Quick Draw Makes Me Sweat

Clock Tower   oil/canvas   12 x 9?

Artists are notorious for their personal senses of time.  I am no exception.  I believe that in order to be truly creative, one must be unaware of the clock.  That being said, you will understand why quick draw, a timed 2-hour painting done on the green in Hudson, makes me sweat.  My work usually relies on several layers, much contemplation and much alteration, involving create and destroy processes.  None of that is possible at this event.  So I am immersed into "alla prima" painting, from the first......The canvas was pre-toned with an acid green color, a warm yellow-green that fits well, I think with outdoor painting.  I found a location well ahead of the event and plotted.  I will say that this work was more successful that the ones done in years past.  I painted what I saw and tried to avoid re-painting any passages, which always ends up muddy and indistinct.  I did a slight bit of destroy, by softening unimportant edges with my fan brush and a bit of medium.  I softened all of these geometric shapes with a bit of organic leaf-play.  At the end, I wiped through to the the pre-toned canvas in some places to offer up some cohesion.  This work was auctioned at the end of the event.

What would I change given another session?  I would probably correct some of the incorrect shapes, and, perhaps, take some steps toward a more harmonious color palette.  But then there is something to be said for painting on the spot.  Maybe I will try it again..................at next year's event.

Plein Air Painting is not for Sissies

Allium   oil/canvas   14 x 11 x .5

I enjoy my creature comforts.  Painting outdoors requires lots of lugging, much time setting up and taking down, as well as repeated interruptions.  The interruptions are well-intended and kind (why, I couldn't draw a stick figure!  X 12 times/day), but interruptions nonetheless. Staying hydrated is a problem due to lack of restroom facilities, which would require a packing up all over again.   And all of that green....green....green...I am happiest when I can pair organic shapes with geometric, so I often try to include a bit of the man-made along with the wide varieties of plantings.  This is, after all, an event that is in cooperation with the home and garden tour.  Most of the attendees have vast knowledge of plants.  My focus in this work is the planting of allium which are large airy spherical violet blooms from a plant related to chives and onions.  This was my first painting of the event and, perhaps, the one I am most satisfied with.  It was worked with a limited palette and contains both kinds of shapes.

Allium can be seen at Hudson Fine Art and Framing.

Back to the studio....no bugs....few interruptions....and a glass of water whenever I choose.  O.K., then.  Call me a sissy....I can live with that.

Plein Air!...Tannery...John Brown's home in Hudson, Ohio

Tannery   oil/canvas   14 x 11 x .5

This past weekend I painted en plein air on sites participating in The Hudson Home and Garden Tour sponsored by Hudson Fine Art and Framing.  This is a daunting task for me, a studio painter by choice, especially when joined with such fellow artists as:  Mina Huang, Chuck Kovacic, Andrea Orr, Peter Brent, Mitzi Lai, Sarah Greer, Carolyn Lewis, Judy Gaiser and Adam Clague.  The weather cooperated.  This year's tour featured the historical home of abolitionist John Brown who was born and lived in Hudson for much of his life.  Although the original log cabin home is no longer there, the current century home, rolling acreage and lush gardens provided much for the artist's eye.  My usual process, which centers on layering, and the create/destroy mode of working definitely had to be revamped for this outing.

"Tannery" was painted on site at the John Brown home.  This painting, and many many others, are currently on exhibit and for sale at the gallery.  Check it out.  You might even find some small bugs or bits of grass in the paint....all for the same low price.

My Hat...

Wendy Park   oil/canvas   20 x 16 x .5

goes off to plein-air painters everywhere.  Or should I say "blows off"?  My Sunday was spent at Wendy Park just off the flats in Cleveland painting in the Color Me Cleveland event.  Traditionally a studio painter where everything I need and want is at my fingertips, making the adjustment to outdoor painting is always a challenge and a bit of a surprise.  The wind gusts were unbelievable!  Even the duct tape gave way at one point as the painting sailed off and landed, of course, face down in the dry grass.  What's a bit of texture?  Then the final gust mid-afternoon tipped over my tray table holding the turp, the medium and the olive oil which were quickly absorbed into the hard ground.  The painting was left a bit unresolved, but I was finished for the day.

The Color Me Cleveland works will be on display at Artists Archives of the Western Reserve  from
August 16 - 20, then auctioned on August 21 from 5:30 - 9 pm.  Contact Artists Archives for more information, especially if you are looking for something with texture.

To-tone-or-not-to-tone...

Quick Draw Painting - Hudson, Ohio dentist   8 x 8

is really a matter of individual preference.  But, despite the foresight and planning that is apparent, it is usually a good thing.  Toned canvasses provide a slicker surface, providing an ideal surface for the gliding of brushwork.  Untoned drags.  Think skating on ice versus trudging through snow.  For me, the surface dance is most important.

In addition, a particular color of toning can enliven a work from the get-go if pieces/parts of that preliminary color peek through.  Another fun thing to try is to tone with with the opposing color temperature of the anticipated temperature of the work.....i.e. cool underlying warm.  This is particularly effective in watercolor where the transparent layers are visible from beneath. (and, with watercolor, this preliminary toning can be done right on the spot when work is begun, rather than ahead of time)

Most often, however, my foresight is dim, and so I just use leftover paint from my palette all mixed together to tone random canvasses for future paintings.  One time I used the sludge from my turp jar to tone.....bad idea.....those canvasses took months to dry.

For plein-air work, toning is a real plus, as it provides color already there when speed is of the essence.  It is also terrific for vignetting.  Also for scratching through to a previous layer.

So, I guess, the answer for me is yes.  Think ahead.  Tone.  My small painting from the quick draw in Hudson of the dentist's office was toned well ahead of the event.

Tis the season for plein air!

Breezeway   oil/canvas   14 x 11

where plein-air painters abound.  Lots of competitions and lots of outdoor painters.  I just received word that one of the artists in my watercolor class, Marian Steiner, took an honorable mention at The Cuyahoga Valley Art Center Plein-Air paint-out this past weekend.  Congratulations, Marian!

My own process for painting outdoors has become more solid over the years as I realize what will make for speedier and more productive work.

1) always, if possible, start with a toned canvas.  This allows the brushes to glide.  In addition, the entire canvas is already covered, which makes minimal painting in non-important areas more do-able

2) try to locate a scene that interests me personally, so that I will be invested in its success....perhaps an area of interest as far as gardening, or one that incorporates both organic and straight line.  I really like combining parts of buildings with the gardens.

3) hone in on a color temperature dominance...this will help determine the color of the frame, as well as keep me on track.  cool painting?  warm painting?  one or the other

4) determine a mother-color that will be dominant and help me to determine the colors on my limited palette......I like to tweak the palette in order to avoid the static that occurs by using an exclusively local palette

5) use my viewfinder to help compose the scene

6) paint!  Some outdoor painters seem to enjoy conversation with others.  Unfortunately, I am not one of them,  as I find the interruptions in my painting process to be confusing and disorienting.  I am still working on how to solve this problem.

7) one stroke says it all....I try to rely on the each stroke for power and try not to alter them, as this leads to a mushy painting that has to be resolved after drying in the studio.  In plein-air work, this simply isn't possible.  What I see is what I get.

All in all, painting outdoors is invigorating and provides opportunities for thinking outside the box, for changing habits that inhibit creativity.

Sleep...

Dean Hoover's Place   oil/canvas board   10 x 20

is welcome...especially after the 3-day plein air paint-out in Hudson!  The small paintings, done by about a dozen artists, are all hung in the gallery waiting for buyers.  The styles, energies and subject matters are varied and captivating.  It is really not that simple painting outdoors and my sun hat goes off to those who do this on a regular basis.  For a studio painter like me, the chances for little disasters are multiplied.

On day one my leg fell off....of the easel, that is.   Luckily my art cart was just the right height to make up the difference and my easel was easily repaired for the next session.

On day two, I hit a terrible rut in the parking lot while dragging my art cart along....in trying to catch the spillover, the painting that was being held pizza-fashion landed in my hair.  No problem.  Washing my hair with hand-soap did the trick, as well as a trip to the hardware store to replenish the spilled turp.  And, really, most folks enjoyed the paint and liquid all over my business cards....they say it added character.

Wow....I thought I was home-free on day three and, I must say, feeling quite smug....until I got out of the car to find paint all over the cloth seat....also all over my legs.  Where did this come from?  No problem.....some turp and some soapy water did the trick.  Oh yeah....also a towel on the seat for a while to prevent unsightly spots on my clothes.

Soaking up the environment is one of the advantages....beauty, nature and the talents of the many gardeners whose hard work was showcased.

Today....the studio...the calm...and, hopefully accident-free.

Settling In

EverGreen   oil/canvas board   10 x 8

During the last session of the 3-day paint-out, I finally felt comfortable....isn't that the way it always is?
The gardens at this last dwelling were mostly evergreens of many varieties....there was a cool feeling throughout. I finally took off my earphones to enjoy the quiet and paired up a stone sculpture of a giraffe with an evergreen. In reviewing this small painting, I feel it needs some straight lines somewhere....everything is just too organic for me. On the positive side, I really enjoyed the small canvasses that I had toned and textured ahead of time. They lent themselves well to the nature of painting outdoors in gardens. These are the lessons that I feel I must retain when painting alla prima.......there is always next year.

Making Hay while the Sun Shines

Baughman Barn   oil/canvas board   12 x 12

The Friday morning of the paint-out poured! So.........I spent the morning on the covered porch of Hudson Fine Art fine-tuning paintings from the previous day. I hope that some day I will be satisfied with my impressions from just one session. The afternoon turned hot and sunny so I spent it at the Baughman property, a renovated arts and crafts house that drew quite a crowd! Although the house was amazing and the gardens quirky and creative, I decided to focus on the barn.....that is so funny, in that 20 years ago, I swore never to paint a barn, as I felt that they had reached a point of redundancy-plus in terms of paintings. I guess it was because I was dying to use my square canvas and the barn was perfect for that. Plus, my goal was to improve upon my ability to use purer color and harder edges earlier on in the process. I usually put those things off until later in the process, after some time for consideration. Alla prima requires more immediate decision-making. We are always learning..............that's why the whole thing is so stimulating! "Baughman Barn" is the result. Although it has a nice mystical quality, I think that, in considering it this week, that it would benefit from a few harder edges and, perhaps, the addition of another color.

Blue, blue, blue

Endless Summer   oil/canvas board   12 x 9

As I drove down College Street in Hudson looking for my next painting site, my attention was grabbed up by some awesome hydrangea bushes....their blueness stood out among the endless greens. The century house behind was captivating, but difficult to paint with so much cut-work around the porch. The owner stopped by and told me that the bushes were new and promised to bloom all summer.....the variety called "penny mac". If I had been able to come into the painting for a second pass after several days of dry-time, I would have come back in with some purer blue pigment. Ah.....regrets. Too much mucking around in oil paint creates nothing but mud....the same as with watercolors. "Neverending Summer" is my resultant painting from that Thursday afternoon.

....and did I mention rain?

The Learned Garden   oil/canvas board   10 x 8

The paint-out in Hudson was exhilarating! Dodging the ever-present drops added to the level of excitement.......it is difficult to paint in front of people, to be sure, but I found it to be less threatening than it used to be. One of the problems for me is the overwhelming complexity of gardens. In order to create an interesting composition, I need to be able to include a larger, simpler form. I also need to tweak the color palette away from the given, the local color, in order to enhance the process and harmony. My first attempt on Thursday morning was a garden next to a guest house. Things fell into place. I usually count on another painting session after drying is near to completion....that is when I add strokes of more pure color as well as enunciating strokes to firm up the movement in the overall composition. As this step is simply not possible in painting plein air, I have had to make adjustments by speeding up the problem solving and trying to foresee conclusions more quickly. "The Learned Garden" was completed in 2 1/2 - 3 hours on Thursday morning. These paintings are available for purchase through the end of June at Hudson Fine Art & Framing.

The Jazz of Life is not Found in the Comfort Zone

Lemonade   watercolor   13.5 x 18

O.K.....my comfort zone is painting privately in my studio. Large glasses of iced tea whenever. Throw in a load of laundry whenever. Check email whenever. Relaxed. Comfortable. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week, I will join a host of many fine artists to paint at the Hudson Home and Garden Tour Plein-Air Paint-Out sponsored by Hudson Art & Framing. Bright Sunlight. Bugs. Lugging painting stuff. Bugs. Where can I go to the bathroom? Bugs. Loud noises. I can do this......Granted, this experience lies well outside of my comfort zone, but I believe in participating in events that come your way............there just may be many wonderful surprises in store. I am gradually learning how to: paint smaller; focus-in on outdoor scenes; put my "create and destroy" process on hold for a while to concentrate only on reality; and enjoy the beauty of the experience. My colleague Carolyn Lewis is a master at this.....she is my inspiration for this event. Come out and see us!

Spirit

Hudson Town Hall   oil/canvas board   8 x 8

I love looking to the sky and enjoy painting the intersection between the man-made and the infinite. In A Life at Work by Thomas Moore, which is my current read, he discusses the importance of looking up and relates it to spirit. (of course, he also discusses its counterpart, soul, which is a state of being grounded) I had the opportunity to paint another steeple this past week at the Hudson plein-air paint-out, sponsored by Hudson Fine Art & Framing. I was grateful for this opportunity!

Open-ness=vulnerability

Center Country Day School   oil/canvas board   10 x 8

For the past 3 days, I have participated in the Plein Air paint-out in Hudson, Ohio sponsored by Kathy Johnson at Hudson Fine Art & Framing. It was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. I am a studio painter by choice and by nature, but participate in this event because it stretches me. Instead of large canvasses that take weeks to paint and to consider, I worked on small 6 x 8 canvasses and boards. I was subjected to loud noise, rain, and bird poop. Having people watch you paint is scary! In evaluating my own experience this year, I found that I was more inhibited in my stroke-making.....I am not certain if this was due to the small size, the fact that people were watching, or the fact that I felt more hemmed in by the reality of the scene. I also found that I would rather paint buildings, windows and doors than the flowers.............whoa..........I guess I am still trying to get back indoors. Painting outside is a commitment..................it was difficult, but I hope to do it again.