Saturday Workshops

Many of you painters (Past and Present) are also worker bees and don’t always have the time to commit to a weekly class, so I have been offering what I am calling Saturday Workshops now for the past several months.  Here is an opportunity to paint together one Saturday a month for a long enough stretch of time to start and actually finish a work of art.  This idea was born in December when several students asked if we could have a “catch up” workshop (not a Ketchup Workshop…that would be gross!) to try to finish up some projects you had planned to give as Christmas gifts.  That workshop was 6 hours of fun, food and festivities, and we got a lot of painting done, too!  Yea!  As a matter of fact, it was such a good idea that we all decided to continue the practice…hence Saturday Workshops were born!

January saw us working on winter landscapes, and February had a definite LOOOVE

Treasure Map

theme, so in March, I was scratching my head to come up with a new theme for the day, when several students asked me to do a demonstration on collage….or mixed media work.  I have always loved mixed-media and have done many such projects in the past.  I have worked on large works on canvas and board  for friends and for shows, and lately, I have experimented with small wooden backed “plaques” for the gift market.  I was inspired a couple of  years ago to dabble in encaustics, and my small plaques have grown into a combination of collage, paint, and beeswax that has been a lot of fun.  So I decided to share what small expertise I’ve accomplished in this medium in my next Saturday Workshop.

 

The most important thing to remember about collage work is that it is based on good design principles.  Working in a more abstract manner can be a challenge for any artist.  What do I do first?  How do I combine all these elements? To refresh those Design 101 memories…here are the basic elements of good design:

The elements of good art and design are the  VISUAL LANGUAGE of art.  By using some or all of these elements, an artist devises a way to communicate their ideas.  Here are the main elements to consider in composing a good piece of design.

1.  The Use of LINE…a mark with length and direction (vertical, horizontal, diagonal, straight, curved, thick, thin)….you get the idea.   Often it defines a space, and may create an outline or contour, define a silhouette; create patterns, or movement, and the illusion of mass or volume.   It may be two-dimensional (as with pencil on paper), three-dimensional (as with wire) or implied (the edge of a shape or form).

2.  SHAPE - an enclosed space. In painting, the shape may take on the appearance of a three-dimensional object when it is actually just the way you have depicted the shape.  Examples of simple shapes include squares, ovals, triangle, rectangle, etc, which can be painted to appear to have dimension when seen as fruit, flowers, buildings, and various objects.  If the shape is actually three-dimensional, it is called a form.  Painters often start a design by focusing on the large shapes or masses in a painting and try to depict them as a form (3D).  In collage, the artist has the opportunity to include actual 3D forms into the work by using small objects, wire, lace, buttons, etc.  A good design would include examples of both types.

3.  VALUE:  how light or dark something is.  A standard value scale helps measure value gradations and usually consists of the 10 steps the human eye can readily distinguish. 

Sometimes, beginning painters have more trouble seeing value in colors than in black and white and shades of gray.  Looking at your work through a red vinyl sheet can often times aid in determining value shifts when bright colors are involved.  As a general rule, most critics agree that works are most pleasing when they contain 5-7 value shifts within the artwork.

4.  TEXTURE refers to the surface of the artwork.  It can refer to”visual” texture…a paint treatment that implies texture, or actual three-dimensional texture applied to the surface such as adhering objects like straw, thread, yarn, screening, etc.  In collage, this element can be quickly overworked if not used in a balanced manner.  Many collage artists like to use a combination of 3-D objects such as buttons, lace, wire, letter tiles, etc. while also employing simulated texture, such as marks made by impressing screening or fabric into the surface of the paint.

And last, but not least:

5.  COLOR.  Choosing a color scheme is very subjective.  Some artists like bright (high value) colors while others like pastels.  Some use mono chromatic schemes (shades of the same color) or analogous (next to each other on the color wheel) schemes while others might rely on triadic (3 main colors) or complementary (colors opposite each other on the color wheel).  This is where an artist creates a scheme that most clearly communicates a feeling or mood in a painting or illustrates the kind of conversation the artist is trying to communicate to the viewer.

Sometimes collage making is very intuitive, and although each artist should keep the main elements of design in mind, it is only when the work is nearing completion that we begin to check to see if we have applied all the design principles that will allow the work to communicate.  I don’t start out saying, “I have to include these things”….but I do end by checking to see that the elements I have decided to use communicate what I want.  If I am not satisfied with the work I’m doing…I find it is a good time to stop and check to see if I am perhaps missing a design element, or that I have not clearly expressed one or more of these elements.  It’s a good way to check yourself.

Any good artist will tell you that rules are made to be broken, but it is always a good idea to know what the rules are and do it purposefully!

Let me know how your design projects turn out, and I will post pictures from our collage workshop in March!

Happy Painting!

 

To Kitsch or Not to Kitsch….that is the question!

Kitsch …so what is it?    According to Wikipedia…that unquestionable source of all internet knowledge…it is a “form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant (archaic) style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons^[1] while making cheap mass-produced objects that are unoriginal.” Kitsch also refers to paintings that express excessive sentimentality.

OK…so we all want to be original and take pains that we are not just a poor clone of our teachers or mentors…No Monet look alikes and PLEASE…no more David Winter cottages!  And, although we consider this term derogatory in the modern art age, it represents a kind of art that is highly commercial…and therefore salable…and for many, this has become a dirty word.  There are some that have taken it to the extreme…as in Jeff Koons, but it is rare that one gets away with the “in your face” commercialism anymore.   Most art schools and academies of higher learning will tell you that you should make art for art’s sake…or at least so that it pleases the art critics…and not for commercial value.  Vast post-modern philosophies on what is kitsch and what is original and why commercialism is bad can be read at your leisure (see Kant or Hegel).

For me, this “bash the commercial” part of the definition is balderdash! (how’s that for a kitschy word?)  I say there is a fine line between why I would want to paint 100 beautiful paintings (that no longer fit in my house or garage!) and planning to sell a few! How many paintings of barns (because she likes them) can my Mom collect during a lifetime  and how many do I actually want to paint?

Many artists make the mistake of doing some paintings they truly love, perhaps having a show of them, and having a few sell.  We get excited that we might actually make a living at this and we go home and make 20 more Tulip (or whatever sold) paintings and wait for the money to start rolling in….and when it doesn’t, we get discouraged.  But we do this not allowing for the fact we have no idea why certain paintings sold.  We don’t know whether the buyer was just filling up a certain sized space in their kitchen so the 12 inch square you painted of your cat was snatched up…or whether the buyer actually enjoyed your use of color, brush strokes, and sensitivity in rendering the subject!   Maybe the blue in your landscape matched their sofa?!

This happens all the time.  It is something all artists have to deal with if they sell paintings.  And sometimes, we don’t care why someone bought our painting, we are just glad we sold one!  But I always make it a point to talk to my buyers to find out why they were attracted to a certain painting enough to want to take it home.  Sometimes they can be quite eloquent…sometimes they don’t really know…but by having a conversation with your buyer, you can get a better idea of what it is about your paintings that appeal to people.  That will encourage you in the right way to make more of the same.

Most of us do not have “collectors”, but if you do…count yourself lucky.  Sometimes these folks will buy your paintings because they already have one or two of your works and are betting the market for them will go up.  As I say…if you have fans like this…count yourself lucky.

In these days of harsh economic times, few painters are selling works.  So don’t get discouraged.  If you paint things you truly love, and get better at it, this downturn will not be wasted.  Maybe this is the time to explore new colors or ways of handling the paint, to experiment with new subjects, or lighting.  Take a few workshops from people who paint well and that you admire.  Keep the faith.  And don’t be afraid to keep showing your work.

For me, painting is like breathing.  I can’t NOT paint…and I do it almost daily.  I’ve always been grateful for my teaching job, but I am also grateful when I have the time and the space to explore the thing I love best – painting.  I guess what I am saying is keep going.  If you allow your love of painting to show through your work….there will always be someone who will want to share that with you.

Happy Painting!

In The Way Back

Backgrounds….always a challenge, right?  Lots of my students ask me what kind of background is best for what kind of painting.  Since I always advise painters to start at the “back” of the painting first so that they can paint layers over the top (thus enhancing the visual space in the painting)…this can be a challenging subject.

When my kids were still living at home, we owned a station wagon (today it’s mini vans and SUVs!) and they always refered to the back seat and then the space behind that was the “way back”.  A common refrain I heard was , “Can I sit in the Way Back?”

In landscape, I always start with the “way back”….the sky…since it is the backdrop to almost all landscapes and is farthest away.  While skies are endlessly interesting…color, cloud formations, atmosphere, etc. , if it is not the focus of your painting, don’t spend a lot of time on this.  If it is the focus (I looooove big sky paintings)…then spend a lot of time on it.  Here are some examples:

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, if you are focusing on a subject…say a still life…don’t neglect your background, but don’t make it dominant in the painting. Having a relatively simple or uncluttered background allows the focus to fall entirely on the subject. If you paint the background first, you won’t struggle to paint around the subject or worry about accidentally painting over a bit. The great thing about acrylics and/or gouache is that you can safely paint over the background without it showing through.  The opacity of the paints make this possible.  With oils, you may have to wait for it to dry first, or be more careful of your edges if you choose to paint the background around your subject.  It is always a “back and forth” kind of painting that wins the day– painting a bit more sky into holes in tree canopy, or overlapping edges both soft and hard.

You first have to decide where your light is coming from in your painting.  Even the background should reflect this.  Whether it’s natural light or studio light…the background should reflect that.  By painting the background lighter on the side where the light is coming from and by adding a deeper shadow color to the background on the shadow side…you will reinforce your light source interpretation.  The great thing about painting is that you can “decide” where the light will come from if you want to!

Even though the background is relatively “plain”…it should not be uninteresting.  One of my grad school professors used to say, “Every square inch of your painting should be beautiful…don’t neglect any part of it.”  Backgrounds can be interesting without being intrusive.

Here are some things to consider.

1.  Where is the light coming from?  What color is the shadow side, the light side?

painting by H Franke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  What color is my background?  Should it be colorful, or neutral?

3.  Do I want to create atmosphere in my background…or paint on a solid color?

4.  Should I paint it smooth and flat, or put in some texture? I find I like shorter brush strokes and a bit of texture most of the time.

5.  Consider positive vs negative space in your compositions.   The space on either side of the subject is a space that has to be reckoned with. Squint and see how the subject relates to this empty space (background).

By putting all these considerations together, you can come up with a background that suits your painting.  Try experimenting with various colors and textures.  Again, as I continually advise, if you truly want to learn, try the same subject with a series of different backgrounds and see which one you like the best.

Happy Painting!

 

BFFs and Valentines

This weekend, I was reminded how important Valentine’s Day is in school.  I was keeping the gkids while my son-in-law was flying and my daughter travelled to Seattle for a Law Workshop.  The kids were not too happy to have both parents gone over the weekend, but decided that having Nana there was a good second choice.

One of our activities was putting together the myriad of Valentine’s Day cards/gifts required now at school.  Coop, who is in 1st grade, bemoaned the fact that they didn’t really make Valentine’s Day Cards for boys to give to boys…although I saw that the choices were better than they used to be.  At least now there were robot ones or Star Wars ones, and even Spiderman made his appearance on the red hearts.  Still they were too mushy for Cooper’s taste.  Just saying that he liked his guy friends was deemed “dorky”.  In fact, at one point, when we were putting together Valentines for 10 different teachers they see during the course of their week…he was tired of the whole thing.  “All these hearts are dumb!” He pronounced.

On the other hand, my 8 year old (going on 26) granddaughter was enraptured by the entire exercise.  “These are so cute!” She exclaimed.  “Cute” is a key word in her world these days.  She chose mushy cards with frilly hearts, neon colors, and clever “hip” looking designs.  She was really into punching out heart shaped confetti to fill envelopes and bags, metalic heart stickers, extra chocolate kisses, and paper doilies.  Valentine’s Day was deemed “so pretty” in her world.  She is right at the stage where one day her BFF is the greatest thing ever, and the next, she is jealous because her so-called BFF sat with someone else at lunch.  Very mercurial at age 8.  Social life is difficult when everything is a crisis!

Mostly they were both worried whether there would be enough chocolate in the house for the special day.  I asked if they wanted to make V-Day cards for their Mom and Dad (and maybe their Nana, I hoped), but no….Valentines were strictly reserved for schoolmates, BFFs and teachers to them.  Asked if they had a special someone they were hoping to get (or give) a Valentine from/to…Olivia got sad and said she didn’t have a boyfriend anymore since her previous amour (of last week) was now “dating” her worst nightmare…the former BFF.

Do you date at 8 years old?  What does that look like?  What does it involve, I asked.  “You know, Nana.  Holding hands at recess.”  Piped up Cooper who had a whole long story about who in his first grade class was dating whom and why his former girlfriend finally wanted him back…ye Gods…he’s 6!  I realized that delving into the social waters at school was a complicated morass of social inuendo I didn’t begin to understand.

Finally, he told me not to worry. I said, “Do you have a special sweetheart, Coop?”  “Oh Nana, all the girls like me”.  And there you have it.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Winter Magic

Today I got a brochure in the mail advising me on the 10 things to consider when choosing a retirement location.  According to the pamphlet…the Pacific Northwest doesn’t meet any of them.  The brochure extols the virtues of places like the Tax Free Cayman Islands, where life is laid back and sunny to the Rural South where real estate deals can still be had.  No thanks.

While I absolutely love sunny beaches and Margaritaville…it’s not someplace I want to live.  Being an ex-Navy dependent, I have lived in my share of warm, sunny beach communities, and while in many ways it makes life easier when you don’t have to purchase coats and galoshes, where central heat and air are not real estate requirements…there is a kind of sameness that lulls me into further lassitude (more than usual in my case) that isn’t very conducive to living the second half (well at least fourth) of my life in a satisfying, meaningful way.  And I am way too liberal to feel comfortable in the Southern States. I become a SLOTH! in that climate.

While I haven’t lived here long, I have begun to truly appreciate the cool magical quality of immense trees, dark forest paths, crisp cool streams full of snow melt, waterfalls, sharply peaked volcanic mountains and rocky shorelines.  I’ve painted my fair share of serene beaches with tanned bodies soaking up the sun in an Adirondack chair while seagulls soar overhead, but there is definitely something special about rocky coasts, winter storms, forests that spill into the sea, huge chunks of volcanic rock sticking up in the shallow waters off shore, swooping pelicans and busy sandpipers, as well as majestic black and white tails that flash in the sunlight.  Not to mention the neon spring greens and long northern summer days.

Today, as the fog and wet weather return to the area, I notice how grateful I have been for the nearly 5 straight days of sunlight that has preceded it.  This unusual bout of sunny weather has brought a new appreciation for the winter light.  This changeable quality of the air, the coziness of a fire and a good book, and the half-light glowing through the pines at twilight ignite wonder in me.  It’s the ever-changing moods of the Northwest that I like best.  I think I picked just the right spot for my retirement…and having the gkids nearby doesn’t hurt.

Color Recession (as opposed to a Real Recession)

Although our economy has received a lot of attention lately, there isn’t much I can do about it personally….except keep the art supply stores in business! Today I want to talk about another kind of recession – color recession. As previously confessed…I have a tendency to buy lots of paint colors just for the fun of it….but you can also easily adjust colors by using a little color theory (in case your budget doesn’t allow for all those paint purchases!)

So what’s color recession?  Briefly and simply put, it is a way to convey aerial perspective by using color to indicate changing lighting or distance in a painting.  When you adjust a local color by neutralizing its brilliance (usually by adding a bit of its complement) you will make colors that tend to recede.  This will also cool its temperature and create atmospheric conditions in a landscape.

You can accomplish this in a number of ways.  We all know the basic premise that cool colors recede and warm colors advance…but you can also use the same rule in combination with a value recession (darker in the foreground, lighter in the distance) to achieve atmospheric perspective.  The idea is that colors influenced by yellow being added to the local color will advance…and that colors influenced by blue will recede.  However there is a whole range of color in between.  What happens if I use yellow-orange, orange, orange-red, red-violet, violet, blue-violet?  This progression of color shifts will result in believable atmospheric perspective.

Add this to linear perspective – the perception that objects get smaller and closer together as they recede…and you have a very believable atmospheric perspective.

Let’s take a row of trees…my favorite subject.  By adding different colors of light (color) to the local color of the leaves (green) and shifting the value from darkest and warmest in the foreground to lightest and coolest in the background…you can create perceived distance in your paintings.

Begin by painting in the local color of the object.  For these trees, you might mix a warm green (Sap Green) or a mix of Cad Yellow Medium and Pthalo Blue for the leaves on the trees.  If you painted all the trees in the row the same color and value (even though your perspective drawing is correct) the viewer would have a hard time visualizing the distance you are hoping to achieve.

 

 

 

 

But by mixing a range of tinting colors from Cadmium Yellow Medium through Pthalo Blue with your warm green, you can achieve the right atmospheric perspective. This will gradually mute the color intensity and by also lightening the colors with White as you go, you will achieve a more believable painting.

Overlapping the objects that also diminish in size and graduating the colors and values, you will create an illusion of depth.  Details should progress from sharp well-defined large brushstrokes in the foreground tree to soft blurry marks on the farthest tree.  The edges change from jagged to smooth.  Notice that the trunks receive the same treatment.

This technique can be applied not only to tree lines, but also to distant mountains or nearly any background that you want to recede.

 

 

Choosing Painting Supplies

Several new students have joined my classes this month, and they are beginners.  Most are folks who finally are at a place in their lives where they can finally take the time to pursue setting aside some time to learn new things and/or focus on themselves.  Learning to paint is often high on their list. 

However, just picking out basic supplies can be quite a challenge for beginners.  So here is my list of basic essentials in acrylics.

Paints:  There are a lot of great brands of acrylics out there and as you progress you will learn what type of paint best applies to your style of painting.  I tend to paint in an impressionistic style that mimics oil painting so I like the heavy bodied acrylics best.  If you are more academic, you might enjoy jarred paints or acrylic stains which will produce thin, smooth glazes.  Whatever type you choose there are some basic colors I recommend.

Alizarin Crimson

Reds:  Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red Medium

 

Blues:  Prussian Blue, Cobalt Blue or French Ultramarine

Yellow:  Cadmium Yellow Medium and Light, Raw Sienna

Prussian Blue

Green:  Sap Green (you can mix many other greens from the blues and yellows above)

 

Neutrals:  Burnt Umber, Payne’s Gray, Titanium White, Burnt Sienna

You also don’t need a whole quiver of brushes to start with.  I recommend a few brushes that will be the workhorses of all those you use.

1. Include a soft synthetic bristled wash brush – 3/4 to an inch wide.  This multipurpose brush will work for large areas, getting a smooth surface, and keeping you loose and not too fussy.

2.  A smaller filbert (a round-topped flat brush).  Choose synthetic bristles: either nylon or talkon.

3.  A stiff bristled filbert.  This can be hogs hair or synthetic.  It will be used to “scrub” in texture, scumbling, and applying thicker layers of paint.

4.  A small round with a fine point.  This will be used for making lines and getting into tight spaces.

Later on you can add others, but these will work well in the beginning.  There are tons of special purpose brushes – fan brushes, riggers, liners, flats, brights, forked, deer foot, etc.  You do not need all these specialty brushes since the same effect can be done with regular brushes after a little practice.  These specialty brushes appeal to those artists that think they could be master painters if only they had the right brush!  That is not to say that good brushes are not essential.  Poorly made brushes that loose hairs, are too soft or too rough can cause more frustration that ever, but if you buy a few good brushes to start…you do not need a whole raft of specialty brushes.

Add in a good painting knife.  For acrylics, plastic ones work fine as metal ones tend to rust.  I prefer to mix large amounts of paint with a knife rather than gum up my brushes mixing colors.  I also use an angle bladed knife to paint in final details or scrape out where needed.

I also recommend a moisture-retaining palette.  This is a white tray with a lid.  Sometimes they come with a thin sponge and special palette paper.  But a lidded tray can work just as well. (think Tupperware).  I use a dampened paper towel under my slick finish palette paper to keep paints moist and spritz it with a spray bottle to keep the paints alive longer.  By putting down a moisture laden cloth, paper towel or sponge beneath the paper, you feed moisture to the paint from the bottom keeping them fresher longer.  While I store paint and paint mixes in the tray, I mix color on a separate sheet of disposable slick finish palette paper so I don’t contaminate the paints in the container.  If I have left over paint mixes that I have mixed on the paper, I scoop them up with my palette knife and store them in the tray to keep until my next painting session.

You need a container for water for both rinsing your brush clean and for thinning the paint. An empty jam jar will do the trick, though I prefer a plastic container that won’t break if I drop it. You can buy all sorts of containers, including ones with holes along the edges for storing brushes that are drying.

Bring along a few paint rags or a roll of paper towels to blot moisture from your brushes, clean up small spills, and wipe off mistakes.  I prefer paper towels, although cloths would be much greener!

Canvases come in lots of different sizes these days and most are pre-gessoed.  You can find good quality canvases in most any craft store…either with the staples showing on the sides, or the higher quality wrapped canvases that you don’t have to frame.  You can also purchase canvas boards (canvas wrapped around flat cardboard) for small paintings, but the larger ones tend to warp.  Whichever kind you buy, always give them an extra coat of gesso or colored ground to ensure a smoother surface.  I like 2 inch sided canvases because they have such a great profile on the wall and if you continue the painting around the sides, you don’t have to frame the paintings.

You can also paint on prepared wooden panels if you prefer less “bounce”.  These rigid boards can be purchased or you can construct them yourself by using clear 1/8 inch veneer boards backed by wooden framing to keep them from warping.  Wood must be sealed with a wood treatment product before painting on the surface.  If you don’t seal the wood, the paint will soak into the surface unevenly.

This may still be overwhelming if you haven’t spent a lot of time in a craft or art store before, so don’t be afraid to ask the clerks for help.  Some large chains (like Michael’s) have very competitive prices, but you may find the smaller art stores have personnel who are much more knowledgeable about supplies and can guide you if you have questions.
Realistically, you should expect to spend between $75 and $100 in initial outlay of supplies to get you started if you have nothing to begin with…but these essentials should last for many months if not years if used judiciously.  If you rinse brushes promptly, tighten lids adequately, and take a little care with your supplies, you protect your investment and assure that you have top-notch tools that you need to help make painting much easier.