Lacey's Studio

Self Portrait Drawing Movie

2009-07-06T17:55:00.003-06:00

I've been rolling around the idea of creating little movies of my art for some time now. This brings me one step closer to that... a movie made from JPG images.

Salmagundi Non-Members Show and "Testament and Transgression"

2009-07-01T08:59:00.003-06:00

My painting, "Untitled Nude" is on display in the Salmagundi Club's Annual Non-Members Painting and Sculpture Exhibition in NYC. The show runs through July 10th.

Also currently showing is a group show, "Testament and Transgression" at City Arts in Wichita featuring Dan Coburn, Marc Berghaus, and myself. Dan Coburn has some excellent photos from the opening event on his blog.

Male Figure - First Layer Complete

2009-06-27T06:27:00.002-06:00

This week I continued to work on the male figure in the studio. (Also, the show in Wichita at City Arts opened last night... anyone in Wichita?) I've included a picture of my palette, though I am not sure how informative it is. I created several piles of paint based on what I saw in my reference. There are several basic hues with one or two major piles of different values for each, and then I just lightened a couple of those piles when mixing with the brush. It wasn't the most organized way to approach this, but it worked for me.
The idea I'm trying-out with this layer is to focus on the major shapes and overall gradation from light to dark across the figure. Then I will put in more detail later.
I simply started working in one area, and then moved to an adjacent area when I'd completed a section. Still, it was important to get back from the painting often to judge the overall value/color relationships.
I keep a mirror at the opposite end of the studio so that I can get a fresh view of the painting easily. This helps point out major errors.
Here we are at the end of the first layer of paint. This is usually my favorite stage of a painting because all the horrible white of the canvas has been covered and I can see the possibilities moving forward. I haven't had time to ruin it yet!

Male Figure - Beginning Demo

2009-06-16T20:59:00.003-06:00

Even though I said I wouldn't, I worked more on this painting today. While I was working I thought to take pictures to share the process with you. I started by making corrections to the drawing I previously posted and then adding some detail to the contour. Then, I used a cheap, large bristle brush to brush off loose charcoal from the canvas. (This, by the way, is an oil-primed polyester canvas.)

Brushing off the loose charcoal helps make way for the paint, or else the first half of all your strokes only serve to clear a path in the charcoal for future strokes of paint. As I go along with a small brush (this is always the brush I go to for outlining and small detail) I further refine the edge, showing the character of the contour.

Here it is with the outline complete and a few very small areas of shadow filled in.

Next, I fill in the shadow areas with thinned burnt umber using a coarse bristle brush. I've been wondering if I should've softened the edges on the shadows, but I do like how this way I see a simple pattern of light and shadow with no gray area between.

Finally, I add some middle gray mix to the background, mostly just because I want to cover the canvas and have something to judge the light areas of the figure against. Those light areas will be saved for another day, however.

Lust - Foot

2009-06-16T20:52:00.002-06:00

I had a nice long day in the studio today, working on another painting and on the big one. Today I just painted on the feet, since I have the painting elevated and it's convenient to get to the lower end. Mostly I worked on the foot with the toes peeking out into the light, but I also worked a little on the foot that is totally in shadow. That one still needs some help.
If you compare this larger shot to a previous one, you will see that the value of the toes has been lowered a lot, showing that it is farthest away from the light source.

Day Lilies - 10" x 8"

2009-06-15T18:53:00.002-06:00

Today my morning schedule got messed up leaving me little studio time, so I decided to cut some lilies from the yard and paint them at home in the afternoon. Not totally happy nor completely disappointed! I've missed painting from life these past few months.

What I'm Working On

2009-06-14T18:07:00.002-06:00

Wow, it's been really difficult to get good quality images of "Lust" as I work on it! I suppose it's because of how large it is, so it's difficult to get even lighting across the entire canvas. In this image there is a lot of glare at the top because it's currently elevated off the ground quite a bit, and there's also some kind of funky blue spot towards the bottom. Regardless, hopefully you can see that I have worked a bit on the middle and left-most figures from the waist-up. They have a wider range of values than the other figures. This week I will work on the other figures and on the feet.

This morning I started the long awaited first male nude! I am leaving it in the rough drawing stage until I can check my measurements. Then I will start to add detail and then move in to an oil layer. I might not be able to get back to this for a while, though, as I plan to really push through on "Lust" this week.

Thanks to Jamie, I got out to Loose Park this afternoon for my first ever plein air painting session. I did this little 8" x 10" oil in about 3 hrs. It was a lot of fun and quite different painting foliage as compared to flesh. I have a lot to learn in this area.

Salmagundi, Group Show in Wichita, Figure Painting Classes

2009-06-13T17:26:00.005-06:00

Salmagundi Art Club NYC Annual Non-Member Painting and Sculpture Exhibition 06-29-09 through 07-10-09
Lacey's painting "Untitled Nude" (above) was accepted into the Salmagundi's annual juried exhibition.

"Testament and Transgression" 06-26-09 through 07-24-09
Special exhibit with painter Lacey Lewis, photographer Dan Coburn and sculptor Marc Berghaus at City Arts in Wichita, KS.

Figure Painting

Location: ARTichokes in Leawood, KS
Thursdays, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Class Dates: July 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th
Cost for 4 classes: $230.00, plus tax

This class will begin with a major focus on composition. Students will do charcoal composition sketches and then develop some small thumbnail paintings to figure out the overall color scheme. Then, students will pick one of these paintings to develop further, working with setting a palette and building from softer edges to selectively choosing where and why to add detail.

A live, clothed model will pose for portions of the class and student will also paint from photographs. Improve your artistic eye with helpful tips from one of Kansas City's best figure artists, Lacey Lewis. All art supplies are provided by ARTichokes & this cost is included in the enrollment fee.

Life Sessions at the Studio

Location: Lacey's Studio at the Pressroom, 750 Armstrong in KC, KS
Wednesdays, 6pm - 9pm
January 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th
Cost for 4 sessions: $140.00

This is a loose, unstructured class where Lacey will provide as much or as little instruction or guidance as you want or need. We paint for 3 hours from life, and use the same model in the same pose for 2 consecutive meetings so that we are able to spend 6 hours on each painting. This allows us to create a more finished piece than is possible with typical group life sessions. You are also welcome to draw or sculpt during class.

Please bring your own easel and painting/drawing materials. Contact Lacey if you would like a list of suggested materials for painting from life. All levels of experience are welcome.

Events!

2009-06-12T11:55:00.002-06:00

I have quite a few events/announcements to mention here, but first thing's first: Tonight is not only the 2nd Friday Art Walk, but also KCK's First Annual Street Fest! For more details, visit kckartsnetwork.com. Hope to see you all there tonight! I will be back soon to announce upcoming shows and classes. Cheers!

Lust - Central Figure

2009-05-16T06:56:00.004-06:00

The last couple days I worked on this central figure in the composition. I still have a long way to go with it, but getting closer! Also I need to get better pictures. I have decided to go ahead and get started on my next composition while I continue to work on this one. There's still so much more I want done on this, yet I think it's time to get a move on with other paintings.

Preparing Large Canvas

2009-05-13T21:48:00.002-06:00

I apologize that I don't have any exciting images for this post, but I wanted to quickly share some thoughts on painting supports.

Recently, I have become dissatisfied with most pre-made canvases. Frequently I've encountered problems including very loose canvas, canvas with thousands of pinholes, stretchers that are warped, and rough-textured priming. On top of this, most pre-made canvases are primed with acrylic priming, which may not be the best ground for an oil painting, and many oil-primed canvases are made with a ground that contains zinc, another no-no. The best pre-made surfaces I've found are not cheap.

Therefore, I decided to take the matter into my own hands!

Solid supports, such as wood or copper, don't move and therefore have an advantage over canvas, which flexes and therefore can exacerbate weaknesses in the paint layers. However, the weight of such supports can prove problematic at larger sizes, so I decided to use a polyester canvas on my large (4ft and larger) paintings. The word 'polyester' certainly doesn't bring to mind anything fine-art related, however I feel it will be a very sound support for my paintings. The reasons are as follows:

Polyester does not react to moisture in the air or temperature changes, therefore it will not have problems that paintings on linen and canvas do when they expand and contract with those changes. This canvas will not loosen or require future tightening!
Mold does not grow on, nor do bugs eat polyester.
Oil itself does not cause polyester do rot, as it does natural fibers. So, even if some oil makes it through and touches the canvas (like would happen if there was a pinhole) it will not affect the support negatively.

The only thing that will apparently deteriorate polyester is UV light. So long as the canvas front is covered in paint, and the back is protected from light, polyester should outlast other fabrics as a support. Ideally, I would glue the polyester canvas to a wood panel, but again size right now is preventing this.

I happened to find artist's unprimed polyester at Utrecht in a sample pack, and I personally liked the tight weave. There were no pinholes to be seen and the canvas is very smooth. I expected the canvas to be flimsy and stretchy (because I was thinking of polyester clothing) but it was rather very much like a regular cotton canvas.

With the assistance of my apprentice and a friend at the studio, Ron Smith, we stretched a 4' x 6' canvas with the polyester. It seems easier to get the fabric to be very tight than it does with linen or cotton. I have a canvas Ron stretched that is so firm it nearly feels like a panel, and my large canvas is like a drum, *literally.* I love it.

I primed a couple smaller canvas with oil primer alone, but on the large one I decided to experiment with some PVA Size. It is not neccessary to size polyester before oil priming, but it does help the primer to go on smoother. Without the size, the fabric really seems to 'grab' the primer. I used Gamblin's size, but am interested in trying others. I use PVA size as opposed to rabbit skin glue because it also does not react to temperature or humidity.

For my primer, I used Windsor and Newton's oil painting primer because it does not contain zinc (which can cause cracking/delamination) or lead (which is a health hazard.) It is a titanium/alkyd primer which dries in 24 hours. It does smell quite strong, so use in a well ventilated area, ideally that you can vacate for some time after application. Again, I am interested in trying some other oil primers, but I will always steer clear of anything containing zinc.

The resultant layer of primer is very scratchy and rough, so I used a palette knife to smooth each layer. I have yet to paint on this surface since I just finished it up today, but I will report back once I give it a try.

It does take some time to prepare a canvas this way, and nearly always would rather have that kind of work done for me, but this way I am confident that I am doing everything I can to make sure my work is archival and therefore worthy of purchase, and hopefully this will also be the most enjoyable surface to paint on!

Lust Update and Bargue Party

2009-05-06T18:53:00.003-06:00

Unfortunately, this picture isn't that great since it was taken with my small camera. Soon I will head in to the studio with my Nikon so I can get a clear, accurate picture of this. In particular, the figure on the left is not that orange! I have made quite a bit of progress, but still have a ways to go. I plan to start the next sin painting very soon, before this one is even finished.

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting with artist David Hancock along with another student and doing some Bargue drawing. I met David back at the exhibition in Merriam, and he is the first atelier-trained artist I have met in real life! Since I am very interested in that kind of training/teaching it was great to see how he was taught to do these drawings in comparison to how I've been doing them myself. I plan to go back for more soon, and I will share my progress. Below was the result at the end of my visit, and I will continue to work on this in the coming weeks.

Art Marketing Workshop for Artists

2009-05-05T16:54:00.003-06:00

Start-Up Basics for Artists:
An Introduction to Marketing, Networking, and Establishing Yourself
Lead by Lacey Lewis, Professional Artist

Saturday, May 9 from 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Kaw Valley Arts and Humanities, Inc.
756 Armstrong, KCK
Cost: $25

Workshop Topics Include:

Creating a 'brand' for your art and marketing materials
Artist statements, bios, resumes, and portfolios
Where to start with exhibitions: Alternative venues, juried shows, art fairs, etc.
Approaching commercial galleries: What to look for in a gallery, what galleries look for in an artist
Basic gallery etiquette
Contacting the press
Grants and fellowships
The importance of networking

For reservations or more information contact:
Carol Kariotis, KVAH Executive Director
Tel. - 913.371.0024

I'm Still Here!

2009-05-05T16:46:00.003-06:00

Hello friends,

I am still here and I miss writing about what I am up to here. The last few weeks were just crazy; I had my wisdom teeth out (which was no fun and unfortunately I did not recover quickly) prepared my home for sale, and did some other random stuff, too. I got just a handful of painting hours in, did some teaching, visited with David C. Hancock and worked on a Bargue drawing under his instruction, prepped a canvas, sent some work off to an auction, etc. I have pictures from the so called "Bargue Party" and will share them soon. Also, I will take a picture of Lust since I will be back at the studio for a bit tonight, and will share more about my new choice in canvas and priming materials. So please stay tuned!

In the meantime, I will post about a workshop I have going on this coming Saturday about marketing yourself as an artist. Also, don't forget that this Friday is 2nd Friday and I will be in my studio from 5-8pm with the doors wide open, so come and visit me at 750 Armstrong in KCK!

Lust Painting Update

2009-04-16T09:55:00.003-06:00

Here is the current state of "Lust." I haven't been in the studio enough, because I've been doing a lot of work on my house, trying to get it ready to sell. I've ripped up carpet, cut molding, stained new wooden thresholds, packed up half of everything I own, etc. It's a lot more work than I bargained for! Hopefully I will be able to get a place where I can have a studio at home. I don't think I will want to get rid of my studio downtown, I love it there, but it's really difficult to get enough studio time in when you are limited to school hours!

In other news, I am scheduled to have my wisdom teeth removed Monday morning. More stuff that is no fun getting in the way of painting time!

"Lust" Update, Painting Oreos

2009-04-01T07:47:00.003-06:00

I apologize for not keeping up with the blog very well! I have, however, been busy working on "Lust." You can see in this picture that most of the progress has been on the figure to the left. She is darker and more orange than she will end up, but I like to paint darker than is the goal first so that I can layer some thin lights over the top. This makes the light sparkle, in a way, as you can see the underneath layer through the upper layer.

At the suggestion of a friend, I also decided to paint some Oreo cookies. This is 5" square and I'm calling it "Social Snackers." I don't think this will be the last Oreo painting I do, though it has been difficult to keep my husband and son from eating all my subjects.

Finally, two pieces of my art will be included in an auction at Art Bidz this weekend. Stop by to preview First Friday, or attend the auction Saturday 4-9pm.

Field Trip: The Studios of Louis Copt and Jim Brothers

2009-03-25T07:20:00.005-06:00

Last Friday, at the end of my 'vacation,' I had the pleasure of visiting the studio of my artist friend Louis Copt, who then brought me over to his friend Jim Brothers's studio. The Copts' house, pictured above, was designed to accommodate Louis's studio and their art collection. While I was there, I got to see pieces by local artists including Dan Coburn and Phil Epp.

Here's Louis in his studio surrounded by several of his landscapes.

In this picture, you can see that a garage door leads to his studio, facilitating the movement of art in and out of the place. I'm a little jealous of this, since to get work out of my studio I either have to take the stairs and then get through 3 small doorways and down hallways or I can take the elevator to the same doors and hallways. That's really going to be a pain when it's time to get the sins out of the studio!

Louis is known for his prairie fire paintings, like the ones pictured above. However, he also does some great figure paintings, figurative sculpture, and abstract/mixed media collage.

After chatting about various things for a while, Louis, his wife Phyllis, my husband Derek and I hopped in our cars and visited Jim Brothers's studio. Or rather, we visited his studios. Jim has 3 or 4 buildings on his land that act in some way as work space for him. The amount and variety of work he has was incredible... there was the figurative and portrait sculpture you primarily see in these photos, plus pieces carved out of wood, and assemblages created from old machines and little bronze gargoyles.
Here Louis and Jim are walking between two of the buildings.

Various historical busts, and also notice the many animal skulls Jim has collected on the walls.

Notice the scale of the full figure in the background! (I think that's Eisenhower.)
Here's an in-progress wood sculpture in one of Jim's buildings. He creates it by attaching various-sized pieces of wood to each other and then carving them, so that the finished piece will have a mosaic-like surface.

It was a fun and interesting field trip, and I loved meeting yet another talented artist. This Friday, Louis Copt will have an opening at the Leopold Gallery in the Brookside area of Kansas City, MO. I certainly plan on attending!

Back from Vacation

2009-03-22T15:14:00.003-06:00

This past week to week and a half I have been on a vacation of sorts. I've been visiting with my mom, my husband took time off from work, and we started to clean out our house so we can try and sell it. So, no painting of any sort got done. Today I just got back into the swing of things with the Sunday painting class. Same model as last time, but this time I decided just to focus on her costume. This picture isn't totally accurate, as I think the shadow on the flesh was a bit darker, but it'll have to do since Steve Sweigart took it home with him!

This week will be back to work for me, and I really hope to be able to somehow double my efforts. Maybe I will skip going to the gym!

Finally, I want to share the following series of YouTube videos. It is a recording of a debate of the validity of the following statement: "The art market is less ethical than the stock market." Participating in the debate are artist Chuck Close, art dealer Richard L. Feigen, Amy Cappellazzo of Christie's Fine Art Auctions, gallery owner Michael Hue-Williams, art critic Jerry Saltz, and Adam Lindemann, art collector. If you listen to all 13 parts of the debate and are still interested (as I am) please do a Google search of those names and you will find even more interesting related info!

Lust Facial Expression, Life Painting

2009-03-09T16:14:00.002-06:00

We will have just two life painting sessions in my studio this month, and the first one was yesterday. I was surprised how quickly I pumped out the above sketch, and haven't decided if I am going to work on this more or start something new next week.

Today I just worked on the ecstatic expression of the middle figure. Still plenty of work to do, but I am getting there. Of course, I can't work on this without thinking of the ultimate ecstatic expression on Bernini's "Ecstasy of St. Theresa." This may be my all time favorite sculpture.

Heartland Artist Exhibition and "Lust"

2009-03-08T07:38:00.002-06:00

Last night was the opening reception for the Heartland Artist Exhibition in Merriam, KS. I met a lot of great, talented artists at the opening last night that I hope to see again soon. I am also pleased to announce that my painting, "Reflection," above, won a merit award. Please do stop by and view this great exhibition before it closes on the 29th!

13th Annual Heartland Artist Exhibit 03-07-09 through 03-29-09
Reflection, Solitude, and Self Portrait were accepted into this juried exhibition at the Irene B. French Community Center in Merriam, KS.

Irene B. French Community Center Art Gallery
5701 Merriam Drive
Merriam, KS 66203
(913) 322-5550

I am also finally posting my first layer on the painting, "Lust." It is at 72" x 48" and there is still a lot to do!

Human Form Exhibition at Hilliard Gallery Opens Tomorrow Night!

2009-03-05T11:29:00.002-06:00

First Friday March 6th
Show runs through March 27th
Opening Reception: 6-9 pm
Regular Gallery Hours: Tuesday 10-5 Saturday 11-4

"The Human subject forces the viewer to engage the artwork and enables the artist to express an entire range of ideas from the subtle to the intense." With this in mind the "Human Form", a group show comprised of artist from throughout the Midwest area, will open on March 6th and run through March 27th at the Hilliard Gallery. The "Human Form" show is the second annual figurative show comprised of artist and their work that was selected from submissions for the show. The show will feature artwork inspired by the human form, from different artist working in all types of mediums from oil, photography, ceramics, sculpture and more.

Some of the artists that are in the show are; Lacey Lewis, Guinotte Wise, Tarin Eicher, Erick Warner, Jessica Logsdon, Dorrie Koller, Adam Crowley, Orly Cogan, JoeRay Kelly, Kale Van Leevwen, Aaron Newell and Tyson Schroeder. The figurative work in this show ranges from near life-size sculptural portraits to fragment or abstractions of the figure. The figurative form can be used as the ideal medium to convey a spectrum of ideas with which the viewer can resonate.

Hilliard Gallery
404 E. 18th St.
Kansas City, MO 64108
Contact: Bob Swearengin
816-561-2956

"Jake"

2009-03-05T10:39:00.003-06:00

Here is "Jake" finished: 40" x 30" oil on canvas. I wanted it to be included in tomorrow's opening at Hilliard Gallery, but it just *will not dry!* I am so upset. I worked so hard to get it done in time, but the background is still very wet. Part of me wants to throw it in a frame anyway, but I know better.

Busy Week

2009-03-02T22:12:00.003-06:00

This is going to be a very busy week for me. In fact, I think last week was busy, too!

Let's see, last week Ed Dwight visited Kansas City, KS and came through the Pressroom Studios on Thursday. Friday I took a trip to the Nelson-Atkins Museum, and then went to a talk Mr. Dwight was giving down at the YWCA. Both were very interesting and educational and it was a great evening, however Ed Dwight's talk made me laugh more than the museum trip did. What a talented and insightful character.

This week I am hustling to get "Jake" finished, varnished, and framed in order to have it included in Friday's Figurative Show opening at Hilliard Gallery. I've also been framing other paintings for the show, and I really need to send out some more invites and put out my newsletter to let people know what's up.

I'm also working on "Lust," but since not all of the white of the canvas is covered, I am not ready to post it. There's so little left to cover, too! Just give it another couple days.

After all the hubbub of the week, I have yet another opening to attend on Saturday. I have three pieces that have been selected for the Heartland Artist Juried Exhibition in Merriam, KS. I will try and post all the details this week, if anyone is looking to attend the openings.

Finally, I am listing work on Ebay again. I'm starting off with some still lives, and will add some knife landscapes in a day or two. After that, I might start adding some of my figure sketches. Please check my Ebay page for listings!

Jake - Progress

2009-02-25T20:24:00.002-06:00

Still working on "Jake" and I hope to complete it relatively soon. I'm also working feverishly on "Lust" in the studio. Sometime in the next couple days I will post my first layer of that painting.

Life Painting Completed

2009-02-22T14:44:00.002-06:00

I'm really very happy with the way this painting turned out. This model and another model from December also both posed for me last night for my next sin painting, "Lust." I can't wait to get started on it this week!