Painting Water (ponds, lakes and streams) 1-Day workshop June 30, 2013

"Quiet On the Lake" 11x14  Oil

Painting this elusive and liquid element can be an artist's biggest challenge, but can also give you wonderful results. Learn the qualities of light on water, depth, transparency, reflections and all considerations when painting water. I will teach you how to see water, what to look for in water, and simple effects you can use with your chosen medium to make the water read as water. Student artists must have a full understanding of their chosen medium.

Any medium welcomed. (Demo will be in Pastel)

June 29, 2013

9:00-4:30

$95.00

Location: Sequoia Gallery

136 SW 3rd

Hillsboro Oregon 97123

United States

Supplies?

Bring your painting supplies and a drop cloth.

Extra panels would be helpful 

Sketchbook for notes and sketches

Portable easel

Water bottle or something to drink for hydration.

A sack lunch or lunch money. (great restaurants in walking distance too)

Bring a selection of photos of water. (No photos from published works please, due to copyright issues.)

I will also have an extensive collection of water photos to choose from.

Class limited to 10 students

Register by calling Claudia at (503) 750-6453

Quiet on the Lake, 11x14

"Quiet on the Lake" 11x14" Oil

This past week the weather was beautiful in Portland, so I went out to paint several times to get in some  much needed plein air time.  I'm still experimenting with oils and finding them increasingly more interesting, with so much to consider.  I'm currently using a Kevin Macpherson pallette (painting 101)  of Ultramarine Blue, Cad Yellow Light, Cad Red Light, Alizarin Crimson, Thalo Green, Portland Grey Deep, Medium, and Light, Chromatic Black and Titanium White. I imagine over time I will find the colors that will be unique for me, but for now I'm just focusing on experimenting with different palettes from painters I deeply admire. This one above was the more successful of the batch, painted on Sauvie Island (again my favorite place to paint).  Now the weather has reverted back to rain so I sat down at the easel in my studio today and worked on a pastel piece I started as a demo.  Here is just a peek of what's to come...

I have an interesting story that goes with this figure, so stay tuned...

Also, I'd like to invite you to an opening this coming June 1st.  It will be at Caswell Gallery from 5:30~9:00. I will demonstrate my painting process to the crowd, surrounded by fine bronze sculpture and live music.  Come on out and enjoy!  Info on the right----->

Reds and Reeds (study), 6x6

"Reds & Reeds" (study), 6x6" pastel on sanded paper

Feeling a little happy from the recent news, the creative juices have been flowing! Stopped by two galleries today: Broderick Gallery and Portland Classic Gallery to see what's new and to get a boost. It's so awesome to view other's work, see the brushstrokes, colors, feelings.

I picked this one image up from my favorite Reference Image Library. Once started from my demos during Portland Open Studios, I've decided to finish it up. I'm so glad I did. There are so many ideas I'd like to put to paper! I'm thinking about making changes in my work, wanting to brighten up my palette and work on brushstroke quality more and more. I'm not sure if this one painting really does what I'm desiring but just the same, I'm so drawn to water themes and soft soothing scenes. It's hard to change a way or style of an artist's work, just like trying to change the color of your wool carpet. It's dyed into me.

Autumn Song, 6x6

"Autumn Song, study", 6x6" Pastel on sanded paper

Seems like it's been awhile since I last posted anything new! Since the beginning of the year, I have been pulled in several directions and I'm wanting to do so much....how does one keep up with it all? And there is so much to do with my family, keeping up with all that my kids have going on that I nearly forgot to paint/post any new work! And to top it off, I've been terribly distracted by FaceBook! Augh! Excuses!

Anyway, I'm back! And I'm painting!

Here is one from the demo series that I've since completed this week. It has a nice combination of colors that I'm thinking will make my list of fav's: purple and rusty reds...yummy! It is definitely autumn in this watery scene with the foggy atmosphere hanging over the waterway. Very soft, distant tree-lined horizon gives it a dreamy mood.

Koi Color, 4x6

"Koi Color" 4x6"

Over the Christmas break, we had a lot of snow which kept everyone from going out. Parties, programs, meetings all cancelled! It's amazing how the snow will stop us dead. One anticipated party that I was looking forward to was the Paint-Out groups' annual painting exchange. We all paint a piece that will fit into a standard 8x10 frame, wrap it in a brown paper bag and exchange them like a white elephant gift. It's fun to see what you will end up with! This is my gift that someone will get. Since I had spare time on my side by being house-bound, I had time to try something new. I mixed some Golden acrylic ground (ground marble) with oxidized red pigment and painted it onto a gessoed gatorboard. Left to dry, it leaves a nice rough surface that grabs the pastel pigment well. I usually use Wallis with a wash of color, but trying to experiment a bit with some other surfaces that I've seen used by other pastelists. It was nice to try. One benefit to this Golden acrylic ground is that you can apply it to any large or non-standard board creating a custom piece. You can add a tint of pigment to the ground, creating any color underpainting you want.

Estuary at Dusk, 24x24

"Estuary at Dusk" 24x24" Pastel on sanded paper

Well, I wasn't so confident on posting "Estuary at Dusk", so I put it back up onto the easel and made some adjustments. The lower band of orange is gone...well, it's lightened up a bit. I took a foam brush and brushed off the offending orange/red. Then I applied a yellow and then a peach in the exposed area. Next, I scumbled some hot pink over the yellow/peachy horizon and stepped back to take the adjustments in. So, I'm generally pleased with how it came out. There are still a few minor touch-ups I'm going to address before I call it done and then I'll pull it off the easel. But for now, here it is!

Estuary at Dusk, 24x24

"Estuary at Dusk" 24x24" Pastel on sanded paper

I've been hesitant to post this one painting for some time now. It's been sitting in my studio since my Open Studio back in October. This is a different direction from my usual waterscapes, adding a sunset and trees. And the clouds...boy are clouds difficult to paint! During Open Studio I had it near completion and on display with a "title" suggestion box so that my visitors could help with a title. Well, here it is, and I'm still not so sure on it being finished but I'm just going to jump in and post it anyway! However, I am sure of the title that was selected from an entry by K.C. Rumble. There were some very good suggestions, but this one seems to fit. As promised, the visitor [K.C. Rumble] who submitted the winning title will receive a fine 12x12" Giclee' reproduction of this piece. So, thanks K.C. for such a great title!

Rusted River Bank (study), 6x6

"Rusted River Bank"  6x6, Pastel on sanded paper

Color reflected in waterways, rivers, ponds, or most shiny surface has always attracted my interest.  Maybe due to it's mysterious ability to hold and keep the color, even though water is a transparent element.  It behaves like a mirror when calm and still.  Here is another rendition of a waterway, similar "By Way of Water" in composition and subject yet it is from another location in the Oregon area.  Available through PayPal, unframed $75.00 (free shipping to continental US).

Needs a "Title" 18x12

(No title yet!) 18x12"

Finally, I get an image up! I've been working on this one for a couple of months now, and the only thing that has kept me from posting it is, well, kids. And, my crazy work habits! Once I finished it, I took it to critique and got a few suggestions. Gosh, if it wasn't for a few extra eyes, I'd probably have framed it only to later find something wrong. Isn't that the case?

Anyway, I need a fun title for this third and final marine piece. The first two marina pieces are called "Boats With Ropes" and "Bouy Dance". I'm looking for something that has a twist to it, with a boat-like pun in it. Post a title in my "comments" folder, below, and if I pick it (in December), I'll award a free giclee' of it! As always, I took a progression of photos of the work in progress.


First starting out with an underpainting of an intense orange of Createx Pure Pigment paint, I lightly sketched in the scene to be painted with a pastel pencil. As seen in the photo above, I have started to "block in" some areas. I seemed to want to go right to that beautiful water!


Here, I have established my values. Darkest darks and lightest lights. This includes the tops of the boats and sky as the lightest, and then the stripes and parts of the deep water for the darkest values. I seemed to have started too soon with some details. (I'm supposed to leave the details for last)


At this point, I'm adding in the mid-tones in the water and am beginning to establish the distant shoreline.


Now, I'm beginning to take time here, watching especially the values of the boats and the reflections in the water. I'm at a point where the details started to take over. I'm careful to look at how the reflections are formed, where they are going and if they read accurately.


Finally finished!

I also have this posted on Wetcanvas with several title ideas!
Now, do you have an idea for a title?

Workshop with Maggie Price

"Canyon Walls" 12x9"

This week I've been really busy fine tuning my pastel technique with instructor Maggie Price. I'm learning loads and the work load is just my speed. I've produced a couple of pieces a day, so far, and I'll post them up over the course of the coming week. Since we are indoors, I have been working from reference photos (Canyon shots provided by photographer Lee Engvall) for the first 3 days, then we will move outside to do plein-aire. On our first day we worked on underpainting of pastel with Terpenoid. I've never used a solvent on my pastels, so this was a new twist for me. (I usually use an underpainting of Createx pure pigment). In the first painting, "Canyon Walls", we were instructed to use an underpainting of the underlying color of our photo, so to enhance it's color, giving it more vibrancy. I decided to use a pink for the sky, a dark, warm purple for the canyon walls, and light blue-purple for the farthest canyon wall, and a light violet for the water. If the underpainting is done successfully, then the painting nearly paints itself. Very easy!


12 x 9"
"Canyon Quiet" 12x9"

In this second piece, "Canyon Quiet", we took one hue (or color) and grabbed 5 shades, or values of that color as the underlying painting. Here I've used a warm purple as the unifying color from a light pink to a dark burgundy.

"Beaverton Creek" 12x9

"Beaverton Creek" 12x9 SOLD

The weather was cooperating for a couple of days so a few of us artists in my community ventured out to dust off the winter cobwebs and paint en plein-air again. Boy, was I rusty! I spent a good 20 minutes fumbling with my new easel which takes up valuable painting time. But, before I begin painting, I've gotta eat a snack! Painting makes me hungry! I wonder if it is just me stalling....Looking at this, I can find many adjustments that are needed, but I'm feelin' a bit lazy and just wanted to post it for now. I was glad to get back inside after this 2 hour session. My hands were pretty cold!

"Boats With Ropes" 18x12

"Boats With Ropes" 16x12"

I just finished this piece today! Well at least till I take a long look at it and find something more to fix! I'd like to enter this one in the NPS Open International along with "Buoy Dance" with hopes they both get in. This painting may look familiar from prior posts, that's because it is a larger format of the "Boats and Ropes" that I posted earlier...below. As with most of my posts, I have included the steps that I took to get to this point. Here they are....



First, I start out with a "blaring" orange underpainting of Orange Createx paint (pure water-based pigment). I used orange because it is the compliment to blue and this painting will be a predominately blue and purple piece. I lightly sketched my image with a blue pastel pencil.



Then I "block-in" my basic colors. Most of the orange will be covered when I'm done, but specks of it peek through the pastel, giving it a unified look. I try not to paint any details yet at this point...hard to do.. indeedy-do.



Here, I'm beginning to work on the water. At this stage, I have used some yellows and blues and am beginning to define the cloud formations in the water. This seems to be a tricky thing to paint. I am often undecided on how I want the water to look like. Do I want it wavy, dark, with or without clouds? Lots of questions....it eventually evolves later. I have also begun some detailing in the boat on the right, and the feeling of light in the distant hillside. I begin to add detail in the dock woodwork but, because it in the foreground, I should keep this detail at a minimum. I'm checking and re-checking my values throughout the process.



Now, my painting sessions get longer, quieter, as I begin to breathe life into the piece. Attention to detail and constant evaluation of the water is what I am focusing on at this point. Asking myself about the values of the colors, is it pulling together? Quietly thinking, "What do I want to communicate?" This is my favorite part of the piece because I can see it coming along....almost done....



Ropes, ropes and more ropes! Here, to make the rope reflections (and the big yellow rope), I have taken the side of my pastel and just lightly dragged it down the surface of the painting, sometimes intentionally wiggling it, sometimes not even making a mark to give the water a wet look. This is my favorite part to do. It's like putting the "highlight" in the portriat of a childs' eyes! I might want to check the reflections for accuracy, but for now, I'm done!
Giclee' print available through Imagekind

"Boats and Ropes" 5x4

"Boats and Ropes" 5x4 Pastel

Moored by a small rope, these resting boats at the end of the day evoke a sense of quiet calm. I'm offering this small original framed pastel through Dusty Fingers for a limited time for $70.00 + $8.00 shipping. Framed in a simple black metal frame with a spacer between the pastel and the Antique White matboard, shipped US Priority mail the next day. Colors may vary due to monitor settings.

SOLD

Marsh's Edge 4x5.5

"Marsh's Edge" 4x5.5" $75.00 Sold

Well, I finally had time to get a few pastel studies completed (some from my Open Studio show last October) and am now going to offer them up for sale on Dusty Fingers for a limited time only. Transactions will be through secure PayPal and I will only be offering these pieces in the continental US. Expect shipment to go out the following day, unless otherwise noted. If I find enough desire for these small works of art, I may offer them up more regularly. "Marsh's Edge" measures 4" x 5.5" and is framed behind glass in a metal black frame with an Antique White mat. Frame measures 8" x 10". Colors may vary due to monitor settings. More to come...


FRAMED: $75.00 + $8.00 shipping continental US only. Sold

Color Study #4

Color Study #4 5" x 7"

Today, I worked on another color study that is an analogous color scheme. Analogous colors are colors that neighbor each other on the color wheel. For this study, I chose to use blue and its entire range from blue, blue violet, red violet, and red and tints of these. I used a dash of orange for the rope, which causes a ton of interest because it is a compliment to blue. I found out that analogous colors can sometimes give artwork a lack of interest or create a calming feeling. Sounds kind of boring! So, that is why I put that bold orange rope in this piece and also the boat was going to float away if I didn't tie it down!
Here is my analogous palette.

"Buoy Dance" 7x5"

This little marine gem "Buoy Dance" was painted quickly at a pace of 1/2 hour as a demo for my Open Studio in October. I since have touched it up a bit, adding detail and measuring values, making sure I have a focal point, cleaning up edges, softening edges, stuff like that. I'm offering this piece in the free drawing at Hillsboro's First Tuesday Art Walk this December 4th at Art Envy's Artist's Reception, 125 SE 3rd, Hillsboro, OR 97123. I will also have many of my smaller pieces that are very reasonably priced for this show as well as my entire line of note cards. Stop by from 6 to 9pm and enjoy a sip of wine with me! Oh, so because I worked on it some more, that brings the time creating up a notch to around 1 hour! :)

"Lopez Harbor Evening" 4x6.5in

This little beauty is from my Open Studio demo series from this past October show. Taken from the harbor on Lopez Island while the sun was just beginning to set, a wonderful glow on the surface of the water shimmers with pinks and blues.

Still "Untitled"....22x24

OK, so I set this one aside and figured it needed adjustments. After letting it rest, I came to realize a few things needed to be removed. Guess if you can figure out just what is gone. I will be offering this image on a 12 x 12" giclee' print to the best title suggestion, including the suggestions I receive during my Open Studio this weekend. If you want to test you "title", then post your title on this blog for your entry. I will contact you if your title is selected. Thanks!