Fast & Furious ...

If someone had told me that I would have produced six paintings in two days (essentially within 9 hours), I would have suggested they had consumed more than a few glasses of red wine.

Afterall, this is the "artist" who has yet to produce a single finished work this year.

And, in looking at the pieces posted, some might suggest the pieces are still not finished. That is likely true. But it was the process that I find interesting enough to continue pursuing. At least to a certain extent. (More on that a little later).

Took 45 minutes

The source of my creative explosion was a workshop I took in Rising Sun, IN over the past weekend (June 15-16), featuring New York City artist, Patti Mollica. I have included one of Patti's works in this blog posting to demonstrate, as well as to illustrate my previous comment. (Again, more on that shortly).

The purpose was to put paint on canvas in the manner of the title of the workshop -- "Fast, Bold and Loose." The concept, while in execution, clearly works. It is somewhat deceptive, however, because the actual work, or time consumption, goes in before the actual paint starts flying.  Coming from a commercial art background, Patti was "forced" to think in terms of conceptual art or breaking down images to common value elements. Three elements in fact. Determine your darkest dark, determine your lightest light and a shade between. (Gosh, where, as artists have we heard that before!) It is, however, always good to see how that concept is applied. Block out those three values in sketches before you start painting. The sketch that the artist finally finds most pleasing, in turn, becomes the paint's roadmap. 

To demonstrate, below is Patti's Still Life,  then the Sketch, then the Final Product (which took her about 15-20 minutes to actually paint):

 What that sketch does, in essence, is render the color of the paint inconsequential. As long as you maintain or stay within the value family! That is really the key to the result. But, that is also, the purpose and the value (pun intended) of the sketch.

Value Painting

Took about 45 minutes

Another thing I did learn is that when someone says, "You have 45 minutes to do your painting ... " was that my initial reaction was PANIC! So you rush like crazy, slapping paint on the canvas when it hit me (not the paint ... hehe), but rather that I needed just to take a minute or so and actually think about what colors to put where and how. That brief pause actually made the painting process slow down because now I had a plan.


The result was that by the time Patti got to -- "you have 15 minutes to do the next painting ... " -- I actually didn't fret about it at all.

15 minutes later ....

The final painting on one canvas was actually two paintings, that we produced in something like 30 minutes or so. 

Would I recommend this workshop? Absolutely. An artist who was also a great teacher -- and that's really appreciated;  great patience, great encouragement. And she likes to say "Squint!" a lot. All the things you really want in a workshop setting.

Now to address the observation in the first part of this blog -- "...  interesting enough to continue pursuing. At least to a certain extent ..."

At some point, an artist has to fit any process he or she may have learned in a workshop into their own way of thinking. Some people refer to that as an artist's "vision", others call it the artist's "voice." Me? I think it's simply style. What makes you as an artist unique?

When you walk into a gallery, you look at a painting and say, "That's a Patti Mollica." It's distinct. It's her style. It's no different than John Smolko (see earlier blog). You can walk in to a gallery and recognize John's style immediately.

Ultimately, that's what we, as artists, want to achieve. And, really, what we should strive for. Do I want to be the next Patti Mollica or the next John Smolko? Of course not. 

I don't truly think I'm there yet. That's part of the journey. 

Future Blog Postings

As some of you who follow this site know, I had the goal of posting about once a week or so. With the lame amount of work I've been producing this year, that hope has been blunted to say the least. Plus I am now working six days a week, and that beats up my time. It's not ironic that I have been soooo very productive the last several days since I took off Monday. It gave me almost 5 days days off in a row for the first time in I don't know how long. I worked on art more than 6 hours each day and it's amazing what you can accomplish!

My hope now is to post on a semi-regular basis (that's PC for irregular). If you are on My Friends post or on the email list, I will send the latest missives to you as they develop. If you are not on my list, please join up! If you have a blog and would like to have it posted on my site, please let me know. I will be more than happy to give fellow artists as many "props" as I can.

WIP aka Works in Progress

Been a while since I've posted anything new that I have been working on. Probably because I'm all over the board right now. I think it's part of my creative process in bouncing around here and there. Could be a lack of focus, too, come to think of it ... hmmmm

Actually, I have made considerable progress on the colored pencil piece that I started back in late January. This is the same one that I started and about three weeks in to it decided it was not good enough. Start over. It's only paper. And colored pencil. And time, which I wish I had more of, but don't we all.

In any case, here's Marin or the Little Girl with All Those Curls. Not sure what to name the painting when it's finished.

Marin

It has been that constant push-and-pull that goes in to every painting. I know I have at least two challenges ahead of me in her hair on the right side. It is reflecting a lot of light as well as sporting most of her curls. The painting really hinges upon that. I know it, and probably why I'm waiting till the end.

 The second part, believe it or not, is her lower lip. She's biting it and it's almost non-existent. Along with that is concern about her teeth. Not many of them and there are some spaces between. Need to avoid the "Chiclets" look.







I have been  working on three oil paintings, but am only showing two of them because every time I look at the third painting, I don't like it and wipe the paint off and start over again. 



That is, indeed, the luxury of oil painting or any kind of painting over colored pencil. There's a greater opportunity to fix mistakes. I have always found colored pencil to be the most unforgiving of mediums.

New Hampshire Horse Farm

 

Worked on the fence line, added the horses, noodled with the barn and began laying in some of the snow in the pasture area. 

Kennebunkport

 Didn't do as much here as I had hoped. Still need to darken the sky in the background. Added the ocean -- which may need to be darkened or toned down. That little white blob will eventually be a rock or two or three.

The clouds need some work too.


Hopefully, next week I can feel comfortable enough with painting number three to post it on the blog. Today's progress was positive, so hopefully it will look that good in the morning! 

Congratulations to DC 119!

The results of this year's 21st Annual Colored Pencil Society of America International Exhibition and six members of the local Greater Cincinnati Chapter were selected.  The local members who were selected were:

Margi Hopkins, Vanessa Lawrence, Cheryl Metzger, Donna Schwarz, John Smolko and Katherine Thomas.

 

John Smolko was featured in one of my blogs a few weeks back and his work is always outstanding. Margi Hopkins won First Place in the local show back in December, though her piece accepted in to this year's Exhibition was a different work. I featured that also a few blogs back. Katherine Thomas, like John Smolko, is linked to my blog and you can see her exceptional work -- Adagio -- on her blog.

 

To be selected in to the International show is a major accomplishment and all six of the local members deserve the honor. Great work!

Of contests and workshops

Last week, I mentioned that I had been fortunate enough to have two of my pieces of artwork accepted in to the local Evendale Fine Arts Exhibit.

A question artists often discuss among themselves is how important is it to enter shows and exhibitions? As with many decisions in life in general, the ultimate decision usually comes down to cost.

Is it worth the expense to enter a show? For those who read this blog and are not artists or who have never entered a show, almost every show or exhibition requires a fee from the submitting artist. Sometimes it's a one-shot fee, sometimes it is a per-piece fee. Entry fees vary across the board. Entry fees help the promoters allay costs. There may be a rental charge for the exhibit hall that has to be paid. There may be a juror's fee. Prize money may, in part, be paid by the entry fees. All or some of those possibilities may exist at the same time in each show.

The Steelworker

As a rule-of-thumb, the higher the prize money, the higher the entry fee. But also, the higher the prize money, the more prestigious the show is.

As an artist, you have to weigh various options -- many which I hear in discussions regularly. Is the fee worth entering the show? If the show is not offering prize money, is it still worth entering if though they are charging an entry fee?

There's another cost that artists have to take in to account and that is shipping costs. If the show is local, you can generally deliver your artwork in person. If the show is out-of-town, then you have to figure in cost of shipping to and from the event. Most exhibitions, especially out-of-town shows, do not want glass as part of the framing and, instead, prefer plexiglass. This could be an additional expense. 

All these factors come in to play every time I look at entering a show. One of the first things I consider, however, is -- does acceptance add to my credentials or art resume? If you view yourself as a serious artist or more than just a hobbyist, then your credentials are important. It adds to your personal prestige. It can add value to the current art you have for sale as well as art you have previously sold. It can justify fees you may charge for commissioned artwork because the purchaser can feel that they have commissioned a piece of work by an artist who has won "Such-and-such awards."

Another consideration that I some times look at is whether getting accepted in to a show helps toward earning Signature status in a particular medium. For example, in entering the Colored Pencil Society of America Show, for one to earn Signature status, you must have been accepted in to the International Show three times over a 10-year period. I have had one piece of artwork -- The Steelworker -- accepted in to the International Show. 

Ironically, I entered The Steelworker at the urging of my colored pencil mentor, Vera Curnow.  I did so, primarily because she insisted. I never really expected anything other than a rejection slip. I was floored when I received the news I had been accepted.

The point being is -- enter a show because you never know what might happen. 

If you can't handle rejection, then entering shows may be difficult. Realize the opinion of Judge #1 who didn't like your piece in year XYZ is just one person's opinion. Enter the same piece the following year and Judge #2 may absolutely love the piece. 

Of course, that doesn't mean you enter EVERY show. You still have to pick-and-choose. But you should pick-and-choose and don't stand on the sidelines. You may be better than you think you are!

Rising Sun Workshops -- the best deal around

 

For the past 6 or 7 years now, Rising Sun, IN has been hosting two-day workshops for artists in various media. Without question, it's one of the best deals around for artists in the Midwest.

The two-day fee is $90! That's not a typo. 

Often, workshops are being taught by nationally known artists. The bang for the buck is exceptional, especially when you consider that that same artist may charge five to 10 times as much for a 3- or 4-day workshop elsewhere in the United States during the year.

While one workshop in colored pencil has already been held this year, the following workshops are still available:

June 15 & 16 -- Patti Mollica in oil/acrylic painting
July 20 & 21 -- Dianne Martia in contemporary explorations with Oil and Cold Wax
Aug. 17 & 18 -- Susan Stuller in watercolor
Sept. 21 & 22 -- Tina Tammaro in Oil painting/Floral Stll Life
Oct. 19 & 20 -- Eric Phagan -- Clay sculpting (additional fee required)
Nov. 9 & 10 -- Ray Hassard in pastels

For further information the best place to check is: http://www.artsinrisingsun.com/

Hopefully, I will see you in June or November!

Good news always welcome

It's always good to know that someone else thinks you are doing good work.

Just this past week, I received news that both my entries for the annual Evendale Fine Arts Exhibit were accepted in to the show. This is a juried show and that means your work is judged by another artist or panel to be deemed acceptable for their respective show.

The Evendale Exhibit is truly a local gem that often gets overlooked. Many of Greater Cincinnati's top artists annually display in this show, so for me to be accepted this year is a great honor. This year's show is also the first year that prize money is being awarded to the top three winners, and usually that generates greater motivation from artists to enter.

My accepted entries were: Still Life with Pear, a pastel piece that was selected as the Peoples Choice Award winner at the Loveland Winter Art Show in December; and Storm Clouds, an oil painting that I completed early last year.

Still Life With Pear

Storm Clouds

Getting selected to this year's show was especially appreciated in light of the fact that I was not accepted in to the show last year. Ironically, I had urged two of my artist friends to enter the show and both of them had their works accepted -- and rightfully so.

This year's exhibit will be held on Friday, May 3 with the Artists Reception from 6-9 p.m. and runs through Monday, May 6 at 4 p.m. at the Evendale Cultural Center in Evendale, OH. 

Next Week ...

I will be featuring what I consider to be the best bargain for artists in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and lower Michigan!

And the relative merits of entering shows and competitions.

Avoid the traps

I spent last week's blog discussing the fact that I have been struggling to get my "touch" back. Just having that approach or attitude runs against my normal grain of thought.

I am a firm believer that artwork, like anything we pursue with a passion, be it a musical instrument or a garden or knitting or golf ultimately hinges upon a very solid principle: "10% inspiration, 90% perspiration."

For the truly gifted, it may be 20% inspiration, but, nonetheless, when you stop working it you undergo a couple of things. First, and most obvious, you aren't producing. Second -- and perhaps the most insidious -- is the erosion of your confidence. For that reason alone, I truly believe it's essential that you produce something every day, even if it's just an hour or two. It keeps your head in the game, so to speak.

If you are not in the business of art in some fashion, be it graphic design, advertising, etc., or you have the luxury of being able to devote all your time to your artwork via retirement or financial wherewithal, it's far too easy to fall into the "I'll do it tomorrow trap." Or, in my case, "I've lost my touch."

There's no magic. Just time and effort.

This week's work

Been working on this oil painting for a while now and I keep "noodling" or tinkering with it cause it still doesn't feel right.

In looking at it in Photoshop just now I saw a couple other things I need to tweak. I think I fixed the croissant so it actually looks like a croissant instead of this lump of bread tossed in on the right to balance out the painting. 

Still, I'm struggling with jelly/jam jar in the middle. It doesn't have the right feel yet. The coffee mug needs some adjustment too. I may need to add a little tea bag string-tag coming out of the top of it.





CPSA International Show

The 21st Annual International Colored Pencil Society of America deadline passed on Easter Sunday evening. I managed to get my two entries submitted and now it's just a matter of keeping your fingers crossed. The competition is just so intense and the talent level of the artists never ceases to amaze me.

The two pieces I submitted were:

ANDREW

Andrew is a painting of a pig asleep. I shot the photo several autumns back. I estimate there are about 15-to-18 layers of color around the nose and snout area. This is the third and final time I can enter this piece and while I had the painting shot professionally, I'm still not certain it could capture all the colors that are in this piece.  

PUTTING ON THE RITZ

Putting on the Ritz is a photo of my daughter's husband's nephew (whew!) getting fitted for the tuxedo for their wedding last fall. I changed my style to more of the scribble technique that John Smolko employs in his work.


The winners will be announced on the CPSA website in late April or early May. I have qualified for this show once in Bethesda, MD in 2007 and need to get accepted in two of the next four years' show to earn CPSA Signature status.



Speaking of John Smolko, he is one of four colored pencil artists featured in the May issue of The Artist's Magazine. The article features four colored pencil artists, including Joseph Crone who produces astonishing work with one colored pencil -- a black Verithin.


You know it's spring when ....

... When you mow the lawn for the first time this year (which I did today)! 

Feel free to add to the list!
  




 
 

Looking for the magic

As much as I don't like to admit it, it's been a real struggle the last three-to-four weeks to get motivated to work on my artwork. For various reasons, when the time avails itself to work, I haven't been able to do much of anything. When I get started on something, I find a ready excuse to stop shortly afterward.

"The studio is too cold ..." or "I'm not in the mood right now" or, my favorite one, "I have all day off tomorrow, I will do it then."

I sigh a lot.

It has created problems. For example, I had all the right intentions of making an excellent piece. I am working in colored pencil and, as I well know, it is a most unforgiving medium. When you don't have your heart in to your work, you produce something you really don't like.

There's certain aspects about every drawing you like and there certainly are a couple things about this painting that are acceptable. But for the most part, I didn't like what was happening. I think a lot of it was just not "getting in to it". 

This is the kind of art you do when there's no enthusiasm. The colors didn't feel right. The original drawing didn't feel right. It's just not good enough.

So I have about 3 weeks worth of work involved in this and at that point decided it's no good and we start over again.

Starting over on the same piece has never been
high on my "to do" list, but I also realized that the first piece was unacceptable.

I also know that this is a photograph, which I took last summer, that I truly want to do. When it comes down to it, that's really crucial to execution of artwork. Do you have enthusiasm for the project? To that question, I can answer "Yes!"

Back to the drawing board and you start over. The result is the photo on the right. What you see is about 9 hours of work and I am in a much more positive frame of mind about the direction of this piece. That doesn't mean I'm out of the woods. In fact, since I feel like I have to find the trail again anyway ... but I think I can see the path.

When you have this miserable feeling and you try to do artwork, you also start on a project and then jump to another and jump to another ... trying to find the spark again.

Hence, I have two oil paintings, that -- at their respective stages -- I actually think have promise. I need to look under a few brushes on the easel tray to see if I can find the magic again.

I like the clouds on this piece, a photo of a home facing the ocean in Kennebunkport, ME that a friend of mine took recently while on vacation. 

The photo didn't have as much light in the right places as I prefer, though a fellow artist friend loved the start and suggested the clouds had a "off screen" lighting as if the moon was in the upper left corner. I plan to "go with it"

On the way to Kennebunkport, my same friend stopped in New Hampshire and took a photo of a horse farm.

I liked that photograph as well and so far, this is where I am. I have a couple reservations about this piece, but I will keep them to myself and the gremlins in the back of my head till after the painting is finished.




I will have some more thoughts about this overall subject in the next installment of the blog.

CPSA Deadline Looms

For those of you who follow this blog and work in colored pencil, the deadline for the 21st Annual International Exhibition is fast approaching. In fact, final entries must be submitted by Sunday, March 31 at 11:59 p.m.


The link for entry information is: http://www.cpsa.org/

There's a thorough explanation on how to submit your entry through CaFE portal for contest entries. I'm not sure which paintings I plan to enter, but I definitely will submit two before the week's out. I have all day off tomorrow, I will do it then. Hmmm ....

Smolko Show Well Worth It

There are easily a half dozen or so colored pencil artists in the United States I admire and would hang their artwork in my home without a second thought. The top of that list for me, however, is John Smolko from northeast Ohio.

If you are unfamiliar with John's artwork, then I have included several of his paintings here on the blog. To see them in person, however, is the real treat. And you can have that opportunity as John is the featured artist in a one-man show at Wilmington College in Wilmington, OH. More than a dozen of his paintings are on display at the Harcum Art Gallery on the college campus through March 1. The gallery, which is inside the Boyd Cultural Arts Center, is open for viewing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week.

That handsome fellow standing next to me is John Smolko at his art reception in Wilmington.

After I taught myself how to draw about 7+ years ago, the next area of concentration was colored pencil. Over the years, for all its pluses and minuses, I found myself moving away from the media mainly because colored pencils just inhale your time. The building up of layer after layer after layer was tedious and really wore me down. For the longest time I maintained that colored pencils artists could achieve significant results with just three or four colors instead of layering six or eight or 10 colors to get to the final one. In any other media, quite frankly, your really don't need to mix more than three colors to get where you want to go.

Then I discovered John Smolko. Immediately I was drawn to the impressionistic feel of his work. You could also see that he achieved dynamic results without the laborious process of building layer upon layer.
If you can see the painting behind John and me in the photograph here, you can see what I am talking about. But to give you further insight to that particular painting, I took a close-up photograph so that I could study the details of the stroke as well as the use of color. 

Close-up of John Smolko artwork

John's knowledge and use of color is truly amazing. And if you look closely, you can see that he accomplishes his goals with both his combination of stroke and his selection of color.  There are areas where there is simply one color over the top of a piece of colored museum board. 

 One of my favorite pieces is below:

Pardon the glare/reflection from the glass on the painting

 

 And, again, I have provided another close up of the same painting.

In addition to the color selections that Smolko makes in his paintings is his unique technique of controlled scribbles. If you look closely you can see that all the marks, while appearing random, are actually where John wants them to be. He truly is a master of the "simple" scribble.

Finally, his most recent piece ...

As an artist we are constantly changing and evolving and it is particularly interesting to note how John's technique has grown more bold in recent years.

I had the great fortune of taking a workshop from John in Rising Sun last July and it completely changed my approach -- and attitude -- toward colored pencil. As you can tell from the painting that forms the basis of my logo at the top of the blog, I have embraced John's style completely.

All his pieces are the same size -- 40 x 32 and you will note that he draws approximately a 1-inch border around the painting itself. As John noted in his workshop, that border not only defines the location of your work, but it also provides a built-in "mat" for your work.

John is a signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA), and taught high school art in Aurora, Ohio for more than 25 years. If you have the opportunity to take a workshop from him, it would be a more than worth your time and investment! 

I have also included a link to John Smolko's website on my blog page so you can take a further look at many more of John's outstanding artwork.