I follow an artist on Instagram who recently posted a still life that I immediately thought was the work of Peggi Kroll Roberts. But nope. It was another artist, Kaethe Bealer, that I admire who had taken Peggi's workshop and had done exercises on value (lightness vs darkness).
Check out how Peggi's work just POPS! It's the simplified shapes and the values (which are ON POINT) that suck me in. It's not the typical jaw-dropping Charleston sunset...just some colorful shapes. That's talent.
As written in Peggi's bio, "Using intense color and value to accentuate her subject, she moved into fine art with a bold palette, a love for small paintings and a very loose style that achieves a lot with a few very energetic brush strokes. She prefers to suggest reality than render it."
Oh I love that. She "achieves a lot with few very energetic brush strokes"... so true.
Inspired by Kaethe's post, I decided to get my "Peggi" on for Day 4 of 30 in 30.
(I set up my still lives in a LimoStudio Light Box. Image ^ linked to the product on Amazon.)
(I always use this value finder tool in order to get the correct values when mixing my colors.
Image ^ linked to the product on Artwork Essential's site.)
I know that my values are correct thanks to my value finder, but pretending to be Peggi for a painting is easier said than done. I got a bit too detailed/fussy in some areas very much unlike the queen of color blocking who achieves A LOT with so little. I also did not mix up enough for the green/blue placemat and I lost my way a bit on the color as I tried to wrap up the piece.
BUT I am very proud of myself for letting it go today. I decided last week that the ONLY way I would allow myself to do another 30 day painting challenge (I just completed STRADA Easel's January 31-Day Challenge) is if I gave myself time to rest on Sundays. I decided that would either be doubling up on painting on Saturday or at least painting small (8" x 8" or less) in no more than an hour. In doing so, I would be giving my mind a body and chance to rest and refuel for the week ahead. I mean, even the Ultimate Creator took a break on Sunday after just 6 days of creating, ya know.
I'll put my "Peggi hat" on again this week because there's so much to learn from her style of painting and this gal will never stop learning. Stay tuned.