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      <title>Irina&apos;s Blog</title>
      <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/</link>
      <description>News and updates from artist Irina Kovnacka Ashcraft</description>
      <language>en</language>
      <copyright>Copyright 2010</copyright>
      <lastBuildDate>Tue, 25 May 2010 10:38:23 -0500</lastBuildDate>
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            <item>
         <title>my first &quot;Teach me 2 paint&quot; class</title>
         <description><![CDATA[My first “Teach me 2 Paint” class took place yesterday night. I had two very enthusiastic students, Marilyn and Laural, who fearlessly dove into exploring oil paints and all the beautiful colors that can be mixed up and applied on canvas with a palette knife. What fun! 
Getting started with great attitude!
<img alt="artlesson2.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/artlesson2.jpg" width="400" height="300" />

Getting close to being done...
<img alt="artlesson1.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/artlesson1.jpg" width="400" height="300" />


Can you believe this is Marilyn's first ever oil painting?!
<img alt="Marilyn.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Marilyn.jpg" width="400" height="311" />

]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2010/05/my_first_teach_me_2_paint_clas.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Tue, 25 May 2010 10:38:23 -0500</pubDate>
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         <title>Portrait for the Memory Project</title>
         <description><![CDATA[My students and I have been involved in a Memory Project, which is a national organization that facilitates pairing student artists with orphanages around the world. The students receive a photo of a child and then draw or paint their portrait, which then gets sent to the kid. This is a second year of us participating—and I jumped in at the last minute to create this quick watercolor from a photo that my students were afraid to do since the boy’s eyes were closed. I took a chance at imagining how he would look with his eyes open—and voile! 40 minutes later, we have a portrait in watercolor. It was fun to do it, especially because I work  with water paints so rarely!
<img alt="MemoryPr.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/MemoryPr.jpg" width="420" height="315" />

I am mailing this and nine more pieces next week—they all go to Peru! Here is a web site for the memory project if you would like to find out more:
<a href="http://www.thememoryproject.org/">http://www.thememoryproject.org/</a>
]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2010/05/portrait_for_the_memory_projec.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Wed, 05 May 2010 12:46:06 -0500</pubDate>
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         <title>Strawberry Season</title>
         <description><![CDATA[Strawberry season is still going full speed here Florida, and this means a trip to a local “u-pick it” farm. Before we know it, our box is full with ten pounds or more of bright red and juicy berries…can’t eat them all, so a strawberry jam (if I’m feeling motivated) or just plain freezing them for future smoothies is great.  Keeping in with the theme, this is my recent quick painting
<img alt="StrawberrySeason440.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/StrawberrySeason440.jpg" width="440" height="560" />


…it was actually done from a photo that I took in my mom’s garden in Latvia last summer…the flower pot is  actually from my art college days, I made it when apprenticing with a potter—and now I’ve painted it, too! ]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2010/04/strawberry_season.html</link>
         <guid>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2010/04/strawberry_season.html</guid>
        
        
         <pubDate>Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:52:35 -0500</pubDate>
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         <title>Sring is in the air...and in my paintings</title>
         <description><![CDATA[A few months without entries…life is moving too fast—we’re in a new house, I have set up my studio and had two art shows. The weather is beautiful here in Orlando, so I had my first outdoor paint out the other weekend in Baldwin Park. I met with a few other fellow artists with whom I am exhibiting this year at the Lago restaurant. Since I love trees, it was easy for me to spot a perfect subject at the paint out—a beautiful sycamore next to the restaurant terrace—hence this spring sketch!
<img alt="Lago_paintouut.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Lago_paintouut.jpg" width="450" height="600" />

this is me painting along with a fellow artist, Patricia Byron.
<img alt="Lago_paintouut2.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Lago_paintouut2.jpg" width="450" height="338" />

]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2010/03/sring_is_in_the_airand_in_my_p.html</link>
         <guid>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2010/03/sring_is_in_the_airand_in_my_p.html</guid>
        
        
         <pubDate>Wed, 24 Mar 2010 08:06:15 -0500</pubDate>
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         <title>last work of 2009</title>
         <description><![CDATA[I am finally getting to post my last painting of the decade (he he!)--I met with my former art student for a paint out over the holidays, and we had a great time catching up while also getting some plein air painting done. This is a view of Lake Martha located on campus of Trinity Prep school where I've been teaching for seven years. Colors are perhaps a bit too muted for me, but I enjoyed doing this little study...and reconnecting with my student!
<img alt="LakemarthaPainted_blog.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/LakemarthaPainted_blog.jpg" width="430" height="323" />

<img alt="LakeMartha16x20_blog.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/LakeMartha16x20_blog.jpg" width="430" height="543" />
]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2010/01/last_work_of_2009.html</link>
         <guid>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2010/01/last_work_of_2009.html</guid>
        
        
         <pubDate>Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:43:07 -0500</pubDate>
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            <item>
         <title>pushing forward</title>
         <description><![CDATA[My painting a day project stumbled a bit over the weekend, but I was able to get back on track with this piece today...I had fun painting all the relfections on the blue teapot!
<img alt="Day_14_blog.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Day_14_blog.jpg" width="430" height="323" />
]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/11/pushing_forward.html</link>
         <guid>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/11/pushing_forward.html</guid>
        
        
         <pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:16:55 -0500</pubDate>
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         <title>Day 10 and 11</title>
         <description><![CDATA[Day 10 flew by too fast, with no time to sit down for a painting...so, thinking that something is better than nothing, I did this sketch
<img alt="Day_10.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Day_10.jpg" width="430" height="537" />

Today was a slower day, and I took a short stroll down the Lake Burkett right after my last class ended; I painted a close up view of the water. It was great to sit in the sun and ejoy the breeze...and a few minutes to myself
<img alt="Day_11_blog.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Day_11_blog.jpg" width="430" height="590" />

]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/11/day_10_and_11.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:32:04 -0500</pubDate>
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         <title>Day 9...a tough one</title>
         <description><![CDATA[My painting a day project was endangered today...no time to spare to get outside my classroom, and I am tired of looking at the student still life and out the window...well, had to settle for a 10-minute sketch of these fruit...hope tomorrow I get to go outside and paint something more exciting
<img alt="Day_9_blog.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Day_9_blog.jpg" width="430" height="425" />
]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/11/day_9a_tough_one.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:39:24 -0500</pubDate>
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            <item>
         <title>Day 8</title>
         <description><![CDATA[Another day, another piece--since I ran out of stuff to paint from the window, I took a short trip outside my room...had only about 20 minutes to spare, so the both walk as well as the painting session were very short--and here is yet another view of Lake Burkett

<img alt="Day_8_blog.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Day_8_blog.jpg" width="430" height="436" />
]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/11/day_8.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:29:04 -0500</pubDate>
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            <item>
         <title>Day 7</title>
         <description><![CDATA[Ta da! Freshly painted today--yet another view from my classroom...used an old canvas board that one of my students gave up on...some of the reds from the old painting are showing through--I love working on color backgrounds, it's less intimidating than a pristine white of a new canvas.

<img alt="Day_7_blog.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Day_7_blog.jpg" width="430" height="441" />
]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/11/day_7.html</link>
         <guid>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/11/day_7.html</guid>
        
        
         <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:22:09 -0500</pubDate>
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            <item>
         <title>Painting a day...still going</title>
         <description><![CDATA[Here is what I’ve been up to during the last few days…
Day 3 piece…still life that I have set up for my students in the art room at school
<img alt="Day3_blog.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Day3_blog.jpg" width="430" height="335" />

Day 4…looking out the window in the classroom…quite an overcast day, not at all typical here, but I like the moodiness of it.
<img alt="Day_4_blog.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Day_4_blog.jpg" width="430" height="436" />

Day 5…well, I skipped this one, I have a lame excuse of hosting a Halloween party and all…that’s why I call this challenge doing a painting ALMOST every day.

Day 6—realized I didn’t have all the paints and canvases at home as it’s been a while since I actually had time to paint at the house. Well, wanted to keep up with my challenge, so I used my 2-year old daughter’s water paints and her drawing block… we worked on our paintings together on the back porch…this is what I managed while also keeping an eye on Ally; she actually contributed to this piece by adding a blob of black in the top left corner, no worries, it all worked out fine, ha ha!
<img alt="Day_6_blog.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Day_6_blog.jpg" width="430" height="558" />

]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/11/painting_a_daystill_going.html</link>
         <guid>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/11/painting_a_daystill_going.html</guid>
        
        
         <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:45:43 -0500</pubDate>
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         <title>Painting a day...almost!</title>
         <description><![CDATA[I recently stumbled upon one artist’s blog that has taken a challenge of doing a painting a day…so it gave me an idea of trying it myself…so far so good…
Day 1
<img alt="Day1_blog.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Day1_blog.jpg" width="420" height="323" />

Day 2
<img alt="Day2_blog.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/Day2_blog.jpg" width="430" height="336" />

Today is day 4…Let’s see how long I can last 
]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/10/painting_a_dayalmost.html</link>
         <guid>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/10/painting_a_dayalmost.html</guid>
        
        
         <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:14:57 -0500</pubDate>
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         <title>Color Sketches for the book cover</title>
         <description><![CDATA[I had a meeting with the new book author last Friday, and we were discussing the color options for cover.  We started with this sketch…

<img alt="CoverSketch3_1.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/CoverSketch3_1.jpg" width="400" height="518" />

And then this one…
<img alt="CoverSketch3_5.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/CoverSketch3_5.jpg" width="400" height="518" />

And this one seemed to have good light but a bit too mysterious looking…

<img alt="CoverSketch3_2.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/CoverSketch3_2.jpg" width="400" height="518" />
And even though this one is my favorite one when it comes to color, it is a bit too edgy for the type of book that it is (gentle read literature).
<img alt="CoverSketch3_4.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/CoverSketch3_4.jpg" width="400" height="518" />

We actually ended up choosing the original color version—well, at least we made sure to explore other options! 

<img alt="CoverSketch3.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/CoverSketch3.jpg" width="450" height="582" />

]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/10/color_sketches_for_the_cover.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:10:36 -0500</pubDate>
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         <title>Art show</title>
         <description><![CDATA[Last Friday night my dad, daughter, and I spent some time at the art show opening in the Historic Center in Sanford, FL. The works of 25 artists, including me, were showcased. Here’s a picture of us next to my pieces.
<img alt="IMG_3258.JPG" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/IMG_3258.JPG" width="448" height="336" />

This piece is of a view off of Highway 50 when heading towards Titusville—do you know that area where airboat rides are?
<img alt="IMG_3259.JPG" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/IMG_3259.JPG" width="448" height="336" />


And this one is just an interpretation of what Florida heat looks to me in color, titled “Hot Day’s End.”
<img alt="IMG_3260.JPG" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/IMG_3260.JPG" width="448" height="336" />

]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/09/art_show.html</link>
         <guid>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/09/art_show.html</guid>
        
        
         <pubDate>Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:42:58 -0500</pubDate>
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         <title>Book Cover</title>
         <description><![CDATA[For the past few days I have been finalizing my sketches for the book cover that a new author commissioned me to paint. The book is a gentle read genre about a woman who is a Christian Science practitioner who prays for patients with healing results. Now, my artwork is anything but gentle in appearance, and I had my doubts if my style would be a good fit. The author felt strongly, however, that it would be wonderful to bring the kind of colors and sense of movement that I have in my work into his book cover. Off to the drawing board I went! Here’s my first attempt…thanks to the Photoshop program that allowed me to bring my concept ideas to life quickly.
<img alt="CoverSketch1.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/CoverSketch1.jpg" width="450" height="582" />

Now how about this one?
<img alt="CoverSketch6.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/CoverSketch6.jpg" width="450" height="582" />
Or maybe this one?
<img alt="CoverSketch5.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/CoverSketch5.jpg" width="450" height="582" />

And the winner is…
<img alt="CoverSketch3.jpg" src="http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/CoverSketch3.jpg" width="450" height="582" />


I am excited to keep refining this sketch and eventually making it an actual painting.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/09/book_cover.html</link>
         <guid>http://www.artworkbyirina.com/blog/2009/09/book_cover.html</guid>
        
        
         <pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:10:32 -0500</pubDate>
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