Blogtoberfest 2013: Finding hope in a bottle

Well I've done it. I've located all the bottles that I will need for this class. I went to a convenience store at a gas station and our neighborhood market (where I found out that I can't buy just one bottle of beer). I ended up having to do a little dumpster diving (recycled dumpster, that is). Next step: spray paint them all a nice matte white.

Bottle #2

My hope for this course is that I learn new skills that help me create paintings closer to what I envision, to get better at composition, and find a shorthand for jotting down ideas before they slip away. How do you find ways to do things a little better or a different way?

Blogtoberfest 2013: Meet my first bottle

Here she is. My first bottle for the video course Barnstone Method I'm studying. She will go through a bit of a transformation and meet new friends soon as I progress through the program.

My first bottle for use with online drawing course, Barnstone Method

Right now I'm learning how to do quick sketches using circles, triangles and squares. Everything has a relationship!

Notes and initial sketches

I'm off to hunt down three more bottles to complete the set. Wish me luck.

I'm so Excited!

I love color! I love watching it flow down a piece of paper, leaving traces of itself behind. While I've picked up tidbits from friends and books I've read, I don't feel that I have the mastery I would love to have. I marvel at Eva Macie's and Patricia Bohannon's knowledge of color.

Exploration of Circles in gouache by Karen Phillips

I'm so excited! Today I found some online courses that I believe will help me take my use of color and design to the next level. Myron Barnstone offers a several online classes (and DVDs) that are just what I have been looking for. I'll keep you posted as to my progress.