having looked at her blog for years.

Photo using camera painting motion 

of Susan Abbott (website HERE) painting her 

oil demo on the last day of the workshop at 

her studio in Vermont on August 19, 2015 

Color
brushed by in the shade
while many eyes watched, quietly,
and the color spoke.

by Bruce McMillan
text and photo © 2015 Bruce McMillan

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At Susan Abbott's Art Workshop

 

1
The last class oil demo for Susan Abbott's workshop was selected
so that we'd all be in the cool shade during the heat spell.
 

2
Susan painted her garden and grape vine 

with a car at the left. Who's car?
 

3
I wish I'd recorded Susan's narration as she painted so that
I could count the number of times she said, "Car." Lots.
 

4
Yep, there's the car.
 

5
It was an important element in her composition.
So who parked way over there?
 

6
Who's car is that? Susan didn't paint in the license plate.
If she had you'd be reading, "Maine ICELAND combination".
What a sneaky way to sell a painting.

New Art in the Bruce Collection

7
Grape Vine and Garden Fence
Susan Abbott
Oil on linen panel, 16" x 12", August 20, 2015
Online at Susan's blog HERE
 

8
The art of what was is here, but not for long.
 

9
The Susan Abbott oil demo
Grape Vine and Garden Fence is coming.
 

10
The negative space of car.
 

11
The artist sketched by Liz.
 

12
Brushes always in the left hand.
 

13
Taking in the brush strokes, 

the words, the art, and the shade.
 

14
The car arrives.
 

15
The artist sketched by Jim.
 

16
Figures in an "I see" moment.
 

17
The car scene.

Vermont Summer Birches

Vermont Summer Birches Study 3

in Mansfield, Vermont, painted plein air on August 19, 2015
9" x 12", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, 

#3 graphite,  on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, sold framed, $170 plus $9.35 sales tax plus $15.65 shipping = $195.00

Vermont Summer Birches Study 2
in Mansfield, Vermont
painted plein air on August 19, 2015, 9" x 12", NFS

Vermont Summer Birches Study 1
in Mansfield, Vermont
painted plein air on August 19, 2015, 9" x 12", NFS

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At Susan Abbott's Art Workshop

 

 

The after class critique of our morning workshop,
top left is yesterday's watercolor demo by Susan, bottom left 

are three birch watercolors by me, and at the top right is the latest
art acquired for the Bruce art collection, this art as a trade with a fellow painter.

New Art in the Bruce Collection

Birches in a Wood in progress,
the same birches which I was painting, above.

Watercolor painter Ruth Kaldor of Cabot, Vermont
painting what was to become...

New Art in the Bruce Collection

Birches in a Wood
Ruth Kaldor
Watercolor on paper, 10" x 7"
More of Ruth Kaldor's art online HERE
in a trade for Painted Me by me seen on my blog HERE

The birches we saw in a wood

After Class

After Class

I stopped along the road,
admiring the rolling green hills,
the early evening light, in Mansfield, Vermont
and sketched hand held plein air on August 17, 2015
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, sold framed, $100 plus $5.50 sales tax plus $9.50 shipping = $115.00

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At Susan Abbott's Art Workshop

 

Photo using camera painting motion of 

painter Susan Abbot's feet while she paints
a watercolor demo for her workshop in her
back yard in Mansfield, Vermont
on August 17, 2015

 

Painter Plié

As Susan paints,
as colors brush
onto paper,
dancing hues, her
palette ballet,
is studied, pause,
in her dancing
painter's plié,
fourth position,
again, again,
till performance
is satisfied.

by Bruce McMillan
poem and photos © 2015 Bruce McMillan

Susan Painted a Watercolor Demo
for our workshop, describing her process as she painted.
That's her studio facing us and her attached house with its roof.

 

1

 

2

 

3

 

4

 

5

 

6

 

7

 

8
The finished art with Susan's swatches on the left
Susan's web site HERE

Conversation View

 Conversation View

at Kate's place in Mansfield, Vermont
sketched plein air on August 18, 2015
12" x 9", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors,
#3 graphite, on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper

NFS

 

Conversation View Study II

my second sketch after talking with Susan and before my final work above at Kate's place in Mansfield, Vermont sketched plein air on August 18, 2015, 12" x 9",
NFS

 

Conversation View Demo by Susan Abbott

Susan dropped by my easel and painted this five minute demo, explaining colors perceived and interpreted while she dashed off this demo; looking at the scene, listening to Susan, and watching her paint was a rich five minutes, invaluable, and I'm grateful to her for sharing her knowledge in such a direct one-on-one way at Kate's place in Mansfield, Vermont plein air on August 18, 2015, 12" x 9"

 

Conversation View Study I

my first quick sketch thinking about where I'm going with this. It's like writing a book. Get you first thought down on paper. Then get into the rewriting, pulling out the strengths, questioning each element, does it advance the story, or in this case the art, and above all, simplify, simplify, simplify. At Kate's place in Mansfield, Vermont sketched plein air on August 18, 2015, 12" x 9",
NFS

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At Susan Abbott's Art Workshop

 

The setup for painting Conversation View

 

The palette for Conversation View
Alizarin permanent crimson, Aureolin, and Prussian blue

 

On the walk around with Susan when she was pointing out possible
scenes to paint, she noted the purple-blue towel and the purple red flowers,
and though all of us saw it as complicated composition, this is where Susan
came back to and set up her easel.

 

Susan demonstrated through her art
why she's the teacher in this workshop.

 

Absolutely, a masterful painting by a masterful artist.

Kate's Porch
Susan Abbott
Watercolor on paper, 14" x 15.5"
Online at Susan's blog HERE