Sunday "in the Studio"

Sunday there was a nice group watching the process - me, I think I was the one having all the fun painting fresh cut peonies from the back garden. Hands down, peonies are my favorite flowers to paint.  As much as I like the flowers I don't like painting peony leaves!

Sadly for peony lovers, peonies are seasonal and difficult to get otherwise - so I don't get the opportunity to paint them from life very often.

I almost ran out of time with this one - at the end they where sweeping me out the back door and turning the lights out behind me to make sure I got the message!

Experience also told me this would be a serious challenge to get it done in the time allowed but the paint gods were shinning down on me  Sunday:=)

 Thank you, Susan Lang for taking this in-process photo!

COMPLETED CANVAS

Peonies 30x30 oil on linen (5-22-16 canvas 1041)

This was the last Sunday "in the studio" at Crossroads for the season. We had such a great response to the Sunday demo, Jenni and I decided to do a summer session in Class Room 1 with a twist. The audience.........if they are so inclined can sling a little paint and get messy with me. The first "paint sling" will be June 4th from 10:00am to about 1:00pm 

More information to follow on Paint Sling! 

Rambling through Dallas toll roads

Yes, Texas does everything big including toll roads - Dallas has toll roads everywhere!!

After 6 or 7 years in this game I finally got to see  my first OPA juried exhibition first hand. Albeit a fast overnight visit, it was well worth the time traveling to Dallas for OPA's 25th National Exhibit of Traditional Oils opening night celebrations. This year it was held at the spacious 17,000 square foot Southwest Gallery. No question it was highly anticipated because the exhibition drew a "packed" shoulder to shoulder crowd. Their enthusiasm was confirmed with red dots springing up here and there as the night advanced. No wonder with some of Americas best representational artists on the planets work surrounding you at every turn. The quality of work was truly outstanding.... it was exciting to see and I was honored to be part of it with my submission "On a Clear Day".

 On a Clear Day 56x48 oil on linen

By the end of it I was worn out and missed the awards ceremony afterwards. It was being held at another location, where the OPA convention was held.

A well deserved congratulations to all the awardees.:=)

Earlier that day I visited  Weiler House Fine Art Gallery in Fort Worth where I met gallery owner Bill Ryan for the first time. His gallery has represented me in Texas for some time now so our visit was long over due .The gallery is in a very cool historical home. Bill was also at the OPA opening later that night where I was introduced to his longtime artist friend Joyce Pike, OPA Master.

A FEW OPA OPENING NIGHT PHOTOS

 

Before leaving Dallas, I went back the next morning to get a better look without the crowd:=)  

This weeks "In the Studio" at Crossroads paint blast was a very precocious child dancer - for me it was capturing the expression of absolute delight in her moment on center stage. Thank goodness for the attendees - I had no idea what to paint this time so I gave them a choice and they chose this little charmer for me..:=)

My first Crossroads "In the Studio" was a ballerina.....I had to work a bit on it afterwards. Now, one of my favorites. I did better this time although don't remember chatting as much....... I used up about 2 1/2 hours of my 3 hour limit. So, in those last few minutes left I turned her upside down and made a few adjustments and added a few whimsical moves with pure cad yellow light.

My focus however, was on what I was doing more than my surroundings - at times very quiet! I think those moments might need background music.

Center Stage 30x30 oil on linen (5-7-16 canvas 1038)

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!

How fast is fast - thinking out loud

Last Sunday "In the studio" at Crossroads was fast....even for me. Sunday I had a nice group to play with which is obviously why it went so fast. In truth, over the last 7 or 8 weeks or so doing the Sunday demos, I got comfortable working faster than normal - developing a very efficient way of getting to the finished line. My personal goal is a more completed painting than the previous one. 

SUNDAY "IN THE STUDIO" - May 1st

Vermilion Koi 30x30 oil on linen (5-1-16 canvas 1037) 

I realize from questions how little is understood about how colour really works. How to play one colour against the other. It's been a constant over the last 7 weeks. This time I stood to the side so they would get a better view while I painted. I also chatted more about the colours I was using and sometimes why.

Some are actually using limited colour palettes. Why? Something I never understood. Colour is there to be used and exploited. Some colours cannot be mixed from basic red, blue and yellow. Although, that being said, this tirade is the basis for my approach to colour.

Unchartered territory, at least for me,

 

Varnish in the 21st century

One of my favorite things to do other than painting is varnishing. Varnishing a painting brings it to life, makes colours sparkle like I meant them to be. We all know some dark colours drop (dull) when they dry. A light thin coat of GAMVAR picture varnish evens things out - in my book absolutely necessary before releasing or showing a finished work of art! What is amazing about this formula is how even the finish is with very little material application. I found less works better than more. More can stay a bit tacky longer than a thin application....regardless, the finish never looks starved (sinking in or highs and lows).

  GAMVAR - picture varnish

Conservators and museums dealing with old nasty yellowed varnish on a daily basis engaged technical help from the Gamblin people. Gamblin was able to produce a workable, removable water-white top coat formula they could use. R&D in this case also benefited the artists because this stuff is also available over the counter and it works!! A quality, removable top coat that can be applied within a week or two when the surface is dry to the touch. Impasto obviously takes a bit longer and should be firm. Generally for me that's about 2 or 3 weeks.

Mineral sprits will remove this particular varnish top coat rather quickly. Oh! And the best part its also odorless!

Gamblin link with an informative video about GAMVAR. I just looked at it and learned a bit more - cold wax is apparently also used as a top coat and can be mixed with this material to reduce shine.