Class Notes: Clear as Glass

 We spent several painting sessions in class last month looking at glass; one of my
favorite still life subjects. With these 2 little water glass demos,  I took a minimalist approach, with a focus on the distortion - behind the glass.
This is the route I encourage students to take:  say as little as possible in paint and allow the eye to fill in the blanks. More explanation can be beautiful - or just redundant.  Clarity is key when interpreting clear glass.
"Duh"- you say,
but beginners always try to describe too much "glass"- which, when you think about it - if it is clear, should hardly be seen at all.
I use hard highlights and hard accents (the darkest marks) to communicate the hardness of the glass.

The lower photo is a quick study in colored glass.
So, how do you make glass look clear and still show the color? Think CLARITY.
If the glass is clear/transparent or colored/transparent, you have to be able to see through it.
Well, I got a little carried away with this colored glass - probably a result of too much time, alas.

A Tribute, and Sad Goodbye

This April the LaVeta Fine Art Gallery closed its doors and wrapped up a wonderful chapter in the life of the scenic town of LaVeta in Southern Colorado. This gallery ran strong for about 8 years- amazingly as a co-op of artists - with a far reaching reputation for excellence. I remember, years ago, peering into its window, after hours - amazed at the very high level of artists represented there.
In 2009 I was asked to join the stable of represented artists and was impressed by the integrity and professionalism of the group; artists like Robert Buckner, Joan Hanley, Tim Deibler, Janey Waldrep, Annie Enke, Claude Appel, and Paul Foster.
In the end, neither a lack of sales (I can attest to that) or interest, forced the closing but attrition and the wearing work of running a gallery, as artists - not strictly gallery owners.
Thank You, especially to Bob Buckner, friend, and fabulous painter/sculptor - I am your biggest fan. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of something really special, and for all of your support and encouragement.
Finally, all the Best, to every artist that was a part of this fine gallery.