CREATING IN A WORKSHOP

  One of the great things about workshops is we all are creating , new acquaintances, new methods, recreating methods, hearing what we need to hear and having our paintings and methods recreated. You don't hear or get it until you are ready to receive that knowledge: how true.

  I just finished teaching a plein air and than a studio workshop. It is totally recreating and exhausting for all. As a side note recreation is necessary to recreate, they are of the same word. We all work too hard.
  As an illustration, I did a real quick 15 minute rock and houses in a cliff vignette demo just making it up; having painted these scenes a lot. That one quick idea sprang into a small works painting. Try making a painting up of a scene you have painted a lot , it creates a new concept for a painting. Funny, I really like the looseness in the vignette. Painting that small is hard for me ,follow your own temperament.

Attending Shows and Inner Confidence

     I just returned from THE AMERICAN IMPRESSIONISTS SOCIETY SHOW in Carmel , It always remind me of how grateful I can be to meet so many nice people , artists are a great group and willing to share. It is also an honor to hang with so many great artists and to learn so much from observing the art.
     Visiting the museums of the deceased artists is also huge learning experience. We are fortunate to live in such a time.

     I have been wisely told to paint for myself and the way I want it to look. THIS IS A MUST, than no one can take that away from you, and thus you do not ride an emotional roller coaster of compliments or lack thereof. If you feel good about your piece (which is not always the case, especially if you rushed it out of the studio,) than alls well with your interior satisfaction.  Art is so subjective and it is best your inner confidence should not be based on outside affirmations.
   

SIMPLICITY, SIMPLICITY, SIMPLICITY

 It cant be said enough, recently while plein air painting I was trying to capture atmosphere, in values and colors, with a beautiful sky,once I thought it was working I turned my attention to beautiful water and rocks up front, I than proceeded to add all this to the bottom two inches of the painting. Later a friend looked at the painting and said what if you eliminate the rocks and frontal water? (Remember this was my second thought to add all this) What a difference in the quality of the painting when I cut the two inches from the bottom. I now had one concept I had originally tried to capture. I am including this little painting with the little buildings and big sky. Imagine how complicated it was with a lot of rocks and churning water up front.

   Look at all your paintings and see if you can crop parts out. I am including another painting with a big sky. These paintings are about the skies. I am also including a plein air marsh painting in which I think I got the ground plain simplified. Ask the question can any part be eliminated first not what can be added?
   In the next few blogs we will look at a plein air workshop in Dahlonega, and my demo for the American Society of Marine Artists at their annual meeting in Savannah. Simplify.

Plein Air INSPIRATION and MOTIVATION

 

   On a recent trip to western mountains, it once again is obvious how important these trips are, it refreshes you, teaches you and most importantly INSPIRES AND MOTIVATES. In my workshops the number one statement from participants is  "I have not been painting enough."  The greatest motivator is to set yourself up for motivation. Think about what really inspires you, get out there, get in a workshop and/or be around others, we help each other.

   In my last post it was mentioned that I use these studies for values and colors (the camera is picking up much less than you may realize.  You can capture beautiful subtleties in the lighting conditions when painting on location), and really work on simplifying.  Allen Rodgers comment pointed out on how important it is to exclude material. He is so right; the simplification process requires you only put in what is essential to convey the sense of place in a landscape, which makes a better painting. Compose your painting of several large shapes, of interesting variety.

 

  You must think in the beginning, but if you over think you may kill your inspiration, get what inspires you and quit. Paint for yourself. Here are three paintings from this trip; I can already see where a little more simplification may help. Always ask yourself if you can eliminate something first, not add, too much jewelry overstates the beautiful essence and spirit of a place. I would love for you to interact by looking at these paintings for places that could use more simplification and then your own paintings. You can use detail if you like but hold you large value shapes, that is what holds the painting together. It is all about balance but most of us err on the side of too much, I do it all the time.

Simplify Plein Air Paintings

Well it cant be said enough to simplify, for me my plein air paintings are to get reads of the color harmonies and values that the camera wont catch. It is all about comparing everything and learning to squint on values. I like expressive strokes, but you still need to simplify your values. I am including 3 plein air paintings 2 recently and the other years ago. It really is not that good and shows I did not know where I was headed in some areas. You will be able to see for yourself.

Reflections on paint out competitions

CARMEL ARTS FESTIVAL



         It is hard to reconcile competition with art, in my mind. I choose these based on the area I like and because I could teach a workshop near the area, and not what it will do for my career. In this case a buddy was on the trip which made it enjoyable and it split the costs. It also helps you gauge how you paint based on the quality of the artists. This was a real competition , we could not bring any work , all panels were stamped and had to be painted within the 2 day period. I am not sure this is the best set up, but it does put the pressure on , because we really only had 1 and 3/4 days, what if it rains for 2 days? It was very windy and my easel blew over 3 times.

          As usual , like most plein air trips my best one was not the one I thought it was going to be, and one just was not good. However, it worked out well in the end.

          Enjoy your painting, paint for yourself, and balance competitiveness, only work enjoyably to make yourself better and not to beat someone else. Enjoy growing and learning.

In Preparation for Jackson Hole

In the Colorado mountains preparing to teach a workshop in beautiful Jackson Hole, and provide paintings to the  gallery.We will be posting plein air paintings from the workshop and some of the students.

Two of my favorite paintings sold in the gallery this week, and the painting "In the Light " was accepted in the American Impressionist Society Show.