Notes from Elio Camacho

I am often asked how one chooses what workshops to take. 

As a beginner I grabbed every class I could afford and/or get to 

hoping something might just stick.  As your style emerges you begin to

get more discretionary on who you take from.  My painting gang is

always generous in sharing the info culled from a class so here 

is a "share" from Carol Schiff on a wonderful instructor: Elio Camacho.

My friends and I drove to Fernandina Beach, FL to attend a workshop with Elio Camacho, one of my favorite painters and my very favorite instructor.

 We began each day with a beautiful sunrise over the ocean and then got to work.

 This is one of Elio's 36x48" demos painted in just three hours.

Here he met a challenge to paint without darks believing that a painting should 

bring it's own light.  I think this one meets that requirement!

 Another of his larger than life paintings.

This 25 minute demo was done on foam core.  He pushed the color even more

 than usual getting wild and crazy.

His brushwork is very exciting...something I am hoping to bring to my work.

Elio spent a year painting blue studies, then moved on and studied yellows and reds.  He likes to set up still life and challenge his students to render it all in a single color.
He believes red is the most difficult color to paint.  If you can do a red painting, he believes one can really see color.  This is a 20 minute demo he did for us one day.

Here is the last demo, painted in about 15 minutes, out of his head.  I almost cried when he scrapped it off the next morning.

Needless to say, we are excited to return for his next Florida workshop in the spring.  You can find his workshop schedule here.

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Carol Schiff
www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

Thanks Carol,   I've put Elio on my "wish" list for future workshops!
Cindy

Practice, Practice, Practice...Makes Perfect!

Quite a while back a trend started when a group of painters challenged themselves to paint one painting every day.  Not just to start a painting, or to work at painting, but to complete one a day.  Most of the work was in the 8 x 10 or 5 x 7 size and therefore affordably priced.  Word begin to spread and smaller groups sprouted up accepting the challenge.  To no one’s surprise the work of the participating artists improved exponentially!   Two of my painting buddies were savvy enough to catch the wave and join Daily Painter Originals which posts the work of daily painters on-line .  They employ incredible discipline and commitment to keep up with the daily ritual of finishing a complete work.  To find out what drives them, I chatted with Carmen Beecher and Carol Schiff:

Leap for Joy, Carmen Beecher, oil

Ladies, just what is a “daily painter?”

Carol:  As the name implies, it is someone who tries to paint most every day.

Carmen:  In our group we commit to doing three to four small pieces each week, minimum.

Why did you decide to join this group?

Carol:  Several reasons: I wanted to put myself on a schedule to paint daily to increase my production, to advance my skills and to bring new readers to my blog where I post the work.  I have been retired several years and I felt it was time to put a little pressure into my life.

Carmen: I’ve always admired others who had made the commitment and I wanted to see if I could meet the challenge.

How has this affected your art?

Carmen:  In very positive ways.  I have a new tempo, I’m painting faster and I look forward to a new one each day.  The group is inspiring because they do high quality work and everyone is very supportive.  My dream is to meet them all in one place someday.

Carol:  In addition to a much larger inventory of paintings available, I have really improved my skills.  My brushwork, color knowledge, composition skills and so on are on a much higher level than when I was painting less regularly.  Just like Mom said about the piano: practice, practice, practice!

Carol Schiff's Green Onions

Do you sell these pieces?

Carol: Yes, I have two sites on Etsy: www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com and www.CarolOnEdge.etsy.com.

Carmen: Yes, I am also on Etsy at www.carmensart.etsy.com and you can also connect to me at the daily painters site: www.dailypaintersoriginals.com

Do you paint other works as well?

Carol:  Recently I have been experimenting with some abstract work using lots of texture and mixed media as well as trying out some collage.

Carmen:  Yes, I have done several large pieces in the past year inspired by a trip to the Everglades.  I do try to take a break now and then and paint something larger.

How long are you going to be a ‘daily painter?’

Carol: Good question…I have no idea!

Carmen:  When I get really busy I ask myself the same thing!  But I have to admit that I am really hooked.  It improves my work and I like the discipline.  I’ll just see where it leads me.

Both artists invite you to visit their blogs where they post their daily paintings with commentary.

Carol is at www.CarolSchiffStudioblogspot.com and Carmen writes at www.carmenbeecher.blogspot.com.

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