A Painting Trip to Southern France !!!

Domaine Haut Baran

Our Quarters for Ten Glorious Days

Lavendar and Poppies

Location: Southern France

Oh My Goodness !!! I almost forgot to post this great upcoming event here!! I am soooo excited to be taking a group of 15 painters (and non painters) to this great location near Toulouse, France that my head has been in the clouds over it !!!

June 28 to July 8, 2012, we will be smack in the rural countryside of the Perigord region of France, which will be saturated with blooming Lavender fields and blooming sunflower fields! Yikes! The color!! The aromas!! The rolling countryside in this region is simply, to put it mildly, beautiful! And the foods . . . . . !!! OMG !! Can you imagine fresh, warm Croissants with your morning coffee every morning? Can you picture you and your friends at a long dinner table being served the finest French cuisines by your hosts . . . .and . . . . .the laughter and chatter about the day's adventures? Can you? And what about (perhaps) standing up to your hips in wild flowers painting the fields and and local chateaus? Sound romantic ?

We will also have a studio in which to paint and a fine villa in which to stay (see photo above) while being hosted by a charming couple. The lodgings are tip top quality and quite reflective of the surrounding region's culture and heritage. There will be side trips during the ten days to ancient villages where you can shop, sight see and snack / dine on the local fare. Wines? Of course! Fromages? Bien Sur!!

My fantastic wife, Diana, and I have taken groups to Europe four times before this. We are most excited to be able to host both painters and non painters at this fabulous place. If you have never met Diana, you are in for a treat! She is lively and full of mischief and fun. She'll keep us giggling for much of the trip, I promise!

Interested? Know someone who might be interested ? Check more out at Domaine Haut Baran. There are lots of pictures and loads of information there to drink in and arouse your senses. If you are interested in learning more you can email me at mebaileyart@comcast.net. I will answer all your questions, including the most important one of price, and be able to put you in touch with our hosts so you can explore the possibilities directly with them.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Mike

A Breakthrough

"Straddling the Mean"

Watercolor, 22 x 30 inches

This last week was a big week in my class, entitled "Watercolor Beyond the Obvious." It is a ten week long course with multiple goals: to paint a series of paintings around the same subject, to learn about and apply the elements and principles of design and to get past mental barriers preventing success. The class is lively with lots of lecture and examples presented, while the participants paint two 22" x 30" paintings each week and bring them for critique. Each class session features over 40 paintings for the class to see critiqued.

The above painting was a preparation for class to illustrate the design principle of Harmony. It also was used to introduce the idea of the Golden Mean and how it might be applied in composing a painting.

Using M. Graham's richly pigmented watercolor paints, this painting was developed using the red and blue green complimentary colors . . . . .opposites on the color wheel and showing a possible way of relating the opposing / contrasting colors and values via the small colored lines across the picture plane. On the red side, the blue green, blues, and greens were employed in the little line strips to relate to the other side of the painting where the same colors appeared in the rectangular shape. And, conversely, the strips within that shape were colored in the colors that appear in the big square shape on the left. The objective was to relate the two sides.

George Post, a famous California Regionalist painter from the past taught his classes to "paint relationships." That is bucket full of words which sailed right over my head the first time I heard them. But now, after many years of painting, I could not agree more! Relating dissimilar things by emphasizing their similarities, or imposing similarities, as I did in the above painting, is what Post meant. It helps bring a unity to the painting and offers the artist seven different avenues to approach imposing some sort of relationship . . . . .through the use of line, size, shape, direction, color, value or texture. As you can see, line and color were used to impose something of a relationship between the contrasting spaces in the above painting.

It was a big lesson for everyone, including me! It took me many years of painting to come to this understanding so I could express it in words and show it visually, too. A breakthrough!

Leftovers . . . .

"Path to the Beach"

watercolor 22 x 30 inches

Leftovers . . . . .Yep. That is what this painting is. It was still a "start" when I left from the Monterey area last week. Today it is finished!

Oh! Did I mention that it really does have all this color in that locale? There is a fairly new California State Park near where I was staying; Fort Ord Dunes, State Park. This is the outer edge of the old, decommissioned Fort Ord. This locale was the spot where the soldiers club once stood overlooking the Monterey Bay and Pacific Ocean. In fact, I was stationed at this place when I was a young man of 19, serving my military obligation. I cannot remember it ever being this spectacularly beautiful.

Painting this subject brings interesting challenges in color design. If you know much about color compliments, such as red and green, when they come together they neutralize each other and make browns and grays . . .even black! So, the watercolor painter must resort to all sorts of different approaches and tricks to get this sort of color intensity to occur. That said, I think I would have stood on my head to try to make it happen. To see such a scene is beyond what the mind can imagine.

As for the title of this article, "Leftovers," the word conjures up ideas of old food for a meal which has been left over from a previous meal. And, certainly, not very appetizing to many people. I could not resist the title, however. It fits my sense of humor!

Some leftovers, eh?!

Until next painting . . . .

Still on the Edge of Heaven . . .

"Carmel River Mouth"

Watercolor 22 x 30 inches

A hiatus on Wednesday to carry out a work assignment prevented me from painting, but it sure didn't stop me from thinking about being back at the easel while at work! Sometimes, plein aire painting can be a full blown compulsion for me! This week I was certainly in that compulsive behavior zone!

One of the very first workshops I ever attended was at this location some 20 years ago from a gentleman by the name of Gerald Brommer. You may know of Gerry or even attend his workshops. I know that he has given some 600 workshops all over the world. The Monterey area in Northern California (which is where this painting was done) was one of his favorite haunts. It was his paintings of that area that swept me into taking up this delightful pastime. I will be forever grateful to him for his encouragement and for setting an example for me to follow for the rest of my life.

That said, I wish there were spectators attending this painting session. I could do nothing wrong it seemed. It nearly FELL off my brushes. There was a mellow feeling as I set up my gear and proceeded to lay out the composition. Every move, every stroke, every wash and every glaze seemed as though nothing could possibly go wrong! There are occasional moments like that in the pursuit of painting. They don't come often, but when they do there is incredible excitement (almost like a drug high!) that follows and keeps me floating for many days afterward. One would think that after 24 years of painting that sort of feeling of euphoria wouldn't come around much, but it sure does for me. When I think about this sort of reward, I become very spiritual and quite grateful for the gifts I have been given. (amen!)

There are a few more paintings that happened this week, two of which are still in the category of "starts" and must be resolved in order to declare them finished. I will post them as soon as that happens. Meanwhile, I am returning to teaching my ten week class "Watercolor Beyond the Obvious" on Monday of this coming week. So, I must prepare, rather than paint.

Knowing me as I do, though, I imagine this compulsion that throbs within will win out in a day or two!! ;-))

Spending Tuesday in Heaven

"Orange and Blue"

Watercolor 15 x 22 inches

As promised, here is the result of Tuesday's session on a hillside near Big Sur, California. As you can see from the about photo, the ice plant is colorful at this time of year . . . . .and finds itself in the most in hospitable places which, I think, are impossible to reach in order to germinate. But there it is!!

For me, this day was a day of, literally, falling in love! I have been dreaming about putting these images on paper with watercolor for weeks now. And here I was, back to the wind, being cautious not to spill my easel over the edge and into the water. What an incredible, beautiful day!!!

Putting the varied colors of the ice plant into a painting like this is a challenge. There are many greens mixed with reds of varying temperatures and intensities. After many attempts, I find that exaggeration seems to be the only way to intermingle those colors and to carry the emotion of the place. Rocks and water are one thing, but rocks and water with brilliant reds and oranges . . . . . . . .? Now THAT is something to dance for!!

I had to miss Wednesday, but am going back out on Thursday and hope that the forecasted rain doesn't appear until late in the afternoon.

Ciao !

A Little Bit of Heaven . . !!!

"Lobos Rocks"

Watercolor 15 x 22 inches

Some days seem as though I live, literally, on the edge of heaven. Monday and Tuesday of this week it seemed that way.

We are staying as guests of a favorite art colleague right near the Monterey Penninsula in California in a place called Carmel By The Sea. And it really is on the edge of heaven. Some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet is in that vicinity. Pebble Beach is part of that area.

My wife and I are staying there with only one thing on our minds . . . .to paint and to relax. The holidays and various travel obligations have kept us dancing through the coals, so to speak.

While it has been a piece of heaven, it has been COLD ! Beautiful, clear weather, but ice on everything in the mornings. But I am going out painting anyway!! Bundled up, with long underwear, wool cap and everything I can carry from my studio to sit by the sea and paint! Wow !!! The wind bites. The people stop with silly questions, but it is still one of those times for which I am grateful to be alive and able to immerse myself.

So here is the result of Monday's painting excursion. Tuesday's is in the wings ready to show her face, too. Rain is expected, but I have taken enough photos to be able to paint this beautiful place, rain or shine. Sadly, I haven't got internet access where I am staying. So, stay tuned. It might take a few days to get all this stuff posted. Meanwhile . . . . . .Yippeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Kicking Off 2012 . . . .

"Morning Tide"

Watercolor 22 x 30 inches

Following a challenge by my friend and colleague, David Lobenberg, we have been both painting the same subject from the same photo. When the challenge was issued (by Dave) I wondered about making changes to the composition. The lighting, the value and color changes in the rocks, the foam, the waves, the sky all presented different challenges. I couldn't wait to get at it! It has taken me nearly a week to complete this painting. One of the reasons it took so long was that the original photo had the bottom 1/3 of the image solid dark rocks. In my humble opinion, the bottom part of the image needed a passage of light in order for the eye to get into the body of the painting. So, I created the entire lower third of the piece to bring that about.

I might have jumped the gun a bit, not waiting to see Dave's painting, but have been so deeply involved in "getting it right" that I could not wait to post the results. I am expecting Dave to post his piece any day now.

For those who are wondering "how" this piece was done . . . . . beginning with the sky ten to fifteen graded washes were glazed over each other, using red, yellow and blue. The big rock in the mist was laid in part way through the glazing process then repeatedly glazed over with the various washes in order to 'push it back' and envelop it into the colored mist.

I had a lot of fun working this piece as it was a return to a level of concentration which bordered on being in a trance. . . . . . .which is the probable reason most of us painters paint.

Happy New Year to All for 2012 !

Breaking Out . . .

"Patches"

Watercolor 22 x 30 inches

I had no idea the business of art and the business of art society stewardship would keep me so busy. Add to that a little bit of part time work, home duties etc. and life simply escapes me.

I have been cussing under my breath for some time about the robbery of painting time and finally have broken out to get to pure easel time. Oh, I have been at the easel for little snippets of time, painted a bit, but in the end my dissatisfaction with the effort made it not worth it. But I know better. Of course it was worth it. I was showing up for the muse to come visit. Maybe she didn't, but I worked at keeping my paints and brushes wet.

A few days ago, I drove to the Monterey Penninsula to visit a dentist there. My eyes popped out of my head as I could see acres of ice plant draping the dunes along the beach in every color of red, rose, russet, orange, burgundy, magenta and more. I had my trusty camera with me and a little extra time to gather a few reference photos. This painting, "Patches" is exactly what I was hoping for! It still isn't up to my standards when I am in the studio daily, but it sure relieved those achy painting joints . . . .and my grouchiness from not really getting to put in some creative time.

Happy Holidays to you and yours! My wife and I have lovely plans which have much to do with our family . . . . .and my easel!!

Dealing With Angst

"Enlightenment"

Acrylic on stretched canvas 48 inches x 48 inches

Last weekend, I held Open Studio in my home and studio. There was plenty of work to display. So much, in fact, that much of it had to be on the floor of the studio leaning against the walls and the furniture. After the weekend, we were 'treated' to an early rainstorm . . . .two of them, actually. The last one dumped quite a bit of water by our standards here. Enough so that it flooded my studio!! Mind you, it wasn't deep. but enough to thoroughly soak the carpets and everything else that was on the floor . . . . . . .including some of my work.

One would think I would have picked up all that stuff before the storm. In fact, I had worked much of one day outdoors to prep for the oncoming drenching, but thought nothing of the studio getting wet. After all, we have sump pumps, french drains and all manner of devices to keep it from happening. NO SUCH LUCK! All that artwork had to remain where it was for the next weekend of Open Studio on October 15, 16.

On Friday morning, I went to the studio to enjoy my day of freedom and to be able to paint. As I walked from the bottom of the stairs toward the work area, I heard the "squish" sound at my feet. GAAAARRRRRRRR !!!! Nooooooo!!

So, instead of painting, I ended up mopping and moping. And Schlogging heavy, soaked carpets to an outdoor location to drain and dry them (only if more rain didn't come!) By Friday night, the mess was cleaned up, the dehumidifier was busy evaporating the entire place and all the artwork was up off the floor . . . . .and the studio had been turned up side down!

Saturday morning I was beginning to twitch from lack of easel time. So, I went to my local art store, bought three large tubes of acrylic paint and a four foot square canvas (122 cm x 122 cm). I couldn't wait to get it home, mount it on the easel and attack it with abandon! I needed to vent!

In a matter of two short hours I had covered the canvas without a preliminary plan. I was slinging paint and hoping for some sort of non representational outcome. (If you have been reading my blog over time, you know that is NOT how I do my art. I plan!) So, there I was painting straight from my emotions letting my mind assist here and there for a few design decisions, but I had no outcome in mind. It had the effect of standing and screaming my head off for two hours. I was emotionally drained and satisfied at the same time. The next day, I returned to the studio, and looked hard at what I had done. Believe me, it is very difficult to separate emotional intelligence from mental intelligence. I was in a completely different state of mind when I stepped up to the easel. So, I spent a few more hours tweaking here and there . . . . . . and up popped this figure in the painting . . . . . .All that was in that space before was a hot colored shape. This day, the shape became a figure. Who knew he would show up? Then, this morning, I sleepily realized I had not imposed enough color variation or tied a few things together to unify the piece and create a balance. So, back to the studio I went.

This is the state I left it in this morning. Is it finished? I don't know, really. But I do know my angst is gone. I feel better now.

Gems of Wisdom

Yesterday, I happened upon Diane Santarella’s name in association with a gentleman, whom I have watched for years, William “Skip” Lawrence.

Being the person of curiosity that I am, I Googled Diane wanting to know more about her and her art. This act led me to two blogs . . . . .actually, more than two . . . . of Diane’s and Skip’s.

Departing from that line of thought for the moment . . . . .it has been my observation in my art life that there is much introspection occurring in the good artist, whether or not it be conscious. Coming up with ‘who am I’ for the artist is not an easy process in this society because we have so many distractions beginning with TV and probably ending with working to survive. The mass media has led us Americans down a path of cheap, easy to come by images that are usually shallow and don’t have much to say about the creator of the image. So, the authentic, honest artist must strip away layers of years of ‘indoctrination’ about conformity and acknowledging the accepted, conventional wisdom.

All that said, I have spent twenty five years trying to strip away all that stuff and back in 1994 was introduced to Skip in a one week workshop. Not that I wanted to paint like him, but was most curious about his ideas and how he might have stripped away the fluff of indoctrination and put his own, authenticity on the line. It wasn’t long after that workshop that I saw something in Skip’s painting history which made me sit up and take notice: Absolute Growth. That is a biiig deal in my book because most workshop instructors are about “How to Paint Like Me.” They do little to change out of fear that their followers will leave them. So, growth and change, in my eyes, is an act of outright courage. It is an outright confrontation of the fears which follow many artists.

Like many workshop instructors, Skip led the masses in how to paint the traditional watercolor images for some years . . . .he even published a book with those images in them. Then there was a sudden shift. And that shift has evolved into one of the most frank and authentic bodies of work I have ever seen come from a water media artist. He has consistently moved to higher levels of newness every single year! Moreover, he stands by his work and his ideas without waver.

Back to the subject of the blogs by Diane Santarella . . . . . .put in short verbiage, it appears she is the mirror image of Skip in her own authentic approach to art and living. It is a rare soul, these days, who seems to be able to articulate his or her presence in the events of living, and Diane is one of those rare souls. Mind you, I use the word ‘presence’ with conviction because there are few of us in life who can BE PRESENT in the moment of what ever is happening. We, as human animals, seem to add our ‘stuff’ to what ever is occurring, be it interpretation or part of the events of the past or combinations of both. Diane, on the other hand, seems to be present in every moment of her life and acknowledges the realms of possibility which lie in each moment. No small state of mind!

It seems to me that Skip and Diane have a unique place in living out their respective artistic lives: They are infatuated with each other (and they are married) because they can both SEE the absolute beauty and the reality of their presence in the moment. What each adds to those moments, via their art, is so vastly original and exposed that there is no BS in their world. No wonder their lives are so intertwined.

How glorious!

Here are a few links to follow if you are interested in Skip’s thoughts about art and Diane’s words and art. Obviously, I found both to be quite compelling!

http://dsantarella.blogspot.com

http://www.blogger.com/profile/00699936117444218506 on this page are seven links to as many different blogs.

http://skiplawrencestudionotes.blogspot.com/ Skip’s studio notes

A quote from Diane: "Ultimately, if you're going to do something personal, you have to look at your own mind, your own heart, to do it, Not out the window."

And another Santarella Gem:: “Approach each moment fresh, use your knowledge and skill as an assist, not a crutch, to discover the possibilities within each action, each choice.”

Someone once said, ‘Every moment is a gift. That is why they call it the present.”

And, in case either Skip or Diane stop by this blog . . . . . .thank you both for being so real and having the courage and wonderful audacity to offer it to all of us!

Your Nose in A Tent

Open Studio this coming weekend ! Open at 11 AM till 5PM.

What you see above is less than 1/6th of what will be on display. No kidding: over 100 framed pieces, both oil and watercolor. And plenty more unframed . . . . .SOOOO MUCH to see!!

If you need directions, just drop me an email to tell where you'll be coming from and I'll shoot directions to you. The email address is in the bright blue sentence almost directly to the right of this post.

Don't miss this annual event! It is the only time I put up such a massive one man show.

Wine, cookies, nibbles, art chatter, giggling, general goofing off, and painting demos.

Come enjoy the fun!

Mike

The Endless Fountain . . .

"Parade"

watercolor 15 x 22 inches

Every year around this time, to get ready for Open Studio, I clean out my flat files . . .and sometimes, I move furniture in my studio to readjust things. There is a serendipity that occurs, literally, every single year: I find works I had forgotten about completely. Many times they are simple musings, others they are terrible failures I had hoped to save at some point. Yet, once in a while, an old painting will surface that rocks me back on my heels and makes me wonder why it was hidden away. Here is one, "Parade," which I cannot imagine why it was hiding. Of course, I had to put a few finishing touches on it, but, for one reason or another, I love looking at it.

I believe this painting is approaching 12 to 14 years old. I can see quite a difference in the way the paint sits on the surface versus how I paint now. . . . . .a sure lesson for not throwing away your old paintings: we can really see our progress.

I found a few more, too. But you'll have to wait to see those. :-) That flat file has been giving up surprises every year. There must be something pushing that stuff to the surface!

I have come to the point that I don't worry too much about having paintings for Open Studio. 10 drawers of paintings have never let me down!

By the way . . .are you planning to come to Open Studio?

The Last One . . .for now

"Misty"

watercolor 15 x 22 inches

It is already passed the first week of September . . . .and my task list has grown to huge proportions . . . . . .

Open Studio here at my home / studio begins October 1 & 2. I am just now beginning the preparations . . . they seem insurmountable right now. With over 45 paintings to mat and frame and to set up the house and yard to accommodate hundreds of visitors and over 100 hanging paintings, the chores are beyond my ability to remain positive about.

NWS's (National Watercolor Society) Annual Exhibition opens in October with the Awards Banquet preceding the opening. As president, I must prepare for this grand event and officiate as well.

Oral Surgery looms in the next week, too! And work (business) beckons, also. So, for now, painting must go to the back burner, sadly. Our best weather is this time of year, too, the call to go outdoors to paint en plain air is a siren I can hardly ignore.

Here is the last painting of the rock series . . . .which was all based on observances in Yosemite National Park. As with all the rest of these paintings, a loose style, timed at 90 minutes (reasons explained later), with a somewhat presentable painting was the goal. Mostly, it was just about standing at the easel and soaking in the pleasures of the running paint and the vibrating colors to please my soul.

Hope to see you at open studio. If you would like my address and/or directions, email me. Just click on the "email me" just above the Facebook Fan Box, opposite this text on the right. I'll send you everything you need to get here . . . . .save for tickets from Italy, or India, etc . . . .;p)

Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't . . . .

"Sickle Rock"

watercolor 15 x 22 inches

And this was one of those times . . . .I got lost in the shapes and failed to pay attention to the contasts of light and shadow . . . .I suppose I became a little heavy handed with the darks.

But come on! Give a guy some slack! Once in a while ya just gotta slip into something that just doesn't ring the bell.

The only thing one can do in a situation like this is to step back from the easel and shout "NEXT!"

In other words, chalk it up to experience and go on to the next one. Who knows, maybe some terrific notion will pass through my head while whipping up another one and be able to come back to this piece with a different attack. Stay tuned.

The Source

"Stoneface"

watercolor 18 x 24 inches

So . . . .tired of rocks?  Take a look at this . . . .a solid granite wall with mature oaks and ponderosa pines growing out of the cracks.  This wall could be one 1000 feet (300 meters) high . . or more.  The model is from the neighborhood of where my rocks lie . . . .Yosemite National Park in California.   The rocks seen in the previous posts fall from cliff faces like this . . .and sometimes from enormous heights.

The abstract patterns of line and shape in these cliff faces make a painter ponder them for hours on end . . . . . . .and usually go home in frustration when attempting to paint them.

Inactive?

"Squatter"

watercolor 15 x 22 inches

If you are wondering if I have again become inactive, the answer is an emphatic no. I just returned from driving 500 miles, one way, to San Diego, to jury a show for the San Diego Watercolor Society. It is an interim show with an experimental theme. It was a rushed trip, but well worth the time spent. I listened to two books on tape while driving, met some of the SDWS officials, saw some extraordinary paintings and learned a few more life lessons in the process. And, Oh yes, I did paint the morning I left to drive there.

I think there are five pieces left from my binge that I haven't posted, yet. Here is one of them. . . .

This series is really excellent for illustrating the effect of large shapes and how powerfully they hold a painting together. In the end, this series is much of the same stuff, same color schemes, and similar designs . . . .actually a similar formula, but just modifying the rock shapes and positions in the picture space. In other words, it is all abstraction.

There's more. Stay tuned.

And Another . . . .

"Merced Gold"

watercolor 15 x 22 inches

Thsi subject is simply terrific for putting strong compositions together. The shapes really lend themselves to commanding and dominating the picture space . . . . .everything else in the painting is just support of that one idea. Which, incidentally, is how all good paintings should be . . . elegantly simple.

Just look at Sargent's works . . . .not a lot of extra stuff . . . . just simple shapes of figures or buildings . . .and generally they beguile the viewer because of the light and the way the shapes occupy the picture space.

This big rock is a large as a small house in reality. And its shape and edges are fascinating. I love the way the white sits in the yellow dominant field. The yellow provides such a feeling of light and season.

Am still 'at it' as I am putting nearly three paintings a day away. There is more to see! Stay tuned!

More From the Binge

"Merced ZigZag"

watercolor 15 x 22 inches

You may be getting the picture that I am playing with rocks . . . .but more than that, playing with big compositional shapes. This one resembling the "S" shape.

This piece, along with the others, are all from pictures along the Merced River just below Yosemite, where the canyon is still steep and big rock slides are commonplace. Some of the rocks there are mind bogglingly huge . . . . .and their shapes are really interesting. At certain times of the day, the light and shadow make wonderful abstract patterns . . . .there must be several hundred photos of them in my computer files!

One would think 'Painting simple things like rocks? Easy!' Nope ! I have been messing with painting the darned things since twenty years and am still trying to master them. Sure is fun trying, though!

As for the Binge, there are more paintings to reveal later. Stay tuned.

Painting Binge

"Slide"

Watercolor 15 x 22 inches

Yesterday, I opened a can of "crazy" in my studio. I must have soaked it all up, because I went nutz! Painted three finished paintings before 5PM.

As I said in yesterday's post, I had sooo much fun!

This is the first of three paintings . . . .actually, more . . .because I did 2 more today! (yes, I am bingeing).

After a week long workshop and harping at the participants about sizes and good shape design, all that stuff was ever present in my mind as I painted these. Beyond seeing rocks and trees, look for the shape of the light value (not just the white ) and how that shape connects to all four sides in the shape of an upside down Tee. Big compositional shapes are what makes paintings strong and bold . . . .and sets up a dominance which leads to unity.

Okay, enough preaching. There are more to see in other posts.

Meanwhile, I am still on a painting binge.

Time Crunch and Demo

"Sunny"

Watercolor 15 x 22 inches

This last few weeks has been unbelievably busy!! And I have been gone . . . .teaching . . .officiating . . .more teaching . . . .

I returned home from Sacramento, California, where I had given a 5 day workshop "Watercolor Beyond the Obvious," and near exhausted myself in the process. I awakened Saturday morning in a panic . . . I had to give a demo THAT AFTERNOON for a local art store who had just taken on Daniel Smith Watercolor Pigments. I hadn't prepared at all. What is more I hadn't touched a paint brush since my last post . . . surely over a month had passed.

To the studio! I had to rally . . .big time! Coffee in hand and nothing in my mind as to what to do or how to do it . . . . . .I grabbed my trusty sketch book and opened it to the first image that made any sense and began to paint. I had around three hours to get ready.

Demos can be a problem for me because I freeze up. I never know what I should paint or what sort of methods I should demo. The set up usually dictates a specific way to paint, too. That is either with or without an overhead mirror. The mirror allows the watercolor painter to lay his or her board flat or paint at a slight incline. Without one, the painter is destined to use an easel and paint vertically to the audience can see. And that is not how I usually paint. Well, you guessed it . . . . .there would not be a mirror. So, I was in a stew, wondering if I could pull it off.

Anyway . . . . .I went . . . .some 60 people were there with standing room only! This was the demo painting . . . . ."Sunny."

The best thing to do is to relax, I suppose, and just let whatever is going to happen happen. It is sort of like working in your own studio. Cut the worry and just be present with the paint. It was fun to commiserate with the audience about the design decisions and to cut up a bit. They were a terrific crowd!

After it was finished, I had concentrated so hard, I couldn't get the silly thing out of my head. So, on Monday, I went to the studio and opened a can of crazy! Yep! I went there and painted three completed paintings . . . .and they all came out okay. More about those later. But I haven't had that much fun in the studio for a long time!!!! Whooopeeee!~

Returned to the Easel

"Plane Compression"

Transparent Watercolor 22 x 30 inches

Okay I am back! Hawaii was fantastic ! Frankly, however, I have been itching to return to the easel here at home.

This piece is quite similar to the other non objective pieces I have completed in the last few months. It was half finished when we left for our Hawaiian Holiday

All I needed was one look at it's lonely, half baked existence on the easel to awaken my juices and get me rolling once again. I arose quite early this morning (4AM) to get after it. I am still not certain that it is complete. I may let it hang around for several days before I declare it final and finished.

On another note, I put the last few non objective pieces down on my studio floor this morning and lined them up next to each other. They all look very similar . . . . .which has both good and bad points . . . .it is a spur in my sides, though, as it indicates that I am becoming stale. Gotta move on to another 'theme' . . . . .which may not be all that easy. I like the motif of floating planes and shallow space, which is what all of these are . . . .and I noticed that the compositions are quite similar, too! A change up is due!!

Until next painting . . . .

A Great Excuse !

So! I haven't been painting because I have been travelling. The last week of June, I was in Boone, North Carolina, teaching some brief workshops for Cheap Joes Art Stuff. It was a wonderful experience and a terrific opportunity to get to know some marvelous folks.

This week and the next I must report that I am undergoing a loathsome serving out of an obligation I committed to some months ago: I am spending two weeks in Hawaii. Yes, it is indeed difficult. The weather is more than special and the scenery is something out of a story book. Painting? Not at all . . . . .well, some little sketches. But who can paint when there is so much to look at here?

Right in front of our housing . . . . .a condo right at the edge of the water . . . . Sea Turtles surface every minute or so. Big, blue green waves smash the rocks and send snow white plumes of foam 40 to 50 feet in the air. The pounding of the waves can be heard at night while we sleep. I tell you, this is very, very difficult to endure! ;-)

Swimming, snorkeling, eating, walking, sight seeing, eating, visiting galleries, eating and just plain loafing is what my wife and I are doing. Am doing a lot of reading and simply resting . . . . . .heck! I shouldn't even be doing this!!!

So, please forgive my laziness. My easel will see me soon enough.

Meanwhile, I am laying claim to this excuse.

In My Face . . .

"Confetti and Spears"

watercolor 22 x 30 inches

After posting a non objective piece last week, I immediately ran to the easel to do another. Sketches were already done and I was psyched to hit a home run! I have worked on this piece daily for over a week, putting in three to four hours per day.

It wasn't until I photographed the piece and brought it up on the computer screen that I saw some glaring errors . . . .and I don't mean smudges or brush sloppiness. I mean design errors that shocked me. This piece has been in my face for over a week and I never saw the errors until now.

We artists can become so driven and focused on something that we completely miss that which is right in front of us . . . at least I sure do!

I am a bit of a fanatic about composition and design, yet make the same mistakes over and over again. For example, the large light shapes which float through the composition in this painting are, I suddenly realized, centered in the page. That is, the intervals or distances between the bottom of the shapes and the bottom edge of the page are the same intervals as the distances from the tops of the shapes to the top edge of the page. Darn!! Why didn't I see that?

Then, when laying in the spears and lines I was careful not to make any parallel to each other . . . . . . . . .Or, was I cautious enough? Apparently NOT!! Yikes! How could I have missed that?

I must admit that I spent much time and effort trying to avoid color errors and wasn't looking carefully at spatial relationships in the piece. I had set a challenge to work up a painting in a red analogous color scheme. I love the colors and textures and much of the movement through the piece. That said and noting the errors made (there are ALWAYS mistakes!) this is a passable painting.

I have a friend who is a Dolphin Fellow in AWS (an extremely high honor which recognizes artistic excellence) who says we have to do 10 or 20 in order to get "a good one." He does . . .and so to I.

So, like they used to say in the barber shop: "NEXT!"

Breaching Fear

"Just Plane Spilled"

watercolor 22 x 30 inches

After a long layoff of painting abstracts/nonobjective paintings, I began to wonder if I could, indeed, do it again. Painting linemen, stilllifes, teaching, presiding over a large national watercolor association, working part time, etc. all take their toll on developing one's skills in the art world. My dear wife has been challenging me to do more of these kinds of works. Alas, I am as most of the other artists I know . . . . .afraid I might not be able to do it once again.

We all fear failure and, worse, going public with it. There is that ever lurking voice "Forget it! You never had it in the first place. Those others were an accident when you really had it. you've lost the touch," etc. etc. One must step up and face it head on, if for nothing else but to once again be able to say, "yes, I CAN."

What a difference in how life tastes when we can say that. Right?

I have had a sketch of an interesting composition taped to my easel for over a year. The day I painted the last painting of linemen (see last post) I decided to take the challenge. Working at it some four to six hours per day (every day save two) has gotten this piece to this place.

It is a fine effort to take on something like this because it forces one to focus on the elements and principles with nothing more to use as a reference, except for the initial shapes of the composition. Then it is a matter of subtle adjustments of value transitions, textures, movements, shapes, tangents, convergences, not to mention color dominances and harmonies. In other words, I have found that painting a piece like this takes every bit of design knowledge and calls into play techniques and color skills which have been developed over a long time. . . . . . . .and all of these can become stale if not used.

The last comment is that this sort of work is pure creativity. Copying, referencing, emulating, reproducing or mimicking cannot be part of this kind of painting. it all must come from within and from the hints the painting offers as the painter moves forward.

Now I can go back to my linemen and put some of these ideas to work . . . but wait! I have another abstract piece that I must complete first!

Yes, I CAN!!!!!!!

Thinking Compositionally

"The Big Stick"

watercolor 22 x 22 inches

Compositional Sketches

There are plenty of those who are saying under their breath, “I don’t like these pictures of Linemen.” In other words, they might be thinking that these ‘pictures’ aren’t cute enough or pretty enough to decorate their house. Many painters today subconsciously appraise paintings from that point of view. Those artists are confined to thinking purely about the subject of the painting and how precious it might be in a decorative environment, instead of assessing the painting on the basis of its artistic merit.

That said, I have been wrestling with this subject for a few months and today I broke through to a new level of thinking. I finally was able to separate my compulsive little pea brain from trying to replicate the subject and moved into considering the abstract composition FIRST. What a difference it makes!

Seriously, I do know better. In fact, I teach this in my classes. But it isn’t always easy to make the shift. I might be the teacher, but I am vulnerable to habit just like the next person.

Let me illustrate what I am writing about . . . .refer to the sketches you see above . . . . . . .there is, essentially, two values in each of these sketches. It wasn’t until I reached the bottom sketch that I realized that I should consider the dark values as ONE SHAPE and how it sits in the rectangle or the square! Notice the little teeny sketch to the right of the bottom sketch. Doesn’t that abstract shape appeal to your sense of design? It certainly does mine! It was there that I realized (once again my mind says, Oh! I remember!!) that it isn’t the details but the arrangement of the value shapes and the ratio of their sizes that appeals to our deep abstract aesthetic senses.

Knowing that, I grabbed an old painting, flipped it to the backside, and began drawing in the big dark shape. Once drawn, I could see where some modifications were necessary . . . namely to move from a rectangle to a square format . . .there was an awkward space on the left. Then, the decision to put the horizontals at a slight oblique also added a nice tension to the composition. Also, I recognized that the crossbar on the background pole was not a good angle, so revised that, too, in order to drive the eye to the white helmets.

Once drawn, I pulled the three inch brush from its holster and began sloppily painting intp the dark shape and made sure to slop some color variation into the shape but keep the values the same (that was yesterday). The lights and the darks were set . . . .I left it to dry until today . . . .(and worried a bit about the light shapes of the light on the back of the one figure and the light helmets. I was concerned that those light shapes were too isolated.) It needed more of an abstraction of light passing through the composition.

In short, I lifted here and there to add more of a passage of light through the piece, enhanced a few darks here and there, pushed a few warm cool contrasts and carefully kept myself from ever considering details. . . . .or logic. For example, I decided not to fill in the cross bar brace and not to put an underside dark on the crossbar to the left of the pole . . . .why? Because those details would disturb the composition. Yes, those details would make sense but would affect the negative shapes.

I know this is a long explanation, but I believe this to be the place where I break through in the series to much stronger work. Thanks for being patient.

Tapping Into "That Place"

"Sienna Linemen"

watercolor and Conte Crayon 22 x 30 inches

If you read the last post, it was about how this subject has reached me under my conscious self . . . . . that is, the idea of making something powerful and interesting is nagging at me both while awake and asleep.

That level of 'concern' or 'obsession' or 'compulsion' is healthy for us artists, I believe. It becomes a drive or a motivation which cannot be explained (unless you are a psychiatrist). It is healthy because it eventually bolsters confidence to do something . . . .anything! Once begun a flow begins. It may take multiple tries and attempts, but the soul insists that we continue.

After finishing one painting today, I was determined to do another, more simplified piece focusing on Line, Shape and Value. I had several sketches on my desk lying around the computer on all sorts of documents and scraps of paper (organized, eh?!). I grabbed them and headed for the studio after finishing my last post.

On a large sheet, I began . . . .but swore I would draw from the balls of my feet instead of my fingers . . . . .I would get full swing of my arm while in the motions of drawing . . . not flailing about, you understand, but putting some big, strong shapes on the page and doing it sans concern for accuracy. Then I took up my conte crayon and began with strong, heavy black line.

With a two inch stiff bristle brush I quickly carved in some value washes . . . and without concern for color. Just two siennas and a bit of ultramarine blue. I was seeking flat shapes and a strong, large value shape which established the composition . . . . .so I kept the values fairly close as I put in the big shapes. The entire thing took less than 45 minutes and (it seems) I have a strong start at finding that ONE piece that will stand above the rest.

More work is needed, of course, but if progress like this continues, a really good one should pop into existence soon. (that is if I can get the time to paint!)

Under My Skin . . .

"The Power of Line"

Watercolor 18 x 24 inches

Thinking of Sinatra's song by the same title (and Michael Buble') "I've Got You Under My Skin" . . . .this subject has finally reached the point of bothering me in my sleep. The subject is under my skin.

Drawing figures who are at work is no easy task. Composing them inside a rectangle so there is energy and content spilling out of that rectangle is the part that is nagging at my every constant thought. Mind you, I have plenty on my plate, being the prez of NWS and also working part time in high tech AND teaching. It seems I am doing a bit of each of these things daily . . . . (spinning plates!) . . . . .and these linemen and composing something of them is bugging me!

It has reached the point where if I have a pencil or pen in hand (or nearby) I'll be doodling them on anything! The business papers have them. Phone lists have them. Recipes have them. The phone book has them. Meeting agendas have them . . . .everything except my checks . . .and maybe these guys will appear there soon.

As you might see, I reversed a drawing of a painting done back in December, added the element of the near vertical pole in the background in order to involve the other edges of the rectangle. Between the poles and cross arm lives an interesting negative space into which my 'boys' are placed. Their location of being scrunched into a corner with lots of space behind and above them provides the feeling of height. As you can see, this piece is rather loose, which I like . . . . but that is because I am still experimenting with different ways to say what needs to be said (what ever that is right now) and am painting on the backs of old unsuccessful paintings.

Why do that, you ask? I will, no doubt, gobble up 20 to 30 sheets of paper before I will begin to settle into a rhythm of confidence with the subject. It is coming along, but I have more work to do. There will come a point where I will be certain of what I want to say and how to say it . . . . what surface, what brushes, what textures, what edges and angles, what shapes and what color strategies. For now, while they are bothering my consciousness, I am taking heed that there is something more to do and to say. So . . . I am trying and waiting for those big sudden breakthroughs to appear.

The trick is to keep at it and don't give up and take advantage of the fact that they snoop around in my dreams.

Toying with Line and Color

"Line Splice"

watercolor trial 22 x 30 inches

Few a few days I have been alternately prepping for a workshop and painting . . .among other things. This is a hurried painting on the back of a ruined painting . . .in other words, a trial of a few ideas.

The first idea was to set a mood of an approaching storm and a shadow of danger. That meant I had to use color in a way that was moody and foreboding to a degree: few, if any, pure dazzling colors. I chose to paint in a strategy of Shades, Tones and Tints. In this approach, tones dominate the image while I used shades for shadow areas and the darks. The Tints were reserved for the lineman's shirt . . . .the edges of it which were in the light.

As well, the use of LINE as an element in the painting was another item I had to fool with to get the feel of which technique to use to express the cables and phone lines in the piece. As it turns out, all but one are freehand. I tried taping the lines off . . . .it was too ridgid. I tried painting with a soft brush and it became too fussy. Then I happened upon a very stiff bristle brush, flat, used on edge . . . .that did the trick.

The gray sky area (the negative space) is much too sloppy for what I needed to accomplish, but now I know I must mix a large amount of wash to attain the uniform feel I am after. I will use a tub of premixed wash on my next attempt and use that as a mother color to establish color variation in the negative space.

The line work in the piece definitely gives a feeling of empty space which emphasizes the shadow of danger. The tree trunk and utility pole on the right of the piece hold the eye inward and make for a strong tie to the left margin via the wires and cables.

I like this one. When I return from my workshop, I will explore making a serious painting of it.

Playing Fast and Loose

"High Powered Guy"

Mixed Water-media 15 x 22 inches

I am in my workshop season right now. Between traveling and teaching, working and leading a large art society, painting time is preciously little. So, I have to hurry and grab every minute I can . . . and mow the lawn, weed the garden, tidy up the studio, cook occasionally etc. (you know the drill.)

While I am doing all this, my series of linemen is eating away at my thoughts. So, I am slamming paintings together quickly, mostly as trials and experiments to try out new, more simplified approaches, such as have been mentioned in the last few posts.

I want you, the reader, to see for yourself what happens when an artist is on to something and the trials we go through to get to some worthy art. Sure! I can copy photos in this series. I have over 300 pix that I can use, if i wanted to do that. I am much more interested in making a revelation or a statement rather than a report or copy. That is going to take a lot of trials and errors. Eventually, stuff will roll out and be consistent with my internal vision (which I cannot quite see yet). The ideas and trials are already showing me possible paths and approaches.

This painting was a bit of a struggle in the composition department . . . .that is where to put him and how to structure the perspective so that a feeling of being right there pervades the work. I am getting closer!

It took deleting the pole and placing it much further to the right along the margin and using the cross arm to integrate the figure to the rectangle of the painting. The use of the element of line (no pun) to show the wires and cables and some edges in the piece bring another level of excitement to the surface.

Again, mixed media: acrylic underpainting, watercolor, gouache and tempera were all used to provoke a sense of solidity and roughness in the piece. I am thinking this painting could set up a very serious piece. But I am off to teach another workshop in a few days. Maybe I will get to the serious work next month!!! I gotta hang in and keep painting to keep the flow going.