Master's Secret Summit

A couple of weeks ago I was contact by an artist, Kathryn Lloyd for her artist's series, Master's Secret Summit.  This series was new to me so I went on line and saw some of her amazing interviews with master artists like Harley Brown, Virgil Elliott, and Stephanie Birdsall.

Yesterday was my scheduled time for the interview and a first time user of Skype on my laptop with camera.  After a few minutes of technical glitches we were up and running. The interview flew by and forty-five minutes later it was over.  Kathryn was a delight to talk to and I rambled on and on.  Hope she is good a editing.  This is her second round of interviews and am not sure how many other artists are in this second series that will be aired on line Sept. 14th. Click on this link to sign up so you will be able to view my interview and the others as soon as it comes out.

I love pot(s).  No not the growing kind but painting interesting pots in a single large format.  I don't paint a lot of them; only when I find a pot that speaks to me.   Had fun painting with a new color-Perylene Black.  It is transparent and a deep green/blue black.  When mixed with Naples Yellow (Old Holland), you get this yummy color.

                                                                     Nebulae
                                                          Oil on Linen  36" x 36"

New Work

I don't usually post a lot of my paintings on the blog to promote sales but this one is lovely and isn't in any of my galleries.  It has an unusual name, "Mystic Bifurcation," and I'm not telling what it means unless you are the lucky buyer.

                                                             "Mystic Bifurcation"
                                                                        8" x 12"
                                                               oil on panel framed
If you have a friend who needs color and the joy of art on their walls, share this post and encourage them to visit my website.
www.deborahelmquist.com 
                                                                          

 

The Right Stuff

Last year at the National Oil Painters of America convention in Fredericksburg, Texas, I was fortunate to hear Joe Paquet speak on Authenticity and Creativity. Click here for a summary of his talk. After that my goal was to take a workshop from him.  He teaches plein air which is totally out of my comfort zone, but my intuition told me I could learn something valuable more than just how to paint a landscape.  Plus, I wanted to get out of the safety of my studio and try to connect with the great outdoors.  Painting anything is about connecting. Right?

My bags packed and art supplies safely tucked away in my new pull cart, I could have been mistaken for a bag lady. I am ready I thought to myself.  Fifteen hundred miles later I arrived in St. Paul.  Walking into Joe's studio in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota my heart leaped with anticipation.  Beautiful landscapes hung on the walls, soft classical music filled the air, and a six foot plus Joe Paquet stood by his easel surrounded by a number of eager students. The next three hours flew by quickly with so much information - his expectations and his views and philosophy about good art. I was inspired!  I literally had to hold back the tears that seemed to fill my eyes. Did I say that I was inspired!?!  And I wasn't the only one; Joe had that same effect on people back in Fredericksburg too.

After lunch was a demonstration along the banks of the Mississippi river. The sun was shinning, our view was breathtaking perched high above the river and Joe was in command at the easel.

I learned about light and shadow averaging, mixing greens from yellow to violet on the prismatic scale, and how the dark greens really have a deep violet hue in them. He demonstrated what he called "freezing the light."   Great day, great information!

Day two and I was ready.  Unfortunately the weather was ready too and it turned nasty.  Never fear, Joe, like Gen. Patton leading his army through Sicily, assured us that we could handle a little rain and wind.  Even though there was a large pavilion to take shelter in the views wouldn't be the same.  I'm not as tough as I use to be, but I was determined not to wimp out. Dragging my cart over the hill I forged ahead looking for that perfect view.  The wind began to increase and my umbrella kept turning inside out and eventually flew off into the air.  My painting that morning was a wash out and I was soaked to my skin.  Joe came around and sent us off for an early lunch reminding us to be back by one o'clock.

The afternoon weather got worse so all of us headed for the pavilion and this time Joe agreed that it might be better to take shelter.  My grandad use to tell me stories of Patton and the muddy, cold marches that seemed to never end.  I think I know now how he might of felt.  Quickly everyone set up their easels as Joe passed out hot coffee.  (He does have a kind heart.)  Hoping for a better start, I bungee'd my easel to my cart and began painting.  The wind picked up with sporadic gust of winds that I later found out were from 60 to 70 mph. Gee that's what we have in Florida leading up to a category one hurricane.

 Sheets of rain blew horizontally constantly; I needed windshield wipers on my glasses.  Sounds of easels falling over and the sound of large tree branches cracking and falling filled the air as I held on tightly to my easel with one hand and the brush with the other.  I saw a roll of paper towel fly by landing in a large puddle of water and rolling out like it was a red carpet rug for the Oscars.  Limb after broken limb dotted the landscape, but we all stayed at our posts feverishly painting.  Hm mm, oil and water don't mix well and I kept dabbing my palette trying to keep it dry.  Water dripped off the back of my panel that acted as a shield for my paint box.

Gen. Joe was keeping our spirits up as he came around giving us short critiques and passing out coffee.  Did I mention the temperature dropped to around 50 degrees.

By four o'clock we were all done for the day, and believe it or not my painting wasn't too sucky.

Joe gathered us together and told us we had all done good and that he was proud of us.  "If we could paint under these conditions," he told us, "we could paint anywhere no matter what the weather might be." He brought us a special treat, and all I can say is we toasted to our success with Joe telling us that tomorrow would be a better day. And it was.

REFLECTION:  Now you might think to yourself that I was unhappy with my experience, but oddly enough I am/was not at all unhappy with my experience; in fact just the opposite.  After a hot bath and a little more spirituous libations, I felt mildly comforted and greatly encouraged, an almost blissful feeling engulfed me.  We don't get a chance too often to test ourselves and to reach down into that deep well of tenacity and determination.  I thank you, Joe Paquet, for your encouragement and your show of strength to not let us wimp out and go back to our soft and easy place.  Through your encouragement you helped me to see that I have the Right Stuff to be a plein air painter under pretty much any conditions.  Yes, the elements tested my fortitude with a little help from our leader - I did it! My inner voice spoke to me and said "Good girl, you did it."  This I had to share with my husband as we drove back to Florida.

Later on the way home, I went back to Joe's website and read an article he had written.  It said it all. The Living Experience ; Why Paint Plein Air?  Joe Paquet is truly a teacher among teachers! Thanks Joe for a great experience!

October 2014 Workshop

I'm getting excited about this year's workshop, Creating the Luminous Painting, here in our unique location in lovely coastal central Florida.  Imagine four days of working along side other enthusiastic painters with a small intimate environment of one on one instruction.  All breakfasts and lunches are provided and an additional evening cruise on our local Spruce Creek is a highlight of one of our evenings.
.

                                                       Evening Sunset on Spruce Creek

                                                     Food, Drink, and Balmy  Breezes

Students have their own individual painting station with easels, lighting, tables, and an abundance of still life objects to choose from.  All you need are your paints, brushes, canvas and palette.

For more information and to register click here.  Space is limited to eight, so reserve your place now. 

Something to Say

Recently I read a 2013 interview by the Artist's Magazine with the narrative figurative/portrait artist Katie O'Hagan.  First let me say I admire her work tremendously for her technical skills and the thought provoking narratives that share her personal story.

                                                          Katie O'Hagan   "Life Raft" 

  What struck me at the core was a response to a question she was asked about teaching beginning artists and what would the most important lesson be?  In a nutshell she states that most people can learn "how" to paint but believed the "why" and the "what" is more important than the "how" because the sooner you figure that out, the sooner you can head in a more productive direction.  These sentiments were also stated by Mary Whyte when she said the three things to become an accomplished artist is:

     1.  Something to say
     2.  The ability to say it
     3.  The courage to do it

                                                          Mary Whyte    "Waiting"

We all spend years learning our craft and those techniques that will make us a good painter.  But at some point for those that are painting because they need to connect with others with their work, technique is not enough.

O'Hagan goes on to say that as her learning curve leveled out and she became better at painting, she found herself gradually losing interest in the whole idea of painting.  "That feeling was quite unnerving!  Here I had finally found my "purpose" and I was already growing bored with it.  Accurately rendering a likeness no longer felt quite so compelling," she said.

Wow!  I wonder how many painters have found themselves in that position? Some artists seem to paint the same thing over and over again producing small works daily or larger pieces on a regular basis.  Maybe not all painters need to tell a personal story narrative message in their work.  I was once told by a prominent judge in a major art organization that he didn't pick paintings for awards that were narrative.  I guess that's okay.  Judges look for different things depending on their own view of what art is but I digress.  In my own philosophy, a narrative painting is any painting filtered through your own experience and conveyed in a personal style uniquely your own.  Words like concept and intentions are tools that support and convey your style and message. 

Where do you go to find the "something to say?"  Meditation, journaling, or therapy?  I don't have the answer and O'Hagan didn't allude to how she was able to pull herself out of this slump other than she shifted to being more about the idea.   I would love to hear from any of you that can relate to this situation and how you overcame this slump in your painting or how you went about find your idea and something to say.

Bitten by the Bug

As a studio painter for over twenty years, I have looked at plein air painters with mixed feelings.  They look like they are having so much fun communing with nature and others of like mind and talent.  On the other hand the thought of leaving my cozy, organized studio to brave the heat and cold let alone packing for each outdoor experiences left me with little desire to change.

Well folks, I've been bitten by the P.A. bug.  As some of you may know, I had Karen Winslow of Cambridge Vermont and student of Frank Mason come down to do a four day workshop.  She taught us the prismatic palette where your landscape colors are pre-mixed and ready to be used immediately as you work quickly to capture the light and shade.   After four days I was convinced that plein air was for me too.

After these four days I realized I had to organize my supplies and equipment so that packing for an outdoor session could be easy and quick otherwise I just wouldn't do it no matter how enjoyable it was.  I'm a problem solver and love figuring out how to make a situation better.  I can't carry a back pack because of lower back problems so that was out from the get go.  Then it came to me; a cart!  Not just any cart but one designed to hold everything I need and packed ready to go at a moments notice.  One big benefit of the prismatic palette is the colors are pre-mixed and ready to go (kept in the freezer), and only a few other tubes of paint are needed (white and some earth colors).  So  here is my solution.

Don't judge the cute fabric and colors.  It was left overs from curtains I made.  Not one penny was spent on the pocket liner.  I even have an inside pocket for keys and other necessaries.  Every side has pockets.  My chair fits, Coulter Palette and tripod, as well as a wet panel box, and prismatic palette box.  Everything else is in an outside pocket.  I took it for a "spin" this morning and couldn't believe how easy it was to set up and take down.  Now to learn not to chase the shadows!

So Many Workshops

"Misty Blue"
18x24  oil on linen


Recently in this past year I have come off a long hiatus of taking oil painting workshops.  My first experiences weren't that positive and frankly they were very expensive. Being a life long teacher with a perspective of what makes for good instruction, I set out to try again with some new found knowledge.  The following information was shared earlier in my last newsletter but I felt it was worth repeating.  Since January when it was originally posted, I have taken two workshops and have put my own advice to the test.  It works.  I would love to hear from any of you that try my suggestions and tell me your experience.

So Many Workshops-How Do You Choose?

Painting workshops have become an option for many painters who wants to improve their skills and concepts. The time for these workshops can range from a short two or three day experience to a ten day in-depth experience. Some of these workshops are in great locations becoming part of the experience making it worth the dollars spent. Most of us can't afford to enroll in a program that takes us away from our home and family for years of study so the workshop is a great alternative.

With so many offered today, how do you choose a workshop that will give you a positive experience that meets your own personal goals as an artist? They key is in the question-what are your goals for improvement as a painter? Without a thoroughly thought out inventory of what you need to move forward, chances are your experience in any workshop will fall short of expectations. Self assessment is critical.

The following questions can help with goal setting and self-assessment.

1. What kind of art do I want to make? A good way to find this answer is to ask yourself what one or two artists' work (dead or alive) are you drawn to and why? Can you identify what qualities of their work you would like to learn? I encourage my students to keep a journal of images they are drawn to and note who they are and who these artists studied with. I suggest an ipad or some other easy device to capture the images. Soon you should be able to see some consistency in your choices.
2. Have you done your homework on the instructor you have choosen? What is their educational background and philosophy of painting? What school of thought do they teach? Most of you know that there are two BIG schools of thought and the techniques don't mess well. Direct painting know as alla prima and indirect painting are taught totally different from each other.
3. Have you talked to others who have taken from this instructor/artist? What was their experience? This may take some effort but well worth the time before you plop down your hard earned dollars. One source for this information can be found on the website www.thetravelingartist.net
4. How serious of an artist am I? Do I paint almost everyday or is it more a hobby painter? If you are a hobby painter and do it mainly for the fun of it almost any workshop will probably meet your needs.
5. If your answer to question #4 is -you feel you want to make painting an important part of your everyday life then ask yourself--Am I willing to get out of my comfort zone, put my ego aside, and be willing to paint badly? You can not grow as a painter unless you do. If you are going to defend your process when the instructor offers his or her advice, then both of you will be frustrated.

Once you have truly answered the above questions, sit down and complete a self-assessment. It may look something like this:

Strengths Weaknesses

drawing brushwork

color mixing edges

understanding of materials working process

seeing color as value

I think you get the idea. The point being, if you know what your goals are for improving, then ask specifically for the teacher to help you achieve them. My last piece of advice is to read, read, and read. As you grow as an artists, reread old books with the new knowledge you have gained. It's amazing how you will understand at a much higher level.