POSTED FEBRUARY 15, 2010

PAINTING IN PROGRESS  "COWBOY CREW'

POSTED FEBRUARY 8, 2010

Plans for the Alberta Workshop are taking form!  The dates are July 7-10 in Claresholm.  I look forward to visiting that beautiful country again after nearly twenty years.  Contact me if you would like more information.

POSTED JANUARY 26, 2010

Last Sat. Jan. 23, Clyde Aspevig gave a demonstration for two-hours at MSU-B.  Even though the weather was wintry and roads deep with snow, nearly two hundred attended.  We were all delighted to be there and, for me, the honoring by Clyde of his former teacher Ben Steele, and Ben's reciprocity, was an intimate testament to the power of teacher and student.  I feel fortunate to have had Ben as an art teacher, even for a few classes, and fortunate to have known Clyde in the early days.  In fact, I attended his first one-person show at Hall Diteman's studio in the early 70's.

An added bonus was the forming of a new friendship with Cathy Mabius who flew out for the demo from Pennsylvania.  We painted in the snow, visited Bob and Molly Barlow, and headed to the Stillwater for a day of photographing the winter beauty.  A serious painter and nice lady, Cathy plans to return to the West on a painting trip and we will all welcome her back!

I am still planning at least two workshops this year:  one in Alberta perhaps July and one in the Billings area in September.   Details to follow.  I would appreciate hearing of your interest in these workshops.

POSTED DECEMBER 9, 2009

ARTS WITHOUT BOUNDARIES (AWB) has asked me to donate a painting to their fundraiser, Feb. 12.  Because the request came from Darell Tunnicliff www.clydeaspevig.com and because the cause is so worthy, I gladly said "Yes!"  I am honored to be among the six artists selected:  Tim Cherry, Carol Hagan, Josh Elliott, Jim Poulson, and Tim Shinabarger, and myself.  For more information about this program, check our www.artswithoutboundaries.org.  The image of my donation will be on my website soon.

POSTED NOVEMBER 27, 2009

Here we are in the mid-holiday time to close out this year of 2009!  Here are some ideas I have for 2010!

Prints:  Offered in the near future will be a limited number of prints available of the image "WINTER PONIES."  These will be professionally done, using archival ink and paper, image size 16x20, signed, at a cost of $150 including shipping.   I hope to choose two paintings a year to release as prints.

Commissions:  Check out the "Drawings" section of my site for a recent charcoal drawing I completed of "Elliott," a handsome, musically-talented, energetic teen.  The human face is awesomely and infinitely inspiring to me.

Future workshops:  Tentative plans are being made for a workshop in Canada (near Claresholm, Alberta).  My long-time art buddy, Nina, came down for a visit this fall; she put a bug in my ear about a "Northern Workshop."  More info to come . . . .

Workshop:  The September workshops (annual?) went very well:  great weather, great people, great time!  Let's do it again!

Drawing class:  I recently instructed a local drawing class, meeting one night a week for two hours for eight weeks.  At least five of us had a great time getting all smudgey with vine charcoal.  The response from one student:  "It made me look differently at my world."  We may continue in the near future.

POSTED AUGUST 4, 2009

Exciting news!  The Audubon Education Center at Yellowstone Riverpark will be the location for the workshop in September.  We will use the NEW large,  round education room, with light from above, for our indoor work.  We can then step outside and paint ponds, trees, waterfowl, farm buildings in the distance!  And the Yellowstone River and South Hills are nearby.  

I recently finished a very enlightening book THE TAO OF EQUUS by Linda Kohanov.  The field of equine-facilitated psychotherapy is new to me.  I recently visited  the Esperanza Center in Bozeman, MT, which is a wonderful facility, family-operated, Leif Hallberg offers equine therapy and other horse-related activities.

POSTED JULY 16, 2009

Still some openings for the September workshop!

Nebraska (along the North Platte in the Panhandle) has been a pleasurable place to paint this summer.  I have been approaching the start of a painting differently - using broken strokes (leaving canvas showing) of nearly pure color, with careful consideration to the temperature of the mass.  Then, overlaying strokes of another color to achieve the desired color.  This new approach has helped keep my color more fresh as compared to mixing the desired color on the palette first.  I find that CHANGING my approach, or my subject, or style is revitalizing

POSTED APRIL 22, 2009

Workshop is taking shape!  "CHALLENGING YOUR COMFORT ZONE"

• September 11,12,13 2009
• Billings, MT
• Plein-air and studio work
• Limited to 16 participants
• Invited guest speaker Darell Tunnicliff (art agent for Clyde Aspevig)
• $275 for three full days
• $100 non-refundable deposit payable by July 1,  2009 (balance due on Sept. 11, 2009
• Printed material covering elements of art : COMPOSITION, MASSES, VALUES, EDGES, STROKE QUALITY : will be sent to each participant prior to the workshop; this will include a broad spectrum of information and ideas found to be important ; and a list of recommended reading
  
• For more information, contact Joyce through this website
• Register by e-mail  painterlee8@gmail.com
• We will all WORK HARD AND HAVE FUN!

IF WE KNEW WHAT WE SAW, WE COULD PAINT IT    Robert Henri

POSTED APRIL 10, 2009

BLOG AT painterlee.wordpress.com

EARLIER NEWS

I have joined Face Book and have made several new artist friends.

  I am updating my site by adding some images in the Drawings gallery.! 

The time I'm spending at the drawing easel is not only fun, but rewarding.  When I paint, my brushstrokes become more confident and accurate.  The process of learning to SEE is ongoing.

I have been fortunate to be a student in two workshops by Ned Jacob.  His drawings illustrate to me what is necessary when an artist approaches the blank surface before him:  SEE quickly; SEE accurately; DRAW the stroke with confidence!

I am using acid-free, light-weight paper in sheets 11x17.  I refer to my photo file of horses (my own photos which I have accumulated for thirty years) and pick several to draw from.  The details are not important; I am just trying to capture the gesture, the essence, of the image QUICKLY.  With not much time spent on each one, I can easily discard any that don't measure up.

Enjoy!  Feel free to comment.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!