May 24 - Lesson Painting in Acrylics - Beginning

How important is the surface on which you paint? Does it have to start out white? I think the surface preparation is very important--equivalent to a foundation on a house. The energy conveyed in the earliest brush marks target the forms that will come later. This canvas was started on location at the Amicalola River a week or so ago, while I was teaching the workshop at Fay's farm near Dawsonville, and I painted it in one standing (vs. "sitting", which I don't do much). It is a 12 x 9 acrylic, and this first pass puts down the masses of the abstract structure of the painting. I'll add many layers of paint to bring it to a finish, coming in three lessons (I think--forgot how many pictures I took!) I'm quite pleased with the painting, sitting right by my computer here. There is a great deal of energy in it. Those brush marks from the get-go have that same energy!

Here is the source material--morning light on the river, with spring leaves on the forest trees. North Georgia is surely beautiful!

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May 21 - Another from the Workshops - Mini Lesson

The soft evening light of Georgia plays across one of the many flower beds on Fay's farm becoming the subject of this plein air 7 x 5 acrylic. Using the layering that makes acrylic painting so wonderful allowed me to set up and complete this work with no additional touch-ups later in the workshop.

First placing the large dark shapes of shadows and deep shrub coloration, it was an easy matter to add additional layers, keeping the values close until the final accents were added in the iris blooms and sunlit rock wall.

I used filbert brushes to paint the entire subject. Those brushes allow such flexibility in marks to make the trunks, the broad brushwork on the foreground, and the calligraphic marks of the fence posts. They are Ruby Satins by Silver Brushes, and I really do love them!

This painting is already in the collection of Sam Gullo of Cleveland, Ohio.

Here's another view of the lovely area of the North Georgia Mountains... beautiful! Right before haying season, the fields are lush with new growth. That's one of the farm's hay storage sheds in the distance.

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May 20 - Back and Coming to Center Again

Back in California again, and after a couple of days of untangling knots and watering, petting the critters who didn't get to go along, I'm ready to bring out the work that was done in the workshops in Georgia last week and earlier.

As a demonstration of both back light and morning light, I painted this 12 x 9 oil in a 40 minute demonstration to share how the Color System works to depict these attributes in a canvas that's both flat and without luminosity. I

t's hard to compete with Nature, when Nature brings us such beauty! While on Fay's workshop farm, several of us would go out at 7 a.m. and walk the fields and woods, bringing back beautiful source material such as the image below. Those morning walks set the stage for the long hours to follow, filling our eyes with beauty and brightness we would later transfer to canvas.

Having such a gorgeous area for a workshop is one of the reasons I'm so grateful to Fay for opening her heart and farm to the "Boot Campers", many of whom actually staying on the farm for the duration. They would paint well into the night--working hard to settle in the guidelines of the Color System before their five short days were over.

This painting is in the hands of new collector Beth Haislip from South Carolina.

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May 14 - In the Middle of the Workshop in Georgia

What a great group of returning "repeat offenders" coming back for this week of art "camp" (AKA BOOT camp~!) that are here this week. Today is the day that it either starts to sink in, or at least they find one time of day that really works. We're sliding toward the inevitable Friday, where we have to go our own ways, and hopefully have enough of the Color System to be able to paint with better color, every time! (At least that's my hope.)
I do have a wonderful bit of image to share with you--one of last week's Boot Campers stopped by to say "hi" and meet the repeat offenders this week, and she shared with us the work "before Color Boot Camp, and after". The still life on the left is before. I'm so pleased to see such growth in a student's work in such a short time! She really was ready for Color Boot Camp!!
Now, for my demonstration of moonlight for the boot camp attendees, I painted this 8 x 10 oil of round bales of hay in moonlight. You can see it below--it is an oil. I hope you'll enjoy it! I have many more, including a lesson painting in acrylics for morning light on the Amicalola River from yesterday. Thanks for reading!




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May 11 - Between Georgia Workshops

Here's an acrylic demonstration piece I did, 9 x 12 inches showing a cow in evening light. A quick study with lots of loose brushwork, this was done in the first Color Boot Camp last week.

I've been enjoying my stay in Georgia for the past ten days, and have begun the second Color Boot Camp for "repeat offenders"--another group of folks with a passion for getting color right, right from the start, using the Color System. I've done some demonstration paintings, and will share them with you here.

Georgia is full of gorgeous scenery, not the least of which is the Amicalola River in the Dawson County Forest. This is not far from where we are holding the workshop--and I'm holding Sparky as he looks at the enticing water movement! Bringing him along on the plane trip and having him as my shadow/companion has been a pure joy. Many painting subjects abound in the area, and I can hardly keep my brushes still! I've done eight paintings so far, and in the morning I'm taking the class down to this river again for an on-location lesson at 7 a.m.


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April 8 - Taxes Done and the Vertical from the Floral Exhibit

This is another "plelin air" acrylic, a 12 x 24 canvas, only placed vertically for visual interest and design. The exhibit I chose to paint in the Riverside Art Museum was set up with mirrors and tiered glass shelves with these vases of live flowers... I had such fun creating a good design with the division of space to create interest. Only the brightest orange captures the eye after the journey through the scrollwork and vertical/horizontal lines. The orange is set off with the light tourquoise vase to create harmonious color tension.
As one looks closer, there appear to be beads of some sort in the paint surface, and so there are! These are the glass beads that come in many of the Golden Paints mediums for use with acrylics. I love experimenting with visual and actual texture, and these uniformly-sized beads in the painting surface unify the whole.

The other great piece of news is that the painting "To the Ring" which is featured in my DVD on painting Noon Light and Evening Light has been chosen for the image to represent the 2008 Menlo Charity Horse Show up near Sacramento. Appearing on the program, on the goodie bags for the sponsors, and also on many other trade items for sale, the best part is that I have had a giclee made at 27" by 36" to be used for the gala charity opening night auction. The original is only 12 x 16, and I still have it in my collection. Here's a small image of the painting selected! Again, the web sites are working their magic!


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April 7 - Plein Air INside the Riverside Art Museum

Such a wonderful week full of wonderful news! But first the details about this painting. It is a 12 x 24 acrylic, done from the "Art Alive" exhibit at the Riverside Art Museum (down at the bottom of the Exhibitions page). The Plein Air Artists of Riverside were invited in to paint the still life setups during the opening weekend. Because many of the exhibits contain real flowers, it only goes on for a very short time. But the two paintings I did (this being the second) will live on for quite a while. I'll post the first one tomorrow.

I enjoyed the play of light and dominance of form on this shelf of greenery, part of a larger portion of the exhibit. It came together quickly with acrylics, and darn it all, I forgot my camera to take in-process images.

So, other news! The Del Mar Turf Club contacted me for the second year in a row to have one of my Del Mar Race Track paintings on the front of the VIP cards for the press, trainers, owners and VIP visitors. What an honor! They picked "Training in the Ways of Del Mar" from my Del Mar Race Track paintings. It's already in the hands of a collector--sorry! Here's a small jpeg:


More news tomorrow!!
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March 28 - Plein Air in the Evening from Two Trees

Wow, just when you think you have all your cats herded, here it is the end of March and I've not posted for a couple weeks! But with spring planting and garden care, teaching workshops, enjoying a reunion of friends here at the house, I've been busy! Now this 12 x 16 painting is one I've had on display at the Corona Art Association, and I picked it up last week. Problem was, I had not photographed it prior to taking it in!
It was painting during the Plein Air Artists of Riverside visit to our place, and it was done as the sun was going down, with the evening light golden orange. The lights of the distant sports park were on, as were some other evening lights.
I was standing on our patio by the pond when I painted it, in acrylics. One must move fast to capture that elusive evening light!
Interesting side note: The Italian cypress standing vertical near the sun is a favorite perching place for the red tail hawks that have set up housekeeping in one of the big pines behind the house here. We see them carrying branches to the nest, and hope to have baby hawks when the time is ripe.
ON the reunion--my two friends came in from CO and No. Cal. for a wonderful five-day visit. We worked together in Frankfurt, Germany, back in the 70s, and still get together once every two years at each others' homes. This year was my turn. In 2010 we're going to meet up back in Europe! I'll take my paints to Switzerland, for sure!
Here we are at lunch at the Mission Inn, Las Campanas, margaritas in hand!

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Mar 7 - One More for Norco's Show, Pack Mule

This is one more oil painting that is currently hanging in the Norco Western Art Show on my premier artist wall--a demonstration for the workshop in February, which turned into noon light without any help from me a bit later on! (Note the blue shadows!)
It is an 8 x 10 oil, and is called "In Line". The background is noticeably softer in feel, and the trees flanking both edges present structure for the viewer that perhaps is not obvious until pointed out.
The color scheme is definitely analogous, following the well-worn path of Hal Reed's color wheel (based upon Munsell's).

All of these paintings will be up on the dailypaintings.com site later next week, and then they'll have prices on them as original works. Next week is the March workshop Mini Color Boot Camp here in my studio!

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Mar 5 - 5 x 7 Oil of Clouds and Cows

This little 5 x 7 oil was started in the February Riverside workshop on the third day, demonstrating how skies can come together with the "magic three" plus white--how all skies can easily be done with this limited triad plus an occasional oddball color. In this case I added the cool yellow in various places.
I was specifically addressing the values in the sky during the lecture that accompanied the demonstration--emphasizing that the shadows on clouds are always lighter than any shadow on the ground, which makes for a believable "up there" in one's composition. Yes, there can be dramatic skies, but keeping those dark shadow clouds a skosh lighter than the shadows on the ground makes it readable for the viewer. And it always has to READ RIGHT.
Here's the version as the attendees at the workshop saw it--I didn't finish it until later on, and it is now on display, framed up at the Norco Western Art Show, which opens tomorrow with the Sponsors/Buyers Reception and Dinner.

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Mar 3 - Mules for Norco and a Demonstration

Here's another one I took over to Norco this morning. An odd size at 12 x 13.5 inches, I painted this one as a demonstration for the workshop last month, depicting morning light (even though the source photo was a black and white, and taken later in the day) for the students.

What I really like about it is the color harmony of the yellows, dusty salmon colors and the blues and violets, creating a nice complimentary balance. The distant buildings are essential for that color balance, even though they are compromised with cool yellow to gray them down. Note the darker shadow shapes in the nearby areas, where distant shadows are not as much of a contrast. "As things get further away, the contrast of values lessens".

This one is hanging and framed in dark warm wood on the wall of my "space" in Nellie Weaver Hall in Norco. The premier buyers' night will be this Thursday. I have nine paintings over there, and I like every one of 'em... High hopes here, even in a downturned retail market!

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Mar 2 - How Times Flies!

I didn't realize how much time has gone by--but then again, February is a short month. Here's one of the paintings that was in process during the workshop, sitting on my easel awaiting time to finish it before delivery to the Norco Western Art Show next weekend. This is a 24 x 30 acrylic, and is loosely taken from the area behind us up on Box Springs Mountain.
It is done with many, many layers of acrylic paint, applied thinly and semi-transparently, and this digital image cannot show the depth and richness of all of those layers. I'm almost pleased with it.
There are five horses coming down from the hillside, and they are so much a part of the landscape that one notes them only secondarily after the pathway contrasts and colorful autumn foliage, yet they will hold your attention long after your eye wanders the landscape.
This and eight other paintings will be delivered tomorrow to Norco, where I'm honored to be a Premier artist for this weekend show. Lots of fun and western art and artists whose company I always enjoy!
The workshop was, according to the attendees, a roaring success. The survivors of "Color Boot Camp" are shown here on my studio steps with one of the many paintings they did during the concentrated weekend. I am so pleased that every artist came away with important knowledge they can use immediately! The Yahoo group "Color System" is a-buzz with their new painting journeys! In two weeks, the second workshop will be taking off!


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Feb 15 - Finished with the Citrus Heritage Plein Air

How time flies! Yesterday was the commercial version of loving someone (Valentine's Day), and we showed our love for our friends by going to dinner with another couple, laughing and enjoying the time we have together. Our pleasure in being with others we care about ought not be just an occasional occurrence, don't you think?
Tonight I share my life, my art and my teaching with the opening of the first workshop here in my new studio. It's ready, I'm ready and I have such high hopes for every attendee's success.
Here's the finished 12 x 12 plein air acrylic painting of the Citrus Heritage Park vista toward Corona, California. Several of you wrote expressing concern about the palm tree line matching the distant mountains, but perhaps that isn't so important now that the focus and details of the foreground have been set in place. The line of palms doesn't bother me that much now.
Darkening down the foreground shadows brings the eye to the path area and the edge of the grove, yet paths of lighter, sunlit trees allow the viewer to transition upward to the more distant vista. I had to use glazing with burnt umber, thalo green and ultramarine blue to get those darker shadows. This painting is supporting a complementary color scheme of yellow green and violet, a color scheme that has not had much favor until the last 20 years. It still hasn't edged out the blue/orange theme yet, but is gaining ground.

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Feb 9 - Three Quarters Finished, Citrus Heritage Park, Riverside

Setting the timer for fifteen minute increments has really been a boon to the creative process. Although I started to do it so I could show an in-process painting while on location, the added benefit is I'm taken out of the concentration realm, and forced to draw back (pun intended!) to see the entire concept and view again, because I need to photograph the in-process phase. The result is I make better decisions about the painting, without getting so mired in the procedure of painting this or that small part of it. This "release" if you will, brings me back to center and allows me to start anew, perhaps on a different area. I highly recommend it!
At this phase, I've started with the "wiggle" brush, (that's a 3/8" filbert going all over the canvas with different colors)--making the larger areas more interesting with additional layers of color.

I added the palms now, stitching across the horizontal bands with those verticals, like the overstitching in a quilt to tie the pieces together visually. Notice that the palms, although similar in height and shape, are all slightly different. Even though a row of palm trees can be as boring as a picket fence, the artist must "make the firecracker go off", and not be driven by the match that only lights it. I varied them intentionally for visual interest, so no two are alike.

The little vertical dent in the right-most sky will come out with some water applied to the back of the canvas to tighten up the weave. It isn't in the paint, and spritzing the back of a canvas is a time-tested method of taking out any sags or dents.

Wow, next weekend is the February three-day Mini Color Boot Camp! I'm spending this week arranging the work space, organizing supplies and running off the paper material for it. Ten people are ready to come in and be crammed full of the Color System. The gardens are spruced up, and the patio is an inviting space for breaks now. I'm looking so forward to it!

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Feb 8 - Next 15 Minutes on the Citrus Heritage Painting

I set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes and started up again with the acrylics. I wanted to put layers of color on the large areas again, letting some of both the background and the first layer showing through. That creates visual interest. No details now, except way off in the distance, where I'm keeping things light and indistinct, as befits the miles of distance and air between me and the objects. The sky in this afternoon painting was done with the trio of sky colors--ultramarine, alizarin and yellow ochre plus white. The mountains were done with a veil of darker sky colors leaning toward the blue. As I painted the lower portions, and lay in the shadow green of the citrus, I'm into the thalo green and burnt umber. No palm trees yet--they'll go in at a later stage to "knit" together the horizontal areas of citrus and distant fields.
Here's the view from that bench, and you can see how much I've already changed the image. I am bringing the viewer's eyes into the painting on the path, and then making much more interesting the layers that march up to the horizon, adding color and interest. Keep this image in mind as we go forward in the next two steps to the finished painting!

Remember, it isn't the view that drives the art, that is only the match that lights the fuse. You, the artist are the firecracker that explodes in creating the fireworks of your paintings! Don't let the tiny match drive your work....

And anyone who has driven west on the 91 freeway through the Santa Ana Canyon might easily recognize Santiago Peak and the mountains of the Cleveland National Forest from this vantage point.

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Feb 4 - At the Citrus Heritage Park, Plein Air

Off and running again with another four-stage painting lesson! This one was done in 15 minute increments. Here's the first go.
Starting another plein air painting, I'm on location at the Citrus Heritage Park in Riverside for this one. A 12 x 12 box canvas, underpainted in acrylics with Quinacridone Burnt Orange and GOLD paint... how fun is that?
The first acrylic layer is done with a 3/4 inch filbert, just to get the basic colors in the areas where they will go. I'll show you the source material tomorrow, because I have a special photo to share with today's email!

Why did I choose this direction to paint? Well, the location chose me--I looked in all directions from the top of the knoll, and then noticed that someone had placed a nice bench facing the view toward Corona. So I figured if they thought the view was good in that direction, I'll paint it!

The other news is that the book for which I did the cover is now available on Amazon.com! Here's a tiny URL for it, and you can see the cover. I already pre-ordered my copy!
http://tinyurl.com/3655g8

And here's an image of the cover! Yup, that's my painting!


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Feb 1 - Plein Air Evening at the Riverside Citrus Park

In the days to come, I'm going to give another series of image/lessons showing how a different painting evolved from being on location at the Citrus Heritage Park in Riverside....but that one will be the morning painting.

I was so enthralled by the changing light of the evening of the same day, that I grabbed my gear and headed back to the Citrus Park toward dusk to capture the light of what turned out to be a spectacular moment in time.

Here is the result of an extremely fast-changing lighting situation on a 9 x 12 canvas. Done in acrylics, I wanted to capture that essence of evening sky and distance, and still have light on the palms and the tops of the orange trees. Like the demonstration for the Quick Draw, this one was built up in layers. The light was changing so fast, though, I had no time to do "in progress" images. By the time I finished up, it was dark, and I had to walk down through the groves back to my car needing a flash light!

This painting is SO Southern California in January! And I nailed the light....I'm so pleased with it. For sale for $300, just contact me to bring a memory of that evening light on the San Gabriels to your collection.

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Jan 31 - All finished and Delivered!

One hour and twenty minutes... finished and framed.
I spent the last ten minutes both studying the stage of the painting from yesterday's blog, and also wanting to place more emphasis on that steeple. So I went over the sky again with another layer, blending the brushworks away with a glaze, and then highlighting the area around the steeple with lighter values of that lemon yellow tinted sky (all Color Boot Campers know what I mean when I say Lemon Yellow in morning skies!)

The last act was to put in one of the lamp posts that are so characteristic of Riverside, on the left. No doubt where this scene is with that unique lamp post!

So in sharing the ten minute stages of a plein air quick draw, I hope that I've been able to show how one of my paintings develop to a finished stage. I look at all of the earlier ones and say, "Yipes! Ugggg-LEEs!!" But not out loud. It is just a fact that paintings in process have to go through ugly stages to get to a finished state. And in a nutshell, the finished state is focusing the viewer's eye on those areas where we want interest, and downplaying those areas where interest is much lower on the priority list.

Yes, I know some artists go the mile in detail and focus, but I like to think my painting style is more the way the human eye sees--what is of interest to us is where our eyes focus and thus we get detail at that area. The rest of the scene/critter/person is then less detailed.

No signature, a requirement for these juried events (makes it fair to the judge), and here's the nicest reward a painter can receive--honors for honest effort! Thanks for sharing the journey with me. The painting is now hanging in the Riverside Art Museum, and the opening for that show is February 7.



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Jan 29 - One Hour into the Quick Draw

The next ten minutes of this painting were spent with a small round and a 1/4 inch filbert, essentially obiliterating the nice arches and windows that were painted a few minutes ago. I'm tightening down some areas with more detail.

By putting in the row of smaller trees, I have linked the grassy area to the church walls, and again created repetition with variety in that each tree is unique, yet similar. These trees were painted with both dark and light values, to create a sense of depth, through which you can see the church. The cars got some more work, and the sunny grass and sidewalks were laid in using those warm whites, yellows and green.

I also added more palm fronds on the upper left side, making the pole-like trunks not so obvious.
One more ten-minute session, where I take a critical long look at it, make some changes, then this pup is DONE!
Hope you've enjoyed it so far. If you missed some of it, please visit my blog below and see the steps in review.

I'm working on the workshop that comes up in a couple of weeks, and my online courses are buzzing right along. There is new work on the easel, too!

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Jan 26 - Fifty Minutes into the Plein Air Quick Draw

Whew, after yesterday's image, I'm thinking "this really is in the uglies!" But today's image shows why getting those big flat planes of color in place is essential before heading for the details (which make the finish on a piece).

I've added the arches and windows on the side of the church, using the flat edge of both a 1/2" filbert and a size 6 bright to get the shapes in one stroke, using burnt umber. Then I spent the balance of the ten minutes working on the car shapes by adding the sky reflections on the hoods and tops and painting wheel wells and dark shapes on the opposing side of the street. A little messing around under the bushes on the lower right, and I'm done with these few minutes.

But I did clean up the brush mark on the lower part with more layers of sunlit color before the "dinger" went off again!

Congratulations to new collector Pam Morthorst of Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, on the addition of "Through the Woods" to her collection!

Original oil, 12 x 10 inches.
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Forty Minutes into the Quick Draw

Jiminey Crickets, did I ever hate to stop when that timer went off! Just when I get on a roll and really start cookin' with the brushes, beep-beep-beep. Oh well, I knew I was doing this for a greater purpose than painting to a timed event, so here's the next ten minutes. From the last post, you can compare and contrast the progress. So what did I do in ten minutes? (Got interrupted several times, as happens in any event put on for more than just painting). I "fluffed out" the palms, varied the roof, worked on the windows of the cars, and added some palm fronds on the left side to create yet another design element. Look for a partial circle that begins in the topmost left palm, drops through those new fronds on the left, and continues around through the other palm tops, effectively cirlcing the steeple of the church!

Hmmmm, that brush mark in the grass is still there. Next ten minutes.

(Here's the earlier version for those who, like me, get buried in emails and won't go looking.)

In other news, all four workshops through May are full. If you are considering a Color Boot Camp for your future, please look to Maine in August (full five days of "CBC") and Maine again in September on a horse farm. This second week-long CBC workshop not only can host "repeat offenders", but will finish up with a weekend of plein air painting in a special two day event for plein air painters! I'll have a page pointing to registration for these workshops in February. If you're interested, please email me for special notification.

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Jan 22 - Thirty Minutes into the Quick Draw Competition Painting

The timer ticked on.... ten more minutes passed, and I am now at the thirty-minute mark at this point of the painting. Again, this is a 16 x 12 acrylic, on location on Mission Inn Avenue, in Riverside a few days ago, done for the Quick "Draw".

I'm still using that 5/8" filbert, and painting the big shapes, staying in the cool box for almost all of this segment. The exceptions are the warm sunny grass areas and the light on the tops of the bushes.

Revelation! I realize that in the painting method I'm sharing with you, I almost exclusively work from the cool box to the warm box* in every painting I do. That's because the sky, the distance, the large shadow shapes all come from the cool box. Slap it on the serve it up!! Then head for the warm boxes to start putting on those final layers ("layers" - applicable to acrylics in this case.)

You can see the shapes of the (future) cars now, not much more than blobs, and also the subtle beginnings of the arches in the church, painted either with a layer of lighter cool colors, or adding umber to the current mix and painting in the dark shapes. I got those palm truns in, too.

Oh, that blob of umber in the lower left? Dropped a brush and it thwacked the canvas. Hey, poop happens.



Now that I'm not painting it, I can stop and talk about the design of the piece. (Don't you just HATE it when someone stops by and starts asking questions while you're working? Har...) Look at the white lines, which are the abstract structure of this piece. The slightly tilted horizontals are nicely complimented by the slightly tilted verticals, and the diagonals are balanced by the counterbalance in the lower left. Yup. Planned it that way. Also put the focal point (orange circle) where it intersects those blue lines, that represent dividing the canvas into thirds. If you can get your focal points to land near one of the intersections of those lines, you'll have a more pleasing composition.

Tick, tick, tick.... time to set the next ten minutes!!

* If you need to know what I'm talking about in "cool and warm boxes", please order my DVD set "Colorful Oil Painting" which explains the color system I'm using. It works for every medium.

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Jan 21 - The Next Ten Minutes in the Quick Draw Painting that Won

Process Lesson, Part Two. The timer was started again after I painted yesterday's ten minutes, and this is where I'm at in the process, twenty mintues into it. I'm still completely in the cool boxes as I mix up the morning light sky, using white with the trio of sky colors (ult blu, yellow ochre and the red that passes for alizarin in acrylics--Quinacridone magenta), to which has been added that morning light cool yellow. Brushy layers make for interest in that area. I'm using a 5/8" wide filbert for all of this painting, without concern for edges (except for that roof line.)
When painting the roof, I stayed with the cooler colors of Q. magenta and burnt umber, and then added cad red light where it slipped over into the sunlit area.
In the cement walk ways and the sides of the church, there is a tremendous influence of the overhead sky, so these mixes are heavily influenced by ultramarine blue, although cement is a neutral gray by nature.
Do you see how the underpainting peeks through at this stage? I don't have to worry about white canvas showing, and it makes the painting process go that much faster. If specks of that warm tone seep through even at later stages, it will only help unify the colors. Get rid of white surfaces when you want to paint quickly, is my motto.

In planning this design, the radials of the sidewalks are very important to carry you into and to the street where the cars and vertical palms will be. These radials will be broken up by opposing light and shadow shapes, but their directional lines are very important to put down first.

On to the next ten minutes of painting tomorrow!

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Jan 20 - How the Winning Painting Began

The clock started at 9:30 for all of us on location painters to do a painting in two hours. We were set up all around the Library lawns and on street corners with our art gear surrounding us. None of us were allowed to begin until given the sign.

I had prepped my canvas with a burnt orange underpainting, with some cadmium yellow thrown in to get rid of that white canvas. When the shout to begin came through the cool morning air, then I sketched the scene in front of me with burnt umber and ultramarine blue.

I can already see the abstract structure, and I'm ready to start putting in the first layers of cool colors to set the stage for what is to follow. This is the first ten minutes of my painting time, and most of that was spent figuring out placement of primary and secondary focal points for the design. There may only be two minutes of actual painting time in this block of ten minutes. I had a timer with me for this competition, not to keep track of how much time has passed, but to STOP me at ten minute intervals so I would be forced to take these in-process images!!
Here is the camera shot of the scene in front of me to give you an idea of what was presented for my painting subject. Not much color in backlit stuff. (Unless you know the Color System!!!)

So these images being sent to you in the next days will represent ten minutes of painting time each. It hopefully will help to see how much or little painting is done at each stage. Here you don't see much "painting" but my head is furiously functioning to plot and plan the design. I only used a few colors for this initial lay in of the grass and the shadow sides of the church to this point. More tomorrow!

Of course you can ask questions.

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Jan 19 - Finished with the Plein Air Week on a High Note

At the beginning of this last week, we began painting at the Riverside Art Museum and on Mission Avenue.
I did this little 5 x 7 oil of the museum sign as an exercise in back lighting. It was windy, so I didn't spend too much time on it--only about 30 minutes.

The great news was that today, the "Quick Draw" competition in front of the Library ended with me taking first place with my "Morning Light on Mission Avenue" painting. It's a 14 x 11 acrylic on board. I set the timer while I painted it in ten minute increments, so I could take in-process photos. I'll share those with you in the days to come. Here's an image of me with the ribbon... total painting time, one hour and 45 minutes from start to finish. I'm glad I stopped to take the "in process" pictures, so I can share what went on during its creation. I had "hat hair" by then... ah well. The PAAR people sure put on a great show!

Now to think about the upcoming workshops and to enjoy the finished patio adjoining the studio. On February 6, the Plein Air Artists of Riverside will be coming here to paint the green hills and have a pot luck dinner. I'm looking forward to that, too!

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Jan 13 - Plein Air in Riverside, CA

Had to take a break from the dog painting to join the other members of PAAR (Plein Air Painters of Riverside) in their week-long paint out of the beautiful city.

Here's my first work, a 12 x 16 oil of "Las Campanas", the restaurant at the Mission Inn (John, you didn't think I'd forget, did you?) The Mission Inn is a landmark block-large hotel in the downtown area. People were coming and going, valet parking right where I set up. I learned after the fact that they frowned on painters "cluttering up" their drive way. Ha! Better to ask forgiveness than permission.... no one requested for me to move, so I just painted to my heart's content.

If you look at the composition of this painting, you'll note the asymmetrical balance, the arched entry on the left balanced by the seating area on the right. Teh verticals of the palm trunks and bamboo are also counter-balanced by the horizontals of the hedge, the arch and the gentler curves of the walkway and curb. This was done with 80% cool colors, with only the lit areas of the bench and podium going to the warm side. No signature, as it may make it into the jurying portion. If I sell it first (for $300), then I'll sign it.

PAAR has a great group of friendly artists, and this week we'll all be painting together in the parks and urban areas. Tomorrow it is off to the Martha McLean/Anza Narrows Park overlooking the Santa Ana River. The weather has been wonderfully warm, yet windy today. Mid 70s, and bright sun.

The March workshop only has one space left, then I start taking wait list folks. If you were thinking about it, now is the time to contact me for that last slot. The February workshop is full, and so is one of the weeks in May. Color Boot Camp!

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Jan 10 - Another Dog Day Afternoon...?

I'm starting a painting, another square one, because this image of an agility dog has been in my head since I saw the videos on YouTube. The energy of agility is amazing!

Again, design is king (or queen!) in these new works. Look at the tire shape creating the arc that sweeps the viewer through the canvas, counter-balanced by the other arc of the dog's body and direction of travel. Another arc is the shape of the tunnel behind, and the arcs of the tube tunnel itself.

This is design! -- repetition with variety, which encourages the viewer's eye to travel around the painting, going from arc to arc. Although most viewers aren't aware that is what they are doing, having the repetitions there also creates harmony--this is a GOOD thing. Even without color, the structure of the painting emerges. Structure within a painting is key to making good work. One can have all the color knowledge available, and not making traditional realism fly because the underlying abstract structure is weak. Have you looked over your own work to find the abstract structure?

This will be another entry for the Art Show at the Dog Show in Kansas City. Wish me luck!

On another note, one of my painting shipping boxes ended up in Utah, because of a mis-print on the address on the return shipping label. It is "The Quest" the acrylic done for the acrylic DVD "Acrylic Painting Fast and Loose", which was shown in Chicago. Just a reminder not to reuse shipping boxes so often that there is too much writing on them! I've learned. Ship with Strong Boxes by Airfloat systems. Worth every penny. I didn't use one, and they said the painting was damaged... I will see when it finally gets here how bad it is.

Our hills are greening up now with the rains. Here's an image of the view out our back gate:


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Jan 7 - Round Puppies Finished, and Workshop Filled!

Here is the finished painting, photographed digitally and then sent off for slide duplication--this one is going into the Kansas City "Art Show at the Dog Show" competition under the oils category. I hope it gets in!

In finishing this one up, you can see I didn't do all that much more major painting, just refined and detailed out the legs, pats and heads of the two dogs. I paid special attention to the contrast areas on the tails and the gently varying values on the white areas of the right pup ("Sparky").

The added color of the red-violet collar puts the finishing touch of a discord for this analogous color scheme. In Hal Reed's Color Wheel, he shows that there needs to be a dominant hue of the one compliment (in this case the orange) and a much smaller physical area of the partnering complement (in this case, the blues). Hal Reed's Analogous Color Wheel helped me get the correct proportion of hues when I needed it, making my work more pleasing to the eye. Although not part of the Color System I use now, it is useful to have one of these while planning your paintings.

I'm so pleased to report that the first week's workshop in May in Georgia is FULL. I didn't think it would fill THAT fast!!! I'm still taking waitlisted folks in the case someone doesn't make it. So if you want to come to Georgia's second Color Boot Camp, please let me know, as the second week has a few spaces left. Curious? Go here.

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Jan 4 - Oops! Not Finished yet!! Round Puppies

Oops, got ahead of myself! (I just get so excited about sharing information.) Here's the pup painting at the second stage, where I'm laying in the darks of the dogs' coats and reinforcing the design elements.

Remember what I said about circular design, and Raphael's work? Since you may not have a familiarity with these design concepts, I've added a second image of this stage of the painting below, taken into Photoshop and with what I see as the abstract structure of the design. Those of you who have had a session or two of "yellin' by Elin" know that design and the structure of your paintings are key to good end results.

In the second image, you'll see the most obvious circles in the design (in red), clearly understandable my Mr. or Ms. Everyone. They may not say, "Oooo, nice circles!" but they will say that they like the painting.

Look now at the partial circles (also known as arcs) that are intersecting the picture (done in purple). These are the supporting design players, but every bit as important in their role. These arcs carry the eye through the work, and reinforce the three main circles. Think of them as the band behind the lead singer. They enhance and reinforce the most obvious circles. These purple lines of the design also show the viewer repetition with variety--more design principles worth having in successful paintings. As your eye follows the purple lines, look where they cross areas of the paintings, and see how those areas continue to carry your eyes. What I'm saying is that we as artists don't have to be obvious with our abstract structure, but it ought to be there.

More tomorrow!

Oh, the link for the March workshop: Three Day Mini-Color Boot Camp is here.


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Happy New Year! Dog Paintings Galore...

How fun it is to start the new year, and subsequently start the numbering system for my painting inventories all over again! I've begun the new year with a bang, completing two paintings already, and getting the slides for them for one of the specialty art shows of the year. This one is slated for the Art Show at the Dog Show.


This is an 18 x 18 inche gallery wrap (1.5 inches deep) canvas, on which I'm painting almost life size, the two puppies Onslow and Sparky asleep. The source image for this is in my blog from a couple days ago. You can see it here. (Opens a new window.)

I love the circular design of the image, and have worked to keep those circles and inter-twining arcs going in the painting. Reminds me of a Raphael painting from the Renaissance, since he was known for his circular designs. Here is his "Madonna of the Chair" for your pleasure. Look at all the circles and arcs in his design!
One of my New Year's Resolutions for you is to link what I do in the studio to the history of art, so you can understand that as artists, we are so connected to what has gone before.

One of my resolutions also is to make paintings with CONTENT, or soul, so that I am not just creating a technical exercise with the pigments, but giving more of myself, the story, and the design more emphasis. This looking-down view of the puppies is my first endeavor.


In doing this painting, I am using oils, and made a quick drawing with burnt umber and ultramarine blue (which I forgot to photograph!) and then laid in the washes of Australian Red Gold (Artist's Spectrum) and a new experimental color for me, Green Umber (Lukas Pigments). The combination of warms is really exciting for me, and I can hardly wait to see what will develop. They are both warm in the spectral reflectance arena, so would go in the warm box. But these are "oddballs" so, they'll only visit once in a while!

I've been working on the February Workshop (full) and now am opening the March one to outside artists--there are only five slots left in this workshop here in my studio. Contact me if you are interested in this three-day "Mini-Color Boot Camp"

And I'm opening the May workshops in Georgia in the coming days (been a bit late on this one!) so the five-day Color Boot Camp and the returnees' Boot Camp will be taking registrations by this weekend. You know who you are!!! (They dubbed themselves "repeat offenders!!")

I'll post a direct link in the days to come.

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December 25 - Peace on Earth, Enjoy..

One of my favorite songs, sung in two languages. May each one of us work for "Peace on Earth" and I'll be back to the easel tomorrow. Merry Christmas!



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