S.I.P #28 Friday October 14th - Seacape

"SWIMMING   IN

 PAINT"

 The Seascape

10:00 am to 2:30pm  (Lunch break at 12:15)

team LIMITED TO 10

The team will meet in CLASSROOM 1

 Contact Crossroads Art Center for details 804.278.8950 

"Swimming in Paint" is always about following the light, painting shapes with colour and energy!

Friday, the team will be painting the Sea. We'll have clear choice of a wonderful energy pounding wave or a calm sea with a stunning sky.

REFERENCE ONE

REFERENCE TWO

Years ago, I used both references to explore the sea as a possible subject in my normal painting rotation. The (3) small paintings below were part of a volume of small (8x10s to 11x14) painted  exclusively in 2010 as learning paintings.... quickly executed to better understand waves and get the "feel" of the sea. At the same time, getting in some practice painting the sky......always up for that!

If you want to paint a subject well, learn your subject first, so it becomes second nature. Study how the light passes through water, study how light drifts down making shadows. The benefits of these small studies go on and on.

I found, at least for myself, paintings made from the studies never match the freshness of the studies.....seems like its very easy to fall into a coping mode and the freshness is lost. I always use my original reference doing a second version.

EXAMPLES FROM THESE REFERENCES

293 Virginia Beach 8x10 oil on panel (2-1-10)

SIZING UP

These studies were also about "sizing-up", a critical part of my learning process to painting large. If I liked a particular reference, I would start at 8x10, 11x14 then 20x24 and so on.

I found painting plein air daily for 6 months at the front end. Then spending 15 months of organized, focus time in the studio from 2009 and 2010 developing paintable subject, worked well before 2011!

296 Green Sea 8x10 oil on panel (3-4-10)

 296 Green Sea 11x14 oil on panel (3-5-10)

Painting will always have a certain amount of "problem solving" attached to it. Learning curves that lead to a series of "good paintings and perhaps a seriously good one......in my experience, the time to stop, take a break and think about the next move. It's a repetitive process, learning and execution.  Each time it gets a bit better and occasionally rewarded with an earned major jump. We naturally move with our interests, why some do better with one subject over another. It also doesn't happen overnight. Although "self-driven" focus, good work habits, and organizational skills can make it happen quicker.....basically having a PLAN or at least knowing what you realistically can expect from making art.

Do you have professional aspirations, as paying the bills or pleasure painting, perhaps with friends - each have different requirements and expectations. One demands and requires quality SIGNATURE work. Work with commercial value also requires professional presentation and representation able to SELL. If your up to it, it can also happen with any age group.....and I mean at any age!

The ultimate goal of "Swimming-in-Paint" is to discover that "Signature Look"  in a team member!

While we could end up with a masterpiece, this exercise is not about making a masterpiece. If it doesn't work, wipe it off, jump in again - always with energy!

For those who can't make the class or live in distant lands, download the references and try this at home. Email me at Chuck@Larivey.com with your results - I would love to see them:=)

BASIC PROJECT INFORMATION 

5X7 References will be available

Brown bag or order lunch from Gretchen's before class. The lunch table is a wonderful time to chat and study our progress.

Canvas, preferably Centurion double primed oil linen. An ample supply of smooth stretched oil primed linen canvas in various sizes will always be available.

24x24 - $20.00 each
30x30 - $25.00 each

There will also be a supply of Royal soft grip brushes (SG4500 Series) available at $2.50 each.

I do encourage using a glass palette - old picture frame glass works with a white sheet of paper and a cardboard backing or foam core with blue taped edges to hold it all together. 

Please try to have (1) Flexible palette knife. Preferably similar to the two on the left.

(16x20 shown)

SUPPLY LIST

(1) 24x24, 30x30 or larger canvas - Centurion oil primed linen or equal

(1) #10 Royal soft grip SG4520 Filbert (rounded flat)

(1) #12 or #10 Royal soft grip SG4510 Bright (flat)

A few palette knives (flexible)
Glass palette with a small paint scraper
3 or 4 sheets of paper towels (folded into quarters)

Neo Megilp oil painting medium

Clean cotton rags - (cut up old cotton Tee shirts and white socks work well)

Small amount of odorless mineral spirits - at least 8 oz.

Basic palette: I added a few of the specialty colours I often use - either way I always share those colours.

Titanium White or a fast drying Griffin alkyd by Winsor & Newton

Naples yellow

Lemon yellow

Cadmium Yellow medium
Alizarin Orange (Williamsburg)
Permanent green light

Sap green
Chromium Oxide or green oxide

Cerulean Blue
Sevres Blue (Williamsburg)

French Ultramarine Blue
Ultramarine Blue French (Williamsburg)

Dioxazine Purple
Provence Violet Bluish (Williamsburg)

Alizarin Crimson
Permanent Rose
Persian Rose (Williamsburg)

Cadmium Vermilion (Williamsburg)

NOTE: PAINTING SURFACE

Jerry's has Centurion oil linen well priced already stretched by the box (6)......check it out.

  ALWAYS WAIT FOR A SALE

http://www.jerrysartarama.com/canvas-surfaces/stretched-canvas/centurion

Royal SG4500 series long handle soft grip brushes (LINK)
or
Direct link to brushes - scroll down to the SG4500 series