DENISE MAXWELL - ART
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Steveston's Grand Prix of Art Challenge

9/22/2014

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This past weekend the race to finish a painting to capture the natural beauty and Steveston's historic sites had over 100 participants. 

I was really pleased with my draw of the location for my scene, a beautiful view of the river and boats with some fall colours starting to turn the cottonwoods across the river.
 I had thought this view wouldn't be too different with the lighting change for the duration of the 3 hours we had to paint. What I forgot to think ahead on though was the raising tide and this had tricked me in the end by the shifting the placement of the docks and boats against my original placement. The shadows did some changing and the boats and their facing shade sides deepened in value but the shift with the tide created a drawing adjustment I seemed unable to chase down. Like chasing the sun one shouldn't try to chase shifting docks.

I tried mostly to maintain some defining shapes to the cluster of boats but I think I should have just simplified the whole scene. I used the full 3 hours but had lots of time to relax into my process and step away for short breaks. Beautiful glorious sunning day, it was a joy to be out there despite some small frustrations and anxious moments of the challenge.
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Painting - 2nd To Last Farmers Market

9/21/2014

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It was really fun at the market last Thursday. Even though it rained which it wasn't supposed to do we set up on the stage area. I was surprised at how many people still tried to step over all my gear and try to get onto the stage. This time though many were coming to see what we were painting. If they are squeezing by just to get somewhere else I got annoyed.
 Met several new people though and it was all good. We had quite a few people come up, maybe they were getting out of the rain also.

My thought was to be above the piece looking partially down on the objects. Being up on the stage with the setup I figured this was going to be more the case so I didn't take my heavy little patio table. I thought a clear plastic bag of apples with some pouring out would be a simple enough setup. Not so, and the clear bag was very tricky to paint. But I did enjoy the challenge of seeing the difference between the apples out of the bag and the apples partially obscured in the bag. An interesting challenge with the edges and the greys. Being a cloudy day I picked a bag with some variety of ripeness and a couple had some nice yellow green and yellow reds to them. This reminded me of wanting to try subjects like this before but I never got to them. I think this would make an interesting series for the winter months. The local produce store just across the street would keep me challenged for quite awhile.

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Elements To Setting Up a Still Life

9/12/2014

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My young friend came to the market with a pocket of acorns. He was thinking theme before he got there. I think that is pretty good thinking. 
The market produce is certainly moving into the fall season and we went around looking for something that would speak to that theme.
I made suggestions as to what to consider as a good starting place for the still life, as in different kinds of contrasting elements, such as in warm/cool, light/dark and big/small. Shapes also will come into consideration. 

When David was setting up this still life we then have another bunch of design concepts to consider. Because he has a natural eye for this stuff it usually works out just right.

We were talking about our relationship, was I his mentor, teacher? I felt kind of funny having that kind of title but after looking up some definitions on mentor it seemed just fine. I try to give him some direction and a few lessons as we paint but it's just fun to have a painting companion. 

The market is a bit like trial by fire for someone and I keep telling him he is very brave to be out doing this. I found this market pretty busy but as I missed last week I was also pretty up for chatting with everyone. It was quite fun in fact. If I get into a mood or space that I have to complete something and to complete something that is good I'm in trouble from the get-go. Also I didn't set out the previous paintings as they can get some enquiries as to price and do I sale my work. I'm out there for other reasons and I have decided the market is not the best place to try and sell at. I also have been doing this for the past 4 years and nothing has sold while I've been there. Live and learn. Some of the comments have pushed buttons and that is not what I want either so best to avoid the whole issue of selling.
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Farmers Market Aug 14th With Kohlrabi

8/15/2014

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This was a grey day and the rain held off till later. I had to move for shelter though which wasn't great for my setup. I couldn't easily be at the same level for painting. I'm usually a few feet lower then my little table so once I moved up out of the rain it was a challenge to keep stepping down to see, then going back to the make my stroke. 

This showed me how little my memory works for just those extra seconds to add my stroke, normally  I wouldn't need to take this long just a quick glance.

Probably this would be a good exercise to practicing to help my visual memory. I often step back but with but the busy market environment I can't do this as much as I'd like.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/249720
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Bouquet of Sunflowers a Still Life Painting

8/8/2014

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At the farmers market last evening, this still life turned out to be quite challenging. We set the two unusual coloured sweet peppers to complement the yellows. I was very pleased to see these sunflowers available and purchased them quickly before anyone else could. They were in a nice large jar which I was able to borrow for the evening's session.
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Old Crimson Farmhouse #2

7/30/2014

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I went back again to this same location, stayed further back down the road more where I stood the first time to get more of a three quarter view. The evenings have been pretty fabulous out here on the country roads. Just enough breeze to keep me comfortable and keep any bugs away. Trying to look harder at what is happening with those shadows falling across the road, grasses and fields.
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Dappled Sunlight, Old Crimson Farmhouse

7/28/2014

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A few things that I was trying to keep in mind while painting this. I ended up with a question: Does values of light and shadow shift in contrast as they move into the background?

Watching the values to capture the contrast between the bright sun in the late afternoon light. 

How the shadows up front differ from the shadows in the distance. 

How to capture the dappled light on the road near me. 

These were the main things I was trying to solve in this piece and maintain my focus area on the farmhouse. All this at the same time as the light changed quickly, but mostly the shadows got longer and that actually helped with my foreground design.

Something that I may have noticed but didn't really capture was that foreground shadows where lighter in shade then the shadows on the house. I'm not sure about this or if this is some kind of theory I've missed along the way. I was thinking atmospheric perspective all along but noticed that the shadows closer to me had more hue on the objects they were landing on. I have many questions here and now I know what I'll be trying to solve on my next outdoor piece.

Question: Does values of light and shadow shift in contrast as they move into the background?
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Sweet Peas and Pattypans

7/25/2014

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The finished piece from last evening.
The auction will start on July 26th. 
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/denise-maxwell/sweet-peas-and-pattypans/246590
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Farmer Market July 25th

7/25/2014

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Wow, this was the hardest session at the market to date. A lot of interest and kind-hearted souls and some nibbles for purchases and then a lot of annoyances. The balance between them was 10 good to 2 bad and which ones did I take on the most, bad of course. I am trying to not take these things personally and I believe and hope I'd be the one missed if I didn't show up for these Thursday markets. I did get an invitation though to do another market on Saturdays so if I have the energy to do both I think a may go for it. I did a lot of chatting and trying to close a sale or two, which is, it seems nearly impossible for me. I would like though to use my Square before the end of the summer, just once.
I set my own arrangement up and my young friend brought his own setup also. The day was pretty gloomy and grey and right at the very end the sun came out a bit. The pattypans were around the market this week so for my own sunny look I put them into my setup. The Sweet Peas were the only flowers to be had but I was thrilled to get them again. This time I tried to define them a little more carefully but keep an overall impression of the bouquet. This photo does not show the final piece but showing the scumbled in stage only or my first painting stage. No sun to work on my dappled sun effect which was what I hoped to work with this week, maybe next week.

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Latest Farmers Market Painting

7/18/2014

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These were the biggest black berries I've ever seen and in a blue container to add more cool hues to the setup. Last evening was again very, very busy at the farmers market. The weather has been spectacular for our Thursday markets and everyone seems to be coming out to enjoy their time here.
Since I was starting a little late and had lots of conversations, at the end I was pressed for time to finish this. At a certain point I had to paint and chat at the same time which didn't work for some people as I had my back to them, an interesting tug on my attention ensued. 
I haven't been getting the direct sun till almost to the end of the market and I would like to try and have these paintings look more dappled sunlight. This will be my goal for the next couple of market still life setups, however I find it hard to invent this though.

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