Oyster Boats

This is the third and final acrylic painting from the demonstration that I did for the Southern Saratoga County Arts Society. These oyster boats were docked in Beaufort, SC on a quiet Sunday afternoon in the spring - not really oyster season. This painting is also available for purchase; simply contact me through my website. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Demonstration in Acrylics

Last week I gave a demonstration in acrylics for the Southern Saratoga Arts Society. I had three paintings in three states of progression and worked on them using techniques for each of their stages. As promised, I am posting them now; the remaining one, of oyster boats' will be posted next week. The top painting is of bourgainvillea growing from a balcony in Puerto Rico. It was Christmas time and looked so beautiful and lush. The Purple Bus intrigued me everytime I drove by it. And, it was parked by a green barn. What a combination! Good thing I took pics of it because two weeks later the bus was gone!
As a recap of the demo, I use tempered masonite, gesso it, then apply an appropriate coat of acrylic paint. I paint in long, smooth strokes so that you cannot feel any texture. I block in the large shapes, then work on the smaller shapes. At the very end, I do detailed work. I spray it with a sealer and it's ready to frame. To purchase these paintings, simply email me for more information.

Put your 'self' out there

Some people prefer paintings to photographs and this is the audience I am addressing. The reason for choosing a painting over a photograph is that it reveals some of the artist; there is the artist's personality in it, how they see the world. This became evident to me a few weeks ago when I was in NYC to visit the Kirchner exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Kirchner was a German expressionist and the exhibit showed some of his paintings and how he developed them from concept to initial drawings to quick paintings on paper, then the final work on canvas.
It struck me how Kirchner approached his paintings totally uncensored; with free abandon, not worried about critics and the fact that his paintings were such personal responses to his environment. Many of the initial drawings, were gesture drawings. I think that many of us could learn from this. Our paintings would be far better if we felt 'uncensored', free to visually record your own personal vision without any criticism. If a painting is personal and has emotion invested in it, the painting will touch a chord with an audience. Conversely, when a painting is stiff, no emotion is invested and it is done mechanically, it is difficult for a viewer to become involved in the painting. For that matter, a camera is a better tool. It simply records what it is pointed at.

The Pink Sheet

Generally, I start my paintings from the center of interest then work my way out toward the edges. I realize that this is not conventional, but it works for me. Last week I did a demonstration for the Bethlehem Art Association and promised to post the finished painting; here it is. I started painting the bouquet and vase because their colors are what charged me in the beginning and propelled me through to the completion of the painting. It also helped me to establish my working palette which I always limit to five colors. The title of this painting is "The Pink Sheet."

Painting parameters

Edges. Sounds simple enough but it is hard for many students to incorporate edges into their paintings or drawings. A very common problem is that the subject is drawn and abruptly stopped when the edge of the paper is near. In a still life, flowers or leaves are shrunken so that they can fit on the paper. An object is suddenly drawn leaning toward the center so that the whole thing can be fit in. It is a tell tale sign of a beginner, someone who just doesn't have the confidence to draw or paint right through the edge. I often encourage these students to tape a piece of paper to the edge and draw right onto the extended paper. Once they do this a few times, they realize how much better and more natural the painting looks. It is okay to draw objects so that they are only partially shown.

Commitment

Sorry, it's not going to work. Saying that you will try to paint everyday is a sure guarantee that you will fail. You need to be more specific. You need to set "x" number of hours a day which are strictly devoted to painting and stick to it - no matter what. That last part is important - no matter what. Sure, life gets in the way, there are appointments to keep, calls to make, people to see, etc. But they need to be scheduled outside of your studio time. The difference between someone who is committed and someone who just says they want to try is that the committed person has set time aside for themselves devoted solely to painting. Everything else takes a back seat. You can do all the other obligations, but not within the hours that you have set out for yourself. And, let everyone know. Eventually, your friends and family will honor the guidelines that you have set and they will respect you for it. It may take a while, but it is worth it. When I first started out, I made sure that I told everyone what I was doing and what my studio hours were. I know that I came across as being rude, but I had to honor myself and my time. A few people told me that they wanted to call during studio hours but refrained from doing so; I am sure they were hoping that I would exempt them from not contacting me during those hours, but I didn't. Rather, I just reinforced what they said. I would say, "Thank you for honoring my time in the studio." And it worked! Now, I rarely get phone calls from friends when they know that I am in the studio. Now I can really devote that time to painting - and be guilt-free!

Cropping

This is an exercise that requires guts, but believe me, the lesson will stay with you for life. Choose five really good drawings that you are proud of. Drastically crop all five of these drawings. This exercise will strengthen your drawing, make it more powerful. The first time you do this, it will be very difficult, but you will soon find this tact the best solution for some loss paintings.