Archives for July 2017

Successful Air Travel With Minimal Art Supplies

Christine Lashley · Jul 31, 2017 · 6 Comments

Fear of how to fly with art supplies, especially internationally, can prevent artists from enjoying the joy of plein air painting in wonderful places. Concerns of TSA confrontations, paint confiscation, or hefty fees for overweight luggage can deter the most dedicated artist. Good travel strategies are required.

I have traveled a lot with art supplies: to to plein air events, and to teach international plein air workshops. Yes, you can travel easily with your oil paints! The trick to packing is to pare everything down to the smallest ounce based on essentials.
The first step in deciding what to pack is thinking about your needs.

Purpose of your trip. Will you be teaching a workshop, or attending one;
traveling for fun, etc.
Preferences while painting. Sit vs. stand; are you a quick painter vs. slow etc.
Special issues. For example someone who needs maximum sun protection would make having an umbrella a priority, otherwise an umbrella can be left at home.

Know TSA Regulations and What to Expect
It’s pretty simple. The word ‘paint’ is not a nice word for TSA agents. They think of flammable and caustic items which are prohibited. A tube of color does not contain the word ‘paint.’ Use the term ‘artist’s oil pigment’ or even better ‘artist’s vegetable-based oil pigment,’ if asked about your materials. Print out the Materials Data Sheet for your tubes to prove they are airplane-safe. Each paint manufacturer has this data online. A flash point at or above the 61°C mark is ‘safe’ for travel. (The flash point is the temperature at which a product will flame; therefore a higher flash point is better.) For example, Winsor & Newton paints all are easily within the ‘safe’ range at 100-250°C flash points according to their website. Winsor & Newton states: “We caution against travel with Liquin products. Although the flashpoints are in most cases greater than 61° Celsius, airline officials may still disallow their carriage… all solvents and thinners are banned regardless of flashpoint.” I have never had any paint confiscated in more than 15 years of travel with my materials. There is always the small chance that you will encounter an agent that is hyper-focused on finding ‘bad’ things in bags. It won’t help matters to get upset or angry. Remember that they are just trying to keep the skies safe. By knowing your materials and regulations no doubt the materials will be allowed.
Paints In Checked Bags
In general don’t treat your paints as something precious and fragile in your checked luggage. Keep your paints with your clothes to show TSA they are not dangerous items. If you wrap each tube in bubble wrap it may look suspicious and it will possibly annoy an agent that has to unwrap each one. Just toss your tubes in a Ziploc (double bag it if you are too nervous) along with the data sheet. There is the small chance that a tube will burst or get crushed, but a tube should still be useable upon arrival. Pack a few empty sandwich Ziploc bags in case a leak happens. A loose sheet of bubble wrap around the whole Ziploc package usually protects everything in transit just fine. I travel with partly-used tubes (especially in colors I don’t use as much) knowing that the weight of my bags is decreased. Do check weight restrictions on each airline you are using and weigh your bag with a luggage scale prior to departure. Overseas bags have strict weight and size restrictions and it may vary depending on your airline. Palette knives must be checked.
Paints in Carry On Luggage

It’s possible to travel light and not check a bag, even when traveling overseas (Rick Steve’s backpack is great for this). Artist’s color in tubes is considered a ‘wet’ or ‘liquid’ item, (for watercolor or oil) and subject to the liquid requirements of TSA, so you will need to put any tubes you take with you in your 1 quart Ziploc allowed onboard. For oil you can only realistically get by with a limited palette of partly-used tubes and a full small white. Don’t have a large white tube half-used (the tube must have only ever contained less than 3 oz). Buy things like toothpaste or shampoo after you pass security. Watercolor puddles in a pre-filled palette must be dry (pre-fill your palette and leave it open for at least a week to dry out) to not be subject to the ‘wet’ rules. Take only the small or tiny setup listed below if one bag is your travel goal.
Three Basic Art Travel Setups – From Medium to Tiny
Please note that I do not use solvent when painting. As stated above this is NOT allowed on the plane in either checked bags or carry on. You can use water-mixable oils (read my prior OPA blog post on using these paints), or look for solvent when you arrive. Sometimes conventions, or workshops/schools provide solvent upon arrival.

Medium Oil Setup: easel or paintbox and tripod (EasyL lite, Strada Mini or Micro, EnPleinAirPro Travel), brushes, oil paint (warm and cool of each primary color plus white), 8×10” drybox (will hold 6×8 and 8×10 panels), featherweight panels from RayMar or WindRiver (AC14), cut pre-primed canvas sheets cut to be a little larger than an 6×8 panel (you can mount these on 6×8 panels when you get home) tape these scraps to an 8×10 panel with artist’s tape, wax paper to place between semi-dried panels or use frame bumpers to separate and tape the bundle together when ready to go home. Fresh wet paintings can go in your drybox. Solvent free gel (Gamblin), increases paint spread-ability and hastens dry time. Masters Brush Cleaner. Small plastic snap-top cup for water (or solvent that is acquired upon arrival). Paper towels (good to travel with a few folded, buy more upon arrival if needed). Palette knife. Brush tray and holder. About 8-15 lbs., fits in a large tote or backpack.
Small Oil Setup: Tabletop mini box with no tripod legs such as Thumbox Pochade (Utrecht) or Strada Micro. One color of each primary (Permanent Red Light, French Ultramarine, Cad Yellow Light, White) if you are going to a tropical location add one tube of mostly used Thalo Blue. Most of the other supplies above (edit as desired). Use half-handle brushes such as Rosemary’s Ivory Pochade Set. Plastic credit card cut in half instead of a palette knife. About 3-7 lbs. fits in a small tote.
Tiny/Sketchbook Setup: Some artists choose to just work in a small sketchbook of oil on paper when traveling. Use primed paper or primed canvas pad. Use a disposable paper palette to avoid a box and easel, or try an empty Altoid tin or two. Watercolor or gouache presents a terrific compact option for sketchbook studies. A problem for some artists is the weight of carrying water for the watercolor paints. Tiny watercolor paint set kits (Winsor & Newton half-pan Field Set) and a water-pen solve this problem (Aqua Stroke or Koi Waterbrush). Pencil (mechanical), pen and sketchbook (Holbien Multimedia; Stillman & Birn Alpha – Red label; or Moleskine). 5oz -1.5 lbs. can fit in a tiny tote or purse.

Plan Ahead
Get your supplies in order early and try everything out, so you don’t have disappointment on your trip. Sometimes items are out of stock and there is a wait. Plan on setting all your supplies out and just looking at them. Pre-pack them to see how heavy or light they will be. Try them out in your yard or at a cafe before you go to make sure all works fine.
Plein Air Competitions
Competitions require the greatest amount of materials. If you are doing a plein air event you need to create a certain number of paintings for the jury, and to hopefully sell artworks to pay for your trip. I ship my frames ahead along with heavy items such as a drill or point driver. I order from an online art company a basic set of duplicate paints – just in case mine burst or don’t make it. I check in my bag another set of paints, some partly used to save space. You must arrive for a plein air competition with enough materials to get started right away. I travel with items that are critical to use immediately upon arrival and would be costly to ship overnight if lost/damaged in my carry on bag (Redwing 50 backpack) which can perform double duty to carry all my art stuff during the competition: paintbox (EasyL lite), brushes, Revelite light component 12” wrapped in bubblewrap (if you have a Revelite battery it must be in checked luggage as it is a lithium ion battery and not allowed in carry on luggage), a few panels, watercolor mini set for sketching. In a checked bag I put: clothes, oil paints (a warm and cool of each color plus white, solvent-free gel), tripod, drybox/PanelPak(s), panels, umbrella (Best Brella) Revelite battery and cords, brush tray, misc. small items such as bungee cord, paper towels, tape, pen, etc.
Shipping Considerations
Overseas shipping will incur heavy fees and customs red-tape so this is not advised. Shipping is a good option domestically, especially for plein air events. However, there are a few problems to consider. 1) You must pickup your package(s) when you arrive (rarely can it be delivered to your host home directly). 2) Often framers or art suppliers over-pack items (they don’t want things to get damaged) and the package will not fit in your rental car! Try to talk to your supplier that is shipping items ahead (such as frames) and ask for reusable boxes or smaller packaging. Do not have the UPS Store pack items for you as they often use huge boxes filled with peanuts (a nightmare to deal with). 3) If you pack a box yourself (versus ordering direct) you pay twice for shipping to your event… once to your home/studio and then to your event, so this can add up.

Final Advice
Most people still over-pack and bring too much, I’m still working on the perfect list myself! Figure 2-3 paintings a day when calculating the number of panels to bring, less if you are with non-painters. You can usually buy what you need if you really had to, or if you are with a group someone will gladly give you a blob of paint. Check your expiration date on your passport; it must be valid for at least an additional 6 months from when your ticket departs.

The 2017 National OPA Convention in Cincinnati

Booth Malone · Jul 24, 2017 · 2 Comments

Why Every OPA Artist Should Attend This Event
If I may borrow from actor George Takei: “Oh My!”
I never expected to see John Michel Carter, Kathryn Beligratis, Bill Whitaker, or Suzie Baker together in a conga line – or myself for that matter – but that was what the closing party for the OPA’s 26th Annual National show was like.
The venue for the party, Cincinnati’s American Sign Museum, was just the place for painters, patrons, venders and friends to kick up their heels. The unusual surroundings (iconic neon signs and memorabilia from the fifties and sixties), capped an unusually relaxing and comfortable four days along the banks of the Ohio.
With the weather and temperature cooperating, the river and the city parks were within walking distance – as were the fine dining and Graeter's Ice Cream. Friday, Saturday and Sunday were packed with informative demos and presentations. More things to do and see than any one person could take in.
The reason most frequently given for not coming to an OPA National Juried Exhibition is: “I didn’t get in.” With all respect, if you are waiting for that you are missing the point of a conference. The annual show provides every OPA member the opportunity to see and learn, to meet and to exchange ideas with other artists. And by missing the National you’re just missing a lot of fun.
A painting demonstration by William Whitaker OPAM is always as entertaining as informative, and he was followed on Friday by a portrait demo by Johanna Harmon and still later, a presentation by David Mueller: “Sophisticated Fundamentals.” Many who attended this talk came away with the feeling they had just gotten their money’s worth for coming to Cincinnati. I could go on, and maybe I should – but whenever I hear that phrase spoken, I’m already tuning out.
I will just make a plug for next year’s conference: Steamboat Springs, Colorado – a place as beautiful in the summer as it is the rest of the year.
I’ve been on both sides of the equation myself, but can’t say ‘in-or-out’ has ever deterred my attending a show. If time, distance, and budget cooperate, the opportunity to see, meet, hear and learn from your contemporaries cannot be missed.
At every conference I’ve attended, information is exchanged constantly and freely: technical, material, professional. It is there for the asking.
Quite literally, going to OPA events has made me a better artist.
Okay. That’s the business end.
The real story was this: Cincinnati was a great place to go, just to have fun with your ‘peeps.’
Cincinnati may have been the best yet.

Seeing the paintings accepted into the annual OPA online or in the catalog, is a poor substitute for the real thing.

Save the date for next year’s National Show in Steamboat Springs, CO, June 1 – September 3, 2018.
Opening Weekend Events: May 30 – June 3, 2018

Failure and the Power of Believing.

Bill Farnsworth · Jul 10, 2017 · 22 Comments

Failure;

This is a word that makes people cringe and we all try to avoid the dreaded act. Our society is built on those who succeed and those who fell short and failed. Yet failure is part of the journey to becoming a better artist. Be kind to yourself in knowing that you succeeded at the first step. TRYING.
There’s an old golf saying that goes something like this, “You miss 100% of shots you never take”. Many people who would like to take a painting class or workshop never do for fear of looking foolish. To all those who feel this way, stop it! Take a chance, get your feet wet, and throw caution to the wind. Did I miss any other old trite sayings?
Everyone starts at the beginning and there are no short cuts to getting better as an artist. We can be taught the principals of painting and it may not come out of your brush for a while. You need the time of practice, which will yield failure after failure until the pile of bad paintings shrinks and the pile of good paintings grows.
Let me be clear, THERE ARE NO SHORT CUTS.
All your failed paintings were valuable learning experiences. If you have a painting that is not going well, wipe it out and start again. You will find that your next start will be much better because you learned something. My students that progress the fastest have an attitude that their painting is an exercise and not a precious master piece. I watched Bill Anton paint a demo that was a beauty and at the end he wiped it out, to the groan of 600 people. He said this was just an exercise. As it sunk in, the audience gave him a standing ovation.
Your painting journey will have many failures until the jewel comes to the surface and will erase 100 bad paintings.

The Power of believing;

The most incredible achievements known to man would not have been possible without the dedication of having faith they would prevail. A career in art is a hard climb with many road blocks that often lead most to taking another path. It is not a career you can successfully do without very hard work and sacrifice. There are many artists that are starting late in life these days and are finding it tough. Even the artists who have been in the business for years still are working very hard.
I know this doesn’t sound like a good intro to motivational speaking, but the good part is coming. There is no other way than total dedication to achieve success in any endeavor.
Orville and Wilbur Wright had this idea of manned flight. They faced enormous odds with trying to break the code of lift and drag. No one thought it was possible and even the Wright’s themselves had doubts. Through countless trials that risked their lives every time they took to the air, the Wright Brothers finally achieved sustained flight.
John Singer Sargent was commissioned to paint a Parisian socialite that he had hoped would have catapulted his career in Paris. He painted his client with a fallen strap and the critics were brutal. His client who had loved the painting was now attacking him. Most artists would have been ruined, but Sargent had faith in his abilities and left Paris for London with his painting “Madame X” to further his career. We all know how that turned out.
There is a gleaming common thread with successful artists and it’s not talent. It is the unrelenting faith they have deep in their gut. Where does this come from? We all should believe in something, whether it is Jesus, Allah, Buddha, the moon, sun, or even just a rock. But the most important is believing in yourself.
Nothing of substance comes easy, and your failures are the steps you must climb and your belief is the vehicle.

Epiphany: on Music and Breaking the 'Rules'

Anna Rose Bain · Jul 3, 2017 · 7 Comments

I am a professional artist, but what some people don’t know about me is that I've played piano since I was eight years old. I was classically trained all the way through college, with a major in art and a minor in music. I took all the music classes: theory, aural skills, counterpoint. I even took voice lessons and sang in the choir. I loved music with a passion that rivaled my love for art… it was that big a part of my life.
But there came a point when I had to choose, because I couldn't devote 100% of my time to both. These art forms each demand much more of a person when it comes to choosing a career path. I chose painting, and the music gradually diminished from my life.
Recently, however, I’ve returned to playing piano once in a while just for fun. Since I've played some of the same stuff over and over for the last 15 years, I decided to order some new sheet music to freshen up my repertoire.
At first I was excited to play through the new material, but I quickly realized that the music was just "ok". Honestly I got rather bored playing through these lovely but cliche arrangements of popular songs.
This made me realize that I have changed. I'm not a student anymore, but a person who is capable of taking something and making it my own. And as a recovering rule-follower, it has taken me years to realize that I can do this. The possibilities are limitless.
Now I know why my high school piano teacher was pushing the "Fake Books" on me, but I never wanted to try them. Now I know why jazz musicians can really let loose, and why improv performers can take an ordinary tune and turn it into something amazing.
What does this have to do with art? Well, as with the music, I am arriving at a similar place in my painting. One can spend a lifetime playing scales or painting color charts, and working solely on technique, but at some point, we have to break away and start becoming artists. We have permission to use our imagination and just roll with it. Let the art carry us on an unexpected journey. Those of us who struggle with perfectionism will constantly hear voices in our heads telling us to play it safe, and do things the comfortable or traditional way. Follow the "rules" because they are time tested.
But that is ridiculous! I have the vocabulary, and I’ve had it for years-both as an artist and a musician. Why did chord charts always scare me? Because it meant I had to take something and be "original" with it! Why does breaking away from classical art scare me? Because it means I am forging new territory and I have to own it.
I've been having conversations with other artists about ways that we can break away from traditional molds. Here are a few ideas:

Glaze an area down to improve the value structure and overall design.
Eliminate or add elements either from another reference source or from your imagination.
Do an entire painting in only one color family.
Choose unusual subject matter (I am currently starting a series on people
working out at the gym!).
Go through stacks of old studies and paintings and analyze why they worked or didn't.
Drastically change some of them to see if your problem solving skills have improved since you first painted them.

The list goes on and on but I’d love to hear what you have to say about this. How are you successfully "breaking the rules" in your art?

Archives for July 2017

Failure;

The Power of believing;

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