For The Love Of Art: Part Two

Once I have my old color-wheel, I'm good to go!

I didn't misplace it, because I use it in my silk painting too.

I'd be lost without it.

This is how I like to set-up my paint area. All neat and tidy.

For those of you that like to read things in the correct order,

here is "For The Love Of Art: Part One." But come back now, ya hear?!

Here is the photograph I chose to go with. One of over 300 that I took at the beautiful Frey Vineyards. I'm saving my favorite for last. Like dessert. Well, I'm lying here. Sometimes I have dessert first. So... never mind.

First I did a quick pencil sketch on my nice, new canvas.

Then I outlined the sketch in acrylic. While I was doing that, I remembered that I usually began with this step, instead of sketching it in with pencil first. It's been fourteen years since I did an easel-painting, so I have an excuse!

The outline/sketch is finished - and now comes the fun part.

I consider this the underpainting. Just getting some of the main colors down.

I always love the look of the colors on the palette.

After a few hours, the palette is full...

And I'm getting tired of painting. (It happens.)

Tomorrow's another day.

I'll be refreshed and ready to paint some more on the left side, and then on to the best part - the finishing touches! The highlights, the shadows and the fun colors. Yum!!

It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it.

Until the next time ~

My Website; Silk Accessories

Silk Painting

More Silk Painting

For The Love Of Art: Part One

My Road Trip To Frey Vineyards

Frey Vineyards

There are SO many things to love!

I love "Followers" and comments too!

(Thank you.)

Signing off for now,

gabriele

For The Love Of Art: Part One

Before I became a silk painter, more than fourteen years ago, I painted in oils.

Here are a few of the many paintings I did back in the day.

I loved everything about oil paints... the smell, the texture, the Turpentine.

Then, one day, I discovered silk painting and tucked all the oil paints away!

But I still wanted to paint landscapes, so I did a few on silk. Like this one.

Then I started painting flowers on silk scarves and that was all she wrote! I was hooked!!

A few months ago, I went on a road trip to San Francisco and the wine country.

My nephew, Brad Gruno and I went to visit Katrina Frey at the beautiful Frey Vineyards.

I took a ton of pictures and when I saw this one, I knew that I had to paint it... in oils!!

Since I got that idea in my head, everything I looked at became a potential oil painting.

Here's another photo from Frey Vineyards. I love that place!

Katrina invited me to come down and be the artist-in-residence! Ohhh yeaah!!

(Katrina, if you're reading this, thank you again!!)

Another potential painting. (Minus the dashboard.)

From a recent trip to Descanso Gardens.

Another one from Descanso.

And another.

On a recent trip to Oregon I fell in love with the moss and thought that it would look gorgeous in a painting too!

Moss climbing on the side of a wall. A cool abstract!

Look at this lushness! Love it!!

I finally decided to go-for-it, but I couldn't find any of my old supplies!!!!

A few years ago, I came across my huge assortment of brushes and thought, "that's a weird place to have put them". Making a 'mental-note-to-self' I went about my life.

The moral of the story, don't put stuff in weird places and don't make mental-notes-to-self!

It ain't gonna work for ya. I've searched and searched for those brushes and supplies and can't find squat!! I finally gave up and bought some new stuff. Just the basics.

A container to put the globs of paint in, without having them dry out.

Two 16" x 20" canvases. Canvas'? Canvas? Canvy?

Some brushes and a palette knife. Ohhh! I had sooo many!!!! Still do... somewhere. :(

Over the years I've become very sensitive to chemical odors and I don't think I'd fare well with the smell of Turpentine, Turpenoid, or any of the other things associated with oil paints.

So I decided to try acrylics. I've never liked acrylics before, but I thought I'd give them a shot anyway. Maybe the texture is better now. I also bought a palette to mix the paints on.

I love a huge assortment of colors! I want them all!! But I behaved and just bought a set.

Okay... I caved and bought a few more.

I couldn't find my easel either, so I got this little inexpensive one.

Of course I had to buy a book.

I had to!!

So, wish me luck, my friends!! I'll give you an update and show you the painting in-progress and completed, in a future post.

"Peace-out, dude."

There are SO many things to love!

I love "Followers" and comments too!

(Thank you.)

Signing off for now,

gabriele

Frey Wines, Brad's Raw Chips - And A Road Trip To San Francisco

At the end of last year, my nephew, Brad Gruno, and I took a little road-trip to San Francisco and Redwood Valley - 'wine country'. Ohhh yeahhh.

First stop was Starbucks, so Brad could get some healthy, green tea.

We're both raw foodists, so healthy eating is really important to us!

As a matter of fact, he's the one that got me started on raw food.

Thanks, Brad!!

"On the road again." Sing it Willie Nelson!

We stopped along the way for some healthy, organic fruit to nibble on.

(We eat healthy you know.)

We went to a place that had a dehydrator that could eat Chicago!

Brad's expanding his business and is considering buying this big ol' honkin' thing in the near future.

And to think I was so proud to show him my nine-tray dehydrator, before we left. What a dufus.

Since they were packaging food at that company, everyone had to wear a hair-net.

"Heeere sheee iiis, Miiiss Ameeeriiicaaa."

Ohhhh... I am not a fan of bridges, high places, or deep water!!

After I took the picture, I slammed my eyes shut until we were on the other side!

Did I mention that Brad likes to talk on the phone? A lot.

It puts a smile on his face.

San Francisco, here we come!

By then we were hungry again, so we stopped at one of the restaurants on the pier.

We were going to have 'a salad', since we are so good about what we eat.

I had fish & chips and Brad had shrimp, oysters and chips.

So much for being good. (Ya gotta love a man that wears a bib.)

Here we are mingling with the crowd. (Who's watching that kid?)

I was hoping the stranger that was nice enough to take our picture,

would also be nice enough not to take off with my expensive camera!

One of the locals, giving us an earful. Sorry dude, no left-overs.

Brad and a pretty girl - nothing new there.

Alcatraz and the Cat in the Hat together in one picture. That's just wrong.

Wheeeeeeeee! Boing, boing, boing.

Oh, good grief! Here we go again!!

Yikes!!

Almost there?!! Please!!

Yes!!

Heading to Redwood Valley -

And there it is - what we all want, "the light at the end of the tunnel".

Whoops.

Hello? Hello? Can you hear me now?

So pretty.

Wine country!

Our final destination - the beautiful Frey Vineyards.

This is a painting, waiting to happen! I may have to give it a shot.

(Before we left, Katrina Frey, invited me to come down for a few days and be

"the artist in residence"! Be still my heart!!!! Thank you, Katrina!!)

Here is Katrina Frey, Executive Director, and our new friend - a kindred spirit.

Here she is, giving Brad a tour of the warehouse, where the wine is stored.

I suddenly wished that I could drink wine. (Allergic to grapes.)

The wine is kept in these 'things'. (A technical term.)

After the tour, they had a little party - Frey Wine and "Brad's Raw Chips".

A delicious combination!

As some of you know, Brad is the owner of "Brad's Raw Chips".

Please check out his website & blog for store locations and other great info. His chips are the best!!

Please also check out "Frey Vineyards", makers of organic and biodynamic wines.

The first ones in America to do so. Look at the variety!

Brad wanted to meet the Frey's, because he's considering going into the wine business and they have the best organic and biodynamic wines.

The story and history of the Frey family is fascinating.

Katrina's dad joined the party!

He was delightful - a family tradition it seems.

It was almost time to go, but before we left, there was something Brad wanted to do -

Let's put some of those cases of wine in the car!!

(He was probably wishing he'd rented a van.)

And off we went. More driving... more phone calls.

Leaving the wine country and heading home.

After awhile, we both got hungry again. Really hungry.

We joked that we would stop at the first restaurant we found, near the highway,

even if it was an IHop! We found a Denny's.

Brad said he could probably eat there if he had 'a salad'. I said, I could too.

The waiter came, and without hesitation, I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and fries.

He ordered chicken fried steak, fries, and topped it off with pumpkin pie and whipped cream.

Two raw foodists on the road. (Willpower anyone?!)

That's some goood stuff!!

Ohhh yeahhh!!

Unfortunately, my stomach didn't agree. And then I got a headache!

(I'm such a delicate petal.)

Heading out once more.

Seriously?!

I love how the landscape changes from area to area.

(And that we're finally done with the bridges!!)

Brad, stretching his legs - and arms. Ready for take-off.

Nice!

He remembered to stop for gas this time... and to make a call.

We got to my house, he dropped me off and went on his merry way.

To make another call, I'm sure.

Bye-bye, Brad. It was great fun! Hope to see you soon!!

Call me.

"Once, during prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water."

- W. C. Fields

"My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four, unless there were three other people."

- Orson Welles

"I'm not saying my wife's a bad cook, but she uses a smoke alarm as a timer."

- Bob Monkhouse

"The food here is terrible and the portions are too small."

- Woody Allen

Here's more info about Brad, raw food and my artwork.

There are SO many things to love!

I love "Followers" and comments too!

(Thank you.)

Signing off for now,

gabriele