oil in the studio

Mum, 12 x 9, oil

A rainy day last week provided the perfect opportunity to have a friend join me at my studio to paint a still life. You can see Roxanne Clingman's beautiful painting here.

I only recently got back from a road trip to California. The travel time inspired my enthusiasm to practice more with oil paint and put to work the good instruction I have received from Thomas Kitts, Eric Jacobsen, and Elio Camacho.

Speaking of California, I completely enjoyed my time at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. I saw paintings by early California plein air and Impressionist painters, including work by William Wendt and Collin Campbell Cooper. Just around the block from the museum, at a small art gallery, I was thrilled to see work by Joseph Goldyne. Seeing good art makes me even more excited about making art myself.

Music to paint by on a rainy day: Erik Satie "Gymnopedie #1."

Sketches with my Gelly Roll pen

after the PPASP meeting, a group of us sketched together
this is my sketch, see what others did here

more thumbs, playing with values

"It has been said that nothing depresses the soul so much as perfect symmetry. Symmetry is static; variety is dynamic." John F. Carlson

A new vase!

Metz Vase with Carnations
14 x 11
oil on Pintura Supremo

block in and thumbnails to try out compositional ideas

variations in firing temperatures results in zinc crystals forming

I am committed to still life while I learn more about how to handle oil paint (this is my 40th oil painting since I started with oils in October 2010). Especially since both Thomas Kitts and Eric Jacobsen insisted that I paint from life and not photos as I learn this medium. Thanks a lot guys! Plein air is tough when it's raining and cold.

You can see the process I used for this painting. Following Eric Jacobsen's instruction, I sketched four thumbnails to try out various designs for my composition. Next, following Thomas Kitts' instruction, I blocked in the big shapes and toned the canvas with paint thinned with Gamsol. The final painting is rough and unfinished, which is a perfect expression of my feelings today.

To spice up my paintings and to keep myself from getting bored, I decided to indulge in the purchase of a new vase. Michael Metz has his beautiful ceramic work in many galleries, but I fell in love with one I saw at Aurora Gallery in Vancouver. As I understand it, Metz varies the temperatures during the firing time and zinc crystals form in amazing patterns on the surfaces of his pieces. I think they look like ginko biloba leaves!

Whenever I listen to "Sing, Sing, Sing" I hear the primitive beat of the drums and feel my heart shift its rhythm to match.

Art books to read often

Three books Eric Jacobsen recommends to his students:

• Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting by John F. Carlson
• The Art Spirit by Robert Henri
• Hawthorne on Painting by Mrs. Charles W. Hawthorne

All three were on my studio library shelf. Now they are in my house, by my bed, on the coffee table. I will continue to look at them again and again and refer to them often with my painting questions and thoughts.

Are these books the ones you refer to in your art practice? Do you have others you recommend?

10 x 10
painting start

something new to try in the studio

My eye doctor did a bang up job dilating my pupils for my eye exam today. Six hours later my vision is still blurred and it's hard to tell that my eyes are green for all of the black pupils. Even with the blurry vision, I started a new oil painting to put into practice and remind myself again of some of the things from the Still Life workshop I took over the weekend. Big shapes with the right values first. Tomorrow I'll look again and see if I need much detail to finish it. Starts are a lot of fun!

"Painting Expressive Still-Lifes in Oils" with Eric Jacobsen

Ginger Jar and Alstromeria
11 x 14
oil on Ray Mar panel

left: my set up with dim overhead light
right: Eric Jacobsen demonstration

left: Eileen's tulips glow with light
right: 15 in the class felt crowded but wonderfully dynamic and exciting

Eric Jacobsen is a remarkable artist and an encouraging and nurturing instructor. I loved his "Painting Expressive Still-Lifes in Oils" workshop! His passion for art comes through in every word he says and every brushstroke he makes. He leads with genuine humility, which just serves to accentuate his greatness. Am I gushing? Well, I thoroughly enjoyed the Saturday workshop, held in the courtyard of Art on the Boulevard Gallery in Vancouver, Washington.

"I am not as concerned about the accuracy of your drawing as I am about the feeling you put into your painting." He urged us to continue to practice rendering objects and drawing accurately, but to allow our paintings to be joyful and exciting. "If you're not in the work, then what is the point?" he asked.

I left the workshop feeling energized about painting more, painting better, looking for big shapes, concentrating on the abstract shapes, leaving detail for the end, and mixing luscious grays to set off the pure colors and jewel tones of my set up.

I can hardly wait for the weather to improve for plein air work with oils! Special thanks to Eric for his time and care and positive regard for me and for all of his students.

Show Time!!

More than 100 paintings are hanging at the Kingstad Gallery (mine included!) waiting for you to come and see them.

I hope that you will be able to attend the artist's reception on September 30, but the show will hang until December 5, so there's plenty of time to come.

You won't want to miss seeing stunning work by Kitty Wallis, Celeste Bergin, Mitch Baird, Cathleen Rehfield, Eric Bowman, Eric Jacobsen, and George Broderick. And that's on top of the amazing work by others in our group.

Click on the words "Kingstad Gallery" above for a sneak preview and directions to the gallery.

Hope you can come!