Good Morning Bergsma Friends and Associates from The Beautiful Smokey Mountains!

Kelly and I have just completed the first of two shows in this beautiful region of Tennessee.

Being an artist and entrepreneur is not just about painting for me…getting the products to market (and the fun of travel and seeing new faces) is also a big part of my life.

I would like to introduce just a few of my new and prior customers to you…maybe you will see someone you recognize…or an area that might be close for you to visit. (You are welcome to contact Heather at wholesale@bergsma.com for details)

ONLY…3 weeks out this trip…I go home on the 20th and painting/art class will resume!

Conne and Floyd Bellet from the Memphis Zoo

Nancy Corrington from Skagway Alaska...(St Louis Mo. in the winter!)

Jody and her Alaska Representative...Jim Slates.(In the suit) and Mr. and Mrs. John Nussbaumer of Twigs Alaska gifts...Fairbanks Ak.

Jody Bergsma and her Favorite Rep Byron Busch...Seattle Wa.(Dont tell Jim!)

Sandra Jennings from Thunder Gold located in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Denise Grigoli -Designs Unlimited...Florida with Jody Bergsma and Kelly.

Denise has created a line of outerwear from my art…you can see one of my painting on the shirt above our heads!

The Christmas products were a hit...Remember we will have a Christmas Party and SALE Friday - Sunday December 4th - 6th.

Nancy Markland...bought the Christmas line for her store.

Debbie Knobel of Knobels in Elysburg, Pennsylvania.

Barbara Brittain and Frank Fezzie of Wolf Creek Gallery Myrtle Beach S.C.

Terry Herndon...our Georgia Peach...who wants me to do green eagles...who has ever heard of such a thing?!

David Jones and his wife of Bearwassee...furniture store in Haiwassee, Georgia

The Bear Store...Ray, Sandra and Carrie Johnson in Blue Ridge Georgia.

The Zoo gals at the Virginia Safari Park in Natural Bridge... and Kaci from the Reston Zoo in Vienna, Virginia

The McCalls, pictured here in front of the Bergsma Deer Fleece Blanket.

Russell and Kathy from The Horse Emporium in Knoxville, Tennessee

Chris Bright...from Gatlinburg. We visited with many local businesses.

Great Show Everyone!!!

I had a day off in the Smokies today…

The sun finally came out from the Hurricane Ida storms!

I am standing on the Gatlinburg overlook.

I toured the mountains looking for the mighty black bear…

…but all I found was these turkeys.

Remember to feel gratitude for the beauty and miracles all around you…live, love, and laugh!

Another show starts tomorrow…Have a great weekend and I will return to painting class soon!

Love,

Jody

Dear Blog Friends and Family!

We are ON THE ROAD AGAIN…Hello from Tennessee.

Kelly and I spent a chilly day, Thursday, (Kelly is wearing a Bergsma Fleece Blanket!) setting up the booth at the IGES show in Sevierville…home of Dolly Parton and the beautiful Smokey Mountain National Park.

JODY BERGSMA AND KELLY (Showroom Fairy) wearing "Fire Over The Islands" fleece.

The IGES Show is sponsored by a wonderful woman…Susan Mills and an equally lovely man…Jerry Mayer.

To find out more about their famous show and their 10th anniversary, please click the photo below.

Click Here to learn more about IGES

Jody Bergsma and Susan Mills, originator of The IGES show in Sevierville

THIS WEEK’S LESSON…Creating the right scene to illustrate a saying.

My Friend Sylvia H. has a great quote…
” Be like the lotus and rise in beauty from muddy waters.”

I have been looking for the right image to illustrate these inspiring words…it has become my personal reminder to focus on the positive.

I knew I wanted a water bird…and began my search.

There are birds in this small thumbnail sketch. Can you see them?

The Great Blue Heron…I felt would say it best…

I looked through books for Herons…

I relied on personal photos of waterlilies…

I mixed and matched all my references…

I even tried a loon instead of a heron…just to be sure…

After several tries …I created this view with a frog…

( You know this is my personal symbol…Jod the toad!

The Frog is admiring the majestic Heron…just out of sight of course!

We had a fantastic first day of sales here in the Smokey Mountains!

If any of you are close to Tennessee, please let me know, and we will have a visit! ( I am here for two weeks.)

There are one thousand reasons to be happy each day…(at least!)

Turn and face the sun… it is shining for you….even when you cant see it.

1000 Blessings,
Jody

Dear Blog friends and Happy Artists…

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I hope all of you are planning to do something fun for Halloween.

Bellingham has a “Thriller”  event downtown…get out and do the scary dance!

I plan on partying with friends.

Jody with her friends Barbi and Anne Marie at a Halloween season party.

THIS WEEK’S LESSON:
***CREATING GOOD DRAWINGS…***

Using thumbnail drawings and doing lots of them, is a huge part of creating good art.

THE BEST ART IS SURPRISING.

Keep sketching until you are 100% satisfied with your efforts.

Thumbnails are small and quick.

You are looking to create something fresh while maintaining the rules of good composition.

Just work from your imagination and then you can do the research to fill in the right details.

The squirrels and acorns are there if you use you imagination! I usually use 8 1/2 by 11 paper divided in 1/4's for my thumbnails.

For this season I wanted to do a squirrel with fall leaves and bear cubs in the leaves.

After the quick sketches, I went to find the right photos to support the anatomy and shape of the flowers and squirrels.

Fall leaves are in abundance...I used photo's and also just picked branches from the trees.

Acorns are a must for my squirrel!

I use the RULE OF THIRDS.
BALANCING THE COMPOSITION…While spacing unevenly.
Remember…LIGHT AGAINST DARK and DARK AGAINST LIGHT.

Real leaves are a great painting idea.

I gathered all the ingredients and created this new composition of a baby squirrel with chickadees.

CONSIDER…what does your painting say without words?

It feels as if the picture is telling a story...

I wanted to call it…”Take good care of your nuts”…
What do you think?

You can send in your ideas!

Can you see the two bear cubs...???

Here is another version.

Finally...The finished cubs with bees...

I came up with the following title: “Take good care of your honey”, but I’m still not sure.

Tara (Art Department) said the title was not working for her either…if you have a comment please let us know!

Email Heather at wholesale@bergsma.com.

Kelly (Showroom Fairy and Trade Show Side-Kick) came up with a great new idea.

Pendant only (no chain or cord currently available) Save The Dates Friday - Sunday Dec.4th -6th for our Annual Christmas Party and Sale!

Most images can go in these NEW Bergsma Pendants. We are just designing these. This is a sneak preview…as they are not even on the website yet…now you can wear your favorite painting if your walls are full!

Email Heather at wholesale@bergsma. com  if you are interested in particular image.

We have Key Chain/Zipper pulls too! They are now available as a key chain or pendant. Necklace not included.

Kelly is proudly modeling her ideas.

Look for the flyer below to come to your mail box soon!

Coming Soon!

Drawing is the most important part of any painting…as a matter of fact…the drawing is the real original!

This week I did at least 50 small sketches. They are the heart of the work…often created very early in the morning when most of you are sleeping…

Stay tuned for more drawings…I am now designing for 2010…and 30 finished works will be ready to show in January…

I will also be showing them at the Christmas party.

Jody and 50 sketches....whew!!!

Have a wonderful Halloween weekend…I will be in Tennessee this next week for the Sevierville and Gatlinburg shows with my side-kick Kelly.

Till later…Happy Painting…or should I say Drawing!

Love,
Jody

Dear Blog Friends and Fellow Painters…

With the opening behind me I had time to visit Audra at her Art Show
last Saturday. It was a blustery fall day…perfect for shopping at the fair.

She had a table full of her new art and products.

WAY TO GO AUDRA!

I will be sure to let you know about her next show.

Audra Hitz won FIRST PRIZE at the Lynden Fairgrounds for her Eagle painting.

This Week’s Lesson…

DRAWING COMPOSITIONS WITH REPETITION AND VARIATION

I blog a lot about Repetition And Variation when it comes to the colors in my paintings. This week, I will be discussing the R & V of shapes.

Lori Wentz recently shared some beautiful photos of her favorite cat, who died suddenly, and requested that I put him in a painting.

This provides me with an opportunity to talk about creating from friend’s photos and creating the right message with the right symbols in the picture.

I studied the face…took note of the colors of the cat and began gathering ideas for the art.

You always begin by doing small “Thumbnail”  sketches.

Amazing blue eyes!

This thumbnail sketch is small. It's about 3"x 4".

I choose to place the cat with ferns. The jagged shapes of the foliage match the shapes in the cats long fur.  The actual leaves, of the plant at the lower right,  match the shape of the butterfly’s wings. Repetition And Variation at work.

I referred more critically to the photos that Lori sent and created a symmetrical drawing of the face.

I did some quick draws of just the cat to loosen up. It's not unusual to have many drafts as you work towards your final sketch.

Last year John Powers…”The Butterfly Man” sent me some beautiful butterfly samples.

I pulled them out to inspire the butterfly I would put in the art.

Thank you John!

John Powers is famous for his extensive research and rare collection of butterflies from around the world. CLICK HERE to learn more.

All of these elements come together to create one drawing…that will have composition, meaning, and heart.

Creativity in the little details that surround your one reference photo is like a cook that has all the right ingredients to turn food into cuisine!

Butterflies have always been my preferred symbol for life after life. "What the caterpillar sees as the end of the world...the butterfly knows is just the beginning"

Lori…

Here is your cat…those that live on in our hearts are never far away.

Love, Jody

Eternal Garden

Now…just for fun…

Yesterday, at dawn, I joined my friends Erin Baker (Baker’s Breakfast Cookies) and Tim Niemier(Founder of Ocean Kayak and the Nalu Paddle Board). The one we are riding on today are his newest version and will be available soon.

We had donuts to bolster our nerve. See the chocolate version in Tim’s hand .

I am ready for my first ever voyage on his new “Novice Friendly” paddle board.

THIS IS VERY EXCITING…I don’t want to fall off…its only 40 degrees out!

Jody Bergsma, Tim Niemier and Erin Baker.

Tim shows me how to carry the board down to the water…

We leave our non water proof cameras in the car…just in case…and get ready to paddle across the lake.

I get a one minute lesson on how to hold the paddle and stroke the water (upside down J stroke)…and we push off to adventure!

Tim Niemier and the protype.

SUCCESS…We spent an hour on the water with the wind and waves…I was so exhilarated I now have two of them in my garage!

If you would like to find out more about this exploding new sport…visit…

CLICK HERE to learn more about Ocean Kayak.

I had a more than great morning…thank you Tim!

BUSINESS ANNOUNCEMENT…

NEW “FROSTED WITH HAPPINESS” FLEECE BLANKETS now here!

We only bought 300 of this design.  So, if you want one for yourself or for a gift…please let us know.

CLICK HERE to get your Frosted Fleece.

Jody Bergsma and her daughter Lily Sky Bergsma Rockenbach at the Laughing Dog French Restaurant in Vancouver last Monday...Sky is a Senior art student at Emily Carr Art Institute in Vancouver B.C.

Fall is really here and before the gray curtain of winter descends… get together with family to share some fun and laughter.

…Play in the fall leaves, Breathe deep and give thanks for the beautiful world and those we love.

Blessings,
Jody

Reminder, we are open Monday – Friday from noon-6:00pm and Saturdays by appointment.

Here are the photographs taken over the last two weekends.  If you do not see your photo here, please feel free to email Heather at wholesale@bergsma.com.

After two weeks this long post will be sent to the archives.

Jody Bergsma and Heather Cook (Blog Assistant)

First….Here’s this week’s painting class ..

***Painting Class…and Audra has an Art Show…***

I met with Audra recently to paint her Christmas Snowman.

Every painting begins by mixing up the colors that will be used.

Audra has chosen to add a little pink to the face of the snowman to make him appear more human.

A fine brush is used to add small amounts of paint.

After Audra finished the washes in the foreground, she used one of my favorite tricks to make the clear water wash for the beginning of the sky.

She is applying clear water with a squirt bottle...this speeds up the process and insures that the back ground will be really WET!.

Usually artists apply all that water with their brush which is repetitive, slow and often dries too fast for a good wash.

Audra has remembered to paint LIGHT TO DARK.

After all the pale blues for the snow, she was excited to begin the more colorful details.

This is Audra's first face. I placed the penny in the photo so you could appreciate just how small she is painting!

She choose to use salt in her back ground and the trees. This creates a feeling of snow crystals.

PAINTING TIP...We keep a TWEEZER close by to remove or add salt chunks from/to the painting.

I LOVE THIS!
Audra has created a darling painting with wonderful composition.

If you would like to see more of her work and talk to her about
painting…you can visit her at her show this weekend in Lynden.

CLICK HERE for more information about Audra's exhibit on Saturday at the Lynden Craft & Antique Show

****

Open House Photo Album – Enjoy!

Brenda Poe & Jody Bergsma with the Wild & Precious Fleece. Brenda purchased this blanket for her sister Jayme. If you enlarge this photo you will see that Jody signed the blanket.

Here's Betta and Rosa. They were visiting us with one of Rosa's champion show dogs, a Japanese Chin, Stormy.

We'd like to thank Betta for her service in the armed forces. She just returned from two tours of duty in Iraq and Kosovo.

Ezra, Shannon and Robyne visited the gallery last Saturday.

Jody's neice Laura and her mother Linda Bergsma, checking out the new abstracts.

Mary and Joyce purchased our first two snuggies. Joyce is modeling it for us. This snuggie is of the Friendship Hummingbirds all over pattern.

George and Barbara Turosik. George used some of Jody's tiles for her back splash during her kitchen re-model.

Candy, Jody and Ron toasting to the wine moment!

Lanette (Jody's #1 and Manager) pictured here with Dorothy and her purchase of a 2010 Bergsma Calendar. Lanette's family came to visit as well.

Jody with Lanette's daughter Natalie. She picked out the peacock fleece for her very own.

Lanette's son and husband were also here. Trevor, Mike and Natalie had a great time.

Susan and Peter of Uncommon Treasures.

Lanette & Jo...thanks for visiting.

Here's Tia, Wendy Argent's assist dog. Wendy is one of our wholesaler's from Calgary Alberta - Tiffany's Treasures.

Kim and Frank Bond with Fairy/Unicorn Sketch and 1st Artist's Proof.

Vicki and Gordy of We've Got Your Bag

Nancy, our mug, tile, fleece maker extraordinaire.

Jody with Clarice, Andrea and McKenna.

McKenna won our youngest customer award

Michael from Liberty Bell Printing in West Seattle.

Dennis with Jody Bergsma

Yshelle and Steve

Jody with Bob and Tammy from Port Townsend

Bob & Rusty

Tony, Stacy and Connor

Carol Mcnabb & Lori Leming

Nancy & Bonnie Fortier

Vicky and Carol

Tasha and her husband on their yearly visit to the gallery. Tasha is a great collector of Jody's Dreamkeeper series.

Kim & James Jones

Dianne & Ray Scarborough

Gordon, Fran and Shanon Boiles

Here's a great Bergsma Makeover - Sherri brought in her print from 1982 of "Eye Of the Dragon" and had it re-matted and framed. See the "After" below.

After: Amazing isn't it?

Sharon & Leon

Margaret

Jim & Merci Ostrander

Ann and Ursula

Carole, purchased Sky Castle and had it signed by Jody.

Dan Guyette the Dean of Western Washington University and his wife and son - Charlotte and Cooper.

Cooper was very sweet. He asked very nicely if he could have the original of The River Of Life.

We had a great time...thank you....

***

Today I staked the corner of the foundation for my new house!
Digging starts tomorrow!

Jody Bergsma at the site of her new house.

Have a wonderful weekend,

More painting lessons next week,

Love,

Jody

Dear Bergsma Friends,

We’re off and running!!!

Jessi Bergsma Rockenbach at the Mattole Valley Horse Races 2009.

My daughter Jessi, just sent this photo of herself,  racing horses in California.  What an exhilarating photograph!

This is the second week of open house events here at the warehouse showroom in Bellingham. We feel a bit like the photo above….

We’re having a great time visiting with all of you!!!

There are still three days left!!!

Please come by…

Today, October 9th from 12:00pm – 8:00pm

Saturday, October 10th from 10:00am – 6:00pm

Sunday, October 11th from 10:00am – 5:00pm

I just have a brief moment to share some photos from today’s event.

Kelly (Showroom Fairy), Dennis Besett and Jody Bergsma. Dennis Besett purchased a new original for his Dragon Collection...Thank you Dennis

A great Thank you to my assistant and showroom fairy, Kelly, for framing all of the originals and prints for the show.

My gratitude to Lanette for being my #1 here at Bersgma. No one can do it all alone...Lanette runs the ship!

June and Ursula Stuart. June loves ravens and Ursula has collected them for her for years.

If you do not see your photo…never fear…

Next week, I will share the entire photo collection from the last two weeks.

Before I go,  I would like give congratulations to two dear friends of mine…

Anne-Marie of Bramble Berry, Inc.  Soap Making supplies, was honored last night with the title of outstanding #1 Business Woman Of Washington State!

Click here to visit Anne-Marie's Blog! Congratulations!!!!

Happy Birthday Paul!!!

From Left to Right - Jody Bergsma, Paul Furlong, Wendy Beven , Heather Othmer, Liz Stuart.

Hope to see you this weekend,

Love,

Jody

Hello Bergsma Friends,

The weather has changed to rain in the Northwest and it is the perfect time to go inside and get ready for the big Bergsma weekends.

Remember, all of you are welcome to come and see the….

NEW ART AT THE WAREHOUSE!

Saturday – Sunday October 3rd – 4th from 10:00am – 6:00pm

Friday October 9th (Special Party) 12:00pm – 8:00pm

Saturday -Sunday October 10th – 11th from 10:00am – 6:00pm

New Bergsma Art!

Please Come See Us!

We are open this weekend during the Whatcom Artist Studio Tour.

Today,  I hung this show’s special exhibit that showcases my first ever abstract oil paintings alongside my early abstract watercolors.

Several people who visited were surprised with this departure from my animal art.

So, I would like to take this opportunity to comment.

Jody Bergsma and Lanette Seaholm, Director Of Operations setting up the gallery.

When I visited Europe in the late 70’s, I was very moved by the Impressionists of  France and Holland.

I came home to experiment with impressionism…which led me to scenic abstraction.

Below you can see my interpretation of a road through the wheat fields.

Dancing Fields

The oil below is my first attempt to recreate a feeling similar to the watercolor above.

The light is on the horizon and the sun is breaking through a storm.

My teacher Barbara commented that many of my paintings feel like journeys.

This  close up of a recent watercolor, shows how I continue to use the abstracted landscape to create backgrounds in almost all my watercolors.

Gallery Contest - If you come to the opening and can tell me which painting this close up comes from, I will give you a FREE gift!

Sometimes a painting is an abstraction of an idea rather than a place.

This painting originally called “Jewel Dancing in the Dragons Jaw” was more conceptual than physical!

Jewel Dancing In The Dragon's Jaw

The large oil below is also conceptual and represents a new experimental phase for me!

Lets talk about it!

What do you think it is? I'd love to get your feedback. Not to worry, this is not an ink blot test

I look forward to visiting with you…I will be sharing photos of this weekend’s open house in the next post!

***

This past weekend, I went for a 7 hour horse back ride with my friends…I am still sore!  We’ve had such unseasonably warm weather this past month, that I had to snatch this moment while I could.

“Make the most of each day, whether it rains or shines.  Share those moments with wonderful people and animals and your life will be full of beautiful memories.”

Sheila Goodwin, Jody Bergsma and Erin Baker

Have a great weekend and I hope to see you at the gallery!

Love,

Jody

Dear Blog Friends…

How are all of you? You know I love to hear from you and invite you to report in!

Kelly…who is often referred to you as our Showroom fairy was absconded to Las Vegas to be my assistant.

She helped me set up the booth in Las Vegas and now has been trained to do wholesale orders!

Go Kelly!

Here we are at the end of set up on Tuesday!

Kelly (Bergsma Showroom Fairy) and Jody Bergsma in Las Vegas

More about my visit to Las Vegas to come.

Now on to this week’s class…

***Painting The Colors Of The Desert**

To prepare for this trip to Las Vegas, I created three new paintings just for the desert southwest.  Last week, I showed you some techniques for painting butterflies and a variety of cactii. This week I am focusing on Kokopelli.

I mixed a group of beautiful turquoise shades.

These blues are so vibrant and inviting. They look like they are going to jump on to the paper without my help.

Cobalt Green and Cobalt Turquoise are intense mineral colors and to make them look more natural, I mix in a little Sepia and then some Burnt Sienna to get luscious browns.

Begin with the lightest colors first and from the background to the foreground.

As this painting develops you can see why I chose these signature colors.  These specific shades of blues and brown are unmistakably southwest.

This palette is perfect for this well known figure called Kokopelli.

I have also included many shapes and symbols synonymous with the southwest throughout this piece.

In Southwest Native lore, Kokopelli plays the flute to create the world. He presides over agriculture and prosperity of both animals and humans.

In this image I gave Koko a friend, a Kokopelmana, which is rare. He usually plays alone!

Friendship makes it better.

This image is simpler and more whimsical than my usual subjects.

I had a lot of fun painting it!

***End of Class…

Here we are back in Vegas.

Thursday, I went to dinner at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant.

Je arrive avec mes amies Kelly et Sophie Kuzeja.

Le diner ici est très bon et très chère!

(Hope you can understand)

After Dinner Kelly took this photo of Sophie and I under the replica of he Eiffel Tower.

It was a great night.

Are we in Paris or Las Vegas. It's hard to say.

I close this week’s blog with an invitation. Please come visit me at the gallery the first two weekends of October.

Saturday and Sunday October 3rd and 4th I am participating in our local studio tour. I will have new watercolor pieces on show, as well as oil paintings I did recently in class. These are the first abstract oil paintings I’ve ever done!!!

Friday, Saturday, Sunday October 9th – 11th we will be having our Fall Show. There will be more paintings and products. Plus specials and deals abound.

Please click the following link to see my new works..

Click Here

Title contest AT THE GALLERY….

Bring your title suggestions to me at the gallery October 3-4 and October 9-11th. Receive a FREE Gift.

Submit your title suggestions to me, IN PERSON, Sat-Sun October 3rd-4th or Friday – Sunday October 9th-11th and receive a FREE gift.

I hope to see you there!

Until next week,

Have a beautiful weekend,

Jody

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Hello Blog Friends and Welcome to another class!

It has been beautiful in Bellingham this week…80 today… and I took advantage of the great weather and went for a ride with my friend Erin Baker.

Seize The Day!

I hope you are enjoying the glories of  approaching fall…Happy Equinox on the 21st!

Now onto class…

***PAINTING WITH BRIGHT COLORS***

This week I am painting for the show I am attending next week in LAS VEGAS.

More info? Click here!

I am changing from the somber browns and grays of the horses and putting on a brighter hat!

I have chosen yellows, oranges and turquoise for this set of desert images (opposite colors).

Orange and blue is a tricky color combination…I hope these tips will help you in your painting.

I often use opposites.

As I have mentioned before, the best paintings have a solid color scheme that runs throughout the project.

In the picture below, you can see the orange to blue wash.

The color of the sky is always reflected in the landscape, because of the way light bounces.

I am working on two paintings this week , so they will have similar colors.

This way they will be a better grouping.

The orange and blue is perfect for a hot desert sky!

The orange and blue when mixed make a great desert sand.

I love painting with these bright happy colors.

Working on two paintings at a time, allows me to move quickly because there is no wait time for the washes to dry.

You just go on to the other image and you have the benefit of having all the colors pre-mixed.

If you look closely at the image below, (Click on any image to enlarge it) you can see that I am placing blue in the butterfly’s wing.

In real life, this butterfly is only black, brown, orange and white,  but an  artist has LICENSE!

Putting the sky color in your subject gives it much more life.

OH MY!…What happened.

I diverged from the original orange and blue plan on this one. ...MORE LICENSE.

Sometimes you just want to break out the colors. The desert loves bright because where there is lots of sunlight, every color in nature becomes more intense.

COLORS MAKE US HAPPY… and when you paint them…or wear them they can elevate your mood.

But they can be tricky to execute…so let us analyze:

• Purple, green-turquoise and orange are a special group of colors called secondary colors.

• Red, Blue and yellow are the primaries.

• The secondaries are like music in a minor key…or like women: feminine.

• As a rule…secondary colors are liked by women and primaries are liked by men.

Remembering this can really help when you pick a color scheme!

Both of these pieces were designed with women in mind. You can see in this butterfly, the addition of purple in the orange flowers and butterfly wings.

Of course cactus are not purple and turquoise...or are they?

Next time when you go to the desert southwest check it out. Many are shades of these colors… I have just exaggerated it!

Title: “Bloom Where You Are Planted”

In the last stage, I paint the shadows and the highlights.

Can you see them?

"May All Your Dreams Take Flight"

Now onto a new set of colors…Turquoise and Brick Red.

Mix it up!

I will finish two more compositions over the weekend and have them all ready for VEGAS.

Remember, color is a joy to work and live with. Go out today and put some color into your life…flowers, tomatoes, a new piece of glass, a painting that makes you happy!

And if you know someone who needs some encouragement…take something colorful to them!

I had a special class with Audra this last week and we walked down to the beach.

She is a joy to work with.

She is working on a snowman for her Christmas show…and really learning how to put color down on the palette!

Audra in the studio

I close this week hoping all of you enjoy these great last moments of summer.

Invite some friends over…eat outside and…give thanks for the beautiful world we live in.

Pamela Cumming, David Gregory and Jody Bergsma. Friends and neighbors on Chuckanut Mountain.

Till next week…

P.S.  Save the dates…. In just two weeks ….two events here at the Bergsma Gallery.

Bergsma Studio Tour Friday – Sunday October 2 – 4th. I will be displaying my watercolor abstracts and oil paintings.

Bergsma Fall Show and Open House Friday – Sunday October 9th-11th. Specials and Sale items!

Dear Friends,

Welcome to another “tips on painting” class!…But before we start…

Last weekend, I visited my daughter in Vancouver, to celebrate starting her final year at University…Emily Carr Art Institute of Canada.

These times with your dearest loved ones are precious…

Take time to tell someone you love them…today.

Jody Bergsma and daughter Sky

Now…Onto Class!

***PAINTING HORSES WITH A MINIMAL COLOR PALETTE***

I began this week’s session with choosing a color scheme for my horses.
I am only starting with 4 colors…Burnt Sienna, Cerulean Blue ,Sepia, and Payne’s Gray.

When you paint with “Opposite colors”…in this instance “Orange”…Burnt Sienna and “Blue” Cerulean and Payne’s Gray…You can create the feeling of a full spectrum, even-though you are using only a few pigments!

Mixing watercolor paints on a glass palette

Starting with the palest colors first, I begin to create a dapple gray horse. (My Favorite!)

Note: the use of the warm Burnt Sienna in the nose to indicate blood flow under the skin.

As I build the washes, I choose to use rock salt techniques to create the dapples.

Unlike the random use of salt in the fairy pieces this requires precision. So, I use a tweezers!

The salt crystals need to be placed on a "wet" wash. Time is of the essence.

Exact placement of the salt insures I get the right amount of dapples.

I like to remind all of you how exciting it is to see these many varied washes come together like a puzzle to create a horse!

Look how these washes together bring forth the illusion of movement and muscle definition.

The color of the mane is determined by the palette and so I use more Burnt Sienna to create variety!

"Repetition with Variation"

Also…Do you remember the “PAINTING HAIR” lesson from July?

It is the same for the mane.

The horse in the background needs to be created with more contrast.  So, I am using Payne’s Gray in the Burnt Sienna..

Two unique horses, still using only 4 colors.

Sticking with the original palette makes any composition symmetric!

Payne’s, when mixed with the other colors  creates a very nice brown/black.

So…now the painting is telling me which colors to use…

A black horse made with Cerulean blue and Payne’s is perfect!If you look you can see the use of salt in all the horses to create dapples.

They seem to be jumping off the paper.

Now…I am adding two STAIN colors to the mix…

Prussian Blue and Alizarin Crimson.

This allow me to create washes of deeper values and more variety.

Stains also allow multiple layers of paint so you can make more depth.

This background design is reminiscent of a Native Americans honoring of the four directions.

Creating the subtle overlays of thin washes suggests a passage in time.This piece is called…

"Destiny's Arrival... Now Is The Moment To Live"

***MYSTERY WASH CONTEST WINNERS***

Last week’s mystery wash…

Mystery Wash # 2

The Answer:

The cardinal's breast (farthest right) from last week's "Under The Mistletoe"

Congratulations to our winners:

Lori Wentz

Sarah Prior

The MacLuan Family

Kat Haskew

Lynda Travers

You will all be receiving a signed print of  “Under The Mistletoe”.

Great job!

I’d like to close this week by sharing a photo of me on my horse from Labor Day.  This was the perfect way to start this week’s paintings.

I LOVE HORSES!!!

Jody Bergsma and Mystic on the trail near her house.

When you paint the things you love, they are always the best paintings.

Till next week,

Happy Painting!

Jody

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