Empowering creatives to pursue their passions...
11/28/2011 10:36:43 AM
It is a luscious spring in Ireland. Before you is a stellar 180 degree panorama of rolling hills and vegetation. You are inspired to pull out your paints to capture this idyllic scene. You drag out the easel, get your canvas/paper secured, squeeze out your pigments and then the big question hits you, "What do I use to mix my greens?" Followed by a groan, "There are such subtle differences in the greens. Which colors do I use?"
Or let's say you return to your studio having had a great time at the farmer's market filling up your basket with fresh green peppers, cabbage, kale, green beans and lettuce. These nutritious and gleaming vegetables were hand picked specifically for a still life. Again, the question leaps up about which colors to use to mix your greens.
Do you dread mixing greens? Why do you think greens are so difficult to mix and convey accurately in painting?
In my "From Mud to Magic" color classes, I love to teach how to mix greens. Why? Because students unlock a mental and technical block to mixing green. It is also fun for me to see light bulbs turn on with smiles as the green 'problem' disappears.
Where to begin? First, remove ALL of the tubes of green from your palette because you are going to be using a yellow and a blue to mix your greens.
Second, now pick out a very lemon yellow tube of paint. This could be cadmium yellow light or aureolin or hansa yellow or simply lemon yellow. It is important that it is the one yellow you have that appears almost greenish. The other way to determine the correct yellow is to NOT choose a yellow with any orange or red in it, such as cadmium yellow.
Cool or green yellow sample
Third, for your blue, choose a blue with a lot of green in it or a cool blue. This could be Prussian blue, thalo blue or Winsor blue. You do NOT want to choose a blue with red in it, such as French ultramarine blue. Another characteristic of your green-blue, is that it must be of a dark value. Hence, cerulean blue would not be a good choice because it does not create a dark value.
Cool or green blue sample
Fourth action is to begin mixing the yellow and blue in various ratios. In other words, add a little blue to a larger quantity of yellow, then add more blue, etc. Then mix an equal amount of yellow and blue to find the middle green. Below is an example if a green scale I mixed.
Yellow (cool) and blue (cool) make spring greens.
Why do you think the greens you have mixed are so bright and spring-like? When you mix a green-yellow with a green-blue you will notice that neither pigment is contaminated with red. Since red is the color complement/opposite of green, the lack of it creates a bright spring-like green. If you mix a green with a blue or yellow with some red in the pigment, the green will be dulled.
Now, how do you use these same two tubes of paint to generate warmer greens for your painting? Take out your orange tube of paint, such as cadmium red light or cadmium orange. Now mix a little of this orange with your original mixtures of greens. Below is an example of the greens I created after mixing a little orange. Aren't they nice warm greens? Notice that using a blue with a dark value allows you to mix dark greens. Can you begin to see why you do not need tubes of greens in your palette?
First mixtures of greens mixed with an orange.
To warm your original greens up even more, try mixing them with burnt sienna.
First mixtures of greens mixed with burnt sienna.
Do you see how easy this is to do? Which pigments do you use to mix your greens? Share your approach.
Here is an example of a green chart I created just using FOUR tubes of paint. I call them green chromatic scales because the steps in the color changes remind me of musical scales. Let's see you paint one using your own pigments. Enjoy!
Green chart showing mixtures using only 4 tubes of paint.
11/3/2011 12:20:40 PM
Have you noticed the increased popularity of wrapped canvases during the past couple of years? Though the deeper canvases, commonly called gallery wrapped canvases, are slightly more expensive for the artist, they do save us the expense of a frame. Also, as the styles of painting trend toward more abstract, mixed media and contemporary, the gallery wrapped - sometimes called 'gallery wrap' - canvas conveys a more modern design that works well.
During the past year I have learned that the expense is less, however, the time involved in 'framing' these canvases is no less than that of presenting the painting in a conventional frame. As I have wandered through galleries inspecting the painted edges of numerous paintings, I have been quite surprised by the wide range of care - from poor to exquisite - artists have taken in painting the edges of their gallery wrapped canvases.
After some unsatisfactory research, I embarked on my own trial and error journey to figure out how to achieve the quality of presentation I wanted. Because I do not like the manufactured texture of canvas, I gesso my canvases. After I applied the first layer of gesso with a brush and it has dried, I then paint the edges and overlap the front of the canvas with an acrylic middle-gray paint. See photo above. By the way, this middle gray makes it easier to paint the final color of the edges after the painting is finished, be it darker or lighter.
For this particular canvas, I wanted the edge to literally 'frame' the painting, so I wanted the gray to overlap the edge about 3/8th of an inch. To give my eye a guide, I drew a pencil line 5/16th of an inch from the edge using a favorite matting tool I have. See photo above. Why is the space wider than my desired 3/8th? Pencil lines do not always erase easily, so I wanted the line to get covered up with the next layer of gesso.
Slowly, I apply the tape - a thin tape made by Nichiban - just inside of the pencil line. Once I know it is nice and straight, I rub the tape down several times to make sure it has a good grip on the painted canvas.
To protect the outer edges from extraneous paint and finger prints, I tape it with a wider tape. I am sure masking tape would work for this task, but I forgot about using it. When the painting is about completed, all of this tape needs to be removed and I don't want the tape to take off any of the gray paint; this is why I use an artist tape or low tack tape.
To assure that no gesso or paint sneaks up under the tape, I apply a light layer of gesso where the tape meets the painted canvas. You could think of this as being a sealer. Once this dies, which does not take long, I then apply at least two layers of more gesso with large palette knives. These layers of gesso are due to my personal preference to create an organic texture and because I do not like to paint on the texture of canvas. Otherwise, if you do not want more gesso applied, proceed to paint!
By the way, I have used this process for both wrapped canvases and deep panel boards.
Once you reach the stage when you think it is a good time to remove the tape, do so v-e-r-y slowly and carefully, because you do not want to rip the tape or paint. I prefer to do this when the paint is dry. As you can see above, a tiny white edge may appear between the painting and the painted edge. It is up to the artist to decide whether he/she wants to do deal with this line. My line is more evident because of the layers of paint I apply. An added feature with my work, is that the painted 'frame' is a different texture from my painting and creates a soft contrast.
Now, I must determine if this middle gray is appropriate for my painting. In this example, it is. I will then go around the edges to do any necessary touch-up.
This step-by-step process of painting the edges of your wrapped canvases will work if you only want to paint the sides of your canvas and not overlap onto the painting surface.
How do you paint the edges of your canvases? Do you take the image around the edges?
9/1/2011 3:00:45 PM
As a reminder, this sign is posted on my studio wall visible just beyond my easel; it has been there for months. Then several weeks ago, a friend of my husband's walked in an wanted to know what it meant - what did yelling have to do with art? Ever since then, Bob has been checking on my paintings to see if my "50 foot voice" is evident - which I think is pretty cool and I need that kind of support. Since Bob is a regular contributor to my monthly newsletter, read past newsletters by clicking here, he decided to write about it in his article for the month of July. I have copied it below.
Where is Your Fifty-Foot Voice? by Bob North, Husband of the Artist
"There is a sign in Carol's studio that says "where is your fifty foot voice?" No, she's not practicing for American Idol, and this doesn't mean vocal projection or being heard at the back of the lecture hall.
It's all about the visual dimension, creating art that grabs your attention and starts speaking to the heart and the mind even before you can see the brushstrokes on the canvas. At a distance, a painting is the sum of all the individual parts the human eye can't resolve. How does the artist create this sense of voice at a distance? Carol's recent use of the "window" - creating a sense of multiple paintings on one canvas - is one way.
The window creates an immediate sense of intrigue and mystery that asks you questions. What's going on in the painting? How are the windowed segments related to the rest of the composition? Color is another means of getting your attention across the room. It's not just bright and vibrant hues, but combinations, contrasts and color harmony. You see much of this in her featured painting here, Breaking Free!.
- "Breaking Free!" - 24x30x2 oil on board
Finally, it's a sense of depth that can compel you to walk up to the painting and see where a path leads. That also happens with Breaking Free! when I want to go peek out that window at the landscape to catch a glimpse of who escaped. Oops! You may interpret the painting differently..? We'll see a lot more of this effect in Carol's work soon and I will be making sure her 50 foot voice continues to show up."
Do you ever look at your work and ask yourself this question? Or how about, what am I trying to say? Why am I trying to say it?
3/21/2011 10:53:56 AM
Recently, I received a wonderful gift in the mail from a friend and fan of mine. Unbeknown to me, he had written a story poem inspired by my painting "Swinging in the Wind," and sent it to me. As the recipient, I was humbled by his words - in fact I was moved to tears. Why?
When one of my images strikes another person's emotional or spiritual chord, my heart is rewarded. In this world of sound bites and texting, knowing that a visual creation can cause someone to pause and reflect, is deeply satisfying. Making connections with our fellow humans is vital to humanity, our creativity, and is inspiring. Below is David's writing.
Memories: The Swing
by David Quammen (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
The climb up the hill was considerably more strenuous than it had been those many decades ago. As Jim neared the crest of the hill he could see the tree. His tree, or at least, in those years he thought of it as his tree. Another step toward the crest and he saw the branch of the tree on which the rope had been tied. One more step and the rope came into view.
His heartbeat, more noticeable as a result of the climb, calmed a bit when the swing came into view.
Reaching the crest, Jim approached the swing. Happy to see that it was still there.
Seeing the swing, being gently swayed by the Colorado breeze, flooded his mind with those long ago dreams and fantasies from his childhood.
As Jim neared the swing he noticed the rope was in good shape. Perhaps someone replaced the old rope.
Others must have used the swing. The old rope would have rotted over the years.
Jim's memory recalled the name 'Goodrich' which had been on the tire casing. On examination he found this was the original tire.
Pushing on the tire, it swung with ease. Would it hold him? Could he still sit in the tire?
With the weight of his body he pulled down on the tire. The branch bent, but did not appear to be overly stressed. Jim pulled as hard as he could downward. He thought the swing would hold his weight.
Knowing this would be his last trip to see this hallowed place of his childhood, he decided to take the risk and sit in the swing.
Carefully he put his head through the center of the tire, turned his body and clasping the top of the tire and rope, pulled himself up to where he could sit in the tire facing the valley below.
As he settled his body in the swing, the memory vault of his mind sprang open. Suddenly he was a child again. It was a summer day and he was swinging back and forth gazing into the valley below and the horizon beyond the mountain peaks.
A child's mind can instantly create thought and fantasies.
In the days of his youth Jim would think of the future. At times he would look deep into the valley, perhaps in search of pitfalls which may come his way.
Gazing, even staring at times, into the endless horizon beyond the mountain tops often brought to him a sense of hope, inspiration and belief that he could accomplish his goals, many of them yet to be revealed.
Then, as quickly as his earlier life had come to mind, he returned to the present.
With this change came thoughts of uncertainty for the future. Jim was old, days are numbered.
One more gently swing, then with his feet on the ground, removed his body from the swing.
With an affectionate touch to the tire, he released his hold, turned his back and began the walk to his car. As he began the descent he was compelled to look, once more, at this childhood scene burned deep in his heart.
The swing, swaying ever so lightly, again waiting patiently for the next child to ride the wind - and Dream.
Reflections of yesteryear accompanied Jim as he slowly made his way down hill to his car.
The long planned visit was over. A slow smile came across his face. For a brief period of time he had been returned to his days of youth.
~~~~
Has a painting ever moved you to writing a response? Or has anyone written or composed music inspired by one of your creations?
2/23/2011 12:53:21 PM
Yesterday, I was quietly reading through a current art magazine while eating alone in a cozy delicatessen, and a stranger comes up and asks me, "Is that Southwest Art?" I responded affirmative, and then she inquired, "Do you think artists should paint to sell or paint what they want to paint?"
Dumbfounded by this question, it got me wondering how a simple art magazine could motivate someone to approach me and ask one of those questions that will haunt artists for eternity. After we both admitted that we were painters, she then mentioned that she thought SW Art was a good place to learn about what was selling in the marketplace. I had to admit, that that was not why I was reading the magazine.
After she left to attend to her sandwich, I had to reflect upon my reasons for continuing to allow art magazines to fill up my mail box. What are your reasons? Here are some of mine:
- To keep informed of what other artists are creating
- To read the life stories of other artists, their motivations, etc.
- To read the words that writers and artists use in describing their work
- For inspiration
- For color ideas
- For researching potential galleries
- To find out about exhibitions to attend as well as to apply
- To learn how artists are using the Internet and social media
- To learn about various art business topics
- To attempt to stay current on various topics
Earlier in my career, I subscribed to artist magazines that were important for learning technical tips, such as:
- Preparing the substrate for a particular medium (watercolor, pastel, oil, etc.)
- Picking up application tips
- Studio information
- Instruction for specific subject matter, such as water, clouds, trees, etc.
- Juried shows
- Art organizations
- Art supplies
- Etcetera, etcetera,
Having a variety of magazines has been important to me, be it one that focuses on a region of the country or on collectors or techniques or trends or business topics. I always glean something, even if it is just a quick scan.
Other reasons I peruse art magazines:
- To evaluate my artwork in comparison to others
- To follow other artists
- To learn how I might be a featured artist in the future
- To attract fellow artists to talk to me in a restaurant...??
What would you add to the list? Why to art magazines pile up in your studio/office? :) I am sure I have missed several other reasons. Are there non-art magazines that you find helpful/interesting? Why do non-artists read these magazines?
P.S. By the way, I did give her my opinion on what should motivate an artist to paint, but I will leave that for a later discussion.
2/14/2011 12:59:31 PM
Last week I learned that my older, and only, sister is in the fourth stage of liver cancer (the survival rate of liver cancer is extremely low). This was unexpected news. Meanwhile, I had been in an intense stage of painting, creativity, challenging myself with my visual message, pushing my skills, writing, increasing my visibility on the Internet, re-designing my blog, etc. In other words, I was humming along in my world, but a STOP SIGN popped up suddenly, and I was in an emotional fog. These events happen to all of us unexpectedly. How do we artists continue during these times? Can you paint? Be creative?
Pardon a detour: Why am I telling this story? Because I am inspired by Brene Brown's words I watched last Friday, in a TED video, entitled, "Embracing Vulnerability," (a 20 minute video I strongly recommend.) During her talk, she states, "Vulnerability is the birthplace of joy, creativity, belonging and love." My interpretation - to be a whole and effective artist/person, I needed to be vulnerable. Pretending or denying my sister's illness would not be emotionally healthy. Hence, I decided I would accept her challenge and allow myself to be vulnerable about my grieving process and to share what I have learned regarding creativity/artmaking when an emotional crisis crosses my path.
I could not paint. Nada, nothing would flow. There are 3 paintings at critical stages, and I could not figure out where or what to paint on any of them. I even tried switching the paintings on my easel, but nothing stirred and I was frustrated.
- One of my paintings 'in-waiting' on the easel
Knowing that I have a business to run, a job, just as I did when I worked for a corporation and I knew I had to keep working. Important decision making is difficult, so I have been doing things such as: cleaning, sorting, signing & varnishing paintings, updating my data bases, cleaning, painting edges of wrapped canvases, tossing, cleaning, prepping canvases, re-arranging the studio, etc., and researching liver cancer.
All of these tasks allowed me to feel my sadness and deep sense of helplessness, for the tears to flow and to take longer walks with my dog. After a couple of days, I was compassionate with myself and stopped expecting any meaningful creativity. These were not activities of denial, but non-brain tasks that permitted me to still think about my sister, our relationship and her adult children (and to make phone calls) and wallow in my emotional fog. However, I missed a lot of other events during this time - such as sending out Valentine's cards, not listening well to my husband, poor concentration, eating too much chocolate - but I believe that being vulnerable was and is necessary. To help with the processing of my sister's pending death (her health otherwise is not good which adds to the poor prognosis), I am going to collect photos of her and create a montage celebrating her life. I know this will be cathartic for me and her children may like it as well.
What happens to your creativity and artmaking when an emotional crisis comes into your life? Some artists paint or create about these emotions, but that has never been satisfying for me. Is it for you? Do you allow yourself to be vulnerable during these times of emotional upheavel?
PS I want to thank Beth Hayden, a blogging consultant, for sharing the Brene Brown link in her newsletter.
1/7/2010 5:02:18 PM
Oops! I forgot to post the last step. My apologies. As you can see, lots of detail have been added to create the character of this warm, casual, well-loved kitchen. The sewing machine end table on the left was enlarged and given some legs, whereas the bat on the right was shortened to fit the perspective more accurately. The table cloth has been "thrown" on much like a large piece of fabric, the chairs put in place and the quilt finished that is on the bench. Notice that the far front left chair is slightly pulled out from the table. This is where Dane always sat while he was growing up, so I thought this would give the painting an added touch by moving his chair out.
Toward the end, I had to do more tweaking to make the room sit down and go back, such as darkening the back cabinets, and toning the back edges of the rug. To portray the old refrigerator, I had to do a little research for ideas, and it was fun to see the old refrigerator fronts.
This painting was well received by Annemarie and subsequetnly Dane, for whom the Memory Portrait was commissioned. He was deeply moved by the memories captured in this painting. Hence, I am grateful for the opportunity and truly enjoyed being able to give something to the Egli family that they can enjoy for several lifetimes.
12/9/2009 3:11:50 PM
Where does the commission process begin and how?
When I begin the Memory Portrait creative process, it is important to ascertain the memory that the individual, or in this case, the family wants to preserve. Every Memory Portrait is unique with unique players, which is one of the many reasons why I enjoy painting them! Using my school psychology experience, I develop a list of interview questions to learn what the family wants and what stirs them emotionally.
The painting I will be creating for the Egli family is a surprise, which always throws in some additional excitement to the process.
! The wife of the to-be-surprised husband, gave me some background about what she thought her husband would like; she initially told me that she wanted a painting of the home in which he grew up. This introductory meeting allowed me to develop a number of questions to ask about the old family home. He has four siblings that I wanted to interview.
Here is a sample of questions:
~ What are the salient features of the house?
~ Describe the surroundings.
~ Close your eyes and tell me the colors you see first.
~ What is his favorite season?
~ Where is his favorite place in the house?
~ Which adjectives would you use to describe this room?
~ Close your eyes and tell me the music you hear.
~ What might be his favorite memory of this room?
...and there were several more.
The interviewing process is quite enjoyable for a number of reasons. First of all, it fun to get to know the family and it permits me to begin to feel the emotions that I will try to convey in their painting. The process also allows for some brainstorming and I often get some ideas that have a little twist. For example, I learned that he was quite the athlete during high school, so I wanted to know his sports. When I asked where in the kitchen he might have put his glove or football when he came home, I was told that that was not permitted! However, we decided that I could go ahead and discreetly include a baseball bat and football in the painting. I found the perfect place for them.
Once we determined that it was the kitchen, and not the outside of the house, that was going to be the subject of this painting, I asked for specific photographs. If the home had been geographically closer, I would have gone there myself. Over a couple of months, several photos were collected and you can see a few in these photos. I also taped two together so I could see the kitchen in one photograph. These will be my reference photographs in addition to the interview data.
Creating a Memory Portrait for a family carries with it a deep responsibility, and I am always deeply honored to have the opportunity.
Once I analyze everything, my next step is a couple of sketches. Join me for the next post. What do you think it might look like?
...to be continued.
10/12/2009 1:44:35 PM
It's close to the finishing line! Before I could work on Curly, I had to finish the background. Why? Because I needed to be able to paint his mane and forelock hair over the background and it is no fun painting around tiny hairs. If I had to do that, then the hair paint strokes would loose the gestural feeling. The upper background area was softened with some grey-blue colors to help it go back behind Curly, and then I just softened some of the areas in the lower section.
After studying some horse painting books, I then finished Curly's eye. Dark blues and blacks were added in various places to make him look more "black." I noticed that his ear did not seem to have the correct shape, so I tweeked that a little. Then I had the fun and terror of painting his hair. Why terror? That may seem a bit extreme, but in many of the strokes, I only have one chance to get is correct and I wanted to convey some sense of movement and for the strokes to look gestural versus painstakening painted. It was also a bit disconcerting to paint over his eye because I want his eye to show through, yet I know that his hair often covers his eyes, so I had to be delicate and quick with the brush.
Now it is time for Suzie and Rick's approvals and feedback for the final touches. For me, this is always both exciting and nerve wracking. It is a delightful honor to be painting Curly, who means a great deal to Suzie. Memory Portraits are a joy to create. It will most likely be best for them to see the portrait in person, because I digital image does not capture all of the layers nor are the colors correct. Our monitors also have different color tones. They can give me feedback on details, whether there is too much red showing through, if Curly needs this or that in order for him to 'read' as they envision him. I so look forward to getting together with them.
...to be continued.
10/2/2009 11:48:40 AM
Ah-h-h, I am starting to 'feel' Curly surfacing. Are you?
As you can see, various colors and values (lights and darks) have been applied. The background colors have been subdued a little but I want to keep the energy. I took the risk of starting to paint his "bangs" because I wanted to see how they would look, but now I cannot go behind that hair to change the background colors!
Various reds were added to the halter to give it some dimension, and I painted the halter very painterly. Why? Since it is red, which is an eye catching color, I don't want to give it too much attention, otherwise the viewer will spend too much time looking at the halter and not at Curly. There is a lot of push-pull that goes on when creating a painting. It is one of our many artistic challenges. I enjoy it because I like the 'intellectual play' that it involves.
I have not done much more with his eye, and will work on it shortly. Not sure how much to detail to give the eye because I need to know how much of his hair will be covering it. Also, I am wondering if his white heart shaped marking needs to be elongated. One of my dilemnas has been trying to figure out what colors to use for his highlights because if they are too light or white, they look like white markings. So far, the bluish-gray around his nostrils seem to be working.
Any reactions to Curly at this point?
...to be continued.
