The title of this artwork is " Italians and When You Break the Pasta." I chose to brought this idea into life because of the unparalled passion of Italians when it comes to talking about their food, cook or uncooked. It is so impressing to me because it is my first time to know that there could be people who deeply cares about their food, and how they do not want it to be disrespected. If Italians act and react like this towards their pasta, then it is heartwarming to think on how they treat people around them especially those who are very close to their hearts. Thankyou.

"A family". Oil on Aluminum. 48 x 60"

"Walk on a Sunday Afternoon" Oil on canvas. The painting is about my family who owns a cattle and sheep farm. Every Sunday we take the dogs for a walk around the farm. Usually, the basset hound smells something and wants to run after the scent, calling the other dog to follow, which is why we have to keep her on a leash. In summer, we often check the fields to see if the hay is dry enough for baling because successful bales are important to get the animals through the cold winter.

My July 2022 Proko submission

This challenge has been a bit of a revelation for me, it’s been a while since I enjoyed and felt at peace drawing. Likely because I haven’t indulged in a figurative drawing, especially with a story element, in a long time. So thank you Proko and Jeff Hein for the inspiration!   I collected some copyright free references of regular people on the streets that attracted me and tied the characters together into a story. None of my references had their feet visible, so improvised that part, I wonder how noticeable that is haha. The story I’ll leave up to your interpretation but composition-wise, many things are pointing towards the girl who is certainly quite at the center of attention (also with more empty space around her), but I wanted the boy to be looking at the cameraman, to bring back attention to these two characters and hopefully ensure we look at the image in a circular motion (?).   Unfortunately, I made the mistake of drawing this in my small A5 size sketchbook page, so I couldn’t get in there to refine their faces and particularly their eyes, to capture the right emotion.

Thank you for hosting this challenge! For my submission, I based my illustration on a photo I took of a house just near a forest. The lighting was interesting and gives a sort of spooky vibe- the dark green trees contrast well with both the color and value of the house. I used a variety of brushes and textures, as well as multiple layers to make the final piece look more painterly:)

As soon as I saw the subject of this challenge, I was so excited that I immediately started to work on it. Designing color and light is probably one of my favorite things in the painting process, so making this piece was a pure pleasure. I must admit that I'm pretty happy with how it turned out ;) Good luck everyone!

Here's my entry, a tractor I found in a field on a really bright sunny day. Painted in gouache (4" x 6").

Hello! I decided to use this opportunity to illustrate a scene from Little Women. "Jo's only answer was to hold her mother close, and, in the silence that followed, the sincerest prayer she had ever prayed left her heart, without words; for in that sad, yet happy hour, she had learned not only the bitterness of remorse and despair, but the sweetness of self-denial and self-control, and, led by her mother's hand, she had drawn nearer to the Friend who welcomes every child with a love stronger than that of any father, tenderer than that of any mother." - Little Women, Chapter 8. I learned a great deal from this, and allowed myself to go outside of my comfort zone and actually flick paint around. This was done entirely with gouache and acrylic. Thank you for the opportunity!

Having heard about this challenge, I had to come rushing. Not only because Marco’s work and teaching is amazing, but also because I certainly struggle with keeping things loose and not stiffly detailing everything. Here is a small watercolor and gouache painting of a place I stayed at when I volunteered in Spain a couple months ago. Although there is still quite some rigidness, I did my best to at least keep everything other than the house, which is the main focus, looser. I focused on emphasizing the local colors and capturing the shadow on the house, a result of a bright, sunny day. And no, I did not paint this outside, still got to tackle the fears but I am inspired to try this summer. If someone wants to keep me (virtual) company, feel free to message!