On the Road and With the Oils

Ever feel like a painting or anything else is taking a forever longer than it should?  

That is how it was with this water mixable oil version of “Cut Your Own %^&* Pears” This is probably one for the “Trash Your Own Art” Party sometime down the road but I think I did learn some good stuff from it. And my new panel easel worked like a champ!

Also had to be at our mountain house for some work to be done, so was working in a mobile studio of sorts.

Snow Day....YAY Paint Day!

Was in the studio at 4:30 this morning thinking I would get just a bit of work done before school, when it started snowing!!

This gave me time to finish up this guy and while incorporating a masking technique I have not used in a while.  As this studio challenge progresses I am finding that my technique is starting to differentiate along the lines of my media. It is kind of like what Antrese Wood said in one of her podcasts, painting in different media is like speaking in different languages

This is so cool when process leads the way...

Inch by Inch....”Cut Your Own #@$%^ Pears” in Acrylic

...in progress...

So I know this will not be a shock to most of you but teaching 20 second graders during the week makes you tired.  As well as running after three teenagers during the weekend (literally, we are training for a 10k race).  

With this in mind, I am taking the advice from one of my Art Inspirational Goddesses,Carol Marine and tweaking it a bit.  She only paints when she is inspired.  Obviously this shows I am a bit older than her, but I will only paint when I have the energy.  

Power Tools and New Easels

So I am over the moon about this new little guy I just got yesterday...

The Sears Craftsman Compound 7 1/4” Miter Saw

The price was right and it is perfect for what I want to use it for! 

 In fact I have already made my first project with it!

  

I wanted to make an adjustable easel to tightly hold my panels while I paint, so I don’t smudge paint by hand holding it.  I have seen the wedge models others have designed.  But I decided I wanted something that had greater adjustment possibilities...so I have been collecting scrap wood, sketching out ideas and am very proud of my design...

My Adjustable Wedge Easel

Yes the side clamps do look obnoxious but they are the key to being able to adjust for any sized from 4” to 14” and probably beyond...  Cannot wait to paint with it tomorrow!

TONIGHT at VisARTS

This Little Man gets to step on out tonight!

For this exhibit...

At this place!

Teaching the Children Well (and NOT in Cutting Their #$%&^@ Pears!)

Those who know me, know that I also love teaching little ones as much as I love to paint.

 The best way to balance it with my studio practice is to substitute as this great private school near me.  I usually do just a day or two a week, max. But when I got the mid-morning call yesterday to help out for a teacher who had a sudden death in the family, I decided to take a multi day job so the students do not have multiple subs back-to-back.  I feel very fortunate to be able to really help out like that.

But this does translates into a fractured studio time and slower production for the next few days.  I did these two under layers for my acrylic and oil works this morning before school and just finished them now.

May not be technically successful with 4 finished paintings this week but really satisfied with what I have done.  Hoping to finish them this weekend. (Fingers crossed)

The Name Game and Color Studies

Here is my color study of yesterday’s still life.  When I posted my work from yesterday on Facebook, as a last minute thought, I asked for title suggestions and boy did I get some great ones!  Some of the ones I loved ...

“My Snack with Night Vision Googles” 

“Fork You, I Don’t Need a Spoon” 

“Pre pared"

and 

"Prospect of Violence” 

If there was to be a winner (judging by that “like” button) it would have been submitted by a friend who was probably having just a lovely time with her usually delightful children,  “Cut Your Own $%^#*@ Pears!  A Portrait in Parenthood”.  So I think I will go with that.  

Also I was flattered that many people knew what type of knife that was, a Cutco.  

Patience Pays Off: Mono Study

Having the composition down really helped me to focus on visual textures of the pears and knife. I also wanted to play around with hard and soft edges.  Think the pear and the knife handle are successful and will continue to work on these folds.

Can’t Hurry Composition...

I know it is ripping off an old Supremes tune but if you love art, you shouldn’t rush it, right?  Or as I used to tell my frustrated 3rd grade art students...  “Good art takes time.”

So with that in mind, this is all I got to show for three hours in the studio today.  

At first I was bummed (like my 3rd graders usually were) but then I realized that if I want those folds to work out, it's got to take a bit of time.  Rendering all of them and how they convincingly relate to each other won’t come easy.  It really is a game of give and take...or more like erasing and redrawing  (apologizes to Diana Ross et al.)

I also dipped deep into my bag of tricks.  No, it did not include any image tracing or projection, that is a true honest-to-goodness free hand sketch up there. I just used this little guy below to help with the rotate tool to nail this composition upside down to get the proportions just right. 

Figure it is easier than turning the actual still life upside down.  Will hopefully get to the watercolor studies tonight or tomorrow...

A Good Break in Stride with "Greg's Breakfast" in Water Soluble Oil.

Greg's Breakfast

water soluble oil paint on board

8"x8"

Well had a few things break my stride, like a kitchen rip out...

(not nearly this bad, but had to deal with it all day...no studio time)

and IV rehydration for a sick child

(Can I still call him a child when he is 18 and now towers over me?).  Thank goodness he is all better now! Didn't get into my studio this day and really did not even care.

But I think these set backs actually helped me to loosen up and work quicker in oil since my whole family is home.  I want to go play with them!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Kathy

This Really Cool Article Would Explain Alot About Carravagio...

Did Carvaggio use image transfer to get his amazing sense of depth and tone in his works?

This British article gives good reason to think so.

The Entombment of Christ

Was this scene really staged by real models and then using a camera obscura placed onto the canvas?

Wednesday's Acrylic for "Greg's Breakfast"

The whole spoon-under-the-grapefruit thing is bugging me now, so I am going to be really wild here and change up the composition for the oils study tomorrow...watch out! Who knows what craziness I 

might do next?  

Color Study and Underlayering Tuesday

Mono for Greg, Space Thanks to Carol and Camaraderie from Antrese & Friends

Since one of my friends rightly pointed out, one does not eat an orange with a spoon, I have decided to title this week’s still life in his honor...

Greg’s Breakfast

monochromatic study in watercolor 

8”x8”

Here’s on of my reference photo to help with tones and composition.  I paint from the real deal more and more as the week goes on...

Obviously, the background is waaaaaaay too dark here.  Perhaps it is the  navy cloth (wanted to see how it will work out), or maybe it is because I decided to use a more raking light. But to help with cast and fold shadows I am using the exposure tool at highest setting in my photo editing software to help me see them better. 

 Love modern technology!

  

Also thanks to Carol Marine’s book, Daily Painting, I am also using my studio space more efficiently.

And another cool thing to keep me painting is a new podcast that I just stumbled across.  Again courtesy of modern technology...

The Savvy Painter with Antrese Woods.  This is a very inspiring collection of conversations with real artists, who are doing the same kind of thing that I am trying (or at least hoping to aspire) to.  I love that these are actual people with no pretensions who discuss real life issues all artists deal with such as materials, subject matter, techniques, marketing and frustrations.   Definitely not the stuff we heard about at the university level.  

Thanks so much Antrese for keeping me company in the studio...  

And thank you internet revolution for making all of this possible!

Early Finish For Fun Friday!

Woo-hoo!  I met my goals early so tomorrow I am going to meet artist friends for lunch...

Breakfast

oil on board

8”x8”

Here is the acrylic one all finished too.  So I got 5 paintings done this week.  Everything from quick studies to detailed oil.  Thanks for the inspiration Carol Marine and Daily Paintworks. (see side bar for links)

Pushin’ It Forward Thursday

Got the spoon where I want it, need some lighter tones and highlights (or bling as Carol Marine says) in the bowl, darks in the oranges...

Teaching today so not sure if I will be able to finish it today.  Missed the self imposed 24 hour deadline but the real goal of consistently producing is what it is really about here...

Wacky (1/2 way done) Wednesday

Gotta go out of town for a day trip so got into the studio early (5:45am)  today....

So I have only painted half of this is morning.  Just the background and table cloth.  Will finish the bowl spoon and orange tonight.

This is the under layer palette that I started with and will be my oil study tomorrow...

 

Was not completely happy with the first watercolor I did, the one I posted yesterday...

Did this second watercolor last night.  I used fresh out of the tube squishy pigments for the bowl and spoon.  Like the bowl but wish I had stayed with the subtle build-up that dry watercolor pigments allow for in the spoon and cloth.  Now I know...

Tuesday WC Color

No catchy name for today but I do have artwork.  Am skiing tomorrow and teaching the next day after that so we will see how this painting a day thing goes then....

New Year/New Practices...Monochromatic Monday

 This is my version of the New Year's Resolution...

No it is not to eat healthier (is that even a word?) 

I gave up on that a while ago...;)

It is to paint everyday of the work week and constantly change up the media.  

My inspiration for this is DailyPaintworks website that I stumbled on via Pinterest.  Which led me to an amazing book by Oregonian artist, Carol Marine and of course her blog.  All definitely worth this look/see.

As Carol extols in her book and on her blog, (and I thoroughly agree) artists really do need to paint everyday to refine and develop their skills.  She has been doing this everyday for almost 8 years! Everyday Carol makes an oil painting and posts it on-line.

I am going to put my own spin on it by working with one subject a week and changing media each day.  Maybe after 8 years I will be up to an oil everyday, but gotta walk before you run, right? (Though I do not think I could ever leave my buddies, watercolor and acrylic behind...)


Starting off with weekly simple still life set-ups for the time being...

Mondays are monochromatic study day to get composition, values, form and visual weight down. Then I will be moving onto color, followed by acrylic and finishing up with oil.

At least that is the plan right now, like most things in life it is subject to change.

Today's work

Last Day with the Poinsettia

Same subject (white poinsettia) but different media and different style.  Was feeling Fauvist yesterday but more Cubist today...

White Poinsettia

oil on board

6”x6"

Hmmm....

This is a bit over worked in my opinion but at least it gives me something to work on tomorrow...

White Poinsettia

acrylic on board

6"x6"

Still Meh

But I think it is moving in the right direction...

Gonna try this in acrylics either tomorrow or Friday