On the Easel

I went back to my original New York City piece today. I'm moving around quite a bit on about three different paintings right now. I'm taking it slow with this one using what I learned on the last city scene. Yes, the stuff I learned not to do! I'm liking the perspective and overall design much better. It will be fun for me I think to watch it progress.

This piece has been in the works for a while, and I think it's almost there. I have used many layers of wash with this piece. I'm using the washes to push myself as I learn to "let it run". I like the combination of sharp and soft edges in this piece. I'll finish with adjusting some of those edges, working toward the correct balance.

I've had a good start to the year I think. I'm pushing and learning. And this week I was back to teaching. This time in my own studio. It feels good.

Almost There...

"Looking Uptown"
Oil on Linen  40 x 30"

I think I'm almost there. I was in the studio for only a couple of hours today but I have a good idea how I'm gonna finish this up. Only a couple of fixes (the cars), and a few additional effects and details to finish it off.
I'm teaching next week again. It's been since October. I'm looking forward to it. Then I'm on to the other New York scene I started a couple of weeks ago. I started it using the color wash method, and it will probably go quite differently than this one did.
I am satisfied, if for no other reason than I learned a heck of a lot from this first large New York piece. I'll be painting a series of these city scenes, so stay tuned!

Getting There?

Looking Uptown   Oil on Linen
40x30"

I was talking with my husband on the phone today while taking a break at the studio. I said something that afterwards kinda made a light go on. "This painting is kicking my butt!"

When I met my husband 23 years ago he was an avid golfer, and still is. The funny thing is that he goes through this mind game about every week or so. He always says something to me along the lines of "I'm gonna try my new swing this week, and I think it's THE ONE". Well, after 20 years or so I tend to roll my eyes and say, "Okay well, good luck then."

This is the perfect analogy for my painting. I am always looking for the "New Swing." When I started this painting I was so excited about trying something new, using more paint and painting Alla Prima, my plan was to paint much more abstract. (Yes, I've been here before.) So as you can see, the new swing wasn't "The One".

So, on to the next swing right? The thing is, I learn a lot every time I take a chance and change it up. I try to do this ongoing. I think I always will, and I can confidently say I'm not alone here.

So, I will finish this piece, and who knows it may turn out okay, but it's not what I was going for. I'll work on it again tomorrow and then move on. I want to add more people in the distance and a few more lights, etc. We will see how it goes.

Thanks for feeling my pain friends.

Still At It

I'm not sure but I think I might not have fixed anything today, but instead I created more problems. At least that's how I'm feeling now. Yes I know I'm hard on myself, but I painted for hours and don't feel like I got anywhere.

I forget what a painting this size can do to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not ready to quit! I'll be back at it tomorrow. I might play around with it on my iPad using magic pad to see if I can come up with some solutions. I think what's bothering me still is the value plan. Until I get that I won't be happy.

Sometimes it helps to print out the photo of your painting in black and white. It can tell you a lot. I can see that the street is too light. It needs more drama. I like the top half of the painting better than the bottom half. I might go in and change the perspective as that is bothering me now too. I didn't notice it yesterday but the road is too wide. That's okay, I'm going to keep at it.

So, you get to go through this with me, the sometimes painful disappointment that we go through when a painting isn't going the way you had hoped at the start. At least I know I'm not alone.

Stay with me this week as I continue to search for answers and dig deep!

And please, I'm open to suggestions.

Progress Today

Looking Uptown, Oil on Linen
40x30" In Progress

Today I was able to get in the studio and cover the canvas. It helps to take a photo and then look at it on my monitor at the end of the day. It tells me what I need to know going back in tomorrow.

Two things I needed to see. First, the values are a problem. I will need to consolidate my value plan for sure first thing tomorrow. In other words, the mid-dark and mid tones do not have a clear shape that holds together. This is important and much harder to do on a large piece. Now that I see it I can fix it. I don't want the shadows to go too dark so I'm not surprised I have this problem. I need to focus on fixing the light areas (where the light is direct from the sun) and the mid tones (where the light is not direct). And then there is the reflected light to consider. This will be a subtle value difference because the values here are going to be close. I hope this makes sense.

Second, but related to the first problem, is that it is not clear where the sun is coming from. Unfortunately this is not an easy design for that reason. But the sun is up high in the sky, probably about noon time, and it is up behind the left side of the street. So the light side of the buildings need to be more apparent. This will be the challenge for tomorrow.

I also need to adjust some of the perspective issues, the angle of the cars and the road and some things like that. I was just happy to get the canvas covered today, while using plenty of paint that I can move around. As I said yesterday, I wanted to work wet into wet with this one so as to experiment a little bit. New for me on a large piece like this.

I have two of these going, but the other one has to wait until Thursday. Tomorrow I think I can finish this up, or get close.

I appreciate the feedback from yesterdays post Robert. It sounds like you are trying out the process of painting into a dry painting while I'm trying the wet to wet idea. Walnut oil is a good choice also I think. I have used it a lot.

The only reason I don't paint this way more often is that I don't get to spend long hours painting. Or I should say, it has not worked out for me. I have had some health issues to get past, and I am making progress with that, thank Goodness. Now, on a good day I can paint for longer periods, so hurray for that!

Can't wait to talk more about this one tomorrow night!

Another NYC Start

Looking Uptown - in Progress  40x30"

Just wanted to share with you another New York City Street start. I've been out of town again so I missed a week in the studio, but was back in there yesterday and today. I've got five paintings going that I need to finish up for my Carmel gallery, Gallery Amsterdam.

I like working this way, two big paintings at once. I'll be going back and forth between the two and I'll be sure to share my progress. I've started each one in a similar way, but using different techniques.

The first one from last weeks post was started with the Color Wash Method, using different colors while blocking in large shapes. (This is one of the methods I will be teaching this year in my workshops.)

The pink one, above, was started with a wash of transparent color, but I didn't use my special varnish for this one and I used only the one color as a "tone". Often when I start a painting this way I will use my paper towel to wipe out some of the wash before it dries. This time I chose to go right into the dark shapes.

When I go back into this piece tomorrow I will work in the "lights". This painting will be a "high key" painting. In other words, I will be painting from the light side of the value scale. Most of these dark shapes are not so dark, maybe mid-dark being the darkest shape. My hope is that some of the warm pink value and color from the original wash will be there showing through in some areas when the painting is done. This will depend on how many times I will be going into each area to repaint. When a painting goes really well, I usually have some underpainting coming through.

While I would like to be, I am not an Alla Prima painter. Especially with these big pieces, I will be working on it for a while and it is bound to dry in some areas.

Alla Prima painters finish the piece while the painting is still wet. This is an advantage because you can work into the other shapes as you go along. It gives your painting a fresher look. When it is dry, that is more difficult to do.

There are some tricks to doing this though, and some painters will scrape their first layer of paint so they don't have to worry about ridges of dry paint. But if you do this, you still don't always get the same results at you would be it "wet into wet".
Anyway, I thought it might be fun to explore the idea of wet into wet as much as I could anyway. I was certainly inspired when I went to a demonstration last week given by Elio Camacho.  He uses safflower oil to keep his paint wet. Ovanes Berberian uses Linseed Oil. (Some say the the Linseed Oil will turn yellow over the years, and the Safflower Oil will not.)
Elio has studied with Ovanes and paints in some similar ways. And his paintings are beautiful and colorful as well.
When Elio is not doing a demonstration he uses the Safflower Oil mixed with Stand Oil. I will have to try that too. I used the Safflower Oil today in my piece and I'm hoping to get the rest of the painting surface covered tomorrow so I can take advantage of the wet paint.

I'd love some feedback on these ideas so send me a note with your thoughts. Feel free to open up the discussion on any of the above topics. In fact go ahead and ask a question about anything related to painting. I love to talk about this stuff!

2014 Begins......

New York City Streets - 36 x 36" (just started)

  

I'm tired! But I march on friends. This big move up to Truckee is still ongoing and between that and opening a new Studio and Gallery, and now moving my daughter into her very first apartment, (not to mention a big Family Christmas that was wonderful), I could use a break!
The funny thing is, I am always thinking about the studio. I want to be in there. I just have to trust that this huge transition in my life won't last forever!
So, to bring you up to date with painting, as you know I have changed the way I will be teaching now that I'm living in Truckee. I will no longer (at least for now), be teaching on a weekly basis, but have scheduled several very focused weekend workshops throughout the year.
To see this schedule go to my WORKSHOP WEB-PAGE
We will just have to see how it all goes, but I'm excited and looking forward to these workshops. We will be studying the fundamental elements of oil painting from my experience, in a very focused manner. The first workshop at Patris Studio will be focused on Brushwork and the Color Wash Method.. I have learned this method from my teachers Brigitte Curt and Ovanes Berberian. Not too many people use this technique, but it is very exciting. It has come down from the Russian painters and it will change the way you paint. In addition we will be practicing many, and I mean many, different ways to apply the paint to the canvas. I plan to push you over the edge friends! This will allow you to move forward with your brush stroke with new FREEDOM!
(To sign up for this workshop, contact Patris and send her a $25 deposit to hold your spot BEFORE JAN 10 TO SAVE 10%).
Now, more on painting. My heart for painting is always prompting me. Right now I'm very excited about two things, and this brings me toward some change in subject matter. I am currently planning to move in the direction of City Scenes, and perhaps contrarily, Truckee Scenes. Although the Truckee Scenes will be little town scenes as well. So look for these types of paintings coming into the studio. And send me your comments please. I'd love the feedback.
We will be discussing these works, along with the concepts behind them and the techniques used to paint them throughout the coming months. So stick with me and send me your feedback. It will be a great learning experience, I promise!
One last thing, follow this link and read a little article HERE about our group show and opening tomorrow night at THE TEMP GALLERY in Sacramento.
So keep moving forward art friends, it is an exciting road!  Randy

Happy New Year

I'm working on some new large florals for Gallerie Amsterdam in Carmel by the Sea, CA. I always struggle with these big pieces, but I continue through the difficult finish. I've learned to hang in  there and give it my best shot. It's always a learning experience no matter what.
When I'm working on pieces for the gallery, it always feels like more risk, because I have a deadline and all. It's not my favorite part of being an artist.
Hang in there with me an we'll see what happens! I'm going down the hill again next Monday, so I'm hoping to get to the finish but if not I'll be back at it the following week.
I'm teaching my first workshop of the year on the 21st and 28th this month for beginners. We will be taking it from value scales to a finished painting in two consecutive Tuesdays, all day. I still have room if you want to learn this happy way of life!
Happy New Year all.