Mark Isaacs Oil and Acrylic Demo

Yesterday, I attended the general meeting of the Fairfax Art League, a well established and well funded local art organization with two locations that are staffed for sales in the City of Fairfax. The Artist of the Month was Mark A. Isaacs, a self-described Impressionistic painter, who I'd describe more as a Fauvist. Mark likes color. Mark is color. He's an entertaining guy who defies what I would expect from his architectural background.

The three large paintings he brought to demo (actually dabble!) on were of Three Foxes Vineyard in Delaplane, Virginia, one of my favorite vineyard to paint in the area.

He often begins en plein air and finishes up later, sometimes returning to the same site over a period of time. Sometimes he works from pictures or even puts together panoramas as references.

Sometimes he begins with a pastel study done on site.

He likes to establish the flow and puts in sublte contour lines to guide his future painting. He doesn't do thumbnail sketches, instead composing intuitively in his head.

When doing oils, he prefers Griffin alkyds along with a fast-drying Gamblin white. He doesn't use OSM. Instead, he uses canola oil to clean brushes and poppy seed oil to dilute color. He prefers portrait grade, i.e. smooth, canvas and linen.

Many of his acrylics were Golden. He uses both acrylics and oils in the field, slow drying acrylics and fast drying oils. He enjoys going for contrasts in warm/cool or complimentary colors, plus values. Mark enjoys layering warm and cool colors for added affect. "It might look like a swale, " Mark observes of the foreground, "but it's just someplace I wanted to put blue."

So as to not take his painting too seriously or commercially, he considers any current painting to merely be the underpainting basis for another painting. He quipped about a recent sale, "I think they bought the one underneath!"

Local Color

I will readily admit to a few passions, aka obsessions: painting outside, buying art supplies, and watching movies. When they collide, it is pure bliss.

Local Color is a coming of age story, one of my favorite genres. Based on real life circumstances and his autobiography of the same name, George Gallo comes of age as both a young man and as a painter, a plein air painter, even. He learns that hard work is, by definition, not easy and how sometimes that process and life in general can made one jaded, as in the case of his reluctant teacher played by Armin Muehller Stahl, a painter himself who came out of acting retirement for the role.

Although I waited for the movie to open locally at an independent theater, I resorted to Netflix instead. It's an affirming movie about the various struggles of a young creative sort and I recommend it highly.

BRB!

I'm at the library, the hideaway for people whose computers have been stamped FAIL. I hope to be back here soon.

Happy Halloween

In honor of perhaps the silliest day of the year, I present the ultimate in decoration...

The Bob Ross Tattoo

This piece was created by Shane O'Neill of Wilmington, DE; he definitely has mad portrait skillz.

And he turned that boring piece of flesh into a happy, little limb.

Andrew McDermott

I first learned of Andrew McDermott in a 2003 Pastel Journal article. He stuck in my head.

Several years later, I sought out one of his rainy, urban pastels to do in colored pencils. He inspired me to do more rainy and night scenes of my own.

Okay, to my point...check out the progression on the opening page of his website. It's something like stop motion photography on his street scene painting from an early stage to finishing. It's quite a learning experience. And very cool.

Still Life in Oil by Trisha Adams

Lucky in demos once again, I was able to catch Leesburg artist Trisha Adams in action at the Ayr Hill Gallery in Vienna, VA recently.

Trisha has only been painting seven years, but she has received much acclaim since moving from graphic to fine art. She credits it in part to her daily commitment to paint. Her painting daily is like someone painting weekly for 20 years, or the like. She also readily admits they are not all successes. I like how she takes risks.

For the demo, she set up a still life with freesia (silk, but looked absolutely real), apples, Oriental pot, and vase. The cloth was golden and the gallery wall was purple.

She said she prefers smoother canvases, but not one brand over another. She chose a pale yellow ground because it was what she had on hand. Same goes for the square format.

Midway through, she added in a blue cotton towel. Just because. She was talking about folds and creases.

She is definitely a spontaneous and whimsical painter.










I asked her at the end of the two hour demo how far along she thought she might be and she replied 65%. I hope to watch her website to see the finished painting.

KAAA Show and Sale on Saturday

I had a lot of fun at the Kingstowne Area Artists Show and Sale. A bit partial I guess, but I think my paintings really shown on this rainy day. The continued positive feedback I received was priceless, as was the helpful brawn in hauling in so many pieces and easels.

Seeing art in person is leaps and bounds better than any photographed art! It makes a huge difference to the viewer and their level of appreciation. I also enjoyed hearing that my variety of frames was pleasing and they all wind up going well together, too. I understand from others that I have an eye for frames and I would definitely agree.

You might notice my jewelry pieces to the left, above. I love to wear silver and beads are just so addicting. I primarily created earrings with a few bracelets, all with glass, crystal, stones, and/or silver.

My next foray into showing my art will be on Wednesday, October 28 with several other Workhouse artists at the opening of the new Marriott Residence Inn at 641 Backlick Road in Springfield, VA from 11:30 to 1:30. I will also bring materials to demo, but I'm still deciding just what that will be.
Hope to see you there!

Red Awning

Sykesville, MD is a scenic and quaint old town. The sky brooded in moodiness most of the day. I'd met a group from MAPAPA for a Paint Out Plus, meaning we started the day with a demo. This day, our instructor was Barbara Nuss. Her reputation had preceded her and I was thrilled to buy her book, 14 Formulas for Fabulous Landscapes, and to get it signed. She is also President of Washington Society of Landscape Painters, the local veneration of painters.

Barbara brought us together to learn about a tool for perspective called the Prospek. Available from Jerry's Artarama, it is very helpful in measuring an object in the distance and translating it to the canvas or paper. Easy to use, my sixth grader loves using it as he draws.

Here's Barbara at work.





My day brought me Red Awning, which is of a trucking company 180 degrees from where Barbara painted. I chose it so I could paint and have my pastels in the shade of a building, but I also liked the angle of the road and the thrust of the building. When Barbara saw my work, she commented that I must be a student of Jack Pardue. Although I've met him, I've not yet taken a class or workshop from him. However, I consider it high praise, indeed.

Red Awning
Soft Pastel on Pastelboard
11x14

Finishing Touches

This is yet another vista from Hillsborough Vineyards near Leesburg, VA. The first day of our workshop there, I spied it for my second day. Turns out, so did Richard McKinley for his demo that morning. Call it bravery or ignorance, I decided to pursue it regardless.

This day required pastel underpaintings with water. I feel that this is my least successful underpainting method. Being daring in workshop and class environments, I decided to go complementary with the piece, using Senneliers for the purest of pigment. In part because they are so soft, the underpainting wound up being too dark and crazy, although the work did have good bones.



After working on it for quite a while, I'd covered almost all of the underpainting, except for some tree trunk details (aka runs) to the upper left. Doing his rounds amongst the participants, Richard decided to pull out the potential of this painting. I'm sure you can identify the flourishes he added.

Finishing Touches
Soft Pastel on Mounted Wallis with a Pastel and Water Underpainting
9x12

Occoquan Glow

First off, let me say how much I love plein air painting. Just look at all the friends who drop by! See right --->

Second, let's talk underpainting preferences. Although paper towel and pastel underpaintings work well, I am finding that I prefer using watercolor if I can achieve enough color saturation. I also like how it runs and easily splatters while not filling the tooth.

I use either my large John Pike palette with Holbein paints or my Pelikan set of 24 opaque colors, which is convenient and very easy to carry. They merge with Pastelboard for a vibrancy I do not see elsewhere.

Here is a watercolor underpainting from my Workhouse Plein Air pastel class with Carol Iglesias, who is in Studio #407.


It's a gooey, beautiful mess, but just look at the depth of color that can be achieved!

Almost immediately, Carol told me I was at 90% with it, so I put reins on myself. Because I tend to work quickly and heavy-handedly (which, of course, have their place, too), I decided to stick with harder pastels like Van Gogh and Girault. They gave me the discipline to leave a lot of the watercolor still showing, making the piece quite multidimensional.

Occoquan Glow
8x10
Soft Pastel with Watercolor Underpainting on Pastelboard

Genteel Winter

My works are usually done alla prima, which translates for me, "what happens outsides, stays outside." Not only do I like the challenge of painting en plein air, I like having one shot to do it. That's not to say each shot is successful, but each shot represents another rung on the learning ladder.

I began Genteel Winter en plein air near Ashland, Virginia, a while back. It was a lovely afternoon for painting the end of bare winter, which is punctuated so strongly with with the contrast between deciduous and coniferous trees.

And there were the yellow and orange grasses I love.

It took a spell of sitting on a shelf in my studio for me to find what it needed and to bring it to a place I am happy to show.

This painting is on a prepared surface of pumice gel on white Gessoboard, which is not for the detail-oriented subject matter. It does not have a tinting or an underpainting, just loads of texture due to a clunky, full brush. The name of the piece pays homage to my Southern heritage and the mild and beautiful Southern winter, which that day felt genteel, polite, and pleasant.

Genteel Winter
Soft Pastel on Gessoboard and Prepared Pumice Surface
11x14

KAAA Show and Sale, noon to 5 Saturday, Kingstowne

Kingstowne Area Artists Association will have over a dozen artists displaying their paintings and photography October 24 from noon until 5PM at the Snyder Center on Van Dorn. Please come by for some refreshments as well.

Old Town Editions

I recently saw a presentation by Old Town Editions, Alexandria, VA, at the Springfield Art Guild. Not only were the printmaking partners personable, they were incredibly passionate about printing. One is a professional photographer with a business degree and the other is a MFA painter. They aim to get it right.

When they grab the image of the original, they aren't scanning on a flatbed. They call it "capturing," creating an image over about 25 minutes. They explained many of the technicalities and bragged in the best way about their equipment, particularly when compared to traditional commercial printers. They even gave paper swatches to the attendees and we, amazingly, each can have a painting captured for free. Whoa!

So, if your printer makes files small enough that they can be emailed, you need to find another printer. Visit the Old Town Editions website for more educational reading.

Now to decide which one I want to be captured. Better yet, you tell me.

Richard McKinley Critique

It felt like a rumble from the 1950s. We gathered cars around so they could act as easels. This gives you a small glimpse into the quality of the work coming from these talented artists.

It was a great way to close out an inspiring workshop, "expecially" seeing the incredible and inspiring work of fellow MPS members.

Workhouse Opening

Join us for a Wine and Cheese Reception at the Workhouse Arts Center featuring pieces from the Workhouse Artists Associates and the Workhouse Artists Guild.

Visit the Workhouse Gallery in W-16 from 2-4pm on Sunday, October 18. Also take some time to visit the Workhouse Artists Studios from noon until 5pm.

Richard McKinley's Watercolor Underpainting

On Day 3, we shifted to Yellow Wood, a beautiful, rolling farm and manor house near Leesburg, Virginia. We got in the demo in the morning and painted a bit in the afternoon, then the rains came. Many thanks to Amy for inviting the crowd to her home and studio.

Starting off, we gathered at the foot of a hill for the demo. Richard painted the line of trees at the top. The clouds came and went, but he was able to complete the piece, although we got rain in the afternoon and weren't able to finish.

Here are many photos and several videos. (If I can get Blogger to cooperate, more of the latter will be uploaded.)


Richard arranges his small Heilman Box traditionally, but the right portion is reserved for grays. On purpose, they are the ones closest to his right hand. He separates the grays out, because, if they were mixed in with the other colors, the more vivid hues would outshine them and he would naturally choose the brighter colors. The way it is laid out, he can consciously chooses grays with them being grouped together.

Here Richard displays his deliberate form. (00:45)

Although the transparency of watercolor gets a bad wrap when compared to a pastel underpainting, Richard obtains a depth of color with them. I didn't notice the pan watercolor brand he used, but he did recommend that anyone who uses tubed watercolors should to squeeze them out in advance so they'd be more hard and pan-like. That way, the brush isn't overloaded. Also notice he used a spray bottle for texture, just as he had with the pastel underpainting.

Richards discusses painting as moves and counter moves, plus the unfortunate mindless moves. He reminds us to slow down and be present. (1:39)

Candyland

On Day 2 of McKinley's workshop, we worked with a pastel underpainting. Blocking in sections lightly with the general values and colors, we then used water and a bristle brush to wet the pastel and push it into the sanded paper.

On this day, I used Wallis mounted on a board from Dakota Arts, a combination I probably would not choose again. The technique is done vertically. Strategic drips and spattering are encouraged and remain.

This painting bears evidence to the technique with lots of runs left showing. Some spots just have a smear of pastel over areas of runs, leaving a mottled effect on the Wallis.

The name of the painting is from a comment of Richard's, him pointing to a section and saying it looks like candy. The painting conveniently hangs through November 14 in the Goodwin House on Fillmore in Alexandria as part of a Springfield Art Guild show entitled, "Local Color." My description for the piece hangs with it:

Near Hillsboro, toward the end of the day, toward the end of summer, colors splash, a study in contrasts. Deep shadows mingle with the sun's slanting glow and vivid near ground leaps forward in comparison to the mountain's distant softness.

Candyland
soft pastel on mounted Wallis
9x12

Richard McKinley Pastel Underpainting

Pastel underpaintings are tricky.

You must lay color in very lightly. Harder pastels are better, but something like Sennelier has more pure color, but I made a mess of them, because they are so soft. You must watch for the amount of white mixed in the pastel; generally these are the foreign brands.

McKinley prefers to use water or OSM for pastel underpaintings, saying that some papers' acrylic binder reacts to alcohol. I have found that pastels dissolve more with alcohol and then spread better, but who's to argue with the experience of McKinley! Besides, I have had very little success with pastel underpainting, but I did find his non-paint by number version to work better than underpaintings done strictly by compliment or by value. McKinley suggests that underpaintings vary according to compliment and value within a single painting. I discovered one saying as especially handy: when in doubt, start with a pastel very close to the underpainting color.

The sun played fetch this day, coming and going with abandon. We were under a latticed porch which interfered with vision, so I took most of these while the sun was away.

Again, he does a thorough drawing to include values. Here he's using mounted Wallis.

This underpainting is one based largely on values and well as local color.



After the wash with water and a bristle brush...

Pastel is applied, but much of the left is preserved underpainting.

Red Roof

On Day 1 of McKinley's workshop, we did field sketches, what I refer to as paper towel underpaintings. Surprisingly, they turned out to be my favorite version of underpainting for the week.

The beauty and diversity of the view of Hillsborough Vineyards lent itself to many kinds of paintings. Most of the 20 of us participants went for the longer view, although some did go for pieces of the vineyards.

The conditions were extremely windy. Although my hat was strapped below my chin, it would fly off with abandon. Holding on to hat, pastels, easel, and paper left little mental energy to paint. The first two days of the workshop were like this; it was exhausting competing with the wind, but I like my products nonetheless!

Happily, the winds seemed to blow the intermittent clouds though with ease and, during a sunny spell, I caught this view of the neighboring property. It has a bright, optimistic calm which is inviting.

Red Roof
soft pastel on Uart 600
5x12

Richard McKinley Field Sketch

Here's our simple scene looking from the patio of Hillsborough Vineyards near Leesburg, Virginia.

Although we didn't see it, Richard did start with a preliminary sketch beforehand. This paper is mounted UART 500 or 600. He uses both.

He gives value and movement to the scene.

He blocks in pastels very lightly.

Using a Viva paper towel, he smears the pastel into the tooth of the paper. Overall, he calls this a field sketch, but I referred to it specifically as paper towel underpainting, one of three that we practiced during the workshop.



It is at this stage that he gains a lot of the coveted mystery.

He pulls back details from the fog, in particular lost and found edges.

Here's some warm purple pencil for details and signature. His final touches, the dots and dashes, take a large amount of the overall painting time.

Note how even this field sketches possesses many of his buzz words: beauty in the mundane, mystery, rhythm, lost and found edges, intimacy, movement, and strength in shape and pattern, to name a few.

The class referred to the middle as Purple Jesus, but Richard was a good sport about it and spoke of many other imagined things in his other paintings. During demos like this, Richard saves time and does not pull back for a wider view.

Richard McKinley Sketchbook

An important part of the painting process is crafting a good beginning. McKinley seeks a primary and two secondary points of interest which come together to form a pleasing triangle guiding the eye.

His sketches also show movement and thrust. The thumbnail sketches have supporting sketches out to the side.


Sketches are often in pencil and lead to a notan.




Notice that the marker strokes in the notan show the movement and guide the eye. Same applies to pencil strokes in the sketches leading up to this one.

Look at the scene in different geometries. Before we could paint on the first day, we had to do a scene in five different formats: square, panoramic, portrait, landscape, and differing horizon/eye level.

This is a more complicated notan-style drawing. Large masses in real landscapes to not go below value 3, so mid-tone is actually 6.5 and highlights go to 10. (The scales next to his drawings are the opposite of the one he gave as a hand out.)

The next step can be a color notan. On the second day, we did them large and on our painting surface in blocks of pastel and did a water underpainting with the pastel, allowing drips and encouraging splatters.

Many thanks to Richard for this peek into his sketchbook.

Richard McKinley as Juror and Judge

I had the pleasure to attend the reception for Shades of Pastel, the biennial national show of the Maryland Pastel Society which runs September 26-November 7, 2009 at the Strathmore in Rockville, Maryland.

Richard McKinley composed the show beginning in July and honed over 250 entries down to 97. He likens people's relationships to their paintings to be similar to that of a child and he's in the awkward Sophie's Choice position. It was evident how he labored over these choices. He also stressed that this was one man's opinion on one single day.

There were 14 awards given with many art supplies and much cash as part of the loot. To me, hearing him describe them was "expecially" priceless. I'll share some of the buzz words he used in discussing the winners, things that show how his mind works, perhaps both in this judging situation and when painting himself.

• mystery
• texture
• rhythm
  
• joy
• expressiveness
• spontaneity (which he says he lacks, but he can mimic it in his paintings)
• gesture
  
• strength of shape and pattern
• quality of light
• lost and found edges (this is a biggie to him)
• beauty with the mundane (")
• movement
• "doesn't naturally come out of my hand," meaning he judges beyond his personal painting preferences
• loose (again, something he lacks, but puts in his paintings nonetheless)
• movement
• painterly
• design
• the "wow" factor
• listen to the painting (where to go, what to preserve, when to stop)
• creates magic
• tell story
• poetry
• intimacy
• simplicity
• quietness and dreams come together
• maturity
  

Just keeping a few of these in mind at the compositional stage would make a huge difference in how paintings would come into being.

See the show. It's fantastic! I think my favorite was Daniel Wise's Slippery When Wet, pictured well in the link or poorly below, center. His Bouy (link to his blog, but I can't find a picture) was a close second and would quietly qualify as a still life by Richard's "Landscape as Still Life" award.



ETA:
Congrats to the winners!

Best In Show, Lisa Mitchell, DJ
First Place, Loriann Signori, Topaz Serenity
Second Place, David Lawton, Aden
Third Place, Maria Marino, Soliloquy III

Judy Pardue Memorial Award for Best Landscape, Tom Weinkle, To Basalt
Polly Mitchell Memorial Award for Best Portrait, Frank Kaifer, St. Alvin of the Station
Betty Knight Memorial Award for Best Still Life, Jean Hirons, Shore Houses

Merit Award, JoEllen Murphy, At Ease *
Merit Award, Lisa Sheppard, Long Shadows *
Merit Award, Tatijana Jacenkiw, Lady of the Tramps
Merit Award, Dawn Capron, Along the Wye River
Merit Award, Joyce Lister, Winter Light

Pastel Society of America Award of Merit, Gail Zinar, A Winters Drama
Connecticut Pastel Societys Award of Merit, Mary Anne Warner, Lilies *

Members Choice Award (Tie vote), Julie Hopkins, Swamp River Reflections and Diana De Santis, Andrea.

* Also at the McKinley workshop last week.

Beginning the Wrap Up

Four days with Richard McKinley...life was good. I remember the first day as I watched him paint thinking, "Hey! That is looking like a Richard McKinley!" Um, it was a Richard McKinley. I was still pinching myself. Guess I still am.

Field Sketch with Underpainting Smudged with Paper Towel (Viva, of course)

I hope to have time to review the experience over the coming week. I will be studio sitting for Eileen Olson at the Workhouse a good bit over the next couple weeks, so swing by Studio 505 if you get the chance. She's graciously allowing her studio sitters wall space, too.

Besides painting, I plan to bring my computer and put all these McKinleyisms in my head to good use. Okay, allow me liberty with a pair and correct me if you can. He used a couple terms which describe how he paints, both of which have to do with the viewer's perspective. One was about ghostly qualities and mystery. The other was about a sense of form implied on a 2-D space, so that the eye goes around trees, over undulations, and tops hills. With my absolute lack of Italian education, one I heard as "penne pasta" and the other as "Asti Spumanti." They made me think of Italian dinner down at Vinnie's. Spell check just wouldn't pick this stuff up. At least I can conceptualize the concepts.

Okay, so I am still absorbing the whole experience.

Upcoming Show October 24 in Kingstowne

Hold that date!
Kingstowne Area Artists Association will have over a dozen artists displaying their paintings and photography October 24 from noon until 5PM at the Snyder Center on Van Dorn. Please come by for some refreshments and stay for the fine art.

MPS and Richard McKinley

First off, let me say how grateful I am to both Maryland Pastel Society for hosting and to Richard McKinley for venturing east. I am thrilled to be a part of Richard's four day workshop next week in Leesburg, VA, where I experience pastels and plein air from a premier painter.

I consider it to be a life-altering experience.

(To the right, Oatlands Plantation is a popular Leesburg painting location.)

Richard juried the pieces in the MPS Shades of Pastel Show, too, and will judge for some major prizes.

The show opens on September 26, 2009 and runs through November 7, 2009. The opening and awards ceremony takes place on October 4 at the Strathmore in Bethesda, MD, from 1 to 3 pm. Best in show, $1,500. with other cash and merchandise awards totaling $5,000. For the first time, there is also a Member's Choice Award.

Because of time constraints, I did not enter, but fellow Workhouse Associate, Ariel Freeman, did and her piece, Flourishing Above the Surface, was accepted into this national show of 99 pieces.

I wish Ariel all the best and can't wait to see the show, as well as to meet Richard next week.

Selling Outside

I spent Sunday at the International Children's Festival at Wolf Trap. Only expecting to spend half the day, it was so much fun that I stayed until the end. Crowds were good and people were buying!

Doing shows always has me in a quandary, because I don't want to buy or store the equipment for display. Here's my modest set up, below, to include supplies for a pastel demo, and it all made it to the tent with only two trips from the car. Wolf Trap provided the large table, chair, and tent. I brought in 13 paintings of 8x10" or less, sizes I could carry and prices I felt the crowd could absorb. I was fortunate to have a portion of the table in a tent on the end of a "U", so my demo and display could spill outward.

Observations or suggestions for simple equipment would be greatly appreciated.



My thanks to NOVAL for including me and to Lorrie and Lou for making the day worth it.

Watercolor Demo

Through an outing sponsored by NOVAL, I was able to see a demo by watercolorist Bruce Handford at Belle Haven Marina on the Potomac in Alexandria this morning. Although I no longer work in watercolors, I find viewing any demo beneficial. I especially appreciate Bruce's loose style and ability to both edit out and add in.

This is approximately his first scene.

He painted the sailboats and made the morning, busy with sailing students and kayakers, look peaceful.

He included the dutiful marina dog, Hunter, for a lively composition.

This is a broader view of his second scene. Again, this is a cluttered place that he edits with ease.

Here's the basis for his second painting, sailboats in the distance.

The last two photographs are courtesy of William Kay.

Please feel free to join NOVAL for third Saturday Paint Outs, demos, and outings.

Workhouse Opening

Join us for a Wine and Cheese Reception at the Workhouse Arts Center featuring pieces from the Workhouse Artists Associates and the Workhouse Artists Guild.

Visit the Workhouse Gallery in W-16 from 2-4pm on Sunday, September 20. Also take some time to visit the Workhouse Artists Studios from noon until 5pm.

Wolf Trap's International Children's Festival

Last year, NOVAL participated as the sole prototype for exciting things to come. This year, the International Children's Festival will feature a beefed up visual arts section. Individuals and groups will have art available for sale; they will also be painting and doing demos in the meadow next to the main amphitheater.

I will be there and painting Sunday morning to early afternoon. Please look for NOVAL and SAG if you come out to this cherished annual event sponsored by the Arts Council of Fairfax. Also, look for the superbly cut concrete backing pieces for the mosaic mirrors, children's hands on art opportunities. They were created with love.

Chicory and Queen Anne's Lace

I love, respect, and appreciate wildflowers.

My recent oil, Across the Way, shows yellow wildflowers just outside my door. They're even fuller now.

The painting, below, is from a photograph I took over the summer as I played chauffeur to my son for his strings camp. Blue flowers littered the roadside, just as I'd noticed them in summers past, but this year I wanted to photograph them. I think these blue flowers and others were more prevalent this year, because the county decided to cut costs by limiting mowing. All the better for me.

The picture was taken in Fairfax, but it has a completely different feel than a place that is the governmental seat for this large, prosperous county. It is a reminder that there are more than McMansions in Fairfax County. Simple cottages are tucked around everywhere.

After painting, I decided to research these blue flowers. They are chicory and have a beautiful cornflower color. Around here, they are in bloom at least July through September. As much chicory as I've seen and photographed this summer, I should consider getting practical with some chicory salad or coffee! I know all the good spots.

Chicory and Queen Anne's Lace
9x12
Oil on board

An Honorable Week

Paint Herndon was a lot of fun. Encouraging plein air, but not limited to plein air, the competition accepted many of participating. Because the overall focus was Herndon, I chose to paint at Frying Pan Park on Friday evening, at home in this 1930's working farm my son and I have visited many times. To the left is a detail of my painting, Frying Pan Palace, which is an 11x14 oil on linen.

I got up early today to paint the beautiful yellow flowers right on the other side of my court. Neighbors came to visit as I painted and it was a lovely atmosphere. I had been drawn all week to the profusion of yellow flowers in this marshy area as well as the backdrop of shaded woods. This small painting has many layers through brush and knife, with plenty of scraping out, too. It shows the texture I wanted and, wonderfully enough, judge and plein air artist, David Diaz, agreed. He was one of those thorough judges who commented specifically on why he liked a piece as winners were announced and he was gracious enough to come by and elaborate, too. I remember thinking as he was explaining about the many colors, layers, and textures (nuances I wish the photograph has picked up better), "He gets it!," and it was a welcomed Zen moment after a long day. It was also my second Honorable Mention in a week, my Albert Handell in oil.

Across the Way
Oil on Canvas
8x10

For anyone in Herndon on Labor Day, come see me. I am now qualified to paint at the Herndon Jazz and Wine Festival Monday. Find me around the area that afternoon. I will probably do pastels, as they are easier to haul and take up less space. Also, look in the ArtSpace booth for my work.

I must also suggest you make a special trip to Herndon in the coming weeks to see the impressive Washington Society of Landscape Painters exhibit at ArtSpace. A few of the heavy hitters represented, who I've met, are Sara Linda Poly, Barbara Nuss, and Daniel Wise, the latter an incredible pastelist. It represents the pinnacle of landscape painters in the area and the reception is September 12.

Paint Out in Herndon, Anyone?

I am interested in doing this on Saturday once I get more information. Have you done the Paint Herndon in the past or are you doing it this year? Give me a holler. For one thing, I am curious what constitutes 'in and around Herndon' to figure out how much of Northern Virginia is included. Be great to paint near and frame at home in lower Fairfax County, then deliver the works up to Herndon.

Hope to see you there!

Springfield Art Guild (SAG) Show and Sale

As a new member of the Springfield Art Guild, I am very excited to participate in their annual juried show at Green Spring Gardens in western Alexandria.

I am thrilled to have two pieces jury in and one of those received an Honorable Mention. Both paintings are in soft pastel. To the left is Green Spring's Poppies in the Rough; it can be viewed in the horticultural center. To the right is Skyline Stands, Honorable Mention, which is hanging in the manor house. The poppies are on 4x6 watercolor paper treated with Golden's Coarse Pumice Gel. The trees are on 9x12 UArt 800 with a watercolor underpainting.

The show runs from August 31 to October 25, 2009. Please join me for the reception September 13 from 1-3PM in the Atrium of the Green Spring Gardens Horticultural Center, Braddock at Little River Turnpike.

Saturday Paint Out: Oatlands near Leesburg, VA

Saturday beginning at 8:30 is a MAPAPA Paint Out at Oatlands Plantation near Leesburg hosted by the Virginia contingent, what I call VAMAPAPA. If you are interested in MAPAPA or are a member already, please join us in the parking lot; please use the Little Oatlands Gate. Admission is free for artists, but each must register at the gift shop after 9:45AM.

I've not painted at Oatlands before and I am quite eager for a good dose of Colonial architecture, although chances are I won't be painting it!

Lake Ridge Point

After mulling over this quaint painting, I believe I will share it as is and hope to develop it more fully over the winter. It's a good basis.

There are many ways to begin and pursue a painting. When doing pastels, I can choose tinted paper, a watercolor start, a pastel underpainting, or even one combining techniques. Once I begin, I tend to work all over, developing many areas at once.

My oil technique is similar. I often have an orange family basis and work the painting all over, making sure to develop the proper values in relation to each other.

Another way is how my talented friend Ariel Freeman works. She does detailed drawings and then paints sections almost as if they were pieces of a puzzle. (See an example here.) Her technique inspired me while doing this oil. Although holding to my loose style, I painted sections and then filled in. I like how it turned out, so it'd be fun to both do it again as well as do it on a larger scale.

Oil
5x7

Lake Ridge Park

Yesterday, I spent a steamy slice of the day at Lake Ridge Park. The lake is a small section of the Occoquan Reservoir and they offer canoes, kayaks, a boat ramp, snacks, picnic tables, and facilities.

It is, in short, plein air heaven.

Click on the following for the pictures I uploaded in my plein air album; in the sidebar there is an interactive map to find the park.

From Plein Air VA/MD/DC

Finding it very convenient, I painted next to this boat shed, which was the source of great shade past 2pm.

From Plein Air VA/MD/DC

Photographs of my painting, an oil, are forthcoming.

Two Bits

If you're in the Kingstowne area, please drop by the Kingstowne Library to view my exhibit before Friday.

Also, if you're local to Northern Virginia and interested in painting plein air Thursday, August 6, please let me know. I am working up a group outing for the day, perhaps in Lake Ridge.

Photo is of Hidden Pond at Meadowood on Gunston Peninsula.

Maryland Pastel Society Summer Meeting

This weekend's MPS meeting featured a framing demonstration which was followed by stations for experienced individuals to critique other members' paintings.

The framer was Julian A. Manelli, the owner of Mat About You Gallery and Custom Framing in Ellicott City, MD; he's an experienced conservator as well. I thought it was wonderful that instead of framing a piece, he deconstructed and unframed a piece that he'd put together for a MPS member a few weeks ago.

He also deconstructed some framing myths as well. I'd read that pastels should be sealed, because opening doors suck the air out of the room as well as the framed paintings. This entails making a sandwich of glass, matting (if applicable), spacers (if applicable), artwork, and foam core by putting tape around the edge of the unit. Manelli does not use this method, because he feels that inside the painting is an ecosystem that needs to equilibrate so that condensation does not occur.

This framer always puts linen or other tape around the inside of the frame's rabbet and any fillet, because they could convey acid or leaf flakes to the art. This is the back of the frame; apologies for not getting a shot of the gold leaf front. He also inserts spacers so that there is no movement of the glass.


On this piece, because of the fillet used to preserve as much of the edge of the painting as possible, he used a cut out in the foam core and his backing was merely watercolor paper. Here he peels away the watercolor paper to reveal the back of the painting, the fillet, and several layers of foam core.

He is lifting out the fillet and painting from the surrounding mat and foam core. Notice the acid free tape inside the fillet.

Here he is pulling away a bit of the watercolor paper to show the lip of the back side of the mat and the build up of foam core for the fillet to rest.

Although it would have been great to see a hinged piece framed, he felt that there are so many techniques and supplies available that it would have been difficult to pull off in that setting.

He mentioned a 60% UV glass he bought a large stock of as the company was going out of business. He only offers it to artists, so ask for it when you go. He gives great price breaks to artists; this complicated and beautiful frame job was only about $100. For size and price comparison, I'd guess the frame was about 18x24".

One last framing tip: do not use alcohol solutions to clean the glass. Use microfiber and lighter fluid. Yes, a small amount of lighter fluid.

Manelli also showed secure flat storage units that can be made at home. They're layers of foam core with a bottom, plus a removable top fastened in the corners by velcro.



The passion Manelli has for framing certainly shows in his work. He'd be worth a road trip!

Musical Interlude: A Different Kind of Culture

For the second year, my 11 year old son has participated in Vienna Summer Strings, a daily camp lasting almost four weeks which features a final performance for the six age groups participating. He's taken violin for two years in school as well, so this summer camp makes it so that there's at least one thing he doesn't forget each summer!

This short video clip is of the purple group playing Nightrider by Meyer.

He's near the middle here, just to the left, and has the beautiful, patina-darkened violin which belonged to his great grandmother.

Freebies

I love photography and pursue it as avidly at painting, although I've never attempted to show.

Just like it feels like a waste to have my own paintings languishing on my own walls, I would like to put some of my photography to better use and share it for both the beauty and for your painting pleasure. If you do paint from one, please let me know and see it! I hope to make this a regular feature.

These photos are from my recent workshop weekend with Poly. The first is at the farm in Leesburg, VA. The second, well, I took my life into my own hands parking next to Rt 7 near Sterling to tale the photos. The last is at the merge point of 28 and 66 in Centreville.

Maya's Pastry and Cafe Rotating Exhibit, Lorton

Kingstowne Area Artists Association installed a new quarterly exhibit at Maya's Pastry and Cafe at 8998 Lorton Station Blvd near the VRE. Come by to check out the new pieces and to have some pastries or ice cream.

Workhouse Opening

Join us for a Wine and Cheese Reception at the Workhouse Arts Center featuring pieces from the Workhouse Artists Associates and the Workhouse Artists Guild.

Visit the Workhouse Gallery in W-16 from 2-4pm on Sunday, July 19. Also take some time to visit the Workhouse Artists Studios from noon until 5pm. I will be serving upstairs in W-16 as the docent from 2:30-5pm; come entertain me!

Workhouse News

How fun! My painting of Tanner's Ridge made the cover of the July 2009 Workhouse Arts Center Insider. Many thanks to the Workhouse marketing staff.

Misty Morning

Begun as a 25 stroke painting, Misty Morning was a product of a Sara Linda Poly workshop in May.

The first day, I painted near the house and studio of Glenfiddish Farm Pottery in my attempt to stay shaded. On the way out heading home, I noted the tree-lined drive would be great for painting, so I went there directly on Sunday and was joined by many others.

Of late, I keep being reminded how important it is to paint with the board and the colors in the shade, both pastels and oils. If the work isn't created in the shade, it is often garish once out of the sun. For me, working in the direct sun has become a waste of time. I will find a composition I like, but if I can't engineer shade somehow, I will take a picture for later and find something else to paint that day. I truly wish umbrellas worked for me, but I have not had luck with positioning them. Further, one kited my French easel, breaking it, so I still hold a grudge.

Below is my set up for this workshop's series of paintings. The clipped on car shade worked well. I also appreciate the versatility of the EasyL Pro, which can tilt both the painting surface as well as the painting in order to seek shade.

When I was painting, I was facing 180 degrees from what is pictured, so it was out of the sun.

You might recognize the cedar bush. Completed on site...
Misty Morning
Oil on Board
9x7

I knew her when

Although I'd done watercolors and quilting on and off for years, I'd taken a break from such things when life got in the way. It came time to rev up the creative juices again in September, 2004, and I decided for the first time to dust off the Yarka pastel set of 72 I'd purchased several years earlier. I found a pastel class locally and went armed with them and a spirit to learn.

Sometimes you luck out in life. My instructor was Lynn Goldstein, who is grandly featured in the August Pastel Journal (magazine, gallery) in an article by Deborah Secor. They say to hitch your wagon to a rising star; I could only hope to rise, but Lynn has arrived! This artist can paint a tree or two from any perspective.

Lynn had never experienced Yarka before, had her doubts, but I think I used them to their fullest. There's only so much you can do with the equivalent of sidewalk chalk! She knows that I am a fiercely independent and stubborn student, but she still cajoled and made me a better budding pastelist. And I think she is a better instructor, too, over the years.

I took her classes steadily for some time; they were primarily for doing still life paintings for the beginners. Using them as a foundation, I moved on to portraiture, figure, pets, and oils, taking many other classes and workshops, because I enjoy the classroom environment so much.

This year, I've enjoyed two rounds of classes from Lynn after a break of a couple years. It was wonderful seeing her do demos at the Workhouse grand opening last September, because she'd always commented that she painted so slowly that it was like watching grass grow.

A few months later, I really knew I needed the structure to keep painting all winter when I couldn't do en plein air. Her classes fit beautifully, my works hang in the gallery, her studio is across the way from the classroom, and I live nearby. This investment served to remind me of things I'd forgotten from her classes before. My goal of sustained work was met and exceeded as I performed in Lynn's class and applied it beyond.

Congrats, Lynn. It couldn't happen to a sillier, more entertaining, or more gracious individual.


Paintings are mine done in her classes several years ago: Yellow Pitcher and Four Pears.

Pond on Thompson Road

On vacation for the holiday, we stayed in a hotel with a very pretty view of a pond with cattails. In fact, my son exclaimed from our room's window, "Hey Mom! You can paint from here!" I tell ya, I am raising him right. I painted from the hotel property and even the owner came out to inspect.

Next to the pond were field upon field of Virginia's cash crop, according to my son's history lessons: tobacco. Perhaps I'll come back to a picture of it next winter. I'm sure I'll come back to one of the many pictures I took of hay bales, a subject matter I am obsessed with.

Painting under an ornamental plum tree, I was able to clip the car shades to the branches without damaging the tree. It worked very well in keeping my painting and palette shaded.


This pond actually backed to I-95, but it is amazing what a little artistic license can accomplish. It is my first gallery wrap attempt and it went better than expected. Careful travels kept the sides pristine.


Pond on Thompson Road
Oil on Canvas Gallery Wrap
4x12

Kingstowne Library and Workhouse Exhibits

Lights! Ambiance! Library?

It's very exciting to have a wall, a lush, pretty, soft wall of my own! I populate this stretch real estate at the Kingstowne Library from July 1-31. Included are pastels and oils ranging in size from 5x7 to 11x14. My bio is informative, educating the world about the beauty of en plein air painting.

Come by and see. It's in Alexandria at the corner of Beulah and Telegraph, made possible through my affiliation with Kingstowne Area Artists Association. Sincere thanks to my son for his assistance in hanging.


Also, check out the new exhibit in W-16 at the Workhouse which begins today as well. The opening reception will be July 19 from 2-4 and I am the upstairs docent that day from 2:30-5. Come visit me! This exhibit runs through August 15; I have an oil and a pastel on display.

Funny that

When I paint a lot, I must be using up my writing energies, too, so I don't seem to blog as much. I kind of feel like BB King, who can't sing and play Lucille at the same time. Let's not go to walking and chewing gum, okay?

So I will catch up after I get the pieces signed and photographed. Then there will be a flurry.

In the mean time, chew on this. I think it's very cool, but I am not so sure about the practicality time-wise or, frankly, competition-wise. The ARTS in Embassies Program sends borrowed art to the residence of ambassadors around the world for the length of their tour, two and a half to three years. They pack it professionally and take care of the details.

In looking at the list of borrowed art, it includes heavy hitters from significant collections, but it also seemed to include pieces from more regular folks than Roy Lichtenstein, Willem de Kooning , Mark Rothko , or Robert Rauschenberg, which are displayed around the world.

To quote:

Mission
Established by the United States Department of State in 1964, the ART In Embassies Program is a global museum that exhibits original works of art by U.S. citizens in the public rooms of approximately 180 American diplomatic residences worldwide. These exhibitions, with art loaned from galleries, museums, individual artists, and corporate and private collections, play an important role in our nation's public diplomacy. They provide international audiences with a sense of the quality, scope, and diversity of American art and culture through the accomplishments of some of our most important citizens, our artists.

Would you consider contributing work for this cause, an ambassador’s home away from home for a few years? I think my landscapes could provide a welcome slice of Americana. cough

I found ART in Embassies looking for calls for artists. Look toward the bottom of my sidebar for the list I maintain for myself and to share. A couple links are lists of many opportunities.

Photo by Phyllis at our DAR chapter picnic along the Potomac near Mt. Vernon earlier this month. It shows my EasyL Pro from eBay last winter and, a la Kenn Backhaus, a clipped-on car sun shade, which works well for shielding both the mixing and painting surfaces.

Glowing Afternoon

Like Devil's Rain, Glowing Afternoon was created in the May Leesburg Workshop with Sara Linda Poly. Also like Devil's Rain, it began as a 25 stroke painting which then received a lot of expression, texture, and knife-work.

All paintings should be so much fun to create.

Glowing Afternoon
Oil on board
8x10

Workhouse Opening

Join us for a Wine and Cheese Reception at the Workhouse Arts Center featuring pieces from the Workhouse Artists Associates and the Workhouse Artists Guild.

Visit the Workhouse Gallery in W-16 from 2-4pm on Sunday, June 21. Also take some time to visit the Workhouse Artists Studios from noon until 5pm.