So while I am still working on the whole move thing and haven’t set up my desk, the Mrs. and I went to a local paint-and-sip called Canvas. For those who haven’t heard of these, they are a mix of group painting lessons and drinking.
For both of us this was the first time painting on a full-on canvas and I must admit, it was a bit intimidating to think we would paint anything like their examples in only 2 hours. Its crazy to think after all the models I have painted that creating something on an empty white sheet would be so different, but there is just something about it that makes it so very different.
The instructor/artist was great though. She took us through each step with examples of the specific colors and style to use.
The painting we were doing was called ‘The Storm’ and the very first thing we did to take the virginity of the canvas was a nice large area of blue for the sky. Whites were mixed in on the right, while purples and blacks were added to the lower left.
A nice purple road was added to the middle with the basis for grass on one side and flowers/burning bushes on the other. I really got in the spirit of it all and added more colors and variations in each section as I went.
Fall tree colors were added to the right edge and the main trunks lined in. I think best aspect of the processes was that we didn’t have to be clean or exact, in fact the messier we made each piece, the better it seemed to look.
Along that line, small green specs were added to the left trees for abstract leaves, while fall colors were added in larger blocks on the right.
And finally we added a bit of bushes along the sides and a nice bench to enjoy the scene. Clearly my perceptive skills need a bit of work, but not too bad for my first ever ‘real’ painting.
It was great to see how every one else interrupted the directions and made the piece their own. The picture above is my wife’s finished piece which also turned out great – and she isn’t even the painter!
So if any of you are looking to try out a larger scale painting, or a great date idea. Look for a paint and sip shop nearby, they seem to be popping up all over the place.`
