Fishing the Flint   9x12 Oil Plein air  - Not for Sale

 

Have you ever sold a plein air piece and later wished you had kept it for reference for a larger studio painting?  Far too often this happens with me and I’m now questioning why I sell my plein air pieces at all. 

 

Okay, I don’t do a lot of plein air painting – I’m a fair weather outdoor painter to begin with and I seem to find the perfect view well off the beaten path and a long way from my car!   I’m no spring chicken anymore and so carrying all my gear on my back over rough terrain usually at altitude is beginning to worry me.  I don’t have a Sherpa either, do you?  Where are they when you need them anyway?

 

Last summer I shot a series of photos of a river I love looking both ways as soon as I arrived.  Do note the first image; in the background you can see the hanging bridge over which I carried my supplies and then climbed down the hillside to the river to get this awesome view. That first image is looking up river into the sun, which would soon drop low enough to put one side of the canyon in shadow and the other in bright late light.  In the second image I am looking down river.  This is where I chose to set up to paint, now with the sun to my left and back and my umbrella firmly set up in the sand/gravel for shade.  Those are the same logs in all photos.

 

 

Sure enough, the sun began to drop putting the far shore into bright sunlight and casting long shadows across the water.  As usual, I made decisions about the light as I was laying out the painting and I continued to follow this fairly closely.  I didn’t take time to stop to photograph again.  In plein air painting there simply is not enough time under these sun-down moments.  What I remember profoundly is the color!

 

Photo # 3 as the sun flooded the far side of the river with bright light.

Photo # 4 taken after I had  packed up and was ready to climb the hill, cross the hanging bridge, load my gear into the car and head home for an evening on the porch, with fine food, wine and music while my son and husband reviewed their day of fishing on this same river.

 

These photos are great reference, but look carefully and you can see how the colors are different depending on where I aimed my point and shoot camera. The first photos do show some of the warm colors, but most of the greens are very cool.  My memory told me that those far trees and near grasses were also full of reds and ochres. I stood there and examined the colors and even mixed up a couple that were important and might change too fast for me to catch them at the right moment in my process. 

 

 

Rock Creek  8x10 oil plein air

 

I agree!  When I first looked at my photos, I too was surprised by my take on the color in comparison.  But I remember well how the color felt when I was standing there.  The world was golden and glowing, the river was green, orange and gold.  Warm!  Awesomely full of color everywhere!  It was a marvelous summer evening.

 

I have always known that the camera does not reproduce color the way we see it.  I warn my students about copying the colors from a photograph, while I emphasize their need to plein air paint.  I am always studying color even as I drive to the grocery store.  When I plein air paint I spend a few moments as I set up memorizing the colors and how they relate to one another and how they “feel”. The study of color never ends! 

 

And so many months later, somewhere in the middle of winter, in my need to feel the warmth of summer, I perused my photos of summer and found these images you see above.  Though I had framed the plein air painting, I had not allowed anyone to purchase it (I did have a couple of offers though) and now I truly understood my need to reserve many of my plein air pieces as color and atmosphere guides for studio paintings.

 

 

 

Golden Summer Light  11 x 14 Oil

 

This is my studio painting – a combination of the photo images above and the colors and light from the plein air piece.  I feel the warmth on my shoulders already though none of the photographs produce this feeling for me here in the depths of winter in Colorado!

 

The plein air painting, “Fishing the Flint”, shown at the very top of the page is another that I never sold.  Now where did I get all that pink and glow in that painting?  Well, you are right, that is simply how I saw it as I painted.  My photos show cool greens up close and pale beige on the hills in the distance. 

 

Oh, I’ll still sell some plein air pieces at events where that is part of the program, but I think otherwise I shall just keep them in the studio for reference.  It won’t take long for there to be many of these to aid me in my translation from a photo to a painting.  Soon I will have my own reference library!  How easy is that?

 

Paint with a happy heart and a smile on your face!

 

Ciao,

 

Ginger

 

Quiet Water  12x24 Oil

Available at the Annual Studio Open House, October 21, 2011

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Shows and More Shows as We Enter the Last Quarter of the Year!

 

  This is the “busy season” for artists and I am not alone in my frantic effort to get information to all of you about shows, but also about new work and other demanding information. 

 

  Please join me in celebrating my next show – Representing the West at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center in Pueblo Colorado.  We open with a wonderful reception on Thursday, September 22, 2011 from 5 to 7 pm.  There will be food and a cash bar, the artists will be in attendance and there will be demonstrations by well known artists, Tim Deibler and Teresa Vito.  This is one heck of a show, professionally produced by the staff and volunteers at the Arts Center and filled with work from important western artists.  The show continues until October 29, 2011.  Pueblo is about 1 ½ hours from Denver, an easy drive, and your attendance would be appreciated.  Check out their Facebook pages here.

 

 The paintings below are available at the Representing the West Exhibit:

 

Henry’s Fork; Looking South 14x18 Oil

Mid-Summer Water 14x18 Oil

Timeless 12x16 Oil

 

 

  Next up is the excellent Art for the Sangres Auction at the Pines Ranch outside Westcliffe Colorado.  This is absolutely one of my favorite shows! This year they are promoting the artists through an Online Gallery of Artists’ Work and if you can’t come to the show you can bid online!  Check this out.  What an amazing job the volunteers have done to promote this event in the most professional way.  I absolutely guarantee you – you won’t be disappointed.  The offered work is produced by significant artists whose work is well respected and in demand.  Westcliffe is about 2 ½ hours from Denver, in the beautiful Wet Mountain Valley.  The locals are welcoming, interesting and supportive of the San Isabel Land Protection Trust which benefits from this famous auction.  I will be there to welcome you to this exceptional show.

 

  I will have ten paintings available at this event and below I have included a few:

 

Cooper Street  16x20 Oil	Storm Over the Pass  11x14 Oil
Early Mountain Sunlight  9x12 Oil	First Snow  12x12 Oil

 

  Last, but not least, I am announcing my Annual Studio Open House which will be on October 21, 2011 between 4:30 and 10:00 PM.  This is my annual studio show where my paintings are hung gallery style in my home studio, appetizers and wine are served, I sometimes demonstrate during the evening and all paintings are for sale at discounted (10%) prices.  I also present unframed work at more heavily discounted prices.  This event is my way of saying thank you to everyone – collectors, friends, family, potential collectors, artists, interested parties, neighbors and YOU for you continued support and interest in my work.  This has become my final BLAST for the year, a kind of farewell to 2011 and a gleeful anticipation for the next year.  Join me, please and help me celebrate!

 

 … and though I have not finished most, I am busy in the studio preparing new paintings for their finishing work or initial layout as you can see:

 

Thompson Confluence  16x20 Oil	Tool Shed  12x9 Oil
Winter Mist  16x20 Oil	Afternoon Showers  11x14 Oil

 

  Please keep watching my wet paint page for updates on what is on the easel and newly completed  paintings.

 

  Please enjoy these great shows, stop by and say hello to me and purchase the art you love.

 

Ciao,

 

Ginger

 

Catch and Release  12x16 Oil

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Happiness and Art on the Walls

 

  The other day, in a fit of energy, I moved furniture around the house kind of like a kid with a doll house. Unsatisfied, I moved it all back, then tried again with more subtle moves.   Feeling better about my “space”, I looked up at the walls to get a full scope on the new “still life” I had created. 

 

  I move paintings around the house once a month or more as my home is also my personal gallery space.  Usually there is a general flow of new pieces into the major living areas as older pieces move to more remote places in the house and others sell or are sent to shows and galleries.  But, this time I concentrated on getting individual still life settings perfect …furniture arrangement and paintings on the wall together with corners of rooms, windows, halls, lamps, antique artifacts, distant view and comfort.  That evening, after hanging a large painting over the fireplace, we toured the house to enjoy our newly designed rooms over a glass of wine, obviously.

 

  The contentment and rapture we felt was overwhelming! 

 

  As collectors of art work, do you rearrange furniture, artwork and artifacts around to renew your appreciation of what you have purchased?  May I suggest that you do so today!  Forget what the interior designer said, just do your own thing and make still life settings all over your house.  Add all the things that are important to you into the settings, make your house your own HOME, not a designer’s dream.  You will be amazed at how happy it will make you and how much your guests will enjoy and comment on it too.

 

  I understand that some, maybe many of you have never purchased original art.  Some who have made purchases find it difficult to know just where to hang them.  Should I group them? Should I just hang one large one on that wall or a grouping?  Should I mix mediums or technique or genre on a wall or even in a room?  Should the frames match?  Should the colors match colors in the room?  Should the art hanging together or in a particular room be themed?

 

But first, let’s buy art.  I suggest you begin by understanding what kind of art you prefer.  Purchase a couple of magazines specifically for art collectors (not for artists); visit your local galleries and art fairs. Most of us have budget constraints, so begin your search for a purchase from local galleries, art students’ leagues, artist co-op galleries, art guilds etc. and stay within the limits you set.  As your eye for artistic quality matures, you may not be overly pleased with some of your initial purchases.  That is why I recommend you start with purchases from emerging artist, students and local art fairs.  If you are a seasoned buyer, you understand the dynamics of falling in love with a painting and the rising excitement as you declare your desire to purchase.  Always purchase a painting you love – never purchase it because someone told you to or because it goes with the sofa!

 

  The fun begins when you bring the painting into your home.  Remember all those questions I asked about where and how to hang?  Well, there are no rules and the answer is, “Do what you like”.  If you purchase large paintings they are harder to move around and group, but they are dynamic.  Please don’t match frames or subject or color.  Do hang them gallery style instead.  You can stack them, hang them individually, rest them on furniture, hang them beside the toilet and over the kitchen sink; put them in every room.  Then sit back and admire your skill at choosing such a perfect piece and placing it superbly where you can see it every day.  Don’t forget to move your art collection around often.  Oh I know, what about those holes in the wall?  Well that’s easy; fill with ready-made spackle and then touch up the paint.  Half the time a new painting will hang well on the old hanger (no hole) or the hanger needs only to be moved up or over a bit (no one will see the hole).   Just remember to move them around to renew your love of each one.

 

  Let me warn you, purchasing art becomes addictive as you crave the happiness and joy each new painting, brought into your home, brings to you and your visitors.

 

  Ready?  Let’s all go buy art today and feel good tomorrow!

 

 

Afternoon Showers  11x14 Oil	Storm Over the Pass  11x14 Oil
Rangeland Barns  12x16 Oil	Timeless  12x16 Oil

 

  Please check out the wonderful Art for the Sangres Online Catalog.  The show is September 24, 2011 in Westcliffe Colorado, but if you can't make it you can bid online!  You will find my selection of pieces for sale under Ginger Whellock – just about the last pages.

 

Ciao,

 

Ginger

 

 

Cooper Street  16x20 Oil

This is small town Montana with the Crazy Mountains in the background.  It doesn’t get better than this.

 

Fishing and Painting in Montana

 

I know, I’ve been silent and with good reason too.  When we disappear into western Montana each year we disengage from our usual hurried lives and let the worries of the world fall from our shoulders.  We heard no news of the world, checked our email once or twice, listened to great music on the stereo, painted, fished and enjoyed wonderful wine, scotch and gourmet meals.  The weather being perfect (for Montana that is warm days and very cool nights) allowed us to explore a couple of new rivers and streams and renew our love of familiar ones for fishing and painting.  We enjoyed all of our meals outside, spent evenings by the pond throwing sticks for the dogs and slept like babies to the sound of the creek outside our windows.

 

Our food was all locally gathered either from our garden or from the large farmer’s markets nearby.  We had Alaskan salmon and local bison, chicken, lamb plus plenty of homemade sausages!  This area is considered the Banana Belt of Montana and some of the best peaches, melons, cherries, berries, apples and pears can be found here along with marvelous veggies. 

 

But I neglected to mention the awesome fishing!  Once again 20 fish a day (actual fishing time per day was about 4 hours) and that means there were days when we each caught more than that.  Browns, Bulls, Rainbow, Cutthroat, Brookies – and most were 14” or more!  Heaven right here on Earth!

 

One nice one – and the only one I caught on camera.

 

Western Montana is a world of water flowing Northish to reach the Columbia River eventually.  The views are awesome and leave you breathless.  This last winter brought rain or snow nearly every day and spring was wet and late arriving, hence the lush greens everywhere.  Here are some samples I grabbed off my camera today.

 

 

Montana Water	More Montana Water
More Montana Water	More Montana Water

 

The Garden Gate at the Cabin

Of course I painted beside the rivers, on the back and front porches, in the yard and inside when the flies were bad.  Some I will keep for reference and you may never see them.  A few I wiped off, some will get the bugs removed and a couple will go into my Newsletter and be loaded on my website.  Keep watching.

 

 

 

It’s nice to be home though I would be ready to return in a moment’s notice.  September and October are two of my busiest months for shows so my attention to the details of this blog may slip a bit. 

 

Now, if you will excuse me, please, I just must get my paints unpacked and return to the studio!

 

Ciao,

 

Ginger

Summer Slopes  11x14 Oil

 

Seeking something new to developing new proficiency.

 

Lately, I have been experimenting with new approaches to choosing what I paint.  As you already know, this can be a long and consuming task, especially when you need something really fresh to reflect a new approach to painting or development of a new proficiency.   This new skill doesn’t just jump out at you or appear on your doorstep.  It’s the result of hard work and study, followed by practice which leads to growth and finally executable competence.  At least that becomes the goal.

 

Over a period of about 5 days I reviewed thousands of my photos and selected about 50 images which stimulated me, but were not necessarily what I usually paint.  As in the past, I cropped, reworked the color and made mental notes of objects or shapes I would need to move, delete or change in some way.  I always do this, but with the new thoughts in my head and unusual photos stimulating my creativity, I found myself getting really excited about heading to the studio.  In the end I loaded about 25 onto my jump drive to take to my studio laptop and 17” monitor.

 

Then I went into the mountains of Colorado to plein air paint for 5 days!  Perfect!

 

Painting in Breckenridge, Colorado for the Continental Divide Land Trust’s “Art and Wildflower Celebration” art show and sale, forced me to return to my usual subject matter (you know, that comfort zone you go to when you have to produce something to sell in a few hours), but all the time I was thinking about new brushwork, thickness/thinness of paint, sunlight/shadow and value/temperature differences.  Okay, I know, I have been painting this way for years, but my personal growth has brought me even to an ever deepening understanding of these elements of painting.  The speed at which an artist must capture a scene while plein air painting provided ideal conditions for working out some of my new thoughts.

 

Yes, I did sell two plein air paintings, and thanks for asking.

 

Palette Work   6x8 Plein Air Oil SOLD	Illinois Creek Pond  8x10 Plein Air  Oil SOLD
Across the Valley  6x12 Plein Air Oil	Homestead Aspen  6x8 Plein Air Oil

 

 

When I got back to my studio, unpacked and plugged in my jump drive, I began by drifting through the photos I previously loaded.  "Which one to paint?  Why did I choose that one?  What was I thinking? What have I done?"  Pause......and I simply picked up a big flat, grabbed a canvas and began to lay out the very first image from the new selection.  That done, I did the same with the second image and third and fourth.  Do you understand what was happening?  Took me a minute too.  Change!  I just started at the beginning knowing that no matter what sequence I chose or which ones I may have liked the best, I would be able to practice my new vision with each example as it came.  And then I knew that of all the 1000’s of photos I have, nearly all of them could be made into good paintings using the new bend in my eye/brain/hand symbiosis. 

 

They won’t all be good paintings, of course, because the learning curve goes flat more often than I like and practice makes nearly perfect, but I am comfortable with that.  This relationship of eye, hand and mind continues to be an area of major change for me and other artists.  Step by step, one unit feeds the other like a never ending cycle and all the while we know that each step from one to the other will represent major growth and maturity as artists.

 

I am so excited, I just have to go step into this new adventure, practice, play and share the results with you. 

 

Ciao,

 

Suggestions for getting out of the dismal rut and back into the studio.

 

Been there recently and unhappily didn’t get much done and certainly didn’t grow and literally stopped painting for nearly 2 weeks or more.

 

Somehow everyone is blogging about this right now.  How to get motivated: How to feel confident once again.  How to know when you are growing. How to find out who you are as an artist and recognize it right now.  How to get motivated and back into the studio……..

 

I read everything, took some of it as advice, ignored other suggestions, worked in my garden, cleaned the house and enjoyed days with old friends instead of spending time in the studio.  On returning to the studio, I found the incomplete paintings still awaited my attention, my concern over lack of confidence built to a major obstacle, yet no answers appeared magically in my dreams or in reality for that matter and I nearly put down the brushes in disgust.  I have been here before, but each time I get to this point it appears to be worse than ever before.

 

I understand this is probably the result of painting faster than my brain can assimilate newly understood  skills in painting.  Frustration arises and confidence drops.  As artists, we never stop growing and sometimes we just need time to let all the information sink in.  If you face this problem as an artist or as any kind of creative soul, may I suggest the following exercises.  I would never guarantee that any of these will work, but they are suggestions you can at least try.  I needed all of these to find my joy in the studio once again.

 

1. Clean your work area and maybe even rearrange the placement of some things.  I aired the studio, cleaned the floor – yikes when did I do that last? – Got new lighting installed and spent time sorting my 1000’s of photos into “yes”, “no” and “maybe” piles and then proceeded to put the “no” away in my photo file, “maybe” went in a pile away from my easel and the “yes” took their place where I would look at them diligently.  (If you do this on your computer, save COPIES to a new file.  Keep your filing for images in its usual order.  The last thing you want is to do is loose images because you have MOVED them.)

 

2. Remove unfinished paintings or other work to where you are not reminded of how far behind you have become.

 

3. Study diligently your “yes” photos/images outside your workspace – like from the sofa.  I think this is necessary as it casually releases you from looking at the easel which has no work or even blank canvas upon it.  After all, you are just looking not painting.  If plein air painting is your thing – go out without your paint gear and have a good look around without any expectations of paintings from you.  First you have to let go!

 

4. DO NOT look at art magazines or go to galleries or read blogs by other artists or search the net for other artists work.  This time is about you and finding who you are without any anticipated expectations or fresh memory of someone else’s work.

 

5. Make a schedule for personal chores, responsibilities and everything else in your life which is not about painting.  If you were taught to get your work done before you could play – get over it unless you think painting is work!  You must break the mold, move on, grow-up into today’s reality and PAINT.  Damn the chores and damn the inbred training.  My parents raised me to finish my work before play (painting is play, you know…. How can anything so enjoyable and fulfilling be work?).  Besides, I am a delayed gratification addict.  All of this demented thought pattern is learned behavior from good parents who never knew how long these attributes would control their youngest daughter.  If you schedule in your work and stop when the time is up regardless of whether the work is done or not, it may be easier for you to go play at painting.  No guilt here, please.

 

6. Once you’re comfortable and relaxed reviewing your “yes” images, select a few you find especially promising, get up off the couch and head to your now presentable, workspace.  I found I had about 30 images under the “yes” title and it took a while to select just 4 from which I would begin new paintings.  I could already feel the tingle of excitement about painting these new images of subject matter I most enjoy!  Previously, I had tried painting subject matter I didn’t normally paint, thinking the distraction while still practicing putting paint on canvas would help me stay in the studio.  I was wrong.  It was disruptive and didn’t change a thing in my head and maybe even took me off in inappropriate directions. 

 

7. Put on your painting clothes and your painting music and gently glide into painting with pleasure and fearlessness.  Sometimes, in my “dismal rut” mode, I attack a painting – probably just my fear of failure, but nonetheless, it is inappropriate and now is the time to change this approach.  Gently, gently begin.

 

8. Exercise your memory of when you took this photo.  If you paint from your soul, this will come naturally with time, but if you falter here, take notes the next time you take photographs and keep these notes with your images.  If you are plein air painting, exercise your memory by enlisting all your senses in the moment.  As artists we need good memory skills.  My memory sometimes feels overly involved as I paint.  When studio painting I can remember conversations, fragrances in the air, humidity, wind, colors of leaves and still water, the rhythm of falling water and fast moving rapids, the height of clouds ascending distant mountain ranges, the color of new mown hay and the last leaf of fall, the sounds of birds and the words of chatting families nearby, the color of rocks underwater and the strange magnification seen through that water, the color of light on spring aspen bark and on the same bark in fall and winter,,,,, and all of this I conjure up as I paint.   And if you don’t believe me, show me a painting from my past or find a photo I took many years ago and I will tell you the “Story” in detail immediately!

 

Window On A Good Life  14x18 Oil	Day’s End  20x20 Oil
Timeless Flow  12x16 Oil	Wet Mountain View  11x14 Oil

 

All of these paintings were started on my “yes” list and completed (or nearly so) last week!

 

I have successfully returned to the studio just this week and am feeling like an artist again.  I sure hope some of my points of direction help you fight the demons and allow you to paint at your highest level once again.

 

Ready? Set? GO PAINT!

 

Ciao,

 

Ginger

 

Still paying it forward.

 

The more I think about my blog about Maturity the more I think about the teaching process AND the learning process.  The two link together most of the time but not always.  I have been teaching something to someone for eons – it all started with a high school boyfriend who I tutored in Solid Geometry!  The boyfriend didn’t last long but my love for teaching did. 

 

My dad was a teacher too – I say that lightly as he was head of the Physiology Dept at a well known medical school – and my life has been forever enriched by his teaching skills.  What did he do to make me want to learn; what did he do to create an atmosphere of excitement about learning; what did he do to keep me interested, determined and succeeding?  As a youngster, at home, I was funny, unfocused, sports oriented, full of energy and rebellious.  In the class room I was silent, scared and lacking confidence.  How did he do what he did to make me blossom?

 

From this point of reference I jump head first into my teacher mode….I always have.  What do they say about learning –“It takes 17 repetitions, before information sinks in”, but I don’t always agree ‘cause sometimes it never sinks in and sometimes it hits home immediately.

 

So, what makes us learn and just how does this relate to learning to paint as adults?

 

Maturity    As adults we already know that discipline and hard work are keys to success and we already know how to apply these attitudes. 

 

Inquisitiveness    An individual gets intrigued by things they are interested in.  Say you like to draw, enjoy looking at art so off you go to the Art Museum and a Gallery Show and maybe subscribe to an art magazine.  Thus begins your journey.

 

Desire   So far you love what you are beginning to understand, but you long for much more as you begin to think of yourself as a blossoming artist and a deepening desire takes over as your excitement builds.

 

Need   You hit stumbling blocks and have questions and to proceed you NEED more and more information, examples, demonstrations, time in the studio.  This is where learning one thing or many things becomes similar to an addiction.  You simply cannot stop gathering information.

 

Importance   Now you begin to understand the importance of getting all the information, practicing and working hard.  You are getting better at your craft and you know that you have only two choices – to let art become a hobby or go for broke!

 

Environment  Once the choice is made to keep learning, growing, maturing and working hard, then

environment starts to play a roll in our advancement.  You need studio space carved out of some already available space (or made specifically if you are really lucky) and you will need that space to be “yours”, comfortable and welcoming.

 

Relationships   Once a student commits to art as a symbol of who they are (though maybe not as a profession) he/she will begin to take serious workshops, meet other artists, join art groups and societies, enter shows and perhaps even seek gallery representation.  To confidently go in this direction, artists will need to build trusting relationships.  Failure lurks around the corner for the rest of our lives and we need confidence to live through it.  We need people we can trust and who understand our desires, friends who cheer us on and understand the pitfalls and frustrations, others who help us laugh, build our confidence, give us guidance and hug us when we stumble.  This is the advanced phase of our growth and to develop the fortitude to keep growing when the competition is huge and the failures and rejections keep coming in may be our most difficult learning process yet.

 

As I said, my dad was the best teacher I ever had.  He taught me to write, he taught me about math and music, he taught me how to fix the lawn mower, strip paint, fix a leaky faucet, build shelves, how to do artificial respiration on a dog and he taught me to love learning.  He challenged me to draw and to reach out to the limits of my abilities.  And just how did he do that?  He simply made learning fun, exciting, adventurous, limitless, useful, confidence building and appropriate.  AND by caring about MY progress and about ME!

 

I miss my dad, but, in his honor and because of my love of learning and teaching, I commit myself to the task of stimulating you into wanting to learn and finding success in the hard work it takes to succeed.  I continue to pay it forward in appreciation of my dad.  I only hope that all your teachers have the same wishes and commitment.   

 

Ciao,

 

Ginger

When you hit the brick wall do you retreat or begin the arduous climb?

 

How often do you hit the brick wall?  Do you understand why?  How do you manage the climb over that dauntingly high wall?  What awaits you if you put the effort into the climb?  What awaits you if you back off and take the path well known?

 

We all hit these walls; its part of the painting process.  But what does it mean for us as artists? 

 

Personally, I hit brick walls more often when I am working the hardest and producing the most paintings.   Just when the paintings start to roll comfortably off the easel, I find I am suddenly stopped in my tracks.  Frustration sets in and I am unsatisfied with what I am currently painting; I begin to get super critical of everything I ever painted; I fuss over lighting and computer images of my work; I don’t write my blog or newsletters or even contact my friends and family.  I know I can paint and sometimes pretty amazing stuff appears at the end of my brush, but I am stuck and wonder, “Why now in the heat of the moment?”

 

The ability to recognize when our skills and knowledge have reached a turning point and we choose to accept and work through the coming growth represents maybe the most important part of our artist’s journey.  Logically, or with some outside stimulus, we change our approach to painting gradually over time, but when we are stopped by the enormity of what appears in the road ahead, we understand that this time it’s different … and it is.  If we simply give up or stop painting, or retreat to our comfort zone, we will lose our momentum and will need to start again if we ever intend to mature as artists. 

 

I pace the studio floor in angst.  “Do I have the energy and the time right now to accept the challenge ahead?  What will I find over that huge brick wall?  Who will I be when I get to the other side?  Where do I start? “ 

 

Whatever we do, we must continue to paint!  That is the key to success.  Sometimes I will paint for hours then take a paper towel and wipe the entire canvas clean!  Sometimes I toss the canvas into the dust bin or even across the room!  I am seriously frustrated and, as a human AND female, I apply all this frustration to everything in my life except maybe food and wine!

 

But, if we continue to paint, we set in motion the steps to growth, which includes many failures along the way.  For me, it’s time for distractions such as taking a break from my usual subject matter, or using only very large brushes on small canvases, or using a different value key for the next painting, or changing my palette colors, or changing my cool colors to warm or visa versa, etc.  These distractions keep me practicing and they put my brain into idle, though running.  Then, in this distracted time, I have the “aha moment” and slowly I begin to feel change in the air, though it may be a while before I fully understand its significance. 

 

When this frustration ends and time in the studio is once again heady and exciting you will understand why it was so difficult this time.  I believe the brain was way ahead of the hand.  In other words, you were growing faster intellectually than you could simultaneously apply this new information to your painting. 

 

So who are you after the climb?  You are the same person but a better painter for sure!  Sometimes the journey is the best part.  In fact it is the best part.  The perfect painting of ours has yet to be painted!

 

 Now go paint!

 

Ginger

 

 

Castlenau de Montmiral  16 x 12 Oil

Farm Implements  14 x 11 Oil

 

 

Please note that these last two paintings have no water in them!  “Distraction to enable my hand to catch up with my brain” is my mantra for the month.

 

Artistic Maturity Enables Growth.

 

My first workshop given in over 4 years has just ended with 7 students exhausted from the event.  Let me tell you, I’m exhausted too.  I love to teach and I let my students know my expectations for their growth.  For this workshop I created an eight page outline of information about what we would be learning, added many pages of visual samples for various learning points and, for convenience, chose one of my photos from which we would all paint.  This way I covered specific issues all present in the photo and used each individual’s performance as examples of accomplishing goals. 

 

Each student who enrolled in the workshop resided at a different place in their journey as an artist.  Each would grow at significantly different rates and in different directions.  I hadn’t previously thought about the concept of “artistic maturity”.  I taught academics to 6^th graders for years and “mental maturity” was a term in common use.  There were many factors indicating each student’s mental maturity as it related to their ability to understand a variety of complex concepts.  At this workshop I was teaching adults and neglected to consider artistic maturity (or mental maturity in art perhaps) as a factor in their individual ability to learn.

 

My Demonstrated Workshop Painting – 12 x 16 Oil

 

It was obvious as we progressed in the painting that each student was at a different point in artistic maturity at every sequential step in my outline. The learning curve seemed to be greatest when the artist was totally immersed in the craft or when the artist was stimulated by intense desire.  If the artist was just curious or positioned themselves as a passive bystander then the learning curve was gentle or maybe even nil.  I find this very revealing.  With maturity and, of course, desire and interest, the student will grow exponentially if presented with new un-learned material.  Less mature students will grow if excited and determined and artistic maturity will develop quickly.  Any student will find growth difficult and remain fixed in place if they make excuses for not learning particular concepts or refusing to rise to a challenge or adapt to new information.  No one has all the answers – especially me – so listening and practicing and having patience are absolutely necessary – probably for the rest of our lives. 

 

Of course, it takes skill in drawing, hours of practice and real interest in your genre of choice for your artistic endeavors to blossom, but with enthusiasm, an open mind, a burning desire bursting from your heart and your excuses left at the door, you will find your learning curve very steep indeed. 

 

Just as we did as children, we learn as our maturity in the subject matter and interest grows.  We may be born with talent, but we don’t grow into artists until we learn the “why” and the “how”, constantly seek information to improve our skills, study other artists with vigor and practice, practice, practice.  As artists (or scientists, butchers, bakers or candle stick makers) we grow only as we keep learning and as we learn we understand how we need to grow and still there is room for more learning and more growth.  The more we know, the more we know how little we know! 

 

Some think teaching ‘art’ is simple and easy.  NOT.  This two day workshop took me three weeks of preparation.  My objective was to write an outline of sequential facts with reasoning for each fact all reinforced with my demonstrations and samples in print.  Students practiced on small inexpensive canvas then repeated the exercises on the final canvas.  The outline also set up goals and steps for achieving success, plus information on critiquing personal work – all in hard copy for everyone to take home for reference later.  I spent hours pouring over my photos to find just the appropriate image to hone the students’ skills.  Then, for a couple of days before the workshop, I hyped myself up and completely immersed myself in the teaching process.  (Yes, I did this when teaching 6^th graders too)  On the days of the workshop, I talked constantly, demonstrated frequently and gave individual help while also providing an open and friendly atmosphere.  It is exhausting and I always feel mentally and physically drained at the end.  I call my gift of teaching “volunteering” - it’s minimum wage at best! 

 

BUT….together we laugh, we frown, we get frustrated, we make some good moves, the paint flows, we help each other and finally we step back and look at what we have accomplished…and in that moment I know it was worth all the effort and then some. 

 

I think I just might have to offer a second class to my students where we can measure our progress and learn how to constantly seek information as we climb the learning curve.  My workshop outline contained information way beyond any of my students’ ability to learn right now.  Yet I included all this information, not to confuse, but to ensure their future growth.  A year from now, if they have been diligent in their desire to grow, then all of these notes will make sense and they will be able to apply them.  I guess this workshop was the workshop that keeps on giving!

 

Enough of that, I gotta get back into the studio….Haven’t painted much since long before the workshop and I have lots of ideas to practice with.  Still practicing, still learning! 

 

Ciao,

 

Ginger

 

Some new work and new events all in time for SPRING!

 

I live in Colorado – I suppose you already guessed that – and we essentially don’t have spring, but….this year we have had some really warm days with lots of wind as the jet stream is right overhead!  Now we find ourselves in HIGH FIRE conditions and already we have a dozen our so.  I live in scrub oak and ponderosa pine with hills, bluffs and no water – yikes.  Lets all hope that the fool who throws the cigarette out the window does not drive through my neighborhood!  I am watering, but not anywhere enough.

 

Our house has significant interruptions going on right now and concentrated time painting over consecutive days is impossible for me, but a few re-addressed paintings and some new ones are coming off the easel.

 

Fishing Near Sula  11 x 14 Oil

 

            OMG, what a gorgeous day this was.  Read my thoughts by clicking on the image!

 

I am still working out my issues with lighting, but little by little I am making accommodations to the issues.  This week I have laid out a couple of value studies on canvas for paintings I hope to get to soon. 

 

Colorado Truck  11 x 14 Oil

Montana Truck 12 x 16 Oil

 

You probably noticed that the one on the right I started with some drawing, the other just the values.  Drawing became a bore leaving no room for creativity so I did the one on the left and am now going into the one on the right with the values and making some creative changes as I go.  Good lesson.

 

Now, don’t bother to ask.  I have no idea why I chose to paint old abandoned trucks, but as I laid out each of these I noted that there was a lot of similarity between them though one is a flat bed and the other conventional.  These two vehicles are located on ranches owned by dear friends.

 

I am giving an Introduction to Oil Painting Workshop in early April (sorry, the workshop is full – maybe even over filled) and as I am a really involved teacher I am spending lots of time at the computer writing class notes.  I give these to the students so they can add info in the margins, take them home and use them as reference, I hope.  I am a tough teacher and it is an intense workshop, but with effort everyone will learn a lot and produce a painting they can be proud of.  I’ve taught a lot in the past, but this time I am approaching some of it differently.  I’ve decided that practice on a small cheap canvas as we go then transferring the new learned information to our final canvas immediately may increase the learning experience.  We cover a lot of ground in my workshops and this “two-step” process may help info retention. .  I’ll let you know.

 

Yesterday’s Snow 12 x 16 Oil (old version)

Yesterday’s Snow 12 x 16 Oil (new version)

 

Once in a while, (well really more often than I like) I don’t like the direction a painting is going and I toss it into the corner of the studio.  “Yesterday’s Snow” was one of those.  It sat there ignored for a few months and then in a moment when I had little time for starting a new painting and yet a few hours available for some work, I grabbed this one and was off in a blaze.  I am not quite finished yet with the changes, but would love to hear your comments and suggestions for making this a better painting.  This is in my yard and it is really beautiful…I now shudder at the thought of forest fires!  Where is the snow when we need it?

 

September Memories  18 x 24 Oil

 

This is another one I finally put some finishing touches on.  Again, click on the image to read what I have written about this painting.

 

Things are about to go into orbit around here so I will sign off.  Thanks again for your interest and all your wonderful comments!

 

Ciao,

 

Ginger