Salt Shaker (still life)

Salt Shaker (aka model)

Today I came home from work and decided to paint a salt shaker. I know that isn’t usually what someone thinks about on a Friday evening, but I’d recently saw a great one painted by artist Craig Stephens and I thought I ‘d give it a whirl. This is my first still life attempt and I’m pretty excited because I think it came out really well.

I painted from ‘life’ (if an inanimate object can be called live). The windows are high and north facing. The photograph was with an overhead light because the light was gone by the time I finished. So this wasn’t photographed under the same light conditions that I painted by. The angle of this photo is off a bit as well.

Salt Shaker

The light is bluish on the background (its corrugated white paper from a tin of cookies). I used a palette of titanium white, ultramarine blue, cad light yellow and cad red light (just a dab of each) and raw umber. I started painting around 5:30pm and finished about 6:45pm. The surfaces is a 4×4″ gesso board.

So here it is, what do you think?

This was so much fun to paint I will probably try a few more from different angles. I got lost in just trying to accurately place the shapes (the metal cap and the salt it self). It took me a bit to figure out how to show the side of the glass at the right edge of the shaker. Although you can’t really see it in the picture, inside the neck of the shaker is a grayer version of the background. The light went as I was finishing and I didn’t realize how nice the cap came out until I stepped away to grab a paper towel.

Second Plein Aire Attempt

Cloud inspiration

It was another lovely day. On the ride home there were these huge fluffy clouds (alto cumulus?) that looked like cotton candy. I decided I’d try and paint them.

These are the type of clouds you watched build all day in New Mexico during the summer. The kind of clouds that serve as oracles and reveal fantastical shapes and stories.

I love these kind of clouds (in spite of Joni Mitchell!).

Plein Air 18 September 2008

So when I arrived at home I decided to paint them. Funny thing was they’ all drifted off and morphed into these slightly fluffy loose clouds. So I decided to paint them anyway.

I painted this on a 4×4″ toned gesso board. For some reason the cannon won’t take a good picture of this so I apologize in advance.

Although I was close to home it’s a totally valid plein aire since the mosquitos chewed on me nonstop.

The clouds rolled past and I did the best I could. There are magnolia trees to the right and I did what I could with them. I think it’s an improvement on the first plein aire and I think I nailed the roofline and the dormer. I wanted to paint a gorgeous loose cloud and I think I did ok.

Cloud Close Up

Here is a close up of the clouds. I really liked how they turned out, but the colors kept changing.

I will try to retake these pictures under natural light once the paint dries a bit.

I also learned why some folks love and some hate winsor newton’s cremmitz

Totally off topic

Linked below is a youtube of Pavarotti and Bono singing Ave Maria (live) it’s actually wonderful.

While you’re at it check these next two out, talk about a great juxtaposition!

And finally, one of my favorite opera songs, (after Sull’Aria)

George Washington Parkway and Painting

Potomac River

Tonight, after work I decided to go for a nice bike ride. I rode down to the George Washington Parkway which is easily accessible from Rosslyn to Mount Vernon Virginia. I hit the GW later than I wanted, but the weather was so beautiful for a ride it didn’t matter. I only cycled about 14-17 miles; it was heaven.

The mud flats along the edge of the Potomac River were exposed and the herons, egrets (large and smaller ones) and gulls were everywhere. It was so beautiful. If you click on the picture you can (I hope) see the great heron that was feeding.

And Painting…

Next Friday classes start again and I am itching for them! Robert Liberace will be teaching oil painting in the evening session. I haven’t painted since the workshop in Marshfield, MA in August. I have kept a bit of a hand in things by continuing to draw and to work on my silverpoint. I am starting to plan for Ireland next year. Robert Liberace is going there for two weeks to host a workshop. I don’t know if it’s primarily plein aire (in which case I would be a baseline beginner) or figure or both. Either way I am really excited about it. Sounds like several friends from class might attend as well.

This past weekend Alexandria hosted an art festival. Most of the work was, um different (martini glasses with rhinestones glued to the surface, photos on canvas, some intresting acrylic work with tons of modelling paste). Jewelry and some kinetic sculpture as well as acrylic sculptures with bands of ribbons of colored acrylic or well ribbon. Most was very different and unusual.

The highlight of the art festival was seeing David Oleski’s work. Last time I saw his work in person was when he was carried by a gallery on King Street (its now closed)…I loved that gallery-it was like visiting a museum of Jacob Collins’ students from the Water Street Atelier. Amy from the Principle Gallery told me that a lot of his student’s had work at the gallery (so it wasn’t just me thinking that). Oh if only I’d purchased some of those works then, It makes my inner collector weep.

ETC…

“You need a room with no view so imagination can meet memory in the dark.” Annie Dillard, from The writing Life.

I emailed a friend this quote, he loves Annie’s work and I thought he’d would enjoy it. I found it in one of Robert Genn’s Twice Weekly Letters. I had also forwarded him a copy Mr. Genn’s letter so he could read it. In that particular letter, Robert Genn mentions telling his students to paint at least 100 paintings and then talk to him.

The talk to me after a hundred paintings quip made me laugh. I knew a painter who’d been told this as a student. It incensed him and even today he still gets upset when he relates that story. He’s a good artist but I wonder where things would have gone had he followed through…the road less traveled.

I always thought being told to do a task and return when finished was a way for a teacher to figure out if you were serious about learning. It’s a way to separate the men from the boys (so to speak). If you’re serious about art, you will paint and the painting teaches you.

So my quandary, I want to paint more, but my condo is small and the only two places to paint are in the living room right next to my kitchen or in the bedroom. Neither are ideal since many of the components in oil paints are toxic I am limiting my art to things that are safe to have in the living area. If I am going to be serious about painting and learning how to paint, I need to be painting.

The other problem I am have (which isn’t helping) is that I am frustrated. I know what I see but I still feel like I don’t know the process that allows me to build the paint background/structure that lets me make that mark to look that way. I watch Duane Keiser’s videos online, watch Rob’s demos and I sometimes think I know where they are going but I can’t seem to get there. Maybe I start with the end insight instead of realizing that it’s a process (that may or may not work) but may change. Or maybe I am just thinking too much -instead of painting. I think even a terrible painting can teach you something.

Pentagon Memorial Dedication, September 11, 2008

Flag on the Pentagon

Today I attended the Pentagon Memorial Dedication. Seven years ago today, 184 souls lives were ended when terrorists hijacked flight 77 out of Dulles Airport in Virginia. That plane was flown into the Pentagon and impacted the building at 9:37 EST. One Hundred and eighty seven lives ended in a moment.

It was a solemn time, there were moments when all you felt like your heart was breaking and all you could do was cry a bit.

Air Force Singing Sergeants

The gates opened at 6:20am. Once seated I just thought about the day, where I was when I’d heard the news and how it affected me. Although I am not much of a praying person, I prayed for the families of not just the 184 victims who died here, but for the victims and the families of those who perished in a field in Pennsylvania and those at the World Trade Towers in New York City.

Dedication Ceremony

Eventually several of the services bands performed wonderful quiet music. The Air Force Band played numerous instrumental pieces, the Navy and Marine Corps chorus’ sang as well as the Air force Singing Sergeants and a sweet group of middle school children. The Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Mr. Gordon England opened the ceremony with a wonderful speech.

The Deputy Secretary of Defense spoke about four of the victims. The one that really hit me was a young 11 year-old child who’d been selected by his teacher to attend a trip to California.

Capt Robert E Dolan Jr, USN tribute

There were several husbands and wives who died and one family (the parents and tow children) how did their families cope?

There were speeches by numerous luminaries including, the Former Secretary of Defense Mr. Rumsfeld, The Joints Chief of Staff, Admiral Mullen and the current Secretary of State, the Honorable Mr. Robert Gates.

President Bush addressed the audience and I thought he did well. He kept the focus on the events of 9-11 and the actions of the Pentagon military and civilian personnel as well as the first responders from northern Virginia.

Robert Speisman tribute

President Bush spoke of the leadership of Mr. Rumsfeld and called him a first responder. Although I would normally view that statement slightly askance, one of the victim’s brothers talked about meeting Mr. and Mrs. Rumsfeld on September 12th and spoke of how unfailingly kind they both were to him his entire family.

More music, some prayer by the Senate Chaplain and then President Bush went into the crowd to spend time with the families.

Tribute for one of the children

The memorial was beautiful I think the benches are arresting and symbolic but I don’t think they are beautiful. Perhaps its best that they aren’t, since one of the functions of a memorial is to remind us of terrible events, to warn us, and to give us the hope that with vigilance future tragedy can be prevented or mitigated.

Each of the victims has their name engraved on a bench and the benches are aligned along the final fight path of Flight 77. At the open end of each bench is the name of a victim. Under the benches are shallow reflecting pools I believe it will be beautiful at night.

Walking through the memorial and reading the tributes left could break your heart. Besides the stuffed animals left at the benches for the children some of the tributes were gut-wrenching.

Petagon Memorial

All in all the Pentagon Memorial is a fitting tribute to the one hundred and eighty four men, women and children who perished that day at the Pentagon. And, as the last line states, we will never forget.

Political Satire for the 2008 Elections

Agree with his politics or not, you have to admit that the group of energetic folks involved with the Obama-Biden campaign are amazing.

One of my favorite videos from YouTube is the “Yes He Can”

This was almost immediately lampooned in the “John He Is” Video. I think the way they lampooned the first one is absolutely brillant, then add the actor’s reactions to what they are hearing or reading and it’s pretty funny. Talk about being haunted by your own words.

This video is one of the funniest YouTube videos being circulated. This shows Senator McCain (alledgely) ‘checking out’ Gov. Palin while they were speaking together in Dayton OH. Oh dear. One wonder’s what the bulldog’s reaction to this was.

I plan on scoping out a few more and posting them here later this evening.

Here is a link to the Saturday night opening that spoofed Palin and Clinton discussing sexism and politics.

Update on Duane Keiser’s Oddment Blog

Krispy Kreme by Duane Keiser, 60x60

Artist Duane Keiser seems to enjoy working with extremes. Sometimes he will render a krispie kreme doughnut or other edible snack in his standard Painting a Day (PAD) postcard size of 3″x5″ and sometimes, well he gets a tad bit carried away.

Note: In case you didn’t know a Krispy Kreme doughnut is a glazed doughnut and slice of nirvana for the uninitiated.

I love this picture for several reasons beyond the painting itself, I love that fact that you can see that the doughnut was painted from life since a doughnut is off to the side on the lid of it’s white box. Duane told me that this painting sold the first day he posted it to his blog. It made me very happy for whomever was lucky enough to own this wonderful piece of art.

Garlic Oddment, By Duane Keiser

Ok, so for the update. Duane loves working very large and very small. For most folks, working in a 3×5″format would be small enough, but Duane also enjoys working even smaller.For the tiniest of paintings he created a new blog/website called A Thousand Small Paintings and he’s added a twist to his business model. At least for the first 1-50 oddments he’s mixed up the rules.

In the past, if you were the first person to email Duane stating that you wanted to buy an oddment (I always chose the elegant subject line, “Gimme”) it was yours. Now Duane has added two ways to buy the oddments. You can either take a chance on being first in line, or his ‘crackerjack’ method where you reserve a number and once it’s finished it is popped in the mail to you.

This is the explanation from his site.

Availability:

There are two ways to purchase an oddment:

1.) the first-come-first-served way: be the first to email me when an oddment you want is posted (simply place the number in the subject line of your email.)

2.) the “Cracker Jack” way: if you like surprises, buy a painting that is yet to be painted. For example– email me to buy a number, say, 42. Painting number 42, once completed (and whatever it may be) will one day show up on your doorstep (for the time being this is limited to 1 thru 50.)

A red dot in the lower left of an image on my blog, or a red number in the archives, means the painting is sold.

Each oddment is painted on Belgian linen mounted on 3/8″ natural fiber board and are about 3″ x 2.5.”

They are currently $150 each.

Click here to see the archives and available numbers.

Pussy Willow, by Duane Keiser

Now I love the idea of the element of surprise that is involved. Of course there are risks, if you hate paintings of bugs and say a cicada caught his eye when your number you may have a jewel of a painting on a subject you don’t care for. If you are a person who is risk intolerant recommend you stick with the tried and true method of waiting for one to post.

If you are a person who loves surprises or who has tried in vain to win an oddment than the crackerjack method is for you!

If you’re wondering, “So what?” or “What’s the big deal” please take a look at the oddment painting of the garlic clove. I own it and it is a jewel. I have a fairly wide-ranging collection of art (most are smaller pieces under 12×12″) but when someone new comes into my living room 9 times out of 10 that is the first painting they gravitate towards. It’s that beautiful.

The painting on the left was not sold as an oddment, it was completed as part of “the Found” project that Duane experimented with last year. I posted it so that you could could see how well he works in a small scale format.

Duane Keiser’s Newest Blog

Marble 9 - 3, by Duane Keiser

I had to debate a bit about posting this, because, well I am a greedy gus. Simply put I want them all. If you’ve seen his work, I am sure you understand.

Duane Keiser has started a separate blog called A Thousand Small Paintings, which he now uses to link and sell his small works that he calls ‘oddments.’ Duane’s oddments usually measure 3″x2.5″ (7.6x 6.4cm) but can be a tad longer depending on the subject he is painting. The oddments sell for $150. each (plus shipping) and you can pay for them directly through the site using your paypal account. Very convenient.

I have several of his lovely oddments, one from his studio cam project (Rose in vase) and one that was a gift (Garlic Clove).

I look forward to this newest venture and wish those of you who are looking to buy an oddment the best of luck towards buying one of these. Happy hunting.

And now, for a complete change of topic. I found this highlighted at the wordpress main screen. I think it seems like an interesting commentary on Ms. Palin. For those not in the United States, Sarah Palin is the Republican Vice Presidential candidate. I believe the aurthor of the blog post did her best to be fair but she had some pretty strong feelings about Ms. Palin.

Robert Liberace Workshop, Marshfield, MA

Robert Liberace at Work

Artist Robert Liberace conducted a three-day workshop which focused on the figure in action, which was hosted by the wonderful folks at the North River Art Society in Marshfield, MA.

 

Halfway Through the Demo

On Day One of the workshop we were free to work with pencil/chalk/charcoal or to paint. Rob (Liberace) demonstrated how he renders the figure with chalk and pencils.

As stated throughout this blog in various posts, Rob usually prepares his paper using an wash of ochre watercolor and then covers this with a diluted shellac. The shellac allows him to get the most out of the prismacolor pencils that he uses and seems to help prevent a waxy buildup.

Close up of Day 1 Demo, by Robert Liberace

Rob spent some time discussing how to render the figure and how he works with pencils and chalk to render light and shadow. The model for the first day was an artist as well as a model so her poses were beautiful. The second picture is a close-up of Rob’s drawing halfway through his demo.

The final drawing this beautiful and sensitive drawing on the left. This is a close up of the completed drawing. If you click on the image you should be able to see where Rob added highlights by erasing through the shellac and removing some of the watercolor wash underneath the shellac. He does this by carefully using a variety of erasers. Hopefully you can also see how he handled the reflected lights along the left edge of the model’s ribcage and breast.

Demonstration Day 2

On Day Two of the workshop we had a male model who was extremely athletic and able to hold some very dynamic and difficult poses.

Rob placed Emmanuel into a beautiful post that showed off his frame and, I think, communicated Emanuel’s joyful approach to life and modelling. He reminded me of what the greek god Hermes would have looked like.

You can see the amazing modeling he does with just this basic palette.

Close Up of Demonstration Day 2, by Robert Liberace

Palette Day 2

This thumbnail of Rob’s palette for those who are interested. He used titanium white, raw umber, burnt sienna and I believe a cadmium orange (light).

 

On Day Three we were worked again in oils. The model for this day had an amazing figure was also able to maintain some very difficult poses with ease.

 

Demonstration Day 3, by Robert Liberace

I guess i should state that each of these demos were painted over three 20-minute poses. If you look closely at the oil demo on the left I think you get a great sense of how Robert does his initial lay ins as well as how he paints his shadows and mid tones. If I remember correctly this photo was taken when Rob was at the end of the second of three pose session.

Close Up, Demonstration Day 3,

Here is a close up of the demo with just upper torso.

For those who follow Robert’s work, I hope this post gives you a sense of what was covered. I know nothing ever quite beats being there in person. The wonderful members at the North River Art Society made me feel warmly welcomed and part of their community. Thank you all for being such kind hosts.

My Work from the Boston Trip

The cloud that got away

I had fairly mixed results during this trip.  My attempts at plein aire was disastrous.  I am embarrassed to post them, but I thought I should so here goes.

  

I attempted a coastline scene with some nice marsh grass and rocks, didn’t like it and wiped it out.  Then a nice fat cloud.  I got so intent on painting the worlds most beautiful plein aire cloud (it was a nice fluffy cloud who could mess that up?) only to realize my cloud had drifted away. 

 

The wicked gray house

Grrrrr.  So I foolishly wiped that one away as well.  I liked it so I should have left it alone.  Although another friend did say to me, “you know, usually people are afraid to put that much color in their clouds.”

 My final (grandiose) attempt was a fairly complicated grey house on a slight rise near the water. 

It was about a quarter mile away.  The phrase ‘quarter mile away’ and ‘fairly complicated; should indicate how bad the final result was. 

the plien aire disaster

I was aiming for lonely and hopper-esque.  I wound up with something that looked like a 7 year old painted it with a Q-tip swab (saying this is probably denigrating 7 year olds). 

My friend Pat looked at the photo of my painting and liked it  (it was a house on the water in Scituate, MA).  When she saw the painting in person, she looked at me and said, “it photographs better.”  I had to agree.  I ‘accidently’ left it in Boston so they could euthanize it but the host brought it back to me this evening.  I have a feeling it will be a boat anchor/albatross around my neck.  

Drawing, Day 1

 On the bright side I did paint some things I liked.  I covered the actual workshop in a separate post but wanted to also show what I’d done so please forgive the abbreviated format here.

This is the drawing I made on the first day.  I sort of like it.  I seemed to have a difficult time getting into the groove for some reason and only really hit my ‘groove’ the last 30 minutes of the day. 

I have to confess that I cropped the bits and pieces I didn’t like out of the picture.  I redrew the model’s legs and lower abdomen numerous times but honestly I don’t think I got it right. 

Two 20 Minute Studies

On the second day I made several warm up pencil sketches during Rob’s demo.  Once the demo was over, Rob had us create two 20-minute sketches of Emmanuel.  We were supposed to spend 10 minutes painting only the darks and a second 10 on just the lights.

I love how the first one (on the left) came out.  The lighting from where I stood was very dramatic on his back and only hit his upper back and a small portion of his legs.  These were painted on 5×7″ gessoboards. 

Day 2 Painting

 The model was facing me for the second  second study.   I seemed to have a much harder time with this, probably because I didn’t paint the darks and then the lights I got caught up in the details which wasn’t the point  of the exercise. 

After lunch we got down to business.  This time the model with his back in profile to me.  I really liked how this painting came out.  For some reason I guess I have an affinity for painting the backs of the models. 

Close Up of Day 2 Painting

Here is a close up of the model’s back.   The faint stick image on the right is a correction made by Rob. 

The palette for this painting was titanium white, burnt umber, burnt sienna, and cadnium orange (light).

I made his buttocks stick a tad further out than it was, I think that’s because I tend to emphasis the area I am working on.  I would have corrected it but the modeling was correct and the emphasis/exaggeration didn’t hurt the composition (much).  Mainly I liked where the painting was going and I didn’t want to mess it up by mucking with it too much.

Standing Female Day 3 Sketch

 On the third day I made another sketch during the demo.  I couldn’t help myself; the model’s pose was so beautiful I had to sketch it in the hopes of painting it at a later date.

I sent this picture to my sister so she would have a better idea of the type of drawing I have been doing.  This drawing was done on the last day of the workshop, the model had a wonderful build and chose this difficult post (slightly arched back with weight on her left hand).

The last picture is the painting of the model seated.  I ran into the same problems with her breasts and upper torso that I had on the previous days work. 

Seated Nude Female, Day 3

I had her learning way too far forward.   Rob stopped by and helped me correct the  Sadly at that point I had about 35 minutes left in the day so I did what I could but frankly I don’t think it was enough.  Rob did like her legs, I went in with strong (I thought too strong) shadows and then modeled the shadows and some of the skin tones.  Then I went to work on her upper body-twice. Sigh.

If her lower legs seem odd, its because they were foreshorten in her pose.  She was perched on a stool and her feet were on the two rungs of the stool.

Hope you liked seeing these.  I had made a place holder posting so this looks significantly different than the first one.

Boston Report

 

Beach at Sunrise, Hingham MA

I lived in Boston as a child, and had two flying visits there as an adult.  This trip allowed more time and I have to say that I would live there in a New York minute.  I stayed with two friends who live in Hingham MA and down the road from me in Virginia as well. 

Hingham is about 17 miles from Boston and is easily accessible by road, rail or ferry.  I loved the idea that they could work in the city but that the beach was only a 3-5 minute drive away. 

Each morning they take their dog to the beach and one walks while the other jogs.  Then, once everyone is nicely refreshed, they head to starbucks for coffee.  All this occurs before 6:30 in the morning.

Beach at Hingham MA

Although I am not a subrurbanite by preference, I loved the life they crafted and would love to live in Hingham area.

The main reason for the trip was to relax and attempt plein aire painting (not so successful) and to attend a painting workshop given by Robert Liberace at the North River Art Society in Marshfield MA.  Rob taught a three-day class at the North River Art Society which was attended (for the most part) by professional artists who lived in the area.

 

Drive

The artists who belong to the North River Art Society and attended this workshop were the friendliest and warmest group of people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting!  They provided a pot luck lunch each day and closed the class with a party on Friday evening at one of the student’s home in Marshfield, MA. They were warm and welcoming and it was amazing seeing their artwork (many of the student’ s work was awaiting hanging for a society show later this month. 

Boston MFA Sargant Fans

 

I went plein aire painting on Sunday at Scituate, MA with my friends.  We hit the Museum of Fine Art in Boston on Monday and the Elizabeth Stewart Gardner Museum on Tuesday.  Both museums had beautiful works by Zorn, Sargent, Beaux, Paxton and others.  The murals by Sargent at the Boston MFA were amazing.  The Gardner had an wide  range of works and architectural elements on display. 

 

Daughters of Edward Darley Boit

 

 

 

I loved the Gardner but was confused a bit while there.    The museum was built as a private residence there is art EVERYWHERE and it’s difficult to find works.  It’s kind of like visiting a favorite auntie whose home is stuffed with fun things to look at and explore. 

The works at the Gardner were amazing it’s just that you overlooked many treasures simply because you couldn’t see them.  When you walk in the main  entrance your attention is immediately arrested by Sargent’s El Jaleo, which was wonderful.  I spent most of my time in Blue Room and the Yellow Room but roamed throughout other rooms as well.

Detail of the Daughters of Edward Darley Boit

 

I still need to move the pictures over to my computer, once they are all downloaded I will write a new post and include the pictures from the workshop.

I loved this Sargent painting titled, the Daughters of Edward Darley Boit.  Sargent painting it in 1882.  Gazing at the children I wondered how much of each child’s personality was reflected in this painting. Here are some close ups of the children, sadly, could not seem to get a good photo of the child in the foreground.

 

Detail of Daughters of Edward Darley Boit