Rebecca J. Dunn: Art to Art

PAPO Exhibit at IRWP

2015-07-17T17:08:00.002-05:00

The Plein Air Painters of the Ozarks (PAPO) is currently exhibiting approximately forty works of art at the Illinois River Watershed Partnership (IRWP) Learning Center in Cave Springs, Akansas. The exhibit is in the upstairs gallery of the IRWP Learning Center and will continue through September 25th. It's a wonderful representation showing the range of talent and interests held by the members of PAPO. The media is varied also, from oil, watercolor, acrylic, to mixed media works. Cave Springs is located just South of Bentonville, home of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. FYI: Crystal Bridges' 'Amazeum' just opened this week. A great place to take the kids and stay cool from the hot weather! So, if your in the area, PAPO members and I hope you will stop by for the show. For those needing to avoid stairs, just make the block and park behind the building. You can then go straight into the Gallery and avoid the stairs. Have a great week!

Titles:
Green Morning Study 2
Prairie Grove Battlefield
Nearing Goose Creek
The Pines

A wide variety of subject matter is in the show, from Plein Air Landscapes to studio paintings. Several of the artists featured in this exhibit have won awards in Plein Air Competitions in Arkansas, including the prestigious Illinois River Salon which is held each year at IRWP. The IRS exhibit will actually begin in October after our exhibit ends in September.

A new Perspective on Crystal Bridges

2015-06-11T19:34:00.000-05:00

May I say how much I love Crystal Bridges? Thank you, Ms. Walton, for this great gift to Arkansas and to the world. A new view of Crystal Bridges from a drone's perspective. Read the full article of how it was achieved by Adair Creative Studio, located in Bentonville, AR.

Shifting Gears: Portrait Painting

2012-07-06T14:25:00.001-05:00

Study #2

Lately, I've been working with portrait painting which is something that I've been meaning to do for several years and kept putting it off for one reason or another. Well, I felt there's no time better than now, because I was becoming frustrated and thus bored with landscape painting. I just thought it was time to learn something new and different. Then maybe I'll be able to approach landscapes from a different perspective, pardon the pun. Although at times frustrating, painting portraits have been a fun challenge and the change has done me good, because now when I do think of landscape painting, it's with a fresh excitement.

Charles Reid's books and videos have been a tremendous help to me. Personally, I think his books and videos are the most concise of all the instruction media I've purchased. The books I have are:

Portrait Painting in Watercolor (Watson-Guptall pub.) Had this book for many years - knew it would come in handy some day!

The Natural Way to Paint, Rendering the Figure in Water Simply and Beautifully (Watson-Guptall pub.) Reid has a section on his method of contour drawing in this book.

Portraits and Figures in Watercolor (Watson-Guptall pub.)

The Videos I have are:

Figurative Watercolours - I view this one the most often. Also covers contour drawing.

The Figure in Watercolor

Study #1 below is from my first painting session. I was so frustrated with how 'stiff' my paintings were as a result of how tightly I was painting. Of course color is a whole other challenge for me too, but that's another post and the side-view didn't help either. Then I remembered the 1st book mentioned above that I've had for years. I began reading it and was so inspired, bought the other books and videos I've listed.What I love about videos is that I can watch them over and over again - can't do that at a workshop, and it's much cheaper!

Study #1

Without going into boring detail, I'll just say that Charles Reid's books and videos were a revelation for me in that here was someone, a famous artist in fact, actually encouraging contour drawing. His words jumped off the page as I realized sadly, due to my own insecurities, I had given up this way of drawing some years ago, thinking it was a 'naive' way of drawing. This was just the encouragement I needed to find my own comfort zone within the realm of portrait painting and I couldn't wait to give it a try along with Reid's methods.

Study #2 was done using some of Reid's tips and my old way of drawing and measuring, which is similar to Reid's contour drawing. I was very pleased with the looseness of it. Now that's not to say I've been pleased with every painting since then. Of course there are many times when I go right back to square one, some of my paintings are so awful, I just want to tear them to shreds (and I sometimes do) but I at least know that I'm on the track to achieving looser paintings. Study #3 below was done last week.

Study #3

I also decided to go bigger with my portraits, which has greatly helped me loosen up and also helped with my paint application, as I use medium to large brushes, mostly mops (the ones I already had for landscape painting) plus a few rounds for starting my paintings. I incorporate Reid's suggestions too, along with all the other tidbits of knowledge and advise we all pick up from our mentors along the way in our art journey. I would strongly encourage (and no, I don't get any money for this), if your interested in portrait painting to purchase/check out at your local library any of Charles Reid's books or DVD's to learn his way of contour drawing if you feel the need to loosen up!

Also, you might consider joining a painting group in your community even if just the thought of doing so terrifies you! Believe me, I was in that boat for too long. Just know that everyone there has at sometime felt the same way. Actually, if your already in any art groups (if not, try that too!), there will most likely be someone there you already know. The main thing is to keep going, really the more you go, the better you'll feel about yourself and your paintings, and the more you'll learn. If you can't join a group, get a mirror and paint yourself, or someone in your family.

FYI, Ted Nuttall is another portrait watercolorist whose work I enjoy studying. YouTube has a couple of his videos you can watch, along with a couple on Charles Reid, just do a search on their site. Have a good one, and stay cool!

Pearl...

2011-08-19T11:24:00.003-05:00

Pearl

Had fun working on this photo. Pearl was a feral cat when young, so she is very shy and always has a worried look about her. It's very rare that she is able to just 'chill', which is why this was a special moment. Believe it or not, the eyes were barely touched in post processing, only lightened up a smidgen because the one on the left was too much in shadow. Instead, I focused on blurring and lightening everything else in order to draw the viewer in to the focal point, her beautiful blue eyes. You can see the larger image at my photo blog. Have a good day.

My New Photoblog: Dunn in Time

2011-06-21T18:01:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I last posted but I've been trying to learn Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom3 simultaneously (now you can see why it's been a while)! For people out there that do digital processing, I think you'll understand and appreciate how time-consuming post processing is! I just hope to have fun with my photos and it not become a drudgery, but for now I'm enjoying the experience of manipulating my photos to enhance the 'mood' of the image. Below are my first two photos.


Purple Majesty


Coneflower2

Thanks for the visit, hope you are all doing well!

Experimenting with Water Mixable Oils

2011-02-15T11:40:00.009-06:00

Oh dear, it's been so long since I lasted posted! Life sometimes gets away from us though and so does my art. I completely missed our 2 feet 'snow of the century' (sixteen inches at the house) as I was out of town, so no pictures; however I may create some from the videos my hubby made. I would have loved to take a walk in the hollow, but I was spending time with my mother at the time, and no silly snow can come near topping time spent with Mother.

Also, a few days before Christmas, we lost our beloved Gracie, the other Lynx-point Siamese to a horrible disease - Vaccine Associated Sarcoma (VAS). It is still so hard to believe that our two special cats were with us for only 5 short years and that their lives were cut short by diseases we never even heard of. Layla died from 'Bobcat fever', which is a disease carried from a tick-bite. It was even stranger that they became ill so soon after we had taken in the three cats that had belonged to my husband's aunt upon her passing. Layla became ill only a week after they arrived. It's strange too how we learn about life lessons through death, not just the loss of our human relatives and friends, but how much we can learn through the loss of our animal friends as well. I just hope the world of veterinary science is working hard and fast on a cure for both of these dreaded (which it seems surely could be preventable) diseases.


Our beloved Gracie

and Layla, 2005-2010

So, as life goes, I've been busy with personal things other than art, which explains the sparse posting, but I did manage to start the painting below back before Christmas. And I so appreciate those of you who follow me for staying with me!

I have to admit I've been purchasing the Winsor Newton water-mixable oils here and there each time I would venture to the local craft store, knowing that I wanted to experiment with them. It just seemed a natural transition since I love working with watercolor so much but I've missed the texture of oils. So when I began this painting, it was fun and I was thinking it was very much like oils, but I soon discovered there are some things that are annoying. One is that although it's called 'water-soluble', I don't think the makers of this product intend for it to be used like a water-based paint such as watercolors or even acrylics, where one uses water as they paint for thinning, blending, etc. When I tried this, not only did the viscosity change to a degree that I found unpleasant to work with, it made the brush harder to control. So I went to my friend, Google, and did some research. I found that others had these problems too and that I was using the medium the wrong way. In other words, the advise I found from experienced water-soluble oil painters, was to only use the 'water' for cleaning purposes and occasional thinning of the paint when mixing on the palette. Instead of using water for blending on the canvas, use the 'water mixable oil painting medium'. I used the Winsor &Newton brand simply because it was being sold locally along with their 'Artisan' water mixable oils. Come to find out, on the forums, this seemed to be the medium of choice also. I resolved to using the water mainly for clean-up of my brushes and just a tad for thinning and mixing of on the palette. Then I'd place a very small amount of the medium occasionally on the palette for dipping just the tip of my brush into before picking up a color.

The colors of my palette were: alizarin crimson, cad. red deep, Indian red, raw umber, raw sienna, yellow ochre, cad. yellow pale hue, lemon yellow, thalo green, french ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, and titanium white.

TIP: I painted from one of my photos which I kept individually on my desktop on my computer. That way all I had to do was click on the photo (using my Windows 'Picasa' I could instantly enlarge to fill the whole screen with my image) and I was ready to paint. Saved the time of looking for it each time I had the urge and time to paint! Just find your photo, right-click on it, and choose 'send to desktop'.


Stage 1 of Study: Cone Flowers in the Garden

The painting above began with a free feeling of just having fun. It has been 8 years since I last worked with oils, so I was excited to 'play'. However, that quickly turned to frustration when I started on the flowers, as I very seldom do close-ups of flowers like this and I did not want to get in the trap of trying to render too much detail. It was also my first time to paint my favorite, the cone flower, and every where I turned on the canvas was a challenge - the cones, the petals- how many? Oh, it doesn't matter, just put some in! The stems- good grief, make them look natural but not too big. Oh no now what, that stem is as honkin' big as a tree! Exhausted after I won't admit how long, I put down the brush, slapped some Glad Wrap over my plastic palette of WB oils, shut it in my studio cabinet and said (with a few other choice words I won't mention here) "Later". Then just let it 'simmer' for a few days. Actually, those few days turned into weeks, but I would go back to it always with a fresh spirit and try again.


Stage 2 of: Study: Cone Flowers in the Garden

The above painting is where I'm now at, and I'm about to call it quits on this one. Then again, like so many artists I have a hard time with that. Knowing when to quit, I mean.

I have to share with you another problem I ran into while 're-working' this painting. It developed too much paint in one area, right in the middle of the picture, and my goal was to let the canvas texture show through on this one. So my dilemma was how to get rid of the access paint, as it had already dried. Water alone won't do it of course because the chemical reaction has already taken place once dried. After 'Googling', I used the suggestion of just using a very small amount of turpenoid to get back down to the canvas. Then started over. It worked fine.

The second and most annoying problem I had was the 'sheen' created by the WN water mixable oil medium. Because I only 'occasionally' dipped into it, there are shiny spots in different areas on the painting, but I think that can be leveled out by just covering the whole painting with a matt medium. I happened to come across an original oil I have when cleaning the other day by someone who's been painting for many years. His painting also has areas of sheen on it where he used oil medium. Is this normal? I'm not familiar enough with oils to know is it's okay to have these reflective 'spots' on one's painting, but personally I prefer all or nothing. If anyone has any suggestions or tips for me and others on these problems with Water-soluble oils or painting with oils in general, please comment, I'd love to hear them! Thanks.

I will say, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed painting the flowers and working with a new and different medium and I'd encourage anyone who may be 'in a funk' to try something different too. Whether it's working 2-D or 3-D, or whatever art form, just to step out of the box can be not only refreshing but a new insight to the medium you currently work in. It also gave me spring fever painting the flowers from my garden so I hope to paint more in the future and also more nature 'objects' other than just landscapes. 'Til then, happy creating, Folks...

Rod Lawrence, Tim Ernst, Two Artists' Nature Journals

2010-12-06T13:48:00.014-06:00

There are two web journals I'd like to share with you that I really enjoy reading. I guess one could call them 'blogs', but the way they are written without using blog platforms such as Wordpress or Blogger, they seem more intimate and therefore more intriguing to me. Both of these guys are good writers, both have a love and respect for nature (they actually live in the wilderness), and both are great, well-known artists in the area of their specialty.

Rod Lawrence is an author and acrylic wildlife painter. I came across his journal one day as I was thinking about trying some acrylics and wanted to experiment with creating bark textures, fur, etc. and remembered that I have his book, Painting Wild Life Textures Step by Step (just noticed when making this link that this book is now out-of-print. You might try Alibris or Amazon - can view inside book at Amazon - or one of your favorite used book sites to locate it if interested in getting one). After reading a while, I thought I'd look him up on-line to view his website and was pleasantly surprised to see that he occasionally writes about happenings in and around his home in a journal format. Although his postings are sporadic (like someone else i know), he states he only posts when he finds time and is just trying to give readers a feel for what life is like at his wilderness home in Michigan.

Tim Ernst, a nature photographer, is very well-known in these parts and throughout Arkansas, as well as outside the state. He lives close to the Buffalo River which he calls Cloudland. His Cloudland Journal is very similar writing to Lawrence's - about living with nature, but with many more photos and posts. Although I have a tiny patch of woods and hollow behind my home, I don't live at all in a wilderness area like these two men, which is why I so enjoy reading their journals. And because I respect the ruggedness of the Arkansas wilderness, I have a great appreciation for the way they live. Their writings reflect a simple, quiet but sometimes rugged life, yet I'm sure these two men lead very busy lives with such successful careers and can only imagine that they relish being home from their many travels on the road. I had a chance to attend a slide presentation given by Ernst a couple of weeks ago, promoting his new coffee table book, Arkansas Autumn, and his trip to Iceland with Iceland nature photographer, Daniel Bergmann, but I missed it and of course am now regretting doing so. I'll just have to catch him next time around. I came across his journal because I've really been concentrating on my photography lately and wanted to view his recent work. I hope to some day take one of his workshops.

So sometime on a cold winter's day, like me, you might like to curl up with a hot cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa by the comfort of your own fireplace (or electric space heater) and go into the wilderness via Tim and Rod's writings. Happy reading, and if I don't get around to posting again before Christmas, Happy Holidays!

Strange Summer...

2010-08-31T20:56:00.007-05:00

This has been an allusive summer for me due to unforeseen events, so my apologies to those faithful followers who are probably wondering if I fell off the face of the earth.

I did manage however, earlier this summer, to paint the plein air picture below. I had decided to just strike out on my own and really get into painting, as I love doing this.

Sometimes when I strike out on a venture, I tell myself, Okay, no just riding around in circles. Today, I'll make myself find a spot and paint!! The fear of utter disgust with myself if I don't live up to this commitment fuels my determination to, like Nike says, 'just do it'. I found this spot, overlooking quiet pastures with the Ozark hills as a backdrop, one of my favorite scenes to paint. The short gated drives along roads and highways that farmers use to access their pastures offer a perfect set-up spot, which is what I used for this scene. Just pulled my car onto the little turn-in, unloaded my gear in front of the gate and began painting. This way, I'm not down an isolated road, passers-by can clearly see me, yet my car is completely off the road or highway. Knowing people are passing by and can see me gives me a sense of security, and because I feel safer, I can concentrate on the task at hand, which is painting of course.

Ozark Hills, near Westfork

I still need to add some of the purple darks to the right foreground and try to 'break up' the strong horizontal darks of the tree line shadows across the middle plane of the painting. This was a quick study, evident in the brushwork, and my goal is still to get values as near correct as possible without getting caught up in the subject matter, and to capture the mood at that moment in time. I'm also still struggling with getting my pigments the right strength. It seems I either pick up too much pigment or not enough, but I think that will come with time and painting. I've tried both methods of: using dried water colors vs. squeezing fresh pigment. When using dried watercolors in my palette, even if I keep my wells sprayed with a mister, it just takes too long for me (like waiting on a microwave!) to pick up my pigments when painting outdoors. Squeezing fresh watercolor on top of previously dried pigment works best for me. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Oh, regarding a recent post, I did break down and purchase the Holbein 1000 palette from Art Express and I love it. I probably would have been satisfied purchasing the next size down, because the 1000 seems a bit much for plein air painting, but this one works fine. I use the thumb hole when painting on site, which is why I wanted the Holbein, to hold the paints closer to me and my painting surface and even though it's a bit large, it doesn't feel cumbersome, and has plenty of wells/spaces for paint mixing.

Well, I hope I get back to painting soon, and I hope you're painting too. Remember, just do it...

Cows en Plein Air moooo...

2010-07-08T11:34:00.011-05:00

I've been painting cows lately. Both paintings were painted en plein air; however, on the second one, I made quite a few adjustments, which I'll go into below.

Study 1: This was painted on a very bright morning. I'm not happy with my greens in the trees and the background hills, which were out of my frame view, so I put them in the painting to create more atmospheric perspective. They're are too strong-I should have used a lighter, paler wash to make them recede more. I'm usually better at painting trees, but when painting plein air, sometimes it's like I forget everything I ever learned up to that point. I'm just trying to get it down on the paper. Hopefully, the more I paint outdoors, the more confident I'll become in getting it down 'right'. I need to follow Mr. 'Z's (J. Zbukvic) advice and 'have faith' in myself more, that it will turn out right. My 2 main goals in doing these paintings though are to 1) get better with rendering tonal values, and 2) improve my drawing skills in regard to scale and subjects I'm not familiar with i.e. things other than nature - buildings, cars, people, etc. And of course to try to render atmosphere and mood in my paintings, but that's a given - don't think I achieved that very well in these paintings. One thing I did notice immediately, in defense of this pathetic painting, was that this was Fabriano Artistico paper, and felt like it may even be hot-press, which I don't normally paint on, especially in plein air, as it is just too smooth for rendering drybrush to tree trunks, foliage, etc. I have nothing against Artistico paper per say, just not crazy about hot-pressed watercolor paper for plein air painting, or anything that does not require a lot of tiny detail.

Study 2: This was the second attempt at plein air painting these cows, which were enjoying some shade on a very warm and sunny morning. I had my little dog with me and was painting from a pretty close proximity, so they looked at us fairly often, then would go back to grazing, scratching, or whatever cows do. They are so much fun to paint! I like the challenge of their foreshortened bodies and head shapes when standing at different angles and the joined shapes created when grouped together. This painting had potential in the beginning, but after I got it home, I noticed that my weakness in rendering 'scale' stuck out like a sore thumb as the large cow to the far left was huge (yeah, he was even bigger than he is here in the finished painting). Then I noticed a couple of other cows who were also too large/small in comparison to the others. So, knowing that this painting MUST be improved and resolving to the fact that doing so could and probably would go past the point of no return for a watercolor, I began my 'experimental phase' of correcting the cows' sizes and trying to correct tonal values within the shading of the trees and cows themselves. As a result, this painting is way overworked and not really a keeper, but I like to 'try all options' on a failed painting like this one to experiment on before throwing it in the 'been-there-done-that' heap in hopes that I can learn from it for the next attempt. And sometimes, I'm actually able to save a painting. Watercolor paper is just too expensive not to get the most out of my failures (and believe me, I have a lot of those) which turn into learning experiences if I maintain a positive attitude. And it helps me tremendously, not only in learning how to get my scale and tonal values correct, but in experimenting also with color combinations and brush technique. Well, I could go on and on with what I learn from doing this. I'm just hoping that somewhere down the road of watercolor, the 'experimental' heap is gradually overshadowed by the 'keepers'. For now, I'm just having fun painting cows...

Layla

2010-06-19T17:02:00.031-05:00

In loving memory of 'Layla'

This summer has really thrown a curve ball our way. We lost our beloved Layla in May, due to a sudden illness. Not sure what of, but at the time I didn't have the heart to have a necropsy performed. Now I wish I had, as I think it would have given us some closure, but it was narrowed down to either tick fever, a toxin, or perhaps liver or some type of blood disease. I had always suspected and mentioned to my husband a time or two that I felt Layla may only be with us for a short time, as she always seemed a little frail and sensitive to illnesses. She was so very special though. Yes, all pets are special in their own way; however, I've never had such a bond with any pet in the way I had with Layla.

This happened just after the loss of my husband's Aunt (who we are also still mourning) who passed away earlier that month and it just so happened that we had taken in her three cats (Layla did not get her illness from them as I had them checked out and vaccinated as soon as they arrived). So, it's been a period of adjustment for all of us here in pet menagerie land. Now, we're home to 2 dogs, 4 cats, and a Cockatiel. Oh, and with 2 fish, we've got most every level of the food chain covered.

Samantha, age 14 (pardon the blurred photo) is
pictured below. She's so sweet. She snores when she sleeps!

We're taking it real slow. The kitties stay in my studio at night. Of course Samantha's whole world seems to encompass just that room. She mostly sleeps on Aunt Betty Jo's blanket under my easel in the corner and eats, but loves to be petted and purrrrrs up a storm when brushed. Guess she'll become the main 'studio cat'.

Gracie (Layla's sister) is not so sure about this 'invasion', but she seems to be adjusting fine. Gracie has really helped us in getting over the loss of Layla, although it's very hard getting used to no longer seeing 'double' as they looked almost identical except for the different lengths of their Manx tails and Layla had a small white 'spot' on her head.

It was 5 years ago on June 10th that I first saw these two little ones. I was out sightseeing in a little town in NW Arkansas when I drove by a lady's house who was having a garage sale with her daughter. The kittens were in a cardboard box in her front yard. I could tell immediately these weren't your ordinary mixed-breed kittens, their markings were beautiful, and their fur was snow white, with 'points' like Siamese kittens. There were four in all, so I asked, "do you mind if I take two?" "Not at all!" the daughter said, as they were her kitties. I picked each one up and looked carefully into their eyes. Layla I knew instantly was going to be a gorgeous cat. Even though most kittens' eyes are blue, hers were intense at eight weeks, and her little 'riser' Manx tail made her look like a little bunny rabbit. So choosing Layla was easy. I knew they were probably some sort of Siamese, but the Manx tails were throwing me. "Are they a particular breed of some kind?" I asked the girl, although it's never mattered to us, we've never been picky (but after having these two, I must say I'll not be content without having at least one Lynx Point Siamese in my life forever). "The mother is full blood Lynx, but she's brown, so I don't know why they all turned out white," she replied with her hands on her hips. Well, I didn't know what the heck she was talking about. The only 'Lynx' I'd ever heard of was the wild kind, and when she said hers was 'brown', that really threw me. I'll have to Google it when I get home, I thought. I have always wished I could have seen their mother. I'll bet she was beautiful. So now for the second kitty. I chose Gracie, because she was the only one left with a 'stubby' tail and the Manx tails were so cute. Besides, we had never had a Manx cat before, much less two. The mother and daughter gladly ran and fetched me a cardboard box to put them in for the ride home beside me in the truck. They would have given me all four kittens if I'd asked, which I was tempted, but knew hubby would have a conniption, so thought I'd better hurry up and leave before I weakened.

I can't tell you how excited I was about these two kitties! We had lost our latest beloved cat, Bosco, of 14 years that previous Christmas and we were now ready for a new one...or two. We had never bought 'litter mates' before. It would be so much fun seeing them grow up together (and boy, was it). All the way home, brave little Layla kept trying to climb out of the box, but not Gracie, she was just fine in that safe, dark space. And their personalities have remained the same to this day. Layla was always the adventurous brave one, always pushing the envelope. Always jumping over the fence, just to prove she could. I would clap my hands and say "Layla, get back in this yard, girl!" She would make her tiny 'kitten meow' (which must be a trait unique to their type/breed) and reluctantly jump back into the yard. Gracie on the other hand, is content to lay on the back deck all day, and has never once even tried to climb or jump over the fence.

Layla is buried just on the other side of the fence, which was her favorite place in the world to be, now among our other pets who have passed on, and we can see her headstone from our back windows.

Thank you sweet Layla, for your love and unforgettable memories...

Watercolor Palettes - Homee, Holbein, Craig Young (Oh my)

2010-04-23T19:17:00.002-05:00

I've spent the last 2 days researching metal folding watercolor palettes for plein air use and have come to the conclusion that what I have currently - a plastic 'Homee' palette which I think I purchased from Art Xpress, is looking better all the time! I have the 'small' size. It offers more mixing areas and has a small rubber 'seal' around the edge which keeps my pigments moist and also helps prevent spillage when closed. The clear plastic mixing area that fits in the lid is removable for cleaning, so the white lid itself it can also be used as an extra mixing area if needed.

However, lately I've been toying with the idea of using a palette I can hold in my hand, as I sometimes feel I can't get to my colors fast enough when painting. I've tried different ways to position it closer to my board while painting en plein air, but I still tend to 'hit' the easel with my brush a lot when going back and forth between palette and board. Since my left hand is usually just holding extra brushes, thought I'd try holding a palette in it instead (and could still hold a brush or two/my small mist bottle). So that would require a palette with either a 'thumb ring' mounted underneath the palette or a thumb hole, neither of which the Homee palette has.

I really like the palette used by Alvaro Castagnet, but after much, much searching to find the maker of this palette, I discovered that it is way out of my piddly little price range, not to mention that the waiting list to get one is months. It's one of those little jewels that I can only dream of some day owning, if ever. Craig Young is the maker of these beautiful watercolor palettes, and I literally mean 'maker', as each one is hand-made, signed and numbered, thus the high cost (approx. $400.00 USD for the 'Paint box' model which I like). They are truly works of art. You can see them on line at the Paint Box Company. Drool away...

The following are threads that led me to Craig Young's Watercolor Palette:

Wet Canvas - This Wet Canvas thread is finely where I found it. At the bottom of the page are images of the long anticipated arrival of an artist's one-of-a-kind Craig Young Palette which had just arrived to his home. As your scrolling to bottom of page to view images, pause to view an image another artist posted of a Craig Young painting.

Painters Online - Artist 'Harry' describes going to Young's home and workshop to pick up his palette in person.

Well, in my dreams. If I do purchase a palette, it will probably be Holbein's 1000 series which Art Xpress is offering for a great price of around $72. A lot of artists seem to like this palette (I think it's what Zbukvic is using in his videos). Be sure though, if purchasing one, that you get the Holbein brand, as there are some Holbein 'look alikes' out there.

Well I was thinking, there must be some way, since I like my Homee palette just fine for now, to rig something so I can hold it in my left hand while painting. This is the ceramic artist in me, making one's own tools is part of the fun of being a potter (but I'm always trying to think of ways to 'fix' a problem). I thought of a small plastic oil/acrylic palette that came with an old paint box I bought at a garage sale a few years ago. Even though covered with dried up paint, I knew all it needed was a good scraping and it would be good-to-go. It has the perfect shape - about 5" wide x 10 1/2 " long - perfect to velcro my watercolor palette to! Using Velcro would enable me to quickly remove it for cleaning, storage, or to use laying flat.

I scraped the paint off and here's what it looks like:
The thumb hole for this little palette is very comfortable, which is why I saved it.

Then, I laid my open palette on it to see how it 'felt'. It felt just fine on my arm, with the paints at the top, just like I prefer. The lid, or large palette area rests perfectly against the inside of my elbow. Now, where's that extra black Velcro tape I saved from my last hair-brain project.. then again, that Holbein 1000 sure is purdy...

Finished Snow Scene, Alvaro Castagnet's New Video, Rene Beeldendkunstenaar

2010-04-18T15:32:00.014-05:00

I've been a bit busy lately with things other than art, but that should be no excuse for not painting! However, I like to be able to concentrate solely on my art when doing it. I'm now between 'projects' around the house so am anxious to get out and paint.

Below is the finished snow study I last posted, which was unfinished at the time.

I still have a couple of things I feel the need to correct, but for the most part it's complete enough - just need to tone down the moss covered rock in the foreground and add the same color a couple of places elsewhere. Also the small burnt red 'roof' in the upper-right background is distracting; in hindsight, I should have omitted it all together. Of course it's close enough to the edge of the painting that it can be omitted when framed. Or I could 'lift' it out some with water and add more trees. Also, there's a tangent effect going on between the large and tall skinny trees in the left foreground, creating too much tension and drawing my eye away from the focal point (the fallen trees and ravine to the right), but not much I can do about that. I just placed them too close together to begin with and I should have angled or slanted the smaller tree to the right instead of swinging it back to the left. Adding a light colored limb with a couple of others at different lengths to the left side of the tall young tree that's in front of the larger tree, I think, would help break that up though. Anyway....

I recently received Castagnet's new video and really like it. He gives more detailed info as he's painting in this one it than the last one i.e. specific colors he's using as he's painting. Yes, I realize that specific color being used is not important and that it's all about warm vs. cool, and value; however, I do think it helps us the viewer 'student' know, especially when working in watercolor, whether that warm or cool color is opaque, semi-transparent, or transparent, and even what brand is being used as brands do differ in color and other characteristics. I just wish he would occasionally demo something other than paintings with architectural subject matter. That's just personal preference though, I'm sure that he paints those because that's what he's 'passionate' about. And I'm still able to glean from the demos what I need in order to learn better technique. I'm hoping that Zbukvic will do some countryside landscapes on his next video. He probably will as he seems to really enjoy painting them.

There are a couple of artists' blogs I'd like to share with you, but will just mention one for now as I'm short on time at the moment. His name is Rene Beeldendkunstenaar, located in the Netherlands. His blog site is http://painting-pleinair.blogspot.com/ . When checking my blogroll updates, I can scan like lightening through my RSS feeds and spot his work immediately. I really admire this man's dedication to plein air, not to mention his paintings. Rene's paintings truly capture the essence of plein air. My reaction to his paintings is visceral and I relate very strongly to his taste in subject matter. Enjoy, and 'til next time, happy living and creating...(and I'll try to post sooner next time!)

In the Hollow

2010-02-13T13:05:00.012-06:00

Looking across the hollow at the fallen trees from last year's ice storm.

I have always loved snow - to take a woodland walk in virgin snow feeds my soul, so I-for-one was glad for the small amount we received. It's strange how the snows began exactly one year after the devastating ice storm of last year. A group of small young bucks along with a doe or two have been passing through, proudly strutting their two-point racks, but I've yet to catch them with my camera.

I painted the scene below Thursday morning en plein air. After about an hour, I had to return to the house (which was very close by, just up the slope) to let my feet thaw out and to dry the watercolor paper. It just would not dry in the cold air. Then I returned to the site and finished painting it. I knew it was not a keeper, but was determined to follow through with the experience. I then returned to the studio, and after seeing that there was no saving such a pitiful painting, pulled up this photo (which I try to always take for reference when painting on site) on my computer monitor.

My view for the painting.

I then flipped over the painting and re-taped it to my gatorboard, and started again. I was using Sanders Waterford BTW, which personally, I'm not crazy about, although, as some artists claim, it doesn't seem to buckle as much as other brands. The unfinished result is below. I'm not after pretty colors and reflections on the snow, but a moody, dark woodsy effect, so I probably could have used even less warm colors and gotten closer to the mood I'm after. I just kept glazing the background over and over with blues to get the needed value, but now probably need to go a shade darker with the middle-ground, right? Snow scenes are so easy to mess up in watercolor!

My painting in progress...

So far, I'm pleased with this one, as I think I'm ever-so-slightly getting closer to being able to portray the deep woods the way I want. Like I did when I painted the pines. It has been my biggest struggle (or should I say 'goal', as there are way too many struggles to list) since going back to watercolor.

Now, I'm sure your asking, "hey, where's your original plein air so I can compare?" Well (conveniently) it's on the reverse side of this painting, taped to the gatorboard! But believe me, it was bad. I'll let you know how this second attempt comes out (or maybe not, depending how much I mess this one up). Here's to learning...

Yep, I've changed my blog background yet again (the pains of being a Gemini). Gone to the dark side, gettin' serious here...

Bill Guffey's Virtual Paintout, Douglas Wiltraut

2010-02-03T09:05:00.009-06:00

Just wanted to share a couple of things discovered on-line this morning.

First, a great artist, Douglas Wiltraut, who works in egg tempera, casein, acrylic, and watercolor (I think mainly drybrush). I've really enjoyed this morning visiting his site, soaking in his invaluable knowledge of egg tempera and his process which is extremely detailed, even mentioning what brands of products he uses. I so appreciate artists of his stature who take the time to share their expertise with the world. I also learned reading The Watercolor Artist Magazine article that there's actually a name for the process I use in my watercolors which I discussed in my last post, where I described how I 'prime' an area first with clean water, then add a layer of color and manipulate it and its edges over the previous color. It's called the English watercolor method according to the author. Go figure. I'll be revisiting his site often to see what's new and to learn more from him. The attraction for me to be drawn to artists who work in similar style to my heroes such as Homer and the Wyeths is innate - an unexplainable emotional connection to their work. I so admire these artists. A site worth bookmarking for sure.

The second discovery of the morning is Bill Guffey's (another person I did not previously know) blog and his 'Virtual Paintout' project. What a novel idea! Using Google's virtual map, Guffey (or sometimes his followers?) chooses an area, which can be anywhere in the world I suppose, and artists then zoom in anywhere in that designated area and choose a subject to paint from photos that have been mapped. And Guffey says he's checked with Google to make sure it's legal (read his instructions on right side of page). A great way to connect with others, not to mention greatly add to one's list of painting subjects. Also another way for artists to stay busy during the winter months. Artists then upload their painting to his facebook (or not, if they prefer not to have it on his facebook). I can't say too much about it as I only discovered it about 10 mins. ago and am still reading up on it. So check out this and the Wiltraut site if you're interested. Happy reading...

Process: A Watercolor Using Masking Fluid

2010-02-02T13:22:00.007-06:00

Let me begin by reminding readers that I'm just an ordinary person that enjoys the creative experience and sharing it with others via blogging - I'm not an instructor nor am I an accomplished artist by any stretch of the imagination! However, because I enjoy learning and reading about other artists' art process, I feel the need to do the same. But this and blogging for me, is also self-fulfilling, as it helps me to critique my work and rethink how to approach a painting or project.

Dogwood leaves in the Hollow
watercolor, arches 140lb. cold press
11 1/8" x 7 5/8"

This painting is from a photo I've had for a while and have always thought it had good potential for a large watercolor, so I thought I would first do a small painting (7" x 11")and give masking fluid another try. I don't like using masking fluid for several reasons, mainly because it tends to leave hard edges and I don't like having to go back and try repeatedly to fix these areas. I then become overly fussy and end up getting disgusted with the whole process, not very conducive to happy painting if you get my drift. With that said, I tried it anyway because I wanted to shoot for a more abstract and 'free' expression of the image without getting caught up in detail. Also if I end up painting a large, say full sheet painting, the masking will come in handy when painting the sky.

First I masked in everything excluding the sky (I also used masking fluid for my signature-later regretted this b/cause I was unable to remove all of it for some odd reason), which would be painted first. I normally work from back to front when painting, but not always. With large objects such as this as the focal point, and since the painting is split almost evenly between sky and tree, I could have masked around the branches and leaves and painted the sky last. It's a matter of personal preference and habit, especially when painting landscapes for me to paint the sky first. Doing so creates a benchmark for my values. In other words, how dark or light I make the sky will predetermine my value scale for the rest of the painting, not to mention get rid of most of that annoying and dreaded 'white paper'! I can always go back however and change the sky to a different value or color if needed (which I did).

After making sure every thing was masked, I painted the sky, beginning at the top using cobalt blue. Working down the paper, I added a little yellow, alizarin crimson, and a touch of cadmium orange.

Next, I removed the masking fluid
using a 'rubber cement' eraser. Left-over masking fluid also works well for lifting, but I don't have enough yet to use, maybe after this project...
Notice I don't have my painting taped down. I wanted to be able to turn the painting around freely while painting. I've gotten used to working with the paper buckling and depending on the weight, brand, size and thickness of the paper, and how much water is used at a time, I can control the buckling enough for it to be manageable.

I painted everything, including the tree limb and branches with a light wash of yellow acrylic, Lemon Yellow Hue. All the other colors used in this painting were watercolors. I could have used a yellow watercolor, but wanted to try acrylic as the first wash to see how well it holds up to subsequent layers and my abuse without lifting from the paper. I took a workshop once where the artist uses cadmium yellow watercolor as the first layer everywhere that yellow will be in the painting because its opaqueness provides a partial barrier for layering. I personally don't use cadmium colors very often, call me paranoid, but I just prefer to use 'safer' paints in my studio, and I often use just a light yellow, like lemon yellow as my first color. That being said, although I have taken a course in color study, I do NOT claim to know color very well, so it's a personal choice.

After the yellow had completely dried (very important when painting with water-based media), I re-applied masking fluid to the leaves and their stems and along the outside edges of the tree limb and branches. Before adding a layer, to test for dryness, I touch the paper with the back of my fingers. If the paper feels the least bit cold to the tough, then it is too wet to add a layer.

Then I painted the tree and its limbs with alizarin crimson and touches of quinacridone gold:

More alizarin was added to the under-sides of the limb and branches to show reflected light, even if in shadow. I darken the limb behind the leaf stems in the foreground, because they will be painted much lighter, causing them to come forward and the tree limb to recede, creating depth. This effect is already created by the stems' yellow under-painting:

I also added a touch of ultramarine blue here and there along the mid-section of the branches and main limb. Thinking many steps ahead (I guess some artists plan out each step for the entire painting, but I don't, although I do always keep a vision of my final painting in mind) is especially important in watercolor painting because there is a point of no return for retaining the light reflected by the white of the paper which gives watercolor its freshness.

Now comes painting the bark. Honestly, this is where I should practice what I preach, because I used a little of everything (without much pre-planning) trying to get a color I was satisfied with. I think I used both paynes gray and sepia to get the brownish color of the bark, with thalo blue and ultramarine blue added for the darker shades, mixing while paper was barely damp.

When I start to get flustered with the direction the painting's going I get away from it and let it dry, or work on another area of the painting while that spot is drying. When painting an area i.e. the bark, I do a combination of layering and wet-in-wet by first very lightly, applying clean water with a dampened brush; watching for the glisten of the water to turn barely damp, then painting the shadow areas of the bark pieces using a very light touch of the brush-tip to the paper. Because I like to do this combo of techniques on top of previous layers when trying to achieve texture i.e. bark, is why I opted for acrylic as my first layer. I've seen artists who, to achieve soft edges by truly 'layering', paint over a previously painted dry area, then immediately come back with a clean, barely dampened brush and run it along the edges of the painted area to soften them. Sometimes this works for me but most of the time it doesn't, so I say, do what works. I usually do a combination of several techniques. I think the key is to get in and get out quickly (working on one area at a time), with thorough drying before going back in an area.

Now I can remove the masking fluid from the leaves and their stems. I used quin. gold on the tips of the larger leaves and along the stems using a 'touching' motion with the brush tip.

Again, I played with the colors, so I can't say specifically what colors were used, but I do know I used cobalt turquoise and cobalt blue, sometimes pre-mixing with a little yellow if the blue was too strong. I put on a lot of layers, letting it dry between each application.

Painting the leaves was my biggest struggle in this painting. My whole objective was to say loose, and not get caught up in detail, yet I repeatedly found myself trying to paint individual veins and would have to stop and rethink how to portray just the essence of the sunlit leaves. I did end up indicating veins here and there but really tried hard not to obsess over them.

Detail of leaves, bark and leaf stems For those new to watercolor - notice how I left white here and there along the edges of stems and leaves - important to always save some white of the paper - it adds sparkle to a watercolor (skies, water surface, and dark areas are also good places for specks of white paper to add sparkle):

This is where I may have gone wrong with this painting (so glad I tested it on a small sheet). I decided to add a layer of aliz. crimson to the sky to try and make the leaves pop more, but I now think it was better without the extra red. My reasoning was, red and green being complimentary colors, would compete with each other, causing the green to glow more, but instead, I think the added alizarin dulled the overall painting. Maybe because alizarin leans toward violet? Maybe some 'colorists' out there would know the answer. Anyway, here's a comparison:

Painting with mostly blue sky:

Painting with more alizarin crimson added:

Strange, now that I see them side-by-side, I think the aliz. crimson may have helped after all. Well, you can compare for yourself. But I did learn a lot by doing this little study. I just may add another layer of blue to see what happens. Decisions decisions, 'til next time, happy creating...

Inspiration: Gerit Grimm

2010-01-09T11:27:00.006-06:00

This is just a quick post for inspiration. I discovered this artist, Gerit Grimm, via Ceramics Arts Daily Newsletter and was so inspired by her talent and creative use of the 'wheel', I just had to share it. Even if your medium is something other than clay, her encouraging words of wisdom and inspiration on the subject of art in general are worth viewing. I was actually working on another post when I came across this so I hope to post that within week's end. It involves a step-by-step painting using masking fluid. Let me and others know who, or what, was your inspiration recently. Til the next post, good luck with your endeavors...

In Memory of Professor Harington

2009-11-21T09:37:00.034-06:00

I was so saddened to hear last week of the death of Professor Donald Harington, a former teacher of Art History at the U of A, Fayetteville, AR, and also a very well-known author. He was the most influential and fascinating teacher I've ever had, but I'm only one of countless others who feel the same way. I'm constantly reminded when looking at art or architecture of just how much I learned from this great man, and will always treasure my memories of his teachings about art and life.

To learn more about Professor Donald Harington, and the service to be held at the U of A, Fayetteville, I've listed some sites below:

Memorial Service, U of A, Fayetteville
Fayetteville Flyer
NY Times
Books by Donald Harington , Last book published, Enduring, Special tribute by his editor at Toby Press
His official website
The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
Interview with C. L. Bledsoe, Ghoti Fish
Trailer for Brian Walter's future documentary on Donald Harington

Peel Mansion, Pratt Place Inn, Plein Aire...

2009-10-29T12:11:00.036-05:00

Peel Mansion
Watercolor, 12 1/2" x 9"
S. Waterford, cold press, rough

Well, I finally got around to photographing these paintings. The painting above is the viewpoint I had while participating in the first annual Peel Mansion Paint-out held in Bentonville, AR, (click on 'Peel Mansion' in the archives for details). My original plein air painting was pitiful. But I try not to let that discourage me. I know from what I read by noted plein air artists that I should look at my plein airs as a 'study', to be finished in the studio. That relieves me from the burden of thinking every painting must be finished on site or must be a success. I'm then able to relax and enjoy the painting process and also not even mind if someone is looking over my shoulder, expecting a decent painting (well actually, this still bothers me somewhat), or wants to see my painting after I finish (most of the time I throw them in the car before anyone can see them!). I myself know, that over time and with much much practice, my 'got luckys' will come with more frequency and that it will ultimately take years before I will be doing the majority of my 'keepers' entirely on site. This painting was produced using my sketches and original, plus photo references. Notice the possum in the cage at the lower right. I couldn't resist putting him in (I think I spoke of him in my original post on the Peel Mansion Paint-out). I kept glancing at him the whole time I was painting. Then the groundskeepers came and took him away, hopefully to release him in a new safe location. I think the scale is off on my figure. Need to work on this - it's something I've always had problems with.

Pratt Place Inn
Watercolor, 10" x 13 3/4"
Saunders Waterford,
300 gms (140 lb.) cold press, rough

This was my viewpoint at Pratt Place Inn. As for the 'imaginary' figures I placed in the painting (sorry they're hard to see in this image-I placed them in the furniture on the porch), I think here I was more successful with them being in scale than the Peel Mansion figure. My struggle with this painting was the foreground shadows on the flagstone. I really wanted to capture the dappled sunlight among the shadow area, but after three attempts, I thought I'd give it a rest and try again later. I don't use projectors to sketch my preliminary drawings, so it can be time consuming (at least for me) for an architectural drawing such as this one. Sketching and re-sketching allows me to become more intimate with the subject, while also giving me the opportunity to improve my drawing skills, which is something I feel that one never achieves, much like art in general. As for intimacy, it always amazes me how much sketching refreshes my memory, it puts me 'there' again, as well as sparking new ideas regarding my approach to the painting.

Pratt Place Inn was a fun place to paint. I was immediately intrigued by the old dead tree shown in my painting. Other than its obvious sculptural interest, I thought, this must be one of the original, if not the only, tree left from the time this house was built back in the late l800's. I also wondered what the house itself must have looked like before it was refurbished.

Another subject which I was very interested in was the small cottage on the grounds as one drives up the private drive to the inn. It had a mysterious European quality as it sat half-hidden among the trees that reminded me of all my old Daphne Du Maurier and Victoria Holt Gothic romance novels. I took some reference pics of it for a future painting.

I'll probably attempt this painting again, because I'm not satisfied with it totally (are we ever??), but other painting subjects are piling up so I feel the need to move on for the time being.

Yesterday, PAPO (Plein Air Painters of the Ozarks) painted at West Fork park and can I say IT WAS FREEZING!! I did not dress warm enough and chose to paint by the river's bank, which of course was all the more chilly. I had fun though and really needed the practice of painting rushing water. The wind gusts were threatening to send my painting and easel airborne into the river, so I held it down with my knees as I painted.

There were good subjects to paint - walkers, bluffs, the distant mountains (which seem to have passed their peak with the fall foliage by the way), a bridge, some mini waterfalls on the bluffs, and even a couple of horseback riders paid a visit. They brought back memories of my riding days...aah, the countryside is sure grand. It does a sole good to visit, if only for a short time.

I heard that the Ft. Smith Arts Center's Plein Air Competition was a success. That's good to hear. Plein Air competitions seem to be catching on in the area. I heard there was some really good work produced in the competition. Well, that's all for now, until next time, hang in there, set goals, take care and enjoy your art...

End of Summer Update

2009-09-29T16:41:00.034-05:00

This is the longest I've gone between posts since beginning my blog back in January, but I needed a break from my computer, especially from blogging! It's sooo time consuming but it sure has helped me in the discipline department. I've just been enjoying the summer, or what there was of it, considering it was such an unusually rainy and cool one. I've not painted near as much as I planned to - gotta get that in check! I just got back from a visit with my mother who turned 85 and we had a great Bday - just the girls. Mother said it was one of her best birthdays ever.

Roaring River State Park

My husband and I went a few weeks ago over to Roaring River in Missouri. It's a trout hatchery which is fed by an underground spring.

The hatchery was quite fascinating. It would be interesting to take one of the tours which are offered a few times daily, I think. Never saw so many trout!

When the hatchery announces they're releasing fish, people come from all around, lining up along the river trying to catch their dinner. It's almost comical to see; you'd think those poor trout don't stand a chance, but not too many were getting caught compared to how many were released that day, which if I remember correctly, were around
10,000.

Although I only took reference photos that day, it's a good site to paint, as there are plenty of subjects i.e. shallow rapids, people fly fishing with their waders on, families swimming in the sun, and campers at the campsites.

You'll have to look hard to see two waders fly fishing way upstream...

PAPO (Plein Air Painters of the Ozarks) had painted there earlier this summer, but I chose to go with my hubby as he has been wanting to see it for a while but has not had the chance to get away from work. It was a pretty river and would make for a nice fall destination when the leaves are turning (for more info click on the ' Roaring River State Park' title above).

We also finally went on a weekend vacation to Vegas to see two shows: Cirque Du Soleil's Love and Carlos Santana's concert. Both were great and it was good to get away (1st real vacation in years) if only for a weekend.

I've been into pastoral paintings lately, fields, cows, and such. Probably due to reading so much about tonalism and looking at Zbukvic paintings. Anyway, below is a painting I made of a field behind Battlefield Park in Prairie Grove, AR:

I painted the field en plein air but was not satisfied with it. After taking a couple of snapshots of my subject, I attempted it again from my original plein air painting, reference snapshots, memory, and a value sketch. My goal in my landscape paintings is to achieve better atmospheric perspective and tonal (value) relationship/contrast. In the first painting, below, I'm satisfied with the background hills, but not so in the second studio painting. I think I should have made the two hills in the background a little more distinct from each other as I did in the first. Funny, the first one I'm happy with the background; the second one, only happy with the foreground. Good Grief!!

Studio painting I:
Study I: Battlefield 2, Prairie Grove
9 3/4 x 13 1/2,
Arches, 300 lb., cold press

Studio painting II:
Study II: Battlefield 2, Prairie Grove
9 1/2 x 13 1/4,
Watercolor, Sanders Waterford, 140 lb. (300 gms)
cold press, rough

Some cows:

This is another studio painting from photo references. Sometimes I just drive around taking photos of anything I think would be good reference material or has the potential for a good painting. The original photo didn't have the cows in it. I sketched them in from photos taken 'just down the road' from this same location.

Morning, off Goosecreek
watercolor, 9 3/4 x 13 1/2
Arches, 300 lb. cold press

Well, that's all for now. I can't believe it took me half the day just to get this posted, because of the photoshopping of these images, etc. Until next time, happy painting, and I hope to post (and paint) more frequently now that I'm back from my summer hiatus!

War Eagle Paint-Out, another Learning Experience...

2009-07-27T13:55:00.016-05:00

Last Wednesday I painted with the PAPO (Plein Air Painters of the Ozarks) at War Eagle Mill. It was a gorgeous day, a cool front had rolled in and the skies were a crisp cerulean blue. The sounds of the falls and waterwheel were refreshing on a mid-summer's day!

The photo above shows my viewpoint. This is the exact spot from where I viewed the mill some 10 years ago and vowed to some day capture it from that bank along War Eagle Creek. I just thought it would make a great spot to paint from, so it was a no-brainer for me upon my arrival to just go ahead and set up there.

As I began my climb over the fallen trunk of a huge tree that had succumbed either to the ice storm (most likely, as it looked recently fallen) or a flash flood, my eyes zoomed in on what I felt sure to be poison ivy creeping across the very spot I needed to cross over. Great. A fellow painter was saying to me as I spied it, "there's a trail that goes around if you don't want to climb over that big trunk." Well, I was anxious to get set up, as I was already running late in getting to the site, so I decided to take my chances. However, I made a point to take the short trail around the suspicious ivy when I returned to my car that day. Needless to say, now I know that I can positively I.D. poison ivy, as I've broken out precisely where it brushed against my hand and ankle. Anyway, back to the fun part...

The below photo shows what I decided to depict in my painting:

It was a beautiful scene I thought, but my painting was pathetic. I need so much practice when it comes to plein air painting (painting period actually). But hey, there are no failures, just learning experiences, right? That is what I tell myself every time I paint out, and believe me, I say it a lot. My perspective on the mill house was off (need to sketch buildings more), my colors were drab, or dead, as Joseph Zbukvic describes it. It was also too high key- not enough tonal range (although I ran out of time before putting in all my 'darks', and had planned to put those in at the studio). However, I made some copies of my photos and plan to do some studies, so when I return maybe these things will have been corrected in my mind and on paper to save time.

As I was painting, I couldn't get over how many people and tourists were arriving at War Eagle Mill on a Wednesday morning. I thought it would be pretty much just us, the painters, but people were coming by the carloads, along with a couple of bikers, just during the couple of hours I was there. It looked like families which included generations - grandparents, kids, and even great grandchildren. The poor guys running 'The Bean Palace' upstairs in the Mill were a bit overwhelmed during lunch. But things settled down after a few minutes and everyone got their plate. I ordered a chef salad and was pleased to see that it wasn't just 'iceberg lettuce' but instead select dark green leaf lettuces, which I enjoyed (picky about my salads!). I mentioned to a painter that I was surprised to see so many folks there during the middle of the week and he asked me if I had seen 'War Eagle, Arkansas' the movie. I said, "No," but after he described it to me, it seemed vaguely familiar. Another said, "That probably explains all the tourists." I hear the movie is getting good reviews. War Eagle Mill is a beautiful place. If you're ever in the area, you really should check it out.

Even though my painting was not a 'keeper', I enjoyed every minute of it, and that's what it's all about for me, the learning experience and ultimately, the experience itself of painting outdoors. While painting, there's suddenly that realization that comes over me of being in the moment of painting outdoors. The same feeling that I have experienced all my life when in nature. Experiencing nature while painting adds a whole other dimension to painting for me. And even though it's often frustrating, I love the challenge watercolor offers in plein air and honestly, I do learn a lot with every painting, as I'm sure you do too. It's all part of the creative process, don't you think? It would be a huge mistake to think I didn't learn a thing from that experience, which is something I've heard people say before. Well, I'll bet if they really sat down and thought about it, they would find a number of things they DID learn from that experience!

I'm getting a small amount of clay and a new kiln shelf today from Flint Hills, so I really need to get back soon to working with my pottery. Oh, and photos to archive(so what else is new?). 'Til next time, keep on creating and remember, NO FAILURES, just learning experiences...

2009-06-29T08:10:00.018-05:00

A quick note to say that I finally was able to adjust the strap on my 'Packer' by Guerilla. It took a good wrestling with it though before I could force it through the adjustment loop but I managed, so thought I'd put in that word since I complained about it when first purchased.

I've been so busy working in my yard the past couple of weeks that I've not spent much time painting. I did however, paint the 2 paintings below en plein air early one morning of the hollow:

Study 1: Sunrise in the Hollow

Study 2: Sunrise in the Hollow

I was pleased with these two paintings for several reasons:

I have really been striving to be consciously aware, while painting, of what Joseph Zbukvic refers to as 'visual language', otherwise I get too caught up in 'technicalities' and lose focus of what it is that I'm trying to capture in the first place which is mainly the mood of the scene. I feel I succeeded in capturing the mood of the hollow as I viewed it that morning. And this was accomplished I think, because I was able to capture the atmosphere as I explain below.

I was able to paint them without the struggles that I usually have when plein air painting and I think it shows that I enjoyed the process.

I was able to make use my new tripod easel without frustration. Just my second time to use it but I'm getting familiar with it.

This is HUGE for me: I think I was able to capture the atmosphere of the woods (thus creating the mood) which is so hard for me when working in a woodland setting. I've been struggling with this goal [of atmosphere in] painting a woodland 'landscape' of the hollow for a long time, several years off and on, not just of a single tree, or small group of plants, but a true landscape scene. This can be daunting, because in the deep woods there's not the obvious common backdrops to use as reference for atmospheric perspective. No distant hills, mountains, fields, etc. All I have to work with are layers of the same objects - not too distant foliage and trees with sometimes a touch of sky. So I have to rely on color choice - cool vs. warm, soft and hard edges, texture, and all the other 'tricks' of artistic license to create depth all while trying to be decisive about each brush stroke as I near the end - watercolor doesn't wait. That's what I love about the medium. It forces me to think on the fly, make a judicial move - just do it!

I only had to make one little correction (of course you may think I need more) and that was with the first study. After I got it in the studio and stuck it on the wall as I always do to catch any mistakes, right off the bat I noticed I had slapped a very dark limb smack in the middle of the painting. I pulled it out carefully with a barely dampened brush, dabbing with tissue after each stroke, and replaced it with the more of the 'blue' that was just beneath it to add more of that initial [blue] color placement.

The first painting has a 'softer' look to it that the second. That's because the paper was not as rough as the paper used in the second study. It creates a different mood than the second; however, I like doing plein air paintings on a rougher paper because you can get that 'sparkle' as your brush skims across it, imitating sunlight.

The best thing about these plein air paintings was that I did it from the comfort of my back yard, no worries about copperheads, deer ticks, mosquitoes, or chiggers. It was wonderful! I plan on doing many more this summer from various spots in the yard. Overall, I'm pleased with the results of these paintings mainly because my goals were accomplished, but to each his own. I'm never completely satisfied with my paintings, or any art that I do. I can always find something that could have been executed better. Comments or questions are welcomed. Until next time, happy painting, potting, gardening, or whatever...

2009-06-15T12:56:00.002-05:00

Looking over my last post, I can see that I must have been in a really energetic mood at the time! Well, it's been over two weeks since that post and I can at least say that 3 of the 5 goals have been either fully met or at least begun:

I have tried my new Sun-Eden tripod. I also purchased a new bag, the Guerilla Plein Air Packer has been at a great value for $44, the cheapest I've been able to find it by ASW (ASWeXpress.com). Pros and Cons regarding the 'Packer':

Love that the Packer fits all my gear, including the tray that goes with my Sun-Eden tripod along with watercolor paper (quarter sheets), and I use the 'back pack' straps to hold my gatorboard. It has straps underneath to hold my tripod and the 'travel adaptor' (the canvas/waterboard holder) or a fold-up chair or waterever.
What I don't love is that the shoulder strap is poorly designed as well as the flap that folds over the bag. The strap is adjustable but the shoulder 'pad' is not wide enough to slide over the part that adjusts the strap, so what's the use of shortening it if I can't slide the pad? The flap for the bag is connected by two zippers, just another thing (or 2) to break in my opinion, which one of them almost did the first time I tried to zip it closed because it 'snagged', you know like zippers do. It would be better if it had been either Velcro or buckles; then I could tuck my canvas holder, because it's plastic, or the folding chair underneath the top of the flap and secure it without worrying about it getting damaged when sitting the bag down. They really didn't think that through!

As for the tripod, I'm not yet sure how satisfied I am. Things like switching around my water container to get it within easy reach, adjusting the 'quick release' for the tripod adapter, etc. will take a few paint outs before I'll know for sure if I like it or not.

I have gotten SO many things done in the yard!! Wow, what a difference working the equivalent of an hour a day makes. Of course that will slow down once the summer heats up and it's just too hot to work. And I really should cut my goal down to maybe 5 hrs. a week - that's much more practical and attainable.

I have prepared some pots for glazing, so now I need to get them glazed!

After spending way too many hours on my website trying out different styles, I've decided not to touch my website for now. It's just way too time consuming and I have too many other things I'd rather be doing!

I painted out last week. It was a painting of a small koi pond with a waterfall. Well, I 'learned a lot'. I'll leave it at that.

Not sure what my immediate goals are for now. Of course to paint out. That's a given, whether I reach it or not! As for other goals, we're about to have new flooring installed, so not sure when that will begin nor when it will be completed. I just know we'll be busy moving furniture for now!

Good luck with your endeavors. Until next time, stay positive!

Thoughts on Popularity of Plein Air, Updates posted (by others) on Peel Mansion Paint-out, Goals, Sun-Eden Watercolor Tripod

2009-05-26T08:42:00.026-05:00

Well, unfortunately I never made it to Phoenix as I was not yet over my illness, but now am better and ready to re-group and get back to work. Was so sorry not to make it to my great-niece's graduation, but was able to talk to her that night and sounds like everyone had a great time. Hope you had a nice Memorial Day weekend. The weather was rainy here. My hubby finally got to grill his steaks yesterday but it started raining on him again just as he was finishing up. Umm, they were delish!

As for an update on the Peel Mansion Paint-out, I've posted a couple of links in the column on the left side of this blog under 'Recent and Upcoming Events in Arkansas' regarding how it went. Looks like it was very successful and I'm so happy as that means it will surely become an annual event. Hopefully, Heart of American Artists' Assoc. (founded by John Lasater and Todd Williams) and Peel Mansion have started the ball rolling as far as getting other organizations interested in sponsoring plein air events.

I don't know if it's just that I'm so aware of everything 'Plein Aire', but am I wrong in feeling lately that in the U.S., and maybe worldwide, Plein Air painting may be experiencing a renaissance similar to what happened with the popularity of gardening over the last 10-20 years? I know personally, I started my fascination with plein air back in the late '70's, but there was no internet to search the subject. Also, I was busy working and mothering at the time so my only connection to the art world was via books. But there weren't many on Plein Air painting like there are today, and certainly not the number of videos currently being made! Anyway, if it's truly going through a 'rebirth' I'm thrilled. I do feel that, as in gardening's comeback, it can be related to one's desire to get back in touch with our earth and with nature, especially in such times as being so disconnected due to technology, with global warming, and from a strictly artistic POV, that our greatest teacher is Mother Nature herself. What's your take on this thought?

I received my new Sun-Eden easel and I can't wait to try it out! The one I purchased was the 'Heavy-duty Plein Air Tripod'. I was concerned about the 'travel adaptor' (the part that holds your canvas/watercolor board) being plastic; not to worry, it seems strong enough to hold up even to pretty windy conditions. I am concerned though about the tripod. It's a bit bulky when folded up and at first I could have sworn it was heavier than my old tripod. But I went back and re-read the specs on both and even weighed each one on my postal scale and sure enough, the Sun-Eden tripod is slightly (every ounce is being counted!) lighter than my old one. I guess, because of it's bulkiness when folded, it visually appears heavier. Anyway, the bulkiness makes it a bit cumbersome so I'll just have to see. The plastic tray that holds one's palette, etc. is very nice too. I'll give an update on it after I use it.

My goals for this week:

Do some plein air painting with my new easel!

Prepare some pots for glazing; I've ordered some more ^6 'Buff' clay from Flint Hills Clay works.

I want to make some changes to my website i.e. colors, etc.

I've made a new goal to dedicate the equivalent of at least one hour a DAY in my yard / gardens. It's the only way I'm ever going to get my yard looking half-way decent or the way it should!

Although it's very time consuming, and I probably won't get the time to do it (such negativity, I should strike this!), I want to make a new 'winter to spring' video to replace the 'March' one for my blog.

Until my next post, happy painting, gardening, photographing, or whatever!

Peel Mansion Paint-Out

2009-05-11T18:32:00.017-05:00

I was so excited about going to the Peel Mansion and Heart of America Artists' Assoc.'s Plein Air Rendevous, but became sick that first morning and had to miss the rest of the event! What are the odds? Bummer. Anyway, it looked like they had a great turn-out for their 1st one. I know there were 40 people pre-registered a few days before the event and people could also register the morning of the 1st day. It was a beautiful thing to see all the artists scattered across the lawn in front of the old house with their easels, going to work on their paintings. There were also other historical landmarks in Bentonville including Compton Gardens participating, so artists were in different areas. This was the first time for me to attend a plein air event so I was very disappointed to have to miss out, but just being there for that short time was very productive for me. I really enjoyed it while I was there and in that very short span of time, it's amazing how much I learned via my mistakes while painting that morning. My favorite quote for years has been "The more you know, the more you know you don't know" (Aristotle). My painting was a disaster, but I learned a LOT from every mistake I made like:

Don't for one second on my first attempt at a paint-out think I'm going to finish within the time allotted for myself. Mainly because people are everywhere; coming up to you to introduce themselves, take photos, etc., and being intimidated because painting around 'others' is so new to me, and not accustom to having someone/people looking over my shoulder, I would STOP, visit with them, and wait for them to meander on before swinging back into gear. Lost a lot of time, not to mention focused energy on the task at hand doing this, but closer to the end, I wasn't even looking at the person speaking to me; was so into my painting (and becoming aware of a sunburn) that I kept painting furiously, realizing I had gone over the 2 hours I had allowed myself by almost an hour. I should be used to this as it happened all the time in the studio classroom. But that's just the thing, it was a classroom, everyone knew each other, we were all in the same boat, and were not being viewed by the 'outside'. Now I AM on the outside and this very issue has been another hurdle for me to overcome painting en plein air. But now I've done it, it wasn't so bad, I can't worry what by-standers may say or think about my painting and I'm ready to move on!

Yes, I know what you were thinking when I mentioned 'sunburn'. Why did you set up where the sun would hit you? Don't you know to set up in the shade if you don't have an umbrella? And don't you want to take advantage of the cast shadows that would enhance the structure of the focal point? Well, my reason in doing so is because I wanted to paint the 'backlit' side of the house, like Zbukvic suggests, and I found a great view that no one else had chosen (can't imagine why). All the other painters were out on the front lawn. There were only three of us in the back, a guy over in a shaded corner, a very sweet looking older lady with an umbrella along the sidewalk, who looked like she had done this many times before; her painting of a water pump among the flowers was coming along nicely, and me, just outside a shaded area wishing it was closer. Oh yeah, along with a possum that had been captured overnight in a trap. A guy told me they were having 'squirrel problems', but of course they caught a possum instead. Felt sorry for the little guy, wanted to let him go. He looked sleepy, and he was in the nice cool shade of the house...I digress, anyway, I'll know next time that I'm too much of a novice to think I can paint faster than the sun. Actually, just so you don't think I'm a total idiot, several people that came by thought I had chosen a great view, even though it was eventually in the blazing sun. One lady that came by close to the end of my venture, when the sun was beating down on me said "Oh my, you out there in the full sun!" Then after coming over to my side and turning around to see my subject matter implied "I see now why you're here. This is a great view!" This was the view I chose to paint:

The dappled sunlight on the walkway and foreground grass was really nice, and the white of the banister patterns, columns, and porch ceiling was casting some beautiful pale blue shadows. The weather was perfect, nice and cool, until I was in the sun. I was planning to just make the corner of the banister and porch the focal point until the artist came along later and set up her easel. It made for a great painting. Will have to re-do this one for sure, but place the artist a little to the left. She's too dead-center don't you think? Actually, I think she looks best right where she is, think I'll leave her there. I definitely plan on returning to get in practice with my plein air painting.

As far as my actual painting went, I over-worked it, crossed the line of no return in watercolor, was getting sick, physically and emotionally, was sunburned and frustrated that I ruined a potentially decent painting (nothing new, I do that a lot), but I learned so much as I painted and have mentally gone over what I need to do differently next time I paint this scene.

And even more importantly, I met some new artists (another thing, I really need to get out more). There was also a group of painters from Ft. Smith there, and most importantly, got some new information on a Plein Air group in the area. That was probably the most productive thing I could have achieved for the whole event. I do wish I had taken some photos of the artists on the lawn, as one day that would have been a significant photo, being the 1st annual Plein Air Rendezous for Peel Mansion. And it would have been a great photo. I had planned on getting photos later, as I thought I would be back the next morning, however, I felt so bad by Fri. morning, went straight to the doctor, then home to bed where I stayed all weekend. Thanks to some strong antibiotics, I'm feeling much better now, and looking forward to more paint-outs in the near future. As soon as I find an update on the Peel Mansion/Mid-American Artist's Assoc. Paint-out with the winners etc., I'll post a link to it. I'll be out-of-pocket for a couple of weeks. I'm supposed to leave next week to Arizona for my great niece's high school graduation. CONGRATS SHANTE, and best wishes to a bright future (see you soon) !!!

Until then, the following is something dedicated to all mothers out there, with a special note to Shante's mother, Felicia, a great Mom indeed. Gertrude Kasebier is one of my favorite Master Artists and the first time I saw this photo, it had a profound affect on me. My youngest daughter had left the nest, and this photo said it all. It also reminded me of my oldest daughter's 1st day of school...

To Felicia, and all Mothers, I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Blessed Art Thou Among Women,

Gertrude Kasebier, c1899

Painting in the Hollow: The Pines, Zbukvic, and Results from the Cone 6 Glaze Fire

2009-05-04T09:43:00.018-05:00

I'm later than usual with my posting, but I wanted to wait 'til I finished and photographed my painting of the Pines in the hollow as I had said I would in my last post. Also wanted to give a report on how my glaze firing went, so here it is:

Painted our pine tree logs that I allowed the 'tree guys' to roll down into a small ravine directly behind the house. Silly me, I was running around after the guys felled the pines hauling them to a place in the back yard to save so that I can later do 'something' with them, what just yet I don't know. And with each one I would pass up, it was as if it were saying 'pick me, I don't want to go!' (I'm weird like that). Well, as it turned out, the guys were having a problem with the city (a place has been designated for disposal of trees from the ice storm damage) accepting the pine lumber (so they said). So I was very content to allow the men to leave all the pine with us. I really did not want those beautiful logs hauled away. Pine breaks down quickly and it just seemed right that they stay here. Oh, and the oak trees? Well, we've got enough fire wood for years to come!

I touched up the pines and added some highlights here and there in the studio.

The Pines, wc, 9 1/8" x 12 7/8"

I was so frustrated with it while painting in the woods, but kept reminding myself of what Joseph Zbukvic says, to 'keep going' when painting your subject outdoors and 'never lose faith' because as soon as you do, you'll fail at your attempt. He is so right! I kept painting, and although I wasn't satisfied, I did feel the painting had some potential. After about an hour, I was getting stiff from sitting on the ground, and also felt I may be getting a tick or two (which I later discovered was true) so I lumbered back to to studio, untaped my painting, threw it around here and there trying to decide what to do with it. Toss it to the done that pile, or keep going? The logs were only partially painted, but that was really the only thing left unfinished, aside from adding a little detail to the foreground trees. I just didn't want to give up on this painting. It held a lot of meaning for me. The hollow represented the final resting place for Daddy's pines. They represent 30 years of our life here, the lives of our girls, our pets, and a constant reminder of my father and his love for nature...nope, it was worth trying to save because as I looked at it, I could feel the emotion I had while painting them. It may not be the greatest painting, but it enabled me to work through the emotional and physical process of losing 'the pines', and hopefully viewers can be reminded of similar things that matter to them also.

Well, unfortunately, I was not so satisfied with my glaze fire. None of my cups turned out like I wanted, as the patterns I slipped on them barely show. The firing also went to cone 7 on the middle shelf and probably on the bottom shelf too (didn't use a witness cone on the bottom). However, that only seemed to compromise the brightness of the blue slip on one of my jars, but it may also be the reason for my slip decoration not showing up on the cups. I really think though, that [the slip doesn't show up] because my glaze application was too thick and my slip was too thin.

But I did have a couple of pieces turn out pretty good, such as the blue and white facetted 'safe jar' seen in this picture. The one in the foreground is the one that the blue slip did not come out on. The blue slip used on the inside however, did fine (fired it with the lid on). I may re-fire this piece later, as I've had success with the blue colors working on re-fires. Don't like to re-fire though. Always afraid the piece will break and create a mess in the kiln. Luckily, this has not yet happened to me. If I do decide to refire, I will only take it to about cone 5.

And my 'grass' cups turned out good:

These are some of my pendants. I'm have fun making them. I love making small clay things because of the portability. I can just sit anywhere and work on them. I carry everything I need around in a little shallow cardboard box and put a small amount of clay in a ziplock bag to keep it moist as it dries out quickly and will lose it 'malleable' texture if exposed to the air too long. I use food freezer paper, the waxed side as my surface to work on (sometimes getting a shape started by using the palm of my hand) as it leaves no marks on the clay. I draw out my patterns 1st on newspaper, then trace them using a felt-tip/sharpy pen on plastic tops of margarine and 'Cool Whip' bowls. These become my templates.

One final note for all you die-hard Joseph Zbukvic fans (like me) out there. He FINALLY got an official website, and also his new video, Watercolour Impressions with Joseph Zbukvic, is now available in the US via The Artists' Place. I bought it and very pleased with it. I could watch that guy paint all day. Maybe, just maybe one of these days I'll be able to take one of his workshops.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be posting again next week on a paint-out. Oh, and I've ordered the Sun-Eden watercolor tripod set. Will let you know what I think of it. I just can't keep lugging that 11 lb. french easel around; and so much wasted space, not to mention it's killing me. My shoulders, back, and knees, Oh my! Now I'll have one less excuse for plein air painting, as every time I'd think about all that weight, I would talk myself out of going somewhere to paint. I also plan on posting about my new macro lens (was my Christmas present from Santa) sometime in the near future. Until, then, happy painting, potting, photographing, or whatever makes you happy!