Day Thirteen - Phone Call

Phone Call

What fun!  I took the reference photos for this during my workshop last April- Narrative Figure in the Interior.  Our impromptu model here was one of the artists- Chelsea Phillips.  I took much creative license while painting this. I didn't want it to be a portrait necessarily, but I was grateful for such a cool pose.
This is 18x18 oil on canvas.

Day Twelve - Toys

Toys

These toys were listed in the online listing of an upcoming estate sale. They were propped on a carved wood piece of furniture and against a white wall. I thought they had a charm, and hope others might enjoy seeing them, too.  Wish I knew who the maker is and what they're called. Anybody?
10x10 oil on canvas

Day Eleven - Freshen Up

Freshen Up

12x16 oil on canvas.  
Confession: I found the reference for this painting among images in the advance advertisement of a local estate sale.  I removed offending objects and added the towel.  I love the subtle color scheme and will come back to this painting later on to further develop it.  Or not. I may decide to like it as it is.  Tonight I started painting at about 4 p.m. and it's now 8 p.m. My earliest finish yet!

Day Ten - Lady Mary

Lady Mary

I did use a Googled search for Downton Abbey to find the reference I used for this painting. I think I exaggerated the shape of her hat and her chin, but I do like this quickly done painting. It's about 12x16, I think, and oil.  And it's only 11:19 p.m.!! A triumph!

Day Nine - John

John

It hurts me to post this of John.  He's a classy, handsome fellow and I've only had time to do a first pass, so it's pretty crude. Basic shapes are there, but all the necessary subtleties are missing as yet. This one is 11x14 on RayMar panel in oil. Probably way too large and complicated to try to do in one evening. Ok, not probably. For sure. But By Golly I'm going to post this toddler of a painting and hope it gets the chance to grow up someday.
John is a literary agent in Dublin, Ireland. His love is Janetta, a lovely artist and friend I've known since I took a workshop in Ireland in 2009. The reference photo was taken during a dinner they hosted for our other host and friend there, Jan, her husband Colm, and UK and me in September.  They are all wonderful people. But, truthfully, if anyone speaks to me in an Irish accent I go all mushy and starry eyed and hope they won't ever run out of things to say. If you want to convince me of anything, say it in an Irish accent.

Day Eight - UK

UK

Tonight I was looking around for something to paint and I looked up and thought, "What better???!!" It took a little convincing, but eventually her "good sport" nature overcame her natural inclination to avoid the spotlight.  I hope she won't feel misused by my inclusion of her in my rising to the challenge of these 30 Paintings in 30 Days.

Oh, and I take full responsibility for each and every one of those sparkling salts in her pepper. True.

Warning: If you come around here in the next few days you might find yourself in a command photoshoot.  Just sayin.

Day Seven - Tangerine

Tangerine

This one was simply to indulge myself.  Simple shape, favorite colors.  Whether successful, or no, I did enjoy the doing of it.

Day Six - Shelby

Shelby

Shelby is my friend and my neighbor.  I sketched this out last April- a loose, light sketch - while Shelby sat for the artists in my workshop here at Whistle Stop Corner.  Tonight I dug it out and enjoyed painting this. I do see some changes to make, but it's midnight and time to post my day's painting.

Day Five

Little One

I'm grumpy about this one, but I've given it all the time I'm willing to give today.  I really love the reference and someday I'd like to revisit it and hang on like a bulldog until I'm proud of it.

Day Four

Prop Shelf

So much about this still needs work, but it's almost midnight and I need sleep. So it's got to be posted as it is!  I like a lot about this, but it needs a few more passes.

Day Three- Bedriye

Bedriye

This is an 8x10 oil of my partner's mother, one of the dearest people on this earth. When my mother died two Aprils ago, Bedriye made sure I knew that she was now my mother. I'm lucky indeed to be loved by her. Istanbul is so far away, but Skype does help us stay close with our family there.

Day Two - Janis

Janis

Oh my, am I rusty!
My reference was  a Facebook photo of my friend Janis who lives in Austin and is a wonderful pastel painter. I hope she won't regret agreeing to let me use her photo as a reference....

Day One of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Maddy in April

I needed an intervention. Painting used to be an everyday joy, but my usual mechanisms to trigger picking up a brush and squeezing out the paint have ended. I need the same assignment-and-deadline as every other artist needs, so when I saw that Leslie Saeta was initiating a new round of 30 Paintings in 30 Days, I decided to join up and use it to get my painting juices going again.

It felt good to spend my evening painting this 8x10 oil of the lovely daughter of a dear friend. 29 more paintings coming up!

Portrait Painting Workshop May 14-17, 2015

I'm offering a THREE DAY (plus one evening) PORTRAIT PAINTING WORKSHOP
AT WHISTLE STOP CORNER.
Thursday May 14, 6-9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday-Sunday May 15-16-17, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

$345. Includes Welcome Party and Demonstration Thursday evening, and lunches Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

 

Open to artists from Beginner to Advanced, as instruction is on an individual basis. (For example, a beginner may want to focus on sharpening drawing skills, while an advanced painter may want to work on refinement of edges or building confidence in mixing skin colors and representing values- your priorities are important to me, too.)

 

Artists will work from photographs I will prepare. Or bring your own references, but if they aren't "worthy", we'll "discuss." If 4 or more artists wish to have a session of painting from a live model, we can do that on Sunday afternoon.

 

Modules of instruction will include-

Composition concerns
Drawing considerations
Seeing and representing values
Mixing color
Application of paint- options abound.
Drawing / Painting hair, clothing and backgrounds

All the above imparted with generous doses of humor, enthusiasm and encouragement.

 

To sign up for workshop please follow this link:  
 

If you live further than a short drive away, we’d enjoy hosting you on site in our Guesthouse or Cottage,   Please call or email us for availability.

Guesthouse- $180. for three nights (plus one complimentary night if you wish to stay over on Sunday night.) 3 Breakfasts included
Cottage- $240. for one person for three nights (plus one complimentary night if you wish to stay over on Sunday night.) $285. for a couple. Three breakfasts included, plus Welcome party for 2nd person in a couple.

Call 210-602-8562 or email us@whistlestopcorner.com with your questions.

The Narrative Figure Inside. A three day workshop with Susan Carlin

It's impossible to describe the pleasure of announcing a workshop of mine in our own studio.  But, trust me, it feels WONDERFUL.  I hope you'll join us!-Susan smiling widely

The Narrative Figure Inside.

When: Friday, Saturday, Sunday February 20, 21, 22 with a welcome reception the evening of Thursday February 19.

Where: Whistle Stop Corner, 330 Lamar, San Antonio, TX 78202

Fee: $365. Includes instruction, model fees, reception and lunch each day

Who: For artists who want to feel more comfortable and better equipped in painting the figure, both from photographs and from life. This workshop will focus on telling a story with our paintings. Workshop limited to 12 artists. Artists may work in the medium with which they are most familiar. Susan will be demonstrating in oil.  This particular workshop is for intermediate artists (or for advanced artists for whom this subject matter may be newer).

Welcome Reception Thursday: Come hungry Thursday evening and party! Enjoy plentiful refreshments and wine, meet the other artists, choose your spot in the studio and set up your easel and supplies.

Friday:  Artists will have the opportunity to practice photographing the model in a variety of poses in order to create references for narrative paintings where the setting and situation in relation to the figure create a story for the viewer to enjoy. Although not a requirement, artists will especially benefit from this workshop by bringing along a laptop or iPad and a camera in order to practice editing the images and preparing them to be painting references. Much of the first day will be spent in this way. Composition is key.

Saturday:  After a demonstration by Susan, artists will be painting from the references they prepared. Each artist may choose whether to make many small painting ‘starts’ or to work on one painting all day. Artists may work from their monitors or from photographs made from their references. We will focus on improving accuracy in drawing and value, relating the figure to the surroundings by color and shadow to create a mood or feeling response in the viewer.

Sunday:   In two long sessions, artists will be working from the live model in poses to create narrative paintings.  Photographs may be taken from each artist’s perspective in order to continue work on the painting after the workshop.

We can host up to 8 artists in our guest rooms at Whistle Stop Corner. $180. for three nights in Guesthouse, $240. for three nights in Cottage.   Contact us for availability:  us@whistlestopcorner.com

To register, email: us@whistlestopcorner.com

210-602-8562

Whistle Stop Corner's first workshop!

Today the last of our guests headed back home after a magical five day workshop led by Carol Marine. We now know we are truly going to love our new life- as artists who will open our studio and guest house to other artists a few times a year for workshops and retreats. We had 18 unique and enjoyable artists in the studio, and 9 of them staying with us in the guest house and cottage this week.   Our meals were crazy good- prepared by Sue Bown, the incredible owner of Bide-A-While in Dickinson, TX. The double whammy of fantastic instruction and great food had each artist smiling and grateful they were among the lucky few who were able to attend. Carol's waiting list for this workshop exceeded 100. In the realm of art workshops, we opened Whistle Stop Corner at a pinnacle. 
We'll likely host smaller scale workshops in the future, but let me tell you: It was a thrilling way to begin our new (ad) venture!

Two New Workshops Scheduled!

Two Day Still Life Painting Workshop in Del Rio, TX : October 10-11, 2014. $150. Sponsored by the Del Rio Arts Council. For more information, email Nancy O'Brien at nobrien@delrioarts.com

Three Day Still Life and Portrait Painting Workshop In Bracketville, TX, sponsored by the Fort Clark Arts Group January 26-28, 2015. For more information contact Jean Levert Hood at leverthood@gmail.com

We're SO busy getting Whistle Stop Corner ready for its big debut, that it was pretty crazy to schedule a workshop less than a month before the opening...  But when I was asked so nicely, and when it sounded like a welcome break from painting walls and scraping old adhesive off of hardwood floors, I said YES, INDEED!  There are still four spaces available in the Del Rio workshop, so why don't you join us?

The workshop in Bracketville is after the first of the year and is in a warm part of the country, so you might like to promise yourself a little art and sunshine in the middle of winter.  I know I'm looking forward to it!

Portrait Workshop with a focus on Drawing Skills - January 17-18, 2014

Registration for this workshop is full. If you're interested in my future workshops, please email me!

If you've been looking for a chance to work on your skills in portraiture, whether in sharpening your drawing ability or in working out those flesh tones in your painting, come spend two days in November- Friday and Saturday, the 8th and 9th with me.  We're keeping the group small so each artist can be assured of plenty of personal attention.  I hope you'll join us!

Place: Harold's 
2743 Roosevelt Ave, San Antonio, TX 78214

Cost:  $150. 

Time: January 17-18, 2014
9:00- 4:00 with an hour break for lunch... bring your lunch and work on through, if you like!

Feel free to use your regular palette of colors, but if you'd like a recommended supply list, just email me: susan@susancarlin.com.

Final Touch, oil, 28 x 22 (Not Schmid)

I painted most of this painting almost four years ago.  I painted it online during my at-least-once-a-week livestreamed sessions and one of the artists who joined me via the chat function mentioned that the subject looked somewhat like Richard Schmid.  From that point on we referred to the painting from then on as "Not Schmid".   I still think of it with that title, to be honest.  But officially it's titled "Final Touch"... for a couple of reasons:  1) Even though the model (a nice man who did me a great favor to pose for many, many photographs) was not holding anything during our session, I gave him a paint brush in the painting. To me he looks like he's doing what all artists do toward the end of a painting- staring/seeing critically and deciding if it's time to sign it. And 2) I put this painting away just before finishing because I was puzzling too long on how to handle the shadows of his chair on the floor and wall and needed to get on to other paintings. Time passed. Other paintings were painted. About six weeks ago I pulled Not Schmid out and suddenly knew what to do about those shadows. I put on my Final Touch/es and framed the fellow up. He's watching over my shoulder in the gallery now.   A critical-eyed guardian angel.  I like him. 

Two Day Portrait Workshop Nov 8 and 9

... with me!
This workshop is over now... and it was SO much fun to work with such intent and happy artists.
I have another scheduled on January 17-18, 2014.
I hope you'll join us.

If you've been looking for a chance to work on your skills in portraiture, whether in sharpening your drawing ability or in working out those flesh tones in your painting, come spend two days in November- Friday and Saturday, the 8th and 9th with me.  We're keeping the group small so each artist can be assured of plenty of personal attention.  I hope you'll join us!

Place: Harold's 
2743 Roosevelt Ave, San Antonio, TX 78214

Cost:  $150.  Register by clicking on the PayPal button below.

Time: Nov 8 and 9
9:30- 4:30 with an hour's break for lunch

Feel free to use your regular palette of colors, but if you'd like a recommended supply list, just email me: susan@susancarlin.com.