Archives for July 2012

Art in Cuba and the Traveling Painter

Ms. Jane Barton · Jul 30, 2012 · 3 Comments

There are no starving artists in Cuba. One reason for this is that each person receives food from the government each month: one quarter of a chicken, 5 eggs and 5 pounds each of rice, black beans and sugar. (Sugar is cheap in Cuba and heath care is free to the rising numbers of diabetics.)
Artists there make more money than doctors, lawyers or university professors. Why? Because they are not, like the others, state employees, and are able to keep more of what they make. Again, why? Because Castro considers them cultural ambassadors and curators, and very important to keeping the Cubans….Cuban.
Would it be worth it to live in Cuba, with the restrictions that entails, to be at the top of the food chain for a change? Not for me. But I can tell you that in many ways the young, hip, vibrant artists that I recently met on my trip to Havana were no different from artists here in the U.S. They were enthusiastic about their current work at the Biennial, complained about the price of art supplies which had to be imported from Europe and knew how to party. The Art gene is a powerful one.
I’ve just started paintings from that wonderful trip. The Cubanos are a beautiful, friendly group. The city of Havana reminds me of a stunning woman “of a certain age” whose beauty is still there under the surface of time’s wear, and I don’t know what they do to the black beans and rice (known as “Moors and Christians”) but my mouth waters just thinking about them. The Buena Vista Social Club music is in the air and makes you want to get up and dance in between endless rounds of mojitos and pina coladas.

"Pit Stop" by Jane Barton — “Pit Stop” by Jane Barton

Oh, and then there are the cars–I took 360 photos of mid-century Chevys, Buicks and even one of the few 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark Twos in the western hemisphere. My first painting, shown here, is a common scene in Havana: a car is stopped dead on a city street and Cubanos are all over it, once more figuring out how to make it run again with no parts and no gas. That’s what I really loved about the people–they may be captive on their little island, but they sure know how to, in the words of Tim Gunn, “make it work.”

Traveling Tips for Oil Painters

I wasn’t able to paint on this trip, but I’m often asked about the nuts and bolts of managing it all. Travel with art supplies takes some careful preparation. Finding art stores can be challenging, if not impossible, in some countries. Besides that, we all have our favorite colors and canvas surfaces and painting in a foreign country can be intimidating enough without trying to make do with unfamiliar supplies.
Since 9/11 the rules regarding combustibles are strict. I often avoid the problem by taking watercolors, but even then those little tubes often look suspicious to a TSA agent. I’ve had no trouble (so far) packing oil paints in my luggage and I thought I’d share what I do, with the understanding that we can but try…

Before you leave, try to determine how many canvases you’ll be able to complete each day: one in the morning, one in the afternoon, one for good luck? How much paint will you need? If you don’t know how much paint you use in a week or two, start keeping track of what you use before you leave. You’ll probably need a lot of white paint and small (37ml) tubes of colors you use regularly, but just half a tube of specialty colors, like reds for flowers. Paint tubes are heavy, so find out the weight limit for your airline and pack carefully to avoid extra baggage charges.
I make sure that I include a very visible note (see below) to the TSA on the outside of a double zip lock bag of paints. The note assures the TSA people that the contents are not combustible. I learned on the Gamsol site and others NEVER to refer to the contents as “paint”! The double bag is because the paints might pop open due to baggage hold pressure and you probably don’t want to wear dioxizine purple all over your clothes…for a week.
ATTN: TSA
THESE ARTIST COLORS ARE MADE FROM VEGETABLE OIL AND
CONTAIN NO SOLVENT.
ARTIST GRADE COLORS ARE VEGETABLE BASED WITH A FLASH POINT ABOVE 550.
THEY ARE NOT HAZARDOUS.

"The Boys from Peru" by Jane Barton — “The Boys from Peru” by Jane Barton

The next question is how to transport those precious wet canvases home. Once you know how many canvases you think you’ll need, there are several ways to carry and pack them efficiently. On my first trip to France I precut my 8 x 10” canvas with a 1/2 inch border around them. I carried three or four 1/8 inch gator boards that were another half inch larger than the canvas. (Wildlife painter Carl Rungius just thumbtacked the corners, so you can try that.) At the end of a painting session I pulled the wet canvas off the board, set it aside to dry, and taped a fresh one on for the next day. You can bring dozens of canvases this way with a minimum of weight and space. By the end of the trip–a week or two–the first canvases are pretty dry and can safely be stacked with sheets of waxed paper between them. The wet ones can be mounted on both sides of the boards and taped together with push pin “spacers”, then wrapped tightly in plastic for the trip home. You can also use a light weight card board wet box to transport them home. On my last trip to Italy, I brought Raymar’s Featherweight boards and loved them. Whatever method you decide to use, it helps to bring just one size board so they’ll stack and pack easily. You can always adjust the size with tape if you decide you need a different shape for a particular subject.
Be sure to carry on the things you can’t live without. I carry a 2 to 3 oz. plastic bottle of Liquin in my carry on “liquids” bag and add a little of it each day to my white paint. That ensures that most of the colors will have some drying agent in them to help speed up the process. I carry on my brushes. We all have our favorites and are unlikely to find them in little out of the way towns). I also include a few canvases, boards and masking tape. These are the things that are hard to replace if my bag gets lost for a few days.
Needless to say, you cannot pack or carry on Gamsol or turps–the first adventure in each town is finding some at a hardware store or art store if they have one! It helps if you can look up the words for “turpentine”, “mineral spirits”, “solvent” and “odorless” and write them down before you leave the country.
I also make sure that my brush washer container is as odor free as I can make it–I wash it out in soapy water and double zip lock bag it to avoid having any problem there. I pack my palette knife in my luggage, too, and pray for it’s safe arrival.

"Working On The Nets" by Jane Barton, 12x9, Oil on board, 2011 — “Working On The Nets” by Jane Barton

Finally, my “insurance kit”: I always carry on a very compact kit of watercolor paper, paints squeezed out in palette cups and left out to dry before I pack them, brushes and old film containers for water–if the oils don’t make it for a while, I still can hit the ground running and start painting when I arrive in town.

There are no guarantees and the rules change, so be sure to check airline websites before you leave, but these ideas have worked for me and I’ve had so many wonderful experiences painting abroad! I hope you’ll share any travel tips you’ve discovered in your travels with us on this blog. Happy painting–wherever you may be!

“A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. and all plans, safeguards, policies and coercion are fruitless, we find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.”
-John Steinbeck

Make Preliminary Drawings The First Step In Your Portrait Process and Get the Painting Right the First Time

Joyce Pike · Jul 23, 2012 · 3 Comments

Every portrait painting is the result of a series of steps. Some artists have fewer steps than others, and most artists are eager to grab their paints and dive right into the color process. But those who simply pose their model and start painting are taking a lot of chances, such as improperly placing the model on the canvas or discovering a more interesting pose once you’ve already begun. After many hours of your hard work and your model’s patient posing, you don’t want to wipe it all off and start over again.
That’s why preliminary drawings are such an effective portrait tool because they help solve problems before they happen. Drawings let you map out your subject and get acquainted with all the hidden things you’ll need to know about him or her. Take bone structure, for instance — every skull is similar, but there are always subtle variations that can make a big difference in the portrait. You must be as aware of the unseen side of your subject as you are of the visible side. If you’re guessing, the viewer will know it.
Use drawings to get to know your subject before you begin the actual portrait. For some artists this may take no more than a few sketches and suggested values.
This kind of familiarity also pays off because with a live model, no matter how good a model he or she is, your subject is frequently changing. There are many muscles in the human head, more than in any other part of the body, and nearly all of them move when the expression changes on the subject’s face. If you can learn some thing about what muscles made the expression you want, then you can compensate for subtle changes (A smile, for instance, consists of much more than just upturned corners of the mouth.)
Put a little preparation into each portrait you do by starting off with preliminary drawings. You’ll soon find that a little investment up front can save you a lot of trouble later on, and it brings an important step closer to making your portraits the best they can be.
I have a good friend, Frank, who has wonderful bone structure. Every bone is right up front where I can see it. I snapped two photos of him, not pretty, smiley photos, but character studies. I wanted to show his bones and wrinkles off to their greatest advantage.
Portrait Pointer: when you can’t find a model who is willing to sit for several hours, go for photography. Be ready with your camera when a great face comes your way. Just remember, don’t just copy the photo, study the bone structure and value patterns the same as you would when using a live model. Measuring is very necessary. Remember, every skull is different. Don’t generalize. Drawing is not only necessary to portraiture but a beautiful and fun form of art.

Uber Umbers and Other Colors from the Earth

Margret Short · Jul 16, 2012 · 3 Comments

"Cleopatras Garden" by Margret Short OPA — **Cleopatra’s Garden** 28×22 oil Margret E. Short

Throughout the ages since the very first scrawls were made in caves and tribal hunting events were recorded on walls, people have been using colors made of ochres, umbers, madders, bugs, mummies, minerals, shells, iron oxides, and plants. These pigments decorated sheets of papyrus, vellum, paper, faces, bodies, fabrics, clothing, tools, leather, weapons, walls, ceilings, and stones far and near.
People perhaps just hacked a chunk off the cave wall and started noodling, or charred a bone from last night’s dinner, or took a stick from the fire and began to make marks. The earth itself for thousands of centuries has created a harmonious palette of archival and readily available colors to create some of the most beautiful and enduring art in the world.

"Metamorphosis" by Margret Short OPA — **Metamorphosis** 12×12 oil Margret E. Short

Today, artists around the world are still using many of those same pigments as used in the past. Thanks to specialty companies, we know more about the composition, archival quality, rarity, cost, permanence, transparency, opacity, toxicity, saturation, drying times, and source of these pigments — issues which are enormously important to artists.
This topic has become a passion for me over the recent years, and I have experimented with most of the available historical pigments in one way or another, creating several in-depth projects that involve both artistic and cultural research. The most profound characteristics discovered are that these pigments are splendid to work with and endlessly beautiful.

"Feluccas on the Nile" by Margret Short OPA — **Feluccas on the Nile** 7×5 oil on silver leaf Margret E. Short

Mother Nature herself has done the palette preparation work for me, as the natural subtle muted quality is all ready to go. Time has aged the ochres into dazzling arrays of warm and cool yellows that, when placed side by side, are instantly pleasing to the senses. The umbers work in the same way and come in stunning varieties of light, medium, and very dark, depending on the source. Lapis Lazuli, azurite, malachite, and ivory black comprise my list of favorites. Technically not an earth color, but manufactured by the ancient Egyptians, Egyptian blue frit is a clear crisp color used to decorate the dizzying riches of the Pharaohs.

Natural cinnabar, my favorite red mineral pigment, formed eons ago by a perfect marriage of mercury and sulfur is mined in Spain, Russia and the west coast of the US, including Oregon where I live. You can see the beauty in the muted hue, which is not garish at all.
To my eye, the modern cadmiums are so highly saturated they overpower my canvas and are difficult to handle on the palette. I find this true also of other modern colors such as phthalo greens and blues. Occasionally, when my mad-scientist self gets restless, I break out of this mold and experiment with some of the modern azo, turquoise, and quinacridones, but I usually will spend time muting or graying them down in some way.

"Secret Life of Iris" by Margret Short OPA (detail-cinnabar, madder, white) — **Secret Life of Iris** 30×30 – Detail (cinnabar, madder, flake white)

Contrary to common knowledge, making hand-made paints is relatively easy once safety precautions are in place. All you need is a mask, a little oil, pigment, a grinding slab, and a muller. The dry pigment powder is mostly ready to go and just involves mixing in the oil to make sure all of the pigment disperses with the oil.

"Nefertitis Garland" Margret Short OPA (detail - Egyptian green frit) — **Nefertiti’s Garden** 12×5 (detail) (Egyptian green frit) Margret E. Short

Another common misconception is the natural pigments are too toxic to handle carefully. Actually, there are only a few that have warnings and with caution, those can be handled too. I always use a respirator and gloves while wearing a smock, and most importantly, I grind the paint in an area with no breeze such as a fan or blowing furnace vent.

"The Golden Age" by Margret Short OPA — **The Golden Age** 12×12 oil Margret E. Short

Rather than using orpiment, which is problematic and toxic, I use chrome yellow at the suggestion of Eric Hebborn, the infamous art forger. (He implemented this ploy when repainting over old canvases that he intended to sell as fakes). You can see chrome yellow mixed with cinnabar here on the tangerines in The Golden Age. The range of colors is amazing when using just a few earth colors. Rembrandt had about 20 in his repertoire.
It really is a process of elimination. I use just the colors that are safe after they are encased in oil and toss out the fugitive (many of the plant-based colors) or toxic colors. I use caution and strict hygiene habits while painting. Most importantly, the mere fact of having a few select colors on my palette to deal with allows easy and quick decision color mixtures.
More and more interest in hand-ground paints made from natural pigments is surfacing lately. I invite you to choose a few colors, (even if you do not grind the paint yourself, purchase the ready-made), and experiment. Do some studies and see the difference in the surface quality of your canvas. Make that connection between you the painter, the aesthetic of your art, and your materials. The results just might be profoundly gratifying.

Paints, Brushes and Facebook Supports

Cathy Dietrich · Jul 9, 2012 · 1 Comment

Facebook could be as important to artists as their favorite supplies. I sensed this when the general manager of a prestigious Scottsdale gallery told me that when all else failed, Facebook helped him locate an artist he wanted to invite into the gallery to exhibit. He believed if an artist had a web address, they would also have a Facebook page as part of their marketing plan. This seems an incredible story unique to our times and I frequently relay it to artists who profess they don’t have time for Facebook.
In addition to finding the perfect oils, brushes and supports to create your art, an untapped audience could be waiting on the other side of your screen, so to speak, to connect with you and your art. Recently, a prolific plein air artist and popular instructor posted local scenes and paintings created on his trip east and photos of Sargeant’s works from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. I “traveled” with him and anticipated his daily posts. He posted “Thanks so much everyone for your congratulations and encouragement. It really means a lot to me.” Art is emotional and unsolicited constructive feedback is a gift.
When a quick critique is needed to save a piece gone awry a Facebook post of “what do you think this painting needs?” can bring every imaginable solution. I enjoy artist’s posts of “just finished, still on the easel” paintings in the studio or plein air works still on outdoor easels positioned to show the view of the painted scene. Posts of paintings sold right off the easel and paintings juried into prestigious shows send an immediate thrill throughout the art community. The sharing of friends’ achievements becomes the community’s collective success.
Artists like to share supplies they love. I was unaware of Vasari oil paints until an artist posted that the company sent her entire palette as a gift. Comments immediately appeared from artists who swore by that brand. So Facebook not only informs, but teaches. CW Mundy posted a painting with a glazing technique and when queried offered steps to achieve the effect. An artist commented “the mark of a great instructor is one who uses every opportunity to teach”. I was impressed and surprised to consider Facebook as the art community’s personal arts “channel” and discussion forum.

Jeff Legg OPAM with "The Provisions" — Jeff Legg OPAM with “The Provisions”

It is a high honor for an artist to have their work juried into the national OPA exhibit and artists shared their stellar news of acceptance on Facebook. Later posts appeared of artists alongside their award winning paintings to connect with a broader audience. I enjoyed seeing Jeff Legg next to his painting and award, offered my congratulations and thanked him for posting it. I also sent a private message to Melissa Gann who won our RayMar award. She responded with “Thank you for creating the memorial award. I am so honored to be the recipient. You and Emily do so much for the art community through RayMar.” Comments like Melissa’s are humbling and create excitement among sponsors and ultimately collectors to become more involved.
So after some solo time in the studio artists can tap into the Facebook art world for the latest news and even the possibility of a sale without ever leaving the studio. I know because I just concluded my first facebook sale. I saw a posted painting I loved, contacted the artist and made the purchase. It was immediate and I could send a message directly to the artist to express my emotional connection with the painting.
Facebook can be a waste of time if you are undisciplined, but as a fresh way to connect with collectors, gallery directors, workshop instructors and art buddies to build friendships it is unsurpassed. Facebook is an exciting part of my day and I’m happy to have the opportunity to share my thoughts about some of its advantages with you as OPA’s guest blogger.

Important Website Considerations for Artists: Part 1 of 3

Brian Steck · Jul 2, 2012 · 2 Comments

There is no law that requires you to have a website, no one is forcing you to use a cell phone and no one mandates that you drive a car.
But each of these are tools and technologies that enhance the quality of life around us, to the point that some deem them necessities.
I’m here as a child of the digital age, and a full-time freelance web developer, presenting some ideas that, should you chose to accept them, may benefit your livelihood in this internet-crazed world we now live in.

Adapting to the digital world

“If I cover my eyes, maybe it’ll all go away!”
Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as ignoring it. There are some of you that have been forced to use new technologies which would have been considered science-fiction a decade ago. Or maybe you remember the age when making a phone call meant speaking with an operator first. Either way, take a moment, a deep breath and pat yourself on the back — I mean, you’re reading a blog for goodness sakes! Way to go!
A few things to acknowledge:

It’s okay to not know – the key to the digital age is that you don’t need to know or remember anything. That’s what Google is for! If you have a question, it’s only a search away.
You don’t have to do it all – new and ever-changing technologies are just a fact of life. So don’t feel as if you need to sign up for every social network out there. Pick one and stick with it.
There are no “tricks” or shortcuts to success – when it comes down to it, your journey to success is still all about quality and trust. Providing consistent, exceptional value to the customer is what it’s all about. This is true whether you’re an oil painter, a supply store or a fortune 500 company.

The need for a website

“Com’n, you know you wanna. Everyone’s doing it!”
We’ve all heard it before: “you’ve gotta have a website”. It was the resounding cry of the dot-com boom that caused businesses and organizations, large and small, to rush out like lemmings off a cliff to stake their claim of the world wide web. Unfortunately, few stopped to ask “why?” Today, many folks are stuck with expensive, outdated and altogether abandoned websites — now scratching their heads and wondering “what did I need this website for, anyhow?”
Why do you need a website? Here’s why: People are no longer relying on yellow-pages and billboards to find the products they need. Instead, they turn to Google or Facebook. The “like” button or online product review has become the new “word of mouth”. So, when someone is looking for an “original oil painting near Denver”, for example, it becomes very important that you are online and easy to find when they begin that search.

Important Considerations – Part 1: Goals & Organization

“Tips for right-brain thinkers who prefer to leap, then look”
Steven Covey, in the book “7 Habits for Highly Effective People”, says “Begin with the end in mind.” This is my advice to you, as well. What are you trying to accomplish? We know that we are supposed to have a website, but we are often unclear as to “why”. Your website is your business card. It is the book cover that people judge you by. A website should reflect the personality, professionalism and quality of your product which, in your case, is your artwork.

Interesting Stats:

It’s been said that upon meeting someone you have seven seconds to make an impression. This is even more true online. In fact, some studies say it takes less than two tenths of a second for an online visitor to form an opinion of your brand. ¹
Needless to say, your website must present your business in the finest light possible.

So your first goal should be to make a good impression. Spend time thinking about the image you want to present of yourself?
Secondly, ask yourself this clarifying question: “What do I want people to leave with or accomplish while visiting?”
To help with the specifics of that last question, let me give some examples. Maybe your end-goal is that your visitor purchase something; so make sure that your products and prices are obvious, that you have a simple and functional shopping cart with current discounts and specials highlighted.
Would you like them to sign up for a newsletter? Then make that registration form the first thing they see and perhaps offer a free download or reward for signing up.
If your ideal is for visitors to spend time looking at your paintings and share them with others, then put your photo gallery on the front page with prominent “share” or “comment” buttons for each of them.
You see, it’s not difficult to create a game plan, but it begins with the end in mind. Your visitor is better-served because you provided them with obvious steps to accomplish. No one enjoys arriving at a website only to stare blankly at it wondering, “now what?”
The third goal that I see for any website is that it provides quality content. This content, or information, should take into account your intended audience. Some questions you should be asking while creating your website are:

Who are you trying to reach?
What is your target audience?
Are they of a particular age? If older, should font size be increased?
Will they be accessing your website on a desktop computer or from their mobile device?
What are they most likely looking for? What phrases will they be searching with?

These questions can help guide you in making decisions about layout, graphics, fonts, content and navigation.
Do your best to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Think like the visitor.

“Important Website Considerations for Artists” is a three part series aimed to help artists make educated decisions around their web presence. Feel free to add questions and comments below and the author will do his best to point you in the right direction. If you’re in need of assistance with your website, feel free to visit Steck Insights Web Design.