Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Painting in the Vines

Come join me at Wilson's Vineyard in Nottingham, Pennsylvania for a weekend of art and wine! The gallery at the vineyard is hosting an artist reception on Saturday and Sunday, September 6&7, from 2-6 pm each day. Many of the artists will be there to talk about their work, and I'll be painting en plein air at the vineyard on both days. Besides the great art to see, there are several great wines to taste! I hope you'll come out to see me there!

Also, don't forget -- you can stop in an visit me in my Kennett Square studio on the 1st Friday of every month!
See ya later!

posted by Annie Strack @ 5:08 PM   0 Comments

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Giving Away more Brushes to Artists!


Well, color me happy! Dynasty Brush has sent me a case of #24 round Orange Ice brushes to give away to everyone who signs up for the Philadelphia Watercolor Society workshop with Sarah Yeoman! These brushes are totally awesome, and perfect for the techniques that will be taught in this workshop!
I've been using these brushes for quite a while now, and find them to be perfect for watercolors. The brush is large and holds a huge amount of water and paint, and keeps a fine point to paint details. The synthetic hairs have spring and bounce and yet have a wonderful softness that is perfect for painting watercolors. I will personally be at this workshop to hand out these brushes to everyone who attends and demonstrate their use!
Workshop is Oct 1-2, sign up now to reserve your space, and your brush!

Beginning with a morning demonstration of an original artwork, Sarah will lead you through the step by step process she uses to create paintings with strong colorful darks and shimmering lights no matter the choice of subject. We will learn to simplify the subject matter by creating value studies in pencil, marker or paint moving on to color studies and finally to a finished painting. Sarah will share her years of knowledge on materials, paint application, composition, life as an artist and "finding your light" in watercolor.

PWCS Members may sign up for $200 (non members may sign up for $250) by sending a check to PWCS Workshop, P.O. Box 197, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 by September 1st. Please include your name and address, phone number, and e-mail address. The first 20 people will be accepted. Non members may join PWCS at the time of registration by paying an extra $40 for one year’s dues. They will receive membership materials in the mail shortly afterwards. Additionally, all workshop attendees will recieve some fantastic new brushes from our sponsor, Dynasty Brush! Questions? Send me an e-mail , or call 215.569.3955.

posted by Annie Strack @ 8:28 PM   0 Comments

Monday, August 18, 2014

I heart these watercolors from Senelier!

I'm proud to be one of the artists featured by Sennelier on their website! I've been using the honey-based Sennelier watercolors ever since I assisted them with the product testing of their new formulas several years ago, and found them to be superior to all other watercolors. The pigments are more saturated and the colors are more pure and vibrant than other brands of paint, which makes my paintings even more beautiful. Check out the full line of art supplies on their website!



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posted by Annie Strack @ 10:38 AM   0 Comments

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Step-bt-step Process for Painting Gulls in Watercolor

Step by step tutorial of my latest painting! 
I'm working from a photo I shot of some gulls at the end of Lake road (Lake Pontchartrain). To begin, I masked out the gulls and the wood and then also sprinkled masking fluid randomly on the background.
For the background, I painted wet-in-wet using granulating colors and added salt for extra texture effect. I sprayed with water to create some blooms, splattered paint, and tipped the paper to create some drips and runs.
After I peeled the masking fluid off of everything, I reapplied it to a few areas where I want to preserve the highlights. Then I painted the first layers of shadow colors on the gulls and initial colors and values on the wood.
 I added some more layers to the wood, and used a damp large flat synthetic brush to lift out some grain patterns in the wood.
I painted in the dark tail and wing feathers and some shadow details on the feathers, and then I lifted a few highlights with a damp brush.
painted a faint hint of color to the legs and beaks, and finally got around to painting the eyes. I left the eyes until near the end because I was afraid of screwing them up.
Ok, I think I might be done. I tweeaked the shadows and lighlights a little more, but I don't want to over paint it so I'm going to have to put it away for a while. In the meanwhile, I need a title for this one -- any ideas? Tell me your suggestions in the comments -- thanks!!

posted by Annie Strack @ 8:55 AM   4 Comments

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