Fast Forward into ART BUSY!

Welcome to the Post-Holiday DASH!

At My Window, 11x14

There is a lull in art activities around the holiday, and now in January activity starts to pick up again and we all are feeling overwhelmed with the artbusy. Suddenly there are multiple shows, in town and online. Do I have enough work? Do I have enough finished work? Am I ready? What are the deadlines for show entry, dates of drop off, dates of show? 

Planning and organization are important facets of being an artist. Honestly, I am unsure of how some artists get by, they never remember deadlines or drop off dates—these need to be on your calendar and set up as reminders. You should track your art and where it has been displayed too. I keep seeing the same art over and over in local shows when I know the artist is working and creating new artwork. Please put some of that new art in the show, your followers and I have seen the old stuff before.

So today I am planning to mark my calendar with upcoming show deadlines. I still have a printed calendar, being visual it helps me to write on it, retain it, and see it daily. I may also add deadlines to an online calendar or my phone (reminders). Not only do I need to think about art deadlines, I also start thinking about which artworks will go into the shows, much planning needs to be done. It helps to know the shows too!

There are two favorite local art shows that I love. One is a member show, and there I always put in a portrait as the show heavily features landscapes and I want to stand out. The other is a figure show, and that is competitive and well respected—that I try to get into with figurative work if I can –that particular show is juried. Ok, so there are those two shows in February and March. Then there is a juried show in March for my Detroit Society of Women Painters. And my art group has a show the month of February. And another local art association has a show in March. Plus my online national art group is calling for entries into their Summer show, and I very much want to apply to that. Well, it is all stacking up as you can tell! WOW! Hello ‘Feb March Art Extravaganza’, can you hear that frantic fast music as I search my studio for works to put into all these shows? Oh my, yes, this will take some planning and strategy.

Dashing through the studio I go! 

Great Art News

Acceptance Into A Juried Paint Out

Driftwood Texaco, 5x7

While reading online at Outdoor Painter (Plein Air Magazine), I saw an ad for Paint The Town 2019, a plein air paint out in Marble Falls Texas. Since I am working toward doing more plein air paintings, I read the information. This paint out is not near my house but I noted and confirmed that it is near my sister’s house. Even though I have not painted in a Juried Plein Air Event, I have painted in several plein air paint outs. After texting my sister to confirm that I could stay with her if accepted, I decided to apply. The application included a Bio, an link to my website, and photos of my plein air work.

I was thrilled and surprised to get an email that I have been juried into the paint out! WOW! Exciting and oh boy I have some painting and planning to do!

I need to coordinate the dates with my sister so that I and my art stuff can descend on her home. I have painted in paint outs before, so I am not concerned with my supplies or getting my supplies to the destination.

I am concerned that I will not get enough plein air painting days outside before the event. The weather here has been ‘feels like teens’ and no sun, which means no outside time for me! I live up north and there will not (for me) be many paint opportunities between now and the paint out dates. I need to figure out how best to prepare for this event, in a painter way. 

Organizationally I have this! I have the equipment and motivation, I just have to figure out how to create more landscapes between now and then. In the meantime, I am looking at my TX reference photos and creating little studies. And, I am reading as many landscape books as I can get my hands on.

Here are the Paint Out details (stay tuned more to come!):

Paint The Town

Paint Out in the Texas Hill Country, Marble Falls

March 31- April 6 2019

Juried Plein Air Competition and Show & Sale

April 1 - Money Monday Paint Day

April 2 – Artists Paint at Spicewood Vineyards

April 3 – Gallery Set up, Patrons Viewing

April 4 – Student Art Day at the Pavillion

April 5 – Lakeside Pavillion open 11-5 for gallery sales

April 6 – Family Day Lakeside Pavillion 10 AM-7PM, Quickdraw at 10AM

Reading and Painting

5x7 color & composition study

Landscapes landscapes landscapes! Are on my mind! And yet, mostly I have worked on portraits because I have the artportuntity to paint from a live model 3 times a week. I have to take advantage of that which means that I am not painting as many landscapes as I would like.

I live Up North and landscape painting outside is not a possibility for me right now. Call me a wimp, but with 30s as highs (wind chills in teens/no sun), I am not interested in being outside. Just walking the dogs hurts my hands and face -even though I am geared up!

View from Wildwing, 9x12

 Guess what I did on Black Friday? No, not shopping, I avoided the mall. Despite the freezing cold and wind, the sun was shining-- I went driving to find landscape photo references. Yes, I really have landscape on my mind. I went to my favorite park and was able to find a few photos and areas that I could get excited about. Plus, on this day, with the promise of a hot cocoa, I had great company and a driver in my husband.

Along with taking reference photos, I borrowed books from my wonderful art friend who has an amazing book library. I really am enjoying and absorbing this wonderful older book called "Painting Better Landscapes" by Kessler. I am reading about how yellow recedes as you go back in a painting. I know others have tried to share this information with me, but it is simply stated and there are visual color examples in the book so it really makes sense. I am thoroughly enjoying this book and I am learning too!

So maybe I am not getting outside like I would like, but I am still working toward landscape painting improvement through reading and gathering materials (photo references). Tonight I plan to landscape paint at home from one of my photo references.

Not Every Week is a Winner

Last week I painted and painted; sadly I am unhappy with my results.

Last week I was determined to paint, particularly as I had been travelling and then sick, missing 2 weeks of my painting time. Early in the week I chose to paint landscapes from photographs. Having reviewed the catalog of works in a show that I aspire to be in (someday), I was determined to paint a water scene. I noted that 35% of works in the show depicted water scenes. So I scrolled through my photographs to find a scene I thought would be good to put into a show, in a similar vein of those I'd seen in the big show.

I also wanted a more simple photo reference. I found an ok reference but the left side was dark and obscured by trees. I made a design decision to have a left land mass, smaller but similar to the mass on the right of the water. I also made a design decision to have a high horizon line, I wanted the water to have a strong presence. What greatly appealed to me was the bright yellow fall grasses. Also, the sky in the photo reference was blue, but I wanted to add a contrast to all the green so I made it an orange pink.  I had a grand vision for this, I am not sure I executed the painting as well as I wanted to.

Last week I also painted two portraits from life, I was not happy with either result. In both cases my colors were strong, I love my color! But there has to be more than color in regard to a good portrait. One portrait featured bright green and pink and those colors together were fantastically appealing. But, I did not capture her face and shoulders, I had wanted this to be one that I could put in a show but it honestly is not my best work. The other portrait had lots of orange color (background and flowers) which also was appealing. I could not get the eyes right and the hair which was pulled into a braid does not look right. Perhaps I need to take my photo references and work on these, or I can call it and these two works can go in the trash. I do not want to show either work here, no thank you! Both portraits remain in a TBD pile--I may or may not work on them.

The good from last week is that I did get in the painting time that I wanted. But, wow, I am disappointed in my results. I have got to be more focused and really get back to where I want to be as an artist. Perhaps this week I will be better!

Time to think About Goals

My BIG 2018 goal was to "paint more!" 

Me & Marilyn, Art Inst. Chicago

2018 Art Goals that were completed:

• Paint more! 
• Update my blog 2x per month
• Update my website 2x per month
• Stay on top of my art inventory

Paint More!
This was achieved through  painting quick studies each day for a month (started in Jan), painting Richard Schmid's color charts, continuing to paint portraits each week (2x) at the studio plus attending extra sessions. Plus painting en plein air and painting in 4 plein air paint outs. I tried to paint more at home when I could but I definitely fought distractions, I totally see the value of an out of home studio<<<A Girl can dream!

Lessons Learned
So what have I learned this year?

Paint outs are quite a lot of work, much time and much attention is required and all are organized differently. I enjoy the paint outs that are closer to home, it is easier to be organized when you get to sleep in your own bed at night. Many works don't sell, but the experience is important.

Richard Schmid's color charts are a time consuming value add. Each chart that I created took a time consuming three plus hours to paint. The color mixing really helped me, I am a faster color mixer and I learned more about what I can do with my palette. I am an 11 color palette artist now. Week to week I only need these 11 colors.

Researching and joining a national organization for your art is valuable and beneficial. I joined the The AIS (American Impressionist Society). I really like the organization, the way the organization is run, the AIS artists and the member benefits.

As always, I want to be more organized and have a better painting schedule. I am terrible at having a daily art schedule, I am an organized person but I struggle with this--so tracking my art continues to be a goal. I did get a great suggestion from a mentor on this one, she said to keep a journal at my easel and track my time, yep this is going on 2019 goals.

Wanting to Get Outside

What a bummer! This fall the weather is not cooperating with outdoor painting!

Right now the weather is blustery and chilly and the temperatures have dropped to frost alert, it is full on fall. There was/is no happy transition from the hot to the 70s/60s, the temps just fell to the 50s with blustery 20 mph winds! No fair! Probably I could deal with the cool, but winds are a challenge to even the best painter.

Frida 2018, a work completed at home from photos

I have been thinking a lot about my recent art workshops and I have been back to painting portraits from life with my art group. At home, I also have been working on a portrait from a photograph which has taken me many many hours! I think and hope that I have finally finished the at home portrait, it took forever! Frida is the work that I have been working on at home. I got wonderful expressive eyes and I think the skin tone is good. I had trouble with the flowers, the bright big lovely fake flowers, so hard to paint! The flowers started too bright and with too much the same light color (no depth) I had to go back in and add the darks. I ended up changing the background from green to a blue purple with a touch of pink and orange on top. I wanted the dark hair to merge with the background. I also had a darker burgundy lip, but lightened it a bit as it was harsh with her light skin. The light top is not white but is white-ish in color, very light. And the shadow on the top has a touch of pink and orange as those are the flower shadows on her shoulder. Definitely I like this beauty, she is done.

Having done so much portrait painting, I do wish I could change it up and go outside to paint. I will look through my photo references to see if anything strikes my fancy for a landscape I can paint in studio..

Post Workshop Blues and Reds and Yellows

Small quick color study, plein air

For JK-- feel better, you are a good friend, let's chat soon!


Whew! I have just finished 2 weeks of art workshops! Sounds like a dream right? It was great, but it was also exhausting! Help, I am buried under a pile of laundry --woe to be back to household chores!

How did I manage to get myself into a 3 workshops in 2 weeks quagmire? Well, a workshop that I really really really wanted to do was cancelled this year and my heart was a little broken about that. I researched other workshops and found one in Wisconsin and one in Ohio. I was unsure what to do and which to take when my husband suggested signing up for both. His logic was that since every workshop I signed up for (all 3) in the last 3 years had been cancelled at least one of these would be cancelled. No such luck this time around, both workshops were a GO! Oh yeah and a figure workshop that I have been waiting to take finally announced its dates, and--of course, started the day after workshop #2. Ack!

Larger painting, unfinished

My first workshop was held in Wisconsin, Door County (Monday through Weds). It was very professional and really really good for me as an artist. It gave me homework and quite a bit to think about in regards to taking my work to the next level. This workshop forced me to focus on what I believe is my great weakness--this was tough to identify. I think I understand it, but still need to figure out how to address it and be more thoughtful about it in my artwork. The personal aspects of this workshop was important and valuable to me. I need to get back to work this week, to really paint and move forward to be the better art me. I enjoyed this class very much and loved making new art friends. I flew home Thursday, started laundry and packed my art supplies again, leaving Sunday for my next art workshop.

Small quick plein air study

My second workshop was in Ohio and it focused on taking plein air references and color studies and then making paintings in the studio. Good instruction, great ideas and I think this will really help my plein air work moving forward. This was about thumbnails but also multiple thumbnails (as many references as you need) and color studies, it was great to see in action.  I enjoyed it and made new art friends. Honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop but I felt my work was not as strong as I would have liked. I paint in the park, lots of trees and water typically but for this workshop we painted neighborhoods (houses and lawns). So, I was perhaps less inspired by the subject matter or maybe the lack of perspective training got to me.  I had hoped to be more proud of my work especially since I was one of the more experienced artists in the workshop--I got frustrated. I was confident in my equipment set up and color mixing skills, but my compositions drove me a little crazy.

Larger painting

The third art workshop, thank goodness was back in the studio I go to near my house. The timing of this workshop was not my favorite, but I love the Instructor and subject matter and had to take advantage of the opportunity. So, workshop #2 started Monday ended Wednesday, workshop #3 started Thursday ended Saturday--6 straight days of workshop mania. Yes, I was a zombie Saturday night.

The third workshop was Expressive Anatomy. It used up the most juice by far in that I was constantly drawing and painting from a live model! But it was so good, I actually felt that much of my work was fairly strong in this workshop! WOW since I have not taken figure drawing in a while! Also, I brought in my worksheets from the first workshop (what I need to work on) and discussed that with this instructor. She totally got it, and really helped me see, using my work as example, what to do to get it to the next level. I think for me the awareness helps, and now I will work with my instructors and mentors on how to apply it to my work!

So much done, so far to go but at least I am confident that I will have clean clothes for art tomorrow!
Here is hoping I can paint tomorrow and make sense of it all, wish me luck!