Reflections of an Artist

How a Minute Changed my Painting

Storm Watch Below Mount Wilson

      I had an epiphany last week while plein air painting with my Thursday group. As I was painting Storm Watch Below Mount Wilson this is what happened.

      I was expecting a stormy day since the weatherman predicted rain in the afternoon. Looking for a spot to paint, I saw the interesting negative shapes between the eucalyptus, shrubs and shed and knew I had found my subject. I was painting a tree on a hill. Right? Well that's what I thought too. But happenstance would change that.

      The entire sky was a water saturated dark gray most of the morning, but suddenly a strong gust off cold wind separated the clouds to reveal a hole of the bluest sky at the edge of the tree. I didn't think, I just reacted. Scrambling to capture the changed scene, I scooped up some Cobalt Blue and Titanium White on my palette knife and threw it on the top right corner of the canvas. Then, I lightened the cloud just underneath the sky with White. I couldn't go back to refine the shapes since there was wet gray paint underneath. To keep the clean, crisp look, I would have to leave the palette knife application as is. 

      After my frantic painting, I stepped back and realized that the painting had been transformed. Unplanned and unforseen, the painting was no longer about the tree, it was about the storm. With just a few strokes, the storm emerged and the tree became an observer, only watching the drama unfold.

What I learned that day is to be open to change. I allowed myself to be flexible and experienced a shift in perspective. Even after working hours to see it one way, only a minute revised my idea. If I had not been open to the whims of chance, Storm Watch Below Mount Wilson would not be as successful.

6 Inch Squared

      I recently painted three 6X6 square paintings for the Randy Higbee show and Rider at Red Rock was juried into the show.

      Even before I went to Vasquez Rocks for a paint out with the California Art Club, I had an idea for this painting. I painted here about three years ago so I was familiar with how strange the composition can look if the rock is completely silhouetted against the sky. The main rock formation is a very large, dramatic diagonal shape. I didn't want the composition to show the entire rock so I cropped the rock leaving only small triangles of sky at the top two corners.

      The other problem when painting this geographic formation, is the scale of the rocks. Without any reference point it is impossible to comprehend the massive size of the rocks. I told George Malone, who organizes the paint outs, that I needed a horse and rider to come by. At about 11:45, as if right out of a movie, two riders came down the road and one made it into my painting.

       You can see Rider at Red Rock and many other 6 Inch Square paintings through April at the Randy Higbee Gallery at 120 Kalmus in Costa Mesa, CA.

Artist, Photographer, Webmaster, Etc.

Descanso

      A few days ago I posted a blog with my painting of a lily pond at Descanso Gardens on my other blog Reflections of an Artist. My friend, Marian Fortunati who painted with me that day, commented that the actual painting was much nicer than the photo. That inspired me to try again to produce a more accurate image. Above are the two different photos. I am not satisfied with either one but hey I'm not a professional photographer. Do I need to be? Maybe.

      This got me thinking about the impact the internet has on an artists learning curve. Not only must I be a great artist but a great photographer, an expert at Photoshop, a marketing genius, a webmaster and the list goes on and on. The internet has opened the world to every artist, which is amazing but, it has also changed how our images are shown to the public. Everything is done digitally through email or websites. Galleries, plein air events and art specific websites all demand not just an image but a great image. As my paintings have become more subtle, I have found it more and more difficult to produce a satisfactory image which shows the intricate colors and brushstrokes. I have had photographers take photos of my work only to be even more disappointed.

      I realize that if I do not present my art with an accurate reproduction, it won't sell and I risk being left behind without an audience while other artists will move ahead of me. So what to do. I continue to improve my photography, I try to stay ahead of the learning curve and I listen to how other artists deal with this problem. I take a lesson from my art; to become the best I will try anything.

Yellow Roses at Old Mill

Tea Rose

      March is cold or it is warm, but in Southern California, either way the flowers are in full bloom. So if you want to paint flowers, now is the time to get out there and do it.

      I was lucky to be at the Old Mill in San Marino last weekend and saw the lovely pale yellow roses cascading down the wall around the back door. I didn't waste any time and came back to capture the flowers before they started to fade. The dark wood door and window provided the anchors for the painting. The pale yellow of the flowers contrasted beautifully against the hunter green of the leaves. There were so many different textures; the ragged wall, the soft flowers, the sharp windows, the shaded back patio of the Old Mill provided a cornucopia of delights to paint.

Oil Painters of America 20th Annual National Exhibition

Morning Hits the Rocks

      I am very excited to announce that Morning Hits the Rocks has been included in the upcoming Oil Painters of America 20^th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils. The show takes place at Devin Galleries in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho from June 10th to July 9th along with a six-day celebration of art which includes painting demos, lectures and gala events.

      I hadn't received any notification about the national OPA show (usually not a good sign) but thought I would check on the website to see if the jury process had been completed and the participants announced. Imagine my enormous joy when I found my name among the artists whose work would be shown in this important show. I am humbled to be included with so many wonderful artists and their masterful works.

Boats at Dana Point Harbor

Dana Point Harbor Boats

      Todays news is a reminder of the oceans infinite changeable nature. While posting this painting of a tranquil, sunny day in Dana Point, I could not help but think of the fury unleashed onto Japan by the massive tsunami which hit the coast there yesterday. This image of docked boats couldn't be more of a contrast to that terrible disaster.

       The hot sun mirrored the boats reflection in the quiet waters as a juvenile heron (I think it is a heron) strolled the dock. He only stayed a moment before taking to the sky in search of a meal. Thinking back to that day I recall the smell of the ocean, the still water lapping softly against the boats, the sounds of seagulls calling to each other. After witnessing the scenes of destruction in Japan, I am grateful for the chance to enjoy days like this and thankful for my very good fortune.

Echo Park Paint-Out

Echo Park Reflections

      Some days represent the essence of a place. Yesterday was one of those days in Los Angeles. Marian Fortunati and I braved the morning traffic to paint with the SFVAC at Echo Park. It was warm, sunny and beautiful. The last time I was at this park was for the Lotus Festival about ten years ago. Although now gone, at one time it contained the largest planting of lotuses outside of Asia.

       Recently, I have been successfully painting lakes and their reflections so I found a wonderful spot looking toward a finger of land which extended into the lake. With its profusion of palm trees, it formed an interesting shape against the sky and that shape was mirrored in the lake. I could also see some of the surrounding city in the background and through the trees. The buildings would add some interesting accents of color.

       As I was painting, not only the birds came by to see what I was doing but many locals stopped to say hello and offer encouragement. Packing up I basked in the sun and the unsolicited praise. Thank you LA.   



Painting Unusual Shapes

Photos pose different problems. With a plein air study, I have already edited out unnecessary objects that can confuse the composition but a photograph still contains every single detail so when picking a photo I try to forget about the details. Without the luxury of an edited image, I focus on composition and especially look for unusual shapes.

I remembered a photo I had taken at Dana Point during the San Clemente Plein Air Competition 2009. When I found the photo, it was better than I remembered with a cross armature (see my sketch outlining the structure of the composition).

I loved all the quirky details of the image, the bird, the garbage can, the barrel, the peeling paint but it was ultimately the interesting shapes that convinced me this would make a wonderful larger painting. A cross armature is a very dramatic structure and after doing the sketch, I decided the horizontal arm would be even more dramatic using an elongated canvas.

Remember when picking a photo to use for a larger painting, first consider the composition, look for interesting shapes, emphasize the structure and edit the details.

Beachcomber at Crystal Cove State Beach

Beachcomber

The final painting I did during the Calvin Liang workshop was of the Beachcomber Restaurant at Crystal Cove State Beach.  It is a local landmark and a favorite subject for many artists. I chose it because the colors are so fun and I enjoy painting buildings. I like the hard edges and interpreting the perspective.

It is tempting to paint everything in focus, with sharp edges, but often it is best to let the viewer's imagination fill in the details. Calvin reminded me that the suggestion of a window will create a stronger image than painting the complete shape. On the windows of the turquoise building note how the bottom half fades into the building without any sharp edge. I especially wanted to down play the windows because the shape of the building is what is important. The windows only add interest not structure. This device can be used not only for windows and buildings but also trees, light poles and all vertical objects. Softening the edge toward the bottom of an object is a technique which suggests detail without confusing the whole.

For me the most important aspect of being an artist is to constantly learn and grow. Workshops are a wonderful way to connect with other artists, work on new techniques, improve existing skills and remember misplaced rules. I think of a workshop like an oil change for an artist, it breaks everything up and gets me humming.