Webinar by Johannes Vloothuis

I know its been awhile since I have posted a painting!  I do plan to get back to it really soon!   Its snowing today, and will all week we are told- - - Then I will get out and try some snow paintings!   Christmas is next week and I have been doing a lot of baking and candy making----next its house cleaning, and getting ready for family.   I have ordered a new set of 120 Unison Pastels, 1/2 sticks for my self!!!    I couldn't afford a set of the full sticks, and Unison is one of the better pastels made.  I still like them all, for different reasons, they are all beautiful.
                   WetCanvas has been participating in a unique thing in the Landscape forums.  Artist Johannes Vloothuis from Hamilton, Ontario Canada has been holding a Webinar thru the web-site-Gottomeeting.com , its been Fabulous!    You go on WC, go to the Landscape forum and look for the thread in Talk.   You sign up, and watch each day at 2 pm----Its like being right there with him!  He lectures on landscape painting and how to use the principles and elements of art----shows examples, shows work done by professionals and even critiques art work by us normal people!   He did one of mine a few nights ago, right on the webinar, a small plein-air I did this past spring.   All in all, its a brilliant thing he is doing, and it will end Dec. 22nd.    For now it is free,  which is great.  but when F & W Media picks him up, and they will- - - most likely we will pay a small fee.  Really, at this point, don't know how it will work out.
 A very Merry Christmas to all!

drawing and thinking thru these days between Holidays

With lots of ideas swerling thru my head, and such wonderful bright light these days I have been very hard put to take any one idea thru to the end!    We have had snow, wind and rain so far, along with some minor earth quakes this year.  I have been hiking in the brush and seeing huge deer---bucks with good antler spreads and very large does.   What is hard to believe is the green grass that was under the snow that melted this week!    Thats good for the cattle, but a surprize for me.

  I worked on this drawing this week, its from a photo from the W.C. library .  I will never see an actual tiger so much thanks to the photographer.  My goal was to practise sizing up images with out ever useing any mechanical means----and to practise my eye to hand cordination, get the values,  and learn better strokes with pencil.   Besides, I like to draw anyhow.   I may do this with pastel, maybe on suede mat board----or maybe in watercolor.   Still thinking about that!        I would like to learn how to photograph things better that are in pencil with my digital, tho.