Art Class

Art Class
Change the way you see the world by learning how to paint it!!
Summer Class Schedule
Starting August 6, 2009, Thursdays, 6 classes
August 6, 13, 20, 27 September 3, 10
6:30 - 8:30pm $90.
Payment can be made with your credit card through PayPal or by check.
Starting in September I will be offering a morning class and
evening class on Wednesdays and Thursdays. To see the complete schedule go to:
http://fredbellpaintings.com

Wauwatosa Plein Air Painting

Here is one of my entries into the Wauwatosa Plein Air Event.

07.13.09 House oil painting

07.13.09 House ... Oil on board, 7 x 6" .. By Fred Bell

I painted this from imagination today. I was thinking of a place I painted in Cedarburg that I was not happy with. Sometimes I feel too distracted by being right in front of the subject. It's too hard to leap over that and make the painting I want.

07.12.09 Hoyt Park Wauwatosa Plein Air Painting

I am participating in the Wauwatosa Plein Air event. This painting is the bath house at Hoyt Park Pool. The pool is now closed but I always like the architecture of the building.

I was falling out of love with plein air painting. One thing I noticed is that my compositions were getting stale. I wasn't putting enough thought into it.

Another of the many problems with painting outside is that the light is much brighter outside that in. Paintings are meant to be seen inside. During the time you are painting it is good to go inside with your painting to look at it. The values and colors can change dramatically. The problem is that when you are out in the field there is often no where to go to judge your progress.

07.07.09 House Oil Painting

This is the painting I listed on July 02. After they hang on my wall for a while I find things that bother me. Today I tried to fix it and work on it some more.

07.02.09 House in Wauwatosa oil painting

07.02.09 House in Wauwatosa .. Size: 16 x 12" oil on canvas by Fred Bell

This is a plein air painting I did today. It was a grey day.

07.01.09 The Dark Chair Oil Painting

07.01.09 The Dark Chair .. Size: 6 x 6" oil on board ... Fred Bell

06.30.09 Teapot Still Life Oil Painting

Title: 06.30.09 Teapot .. Size: 12 x 16" oil on canvas
Artist: Fred Bell

I have been reading the Richard Schmid book, "Everything I Know About Painting." It is a really inspiring book. With this painting I wanted to experiment with edges.

06.29.09 Sunday Afternoon painting

Title: 06.29.09 Sunday Afternoon .. Size: 10 x 8" Oil on canvas
Artist: Fred Bell

While visiting with my friend Susan at her house I painted this, the house across the street.

06.28.09 Quick-paint Cedarburg Plein Air

Title: 06.28.09 Quick-paint Cedarburg Plein Air .. Size: 9.5 x 9.5 Oil on board
Artist: Fred Bell

Cedarburg is a small community near Milwaukee. They host a plein air competition each year and I have participated the last two years. This was my entry into the quick paint part of the event. We had 2.5 hours to complete, frame and deliver our paintings. It was a lot of fun. Give it a try sometime.

06.20.09 Cedarburg Plein Air Festival

Title: 06.20.09 Cedarburg .. Size: 16 x 12" oil on canvas

I am participating in the Cedarburg Plein Air Painting Festival. Cedarburg is a nearby town and has the biggest and oldest plein air competition in the area. Cedarburg is a quaint little town with shops and no chain stores.

I did this start today. I will go back and work on it some more. I just got a book by Richard Schmid, "Everything I Know About Painting" Part of his technique is to use very soft edges though out the painting except at the focal point. I think I will work on that when I approach this one again.

To get the painting to dry by tomorrow I have put it out in the hot afternoon sun and will probably put it in the oven at "warm" for about a half an hour. I have used this method in the past and have had no problem with it.

06.16.09 Landscape Oil Painting Milwaukee

Title: 06.16.09 Landscape .. Size: 8 x 10" Oil on canvas .. By Fred Bell

This is a plein air painting I did in the park today. It is fun to get out now that the weather is comfortable again. I'm starting to increase the size of canvas. There are a bunch of outdoor painting events in the next month or two and I want to do larger paintings than I have been doing.

06.15.09 Lady Waiting @ Car Dealer

I had to have my car fixed at the dealer. While I was there I drew this waiting woman.

06.14.09 Landscape Tree Oil Painting

06.14.09 Landscape ... Size: 8 x 10" Oil on canvas .. By Fred Bell

This was painted outside, plein air today. I went to a park in Wauwatosa and painted a tree. It was fun and a wonderful day to be out.

06.10.09 Drawing Of Man @ Mayfair Shopping Center

Title: 06.10.09 Drawing .. Ink drawing on paper in sketchbook
Artist: Fred Bell

This man was sitting on a couch at Mayfair Shopping Mall. Busy, busy, busy.

06.09.09 Plein Air Landscape Oil Painting

Title: 06.09.09 Plein Air Landscape .. Size: 12 x 12" Oil on canvas ..
Artist: Fred Bell
My friend and student Alscia and I painted outside in her parents backyard today. It was great fun and nice to be out. I haven't listed a daily painting in a while. There has been lots of things going on like my car crash and buying a new car and starting my painting class from my home. I have fallen out of the swing of things and am just getting back to it. Some things are more important than painting and I had to take care of them.

06.05.09 Figure Drawing

06.01.09 Cat Portrait Oil Painting

Title: 06.01.09 Cat .. Size: 6 x 6" Oil on board
Artist: Fred Bell
This is a commissioned pet portrait. There is a little more work to do on this but it is mostly finished. I like painting pets, animals, their so fuzzy.

05.30.09 Dog Portrait Oil Painting

Title: 05.30.09 Dog .. Size: 6 x 6" Oil on board
Artist: Fred Bell

This is a commissioned painting I worked on today. I have another one to painting of their cat. It took me a few years before I knew how to paint a black dog. The secret is don't use much black. It's mostly greys. If it was black you couldn't see the shape of things.

05.29.09 House Oil Painting

Title: 05.29.09 House .. Size: 24 x 24" Oil on canvas
Artist: Fred Bell

This is a larger painting that I just finished yesterday