First place for FF Leon Borchers

One of our loyal Friday Fanatics, Leon Borchers, won the coveted First Place ribbon in the May AAC show. Way to go, Leon!

Friday Fanatics Celebrate April

The Friday Fanatics gave Dave Kaplan a Farewell for Now party on April 1. Hope you will come back and visit often, Dave.

Thanks to the Fanatics who made AAC Membership Renewal calls last week. They are: Deanna, Norma, Betty L, Leon, Chris S, Pat H, Louise, Clyde, Marshall, Betsy, Terri and Jane.

January Challenges for the Friday Fanatics

Since we will not meet at our usual time for the last two weeks in January, the Fanatics have been issued two Challenges. Send me photos of your work to post to the group.

Challenge #1: Using a photo or sketch as reference, turn the image upside down and then do your painting upside down. This is a technique we saw in a John Lovett video at AAC. It helps you focus on shapes rather than your perceptions of what those shapes should look like.

Challenge #2: Paint a self portrait. Any medium is acceptable except photography. This can be from any time in your life. I'm posting the first two entries here. Can you guess who they are?

Review of new medium by Irina Rieppi

Dear Artists, 

Let me share with you an interesting wet-medium which can work as watercolor: water-soluble graphite ArtGraf (by Portuguese producer Viarco).

I discovered it recently during one of the demos at Binders and here are the reasons why I found it a very interesting medium:

•       Beautiful earth color palette
•       You can take a looooot of pigment on a brush and make really thick strokes
•       It can be lifted up from paper with an eraser once it’s completely dry
•       Most of pigments granulate beautifully on cold press and torchon paper
•       You can combine both techniques, usual pencil drawing and watercolor, using just one graphite disk

I think all these make it a fantastic instrument for sketching!

Here are the video demos on how to use it: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb4avnrWPOc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6jTvQUtoSg

More from December 4

And a few more paintings and painters...

Painting with the Fanatics on December 4

Here are some paintings and painters from the Friday Fanatics group.

Holiday Greetings from the Friday Fanatics. We've started our Christmas cards. Have you?

 Dave Kaplan's Yuletide Carols Being Sung by a Choir.

 Patsy Cannon's watercolor Christmas bear.

Jane Springfield's oil-in-progress -- Patagonia Christmas Penguin.

Friday Fanatics share some recent work from our November 20 session.

 Clyde Draughon paints a reenactment.

 Ujjagar Wassan painted on a recent cruise.

Patsy Cannon (coached by Dave Kaplan) did her first oil painting.

You are never too young or too old to paint with the Friday Fanatics

This week Erik Georges, student member, painted with us one more time before he leaves for his freshman year at college. Jerry Solomon, lifetime member (who just celebrated his 95th birthday), painted with us like he does every week.

Friday Fanatics Are Quite Productive on Feb 27

Serious painting was accomplished last Friday. Here are some of the results. We also enjoyed learning from an art video while we ate lunch.

 By Adele. Is it finished?

 Clyde paints a ship ...

 ...and a ferry?

 Deanna takes a break under a shady tree.

 Patsy tackles a baby.

And Sharon just contemplates cleaning her palette.

You are invited to Faces and Places

You are invited to a reception featuring three Friday Fanatics: Betsy Cozine, Mickey McConnell and me plus AAC member Jan Ross.

The AAC Friday Fanatics are planning an exhibit at the Buckhead Library to hang May 23- June 30, 2015. Thirty artists have signed on to what will be an outstanding show. Dave Kaplan, show chair, will give more details that will be published here. Stay tuned.

This is a watercolor painting by Dave on watercolor canvas.

Friday, February 20, we watched a John Lovett video which inspired Dave Kaplan and Deanna Jaugstetter to challenge each other to a 15-minute painting. They then swapped their final pieces.

A Friday Fanatics Party to Celebrate Jerry's 94th Birthday

We had a great lunch, two cakes and good art on Friday, August 8 at AAC.

More Summer Vacation Paintings

A 6x6 oil painting that Deanna did in Savannah.

Wednesday with The Friday Fanatics

We painted on July 2 and put Wet Paint Work in the window at AAC. Join us next Friday for Art and Fun.

Shown here are Dave, Jerry, Mimi, Jane, Nancy, Linda and Al. (Judith is reflection taking the photo.)

 Jerry finished a colorful watercolor of boats.

 Dave worked on several pieces in progress.

Al continues his family portrait series. (Mimi comes in the door.)

A painting from James Stephens' vacation

James Stephens sends greetings and shares a train painting he did on a recent trip to Pennsylvania. Please remember to take your paints on vacation with you. And share photos with us.

More Summer Vacation paintings from Clyde Draughon

Clyde and Lyn took a Mediteranian cruise. Guess where his paintings are from.