Dec 26 - The Pears in Acrylics Continued...

Check out how the color is developing on this 6 x 12 canvas now! I've started to add the warms over the underlayment of colors (look at yesterday's to see the initial layers) and it really is coming along.

By putting layers of more subtle colors UNDER the final layers, the painting develops a depth that is not possible any other way. Each one of the pears is starting to have a character now, and their shapes are interesting and hold the viewer's eye--even at this early stage. I have found that I don't need Yellow Ochre, but can mix a decent one from the cool burnt umber and the cadmium yellow--OK, it BREAKS THE RULES. But by careful manipulation, it still remains in the cool family.

So a limited palette can work with my Color System, yet it is not for the faint of heart. One must have a good deal of experience in mixing colors, and have an "eye" for the temperature inherent in the mix before moving out of the System for new expression. My visit to the MET museum really toasted my eyes for this, and I'm more than ready to stretch my wings!

Ah, only two more days here in New Jersey, then I head back to California with Sparky. My eyes are filled with the lovely greys of the winter here, and I'm sure that will enhance my paintings in the future. Today I walked in the rain over to the central part of Ridgewood, Sparky in his rain gear, and me without an umbrella, and took in all the wondrous sights of value and muted colros on this rainy, gray day. I think I may have to travel more!

The February three-day Color Boot Camp is OPEN now! Did you get a Christmas surprise that you'd like to use on that workshop? For a link straight to that page, click HERE.

And in other news, I'm enjoying my visit with my family, and had a wonderful Christmas with a whole bunch of them! Here's that Vermeer, "A Maid Asleep" that I didn't know existed before my visit to the MET....

You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Dec 25 - Next Step in the Still Life, Happy Holidays!

Now I'm starting to add color to the 6 x 12 acrylic painting--noting the basic structure of the pears with my brushwork. Knowing these pear-boys are going to be warm in the lights, I've added some cadmium red and burnt sienna to the sides away from the shadows, because on the next "go-pass" I'll be putting many thicker layers of color. Having an underlayment of the basic color helps me to unify the finished work in those areas. Note I've also put a warm wash over the horizontal surface, and the relationship to the pears' coloration is obvious. This will bind and unify the painting as it progresses.

On other news, the Christmas Day was wonderful with family and laughter here on the East Coast. One of the laughs came when Sparky decided to sit on my host's five-month Teddy Roosevelt Terrier, Hero, and his look of surprise. He's adorable, and has been going on long walks with Sparky and me using the tandem leash. Much like driving a team of ponies, albeit small versions. They are staying warm by the wood fire! I wish all of you a very peaceful and happy rest of 2009 and a year full of wishes met and dreams realized in 2010 and beyond.
Peace.


You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Dec 24 - Still inside and painting!

The guidelines from yesterday are driving the values as I push the design further into the darks. I elected to put a strip of dark under the edge to push the pears back from the viewer. Although not a relatively good design choice, I believe that linking the middle shadow to it will create the visual path that we need to "get into" the composition. Let's see how it develops.

No color yet, just the grays of the ultramarine blue, burnt umber and some thalo green whispered in to create that backdrop. (You can refer back to yesterday's post to see the source.)

Now later today, family will be emerging from all quadrants of the compass to bring holiday cheer and laughter to my nephew's here in Northern New Jersey. The snow is still on the ground, but the roads are clear. The tree is surrounded by presents, firewood is laid in, and the food is being prepared as I type this.

Aren't the shadows and the blues of this scene out the front door just wonderful? In California, we're dominated by browns, grays and gray-greens. Here it is all about the complementary hues of blue and grayed oranges! More paintings coming from this trip, "you betcha"! Getting my eyeballs filled with snow patterns and shadows!

You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Dec 23 - New Still Life for the WAOW Show (Acrylic)

I've started another painting while I'm here near New York City... this time a still life of those luscious pears. I set the trio up under a single light in the basement, and am having fun painting this 6 x 12 acrylic.

Here's the first pass across the white canvas, blocking in the large darks (gee, I do that a LOT), with the ultramarine blue and burnt umber. Who cares about edges? I found that the paintings in the Met that caught my eye from across the room had a strong value structure--especially the Rembrandts and paintings from the 1800s. Oh, well, there were many paintings that were about value structure--not until I got into the Impressionists did I see that change. I learned and reinforced so much from that visit.

Here's the source material for this painting--I took a photograph, but am painting the pears from life, not from this image. I share it with you to show that simple subjects can come from your local grocers. These pears cost a small amount--the painting will hopefully transcend their temporary existence on my nephew's shelf.

The Met still comes to my mind and here is an image of a detail of the HUGE canvas by Rosa Bonheur. This image, even only part of the huge canvas, would represent about seven FEET of her master work in oil! Look at the values and how they reverse from the backs of the horses to the legs. Light backs, dark legs. midvalue surrounds the backs, mid-values surround the legs! Amazing.... The pears do the same thing!!

You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Dec 22 - The Snow Scene Finished (Acrylic) and the MET

What a day... I finished up the 12 x 9 acrylic (shown here) of the snow scene on the dog walk day. It didn't take too much to bring it to a finished state from yesterday's phase--just more layers of filmy color and caligraphic lines.

I then went to the most magnificent museum I have ever experienced! The Metropolitan Musuem of Art in New York City rocked my socks off--with hundreds of paintings and sculptures, it was as if I were visiting some very old friends from my art history courses.

First I headed straight for Rosa Bonheur's "The Horse Fair", because seeing it in the flesh is an incomparable experience. This painting is huge, and one of the unsung main attractions of the museum in my opinion. And I saw four Vermeers, one I hadn't known about, several Van Gogh's, and Monet's paintings of Rouen cathedral, haystacks and water lilies. I was overwhelmed after three hours, and had to leave... I wonder if I can return before I depart and see more of the other exhibits? I don't know. I'm just reeling from the visual input.

There were two more exhibits, one on Samurai weaponry, and the second one on American genre paintings, which included several Winslow Homer pieces. I was in Heaven!

I encourage anyone who has time to visit their local museums and see real art "up close and personal". It can change your life! Here's a closeup of Monet's haystack--check out the subtle colors in the entire area, especially the shadows! Wow!

Speaking of that, my workshop schedule is updated with the FOUR new workshops scheduled for 2010. Please check THAT out!

You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Dec 21 - Acrylic Snow Scene, Second View

I've covered the canvas, which all you seasoned followers recognize as a characteristic of how I work. Turns out I don't even need that cool red in this one, since the coloration is lending itself to the palette of colors I brought along (see yesterday's post for those). Still have a lot of loose brushwork, and will tighten it down on the next "go round".

Today I took the train into New York City to the Museum of Modern Art, and saw many of the original paintings and sculptures that are in the text of the online Art Appreciation courses I teach. I learned a lot while there, mostly that Chagall's "I and the Village" is a LOT larger than I imagined! I'm not smiling because the guard just came up and told me to move--I was too close!

And I saw Van Gogh's "Starry Night" and was astonished to see raw canvas showing in it--and here I thought he used tons of paint....The image below shows the left side and part of the framing. Can we forgive our own mistakes when we see the masters of art history doing the same? I think so.

I've attached both images to this posting because I think you'll enjoy the visuals.

Tomorrow I hope to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, although I may take a day off and enjoy the local sights here. Who knows? This is a fun trip and I'm enjoying myself immensely.


You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Dec 20 - Snow Scene in Acrylics, Part I

My "neighborhood" here in New Jersey got up to a foot of snow yesterday, so this morning I took the dogs out for a snowy walk. I realize as an artist it is essential for us to have sensory input to put the "real" in our work. (Unless of course, you are not a realistic painter!) So after the walk, I set up my traveling "light" supplies (see below) and began this 12 x 9 acrylic. I'm using the traditional acrylics, and did NOT tone the canvas. With acrylics, especially the traditionals, one of the great features is the luminosity that is possible with glazing and layering the colors.

This is the stream that runs through Ridgewood, New Jersey, and is near the swimming pond--now covered in a sheet of ice and snow!

My supplies... on the dining room table, as the rest of the relatives went into the city for storefronts and Rockefeller trees. Me, I loved my walk and afternoon painting. The wind is up now, and I imagine the chill factor is HUGE. Glad to be indoors with the doggies!

When we went for a walk, here's the scenery that greeted my snow-starved eyes. That's Sparky on the left and Hiroo ("hero") on the right, the family dog, also a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier. He's just five months and quite a bundle of energy!

My supplies for the painting are a Bob Ross easel (packs flat, holds all sizes of canvases), about seven brushes, a glass pie plate on which is folded a wet paper towel, on which I have placed a limited palette of burnt sienna, cad red light, cad yellow, titanium white, thalo green, ultramarine blue and burnt umber. Perfect for snow scenes, except I think I might miss my cool red, and a spray bottle of water.... hmmm, holiday shopping anyone? I brought gloss medium/varnish for glazing. Newspapers and the plastic drink cup for water finish out the scene. Yup, it can be done!

You can see my entire blog HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.