Demo for the Workshop and a STAR IS BORN!

 Here is another 11 x 14 demo for the Workshop. The location is called " Bodega Head" by Bodega Bay .Frankly this is one of my first ever seascapes. There are so many good artists that have made a good career out of painting water and waves that I have left this area to those that really know the ebb and flow of the ocean. There is a real artform in getting water to feel wet , cold, dangerous , majestic , powerful and active etc..... I just enjoyed the shapes and I started to design and see pattern in the foamy water against the dark rock of the sea cliff.

 We used a very simple palette. Titanium White , Cad Red light , Cobalt Blue and Pythalo Blue with a hint of Yellow Ochre at the end. I demo 'ed how different degrees of these simple colors could give you a lot of depth and color. If you added yellow ochre too early the rocks would get to be green too quickly.

 One student kept coming up too me and asking what color I used for this rock and that rock and that water section and that sky. I even mixed the colors in front of them. I tried to explain that the VALUES were the key and that the colors had to be in proper degree and combination to satisfy the right value.

 Finally, I had to make the point with a joke... its kind of like this I said .... some foreigners walked into a Mexican Restaurant and asked the waiter ... Hey... what's a taco? He replied,. A taco is a tortilla with meat, beans , rice and cheese. They then asked...What's a burrito? He replied,. A burrito is a tortilla with meat, beans , rice and cheese. They then asked...What's a tostada? He replied,. A tostada is a tortilla with meat, beans , rice and cheese. They then asked...What's a enchilada? He replied,. An enchilada is a tortilla with meat, beans , rice and cheese.

 You see I said ... it's  just the same ingredients with a different degree of preparation!

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 A couple who had already purchased one of my paintings were walking around the gallery Saturday and they saw this small little oil painting on paper by the back wall. The wife said out loud... I WANT THAT PAINTING OF THE CAT  ... ITS WONDERFUL ! Who did it she said ? I told her my son had painted it in my art class for teenagers . She asked how much and I told her I would sell it to her for $20 and that it would make his day. In fact, I did not have enough time to frame or hang it during Auburn ArtWalk on Thursday and my son scolded me and told me to hang it during the show. I leaned it up next to a nice vase. I am so proud of him ... a small tear came to this man's face  ... a baptism of joy . ( my son has some severe learning disabilities )

 He's going to paint a whole bunch of cats for me now. His middle name is Diego  ... named after Diego Velasquez . His art nome de plume   will be DIEGO.

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