"I Don't Get It"

In my long journey of learning to paint, occasionally I come across a concept that alludes me. I think that I understand it, but then realize that I really don't. With all the resources available to me, I pursue understanding like a hunting dog after a raccoon.  And usually I tree that raccoon but there are times when that varmint gets away.  I'm feeling rather Southern today in touch with my Carolina roots.  I know when I don't know.  If I can't describe it in my own words and either give examples or demonstrate it, then I know it falls under the category of I Don't Get It.  

This was the case with the concept of local tone.  I came across this idea when Quang Ho gave the keynote demonstration at the Oil Painters of America National Exhibition in 2012 in Colorado.  He explained the eight visual intentions/approaches available for painters to use to express their intentions for an image.  The first was light and shadow, then local tone, followed by six more.  Hmm . . . my head tilted a little.

Upon returning home I ordered all three of his DVD's because I know an excellent teacher when I hear one and he was the genuine article.  Watching Nuts and Bolts, a six hour DVD in which Ho explains the painting process as a whole including the visual approaches artists have used over the centuries (well worth buying) I still was a little fuzzy on this particular concept.  Being the person I am, I had to stay with it until I could make it my own.  I truly believe the statement made by Nelson Shanks.  "We train to become enabled by competence not restricted by inability."

The internet is a wonderful thing and soon I was googling anything I could find about Local Tone.  A helpful site was a description of Kevin Weckback's workshop.  Here he talks about the visual approaches, and is a former student of Quang Ho.  Read it, sorta got it but I knew I still couldn't own it so I gave up and pulled my Scarlette O'Hara attitude-"I'll think about that tomorrow."

Then last week I was rereading some of Daniel Gerhartz's Technical Insight blogs and my eye caught a simple phrase-value, tone, AND color . . . . Bells went off-duh!  Value and tone mean two different things.

Fast forward to yesterday and a pleasant day spent with a student of mine and a visit to a fellow artist's open house.  The conversation on the way home was where I made the connection and that raccoon was dead meat.  The point of this post is not necessarily to teach you what local tone is although it is well worth knowing but that learning anything is not a straight forward linear process.  It's filled with stops and starts, confusion and sorting out.  Learning to be the painter you want to be is not easy but it sure is an interesting, spiritual, and purpose-filled journey, one well-worth devoting your life to.  My "tool box" is now a little heavier with new found understanding.

If I have peaked your interest in this particular visual approach, another useful link is Victoria Ekelund's post.  Once you understand what local tone is you will see it and be able to recognize it making viewing art more enjoyable.  Here's one of my favorites by Mary Cassatt.

                                                                   The Child's Bath

Enjoy the journey of learning and Happy Holidays.

Anderson Fine Art Gallery

Last month I had the pleasure of attending a workshop sponsored by Mary Anderson of The Anderson Fine Art Gallery.  The workshop with Romel de la Torre painting the figure was exciting and I met a lot of new people including Mary Anderson.

The current exhibition while we were there included Judith Pond Kudlow and her paintings of fabric and garments which spoke right to my heart.  Here is one of her paintings with Mary on the right listening to me running my mouth.  If you get a chance to visit St. Simons Island, GA stop in to this lovely gallery and experience true southern charm, great art, and the warm hospitality of Mary Anderson.

News for the New Year

Beginning in January I will be offering a once a month "workshop" class.  How is this different than the weekly classes I teach, you ask?  It will include a two to three hour teaching/demo in the morning and then after lunch, students will paint with input from me.  I realized after many years of three hour classes that students needed to see me in action and hear my thoughts about why I do what I do in order to make  greater gains in their own work.

I'm excited about this unique opportunity for my students old and new. The first class will be Friday, January 3, 2014 and will go from 9:00 till 4:00.  If interested contact me by e-mail for more information at dbelmquist-artist@cfl.rr.com

Grays and Whites

What's the big deal about grays and whites you ask?  Everything.  Atmosphere between you and and an object you are observing makes the chroma of that object somewhat gray or in other words, less intense.  For representational painters understanding how to gray a color is essential.

White objects are effected by the temperature of the light on them.  Warm light of pure sunshine is warm where light reflected from the blue of the sky filtered through clouds are cool.  Reflected light off a surface also effects the temperature of white.  Short explanation but there is a lot more to it.

Now Gamblin Colors has created grays and whites that help with the issue of changing intensity and temperature of your colors.  For a more complete explanation of their colors click here. 

A big thank you to Scott Gellathly for a well written article and for including me as one of the many who use Gamblin colors.  


                                                    

Wonderful Workshop in Daytona Beach

This past week's painting workshop was a great experience for all. The feedback from the seven participants, Judy, Debra, Trudy, Shayna, Dottie, Tammy, and Dawn told me I hit the mark. Painting white fabric with lace was touch and go but I pulled it out of the weeds.  One problem was the medium I was using had a smell that affected one of my students so I had to switch.  Tried something new and found the drying time took forever.  But it all worked out in the end.

Each morning was my time to teach beyond the brush.  We discussed schools of different painting processes and painting "intentions and concepts."  Tuesday night was a cruise on Spruce Creek leaving from Cracker Creek.  The sunset cruise with wine and goodies was breathtaking and ended with a demonstration on how to crack a whip hence the name "Florida Cracker."

During the day my ladies worked long and hard.  Lunch was provided by Shayna, one of our artist, and my husband, David.  He loves cooking so when he said he wanted to fix a traditional Southern dinner, there was no stopping him.

Here's Trudy jumping right in with a colorful block-in.

Debra found one of my wooded puppets and put him in a setting.

Dawn challenged herself with a piece of white cut embroidery to accompany fruit and glass.

Tammy found a piece of velvet tapestry and is blocking in building form first.

Initial block-in by Judy.  Another lace fabric to challenge her.

Trudy is from the Cayman Islands by way of Georgia and you can see how she loves color.  Mango anyone?

Looking through the viewfinder and cropping her still life, Shayna is planning and drawing first.  As I emphasized the entire week-"Honor Your Process."  There is no one right way to start a painting so my other message was "choose your process that supports your strengths and your weaknesses."  But this is a topic for another blog.

My next workshop will be in Fredericksburg, TX in February.  Contact The Good Art Co. for more information.

Next April 4-7 I will be hosting a visiting artist Karen Winslow who will be teaching the prismatic palette in both landscape and still life.  Contact me for more information.

Almost Finished

Sorry for the delay and the almost finished white lace painting.  Last week was my week long workshop and my attention went there even though the painting is finished.  As usual, I will look at it for a while and tweak it if needed. I will get a picture of the entire 30 x 40 inch canvas and post tomorrow.

Small Bites

If you have been following along on this painting, you may ask yourself, "How do you paint the intricate lace patterns?"  Okay, one bite at a time isn't a sufficient enough answer but describing the process in a verbal linear fashion may be impossible-but here goes.

 First, there are about four areas that are treated somewhat differently in the approach.  Top left lace is folded and draped on top of itself which means there is no distinct pattern and the values, in places, are very close. Brushwork is varied-dabs mostly.  I look for distinct open areas where the dark of the rug shows through.  That is painted in as the shape that I see.  Those small areas must be somewhat dry before I try to put in the small strings that cross the dark area.  You can see where one area has the strings and lower down it is still just a dark pattern.  On to the right of this area.

Top middle: one must see that value pattern that is underneath the string pattern and continue the light/shadow pattern first ignoring the lace (that was done earlier in the block-in).  Squint down on the band of lace in that area and ask yourself-"Where is it darker than the dark shadow already there?  Is it  warmer or cooler than the shadow pattern?"  I do this all across the top band.  On the far top right there is very little pattern showing because it is totally in shadow. This is about four hours of work.    So far so good.

Looking at the bottom, you can see the left block-in looks differently than the right.  That's because the left lace is draped such that the folds overlap in places.  That's where you see no blackish background.  In contrast, the bottom right is flat against the background with only a slight fold.

The same questions are constantly being asked in my head about values and temperature.  My colors are still pretty much the same,  I'm using Warm White from Gamblin to keep the light side warm.  Next installment, I hope to have the bottom finished.