Playing "What If"

"Still Life-98"

watercolor, 15 x 22 inches

As you already know, I have been working on many different versions of this same still life.


Nothin' new, you say?

I would beg your indulgence for just a moment. Playing "What If" is no boring pastime. It is the sure path to discovering something new, something unusual . . . . .and certainly the path to finding one's personal voice in painting. Y'see, when the artist has nothing to lose and it doesn't matter what others think about a piece, that artist is much more willing to take chances and try things that may not make sense or to take risks when more 'serious' approaches would cause risk avoidance.

As this painting was finished today, there was a missing element in the lower right foreground. It was here that the risk was staring back at me and mocking me to go ahead. The pattern of "dotted i's" on the green vase needed another repetition and that lower corner needed some of that neutralized green to balance things. So, there it is. Could I have spoiled the painting? Yep. Was I taking a risk (can't erase here with all that surrounding texture)? Yep. Does it make sense or seem 'real?' Nope. Did it work? Yep.

I think, frankly, that little silly touch is actually funny. The entire tone of the painting (mood) is sort of tongue in cheek. The entire painting is constructed of "what if" shapes and colors and values. Reality is suggested when it couldn't possibly be that way. So, the doodling around with an old theme, just messin' with ideas to see what would happen exposed some new approaches having to do with repeating patterns, gradations, shapes and color intensities. I learned more today!

Isn't that what this painting business is all about? Growth and learning?

A Note To Followers and Visitors

Go visit http://www.chriswillwalk.com/

Chris, a young father of two and loving husband, sustained a severe spinal injury a few weeks ago through a freak accident. And, he had no health insurance.

Read the story for yourself. Visit the blog. And do him and his family a favor . . . .just a small one:

If you have a blog, put the web link on it. . . . .and call attention to it.

Through whatever means you have, spread the word to others to visit Chris's site and blog.

This action will help make contact around the world and will implore those who see his and his family's plight to contribute or help . . . .even a little bit.

Just IMAGINE how many people COULD be helping if you put in a little bit . . .like a link.

The multiples that are possible really are mind blowing. Let's all pitch in with just a little help.

Link to http://www.chriswillwalk.com/. What have you got to lose?

Series Article

Still life 93

Watercolor 15 x 22 inches

You have, no doubt, heard about the idea of 'working in series.'

There are tons of reasons for it, one of which is to improve on a theme. The least obvious is that through the confinement of doing some single thing over and over again is that the artist's creative mind is awakened and begins to work overtime. I say that it is liberation through confinement.

In fact, if you'd like to know more about the process of series work and what it can do for you and your art . . . . .or if you are a lay person and want to truly understand what the mystery is inside of an artist's work process . . . . .pick up a copy of the October issue of "WATERCOLOR ARTIST" magazine.

In that magazine is an article entitled, "Play it Again" authored by yours truly. I hope you find it interesting.

Oh, the painting above is another in the long series of still life experiments. This one was done yesterday. I do these when I yearn to paint but have no specific idea of **what** to paint. This helps me loosen up for paintings to come, exercises my creative muscles, opens thinking channels, allows me to experiment without danger of failure and on and on and on. Thought you might like to see how I 'doodle' with my paints.

On Glazing and Mist

"Elkhorn Neighbors"

oil on stretched canvas, 16 x 20 inches

This painting is a breakthrough to new territory for me: the use of glazinng and also painting a convincing illusion of haze or atmospheric mist.

To date, most all the oils have been painted ala prima . . . .or directly. The great thing about painting watercolor effectively is that one must learn to mix value, as well as color. That skill has transferred nicely to the oil world and has helped in the setting up of atmospheric perspective. In this painting, however, so much was necessary to establish a sense of space and forms disappearing up the background hill that repeated adjustments of value and color (cooler tones) had to be progressively overlaid on dried coats of paint.

I am finding another world in oil painting . . . .one full of variables and methods, not to mention substances and mediums. It is a maze, indeed. And while I am foolin' round with this stuff, I am still plugging away at my watercolors . . . . . because . . . . .well, (ahem) it's "Home" to me.

Square Deal

"Elkkhorn Backwater"

oil on stretched canvas, 12 x 12 inches

Having never painted on a square format before now, I have always shied from it because there was no dominant direction in the format. That is, neither dominantly horizontal nor vertical. Considering the golden mean, there is no way to express it in the square, at least, as far as I am aware. So, it is very important, in my opinion, to place dynamic, unsymmetrical, 'moving' shapes inside the square to excite the viewer. Otherwise symmetry leads to boredom.

The long, leading linear light valued shape on the water's edge leads the eye deep into the square in an oblique direction, thus giving the internals of the square some tension and movement. The end of that shape, or line, the viewer is immediately attracted to the orange shapes lying out in the distance. Much is going on in this seemingly quiet, static square.

On the way to another painting site a few weeks ago, we stopped at this location to photograph the beutiful contrasts of the hills, the swarming green succulent, the orange fungus ( I think it is a fungus), and the water / reflections. Having just finished painting for the day, we only had time to photograph and go.

Working from my computer monitor in my studio, I was able to take a few days developing this painting . . . .glazing, reshaping, refining, recoloring . . .what ever was needed to refine this to the art piece that it is. I enjoyed it and like the result!

Meanwhile, I am painting the interior of our home and removing old "popcorn" ceilings. the labor is abusive, that is for sure. What's more, the abuse doubles because I am away from my beloved easel. Some deal!!

More Amazement

Click on this . .then compare

Okay. So you didn't believe that the color was the same in the last post? I understand. I didn't either, though I suspected it might be true. I teach color and judging color in the context of other colors is something which is taught and emphasized. I still wasn't sure.



So, Here is another shot for you to check out. Click the image. It will enlarge. Then, use your fingers or two pieces of paper to isolate the blue / blue green by forming a narrow slot through which you can only see the blue / blue green. You'll see.



I am still bowled over by this illusion !



I am painting. But this is really important to all painters to understand what happens to color on their canvas. I'll be posting some paintings to see in the next day or two. In the meantime, be well!