challenge CHATTER - 2012

C. Brown wrote

on 21 Dec 2012 3:35 PM

Merry Christmas Fred!

A Gal Named Sam wrote

on 21 Dec 2012 3:58 PM

Fred, what a great place Bear Lake is!!! The bears sure are enjoying it.  As usual, great sky.  Merry Christmas to you and Ruthie.

Grizzlypainter wrote

on 21 Dec 2012 9:41 PM

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too Fred, and all our artsy family here as well.

bernof wrote

on 23 Dec 2012 9:55 AM

Hi all Keeping in a holiday vein I call this Strolling along Birchwood Lane 11x14

Fred

A Gal Named Sam wrote

on 23 Dec 2012 11:12 AM

Fred, birch trees are aways fun and you did a good job on these.  Nice variety of greens in the grass and foliage.  Please don't mind if I nit-pik a little bit.  The trees seem to be nearly evenly spaced.  It may look more natural if some overlapped and if there was more space between some than others.  The five trees on this side of the water are lined up in a straight row.  It may be more appealing if one were more forward and one was set back a bit and if the spacing between them was more uneven.  Sometimes it looks good to have a grouping of three and a group of two to break up the monotony.

All that being said, this is pleasant painting with a serene mood.  Although, if I ran into a bear in the trees, I wouldn't feel serene.

bernof wrote

on 23 Dec 2012 11:31 AM

Sam , I wholeheartedly agree with you ,I was trying too hard to paint negative and lost my perspective but I started out to just do a study of birch trees but the scene just developed and I tried to do it justice even though I thought it looked more like a picket fence.

Fred

Joyce Lydia wrote

on 23 Dec 2012 4:00 PM

Merry Christmas to you all, may we all have a wonderful time with love ones, and peace on earth.  It has been a special time for me doing each challenge and I know I say it all the time but Holly, Sam, Jen, Fred, Catherine, Dave Susan, Sandi, Geri, Marsha, Alex, Bob, Judy, Cindy and anyone I forgot please forgive me thank you all for all the help. 

sandichot wrote

on 23 Dec 2012 5:56 PM

Hi All- I have been busy and sort of neglect this site for awhile. My first group of visitors had just departed  and the new foursome will be coming on Christmas day and stay awhile with me so I will be quite occupied with them. After that I will be doing things with the Florida Exhibition from Jan. 20th to Feb. 10. so I will wish you guys Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year now and will drop out of sight for awhile.

I am posting the photo of all the cards that I received from our friends here at AD. I will cherish them forever.

Alexandra Spencer wrote

on 23 Dec 2012 6:47 PM

Fred, after seeing your painting for Sarah, I visited the Web site for the Blue Ridge Mountain Art Center. What a wonderful asset to your community! It was fascinating to see how it grew from the original idea to serve such broad interests.

I loved your Bear Lake and birch tree paintings as well. I agree with Sam's recommendation but think you did a lovely job painting the trunks of the trees. Very, very pretty!

Alexandra Spencer wrote

on 23 Dec 2012 7:24 PM

Fred, one Christmas when staying with my son and his family in the country, I was awakened in the middle of the night by noise outside my window and looked out the window to see a big bear having a picnic out of a trash can. The bear eventually ambled casually away after my son shot off some fireworks from an upstairs porch. That winter my son (who studied physics in college) was convinced he could outsmart the bear re the trash cans, but it ended up Bear 3, Jeff 0. :-D

wetpaperfan wrote

on 23 Dec 2012 8:15 PM

Fred Merry Christmas to you and Ruthie,  I love you skating bears Christmas  so much to look at and enjoy.   Your birch trees are really nicely done,  I agree with all of you about the line up.  Negative painting can do that to ya.  

Sandi, how nice to have all that company.   lots of holiday cheer.  Your display of AD cards is nice.   I know I will cherish all of mine as well as this whole year of AD friends, art and fun.

wetpaperfan wrote

on 23 Dec 2012 10:08 PM

Merry Christmas to all my Artist Daily Friends

I cropped it so my signature is not shown...

A Gal Named Sam wrote

on 23 Dec 2012 10:34 PM

Marsha, what an attractive greeting card.  The open gate invites us into the painting.  You did an excellent job with the rocks - a subject that many people struggle with.  I like the cardinal and wreath on the bird feeder.

Merry Christmas to you and to all the members of this forum.   

Alexandra Spencer wrote

on 23 Dec 2012 11:19 PM

Catherine, have you looked at the early threads called "Principals of Composition"? I think there are four if them. In those early threads, Sam teaches some fundamentals of drawing that are extremely helpful.