"The Coast" (draft 1)

(draft 1)

There is no quote for this piece yet, but there will be after all of the other color blocks are added and arranged into a larger piece. Hang on for the ride!

Technique is defined in the dictionary as a manner of artistic execution in music, painting, etc. And yet it is so much more. It is even more than simply practicing a skill, because any skill practiced wrong will not yield the desired result.

For me, piano and art have come together in my journey. There are so many similarities. For instance, the speed at which the piano keys are struck has everything to do with the beauty as well as the loudness and softness of the tone. The same is true in palette knife painting. It's the lightness of the touch as the knife skims over another layer of wet paint that determines the quality of the edge or the revealed color underneath.

So it is instructive to practice on a scrap bit of paper or canvas and watch what happens when you press down harder while applying wet paint on top of wet paint and then compare that to doing the same thing with the lightest touch you can manage. It is the degree of attention to the touch that makes a hugh difference in both art and music.

Those lettering friends of mine will know this to be absolutely true in hand lettering as well. The graduated stroke with a pointed pen can be one of the most exasperating things to learn, but oh how lovely it is when it is done well. So part of our studio time must be spent on perfecting some of these skills by isolating them one by one. When learning a new hand, it is better to begin with pencil so you can isolate and perfect the form of the letter. Trying to add in the press/release technique and loading a pen, maintaining a consistent pen angle will drive you insane if you're not familiar with the form of the letter first.

And the same is true for the palette knife. It's all about which color is laid down first, the touch involved with the next layer, and how much paint to apply as well as the viscosity of the paint. And then trying this over and over again....every day. It is also helpful to remind ourselves that visual art means to observe with the eyes what is happening as the work is done. And then analyzing how others have accomplished similar techniques.

All that I have said today is precisely why I blog every single day. It's the act of doing it everyday before distractions pop up that speeds up the progress. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"At Rest"

(unavailable.....4" x 6".....Practice Piece....Pouring Med. on 140 lb. HP .....mounted on Gator Board)

"Enter God's rest through prayer and meditation." Lettering is on my agenda today so this is a practice piece with very casual Roman Versals.

This scrap of a pouring medium piece provided an excellent background for a bit of lettering in preparation for a pair of 8" x 8" pieces for an upcoming exhibit. I like to practice for about three days in advance, especially if I haven't written these letters in awhile. So all of my lists and notes about anything will be in Roman Versals for a few days now. 

In the meantime, mixed media is still going on with more glass in the kiln, carving a hand cut stamp, and cutting more balsa wood. And so this is how it goes when preparing for an exhibit. It is similar to weaving and adding different colors of yarn and even changing the pattern a bit.

So the blog is just another way of establishing a rhythm of practice that goes on and on in spite of any other things going on. My desire to work early in the morning keeps me engaged on a daily basis and is the equivalent of practicing my scales so I can play a Mozart Sonata with some degree of proficiency. 

It does become a bit "dicey" when there are several skill levels in play at the same time, so my advice is to add new techniques to your repertoire cautiously and NEVER right before an exhibit. You could end up pulling your hair out and vowing never to create anything again. So be kind to yourself and don't try to learn and combine new things two weeks before pieces are due.

Let me reiterate again, that if you want to become proficient at anything, you must find a strategy that gets you into your studio everyday. Trying to create one perfect piece is a "setup" for failure. It is far better to create as many smaller pieces as you can and then you will have the experience and confidence to work on the larger piece. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Reverie"

(sold)

"Reverie is a place to think or pray." The dictionary states that a "reverie" is a dreamy or musing state of mind. So I've used it in a different way here by referring to a place where "reverie" might take place. In either case, the word has significant meaning for me.  My childhood was marked by getting  in trouble a with my mother  for always being in a state of reverie.

If you look real close, your will see what appears to be a park or a clearing where one tree is more prominent ....almost in the middle of the piece. This was a difficult piece to create because of the enormous amount of detail. Of course, I could do what a lot of others do and simply make my shapes more simple and call it a day. I'm not there yet, but I am trying to get there.

In the meantime, I am gaining some very important practice in mixing up all of those colors. Practice is like looking through binoculars. At first, every thing is "blurry" and then as you begin to adjust the focus, things become crystal clear. Of course, in learning, it doesn't happen quite that fast, but I am noticing more things every time I paint. And that is precisely why it is so important to practice your techniques every single day.

I must sound like a broken record, but I spent too many years flying by the seat of my pants on mastering skills that would have progressed a hundred times faster if I had had the good sense enough to take it as seriously as a student taking a class for a grade. That's why I'm "sounding off" on process so much so that perhaps I could convince a few of you to quit "horsing around" and just do what you need to do to get where you want to go. 

There is not a teacher on the planet that can make that happen for anybody. It is a matter of will. But the reason most of us put things off is out of fear of failure. And the only way that fear will be conquered is to follow your passion and just get it done. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

"Standing Tall"

($40.00.....6" x 6".....Water Soluble Oils on Gessobord)

"Standing tall with discipline." These evergreens are standing tall in a sea of aspens. This reference photo is from Durango, Colorado. The hillside had a lot of trees that had already lost their leaves, but there was still a sea of brilliant yellow. People with discipline are like these evergreens that stand out and grow very tall. They move forward in life.

Discipline is never easy after the first three days. With all of the comforts we have and the continual buffet of technological equipment, it can be very difficult to push past all of that and actually get things done. 

I know an artist that paints so much that I am quite sure she can also do it in her sleep. She is able to mix whatever color she sees in the landscape without hesitation. That is a worthy goal and one which I aspire to, but alas, I have not completed my 1,000 paintings yet. I haven't even completed my first 100. And that is the point.

Rather than wasting time wishing you could paint as well as someone else, it is best to just get started. With just one painting per day, you can at least reach 100 in a few months. There is nothing an artist can do that is quite as practical as learning how to mix colors from a limited palette. The books on color and looking at the color wheel leaves you with head knowledge, but it is useless in teaching how to mix color.

You learn how to do that with disciplined practice....every single day. On the other hand, it cannot feel like drudgery. So it is imperative to create paintings you have a passion to do. That one word....passion.... is what will get you to your studio every day. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.