. . . Art Notes

IPAP + ROCKPORT

2011-09-13T14:58:00.000-04:00

10TH ANNUAL PLEIN AIR ART EVENT

SEPTEMBER 9 - 11, 2011

Links:

ROCKPORT

IPAP - International Plein Air Painters Artists Organization Worldwide

MEET THE PEOPLE

Wendy Merkley, Organizer
In background: Jay Anderson, Artist

In the background, to the left of the tree, were three
painters, another was perched on Fish Rock and Janet
sits at the end of the dock to sketch.
In the foreground, Jay Anderson is getting ready to paint
and I am talking with Phil who has been painting Fish Rock.

Bob Heddon

Aleta

Kittie Kelly

Phil

Janet

THE CLOSING RECEPTION & DISPLAY OF ART WORK

Patio Deck at Ships Galley

1st and 3rd Peoples Choice Awards
Left: Painting of a Tugboat with Tar Island in background
Right: Painting of the Andress House, Rockport
Artist: Bruce Sherman

2nd Peoples Choice
Sadly, Artist unknown

At one time this was Bev & Nelson's Island

Add caption

TIN BOX & CEZANNE

2011-09-13T12:18:00.000-04:00

Cezanne's Card Players on a Cookie Tin Box

Not too original, either in the painting nor in its use. Lots of cards are played here at the cottage and it is good to view the reproduction of this painting each time we play.

CHILDREN'S ART BOOK

2011-09-13T12:11:00.001-04:00

I found this book in the book store at the National Art Gallery during the class visit to the Caravaggio exhibition in July.

Below is a copy of one page and activity in the book that seems to me would be equally intriguing for adults, and especially to share it with children and grandchildren.

The text informs us that this painting is only a part of the original painting by Vittore Carpaccio. No one knows where the other parts are.

How would you complete this painting? What story would it tell?

2011-09-13T10:19:00.001-04:00

Found Painting in Oil

2011-08-22T08:54:00.001-04:00

Minted from a local church sale.

CARRIVAGGIO - DAY FIVE

2011-07-09T09:21:00.000-04:00

This is the last day of our course. Beautiful peaceful drive into town this morning.

Left side of Studio

So many wonderful paintings greeted us as we entered the studio this morning! H. achieved her ancestor's image! She has worked toward this for a few years and the result is fantastic. Another classmate B, painted a large image of her grandson that so captured his essence. A young artist chose a horse and painted it in orangey reds. Stunning. But she needed to apply the various shapes and colours that made up this beauty. The shapes were fairly large and the colours bright producing an abstract of beauty. Later, after blending these coloured shapes, she had a horse [only the head done] that you wanted to stroke, so real. Mine is not done but no matter, being oil I can continue for a few more days without the paint drying.

Right Side of Studio

Some time during the week, I remembered that so many years ago, when we still lived here, that I had taken a painting class, in oils, and I was taught to look at the shapes and held my fingernail up to the area of the photo I was working on in order to achieve a likeness. It worked. Then years and other things took precedence and I never did recapture that skill as precisely as that first time. Here I am, full circle, learning once again to seek out the shapes [and colours] and once again using oil paint. And bonus, I have learned so much more!

{I am distracted. A small red squirrel has landed on the air conditioner and is making a strange noise. Now he has jumped down onto the window ledge and seemed to have disappeared, but no, he has just now jumped up against the window, twice, perhaps like birds, has thought the view or reflection was accessible. Wonder if this is one of family that has been dislodged from our neighbour's cottage and looking for a new place to live. Hope not here.}

After painting for a few hours, we were gathered together to watch and guide Andrea as she worked on her portrait, using the knowledge that we had been given, plus our experience plus the Caravaggio example. One of the things she mentioned is the need to the face to appear rounded, but not only the face, also the eyes. Important where the light is placed to give this effect.

We looked at work by Manet and were asked to visually compare this with Caravaggio's style and were told we could paint like these artists and others because we now new how the paintings were constructed. Caravaggio was on the cutting edge.

Notes:

Know how it is done and put it back together - notice the toned ground, how little painting is left to do, the advantage of oil

We were asked to use Liquin - a dryer is in this, useful when there is a need for paint to dry quicker

. In Caravaggio painting of The Flight into Egypt, the wings were borrowed for this painting. He set up his models and props dramatically.

. Practice: set up light and draped fabric, using same process as learned this week

. In painting we were shown by Manet, the light background was painted last

LEARN TO SEE with incredible accuity with people, then everything else becomes better

Process of Caravaggio:

1. Prime

2. Tone [1st layer]

3. Mapping D/L shapes [2nd layer]

4. First Darks

5. Map inside areas of lights with colours or colours plus white in various shapes, juxtaposed, not touching, then blended with dry clean brush. Make changes by lifting or wiping out, shovelling.

RU, YO, BU, R, BS, UB, SG, V,

Flake White or soft mixing white.

CARAVAGGIO - DAYS THREE and FOUR

2011-07-07T21:03:00.009-04:00

Wednesday morning there was a thunder storm around 6 a.m. and a pretty loud crack of thunder. Shortly thereafter, the computer was no longer connected to our server and attempts to reconnect were not successful. Late in the day, we learned that the modem had been fried and it was supposed that there had been a surge caused by the morning's storm.

I left quite a bit later in the morning but fortunately there is no instruction until mid-morning. I had made my decision to switch to oils while at the Gallery in Ottawa and used one of the acrylic ground canvases from our first day. I found some photos in the Beaver Magazine to use as models for my very own 'Caravaggio' style painting. There were three photos of different figures but I settled on one and began, finding the figure on the canvas by negative painting. Adjustments still needed..

Notes

Oil Painting
Still refining shapes

two brush painting - one with paint and one with no paint, used to move around and shovel the paint already laid down on the canvas

Layer 2 - mapping the lights

Layer 3 - adding the darks

Use small amount of Liquid/linseed Oil and apply paint thinly - smoothly, holding the brush flat and parallel to the canvas, touch surface very lightly

Exercise in seeing

- Sit and look at object for an extended period of time [10 minutes]

- If looking at the object does not work, try touching it, paint by touch. Run finger around shapes

Caravaggio did not use hogshair brushes, he used sable or squirrel. His brushstrokes are mostly unseen and his paintings are smooth.

See the SHAPE - Lose the EDGES - LINSEED OIL better. Prepare paint, not runny or inky, thicken with linseed oil until easily moved, not much paint involved.

Paint the shapes. If lines are drawn, will feel committed to the outline. Look at the white shapes. Look at the dark shapes. No line.

PLANNING SKETCH

Choose the figures and items that you want in your painting. Do a loose sketch, putting the shapes into a box proportional to the size of your canvas, let your pencil sketch the shapes without moving the pencil from the page. It likely will take six planning sketches.

Why is it necessary to keep pencil on the paper? Accessing and using other instincts - keep hand down on the sketch, start anywhere, keep scribbleing and try again keeping connected - eventually becomes simpler in line, will find directions of movement and force, not drawing things - don't call anything by name - see angles of direction.

[Caravaggio stages his paintings so that the viewer cannot help but follow the storyline.]

Mapping out the design. Adding the Darks

When putting in the variety of colours for the skin or other areas, paint the shape but do not touch other shapes near by. These will be blended - tickle at the edge, softening the edges together so shapes are still there but blended. Use dry clean brush to blend [tickle] one shape up to the other. Light pressure.

Mix paint for part of face. With paint on brush, hold up and compare to face of model. Match the colour.

See Shape. Determine Colour. Mix paint and adjust as required. Repeat for each shape.

Seeing Shapes is the hard part. Recognize what you see and brain interprets, seeing what is not there.

Painting shapes becomes much easier, less stressful, when 'brain' not involved - do not need to know what seeing, simply seeing.

Left earlier than usual this morning [Thursday] and found it was a better time for driving the 40 minutes to the college.

Prud and I went out for lunch again today. She returned to Ottawa tonight but will come back for the last day tomorrow.

Picked up a Take and Bake from Luna Pizzeria for our supper, which Larry baked. Thanks to J & D, we had some watermelon to finish the meal.

Tired.

CARAVAGGIO - DAY TWO

2011-07-05T23:39:00.002-04:00

Left the cottage a little late this morning and had the misfortune to get stuck behind a slow driving truck from near Athens to Brockville. I arrived with ten minutes to spare and boarded the bus. Beverley was already there. When we neared Ottawa, she texted her grandson, my grand-nephew, Cameron to see if he would come to join us sometime during the day.

The ramp to the Caravaggio Exhibit

At the National Gallery of Canada, we were given our passes, our electronic guide and earphones, and walked up the ramp to enter the Caravaggio Exhibit. The first painting was a Caravaggio - the boy who was bitten by a lizzard. Smaller than I thought it would be.

I did not record the order of the Caravaggio's as I saw them, but they definitely stood out in the room full of very good paintings. A peek through the doorway revealed two of my favourite paintings by Caravaggio - The Fortune Teller and The Card Players. Around the room there were other paintings by other masters proraying similar themes. This was a room that not only exhibited great art work but also provided some amusement.

Posing as Caravaggio's "The Card Players"

In the fourth exhibit room, there was a door that led off to a small room. Inside there were games for children and a large opening in the end wall, surrounded by a gold frame. Some children and an adult were dressed in Caravaggio fashion and posed in the opening. A photo was taken. Later I would return to this room and dressed as The Fortune Teller for my Caravaggio photo. When Bev returned with Cameron, the three of us dressed in costume and posed as the card players.

CARAVAGGIO - DAY ONE

2011-07-05T07:41:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, distrusting the alarm, I awoke at daybreak and did not return to sleep. There were a few things to gather up in preparation for the first day at this summer's workshop, titled "Going For Baroque".

The lake was so still, the trees across the water and white fluffy clouds were reflected on its surface. Soon, as the sun rose higher, there was an orangey golden colour splashed on the trees on the opposite shore, eventually becoming almost white as it rose even higher. Time for me to leave.

I met Andrea outside in the parking lot, then my niece Emily just inside the college. Barb and Helene were back, Barb from Napanee and Helene from Belleville. Only nine in the class this year perhaps because this was a dominantly oil painting class or perhaps because the majority from the past few years graduated from the college's art course. Prud took the easel next to mine. Others in the class included Janeen and Ursula from previous years, another Barb, Mary, Diane, Nicole and Diana.

Notes:

- All art begins as ABSTRACT

- Caravaggio lived in 1600s - no electric lighting, light from a window or candlelight

- Twilight - explored lighting in the studio with the lights out - different shades

- Paint in the 'dim', the natural colour

- Looking at painting by Caravaggio, compare how much of the painting is in darkness and in light

- Work from dark to light - almost 2/3 of painting done; can be painted faster

- No details

- Lose the edges into the dark

= A NEW WAY OF SEEING

Step One: Prime the Canvas, protecting it from the acids in the oils

Step Two: Tone the Canvas, using transparent colour transparently, ie thin layer, less medium/liquin. Attempting to cover the canvas with a smooth transparent coat veil of colour. [Raw Umber] Map out big shadow shape. Thinly apply 2nd veil of colour

Step Three: Adding a second layer of colour to 'draw' in the light, blending. Can go back in with a rag and reclaim the light if necessary and also to define the shadows.

- Hold the brush parallel to the canvas, - helps to apply paint thinly - apply transparent paint transparently

- Thinly apply 2nd veil of colour

I used acrylic and really was unsure how or if this medium was going to work for me. It wasn't long before I wanted oil paints. Step one produced a lightish but definitely uneven covering of Raw Umber, a colour that in acrylic was considerably different from the same colour in oil.

More Notes

- Dark background

- Add the dim

- Let disappear except white

- NO DETAIL

- Map out light and dark pattern

- Quick Sketch, to determine design, placement. Try not to lift pencil. May make several quick studies until one is what you want. Look at arrangement/design, draw mid air above canvas and when ready draw onto canvas or draw in mid air above/near the arrangement and when ready draw onto canvas. Also, combine both mid air drawing before applying to canvas. Could also draw in with charcoal. Simple shapes, slightly organic geometric.

Acrylic attempt

TENEBRISM: Caravaggio = dramatic lighting, parts of body disappear,

light part floating on dark

The Still Life

On the left is the still life, a white jug, a red hat and black fabric draped. My first attempt was my usual approach, basically a contour drawing and detail. Wrong for tenebrism.

A smooth surface or consistent tone was not achieved with the acrylic paint. The picture to the right shows the second step, painting the area around the whites. [A new way of seeing ]

I have acrylic ground ready on another canvas and it too is blotchy but I will use it for the Caravaggio 'masterpiece' on Wednesday, and paint with oils.

A different way of seeing - a challenge.

DAY 7 - DV

2011-07-01T09:29:00.000-04:00

Day 7 LW Baby Socks

2011-06-30T22:43:00.001-04:00

When our three grandkids were young, Jerry took their little socks when they got too small for them, and we have saved them in a window box.

Sketch Day 7 - SS

2011-06-30T21:33:00.000-04:00

DAY 7 - CY

2011-06-30T09:41:00.000-04:00

7 DAYS - MY RESPONSE

2011-06-30T09:27:00.001-04:00

The New Leader on an
Ice Storm damaged tree.

Partial of Farm
Vehicle sketched
at gas station.

Memory of a 'tree' swamp
as we passed by

Quick Sketches from the back seat on our way to Kingston yesterday

Door handle from inside, still
filling up the gas tank.

Cornice and Trim on
General Store while Mark
made work related calls.

On the first day, I struggled with getting started on my first drawing, indeed a challenge for me. Then thanks to input from this group, the tension was gone when I was told this was a "sketch", not the finished product. [Some of the sketches posted sure like finished products to me!]

By mid-point, everything I saw became a potential drawing, and I would mentally begin. At week's end, I'm planning to continue sketching, at least once daily.

Are you ready for another challenge?

snowbirds sketch.jpg

2011-06-30T07:03:00.000-04:00

Sketching on the fly.

The snowbirds visited, watching was exciting ,

trying to sketch them,

fast and furious.

I feel I captured some of the essence, the formation the birds that made, a heart with the smoke contrails,

( to the granddaughters request ) the red and white of the planes and the design on the wings.

All on on an envelope I found in my purse

As they zoomed past grandchildren jumping and cheering

2011-06-29T23:24:00.000-04:00

“For the birds”

I have small painted birdhouses all through my gardens. This one is actually dark purple and white, but I decided to just work in pencil and concentrate on two skills: perspective and shading.

Day 6 - DV

2011-06-29T23:19:00.000-04:00

Day 6 LW Feet

2011-06-29T22:38:00.001-04:00

Oh boy, my feet started to go numb keeping them still for so long. It was an easy subject to find though.

IMG_3739.JPG

These pictures were sent with Picasa, from Google.
Try it out here: http://picasa.google.com/

Day Six - SS

2011-06-29T16:00:00.001-04:00

The new/old lamp. I used a sketch & wash pencil, which I haven't used for ages and now wonder why I had forgotten it.

breakfast-day6.jpg

2011-06-29T11:25:00.000-04:00

Breakfast of raspberries, and coffee

, a fine way to start the day.

An inspiration.

DAY FIVE - SS

2011-06-29T09:17:00.000-04:00

Andy

This is Andy. In 1996, for Christmas presents I made 15 limited editions Raggedy Anne and Raggedy Andy dolls. Of course I kept a set for myself, whereas everyone on the list just received one. It was a fun project.

DAY SIX - LCS

2011-06-29T07:35:00.002-04:00

Add caption

This kaleidescope, is mauve in colour. The glass tube is filled with a dense clear liquid and floating in the liquid are small stars, moons, etc of different colours and a redish mixture. When the tube is held in a vertical position, the reddish mixture and stars etc slowly sink to the bottom and display brilliant zentangle like sparkly patterns. The base is made of thick glass, soldered into this shape, with clear glass sealing each end.

I forgot to anchor this. It is lying on a table, not drifting in space as it appears here.

day five - clouds

2011-06-28T22:23:00.000-04:00

This was one of those forever days with the clouds being pushed by the balmy wind.

I could have laid under that wonderful sky.

But I was doing errands and wished that I had my sketch book with me.

This was sketched with white and black charcoal on a toned paper,

I think the paper is to the green, I could have hoped for blue.

Day 5 LW Tomatoes

2011-06-28T21:31:00.002-04:00

Sometimes it isn't easy for me to find a subject. I didn't have too much trouble drawing these tomatoes but colouring them was hard for me. I think although the colours were different the values were the same. This is something I need more practice on.

DAY 5 - DV

2011-06-28T20:58:00.000-04:00

Day 4 - CY

2011-06-28T20:11:00.000-04:00

DAY FIVE - LCS

2011-06-28T13:37:00.001-04:00

Last Night we went to D & G's ballgame and I had this terrible urge to
take pencil and pad to sketch some 'action' - in public! The urge
quickly abated.

M, T and T arrived around 11 p.m. and this morning I sketched T while
he was unaware. The sketch is okay but it does not resemble T very
much.

Sketch #2

2011-06-28T12:05:00.001-04:00

This is sketch #2 titled "Our Winter Love."

Day 4 LW Perchanck's Pots

2011-06-27T23:26:00.000-04:00

Perchanck's Pots

I purchased the pitcher at a SAW sale over 15 years ago. The taller vase I purchased two years ago at a garage sale. They are both a nice blue colour and I love them. I also started the sketch too high in the page so had to shorten the vase.

DAY FOUR - DV

2011-06-27T22:32:00.001-04:00

This morning I talked via Skype to my cousin Jaja (Yaya ) who created
this piece.
While i chatted with her I drew one of her creations.
I used a pencil and I did it in one hour. We had a nice conversation.
DV

day4 - Impatiens

2011-06-27T20:20:00.000-04:00

I drew the impatiens on my porch, it has beautiful pinkish shades.

It is funny how this time I noticed that the individual petals all make heart shapes.

Day 4 - SS

2011-06-27T20:17:00.001-04:00

Not a happy camper with this one. Watercolour Pencils with a flower.

Now I am really away from my comfort zone. Oh well, my comfort zone used to be uncomfortable too.

day 3 - RV

2011-06-27T08:52:00.001-04:00

In The Cupboard

I pulled out a bowl and the bowls settled into a flurry. How interesting.
Most of the dishes are white and of course while I am standing there drawing someone wants a plate.
I shooed them away till I was finished.
I found it a bit difficult to portray white on white, plus the shine on white, two plates are blue and one is yellow with chips.
The rest are white.I hope you may be able to tell which ones.

DAY FOUR - LCS

2011-06-27T07:32:00.001-04:00

This little gem would be so much better in colour and placed in a
brighter area. It is a music box and plays "Love Me Tender"

I stood to sketch. Do you?

DAY THREE - CY

2011-06-26T22:09:00.006-04:00

Oil and Spice Bottle

Sepia Ink and Watercolour Pencil

DAY TWO - MB

2011-06-26T22:07:00.002-04:00

Fantasy Portrait on a Beach

DAY ONE - MB

2011-06-26T22:05:00.002-04:00

Friday's Sketch

I got so frustrated with my computer yesterday, I gave up trying to make it work.

I felt better after I sketched a fantasy portrait on a beach.

Friday's sketch was to help with a painting I am doing.

It took me forever to scan this.

DAY THREE - LW

2011-06-26T16:45:00.005-04:00

Here is my drawing for today. I think I bit off more that I could chew as there was alot to draw!! It was only 21 C out but the sun felt alot hotter than that and I couldn't stay as long as I needed.

DAY THREE - SS

2011-06-26T14:23:00.000-04:00

One Sole.
Pencil - SS

Good time to try different things. My passion has always been to draw animals, but came out of my box and used the running shoes that walk them. Well one running shoe.

DAY THREE - DV

2011-06-26T11:31:00.000-04:00

I drew these raspberries before I ate them this morning.

Not an easy fruit to sketch. I used Sharpie permanent markers.

I am trying to keep it in about 20 mins. range timewise.

DAY THREE - LCS

2011-06-26T07:27:00.003-04:00

2 benches together
Pitt artist pen - lcs

Here is a quick sketch. I am still using the Faber Castell PITT
artist pen. It has a brush like tip, is Indian Ink - waterproof -
maximum light fastness. Somewhat forgiving for sketching as it blends well.

These items are on a bench outside the back entrance to the cottage. The pot has herbs, jalapenos, and baby tomatoes.
The yield is minimal.

Those funny things in the centre of the bench are quartz rocks!

DAY TWO - DV

2011-06-26T07:19:00.000-04:00

John

I was attending Saturday's Life drawing at Shawn's place. Our model was John. He is a good model.

We held two poses for the day ( first we started with 10 two minute ones).
The session ran from 11am till 2pm

This pose was his 2nd one and it took me 50 minutes to do it.
I used a "Micron" pen with brown ink and a document pen with black ink.

... it is hard to draw a man. Much more challenging than a woman.

DAY TWO - LCS

2011-06-26T06:53:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I use these while waiting for
dial up downloads

Some might argue that this is a doodle. Nope! I looked at theobjects and tried visually to get the relationships and angles/curves
onto paper.
No intention originally for this to be my day two, but well, here it is.

DAY TWO - CY

2011-06-26T06:47:00.002-04:00

DAY TWO - LW

2011-06-26T06:33:00.002-04:00

Love

After shopping in London all day it was a real challenge to sketch
tonight so I chose an easy subject.

Tomorrow I will work harder.

DAY TWO - RV

2011-06-25T19:05:00.001-04:00

RV says...

Here is Watermelons & lemons. Two of my favourite fruits.

I enjoyed the exercise.

DAY TWO - SS

2011-06-25T18:51:00.000-04:00

SS says......since signing up to this sketch a day, it [drawing] is taking priority. My dogs do look quite annoyed when they see me with sketchbook in hand. Jake was relaxing on the back of the couch and caught me trying to quickly capture him sleeping. Hence the second sketch and I don't want to even think about the language he may have
been thinking when he turned around.

7 DAY CHALLENGE - Day One

2011-06-24T11:25:00.006-04:00

Today is the first day of the "7- last-days-of-the-month Sketching Challenge".

With your preferred drawing tool - charcoal, conte, pencil, , paintbrush, marker, etc., complete one sketch each day of a still life, landscape or figure/face.

And the first sketches are in.............

Gang of Garlic
Pencil
LW

Still Life - Pencil
Drawn in 20 minutes by DV
She says she has had plenty of practice
drawing African Violets.

From a Photograph - Pencil. A quick sketch.
Too cute!
SS

Landscape, Pencil
CV
I know this is CV's deck and backyard, a special place.

Ceramic Chick + Fish Pencil Sharpener
Fine and Ultra Fine Point Markers & PITT artist pen - lcs
I found it difficult to get the chicken shape right.
ps Do not use a fine point marker do sketch with!

A Summer Place
pencil & chalk pastel
by VK
Aided by the words of a song, this is a made up image.
ps Do not erase when the paper is still wet.

GOING FOR BAROQUE - SLC

2011-06-20T10:27:00.000-04:00

This course: ARTS 6002 541/ARTS 6004 540/GENI 2500 501 - Going for Baroque, is a go. Begins July 4th at St Lawrence College, Brockville.

My Supply List arrived Friday and today, I am going to be checking out my paints, brushes, etc.

On the first day, we will get an introduction the the Baroque period and also discuss Caravaggio in particular. On Tuesday, we will travel by bus to the Gallery in Ottawa to view the Baroque and Carabaggio paintings exhibited there. On Wednesday, we begin to paint - from a still life set up by the instructor and also a still life or a figure/face of our choice.

Colours:

Transparent: Ultramarine blue, Hansa Yellow, Magenta, Pthalo Green, Pthalo Blue (optional), Cobalt or Dioxazine Violet

Semi-Transparent: Raw Umber, Black optional

Opaque: Cerulean blue, Cadmium yellow hue, Cadmium red hue, Titanium white, Green (a bright emerald green), Cadmium orange hue

Acrylic Glazing Medium/Retarder

Canvass:

2 - 1 large canvas, 24 x 30 or larger, minimum size 16 x 20, both primed with gesso

3 small canvases - dollar store okay, primed with gesso

Seems it would be a good idea to do a bit of sketching to get "in artsy shape" for this course.

Reference Website: http://www.caravaggio.com/

lcs

A Gift for the Music Teacher

2011-06-02T00:46:00.001-04:00

This project is finished. More realistic than the cartooned equivalent, these seven paintings on a 36 x 6" canvas represent the music scale... c d e f g a b. - a gift from my grandson to his teacher.

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #31

2011-06-01T17:48:00.001-04:00

And so this experiment comes to an end. What a difference it has made, awareness of things around me, of colour, and shape. Some paintings took a long time to execute and others simply slid onto the canvas. Some of the paintings were a chore, other times a delight to paint. And I was fooled by the latter, thinking 'by jove, I've got it' only to struggle once more with another painting the next day. I already knew that my favourite drawing tool was conte, so there should have been no surprise to learn anew that it is easier for me to draw with the brush rather than with a pencil.

And so, a brush drawing for this 31st Painting a Day in May:

Fireman

Acrylic 6 x6"

Brush Drawn

This fireman is a part of a 6 x 36" canvas that is being prepared for my grandson's music teacher.
The completed canvas will be revealed soon.

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #29 and #30

2011-05-30T22:28:00.000-04:00

No paint today. Two rough sketches.

Little Chick discovers his feet.

A Femaile Elk

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #28

2011-05-28T23:02:00.000-04:00

There is no painting #26 or #27. All things conspired against the possibility of painting for the past few days

Today, the painting is for my grandaughter's birthday and it will accompany a large bag full of crafty goodies to get her creating her four year old masterpieces.

A crafty Artist's Apron
Acrylic and GAC 800
May 28th

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #24

2011-05-25T17:30:00.003-04:00

London Bridge
Acrylic 5 x 7"
May 24th

Paint Used: Golden Quinacridone Burnt Orange; Napthal Red Medium, and Manganese Blue Hue

This painting is from an earlier sketch found in my sketchbook.
This is a view from tour boat as it passed under the London Bridge, England.

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #25

2011-05-25T17:19:00.005-04:00

A larger canvas today.
This painting is on a 16 x 20" canvas which had the background already painted.

An experiment of glass with yellows - no still life/model.

All Bottled Up
Acrylic 16 x20"
May 25th

Paints Used: Golden: Quinacridone Gold; Hansa Yellow Light; Hansa Yellow Medium; Diarylide Yellow; Raw Sienna; Iridescent Bright Gold (Fine) and Tri Art Nickel Azo Yellow

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #23

2011-05-24T08:13:00.000-04:00

A Barn and some Outbuildings for Painting #23

Barn and Outbuildings
Acrylic 5 x 7"
May 23rd

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #21 and #22

2011-05-23T23:04:00.001-04:00

Below are two paintings created on the holiday weekend
The first is a continuous drawing, the pencil not lifted from the paper until the design was complete. Colour was then added.

Seated by the Window
Acrylic 4 x 2.5"
May 21st

This little painting got darker than I would have liked though it appears okay on the screen.
I am tiring of working on a small canvas.

Reflections Lakeside
Acrylic 5 x 7"
May 22nd

Lorna

quote: GEORGIA O'KEEFE

2011-05-23T08:40:00.002-04:00

"Objective painting is not good painting unless it

is good in the abstract sense.

A hill or tree cannot make a good painting just

because it is a hill or a tree.

It is lines and colors put together so that

they may say something"

Georgia O'Keefe

How to Paint a TREE - Video - About.com

2011-05-21T16:53:00.028-04:00

To view the video, and/or to read the transcript of the video, click on the title above.

Ethan Herrington, a Plein Air Painter from Seattle, presents this About.com Tutorial.

Click Here to
Compare Ethan's method with that of Russ Bonin's, video posted on this blog May 17th.

BONIN ABSTRACT TREE

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #19 & #20

2011-05-19T22:24:00.002-04:00

Yellow Hill with Lake
Acrylic 5x7"
May 19th

A bit of Abstraction.
A Busy Day today....painting group, meeting with old friend, pick up a painting, attend Gallery Lambon [Judith and Norman Alix Gallery] Art and Ideas program. Interesting presentation which will be explored in the future. Also looked over the Student work on the gallery walls. Excellent!
Colurs used: Golden Fluid Acrylic Hansa Yellow Medium; Liquitex Soft Body Acrylic Cobalt Blue Hue.

From frivolous to an attempt at making acrylic work like watercolour paint. Some good stuff, some could be better. Little less time for painting this holiday weekend.

Sunset among the islands.
Acrylic on Paper 4 x 6*
May 20th

Colours Used: Golden Fluid Acrylic Hansa Yellow Medium and Naphthol Red Medium; Liquitex Soft Body Acrylic Cobalt Blue Hue

Lorna

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #18

2011-05-18T21:21:00.003-04:00

A fall back on my favourite subject. Bass Lake with a cloudy pink sky.
This one is darker than I'd like but still pretty true to the spectacle we saw one summer evening.

Lorna

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #16 and #17

2011-05-17T22:10:00.002-04:00

Discarded Paintings of May 16th

More than one painting yesterday, but none deemed satisfactory and they were all gessoed out.

Busy In the Village
Pencil, Pen and Acrylic Wash 5x7"
May 17th

This morning I awoke with sore throat and fever and for a while spent some time with pencil and paper.

This is the first day in May when the only painting that was done was to give colour to this morning's sketch - shown above.

Lorna

RUSSEL BONIN - WORKSHOP in June at Gallery Lambton

2011-05-17T18:34:00.001-04:00

Workshop with Russ Bonin: Coming to Gallery Lambton in June

RUSS BONIN WEBSITE

Check out his video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Lde6h8UD6w&feature=youtube_gdata_player

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #15

2011-05-15T15:13:00.002-04:00

Conkle Lake, BC
5 x 7"
May 15th

Drawing/painting with a brush directly onto the canvas seems to work best for me. As soon as I try to get the lines just right or the colour, there is a tightness, and not a very painterly result. Is this common?

Today's painting was done with acrlyic paint and a brush as the drawing tools. The scene is of Conkle Lake in British Columbia, from our photo taken over twenty years ago. I decided the painting would be in monotone and used Burnt Sienna. I am pleased with the outcome and memories came flooding back as I painted.

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #14

2011-05-15T08:43:00.002-04:00

The Barn through a Window
Acrylic 5 x 7 "
May 14th

Dance in Red
Acrylic 5 x 7"
May 14th

Two paintings, squeaked in before midnight. Not to be a permanent change in the daily painting for May challenge.

Lorna

RUSSIAN ARTISTS - REPIN, and Others

2011-05-14T09:59:00.007-04:00

THE LETTER WRITER
(By Professor Repin)

CASSELL'S FAMILY MAGAZINE, Illustrated.

CASSELL AND COMPANY, LIMITED

LONDON, PARIS & MELBOURNE

1896

PICTURES FROM RUSSIAN STUDIOS

This account of the artist Repin is taken from pages 26 and 28, of an article in this magazine written by Arthur Fish. Interspersed in this article, beginning on page 22, are pictures by Repin and a few other Russian artists. Pages 23 and 24 are missing. The book no longer has its covers and comes from my grandfather's house.

PROFESSOR REPIN
(From a photograph by
Denier, St. Petersburg.)

"Ilya Jefimowitsch Repin has had an extraordinary career. He is no product of masters of schools; the artistic spirit was born within him, and, spite of uncongenial surroundings, has forced him into the prominence that all true genius deserves. He was born in 1844 in a Cossack village in the South of Russia, his father being a soldier, and his mother the village schoolmistress. Always sickly in constitution he became the playmate of his sister and her friends. His parents were poor and early education was scanty - such of it as he had being obtained from his mother. As soon as he was old enougt to handle scissors he began to give expression in the promptings of his artistic genius by cutting out forms of men, animals, and flowers in paper, which were pasted on to the window panes. After being under his mother's tuition for some time, he was sent to finish his schooling under the village sacristan, and later still to a military topographical school. He drew pictures to amuse his sister, and once constructed a horse out of wire, moulded its body in wax, and, with some wool for the mane and tail formed a fair representation of the animal. In his twelfth year he painted portraits of all he could persuade to sit to him, in water-colours or sketched them in crayon, and his works were acknowledged successes. Without a teacher or help of any kind, he persisted in his efforts - always dissatisfied, always yearning for improvement. Copies were made of every picture or print which came in his way, until when he was thirteen years of age, a painter of religious pictures, more artisan than artist, who lived nearby, took him under his care and gave him systematic lessons in drawing. He made such rapid progress that at sixteen he was earning his living by portrait painting and the decorating of churches. He was employed by a firm of altar-decorators, and travelled in the surrounding districts, working hard, and for not a particularly large salary.

COUNT TOLSTOI AT HOME
(By Professor Repin.)

After many vicissitudes, he at length obtained a sum sufficiently large tro allow him to fulfil the long-desired ambition of going to St. Petersburg, and on November 1st, 1863, he stood at the door of the Academy of Fine Arts in that city, friendless and alone, his only possessions a few sketches and fifty roubles.

'And that 1st of November I consider the most eventlful day of my life, and shall always specially observe its anniversaries, for on that day I emerged from the darkness into the light of a new life." So Repin speaks himself. In less that twenty years from that time he had acquired fame and position as an artist. It was a severe struggle for he would take nothing but instruction from the Academy, and in 1869, having finished the course, he had a record of five medals against his name. In 1871 he gained the gold medal and a travelling scholarship for six years for his picture, "The Daughter of Jairus." The time was well spent.

First he went through his own country, a journey down the Volga giving him material for several of his best pictures. From thence he went to Munich, Florence, Rome, Naples, and Paris. But in 1876, before his term was expired, the hunger for the beloved scenes of Russia was too strong to be longer resisted. He turned his face homewards, his sketch-books filled to repletion with scenes of his travels, his experience widened, his art broadened, expanded, and invigorated.

He painted picture after picture, which brought him fame in Russia and other countries; he portrayed the celebrities of his nation, and achieved great success. In 1892 was painted "The Letter-Writer," a work of immense force - indeed, it is his masterpiece.

THE EXAMINATION
(By Professor Repin.)

Repin is now Professor and a Companion of the Council of the Imperial Academy but not an official of the ordinary Russian type. A friend of Tolstoi could hardly be this. He is burning with a high hope of reforming the art institutions of his country; he desires to help on the aspirations of the young artists of his nation until the time shall come when Russian art shall occupy a worthy position among that of other European countries."

Other Russian Artists' work included in this article:

CHARGE OF THE 48TH DRAGOONS (RUSSIAN MANOEUVRES).
(By I.P. Pranishn koff.)

LOVE AT THE FAIR
(By N. Jaroschenko.)

TEMPTATION
(By M.V. Moloff.)

AUTUMN
(By K. Kazanovska.)

THE QUARREL
(By V.A. Golynski.)

Lorna

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #12 AND #13

2011-05-13T22:43:00.001-04:00

A Still Life featuring my keys is painting #12.
Painting #13 is also a Still Life, this time of a bag, made by a cousin.
For both paintings, the drawing was done with a brush and paint.

Have You Seen My Keys?
Acrylic 5x7"
May 12th

A playful bag.
Acrylic 5x7"
May 13th

Paint used: Gesso white, Gesso black, Cobalt Blue Hue, Titanium White, Pyrrole Red Light, Raw Sienna

Lorna

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #11

2011-05-11T22:49:00.000-04:00

This 11th painting looks pretty simple but it took hours to complete. The reference photo is of a portion of a Detroit building seen from the highway, taken from a moving car some years ago. I was looking for patterns in ordinary every day things and the photo has appeal but this painting result is not as satisfying.

I am no Rothko.

Pattern in a Building
Acrylic 5x7"
May 11th

Paint used: Quinacridone Red, Prussian Blue Hue, Cobalt Blue Hue, Titan Buff

Lorna

PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #10

2011-05-10T16:58:00.000-04:00

Today's painting is made up from a variety of country scenes viewed over the years. The Acrylic paint used: Quinacridone Red, Quinacridone Gold, Titanium White, Cobalt Blue Hue, Prussion Blue Hue.

Farm Buildings Acrylic 5x7"
Painting a Day
May 10th

Lorna

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #9

2011-05-09T20:47:00.001-04:00

Todays's Painting #9

Fantasy Flowers with Blue
Acrylic 5x&'
May 9th

Colours used today:
Quinacridone Gold, Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Titanium White, Prussion Blue Hue

Lorna

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #7 and #8

2011-05-08T09:52:00.004-04:00

Ah, the weekend, and it is harder to stick to the task of 'a painting a day', however, it has been done.

The paint used for both # 7 and #8 : Hansa Yellow Medium, Titanium White, Cobalt Blue Hue, Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Pyrrole Red Light.

#7 The Cabin in the woods. This one seemed rather easy as the outline drawing came together without much difficulty. The painting was a different matter. Here it is in an unfinished state, added to the May paintings.

Cabin in the Woods Acrylic 5x7"

#8 A Landscape in my mind. Another struggle. This one morphed from a mountain scape to a landscape and the light streaming across the landscape needs more attention but I am done.

Country Road Acrylic 5x7"

These two paintings did make me wonder if I would continue the painting-a-day-in-May project but perseverance won out. The one of the cabin was inspired by a photo given to me by friends and thinking it might give them a bit of fun to see it, I sent it by email. The next morning I received a phone call full of delight, and how the painting reminded them of their Thanksgiving at this very cabin. Ahhhh, so nice!
They shall own the painting next week.

Lorna

PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #6

2011-05-06T07:52:00.004-04:00

Again the same colours are used for this painting.

This painting istaken from a part of a larger painting which was done at a recent workshop.

Re-shaped geometrically, makes the 'trees' appear as mountains.

Lorna

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #5

2011-05-05T12:55:00.002-04:00

This painting is from a picture of the old cogs in the pump house in Sussex, England.
It has an abstract look and uses the same four colours used in the previous four paintings.

Lorna

A PAINTING A DAY IN MAY #4

2011-05-04T08:57:00.002-04:00

Using the same four Acrylic colours .....

Bass Lake in Winter

Lorna

PAINTING A DAY IN MAY 1-3

2011-05-03T22:23:00.003-04:00

For these first Three paintings I used Titanium Buff, Quinacridone Gold, Turquoise Pthalo, and a touch of Quinacridone Red for the hair.

Lorna

PHOTOGRAPH 1893

2011-05-02T22:26:00.002-04:00

Old Photograph: dated 3 September 1893

Photographer: J.C. Hooker, Landscape Photographer, Lewiston, N.Y.

Writing in Ink: View of Queenston from Old Bridge Tower on American Side river - showing Electric road - Bridge Cable, etc., looking West - Sept. 3/93

View of Queenston [Canada] from old Bridge Tower on American side.

Writing in Ink on back at top.
See above.

WORKSHOP: LAWREN HARRIS: MYSTICISM AND ABSTRACTION

2011-05-01T09:44:00.009-04:00

First Choose ONE photograph.

The Selected Reference Photo: Sunset Reflected on the clouds to the east and then onto the surface of the lake.

Weather Report: It was the evening, friends and family were sitting on the dock, enjoying the end of the summer day, when someone noticed a pinkish hue on the fluffy clouds hovering above us and to the east. We watched as the reflection - not yet verabalised - grew deeper and deeper in colour and its reflection spread across the lake toward the dock we sat on. Then a flurry of activity and the camera owners flew about getting their cameras and taking photos with an urgency, heightened by disbelief that such a thing was happening, was real.

Tis true there are many brilliant and colourful sunsets, but this was our first experience of the double reflection. The canoe was untied from the dock and a paddler and a photographer headed out to the middle of the lake where they were able to see and photograph the full sunset to the west reflected across the lake from that direction as well as the reflected sunset on the clouds and from the clouds to the lake in the east.

Beautiful. Mystical.

My Four Paintings: Projects 1 to 4: [1]Shapes from the Reference Photo; [2]Same Shapes Geometrically; [3]Same Geometric Shapes applied to the canvas in different location; [4]the essence of my experience in shape and colour.

What a great weekend this has been. Andrea arrived late afternoon on Friday and after settling in and dinner, we headed off to the Kinsmen Centre to organize for the Workshop. This night was a lecture and slide show about Lawren Harris. We heard about Lawren Harris as an individual in his time, as an artist, about his growth artistically, from realistic, naturalistic paintings to mystical and meaning-full abstraction.

Simply put, it is about shape and about colour, it is about your choice of shape and of colour, your feelings about what you see and experience, and the shapes and colours that express that for you.

Thanks to Andrea and to SAW!

ART, What is it?

2011-04-27T11:32:00.002-04:00

What is your answer to this question?

Check out this video from You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZXOL-HUfWM

NON-OBJECTIVE, ACRYLIC and MIXED MEDIA

2011-04-25T18:57:00.006-04:00

Home again from the sunny south and ready to paint.

VAIN OF GOLD, 9 x 7", Mixed Media

I began the day preparing six small canvases for the upcoming workshop. There is still another coat of Gesso required before they are ready. This was the catalyst that started my painting/creating.

I applied paint to two small canvases that have sat unfinished for some time. The first, the non-objective one, is finished.

I began with a thin coat of Quinacridone Gold over the whole canvas. Still a favourite colour and still miraculously not dried out. I purchased a 6 oz bottle of this acrylic paint at Cheap Joes at least eight years ago and since this colour is no longer available, I tend to use it sparingly.

Next, I crumpled up some gold foil and using gel adhered it to the canvas along one side, originally the bottom, now the left side. A bit of birch bark was also adhered with gel, just off centre near the top. This was overlaid with cheesecloth. Molding paste, applied using a serrated plastic knife also held down the cheesecloth at some of its edges and added texture and swirled parallel lines. Pieces of a white paper doily were gelled below the birch bark.

Using a permanent black marker, a line was drawn from the then upper left to the right of the canvas centre and then curved to the bottom edge. Another line coming from the centre stretched to the upper right and off the canvas.

An application of 'dots' using plastic bubble wrap was made to the right of these lines at centre. Three large black E's [Letraset] were gelled onto the top left corner area and a fourth was gelled just below the centre of the canvas.

I was not pleased with the black lines and began to cover them up, first by appying soft gel to the lines in different areas and dropping Decorative Gravel, small and large sizes, into the gel. When the gel dried, some of these were painted over with quin gold, brass and gold paint.

Where the lines still could be seen, an addition of Pthalo Green (Blue Shade) was applied, mixed on the canvas with Quin Gold and with water at various places. The permanent marker was again used to highlight some areas of line.

SAVANNAH II

2011-04-21T13:54:00.000-04:00

TELFAIR ART MUSEUM, Savannah, Georgia

Information: Telfair Art Museum

BEAUTIFUL IRON GATE: SAVANNAH

Additional works may be seen here.

This house is not in the Historical Centre of Savannah, but sits just on the edge. The Tour Director was not pleased with the bright coats of paint on this house. Are you?

COLOURFUL HOUSE SEEN ON OUR TOUR OF SAVANNAH:

Take Your Own Personal Tour of Savannah ........... Historic Savannah

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SAVANNAH

2011-04-20T21:04:00.006-04:00

We left the condo around 8 a.m. and headed in to Savannah, arriving before 9 a.m., found a place to park the car downtown and started walking toward the riverside. The first building to catch my eye was the Savannah College of Art and Design. [Click on this blog title to learn more about this college.] The building looks old and likely served another purpose before it was used by SCAD. A few blocks past this location, we came across the Savannah Cotton Exchange, and cobblestoned walking area. There were ancient stairs down to a lower level which we descended onto River Street. Some restaurants, a tourist shop or two and a salesman offering tickets to tour the Historic District were ready for business. To our surprise, The Market [and washrooms] were not opening until 10 a.m

Savannah College of Art and Design

Painting: http://www.scad.edu/painting/index.cfm

Sculpture: http://www.scad.edu/sculpture/index.cfm

We decided to return to the car, drive over to the Oglethorpe Trolley office, and purchase tickets for our ninety minute guided tour of the Historic District of Savannah. The day was perfect and the tour informative and enjoyable. The building below, sporting the words working class study caught my eye and I snapped this picture. More information was gleaned from the website. [See link below.]

working class studio,
a division of SCAD

http://www.workingclassstudio.com/who.php

This shop is located on River Street, and not open while we were touring that street.

The Waving Girl Bronze Statue

To learn more about the girl who inspired the making of this sculpture, fact and fiction, visit the link provided below.

http://gosoutheast.about.com/od/savannahgaattractions/a/waving_girl.htm

GUM TREE of South Carolina

2011-04-19T16:14:00.006-04:00

This black and white image, a free downloadable picture to be
coloured, is from the "Paint the
World Supercoloring" website.

Photo of Gum Tree Leaves and 'ball',
taken from D and L's balcony
at Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Click on this blog title to see images of other trees, leaves, etc., as well as the list of free 'coloring pages' that are available.

THRIFT SHOP ART #3 - ACRYLIC

2011-04-13T16:37:00.002-04:00

This painting was
found at the local
Thrift Shop this
afternoon.

Artist,
Signed.

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LW PAINTS FREESTYLE IN ACRYLIC

2011-04-13T05:11:00.002-04:00

LW paints this week

without a

reference photo!

[Image enlarged slightly blurred]

WATERCOLOUR, WRAPPED

2011-04-11T13:42:00.013-04:00

SUSSEX COAST 5 x 7" Watercolour
[When finished, self Leveling Clear Gel was applied.]

Material required:

Wood Frame
Watercolour Paper
Staples and Stapler
Soft Gel Medium
Varnish
Self Levelling Gel [optional]

WRAPPING

Dampen the Paper so it will be pliable and taut
Wrap around the frame stapling each side at the middle
Add additional staples on each side of the first staple
Fold in the Corners and staple in place.
Let the paper dry. Should be very tight.
Complete your painting

FINISHING

Carefully, lay an isolation coat* over the finished watercolour
If desired, Varnish or use Self Levelling Gel.

* Isolation Coat:

Mix 3 parts Soft Gel Medium to 2 parts Water, allowing

mixture to settle and release bubbles.

COLOURED PENCIL COLLAGE

2011-04-10T23:37:00.005-04:00

The Collage, a feature of Picasa 3, used here to display some

coloured pencil works which were created over the past few years.

PAN PASTEL

2011-04-10T00:07:00.008-04:00

Pan Pastels
applied on
Buff Coloured
paper.

Class Instructor: Sharon Stewart.

ACRYLIC SKINS

2011-04-09T11:18:00.009-04:00

Acrylic Skins applied with acrylic gel to the previously painted canvas.

The red and white shapes in the foreground were painted over with a thin layer of blue acrylic.

What are Acrylic Skins?

Acrylic paints that have dried on the palette.

How can Acrylic Skins be removed?

Carefully loosen and peel the skins from the palette using a palette knife, credit card, fingernails - whatever works.

Acrylic Skins

What can I do with Acrylic Skins?

a. Use as part of a painting.
[See application above]

b. To test whether or not a particular
colour would enhance a painting.

c. Your ideas?

See my Acrylic Skins box below.

My Acrylic Skin Box

NB: Skins should be separated with kleenex or paper towels to prevent sticking.

THRIFT STORE ART #2 - OIL PAINTING

2011-04-08T21:38:00.013-04:00

Another Oil Painting found at the Thrift Shop: 5 x 7"

Artist
signed:
Hammick

PRINT - Copyright 1901

2011-04-07T16:27:00.009-04:00

The A.F. Kern Company Chicago
Copyright 1901.

Artist: Unknown

"Won't You Sing?"

Does anyone know anything about this print?

Who might have painted the original?

On the lower right hand corner of this print is found: 954 Won't you Sing?

The photo above has been doctored digitally. The original shows its age with some creases that are almost tears, and some actual tears along the bottom edge.

LW's FIRST NON-OBJECTIVE PAINTING

2011-04-03T08:19:00.006-04:00

PAINTING'S ORIGINAL ORIENTATION

The painting session started with some hesitation but LW brushed the paper with water and while it was still glistening, added some drops of paint. The paint was moved around the paper using a large brush.

Contrast was added by dropping blue ink onto the still wet paper. Watching it spread was rather exciting however, it became obvious soon enough that the large dark centres where the ink first touched the paper were going to be a problem. Bullseyes!

Gesso, to the rescue, dropped onto the paper, mixed and moved around. Voila!

Which view do you prefer?

Plein air painting tips and images from Canada plein aire locations

2011-04-02T12:14:00.002-04:00

To see YouTube video featuring Plein Air Painting Tips and Images from Canadian locations, click on this blog's title.

OIL PAINTING - EN PLEIN AIR - JULY 18-23

2011-04-02T09:23:00.010-04:00

Thousand Islands Summer School of the Arts

St Lawrence College, Brockville Campus.

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OIL PAINTING EN PLEIN AIR: Week 3: July 18-23
with Instructor John Climenhage

Students will explore the methods and theories of oil painting on location. Everything from two-point perspective to palette care will be discussed during this intense and exciting five day workshop. Students will create a series of small oil paintings in the tradition and style of the Group of Seven on wood panels in a vigorous wet on wet painting technique. Come on outside and have some fun!

Instructor: John Climenhage

BIO:
Born in Brockville, Ontario in 1968, John Climenhage has been painting, teaching and exhibiting throughout Canada and the U.S. since 1989. He apprenticed in Victoria with acclaimed oil painter Jim Gordaneer from 1994-1999. He has a broad knowledge of art history which he references in both his landscapes and abstract works. His paintings incorporate theories of quantum physics and existential philosophies in a two dimensional field upon which the painting occurs as an event.

*** John was painting at the Blue Jays Ball game on Sunday April 3rd, just behind the Blue Jay dugout and captured by the TV Camera, which zoomed in on him and on his work.

Click below to Register for Oil Painting En PleinAir
http://www.stlawrencecollege.ca/parttime/SummerARTSSched03.htm

For the complete Thousand Islands Summer Arts Program
for 2011, click on this blog title.

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RENDERING REALISTIC TREES #5 - SHADOWS

2011-04-01T15:44:00.009-04:00

BRANCHES
Small branches go into shadow as they disappear into foliage. Darken each branch as it is lost among the leaves.

TRUNKS AND BRANCHES
Shadows cast by branches on trunks or other branches are usually quite prominent, sometimes lighter in effect than the sky beyond.

BARK differs in appearance according to the kind of light which illuminates it. Toward sundown, it often looks pink, yellow or orange in light and blue or violet in shade or shadow.

*** Pen and Ink Instruction: Drawing Bark

See SHADOW examples in Plate 65, above.
Spend some time on sketching the shadows cast by trees on the ground or on neighbouring trees and buildings. The shadow's appearance will depend not only on the shape and character of the tree itself but also on the nature of the surfaces on which it falls.

In diagram A and B, Sketch 1, illustrates failure to foreshorten a tree shadow sufficiently which causes a tipped up look, not lying flat.

The main shadow at B is elliptical in form, as is the general rule.
If we imagine a tree to be made up of several spheres as at C, we can think of its shadow as consisting roughly of a number of overlapped or interposed elliptical shadows, merging to form a single one, bounded by more or less elliptical curves. Trees are not combinations of exact spheres, of course, and their shadows always show variation of contour, but in general they do suggest elliptical origin.

Note: At 'D', the shadow values darken where the it falls on the dark surface of the grass and lightens on the lighter surface of the concrete walk.

Exercise: Lay a large sheet of paper horizontally in a position where masses of leaves in sunshine can cast their shadows, not near enough to capture the shadow of an individual leaf, and observe... What do you see?

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RENDERING REALISTIC TREES #4 - V A L U E S

2011-04-01T14:44:00.004-04:00

VALUES depend on local or natural tone, and on light, shade, and shadow.

Values due to lighting are extremely complicated for a tree as it customarily appears in full leafage, not only reveals modeling of its entire mass, but shows gradations of tone in each individual leaf and branch.

Literally, thousands of light and dark areas are visible. Obviously not all can be represented, so one needs to learn to suggest.

A good approach is to think of the typical tree as shaped like a ball or a group of balls. The normal shade area of a sphere takes something of a crescent form.

"If we think of a tree as a group of intersecting spheres, with each sphere bearing a crescent-like area of shade, the shade of the whole roughly consists of these crescents in combination, plus such shadow as one sphere may cast on another."
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However, trees are not actually so regular in mass, and seldom can shade areas be clearly defined. Sometimes it is impossible to observe definite lines of demarcation between foliage areas in light and in sun.
The essential differences of tone are best judged at some distance from the tree.

EXERCISE: PLANES
Make some sketches similar to those in the 'Analysis of Light and Shade, Example1, in order to learn how to represent the combination of local colour and light and shade in the simplest possible manner.

See how expressively you can represent trees in a single flat plane. Using any colours you wish, shape the tree profile without using an outline.

Next, try using one flat wash of colour to represent all the foliage in light and a second colour for all the foliage in shade.

Now paint some trees in three planes.A=light, B=middle, C=dark

This practice will teach you to look for the broader divisions of value rather than the less essential ones, and that trees if at quite some distance, can be suggested by simple means, represented by flat planes.
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RENDERING REALISTIC TREES #3 - SILHOUETTES

2011-04-01T13:40:00.004-04:00

One of the best ways of learning to express both tree anatomy and contour (the two are really inseparable) is by painting silhouettes in the manner shown.

Study them.

"With trees reduced to their lowest terms, we learn that intricacy of detail is not the prime requisite to their adequate representation, but that much can be expressed through attention to fundamental forms."

" MASS, IN OTHER WORDS,

IS FAR MORE VITAL THAN DETAIL "

EXERCISE:

Make silhouette drawings similar to those shown.

Work directly from Nature if possible.

Use a Brush or Coarse Pen and Black Ink or Water Media

Represent only the principal elements

You will learn that Trees vary in Basic Shape

to a surprising extent.

RENDERING REALISTIC TREES #2 - C ON S T R U C T I O N

2011-04-01T10:17:00.007-04:00

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"When we glance at a tree, its method of growth - alternation, opposition, etc. - is not always immediately evident. ...should try to discover the fundamental growth characteristics of any tree... When trees apparently fail to fit into any definite classification, it is often because they have met with a series of accidents, such as broken limbs..."

The Skeleton of an old ELM. [above]

1. Photo was taken in Winter

2. Midsummer [sketch 1]. In starting this sketch, all of the larger structure was visible. The hidden structures were omitted though their general direction was indicated. Next, the foliage masses were blocked in paying attention to direction of growth. After this light washes were applied to model the structure and separate masses of foliage.

3. Midsummer [sketch 2] taken from the identical point of view as sketch 1. This was more fully modeled and the texture of the leafage interpreted by means of both brush and pencil, the latter held flatwise.

4. A Sketch with structure ignored, exhibiting lack of proper anatomy of the tree.

The Author recommends FIELD TRIPS...
- Sketch, Observe, take Notes.
- Examine the tree up close and at a distance, noting not only its form but also its value, hue, quality of bark, etc.

Questions to ask yourself:

Is the trunk single or forked?
Straight or Curved?
Vertical or Tipped?
Is it smoothly rounded or ridged.
Do the branches point up or out or down?
Do the smaller twigs seem to merge as they terminate against the sky, or does each stand out by itself?
Are the roots exposed?
What of the value and hue of the various members?
Are the areas in light much different from those in shade?
Do some members cast shadows on others?
How dark do the shadows seem?
Does the entire skeleton exhibit any peculiarities of growth not typical of its species, as though permanently bent by sun or wind, or disfigured as by ice or neighbouring trees?

USING YOUR CAMERA...
Make a number of series of progressive photographs of typical trees, each series showing a given tree as seen from the same point at different seasons and under different lightings.

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RENDERING REALISTIC TREES #1 - G R O W T H

2011-04-01T09:13:00.009-04:00

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Notes scanned and edited from an early 1900s Architectural Book...

"With strong emphasis on Honest Outdoor Study"

G R O W T H: "... its appearance depends not only on species but on such other factors as character of soil, climate, direction and amount of prevailing wind and sunshine, and the influence of neighbouring trees, buildings, hills, etc."

HOLES THROUGH FOLIAGE: "...One of the difficulties sometimes encountered...is to make holes through masses of foliage look like holes. Too often they appear to be highlights.Any opening through the thick foliage of a tree has, as a general rule, an area of leaves either above it or beside it, which is in deep shade.

".... in representing such holes, especially through sunlit masses, it is quite common practice to edge them with dark towards the source of light."

ABOUT.COM PAINTING

2011-03-31T08:33:00.003-04:00

The About.com: Painting email arrived this morning.

The title: 6 Ways to Mix Colors / How Detailed a Sketch? was only the introduction to a page of comment on a number of items. Links abound, and will easily take away your whole morning if not the whole day, in just clicking, reading and absorbing.

The Guide to Painting, Marion Boddy-Evans, presented a conundrum she encountered in painting her diptych and asks us whether or not her second canvas painted with a different scale than the first should be altered. A new problem would be created, she thought, and asked for 'our thoughts'. In this paragraph alone, you could have clicked on 'diptych' for a description or on 'photo' to see Marion's canvas, or on 'Works-in-Progress folder in the Painting Forum'. It is this latter one that I followed. If you are interested in reading the replies, click Work in Progress

I skipped past the Ways to Mix Colors and the Sketching section in favour of exploring an interesting topic listed under 'Highlights from the Painting Forum" titled Goulash, urm Gouache, urm Gesso. [Note: this link will take you directly to the Entry. If you want to link from About.com: Painting page, click on the title of this blog.]

Goulash!?

My Friend KATE's PHOTOGRAPHY

2011-03-26T09:05:00.004-04:00

The painting of the 'Car in Cuba' that I entered in the Show at Gallery in the Grove "The Way We See It"
was taken from Kate's photo of a blue car on a street in Cuba.

Kate Wilhelm - Photographer - Guelph, Ontario

http://www.akimbo.ca/exhibitions/?id=24473
Hard Knocks - Sophie Hogan and Kate Wilhelm - March 24 – May 1, 2011 – Elora Centre for the Arts Curated by Phil Irish
People are not always what they seem – and their true identities are often the reward of struggle, belonging, and even.......
Click the link above to get the rest of this story and view Kate's Photos.

To visit KATES's GALLERY, Click on this blog's Title.

Flip through Kate's photos for this Lunenburg Calendar
http://www.redbubble.com/products/configure/2060792-calendar

This Link has a different set of Photos taken in Canada
http://www.redbubble.com/products/configure/2061204-calendar

This Link has Photos of South Africa
http://www.redbubble.com/products/configure/861345-calendar