Agile Arts journal by www.TriciaRatliff.com

ART NEWS: Open Studio in Fairfax Virginia - Adam Lister Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:46:00 +0000

Calling all area artists seeking working studio space on a flexible basis! Adam lister gallery is now offering an Open Studio. Visit the following link for details *and* you can register on line!

http://www.adamlistergallery.com/open-studio-group.html

OPEN STUDIO GROUP

Thursdays

6:00pm-9:00pm

New session: March 1 - April 5, 2012

Location: Adam Lister Gallery

The Open Studio Group is designed for artists of any level, working in any medium. This group offers time, workspace and a creative environment for anyone interested in making art and being around other working artists. Bring any materials and supplies that you want to work with, and we provide tables, chairs, and plenty of space to spread out and make your art. Individual and group critiques will be available to those that are interested. All group participants are allowed to leave their works in progress in the gallery storage area. The group director will be on hand throughout the open studio time for suggestions, guidance and technical advice if needed.

All group participants will be invited to exhibit some of their artwork in a group show here in the gallery at the end of the session.

Group Director: Adam Lister

For ages: 18 & up

Fee: $120

Space is limited, so register early.

ADAM LISTER GALLERY

3950 UNIVERSITY DRIVE

1ST FLOOR

FAIRFAX VA 22030

T# 646.263.7305

Robert Johnson Workshop - photos of demonstation

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:01:00 +0000

Some artist friends and I decided to enjoy a long weekend of painting together at Robert Johnson's in Leesburg. I enjoy his workshops because he knows how to get artists in the mood to paint, enjoy every brushstroke and try new things.

Bob spent about 30 minutes quietly creating his setup and started painting right on time with a description of the block in and how he likes for each stage to be artistic. In a setup, look for opportunities to include variety (or polarity) in: Texture, Value, Size, Shapes, Intensity of color and even direction. He didn't mention this but I'll just pass along that it's important to emphasize variety if you want you paintings to have an organic quality. You can use less variety to create a colder, more mechanical feeling.

He talked about his canvas preparation as well. He prefers double lead primed linen from New York Central Art Supply (in Soho New York City) mounted onto gatorboard with miracle muck. (For what it's worth, you can also get some awesome triple primed rabbit skin glue portrait linen from the art league store in Alexandria Virginia ... I buy that and have it dry mounted on archival foam core for travel panels) Roll it flat with a brasier to make sure there are no bubbles. Pile the panels on top of each other with a weight and let them dry 24 hours - then trim off the extra canvas that hangs over the edges with a sharp exacto knife. Or ... you can just buy them pre-made from Windriver.

During this block in stage, he used the standard "light touch" method of picking up the lit areas with a cloth. He selected one sharp lit area of particular interest along the top edge of the silver jug and wet his brush with a dab of gambol to erase a nice edge along that area. Notice that he did *not* paint the handle of the silver jug. It turns out that he likes to learn that for later so that he doesn't have to cut in the background around such a specific shape. He simply said - I'll paint the handle in later. (It was almost the last thing he did).

After the block in, he says he lets the painting lead him. He mixed up some background color with Transparent red oxide, ultramarine and a dab of indian yellow (or naples yellow) with white. (I've also seen people do this with white, Thalo blue or green and burnt umber) The idea is to make a warm mid tone grey so that you can easily cut back into finished areas later without feeling like you'll ruin the background. Why didn't I think of that? I've always done it the hard way (lol).

From there, he did something I think was really important to notice but he didn't actually talk about it. He took some of that "atmosphere" color and knocked it into the sides of the silver put where it appeared and he would use it later.

From there he added the light on the silver and enjoyed working on that to get the values and rounded out of the shape.

With that subject taken care of, he jumped into the strongest color in the roses and pears. Whenever they didn't seem lit enough, he darkened the darks to avoid adding white to the lits which would dull the color of the fruit and flowers.

Leaves: Although everything is important, Bob is more concerned with value than color and temperature. This really shows up in the way his leaves are resolved. He darkened the darkest leaves with cool green and added cool red (like alizeron or quinocridone) in the veins. Then he gave most of his attention to picking out a few, beautiful lit leaves to give them life. He often cautions people not to short change leaves. They should be given as much respect as the flowers. Leaves may seem similar but rather than repeating patterns, look for variations and emphasize those.

At this point I should probably mention that it's MUCH better to actually attend a Robert Johnson demo/workshop than to rely on my random notes. I am only writing the little tiny bit of superficial step by step information that I can remember off the top of my head. The real value in what he teaches is actually something you can only pick up by being there.

FINISHED PAINTING

The RUG: The rug was handled much like the other objects. He doesn't let the actual pattern in the textiles dictate the outcome of his painting, he uses what he needs for the purpose of a better painting and just paints that. Notice how he uses exaggerated perspective as lines along the far edges (i.e. farther back) are thinner and closer together and the ones up front are fatter and larger.

An important learning point that I took away was that he paints objects in the direction of the object but he paints planes like the table/rug in the direction of the light. Notice how the brushwork is dragged across the canvas from left to right.

Notice all of the brush angles in the photos of Bob painting. The key to these beautiful paintings is in each persona's own technique of brushwork. Bob holds his brush delicately, often applying paint without the brush (i.e. only the paint) touching the canvas. This creates nice globs of organic looking texture as he changes the angle, direction and pressure on the brush (I think they were almost all long bristle filberts but he also showed us a soft, flat mongoose by rosemary brush company that he likes using).

Normally, I wouldn't add so many "basics" to a blog post but I've been noticing on my blog stats that with over 2500 hits a month, about 1/4 of readers are spending most of your time in these "how to" posts. New students have also been calling me to learn the basics. Because I have cut back my teaching schedule to a couple of workshops a year and teaching private lessons in order to spend time painting ... those calls alerted me that I need to do a better job of explaining not only what I think is unique in these workshops but also some of the basics that we all need to constantly review.

Hope this post was better for you and not too cluttered!

Do me a favor and drop me a line if you found any of this useful. I write these posts for my own use (so that I have electronic notes and photos) but I take time to add details in hopes that other people will benefit. If I know one or two of you are getting value out of them, then I know the extra effort is worthwhile.

Here is a video intro to one of his demo videos:

This weekend, my friends and I were all working on different things in this workshop. I specifically realized my own need to let the quality and texture of the paint reveal the way light trickles across an organic object. I also appreciated what Rob said about learning as much as possible while giving respect to your own personal aesthetic. It's nice to hear this recognition from someone who has such a specific and beautiful style of his own. For example, he prefers things lit naturally from above and to the side which I think gives a calming effect. Sometimes, I like to dramatize things with unusually low lighting, obscured light or even (rarely) I like multiple temperatures of light hitting from different directions.

That said ... for the purpose of getting as much as possible out of any workshop, I try to spend some time "copying" the teachers' aesthetic or approach exactly to make sure I'm getting it *but* I also like to spend some of time experimenting with things I've been wanting to try ... just to see how to incorporate the new learning with paintings I would probably do on my own later. This experimentation might sometimes seem to the teacher that the student is going off track but in Bob's case, he understood our need to experiment as an essential step in personal learning. The result: The first time I took one of Bob's workshops, a couple of friends saw the result and thought I had purchased Robert Johnson's paintings. While it made me feel good that they couldn't tell the difference ... truly ... that is because they are more "him" then they are "me". This time around, I took that learning a step further. I used his direction for the setups but incorporated different learning points into paintings that were in the direction I am personally going as a painter. I worked on two totally different still life paintings of similar subjects and had a great time!

He has made a number of videos so I'm including short clips here just for fun:

Artists-on-Art Magazine ... worth your attention

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:11:00 +0000

I was so pleased to learn from Daniel Keys about the new on-line magazine called Artists-on-Art.

http://www.artists-on-art.com

Take a look. This is what an on-line magazine today should be.

- Focused on content
- A balanced mix of informative and inspiring articles
- Clean and uncluttered with visually pleasing layout (this is a welcome relief)
- High quality images
- Easy navigation between on-line articles using hypertext
- Option to download pdf version for off-line reading is also very useful
- Editors embracing opportunities for other media like videos and reader commentary
- Priced accordingly

Artists on Art is fortunately focused on peer to peer content rather than heavy advertising because the business model isn't burdened by the high cost or risk of producing and shipping printed copies. If they continue with the same quality and continue to expand the use of different media (video, reader comments, cross links, slideshows etc.), then I look forward to future issues!

John Ebersberger Workshop Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:23:00 +0000

Here is a useful recap of a Henre Henche style color study workshop written by Ed Terpening and automatically reposted here using his blogger repost button. It's also exciting to see that the Cape Cod School is being revitalized. For more information about new classes starting THIS SUMMER 2012, visit their website: http://www.capeschoolofart.com/

John Ebersberger Workshop Recap

I (Ed Terpening) studied with John Ebersberger this week at l’Atelier aux Couleurs: the Art Academy.

John’s a great teacher, full of energy, enthusiasm, and most of all, knowledge. He is from the “Hensche School” painting method, whose lineage goes backward from Henry Hensche (John’s teacher and Hawthorne’s assistant), to Charles Webster Hawthorne (Chase’s assistant) to William Merritt Chase. The main ideas of this school of painting (which is really more of method of seeing) is that 1) form can be modeled with color variation; 2) painting in outdoor light; 3) outdoor light/conditions introduce a “light key” that must be represented (eg, from an overcast day to a full sun day). To give you a practical example of how the school’s differ, a tonalist would mix a shadow color, then add white and a bit of yellow to show the sunlit side, whereas a Hensche colorist would see each color as a completely distinct mix. So while a Hensche colorist may turn a form with color and temperature changes, a tonalist (or “value painter”) may do so with value alone (the range of values from black to white).

I’ve studied this method under Camille Przewodek as well, and can tell you Henche’s method is not a “one workshop thing”. This is my 3rd, and I feel I’mstarting to get it. It takes years of study and practice, and although Camille has applied the technique to plein air painting, I think it’s best learned with outdoor still life study. In fact, if you study with her, you’ll probably spend most of your time painting colored blocks in outdoor light. Sounds boring, but believe me, it’s more challenging than you may realize. In a still life, you can practice with objects and light conditions that are highly varied.

To learn more about this school of painting, I recommend joining John’s Facebook group on Hensche, and not bothering too much with the Hensche Foundation website, which does not present his best work and looks quite stale.

Here are some of my and John’s studies, along with commentary. I hope you find them useful! If you’ve studied this technique as well, chime in with your feedback by entering a comment on this post.

John Ebersberger Images

As you can see, John paints with a full spectrum palette of color. If you’re interested in the specific colors, let me know in comments and I’ll list them out [see the update below, all his colors and the brand of paints he uses are listed at the end of this post].

John Ebersberger Palette

Isn’t this a beautiful start? I missed most of this demo, but was able to capture the end of the start, and where he started to work on refining the large pot. The sides of the pot and the cast shadow on the table are being refined with warm/cool note differences, but he started the pot just as he did the apple, as simply a light and shadow note.

John Ebersberger Still Life Demo (start)

I have a video of this on my previous blog post, step-by-step. Notice how the shaded side of the head holds together well, even though there is variation between the hair and skin (the lit side, too). He emphasized this often, that you hold to the large relationships first (figure to background) before you start color variations, and eventually detail.

John Ebersberger Figure Study Start

Click here for a YouTube video demo of the figure start above.

Ed Terpening Images

This was my first attempt of the week. I didn’t have time to finish it, but I’m happy with the start. I do think my shadow notes are dark dark, and I started to work lighter color into them (you can see the darker beneath). I’d also just started to model the blue pitcher and the pear. Notice that I’ve left white space between each color note. This can be confusing at this stage of the painting, but it’s important because it allows me to continually adjust color spots and relationships throughout the painting. If you bring the color spots together too soon, and need to adjust later, you’ll risk creating mud and maybe creating a type of edge that you may not want.

Still Life Study 1, Unfinished (Ed Terpening)

I was really happy with this figure study, probably my best of the week! John took a photo too, as he’s collecting examples of studies for his website. I had time (about 2 hours) to get the relationship between figure (face) and background, and just started modeling the hair and forehead. Wish I could have finished this one.

FIgure Study 1 (unfinished)

Here’s another start from later in the week.

Figure Study 2 (unfinished)

UPDATE [July 15, 2009]: I heard back from John, and he’s happy to share both his palette, and his favorite brands of colors too! Here’s what he wrote me:

Color List

1. Titanium white

2. Cadmium lemon yellow (or light)

3. Cadmium yellow medium

4. Cad. Orange

5. Cad. Scarlet (or scarlet lake) — A must for outdoor work (see specific colors listed below, you may also explore reds made with napthol and perylene).

6. Cad. Red deep

7. Permanent Rose (or quinocridone red)

8. Dioxazine Purple

9. Ultramarine blue

11. Cerulean Blue

12. Permanent Green Light

13. Viridian Green

Earth colors:

1. Yellow Ochre

2. Indian Yellow

3. Burnt Sienna

4. Indian Red, Light Red, or Mars Red

Any paint brand is fine to start out with, you will find what works best for you. Ultimately you want to learn what pigments you are using. Some are right in the name – Cadmium yellow is made from cadmium pigment. Some are not in the name, for instance Winsor Newton’s Permanent Rose is actually a quinocridone pigment.

Regarding less expensive student brands of paint – when colors are named things like Cadmium red hue, or cerulean blue hue, the pigment is not what is stated in the name – this is not necessarily bad, as some of these pigments are useful. For instance the Cad. red hue may be a napthol, a color with strong tinting strength – and the cerulean hue may be a pthalo, a color with strong tinting capability.

Usually I like a warmer and cooler version of each of the primaries and green. Also a small range of earth tones is helpful.

Here is a color list with brand names that I like to use:

1. The Blockx Cadmium Yellows are terrific for use with palette knife. I use Blockx Cad. Yellow Pale, Cad. Yellow Medium, and Cad. Yellow Deep. When using a brush, I prefer the Rembrandt line of yellows because they are more fluid.

2. Winsor Newton, Cad. Orange (Rembrandt, when using brush)

3. Blockx, Cadmium Red Orange – the brightest red available, on the orange side, similar to cad. Scarlet (a bit thick for use with brush, especially in winter).

4. Old Holland, Scarlet Lake Extra – a beautiful transparent red

5. Gamblin, Napthol Red – the brightest red pigment (made by other companies under different names. Gamblin also makes a Napthol Scarlet, which I haven‘t tried yet)

6. Winsor Newton Cad. Red Deep – not bright, but you don’t always want bright. Almost a cool earth note.

7. Permanent Rose, Winsor Newton (Gamblin, Quinocridone Red)

8. Either Sennilier Permanent Violet, Gamblin Dioxine Purple, or Old Holland, Bright Purple. Also try any of the variety of quinocridone pigmented oils. I still pine for the old Rembrt. Perm Violet and Red Violet!

9. Blue – Still experimenting with brands- right now I use the Rembrandt line – Ultramarine, Cobalt, and Cerulean. I also recommend Manganese Blue Hue by just about anybody, but Gamblin is probably the best deal.

10. Viridian – Rembrandt (have not tried too many others. WN, too stiff.)

11. Winsor Newton, Permanent Green Light, and Cad. Green Pale

12. “Sevres” Green is nice (Blockx makes a good one), or Winsor Green by Winsor Newton. (they might still make Winsor Emerald too)

13. Sometimes I use Rembrandt, Chromium Green Oxide (indoor work, and winter and gray day keys)

14. Burnt Sienna (Rembrandt for brush work. Try Blockx Burnt Sienna Deep too – a very “cool“ brown.)

15. Rembrandt, Indian Red -

16. Old Holland, Mars Red-Orange or Blockx, Light Red

17. Winsor Newton, Raw Sienna (I’m sure other brands are fine as well

18. Blockx, Yellow Ochre, for palette knife. Rembrandt for brush.

19. Winsor Newton, Indian Yellow (you might also try Gamblin Transparent Orange)

20. White – Gamblin Titanium White. Blockx is excellent as well, but a little stiff for brush work right out of the tube.
21. I almost forgot!! Rembrandt Turquoise and Winsor Newton’s Indian Yellow – two indispensable colors.

color study; Lea Colie Wight / Camille Przewodek / Susan Sarback

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:43:00 +0000

http://www.lightandcolor.com/in_progress.html

In the studio - oil painting by Tricia Ratliff

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:35:00 +0000

Hello,

I'm enjoying winter in the studio because the light is just perfect! With the soft winter light, I can create any light effects (warm, cool, mixed etc.) that I want to play with. Here's a new still life ... another one is on the easel already so you can look forward to new posts soon.

This painting can be purchased through my new website:

http://tricia.fineartstudioonline.com/works

This was painted on a purple ground and I liked the idea of a lot of green in the atmosphere against the dark pinks in the flowers. Now, I'm in the mood for some unusual compositions or atmosphere in upcoming paintings.

16"x20" oil on linen

Eucalyptus Morning

$950

Imagine Painting the Mona Lisa ... standing next to the master

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:27:00 +0000

Check out today's article in The Art Newspaper below.

The Prado revealed a beautiful copy of the Mona Lisa ... possibly painted by a pupil in Da Vinci's studio. At first, I didn't believe my eyes because I've spent time looking at the Mona Lisa in person and it is not as beautiful as the painting below. It's still hard to imagine that varnish alone on the version in the Louvre is potentially hiding details and light effects similar to this version. Look at the skin tones ... the hair ... the shirt details ... none of those are visible through the varnish and protective glass over Leonardo's painting. Even the beautiful sheer layers of the shirt sleeves come to life on the cleaned version.

The AP Video at the end of this blog post is short but shows the best view of her clothing.

Read the full article here -
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Earliest-copy-of-Mona-Lisa-found-in-Prado/25514

A detail of the nearly conserved Prado copy of the Mona Lisa. Photo (c) Museum Nacional del Prado

Explanation: Celebration of Life in Pink - 36x48 floral oil painting

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:16:00 +0000

Some of my paintings are moody and serious but this one is intentionally more light hearted. Recent events have reminded me of the delicacy of life and the richness of our everyday experiences . With this painting, I want to share my feelings of well being and thankfulness about simple pleasures in life ... in hopes that you find it refreshing.

With a few other paintings in the works ... stay tuned ... more to come!

Seth Haverkamp Demo

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:13:00 +0000

Seth Haverkamp gave one of his great demos the other day at the warehouse atelier in Arlington. Seth will be teaching there beginning in February. He is offering another free demo next Wednesday night at 7pm. Visit Seth's website and give him a call (his number is on the contact page) if you'd like to attend the demo , the class or both!

http://sethhaverkamp.com/

My notes from the demo. (I hope Seth or someone will send me a photo of the finished demo because I totally forgot to take one after the stopped painting!)

1. Started with a transparent brown oxide block in sketch to decide how big he wanted to make the image and where he wanted to place it.

2. Used cad orange and white to make a generic lit area color and started sculpting in the lit area shapes. To start to warm up some area, he used cad yellow/white and permanent rose to shift the temperature slightly.

4. One important aspect of this step was that he want back to make the shadow *shapes* more precise but simplified the variation of values within the shadows. He's working with such a small brush because this portrait is tiny. The head is actually smaller than the size of his hand.

5. The first 4 steps were finished in about 20 minutes so it didn't take long before he was happy with his "drawing" and started to work some of the transitions. In many cases he just thinned the paint and let some of the grey show through because many turning edges are cooler as they move away from the light.

Before getting too far, he threw in the highest chroma areas and the highlights. For example some bright red on the upper lip, a little richness in the cheeks and nose, eventually the eyes etc. He only put these in as they were needed to establish color/value ranges to make sure everything was on track. But, the simple additions he made were added and kept that way until the end of the portrait.

Sign up for my newsletter at http://tricia.fineartstudioonline.com/email-newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:23:00 +0000

I've started a new newsletter. If you're interested in my artwork and seeing what's going on in the studio, please follow the link below to subscribe.

Please pass this along to friends who enjoy new artwork!

Anyone can unsubscribe at any time and addresses will never be shared. The purpose of the newsletter is to allow me to give followers the first peek into studio happenings so that this blog can be more oriented toward outside news.

http://tricia.fineartstudioonline.com/email-newsletter

Meet the Artist: Terry Strickland

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:27:00 +0000

If Terry Strickland went incognito ... now we would know how to find her ... peering through blinds with her spy camera "on a stakeout as a voyeur ... an observer of humans". When envisioning this portrait, she saw clearly that "If you were on a real stakeout, you've got to have cigarettes and coffee".

An observer has to forgo personal interests and comforts sometimes to get the real story. So, although the Incognito Project can be described as part of her personal journey (we'll talk about that shortly) Strickland takes the spotlight off herself and sheds it on the thrill of exploring the inner life of her models, her subjects ... her willing friends. The "Incognito Project has sparked some really interesting conversations and I'm enjoying it".

With 14 paintings finished and at least 11 or 12 (probably more) to come, Terry's energy hasn't wained. Instead the content sustains her drive to continue a project that requires a lot of work, planning and dedication: "I'm having fun, and I don't seem to be getting bored with it."

Read here about the exciting day when she opened her studio for a photo shoot of the insightful souls who agreed to participate. "I was fortunate to know so many people who really got it". She also had a strong team. Her daughter Carly as key grip, her son interviewing people on tape, her daughter in-law Amy did makeup and her husband Dan was handling paperwork like model releases. Models received T-shirt's confessing "I revealed myself at the Incognito Project". "It was exhausting and fun".

The participants had their own fun as they stuck around to talk to each other about the stories behind their personas. At the time of that shoot, Terry thought the Incognito Project would take a year but it naturally grew into a 2 year effort which she says will definitely be done in 2012 when the project will culminate in a book and as show.

Although the shoot marked an important starting point, Terry recognizes an even earlier genesis. "I was doing Incognito like pieces long before I started the project ... my superman pieces" showed early signs of what eventually evolved into Incognito.

Make Way - 42x58 oil on canvas
(c) Terry Strickland

A little investigation into her early work shows that she has worked in series before. Until recent history, Terry didn't give full voice to her painting life. She had an art career but her "Awakening" series marks a time when she most deeply recognized that she really needed to embrace the day, forgo some other efforts and focus her daily work on painting. Not just putting brush to canvas ... but painting realistic, narrative figure paintings! At that time her pre and early teen children were going through their own transitions and she naturally had the urge to capture them in paint.

For Strickland, these were "Breakthrough Pieces" personally and professionally. "I was going through the same restlessness I saw my kids going through as they were transitioning into early teenagers". Her son Kyle is depicted in On the Wing and Make Way and her daughter Carly is captured below in The Quickening and Pin-up.

Pin-up - 42x58 oil on canvas
(c) Terry Strickland

Prior to these pieces "I had ideas but felt like I needed to get more technical skills." Those ideas motivated her to hone her skills. Then "Eventually, you get to the point where you have confidence in your skills and get down to the quick of what you really want to say and go for it".

This sheds some light on the advice she would give to new, emerging artists: "You have to want it bad, do the work, don't let a few, (hundreds, truth be told) rejections or failures keep you from making the work you want to make. Actually rejoice in them as they are stepping stones to where you want to be. Don't settle for a style because the real work you want to make isn't in your capabilities yet." Supporting this point Terry explained that she's "taking a workshop with David Kassan, whose work I greatly admire, because I know that my skills can always be improved. I can learn things from him that will help me be better at making my own work."

This point about focusing on the work you want to make is best illustrated in a story of one of her early paintings. "It's very rewarding, I have cried along with people looking at my work" listing to them talk about it. "I did a painting called "Home" of an African American man holding an empty nest. He was strong but had a tender look on his face. I finished it the week my daughter went to college. The woman who bought it stood with me and told me her story. She had been mugged a few months earlier by an African American man (her purse was taken but she was luckily not physically hurt) and told me that seeing that painting called "Home" healed her. She said the experience healed her!" Terry and the woman stood in the gallery together looking at it through tears of understanding. Ms. Strickland explains that sometimes as an artist, in addition to focusing on what you need to say, you also accept what the viewer brings to the piece.

Getting a public glimpse of these Breakthrough Paintings in person will be rare for those of us who came late to this scene. Strickland has sold many of them but has since decided not to let go of selected early pieces that are special to her.

Nonetheless we are lucky in other ways. We ourselves have become voyeurs to this story as it unfolds. My phone interrogation of Terry has revealed that this scenario like any unfolding mystery is complex with multiple beginnings. And now, I leave it to you to stake out Terry's website and blog ... investigate the scene at her upcoming shows to see where this subject is ultimately headed.

article written by artist Tricia Cherrington Ratliff

Seth Havercamp Classes in Falls Church

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:55:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

Seth Havercamp is teaching again beginning in January / February 2012. I'll be going to his starter sessions in January. Hope to see some of you there!

Portrait in Pencil

Class description: This first session is 4 weeks long. For the first 3 weeks we will work

on one portrait in pencil -- same person, same pose. By allowing ourselves to spend

ample time on one drawing, we will start with a simple block-in of features, to develop

the likeness, then proceed to place in the subtle nuances and details that make a portrait

complete. There is no prerequisite for this class.

When: Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:30 pm. Starts February 7th

Materials: Fine drawing paper; pencils: 2h, 2b, 4b, kneaded eraser

Where: The “Warehouse Atelier”, located in the strip center corner of route 7 and Carlin

Springs Rd, Falls Church 22041 ( Behind REI on Carlin Springs and behind Blinds to

Go on Route 7, ground level)

Cost: $185

*Space is limited to 8 people per class*

This class leads us directly into the next 4 week session. We will transfer the drawing

to canvas and proceed to paint it in oil. By having the drawing already complete we will

be able to paint the portrait in full color with less difficulty, not having to “chase the

drawing.” While the 2nd session is set up as a continuation of the 1st, anyone may enroll

in the 2nd session.

Figure in Pencil

Class description: Same as above, except learning to draw a full nude figure.

When: Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:30 pm. Starts February 8th, 4 weeks.

Materials: Fine drawing paper, pencils, 2h to 4b, kneaded eraser

Where: The “Warehouse Atelier”

Cost: $185

*Space is limited to 8 people per class*

Free Classes!

As an incentive to continuing enrollment I will be offering 2 free classes at the end of January. The first will be on Tuesday the 24th of January. The 2nd will be on Wednesday February 1st. They will be figure painting classes. All are welcome! I will ask for a 10 dollar contribution to pay for the model.

Meet the Artist: David Cheifetz

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Meet the Artist: David Cheifetz

Melding realism and intense color with abstraction and soft atmosphere is a rare combination of abilities. David Cheifetz is one artist who can pull it off. I recently called him about coming to Northern Virginia to teach a workshop on this luscious approach to still life painting and handling edges.

If you are interested in the Northern Virginia workshop - drop me a line
(contact info is on my website).

David is generous with his knowledge and we talked about everything from his most current work to advice for emerging artists. David has so many useful things to share that I'll need to do additional posts on his paintings in the future - but here are some important points of our conversation that I'm eager to share with you right away.

Q. Tell us about your most recent work.
A. "I just finished a painting called "Spool" that I'm pleased with. I love painting with bright color, but lately I've been experimenting with the concept that you can make "colorful" painting my restricting intense color to small areas. It's the contrast with the surrounding neutral tones that makes the painting seem colorful. One of the main problems that took some time to solve was deciding how to push back the pitcher. I love to make my darks as dark as possible and my lights as light as possible, so it took some concerted effort to restrain that instinct in the pitcher. This allowed the spool to pop out and dominate a bit more. I had fun with the loose edge-work in the pitcher and onion, which hopefully allows the eye to focus on the harder edges of the red glass, tube of paint, and the wire spool."

The artist also explained that he originally wasn't that interested in still life until his teacher introduced him to the work of Leffel. "That's when I realized the potential of still life". David became fascinated with Edges and that fascination shows up in his current work. "I like the idea of chaos contrasted with sharpness" to establish a strong focal point. While David explained the way he also uses contrast and color to create a focal point, he emphasizes that "edges and composition are kind of the final frontier for a painter because there are no rules ... there are guidelines but no one can really tell you exactly how to do it ... so the possibilities are limitless. Edges have so much potential to make or break a painting. It's really exhilarating to keep experimenting with them."

It's clear that that David sums things up beautifully and without ceremony which would be an obvious asset to his students. If you live in the Francisco bay area, visit his website for more info about the upcoming class in his studio. He has limited the class to a small group which will focus on direct "Alla Prima" painting because starts are so important to the quality of an artist's work. Not surprisingly that class is almost full.

In addition to technique, David shared some tips for emerging artists.

Q. What is the most important thing you've learned and would like to pass along to others?
A.

Just begin things that are important to you, don't put them off. Thinking about beginning is the hardest part....once you start, it's not so bad.
Sit down and do the work, even if you don't feel like it. Inspiration will come AFTER you start working.
Be a student of art forever, willing to purge ego and keep learning. I think talent is mostly the will to learn.
Don't be precious with your art, take chances. The worst thing that could happen is a bad painting--you can always make another one. Wipe out bad paintings, it's good for your health.
Read "The War of Art" by Stephen Pressfield. In my opinion, this is the most important book about how to be an artist. (This book is a fast, fun read)

Q. What do you think are some of the most exciting things happening in the art world today?
A. "It's exciting that students interested in pursuing careers in illustration and concept art are seeing the value in classical/representational training. I think many universities will (hopefully) begin to abandon the practice of using theory talk as the basis of art education and will embrace skill-based and classical training. It's great that there are more and more ateliers offering training at the fraction of the cost of an art school. I think aspiring artists are recognizing that the content of a portfolio is much more valuable than a certifiable degree. To make a living as an artist is challenging enough without the huge loan debts that could be incurred at an art school."

David is an example of the way art education is changing now that so many options are at the fingertips of emerging artists today. He found Schuler through the atelier search page on the Art Renewal Center website. Add google searches, blog posts like this one about artistic influences, artshow.com and various other ways to find out what's going on all over the world and it appears that we have a new reality emerging.

I keep an eye on artists like David to see where this exciting explosion of skill is headed.

--------------
Readers can look forward to other upcoming articles about David (specifically his cityscapes) and other artists ... but first ... watch for a post in January featuring an illuminating conversation with Terry Strickland.

A Little Inspiration for Shadow Patterns - John Singer Sargent

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:07:00 +0000

As a little aside from my painting research today I just e-mailed a student to inspire her with these lovely examples of shadow patterns ... and thought you might enjoy them too. All by John Singer Sargent.

Notice how the a rich or deep color wash creates the feeling of life within the shadow without detail. On one of these you can see the sketch underneath. Notice in the architectural painting that the quality of the light shows volume and is defined almost exclusively by the shadow patterns.

Principle Gallery Show: Small Works

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:31:00 +0000

Principle Gallery is opening their "Holiday Small Works" show this Saturday December 3rd with a reception from 1:00 - 4:00.

I'm a fan of Terry Strickland's work so I'm specifically going to see this painting in person:

Fire Dance - Terry Strickland.

Speaking of Terry ... watch my blog for an upcoming article about an interview with Terry!

I am also hoping that Martin Poole and Hans Peter Szameit both have something new on view. I was *this* close to buying a beautiful Martin Poole landscape recently when we took a hard left and fell in love with a painting of wild horses for the intended spot on our walls. This decision was largely influenced by the fact that I've hung so many "fruit and floral" paintings on our walls that my poor husband was feeling the need for a dash of masculinity. But ... I digress ... the point is Martin's work is so soothing that it appeals to both of us.

Then there is Hans ... I'll let the picture do the talking here:

Let me know if you are going to the show! Hope to see you there.

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:22:00 +0000

I'm always surprised by how often I run across something useful like this while looking for something completely different. I was researching which sponges work well with charcoal and stumbled onto this nice pictorial drawing demo (he just happened to have sponges in another drawing). The approach in the demo bears some similarities to the "light touch" drawing approach I enjoy. Then the artist adds a little chalk/pastel for hot color and highlights at the end.

http://newberryworkshop.com/Tutorial/charcoal/charcoal1.html

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:08:00 +0000

Hoping you'll take a moment to read these articles from the July 2011 issue of Cape Arts Review and American Artist, a moving biography of Timothy R. Thies on the West Wind Fine Art gallery website. It beautifully describes his appreciation of the lineage of his learning - and how he produced his own beautiful work as a result.

http://www.westwindfineart.com/tim/timpaintingpage2.htm

http://www.westwindfineart.com/tim/aaOct10%20Timothy%20Thies.pdf

Antique Painting - help solve the mystery

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:02:00 +0000

Need a fun puzzler to get your mind going after the holiday weekend?

Help solve the mystery of this painting ... and learn something along the way just for fun!

Here is an antique painting, unsigned and in great condition of an adulteress woman being presented to Jesus. The current owner (a new acquaintance of mine) was told by the dealer she bought it from in London many years ago that it was probably 17th century, Genovese school. The dealer mentioned the names Domenico Fetti or Mattia Preti (Naples). I couldn't find similar works by those two artists but if you read to the end of this post, you'll see some amazingly similar works by earlier artists. The value and actual provenance are a mystery to be solved. Some crackling starting in the varnish which is common in old paintings.

I want to hear your guesses and thoughts this painting.

Here's what I've figured out so far. It's clearly a copy - but when? The earliest version of this composition I could find was by Dario Varotari. His son Padovanino (Alessandro Verotari) did two versions of this painting including a reverse version of his father's painting. Then, Padovanino's student Pietro Muttoni copied that version.

Can you find an earlier version of this composition? A later version? A closer copy?
Does anyone know how to date and identify paintings like this?

Things to look for: Even though the copy above is reversed again (possibly through a drawing transfer), notice that the spacing of the figures and the tilt of the woman's head are more similar to the Padovanino than the painting by Dario Varatari the senior. A lot of information is lost when making a copy of a copy (clothing, expressions etc.) which explains my friend's simplified version.

Given that copying old masters was and still is a great way to learn, I thought this would be a very cool blog post ... and I want to see if anyone out there can help find an even closer version or share any insight as to the age based on the style (modified from the originals) and use of red.

Here is the Dario Varotari version

Here is his son Alessandro Varatari's version (photo credited to Lessing Archive) - does the fact that it's inverted indicate use of a Camera Obscura? If so, then why isn't it an exact copy? The spacing between the figures and position of the heads are completely different. (I think I know the answer ... but don't want to slant anyone's opinion)

Then, finally Alessandro Varatori's student created the version above which looks to me like his copy of his master's painting because it shares more similarities with that painting.

New Paintings at Broadway Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 04:23:00 +0000

My newest paintings have been delivered to Broadway Gallery in Alexandria Virginia (near Edsall road ... not old town) and uploaded to their website. Visit the gallery to see all of the paintings because only a fraction are on the website.

Thank you to everyone of you who came to the exhibit opening. Thank you also to Broadway Gallery for your wonderful hospitality. Here is a photo taken during my drawing demonstration on November 12th. I had a *great* time visiting with everyone.

https://plus.google.com/104436865008086871738

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 03:07:00 +0000

Dash of Red 14x14 oil on canvas - (c) Tricia Ratliff

Soft tones

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:46:00 +0000

I'm thinking of taking a little painting break during the holidays but had to work on this first. It's a painting in soft, muted tones - very low chroma - some of those who attended my art guild drawing demo might recognize the setup.

The idea here was that I wanted to experiment with all of this white just to focus on the light coming through the almond extract and the corresponding orange on the bag tie. This setup (created later) was one of those ideas that developed out of something I saw in the kitchen when the light coming through the window hit a bottle of extract on the table. Interestingly, as I was putting the composition together, I started reading the directions on the bag of wheat about growing sprouts ... now I can't wait to grow some of those seeds into sprouts for another one of my paintings about the stages of life.

11x14
oil on canvas
Almond extract and wheat seed.

Enjoy!

Oh those wonderful realists.

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:06:00 +0000

It's always a pleasure to peruse the websites and work of artists creating beautiful work. Cultural movement happens through conversation and I am constantly seeking to be involved in the wider conversation of how we artists may use our work to communicate powerful ideas and values. I write this blog based on my own belief that the things that entertain us in a larger community of conversation are the things that help us learn ... so here some of the sites I'm visiting today for entertainment. Enjoy. Terry Stickland kindly gave me permission to include some of her images here!

Voice of the Tiger by Terry Strickland - 33x32 oil on canvas

Detail of Terry Stickland's Drawing "Oracle".

Terry Strickland's blog.

Jacob Pfeiffer

Ken Marlow

Warren Chang

David Cheifitz

Patt Baldino

Ode to Melancholy by Terry Strickland - oil on panel 24"x36

Vicki Blum Exhibit at Bella Luce in Clifton TODAY

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

I'm going to the Vicki Blum exhibit at Bella Luce today! Vicki rarely exhibits her amazingly lush paintings so this is a rare opportunity to see them in person one place and visit with her.

- Tricia
http://vickiblum.blogspot.com/2011/08/exhibit-at-la-bella-luce.html

Cedrus Amplexu - new painting of juniper branches with beautiful antique German crock pot

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:24:00 +0000

Cedrus Amplexu by Tricia Cherrington Ratliff

In process

This was fun to paint. I fell in love with the dark glaze on this wonderful antique german pot upon discovering it near a packing crate in a specialty antique store.

Cedrus Amplexu
(Cedar/Juniper's Embrace)
oil on linen
by Tricia Cherrington Ratliff
16x20
Available soon at Broadway Gallery

Hidden Meaning: The Juniper here represents fresh new life - juxtaposed with this crock found in Germany that is believed to be at least 200-250 years old. A subtle reminder for the young to protect and cherish for the old for many reasons; not the least of which is that they are the vessels of collected wisdom that can be gained only through experience. During the Renaissance, Juniper represented not only youth but also purity and protection. I became interested in the meaning of Juniper upon seeing a portrait of Ginevra De' Benci by Leonardo Da Vinci in the National Gallery (Washington DC). Later research revealed that at Christmas, the Juniper branches used in advent wreaths (around the candles) represent the protection of Jesus, Mary and Joseph during their flight to Egypt from Harod in Bethlehem. Notice the series of triangles crossing over each other. The base of the larger Juniper branch is pointing upward and backward while it's newest leaves and berries point slightly forward into the future.

EXHIBIT OPENING THIS SATURDAY

noreply@blogger.com (Tricia Ratliff) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:25:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Instinct by Tricia Cherrington Ratliff 24x18

I'm so excited about the exhibit opening this Saturday! My work is taking a new turn which shows up most obviously in some of the recent pieces I've delivered to this exhibit of over 30 paintings! A few sold but during my drawing demonstration at 3:00, I'll talk about the ones that are still available and on display.

Saturday November 12th
"Back to Nature, Paintings from Life"
Broadway Gallery
5641-B General Washington Drive Alexandria Virginia 22312 (google map )

works by Tricia Cherrington Ratliff and Christine Lashley

Demonstrations: 3:00-4:30
Reception: 4:00 - 7:00pm
Wine Tasting 4:00 - 7:00pm (by Paradise Springs)
Show continues Nov 12th - Dec 15th

On a more personal note, I've been surprised by the two different directions my work is taking simultaneously. First, recent life events have caused me to work on paintings that are more personally meaningful. But some (not all) of these paintings take many weeks or months to complete with time to dry between layers. Between layers, I enjoy painting quick sketch "alla prima" works inspired simply by a beautiful or interesting object that captures the light before me. The result: a small set of slow, carefully rendered emotional paintings juxtaposed by many light hearted little oil sketches for each slow painting. Read more about my themes on my website here.

For example, the painting above "Instinct" expresses what my husband tells me it is like to be a man today. Inspired by the wild but solid adventurer, the bronze elk sculpture stands as a symbol of the passionate heart hidden inside many men. Even in our modern world, my husband feels an obligation to provide a nest and protection (the feather) for their families. This feather was given to me by my father during a camping trip the year before he passed away so it has a particularly strong masculine connection for me. My husband is a writer so the ink well with no ink reminds us of the evolution of the writing tradition and how so many things including roles and expectations have changed or not changed over time. It along with the marble transfer a bright light from their environment onto the table which is my standard symbol for a person hoping or trying to leave something positive in the world. Notice finally, the closed journal which calls us ideas of privacy and quiet wisdom for me. This painting is dedicated to my loving and supportive husband Walter - a man I adore and respect deeply.

The Official Invitation:

BROADWAYGALLERY

Invites You to the Opening of

Back to Nature~Paintings from Life

and a Special Wine Tasting Event with

Paradise Springs Winery

on Saturday, Nov. 12th, 3 - 7 pm

Dear Tricia,

Please join us on November 12th for free Art Demonstrations and an Opening Reception for artists,

Tricia Ratliff and Christine Lashley.

Painting and Drawing

Demonstrations: 3:00 - 4:30 pm

Opening Reception: 4:00 - 7:00 pm

Wine Tasting: 4:00 - 7:00 pm

Local artists and instructors, Christine Lashley andTricia Cherrington Ratliff, return to their love of nature with an exhibition of still life and landscape paintings that range from displays of fresh fruit and flowers to beautiful landscapes of Virginia and the Potomac River.

Join us for an afternoon of art demonstrations followed by a reception to meet the artists. Wines from Paradise Springs Winery located in Clifton, Virginia will be featured during our reception.

Broadway Gallery is family owned and operated.

We have provided original fine art and quality custom framing to the metro area since 1978. Other services include art and frame restoration, art appraisals, delivery and installation.

Conveniently located inside the capital beltway off

I-395 at Edsall Road in Alexandria.

5641-B General Washington Drive

Alexandria, VA 22312

Phone: 703-354-2905

Visit us online at www.BroadwayGalleries.net

Sincerely,

Caron Broadway
Broadway Gallery

Gallery Hours:

Monday - Friday 9:00-5:30Saturday 10:00-5:00

Sunday 12:00-5:00