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Monday, April 30, 2012
grouped flowers.
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Paintings on Peony
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Sunday, April 29, 2012
Local Color
Did you know that you should ALWAYS lay out your colors in the same order when painting? Did you know that you need to have a reason to be painting a subject? Well, after watching the movie, Local Color for the fourth time I am finally hearing what Nicholi is teaching to that young man. If you haven't seen the movie I highly recommend you do so. It is a good story besides being about painting and painters and life in general.
So, I haven't been up stairs since I finished Randall. I guess I just didn't have a subject to work on. I did set up a bunch of Wine bottles and was ready to start trying to paint them again, all lined up like little soldiers. I guess my mind just said " why?". Well, because I have them and have a hard time painting bottles and subjects like that? Yeah, that's why.
So, instead, I planted some tomatoes and peppers, and a couple of flowers. My neighbor brought over peony's. They were blooming madly at her home she said. She brought over pink buds and I thought, ok... But by the end of the day the jar they were in was empty of water and they were more than half open. And smelled so very sweet. SURPRISE.!! So I had to buy my own Peony plant and have my own bloom. It takes the plant two year to mature enough to do that I also found out. ( sigh) So, I think she thought I would grab her beautiful offering and head up stairs to paint them. But that is a lot of Pink, Mother's day flowers. So, if I can figure out how to do a bunch of them, or maybe just one, I"ll post my picture.
Festival's are very "big" around here in South Carolina. There were two last weekend. A magnolia Festival in Pickens, with bounce houses, train rides, face painting, long booths full of hand made wares for sale. Food like pork sandwiches, boiled peanuts, some carnival rides. Westminister had Andy Griffin days. With people walking around as the characters from the T.V. show and two parades. And probably the same kind of kids things to do. This week it was Central and they have a rail road museum in town, so everything was centered around railroads. We parked and took a bus to town, to walk around and ride Thomas the train with Paige and Aubrey, climb all over a bright red caboose, that had a stove and chairs and sink etc. that you could look at and touch. Lowes had a workshop for making a wooden bank. They had a simulator of teaching a real engineer to drive a train. Lots of hand outs, firemen to talk to about being safe, and pork sandwiches. I forgot to mention, there is music, and cloggers, and magic shows too. But these two grandparents are burnt out from Festivals and I think the granddaughters are also. But then again, the end of May is Seneca Fest.!!!
So, go online and find the movie Local Colors and watch it 4 times and maybe some of it will sink in.
The problem with putting my colors in an order is that every time I go to a class, another teacher wants them in her order so she can help me on my picture. I should have figured this out a long time ago. So, what colors do I like to use all the time? Cad light red. Cad light green. ( love this color), lemon yellow, Indian yellow, ( a new one for me.) Veridian ( always) Pain's Grey, Curruilian blue, Prussian Blue ( skies..) Turquoise blue, Sage green, Raw sienna. I seek these colors out every time I start a painting. So, I am slowly finding the colors I like to work with on almost every painting. I like Brown too. But I never can remember the name for it. I am favoring Lucas brand colors. I realize that some colors you can't get in certain brands. The next class if I should feel the need to be inspired and taught again, I should practice on the colors the teacher wants you to use, and put them in the order she gives them. It makes it easier for him/her to pick up the paintbrush, find her color she wants to use and fix my painting. Although I am getting to the part where I don't want them to touch the painting. I want them to tell me what I do to fix the problem. So, onward to paint.
So, I haven't been up stairs since I finished Randall. I guess I just didn't have a subject to work on. I did set up a bunch of Wine bottles and was ready to start trying to paint them again, all lined up like little soldiers. I guess my mind just said " why?". Well, because I have them and have a hard time painting bottles and subjects like that? Yeah, that's why.
So, instead, I planted some tomatoes and peppers, and a couple of flowers. My neighbor brought over peony's. They were blooming madly at her home she said. She brought over pink buds and I thought, ok... But by the end of the day the jar they were in was empty of water and they were more than half open. And smelled so very sweet. SURPRISE.!! So I had to buy my own Peony plant and have my own bloom. It takes the plant two year to mature enough to do that I also found out. ( sigh) So, I think she thought I would grab her beautiful offering and head up stairs to paint them. But that is a lot of Pink, Mother's day flowers. So, if I can figure out how to do a bunch of them, or maybe just one, I"ll post my picture.
Festival's are very "big" around here in South Carolina. There were two last weekend. A magnolia Festival in Pickens, with bounce houses, train rides, face painting, long booths full of hand made wares for sale. Food like pork sandwiches, boiled peanuts, some carnival rides. Westminister had Andy Griffin days. With people walking around as the characters from the T.V. show and two parades. And probably the same kind of kids things to do. This week it was Central and they have a rail road museum in town, so everything was centered around railroads. We parked and took a bus to town, to walk around and ride Thomas the train with Paige and Aubrey, climb all over a bright red caboose, that had a stove and chairs and sink etc. that you could look at and touch. Lowes had a workshop for making a wooden bank. They had a simulator of teaching a real engineer to drive a train. Lots of hand outs, firemen to talk to about being safe, and pork sandwiches. I forgot to mention, there is music, and cloggers, and magic shows too. But these two grandparents are burnt out from Festivals and I think the granddaughters are also. But then again, the end of May is Seneca Fest.!!!
So, go online and find the movie Local Colors and watch it 4 times and maybe some of it will sink in.
The problem with putting my colors in an order is that every time I go to a class, another teacher wants them in her order so she can help me on my picture. I should have figured this out a long time ago. So, what colors do I like to use all the time? Cad light red. Cad light green. ( love this color), lemon yellow, Indian yellow, ( a new one for me.) Veridian ( always) Pain's Grey, Curruilian blue, Prussian Blue ( skies..) Turquoise blue, Sage green, Raw sienna. I seek these colors out every time I start a painting. So, I am slowly finding the colors I like to work with on almost every painting. I like Brown too. But I never can remember the name for it. I am favoring Lucas brand colors. I realize that some colors you can't get in certain brands. The next class if I should feel the need to be inspired and taught again, I should practice on the colors the teacher wants you to use, and put them in the order she gives them. It makes it easier for him/her to pick up the paintbrush, find her color she wants to use and fix my painting. Although I am getting to the part where I don't want them to touch the painting. I want them to tell me what I do to fix the problem. So, onward to paint.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
I am sorry that my phone wasn't more clear. But this painting is just wonderful, up close or from across the room. Enjoy!1Clyfford Still ( 1904-1980)
Bob just handed me this article on Clyfford Still in Smithsonian magazine. He was a modern day artist. They showed one of his masterworks .Black, cream, a little stripe of yellow and orange, a little blue on one far edge... There is a new museum in Denver, Colorado exclusively devoted to his work. They called him stubbornly original, his art engaged with the spirit of man. There is documentary footage of the artist at the Smithsonian.com/still. Let's just say there is an art movie out about an old master that judged a local art show. He didn't care who got the purple ribbon, since it was all "trash" as far as this character was concerned. The writer put this artist next to Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman and even Jackson Pollock. They thought Cly was a greater innovator. When you look at his picture you will think.. he was a modern artist? Yeah, right.
I have this large space at the condo that needs a painting. I have already bought three "works" that weren't original, weren't cheap but were large. Now I have decided to paint the large painting for this space and it has me frozen. Modern spaces don't do well with traditional art. Do I make colored marks on a huge canvas? Try and paint a figure but "modernly"? Jana's pencil's would fit well, because her art is so retro. But she is good at that. Well, the challenge is hanging over me and I am afraid a lot of that new cotton is going to get used up trying to come up with something that fits, is wonderful to hang, and delightful look at.
Speaking of paintings. I have my picture from Santa Fe up and already Bob wants to move it to another place. I am so such a set person. Once there... always there type. There is stress around here right now.
Laters...
I have this large space at the condo that needs a painting. I have already bought three "works" that weren't original, weren't cheap but were large. Now I have decided to paint the large painting for this space and it has me frozen. Modern spaces don't do well with traditional art. Do I make colored marks on a huge canvas? Try and paint a figure but "modernly"? Jana's pencil's would fit well, because her art is so retro. But she is good at that. Well, the challenge is hanging over me and I am afraid a lot of that new cotton is going to get used up trying to come up with something that fits, is wonderful to hang, and delightful look at.
Speaking of paintings. I have my picture from Santa Fe up and already Bob wants to move it to another place. I am so such a set person. Once there... always there type. There is stress around here right now.
Laters...
A 4000 mile + trip
What a vacation we had. We headed out from South Carolina and traveled first to Austin, Tx. In two days with Chase the black lab riding with us. We made our usual stop in Vicksburg at the Best Western, which allows dogs. Then on to Texas. The minute I hit the border I became sick. Bob had to drive the whole trip. I don't know what was floating around, but I had flu +cold+allergy symptoms. By the time we spent another two days getting to Santa Fe I was so ill it was off to a 24 hour clinic. Being in such a high altitude did not help. We were there so I could take a 3 day workshop with Laura Robb. Now, I had paid for the hotel and the class and was determined to stick it out.
Laura Robb is an awesome artist by the way. She is sweet and gentle and does not force her ideas and knowledge on a painter. She guides and is so patient. Laura has a side business of taking on animals that the humane society says are non adoptable. She has two of the worst looking dogs. And a cat that can't use it's back legs so it has a wheel chair she straps on it. She said she had seen it chasing mice outside in it. She first looked at the area around Santa Fe with Gay Faulkenberry. That blew my mind that she knew her so well.
I can see why artists love Santa Fe. Stick around and the colors on the land change, it has awesome art stores. And wonderful galleries. A limitless supply of art classes and photo classes too.
We visited the art store to get all the paints she wanted us to try. They had them all!! The greenish yellow I couldn't even get on line.!! I decided to pick up some Cotton roll to make my own canvas from now on. I could do it.!! And they really helped me on which one to get.
All the women at the class were so sweet and so different in the place they were painting. Some had just gotten home from Painting in France. How awesome it that.!! Brave ladies I say.
We spent three days just working on painting a pear or two or three that looked ready to pop off the canvass and into your mouth. Laura's demo and lecture is still fresh in my mind. Her reasons for painting the way she does made total sense. We were welcome to try her palate knives, or paint or whatever she uses. I had no idea she painted with the knives so extensively. She is the second class, the first being Todd Williams that uses it so much.
Between the coughing and hacking and blowing and wiping the watery eyes, I made it through the class. We left and headed on a straight trip for two days to Colorado. I never got to open my paints again. Just too sick. My pears sat in the back of the truck until we returned to South Carolina. Bob took them out and I was totally surprised at how good they had turned out. I thought I had 6 paintings that were a total waste of canvass. NOT!!
The truck has been put to bed this trip. It will stay put and make no more long trips. The Oklahoma Doves packed themselves into a mini van ( 4 artists + supplies + clothes) and unlike us made the trip up and back in one day. So we broke down and added a Honda odyesey to our fleet. The silver bullet. Only I can't call it that because Jeremy already calls his car that. Steph suggested the Vandavan. haha. The granddaughters like the car and it's buttons and video machine.
I am totally hooked on greenish yellow by the way. The brand that starts with H. the tubes are very small and very expensive. But excellent quality.
I learned to add some gambasol to some linseed oil in working on the canvass. A little cup full. 10-1 ratio.
While in Sante Fe we went to Laura's gallery to see her paintings. One of the students, and by her own right a wonderful artist, Gail, wanted to buy one of Laura's paintings. Two trips later she picked out a lovely piece. And Laura's latest painting also. Bob and I picked out a totally different artist. The painting is called "Arroyo Seco Adobes" by Walt Gonske. It arrived today and it is just beautiful. He has a paint mobile when painting outside. I guess that is a whole story in itself. His strokes are just breath taking. You have to stand back to enjoy his paintings to the fullest. I have 4 water colors of Santa Fe buildings. ( adobe etc.) And I just sigh looking at his art. Such inspiration.!!
Laura Robb is an awesome artist by the way. She is sweet and gentle and does not force her ideas and knowledge on a painter. She guides and is so patient. Laura has a side business of taking on animals that the humane society says are non adoptable. She has two of the worst looking dogs. And a cat that can't use it's back legs so it has a wheel chair she straps on it. She said she had seen it chasing mice outside in it. She first looked at the area around Santa Fe with Gay Faulkenberry. That blew my mind that she knew her so well.
I can see why artists love Santa Fe. Stick around and the colors on the land change, it has awesome art stores. And wonderful galleries. A limitless supply of art classes and photo classes too.
We visited the art store to get all the paints she wanted us to try. They had them all!! The greenish yellow I couldn't even get on line.!! I decided to pick up some Cotton roll to make my own canvas from now on. I could do it.!! And they really helped me on which one to get.
All the women at the class were so sweet and so different in the place they were painting. Some had just gotten home from Painting in France. How awesome it that.!! Brave ladies I say.
We spent three days just working on painting a pear or two or three that looked ready to pop off the canvass and into your mouth. Laura's demo and lecture is still fresh in my mind. Her reasons for painting the way she does made total sense. We were welcome to try her palate knives, or paint or whatever she uses. I had no idea she painted with the knives so extensively. She is the second class, the first being Todd Williams that uses it so much.
Between the coughing and hacking and blowing and wiping the watery eyes, I made it through the class. We left and headed on a straight trip for two days to Colorado. I never got to open my paints again. Just too sick. My pears sat in the back of the truck until we returned to South Carolina. Bob took them out and I was totally surprised at how good they had turned out. I thought I had 6 paintings that were a total waste of canvass. NOT!!
The truck has been put to bed this trip. It will stay put and make no more long trips. The Oklahoma Doves packed themselves into a mini van ( 4 artists + supplies + clothes) and unlike us made the trip up and back in one day. So we broke down and added a Honda odyesey to our fleet. The silver bullet. Only I can't call it that because Jeremy already calls his car that. Steph suggested the Vandavan. haha. The granddaughters like the car and it's buttons and video machine.
I am totally hooked on greenish yellow by the way. The brand that starts with H. the tubes are very small and very expensive. But excellent quality.
I learned to add some gambasol to some linseed oil in working on the canvass. A little cup full. 10-1 ratio.
While in Sante Fe we went to Laura's gallery to see her paintings. One of the students, and by her own right a wonderful artist, Gail, wanted to buy one of Laura's paintings. Two trips later she picked out a lovely piece. And Laura's latest painting also. Bob and I picked out a totally different artist. The painting is called "Arroyo Seco Adobes" by Walt Gonske. It arrived today and it is just beautiful. He has a paint mobile when painting outside. I guess that is a whole story in itself. His strokes are just breath taking. You have to stand back to enjoy his paintings to the fullest. I have 4 water colors of Santa Fe buildings. ( adobe etc.) And I just sigh looking at his art. Such inspiration.!!
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