Why do artists go on retreats?
MAY 29, 2009
On the Easel Sawmill 18 x 24 oil
My return to the studio has been a bit painful after such a long hiatus, but finally I got to work on this painting from April and though it is unfinished, it is getting close. If you recall, this was the painting I began as a demonstration for the April Second Friday Studio Walk.
Snake River Autumn 16 x 20 Oil
Recently, I put the final touches on this one of the Snake River in the Tetons. Sometimes a painting needs a good long rest as this one did. I started this in March and finished in May – that’s a long time for me.
This week I began a few more which you can see below.
ARTIST RETREATS: In a couple of days, I will pack the car and head off for four days of plein air painting at the amazing Zapata Ranch in south central Colorado. Excitement churns in my stomach and my head swims with thoughts of anticipation – glee mixed with fear of failure. I must remember to stop to paint whenever I see something interesting, not just keep on driving until I think I have found the perfect spot. Keith Bond’s blog (click here to read his interesting blog posts) recently spoke of this very issue and I agree completely. With my personality, I always assume there is something absolutely wonderful just around the corner; I never back up to a place, I always go forward. Don’t know why, just is the way it is. Needless to say, I will have to remind myself over and over to stop and paint NOW.
Plein air painting (painting outside on location) challenges my skills at every turn. I must be very quick, lay out the painting rapidly before the light changes making sure to capture the values and natural colors. Then I must use my memory of the moment to paint the painting. The challenge keeps me on my toes, the resulting paintings are frequently just sketches not worth framing, but I can see major advancements when I return to the studio. I find I have learned more about value and color in 4 days of plein air painting than I can in months of studio work or books.
This experience on the Zapata is unparalleled. The views are astounding of course, there at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with the Sand Dunes visible in the distance. But that’s not the whole picture. This is truly an artists’ retreat. There are no other visitors and no show immediately following this event. We simply paint outside on location for as many hours each day as we can. Artists seriously need retreats. An artist paints (well, yes, for themselves philosophically) but for you, the collector. We must sell our paintings to live; we can’t hide them in the studio. In reality we hope to sell everything we paint which forces us to share our very essence with everyone interested. Because every painting reveals a bit of our souls and contains a very personal expression of our experiences, we are left open to criticism on all levels. Sometimes, all this very personal exposure brings happiness, but many times it brings stress and anxiety.
And so, we must head to the hills, either alone or with other artists, where we get to paint our hearts out. At the Zapata Retreat, we all gather at the lodge for dinner at the end of the day, tired from our day’s efforts and in need of companionship and support from other artists. Some days are perfect and we share our paintings happily. Other days, we have issues, failure and frustration. These paintings we also share and we all understand and provide positive assistance. This replenishes us and fills us with confidence to venture out and paint the next day and the next …. We are refreshed, secure and nurtured in the artists retreat environment – ready now to face the public and suffer the consequences.
And so without the encumbrance of fear of failure, and knowing that some paintings will be failures, I present my newest works for you to comment on.
On the Easel On the Blue 9 x 12 Oil
I have painted many scenes from the Blue River in Colorado, but painting the truthful view for this one was difficult. Red standing-dead evergreen trees cover the hillsides everywhere, and I mean everywhere. This is widespread beetle kill in the beautiful Colorado mountains! I wanted to paint them as they were when alive, but knew the reality of this sad situation could not be avoided. Nice way to get color into an otherwise pretty green scene though. I still have a long way to go with this one…..
On the Easel Near the Dam 12 x 16 Oil
A few years ago, we hiked over these rocks above Grape Creek near Westcliffe, Colorado. Purposefully, I made sure I kept the dam out of the picture, but it is just around the corner. I love this view with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the distance with new snow on their peaks. This is obviously an incomplete painting, so keep watching.
On the Easel UK Bridge 12 x 12 Oil
Don’t know why I chose this over all the other photographs I have from our recent trip to England. But I feel this view, through the bent and knarred trees to the bridge beyond, captivated the essence of England for me. This is a complex composition and so positioning the darks and color separations was important for me to keep my place in the later painting sequences.
Happily I have returned to the studio with many ideas for new paintings. Watch for new work from my recent England trip and also of the California wine country from a visit we made over a year ago.
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Thanks for your support and interest. Remember, you can make comments, ask questions and even suggest topics for me to discuss in future blogs.
Until the next time,
Ciao!
Ginger
