Perpetual Student

Wow this design foundation class is coming to an end and I think I have learned just as much as I have taught.

First, it forced me to take a photoshop class...something I have wanted to do for years...

Secondly it got me to set up a (somewhat) decent photo shoot setup to record student work to use future students when I (hopefully) teach this again...

 one of the last photo shoots I will be doing of student work this year.  

But now (thirdly?)  it has made me want to become a student again so I just jumped the rubicon to enroll at the same school as a student to take a refresher oil painting class after seeing some amazing work on display there..

Finally it got me to find some (finally) really great resources on color...the Nita Leland series.  Cannot wait for the books to arrive and spend some time with my own easel!!!

Design Examples

Wow I have really enjoyed teaching design foundations but as any teacher will tell you, the first time keeps you very busy!!  It is like trying to move into a house as you are still building it!

Any of you art majors out there will remember these...color saturation squares and logo designs...

But I also got the chance to go to my first ever traveling workshop to Monterey California with Christopher Wynn last month...details to follow

Sonshine Work

? Title?

12”x12” 

Oil on Canvas

Proud Mama Alert...

I have been so busy with my design foundation class that I have not had time to develop my own work these past few weeks.  But I knew that would be the case when I took the job.  So instead of my artwork (which is just studies for my assigned projects these days), I thought I would post a fantastic painting my oldest did.  A self portrait in oils.  

He got great instruction from another strong artist, and school parent, Jennifer Parker.

Thanks so much Jennifer!

Yes He Said It...Should there Be Universal Quality Standards for Art?

Boom.

This guy really goes after the overall development of art in the last 150 years in a concise and rational way...

Why is Modern Art So Bad?  

from Robert Florzsak at Prader University.  

Wow this guy not only talks it, he walks it! Please hit on his name is see his amazing (obviously realistic) artwork.

Also want to learn more about this Art Renewal Center he mentions...

This really hits close to home though.  I have displayed abstract work but have always felt compelled to work more and more realistically as the years go by.  Maybe Robert is giving me a wake up call...

Can I Do That? Should I Do That? Skill vs. Voice...

, 

Hopper

Karin Jurick

PBS has a great trove of videos concerning the creative process, various art career and in their Digital Studio and Offbook Short Video Series.  I highly recommend checking them out on Youtube.  " I Could Do That" in one that covers alot of ground ... voice, intent, skill and criticism.

All excellently and concisely explained in 5 minutes.

Please give this a look the next time you feel saying..."my toddler could do this." or recommend it to the person you overheard say it.

Though I must admit, I do think technical skill is getting short shift in this...

I do firmly believe that if one wants to be an expressive artist, they need to take the time and training to develop a base skill set.  Then whether or not they decide to use it in their body of work is up to them. 

If one decides to act as an expert they should be able to run with the big dogs occasionally.  

Really if they promote themselves as an artist shouldn't they have the skills to back it up?

Throw Back Thursdays and Wonder Editing...

Just like on FB...Since I am so busy planning and teach design fundamentals at a local community college, I am putting up some of my waaay-back-when oldies I used in class the other night to help show the design element of "point", instead of current studio work.

The Dads

1984

Marker on Paper

6"x8"

Bob for Bob

1991

Maker on Paper

10"x7"

The most amazing thing about these pieces is not the art themselves but the fact that they had both yellowed and faded so much over the years. (Yup just because the materials say "archival" does not mean that they really are.)

But running these through the greyscale filter on my scanner and tonal filer on my editing software you would never know it! 

Pretty wild, huh?

En Plein James

So my youngest is taking a rowing camp.  And what I would have thought of as a huge inconveince of running back and forth from the James River is now a great excuse to stay and paint...and use my way cool new #8 Quill Mop Brush.

Really enjoying the process, I am working with two watercolor blocks at the same time using the view in opposite directions.  Switching back and forth like this gives me the opportunity to create both hard and soft edges, by working on one whole the other dries.

I am sure I looked a little nuts to all the joggers and dog walkers as a whipped from one angle and paper to another... 

Of course when painting during a downpour, like I did on Monday totally changes the process again.   You just got to go with the flow (literally). Was more trying to keep paint off of the paper with obviously limited success.

Really I plan to work on this a bit more in my dry dry studio.

Social or Not?

I just love it when an exhibit makes you want to go back again and again as well as think about it all throughout the day.

A fantastic exhibition just like that  is currently at the Visual Arts Center in Richmond Virginia until August 14th.

What makes it so fantastic (in my opinion) is the way Social deftly combines social commentary on a subject that deeply affects us all (whether we use social media or not) with a high degree of craftsmanship, and a delightful interplay between the two along with an out of time experience.

This fused glass mobile by Charlotte Potter, looks like a 19th century cameo brooches but really represents all the pending friend requests she has on her FB account.  Hence is concept of hanging...

This one represents an on-line romance played out as a chained conversation in etched glass.

While this may not look interactive, this piece below by Lucy Louise Derickerson, asks the artist's FB friends to come visit her at the gallery so that she can put the metal box she made for them in their hand herself,

You might see, if you look closely enough that some have and so the only box is gone and the mini shelf with a QR code to their particular FB page remains.

This last artist's work, I found the most playful. Ariel Brice uses the thumbs up logo for FB as a repeating three dimensional form to show both acceptance and then turns it upside down in another color to express displeasure.  

All of this is great food for thought as I go into my studio or click on my mouse!  

En Plein Paradise....Nimrod Hall in Bath County, Virginia

Got to break this guy out again for painting in one of the most beautiful places on earth, Nimrod Hall in Bath County Virginia...

Also lucky enough to be able to see a demo done by one of the best plein air painters around, 

Sara Linda Poly.

Not only is this place gorgeous, it is full of history..

  

 From 1937-1985, it was a summer camp for boys and girls...there are many old pamphlets like the one these photos came from in one of the libraries (along with a great treasure trove of inspirational art books) in the main house.  These pamphlets  tout the "high moral character" of all the counselors and the fee for 8 weeks is about the same for one week now...


In fact many of the cabins still exist in a dilapidated shape and make for great subject matter...

This is what was once the mess hall for the boys'camp...

and my watercolor plein air study of it.

Now here is the amazing upgrade new owners' Laura Loe and Will Loving

have added to the water hole nearby...complete with SUP boards.

It was a great way to cool off and work out some design problems, while relaxing in a tropical paradise via the Blue Ridge Valley.

Already counting the days until next year...

Quickies

Whew!  Now with all the End-Of-The-School-Year-Hoopla behind us, I can finally get a little quality studio time in...

I developed a fun drawing exercise last year when I need to “get back in the saddle”  that I used this morning...

Quickie studies using of old photos of my kids when they were, well, kids...

I pull some old photos and put on some good tunes...

Then I give myself one song to sketch out the image...

When the song is done so is the sketch...

It’s a great way to dust off my drawing skill set by forcing me to make many decisions quickly

3 Ways of Community Outreach at the VisArts

I have been having the most inspiring, touching and fun time of my teaching career this last few months thanks to the amazing outreach programs at the VisArts Center in RVA...

From senior citizens, to adults, to school kids and just about everyone in between, it has been a delight and privilege to work with such amazing people that I would not normally have come into contact with otherwise.  

Here are a few of them...

CBIS Adult Drawing and Painting

  I just started teaching a 6 week introduction of basic drawing and painting to a great group of adults through the Community Brain Injury Services component of the Miller School, thanks to support from the Sharon Siegel Visual Arts Program.

What a charming, funny, creative group of people!  My only problem is our class time is waaaaay too short.  I would love to hang with these people all day if possible.  

Exploring line, color and composition 

Engage

 No photos unfortunately, but I am getting to work with school age kids from Binford Middle and other area public and private schools as they come into the center to learn about our current exhibit, Kiyomi Iwata: From Volume to Line. 

 An intensely cool field trip...

First students watch a brief video in which the artist demonstrates techniques and discusses motivations.  Then the kids go into the studio to see the actual work and finally come to me to make a project loosely based on what they have seen while putting their own unique spin on it.  

What an amazing way for students to explore an artist and their work! 

Studio S

 This is a real gem of a program.  

Touring the Exhibit Area

I have been able to work with some fantastic seniors who often tell me that they have no art talent and then proceed to turn out the most poignant and beautiful work ever.

Creating "furoshiki" , a traditional Japanese wrapping carrying cloth

Just like Engage, it is based off of the current exhibit.  This particular activity involves some writing and many seniors made loving tributes to their loved ones who are now gone.  

Thinking of her husband

You know, it is kind of hard for me to wrap up a lesson when I am misting up.

 But it is funny how much lighter they all seemed... I find that art has a way of doing that.

Want to know more or just sign up a group that you work with?  Please message me and I would love to talk your ear off about it or just help you set up your own tour and studio time.

A BIG thank you so much to Caroline Wright, Jordan Roeder and Nicki Stein of the Visual Arts Center in Richmond, Virginia for creating these programs letting me work with such great groups!

Quinn In The Tonal Underlayer

  Really enjoyed working on this big boy in my garage yesterday morning.


One big plus to working in my garage (which offsets the minus of not being able to park in there)...

I can change the lighting quickly by just opening and closing the door.


This is the first time I have attempted crashing waves on this scale.  This new way of painting is really keeping me on my toes...

I am planning on a limited palette for the background and my usual more hyper palette for my son, Quinn...


Now I usually do not like photos of me working but Bob caught a real good shot of one of my biggest fans watching me work on this piece..

my other dog, Tie

Not So Different ...Just BIG

As my dog, Wing, will attest, going big is just like any other day in the studio.  Well in this case, the garage.  Don’t think I could get this big boy up the stairs into my studio and I know I would not be able to get that needed far away perspective.

So I guess location is a bit of a change.

From Little Guys to Big Boys

I have gotten the opportunity to exhibit some very large pieces, which gave me the perfect excuse to jump waaaay up in scale.  

Back of the envelope cipherin’ tells me that this 5’x4’ canvas is approximately 80 times bigger than the gesso boards  I have been working with recently....

cool.

I just love how making art creates such positive challenges....

...like how to drive with this sticking out the back...

Do Blondes Have More Fun?

My creative outlet has taken a bit of a turn this spring.  I have been making frames for my studio challenge pieces (aka “My Little Guys”) 

But still need to decide something...

Black or blonde for my frames?

If it’s black, it’s more materials and steps.  But with the blonde, I have to cut much more precisely since the wood putty would show.

It is a nice problem to have.  Either way these paintings will be posted for sale on BuyRVAart.com starting May 15th!

New On-line Art Venture

Just found out about a new on-line art venture for local artists and performers...in fact it is so new that this link will not work until May 15th...

Buy RVA Art

But here is the facebook page...which has some more information on it.

and the cool logo...

I have been intrigued by on-line galleries for a while and thinking this might be a good place to get my feet wet...thank you Jenni Kirby at CrossRoads Art Center for making this happen

Meow

Fat Cat in Art History 

Hope you enjoy this guilty pleasure as much as I did...Happy Friday

Speed Painting

Three Amigos, Acrylic

6"x6"

Acrylic on Board

Met one of my studio goals this year!

 I wanted to be able to paint more confidently and one way to prove that is happening is to paint fast, right? Well I decided to catch up on my self imposed "quota" and see how many studies I could do in about a three hour window today...

Three Amigos , Oil

8"x8"

Water Soluble Oil (WSO) on Board

Three Amigos Mono Study

8"x8"

Watercolor

Three Amigos in Color

8"x8"

Watercolor

Now these watercolors do feel a little rushed to me but I think I was able to give a better sense of space and visual weight to these guys than if I had not being doing my studio challenge.

So maybe practice is not making perfect (don't think I would want that to happen anyway) but it is moving me in the right direction, the self imposed time restraint forced me not to get fussy with my work.  

Love having one more strategy or "drill" in my toolbox to keep me painting, challenged and (hopefully) improving...

Do you have any drills or strategies that keep you challenged? How did you come to find or develop them?

On the Road College and Sketching Tour

Not able to work on my studio challenge this week since I will be nowhere near my studio.

My mobile studio is not an option either since I am constantly on-the-go looking for architectural schools for my oldest, pictured below...

He had just been running all around the East Village while I was regrouping with a late afternoon latte.

But (thankfully) I am still able to work!

  When I have the chance I am drawing on the fly in my traveling sketchbook.  Can't do this work "live" though.  Working from iPhone photos in the evening or on the train

A quick sentimental note that all you parents out there can relate to...saw this display on the way to the train station and it seems like just yesterday I was putting these little tiny
things on Mr. College Shopper...wow.