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.

Our View From Limoux

For ten lucky painters,"Our View from Limoux" was unforgettable.

Randy Blasquez’s first trip to France was filled with museums, Monet’s Gardens and art classes with one of her favorite teachers, Brigitte Curt.  

“I painted Monet’s gardens for a year after I returned home,” she confesses.  

On her second trip to France, last year, while in Burgundy taking art classes from another one of her favorite teachers, Ovanes Berberian, she determined that she would return the next year and teach a class of her own.  And she did!  The work resulting from that class in France will be on display in January in “Our View from The Limoux: Paint and Play in the South of France”   

Sacramento Temporary Contemporary

1616 Del Paso Boulevard

Uptown Sacramento, CA 95815

916-921-1224

Email: sactempcontemporary@gmail.com

Reception for "Our View From Limoux" - a group show featuring works by the artists inspired by the trip - will be Thursday evening, January 9th at THE TEMP.

6-9 pm

I wanted to announce this upcoming show so you could put it on your calendar. Look for the complete article and interview about last June's workshop in today's e-mail newsletter. 

2014 Workshop Dates Posted!

Oil on Linen   18x24"     $1695

"Last Light Over the River L 'Aude"

This painting will be available at a group show coming in January. I started this piece as a demo for my workshop "small to large" at Patris Studio earlier this year..and added a few final touches this week. I'll post all about this upcoming show in tomorrow's post. I hope you can join us for the reception on January 9th to see these works from our group workshop in the South of France last June!

Speaking of workshops, the schedule is posted below. Please sign up to receive my student email newsletter if you have not done so. I'll be sending out details for the workshops. Send me an email if you have any questions at all as well.

Studio Blasquez

Workshop Dates     2014

                                                                                                                                      

January 21^st and 28th             Studio Blasquez - Truckee         Introduction to Oil Painting 

February   4^th and 11^th           Studio Blasquez- Truckee       Oil Painting Basics - Beg & Intermed

February 22^nd and 23^rd           Patris Studio Sacramento         Brushwork and Color Wash Method

March 15^th and 16^th               School of Light & Color          Composition and Design Technique

April 25^th and 26^th                  Pacific Grove                          Plein Air Ocean Views –Color Wash 

May 31^st and June 1^st             Patris Studio Sacramento         Paint a Landscape from a Photograph

August 30 and 31^st                 Patris Studio Sacramento          Brushwork and Color Wash Method 

September  20 & 21st            Studio Blasquez - Truckee         Plein Air?  Brushwork and Color Wash 

October (3 day intensive)        School of Light & Color            Brushwork and Color Wash Method

 Have a Blessed Holiday Season and I'll look forward to working with you next year.

The Magic - A Quote From Richard Schmid

I love this quote from Alla Prima 2..
THE MAGIC
YOU
 You are the sum of your choices. Your job then is to make sure that your ideas about what to paint are not wholly based upon either the acceptable or the taboo, but arise instead from what honestly fascinates and stirs you. You may feel vulnerable, but I see no way around that. I assure your it is OK to feel vulnerable. It is, after all, the human condition. In any case, your thoughts (and mine) are just as valid as those of anyone else. Even though you share countless similarities with others, you are unique. No one has your mind or your feelings. They do not always notice what you notice, and do not have precisely the same sensitivities or fears. No one has the same idea of God as you. No one longs to embrace life or ponders death and beyond as you do. No one is human in the same exact way as you are.
Once you understand this, your task is to get in touch with yourself. Find out what moves you, what you believe in, and what you truly understand about life. Taken together, such insights may lead you to know who you are, and what this great experience of living means to you. Then put that in your paintings.
Somewhere within all of us there is a wordless center, a part of us that hopes to be immortal in some way, a part that has remained unchanged since we were children. It is the source of our strength and compassion. That faint confluence of the tangible and the spiritual is where Art comes from. It has no known limits, and once you tap into it you will realize what truly rich choices you have. May each painting you do from that sacred place include an expression of gratitude for the extraordinary privilege of being as artist.

I just love the way Richard speaks from his heart about the way we artists feel and how we learn to express ourselves. I feel this way with my painting and it feels good to know that I'm not alone. I appreciate his honesty. I haven't ordered the new Alla Prima Book yet, but I will. I have his original Alla Prima Book, and I think it is probably the best art book I own that talks about painting. Not just the technique of painting but about being a painter. To order his new book go to: http://www.richardschmid.com/

San Francisco Study
Oil on Canvas
12 x 12"

I painted this little study this week in the new studio. I have to say that it feels good to be in there. I am able to loose track of time, so that's a good sign. I took this photo while in the City a couple of weeks ago. I'm working on some ideas for larger pieces for my gallery in Carmel, Gallery Amsterdam. I'm going to do some florals as well. I'm looking forward to spending some time there next April, after attending the Plein Air Convention. To learn more about that go to:  http://www.pleinairconvention.com/

Ready To Paint!

The studio is looking good. I have a couple more trips to make down
the hill in order to finish, but for now at least I am able to paint! Hmmm, where do I start?

Anne's Cups

Anne's cups one and two. These were the commission pieces I delivered yesterday. My friend Anne liked my little cropped cups from the 30 in 30 paintings I did last year. We talked about it and she told me she had a few sets of cups that were from her grandmother and also she collected some antique cups that she loved. So I brought them over and set them up on my table for about three weeks. When the light was especially beautiful, I snapped photographs. These are larger, sixteen by sixteen inches.
I just wanted to keep my word and post them for you!

Another Update and Some Commission Pieces

I've been working on two commission pieces for a lovely family who have been collecting my artwork for a number of years. This is the last of my painting to be done before the big move next Tuesday. In between painting, I've been going through my "art rooms" here at the house and deciding what is going with me and what is not.
I went out to the garage today and sanded down some old canvases that weren't going anywhere! Then I painted over them with white oil paint and turpentine. Now they are like new canvases ready to re-paint. I've had my Son, Joe here helping out and he sanded and painted all my student easels. He is doing the same with my stretching and framing table. All this is going to the new studio next week.
So life is exciting right? Right, well maybe not today. At least I'm getting to the fun part soon, the part about moving into the new studio. It is ready to go, just waiting on the track lighting is all. I will still have lots to do for the studio once I get in there, but I'll tackle that one day at a time as well.
So for now I have a couple of new photos for you, and I'll also post the new painting commission pieces for you when done, hope fully in a day or two!

Studio Blasquez Update

Just have to share with you some photos my husband has just sent me from Truckee. The owner has started the tenant improvements to our specifications. They have taken out a couple of dividing walls, put in lighting and are going to put in a new floor and paint.  I had them build some movable walls that I will use to control the space for classes, teaching and shows. They will be perfect for hanging more artwork as well. I'm thrilled with what I see so far!
I'm looking at moving in the first week in November if all goes well.....

SOME NEWS FOR YOU...

"French Laundry Chef"
Redo, Oil on Linen, 12x9"
Available $895

If you are a regular follower of this blog, you may have been wondering about me lately. I kind of dissapeared a few weeks ago. 

Well, I'm here to explain. Some big things have happened in my life, rather unexpectedly. So here goes:

I'm getting ready to move to Truckee, California in a couple of weeks! The best part of this is that I'll be doing what I've dreamed of doing for years, that is, I'll be opening my own studio/gallery.

I hadn't planned to make such a move, at least not so soon. My husband has retired over the summer a couple of years ahead of our plans. So, it's time to go!

I was digging in my heals at first because I am so linked in to my location here in the Sacramento area. But now that I have made the committment to move, all kinds of good things have happened and I'll for sure continue to teach, paint and travel!

I'm very excited about the Studio and Gallery. This will be my hub for showing my works of art and teaching. I'm also excited about my plans to teach periodic workshops throughout the year.

 

So give me some time to work out the small stuff, and look for upcoming news as things begin to happen. 

Please be sure to sign up under the "sign up for e-mail" link on this page and I'll add you to my newsletter e-mail list also, this way I can keep you up to date with news via my newsletter also.

Class Demonstration

Today I'm changing strategy a bit.

I started this piece last week in my oil painting class as a demonstration to show my students how I wanted them to start a painting. 

I used a transparent oxide red for the toning of the canvas, after I used my view catcher to find a composition that i really liked. I always stress the importance to taking time to look through the view catcher while moving around the subject and zooming in and out. Look for the best shapes and patterns while trying at the same time to stay out of the details, (the pear, the flower, etc.).

After the toning of the canvas, I used my brush to locate the subject while looking through the view catcher. First I find where the highest point is located and mark it with a touch of paint on the canvas. Then look again, and find where the lowest point of your subject is within the view catcher, and mark that on the canvas. The way this works is to first find the location using the outside border of the view catcher as a measuring point. Then as you turn to the canvas, you use the outside border of the canvas in the same way. 

From this point, go ahead and find the right and left margins of your subject. This way you know your design will fit inside the canvas. 

Try to leave your spaces (the distance of an object to another object or the canvas border), different lengths rather than equal. This will make things more interesting and help to keep your painting from being too centered. 

Now what I do is to create a value study using my toned canvas as the middle value. I will wipe out the lights and darken the dark shapes. This is the point where the painting is now. 
Starting a painting this way has benefits. First of all, it helps to use the toned canvas a a value in order to measure your others values against. It's more difficult to see value correctly while staring at a white canvas. If you put a little color on there it will appear darker than it actually is. Secondly, it is a very right brained way of getting started. You will be more inclined to use the creative side of your brain, and therefore you will be more creative with your thinking, design and brush strokes. It is much better to keep yourself in the more abstract start and keep thinking about shapes and values rather than tea pots and flowers. When you think tea pots and flowers you are already on the left side trying to describe what a tea pot and a flower "looks like". You do not want this, because then you will start to describe what you "think" they look like rather than really observing what is in front of you. A valualble lesson if you can force yourself to work this way.

Next Tuesday I will continue on this study to show the class how to proceed from here, then I'll post it for you.

I'll continue to post my daily paintings as I can, but have decided to go ahead and get started on some pressing work (paintings) that I have lined up (gallery waiting and also a commission client). In order for me to keep from getting too anxious about it I'll have to make them a priority over the daily paintings for now. 

More later!

Still Life/City Life - 30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 14

"Times Three"
Oil on Linen Panel   8 x 6"

I painted this last night and decided to take the day off from painting today. I'm gonna spend some time with my daughter, sister and her family for our twin birthdays. 

I took this photo at the studio a few weeks ago. Didn't get the chance to paint it that day, but I really liked it and thought it would be a fun one. My friend Renee has these little bottles that hold three flowers. I liked the pink on pink with the contrast of greens.