Archives for August 2020

I chose to paint this piece because of the dramatic nature of the composition, the lighting, and the color. The composition would be like none other I had ever painted before- full of everything “a little girl is made of”- keeping your eye wandering around like an “I spy” game. (Even she seems to be trying to hide the fact that she let the cat on the bed.) Most of my other paintings were centered on one idea with very little “supporting characters” to that central theme. This one was more complex- a story in a snapshot that displayed the overwhelming love that was lavished on this little girl- from the flowers, to the pet, to the doll, to the flowered laden dress, to the homemade throw. So, yes, simplifying the painting would have “brought out” the subject more, but the narrative (and the added interest, in my opinion) would have been lost.

The lighting was a challenge- back lit by cool light casting warm dark shadows on the face. It was important to not go too dark because of the child’s age, and to be sure to alternate warms and cools to get a lifelike appearance.

But the color- wow. The color! I knew it would be the star of the show. Her little dress was a gorgeous, vibrant pink with yellow and blue flowers, with matching multi color sandals and pink socks. The array of flowers behind her echoed her dress but added new colors. And if that weren’t enough, the crocheted throw she was kneeling on had it’s share of color. Then there was the doll with a sweet sunshine yellow dress. (I also had to make sure that the doll’s face looked like a doll and the child’s face looked alive.) Then there was the “hidden” cat- with it’s reflected colors. 

The first decision I made on color was to decide I wanted a very limited color palette. One red, one blue, and one yellow would be used along with two transparent colors and white to make the various colors in this painting. But I knew that the choice of which red to use would be the most important, because of the rose colored dress was a main part of the beauty of the picture. I brought out a small 9″ x 11″ canvas and drew a square on it. From there, I did a compositional study, along with a color study. You can see from the image below that I mixed some colors on the side of this canvas with 3 different reds in order to see which I needed to go with. In the end, “Napthol Red” was the winner. 

So, I took Napthol red, along with a blue and a yellow and created my “color circle” from just these three colors, along with a dark transparent in the center of the circle. In all of my workshops I teach how to create this circle. It allows you to have a wide array of colors at your fingertips without having to think about every single color you see and how to mix it while you are painting.

It is amazing how many colors show up when you premix from just three primary colors. And it’s a good thing. This painting would use most of them, as the wide arrange of colors each told a story of how this child is very much “Cherished.”

To see me mixing this color circle in one of my workshops, click this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQTEsOLp5YU&t=2s

In early March, many of us were probably asking ourselves a similar question: “How do I keep producing art and growing while in the midst of a pandemic?”  I’ll be sharing a bit about how I answered this question and I hope it will be helpful. 

In January I set a personal goal to paint at least 80% from life, and if I could achieve 100% that would be even better!  Due to a recent surgery and other issues, standing for any length of time at an easel or walking uneven terrain is difficult, and we now had a ‘lock down’ in Ohio.  I decided that painting still life works would be a great way to meet my goals, keep my skills sharp, and also create something meaningful…not to mention keep my mind occupied and anxiety in check!  

Having been a landscape painter almost exclusively for most of my life and with no formal art school training, I felt like a fish out of water when it came to still life.  I kept seeing inspiring posts about learning to paint still life from my friend, Kelli Folsom OPA, so I decided to sign up for her ongoing course, Vital Art Sessions.  My intent isn’t to endorse any particular course or artist, although I highly recommend Kelli, but I’m sharing what worked for me.  Taking a course with an accomplished, inspiring, award-winning artist has been so beneficial, because it’s given me the structure and motivation I needed to keep on track.  Having a private Facebook group where participants can share their “oops” was also beneficial.  Because of my goal, painting mostly from life, I used the practice lessons to get better at painting objects correctly and then tried interpreting the lesson using my own props and, finally, creating my own setups. 

As a point of information: I’m not selling the works copied from Kelli’s video lessons because they are not my original concept, but they are great learning tools.  Many were clunkers, to be honest.  I completed more than 50 paintings from the beginning of March through mid-June when I took the photo (below).  As a former teacher, I know the importance of concrete learning experiences and celebrating our ‘wins’ when learning new skills, so actually seeing that body of work in one photo was really encouraging.

Painting is a very complex activity, and still life painting is no exception:  our brain must interpret a 3-dimensional object/scene onto a 2-dimensional surface.  It takes a lot of time to set up a successful still life, sometimes even longer than doing the actual painting!  The artist is actually creating the setting, including the lighting, colors, shapes, and composition/concept, rather than responding to what is already there, as is the case with plein air painting.  It requires a different set of problem-solving skills than when working outdoors, although there are similarities.  Some questions you might ask: What colors will you use?  Do you have a color plan?  How will the eye move through the composition?  What is your value plan?  Do you have enough/too much variety in sizes?  What size canvas?  There are many considerations; these are but a few. 

My studio is in the basement and the lighting was too harsh; I couldn’t see the shadows on the objects because of too many light sources, so that required changing my lighting.  You need a light blocker and, ideally, a table that can move up or down so you can adjust the perspective on the setup.  Some old, black mat board taped together made a great light blocker; stacked wooden boxes on top of an old side table made a stand. Later on, I found an inexpensive standing desk that has an adjustable lever so it can go up to 42” and bought the black trifold presentation cardboard for the light blocker.  There are lots of free videos and tips on various ways to set up lights and create a light blocker if you do a google search.

The pandemic and inability to go out prompted some more problem solving…how do you get flowers, fruit, etc., when a quick trip to the grocery store isn’t possible?  It’s the old adage: make do with what you have.  It was very refreshing; few options = greater creativity.  An old skirt with a Bohemian flavor became a great drape for the background.  The redbud tree was resplendent this year, providing the inspiration for a painting using a complementary color scheme.  Small branches from shrubs make great additions for scale/color, and when the wild cherry tree and lilac bush bloomed, they became the centerpiece of a few paintings.  Learning something new causes one to look at things with new eyes….   

And then there are the props…!  You need a wide variety of shapes, sizes, finishes, and textures to create an interesting still life, in addition to flowers, vegetables, and fruit.  I’ve been given/collected some beautiful ceramic works over my lifetime (I’ll be 70 next month), and they are really special…gorgeous raku’, lovely glazes, interesting shapes/colors…and also inherited a few really old pieces full of history and memories.  One of the most surprising and engaging aspects of still life painting has been recalling the memories of loved ones as I paint a favorite vase or even the history I can feel when thinking about those times.  How can I get that emotion/connection into my paintings?  Sometimes it just flows out of the brush if you are in the right frame of mind, but most of the time it requires more thought and planning. 

There is a lot of research about how people learn new skills, and one recommendation is that you need more easel time (practice).  As a former teacher, I know that practice is important but it isn’t the only consideration when learning a new skill; you need focused practice as well as more contextual learning.  Painting is a complex activity, and developing mastery with still life painting is more than being able to paint a great ellipse (something that can still challenge me!).  Reading books on the topic, watching videos, and viewing works in person (art museums) or online by famous still life artists is also valuable.  I took an online intensive 5-day still life workshop with Kelli, signed up for another online class with a nationally known artist, and have been doing a lot of reading/research, which is ongoing.  A couple of books on still life were welcome additions to my collection of art books, and watching videos about still life painting over again with fresh eyes was enlightening. There are some great Zoom presentations and videos out there, and many are free, dealing with all kinds of art, so if you have an internet connection and a cell phone you are good to go!  I have an Apple TV connection, so I will often mirror the YouTube video/Zoom presentation on my big screen TV.  

By doing something productive I’ve felt better.  It’s required me to suspend judgment, open my mind, and accept help/guidance, sometimes a very difficult thing for a professional artist at any age.  Many of those old ‘rules’ and ideas need to take a back seat in order to learn something new.  I find that using a slogan such as “Take what you like and leave the rest” is very helpful…as is “slow and steady wins the race”.  It helps me to get out of my lock-step methods and opens me up to question/examine.  My goal has always been to be a ‘lifelong learner’, and to improve as an artist, not to adopt another artist’s style but to dig deep and become more expressive, creating something that is heartfelt.  It’s really caused me to think more about form, edges, about how light falls on an object, and to ask questions, such as, “What is my concept?  Why do I love this?  How can I get more emotion into my work?  What if….”   

On a happy ending note, I entered three still life paintings for the first time in the OPA Salon Show and just found out one was accepted, “Mother’s Day Bouquet”!  I’m sharing my story not to brag, but to encourage others – at any age – to try that thing you’ve never tried.  For me, it’s opened me up to new possibilities and new ways of thinking, not only about art, but about life.  These are such difficult times right now. Because I worked full time in as an educator for more than 30 years, I kept telling myself I would paint once I retired.  I’m so grateful I have the time to do this now.  I keep praying my health will hang in there so I can continue to learn, paint, and grow.  I’m wishing the same for all of you!  

After a difficult divorce in 2007,  I re-dedicated my focus on a book I began back in 2005.  “Beyond Paint:  A Guide to Conceptual Painting” had rambled around in my brain since 2004. I still have the boxes of words that eventually became the book published in 2013.

I had begun to paint at age 41 with no prior art instruction. My husband at the time thought I was possessed because once I picked up my brush, I never looked back.  At the same time, I was a mom to two little guys, ages 3 & 5 and I was working outside our home. (No wonder my hair is turning white.)

As we begin our journey as painters, we are naturally absorbed in details that have little or nothing to do with making art.  We might get bogged down in technique rather than rising above mere mechanics. Or, we might be distracted by sales or envious of those who have an easier ride to recognition. (Hint: There are many, many terrific painters.  There’s room for everyone.)

When I began to put my ideas about painting down on paper, I was forced to examine my own intentions and beliefs about what it means to paint beyond literal subject matter.  Like teaching, writing expands and forces one to make known what one really knows or not.  Teaching provides this same type of portal.

As I explored writing about a non-verbal discipline, painting, I examined those parts of myself that could serve as guides throughout the process.

I’d like to summarize those for you now and would love the opportunity to talk about them through this blog.

As a painter, I am interested in capturing transcendence in art.  Meaning, painting beyond subject material whether it be a model, still life or landscape.

For me, I have come to understand that:

Intention and Concept are interdependent. 

Intention and concept help to reveal the underlying forms that give integrity to the painting.  Intention and concept serve as a road map to realize the painting that I see in my mind’s eye but also includes an organic process that is beyond me and my own will. 

Without the artist’s intentionality and the inherent form, the work becomes simply self-expression, which prevents the painter and the final work from developing at its deepest level. Of course, for some painters, self-expression IS painting.  

Painting is far more than memorizing static information and rote practice.  Art is found, and subsequently thrives, on active questioning and a holistic (Yin and Yang) path of inquiry.  (Relationships, balance, whole, integral.) These are my own touchstones when working with mere blobs of paint at the end of a brush.

This means:

I, the painter, merely serve as an Agent, bringing together ordinary objects (my subject) with the principles of art to reveal the hidden radiance of everyday things.  This is realized through the balance of relationships within the painting. For me, it is a holistic approach which comes through active listening and attending to the painting throughout the process.

The sense of transcendence is discovered through the deepest intentions of the painter (also affirmed as the integrity of the painter).  My intention, personally, is to create work that is found in the relationships within the painting.  As we all know, relationships are often recognized as balanced & whole, or not. One brushstroke either helps or hurts the painting. It’s rarely benign.

The artist’s innermost intentions lead the painter, and subsequently the viewer, to a sense of transcendence that can’t be willed by the painter or the viewer.  

At the same time, my aim as a painter, as Agent, is to offer the viewer a sense of Repose for the Mind so that real knowing can take place.  

This place of Repose allows for the viewer to see into the painting, and for the painting to “look back.”  The art of the masters contains the past, present, and future simultaneously—a lofty challenge for painters today.  

To have something I call the Fourth Dimension in one’s work is perhaps the most difficult in painting. It means a sense of Active Time.  The Time is present and we are present to it.  It means the work is contained on the Continuum of Time.  Past, Present, Future.

My responsibility as a painter is to serve as Agent to connect the viewer with something beyond my own perceptions, beyond objects, and beyond literalism.”