Blood, Sweat and Guilt

"Yellow"

Watecolor (unfinished) 22 x 30 inches

You may wonder what I am doing.

Truth known, I have been trying to finish a painting begun and painted 80% of the way last spring. It is still not done, but I am hard at work making adjustments. There are value revisions, temperature adjustments, edge modifications and all sorts of niggling things which need to be sorted out in this piece. As complex as it is, I may be flirting with the dreaded “overworked” look.

Having been again on the easel for a week, it is nagging my consciousness and am considering looking closely at it to see what I can learn from it and considering starting all over again.

Yes, you might well be correct. I might be nuts to do that. Something just isn’t singing out to me in this one,though. But I thought you’d like to see the progress and the struggles (and blood) of a suffering, frustrated painter attempting something far over his head.

I’ll let you in on another secret: It has been leaning against my studio wall since May (almost 6 months) 80% finished. I have been (yes, I am really saying this) reluctant to finish it for fear of ruining it. (There! I said it! The confession is out. Guilty !)

Finally, I had to face the truth: It can’t lean against the wall forever. It can’t go on unfinished; it would be worthless and end up in the trash. So, if that is where it is headed anyway, why not jump in knowing you might ruin it. It is already worthless!

So, here it is . . . .not quite resolved completely . . . .can you see my sweat and blood on it?

An Update

"Greyhound Rock"

oil on canvas panel, 8" x 10"

This painting is of a landmark north of here called Greyhound Rock. I have, as you probably already know, a fascination with the vivid colors of ice plant. On this day, however, the foreground ice plant was green . . .almost kelly green. So, taking artistic license, I chose to use different colors to help throw the focus up onto the rocks and sea. (By now you must be getting bored with this, but I can’t help myself!)

On another note, I should say THANKS to all who came to my open studio. Many artists, including myself, often measure the success of such an event in the numbers of paintings sold and the dollars brought in. I must take pause, however, this year for the obvious reasons relating to the economy, and make sure that I don’t drift too far into the mercenary mire of revenue versus artistic success.

Considering the financial climate we are all suffering, I had a fabulous open studio. The first weekend averaged about 130 visitors per day. The second wasn’t quite as well attended, but still, very worthwhile.

The studio was set up with several lessons that the lay person and artists alike would find to be interesting, such as a simple still life set up painted in 9 different color strategies to show how mood is often determined by the artist’s color choices. There was also a large board onto which I collaged (loosely) around 20 plus pencil sketches of preliminary studies. This board was next to two watercolor paintings (posted a few weeks ago) which were derived from those sketches. People found these displays fascinating . . . and the studio, too. ( Art studios are where mystical magic happens!) There was something for everyone from over 100 framed, original paintings on display around the property to the studio to the informative displays.

Open studios, as I reflect on it, are exciting and fun, like ‘open house’ kinds of parties . . . . . . . . .where friends and neighbors drop in, munch a little, chat, visit, update each other and eventually wander out refreshed and glad they came. This is similar, but there is much that happens in the way of expanded networking and being introduced to other artists and art events. In short, it is a function from which many new challenges and activities grow. Aside from selling nearly thirty paintings, this was a rich and enlivening experience. I could go on and on about the value (priceless!) of such events, but I shan’t bore you with my verbosity. Just know that with all the complaining about the amount of work, I will do it over and over again.

Thought you’d like to know how it went. If you came, thanks for coming. If you didn’t, I hope to see you next year!

Absolutely Perrrrrr fect !!

"Academy Cliffs"

oil on canvas panel, 8" x 10"

Omigawd! I came in from painting outdoors today in near perfect 80 degree weather with low humidity and a very teensy haze through which you could see 60 plus miles.
And we were in a little known place standing on the edge of a high bluff . . .80 to 100 feet high . . .right next to the beach . . . .now get THIS !!!! We were watching over a dozen pods of dolphins screaming thru the waves right next to the beach. Each pod had 6 to 10 dolphins . . .they were going crazy!! Then about 1/4 of mile out to sea, whales were breaching and spouting and flipping their big tails up in the air!! Pelicans were diving after fish and there were lots of gulls circling round to get the scraps from the pellies . . . . .It was a veritable circus!!!!

Normally, we don't see dolphins because the water is consderably more cold here than in the southern states . . . .like Florida . . . .and the whales don't usually appear until January . . .and they are generally further out to sea. But today, they were all cavorting and jumping out of the water and we were the only ones watching this show!

I guess that this really is paradise!! Today was perrrr fect !!!

OPEN STUDIO OCTOBER 11,12 & 18,19

My Brush Counter / Taboret

Yesterday was one of those bizzzzy daze !! Lots of great visitors and sold several nice paintings.

Myrna and her husband came by and spent some time and took a bunch of photos. Her blog has several photos and comments about what was here. Check it out. link

Note, the sign at the upper left sez, "Truth: There is no way in hell this studio is ever this tidy!"

The calligraphy in the green mat hangs in my studio where I see it daily. It is so very important to me that I should share what it says here:

EXCELLENCE can be attained if you . . . .CARE more than others think is wise . . .RISK more than others think is safe . . .DREAM more than others think is practical . . .EXPECT more than others think is possible.

Back to open studio.

Some Days Are Just Better

"Beach Trap"

oil on linen panel, 8" x 10"

Some days everything just seems to fall into place with ease. Today, this painting almost fell off the brush by itself . . .developed from another sketch. Do you suppose practice has anything to do with it? I do.

The way the light hits these cliffs and dances about is a constant source of delight to me. I hope you don't get tired of them.

While cleaning my studio this last month ( a HUGE task, incidentally!) . . . . . .(why does it get that deep?) . . . . .I sorted through all of the last years' panel paintings and culled out all of the unsuccessful ones . . .then painted over them with a light coating of orange paint and put them to dry. Those panels have been what I have been painting on for the last 7 paintings. I allow the orange undertone to peek through in a few places. It adds a nice 'warmth and sparkle' to the work. Also, I am testing a new medium as I paint these. . . . . Gamblins' "Meglip" . . . . . . . . . . . . .I have never used it before, but I am noticing that the paint takes on a nice glow since the medium is nearly crystal clear. It will never yellow, supposedly. The paint also seems to shine a bit more than when I use "Liquin." I will keep playing with it and see what comes up. . . . .and do some more research about it. Do any of you painters out there use it? Care to comment? I would appreciate any thoughts or guidance you might have.

Tomorrow, I open the studio to the public. I am ready! If you live in the Bay Area, or are travelling there this weekend or next, stop by. My address is on my website.

Whoops! It isn't there like I thought it was! Best to email me if you need address and directions.

Facing My Difficulties

"Ice Blankets"

oil on canvas panel, 8" x 10"

The colors of the ice plant on the sand dunes of nearby beaches has been a source of fascination to me for as long as I can remember. Vivid, intense colors combined with the near white sand and neutral decaying matter on the edges are a painters challenge for sure. Combining complementary colors (red and green) yields neutral grays. So, capturing the uniqueness of the comingling complementary colors in this ice plant makes for rich entertainment at the easel. I have attempted this subject many times in the past, but I come back often because of the difficulties I must overcome with the edges and colors.

Edges are key in this subject. Softer, lost edges don’t hold the eye. While sharper edges grab the viewer there must be a happy medium of the two. Blending the edges between colors is necessary ( I think), but, sometimes, I can get carried away and lose the brilliance I sought. It is all in the practice and learning, I suppose. When enough paintings have been done that one more doesn’t matter, then the artist does things without the worry of failure. That is why it is so important to paint often without concern for the outcome.

It seems I am gaining ground a little at a time. Sort of like climbing a sandy hill; up three steps and slide back two. Progress comes from repeated forward steps, each time with small (but significant) gains.

Seeking Drama

"Cliffside Dusk"

oil on linen panel, 8" x 10"

Every artist is confronted with the problem of entertaining the viewer. Entertaining is something that takes more than a mere glance. There must be something other than the usual, mundane descriptions of what ever the artist is painting. This is especially true when there is little more than two shapes in the painting . . .one light and the other darker.

I have been playing with the same motif of the cliffs and bluffs along our coast for as long as I have been painting. Against the sky or the sea, the cliff is nothing more than a severe bump or rise out of a flat area. What makes a “bump” entertaining? Go on, tell me ! what?

The answer is not in the reality, but in what the artist creates. The more we copy what we ‘see’ as reality, the more mundane it can become. So the artist must do something to arrest the viewer and hold his attention. Or, the painting must hold some degree of shock value, I suppose. The artist only has a few tools to play with: Value, Shape, Color, Texture and Line. That is it. Value, shape and color hold the greatest potential for developing that ingredient of ‘shock’ or ‘visual stimulus.’ (Notice that details are not mentioned! . . .or considered . . .it is NOT details that matter.)

So, here is my shot at value, shape and color to carry the day with a ‘bump.’ I long ago let go of the photos and the actual subject to help me. Sketches from memory and establishing a strong compositional design (value sketch) before doing any painting is the basis for a strong, bold painting.

A Return to Normalcy

"A Sailor's Delight"

oil on oil primed linen panel, 8" x 10"

At last, most of the preparations for Open Studio are finished. I hung the show yesterday outdoors . . .over 80 paintings out there!! . . . .and because it is outside, every painting and hanging spot had to be coded so we could take down all the pieces then, on the day of the show, replace them in minutes. It is an arduous task, believe me, to arrange the show in a cohesive way and to get all the positions just right. Now, it's clean house and do a few small details and we are ready! Yay!!!!

With the extra time now, I can putter away at the easel . . . .wellllll, sort of! I have a gallery show coming up in November, so now it is time to prep for that. Then another show in January of just watercolors. Busy!

This little fella was fun and interesting to work with color and values. I apologize for the slight glare on the painting . . . .I can't see that in the camera . . . .it happens.

Normal is back!! :-)

Another Incubation / Reconciliation

"Misty Brilliance II"

Oil on canvas, 24" x30"

Back in July, (scroll back to July 17 and 21), I attempted this painting, "reconciled" it, then set it aside. I wasn't happy with a number of different aspects . . . . . .color being one of them. I had let the colors get merky from not wiping my brush often enough. Also, both of the July versions seemed broken up to me. Neither version flowed to a center of interest . . . and there was a perspective problem.

Beginning early this morning, I tackled it again . . .and this time I scored. The photo here is not quite how it looks. There are a few extra edges in the photo that don't appear in the painting. Go figger dat!! The painting, however, has the brilliance I was after in the foreground and the spacial separation between the two bluffs. I am also pleased with the atmospheric sensation of the sun breaking through the fog. This time, it is going into a frame!

Never say die!!