Finished at last! I started this painting as a demonstration with a painting class that combined art instruction and a Bible study about creativity. I finished it today in my studio. You may think that art and Bible study is an interesting combination, but I cannot paint without constantly being reminded of our Great CreatorContinue reading “Mixed Flowers on Blue”
Author Archives: penfrea
To Be An Original
Ideas – where do they come from? How does one consistently come up with good creative ideas for one’s artistic endeavors? Norman Rockwell had an interesting pattern of coming up with good ideas. “Getting good ideas is always a problem. It takes a lot of digging…When I get discouraged I stop – go for aContinue reading “To Be An Original”
Stolen or Stronger?
Stolen. Really? How should I feel about one of my paintings being stolen? It was in a public place and the paintings were not just hung on a nail, they were wired to an eye hook. Someone had to use wire cutters to take the painting when no one was looking. Some said I should beContinue reading “Stolen or Stronger?”
Beauty in Diversity
Heavy metal, a tender-fleshed tomato, soft folded cloth and a shiny wooden handle – all vastly different textures that put together help to make an image more convincing. As very diverse visual objects work together to achieve a look of realism, so there is great value in very different types of people working together to achieveContinue reading “Beauty in Diversity”
When I In Awesome Wonder…
In my husbands classroom there hung a poster for many years that said, “There are two ways of spreading light… being the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” Nature is like a candle. God’s direct handiwork is awe-inspiring and beyond comprehension. The hymn writer penned the famous words, “Oh Lord my God when I inContinue reading “When I In Awesome Wonder…”
Just Fruit?
“When language was not transcendental enough to complete the meaning of a revelation, symbols were relied upon for heavenly teaching, and familiar images, chosen from the known, were made to mirror the unknown spiritual truth.” – William H. Hunt For example, pomegranates symbolized such concepts as eternal life and unity of the Christian community. TheContinue reading “Just Fruit?”
When A Man Loves A Woman
Eight o’clock on a summer’s evening and the stage is set for a night of romance. I loved painting this scene. Set in an old Victorian home we used to own down by the Eel River, the elements in the painting have memories attached. The doily was hand-made by a talented artist friend named Judy Nunes. TheContinue reading “When A Man Loves A Woman”
Simply Flowers
A work in progress sits on the main easel in my studio beckoning me to invest more time and energy to make the floral still life look more convincing. It’s amazing how many hours can be poured into a work of art! Yet, I feel compelled to put aside other worthy projects to bring theContinue reading “Simply Flowers”
Contrast, Drawing and Observation
As I prepare to teach a drawing course I drew this pencil portrait of my granddaughter looking at a greeting card. Although not highly finished, it demonstrates a high contrast that helps to make a drawing look convincing. She is much prettier than this rendition and so I will continue to make attempts that IContinue reading “Contrast, Drawing and Observation”
Good Painting Tools
Good tools make all the difference whether it is creating a painting our building a house! Today I received a new supply of paints, canvases, drawing paper and brushes. Just looking at blank canvases sets my imagination on high drive. The complete set of paint pictured above is the limited palette which I have usedContinue reading “Good Painting Tools”
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