Last week was truly a highlight for me.  As an artist who still needs to hold dow a full time job as well, taking the time off to attend a workshop is bit difficult.  I’m very selective.  Anne Blair Brown’s 3- day workshop in Provincetown, MA was SO worth the time and energy.   I’ve painting for a long time, but there is always more to learn -much more.  Here are my key takeaways from a week well-spent:

• I need to pay more attention to planning my painting and composition.  Anne suggested that we need to honor our subject by spending the time to sketch, study the notable, sketch a bit more and after laying in the preliminary underwash study our placement.  Extremely helpful.  I found that when I followed a process, I changed my initial read on my composition every tine and had a stronger painting.   You choose a subject because you see something in it-something that others may not.  It pays to honor that vision with a few more minutes of planning tome.
• You really can take a limited palette with you when painting.  I tried to really narrow the paints I depend on to about 6- much more cohesive results.
• Plein air painting isn’t easy.  Sometimes there is a lot of ‘noise’ visually and audibly.  The weather was very hot.  Sometimes you forget something critical.  Go with it anyway.
• You don’t have to make a mess to paint.  I am a messy painter-usually with paint on my clothes, face, ….you get the picture.  It is a joyful approach-but messy.  I watched Anne paint in nice clothes, no gloves, no paint resulting on her person.  She minimizes the use of paper towels as much as possible.  Great lessons in Technique.
• Everyone is at a different place on the journey.  It is a long journey full of interest and ripe for curiosity.  We had a great group, each with her own eye on a subject and approach. Priceless.

So, that’s it for the new things Learned.  I can’t wait to practice and paint in the days ahead!  Fully refreshed.

This week I have the privilege of studying with one of my favorite painters- Anne Blair Brown.  She has a masterful way of reflecting a scene in beautiful loose brush strokes.  We are in Provincetown where the light is amazing -an old city with narrow streets and loads of character right on the ocean.  We have worked hard at learning new ways of stretching ourselves, had some great lobster lunches, met new friends and painted marvelous places.  What a joyous way to spend a summer vacation!

Our new home has a view of Lake Wequaquet.  When the light is just right in the morning, the greens light up in our neighbor’s yard.  I like this 10×12 piece- it captures what I see.

After a move this year to Centerville, MA on Cape Cod, I am transferring my blog to the WordPress platform.  I’ll share my favorite places and provide some ‘insider’ insights for places to eat and happenings as well as my progress as I paint my way around the towns, beaches and harbors here.  I’ll also share what I have been learning each week in my lifelong painting journey.

I have been painting since my early 20’s.  At the time, I didn’t consider myself an artist – I was just trying new things.  I studied with Walter Chapman, a master watercolor artist from the Northeast Ohio region, who was a wonderful teacher and gave me a sense that I could paint.  My inspiration was my aunt, Corrine Leidner, who was also a well-known Toledo artist.

Since then, I’ve spent a life learning about color and light and texture and values.  I am also a teacher and love to work with those who have always wanted to paint but are afraid to try or just don’t know where to start.

You can follow me on Facebook @debrakennedyartist  and twitter @DebraKennedyart.

I hope you will visit often!  Enjoy!