work in progress
They are just drainage ditches along the road. After the deluge of rain over these past few weeks they are swollen with runoff. For some reason they fascinate me! In a matter of hours day they are filled with refections. Then just as quickly as they appear they retreat to shiny mud, then cracked earth. So on the easel is a watercolor underpainting of a local ditch. Its a bit tighter than I would like, probably due to current everyday stresses. But it’s workable.
Those of you who follow this blog know that I am a huge proponent of creating a painting with interesting shapes and strong value masses. I was thumbing through one of my art books this past weekend and was captivated once again by the works of JMW Turner (1775–1851). His edges are very soft which immediately negates having interesting shapes, or even any shapes at all. And many times his value distribution is within a very narrow range.
Snow Storm- Steamboat off a Harbour's Mouth, JMW Turner 1842
So why do his paintings work? Simply put, Turner eloquently talked with his brush. For sure he used a different language than mine, but it is one I can still embrace, understand and stand in awe.
Rain, Steam and Speed, JMW Turner 1844
My thoughts are he is trying to say more with less. Light, color and atmosphere is the subject. The vagueness of form engages the viewer to fill in the gaps and complete “the rest of the story.” The viewer is given a powerful invitation to bring his own interpretation of what he sees in the painting. The experience becomes very personal.
Anyone have other thoughts on Turner?
notan thumbnail (value study)
Torrential rain, hail, thunder and lightening are all good reasons to hunker down in the studio. If you are experiencing California weather or have heard about it, I obviously had some time yesterday to rethink my “Rocky Start” study.
I did a number of value studies and selected the one pictured here. Already I am feeling better. This was a key component missing from my first go round with this subject. As you may recall my original painting had no shapes. It was just a huge mass of midtones, sprinkled and scattered with lights and darks. Now at least I see masses of two lights and two darks. I’m happy!
Pictured is the watercolor underpainting done on mounted Wallis paper. The first thing I checked was how the underpainting related to the value study. So far so good. I also like the composition better. I have addressed the divisions of space. and what makes me the happiest is there are no implied lines that look like ladder rungs climbing up the painting. Recession of space has been recaptured! For all I care, let it pour!
This is the time of year when resolutions abound, maybe even a few haven’t already fallen by the wayside! This year instead of promises to myself I decided to take a cue from Christine Kane and adopt a word to carry me through the year in all aspects of my life.
Just one.
The problem lie in picking just one word. Simplify, explore, nurture, journey, listen, ask; they all have endless possibilities. For better or worse I decided on “challenge.”
So in the studio this week I decided to challenge myself to doing a painting, start to finish, in an hour or less. At the end of 60 minutes it is what it is. Needless to say, the time flew.
underpainting
I began with a found piece of prepared board from my stash. No telling how long ago I prepared it and I am not even sure what I had used to make the surface. But heck, this is suppose to be a challenge, remember? It is 8 x 8″ illustration board and perhaps I coated it with just Golden’s Acrylic Ground for Pastel. As I began working with it it had a different feel than my usual pumice mixture I sometimes use.
I chose a scene I had painted previously on a recent plein air excursion, hoping that would help with the time constraints. I did a watercolor underpainting after a quick test with water on the surface to see if the surface would even hold up to this approach, Clock’s ticking, yikes. I dried it with a hair dryer, no time to let nature takes its course.
Bee Boxes, 8 x 8″ prepared surface
©2009 Marianne Post
R-r-r-r-ringgggg!
Time’s up! Not the best painting but a good lesson in seeing what you can do with less time, less detail, less marks.
River Reflections, 8 x 10″ soft pastel over oil underpainting,
Wallis paper
© 2009 Marianne Post
When I look at the calendar I am in total denial. It just doesn’t seem possible that another year is two weeks away from becoming history. I look back and think of all the things I thought I would accomplish. But after reading Alyson Stanfield’s blog, I realize how much I actually did.
While this is time of the year that I start to ramp up for the months ahead, Alyson reminds us that its not a bad idea to reflect on what was accomplished in months past, and most importantly to do it with a thankful heart. So many times we take for granted the opportunities that have come our way and the strides we have made in our endeavors. At the time, they just seem like the next thing to do. Coincidence? I don’t think so. I am a true believer that when we envision possibilities we become empowered. Take a moment and visit Alyson’s blog. She says it better than I could ever imagine.
This will be my last post for 2009. I look forward to an exciting art filled year ahead and wish you all a season that’s colorful and bright!
From the title, you might be thinking this post is probably about spending more time in the studio. Actually that’s not a bad idea. But what I am really talking about is taking a plein air study back to the studio and resolving it into a finished work. Last Friday my painting buddy and I ventured out to Suisun City. We ended up along the slough that heads out to the delta. Boy was it cold!
Being a fair weather plein air painter I was out of my element. Early that morning the fog was thick but by the time we got to our destination, the sun was winning part of the battle. The air was crisp. No, actually it was downright cold but clear. I needed to get something down in a hurry. After using up a good portion of my painting time scoping out the area I finally decided on a scene to paint. This time I used a black 8 x 10 Ampersand panel. For some reason I find painting on black while on location gives me a jump start.
After about an hour or so my fingers just couldn’t hold onto the pastel sticks. And we packed up shop and headed for lunch at a local cafe. But I liked what I had managed to get done and thought I would explore resolving the painting in the studio.
So using the study and a photo, I have recomposed the piece onto a 12 x 16″ sheet of Wallis paper. I am adjusting the temperature of the light and have started with an oil underpainting. So stay tuned and let’s see where this all goes. For one thing, I have a fire burning in my studio fireplace and a pot of tea is close by. So far so good!
Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.
–Rodin (1840-1917)
Tomorrow’s Promise, 11 x 14″ soft pastel on Ampersand pnael
© 2009 Marianne Post
The weather wasn’t cooperating so it was destined to be a day in the studio. I decided to revisit a painting I had done earlier this year along the American River. I usually don’t do something like this and I am not sure why. I have seen other artists paint the same subject or scene many times over, and each painting tells a slightly different story. I think I am leery of getting bored with the process. So to mix things up and give it a go I selected a different size (the original was 9 x 12″) a different surface (pastelmat vs an Ampersand panel) and a different time of day.
River Light
Rodin was right! I was pleasantly surprised when I got “sucked into” the process. The watercolor underpainting responded differently on the panel than the paper. And the pastel application had a different feel. Time flew by and in a matter of a couple of hours, Tomorrow’s Promise was done. Tomorrow I’ll try it again, promise!
It’s Monday and I feel compelled to upload a post, but somehow I am drawing a blank. Actually, how does one “draw a blank”? Something to ponder. But what does come to mind as an artist is the power of negative space.
Francis D.K. Ching authored Design Drawing, a publication aimed for an architect or designer more than the fine artist. But nonetheless he addresses the concept of negative space quite well. He points out that as we capture the positive shapes we need to study the interconnection of the negative spaces that develop. Likewise, in rendering the negative shapes the positive image evolves.
I have been attempting to paint the positives by painting the negatives and I like where things are going. For instance in the small plein air study below I started with a watercolor wash, then with pastel, the trees were created by painting the sky. By selecting a pastel similar in color and value to the forest trees I defined the edges of the bushes. The reflections were painted by the glow of light on the river.
I don’t like to think of myself as a negative person, but in this case it’s a positive thing!
Vineyard Gold
14 x 11″, soft pastel over watercolor wash on Ampersand panel
© 2009 Marianne Post
This week found me meandering around the hills and valleys close to home. This is the perfect time to capture the glorious color that is beginning to appear in local vineyards. It is also the time vintners call the fall crush, the harvesting of the grapes. Some fields are ablaze with autumnal red and golden colors, others are hanging onto the greens of summer. In short order the vines will be bare. But for now, the views reinforce my love affair with fall. Definitely had to paint this.
e.scape artist 