The Sedona Arts Center is the organization that organizes workshops, classes, field expeditions, and more to educate and provide experiences in all mediums to artists and art students.  They are the organization that sponsers Karin Jurick's Workshops.  If you're new to my blog, first, thank you for visiting, and to bring you up to date, this series of mug shot paintings and many references to the "Hilton Head Gang" (HHG), is all born out of a workshop we took from artist Karin Jurick last November in Hilton Head, South Carolina.  Hanging out with Karin, learning so much from her, and meeting and forming friendships with the other artists attending was just an amazing gift.  

As if that wasn't enough!  Recently, the director of the Sedona Arts Center, Vince Fazio, extended an invitation to any artist who had participated in one of their workshops, to submit a painting that exemplified the area where the workshop was held, for an exhibition called "A Sense of Place" which will be part of Sedona's "First Friday Artwalk".   Ultimately, almost all 19 of the Hilton Head Gang responded with enthusiasm and if that wasn't cool enough, Karin let us know she would be sending a painting to hang with our group!  What solidarity!  


Gang member Regula Scheifele, made this poster to celebrate our excitement over, well, everything, but specifically that Karin is hanging with us once again, on the walls of this exhibition.   If you happen to be in Sedona, Arizona, please stop in and see our paintings.  The show opened yesterday with the formal reception on Feb.3 and stays up through the 14th.   I sent my painting "Bamboozled" which was of a bamboo weaver we met in Savannah.  This isn't the greatest photo but here it is, framed.   Good luck to all who are participating in "A Sense of Place"!

Betsy's Mug

4 X 4

Oil on panel

I'm having a run of frustration with my little mugs.  My last one didn't turn out as well as I hoped and will definitely be a do-over when I get a stretch of time.  I didn't post that one.

I looked forward to painting artist Betsy Stevenson and did indeed enjoy painting this one.  She is just so beautiful with wonderful color in her face, framed with her gorgeous grey and white hair.  But again, I'm afraid this just does not do her justice and I'm going to have to try it again, maybe smiling next time.  Betsy's website can be found here

Self Portrait

16 X 20

Oil on panel backed canvas

I just finished this today, 4 days too late to make the deadline for a self portrait exhibit at Artlink, our local art center.  Ah well.  The devil was in the detail, but so was the fun.

Nancy's Mug

4 X 4

Oil on panel

This one was definitely a challenge.  Last night, I was getting so hung up on details and ultimately frustrated, I decided to call it a night and tackle it later.   What happened next is probably something all artists can relate to.  As I was putting things away, I kept looking at the painting to evaluate where I was going wrong, then grabbed one of my freshly cleaned brushes and took a swipe here and there, then more, then more, then pretty much repainted the whole thing loosely, almost carelessly, and found I liked it.  So Nancy, I apologize for your blue chin and purple neck.  You can view Nancy's blog here.  And to see everyone's work on Maria's site, take a look here.

Roxanne's Mug

4 X 4

oil on panel

Happy New Year everyone!  Hilton Head Gang member, Roxanne Duke, has the distinction of being the first mug of 2012!  I loved the challenge of her rimless glasses and chose to not stay true to the photo in which her eyes were quite shadowed.  She has beautiful eyes that deserve to be accented.  Roxanne's paintings can be viewed here.

These mini portraits have been so much fun, and they're going so fast now, I'm thinking I may start doing family and friend's minis to be displayed together.  I'll add this to my "think about it" list.  I can't believe there was a time I suffered from painter's block - straining to come up with a subject.  There are so many ideas I want to get to, let alone the two projects on various easels right now.  I'm looking forward to posting more paintings besides the little mugs this year.  I better add resolutions to my list as well.

Sherrie's Mug

4 X 4

oil on panel

The last mug shot of the year is artist Sherrie Hilliard.  I must again point out that my Hilton Head workshop-mates were great sports about having their pictures taken with their best "perp" expressions so we could paint each other's "mug shots", and that Sherrie is really quite pretty.  And thanks again to Maria Hock who faithfully sends out these photos and posts them on her blog site.  To view everyone's interpretations, visit her blog here or her Picasa gallery here.

 

Kelley's Mug

4 x 4
oil on panel

I didn't think I'd get any painting in this week, but everyone was out of the house for awhile tonight, so instead of tackling the many little Christmas related things that need to get done, like wrapping and looking over the list for the gazillionth time, I finished another Hilton Head Gang member's mug shot.  This week is artist Kelley MacDonald,  and borrowing Kelley's mantra, sometimes "girls just wanna paint".  Visit Kelley's blog here.

Thanks to all who visited my blog and for the kind comments offered in response to the postings this year.  I appreciate all your support.  May you all have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year and everyone be safe out there!

Golden Friendship

12 x 12

Oil on panel backed canvas

Sam's parents set out to find a therapy dog for him, but when they found Shadow, they knew he was going to be part of their family.  Shadow was just a puppy at the time but was already disfigured from untreated mange.  Still his incredible serene and angelic personality was apparent and to know him is to love him.  I just finished this last night, just in time for it to dry and be wrapped for my sister ( Sam and Shadow's mother ), for Christmas.  Hopefully this isn't the one time she looks at my blog!

I Left My Brain in Hilton Head

 Maybe that's overstating it a bit, but to say I left part of my subconscious is a little too obscure, and my heart is firmly planted between Indiana with my husband and cat, and in Texas with my boy Nick.  However, since receiving a disc of photos in the mail from one of my dear travel buddies, I've definitely been letting my daydreams carry me back to that lovely vacation in South Carolina.   And although it's been a month since we were there, I thought I'd share some moments.   And so here I am, supplies packed precariously in shopping bags, on my way in to the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina for my first day of the Karin Jurick Workshop.  I was crazy excited.

 And this is inside, actually into the second day there.  We had all abandoned our workstations to cluster around Karin and watch her paint, always a highlight of each day.  That's my spot in the foreground.  Later that day I bought one of Brett's Tabletop Easels and have been happily using it ever since. 

This was a typical moment in which we were held in rapt attention during one of Karin's demos which is clearly not only informative but highly entertaining.  The girl is hilarious.

The Three Graces

My posse, my travel companions, my friends - Carmen, Susie, and Mona.  Here we are on the beach in front of our condo.  It was a little chilly but gorgeous, which called for a toast. 

 In the Presence of Artistic Greatness

A statement that could apply to both, my friend, artist Susie Suraci and to Karin Jurick  who's paintings we're enjoying here at the Morris & Whiteside Gallery.   The week was incredible, filled with art, ocean, good food, good wine,with side trips to Savannah and Bluffton and wonderful time spent with wonderful people.  It exceeded whatever I had imagined to experience when I signed up for the workshop. 

Jennifer's Mug

4 X 4

Oil on Panel

This week the Hilton Head Gang Mug Shots spotlight falls on Jennifer Koach who was dubbed "JLo" by her classmates.  Everybody was a good sport to ham it up for the camera for the sake of this project and give their most distressed, "just been caught" expressions.  Again, everyone's interpretation of JLo can been seen on the right hand side of Maria Hock's  blog. 

I have this whole week off and am embracing the chance to do Christmas-y things, get ready for my son's visit, and enjoy time with my husband, family, and friends.  I'm also luxuriating in the time to paint ad lib, without having to squeeze it into life.  Maybe I will get a painting or two done for gifts after all!

Linda's Mug

4 X 4

Oil on panel

And here's another "mug shot" of one of my classmates from the Hilton Head gang.  Finding time to paint is always tricky but this week has been a killer, between my regular schedule plus mandatory extra shifts at my job, and Christmas decorating.  Tonight after work, I started in on this little mug of artist Linda Popple and determined to get it done no matter what.  I could have tweaked it a little more but here it is.  For all the mugs by all the Hilton Head gang, go to Maria Hock's blog site.  Maria's challenge has been to do a mug a week and I'm hoping to keep up with it although it's going to be a hectic and joyful month.  I'm looking forward to making up for lost time with my son who is several states away in grad school but will be home for Christmas.  And of course, nothing is more important than that!

Regula's Mug

6 X 6

oil on panel

Regula, my highly informative and talented Hilton Head workshop-mate, is this week's chosen one to be gang painted. She tried to look rough for her photo but I'm sorry girl, you just don't pull off mean.  And I tried, but I just can't make you look mean - not with those beautiful eyes of yours!  To see all the entries from our group for Regula's as well as Karin's mugs, as they come in, go to Maria Hock's blog site where she has set up a slide show.  Also,  check out the object of our workshop and our affection, Karin Jurick and her blog.  She's joining in on this little project for us to do all our mugs, one mug per week.

Sea Leveled

6 X 11.5"

Oil on panel

From one of the bazillion photos we took while at Hilton Head.  It might have been chilly but the ocean was so alluring, it would have to been iced over to keep us away.  This is of my lovely friend Mona, taking in the beauty.

 

Mug Shot of Karin Jurick

4 x 4

Oil

This kills me to start right of with a hero. But my classmates thought it would be fun to do and compare all our styles by painting all of our mugshots.  The "shots' aren't ment to flatter - just to have jun with.  And it was, it was fun to do a small paintings with a bit of gusto - But I'll just see how much fun it is when it's my  turn to have MY mug up there.  I can't stand to have a photo taken when I look good! And Karin, I apologize - you really are a lovely girl.

Mug Shot

4 x 4

oil on panel

And again, out of the workshop came this exercise of painting from mug shots.  This was especially fun to do because it was small and I really started to loosen up, using lots of greens, blues, purples, and grays to express his sallow complexion and mood.  

People in the class really got into this one - and have decided to keep it up by doing a series of all our mugs.  A great way to keep connected and keep painting.  I'm looking forward to "seeing" everyone again.