What a wonderful experience I had this past weekend in Flora Bowley's workshop. Just to be with her and to watch her work and demonstrate techniques and create was truly a memorizing experience.
As the class members arrived and settled in, Jenny and Flora were there to greet everyone and to welcome them to a fun filled weekend in a very, very cool studio space in downtown Santa Ana.
In no time, Flora gave us just enough instruction to put paint on our large canvases (30 x 30 inches)... we were off and painting.
We worked on 2 canvases at the same time which is a great way to keep your mojo going. You see while one painting is drying you move on to the next painting and so on.
And then boom ... it happened! Just when you are sort of getting attached to your paintings, you have to gift your neighbor with one of them.
The above "work-in-progress" is the painting I held onto. The green and black piece is the canvas I gifted Lu Ann.
As the first day moved along and with instruction from flora, layers upon layers of paint were applied to our canvases.
And by the end of day one I thought my 2 painting were shaping up nicely. I was excited for Sunday to see how they would morph and to add the finishing details.
And ... here is one of the paintings after day two. If you can image, this painting is the one in the above photo that has a lot of black leafy marks on it, and the canvas that was gifted to me by a sweet workshop neighbor Kolleen.
And here is the other painting after day two. This is the very aqua and red painting you see in the above photo.
Can you even believe just how much these canvases changed over the span of a weekend? And here I am on Monday, looking at them leaning up against the aqua walls of my studio, plotting and planning that next layer of paint ...
Yes, I am thinking to change them yet again.
Thanks Flora for reminding us that everything is on our canvas for a reason and ... that everything can change fast and ... to trust our instincts and intuition.
Your paintings were fantastic, Cynthia! Now I'm in love with Colbalt Turquoise and can't wait to get me some! Loved meeting you!
Posted by: Joana | November 01, 2011 at 08:53 AM
Love, love, love them! We've talked about painting loose. These are just wonderful. I've got to take her workshop if she ever offers it again! Too cool. Thank you for sharing!
Posted by: Chris Eastwood | November 10, 2011 at 10:11 AM
This is really cool ! Welcome to my site: http://www.oilpaintingsstore.com/
Posted by: Jane Wang | January 24, 2013 at 11:31 PM