Welcome
to the October--December 2010 Project. The theme for this quarter is
"Ancestors" The painting you submit must be painted specifically
for this project and be watermedia. The painting should include something
that has to do with an ancestor. Submit your images to me via email or snail
mail. Send title, size, and comments about the paintings and painting process.
Let me know if it is okay to link your email address when I add your image
to the project page. The project end date is December 31, 2010.
The images on this page are protected by copyright law. Any use without the expressed consent of the artist is prohibited!!!
Raymond Kelso
"Ancestors and Harleys"
In 2005, my friend Chuck and I met 4 other
friends in Sturgis SD for the 65 TH. annual "Sturgis Bike Rally".
We are all from the Northwest and all ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. On
the third day in Sturgis, 5 of us rode the 110 mile loop to Mount Rushmore
via Rapid City and Deadwood. It was the 'highlight' of the trip for me and
I was happy to meet some of my "Ancestor's" …even though they
seemed a bit 'Stoned'. The weather was great with the temp a little over 100.
On this project I worked from a couple photos I took on the trip.
They completed a 'cleaning' on the Presidents just before the Sturgis Rally
that year. I must say, they looked their best even if they were "stone
faced"!
Kathy Robbins
"The Checkered Quilt"
This was my baby quilt hand sewn for me by my Granny Flossie Williams Bales (1884-1966) who you see pictured. The thimble I used in the still life belonged to my husband's grandmother. I needed a third object for balance and felt the thimble perfect. It is old too!
My granny Bales at the time this picture was taken just before her marriage to my grandfather John Bales in 1903 Collin County Texas. My Dad was the 4th of 7 children born to John and Flossie Bales. The quilt was given to my parents upon my birth in 1943 by my granny Bales. There are still small blood stains here and there on the quilt where I cut my first teeth.
Gouache is one of my favorite mediums and the one I feel most comfortable using. I try not to concentrate on anyone area, but to bring the painting along as a unit. After saying that sometimes it is hard to pull myself away from an area that I'm enjoying rendering. I generally work from back to front adding the darks and lights first. Then I can tell where the mid values will be placed.
Sherry Thurner
"First Swim"
This is little, 8x8 inches, watercolor on Arches paper. Let's Call it "First Swim." I inherited lots of old black and white photos, and this one is of my Grandma Smith and her granddaughter, Carol. Carol grew up to be my mother. The photo was taken about 1931.
Deborah Holmes
"Untitled"
Painted from an old black and white photograph of my grandparents on my mother's side I used lot of creative license on the clothing colors. I remember my mother telling me how simple weddings use to be. Regular street clothes, flowers from the garden, wedding at church and sandwiches at the house afterward. No one had the money to have a big reception. I used 9 x 12 Arches 140 CP and American Journey paints.
Charlie Morison
"Untitled"
This is a painting of my maternal grandparents in front of their home in southwest Manitoba, Canada. My Mother is on the left and my Aunt Margaret in on the right sitting at the Singer sewing machine. I thought it was to display one of their rare possessions but someone suggested that was because it was outside so that you could see what you were sewing. There were three dogs in the original picture and an axe on the end wall that didn't get into the painting. This was painted on a watercolor pad but I have recently purchased a loose leaf pad for painting in the field. Maybe it will help me loosen up my painting style.
Frank Schneider
"Dom Carlis"
The attached watercolor is on 12x16 Arches cold press 140# paper. It qualifies as an ancestor by marrage, because the subject was the Grandfather of our oldest grandaughter's husband.
Edward Spelde
"Poppy-Sitting on Top of the World"
Attached is a painting I have titled "Poppy-Sitting on Top of the World". It is painted from a reference photo taken over twenty years ago of my father-in-law, whom we call Poppy, together with my two children, Steven and Allissa at ages five and two respectively at the time. They were sitting atop Mount Baldy, which is the highest sand dune on shores of Southern Lake Michigan. It's quite a tough hike to get atop Mt Baldy because its all sand but it overlooks beautiful forests and wetlands of the Indiana Dunes National Park. Painting is 16 X 20 on Arches 140lb paper with Daniel Smith watercolors including his magnificent Quinacridone Gold.
Once again Maury the challenge involves painting people. Each time you make me do it I am glad I did. Thanks again.
Merry Christmas to everybody from what is now a cold and snowy Northwest Indiana.
Email Edward
Geraldine Ward
"Untitled"
This is my rendition of a Lascaux cave painting in France, 15,000-10,000 BC. I was thinking of the artistic Paleolithic ancestors we all share. Done on handmade paper, which was a gift years ago, and I find difficult to use; however, the texture seemed well suited to a cave wall. I used my fingers here and there, as maybe our ancestors did so as well. Fun...thanks.
More Images to Come