Class Notes: Squares and More Squares

Everyone in class is having fun with the square format.
With out having to cover a lot of canvas we can concentrate on positive/negative shape relationships and specific kinds of brushwork.
I have been working on my wet-on-wet under painting
skills, changing colors to
give each piece a
different character.
Because the squares are only
6"x 6", it is easy to slather on
a rich, and not too thin under
painting in color then
sketch on top of it.
Usually, I like to lay down some form of violet because it is nice and dark and the most fun to lay light values on top of. In this little piece, Bar of Soap, at right, I started with Cad Red Light and love the zippy quality the red gives it.

Oh Canada!

Sport is huge in our house and the Olympics are a high point along with the Tour de Franc in July. You can be sure we are glued to as much TV coverage as is available. We watched every minute of the Olympic opening ceremonies and could not help feeling excitement and a little pride when the culture of Newfoundland, Canada was featured in the segment with all the beautiful leaves, dancing and fiddling. We lived in Newfoundland for a time when our kids were small and the mention of St. John's and George Street brought back happy memories.
We were outsiders -"come from away", as they say; - and foreigners, but they treated us like there own.
To our Canadian friends: all the best for your Olympic hopes.

Women Artists Of Colorado Featured in Estes Park

This month Women Artists of Colorado are being featured in the "Works of Love" Show at the Cultural Arts Council Fine Art Gallery in Estes Park. The show celebrates Women's History Month and opens with a party on February 21st. This is my entry, a 6"x 8" done last summer in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

A Day in Amalia- Brrrrrr

Three diehards from San Luis Valley all went down to Amalia, NM, a week or so ago:
Dave Montgomery, Sue McCullough and myself, on a field trip to visit Randy Pijoan who has his home and studio there. It is beautiful country just south of the Colorado border, north of Taos. We took a chance on a break in the weather - which paid off, but the morning was desperately cold - and how cold is that? Well, it was -5 when we drove out of my driveway and I know it must have been warmer by the time we got down there and set up
. . . . but, not much.
I think I hit my cold threshold; and I am giving up on those 'chewy' granola bars - they turn into little frozen crumbles. Sue did a little better and was still out and finishing up after I had gone to the car.
Go to her blog - she took it much more in stride and finished with a nice piece.The photo to the right shows my kit and my view and underneath is the finished
12"x 9" painting.
After about 2 hours of painting we all went up to Randy's studio to warm up, thaw out, and eat lunch. About that time the sky cleared off for a spectacular day, but the wind also picked up.
No winning here. What we got, we earned.

Class Notes: Square Format Needs Drama

In class we have about 2 1/2 hours to paint and I usually ask students to paint on a 12"x 16" canvas, (larger if possible). Breaking away from this standard of size and shape has helped us focus on composition and positive/negative shapes. But where the rectangle has natural directionality and tension because of its height to width ratio - the square has none. The square format suggests strength, firmness, solidity, and - oops - we're on the slippery slope to boredom.
 
How do we create drama and tension in a shape that has none?
While the stodgy square can not give the sense of wide-screen spectacle - we can give it some small screen drama by the way we direct a viewer's eye through the piece.
Begin with the Rule of Thirds for placement, then work with lines and composition to create excitement. The most dynamic lines in any painting are diagonals. These type of lines can be in the subject matter, edges where values or colors contrast, or even in the brushwork.

Class Notes: Painting On the Square

In class we are painting inside the box, so to speak -
a 6 inch square box.
It is good to take a break from the rectangular/landscape format and I love squares -
so solid, so stable, so - well,
so square.
But what rules govern the square and how do we apply them?
Probably the most classic and simple compositional idea is the Rule of Thirds which deals with both composition and placement - meaning,
it helps you organize the space and figure our where to position the subject matter.
Applicable to photography, painting and graphic design the Rule of Thirds is almost a no-brainer for creating a composition (hence a painting)
with visual balance.
The Rule of Thirds, means to divide the canvas into thirds, horizontally and vertically, and position major elements along those third lines.
Another way to approach it would be to use the lines that divine the space into thirds and place the focal point, or point of greatest visual importance, on one of the four intersections of those lines.

Happy Painting New Year

The New Year brought plenty of cold temps to my part of Colorado. It has been a time to regroup, set goals, get the kids back to school, and get over a cold.
I don't know which is worse being sick or having cabin fever. It was 12 degrees in Alamosa Friday morning and everything was wrapped in a blanket of fog making the trees white with frost. The need to get OUT won over need to stay home - cold or no cold. Sue McCullough and I were determined to find something to paint and tho' it was snowing on the road out of the valley, we pressed on and were rewarded with sunshine as we drove up LaVeta Pass. We turned the Cruiser off on Old LaVeta Pass road and it wasn't long before were into deep snow.
At the top of the old pass we found the little village of Up Top bravely holding its own against time. Up Top Chapel sits snug against the forest and we positioned ourselves across the road in front of a building that captured the morning sun and what warmth that could be had. We were met with passing cross-country skiers, craftsmen at work on old buildings and some friendly dogs - probably owned by the one or two actual residents.
This little trip did not aid my physical recovery - Saturday I was in bed, but a day spent out in the beautiful winter landscape was a priceless mental tonic; SO worth it and the whole world looks better to me knowing a painting is in the can.
Happy New Year!

From a "Merry Meeting" in Taos- wishes for a Merry Christmas

To all of you friends, some that I know, and some that I don't -
I wish you a very Merry Christmas, and all the best in the new year.

Hearts & Stars Fund Raiser in Taos

The Hearts & Stars Miniature Show/fund raiser that supports Taos Coalition to End Homelessness, Inc., opened at the Wilder Nightingale Gallery on Saturday night. Rob Wilder hosts this event, local musicians donate time and local restaurants offer amazing party food to support the cause. It is always a highlight and the evening did not disappoint.









I have been a part of this show the last 3 years and tho' the 90 miles between Alamosa and Taos can be treacherous in the winter, I am so grateful that we have been able to attend every year. We catch up with our friends in the Taos art community, make new friends and support a very worthy cause.
The paintings I have posted are the 2 miniatures in this show. You are seeing them at just about actual size. NOTE: the painting directly above -"Wayside IceHouse" sold at the show. Yay!
Saturday was a big party day - on our way to Taos, Sue and I stopped in at the Ewing Studio Holiday Show; featuring Charles Ewing, David Montgomery, Jim Gilmore, Randy Pijoan, Kris Gosar, Annette Troncoso, and Chris Gulian. Click on any of the names to see their work.
This is our San Luis Valley Art Community here in Southern Colorado and I am so grateful to be a part of it and to call these fabulous artists "friends". Read about it from Sue McCullough's point of view - click on her name and to go right to her blog.

A Merry Meeting - in Taos

Wednesday Sue and I drove to Taos to deliver miniature paintings to Wilder Nightingale Gallery for the Hearts & Stars Show in Taos. This is my third year supporting this event and it is always a pleasure, not to mention a great party for a good cause.
As it happened, we met Patrice Walker of Santa Fe, also dropping off work and Kemper Coley, so we all went out to paint together. Taos still boasted a little snow (just enough) at the Morada church where it was quiet and beautiful with Taos Mt. behind it. It felt like I was shaking cobwebs out of my head, not having painted out since October. What a great afternoon to paint but even better with friends.
That's "plein air"- being there.
The end result is almost superfluous.
See more of this afternoon of painting on Sue McCullough's blog- just click here on her name. She also has some good photos of the Hearts & Stars Party in Taos.