I'm off to a Workshop with Yuqi Wang

This coming week, Monday through Friday, I will be in Atlanta for a workshop by the internationally renowned master painter, Yuqi Wang. I had seen Yuqi's 2000 grand prize winner at the American Society of Portrait Artists conference in NY and was in awe of it. Last year I met him at the Portrait Society of America conference in D.C. and we spent many hours talking about painting. I am very excited to have this opportunity (he says this will be his last workshop) and promise to report back upon my return. Be sure to click on the link to his site in this paragraph to see his wonderful work.

2008 Kerry Aube Lingle Memorial Sunflower Award

On Saturday night, August 1st, on the occasion of the opening reception of the Atlanta Fine Arts League's 2nd Annual National Exhibition, the first annual Kerry Aube Lingle Memorial Sunflower Award was presented to a painting in the exhibit. Matt Lingle, Kerry's husband, along with Tom and I, selected Lavendar and Lace, a beautiful painting by Charles Walls, a member of the League, and we three presented the $250 award accompanied by a beautiful certificate designed by Fran Milner, a friend and also a member of the League. (In years past, Fran was the editor of the Folio, the Portrait Society of Atlanta's news publication, and Kerry, my daughter, was the graphic designer, so they got to know each other well.) Charles was out of town so his wife, Heather, accepted the award on his behalf. As stated on the certificate, the award was created in memory of Kerry's giving nature and her love of creativity. This was a very special evening for us and, for me, a very special way to honor my daughter's memory.

Pet Portraits

Edie, 17 x 21, Watercolor on Paper, copyright 2008 Pat Aube Gray
Click on photo to see enlargement.

Unfortunately, this is a posthumous portrait of Edie, an adorable long-haired dachsund who succumbed to cancer. Edie was the much loved pet of my doctor, and Edie's death was very upsetting to her. I hope that this portrait will serve to keep Edie's memory alive every day that it hangs in the doctor's home. Edie was so loved and so missed that the family has already brought home a new long-haired dacshund to love.

I used hand made watercolor paper by Twin Rocker, a paper I learned about years ago form Stephen Scott Young, a fabulous and very successful watercolorist. It has a harder surface than Arches, for example, and I really enjoy working on it. Hot pressed paper is too hard for most of the work I do, but this cold pressed paper seems to be just the right degree of hardness. Lifting is fairly easy, but you can still glaze with it and not lift the layers below. I recently watched a video about Twin Rocker and found it very interesting. A young couple started the company and has found a niche in a market rife with machine made products. They make many different kinds of paper, in many different sizes, some with deckled edges such as the piece I used for the above painting. For more information, go to www.twinrocker.com

New Beginnings

A New Day, Oil on Canvas, 12 x 24 copyright Pat Aube Gray 2008
Click on Image to enlarge.

I began this painting in my palette knife workshop and finished it afterward. The only part of this painting that was done with a brush is the interesting vent on the roof and my signature! I had been wanting to paint on a 12 x 24 canvas and this barn with the long range mountain view and a sunrise was just the right image for it. The clarity is lost a little in the photo you see here, but if you click to enlarge it you can see more detail. I am particularly pleased with the color harmony in this painting. Hope you like it,too!

Brooke's Texas Rose

Brooke's Texas Rose, 22 x 30 watercolor on paper - copyright Pat Aube Gray

While working on oil portraits and waiting for paint to dry, I have been working on watercolors in my home studio. This subject is one I have wanted to paint for a long time. We lived in Texas for six years many years ago and have some very happy memories there. My daughter, Brooke, consistent with the contemporary practice of women getting tattoos, actually had the yellow rose of Texas etched on her leg. So in her honor, and in memory of our days in Texas, I named this painting Brooke's Texas Rose. This painting will be included in my upcoming exhibition at Chateau Elan Resort & Winery Gallery in Braselton, GA.