Painting Demonstration - The Artist Cove Studio Gallery Painting Workshop - Day One

I talk constantly during my demonstration paintings, but on the first day of my Panama City Center for the Arts painting workshop, we actually took time at the beginning of class for everyone to introduce themselves and speak about their journeys as artists, so I only painted for about an hour before we took a lunch break.

I'm not sorry at all for the lack of demo time, because I really enjoyed learning more about this fun and interesting group. Just wait until you see the video of them dancing during a painting break. Karen C. Williams really knows how to martial the troops.

"Into the Sunrise" • Painting Demonstration • 12"x16" • Oil on Linen • One Hour • SOLD

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

"That Is Priceless" by Steve Melcher (And So Are The Artists In My Workshops)

The artists in my classes are awesome! After another great workshop at The Woman's Club of Fort Worth last week, I finally found the time to look through the book that they all signed as a gift. It means so much to me to get this kind of feedback from all of you. 

To top it all off, I laughed out loud as I flipped through the pages of the book, Steve Melcher's "That Is Priceless," which retitles masterpieces in the most inappropriate and yet hilarious ways. 

I have a pretty good idea who picked this one out. 😉

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Painting Workshop - Winter Street Studios, Houston, Texas

Texas artist friends, if you missed my painting workshop in Fort Worth, Texas last week, I have added one more 2020 class in your great state.

Join me September 23rd - 25th in Houston, Texas, for my Painting Without Borders workshop at Winter Street Studios.

Click here to register:
http://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Houston-Workshop

I can teach you to paint any subject, from the most simple to complex, with one approach, and together we will explore the essential techniques for painting from direct observation and photography.

"Awaiting" • Oil on Linen • 24"x30" • Available at www.patricksaunders.com

"War Dancer" • Oil on Linen • 20"x24" • Available at www.patricksaunders.com

"Roses In Washington Park" • Oil on Linen • 12"x16" • Private Collection

2016 Easels in Frederick "Light Dancing At the Clapp Barn" • 16"x20"  • Oil on Panel
• Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Pet Portrait Demonstration - The Woman's Club of Fort Worth Painting Workshop - Day Three

My last demonstration for my painting workshop this week at The Woman's Club of Fort Worth.

The artists in this class requested a cat portrait, and of course I was happy to comply, because I love painting pets more than anything. 

"Shelter Cat Portrait Study" • 12"x16" • Oil on Linen • 2 Hours 
• Available at www.patricksaunders.com

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Woman's Club of Fort Worth Painting Workshop - Group Photo

It was great having so many familiar faces, and a few new ones, in my painting workshop this week at The Woman's Club of Fort Worth. I'm honored that one of the artists even flew all the way from Canada just to take my class.

My thanks to all of you for your hard work, and for making it so much fun at the same time. When you all burst into song while painting, that was one of the best moments I've ever had in a class. Please feel free to tag yourself in this photo if you like.

And remember, it's all about values.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Plein Air Painting Workshop - Driggs Digs Plein Air, Driggs, Idaho

Artist friends, registration for my plein air painting workshop this summer in Driggs, Idaho is now open, so sign up soon to secure your spot.

Click here to register: http://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Driggs-Plein-Air-Workshop

Join me July 24th - 25th for his class, and stay for the Driggs Digs Plein Air event I'll be judging this year. The festival awards ceremony and reception will be held at the Teton Arts Council's Teton Arts Gallery in Driggs Center on July 31st.

Many artists tell me they are afraid of outdoor painting, but there is no reason to be. Come plein air paint with me in Idaho and I'll prove it to you!

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Painting Demonstration - The Woman's Club of Fort Worth Painting Workshop

My painting demonstration this morning on day one of my painting workshop at The Woman's Club of Fort Worth.

I painted this scene from a photo in order to demonstrate how to simplify a rather complicated scene.

"Mule Cart" • 12"x16" • Oil on Linen • Two Hours • Available

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
 

February 2020 Newsletter - Lightest Darks & Darkest Lights

“The lightest light in a dark area is always darker than the darkest light in a light area.”

I was taught this concept in art school, and at first read it can be very confusing, but it is essential to understanding what makes an image hold together from a value standpoint.

Click here to sign up for my latest newsletter to learn more:
http://bit.ly/PSFA-Newsletter-Sign-up

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

"Tulips Mingling With Daffodils" - Floral Painting

Here is the finished version of a painting I shared an in progress photo of last week. 

Although my paintings are completely different than those of Maria Oakey Dewing, I am inspired by the rich tapestry-like look of her work, and I wanted to capture the feel of a thick patch of intertwining flowers.

“Tulips Mingling With Daffodils” • Oil on Linen • 16”x20” • Available at www.PatrickSaunders.com

Painting photo by Saunders Fine Arts.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

"Trumpets" Floral Painting

I just finished my latest floral painting. We came across these beautiful lilies at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, one of my favorite gardens in the nation. Their bright colors exploded out of the deep background behind them.

"Trumpets" • Oil on Linen • 14"x18" • Available at www.PatrickSaunders.com

Reference and painting photo by Saunders Fine Arts.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

"Red Poppies" for Valentine's Day

For #ThrowBackThursday here's a piece from more than twenty years ago. I painted this while employed at Hallmark Cards. It's oil, but heavily influenced by all of the watercolor and gouache work I was doing at the time. 

I hope everyone has a Happy Valentine's Day!

"Red Poppies" • Oil on Board • 8"x10" • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

"Portrait of Ralph Curtis on the Beach at Scheveningen" - John Singer Sargent, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia

Last month, Kimberly and I visited the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. My favorite piece in the collection was this small plein air painting by John Singer Sargent.
 

"Portrait of Ralph Curtis on the Beach at Scheveningen" • John Singer Sargent • 1880 • Oil on Panel • 10 1/2 x 13 3/16 inches

When compared with Sargent's more well known works, this is clearly a painting created just for fun during a visit to the Netherlands to study the works of Frans Hals. Ralph Curtis was Sargent's cousin, a fellow artist studying in Paris under Carolus-Duran.

The figure is dashed off, most likely painted in just a matter of minutes, and yet there is so much suggested detail.

The painting is covered with fine grains of sand, enough that I suspect Sargent dropped it face down after completion. I've experienced this myself on a few occasions.   

  

Photos by Kimberly at Saunders Fine Arts.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

"Tulips" In Progress Floral Painting

Spring is over a month away, but I’m already feeling it with some new floral paintings I’m working on this week. More to come.

"Tulips" In Progress • Oil on Linen • 16x20

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Floral Workshop - Booth Western Art Museum's Booth Art Academy, Cartersville, Georgia

Artist friends, I’m so pleased to announce that I will be teaching a floral workshop at the Booth Western Art Museum's Booth Art Academy next year.

If you’d like to paint florals with me, mark your calendars for this class on May 5th - 7th, 2021, in Cartersville, Georgia. 

Click here to register online, or call the museum at 770-387-1553. http://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Booth-Museum-Floral-Workshop

Painting flowers is a great way to add energy to all of your art, because a good floral requires a balance between spontaneity and accuracy. Artists in this workshop will learn about choosing a subject, composition, values, color temperature, simplification, how to start and when to stop.

This class is open to beginners as well as more advanced painters.

"Roses In Washington Park" • Oil on Linen • 12"x16" • Private Collection

"Fireworks"  • Oil on Linen • 12"x12" • Private Collection

"The Sun On the Sill" • Oil on Linen • 10"x10" • Private Collection

"Coneflower" • Oil on Linen • 6"x8" • Private Collection

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

"Portrait of a young Woman with 'Puck' the Dog" - Therese Schwartze

I love this painting by Thérèse Schwartze we were able to view in person at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam last August. 

Not only is it beautifully painted, but it perfectly captures the unspoken communication between the woman and the dog. Anyone who's ever been around a dog is familiar with that look!

Despite the woman's placement on the canvas, the dog Puck is clearly the focal point. The woman's face is mostly in shadow. Her gaze and her arm clearly lead us to Puck, who's face is not shadowed in the least.

"Portrait of a young Woman with 'Puck' the Dog" • Thérèse Schwartze • 1879-1885 • Oil on Canvas • 144cm x 103cm

Puck is painted with simplicity, and yet the feel of his coat comes through the placement of folds indicated by a series of darker valued strokes as well as the broken edges - especially along the neck.

Most importantly, it all comes down to the eyes, which have the most dominant value changes and may be slightly enlarged to add emphasis.

Even though the dog is the focal point, and the woman's place is the secondary point, other details are not overlooked. The fabric is painted with an excellent sense of form and weight. The left hand, while in a difficult position to capture, is perfectly done.

Photos by Kimberly at Saunders Fine Arts.

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Painting Workshop - The Artist Cove Studio.Gallery, Panama City, Florida

Florida artist friends, a late cancellation has opened two spots in my painting workshop next month at The Artist Cove Studio.Gallery in Panama City.

If you want to learn how to paint absolutely anything, then this is the class for you. My workshop is open to beginners as well as advanced painters.

Register now to secure your spot:
http://bit.ly/Patrick-Saunders-Artists-Cove-Workshop

© Patrick and Kimberly Saunders, Patrick Saunders Fine Arts, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s authors/owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Patrick Saunders for painted works, or to Kimberly Saunders for photographs and/or videos, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.