Greetings from Philly
 

Hello, everyone. I was quite pleased to discover this site. As a recent BFA graduate(at age 52), I am new to the professional world, and anxious to benefit from advice and input from my peers. The beautiful work I've seen so far has been truly inspiring. I've done oil portraits, though I feel more adept in watercolor. To improve my oil technique, I have enrolled in Studio Incamminati's summer workshop.

Hello Deborah,

Welcome to the forum. I am new myself here and find a lot of inspiration in various topics. I wish that I could join a workshop of one of the very capable painters that participate in this forum, but it

Deborah, hi & welcome!

(That wouldn't by any chance be your daughter with the parrot?) --and congratulations on getting back to painting after those 20 years of homemaking/child-rearing. You're not alone in that! (Though I'm only 1/2 way through the child-rearing part :))

Hi, Deborah, and welcome,

I'd encourage you to post your portrait images individually in the Critiques section, as folks are often reluctant to get into critiques here in the introduction area. (We "usually" reserve this area for ideas for a good name for a rock band featuring portrait artists who do not play accordians or banjos.) If there are any particular concerns that you yourself have about the works, you might mention that, in order to help respondents focus their comments.

If there are any particular concerns that you have about accordians or banjos, be advised that we have players of both amongst us. But they're pretty great portrait artists, anyway.

Cheers

Child-rearing
 

No, I'm not that young! :) Actually, she's a cousin of my husband's. My youngest child is 16, so... almost done!

Critiques
 

Thanks, Steven. I'm afraid I jumped in with both feet before knowing what I was doing! I was always the type to read instructions as I go along, then rely on the help of kind strangers to set me aright. :sunnysmil

Hi
 

[QUOTE=Allan Rahbek]Hello Deborah,

Welcome to the forum. I am new myself here and find a lot of inspiration in various topics. I wish that I could join a workshop of one of the very capable painters that participate in this forum, but it

Welcome to the Forum. I know there are many of us here who will be very interested to hear about your experiences at Incamminati this summer. Wish I could join you there for it!

Deborah.

Let me add a belated welcome from another Philadelphian, also new this week! I'm sorry I missed your portrait posts (my phone line was down for two days), where are they now? I wish you well at Studio Incamminati. I visited last October during an open house and was very impressed. Are you currently painting with Nelson Shanks' pallette arrangement as you will at your workshop (I'm trying it, but also use some earth colors)?

I don't know who else here is from Philly, but I'm glad you've joined us.

Garth

Welcome Deborah,

I'm not from Philly but not to far away in Lancaster. You will get help and enjoyment as a member of the Forum.

Does anyone know what happened to the portrait posts?

Thanks Jim,

Yes, I'm familiar with Lancaster, and visited there several years ago (ate at a wonderful restaurant run by the "Hogg" family, I think it was). I'm actually from NC, but live in Philly half the time. I'm in the process as we speak, of posting the portraits on the Unveiling forum. I was advised that would be the better place if I desire serious critiques.

Deborah

Incamminati
 

Thanks, Garth

I'm in the process of moving the portraits to the Unveiling forum. Sorry, I'm still learning how to maneuver the site. Yes, I'm jazzed about the workshop this summer. I have only just ordered the colors to complete the new palette, so I haven't used it, yet. I see you're a sculptor, which is my unfulfilled dream, at this point. It scratches a creative itch like no other medium. Do you have any suggestions for setting up the studio? My NC studio is tiny - forget it, there - but in Philly I have an ideal situation. I just need to get it started.

Deborah,

Just get a bag of clay (perhaps an armature too) and get your feet wet!

I don't have much in the way of studio suggestions. I too need a bigger one, hopefully with a north light for once.

I think we'd all agree with the first part of your sentence, and everyone without north light (like me) would also agree with the second part.

I read in an article recently that Daniel Greene said, like every artist he's ever met, that no matter what size of studio he has it always feels like he could use about 20% more space. That and more time to paint....The perpetual artists' laments, I think.

Hello
 

Hi Deborah,

Welcome to the forum. I'm a Philadelphia ex-patriot now living on Long Island, about 15 miles from NYC. I still have some family in Phila so I get down there about once a year. Many would agree that since I left things got a lot better. North Carolina is a beautiful place. I envy you being down there half of the year. I'll be there in May and am looking forward to it.

I'm sure you'll enjoy your time spent here on the forum. It's a lot of fun to hang out with passionate portraitists from around the globe.