Fourth Annual Peeps Challenge!!

Little Bo Peeps

watercolor, 6" x 6"

Chris Beck

I hauled out my artistic license for this one: anyone who collects vintage tableware will undoubtedly recognize the girl salt shaker as Little Red Riding Hood, but by cleverly painting the hood pink instead of red, I have magically transformed her into Little Bo Peeps!!  If you look closely, you'll notice that two of the Peeps are also salt shakers -- a lucky find just as I started planning my painting.

 

Equality for All Peeps

watercolor, 6" x 6"

Pablo Villicaña Lara

Happy Hour Peeps

watercolor, 10" x 10"

Kathleen Ballard

A Fistful of Peeps

oil, 11" x 14"

Geraud Staton

I'm pretty sure the original Peeps Challenge was something Pablo dreamed up in a moment of grand silliness, but now it's almost an institution -- four years and, Peeps willing, forty more!! Pablo and I have shared this challenge each year since then, with a changing cast of other participating artists. Joining us this time around are Kathleen Ballard and Geraud Staton.  I love the creative fun that this challenge provides and, judging from their witty results, so do my fellow Peepsters.  I've provided links to posts about the challenge -- hop over to read more.

3rd Annual Peeps Challenge...

Hope Springs Eternal

watercolor, 6" x 6"

Chris Beck

Pod Peep-L

watercolor, 10.5" x 8"

Pablo Villicana Lara

<...cue trumpet fanfare...>  The 3rd Annual Peeps Challenge, now posted for your viewing pleasure!!  

Sugary candy, zany ideas, and painting -- what could be more fun? And if things bog down a bit, the sugary candy comes to the rescue! Thanks to Pablo for suggesting we do this again. You can pop over to his blog to read all about his marvelous Pod Peep-L.

I have to admit that a fondness for foil-wrapped chocolate eggs had a lot to do with my idea.  And having an excuse to hunt down the perfect tiny Easter basket and some great shredded paper "grass" was another point in its favor. Add to that the opportunity to pay a visit to the fabric shop for just the right piece of background fabric and you have all the things that make these challenges so much fun for me.  I took some liberties with the colors in the fabric and my edible subject materials didn't quite make it to the finish line, but who's keeping track?

Hope you enjoy our little bit of spring silliness!!

2nd (annual?) Peeps challenge...

Spring Peepers
watercolor, 6" x 8"
Chris Beck

Bunz
watercolor, 8" x 10"
Pablo Villicana Lara

Jackrabbit
oil on hardboard panel, 6" x 6"
Jelaine Faunce

[...drumroll here...] Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to present the results of our second Peeps challenge! A big thanks to Pablo for instigating the challenge this time around. You can read about his fun and zany painting on his blog. Jelaine had some technical problems, but finally joined the fun. Go to her blog for more info.

Spring peepers were a familiar part of life in Wisconsin -- their high-pitched peeps were ubiquitous in the marshy and wooded areas as winter waned and spring sprung! As I was brainstorming my challenge painting, I glanced over at my little collection of vintage tin toys and this little froggy jumped right out!! My search for the perfect piece of background fabric yielded this silly froggy medley -- can't you almost hear them peeping??

Peeps challenge...

What Did You Expect from Marshmallow Eggs? - 6" x 8"
watercolor by Chris Beck

Me and My Peeps - 7" x 9"
watercolor by Pablo Villicana Lara

Late Bloomer - 6" x 6"
oil on cradled hardboard by Jelaine Faunce

There's nothing quite like a challenge to get the old brain cells fired up for painting -- doesn't matter if it's a serious subject or something as silly as Peeps. I've been wanting to do something with these critters for years, but I really needed some co-conspirators. Enter Jelaine and Pablo -- the best compadres you could ask for. It's such a treat to see their inspired creations!!

Like Pablo, I struggled with this painting -- some defective paper set me back not once, but twice -- and like Pablo, I wondered if my original title had somehow offended the universe. We won't go into details here -- just in case!!

For purchase information, email me: chris@chrisbeckstudio.com

Share|

Nosey Mouse...

I'm pleased to introduce Nosey Mouse. She arrived this afternoon and has been exploring the studio. When she settles down, we're going to work on a challenge painting.

Sculptor Steve Worthington has asked approximately 20 artists to participate in a challenge using their choice of one of five bronze mice he's created. When all the paintings are finished, he's going to gather them into a book which he plans to publish this summer and he'll donate the proceeds from the book sales to animal shelters. I'll post updates here as things progress.

I can't encourage you enough to explore Steve's blog and website -- he has some fabulous sculptures of mice, frogs, and toads, to name a few of his critters. And his short videos are very quirky and fun to watch!!

And to those patient souls who have been waiting (endlessly, it must seem by now) for my follow-up post on masking techniques -- please bear with me. It's just been a bit chaotic here and I haven't had the energy to compose the material into a coherent post.

I'm also working on another challenge with Pablo Villicana Lara and Jelaine Faunce (and possibly a fourth artist) and will be posting the results next week. We've got a great subject -- very timely as you will see -- and I'm dying to see what my fellow painters have come up with.

Share|

Fish out of Water challenge...

Fish out of Water by Chris Beck
watercolor, 6" x 6"

Chuey by Pablo Villicana Lara
watercolor, 16" x 12"

Well, we certainly came at this challenge from different directions!! I took the literal approach and Pablo took the virtual -- and I think the much more difficult road. While I was thrilled just to find an excuse to put this vintage planter on the wonderful fish fabric from my stash, Pablo was putting *himself* in the role of "fish out of water" by painting an animal -- and on top of that, as a commission!! (He never does either of these things!!) He says, "I was totally nervous 'cause this is so out of my comfort zone. The great thing about challenges is that they challenge us to grow as an artist whether it be techniques, thought processes, or just taking on something that we wouldn't normally think of painting."

For me, painting the single-color fish planter was a technical challenge. I finally settled on a base of raw sienna and rose madder genuine because it lifted off the paper very easily for the highlights on the ceramic and could be mixed with purple for shadows. The fish fabric allowed me to play with masking fluid, one of my favorite things in my bag of watercolor tricks! On the advice of my friend Connie Williams, I used Winsor-Newton masking fluid instead of my usual brands and I loved the ease of applying it -- it's very fluid and makes it easy to mask very fine details. I painted the entire background teal, waited for it to dry and then masked all the fishie shapes. When I had finally finished painting the ceramic fish, I applied the dark fabric color to the background. I let everything dry thoroughly, then removed the masking fluid and toned the background to give it depth.

Share|

Watermedia Showcase award...

Snail Mail by Chris Beck
watercolor, 6" x 6"

"Snail Mail" is currently showing on the Watercolor Artist Blog because it won an honorable mention in the Watermedia Showcase international competition. You can view the show here. The winners will also be published in the February 2010 issue of Watercolor Artist magazine.

This painting was the happy outcome of an invitational challenge from Jelaine Faunce back in the early part of the year. My watercolor buddy Pablo Villicana Lara and I joined oil painters M. Collier and Jelaine in this challenge to create still-life paintings using a plain white envelope as the common object.

Share|

Challenge #5...

Dia de los Muertos, 12" x 12"
watercolor
Chris Beck

Morty, 11" x 9"
watercolor
Pablo Villicana Lara

It's been a while since Pablo and I shared a challenge. Between our summer schedules and my father's declining health and recent death, it was tough to find the time. This past week, we both *made* the time for this challenge.

The Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) has fascinated me for years and, like Pablo, I've wanted to do a painting on this theme for a long time. For me, the timing on this was meaningful -- the idea of celebrating death as another part of life is not one that most people in the U.S. are raised with. The joyful way of remembering loved ones during this holiday and the profusion of colorful and even humorous images is refreshing and delightful.

Typically, families create altars for departed loved ones featuring favorite foods and things that represent them. Candles are lighted in memory of the departed and fragrant flowers are placed on the altar. Pablo's painting features an angel holding up a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe and also the roses that were a favorite of his grandmother's, although the painting is an homage to all of his loved ones.

I've combined a fun fabric (a Museo Mundo design from Andover Fabrics based on the tradition of lively, happy skeletons) with a vase of marigolds, a traditional flower of the holiday. Together they represent memories I have of family and dear friends who have passed on.

Share|

All in good time...

Snail Mail, 6" x 6"
watercolor
Chris Beck

I just got word that my painting, Snail Mail, has won an award in an international competition. I can't say any more about it now, but I'll let you know when it goes public. This painting came about when Pablo Villicana Lara and I were invited to join a challenge posed by Jelaine Faunce and M. Collier back in March using a plain white envelope as the common denominator for our paintings. I had a great time with this subject -- one of the snails in my collection of vintage tin toys almost crawled off the shelf to volunteer its services!!

Challenge #4...

Red Anemones (detail), watercolor
Chris Beck

Xochitl (detail), watercolor
Pablo Villicana Lara

Thanks to Pablo's ingenuity, our mutual lack of time this month is being turned into a unique challenge -- Crop 'til You Drop!! -- featuring snippets of larger paintings. Because we both draw heavily on elements of our heritage -- different as they are -- we decided to make this a tribute to our grandmothers.

My grandparents built the house I grew up in -- my parents moved in with my grandfather after my grandmother died -- so there were lots of her things around when I was a young child. She had always loved her flower gardens and vases and pretty tablecloths, and even though the elements in my painting "Red Anemones" never belonged to my grandmother, they are vivid reminders of her.

Although Pablo gets a lot of comments on the hair in "Xochitl" (pronounced So-Shee-tl -- which means Queen of Flowers), he says "I was really more interested in painting the embroidery because not only was it challenging, but it brought me back to days of watching my grandma creating magical flowers with her needles and colorful threads. I could go on and on about Little Shell and all the magic she did, from healing babies to her famous tamales, but I'll save that for future paintings."

Invitational Challenge...

"Snail Mail" -- Chris Beck
watercolor, 6" x 6"

"Ghost Mail" -- Pablo Villicana Lara
watercolor, 6" x 6"

"Saumons en Papier avec le Romarin"
Jelaine Faunce -- oil on canvas, 6" x 6"

I was thrilled when Jelaine asked Pablo and me to join her, M., and Otto for their March challenge, but I had a moment of sheer terror when she told us the subject -- a simple white envelope. Fortunately, a few remnant brain cells took up the cause and I ended up having a lot of fun with this. Sadly, M. was unable to participate this month due to some scheduling difficulties. Otto is having some sort of technical problems and cannot send his painting tonight, but we hope to include it tomorrow.

Challenge #3...

Colonel Mustard

Chris Beck
watercolor, 6" x 6"

Singing in the Rain
Pablo Villicaña Lara
watercolor, 10" x 8"

Pablo and I are fairly casual when it comes to picking a new challenge topic. We float a few ideas and the one that appeals to both of us is the pick of the month. This month we came up with "containers." Pablo stretched the concept a teensy bit, but nobody's complaining because he came up with such a great painting!! In parts of Mexico, frogs are said to bring rain. Do you suppose it's just a coincidence that we've had rain the whole time he's been painting these little music-makers?

My painting features a small pot that I assume was meant for mustard, since it's a bit too small for jam. Another one from my rather largish flock of ceramic birdies, but I've jazzed up the color a bit.

This week at Brush-Paper-Water...

I've been to one of Pablo Villicana Lara's shows here in the Bay Area and we've become friends through email and our painting challenges, but we have yet to meet in person. I'm looking forward to that day! Pablo's Mexican Native heritage is the resource for his fabulous body of work and his skill with watercolor is absolutely amazing. It is my great pleasure to invite you to see his work at Brush-Paper-Water.

Challenge #2...

Pablo told me I'd never guess what he'd chosen to paint for our second challenge -- foods that start with a "P" -- and he was right. Pan Dulce -- an inspired choice. I'm afraid mine really needs to be introduced last name first to fit the challenge: Pears, Asian. This is the finished version of the painting I showed you the other day with the "disappearing purple" underpainting.

"Asian Pears"
Chris Beck
watercolor & gouache, 6" x 6"


"Pan Dulce"
Pablo Villicana Lara
watercolor, 6" x 6"

Off and running...

Brush-Paper-Water, the new blog showcasing watercolor, starts off with the work of Robin Purcell this week. Robin found me through Pablo Villicana Lara's blog and challenged me to start a group blog. I wanted something with a little wider scope, so I decided on a hosted blog format. Each week, I'll be featuring a different artist working primarily in transparent watercolor. So either bookmark the site and stop back regularly, or subscribe to an email update. My hope is to treat you to a broad sampling of this vibrant medium.

New connections...

I've been meaning to post for weeks and somehow running out of steam before getting to it. Tonight's post is my first post in almost a month and lots has happened in the meanwhile. For one thing, I discovered BrushSpace, thanks to a tip from Jeff Hayes. A new networking site specifically for artists, it's mushroomed from about 200 members when I signed on about three weeks ago to well over 900 today. I've met a bunch of artists through the site and will tell you a little about them in a minute.

First, though, I want to say a big thanks to Jennifer Phillips, who's inspired me to try oil pastels. I don't have anything I want to share quite yet, but I think it's going to be a good fit for me. Jen has a fun blog, with a cool video lesson on framing an oil pastel. Through Jen's blog, I found Wakar over at Lightfast, with her wonderful discourses on art and life. I owe Wakar a big thanks for reminding me to see the Women Impressionists exhibit in San Francisco. It was excellent and surprising -- new to me is Marie Bracquemond, who outshines the other three women in the exhibit to my eye. I particularly liked a small black and white drawing of hers of a crowd with umbrellas descending a broad outdoor stairway in the rain. It is included in the exhibition book, but the reproduction loses all the depth and power of the original.

Back at Brushspace, I found (or more accurately was found by) Linda Lucas Hardy, whose colored pencil works are phenomenal. She's recently switched to oils, and they're just as amazing. I've also been amazed by the watercolors of Pablo Villicana Lara, who's almost a neighbor in this land of commuters. Pablo will be having a solo show in October and I'm hoping to get over to see it. Diane Hoeptner has a quirky sense for iconic images -- check out her Pinocchio and Yoda paintings!! -- and wonderful brushwork. Her floral work is equally appealing. Just today, I connected with Terry Rafferty. I love her paintings titled "Things you can..." -- so far she has buttons as things you can lose, and eggshells as things you can stack. I hope she has a few more of these fun ideas waiting in the wings. I found Otto Lange, whose blog is a fun read and whose website gets my vote for its excellent graphic design. His paintings and drawings cover territory from whimsical to edgy. Lastly, check out J.H. Lukens on Brushspace for some astonishing portraits and intriguing cityscapes.

Well, although I started this post at a reasonable hour, it's insanely late now and time for me to close. Hope you enjoy meeting all my new friends.