Friday, June 30, 2017

June Newsletter




"The Team", was awarded the honor of Outstanding Acrylic in the April Bold Brush Competition. The judge for the April competition was Fongwei Liu.
Click on his name to see his beautiful works.
The Team


"Pensive" was juried into the Discovery 2017 Show at the Milan Gallery in Fort Worth, Texas. The show runs through July 9. If you are in the area, please come by! 
Pensive

The past several months have been very busy and very exciting. Along with teaching and maintaining my own art studio, I have the great honor of serving as the Portrait Society of America's Texas Ambassador.

We had a great turnout in Dallas where Texas members participated in a Face-Off. There three more planned for 2017, one is Houston, one in Alpine and one in Bastrop.

I am currently working on a big event for Texas members, which will be announced in the next few months. If you would like more information about the Portrait Society of America, please contact me at sekulastudio@gmail.com.

UPCOMING CLASSES:

The next class sessions begin August 7, 2017.

Beginner to IntermediateMonday9:00am to Noon. Cost: A six-week class is $153, plus studio fee.

Portrait and Figurative, Intermediate to AdvancedMonday1:00 pm to 4pm Cost: A six-week class is $153, plus model and studio fees.
All classes are limited to 10 students
For more information please send an email to sekulastudio@gmail.com

SaveSave

Thursday, June 15, 2017

The Post Exhibit Blues

"Alexandra on the Volga" After Fechin
I had heard about artists experiencing the post exhibit blues but, since I was aware of the possibility,  I was sure it wouldn't happen to me. Well, being aware wasn't of much help. The only comfort was in knowing it was common, I wasn't alone and that it would pass...if I kept working.

I spent almost a year working on 50 Cowboys~50 Paintings.  For more information about this project click here.  I was very focused and disciplined, finishing one portrait before moving to the next. They are all monochromatic, burnt sienna and white,  and while I was working on them, I didn't allow myself to paint anything else for fear of losing my focus.

A year of complete and total focus...and now what? Will I ever feel that passionate about a project again? If I spend too much time worrying about all of that I won't get much done. The advice from those who had previous experience was to get in the studio and do something....anything....just get back in the studio!

I was excited to work on color again and love painting portraits so I determined to paint a self-portrait every day, using acrylic and not allowing myself to be overly concerned with the outcome. Note: painting self-portraits when you're down in the dumps should be approached with caution.

Abandoning self-portraits, at least for now, I painted others in oil, acrylic, and pastel then switched it up and painted landscapes and florals.

It feels like I am getting my footing again...YAY...I think I will go back to studying my favorite old, and not so old, masters. The first of which I present to you today..."Alexandra on the Volga" by Nicolai Fechin. Mine is a pastel version of his oil.




Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Informed Collector Feature by FASO

Informed Collector Recommends:

Gaye Sekula


Acrylic 7 x 8 1/2
The Team by Gaye Sekula was awarded Outstanding Acrylic in the April 2017 BoldBrush Painting Competition.

http://faso.com/fineartviews/121159/gaye-sekula

Follow this artist on FASO and get alerts in your email inbox when new artworks are posted
http://connect.faso.com/GayeSekula


Many thanks to Fine Art Studio Online (FASO)!

SaveSave

Saturday, June 10, 2017

"Peonies", Pastel

"Peonies", 4.5" x 8.5", Pastel
The first time I ever laid eyes on peonies was in Poland. It's a pity they don't grow in South Texas.  Thankfully, we can get them at Central Market or Whole Foods. 

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” -Henri Matisse


Thursday, June 8, 2017

"Texas Summer", Pastel

"Texas Summer, 8.5" x 4.5", Pastel 
SOLD
I primarily work in oils but also love other media.  Last week was for pastels, experimenting with a new paper and a subject that I rarely paint...flowers. 


Saturday, June 3, 2017

Renoir Changed My Life

Pierre Auguste Renoir

Many of you probably don’t know that I used to be a potter. I was having a great time working on my pottery wheel, mixing my own glazes, creating my own designs... I was probably having too much fun because one day my thumb started jumping out of joint…even when I was asleep! 

I can only chalk it up to mega-repetitive injury. Yeah, I’m kind of obsessive-compulsive.  

Many trips to doctors, countless injections and it still wasn’t getting better. Talk about depression! I felt my life was over and it hadn’t even begun. What was I going to do with all this creativity that needed to be expressed?

This is where Pierre Auguste Renoir comes in. I had always loved Renoir’s work. I found it beautiful, comforting, soft and romantic. I must have picked up a book or read an article, maybe it was a post on the internet, where doesn’t matter. What did matter was it changed my life!

Renoir suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and was quite crippled in his later years. It was hard for him to sit to paint and impossible to hold a brush. 

But his creativity had to be expressed.... so he hired someone to tie a brush in his hand. Reading this flung open a door I thought had been locked and the key thrown into the abyss. I told you I was really depressed. 

I began oil painting the summer of my 12th year and continued all through high school. But life happens, focus changes, I got married, had a daughter and painting took a back seat. 

When I read of Renoir’s courage and determination, I was reminded of my love of painting...I could hold brush without excessive stress on my thumb and, if I need be, I could also have a brush tied in MY hand! 

I owe my artistic progression to many people but most of all to Pierre Auguste Renoir