"Side By Side"

(unavailable.....6" x6"......Experimental Piece....Water Soluble Oils on Gessobord)

"Light pierces darkness, especially when they're side by side." There are so many meanings that could be attached to this quote. You decide.

I've talked about process "ad nauseum", but the truth remains that unless a strategy is in place to progress on each of our art journeys, the journey will stop. Accidental strategies are not strategies. I know because I've been there, done that. That's why it is important to hang out with other artists and talk about each other's art. It can be very scary if you don't because each of us has an internal critic that will absolutely "eat your lunch". 

One of the most important strategies is an established place to work. If you don't have space for a full blown studio, then you may need to invest in a rolling cart that can be wheeled into the kitchen...preferably close to the sink.

The next most important thing is to choose the very best time of day to work. This will be different from person to person. As most of you know, I choose early morning to insure that art gets done first before distractions overtake me. Even if I plan to go out, I never schedule appointments before 11:00 AM unless there is no other alternative. Today is my 700th posting and I can assure you that it would never have happened without getting up early in the morning...even when I didn't feel like it. 

Art has to be treated like every other skill. You simply must make a decision to do it every day. I have always been struck by the fact that even concert pianists practice at least (4) hours a day to keep their skill level in tact. One teacher from college once told our harmony and theory class that we should take her class as seriously as we would if we were preparing to be a surgeon. Art certainly isn't a life or death situation, but imagine how far any of us could go if we took our art that seriously. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Behold the Lamb (2)"

($125.00.....6" x 12"....Water Soluble Oils on 300 lb. HP.....mounted on a 1.50" depth clayboard)

"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." This is a second experimental piece with the same words. It is a possibility for an upcoming exhibit.

Back to oils today after two days of mixed media. This sky scape was inspired by a photo I took just two days ago in the late afternoon. I kept pulling off of the side of the road to take pictures and didn't think I was ever going to get home. That's why it is very important to have a pocket camera in your purse with a small zoom.  You never know when the sky will be exquisite.

The strategy for this painting was to paint the first layer over the entire sheet. It was white, lemon yellow, and a small bit of purple mixed from ult. blue and alizarin crimson, but mostly white. The grays and oranges were then mixed with several variations....some lighter and some darker. For most of this layer I blended it slightly with the previous layer. I then added some heavier and less blended layers in key places which gives the piece its texture. 

What I can now tell you after having done (5) of these sky scapes, is that they look deceptively simple to do. To capture the atmosphere with several layers of paint with a wet into wet technique is quite challenging, but I think the best preparation is to simply do bands of color in different sizes first. It's a great way to create an abstract piece and it provides a way to practice laying horizontal bands of color down without thinking about clouds and where the darks and lights are placed in a true sky scape.

Tomorrow, I plan to paint one that is totally abstract and doesn't really look like a sky at all. And if you like color and simply want to loosen up and have a great time, it's a fun thing to try. You can then call yourself a "colorist". In this case, the color becomes the focal point. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Behold the Lamb (1)"

(unavailable.....6" x 12"....Water Soluble Oils on 300 lb. HP)

"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." This is an experimental piece to add to my collection so that I have many choices to choose from before submitting the work for an upcoming Easter exhibition. My intent was to showcase very light values against very dark ones to visually describe the Lamb of God who is also the Light of the World.

This is my fourth sky scape in recent days, but I am still not quite ready to say "yes to the piece". I am just letting you all get a close up view of my process. 

Process is always on my mind because it involves a complex strategy of coming up with a concept and actually birthing it into a piece of art. I am learning a lot about painting a sky scape. One of the main things I'm learning is to have a strong contrast between very blended ribbons of color and some that are laid down in one spot with no blending. These are also much easier to do and more convincing (at least to me) if they are painted with a palette knife. 

The other very valuable thing to learn is that this is a pathway to creating full blown abstracts without using the typical color of the sky, but rather using any number of color combinations and staying with horizontal bands as the main format. And even placing a gestural stroke of intense color in one spot can send the piece into ecstasy.

So I am now thinking about devoting an entire afternoon with papers lined up and doing one right after the other with some very good music playing. It helps if it has a lot of passion with good rhythm. What this will do, is get rid of the internal critic and soon you will develop a rhythm.

If you choose to paint on unmounted canvas or 300 lb. HP Watercolor Paper.....you will have many cropping options after the paint has dried. For instance, you can have some narrow vertical pieces or some wide, but skinny horizontals that could even be viewed as a series. 

So if you're just starting out and want to see what the paint will do and give you some experience mixing color with a limited palette, this is a wonderful place to start. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Splendid"

(unavailable....6" x 12"........Water Soluble Oils on 300 lb HP)

"Splendid bands of color describe the sky." Even though the sky changes all through the day, horizontal bands of color are the way it is often depicted, especially if the horizon line is included. There are some artists who omit the clouds altogether and paint contemporary landscapes with bands of color. Either way is splendid and brings a calm attitude to any environment. 

This is my third experimental painting of a sky scape. So far, my favorite one was the posting from yesterday. However, the jury is still out since I plan to paint at least three more before making a final judgement on which one to mount for an exhibit. I rather enjoy seeing all three of them together. It enables me to ask myself why I like one over the other and see where I need to improve on the sequence of laying down the paint and improving my technique. This is an optimal way of working that generally has a good outcome as opposed to trying to make a perfect piece with the first try. The important thing is to stay with it and continue practicing your technique of mixing the color and laying down the paint.

Artists from all disciplines often have one piece out of (10) that is exceptional and as long as you're practicing every day that will happen. The theory here is to work on a different piece each time because creative energy tends to dissipate by painting the same thing over and over. No matter which process works for you, the important thing is to do it consistently and passionately. It is unlikely that great pieces result from painting something you have little or no interest in painting.

Another thought is that you might be working in the wrong medium if everything you're doing goes against your "grain" (or the way you're wired). I've know people who created flat work, but everything that came out of their mouth was a passion for dimensional work or sculpture. So pay attention to the materials and techniques that excite you.  Life is short and creating artwork does require effort, but it should also be rewarding.   And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Burn Off"

(unavailable......6" x 12".....Water Soluble Oils on 300 lb. HP)

"Clouds burn off with time." Many mornings begin with an overcast sky, but within a few hours, all is well and the sun comes out. The same is true in life.  Circumstances get us down, but as we change our focus, all is well again.

This is my second experimental piece in a 6" x 12" size. You are simply seeing my practice pieces until I get one that passes my inspection. It's really quite a fun exercise. The practice of how to mix and lay down the paint is invaluable and at the end of the day...there are several pieces to choose from.

Leana Fay was an established lettering artist and a mentor of mine. She has since passed away, but her influence still reverberates in my head. Even though she was an excellent lettering artist, she spent three days practicing the lettering for a particular piece before committing it to the final piece. With my experience in piano and mentors like Leana Fay, I have learned that it is futile to think any of us will paint that one perfect piece. More often than not, it is the practice of doing a lot of work that creates the best artwork. So I guess my encouragement is to create art consistently and frequently and you will be rewarded with pieces to choose from. There really is a tremendous satisfaction in this kind of process. 

Another key to successful artwork is learning to work with a limited palette.  I still see work that is "jarring" in the color harmony because the colors really are not that harmonious. It really is worth the effort to change course and quit trying to use the particular green, blue, yellow, etc that you want by squeezing it out of a tube. It is totally possible to have intense color that is pleasing to the viewer by using a double palette of the primaries.

More than one established oil painter has told me that and most are willing to share their preferred palette. If you want to succeed as a painter, you must learn to work with a limited palette. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Swept Away"

(unavailable...6" x 12" experimental piece)

"Swept away by ever changing clouds..." This is more of a phrase than a quote. Whether it's clouds or circumstances, being swept away aptly describes the process. And that's why I pray to an unchanging God.

This piece was painted on 300 lb. HP Watercolor Paper and is a 6" x 12" size. I plan to do several more, not just sky scapes, but abstract landscapes that I am calling "Gestural Landscapes". Even though the 300 lb. paper is $13.00 for a parent sheet, it is a wonderful surface to work on and because I haven't yet mounted it on an Ampersand Panel, I can set it aside and keep working on this size until I am certain I have my best one. (I can probably paint (8) of this size from a parent sheet.)  So this is just a tip on working on unmounted canvas or paper before mounting and then you have options by choosing the best one out of your collection.

My goal in this experimental piece was to compare the difference between painting with oils on gessobord and Hot Press Paper. I can already say that I like both surfaces. The advantage of the paper is that it is easy to crop and to store until I decide which one I am willing to mount. Anytime you can come up with more options, you will immediately understand the advantage of being able to choose the best from your own work. It gives you confidence in analyzing your own work and knowing you've done your best at this point of your art journey. 

Trying to create a perfect piece with no back up plan can be very frustrating and may weaken the desire to try over and over again. Why not do it over and over again and then have options?  It's a winning strategy!  And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.