This weekend was the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. Which, as everyone knows, was not held in Woodstock, NY, but in Bethel, NY. And I almost got to go!
I remember I was in a mini-skirt watching the Smothers Brothers on TV when my cousin Bobby from California rang the doorbell and surprised us. He was out of the army and was going up to Woodstock. He asked my mother if he could take me. She said yes!!!!! (I’m sure she had NO CLUE what he was talking about) But I was so excited.
When I woke up the next morning, I went looking for Bobby. He was gone! I asked my mother where he was and she told me that during the evening my father and Bobby started drinking, got into a fight and my father threw him out of the house. And with it my chance to go to Woodstock. Damn! But in retrospect, it saved me from a weekend of mud!
Here’s some quick portraits I did of my nephew Jack and of my mom.
Jack, my 16 year old nephew would not stay still. He was playing Texas Hold ’em on my phone. (Hello Gamblers Anonymous?) Mom on the other hand never moved. (She was medicated.) She is a good model. Please note that she is not that blue in real life! 🙂
I started my “Watercolor for the Absolute Beginner” class this week. What fun! I’ve never actually had a basic beginner watercolor class so this was very interesting. Turns out I knew more than I thought. Also turns out I don’t know a lot. (No surprise there.) We played with the paint, learned about how the consistency of the paint affects the color. We made color swatches, lines, blobs. We painted and then lifted paint from the paper. And finally, the teacher showed us how to make some basic flower shapes which are here:
I’m really looking forward to the next class!
*Update to my masking tape post* the subway stairway repair at Union Street is still not completed. Is anyone surprised?
Carol King: drawing, painting, complaining 
8 comments
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August 21, 2009 at 3:35 am
lesliepaints
You are in the thick of it now, you know. Are these your first portraits? I like how you went for your shadows and stuck to your colors. Both portraits emit a mood and your Mom looks how I get to feeling at the end of a long day of playing with my Granddaughter. I like the yellow patch of light on your nephew’s forehead and the blue strip of shadow odown the side of his nose. I’m so glad to hear that you liked that new class. Your flower shapes are really nice and I like the wet look to all of your pics tonite. Sorry about the Woodstock flop……It seems like all of us from our generation should have gone. There was no way I would have been allowed to go. So…I missed the mud, too.
August 23, 2009 at 12:39 am
Carol King
Thanks Leslie, I’ve done some portraits, but not many and certainly none with watercolor. I’ve been practicing and trying to make more time just to sketch and not worry about what the sketches look like!
August 22, 2009 at 1:39 am
Bonnie Luria
These are really good portraits Carol. Blue translates as shadow and not as a skin tone. We artists understand that.
You got the proportions of the faces and the expressions so right.
You’re so not an absolute beginner.
I really like the way you treated the colors and the paint in Jacks’ forehead. And that shot of white!
I missed Woodstock being home with a baby. As much of a flower child as I might have been, plumbing and clean sheets ranked much higher than what we all saw on the news.
I thought I missed out, and luckily I did.
It looked like fun- for other people.
August 23, 2009 at 12:41 am
Carol King
I have a feeling that by the next morning my mother would have changed her mind and said NO WAY to Woodstock! I was pretty young and my cousin was probably not going to be the best chaperon! God only know what I would have turned out like had I spend a drug fueled weekend in the mud.
Thanks for your kind words. I like the way these portraits came out and they weren’t that scary after all!
August 22, 2009 at 12:14 pm
InkSplodge!
These are all really good Carol. I noticed that you used strategically drawn ink lines on the portraits, which just finish them off nicely and help to define them – exactly what I would’ve done. And the flowers are SUPERB – love ’em.
I only saw Woodstock in the cinema and immediately became a fan of Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker – what a shame you missed it – I’d have pestered you with endless questions about it.
He-he! So glad you gave us a picture of the masking tape sign.
August 23, 2009 at 12:42 am
Carol King
Hey June! Nice to see you here. There is something about adding ink lines that I really like.
I have a feeling had I NOT missed Woodstock I still wouldn’t have been able to answer any of your questions cause I wouldn’t nave remembered anything anyway!
August 23, 2009 at 3:21 am
AKLizzy
Your watercolor flowers are terrific! I’m thinking wall decor for your favorite great nieces’ room 😉
I laughed when I read that Jack wouldn’t stay still – there’s a shock! He was really glad you guys came up yesterday =)
August 30, 2009 at 11:04 am
swatch
Hey Carol – this is such good work – wow – you are motoring – keep it up girl – this beginners class is going to lay a foundation you will not regret.
You almost got to Woodstock – hey groovy – heh heh – they say if you remember the sixties you weren’t there.
these portraits are so good
Carol – you bring out the sunshine – thanks for the laugh – and the watercolour treat.