Brrrrrr...... and Digging Deep -

Yesterday morning it was 15 degrees Below Zero here - uhhhhhhh - teeeeth chattttttering!!!! This morning, only 5 below - finally some global warming.....

Anyway - Been in a bit of a funk here - Haiti and some deaths of acquaintances etc... So very much sadness and heaviness of heart!

I've been taking this time to dig deep, doing lots of reading. One of the books I'm reading through for the second time in two weeks actually is "The Shape of a Pocket" by John Berger. I found it in the National Gallery bookstore; I've read some of his other works and this one practically jumped off the shelf at me.

It is truly a remarkable book; a collection of essays speaking to painting as an act of resistance. The second essay, "Steps Towards a Small Theory of the Visible" is one of the best pieces on art and painting I've ever come across. I highly recommend it to anyone asking questions of themselves and the world and paint and the visual!

I've been doing a lot of writing as well lately, trying to figure things out.... about painting .... why I must paint, what I want to paint and I've been feeling a certain meaninglessness about the whole thing - not a depression exactly, but a grasping, a remembering..... And I've come to many conclusions, but one of particular significance is that the state of the world and the state of the world as portrayed by the media, the economy etc... is supposed to effect a state of hollow, shallow, confused meaninglessness.

Now - I don't have a TV, so I have to make a very concerted effort to view one generally. While I was in MD, there was a TV in my room and I was appalled at the degradation that's taken place in the 12 or so years since I've had one. I turned on the tube twice, to try to find something interesting to watch (beside the weather channel or Fox News - Ugh!) Both times the scenes opened with a dead body; the first of a little black girl and the second of a pretty red-head who'd been bludgeoned to death in a bathtub. Wow - what I've been missing! Man! Between that and the news............... what can even be said -

Anyway - the point is, and one of the many poignant points of Berger's book is that the prostitution, (my word, not his) of images, cheap, in your face, over the top, and consumerism driven, -billions of them relentlessly barraging people, contributes immensely to the meaninglessness of them and a seemingly cheapening and devaluing of life. I see this in much of the contemporary paintings I've perused of late. Many of them I even love, they're beautiful, but what do they mean??? All these gazillions of images make paintings harder to see.

This has brought me to a necessary and impassioned conclusion for my own work here. For the time being, I'm only going to work from life! For thousands of years this has been the way artists functioned. I feel a bit of a death in a way these days, trying to make a painting from a digital image. Painting for me is about reciprocity, action - reaction, energy, and the precious use of my binocular vision that becomes neutered by both the flatness and limited color of a photograph.

So I am resisting - painting from life, insisting that painting and the richness of family and friends, relationships, walks in the woods, striving, changing, improvings, giving a damn and looking for God's will all do have exquisite and indelible meaning!!!

George Bellows - The Lone Tenement

I saw this remarkable painting in the National Gallery of Art. I made several trips there while I was working in MD. It is just an incredible painting - very approximately -it's 3 x 4 feet. This reproduction is really pretty accurate coloristically. I see it as painting at its best - real paint, light, content, design - the artist both disappears and is everything in it at the same time!

Well - been back for a week here - have indeed been neglecting posting, but not working. I've hoed out my studio - ahhhhhhhh.................. Been drawing, painting, making color studies, writing and thinking about gearing up for spring.

I was also extremely fortunate - in this economy - to be able to order some much needed supplies this last week - including a new color - Sennelier Cobalt Turqoise - can't wait to see it in person.

I've been using almost exclusively Old Holland and Winsor & Newton. Well I've had some serious yellowing issues with the Old Holland - particularly zinc and Titanium whites and I'm bitterly disappointed about that! Fortunately most of the paintings I've sold over the last two years have been watercolors.

Anyway - I've been doing some research and am switching out most of my Old Holland colors for Sennelier - the French Ultramarine Deep is awesome, I'm using their Titanium white etc.... I'll stick with the Old Holland reds I use - Cadmium Scarlet and Cad Red Light - they seem to be unaffected.

Later - And Happy Painting -

Butter Dish - Knife Painting

Another knife painting - no medium....

Been doing 10 - 12 hour days - And - unbelievably, forgot my white paint - nowhere there to buy another tube either - --- ugh.... Did do some drawing though. Also got to the National Gallery - incredible beyond words!!! The botanical gardens were also truly amazing. I plan on going back if at all possible.

So great to be home - be with my little crew, rest, quiet, great food, no rushing around, paint... ahhhhhhh.........

Heading back out tomorrow for another week or so - with my white paint all packed -
Later - : 0 )

Plein Air Snack

Well - here's my first minimalist oil. Minimalist not in style, but in means. As I stated in a previous post, I'm traveling for work shortly and don't want to stop painting with oils. So - I asked my self - Self??? how little can I get away with?? What is the absolute minimum I need to make an oil picture??

Okay - paint, palette, surface, and something to put it on with - 4 things, absolute minimum! Though I may at some point try it without palette - just put the paint on the board and rearrange it like a funky puzzle - will have to be in a mood for that. Now I've added a pencil - 'cause pencils are small, and a rag for wiping my knife - but that's it.

Paint - I take 4 tubes - a red, yellow, blue, and white - small tubes
Surface - Small pieces of board or matt board appropriately coated - from 3 x 5 to 5 x 5 inches.
Implement - One palette knife.
Palette - Small disposable paper palette.

I hold the little painting with my left hand - and the rag at the same time. A little awkward at first, but gettin' used to it. A very quick pencil sketch and then just palette knife work. Set the palette where ever possible and go for it!

This does change a bit the way I work. I'm spoiled by my pochade box - having my paint right there at the right height, right in front of me, but this is about just keeping going no matter now little space I have....

I'll post some more as they come along. They do take longer to dry because the paint is a bit thicker in places. Am considering adding a very small jar of Galkyd or using an alkyd white to improve this aspect. I also have to be able to carry the little painting somewhere where it can dry safely when I'm done. It's all about persevering to grow in spite of and with limitations!

Oh - I also stick a plastic grocery bag in my pocket for the rag and palette when I'm done - No littering!

So far I'm really liking working this way. Will let you know how I make out.

Rockwell Falls, Hadley, NY

I continue to paint out -en plein aire - as much as possible. The more I work from life the less and less I like working from photographs - the difference is night and day!

On the Road

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Everyone - that's first off! I'm smelling turkey roasting as I'm typing here.....
I'm out on the road for the next month - doing scenic work. I'll be able to post, but not scan, so I have a few images to put up - but will mostly be posting writings.

I will - however - be continuing my own work - painting and drawing. Taking watercolors and figuring out how little I need to take to work in oils! Have some good ideas for this which I'll be posting. Not only am I not letting lack of time or space keep me from working - I'm thinking that my ideas here will stretch me as a painter - I'm very excited! Off to try a few out before I actually leave - work out the kinks -

Eat lots, paint good works, and stay in touch.... lol!

On Writing -

Been doing a lot of writing lately, some of which will be distilled down and posted here.

I encourage every artist - no matter your discipline or where you are in your path as an artist - to write - a lot!! Don't do it on the computer and don't even use a pen. Use a pencil and the cheapest composition notebooks you can find and just write for yourself as honestly and in whatever way You choose. Don't finesse the pages or make a sketch book out of it - just get "down and dirty" with yourself. The use of your hand and the pencil is akin to drawing and you'll be surprised at what you think of that you just simply won't using any other method of communication.

I know I've said some of this before, but it bears repeating because it is so useful to our progress and souls as artists.

I'm coming to believe too that the parallel of writing what I want the Way I want also subconsciously helps the decision making for deciding what and how I want to paint.

Pear

These little paintings of fruits and nuts and things are a blast to do. The surface of the travertine tile is really wonderful to work on - silky. Looking forward to tomorrow - a full studio day. Today was an errand day - went well though.

This little pear tile is also in my Etsy Shop.

Rainy Day -

Very rainy gray day here! I decided to start my Christmas card front today - some good music, cup-o-coffee.... I have just the image in mind and will post it of course when it's done.

I used to hand paint or print my cards every year which was a real joy - something I looked forward to with relish. But this year I may be going out of town on business for a month or more and so I'm thinkin' I'll paint an oil and then photograph and make them on my printer. Not the usual hand-made charm, but do-able.

The little study above is in my Etsy shop.

Not Speaking

This still life is about 4 x 6 - and that pear was delicious! : 0 )

Thought for the Day

Here's the color thought for ya for the day.... Take, for example, a fire truck - screamin' red. Well - we see it as red because all of the other colors are absorbed and red is the only color reflected. So - actually "red" is the only color it isn't! It would be more accurate, but infinitely more tedious and annoying to say - "hey look at that not-red fire truck" , or that orange that isn't....

This is one of the things I think about while waiting in lines, while I'm supposed to be paying attention to something else - ..........etc...etc...etc... : 0 )

Alumacraft -

We've had some unusually fantastic weather for Nov. So - I've been taking advantage and painting outside as much as possible. So there will be a few more of these Plein Air sketches in future posts.

I have a turkey on my Weber Grill - off to tend it Yummmmmmmm...... Been sizzling and smokin' away in there all afternoon -

Acorn Tile

Here's my first acorn - these are only 2 x 2 so if it's bigger on your monitor, you have to think smaller, or shrink it on your monitor... We're big on acorns around here. My boys pick up a pocket full on every daily walk, so I have lots of little models hanging round.

My Marbles -

A couple of my latest "Tiles" that I list on Etsy. The acorn titled "Anybody Home?" will be listed as soon as it's dry enough to scan. I'll post a better photo then too -
Later -

Dredging Sketch

I pass by these dredging barges often in my travels. They've been scraping PCBs off the bottom of the Hudson for several months now. They're very colorful - interesting - however else they may be detrimental. They kept moving the barges around as I was painting this little sketch -decided to just go with the flow -it was still a lot of fun - wound up being more of an abstract conglomeration than a real representation.

I hope to get back to paint them more before they've disappeared for the season -

Susan's Geraniums

I put this up on my web site today - more of an oil sketch or drawing really. These happy things sit on this bench every summer - I do love them -

Marbles...

I've begun painting small to tiny oil paintings on marble and slate tiles for my Etsy Shop. They are a ton of fun to make, good practice and adorable if I do say so myself.... This one above is 2 x 2 inches and about 3/8 of an inch thick. I include a double sided 3M sticky tab to mount them on the wall. Oh - the ideas are just endless...
Will put more up as they become dry enough to scan.

New Painting -Plein Air

This little painting, 8 x 8 inches, was finally dry enough to photograph for posting. I painted it across from where I do most of my scenic work - see two posts back from Oct. 24. Been painting out quite a bit lately - more plein air posts to follow.

PS - This painting is now available from the wonderful ladies at the "Art on the Avenue" Gallery in Macon, Georgia.

What We Don't See

I've been thinking much lately about the fact that our eyes only see a small portion of what we humans call the Electromagnetic Spectrum.

This is usually depicted in books in a linear configuration, though I suspect that it's more three dimensional in reality and that there is much we don't understand.

So my point is - we're looking through the "filters" of our eyes. We're not seeing 99% of what is around us. The only difference, for example, between what we see and what we hear is time; albeit an imperceptibly small increment, but absolutely unmovable in its imprint on our perceptions.

At times, I feel as though I'm walking blind. As incredible as my eyes are, what is "really" there in front of me???

This to me explains the part of the Bible where God "opened" the eyes of the servant at Elisha's request. (2 Kings 6:8-23) I believe there is much going on that we're totally unaware of.

Field Painting

We had a gorgeous day here last Thurs.... warm and almost balmy for autumn in Northern NY. I had an opportunity to spend a couple of hours painting outside - soooo quiet and a fresh breeze that can't even be described!

As you can see, my field box - Ben Hagget's Bitterroot - has built in brush holders..... wonderful! : 0 )

Will post that little painting when it is dry enough to handle a bit.