2014 02 February

Art Guild of Central Texas

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February 9 - John Dunn - Watercolor Portrait

John (Jack) Dunn has been learning and teaching art in many places. He grew up in New York City. He was self taught until he took classes in Georgia and California. After working as office manager and terminal manager for different truck lines for 27 years he returned to college. He received his BA in Art and a MA in Education at San Francisco State University and a Master’s in Art Education from Texas Tech this past summer. He taught in California and Texas public schools for 16 years. He is now a member of the Central Texas Watercolor Society. For us, he will demonstrate painting a portrait, using one of the attendees as a model. Two of his portraits are shown here, an oil and a watercolor.

We will meet at Central Presbyterian Church, 9191 Woodway Drive on Sunday, February 9. Be there at 1:30 for refreshments and conversation. The meeting and demo will begin at 2. Bring some art for Show and Tell, and bring a friend to enjoy the demo with you. Visitors are welcome, and first time visits are free.

February 9 - John Dunn - Watercolor Portrait

John Dunn was the guest presenter. His wife, Dale, modeled for him, and he began by doing a pencil sketch of her face and shoulders. He also made an arc of background to define the edge of the hair. His large palette held paint along all four sides, with room in the middle for mixing paint. He doesn't ordinarily clean his palette. He prefers to use Windsor Newton paint. He uses round and flat brushes made of squirrel or hog bristle and a toothbrush for scrubbing. He said he used D Arches 120 lb. watercolor paper. He washes his brushes occasionally with shampoo and water.

He applied a mixture of yellow and rose madder to place the features, and that mixed with China white to adjust the skin tones. He used a darker shade for the part of the face that turned away from him, and a lighter shade where the light hit the face. He blended and smoothed with additional water. He laid down the first layer of the hair with the same skin tones with a little more red, giving a unity to the painting. He combined red and blue to get a warm lavender for the first layer of the sweater.

He began more detailed work on the eyes, using Indian red and cerulean blue. He stressed that it is important to put a shadow between the corner of the eye and the bridge of the nose. He also used Indian red for the nostrils and the top lip, which was darker than the bottom lip. Returning to his skin colors, he added darker shadows under the chin and put texture in the hair with the darker paint. He put more variation in the skin tones of the face to suggest the three dimensional quality of the facial planes.

After a break he added darker purple to show folds and creases in the sweater, added more texture to the hair, and more definition to the chin and neck. He used a 2 inch brush and soft green mixed with brown to paint a simple background. He left a narrow irregular space of white paper between the face and the background to gain contrast and emphasize the subject rather than the background.

Lastly he added a yellow chain with a pendant in a darker shade. The photo here shows the portrait at the end of the demo. It was an interesting presentation, and, as with other accomplished artists, he made the complex process of creating a portrait look easy! Our thanks to John, and also to those who brought refreshments. Show and Tell at the break was contributed by Charleen Isbell, who brought a painting, and Christine Niekamp, who brought two paintings and a host of painted fossil rocks that she gathered from her driveway. Some examples are shown below.

Show and Tell:

Charleen Isbell Christine Niekamp

February 9-23 - Exhibit at 1st Pres Waco (enter 2/2 to 2/6)

Celebrate God’s love though art

by entering an artwork in the First Presbyterian Church Art Exhibit.

Rules:

Art must be delivered to the church office, 1100 Austin Avenue (back door), between 9 am and 11 am Sunday, February 2, or between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, February 3-6. The entry form (see below) must be completed.

One entry per artist.

Artists need not be church members.

Any medium may be used, including fabrics and photography.

No dimension may exceed 48 inches, although some exceptions might be made for good reason.

A two-dimensional work must be framed or have decorated edges and be supplied with a hanging wire. The artist’s name must be attached to the back of the work.

A three-dimensional work must be provided with a protective cover, if needed. The artists name must be attached to the bottom of the work.

There is no entry fee nor commission, but also no prizes.

Any sales will be between the artist and the buyer, without any involvement by the church. Donation of a part of the sale price would be welcome, of course, but is not required.

The exhibit will be mounted Friday, February 7.

Please direct any questions to Bill or Judy Franklin, 741-0960 or physicsnerd@yahoo.com.

Exhibit hours will be:

Sundays, February 9, 16 & 23, 8:30 a.m. - noon.

Monday-Friday, February 10-21, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Weekdays, visitors should enter through the back door and report to the office.

An artists’ reception will be held on Sunday, February 23, 11:30 a.m. - noon. Artists are encouraged, but not required, to attend.

Artists may reclaim their works following the February 23 reception, or may pick them up the following Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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Artwork Entry Form for the 2014 First Presbyterian Church Festival of the Arts

Name of artist (please print) ____________________________________________________________

Title of work ________________________________________________________________________

Media ________________________________________________ Size _________________________

Email ________________________________________________________ Phone ________________

Price (if for sale) __________ In brochure, use c email only c phone only c both c neither

Artist release: Acknowledging that due care will be taken in hanging the exhibit and protecting it, I will not hold the church or its representatives responsible for loss or damage during the show. I agree to pick up my artwork at the times specified above, or arrange for someone else to do so.

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