Ugly ducklings turn into swans

Network of Communication - SOLD

15" x 30"  mixed media

framed

Time has a way of providing fresh eyes and insight into what has gone before.

For paintings, you do what you think is good work at the time, but it could be weeks or years later when your revisit a piece, you know you can do better.  There may be lessons learned, techniques honed and more experienced hands and eyes to influence and enhance the past.

As artists we have the ability to use that experience and time to look again at a painting and see how it can be improved.  It is what I have done with this piece.

On my learning curve back to colour and painting, I was a bit timid with colour, but now I use it to my advantage. I took a rather subdued jellyfish and turned it into the star of the ocean.

This is the original piece.  I'm almost embarassed to show it now, as it looks so insipid in comparison to its makeover version.  But, at the time, it worked for me and it does have many good points.

The original was done in mixed media on a  15" x 30" panel and was custom framed.  But it lacked pazazz.  I grabbed a palette knife and oil paints and pushed colour and contrast and layers to give it impact.  I have some fluorescent oil paints that are amazing.  Not for the fluorescence,which I have not seen under a black light, but for their intensity of colour.  I wish a camera and computer screen could show the vividness of the yellow, orange and red touches in this painting of this paint.  No, it won't glow in the dark under regular lighting, but it will have impact in a room.

Don't hesitate to revisit an old painting and analyse it truthfully.  I believe we see through somewhat blinkered vision at our own work and need time and/or other eyes to see it, warts and all.  Armed with that knowledge we need to have the courage to just do it and see what the end result is.  Good or bad.  In this case, I think its good.

The benefits of pressure

I've been a bit in limbo for the last couple of weeks, trying to find something to inspire me and make me wake, anxious to get to the studio.  I think its finally breaking after some small paintings and a remake of an old piece. I still sketch each day whether I want to or not.  I believe part of the process is the process of just turning up and trying.

I've thought about what inspires me and what makes me produce and have come to the conclusion that it's pressure and deadlines.  I've just completed the work for my solo exhibition, framed, ready to go, done the marketing plan, made the book, created the postcard invitations.  Now what?  There's a slump at the end of any project even if this one isn't complete until after the exhibition and artist talk in June.

Now I need to refocus on the plans I set out in January, my "Closer to Home" plans for creating work based on familiar places and things.  But without a plan, a deadline and pressure to work towards it, its easy to get sidetracked and go down any number of rabbit holes that may or may not be related to art.

For now I'm getting ready to put some pieces in a seasonal gallery and also a new gallery on the west coast, but once that is delivered, I can flesh out my plan and set myself some goals to move ahead with.

High Tea

High Tea - Sold

 6" x 8"  oil on panel

Isn't it funny how even water can taste better if its in a beautiful container?

Tea is the same.  Nowadays you don't see china teacups very often. I'm sure there is probably a whole generation who have never seen the ornate teacups that were commonplace years ago.  I inherited a number of china teacups from my grandmother and still use them from time to time instead of the usual mug.  The gold on this teacup is beautiful and with my love of reflections, it had to be painted.

I believe beautiful things are made to be used, not stored behind glass in a cabinet and admired from afar.

What is your favourite cup/mug/glass?  Have you ever drawn or painted it?

Complementary - SOLD

6 x 8 oil on panel

I've been busy writing more than painting over the last few weeks and it continues as I prepare for an online drawing workshop.  Its a big undertaking, more than I anticipated but I'm moving ahead on the writing sections and am working on the videos that go with them.  That too, takes time, more so in editing, aside from filming and I'm not in my comfort zone, but learning a lot as I go.  Of course there are always glitches and sections have to be redone.  The thing that keeps me focused is knowing that once it is complete, I should not have to do a lot more to it aside from an annual or biannual tweaking.

  

I've created a new website that is cleaner and more visually appealing that the previous one and has everything together under one roof.  And its less expensive, which is always a good thing. The backroom details behind domain transfers never goes quite as planned, but, touch wood, all is in place. Do have a look if you have a moment and let me know what you think.  Jeanette Jobson Fine Art

I have workshops in May at the studio then am taking the summer off to do other things.  After working in a day job most of my life, this will be my first summer of freedom and I want to take advantage of it.  I'll be offering gyotaku workshops in Rocky Harbour in late July/early August, then fall drawing and painting workshops will run again til December.

Learn to create browns and greys in a colour theory workshop

May 5   Introduction to Palette Knife Painting
May 8   Colour Theory
May 19-21 Three Day Palette Knife Painting Workshop - Boats and Water
May 27 & 28 Introduction to Classical Drawing

You can find full details and registration for my workshops online.

Doing what comes naturally

 

 Saturday Morning

 Artist's Proof  6" x 9" 

Original etching handcoloured with watercolour

Available on Etsy

I've been struggling with a painting for the last week or more.  So much so that just going into the studio fills me with dread when I face this piece on the easel.  

Today I thought carefully about why it makes me feel this way and its because its not in my comfort zone.  Yes, there's some water in it,but there are buildings, lots of buildings.  I don't do landscapes and really don't do buildings, so my usual flow isn't present for this piece.  I'll get through it, but I know I'll find fault with the end result for no other reason but the grief its giving me in its creation.

Artists starting out move all over the place in terms of subject and medium, but over time a repetition of subject and medium creep in until they are a recognizable style.  It could be subject or colour palette or how a medium is used, but, like a signature, it becomes identifiable with a particular artist.

After painting in that style and having the world recognize it as yours, its difficult to move out of that comfort zone.  After I finish a large painting, I do a couple of small paintings, tiny in comparison to what I usually paint.  These allow me to explore other subjects but my technique and medium, palette knife and oil paint, are the identifiables in them.

I see other artists imitating successful artists or subjects that sell well, but haven't yet found their own style and are trying to ride on the coat tails of others, which is never successful on several levels.  As for painting what you think will sell.  Simply, it won't because you cannot gage what the public wants or sees.  There is always someone out there who will love your art (as well as hate it), they just haven't found it yet.  That 50/50 mix of art and marketing are key for visibility.  And putting many kilometres on the brush or knife ensures that you develop your own style.

Sure wander around and play, but remember where your comfort zone is and what makes your work unique to you.  So the moral of this story is that I will not take on a subject that I know I won't enjoy painting.  Like commissions sometimes, when the subject isn't one that naturally attracts you or is your own idea, you'll struggle and become frustrated.

My other struggle was this print.  This is an artist's proof from a plate that I etched awhile ago.  I etched more into the plate after the proofs then put it aside.  Now I can't find the plate!  I've hunted high and low and it still hasn't turned up.  It will eventually.  Meanwhile, I've added colour to two of the artist's proof with watercolour.

Its been one of those weeks and its only Tuesday!

Ice season

Spring Break - SOLD

12" x 36"

oil on gallery canvas

At last spring has come and the snow is retreating.  Of course it does it in its own sweet time.  One day pleasant and sunny, the next snow flurries or cold rain, but it is here.

The ocean has its own spring rituals as slob ice breaks up.  This can play havoc with shipping and has done so this year with the worst sea ice in 30 years.  It delays ferry crossings for passengers and freight and as trucked in food and goods are the norm, it can leave some supermarket shelves looking a little sparse at times.

Ice even becomes an industry, with ice breakers and harvesting of icebergs in season to make water and vodka.  Yes, bizarre I know, but true.

Making studies

 

Queen's

24" x 30" oil, masonite panel

Nearly every large painting that I produce has had a study done of it before I dive in to the final painting.

Now I know that not everyone likes to do studies.  They consider it a waste of time and want to jump right in and paint.  But studies can save you a lot of time and frustration on your final piece.  They don't have to be large or complex.  They are designed to work out ideas for composition, colour, values on a small scale before investing time and supplies discovering the same things on a large scale.  Great if you like your experiment on the large scale.  Not so great if you don't.

Study for Queen's- pen and ink/watercolour in sketchbook

I look on studies as similar to guage swatches in knitting.  Bear with me if you're not a knitter, but a guage swatch is a measurement tool that shows how many stitches per inch a particular yarn and needles provide, how loose or tight your knitting is and provides a pretty accurate idea about how your final knitted piece will turn out.  If you avoid it, you end up with a sweater that has arms well suited to a gorilla.  Yep, been there...fine yarn too.  The knitters will be sagely nodding at this last statement.

Colour studies and sketches are the same.  They are the test for shapes and colours and 30 minutes to an hour of your time devoted to a sketch and colour study can save you a lot of heartache later on.  I can safely tell you this because I've avoided studies in the past and dissolved in a fit of frustration and annoyance at myself when a large scale piece goes in the completely opposite direction to where I wanted it to go.

Hangin' WIP

Its quite common to start a painting and not finish it.  There are many reasons.  It may not be working out as you imagined it; you may lose interest in the subject; you may not have time or other projects are more pressing.  

 

This was the case for this piece. I  started it quite awhile ago using brushes on canvas and it wasn't quite doing what I wanted so I put it aside.   While cleaning up the studio today, I found it again and thought it was time to revitalize it using palette knives and to change the background for more contrast.  You can see my progress on the first two toys today as well as the background change from the pale blue to the darker greens.  I think the contrast gives more impact to the pastel toys and the texture of the knife should provide a more realistic look of fur.

I don't toss a lot of paintings, but the ones that I do put aside are usually returned to and reworked at a later date.  And that date can be years later.  I think I must hold the record for not returning to a portrait for over 20 years!  Unless I plan to completely rehaul the painting, I don't gesso over it, but simply oil out (if using oil paints) and make my changes.

Getting to grips with reflections

 Foiled

6" x 8" oil on panel

Available on Etsy

Whether its water, metal or glass, its the reflections that interest me.  Many people believe that painting or drawing reflections is difficult, but its all down to close observation of shapes and colours.  And of course magic. Joking!  There's no magic in art, there's lots of looking, lots of thinking and lots of practice.

So how to get to grips with reflections? 

1. Slow down.  Take time to really observe what is in front of you.  Our brains like to rush us past things; we take in the overview but never really see the detail.  The detail is what makes or breaks reflections.

2.Look at the environment.  Reflections pick up colour or shapes from objects nearby or the environment surrounding them. 

3. Highlights aren't all white.  The very brightest highlights where light hits the object straight on are often white, but even they have a tinge of another colour in many cases.  Subtle value changes in the same or complimentary colours show how light wraps around a subject by changing from lighter to darker values.

4. Look at shapes.  The shapes of light and dark areas, not just the subject is what reflects light.  Plan your underdrawing to include the shapes of all areas where light changes.  It becomes your guide for placement in painting.

Life drawing

 
Years ago I would attend a life drawing class weekly, but with work and altered scheduled, there just was not time to do so or sessions were not available when I was.  

Now that I'm not tied to a 9 - 5 job anymore, the world of life drawing has reopened and this week I attended two sessions, one with a clothed model the other unclothed.   I forgot how good it is to draw from life in a group setting.  The slight movements and changes in pose, light changes and atmosphere all contribute to the challenge.  From one minute poses to more substantial 30 minute poses, it was good to flex that muscle again.

One minute sketches

Messy or Organized?

There is a theory which states that disorder promotes creativity.

From LifeHacker:

Recently, a study conducted by the University of Minnesota found that people with a messy desk were more prone to creativity and risk taking, while people at cleaner desks tended to follow strict rules and were less likely to try new things or take risks. Dr. Vohs and her co-authors conclude in the study, "Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights."

There are many proponents of disorder leading to creativity, like A.A. Milne, the creator of Winnie the Pooh: “One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.”

Or Albert Einstein:  “If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind,” he said, “then what are we to think of an empty desk?”

There is the opposite of course in being too organized.  The person who spends all their time reading books about art technique, buying supplies and organizing papers or paints in alphabetical order can be at risk of becoming frozen by process and never actually creating art.  Of course, I do like order, but when it comes to my studio, disorder often reigns.  There  are paints all over the place, pencils, pens, palette knife, watercolour sets, containers of water, ink...you name it.  But I know just where everything is!  And I know its close to hand when an idea strikes.  Finding the perfect balance between mess and organization is a fine line to not let one overtake the other.

Its a bit like doing ironing for me.  I don't mind ironing, but the thought of getting out the iron, setting up the board, hauling the basket of clothes to the utility room, ironing, folding, putting away, etc. makes me procrastinate.   Its similar when all my painting or drawing tools are put away neatly.   I may want to paint something, but the thought of finding the colours, setting up the palette, priming the canvas, etc. etc. can sometimes make me put it off. 

I think I could happily create in a four foot space with everything at hand.  I believe that is what keeps my studio in disorder - the ability to just "do" at a moment's notice without having to think much about it.  So is that lazy or creative?  If other creatives before me and within my peer groups accept that and acknowledge that they do the same, I'm happy with it.  Unfortunately, society loves to label those who do not conform to certain standards. Two-thirds of people feel guilty about their messiness.  Half judge others who they see as disorganized or messy. Which is why not many people ever get to see inside my working studio.

The sketch at the top of this post shows what was in front of me on the table that houses my computer in my studio on  March 21st.  Believe me, you don't want to see what's behind me.  The contents haven't changed much in a day, aside from moving some tools around for use.

Okay, confession time.  Are you organized or messy?  I promise I won't judge.

When oranges came in...

 Single - SOLD

5" x 7" oil on panel

 “When oranges came in, a curious proceeding was gone through. Miss Jenkyns did not like to cut the fruit, for, as she observed, the juice all ran out nobody knew where, sucking [only I think she used some more recondite word] was in fact the only way of enjoying oranges; but then there was the unpleasant association with a ceremony frequently gone through by little babies; and so, after dessert, in orange season, Miss Jenkyns and Miss Matty used to rise up, possess themselves each of an orange in silence, and withdraw to the privacy of their own rooms to indulge in sucking oranges.”
― Elizabeth Gaskell, Cranford 

Globe - SOLD

7" x 9"   Oil on panel

I just like the colour orange.  I can't help it.

In the winter, when light is low and snow continues to make a presence, oranges make me think of sun and warmth and light.  So I keep painting them.  And people keep wanting them.   The painting at the top of this post, Single, is the newest offering.

Peeled  - SOLD

6" x 6"   Oil on panel

Into the Light OttLite Easel Lamp Review

Artists are painters of light and shade. Without light, contrasts in values can’t exist, colours can’t be judged and form is weak.

In the ideal world artists’ studios all have north facing windows with natural light flooding in during the day. You wish, right?? Few of us live in an ideal world and we need to artificially boost our ability to judge light and colour values in the studio.  Whether painting under less than ideal conditions, such as grey days, short daylight hours or needing to paint at night or under constant artificial light, every artist looks for a solution to provide a daylight equivalent in their studio.

The OttLite Easel Lamp may be that solution.

Often studio lighting is overhead or through spotlights as we manipulate space and set up to avoid working in our own shadow, or put up with yellowish incandescent or other less than ideal light quality. OttLite has created an easel lamp that clamps on to a variety of easel sizes and provides even daylight direct onto your support.

The Easel Lamp – specifications
Max. Height: 26.5"
Min. Height: 10"
Clamp Width: 6.5" (clamp opening adjusts from .32” to 2” widths)
Weight: 3.97 lbs
Bulb included. Rated to last up to 10,000 hours (Replacement bulb type B)

Where to buy
OttLite easel lamps are available at art supply and specialty lighting stores across North America.  You can find stockists on the OttLite website.

Ease of Assembly

The clamp has generous proportions and fits .32" - 2" mast width

For anything to work for me, assembly has to be simple.  If something comes with a 25 page instruction book and 16 bags of screws and bolts, I’m doomed from the start.  OttLite has ensured that there is minimal assembly required and I had the attachment on the easel in moments, slotted the lamp into the clamped base, plugged it into a wall socket and I was ready to draw, all in less than 5 minutes.

Clamp to the front or side of your easel

There are no tiny moving parts.  This makes adjustment and placement quick and easy.  The clamp is screwed onto the easel mast and locked into place with a lever.  The lamp is slotted into the clamp, and its done. Plug the lamp into a power source and you’re ready to go. Really, its that simple!

Tighten the clamp to fit with the dial, then pull the lever forward to lock into position

Insert the lamp into the clamp, place the power cord into an outlet

The on/off switch is located on the underside of the lamp with a large enough switch to avoid fumbling to make the connection.  With just two pieces, moving the lamp from one easel to another is quick and easy.

Light Quality

  

My painting Coastal, lit by diffused natural light from a north facing window; the second photo of the painting is lit with an Ottlite Easel lamp. These photos are not edited and were taken with a Canon Rebel XS SLR camera. As you can see there is very little difference, if any, in the light quality

Natural north light

OttLite easel lamp

The lamp performs well under low light conditions and as a supplement to overhead light sources.
Under artificial daylight fluorescent tubes in the studio the first image shows the colour range.

Overhead daylight fluorescent lighting source

Daylight fluorescent overhead lighting with OttLite Easel Lamp as supplement.

OttLite Easel Lamp as the only lighting source in a dark room.

I found the light quality is excellent, giving cool daylight reproduction without glare and true to life colour representation whether as a supplement to natural or overhead lighting or on its own.  There are subtle variances in colour values more than hues between lighting conditions but not enough to cause a significant and unexpected shift when viewed between lighting conditions.

As few artists have, a: north facing windows or b: unlimited daytime hours to paint, this easel lamp can make a huge difference by creating a constant, dependable light source that is accessible whenever required regardless of external variables.

Easel Compatibility

I tried this lamp on a wooden easel with a single mast that has a width of 1.25” x 1” and an aluminum easel with a 1” x .5” wide mast. The lamp looked a little top heavy on the lighter weight easel, but there was no movement in the easel to cause instability from the additional weight.

A smaller easel lamp for portable or lighter weight easels would be a welcome addition to this line of lighting to balance the easel size.  For a studio easel however, the Easel Lamp provides ample light coverage without the ends of a painting or drawing being in shadow.  The flexible goose neck of the lamp allows one hand adjustment to direct the light just where its needed.

Win an OttLite Easel Lamp!
Here’s the chance to win your own lamp through the generosity of OttLite.

To enter the draw for an easel lamp, leave your name and email (your email will not be public) through the Inlinkz widget below.  On April 1st, a winning name from will be drawn from entries received and the winner notified by email.

Sorry, entries are accepted only from continental USA and Canada.

Winter Sunshine

 Morning Sun - Sold

6" x 6"

On a cold snowy day, a delivery of sunshine arrived via an anonymous donor.  Three beautiful Bird of Paradise flowers were trudged through the snow and ice with a note saying it hoped they would bring inspiration for a painting.

In late January I completed a small painting of a bird of paradise blossom from an image I had.  These flowers aren't frequent visitors to this part of the world, especially in winter, so to see them in person is quite wonderful.  They are brilliant, tropical colours but have an air of prehistoric plant life to them with sturdy stems and solid flowers.

Paradise - Sold

I found the anonymous culprit, my blogger friend Gary Everest  (Gary L. Everest Paintings).  We had talked about the blossoms after I had painted one and I had assigned him a mission to find a BOP plant to photograph for me in real life, as he and his lovely wife Michele live in Hawaii. Well he went one better and sent me the real thing!  I shall  paint and draw and photograph this plant to death before it expires!  Gary, thank you, you're the best!

Changing paths

On Friday I stepped down from my full time job and am taking on the role of full time artist.  Its not been a simple decision and there has been a lot of planning for lifestyle and financial changes that has gone into making this bold move.

Its interesting to note people's reactions to the move.  Many think that I'm retiring and others believe that 'artist' means I will have lots of free time and can do what I want all day, paint when I want and what I want and generally have a good time.  Its that same old belief that rears its head when asked what you do for a living and when you say "artist" the response is something along the lines of "Great, and what do you really do for a job?" 

Where does the idea come from that creating art is easier and less credible than any other job on the planet? The job of an artist is no different than any other job in terms of responsibilities. You have to get up, go to the studio and paint - whether you want to or not. The difference is that you work for yourself, not for someone else.  That ups the responsibility because only you are accountable for making it succeed.  Only you are responsible for ensuring cash flow, visibility, branding, marketing, production - every department.   And only you are responsible for its success or failure.

So if I lounge around all day and do whatever I want, I'm ensuring the failure of my art business.  If I work hard and follow my art business plan, it still may fail, but I will know that there were factors outside my control that contributed to its failure.

There are incentives to succeed both internally and externally.  They are the best motivation to succeed.

Eat the biggest frog first

 Rock Harbour

12" x 36"  oil on canvas

We all have sections of paintings that we don't enjoy doing as much as other parts.  And it can show if you're not careful.

The exquisite detail that is heaped on a focal point can tend to drift away when a vast background is staring back at us. There is a tendency to not pay as much attention to those parts that don't excite as much.  And yes, some areas can be a bit tedious, but they are equally as important as the main subject.  It's instantly apparent in some paintings where boredom set and where over attention was given to a focal object.  Its like seeing two paintings in one that are competing with each other.

What's the solution for disenchantment?

1. Eat the biggest frog first.  Everything else after that is easy.   Tackle the largest surface area first and work your way down to the part you enjoy painting most.  Human nature gravitates towards the thing that provides the most pleasure and avoidance of what does not.  Its not always easy to create this way, as a painting that is built as a whole is easier to produce than one that is in sections. But, if your frog is big and ugly, you'd better start by eating that one first.
2. Perserverance.  Equal attention must be given to all areas so that they become a cohesive unit.  While your left brain starts the argument with your right brain for abandoning what is perceived as not as interesting, its important to tune out that argument and concentrate on what is in front of you.
3. Observation.  When we aren't as interested in something, we skim over detail.  We miss the subtle colours and nuances of values.  We don't visualize the whole image, only the part we like most.  In doing so, we dilute the impact of the painting.
4. Never Settle for Good Enough.   How many times have I seen the "good enough" paintings??  You know the ones.   The subject is refined in detail but the background is weak and insipid.  The artist has lost interest in building the elements and at some point, usually when boredom sets in, says "That's good enough.  But is it?  Good enough for that moment in time, but never good enough for public display or a sale.  And inside the artist's head, they know it isn't good enough.  Not for them.  Not for anyone.  There is always a finish line in a painting.  Make sure you cross that line and don't let mediocre work be presented to the world. 
5. Rewards.  When working on a section that doesn't thrill, its good to flit back and forth between it and the main subject, adding detail, tweaking, comparing.  It gives your brain a reward.  "Yes, I can work on what I like for a while."  You do need the discipline to return to the frog again however.

What's my biggest frog?  Grass and rocks.  Yep, those ones in the Rock Harbour painting.  All 10 million of them.  One by one by one...

Fishy Bits BOGO Sale

 

Buy one fish, get one free!

In 2013, I created a series of original relief prints of marine fish found in the waters off Newfoundland and Labrador.  I still have some original prints available and to put the series to rest, I am offering a unique opportunity to get two prints for the price of one until February 28th.

Each print measures 4" x 6" using oil based inks on Japanese washi papers.  A generous border surrounds each print.  The paper choice is random, but all are professional printmaking papers.  Each print is individual, created from a hand carved lino block and is signed.

North Under A Star

You can view all the fish prints on my website and when you purchase one print for $25, shipping included,  I'll add another to your package.  If you have a preference for the second, let me know in a note to the seller or an email and I'll do my best to ensure you receive your choice.  If I don't have sufficient prints, I'll substitute your second piece with another of my choice unless you indicate a second preference.

I will not be printing additional editions of this series, so once they are gone, they are gone and become a stack of historic relief plates! 

Winter Pear

 Winter Pear - Sold

6" x 6"

The end of a large painting is the herald for the production of a smaller painting using the paint left over on the palette. My self imposed rule is that I cannot add another colour, except perhaps some white, to the palette to complete the piece.

After Sea Harvesters was complete, I worked on this 6" x 6" piece, Winter Pear. The blues and oranges always work their way into my paintings, no matter what time of year, but I think in winter they are almost as good as sunshine therapy.

After more than 40cm of snow in a storm yesterday, more tonight and oh bliss (not)more on Sunday night, I'm wishing my winter away. I'm not a winter person in any way and driving in the stuff is horrible. I think the older I get, the more nervous I become about driving in snow. I was fearless once upon a time. What happened to that person?

Sea Harvesters WIP

 

 Sea Harvesters - SOLD

24 x 16  oil on canvas

Available on www.jeanettejobson.com

Fishing boats and harbours are a dime a dozen around Newfoundland and I love the sights and sounds that are ever present.  Motors running, people shouting, water lapping against hulls, seagulls overhead, they all create that unique sea town experience.

With that in mind, I created this painting of three fishing boats ready to head to sea to make their living.  I actually remembered to take photos at most points of progress so I put them together in this work in progress video.  Enjoy!