May Self portrait

I don't know why I decided to do a self portrait this morning, it just seemed to fall into place.  Its been awhile since I did one and time has a way of improving technique - and altering the subject matter too. Creating the planes of a face is always interesting and trying to match colours to shapes even more so to make a 2 dimensional image breathe life.  Self portraits are such good learning experiences

So here is the portrait as it currently sits.  There is still lots of work to do on it to refine it further.  The mouth is making me crazy, it just won't do what I want it to do, but I'll keep modelling it until it submits.   The whole piece a is pretty high key right now and I want to increase the shadow as the lighting for this is fairly strong, with that bright light coming from the right.

Its worth tweaking it til I get to where I want it to be, but not over tweaking so that it still has that 'painterly' look to it and isn't too stiff or contrived.

This is on a 10" x 10" panel in oils.

Tomorrow the local art group that I am involved with will hold a one day exhibition and sale of small works. For some strange reason I'm not running around like a mad thing tonight finishing up loose ends and all stressed.  That probably means that I've forgotten something major!

The exhibition will be held at Admiralty House, 365 Old Placentia Road, Mount Pearl and will be open to the public from 11am to 5pm.  Lots of original work, super affordable prices, and nothing larger than 8 x 10.  Do drop by if you want to escape the fog and cool breezes, I'd love to say hello and share some of my work with you.

Sleepless

Insomnia can become a useful thing.  At least for a short period of time before fatigue sets in.

My inability to sleep provides me with extra studio time in the wee hours of the morning.  Its quiet then without interruption and I can achieve a lot.  This morning, blues and greens appealed to me in this little painting of the bow of a boat. The rich, dark colours seemed to work and match the dark, rainy mood at 4:30am.

5 x 7" on canvas panel in oil

And this song played over and over in my head.  Why I have no idea.  Now I'll pass it on to you.

Stone angel - in progress

I've made a little more progress on the stone angel.  I had added pumice stone and a little modeling paste to increase the texture and make it more stone-like.  Adding glazes of oils over that surface take time and lots of drying inbetween glazes.

While the body, head and wings are stone, the face is made of marble and is giving me angst to get just right.  Marble is so subtle and as well, weather has taken its toll with moss giving a shield almost like armour over the forehead and nose, tracing the path of water as it runs off, catching the top lip and chin.  All these little changes in shape and colour play tricks with my brain and eyes.

I still need to work more on the eyes and the mouth needs to widen a little I think to give the impression of a face in repose more fully.  Its getting there, but slow going.

Pluot

Pluots are delicious. 

At my favourite prop store, also known as the supermarket, I found them, and thought they were plums.  They look like plums, big, purple with a lovely grey/blue bloom and the inside is plum like as well, but apparently they are a cross between a plum and an apricot with many variations in colour.

Very meaty, sweet and delicious.  This was my last one and it was difficult to paint it fighting the urge to eat it all the time.  Eaten it was and soon I must take a trip back to the supermarket to get more. 

While waiting for the stone angel to dry, I thought I'd try a watercolour as I hadn't done one for awhile and this fruit seemed to be a good candidate.  Its on a remnant of 200lb paper which is lovely as I don't have to stretch it and it takes all sorts of abuse.  I love that heavy paper!  Its about 6 x 7" perhaps give or take a bit.

Stone angels

Its not water and its not fish, so how did I end up with stone angels?  I'm not really sure, but you know how one idea sparks off another, etc., etc.?  In my flurry of ideas that were spinning through my head I had one for a project that I'm starting to explore that involves sculpture in cemeteries.   On the Avalon Peninsula there are a number of cemeteries going back to the 1700s and likely beyond, but markers are long gone, likely victims of weather and nature reclaiming them as they fall over.

Cemeteries have always held a fascination for me.  Even as a child I remember wandering through them as the adults visited relative's graves, exploring headstones and monuments.  I used to take my own children when small on excursions to cemeteries, the older the better.

So turning to local cemeteries which are full of both simple and ornate monuments to the dead, I find areas of interest in every part.  From the overall view of towering trees that create shadow and disrupt the ground, to ancient gravemarkers leaning precariously and finally the sculptures of angels, cherubs, urns and crypts in varying stages of age, a cemetery could provide a lifetime of inspiration.


Of course I get odd looks when sketching in a cemetery but as I'm respectful and usually in an older part where few people go, I'm generally not disturbed.  And some do think its rather morbid, but I think its more a place of history and beauty.

The sketch at the top is done in marker to capture the strong contrast of shadows in the sun.  The blue sky brightens a somber scene of this child angel.

The pencil sketch is another child angel, perched on top of a gravemarker.  I loved the profile view and again the strong shadows is virtually essential for the sculpture to have impact as a drawing or painting.

I've been working on a few sketches and have started this painting of a stone angel.  This is in oils on a 16 x 20 stretched canvas.   The initial colour and shape has been blocked in and I've added a helping hand in the form of pumice paste to obtain a better texture for the stone.  The face hasn't had much work yet, and I need to wait a day or two to let the paste and oil dry a little before I can do more work on it, but you can see the general direction its heading in.

High Tide at dusk

 In one drop of water are found all the secrets of the oceans.  ~Kahlil Gibran

And there are many secrets.  And colours.  And shapes.

When light starts to fade, the ocean takes on a different colour.  The brightest lights are pulled out of it and replaced by softened shades that make you strain to see them.  Purple, turquoise, blue, green, grey all blend together.


Its easy to see why dusk and dawn are perfect times for capturing light.


This is 6" x 12" on stretched canvas, painted in oil.

The laundry room

I've been working my way through some colour exercises lately, under the tutelage of a variety of books from Kevin MacPherson to Stephen Quiller.  This exercise is from Lori Putnam's workbook, Exploring Color. This is about exploring colour and any two of yellow, orange, red, violet, blue, or green may be used.  The concept is to use the two colours to create light and shadow, but still make the hues identifiable no matter how you combine them.

I used ultramarine blue and cadmium orange for this, along with titanium white and was fairly conservative in colour mixing with a little mud thrown in for good measure. This is the view from the door of my studio out into the laundry room.  Not the most beautiful view but the shapes were interesting and the light coming from a half bathroom was all that was illuminating it.

Interior scenes are not something I've done a lot of, but the appeal is there if the lighting is right and simple scenes can become glimpses into intimate life.

The study is 5 x 7 in oil on a canvas panel.

Specimen 18437

Because capelin sexes have different shapes, they are often posed together classically for comparison.   I came across a 1948 black and white image showing a similar pose and its sparked off ideas for a whole series of capelin paintings.

Now I know looking at fish is not everyone's idea of pretty pictures, but if you're looking for flowers, you're in the wrong blog.  I always seem to root for the underdogs of the world.  Stray animals, the mangy dog at the pound, some half dead cat who turns up on the doorstep and all those creatures that people look at and say 'ewwwwwww'.  Fish being one of them.

Like most things, the more you examine something, the more intriguing it becomes. You see all kinds of shapes and colours that you wouldn't have seen at a cursory glance.  This is how I feel about fish.  They are quite remarkable creatures with an amazing ability to live underwater.  Just think about it!  What a world they must see!

For this painting I started out shapes with a brush then switched to a palette knife to complete the pair. Meet Specimen 18437.  In oil on canvas panel and 7 x 9, I think.  Its on an old unmarked canvas and I'm too lazy to find the measuring tape.

The male is on the top, the female on the bottom.

Green water

I seem to be all over the map in terms of painting lately.  My mind won't settle into one track and stay there.  As soon as I get a piece started, another idea kicks in and sends me off in a different direction.  Maybe it is the season that does it, stirring up ideas and growth after a long winter.

Yesterday I started a couple of paintings and ended up wiping both of them then reverted to my old standby of water.  Each wave is similar but different.  Light changes, shapes change, and capturing all the elements becomes a challenge.

The initial stages of blocking in shape and colour lets some of the undercoat peek through.

This is the current stage of the painting I'm working on.  Its 6 x 12 in oil.  The wiped surface was a very dark greenish orange and it gives the painting a somber light.  While I work on the mid-range values, the light will become stronger until I can reach the point of pure highlights to help bring it to life.

And of course there is another painting on another easel as I work on this; more sketches and thumbnails of ideas and the urge to do a large, detailed drawing is in my head too.  Yes, it must be spring.

On ice

I love using palette knives for speed and freedom in painting.  Using them makes work take on a whole new looseness, letting me concentrate on shapes and values instead of getting bogged down in detail, which I have a tendency to do.

These fish, mackerel I believe, sitting on crushed ice, were perfect candidates for going under the knife.  The image wasn't perfect, which takes away the detail and forces concentration on the important elements.  I seem to be bolder in colour when using the knives and the strokes with those delicious dollops of paint refuse to let me lean towards any detail work.  

Small size allows satisfaction in a shorter period of time, meaning I can usually finish a piece in one session.  This is on a 6 x 6 gessoed masonite panel using oils.

People comment that the technique uses a lot of paint.  Well, not really, not a lot more than I would use in a painting using a brush and traditional use.  Of course, a larger piece will take more paint and I did a 16 x 20 to test to see how much I would use and get good coverage.  I was surprised that this technique is not as lavish in paint use as many believe.  I'd say that you would use perhaps double the amount of paint that you would you use if you paint modestly with a brush.

And as I always say, supplies are made to be used, not hoarded.  So be generous with your paint and let it work for you.

Spring Challenge

Today was a beautiful spring day.  The air was warm, the sun was shining, people were happy.  And I needed some colour in the house.

While shopping at the supermarket, I was drawn to a pot of orange/yellow tulips.  The intense colour ensured they went home with me and I could see possibilities of photos with the sun at the right angle really lighting up those colours.

I posted one of the photos on my timeline on Facebook and Rose Welty mentioned that it would make a good painting subject.  I suggested she'd be a lot better at it than me, as anyone who knows me knows I hate painting flowers.  But the gauntlet was thrown down as she said she would do it if I would.  I took it a step further and said I'd put it on my blog as a little spring challenge for anyone who wanted to play around with the image.

So here are the guidelines:

Click on the image to view it full size and save to your computer.
Paint, draw, etch, whatever with the image and provide a link to your finished piece on this post.
There is no timeline, simply enjoy and share the process.
Please use the image for this challenge only.

Pea Green again

The previous painting of the pea green boat niggled me a little and Sue Pownall, from Art of a Nomad, put her finger on it in a comment that the end piece didn't read well and she was right.  Its always good to have other eyes skim over work as the artist often can't see what's right in front of them.

So I removed the motor and then changed the colour to a yellower green that fit the description better for the pea green boat.  So here it is again.  I'm hoping it won't morph again, but you never know!  I've put it on Daily Paintworks and hopefully it will find a good home before I have another change of heart.

Backwash II

This piece is pushing towards the completion of a demo that I started at the workshop I delivered on Saturday on painting water.  Weather had postponed the previous workshop this one was placed in a different venue that wasn't the best place in terms of acoustics, equipment and layout.  However, you work with what you have.

The original demo piece was painted a month or so ago. This piece is in a lower key and is a smaller version, measuring 8" x 10" in acrylic.

I painted the beginning shapes and blocked in colour, trying to create some values to give the piece form while I had time.  I never seem to have enough time to really develop a piece at a workshop demo, perhaps because I was created a more detailed painting, so I lay the traditional path on canvas, then encouraged participants to create their own pieces based on that direction.  I continue to circulate to provide feedback and assistance and take more time at various points to develop my demo piece more.

I know participants at workshops like to get down to the business of painting, and theory exercises becomes a bit tedious for them, no matter how valuable.  Finding the balance between providing technical knowledge and putting that into practice on a piece can be a challenge sometimes and may have to do with the level of experience of individuals and where they want to go with their art.

...in a beautiful pea green boat

One of my favourite childhood poems was The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear, written in 1871.  Full of nonsense that makes perfect sense to every child, its appeal lingers on. You can listen to it, if you care to, in the animated clip below.

This little pea green boat looks to be just the ticket for fowl and feline to set sail in.  5" x  7" in oils on canvas panel

Urbay Decay

There is something interesting about texture and decay.  While we can find it distasteful in some situations, it still has the connection to life, often from neglect in man made structures.  Natural objects, which still decay, don't seem to have the roughness to them or stand out as strongly visually.

This wall, along the side of a canal shows all the elements of age, decay and neglect.  Iron in water pipe exits stains the concrete surface with shades of orange rust.  Water stains seep upwards from tide or lock lines.  Metal erodes, concrete crumbles.  Nature reclaims its space.

This is a multimedia piece on 4" x 12" gallery canvas. I used coarse pumice paste for the top third to add roughness, molding paste for the rest with a little firm gel in places.  Oil washes, a bit of palette knife work and here it is. 4 x 12 on gallery canvas.

Pastes and gels are wonderful for adding texture to paintings, and any number of effects can be created using them.  They break up the surface and leave under colour showing through as additional layers hit the high points.

Burning

After my flurry of palette knife paintings, I've gone back to a more sedate pace.  At least for now.

Watching the fire burn in the woodstove the other night, I wondered about painting flames.  Like water, there are very subtle shifts of light and values, always moving, always leaving me to sear memories of colour and light onto my brain and pull out later in a painting.

Like a firestarter, I lit match after match in the studio til the place smelled like hell fire's sulphur, watching the movement of the flame and the process of burning.  I need more practice and ability with the camera to photograph a match in the process of lighting to catch the quick flare of the initial burn and curl of smoke as it burns itself out.  Practice and a good clamp with a flat base to avoid burned fingers.

This is a tiny gallery canvas just 4" x 4" and the painting is in oil.  It is available for purchase on Daily Paintworks.

Making water

One of the best ways of learning about the palette of colours you choose for a painting is to create a colour swatch that you can keep as  reference for future use. As artists, we often tend to use the canvas as the palette, mixing colours there and experimenting til we get it right.  Sometimes that works, sometimes not so well and we end up with mud.  That's not always a bad thing, depending on the shade of mud you end up with and if you know how you created the mud.  This is where we fall down when we mix a colour on the support.  We often don't mix enough then spend ages trying to recreate that same colour to continue a passage of the painting.

One exercise I use in classes to familiarize participants with their colours and how they perform is to create a swatch of colour mixes, labelled with the original paint names and showing the changes as colours are added. We're always so anxious to get on with the painting process, we don't take time to do a little prep work that will save us time and frustration in the end.

I start out with primary colours, usually cad yellow light, ultramarine blue and cad red light. Titanium white is added to the palette to lighten colours as needed. Write the name of the colour over the blob of paint for reference. In this case, I used indanthrene blue in this image simply because I'd run out of ultramarine.  And yes, I spelled it incorrectly too.  That's fixed now. Most of the blues will provide a similar effect and each should be experiemented with to see how the colour changes in hue.

Starting with  one of the colours,  pull down some from the squeezed out pile and simply add one of the other primaries to it mixing it on the paper or canvas.  Continue down smoothly, adding white to the mix til a smooth gradation of colour from dark to light is achieved.  This provides a good idea of the range of colours that can be achieved with the three primaries and white.

I add a variety of additional blues and use the same process, adding yellow or red to the mix, then white to achieve a range of colours and understand how the initial colours are different from each other to acheive the 'formula' for painting that I need.   This colour swatch is looking more at blues and turquoises and variants of them.  Another layer can be added using just reds and blues to achieve varying shades of purples or reds and yellows to find those sunset colours.  

There can be no secret formula for any particular painting.  There are too many variables to predict success.  The only way forward is to create your own formula and that will come with experimentation, a little homework and a lot of practice.

This palette, in acrylic, consists of colours that I use in painting water.  The addition of extra colours will depends  on light and if there are other objects such as shore line in the composition.  Additional tubes of paint aren't really necessary and I view them often as shortcuts.  They can be a bit of the 'formula' that buys some extra time or less thinking about what paint to mix to achieve a particular colour.  However, I don't think there is any one colour, besides white that I ever use straight from a tube without mixing it with another colour to adjust it to suit my needs.

So have some fun creating a swatch of colours.  Create your own formula, document it, use it, change it, share it and enjoy the process.

Easter fish

Whatever you believe in or not believe in during Easter, fish play a common role in this holiday. Whether eating fish on Good Friday or buying chocolate fish in Paris, the fish is the symbol of fertility of spring and also the original symbol for Christianity, pre-dating the cross.

Not having either in mind, these fish made an interesting composition.  8" x 8" in oil on canvas panel.  I painted over another piece that hadn't gone well.  Its a bit eerie seeing the partial painting and eyes peering through the oil sketch.

Perhaps in many years time, someone will analyze the painting and find the ghost of the initial painting behind the fish and wonder about it.

Its been difficult to get a good photograph of the final piece, the reflections from the wet paint just aren't cooperating.  I hope to re-photograph it in a day or two when its dryer.

PS  I edited last night's text as it didn't seem to make sense at all.  And I hadn't even had a drink!

Tidal flow

 

I'm in the process of creating a tutorial e-guide on painting water and to do so, I need to write down every step of the process, which can be very time consuming.  It may well be a book by the time its finished as there's so much to cover.  This painting is 10" x 10" on canvas panel in acrylic, a popular medium with many artists for many reasons.  Acrylic has as much potential as oil in painting, but slightly different handling, so the switch back and forth between it and oil becomes challenging sometimes. 

I'll have a bit of a test run of the process at the workshop I'll deliver next weekend and that will provide feedback for additional tweaks.  A 6 hour workshop doesn't provide enough time to do more than a sampling of exercises, concepts and technique practice for participants.  A full 2 or 3 days would give a more in-depth understanding of painting water. 

I am considering the option of holding an online workshop for the future, and there's still a lot of work to do to put that in place, but I hope that by the fall I will have something ready to offer.  Online opportunity for artists to learn technique is a non-threatening and affordable way for individuals to participate from all parts of the world.  The use of video, step by step photographs and information on technique that can be accessed over and over makes the experience of an online workshop more effective than attending one in person sometimes, as the material can be reviewed as much as required to understand a particular point.

Flat Line

Flatline

Oil on canvas   SOLD

This line of boats waiting on the mud flats for the tide to reach them is a common sight in coastal communities. The vivid colours of the boats are reflected in the water and the wet mud.  Bumpers made from old tires are common as seen here, as well as the traditional white or coloured bumpers. 

This is in oil, still using a palette knife on an 8" x 16" panel.  I may have the palette knife out of my system for a little while, as I return to other brush paintings.  The smooth surface seems almost foreign after wielding a knife in the paint.