Pat Fiorello - Art Elevates Life

Art & Spirituality

2012-03-09T09:11:00.000-05:00

Up in the Sky
8 x 10
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

Yesterday, I was interviewed by Vanessa Lowry for her ongoing radio series "Art as Worship". Vanessa is an author and is exploring the relationship between art & spirituality by interviewing a wide range of artists ( visual artists, writers, musicians etc..) with whatever their definition of spirituality is.

For me, I didn't approach the topic of spirituality from a traditional religious approach, but from the vantage point of the Human Spirit. I see 3 areas where art overlaps spirituality for me: appreciating, creating and connecting. Appreciating means noticing, valuing and being grateful for the beauty of the world around me and helping others to see that thru my paintings. Creating is the pure connection with the spirit, the energy and aliveness that is present when we are creating something whether we are creating a piece of art, music, a casserole or a spreadsheet. Whatever form creating shows up in your life I'm sure that's when you feel alive. The experience to start with nothing or just raw ingredients and soem inspiration and then creating something is true magic. Connecting is sharing the universal/eternal nature of art with others, as well as sharing with other artists and teaching others to grow while on their own artistic journey.

To hear the full show, tune in on Thursday April 4 at 9
AM on Empower Radio. You can click "Listen Live" at that time or listen at your convenience from the archives after the show airs.

Here I am with Vanessa( right) after yesterday's taping.

Do you paint to please others?

2012-03-07T09:18:00.000-05:00

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."

- Bill Cosby

Beyond the Vineyard
8 x 16
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
$450

Here's a recent painting that includes some of my favorite things-memories of my time in Tuscany where the trumpet vines seem to dance and their bright orange color is a joy. I love the clusters of villages with the orange roofs. The cypress trees also are classic Tuscany (although I learned on my last trip that they were not indigenous to the area, but were brought in to protect the vineyards from wind - can't guarantee the accuracy of that- but it sounded good to me).

Artists can learn a lot about HOW to paint from instructors and other artists, and will ultimately gravitate to a process that suits them, but I believe the choice of WHAT to paint is very personal. The artist's selection tells you something about what they are passionate about or connect with on some level. I once had an instructor who advised me to stop painting "pretty scenes". I was initially taken aback by his comments and quite upset, but once I stepped back from the situation I decided to let go of his advice. I need to paint what I love and what get's me excited and inspired to paint. Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic, but I just want to look at, paint and share things that are beautiful and feel happy.

I also had another instructor who was teaching us with her own reference photo's of farm scenes. Finally I told her I was not going to paint any more barns. Although I could paint a beautiful barn ( I even have one of my barn paintings published in the book Splash 11, Best of Watercolor by North Light Books), I have no personal connection with them. I grew up in Brooklyn NY, so don't have any fond personal childhood memories about barns. I can paint them, but it's not as exciting to me as other subjects.

Many of you know before painting full time, I had a prior career in marketing. Many artists have come to me over the years and I have provided coaching on marketing, goal setting and their art careers.
Probably one of the questions I'm asked most often is, "What should I paint?" as artists are questioning if there's something that the "market" wants and if they should be led by that.

My reply is always the same "Paint what you love. If you love it, there are undoubtedly other people who love that too. The job of marketing then is to match your work up with that audience. The art market is varied and you don't need everyone to love your work, just a big enough audience for you to make a living (which is a very, very small % of the 7 billion people on the planet). Do what you love. Be true to yourself and it will show in your work. If you are inauthentic and disinterested, that will eventually show up to and the joy will disappear from your painting.

I love the Bill Cosby quote I started out with at the top of today's blog post. It applies to many areas of life, but is certainly fitting for the choices we make as artists.

I'll end with another quote which helps me stay focused.
When asked about trends in art over time, Robert Genn of the "Painter's Keys " replied "Quality never goes out of style". Thank you Robert for getting to the bottom line.

So do what YOU love and do it with all the passion and excellence you can!

View to the Vineyards

2012-03-04T17:26:00.000-05:00

View to the Vineyards
18 x 24
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

This is a painting of one of the locations we typically go to paint during my painting workshops in Tuscany. It is a garden overlooking the vineyards at the Dievole Winery in the Chianti Region. The workshop is coming up on October 13 and there is still room available. If you are interested in joining us for an unforgettable workshop experience click here or contact me at patfiorello@aol.com

A French Escape

2012-03-02T07:48:00.001-05:00

If you are ready for a fun and creative vacation, consider joining in on my upcoming art trip to France. We combine painting with exploring the beautiful Champagne and Bourgogne regions for a week of immersion in art and beauty.

Click here for flyer with all the details.

I went to my first workshop, also in France, after painting for only a few months. That was 17 years ago . It changed my life. I really didn't know what I was doing when I signed up. The opportunity to go to France and just paint and see new things and places sounded good, so I jumped in with my 3 months or experience and little watercolor kit. I learned so much and loved the opportunity to be totally immersed in art & beauty, meeting people who were passionate about painting and being away from the routine and distractions of everyday life to just focus on painting. I was hooked. I've been traveling and painting ever since and am now grateful that I have the opportunity to share these types of enriching experiences with others. These trips are a great opportunity to learn as an artist, but also to grow in many other ways.

Please contact me at patfiorello@aol.com if you are interested or have any questions. There are only 3 spots remaining.

Feel free to share with anyone else who might be interested. The trip is open to artists of all mediums and experience levels, even total beginners who might be ready to learn something new.

Geranium Garden

2012-03-01T10:27:00.000-05:00

Geranium Garden
12 x 12
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
$500

I loved this sunlit garden full of geraniums and the pattern of light and shadow they formed.

I use a method where I start with transparent paint, then add opaques later on to keep the colors bright and clean.
Believe it or not this is how the painting started out as an abstract pattern of shapes.

Then I pulled the lights out from the dark.

I will be teaching this approach in my upcoming workshop Painting Flowers Alla Prima in Oil in Sandy Springs, GA later this month. If you want to learn more about the workshop, please email me at patfiorello@aol.com.

This was the original photo reference which inspired the painting.

The Joy of Pansies

2012-02-28T20:27:00.000-05:00

The Joy of Pansies
12 x 12
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

As spring approaches in Atlanta, the pansies are starting to fade and some old friends like hyacinths and daffodils are already emerging here. I wanted to get a few more pansy paintings in while they last. They are fun to paint. Each flower seems to have it's own personality.

If you would like to learn how to paint flowers in a simple and fresh way, you may be interested in my "Painting Flowers Alla Prima in Oil" workshop at the Art School in Sandy Springs in Atlanta, the weekend of March 17-18. Please contact me at patfiorello@aol.com for more details.

On the Piazza

2012-02-27T07:58:00.000-05:00

On the Piazza
12 x 16
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Back doing a few more paintings in my "Enchanting Italy" series which may be included in an upcoming show at Frameworks Gallery in Marietta, GA, opening March 29. This one is of a small town we visited for a "gelato break" during last year's painting workshop in Tuscany.

Lessons in Classical Drawing- Juliette Aristedes

2012-02-24T11:41:00.000-05:00

Petite Urn #1
6 x 8
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

A couple of years ago I had started doing a small series of urns to familiarize myself with their shapes and how light wraps around them for inclusion in future, larger paintings. I absolutely love urns and have lots of real examples I use for still life set -ups as well as my own reference photo's of a wide variety of shapes. This was the first one I did in the series and I can now see some of the perspective is off in the stand ( or maybe the photo is tilted? :)

Urns typically have symmetrical and often complex shapes, so they pose a real drawing challenge compared to more natural elements like flowers or trees, where you can be off a bit and not have it be so noticeable or distracting.

I decided one of my goals for this year is to build my drawing skills further, so that tackling these types subjects would become easier. Honestly I love to paint but don't have the same passion for drawing. I have always had the attitude that drawing was a "necessary evil" in order to paint. I just want to get going with the brush and paint, not slow down and draw. But if I am honest with myself, probably the one area that would elevate my art the most would be building my drawing skills and confidence, so I'm biting the bullet and hoping I will learn to love it as much as painting.

I am currently reading "Lessons in Classical Drawing" by Juliette Aristedes. I just stumbled upon in on Amazon a few weeks back. I think it is a relatively new book, but I am really enjoying it and finding it very instructive.
I've committed to myself to read one chapter and do the corresponding exercise each week. I'm about halfway thru the book, but wanted to share it now as I would highly recommend it just on what' I've seen so far.

It also comes with a DVD tucked in the back of the book jacket. Is very well done, upbeat and inspiring and shows Juliette demonstrating her suggested approach- which really helps a lot. It's one thing to read about drawing but another to actually see someone do it. There are some tried and true drawing books out there like "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards and several others, but I have a feeling this book will quickly become a classic in it's own right. Even though I've been drawing and painting for nearly 2 decades, there are things I picked up that are helping me already. Great job Juliette! Thanks for sharing and inspiring your fellow artists and students!

Valentine's Day Commission

2012-02-21T21:21:00.000-05:00

Canadian Romance
22 x 28 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello
SOLD

I just completed a very special commission project. A client of mine wanted to surprise his wife for Valentine's Day with a painting of a garden in Canada near where they got married and where they recently made a return visit for their 10th anniversary. He supplied some photo's from the recent trip and had a wonderful image of a beautiful area. The challenge was transforming the vertical reference photo into the horizontal format he wanted for the room he had in mind. I ended up taking some artistic license and enlarging , exaggerating things as well as lifting a portion of a building and trees from other photos to create a horizontal design. I love to do commissions, especially when I know the painting will be a very thoughtful and meaningful gift for someone special.

Here was the original reference photo I had to work with.

Rose Trio

2012-02-20T07:20:00.000-05:00

Rose Trio
12 x 16
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Here's a painting I did a few weeks ago. The red and yellow roses seemed to come easily and naturally, but I had the hardest time with the pink one which was at an unusual angle. I scraped it down several times till I got something that worked. Sometimes you get stuck on one part of a painting. It's tempting to leave it as is, but I've learned if it bugs you today, it will bother you every time you look at it, so might as well address it now ( or maybe tomorrow when you can come back with "fresh eyes").

One of my favorite painting instructors, Robert Johnson always says a painting will be brought down to the level of it's weakest element. Every so often I hear his voice in my head and then I know it's time to scrape it down and give it another shot.

Lake Garda View

2012-02-17T07:07:00.000-05:00

Lake Garda View
8 x 10
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

A peaceful memory of my trip to Lake Garda. This is the view from San Tomaso, the place where I taught a workshop up on a hill in the lake town of Gargnano in Italy. Had a beautiful view out to the lake. You could sit there all day and be mesmerized by the beauty and serenity of it all.

Dreama & Leslie's Workshop

2012-02-15T19:32:00.001-05:00

Tuscan Garden
9 x 12
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

I'm taking a workshop here in Atlanta this week with Leslie Saeta and Dreama Tolle Perry of AHA fame ( for those of you not familiar with this dynamic duo of artists- they are the hosts of the "Artist Helping Artists" radio show each week on blogtalk radio).
They are both in love with luscious color as much as I am, so it's been fun having totally free reign with lots of bold color.

Below is a photo of Dreama with her beautiful and vibrant oil painting demonstration from Monday.
I tried to apply the approach I learned on a similar subject I had from one of my trips to Tuscany above. in the painting Tuscan Garden. This was inspired by a photo I took in Volpaia which is in the Chianti Region. Had to simplify a lot out, but wanted to capture the joy and pride the people in that small town have in their plants and flowers in abundant container gardens right out on the sidewalk in front of their homes.

Hydrangeas & Silver

2012-02-09T18:11:00.000-05:00

Hydrangeas & Silver
12 x 16
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Hydrangeas- one of my absolute favorite flowers to paint. Tried some white and green instead of the blue I usually do for a change. The silver pitcher was fun and a a challenge not to overdo the reflections. Added a few strawberries into the mix to have some bright color.

Oriental Jar & Roses

2012-02-07T20:18:00.000-05:00

Oriental Jar & Roses
12 x 16
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

I bought this beautiful jar at a local florist specifically because I thought it had an interesting shape and would be a nice focal point for a still life, but hadn't got around to painting it yet. Enjoyed painting this relatively simple set up from life. I simplified the calligraphy quite a bit to just suggest it, but hope I still retained the feel of the jar.

I have a photo of the actual jar and set up below.

Camellias

2012-02-06T08:43:00.000-05:00

Camellias
12 x 16
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

I'm back working on some more florals in preparation for my upcoming exhibit in Charleston opening April 6 at the Spencer Gallery . The name of the show is "In Full Bloom" featuring lots of flowers in celebration of spring and the return of color to our gardens. These were some Camellias from a garden here in Georgia.

Hydrangea Blues

2012-02-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

Hydrangea Blues
12 x 12
Oil Painting
By Pat Fiorello

Here's one done from life last week from a grourp of blue and bluish green hydrangeas. It's a little more monochromatic palette than usual. Hydrangeas are one of the most fun flowers to paint!

A Place in the Sun

2012-01-31T21:25:00.000-05:00

A Place in the Sun
8 x 10
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

This was a little farmhouse in the village of Vagliagli in Italy's Chianti Region which I've walked by many times during my stays in Tuscany. On this particular day, I noticed the different shapes and angles of the buildings and the way the sun light illuminated the urn and flowers in the front garden.

Sunbathing

2012-01-30T08:16:00.000-05:00

Sunbathing
6 x 8
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Here's the lastest in my "Enchanting Italy" series. Light struck roses in front of a farmhouse in Tuscany. I had to restrain the pull to define the stonework on the building, so it would just be a suggestion of texture, receding to the back and not compete with the flowers.

Lake Como View

2012-01-27T07:05:00.000-05:00

Lake Como View
12 x 16
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Here's another painting of one of my favorite views of Lake Como in Italy from the shore of a small town of Varenna.
This is part of my current painting series "Enchanting Italy" that I'm working on for an upcoming show at the Frameworks Gallery in Marietta GA. The show opens 3/29.

Kathy Anderson workshop -Pansies Galore!

2012-01-23T21:18:00.000-05:00

Pansy Dance
12 x 16
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Last week I spent a few days at the Scottsdale Artists School taking a workshop with Kathy Anderson. Like me, Kathy loves painting flowers and we spent 3 days surrounded by pansies from the local nursery. Above and below are a couple of my paintings from the workshop.

Here I am on right with Kathy Anderson on left at the workshop. Kathy's demo painting is in the background and below is a closer peek at her amazing work.

Here is some of our inspiration- pansies galore- and a few geraniums too!

Over the Poppies

2012-01-20T00:23:00.001-05:00

Over the Poppies
8 x 16
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Working on a series called " Enchanting Italy" for an upcoming show. This painting is based on several photo's from a workshop I taught in Italy. Tried the panoramic format for a change.

Hydrangeas- Close-Up

2012-01-13T14:56:00.000-05:00

Hydrangeas- Close-Up
8 x 10
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Tried something a little different here. Had a large bouquet of flowers of hydrangeas and roses and did a close up of a portion of it for a little more abstract viewpoint.

Terry's Fountain

2012-01-11T07:34:00.000-05:00

Terry's Fountain
9 x 12
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello
NFS

I did this painting awhile back but had been holding off posting it since it was a surprise Christmas gift for a friend.

My friend Terry, who lives in Charlotte, has a lovely fountain with plants near his front door. One day while I was visiting I noticed the sunlight on the fountain. I thought it might make a fun, special and unexpected painting for him so I snuck a few photo's when he wasn't looking then painted it when I got back to my studio.

One of the best things about being an artist is the ability to make something meaningful for someone who appreciates that it was created especially for them.

That's one reason I actually like to do commissions. Often they are a very thoughtful and unexpected gift for someone who is very special to the person who has commissioned the art. It's an expression of their love. This week I'm starting on a romantic one. A client commissioned a beautiful scene from the couple's 10th anniversary trip that will be a Valentine's gift for his wife. I'm glad to be part of enabling him to provide something extra- special and memorable for his wife. Better get to work!

Learn to Paint Flowers in Oil

2012-01-09T13:54:00.000-05:00

Summer Bouquet
12 x 16
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

I spent most of 2011, focused on painting florals and still life. I painted over 150 paintings, including completing my "floral challenge" of 50 floral studies ( all are posted on my blog in the 2011 archives approximately August-October), got a certification in floral design after completing a program at the Halls School of Floral Design in Atlanta, and studied with some artists who I consider to be masters, especially with the subject of flowers including Robert Johnson, Nancy Franke and Hedi Moran.

I have always loved flowers and that was one of the subjects I first was drawn to when I started painting nearly 18 years ago but in recent years I'd been doing many more landscapes. I learned even my family name "Fiorello" means "one who lives near a wall of flowers" so it's probably no accident I'm drawn to surround myself and others with flowers.

I have taught flower painting classes in watercolor for many years, but in 2012, I will be offering my first oil painting workshop "Painting Flowers Alla Prima in Oil" at the Art School in Sandy Springs. It will be on Sat. & Sun. March 17 & 18.

Sunflower Morning
12 x 16
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

I'd love to have you join me for a weekend of fun, painting and beauty!
If you are interested, please contact me at patfiorello@aol.com or www.patfiorello.com

Classic Lilies
12 x 16
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Rose Spray

2012-01-06T06:39:00.000-05:00

Rose Spray
8x10
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

A few weeks back I had a beautiful bouquet of multi colored roses. Rather than arrange them in a vase as I often do, I tossed them on a table in my studio along with some petals, leaves and berries to just do a study of a casual arrangement for a change.

Hydrangea Fun

2012-01-04T18:04:00.000-05:00

Hydrangea Fun
6 x 6
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Today is my first day back in the studio in 2012. I actually haven't started painting yet, plan to do that tonight. Spent a few hours going thru about 10 photo albums from past trips to Italy looking for references for a new series for 2012 " Enchanting Italy". It's hard to choose, but came up with about 30 of my favorites for inspiration as a starting point. Mostly images of Tuscany and Lake Como. They are currently all laid out on the floor so I can see how they look and feel together. Later I'll put them in a smaller album so they are all in one place, ready to find as I work thru this series over the next few months. I like working in a series this way- I have a group of related subject matter to work from to stay focused but on any given day I still can choose from among the "finalists" to do what I feel in the mood to work on that particular day.

In the meantime, I posted one of my hydrangea studies from before the holiday" break".

New paintings of Italy coming soon. Now back to the studio.

Volpaia Welcome

2012-01-02T18:24:00.000-05:00

Volpaia Welcome
9 x 12
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Happy 2012!
As we welcome in the new year, I thought I'd share this painting-it's the last one I completed in 2011. I call it Volpaia Welcome. It's based on a doorway in a picturesque, little known village in the Chianti Region of Tuscany. Each year when I teach in Tuscany I try to get in a little photo op in this town because it is just beautiful, romantic, quintessential Italy.

I've been away for the past couple of weeks with holiday and family travel so haven't done any painting and looking forward to getting back to the studio this week. I'm going to be working on a series " Enchanting Italy" for a gallery show I have coming up in March, so expect to see more Italy paintings over the next couple of months, with a few floral still life paintings occasionally as well.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and successful new year, however you define it for yourself.

Tuscan Vineyards

2011-12-27T13:10:00.000-05:00

Tuscan Vineyards
9 x 12
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Hope everyone had a good holiday. I haven't been painting this week with all the holiday activities, but did this one last week. Starting a new series
" Enchanting Italy" for a show coming up in March. This is one from my Tuscany trip this past May.

I'll be leading another workshop in Tuscany in October 2012 so will get to see Tuscany in a new season. If you are interested in going on a painting trip to Italy check out this link for details or email me at patfiorello@aol.com.

There's an early bird discount on registrations by 12/31/11, so if interested, still time to check it out this week.
Happy New Year!

Will You Believe Artist Myths or Be Responsible for Your Own Success in 2012

2011-12-20T17:18:00.000-05:00

The Lily Pond
12 x 12
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

A fried of mine, Aletta de Wal, is the founder of Artists Career Training.com where she offers products and services to help artists "make a better living making art". She and I share an enthusiasm for shattering the "starving artist" myth and we have worked on several teleclass and ebook projects to help artists create their own success. There is no reason for artists to suffer and struggle in the name of their art, when knowing and taking action on some practical approaches, and then being persistent over time, can lead to success. Recently Aletta published a newsletter dispelling some other artist myths. Click on Artist Myths to see tips.

Consider sometimes myths are convenient to keep around because they allow us to blame something or someone else or circumstances and not be responsible for our own actions ( or lack of action) and results.

Aletta is also author of the upcoming book:

"My Real Job is Being an Artist - What You Should Know Before you Quit Your Day Job (or Get One)"

which is due to be released Winter 2012.

I had the honor of reading and providing feedback on a recent draft. I have read and own many art marketing books, but hers is by far the most substantive and comprehensive book I've seen on the topic. It delivers no nonsense, practical guidance for artists. I look forward to re-reading it when it comes out and will keep you posted on the release once a firm date is set.

In the meantime, this time of year is always a great time to reflect back on what you accomplished this past year, lessons learned and then create goals for the new year. It's easy to forget what we accomplished over the course of the whole year,. We also may miss the big picture when we are looking at what's coming up next.

Looking back on the year, I feel grateful for having set a clear plan with goals like getting into another gallery outside Georgia( I did get into a new gallery, the Spencer Gallery in Charleston SC as well as a second new gallery The Art House in Atlanta), studying with some excellent instructors

( including Robert Johnson, Dan Edmonson and Hedi Moran at the Scottsdale Artists School) and painting lots to build my "brush mileage" and skills in oils comparable to my watercolors ( painted over 150 oil paintings) as well as led 2 painting workshops in Italy and my other ongoing classes and workshops. I ended up having my best year yet, despite the challenges of the economy.

Often people ask me how I can get so much done- and it is not anything magical or special. It really starts with a plan. If you don't know where you want to go- how will you get any there? Having a plan really helps to keep me focused and also to say no to opportunities that sound intriguing but might really just distractions from the things that are most important to me.

If you haven't set your goals for 2012, I'd encourage you to find an hour of time between now and the end of the year and get out a a clean sheet of paper. Imagine yourself at the end of next year looking back- What 3-5 things would you be most satisfied with having accomplished? Write them down. Try to be as specific as possible. If you are genuinely committed to those outcomes( not just a "hope" or "try", then work back and see what actions you'd need to take to get there. Then as Nike says- Just do it! Having a plan in writing that you can see on a regular basis will help you stay focused and true to your dreams.

Happy Holidays and best wishes for a new year that's filled with art, success and whatever''s most important to you!

A Christmas Carol

2011-12-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

For Me? Silver & Gold

6 x 8

Oil Painting

by Pat Fiorello

Well we are fully in the swing of the holiday festivities. I spent the past few days exhibiting as the featured artist at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta. For those of you not from Atlanta, it's like our own smaller version of the Lincoln Center- an arts campus with Theatre, Symphony and the High Museum- the arts center of the city.

The Alliance Theatre performed their holiday classic "A Christmas Carol" and the Symphony featured the Holidays Pops. There were lots of other musical performances in the spirit of the season and families taking pictures in front of the big Christmas tree.

Here I am with Scrooge ( aka actor John Curren) in front of the display with some of my paintings in the main lobby.

The "Gallery in the Galleria" is a program sponsored by Digital Arts Studio with a portion of the proceeds going to support the Alliance Theatre where they allow local artists to showcase their artwork. My work is more traditional in nature, so I thought it would be a perfect venue for meeting new people who have an affinity for the Arts. I've already had several happy people go home with new paintings and will be there today too for both the matinee and evening shows.

Still Life: Green Vase & White Jasmine

2011-12-17T10:30:00.000-05:00

Green Vase & White Jasmine

9 x 12

Oil Painting

by Pat Fiorello

This was the last of the still life lessons I did with Daniel Edmonson. I enjoyed his still life lessons on line and would highly recommend them. The vase was especially fun to paint.

Yellow White & Pink in Silver

2011-12-14T08:15:00.000-05:00

Yellow, White & Pink in Silver
12 x 12
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Found a small silver dish with a "frog" in it to hold flowers in place. I've enjoyed making small,simple floral arrangements in this bowl. Here's a painting of one with multi colored roses.

Morning Light

2011-12-12T16:10:00.000-05:00

Morning Light
12 x 12
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

This image was based on a photo I took in Italy earlier this fall. Not what you might expect of a typical Italian scene- but I just couldn't resist the lighting. It was a simple garden floral arrangement left over from the previous night's dinner that was still on our breakfast table the next morning. The natural light streaming thru the window created a beautiful play of light and reflections on the table.

Holiday Flowers II

2011-12-09T17:14:00.000-05:00

Holiday Flowers II
6 x 6
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Did another version similar to my last post. It's interesting when you do the same subject a 2nd time. Sometimes it turns out better because you learned something from the first one. But other times there's a tradeoff in less spontaneity compared to your original response. Perhaps you lose your initial intuitive impulse, over think it or are just more tired so less energy shows up in the painting. In this case I think I like the original better in terms of freshness and bolder brushwork. Maybe the third time (if there is one) will be the charm.

Holiday Flowers 1

2011-12-07T15:36:00.000-05:00

Holiday Flowers I
6 x 6
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Getting into the holiday spirit, thought I'd do a little" mini "of white flowers with red berries, just to practice some brushwork. Havent been paintings as much the past couple of weeks due to other holiday activities and shows. Its' amazing how fast you feel like you've lost your touch and need to get back in practice. It's all about the "brush mileage".
I will be getting some new flowers tomorrow and hope to arrange them and have some time to paint in the afternoon while they are still at their freshest.

Hydrangeas & Delphinium

2011-12-05T07:58:00.000-05:00

Hydrangeas & Delphiniums
8 x 10
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

I tried my hand at an oil painting version of the same set up I did in watercolor for my demonstrations at the Art House Gallery in Buckhead, Atlanta, GA back in September ( see post on Sept 20 in blog archives ).
Of course the fresh flowers I used for the demonstration painting are long gone, but I did take a photo to work from.

White Hydrangeas and Red Pansies

2011-12-01T19:55:00.000-05:00

White Hydrangeas and Red Pansies
12 x 12
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Did some holiday decorating shopping at Pikes Nursery in Atlanta this weekend. Got the usual tree, wreath, poinsettias but couldn't pass up this white hydrangeas. Also bought a flat of pansies for outside and combined the two for a holiday feel. Did a quick still life set up of the flowers before the pansies got planted.

Italian Bouganvillea

2011-11-30T07:52:00.000-05:00

Limone Flowers
6 x 8
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

This was a small study for possibly a larger painting somewhere down the line. It's based on a photo from my recent trip to Lake Garda in northern Italy. This was a street in a wonderful town called Limone on the northern end of Lake Garda. It had an abundance of bougainvillea - even in late September.

The bougainvillea is always a challenging color to capture- -it's not really purple. I tried few combinations on my own that didn't quite get it, but then I referred to my color charts and saw that magenta plu permanent rose plus white came pretty close.

Tuscany- Beyond the Poppies

2011-11-28T08:02:00.000-05:00

Beyond the Poppies
6 x 8
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

I've been focused on primarily florals and still life's lately while doing my challenge of 50 floral paintings, but do want to get back into some landscapes as well for a new series I'll be working on in 2012 called "Enchanted Italy". I decided to get back in the landscape mode by doing a little "mini" study of a painting I had done in larger from earlier this year. This one was based on some photo's I put together from a trip to Tuscany where we visited the poppy fields. I liked the idea of looking beyond the fields to the villa in the distance. The villa wasn't exactly placed in the right spot, so using artistic license, I moved it to where I wanted it in the composition.

If you have always wanted to paint in Tuscany, please contact me at patfiorello@aol.com. I'll be returning for my 5th year to teach another workshop in 2012. Click here for details.

Still Life : Spode & Cherries

2011-11-25T09:45:00.000-05:00

Spode & Cherries

12 x 16

Oil Painting

by Pat Fiorello

I bought this Spode china vase in an antique shop in NJ a few months ago and have wanted to include it in a still life set up. I like the delicate orchids and branch that lead you to the vase. I had a real one for the original set up, but also found a pretty good silk orchid branch at Michaels to use as a "stand in" for future set ups if I don't have real orchids available.

Take time to smell the roses

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Roses & Snaps
6 x6
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Today's study is a simple bouquet of yellows, pinks & whites. Sometimes I just find a color palette I like and then try to get flowers that fit that. This light combination of colors has a soft, romantic feel.

With Thanksgiving upon us, it's a good reminder to take time to smell the roses in life- the people, places and things your are grateful for.

Thank you for following my blog and sharing what I'm up to with my art. It is a personal joy to make art, but it makes a difference to share it with others too.

Hope everyone has a Thanksgiving filled with love and gratitude.

Hydrangea Study

2011-11-21T16:12:00.000-05:00

Hydrangea Study
6 x 6
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Just a little quickie today to work on loose brushstrokes- practice, practice, practice.

Tuscan Pottery

2011-11-18T07:53:00.000-05:00

Tuscan Pottery
6 x 6
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

I bought this beautiful hand made ceramic cup in a small town near Radda in Chianti when I was in Tuscany earlier this year with the intention of using it in still life set ups. I finally got around to taking it out to paint this week. Before arranging a full set up, I thought I'd just start with this small study of the cup without any other elements to get a handle on how to approach it. Since it's a painting of something that's already hand painted I thought it might pose some challenges. It was a lot harder than this little innocent cup looks . The shape is tricky and had to be readjusted several time and I am not sure I ever really got it exactly. The suggestion of the hand painting was actually the easier part compared to trying to capture the overall shape and form. I'm glad I tried it a simple study first before complicating matters even further. Look for it again in some upcoming still life paintings- maybe with some fruit and flowers next time.

Scottsdale Artists School Show, Painting Flowers Alla Prima

2011-11-16T18:48:00.000-05:00

I was excited to learn that one of my paintings, Sunflower Morning, shown below, was accepted into the "The Best & The Brightest" Show at the Scottsdale Artists School. This is an annual juried show open to anyone who has studied at the school in the past year. I was there earlier this year studying with Hedi Moran. She was wonderful. The show runs from Jan- March 2012. If you happen to be in Scottsdale during that time you might want to check it out. I saw the show this year and there were some really magnificent pieces. The show is pretty competitive to get in so I was honored to have a painting included.

I'm also excited to announce that I will be teaching a new workshop in March 2012 in Atlanta- Painting Flowers " Alla Prima" in oil. Details are listed in the announcement below. Feel free to share with anyone who might be interested.

Thanks

Pat

Flowers Alla Prima

Oil Painting Workshop with Pat Fiorello

This 2-day workshop will help you to approach painting flowers directly in oil with a loose, fresh, soft approach. There will be demo’s, studies and instruction (including understanding and simplifying flower shapes and form, and mixing color for flowers and foliage, among other topics) and guidance while you paint from Pat. We will be working from your own fresh flower set-ups.

Pat is known for her romantic landscape, garden and floral paintings that have a soft, impressionistic feel. She has had over a dozen solo shows including shows at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and Callaway Gardens. Passionate about flowers, Pat has studied floral arranging design at the Halls Design School. She teaches painting workshops in the U.S., Caribbean and Europe, including a past workshop at Monet’s Garden in Giverny, France.

Supply list to be provided.

Saturday & Sunday 3/17-18, 2012

9:30AM-4PM

Workshop fee: $300

Students- minimum 5, maximum 15

The Art School at Sandy Springs ( specific location tbd - either Sandy Springs or a nearby Atlanta location)

To register contact Donna Thomas at dthomas555@aol.com or 678-755-1079

Flower Study #50

2011-11-14T08:38:00.000-05:00

Flower Study # 50
Pinks & Greens
6 x 6
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

This is the last of the series of 50 floral studies that I embarked on earlier this summer. This little one I did with a 45 minute timer on as an exercise to keep it simple and not overwork it.

All 50 have now been posted on my blog, mostly during Aug- Oct of this year.

You can also see most of them all in one place on my DAILY PAINTWORKS GALLERY where many are available for sale. If you see one that you are interested in, feel free to get in touch with me at patfiorello@aol.com

I actually laid out all 50 in sequence on the floor to see how the paintings had evolved, the experiments I tried and what I had learned along the way.

It has been a fun challenge and I am now ready to embark on a new sereis which I'm calling "Fresh from the Garden". The focus will still be flowers and I'll still do some small studies, but will shift more towards some larger pieces for upcoming shows. Stay tuned. I'll share them as I complete new work.

I will also be teaching a new 2 day oil painting workshop in Atlanta in 2012- Flowers Alla Prima. For more information see The Art School in Sandy Springs and click on the March calendar.

2012 Painting Workshop in Tuscany

2011-11-10T08:09:00.000-05:00

Vagliagli Villa
Watercolor
by Pat Fiorello

This is a painting of a Villa in a small town called Vagliagli, near where I have been going each year to teach a painting workshop. I typically go in the Spring, but for 2012 I decided to change things up a bit and see Tuscany in the fall.

We stay at a beautiful 12th century monastery which has been restored to modern first class lodging accommodations while retaining and old world authenticity. The views are spectacular and we have our own chef who cooks for us in an authentic Tuscan manner, including of course, plenty of vino from the local Chianti Region.

The workshop will be October 13-20, 2012. It is open to artists of all mediums and experience levels.
Please contact me at patfiorello@aol.com if you are interested joining us for a painting dream vacation.

For more information see Paint Tuscany

Our home base in Italy San Fedele, not far from Siena.
To see a slide show of the rooms and surroundings click on facilities

Flower Study #49

2011-11-09T07:32:00.000-05:00

Flower Study # 49
Yellow Roses & Oranges
6 x 6
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

This was a fun little arrangement I painted from my imagination based on keeping within the yellow- orange-green color grouping. As good as it is to work form life, sometimes it's just fun to make something up.
We're at #49- one more to go in my 50 Floral Studies Challenge.
Stay tuned.

Flower Study #48- Poinsettias

2011-11-07T07:19:00.000-05:00

Flower Study #48
Poinsettias
6 x 8
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Starting to get in the holiday spirit, I decided to try a small study of poinsettias.They were harder than I expected and I scraped this down a couple of times before ending up here. Part of the issue was working from a photo that didn't have great light. Maybe once I can get some live poinsettias this season I'll do a set up from life.

Flower Study #47 - Giverny Morning

2011-11-03T07:03:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #47
Giverny Morning
9 x 12
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

This is one I've wanted to paint for a long time. I took a photo of these floral arrangement sitting in front of a window in the place I was staying at in Giverny France about 4 years ago. I was teaching a workshop at Monet's Garden and staying a a French country house run by Art Study Giverny. The colors are change from my usual palette. I simplified the background out the window quite a bit from what was really there as I just wanted that as backdrop and atmosphere with the real focus on the flowers particularly the larger purple one.

Paint in France

2011-11-01T07:52:00.000-04:00

Monet's Church, Giverny France
22 x 30
Watercolor
by Pat Fiorello

The painting pictured here is one I did inspired by my last trip to France where I taught a workshop at Monet's Garden. I've been mostly focused on teaching in the US and Italy the past few years, but will be making another trip to teach again in France in Summer 2012. This time I'll be going to the Champagne Region and can take up to 7 workshop participants. Artists of all mediums and experience levels are welcome to participate.

We are staying the the beautiful
La Bonne Etoile Artists Retreat. La Bonne Etoile is located 60 miles southeast of Paris, in the small village of Fontaine-Fourches.

Details can be found on the flyer on my website at:

http://patfiorello.com/LaBonneEtoile_FiorelloJULY2012.pdf

or contact me directly at patfiorello@aol.com.

Flower Study #46 Roses in Tuscany

2011-10-30T20:40:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #46

Roses in Tuscany

6 x 6

Oil Painting

by Pat Fiorello

This is the latest in my series of flowers paintings. Decided to try another one that combines flowers and some background landscape. This is from a reference photo I had from the workshop I taught in Tuscany this past spring. The flowers on the table were so pretty. They were grown in the garden of the place we were staying. I brought them out on the balcony to shoot them in natural sunlight with the beautiful Tuscan countryside in the distance.

I'm planning to go back to teach another workshop in Tuscany in October 2012. I'll be sharing more information about this painting opportunity in the next few weeks, but if you have an interest, please contact me at patfiorello@aol.com

10 Minute Challenge "Strawberry x 4"

2011-10-26T21:18:00.001-04:00

"Strawberry x 4"
6 x6 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Today I took on a "challenge" sponsored by Daily Paintworks.
The challenge was to set a timer and paint one object in 10 minutes. Then do it again, for a total of 4 times. I picked a strawberry . It was more fun and less daunting then I might have thought to keep your painting time to 10 minutes. It does force you to be selective and only get in what's most important. Could be a good warm up exercise on a regular basis.

To see other paintings I have listed, click on DailyPaintWorks gallery .

Flower Study #45 Geraniums in Italy

2011-10-25T14:59:00.000-04:00

Flower Study 45
Geraniums in Italy
6 x 8
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

After my recent trip to Italy, I decided to include a little landscape setting as backdrop to this recent flower study. This is an oil version of one of the paintings I did while teaching a workshop at Lake Garda in Northern Italy in late Sept.

Painting Fall Trees

2011-10-23T10:29:00.000-04:00

Fall Gold
Watercolor
9 x 12

Yesterday, I taught a workshop at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA with a focus on Painting Fall Trees. Above is a quick watercolor demo I did for the class. the colors werent' quite at peak yet, but there were still some fun fall colors to paint. Below are some photo's of trees, one of my students painting and some bright autumn mums that might be a fun future painting. it started out a bit cold, but turned into a beautiful day to be outdoors inspired by nature.

Flower Study #44 Classic Lilies

2011-10-19T08:01:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #44

Classic Lilies

12 x 16

Oil Painting on Panel

by Pat Fiorello

I had done a painting a few days ago of one of my floral arrangements from my flower design class. After looking at it on screen, I realized that I had really reduced the size of the lilies and it had lost something in the translation. ( See flower study #40). So I decided to give it another go.

Instead of using the exact same arrangement, I used another similar arrangement which is pictured below.

The flowers are long gone, but I did have a photo. The colors in the photo appeared much yellower than I liked, so I made some adjustments to tone it down.

I'm glad I decided to do it again, I'm much happier with the painting the 2nd time around.

To see others in my floral series or to buy paintings on line visit Daily Paint Works.

Still Life Painting : Oriental Vase and Oranges

2011-10-17T11:36:00.000-04:00

Oriental Vase & Oranges
9 x 12
Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Decided to take a break from the flower studies for a day and did one of the still life lessons from an on line study program I have been doing this year with Dan Edmonson.

In his program, Dan supplies the photo's of some great still life set ups along with an on line video( and permanent copy on CD) . There are 10 lessons in his still life series and he also has a similar landscape series available. The lessons build on each other and get progressively more challenging.

This was number 8 of the series of 10 and it was definitely challenging. In hindsight, I wished I had done it on a bigger canvas. I could have used larger brushstrokes in describing each of the elements since there is a lot going on on this small canvas.

These classical dark style still lives are probably not my personal style, but they have been great training. Dan is an excellent and generous instructor who consistently provides spot on feedback. I have really enjoyed and learned a lot from his instruction and would highly recommend you check his programs out.

Flower Study #43 Loosening up

2011-10-14T07:34:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #43
9 x 12
Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

For this painting, I focused on trying to get a looser feel, with a bit more movement. I did more of a close up vignette rather than a full still life or painting including a vase. Kept the background simple, with some of the toned canvas visible. Plan to do more in this direction, continuing to contrast hard vs soft edges.

Flower Study 42- Grand Bouquet

2011-10-12T11:54:00.000-04:00

Flower Study # 42
Grand Bouquet
16 x 20
Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

If you read my last blog, you saw the flowers we put together the last day of flower design class to simulate what might be needed for a wedding. This was one of the large altar pieces that I arranged. It was very large, so when I brought it home, I tried it out on a larger canvas than most of my other studies.

Here's the original inspiration.

Here's the initial block in to establish general placement

This is the next phase putting in an underpainting for the background. After this stage , I started building the forms of the flowers and added more opaques to the background to suggest a neutral lighter backdrop

Flower Study 41- Flowing Roses, Wedding Flowers

2011-10-10T08:08:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #41
Flowing Roses
9 x 12
Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

I had an arrangement of flowers that was an unusual project in my flower design class. The last day of class we did flowers for a wedding. The full deal- bouquets, altar flowers, even flowers to decorate a gazebo which we had set up in the classroom. We also made" pew markers" -flowers that go on the aisle in a church for a wedding. The arrangement was one sided so that it could flatly rest against the side of a pew. I liked the color harmonies of subtle pinks and off whites, so I decided to do a study of this flower grouping.
Th nature of it was flowing, so I decided to use this as an opportunity to try to keep it really loose and capture a feeling of energy and movement.

Here is the photo of the inspiration, as well as some other fun photo's from our last day of class creating the wedding flower arrangements.

A large arrangement suitable for the altar at a wedding

Here I am in the gazebo we decorated

The final day of flower design class, my 5 classmates, and I staged flowers for an entire wedding

I'm working on a larger painting of the larger altar piece in the urn and will post that later this week.

Flower Study #40

2011-10-08T10:04:00.000-04:00

Floral Study #40
Lilies in Classic Urn
6x6
Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

This is another in the series based on floral arrangements I did in floral design school.

Here's the original inspiration:

I'm not too wild about lilies ( compared to some of my other favorite flowers like roses, hydrangeas, delphinium etc..) and the lilies seemed pretty big in the real arrangement, so I made them smaller in the painted version. I do think it lost something in translation so this may be one to try over. I just happened to watch the Daniel Keys video on painting lilies yesterday and after seeing that may have some new approaches on handling the big lily.

This was the symmetrical version of this arrangement, but there is also an asymmetrical oen that might be a bit more dynamic composition for painting.

Flower Study #39

2011-10-06T07:08:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #39
6 x 6
Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello
.
A quick study of a petite vase with a large rose, spray roses and white stock

Painting in Italy

2011-10-04T16:26:00.000-04:00

I just returned home from teaching a workshop in Northern italy. I had a group of 12 students from various places in the US with me. We met in Milan and spent a couple of days there, then spent the rest of the week in a small town on Lake Garda.
Below is a demonstration painting I did the first day of the cloistered monastery where we stayed.

San Tomasso
Gargnano Italy
12 x 16 Watercolor
by Pat Fiorello
SOLD

Here are some other photo's from the workshop.

Flower Study #38

2011-10-03T05:04:00.000-04:00

Flower Study # 38

Fruit & Flowers Della Robbia

12 x 12

Oil Painting on Panel

By Pat Fiorello

I just got back from teaching a painting workshop in beautiful Lake Garda, Italy. Will share more about that later this week, but still have a few flower studies from my flower design program that I wanted to share. This one is from a design we did which is called a Della Robbia- an arrangement that includes fruit and flowers. Here we included apples, limes and kiwi in the arrangement in addition to the orchids and roses. The colors in the painting were a little hard to photograph and adjust quite right, but it has a more subtle neutral cool grey background than is probably showing up on the computer monitor.

The actual arrangement is pictured below at my work station in the floral design studio.

Flower Study #37 Roses, Hydrangea, Delphiniums etc..

2011-09-30T16:32:00.000-04:00

Flower Study 37

12 x 16

Oil Painting on Panel

by Pat Fiorello

Another informal arrangement of flowers I did with the "leftovers" from my floral design class, then painted.
Roses, hydrangea, delphinium and a few assorted other flowers and berries. Liked the limited and somewhat complmentary palette of the bouquet. Added a few lemons, grapes and ribbon on table top to repeat the colors.

Flower Study #36 Roses & Spider Mum

2011-09-29T03:18:00.000-04:00

Flower Study 36

6 x 8

Oil Painting on Panel

by Pat Fiorello

This is a tiny still life, just trying to capture the essence of a vase of loosely arranged flowers featuring roses and a large spider mum. The mums can be a challenge since they have so many petals, so I tried to simplify that without losing the characteristic feeling of the flower.

Flower Study #35- Roses, Hydrangeas & Larkspur- 3 arrangements

2011-09-24T11:06:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #35
Roses, Hydrangea, Larkspur
12 x 12

This paintings was inspired by one of my arrangements from my flower design class . Last week we took a selections of the same flowers- roses, lilies, larkspur, hydrangeas and some various foliage and 2 made 3 different arrangements. One was in a tall vase, one in a short vase and one in a basket. The photo's of the arrangements are below. One point of the exercise was to show how with the same flower materials we could make different arrangmetns that all had a different feel. The small one was my favorite so I started with that one as a painting subject.

Watercolor demonstration- Smith Gilbert Gardens plein air workshop

2011-09-21T20:54:00.000-04:00

Smith Gilbert Perennial Gardens
12 x 16
Watercolor
by Pat Fiorello

We had another plein air workshop at the beautiful Smith Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw, GA.
In this demo, I tried to capture the feeling of abundance of plants in a small section of their perennial gardens.

Here are some of my students having fun in the garden painting. It turned out to be a nice day- cooler than our last trip there in June

Watercolor painting demonstration -The Art House- Hydrangeas

2011-09-20T13:35:00.000-04:00

Hydrangeas and purple
12 x 16
Watercolor Painting
by Pat Fiorello

On Friday, I did a watercolor painting demonstration for one of the galleries who represents my work- The Art House in the Buckhead are of Atlanta. Proceeds from the evening went to support Fragile Kids Foundation which is doing great work providing equipment needed for medically fragile kids

The Art House is a unique gallery, which beautifully presents artwork of all kinds- paintings, glass, pottery, jewelry- in the comfort and warmth of a vintage 1938 home in the heart of Buckhead.

Below are some photo's of The Art House as well as me doing the demonstration and the flower arrangement I was using for reference. ( Yes, I guess I did color coordinate my outfit to the flowers- wasn't originally planned that way- but happened to work out- as you can tell I love the blue-purple-lavender portion of the color wheel)

Flower Study #34 Roses & Hydrangeas

2011-09-18T07:18:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #34
Roses & Hydrangeas
6 x 6 Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

Tried a little more contemporary asymmetrical design today. Good opportunity to work on suggesting a grouping of roses.

Flower Study #33-Roses, limited palette

2011-09-16T07:36:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #33
6 x 6 Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

This is a little study of a rose arrangement. Wanted to keep the color palette pretty limited- orange, violet & green and keep the suggestion of the roses loose. Used both brushes and palette knife.

If you are in Atlanta, tonight I'll be doing a painting demonstration at
The Art House Gallery in Buckhead at 3193 Paces Ferry Place. It starts at 6pm. I'll be doing a watercolor of this arrangement of hydrangeas I pulled together yesterday. The event is free and open to the public so everyone is invited to attend. Gallery sales support the Fragile Kids Foundation.

Flower Study #32 Stargazer Lily

2011-09-14T05:28:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #32
Stargazer Lily
6 x 6 Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

I thought this flower would be easy since it's just a few large petals- but if fooled me. I've done many of these lilies in watercolor and know how to make the transition between the red petals and the white edges smoothly, but this was a lot trickier. Will have to try a few more to get the hang of it.

Flower Study # 31 Yellow Roses

2011-09-12T18:31:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #31
Yellow Roses
6 x 6
Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

Had a few yellow roses left over from last weeks flower arranging class, so chose those for today's study.

Flower Study #30- Roses & Friends

2011-09-09T06:36:00.000-04:00

Here's a small study I started a couple of weeks ago. Was having a hard time with it that day and scraped it down several times, but decided to give it another try this week. Did most of it with a palette knife to try out a different texture and look.

Flower Study #30
Roses & Friends
6 x 8
Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

Flower Study #29-Highlands Sunflowers

2011-09-07T14:45:00.000-04:00

I did this painting from a photo- but it was of an actual arrangement I made for my demonstration in the painting workshop I led in Highlands NC last week.

Flower Study #29
Highlands Sunflowers
8 x 10
Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

Below is a photo of the arrangement as well as a couple of earlier stages in the process.which led to the finished painting above.

Here was the initial block in:

Then added in a background base before the next stage of adding form to the flowers. I eventually went lighter and more neutral with the background, but started with a warm base underneath.

Flower Study #28- More Complex Floral Design-Classic Urn

2011-09-05T12:45:00.001-04:00

I'm moving along in my flower design class and finished the week with a more complex arrangement that I decided to paint this weekend. A key point I'm learning in the class is to have a mass of weight lower in the arrangement for balance and stability and then use the lighter weight foliage for movement and texture. Many of the design principles make sense as I relate them to how I would think about composition of a painting. Since this was more complex than most of my earlier studies, and I really wanted an opportunity to work on brushwork for the foliage, I decided to do it closer to life size and did a 16 x 20 painting.

Here's the finished painting (still a bit wet, so sorry about the glare in the photo):

Flower Study #29
Classic Urn
16 x 20 Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

Here was the actual floral arrangement I made after my class this week which I used as a model for the painting:

I was pretty pleased with how both the arrangement and the painting turned out. It was interesting to paint something else I had already created. I definitely had a deeper sense of knowing the flowers and foliage, having handled them to make the arrangement and also knowing why I put things where I did in the arrangement reinforced decisions about where to place things in the painting composition.

If I were to do it again, one thing I might do differently is add more dark, cooler leaves first then, lay more light leaves over them to add a bit more depth. But overall, it was a fun exercise on 2 levels- creating the arrangement and creating the painting.

Many thanks for my floral design instructor John Grady Burns for letting me borrow his gorgeous urn and for his wonderful instruction. But most of all for sharing his passion for beauty and flowers.

Flower Study #27- Rose Topiary

2011-09-03T16:30:00.000-04:00

Flower Study # 27
Rose Topiary
9 x 12 Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

If you have been following my blog, you may recall that I am taking a program to learn floral design. It's partly for fun and partly to help get ideas for more intricate and interesting floral arrangements that I can set up for my floral and still life painting subjects rather than just pick up a pre-made bouquet at the grocery store and work with that.

This week I did a rose topiary in class, shown below. It was a lot of fun and I find that I can use much of my art design knowledge in floral design- its just a different (3D) medium. There are some differences, like sometimes in floral arranging if you are doing a centerpiece for a table, you want it to be symmetrically balanced, so it looks even from all viewpoints but in painting, I rarely go for symmetry- in fact it's something I tell myself to avoid so that my compositions can be more dynamic with an uneven division of space.

After I took my arrangement home, I set it up in my studio in front of a white board and side lit it to paint from while the flowers were still fresh. I was working on a small panel to do a quick study so had to compromise on some of the height which I regret, but overall was happy to get the feel of the rose topiary in a suggestive way without having to report every last petal.

Flower Study #26 Blue Hydrangeas in a glass vase

2011-09-02T07:23:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #26
Blue Hydrangeas
6 x 8
Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

Tried the opposite of study 25 here, That one was light hydrangeas in a dark vase against a dark background and in this one the flowers are dark relative to the lighter background. Same flowers, totally different look and feel.
Which do you prefer?

Flower Study #25 White Hydrangeas

2011-08-31T20:34:00.000-04:00

Flower Study # 25
White Hydrangeas
6 x 8
Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello
Starting bid $100

Bid Here Now

I love painting hydrangeas. The white ones are especially fun as they offer an opportunity to use subtle warm and cool "near whites" to show form.

Special thanks to Dan Edmonson for acknowledging me as this week's Featured Artist on Elegant Fine Art.com. Click here for more info.

Flower Study #24- Roses, Delphiniums and Berries

2011-08-30T05:55:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #24
Pink, Red & Blue
12 x 12
Oil Painting on Panel by Pat Fiorello
$450

This study was based on a miniature floral arrangement by my friend John Grady Burns. John is a well known floral designer ( see JGBFlora) and instructor who teaches the 3 week Primary Flowers program I am starting today at Halls School of Design in Atlanta. I am partly taking the class for fun, but also with the intention that I learn more about creating beautiful arrangements that I can include in my still life paintings. I figure the more I understand my subject and branch out ( pun intended) into some more creative combinations of flower shapes, colors and textures, the better for my painting inspiration.

Here's the photo of the original arrangement. It is in a tiny urn just a few inches high.

I will share updates on how the program is going and plan to do some more floral study paintings of the floral arrangements we are doing in class which I'll post over the next few weeks.
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Flower Study #23 Ranunculus in Silver Container

2011-08-29T15:32:00.000-04:00

Red Hot Ranunculus
12 x 16
Oil Painting on Panel by Pat Fiorello
$500

Here's a painting of a single type of flower( ranunculus) accented by some berries. I like including these flowers in still lives since they tend to have a lot of movement.

Here's the original set up along with some steps along the way blocking the painting in. I decided to go with the dark background for more drama, but I like the light background as well and may give that a try too.

Initial block in of the bouquet

Block in with background added, before any from, detail added to the flowers and container.

Flower Study #21

2011-08-25T19:34:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #21
White Rose
6 x8 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello
Starting bid $100

Bid Here Now

I came across some exquisite white roses with delicate pink edges and chose one for my "model" for Flower Study 21.

I am up in Highlands, North Carolina this week teaching a painting workshop on flowers with 14 enthusiastic flower lovers. Here are a few of the students in our room filled with all kinds of flowers.

I was thrilled that one of my students, Marilyn, told me she was inspired by the ongoing flower studies in my blog and it spurred her on to start her own sketchbook of daily flower studies which she shared with me at the workshop. She grows beautiful zinnias in her own garden and when she brings a small bouquet in each morning she sketches it in her sketchbook. What a beautiful way to enjoy the flowers on a deeper level while building her observational and painting skills. Way to go Marilyn!

Flower Study 20

2011-08-24T06:43:00.000-04:00

Summer Bouquet
12 x 16
Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

This arrangement gave me the opportunity to try out several different types of flowers with different shapes and textures. I especially liked the delicacy of the hydrangeas and wispy purple flowers in contrast to the solidity of the green pitcher.

Flower Study 19 Red Rose Blue Willow

2011-08-23T08:07:00.000-04:00

Red Rose Blue Willow
12 x 12
Oil Painting

This is a larger version of the study I did a week or so ago from the still life set up in the Robert Johnson workshop I recently took at the Easton Studio and School in Easton Maryland. The flowers were good practice as part of my ongoing flower study challenge but actually the Blue Willow sugar bowl was the most fun to paint. You are always straddling a fine line between including enough detail to suggest reality, but not so much to be precisely literal. It's also always amazing that you can create the illusion of a 3 dimensional object on a 2 dimensional canvas.

Painting the container requires the same approach as the flowers- get the big shape first, then describe the form ( by depicting light and shadow) and after that is established you can get to the decoration or small details.

Flower Study 18

2011-08-22T13:36:00.000-04:00

Roses & Silver
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
12 x 16

This latest study was a bit more complex, covering several different colors and shapes of roses in a silver container with some cherries to repeat soem of the colors in the flowers.

Flower Study #17

2011-08-21T09:24:00.000-04:00

Apple Blossoms
Study #17
12 x16 Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

Today's study was really part of a larger painting lesson, but the subject is still flowers so I'm including it as part of my flower study intensive.
White flowers are amongst the hardest to paint (yellows are also tough due to limited value range), so I was happy to have gotten some blossoms in the back to appear to recede and others closer to the vase appear closer thru use of warmer and cooler temperatures.

Flower Study #15 & 16

2011-08-20T17:08:00.000-04:00

If you have been following my blog, you know hat I am currently working on a series of 50 floral studies between now and the end of Sept. so every day or so, I am doing a small study to practice floral shapes, colors etc.. Some are hits and some are misses- but there is something to learn from each study. Here's the next in the series of floral studies- working on a single pink rose. It turned out okay but not necessarily my favorite or best effort. So I looked to see what might be missing to improve on the next one.

Flower Study 15
Pink Rose 6 x 8 Oil Painting

Many artists learn by studying the masters. The masters are often considered artists of centuries ago, but there are modern masters among us today. So I looked to see who had done some amazing roses and found an artist I really liked - Qiang Huang. I copied one of his works for study #16 just as an exercise for my own personal learning ( not to sell since he has the copyright on this image) . By doing this I coud see several things that made the difference- more dramatic lighting ( dark vs light areas), bolder, more confident brushstrokes and bigger specific shapes. Some good lessons to take into the next round of studies.

Flower Study #16
6 x 8 Oil Painting
NFS

Flower Study #14

2011-08-19T07:15:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #14
Rose Trio
8 x 10
Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

Bid Here Now

Had a beautiful bouquet of pink roses so made up a little still life of 3 roses and grapes with a silver cup.

Flower Study #13

2011-08-18T15:49:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #13
Basket of Cheer
6 x 6 Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello

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Decided to do a miniature still life as part of my ongoing floral study series. I like the contrast of the yellow and blue/violet color scheme which has an upbeat feeling.

An Attitude of Gratitude

2011-08-18T07:37:00.000-04:00

The Cloisters
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
SOLD

I recently went to an art workshop and during a Q&A session, I asked the instructor, a master artist who's been painting for many years, if there was anything he did to relax and get himself "in the zone" to paint. I know sometimes people listen to music, meditate or do warm up exercises to loosen up brushwork so I was interested in what he had to say. He was silent for a few moments then shared that he started each painting session thinking of all those he was grateful for in his art career- not only his past teachers- many of whom are gone now, but also the Old Masters and others who contributed to the legacy of art handed down from generation to generation. He was so moved and present to gratitude that had to wipe back the tears when he shared that with the class.

Sometimes we can get so busy in the DOING part of life as an artist- the creating, but also the framing, buying supplies, marketing,cleaning our studios, entering shows, updating websites and other communications, blogging etc.. that we can lose sight of the joy of BEING an artist. I thought his comments about starting with gratitude could be a great way to immediately presence that feeling of gratefulness for being able to live the life of an artist.

After hearing this, I was inspired to start my own "Art Gratitude Journal". So yesterday, I made a simple WORD document and have it visible on my computer desktop as a reminder to make it a daily practice to add to the list. I started out off the top of my head and in just a few minutes had a full page worth of people, places and things that I am grateful for that have contributed to me and my growth as an artist. The more I thought about it, the more people, past and present, came up- some of whom I haven't seen in years or maybe only had a brief interaction with but who made a profound difference and others who might have had a brief conversation but that pointed me in the right direction or inspired me to take some action. Even appreciating my local art store knowing that it's a gift to be able to get the supplies I need, when I need them and many people are not fortunate to have that access. It's amazing how good that feels to appreciate all those people. My intention is to take this on as a daily practice and start each painting session with an attitude of gratitude for the blessings of how wonderful it is to be able to live a life immersed in art.

I guess, if it "takes a village" to grow a child, it "takes a planet and centuries" to grow an artist. Just think about all the people who have come before us and shared what they have learned. It really is a rich tapestry of artists helping artists. Some of you- teachers, students, friends and fellow artists- may already be on my list and I sincerely thank you for being a part of my life. I hope that I can contribute to you in some way too. One might take on that as artists our job is not only to make a painting( or whatever you medium is), but to make a difference!

If you have a way you get grounded before you start painting, please feel free to share it with other artists by posting a comment here. Thanks

Have a grateful day!

Paint in Charleston

2011-08-17T07:23:00.000-04:00

If you are ready for a fun, short painting getaway, here's an opportunity to paint in beautiful Charleston, S. C. I am teaching a workshop there in October. Details are listed below. Please feel free to share this with other artists who might be interested.

Paint Charleston!

Painting Workshop with instructor Pat Fiorello

3-day workshop sponsored by the Charleston Art Guild

October 10-12 9AM-4PM

Workshop fee:

For Charleston Art Guild members: $325.

For Non- Members: $370.

To register: Contact: Tina@TinaMaylandArt.com

Tina can assist you with recommendations on lodging options if needed.

Description

Enjoy a fun 3 days painting in watercolor in beautiful Charleston S.C. with instructor Pat Fiorello. Learn how to paint beautiful landscapes including technique, composition, how to show depth in your landscape, editing while working on location and mixing colors, especially natural greens. Include demonstration, instruction, critique and individual guidance from Pat during student painting time.

We will spend some time in the classroom on the first day for an overview and then (weather permitting) time out painting on location. We'll likely do at least one city scene in town and one day with a larger landscape vista (possibly at one of the plantations). Demonstrations will be in watercolor, but artists of all mediums are welcome to participate in the medium of their choice.

Instructor Bio

Pat Fiorello is a popular instructor who teaches in the

U. S. and Europe. She is known for her romantic landscape, garden and floral paintings in both oil and watercolor. She is a Signature Member and Past President of the Georgia Watercolor Society. Pat’s paintings have been accepted into over 70-juried shows, featured in over a dozen one-woman shows and represented by several galleries in the Southeast. Her work was featured in “Splash 11, The Best of Watercolor” recently published by North Light Books. Pat has taught on location at Monet’s Garden in Giverny, France, in Tuscany and Northern Italy. Pat believes everyone can develop the skills to paint and experience the joy of art. Having learned herself as an adult, she has particular appreciation for adult learners, even total beginners, and provides a fun and supportive environment for learning. Visit www.patfiorello.com for more information.

Flower Study #12 Red Rose in Oriental Bowl

2011-08-16T22:26:00.001-04:00

Flower Study 12
Red Rose in Oriental Bowl
Oil Painting on Panel by Pat Fiorello
6 x 6

Bid Here Now

Another in the series of flower studies. The flower was fun to do , but I especially had fun with suggesting the design on the pot.

Flower Study #11

2011-08-16T14:06:00.000-04:00

Here's Flower Study #11- a 12 x 12 Oil Painting. This one is not for sale as I did it in a workshop and used the instructors reference photo. The lesson was more on reflections, but I couldn't resist the periwinkle flowers- my favorite color.

Studying Still Life Oil Painting with Robert Johnson

2011-08-13T07:23:00.000-04:00

I am in a 3 day workshop studying oil painting with master artist Robert Johnson. I studied with him earlier this year and learned so much that I decided to work with him again to deepen my learning. It is good to study with different artists, but once you find someone whose approach and teaching style fit with you, it's a good idea to focus and go deeper with that teacher. I'll briefly share his approach here:

Still Life set up for demonstration

In the design phase, Robert starts our with a toned canvas and with one fairly neutral color( Transparent Oxid Red and Ultramarine Blue), he loosely places the big shapes, knowing that at this stage anything can easily be changed.

Next he wipes out the light areas and lays in the background and a wash for the rug color

He begins with the largest shapes and center of interest- the sugar bowl and red rose. During this phase he shifts his approach to lay in each brushtroke very deliberately to be descriptive. It's an "alla prima" approach where his intention is to put down a brushstroke and leave it so he is very carefully observing the shape, color, value, edges of each area he's painting and then using each brushstroke to describe that.

Here's the finished painting. (still wet on the easel, so ignore the clip on top) it certainly captures the set up, but is actually much more beautiful. It looks highly finished, but up close it is actually looser than it appears.

Robert is not only a wonderful artist who clearly has worked long and hard to develop his level of mastery, but is also a great teacher who generously shares his passion for art and learning. I plan to continue my studies with him in 2012.

If you want to learn more about Robert Johnson's paintings, workshops, dvd's or beautiful book( one of my favorites) "On Becoming a Painter. visit his website Robert Johnson Art

Flower Study #10 Hydrangeas

2011-08-11T19:14:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #10
Hydrangeas
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
$200

Tried a different flower and color palette for this study of hydrangeas after the roses from last week.

Below is my original reference photo;

Here is the initial block in in dark transparent colors;

Then beginning to add in the leaves, next I added background color to cover the entire canvas with a layer of paint, then I came in with brushstrokes to depict petal shapes and add lighter areas to build form with the final painting depicted above. I took some artistic license to modify colors and shapes of the flowers yet still have them feel like hydrangeas.

To see more of my flower paintings click on Pat Fiorello Floral Paintings

Flower Study #9 Rose

2011-08-10T06:35:00.000-04:00

Here's the latest painting in my flower studies series. I'm not sure of the name of this type of rose, but it was a challenge to paint,. There are so many layers of petals to simplify, yet its essence is complex. How do you add enough to make ti feel like this type of flower, yet not get bogged down in every precise petal.That seems to be (one of) the constant artists challenge- being selective- deciding what to include and what to edit out.

Some steps along the way are shown below.

Flower Study #9 Rose
Oil Painting on Panel
6 x 8
$200

This was the reference photo I started with

My initial block in

Adding the background

Starting to distinguish form and petals on the way to the finished study ( first image above)

Flower Study #8- Roses & Lilacs

2011-08-08T20:48:00.000-04:00

Roses & Lilacs
6 x 8
Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello
$200

I wanted to do some further
study on yellow roses and added the lilacs as a nice complementary color.

Flower Study 7- Yellow and White Roses

2011-08-06T18:45:00.000-04:00

Three Roses
Oil Painting on panel by Pat Fiorello
6 x 8
$200

This study was based on a photo I took at a rose garden in Atlanta a few years back,. Knew I wanted to paint it someday and today was finally the day.

Flower Study #6 Yellow Daisies

2011-08-05T16:21:00.000-04:00

Today I decided to do a closer in study of just the flowers from the larger painting in study 5.

Here is the study where I focused more on brushwork and a variety of yellows.

Flower Study #6
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
6 x8

$200

Here is the photo I was working from, credited to Daniel Edmondson

Here is the first stage where I laid in the flower shapes with the darkest colors I saw, using transparent paints only.

Here is the next stage with the background laid in, again with transparent paints.

From this point, I started adding more opaque colors to indicate light and shadow of the flowers and refine the shapes of the petals etc.. till I completed the painting with the first image noted above.

Flower Study #5-Daisies

2011-08-04T17:14:00.000-04:00

Flower Study #5
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
12 X 9
$300

This was more of a full blown still life than a flower "study" but I'll claim it for my learning process on painting flowers.
It was actually an exercise in an excellent on line learning program by artist and instructor Daniel Edmondson.

I really enjoyed painting it and like the overall warm feeling of the flowers and the background.

I did a 2nd version to concentrate more on developing the flowers and will share that in my next post.

Flower Study #22

2011-08-03T07:16:00.010-04:00

Flower Study #22
Yellow Rose
6 x 8 Oil Painting on Panel
by Pat Fiorello
Starting bid $100

Bid Here Now