Painting and underpainting: towards the light

I've been visiting Daddio in California over the holidays. He has been struggling with his health. The tiger that built my studio years ago is undertaking his biggest battle.
This small field I passed each day as I traveled back and forth from the hospital. The morning light was magical. When I was there I only had time to do a watercolor underpainting. With the memory of the field in my mind I finished with pastels in the studio. I posted both, since I have had numerous requests to do so. :-)
Please send some warmth and prayers to Daddio.

underpainting

Hope and Happy Christmas

"Hope" is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—

And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—
And sore must be the storm—
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm—

I've heard it in the chillest land—
And on the strangest Sea—
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of Me. 

Emily Dickinson

Happy Christmas friends!

driving and art

5.5x5.5 pastel

Artists can be the worst drivers imaginable. We see beauty everywhere we go, therefore we can be VERY distractable.

water towers and holiday show

The holiday party at the Waverly Street Gallery was wonderful and packed! Thank you to all who came. The opening reception for the show is this Friday, 6-9pm. This pastel is in the show and was inspired by my time in NYC. I have a real fascination with those water towers.

coming up this week

The Waverly Gallery hangs its annual Holiday show this Sunday and opens it with a big bang on Sunday (December 7th) - late afternoon. That's the time we honor our special friends and collectors. Live music, great food and drink. Please do come if you are in the area. Four to six pm. Email me if you want more information...

how to choose a subject and you make the painting

I parked my car in a small lot in Sligo Creek Park. The sun was low so I knew I only had maximum 45 minutes till it had dissappeared for the day. Choose and choose fast. My brain told me- "You make the painting, it doesn't have to be there."

Which brings about another favorite Wolf Kahn quote.
 Choosing a Scene in a Landscape: "Avoid cliché when looking for places to study and paint the landscape. Often, when I’m observing a scene I want to paint, I look for chaos. Chaos in nature is immediately challenging and forces a good artist to impose some type of order on his or her perception of a site. When I find a scene that provides that type of challenge, I return to it over and over again, both physically and mentally in the studio, continually searching for new insights."
<sub>"A studio visit with Wolf Kahn" by Jonathan Phillips, American Artist magazine, 1 May 1997

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends from the U.S.!</sub>

365 Hints and Tips for Drawing and Sketching

Katherine Tyrrell has outdone herself. Not only does she have the number one art blog in the UK and 11th in the world, but she also now has a new book! The book titled, 365Hints and Tips for Drawing and Sketching is getting great reviews already. A quote from the publisher on the back cover is it in a nutshell"a far cry from other dry, run-of-the-mill art instruction books" The book has two editions one by Asian publisher (Page One Publishing) and another produced by North Light Books, titled Drawing 365: Tips and Techniques to Build Your Confidence and Skills. For a treat you must check out Katherine's blog, Making a Mark. Here's the link.

I am honored to have many of my pastels included in the book, including Beltway Bliss which is on the front cover! Thank you Katherine! I can't wait to see the book in hardcopy.

Here is a review of the book from Parka blogs:
"Here's a book I received from Page One Publishing. It was on my shopping list initially.
There are actually two publishers for the book. Page One Publishing is distributing this book for Asia under the title 365 Hints & Tips for Drawing & Sketching while North Light Books has it as Drawing 365: Tips and Techniques to Build Your Confidence and Skills. They have different covers.
The author is Katherine Tyrrell who's also the blogger for the rather popular art blog called Making a Mark. She also draws and paints and some of her artworks are in the book.
As the title of the book suggest, it features a bunch of hints and tips on drawing. The idea is to use one of these tips each day, to try something different, have a new artist endeavour, explore, experiment. It's more like a motivational book to get you to draw day, and in fact some of the text are motivational tips.
You'll need basic drawing skills to get the most out of the book because the book does not cover much on the techniques.
It's a fun book to follow along and you can create your drawing schedules using the ideas provided. The book is split into three parts. The first covers the basics, second on the subject matter that you can draw and third on materials you can try out.
There are many interesting and useful tips, such as on tackling pet commissions, how to light a still life, draw buildings without understanding perspective, mixing up your drawing medium, ideas on places to draw, things to look out for when drawing certain subjects and the book also covers the basic art fundamentals like observational drawing, composition, proportion, etc. It's a book you can dive into on any page. I like the variety of tips even though some are rather brief but still useful nevertheless.
It's a good book for those who like drawing and sketching.

 

a trip away from descriptive

A plein air piece that visited the studio to partial obliteration and resurrection. It was quite a journey, but it brings my work my more much farther along on its journey. I am actually happy with it.

what's too descriptive?

 

When painting I always struggle to keep away from being descriptive.  I actually find myself getting bored of a painting when I say too much. I teeter on this precipice what is enough and too much? How much can I keep out of the painting today and still feel place and beauty through color. I often will wipe the pastel so that edges blur and I get to bring it back. In oil I will wipe before leaving that day. That allows me to work fresher the next day.
Now a quote from my sketchbook  "When a work becomes too descriptive, too much involved with what's actually out there, then there's nothing else going on in the painting, and it dies on you."  Who else?      Wolf Kahn
This painting is from Sedona, in the Cottonwood area. It's a tree I have painted many times in my quiet field by the river. I can't wait to get back there.

resplendent

pastel 8x8

Oaks are resplendent right now.

Wolf Kahn, grays / bright colors and field, early morning

10x11 pastel

This week I was asked why do I put so many bright colors in my paintings? You don't really see those do you? My only answer was that "my painting was a response to the scene rather than a depiction." I hear in my head, "Loriann you need to balance all that bright color with grays." That's what we have been taught, right?  I think balance is true, but does it have to be just neutrals? Can't the weight of volume and density of color answer the call as well?
So I turned to reading about Wolf Kahn, a master of color and balance. He too was asked how does he make all these brilliant colors work in a painting. (great company to have) WK answered, “The only time I feel comfortable is when I don’t know why the colors work,” he says. For him the act of painting is a conversation. You don’t control it; you respond to it. “It’s useful to think of a painting as a pet. If you have a pet, you give it food and it doesn’t overeat. Yet somehow if you haven’t given it enough, the pet will let you know it and you give it more so the pet is satisfied,” he says. “Painting isn’t really all that mysterious. You just give it enough till it’s satisfied.” Sounds easy, eh?
Letting go of control seems to be the answer of the month.

the best control is no control

8x8 finished pastel Silver Divas

“One always has to combat being goal-oriented. Somehow, you’ve got to have a sense of play—a sense that there are things happening when you paint other than your wishes and dreams at the moment. I’ve learned not to constantly be self-critical. I don’t really care whether a painting comes out one way or another.” Of course, he cares that the elements are balanced, that the questions are asked and that the problems are resolved. But, he says, quoting a Zen koan, “the best control is no control.”
Wolf Kahn

This painting was done on location. It was an overcast day, therefore I had to find new guidance. Previously I have chosen tree groupings in which light would hit some trunks making a melody in the trees. Today there was no such light, but this silvery grouping excited me.

watercolor step one

watercolor step two

Hans Hoffman, Color and the field

10x11 pastel

When you read about Hans Hoffman's teaching, color was not used to copy nature literally, but to make relationships, mass and luminosity.   Nature inspires but does not control. We, instead are in charge. Our choice of color is intuitive and expresses feeling.
You must consider that colors have look different depending on whether their edges are hard or soft. Whether the change in value at these edges is smooth or abrupt (as I experimented with above). The appearance of color is affected by the color adjacent.  Simultaneous contrast is really what the relationships are all about.
Since I have returned home I am haunting my fields. As a compositional challenge I also purposely put that tree right in the middle. Heh.

Copse of trees

In Sedona my host and I were talking about the word "copse" which means a small group of trees. That word tumbled around in my head that sleepless night. It generated an image, this image. I only had to go paint it....which I did the next day. It's large for a pastel done on site-  12x24 (for me). The hardest part was that it was an oblong and I really prefer squares. The frame was ready but I procrastinated using that piece of paper till the last possible moment.
The sick part was, I purposely chose to put the main focal point right in the middle. That choice challenged my ability to make fluid movement throughout the piece.
To frame it I floated it n a piece of black board, which you see a sliver of on the right side.
A friend of mine emailed me to say her friend posted this photo on FB Tuesday. She asked...Is that you? And yes..it is. Taken by a drive by photographer.

Painting Air

8x8 pastel

This small gem is one of my favorites. I feel like I finally painted the feel of air.

Once more thing I learned at Sedona is about sleep. When I am at a competition like this, I can not sleep. My mind is constantly thinking and solving painting problems.  I averaged 2 hours of sleep a night. I spoke with a few other artists and they said the same thing. One told me that she simply takes sleeping pills with her for these events so that here brain can get a rest. I lived off of emergent C and soy chais. For the first time in my life a sleeping pill doesn't sound bad. Anyone else have this kind of experience?

Sedona Plein Air Festival recap

12 x12 pastel

The past week at Sedona was absolutely amazing! I was on a roll with fields and trees. Rather than move around to different places in the Sedona area I find that I do better when I nest. I need to form a relationship with the area I paint. That is why I travel to the same areas (the exact same fields)  to paint each year. I don't try to paint the place, rather the poetry of the place. I never get bored of my locations, I simply know it better, like a lover or a best friend. In Sedona I found my place out by Cottonwood. For three years, I have traveled to these fields. Yes, the red rocks are gorgeous, but they are not me.
At the Sedona Plein Air Festival there were many events and receptions. On Thursday night, at the Alcantara Vinyards, I was shocked and honored to learn, that this painting (titled "Out Standing in my Field") won the Guerrilla Paint Out Prize. Yay! Thank you Carl Judson for noticing my work!
One of the treasures of being part of on of these festival/competitions is the people.
First, I had an amazing host- Dana. Each night, when I returned from painting, we would drink tea and chat. Nice. I have many new artist friends as well. Often we painters work in isolation (I always do), so these times are precious. Thank you to all my new friends!
Next post I will tell you some of the new things I learned.
Toodles for now!

Sedona Plein Air Festival 2014

pastel, 7.5x15.5

I am now at Sedona Arizona for their wonderful plein air festival. My first visit was to my favorite field.
Here is the schedule for the festival. Please do come by if you can, I would love to meet you!

Main Street Paint Out

Saturday, October 18 1:00–4:00 p.m.

The Festival’s opening event is the popular Main Street Paint Out, a chance to see artists at work on their paintings all along uptown Sedona on both sides of 89A. The sales and awards for the finished paintings happen in front of the Sedona Arts Center Gallery at 4:00 p.m. Awards will be presented by Guerrilla Painter and Gamblin Oils. We then roll into the opening reception in the Art Barn 5:00–7:00 p.m.The exhibition event is thus constantly evolving and open 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. daily throughout the week.

Paint-Out in Jerome

Tuesday, October 21 Jerome Chamber hosts a morning paint out in the streets of Jerome 9–noon. See tent at main parking in Jerome to locate artists who will be spread over the main streets and alleys of Jerome. Also be sure to get your free ticket for the afternoon winetasting at Cellar 433. After lunch from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Join us at Cellar 433 where artwork from the day’s painting will be available for viewing awards and purchase. Free wine tasting provided by Cellar 433. Awards will be presented by Guerrilla Painter and Gamblin Oils.

Wine and Art Tour Page Springs Cellars

Wednesday, October 22 – Learn - the history, culture & process of winemaking from grape to bottle. Taste - award winning wines, including a special tasting pulled directly from barrel. Tour - our beautiful grounds including our estate vineyards, cellar, barrel room and crushpad. $40 per person

Tour originates at the Sedona Arts Center with a short guided tour of the plein air galleries where you will receive an insider's look at various styles and approaches among this years artists. This part of the tour is led by Vince Fazio, Director of the School of the Arts and Chairperson of the Sedona Plein Air Festival.
Tour at the winery will include souvenir wineglass and flight of 5 wines including a special tasting pulled right from the barrel. Learn about the process from grape to glass.
Vineyard tour will last about 40 minutes leaving about 40 minutes for you to explore the vineyard and see a selection of this years invited plein air artists working on their paintings at various stages of completion.
Return to Sedona Arts Center while enjoying a special snack. Total time 2.5 to 3 hours. This tour will deliver you to the Sedona Arts Center in time to go have dinner on your own and return to the Arts Center for Jim McVicker's keynote presentation at 7:00 p.m. (keynote presentation is free and open to the public)

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A Confluence of the Senses Thursday, October 23 “Art and Wine: A Confluence of the Senses” is celebrated at Alcantara Vineyards at the confluence of the Verde River and Oak Creek (3445 S. Grapevine Way, Cottonwood, AZ 86326).

Exclusive viewing of artwork by the 30 Sedona Plein Air Festival artists from the afternoon and evening "Paint Out at the Vineyard." Sponsors for this event include:

• Alcantara Vineyards
• Chef Chris Debrowolski from SchoolHouse Restaurant
• Wendy White - owner of Abineau Lodge
• Desirable Dessert by Jeff Webner

Schedule of the evening's events:

4:00 p.m. Arrive at Alcantara Vineyard - choose your first glass of wine and tour the artists as they finish their landscape paintings.

5:00 p.m. Artists present their work available for purchase on "The Lawn" at Alcantara. Canapés and wine pairings available. Five awards will be made presented by Randy Higbee of King of Frame and Carl Judson of Guerrilla Painter. All gathered will vote on a painting to be used as a label for a special blend that will be created from this years wines. Owners of the painting will have the option of participating in the creation of the "Confluence of the Senses" blend which will be on sale next year.
6:00 p.m. Shelby Keefe performs "Beats and Brush-strokes" a vivacious 20 minute painting process set to her own music. Browse the art work mingle with the artists and discuss your favorite paintings and pairings as Shelby completes her a 30 x 30 inch painting.
7:00 p.m. Soft closing as you gather your new art, perhaps a special bottle of wine and a sense of a complete experience of culture, art, music and food. 

Cost $75.00 per person
Includes: Commemorative Crystal Stem Wine Glass; two full pours of your choice of a number of wines plus wine samples presented as pairings with three specially prepared canapes by local chefs exclusively for this event. (other foods available as well)

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Awards Night

Friday, October 24 Awards night begins with a private one-hour preview for past patrons, purchase award buyers and special guests. The event is then open to the public and sales are quick. Various awards are given throughout the evening including Collector’s Choice based on ballots from guests. Artist’s Choice based on a body of work and judged only be the participating artists.  Festival Keynote, Jim McVicker will choose Best of Show and four merit awards. The Arts Center staff will choose a poster award and various other purchase awards and sponsor awards are given. 

Final Public Sale

Saturday, Oct 25 is the final sales day of the event. The public is welcome to browse and purchase from 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

little bits of orchestration

30x40 oil on linen

Little bits of orchestration are the small notes (changes in color) placed that allow the entire opera (of the painting) to sing together. The diva has her place but those other small notes help her sing. I have searched for those notes of orchestration on this one and it's coming close. The photo doesn't seem to do it justice as the bottom half has a wonderful vibration.

more yummy multi-media board

fall field and multi- media board

I wanted to talk a little more about the multimedia board I mentioned last post. Although I really like it now, my first impression was not so favorable. I struggled with the watercolor. The board has no, absolutely no absorbency. It does not feel like watercolor paper. So now I treat it differently. I made friends with it. I let it pool. I wipe it.  I make it run. I like the way it is inconsistent.
The pastel goes on differently as well. I left this image large so you can see. It's a way to feel texture on location.
Here is the watercolor underpainting. I like that it runs and joins shapes.

more texture experiments

Another version of my work with texture. It's on multimedia board. The multimedia board is amazing in the way it spotlights watercolor underpaintings. It easily accepts applied texture with no worries of warping.

Multimedia boards are acid and ligin free, ph neutral and impervious to mold and mildew. They will not warp, no mater what the media. The sparkling white surface is wonderful. Here's the link to check them out at Dakota Pastels. let me know what you think.

pastel with texture

10x10 pastel

I have many of these studies, just trying to see the possibilities of texture add to pastel. Each has a different paper and the texture was added at different times of the process. The texture is gesso with marble dust, or just gesso or one of the many pastel grounds, thinned. There is no perfect way, each yields a different response. I will post them this week.

be willing to sacrifice

I was taught that the most difficult decisions are between two good things. Thus when you are painting you have to always be willing to sacrifice.  Nothing is precious. So what if one passage in the paintings is beautiful. Does the whole painting work? Are you tip-toeing around to keep one piece?
The answer was yes....tiptoeing and going nowhere!
Now the painting has changed incredibly so in search of that feel I want. I was tormented by this painting. It has been 4.5 months of frustration. Finally, I sanded it down and then ..... I threw paint at it. I mixed up a color that I would usually not choose from my more neutral earth colors.
"So there, you nasty painting!" I thought when I stuck it to the painting.
Next, in a frenzy, I scrubbed a ton more paint on it.  After a few hours of scrubbing I felt better and so did the painting!
Sacrifice the good for hope of great.

I have learned that when I paint a specific place with intention of making that specific place I get tied up in knots.

Anyone else have similar stories?

Potomac Gorge and making use of old paintings

pastel over oil, 32"x37"

 A huge sheet of gatorboard (pure plastic, not like gatorfoam) was sitting in my studio. It had a base of marble dust with gesso and some pastel on it, but the pastel was not worth keeping. I rubbed it down, then used gamsol to reduce it. Now it had a resemblance to the Potomac gorge, Great Falls, MD. So I started with thinned oil paint and because of the rubbed pastel underneath, beautiful neutrals developed. Next, I layered those with fresh pastel. The Potomac Gorge is a place I visit often..a majestic place. I looked back in my files at paintings I had done of the gorge and other photos I had taken. I wanted to see the shape of the major land forms.
The most important thing was- I felt that nothing was precious. I was totally free. I have to remember that for next time.

James McNeill Whistler and the Case for Beauty

nocturne, James McNeill Whistler

 Whistler was drawn to the hazy views of the Thames that he would walk through daily and could see from his balcony.
"They are lovely, those fogs, and I am their painter."

A fellow blogger, Sam (of SamArtDog blog) alerted me to the fabulous Whistler documentary on PBS. You, of course, may watch it online. Please do, before it comes down off their site. Here's the link.