goals, vibration, and Hans Hoffman

6x6 oil on board

One of my goals for painting is for it to be impossible to tell if the painting is oil or pastel. That means the  most important vibration  must be present in both. A couple of years ago I determined that in order to do this, it was important to learn glazing techniques, rather than painting in the way I was taught long ago- alla prima. I thank  Deborah Paris and Sadie Valeri, both master painters and teachers, for all of their guidance and patience helping me as is I struggled through that learning curve. I am not saying that I have finished learning...but now I understand the basics and can see through the layers.
Yesterday  NJ  sent me this great quote from Hans Hoffman.  He had once said, "My aim in painting is to create pulsating, luminous and open surfaces that emanate a mystic light, in accordance with deepest insight into the experience of life and nature." Now doesn't that just say it all?
Did I mention my next goal--- that of mark?  Within the vibration there can still be mark. Next I will focus on mark. toodles for now!

buy this book NOW

You probably think you have read all the advice about studio and business practices that you need. Well, let me tell you, you haven't and you want this book. the other night I told myself I would just read a chapter before bed. Well I couldn't stop reading!!!!!! And then I couldn't sleep. My mind was so stirred up with ideas!!!! Deborah's book is awesome. Trust me, buy it now. Here's the link:.http://deborahparisonlineclasses.blogspot.com/p/books.html

Deborah Paris: interview, part three

Morning on the Flats by Deborah Paris

Deborah- When I was trying to learn to work with glazes in the landscape I turned to Lynne Windsor. (See my interview of Lynne here.) She worked that way and we both lived in New Mexico at that time.  I had been painting plein air in an alla prima style and I had been investigating ways to create the idea I had. I asked Lynne, "Did she use an underpainting and glazing?" I still have the email she sent me. She had written a detailed email full of information. I was delighted! It had been so hard to find information. I knew that I needed to go back and read about all the old techniques. I needed to understand the hows and whys. I worked and worked, gradually I started to figure it out. At this point I was working in pastel and oil making the transition to oil only. For another year I worked on the problem and I figured out that I would get more luminosity if I used a transparent underpainting. I really started paying attention to transparent paint and the optics involved. I now finally understood why it created different looks-optically. Other aspects of painting started to come together: composition and color harmony being the two most important.

L- Which artists past and present do you admire?

Deborah- Of course George Inness tops the list. John Constable, Corot, Sanford Gifford (big turning point when I saw that show!) Hard to say which contemporary artists I would like to add. There are so many fine artists working today, I wouldn't know who to pick.

L-How do you keep motivated when it gets tough in the studio?

Deborah- I just keep working, usually on another painting. I find that if I shift to something else I can get out of the stuck space. In addition I have learned so much because I work on more than one painting at a time. If I have a problem, oftentimes I find a solution in another painting.
Sometimes a bad day means- take a walk.

L- What is your daily routine?

Deborah- I have very regular studio time. I begin work at 9:30 and finish at about 5:00, seven days a week. I will often answer my emails and respond to my online class questions and discussion before I begin. In the evening I work on my class, research for posts, read or write. During the day I will leave the studio to go for a walk.

Check out Deborah's site. Sign up for one of her marvelous online courses!!

Deborah Paris Interview:part two

Autumn Twilight by Deborah Paris

A continuation of my interview with Deborah Paris. For part one click here.

Deborah- It's important to never reach your goal. Always be fascinated. When you choose to be an artist that choice has consequences, how you live your life...what you feel compelled to do. You must never reach the place you want to be.

L- Please talk a little bit about your metamorphosis as a painter.

Deborah- I started out as an alla prima painter painting in a high key fashion. Ned Jacob, my mentor, painted that way as well. I didn't have a reference for indirect painting in landscape. I didn't know a contemporary painter that painted that way.
I was a pastelist first. The way I was working was suited to pastel. I didn't worry about dry or not dry. I just picked it up and put it down. Ironically when working in pastel I never did an underpainting. I always worked directly. My move to oil and glazing was a technical transformation driven completely by aesthetics.
I had continued my art history studies and became reacquainted with the Hudson River School, Constable and Corot. I remember the big exhibit of Hudson River painter, Sanford Gifford (the same exhibition that was at the Met in 2004 and DC in 2005.) At that time I lived in New Mexico and the show was at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. I drove there twice, just to see it. It was an amazing show.
Through my studies and visits to museums I began to be drawn to the Tonalist way. I read information about technique, I wanted to understand it better. I started to realize the important part of the way the aesthetic could be made manifest.

L- What attracted you to Tonalism?

Deborah- The emotional component of the work made it so powerful. I always loved poetry and I felt a great kinship between poetry and painting. The Tonalist aesthetic had the same components as poetry- creating visual  and literary ideas. It was more compelling.

 L- What inspires you most?

Deborah- The landscape inspires me. Everything starts there. In the last 5 years I have understood it in a deeper way. I am more amazed and in awe of what I see. I have more time to look at it now. It's part of my job. The more I look, the more I feel connected to it. Before I traveled a lot. Now, for the past 3 years, I paint where I live, where I am intimately familiar with the landscape. When I moved here to east Texas it really reminded me of where I grew up in North Florida: big pines, water, marshes, big oaks. I felt instantly comfortable.
 In this time my focus has shifted toward a more intimate view of the landscape. Of course, that is part of the Tonalist aesthetic, but in my case, it is also because I've had a chance to become really intimately familiar with the area around where we live (very rural) and this has had a profound impact on my art.

Deborah painting

Next techniques and inspirations......
Meanwhile check Deborah's website and blog.

Deborah Paris interview:part one

September Evening by Deborah Paris
Deborah's name is a household word by now. Her intimate landscapes amazingly show drama and peace at the same time. The deep luminosity she creates using veils of color make you want to linger forever in their world.
Enjoy our conversation:

L-Would you please speak as to your evolution as an artist?

Deborah- I started my life as an artist when I was a small child. I was always interested in drawing. In fact my first large scale work was on the walls of my brother's bedroom. Back then I was horse crazy and drew horses a lot. Later when I went to college I didn't think of studying anything else. Art was my thing. I did a double major in studio art and art history. One of my professors, a young woman, influenced me quite a bit when I was there. She was a Bernini scholar and at that point I studied the Baroque and the Renaissance.

L-Why that particular period?

Deborah- I was fascinated with the energy in the arts at that period of time. There was such a huge leap forward in naturalism and perspective. I was fascinated with the idea of patronage and the life of the artist. In particular  I was attracted to Caravaggio - his compelling, mysterious story. The story of his life had a romantic appeal. He used everyday people as his models. His use of chiaroscuro mirroring the mystery. The sacred and the profane. I remember when I traveled to the Fogg museum in Boston for research on my senior paper. I was amazed!
Well, after my undergraduate I had what I call a "psychotic break" and went to law school. You see when I finished school there really was no one out there painting like I did. It was mostly all abstract. In the 70s there was no encouragement to paint this way. I am still not sure why I made the choice to go to law school. At that time it was an unusual thing for a woman to do- a big move. I didn't paint for 10-12 years.
It didn't take too long to realize I had to paint. My mother was an artist and she always hoped I would get back to it. I was on my turn around.

L- Was there a turning point that you could remember?

Deborah- No, I think it just built up. I started to play around painting on weekends. My Mom and I were going to go to a workshop, we didn't go that year because of her health. The stirring was beginning. The following year we made it to that workshop.  I had just made partner in a big law firm, but I knew I needed to leave law behind. I made time and started working with Ned Jacob , in fact I studied with him for quite a while. He gave me a concentrated dose of encouragement and lots of excellent training. He was a high key painter and I was too at that point.  I had made my decision at that point so I just needed to make my way. For five years I woke up and began painting at 4:30 AM, finishing just in time to go to the office. I also painted on the weekend. I sought out drawing groups. In a short time I knew that landscape painting was my muse.
Drawing from life was good and I continued to work with Ned. One major gift he gave me was impressing upon me how important drawing is.
I must say it's the hardest thing I have ever done; much harder than being a lawyer or going to law school.

Part two...soon. In the meantime check out Deborah's website and blog...or sign up for one of her many excellent online courses.

Tonalist underpaintings

tonal underpainting, 5x7 oil on gesso board
tonal underpainting, 3.25x7 oil on gesso board
tonal underpainting, 6x8 oil on raymar canvas panel
I am taking Deborah Paris' online Painting the Luminous Landscape course. I have always admired her work and have wished to take a course with her. She is a tonalist and when she works she does an underpainting in transparent colors like shale and burnt sienna. My tendency is to do a watercolor underpainting in intense colors.. so I am researching and experimenting something new. Even my cat Kins (the studio muse) looked at me as if to say," What no magenta?"
The course itself is really cool. We post work on a site and Deborah or other classmates comment. Deborah is great. It was only been 3 days and she has posted demos, given reading lists, lots of comments and other goodies. You will see my struggle posted on here for the next month...here we go.

Feel free to comment and critique friends!