Class Notes: More Drawing Challenges

It's another one of those.

I can't resist them - bikes, trikes, bowls;
here is more of what we have been painting in class.
I am over the fruit phase and am moving into a
things-on-wheels phase.
Thanks to Perla for bringing this sweet little rusty trike into class.
And the Pyrex bowls used to belong to my husband's grandmother; the apple - is history.

Class Notes: Drawing Ellipses

We draw quite a few elliptical things in class and recently a blog reader asked about giving some instruction on how to draw ellipses correctly.  I saw this set-up idea in a painting done by Tracy Wall and thought that stacking two cups would serve the purpose well.
An ellipse is just a circle in perspective but when they go in different directions, drawing them can stymie the beginner, and even stump a pro. 

Most people can spot drawing errors but the ability to make them right, is something worth knowing.
Start by looking, looking, looking - at wheels, cups, jar lids, soup cans.
An ellipse is a circle (that's 2 dimensional) in perspective, and even if you don't know a thing about perspective, observation and simple rules will guide you.
NO matter what direction a circle is facing, turning, or leaning, - its ellipse will have a directional axis on which it is based. Find the direction and draw the axis lines which will look like a set of cross hairs. Axis lines MUST be perpendicular to each other.
In the example below, see the lines that show the directionality of the shape and the lines that cross it to create the axis of the ellipse.

With these lines in place, draw half of the ellipse on the upper side of the cross hairs and the other half below. It helps to compare the width of your ellipse, top to bottom, to what ever it is you are looking at. Is yours too deep, or too shallow?
The great thing is - a correctly drawn ellipse will be exactly the same in each quadrant.  So, if you have drawn one quarter correctly each of the other 3 quarters should be exactly like it, no matter what direction the ellipse is going.  Hmmm . . . .
I had a drawing teacher argue with me on this point, saying that because of the foreshortening and perspective most ellipses could never be the same in all 4 quadrants.
We pulled out perspective books, engineering books, and tho' we never read it written anywhere quite this way - in the end he was convinced.  NO matter what direction your circular item is facing, turning, or leaning - when drawing ANY ellipse, each quarter will be exactly like the others - just like a circle.
In the example above, drawing the ellipses involved cups going in different directions. The directionality of the each cup is established with one line of the axis that goes in that direction; the line bisecting it is drawn perpendicular to it. From there I drew the ellipses, one quarter at a time.
A final reminder:
An ellipse is made up of arcs and has NO flat edges, or points - just like a circle.

Big Art - Small Town

Susan painting near Creede.

Alamosa, Colorado may be small on size but very big on art.
Right now we have an exceptional opportunity to view the work of 2 major valley artists - in beautiful venues.

The Susan McCullough "Landscapes & Dreams" show is at the SLVRegional Medical Center Artrium gallery.  The reception this Thursday the 21st from 4:30 - 7:30pm, is the chance to see the show before it closes at the the end of February, and to meet the artist.  I also happen to know there will be great food.  Susan has lived in the San Luis Valley most of her life but paints all over the west, including Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming. One of the most well known, and loved artists in this area, her work shows a sensitivity to the landscape that only comes from years of observation and out door painting.
The 2nd Floor Artrium gallery at our medical center is the perfect place to see this great show of Colorado landscapes, and specifically our valley.
Stephen Quiller Retrospective; Steve is one of the foremost water media painters working in the world today. Painter as well as writer of 6 books on Color and Water Media, we are so lucky have him near us in Creede.  Adams State University is hosting this retrospective show of Steve's work in both the Hatfield and the Cloyde Snook galleries on campus.  There are works from his high school and early years as a painter - and also work from his travels, books and color studies.  At the Opening Steve packed out the art dept. lecture hall for a talk about his life and work.
The show hangs through March and is a must see.
These two Alamosa art venues are only about a block away from each other. It is possible to take in both of the shows in an afternoon - and consider it a day well spent.

Class Notes: Gettin' Loose

Things with wheels are tricky. Un huh,
but our class discussions have been more about painting technique than those pesky ellipses - (see Class Notes on drawing ellipses).
Specifically, students  want to know how to make work that appears (operative word here is "appears") loose.  The question being "How do I get loose."
Hmmm. . . .
That could be answered several ways,  but as to painting technique - almost every artist is looking for a way to make their work look fresh and effortless. This is the big irony in art - because creating "loose work" takes more thinking, greater mastery, and more discipline, than tight work.  That one, seemingly tossed-off, and perfect stroke takes more skill than many small, repeated strokes.  I believe tight, detailed work is easier than skilled loose painting. Really, if it were easy - everyone would be doing it.
Bottom line: the appearance of looseness in a painting is a viewer's perception - not a process.
Having said that  - I do have a few tips for creating the perception of looseness in your work.
1. Use a bigger brush that will not allow you to "fix" everything.
2. Don't use two strokes when one will do.
3. Never brush over the same stroke twice.
4. Show off under paint when ever you can.
5. Use "active brushwork" in large quiet areas.
6. Add hits of heavy paint in the focal area.
7. Stay mentally engaged and discipline yourself to make every stroke count.

I hear painters say, so often - "I'm trying to get loose." - it makes me laugh. My response is - "don't try - do it".
To paint in a fashion that give the appearance of effortless joie de vivre,  in fact, takes a lot of practice, and determined discipline.
Go for it!
and when someone comments on your "loose approach" - just shrug and say "it was nothing".

Thank YOU PAPNM

Last Fall the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, a plein air club of which I am a member, put out a call for entries in an online painting contest.  These are great opportunities to show off current work- especially among members and we all get to vote for our favorite. The contest title was "Color Passages"; appropriate for Autumn paintings and I had just returned from the Westcliffe Plein Air event with a painting that won a prize there- and I posted it here at that time.
I think Fall brings out the best in most painters and it was no surprise to see a lot of good work posted by the membership which includes painters from all over the country. Usually, I post a vote and forget about it, so I was very gratified when my piece ended up in a tie for 1st Place - with Michael Chesley Johnson.  Well, I admire Michael very much; we have never met but I read his blog, his books, follow his stuff and someday hope to catch up with him at a PAPNM paint out. All that to say - I was  ASTONISHED when a few days later I was informed that my piece had won the contest. This was about December and it all went to the back burner of my mind until the day before Christmas when my PRIZE arrived in the mail. YIPPEE - YIPPEE - YIPPEE!!
Edgar Payne's 'The Scenic Journey' - the definitive book (coffee table size of course) on his life and life's work.  This was the best present and the book you want with you when it is 30 below outside and you can't "go out" to paint.
Thank YOU to the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico membership for voting my painting First in the 'Color Passages' contest and for the FABULOUS prize.

Happy New Year- 2013- let's get on with it

It has been pretty quite in Alamosa, Colorado - the coldest spot in (the universe?) the country. Our back door has been frozen shut for virtually 2 weeks - opened at the expense of one hair dryer - and only on account of our dog.
Temps like minus 28 for days on end and post holiday blahs contribute to a downward spiral. Sometimes I envy folks who must get up and go to work. Like it or not, I think that very act can get you back on track and into the flow of "life" again.
For the artist, this can be a very hard time of year - especially if you worked hard right up to Christmas with shows etc. A break might be in order but the holidays have a way of killing inertia and getting juices to flow again can be like trying to start the car that sat under a snow drift for 2 weeks. That is - if you can even get out the door.
Creative inspiration is so elusive - I have long since given up chasing that rabbit- but getting into the flow of work by DOING definitely leads to creative inspiration---- I promise.
Maybe for you, a shopping trip can fire off motivating endorphins.  For me deadlines are very motivating; the letter on my desk from the Colorado Dept of Revenue - that will do it. While working on my taxes- the desire to paint and the frustration of having to do something so mundane will be very motivating.

DOING even one small thing often gives the impetus that will propel you to the next thing with a positive cascading effect; before you know it,  things are humming again. 
Painting classes start up again tonight. It is one of my DOING things, and even tho' I teach the class, it is as encouraging as anything;  3 hours to paint, any way I want -  no one to please but myself.
And for all you artist- types that make excuses like: I don't have a place to paint, I don't know where to start, I don't have the materials - THIS is what classes are for;  at the very least, socially interactive (that means - fun) and, I hope - always creatively stimulating.
Whether you are looking to get the car out from under a snow drift, or just fighting off the after effects of too much "holiday"- do something good for yourself - get with people and paint.

Merry Christmas

Here's wishing you all a most blessed Christmas.

Class Notes: Dare to Draw

In this last class session of the year session we have focused our attention on drawing skills. It is appropriate, that after several months en plein air, a little drawing discipline might be in order. When painting outdoors we tend to focus on broader subjects such as over-all composition, or value. While struggling with distance and light in the landscape sometimes we play a little fast and loose with the what we see and aren't strict about rendering with accuracy. The demands of doing, even a simple still life set up is one of the best ways to stay sharp - or even improve.
I love to paint mechanical things- even though I may not always be successful, it is the most fun.  The bicycle required some close examination in order to draw/paint it so it appeared to actually work, as a bike.
The simple stack of books and goblet involved some hard LOOKING and an understanding of perspective in order to draw it correctly. Accuracy in the drawing is foundational to better painting; and anything that makes you look, and look and look again - will stretch and improve your drawing skills
- but then so will using a sketch book.

Van Gogh In Denver

This last weekend, I had a chance to take my daughter and go to Denver with some good friends to see "Becoming Van Gogh" - at the Denver Art Museum.  We literally wrestled this opportunity from the jaws of death as determination (and prepurchased tickets) propelled us out of the San Luis Valley during Friday's blizzard. Driving over the pass in winter is always daunting- add freezing temps and driving snow - well, let's just say- we were motivated.
And the Van Gogh show? - could not have been more worth it; well curated and thought out, enlightening, informative and joyful. The show focuses on the artist as he tenaciously hones his skill through 10 years of painting.  Unlike what we have been fed about Van Gogh's life as a quasi-psycho and his own victim, this show presents him as a smart, motivated and hard working artist. There were 70 works by Van Gogh, some relatively obscure and some familiar - set along side art created by his contemporaries and artists that influenced him, such as Pissarro and Seurat. This show will continue through January 20, 2013 and tickets must be pre-purchased online but if it has been something you have been considering don't waste time to GO.
Click on the link at the top of this post "Becoming Van Gogh" to read an article about how the show was put together;  It is an interesting look behind the scenes.

100 Miniatures - each at $100

The Holiday Miniature show, 100 for $100,  that opened this last weekend at the Tracy Miller Gallery in Manitou Springs was a big success- and a breath of fresh air.  People came from all over the Colorado Springs area and actually seemed more interested in the work than the food.  Many collectors came ready to buy art after losing everything in homes that burned in the Waldo Canyon fire this summer. Lots of art went out the door but there are still minis to be had. To purchase any of the pieces shown here simply contact the Tracy Miller Gallery at 719-650-0827.
Click on any of the photos to view the work larger.

These small pieces come framed and ready to make great gifts or treasures to enjoy for yourself. All are easy to ship and at $100. each - they are priced to move.


We had a great opening and I am very excited to be associated with this gallery and the other artists that it represents.
Check out the work of other contemporary artists such as Tracy Miller,  Laura Reilly and Deb Komitor.