Upcoming AUM Exhibit

Lemons and Blue Glass, 12 x 18" pastel by Cindy Haase

AUM Gallery is proud to present

Work by the artists of the

Deborah Bays Studio

and Special Guest

Terry Ludwig

November 13, 2009 - January 16, 2010

Opening Reception

Friday, November 13, 2009 6-9pm

AUM Framing & Gallery

2227 East Colfax

Denver, CO 80206

303-394-3362

Hours: Monday - Saturday 9am-5:30pm

Participating Artists:

• Barney Alexander
• Karen Carlston
• June Davis
• Julie Fisher
• Pam Poll
• Amber Schneider
• Linda Schneider
• Kang Lee Sheppard
• Rhoda Singer
• Gene Smith
• Valorie Snyder
• Judy Steininger
• Tracy Wilson
• Cindy Haase

Cream & Sugar - Almost Finished

Close up #1

Close up #2

Cream & Sugar, 12 x 18" Pastel on Wallis (High Key....Work in Progress

It's getting there, and more importantly I think I'm almost done with the flutes on the pitcher. Now it's a matter of edges, and adjusting...a little specific here, a little blurred there.

Already thinking about my next piece. I will be doing another high key but this time I'm going straight for the color first and not messing around with grays and neutrals.

(These pics are taken with my camera phone so they are a bit blurry.)

We've had an especially good time at the studio this week. Several of us working at one time...several are starting new pieces so lots of kibitzing about set-ups. One is finishing a piece and we're threatening him if he changes a thing...he tends to do that. Lots of talk of framing before our Studio Artists Group show, which opens on Nov 13.

Critique at LAC on Saturday

"Peaches and Blue Cup", 10 x 7", Colored Pencil on Black Illustration Board


We have a quarterly critique at Lakewood Arts Council's Community Art Center and Gallery, and Saturday was my day to lead the critque. (I'm getting warmed up as I'm also doing an evening critique on Nov 4th for the Mountainside Art Guild.)

I wanted to provide a framework for the critique rather than "I like it" or "I don't like it", so what's better to provide the framework than the 5 elements of design?

1. Line (includes edges)

2. Texture

3. Shape

4. Value (contrast of light and dark, usually on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the darkest)

5. Color

Every painting will employ most, if not all ,of the 5 design elements, however some elements will be stronger than others. If you think of them as tools, you can even plan the execution of your painting such as "I'm going to employ color and texture in this painting", or "I'm going to use values and make my painting high key".

As we critiqued each painting, we talked about which tools were the strongest in play, which ones needed to be strengthened, and how one might improve their understanding of the the elements.

For instance, if you really want your work to be about line, study techniques employed by pen and ink artists, or calligraphy, or Asian character writing. If you want your work to be more about color, study color theory until you see colors in your sleep. Just as you would learn to use a screwdriver to drive a screw (you wouldn't use a hammer!), learn to use the elements available to you to make your work more accomplished.

I am watching a DVD by David Leffel on still life painting and one of his remarks is something to this effect "...your paintings are only as good as your understanding of the elements and techniques...."

Fun Week at the Studio

Another picture of the studio with my space on the right. Two other artists are on my left and one more is on my right. There are 8 of us in all.

My dear friend June is across from me at the studio and we try to paint together whenever we can. She is an awesome artist and I so appreciate the energy she brings to our studio experience. Her painting is red silken shoes and purse with a gorgeous fringed drape.

"Cream and Sugar" 12 x 18 Pastel on Wallis (Work in Progress)

Struggled with the flowers all day yesterday and today....till about the last 20 minutes and then I seemed to make some progress. I was trying too hard to "render" them rather than "paint" them. I also sketched in some flutes and put more color on the orange sugar bowl, as well as working on drape in front.

Another Studio Day - Update on Cream & Sugar

"Cream and Sugar" 12 x 18 on Wallis (Work in Progress)

Great day at the studio, alot of opera and Starbucks. I'm exhausted, I'm not used to standing for hours on end. But I'm having a wonderful experience.

You notice how I'm dancing around the flutes on the white pitcher and the saucer ;-) Not only that the sugar bowl has a laurel pattern around the top!

Workday at the Studio With an Update

"Cream and Sugar" 12 x 18 Pastel on Wallis Sanded Paper (Work in Progress)

"Cream and Sugar" close up (again with the cell phone camera)

Today was my first day working at the studio space and I had an absolute great time. A little classical music, a Starbucks, a dark studio with a couple of spotlights.....awesome! The time just flies.

Update on Cream and Sugar - Studio Space

Worked in class on layering color in the darks, without losing the abstract structure. Always so much to learn."Cream and Sugar" Work in Progress 12 x 18 Pastel on Wallis (camera phone pic)

I am very excited as I will be working Mondays and Wednesdays in the space where we have class. By paying a few extra dollars a month I will have access to be able to paint whenever I want. I've gone through my calendar and x'd out all the days I plan to work for the next few months.

Starting out with small studies in the mornings will help me get warmed up to work on my bigger pieces in the afternoon.

I'm so excited!

Good Day!

It was a lovely day yesterday!

First of all, I won a Merit award for "Gourd & Peppers" at the Mountainside Art Guild's "Views of the East & West". It's on display at the Lakewood Arts Council's Community Center and Art Gallery this next month.


"Gourd & Peppers" 3.75" x 4.5" colored pencil on sanded paper

The other good news is I sold this lovely little cobalt blue perfume bottle

New Painting - Cream and Sugar

I'm starting a new painting in class, using a lovely Peach Lustre sugar bowl and an Alfred Meakin white vintage pitcher.

This will still be a light and shadow design, but in high key. The light and shadow paintings I have done up to this point have been the full range of values (1-10). High key will keep the values not quite so dark with a range of value from 1-6 with a few punches of 7.

We have also been studying dynamic symmetry (DS) as a design tool. I have included the sketch of my DS grid on tracing paper. My painting is 12 x 18, so I took a piece of tracing paper the same size and drew my grid. Then I placed my items on the grid, moving the still life items as necessary. The idea that DS will help you have a more pleasing composition (similar to the golden mean).

Sorry about the quality of the photos, I was using my cell phone camera in the dark.

A photo of the setup I'm using

My drawing (a little askew) on the DS grid

Wallis paper with drawing transferred and dark (value 6/7) structure blocked in...

Stay tuned!

Lemons and Blue Glass

Finished! This one will be in our Studio Exhibit coming up in November.

"Lemons and Blue Glass" 12 x 18 pastel on Wallis paper

(You can click on the picture to see a close up of the strokes)