Repost - Dec 1 - To the Snow, and The Snow Painting

The painting has tons more details at this phase, but it isn't finished yet. There are many areas that are too rough for what I like to see in my work nowadays, and so I'll need to work over those areas before calling it quits and signing it. I don't have the sunrays coming through the trees yet, either. Tomorrow!

Even with oils, it is possible to work into wet paint and put those filmy sunrays shining through. How? By careful handling of your brush. It should almost be flat against the canvas to keep from disturbing layers underneath. Even my stiff filberts can do this delicate task when held horizontally near the canvas.

The snow in the foreground feels mighty cold right now, unlike the snow I experienced yesterday on my ski day at Snow Summit!!!!

Thirty-three years later, and I am back on the slopes! The equipment has changed, but the snow's the same! I had such a good time with a group of fellows in my age range, and we skied our buns off! I even put a couple short, less than one-minute movies on YouTube here, and here. Yeah, that's my shouts of joy and laughter in there! Couldn't help myself...SO much fun!

I'm definitely going back again....
The newest DVD on the Color System is HERE
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 1 - To the Snow, and The Snow Painting, I think I fixed the problem with the mailing list!

I sure hope you'll see this "missing post" in your in box with images attached.  I hope it is fixed now!

The color excitement begins! In my last post, I was showing you how the cool box colors can create interest across shapes by various changes in value.

Now I've moved into the warm family of colors to add the "punch" of the temperature contrast int he areas of show and sky that are infused with sunlight.

Yes, you Color Boot Camp graduates know that the sky moves into the cool family as it leaves the "warm circle"!

Design note: Do you perceive the tensions of the diagonals caused by the shadows and fence line? Another "aha" moment!

It's still dark outside this morning, and I'm getting ready to leave for a day of skiing. No chains required on the road up there, and it is only an hour and a half away. I'll be sure to have pictures taken for tomorrow's blog!

"Self-reliance is the only road to true freedom, and being one's own person is its ultimate reward.” - Patricia Sampson

The newest DVD on the Color System is HERE
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.

Nov 25 (Sent On) - Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy holiday to you all! Here's the latest on this 16 x 12 oil of ....brrrr.... snow!

After the dark structure is laid in on this oil, I go for the midtones, putting in the large shapes of the snowfall, keeping my brushwork loose and not worrying about edges at this time. Squint at the painting, and you'll see that already it is doing what I've asked it to do--create a strong diagonal tension with the shadow shape and the opposing fence line.

Unconsciously I also created more value changes in the shadow snow nearer the viewer--an essential way to convey something closer on this flat surface.

Can you perceive the heat of the thalo blue under-painting in the non-painted areas? That's a subtle guide to me to keep adding cools for the dominance they will have in the final painting. The warms are the accents and surround the focal point.

Happy (USA) Thanksgiving to all of you out there enjoying traditional meals and gatherings of loved ones (and ones you can only tolerate once a year or so). I was spending this day solo, but have a last-minute invitation that I just couldn't turn down.

So the dogs will get good bones, and I will be ever so grateful for the love and life I have, and laugh with my friends once more. I hope all of you will do the same.

The newest DVD on the Color System is HERE
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.

Repost with images - November 22 resent Dec 5

(I think I've fixed the blog problem!! Yippee!)

A wonderful ten-day visit with Michelle Walker, from Ohio, almost eclipsed the joy of teaching the November Color Boot Camp! We painted, went gallery hopping in Laguna Beach, and had the best time laughing and just being joyful artists.

I've been rather thoughtful of late, pensive in contemplating how our lives unfold, and how we cannot live a life without changes (whether anticipated or not) that will come. It's how we deal with changes that says much of our value as humans to one another. Changes come in all forms, in our art, in our art direction and also in our thinking when we actually DO our art.

I'm changing, which is inevitable. That's not to say that the old "Art Me" is no longer there, but the one evolving and emerging now is one of more depth and richness. This is good. As our economy continues to erode, and we reach back to find some sustainable pleasure in the structure of our lives, learning more about who we are as artists is a good thing. Going out and making choices about self improvement is a good thing. Self-development brings us talents and skills that will be useful in the future we have to face. To become stagnant in one's art is so self-limiting, and leaves us dead in the water, repeating mistakes or stuck in the expectations of others.

I highly recommend finding an artist who is also a good teacher to push you out of any ruts you might be in. My week with Michelle and her insights has made me do that, and it is all joyful.

So I'm moving forward with my art, and will be sharing those paintings with you. Yes, they still have the Color System!

The image to the right is a 16 x 12 oil, started to show the students not only backlighting, but also snow, and a horse in a demonstration that will unfold over the next few days on my blog. This is the dark abstract structure that most all my paintings start with. The blue underpainting is acrylic thalo blue spritzed with alcohol and allowed to dry. Makes great visual texture!

The newest DVD on the Color System is HERE
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.