Pot of Gold

Pot of Gold
12 x 12 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello
$550

While in Florida on vacation last week I found this pitcher in a little shop on St. Armand's Circle. I have lots of pottery that is blue and white which I have used in many still life paintings over the years, but didn't have one with gold  so of course needed to get this ( of course I could just paint one of my blue and white vases in blue and yellow- but that would take all the fun out of shopping). Added a couple of sunflowers to tie in with the gold.

Speaking of flowers, if you would like to learn to paint flowers in watercolor I am offering a workshop at a new venue in Athens Georgia in March. Details are below.  We'll be painting from fresh flowers. Feel free to contact me at patfiorello@aol.com if interested or if you have any questions. Thanks!

Watercolor Workshop with Pat Fiorello

Lyndon House Arts Center

In this special 3-day Watercolor Workshop, "Painting Flowers Loose, Fresh and Easy,"  artist and instructor Pat Fiorello will share techniques for painting beautiful flowers from life in watercolor. Topics included will be capturing the essence of flowers with emphasis on shapes, color and form, mixing natural greens and handling backgrounds. Thursday- Saturday Mar. 20–22, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $525( Clarke county residents) & $575 (out of county). Workshop includes breakfast and lunch each day.  To see Pat's work visit www.patfiorello.com.  Call to reserve your spot. 706-613-3623, ext. 225 

Here is the web-site link:

www.athensclarkecounty.com/artistworkshops    

For more information contact:

Caroline Self

Art Education Program Specialist

Lyndon House Arts Center 

293 Hoyt St.

Athens, GA 30601

706-613-3623 x225 

caroline.self@athensclarkecounty.com

Tuscan Flower Pot

Tuscan Flower Pot
8 x 6 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello
$100

Been away on vacation in Florida this week and did not bring my paints, so sharing a little study I did awhile back.

Even though I wasn't painting while on vacation, I find I never  totally disconnect from being an artist. While traveling I'm visiting local museums and galleries (and even art supply stores!), soaking in inspiration and taking photo's of future subjects to paint. I was in Sarasota and Naples, two towns that have a lot to offer in terms of the Arts. And it was great to be someplace sunny and filled with lots of flowering plants and green trees as a bit of a change of scenery from the long,cold, icy winter we've had (even here in Atlanta).

Here are a few photo's from the trip to share a bit of sunshine with you today.

Happy to see some colorful, sun-drenched flowers!

Courtyard at the Ringling Museum, Sarasota

"Unconditional Surrender" sculpture at Sarasota Bayfront

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota

Lido Beach, near Sarasota

Sunset, Lido Beach

Sunset, Naples, Florida

Hydrangea Impressions

Hydrangea Impressions
20 x 20 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Painted this bouquet with the idea of showing warm light and cool shadows and kept it more impressionistic in style. Here's how it developed:

This was how I started, laying in transparent colors in the general shape.

Once I liked the overall shape of the bouquet, I added some color as an underpainting for the background, keeping everything pretty soft & loose.

After the transparent color block in, I continued suggesting hydrangeas by using warm and cool colors for lit and shadow areas, respectively. Gave some form to the vase. Added leaves with brush and palette knife. As I went along, I was adding to the background and reflections on the suggested tabletop. Stopped here, then came back the next day, adjusted a few shapes, highlight and finished Hydrangea Impressions in it's final form in the first image above.

Rhapsody in White

Rhapsody in White
24 x 24 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

If you have been following my blog, you might remember the studies I did over the last couple of weeks on lilies comparing what these white flowers look like under warm vs. cool lighting conditions. You also might remember my first post of the year which was a small 8x8 study called New Year's Lilies, inspired by a beautiful arrangement in a Charleston hotel where I stayed on New Year's day.

With that preparation under my belt, I was ready to create a much larger version of that arrangement, which I'm calling Rhapsody in White. I love the combination of different types of white flowers with greenery. It has a fresh, elegant feel to it.

When I started the painting, I intended just to take my study and scale it up to a larger version. But painting can be interactive. You are in a dance with where the painting wants to go and sometimes it pays to listen to your partner!  Sometimes you just have to respond to where the painting is going and it may take you in another direction. That was the case here. Instead of the blue and white pot I went with this red-violet container and a softer pale green background rather than the neutral grey of the study, which is pictured again below along with the photo of the original inspiration.

New Year's Lilies
 8 x 8 Oil Painting
 by Pat Fiorello

My reference photo for both paintings.

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