Reflections of an Artist

Become Your Own Best Critic by Setting a Higher Standard

      I paint plein air often. It is a French term which translates as 'in the air' but the reality is not as glamorous. I carry all my gear for painting oils outside to a remote location and, in theory, create a masterpiece. But yesterday didn't go as planned. I ventured out to paint with a plein air group which meets once a month. The weather was cool but beautiful and I set my easel up in a lovely clearing at the edge of a pool of water. From the start I struggled, but finally at around lunch, I produced a painting which looked something like the scene I was painting. I had fun painting; it wasn't bad but this morning I wiped it down.

      Early in my career I rarely wiped away any of my efforts, but in recent years I have become more and more critical of my work and willing to abandon paintings that are not working. I get a perverse pleasure in destroying a painting which I consider not good enough. My joy has to do with the knowledge that I am better than the failed attempt I just destroyed. I know that tomorrow I will paint something I like.

      Setting a higher standard for my work has a number of effects. It has helped to improve my painting, I have a sense of satisfaction with the work I produce and I don't have stacks and stacks of bad paintings to store(not possible given the size of my studio). So what is the down side? There aren't any.

      I am not suggesting that you destroy every painting you think needs some tweaking, I am talking about the ones which despite your best efforts are never quite right. It is better to move on to something new than waste hours trying to make something work that never will. The trick is in recognizing the difference.

      But how does an artist decide if a painting is a keeper or one that should be destroyed? I think the key is to view your painting from a detached perspective. Compare your latest attempt to paintings you love. How do you feel when you look at them and then how do you feel about the painting you just did. If I start to list the things I need to change then I realize this is a candidate for the wipe-down.  How many changes are on my list will decide if it is a keeper or doomed.

• The first and most important thing I look at is the composition. If I am happy with the composition there is a good chance the painting can be saved, if not it's adios; no exceptions.
• Next, I consider the values and colors. How strong are the values and do I like the way the colors are interacting. Again, if I need to redo too much of the painting to be satisfied, I figure wiping it down is easier than reworking the painting. 
• Is the painting unique in some way? Is it painted in a location I have never been before or one I may never come back to again. Is there something unusual about that specific time? A unique storm cloud, a once in a lifetime event or is it just another painting of a nice tree.

      The first time I ever wiped down one of my paintings was painful. I had spent hours trying, without success, to make it work. Every time after that I felt more and more empowered. I forced myself to understand the difference between what works and what doesn't and to act on that knowledge. It is a very important step to take. Being your own critic takes practise but it will accelerate the improvement of your work and who deserves that more than you?

Bold Brush FAV 15%

Hangin' at the Mini Mart

      I just got the good news that my painting Hangin at the Mini Mart is hangin' with the other great art in the FAV 15% for the January BoldBrush Painting Competition. This is a monthly competition sponsored by the group who also hosts my website at FineArtStudioOnline.com (FASO for short).

       I hope you will take a look at all the winners. There is an overabundance of talented artists in this months group and it is a thrill to be included with so many outstanding paintings.

Color Verses Neutral

Laguna Beach

      Something happened recently which made me think back to the workshop I took with Calvin Liang in November. Since I have not posted the paintings from that workshop I thought I would revisit that influential experience.

      There are many helpful tools which I took away from the workshop, (my other posts are listed below) but I didn't yet talk about how surprised I was by Calvin's subtle use of color. Based on the paintings I had seen by Calvin, I had expected him to paint a certain way. Instead, what I saw was a complicated use of neutral shades. His use of color reflected the subtle shades of the overcast days in Laguna during the workshop, yet his paintings were never dull.

      So here is what triggered me thinking about this again. I spoke with another artists who believes that all painting have to be predominantly made up of neutrals with only a very small amount of strong color. He even went farther by saying if an artists didn't paint that way the paintings where not any good. This statement got me thinking. I have concluded that neither is right or wrong but instead the use of color verses neutral is something that is flexible and should be considered with every painting. I realize that simply making a painting more colorful is not the answer but a balance of neutrals and color is required. The percentages can shift as I dictate, not because of any set rule. It is a valuable option which I have added to my toolbox.

Street Scene Demo by Junn Roca

New York Street Scene in the Rain by Junn Roca

      One of the many perks of being a member of an art club is seeing demonstrations by artists you admire. The Valley Artist Guild recently had a luncheon with artists Junn Roca giving the demo. He is a wonderful colorist with a knack for street scenes. He paints people effortlessly with the pose taking over when details are minimal.

#1 Demo

      Junn started by using a Sharpie marker to sketch in the scene. He explained that he liked the fact that some of the lines will show through on the finished painting.  He did two smaller sketches (see bottom area of #1 Demo), one warm, one cool, experimenting with color ideas before tackling the larger version.

#2 Demo

      Junn talked about how, as an artist, he must see color where others do not. He mentioned that objects, like the buildings, are warmer near the ground and become cooler as they go up toward the sky. Shadows are not just one color but are warmer in the center and cooler along the edges.

#3 Demo

      The shapes are simple until the final details reveal the complexity of the scene. Here, Junn is adding highlights to the sun soaked pavement. The casual stance of the couple looking at the merchandise on the cart, demonstrates how to use simple shapes to define the people. So little says so much.

Final Demo

      I hope you enjoyed this small summary of the demo. I had a great time. Thank you to Junn Roca and VAG for a wonderful event.

Balcony above Arroyo Seco

Balcony Overlooking the Arroyo

Brenda Swenson giving Critique

      Painting at this lovely estate was a real treat. Many artists who haven't been out painting for months came out to take advantage of the day. You can see we had quite a crowd. I wish I could go back again and again but I will have to wait until next year.

Tour the Museums of the World

The Death of Socrates by David at the Met

       You have probably already seen the virtual museum website that Google has recently launched but if you haven't Google Art Project is a must see. The site allows you to walk through some of the worlds best museums. Many, like The State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, are museums I will never see so this is an amazing recourse. You can stop at individual paintings and zoom in on the works. Amazing. Give it a try. It is easy to spend an hour exploring. Here is the link: http://www.googleartproject.com/

      My favorite museum is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, which is also included on the site. It is the most comprehensive collection of antiquities, American art, Greek, Medieval, African; you name it the Met has it. When I lived in NY I would go there often. It is just too big and overwhelming to see all at once so the virtual tour is a great way to see the museum. Go to the floor plan and you can pick which area you want to view. Have fun.

Mexican Dancer in Costume

Dancer