Magnificent Maui #2

Daily Painting - Day 19

Magnificent Maui #2
5x7 Quick Study

Hmmm, this one was just as frustrating as yesterday's painting.  I'm not sure what I'm after.  Perhaps I'll try it again - in the future!  It definitely is different than the first painting of this scene.  Amazing how different a few changes in color and approach can change the painting.

Taking an online course combing watercolor (my first love many, many years ago) and pastels (my newest love).  I will try to share some of what I am doing/learning from that course.  Lots of play!  Lots of texture!

Magnificent Maui

Daily Painting - Day 18

Magnificent Maui
5x7 Quick Study

Got frustrated with with the rocks and the hill amongst other things.  Will be doing this one again tomorrow!  Let's see what changes.  I think these quick studies are great for learning and practicing and when I pin down what I like, what works, they will be great for a larger more in depth painting.  I really can't imagine going big without having done these small quick studies.  I believe they will save me lots of time, mistakes and frustrations.

Ahhh Summer!

"I will not lose, for even in defeat, there's a valuable lesson learned so that evens it up for me." -Jay Z, musician and businessman

Ok, after looking at the painting from Tuesday, I decided, I liked it more than I did when I first finished it. Again, time away helps.  However, I decided that I had a few ideas that might make it better so I decided to try it again.  WOW, what a difference!  I see much improvement.  So much more depth.  Anyways, moral of the story try, try again! The more often I paint, the more likely  things will soon become second nature.  I will feel more confident, knowledgable, and comfortable.

Daily Painting - Day 17

Summer in Northern Michigan
5x7 Quick Study

The painting below was painted before the painting above.  Big difference!  I guess I learned what to do and what not to do.  Yea, daily painting.

Day 15 painting
5x7 Quick Study 

Knowing when to stop

"I can't do it never yet accomplished anything; I will try has performed wonders." - George P. Burnham, -writer and editor

Daily Painting: Day 16

5x7 Quick Study

Ugh!  Day 16 and I feel like progress with landscapes is slow. Sometimes I even feel like I'm digressing.  I've painted only a small handful of landscapes my entire life and never felt satisfied with the results but I will not succomb to my frustrations and overly high expectations after all it has only been a few months using this new medium and only a few years painting since my 20 year+ away from painting.  Each time I learn something new or something I do or don't like.  

I also need to learn when to stop.  The timer for 20 minutes went off and I took the above picture.  After looking at the photo on my phone, I noticed a few things I didn't like so I went back in.  I like how I fixed the water line but I continued to add more and fix and add and change and while some things were good, I think I would have been better to stop sooner.

So, today's take away - stop sooner than you think.  Step back or even away from it for a while.  If/when you come back start very slow with only a few strokes at a time.  Take a photo.  I have found looking at your art from a photo shows things you just didn't see at first.

with a few too many heavy handed strokes

If at first you don't succeed

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

I joined a painting challenge.  It was to paint a painting in 20 minutes for 5 days.  First of all, I am finding this scene difficult to begin with.  I've not painted too many scenes with lots of green grass so I am struggling to find the right greens.  Then I'm trying to give the illusion of the path traveling down a hill.  I've been trying to incorporate some of the tips from John Carlson's book Landscape painting, such as warm colors in the foreground and cooler colors in the distance.  I may try this one again and again until I get something I sort of like.  I do see some improvements from the first one.

Daily Painting:  Day 15:

Same scene as yesterday
5x7 Quick Study

Same scene as above - first time painting it
5x7 Quick Study

Seize the Sunday!

For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the LORD.  Exodus 35:2

I LOVE to read or perhaps even more than the love of reading is the love of learning.  So, since I had very little to do this glorious Sunday and the weather was dreary, I thought it the perfect chance to read (without falling asleep - seems I always fall asleep when I read at night).  As you will see, I have any number of books to choose from around the house.  I rarely read fiction because I would rather learn than explore the imaginary worlds of non-fiction.  I try to do that when I am creating my art.

My nightstand

My prayer space

family room

As you see, I have books scattered throughout the house and will pick them up for a few minutes here and there, sometimes longer.  I am almost finished reading Matthew Kelly's book called Perfectly Yourself.  I highly recommend, especially if you are seeking to improve your self, simplify your life and find God's will for you and become the best version of your self.

I am also in the middle of John Carlson's book on Landscape Painting.  Another wonderful book.  I had to pull out my highlighter because there is so much useful information, as I am sure I will refer to it often.  At least until these things become second nature to me - which he assures me they will, as long as I keep painting!

I started Van Gogh's Letters after I saw the movie Loving Vincent.  What an amazing movie.  The entire movie is animated oil paintings in the style of Van Gogh.  Incredible and the story is wonderful as well.  I believe it is available to rent now on Demand.  The book is a wonderful insight to the mind of this struggling artist.  I am enjoying it very much.

I'll share more with you as I get to them.  Never stop learning!

Oh and I did paint today too!

Daily Painting:  Day 14:

Today's quick study 5x7

Baby Steps

"Progress: You might not be where you want to be but you're not where you used to be."

Daily Painting: Day 13

St. Anne and blessed mother Mary
Mixed media on UART 500 sanded pastel paper
Work in Progress

Continued progress - slow but steady.  Every mark is a lesson.  I'm using the pastel pencils a lot more than I ever have.  They seem to be easier to use over the acrylic texture that I created on the background.  Which, by the way, I won't likely do again.  I am finding it very frustrating and disruptive to this painting.

I'm thinking I would love to try some gold leaf for a halo around Mary's head. I have no experience with gold foil, however.  I would definitely try it on a smaller similar background to see how and if it adheres.  I'll be sure to share my process here so you can learn right along with me.  Another option, I was thinking, is a gold spray paint.  I'm thinking I would cover everything up except the specific area I want to spray.  Again, will test first and share process and results.

Making Progress

"The only time you should ever look back is to see how far you've come."

Making progress on this experiment with mixed media on pastel paper.  Still a ways to go.

Daily Painting: Day12

Making progress

When I walked into the studio today, looking at what I had done yesterday, I was extremely tempted to throw it in the trash and start new but then I kept thinking about all those quotes I've been reading and posting, the ones about not giving up and what have you got to lose and why not just go for it.  So I did.  Here's yesterday's attempt- SCARY!

WIP Day 11

So, here's what I did today.  First, there were too many layers of pastel already so I decided to try to get rid of some of it.  I found a stiff brush and started brushing layers off.  I then took my gum eraser and gently started erasing some of what was left.  This helped some of the background to show again, which I quite like.  Going into this, I had no idea how it would work or IF it would work but it did.  There is still plenty of tooth left on this wonderful paper (UART 500).  

WIP - results after brushing and erasing unwanted layers of pastel

stiff brush that I used to gently brush away unwanted pastel layers
make sure to wipe off brush of all the pastel dust now and again

my supplies - I began to use some pencils to get back the details and am finding I like them

So, after I removed pastel, I then went back and sketched in some details and slowly started adding color and detail.  I grabbed one of my pastel pencils to sketch and decided I quite liked it so I started using some of the other colors that I had, layering and using for details.  I don't have many so it might limit my palette until I get more.  

One big issue that I see with this mixed media is that the pastel is not adhering very well to the acrylic paint (specifically the dabbing of white that I did), possibly because it was too thick and textured.  I think I would stay away from using acrylics next time.  Although, it can have some interesting effects.  In small amounts, it might not be too bad.   

Check back tomorrow to see more progress.  I haven't decided to give in yet.

It's a Love/Hate thing

" I had a mother who taught me there is no such thing as failure.  It is just a temporary postponement of success." -Buddy Ebsen, actor

Daily Painting: Day 11

If you saw yesterday's post, you saw the experimentation I was doing with some mixed media on sanded pastel paper - UART 500.  I learned a lot and I had fun, as I always do when I do these kind of playful backgrounds.

So, the experimentation (i.e. learning) continues today.  See the progression below.  This is definitely in the HATE phase right now.  I have found I go through cycles of LOVE (sometimes just LIKE) and then HATE (or really not thrilled).  It's tempting to give up at this stage but I figure I have nothing to lose (except maybe some time) and always something to gain (i.e. a successful painting or at the very least lessons on what went wrong).

I'm really just kind of winging it when I do these portraits in pastel.  I've not had any instruction and pastels are much different than acrylics.  I'm definitely NOT in my comfort zone.  So, come along and get uncomfortable (and learn) with me.

sketch with soft charcoal (easy to erase)

 blocking in darkest values
LIKE it stage

WIP  unfinished portrait - in the HATE stage
9x12 pastel on mixed media UART 500 paper

Seems a shame that I covered up all of that lovely background, doesn't it? In fact, I think I almost like the second version better.  I was trying to allow some of the background to show through but at some point lost it.  Well, maybe next time.  Let's see what tomorrow brings with this one, shall we?

A Day of Play

"Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible." — M. C. Escher

Daily Painting: Day 10

Background on UART 400

I've had a few requests via my etsy shop to paint some new paintings of the saints.  However, I find myself in a bit of a dilemma now that I have discovered my new found love for pastels.  My past images were acrylics done on canvas board. They all had a bright, colorful, playful collage backgrounds.  The backgrounds began with ripped paper pasted to the board then layers of acrylics here and there, stamps and stencils.  Pastels would not work over such a background because they need something to adhere to especially when layer upon layer is being put down.  So I wondered how I could achieve a similar look but with pastels.  So, today was a day of experimenting.  I used my favorite pastel paper, UART sanded paper with a 400 grit.  I knew that this kind of pastel paper does take wet mediums.  I did want to be careful, though, not to use too much of any thick mediums that might fill the tooth of the paper.  I figured watercolors would work but wasn't sure how they would actually flow and react with this paper and with the various fun texture creating techniques that can be accomplished with watercolor.  Hence the experimenting began.

Quick Study on UART 400

I began with a quick study.  I just wanted to see, quickly, how this paper would accept and respond to certain things such as a detailed stamp and a few layers of watercolor.  Then I wondered how the pan pastels would go down on top of the painted background.  I even tried adding a few details with pastel pencils.   I was hopeful but felt I needed to do a larger painting.

watercolor on 8x10 Uart 400

Here I was playing with some watercolor techniques using salt and alcohol.  The watercolors did react but not as evident as it is on watercolor paper.  Also, I found the water doesn't flow like it does on watercolor paper.  To be expected for sure, but I was a little disappointed.

You can see some texture when I added some bubble wrap and saran wrap.  Actually it looked better in this photo than in real life.  And I will say the colors are much brighter and prettier than in this photo.

I continued to play.  I used my gelli print plate with acrylic paint to add the stencil of the rose in 2 places, I then watered down some white paint and painted over the top in some places to downplay the vibrancy.  I added some stamps here and there with staz-on ink (so there would be no bleeding).  I continued to add some more watercolor washes and spritz with alcohol and remove some by blotting with paper towel.

Finished background on UART 400

The next step will be sketching my image onto the background and beginning to color it in with pan pastels (something I have very little experience with so we will see).  More experimentation.

Do you need approval?

"The best way to get approval is not to need it.  This is equally true in art and business.  And love. And sex.  And just about everything else worth having." -Hugh MacLeod, cartoonist

Daily Painting: Day 9

Remembering Summer Vacation
5x7 Quick Study

Do you need approval?  Why?   Why do we so often seek approval of one sort or another?  Also, whose approval do we seek?  The approval from one is not the same as the approval from another, now is it?  For example, I know my father would look at this painting and probably every other one I've ever made and say, "it's amazing, you are so talented."  He was my biggest fan and I admit it is one reason I miss him so.   It is true I always wanted to please and have the approval of my dear father. However, his approval at least where art is concerned, was not the same as the approval of say a peer, a teacher, a mentor, a art juror.  His was the "unconditional" type of approval that comes out of love and relationship.  That kind of approval should perhaps be the kind we most seek and treasure because its a much deeper, wiser, kinder approval that really can lead to greater encouragement.  Instead we let someone who doesn't really know us, our journey, our process, or our work, judge us. Unfortunately, its that approval or disapproval that we allow to define us.  We can't let others define us according to whether or not they approve of us, or our ways, or our work.  Approval means we are doing something right.  But who is to say what is right?  Just keep doing what you love and you'll have your heart's approval and anything after that is added frosting on the cake.

Do what you love and love what you do!

"Whatever you like doing, do it!  And keep doing it.  Work hard!  In the end, passion and hard work beat out natural talent. (And anyway, if you love what you do, it's not really "work" anyway.) - Pete Docter, animator

Daily Painting - Day 8

Mountain Road 2
5x7 Quick Study

Same inspiration photo as yesterday but different approach.  I lowered the horizon line to put a little more emphasis on the clouds.  I also created the underpainting with cooler colors giving the entire painting a cooler feeling.  Still there is good contrast between warm and cool colors.  I also left out the tree(s) on the right side hoping the mountain range would help balance things out (not sure).

What goes before

"When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it.  Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before." -Jacob A. Riis, social activist

Daily Painting:  Day 7

Mountain Road
5x7 Quick Study

This painting is what goes before (see quote above).  I got a little tired of winter scenes so thought I would try something new.  Was somewhat unsure and uncomfortable with this one.  May try it again soon.

Winter Color

"Your attitude is the minds paint brush, it colors every situation."  

Pastel Painting Day 6:

Winter Color
5x7, Quick Study

I LOVE color and looking at all this white stuff, especially on a very overcast grey day, one might lack inspiration.  Where's all the fun colors?  Sunny snowy days are better with shadows etc... but this is when its fun to be an artist with a huge palette of color and a little imagination. Purples, turquoise, blues, yellows, greens and a few neutrals.  Amazing how you can bring a boring scene to life.

It looks like its snowing in this photo but it wasn't.

May you always see the bright, beautiful and vibrant in your life!

Knowing when to stop

"If you decide to run the ball,  just count on fumbling and getting the shit knocked out of you a lot, but never forget how much fun it is just to be able to run the ball." -Jimmy Buffett

Pastel Painting Day 5: I ran the ball with this painting!

When I Grow Up
5x7, Quick Study

Knowing when to stop

It's always difficult for an artist to know when the painting is finished.  Experience has told me that less is more but sometimes you just wonder what if I did this, or added a little of that especially when you're just not completely satisfied with your painting.  Today, I wasn't satisfied.  I was trying to get the lacy white branches on the trees in the distance just right.  Then the foreground was boring so I tried a little bunny.  He didn't turn out.  Then I looked out my studio window and saw this little teeny tiny pine tree that we planted and decided to add it into the painting.  Then it looked lonely, so I added some friends.  I am finding with pastels, it is especially hard to make a change or addition and then "erase" it if it's not right.  Pastels are not as forgiving as some other mediums.  I'm sure it will get easier "to know" with a lot more practice.  But today I decided to run with the ball, perhaps I fumbled and maybe got a little shit knocked out of me but I sure had fun running.  Give it a try!

Satisfaction lies in the effort

Daily Painting Day 4:

Little Blue House
5x7, Quick Study

Here's yesterday's "failure" done again with, I think, more success.  I added more color and got rid of the tree in the foreground.

So today's quote:

"Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment.  Full effort is full victory." - Mohandas K. Gandhi

photograph

yesterday's painting

Failure is Good!

It's hard to hear that, but it is true.  Failure is education (if you don't give up).  It's learning what not to do.
I'm reading a book full of inspirational quotes, "It always seems impossible until it's done." by Kathryn and Ross Petras.  www.amazon.com/Always-Seems-Impossible-Until-Done  I always love a good quote to reflect upon.  So, today's quote is appropriate for today's painting (of which I'm not a fan of).
"I keep on making what I can't do yet in order to learn to be able to do it." - Vincent van Gogh
Daily Painting Day 3:

Quiet House
5x7 Quick Study

I took this picture because of the house in the distance.  I'm always intrigued when I see houses especially out in the middle of nowhere.  I wonder who lives there and what it is like to live there.  I also like the contrast of the hard edge, man-made building next to the natural landscape.

Anyways, it was a very dark, grey day when I took this photo and wanted to change it up from my bright sunny day winter scenes.  It just seems very boring to me (as I am a big fan of bright colors) and I'm not happy at all with the tree in the foreground.  So, that said, I am going to give this one another try tomorrow.

Using Your Creative Liberties

Day 2

Dressed in Snowy White


"Art is not what you see. It is what you make others see" Degas

I love this quote! When I was in high school and even college, we were not really taught or encouraged to "be creative." Oh yes, it was assumed that if you liked art and seemed to have some bit of talent, than you must be "creative". 

Merrier Webster's Definition of CREATIVE: 

1 [more creative; most creative] : having or showing an ability to make new things or think of new ideas

2.  using the ability to make or think of new things : involving the process by which new ideas, stories, etc., are created 

3.  always used before a noun, usually disapproving : done in an unusual and often dishonest way. 

#3 rubs me the wrong way - never thought of being creative as dishonest but I suppose used in the right way such as "creative" accounting or something like that. 

Anyways, back to art school - unfortunately, my studies focused more on mastering technique which is quite important, yes, but what about expressing our creativity, imagination, individuality!?! I seem to mostly recall my assignments being copying exactly from a chosen magazine photograph or family favorite picture and using the grid system to copy it exactly. So, I find it very liberating (somewhat difficult right now because I am just learning to let go), to paint what I want others to see and not exactly what is there. 

This is my photograph (i.e. my inspiration).

It's not a great photograph. There really is no center of interest, it's just kind of a blob of trees. I took the photo because the snow covered evergreens caught my attention (much more in person than in this photo). I once read somewhere that you don't need a perfect photo because if it is perfect than it doesn't need you, the artist. I am working on taking lots of photos and not trying to find the perfect composition, lighting or even subject matter. I can't wait to keep practicing using my creative liberties and create art that allows you to see something different.

My process: