Skip to main content

Back to School, Day Two



"Orchard II," 10"x12", acrylics on museum quality panel, a study created plein air my second day of Vianna Szabo's Plein Air Workshop at Millers Big Red Cider Mill this past weekend. This is an extra special painting because it's really two different pieces all in one (see below) AND it has a dinosaur - it's only $250 if you are the first one saying please.



Like you learned yesterday, I got to paint with none other than Vianna Szabo this last weekend!  

Day two brought about conversations of atmosphere and color, drawing and painting depth, and allowing the viewer to step INTO our paintings. 

We made value sketches, committed to a compositional idea, and set up our gear.

I lost my composition, though, as the sun moved - my left to right shadows, including an awesomely menacing claw shaped shadow! - disappeared with the noon sun. And I hadn't captured them adequately.

I tried to fake it, but didn't have the visual memory to pull it off. I angrily wiped out my corridor of grass just as Vianna walked up behind me.

"So, you're chasing the light, aren't you?" Why is it that she can give such critical advice in such a kind and humorous manner?

Chasing the light means that the artist is allowing the changing atmospheric conditions to dictate their painting, instead of sticking to their original idea. I would imagine it's also one of the main reasons so many people struggle with plein air landscape painting, because landscape is the worst sort of model, always moving and changing and sass talking the artist.

We talked about the importance of that initial value study - that it needs to capture the form and light patterns while we are filing away visual memories. It has to be strong enough to stand on it's own and keep us committed to our original idea long after the light has changed.

Our compromise was that I would retain my intent, those railroaded shadows, using what was currently in front of me (because I had limited visual memory of the previous scenario).

And I set another challenge for myself - really working on capturing the atmosphere, the movement in between the branches and forms.

I think I did a decent job of things, and regardless of what my painting looks like, my brain is full of new ideas and concepts, and I am already making plans to get my gear outside soon!

Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork,
Kim

PS Lots of photos from the weekend are here. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dear Copyright Thieves

Dear Copyright Thieves,   Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean it's free for the taking. So let's just stop pretending the internet is a free-for-all.   Don't play the card that you didn't know - that's insulting. And don't also tell me that you meant to follow up and get permission but never got a chance to. That's insulting too. And by the way, don't you have a copyright protection notice on your own site?   And don't even try and point the finger at a third party who commissioned you to make a copy of my painting - again, an insult - you and I both know the difference between a reference photo and a painting.   And don't tell me that I asked for it because I share my artwork on the internet. I share my paintings and ideas and the stories behind them so as to encourage others to pursue  their own passions . I do not share so that those lacking integrity and morals can copy and market the images as their own...
33 comments
Read more

Grindstone

"Grindstone", 16" x 20" acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting Grindstone, just a few strides away from winning The Kentucky Derby in 1996. Read more about this painting's story below - it's a good one! And inquiries may come directly  to me .  Paying it Forward Shortly after getting The Derby Gig, which neatly dovetailed my childhood passion for horse racing with my grown up obsession with painting, I started formulating a plan to give back to the universe. As it played out, The Kentucky Derby Museum got involved, and it was decided I would donate a piece to them, something they could use as a fundraising tool to further their education efforts.  "Would I be interested in painting Grindstone, the winner of the 1996 Derby?" they asked. But of course! Little did I know the background story, though. Every year the Museum asks the owners of the Kentucky Derby winner to donate one breeding to the Museum when th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Golden Open Acrylics

I get all sorts of process oriented questions. Most recently I've been getting asked a lot about my paints and palette, which made me realize what a nice blog topic this would make! I use a Masterson Sta-Wet Premier palette box . This is comprised of a box (think Tupperware) with a sponge liner and a slice of palette paper that work together to keep my paints wet. This setup allows me to work with the same palette for about a full week, having the box open for multiple hours every day. You can see what the palette looks like at the beginning of a new session above - below the exact same palette after this week's work. For the last 25 years I have used Golden brand acrylics, mediums, and varnish. I love the overall quality of these paints and the fact that, when I have a question, their customer service department is made up of artists who actually use the products. Until last year, I used their Heavy Body paints exclusively. They have a buttery consistency, a little loose...
11 comments
Read more