Late last week my boss came to me and asked where the October report was. I looked at her dumbfounded.

“It’s October?”

I’m not sure why this was a shock to me. I should have figured out it was October when my convention happened. But after all that was over, it’s like I went into a sort of temporary numbness. I went to work, I did normal things. Time just wasn’t happening.

And now it’s November. The clocks are falling back. I should take the opportunity to evaluate all my clocks.

So, in that spirit, I ventured into my studio this afternoon and spent the majority of this rainy day in there laboring on a surprising number of works in progress.

Watercolor Society of Oregon Spring Show Entries

I am delighted to tell you all that I made the WSO deadline and submitted these two paintings for the show. It will be a while before I know if one of them got in. The spring show is “Aqueous Media” because acrylic is allowed; “The Turn” can only be entered in this show because it has acrylic on it.

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Corgi Beach Day 2016

Next, I have been working on a double of paintings inspired my trip up to Cannon Beach in July with Key for Corgi Beach Day 2016.

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Keeneland Morning

Last (I’ve actually been working on these the longest) are a couple of paintings inspired by reference photos I took at Keeneland in 2014. I got a little distracted from my goal of horse feet, but I’ve enjoyed working on paintings focused on light and dark.

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Yes, you saw this one above, but it’s worth showing again.

Miscellaneous

Finally, I’ve finally painted in the American kestrel for this painting, started at Margaret Godfrey’s workshop in May.

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I’m liking it. I’m thinking about adding some acrylic to the branches to punch up the color.

Well, my mind may have been elsewhere, but at least some good painting has been happening!

After the convention was over, the real fun of the Francesco Fontana workshop began.

Monday – Value

After getting the room and various logistics set up, our group of 26 settled down to learn. The daily format was a lecture followed by each of us going back to our table to work on our projects, with Fontana roaming the room to give individual attention and advice.

Fontana started us out with value studies. He had each of us bring up a subject we wished to paint, then redistributed the paintings so that we were working on a reference photo with no “meaning” built into it. Our job was to develop a three-value study, then translate that into a painting, starting with the darks first (traditionally, watercolor is built from light to dark; this method is more common with oil and acrylic painters.)

I liked this exercise a lot, but I had two problems. First, I had a cold and was, essentially, miserable and drugged up. Second, the reference photo I was assigned was a building; I hate painting buildings.

Still, I did my best.

Fontana looked them over and said, “Well, they are kind of confused. But I forgive you. You’re sick.”

Tuesday – Composition

On that note, I decided to stay for Tuesday’s lecture, then go home and see if a nice nap would help me be able to paint the rest of the week. It was a good decision.

The topic of the day, composition, got slightly muddled because Fontana also introduced the issue of color theory.

The assignment of the day was to take a reference photo you wanted to work on and change it in some way. Turn it from horizontal to vertical, light to dark, or in some other way get away from strictly copying the reference photo.

Wednesday – Color Theory

I felt better with 10 hours sleep plus a nap and vowed to paint the day away. Today’s topic was all about color, with Fontana saying he had gotten sidetracked yesterday and combining two lessons.

Fontana’s color theory is to select a main color, then select the complement: red/green, orange/blue, yellow/purple. From there, select one other adjacent color (essentially you can select any of the remaining four) to give the painting a temperature (warm vs. cool) focus.

Frankly, this is the concept that I had the most trouble understanding. I’m not sure how it differs from traditional triad theory because, essentially, all colors are available in both. Fontana’s method does have the advantage of accenting one side of the color wheel, so that’s something to consider.

Fontana said, “You’re getting it.”

Thursday – Brush Work

I think this was the day that I liked best, and it was certainly successful with the class at large. Fontana talked a little about brushwork, suggesting the intriguing idea that he things in “planes” to “carve out” the painting. His point was that every brush stroke matters, and he challenged the class to create a painting in 100 strokes or less.

A few of the class members produced really stunning paintings. I was not one of them, but I’m still happy with my results, enough so that I went on to paint a couple of larger paintings along this same theme.

As you can see, I sort of forgot about anything except the two color complement scheme.

At the end of the day, Fontana said, “I love your concept.”

Friday – Wrap up

By Friday, i think I was not the only one feeling the effects of a long week. The lecture was a recap of the weeks topic with a challenge to bring it all together into a single painting that would be critiqued at the end of the day.

I started with this value sketch, trying to simplify the shapes as much as possible and not become attached to particular things.

Then I began, using Fontana’s color theory (red/green with purple) and starting with darks first.

I forgot to challenge myself to 100 brushstrokes, but other than that, I hit the other points.

Fontana said, “I love it.”

I love it too. I’d like to do it again a little bigger. I’d like to push the shapes and bring some more primary color into it instead of concentrating so much on neutrals.

But I do love it.

Conclusion

This is the first time I’ve been able to take a Watercolor Society of Oregon workshop (pesky job…) and five days is a lot, especially fighting a cold and coming off 4 days of convention work. But if I had to start somewhere, this was an awesome one.

More than once I felt a little like this was “painting boot camp.” Fontana kept us focused on the basics of good painting, but each with his own twist so the topic felt fresh and new.

Fontana himself was charming and warm and did his best to give everyone some attention. He commented that this was the best workshop he’d done because it was so nice to work with only more experienced painters (apparently back in Italy he teaches a lot of beginner workshops.)

I have a lot to work on back in my own studio. But a lot of ideas too.

So… It’s over. The convention. The workshop. It’s all over.

Or that’s my story as I work my way through a list of final things to do:

1. Write thank you notes (more…)
2. Turn in wrap-up articles (more…)
3. Unpack art supplies
4. Catch up on blog
5. Take the dogs for a walk before they call the humane society

So, Thursday I was wowed by the volunteers to hang the show.

Friday

Friday was the “half day” of the convention. Mostly it’s about checking people in and a meet-and-greet reception where we gets things going.

I had hoped to offer a jet boat tour with Willamette Jet Boat Tours, but not enough people signed up. Lots of people, however, signed up for a class on historic homes with Jenny Armitage.

Saturday

This swung us into the “big day” of Saturday with 18 break-out sessions, an artists reception, followed by a banquet. And my camera battery died Friday, so I have not a single photo to show for it.

Here I need to pause again to sing the praises of volunteers. All of my teachers were volunteers and EVERY SINGLE ONE of them showed up on time, well prepared to teach spectacular lessons. Can you imagine anywhere else in life where 18 separate individuals just show up to work? For free? And do a great job?

I’m still blown away.

There were a few glitches:

• The cleaning crew took away the plastic from a previously prepped room (I panicked)
• I realized I booked the wrong room for Sunday’s lecture and had to beg Clackamas Community College for another room (CCC is a rock star, by the way)
• I did not realize that the traveling show crates were ginormous and incapable of behaving in a normal manner (long story)
• There were reports of people not paying for attended classes (I never figured this out, but it was weird on all fronts)
• I moved around some classes from one room to another to make people more comfortable, which instead created confusion (mea culpa)
• The Pioneer Center, which had not been the easiest facility to work with in the months leading up to this event, played the part of the villain in the tale (with the exception of one person, who was a rock star)
• I was left nearly on my own to clean up the Pioneer Center (thank you J.P. for not abandoning me too, and to R.R. and his wife who only left at my urging because they needed to e someplace else)
• We left the coffee pot on at the reception (another call to CCC Security)

But body language of the attendees indicated that everyone was having fun, so I did my best to keep my panic under wraps.

Tara’s major meltdown

Things were going well until about 5:30 on Saturday when I started to get phone calls about “the band wants to know how they are getting paid.” I had hired a band, lead by the husband of a friend, for the reception on Saturday. We had signed a contract, he showed up, and people were texting me that the music was great. The only hitch? I had forgotten to tell our Treasurer that there needed to be a check for him.

By this time I had been doing physical labor for 11 hours. I hadn’t slept well in two nights. I had pushed my social side to the max. And, though I didn’t know it at the time, I was coming down with a cold.

So… I had a meltdown. I was crying and hysterical, even after our treasurer stopped what she was doing to sort things out. It was all too much, and I felt horrible (emotionally and physically) and because of it I ended up not attending the banquet (ably supervised by my lovely co-chair, Patty.) So me and my headache went back to the hotel where I went to bed, though I was still too keyed up to sleep well for the third night running.

Sunday

Sunday things were looking brighter. Sunday is a slower day, with only the business meeting and juror lecture. Two events, one site, with the last event over at 1. I might get home before 5pm?

Indeed, after a normal business meeting and an excellent lecture and demo by juror Francesco Fontana, we were able to clean up, drop off a few remaining things, and head home.

The center painting is by Francesco Fontana. It’s the view from his hotel room of the Abernathy Bridge over the Willamette River at dawn.

Where I collapsed.

Summary

I’m proud of my work on this convention, and I think it went well. However, I’m not sure I’d do it again because of my meltdown on Saturday. That was the number one thing I was afraid of happening and in spite of how hard i worked and prepped, I’m really disappointed in myself for not being able to hold it together for the whole event.

Next: The workshop!

It occurred to me a few minutes ago as I was surfing Pintrest for “job chart for adults at a convention” that I may have snapped.

After more than two years of planning, “my” convention is just 11 days away.

To recap, more than two years ago I volunteers to be a co-chair of the Watercolor Society of Oregon Fall Convention. At the time I lived in Oregon City and I felt that a convention there would be a neat thing. Once I found an equally foolish person to take care of the “social/food” side of the convention, we were off.

Frankly, I think it’s going to be a great event.

• We’ve lined up great location and teachers.
• Clackamas Community College is allowing us to hang the show in their Pauling Gallery.
• The list of classes is awesome (if I do say so myself.)
• The juror is internationally known and his workshop filled up within a few weeks of “opening.”
• I’ve eaten the food of the caterer and I thought it was great.
• People have volunteered readily.
• We met our deadlines for publishing.
• The budget is in the black.

And you are ALL invited to the Artists Reception Saturday, October 8 from 4-6pm at the Pauling Gallery at CCC!

Now, if I can just stay calm…

Here’s the thing. This is the kind of event that brings out my dictator complex.

Now, it is my observation that people don’t like to be bossed around.

Which leads me to my quest to find a “job chart for adults at a convention” on Pintrest.

Can I count on you all for an intervention if it becomes necessary?