brewing ideas

As I think about the Mountain Maryland Plein Air event in a week and a half I Like to begin to wrap my head around the location. For a distant location I arrive a few days early and "study." For a place like Cumberland, I take visits (2 1/2 hours away) and paint, browse old photos and just think. This particular view has always resonated to my senses ad while I can't use this small painting, it gives me ideas.

plein air clouds, three different days

Fun with clouds. All three were done in the field and brought back to the studio. There I simplified each just a tiny bit while seeing each as an abstraction rather than clouds.
Here is a link to one of my past posts with tips on painting clouds.

underpainting methods, once again

watercolor underpainting with pastel on top

 I have been playing with my underpainting methods as part of my quest for luminescence. I find that certain methods suit different ideas or moods. Not surprisingly the color underneath is the biggest factor with a close second comes the tactile nature of the surface that allows for a different stroke and blending. The sanded paper (Uart 400) has a bouncy layer for the last stroke to rise on top and vibrate with the others. The pastel toned paper is nice to the touch- soft and velvety, but the risk of mud is greater. I may like it better in the studio where my thought and planning is greater. Plein air is more about feeling and responding quickly.

That reminds me of a wonderful quote by one of my young students. We were out on the field plein air painting. He asked me, "Is it OK if I just sit and feel and smell the air, look and paint?" Now there is a young painter who gets it!

pastel underpainting on hand toned pastel paper

student work

Aviva, age 9

Hope, age 13

Jennie, age 12

I am fortunate work with 3 talented young artists (ages 9, 12, 13. ) Just look at their recent still life work!
I wish I could remember the exact quote from Aviva today. After looking at many different artist's still life paintings (with flowers) we were talking about the differences. It went something like, "Why do people want to paint it realistic with so many details? They could just take a photograph. It has no soul."

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

beach and clouds

oil, 12 x12

A little trip to the beach in the spring inspired this painting. What you take out is just as important as what you leave in the painting.

PS I have a whole new selection of my skies on display at the Waverly Street Gallery this month. The reception for the show is Friday evening. Come if you can!

sunrise from the parking garage

6x6 pastel study

Skies are fascinating, aren't they? I was parked on the top of a mall parking garage waiting for the sunrise. It came with these glorious little clouds. Within about ten minutes the sky was covered with the fast moving clouds. The weather man called it "a maritime cloud."  Another good reason for all my constant memory works..I was able to draw on the image saturating my brain..
I leave you now with a new quote. Just before the master painter Claude-Baptiste-Camille Corot died he said,  
"I go on hoping that there will be painting in heaven." 

Now there is a man I understand!

color choices

pastel study, 9x14

On Saturday I was working with a group of students and we were talking about color choices. They wanted to know...'why did I choose that? what color is underneath?" I could answer the questions and I did, but more importantly one must always realize that color is a very personal thing. We don't all "see" it the same way. Also, the color you choose is about making a painting- a vision. Duplicating what you see is not the goal. Creating a special reality that has mystery, that's my goal.

beach clouds

oil on wood, 6x12

More cloud studies and a quote.

"That landscape painter who does not make his skies a very material part of his composition, neglects to avail himself of one of his greatest aids." 
The sky is the source of light in Nature. It governs everything."
  John Constable


And inspiration from Constable about  J.M.W. Turner...
...Turner has outdone himself; he seems to paint with tinted steam, so evanescent and so airy.

oh to do that!

difference with an underpainting

lake 1

lake 1 underpainting

 Last week I was playing with my underpaintings. I did two different versions at the same time. Then I painted on the dried underpaintings. Both were done with Nu pastels moistened with mineral spirits. I was looking to see how I respond differently to the underneath colors.
Only the side of the pastel stick was used. The purpose was to keep away from drawing the scene and just respond to the color edges.

lake 2

lake 2 underpainting

new big painting

30x40 oil

This painting is creeping along....maybe it is almost done.  While painting this I am thinking, "In nature there are no lines, just places where colors meet."

And a quote from the master, Wolf Kahn-
There are many prejudices about art, and first among them is that it is a skill and that there are definite rules.

tips on painting sunset clouds

6x6 pastel

There is a good reason painters are fascinated with the wonderful clouds of sunset and sunrise. The color becomes amplified and the personality of the clouds is very easy to see. When working to record this you need to first look for the movement lines. Mark them immediately. It's a moving target so getting the important diagonals is key. After the lines are there enjoy making it alive. As long as you remember that the sky is a dome and respond to that concept the sky becomes a little easier to paint. Value matters as always. Have fun and relish the fact that with a handful of pastels or a few tubes of paint you can make magic.

Plein Air and Mountain Maryland

pastel 9x9

In the field I am focusing on clouds- the ever elusive clouds. This is yesterday's small painting.

Good news! I have been invited to participate in the Mountain Maryland Plein Air . I love this event.  The people are wonderful! And

pastel 9x18

the location is beautiful: fields, water, big views.  I was fortunate to be part of this event two other times 2010 and 2011. In 2011 I won an honorable mention with the painting on the right.
I can't wait for this year's event. May 28- June 1. More on this later.

what really is your subject?

oil about18x11 (a guess)

My blogger friend Donna commented that "the concept for this painting (last post) and those of your recent works seems to be much more than I can put into words! Amazing really, when your subjects are not necessarily complex. Maybe there's a connection?"

Donna is an amazing artist in her own right and a very insightful one.

I guess, to most, it looks like I am painting clouds, but that's really not the case. I chose clouds as the vehicle so that I can paint the underlying luminosity and work with the abstractive qualities. The simplicity of the land/sky format allows me to enjoy the complexities of the concept. That's the closest I can come to an explanation.

painting concepts is limitless

oil 36x36 work in progress

"Painting concepts is limitless..... painting subjects is finite. Know our intention. The lasting quality that is reflected to the viewer is intention." David A. Leffel Therefore painting is not just copying.
I continue to work on this painting (top). It was inspired by my Chincoteague plein air piece (bottom.)

personality that reinvents

The field next to my house is my constant muse. It has so many facets to its personality and pushes me to invent and reinvent it. It feels similar to what I do when I "dress-up."

clouds and Albert Handell Interview.

New goodie to read- an interview with Albert Handell- Master landscape painter. Check it out. Link here.
And another large B&W cloud study. I am doing a lot of these.... if you can't make your clouds read in black and white, go no further.

pastel on BFK 14x22

clouds and a beach road

20x40 oil

I have been working on this one for awhile now, with today being the pinnacle of frenzied work. Finally it is in "sitting phase." Wait, think, just stop.
With this I add a few more ideas, that I have learned to be true, about painting skies .
*Think of the clouds as layers or different planes. That helps you "sculpt" them with your two tools-value and color.
*Remember that the sky is a dome and that color and value need to respond to that shape.
*Use your clouds to make your composition.

plein air paint for yourself

I was looking through my sketchbooks and saw the reminder.
"Plein air-paint for yourself. Stop the agendas. It is all part of the journey."
The reason we go outside to paint is to be sensitive to real light falling on form. Enjoy the responding.

back

I have been soooooooo stuck for about 3 months. Finally I am rising out of the muck and find myself frenzied with ideas. Ideas about skies. For a long time I was almost afraid to paint big again. I felt I didn't have a strong enough concept. I needed to feel. Months of monotypes and small (6x6") paintings have opened a door. Just in time I was beginning to feel however small a "genius" visits me had found a new home. She is back. Here's a link to Elizabeth's ted talk about "genius".

simultaneous contrast- Josef Albers

I found this great vimeo about Josef Alber's work and simultaneous contrast.It starts out a little slow, stick with it because the content is good.

passion for skies

oil, 12x12

Skies, hmmm. What are they, but layers of air that appears to have real heft.  But, it's just air with moisture. The clouds have personalities. Each one is different and full of surprises. They are 3 dimensional shapes.  It's important that there are no harsh lines or cut-outs in your clouds. Knowing where your light source originates is important to make the clouds/sky convincing. After that it's really warm next to cool, layered to make grays. Better still here is a great article about skies on Richard's Pastel Pointers Blog. He says it better than I can, so enjoy!

the underpainting

On another note, here is the underpainting for the painting above. I liked the beginning horizon line vibration, I unfortunately lost it in the painting....maybe next time.

cloud study

Here's one of my recent crazy cloud studies. It's 21 x21 black pastel on white BFK. When limited to black and white it's much easier to see the "bones" of an upcoming (possible)painting.
A quote from Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot-
“The first two things to study are first form and then values. Those two things are in my opinion the foundations of art. Color and execution add charm to the work. It seemed very serious to me to prepare a study or a painting by starting to indicate the most vigorous color values (assuming the canvas is white) and to continue by following in order until you reach the lightest value. I would give 20 gradual numbers to go from the lightest to the most vigorous color value. Then your painting or study would be established with order. This order must in no way bother the sketcher or the colorist. Always the mass, the whole, what struck us. Never lose the first impression that moved us. The sketch is then the first thing to look for. And then, color values - the relation between forms and values. Those are the foundations. After the color, finally, the execution. Do you want to do a study or a painting? First you must apply yourself to look for the form in conscience. After having made all the efforts of application, move on to values. Look for them with the mass. Conscience. A good way to achieve this: if your canvas is white, start with the most vigorous tone. Follow the order until you get to the lightest tone. "

grays and luminosity

oil,11x14

Pure color has more power next to gorgeous grays. Just Look at Turner's work and you will see. He didn't use dark foils to make luminosity. Sanford Gifford didn't use darks either. Instead there is one pure point and the rest is grayed.

at the NGA, Siout, Egypt, Sanford Gifford

at the Met, A Gorge in the Mountains, Sanford Gifford

Here are two I have visited recently.  Aren't they exquisite?

Chinocoteague calls

Urges that make me want summer and beach lead me to create this marshland landscape. It's funny it began as a cloud scape from Wednesday's cold and beautiful sky. Somehow I decided what it needed was marsh. I think a trip to Chincoteague is in order.
PS This is a small pastel -6"x6" but I think I will dive into a bigger oil based on it.

needwood and de Kooning

Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment and email about my last post.

Someone asked me if I was still working in oil. The answer is yes, I just have not been posting them... struggle being more apparent in those. This is a recent oil that is going in the direction I want.
Instead of saying more, I give you comments from Willem deKooning, a real master. He says it so well.

Style is fraud. I always felt the Greeks were hiding behind their columns.- 

 I'm not someone who has ever said anything definitive about his work. In my life I have very little fixed form. I can change overnight.

I was never interested in how to make a good painting, but to see how far one could go.

PS Happy Birthday Daddio!