Demo Artist armed with a paint brush

Doesn't seem like it's been a month since I've posted anything. I actually started two other pieces, but have decided against publishing them for the time being. Instead, I'm going to do some "catching up." 

Last Thursday (June 12), I was the demo artist at the Artists Lounge in the Pop Revolution Gallery in Mason as part of our monthly Open Studio reception. Not having done something like this before, I wasn't sure what to expect. Unlike the previous blog in which I was actually teaching a short pastel workshop, this was an exhibition for people to watch me work and ask questions during and about the process.

Me, allegedly hard at work

I decided to do the demonstration in colored pencil, in the technique that I employed in my self-portrait, The Irony of Me. Some of the guests and all of the artists had seen that painting in the "Self" show.

I loaded up most of my pencils, reference photo, erasers and gadgets, as well as one of the two electric pencil sharpeners that actually work. I had done some preliminary work so as not to spend half the evening transferring the image on to the illustration board. After setting up on a card table, I was pretty much ready to go.

This was different than the workshop in many ways. For one, I wasn't explaining as I went along. It was, for the most part, as if I was working in my studio at home with people wandering in and out. I think that created some anxiety within me because I could see as the night, and the project, was going along that I was doing some things that I wouldn't have done if I had been working alone in the studio. I felt as if I was rushing myself instead of just taking the time and "letting it happen" as it usually does at home. I think another factor that came in to play was working at a place that wasn't my drawing table. I had to keep looking for where I placed things instead of knowing where they were instinctively.

The nice thing about the night, though, was that there were a good number of people coming through the gallery. Interestingly, however, most of the questions I got were from fellow artists or artists who had come to view the Open Studio event.

All in all, it was a great experience and, if I should ever do this again, I will be better armed -- mentally for sure. The painting, itself, won't get finished. Along with strokes and colors in the wrong place, it was good to learn that the size of the image was not big enough for work on the 16 x 20 board that I seem to prefer using lately. I plan to revisit this project in the near future.

I want to thank my good friend, Ben Effler, and fellow artist and photographer, John Weller, for taking photos of me at work last week so I could post them on the blog. As it turned out, I felt this was the best one!

Painting, painting and more painting

Despite the fact that my demo was in colored pencil, I have had some difficulty with my colored pencil work this year. Given the fact that last year I spent seven months working on two pieces, I haven't been able to get myself motivated to overcome that daunting amount of time required to do quality work.

The Elk at Glacier National Park

Instead, I have been painting more and enjoying it more, too. It truly helps taking classes on Monday nights at the Essex Studios with Ken Buck, who I believe is one of the finest teachers in Cincinnati. And another great benefit has been the one-on-one work with my good friend, Todd Price, once a week.

I can't even begin to touch upon all I have learned in oil painting from Todd, who I believe is one of the top 25 historical landscape artists in the United States.

The River in the Valley

The two paintings I have here, The Elk at Glacier National Park and The River in the Valley, were done over the course of the last three months. That seems like a long time, but in actuality, I painted with Todd once a week for anywhere between two-to-four hours. Both canvas are 12 x 16.

I employed Todd's palette colors, which in itself, is limited to about eight colors. He doesn't have one lick of green paint on his tray at the start of the night. All his greens are of his own making. In addition to being a marvelous artist and a great teacher and friend, Todd could probably teach history at any college in Greater Cincinnati. For his paintings to work and sell, he has to know what he's painting. His research is -- down to the buttons on the uniforms of the Civil War soldiers to the gas mask he found for his World War I painting -- is unparalled.

I have a greater sense of satisfaction seeing the finished product of my oil painting than I do with colored pencil. There's a feeling of "majesty" (for lack of a better word) to it.

That's not to say that every thing I've painted has gone well. I have been struggling with the painting I have been working on with Ken on Monday nights. We have done extensive revisions to it. Part of the problem has been the water-soluble oil paints, which just don't work as well as regular oil paints.

The Dreamweaver WIP1

The other part of the problem I am having is that I knew the image I wanted to paint. I just didn't have it as well-defined as I originally thought. I had roughed out several sketches and while those looked good on paper and in my mind, it just wasn't translating on canvas.

We have made at least three changes to the painting, eliminating chairs, eliminating the pantry, and -- most importantly -- defining the light source and its impact on the surroundings in the painting. The light on the tables in the second image demonstrates where I want to go with this eventually. One of the next steps is to start manipulating the shadows.

The Dreamweaver WIP2

I think I am now at a point where I have a much better sense of where I need to take this painting. On the other hand, I'm not sure this is going to work as it is and may have to start all over. If I do that, at least I have much more confidence in where I am going with this.

I also feel a whole lot better now that I have a title -- The Dreamweaver. (This is another piece in my Romance series.) Usually, I have a title for a painting in mind before I even start a painting. For me, it helps me to define or focus. 

There's much more work on this ahead. Not sure it will ever be as good on canvas as it is in my head, but that's what every artist struggles with every time they start the day!

Finally ... I actually have a couple more paintings I was planning to show here, but this blog has already gone on far too long. Maybe next time ...