Virtual Paint Out in San Miguel de Allende

I went to Mexico yesterday (playing with others at Bill Guffey's Virtual Paint OUT)  It was a beautiful day in San Miguel de Allende, while it was pouring rain in ARIZONA!   I found this little street and the colors just JUMPED out at me begging to be painted.  So I painted them.

Hotel Posada de las Manjas
Pastel on SandPaper 9x12

Here is my reference photo from Google Street View.

I'm liking a few things about this painting.  My 13th pastel painting ever.  This one I tried real hard to avoid over blending, and I think I succeeded.  If you get close you can really see the pastel dust!  AND I did people.  Of course if you count the carriage driver and passengers last month's Central Park painting, these are only my second attempt at figures, ever.  So they aren't great, but they aren't horrible either.  And I never had to wipe them out and start over . . . like the horse last month.

I did not wash the background on this painting at all. I liked the look that the pastel on the sandpaper at first pass.  It left the buildings with that old patchy look.  Here are some progress photos from today.  OH YEA.  That's the other thing.  I did this in one day.  I started, I kept at it, and I finished it.  That's a new one for me.

Charcoal sketch

First Pass of Color

Adding bricks and greenery.

PEOPLE . . we have PEOPLE
and YES I left out the pickup truck. . . that looked hard!

I just loved the colors and the direction of this image.  All of the action is really happening "way down the road" and it looked like it went on forever.

Try Google Street View . . you'll LOVE IT.

Paint Out, OFF and IN Online Art Contests

Looking for ways to promote our new Paint OFF, I've run across a few other online Painting competitions.  First and Foremost here's a link to OUR NEW PAINT OFF where there are monthly PRIZES like $250 on a VISA card.

www.StreetViewPaintOFF.com

Here are some other cool places websites with "get togethers" going on

VirtualPaintOut.blogspot.com

A Day Not Wasted

Inspiration All Around Us

Have fun and PLEASE JOIN ME over at StreetViewPaintOFF, either at the blog or on FaceBook where WE the People will Choose the Winners!

Share the JOY

Kay

Virtual Paint Out on Manhattan Island

Recently I discovered a really FUN activity called a Virtual Paint Out where once a month a location is provided for artists of all abilities, ages and mediums who are invited to join in (via Google Street View) and find a location and submit a painting. It's just for fun, but it IS fun to watch the different location choices develop.  

September's location was Manhattan Island NYC.  I choose a spot in Central Park (not wanting to wander off the island and be disqualified on my first submission :)  and decided to try my hand at a horse and carriage. Here are some of the photos with notes on WHAT HAPPENED along the way.  Oh yea, I used pastels and I'm glad I did.  I wiped out (literally) a horse and half a wagon, more than once.

Value Sketch to get started.

My walking paths were wrong, so I  moved the lower one.

My horse was so BAD I couldn't share - he had to go.

My horse is better now, but the carriage is TOO BIG!

So I fixed it.  (Gotta' love the pastels)

Sunny Day on Central Park Driveway - 16"x12"  - Pastel on Ampersand Board

Below is a look at the Google Street View map where I found my subject.  Once you find a subject I HIGHLY SUGGEST making a link (upper right corner of map window) and sending it to yourself.  I would never have been able to find this again, if I hadn't done that. YES I left out the two people with baby strollers walking in the center.  I struggled so with the horse, I didn't want to ruin it.  If I ever go back, I may add them.

View Larger Map

I am right now looking in Arizona for a location to have my (our) own Virtual Paint out so stay tuned if you'd like to join in.

Share the Joy.

Kay