Tools of the Trade

This blog topic is courtesy of Cooper, age 3, who was snooping, uh, visiting my studio. Anytime you have visual art materials it is a magnet for young children and old men (well, that's another story)!
Coop is at the age of asking questions. "Why?" "What is it?" "What do you do with it?" His curiosity about my supplies made me wonder if others would like to know some of the tools of my trade that you might not expect.
Sure there is the usual stock of paint tubes, brushes, and canvas or paper. But a good many of my tools come from the hardware and grocery store too.

Starting with my oil stash: a bungee cord. Pictured here as I use it in the studio on my easel. Also have one that travels with me to hold towels.
My studio palette is a sheet of glass from the hardware store. To clean it I use a paint scrapper. Then there's the level. It helps with checking the level of the easel while painting and also on the camera when shooting my paintings. Hand wipes or baby wipes are a must. Of course there's pliers to open stubborn tubes. Hey, who isn't cleaning off the tube tops?? Oh yeah, that would be me.

Watercolors have a few necessities. I carry a compass and a ruler. Then for BIG mistakes I have Magic Eraser. A small spray bottle comes in handy. A bottle of alcohol (rubbing kind that is) and droppers. I won't go into what all that is for! You need to take one of my watercolor classes for that! Then there's the paint blotter made from a handywipe and towels. Looks weird, but works!

And last but not least, a mirror. My studio has windows on 3 sides and faces north, yeah, I know, lucky me! But that doesn't leave me a wall for hanging a mirror so I use a handheld one. OK, give up? It's for checking my paintings as I work, silly! You can stand back and look but seeing them in reverse will REALLY show up any boo-boos like crooked lines or wrong values. And believe me, I put it to good use!

Another post will have to be about the strange stuff I carry with me when I paint outdoors, yes, there is more!

And here's the Coopster racing by on his hot wheels.  You know his visit was short in the studio because it was time to play outside! 
Now go play!

Durinda

If you haven't already LIKED my FB fan page, please do so!!  I will be able to do giveaways and other things once I reach 400 likes:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/Durindas-Fine-Art-Fan-Page
Also, just posted about the 2013 workshop to Venice!!

Games

I don't know if you are like me, but watching the Olympics this past week has been an emotional roller coaster. You want so much for team USA to win every event and yet you know that isn't going to happen. You watch as one tiny mistake, one fraction of a second, one too many breaths or whatever causes the athlete or team to be defeated. You know that the athletes have have put in years of training, spent thousands of dollars, and missed family and childhood events to be where they are and their possibly one chance of glory.

You know this relates to art, right? I think about students in a workshop who say, "I want to paint like you." And while flattering, that isn't going to happen in three days or whatever. I have always drawn and painted. I read art books and now art articles and blogs constantly. I have spent thousands of dollars to attend workshops and classes, not including my college stints. I have tried different media and styles and substrates. I was fortunate enough to have a mentor at first in watercolor. I have been fortunate since to study with some other highly regarded painters. But it all boils down to...

Practice! Just like the athletes, you aren't going to improve or find your voice or style if you don't put time into it. If you can only paint one day per week but you DO paint every week, that's much better than little spurts here and there, a different artist's workshop every month, a different dvd, etc. Yes, you can learn something from every artist, sometimes more from the other people in the class, sometimes what NOT to do, but ultimately, you are the art producer. So once you get your feet wet so to speak and have the fundamentals, choose an artist to study whose style you really admire. Choose classes or workshops on your level, not those that allow everyone from the real beginner to the most advanced. Choose sessions with small numbers in the class, even if it costs a little more. You are kidding yourself if you think you will get attention in a class of 30 or more and some artists demand that many in their workshops.

So, set some goals for the rest of this year to paint more or to improve whatever you do. And if you get discouraged, just be thankful there isn't an Olympics for art. You have plenty of chances to create your masterpieces and you can only get better!

Go for the Gold!

Durinda

The Voice

I know you have seen or heard of the television show called "The Voice".  It has contestants who sing and are chosen by one famous singer on a panel to be in their group. Then the people sing and are eliminated over time until one person is the best "Voice" of the season.  Then they start over with another group for the next season of shows.
It came to me that being an artist is a lot like that.  Of course you knew I would relate it to art!  Every painter wants to have their own distinctive style of painting, one that is recognizable, a subject they are associated with, in other words, their "Voice".  But unlike singers who know that they must constantly practice to improve, a lot of artists think they can study with a famous artist, sometimes a weekend, a week, or in an on-going class, and then they will "copy" all they can from the teaching artist to paint just like him or her.  That way, they will be as famous, right?
Sometimes it works that way.  There are women artists who studied with and then got into relationships with successful artists who do paint a lot like them and who, with their connections, have become famous in their own right.  In the olden days, artists took on apprentices who then had to produce their own "masterpiece" to join the artisans guild or get in the Salon show to prove they had "made it".  Their work, however, did not mimic the masters necessarily. 
Everyone who has taken a class or workshop, seen a demo, watched a dvd, or worked under an established artist, will show an influence.  The real artist will continue to work on his or her own, taking what works for them from the master artist, and developing his or her own style.  Cezanne said, "I paint this way because I can't paint any other way," or something like that when he was asked about his style of painting. 
So to truly become an artist with a Voice, have something to say.  Paint because you can't not paint.  Paint because you dream paintings and see visions in your head.  Paint because you are miserable if you don't.  There is no magic number of paintings to do in a year or over time.  One hundred, two hundred, it doesn't matter.  Your voice will start to sound like you and you alone.  Develop your voice, the world is listening. 
LA! LA!LA!

Valley View

Oil on museum quality board

8 x 8

Durinda

Fudge

The Painting Lesson

Jack Beal

collection: The Hunter Museum of Art, Chattanooga

The prior post was on Twinkies. Today I wanted to write about Fudge. By now you know I am not talking about sweets, am I? I have been sending my current painting students an art quote every week (when I think about it). I have many written and filed and a few books on them too. I love reading bios of artists and trying to picture myself interviewing them. What would I ask? What would they respond? I do think I know of one thing that most would admit:

Fudging.

I know that as a young artist and later as an instructor with students, that most if not all people believe that an artist just goes up to a blank canvas and voila! paints a masterpiece. It just flows out of their head. Well, that can happen sometimes I suppose. But I believe every artist has a purpose in their painting whether it is to paint some one's portrait, a place they like, objects they chose, or an expression or feeling they are having. If not, why paint? The real difference in being a "painter" verses an "artist" comes with the interpretation. Just copying exactly what's there will make you a painter. Making changes that create a better painting, makes you an artist. I have been fortunate enough to study under some great artists. Jack Beal says, "Lie, cheat, steal." What is he talking about? He means that painting from life, either a landscape or a group of figures will not be perfect in every way. Nature cannot compose your painting. There may be a clump of even number trees, a telephone pole in the middle of a scene, etc. So your job as an artist is to make use of what's there in creating a work of art.

"The artist does not draw what he sees, but what he must make others see." -E. Degas

So it is not enough to "see- put" as Jack Beal used to comment about some artists who copy nature or photographs. This is where the Fudging comes in. You move a tree, you add a path, you darken, you lighten, you change the colors. You create where you want the viewers to look first, where their eyes should travel and where they should stop.

"Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth." -Picasso

I don't know about you, but I try not to lie about things. I will, however, fudge the truth sometimes in painting. I think it would make Jack Beal proud.

Comments? Questions? Would love to hear from you about how artists create our own "truths".

Painting Classes

Mike working on his watercolor Imke and Maren with their still lifes

I couldn't resist sharing a few shots from my weekly classes at Townsend Atelier since we finish up this week. The students this session were so dedicated and easy to teach. Mike had private sessions in watercolor painting on Mondays. He is an excellent draftsman with graphite (pencil) and wanted to learn to use color with watercolors. He really has developed his skills quickly. Tuesdays the morning "beginners", because most have a background in some form of drawing or graphic design, have sped through some still life paintings. Some with natural light and some had spotlights. The afternoon painters chose a landscape theme for this term and have painted their way through the seasons, finishing with a snow scene. We love our open space at the Atelier where we can arrange easels and setups in different ways. I can't believe the second session is coming to an end. Time flies when you are having fun painting!

New sessions begin January 10 & 11. Many of you know I have spent winters in Florida for the last eight years. This year I am going to try to "stick it out" here. It's not easy for me. I am sure I have S.A.D. So to prevent any downward feelings on these cold dark days, I have decided to have lots of color in the classes! We will use flowers of all sorts and sizes as subjects during the next term. I love to paint close-ups and also floral bouquets. So if you are craving some brightness in January and February, Peggy is taking registrations now! Don't feel you have to be experienced in painting flowers. We will start off with the basics. I will get back to landscapes in the spring, maybe a garden or two? And hopefully take a few of you outdoors with me painting. Until then, I hope you are enjoying the holiday season!

Colorfully yours,

Durinda

Dual Identities

1942 Frogs and Fish

Cordon Art Netherlands

M.C. Escher (1898-1972)

tessellations.org

This image by M.C. Escher is one of his tessellations. It looks simple to us, but he studied the shape and placement of different motifs to make them tessellate. Escher is perhaps best known for his optical illusion images of stairs that go both ways, etc. What I admire about his work is that he never gave up. He kept exploring possibilities and giving himself challenges. In his lifetime he made 448 woodcuts and linocuts and over 2000 drawings. He kept working even when his work wasn't that popular. If he were alive today, he would be amazed that he is such a world renown artist.

Many of you know that I am an art teacher as well as painter. I will be presenting two lessons tomorrow in Demopolis, Alabama for teachers. We will examine the connections between the academic subjects they teach and the arts. Well, I can only hope that the teachers tomorrow will see the connections between what they already teach and what art can add for their students.

As a painter, reading about and researching artists for lessons always gets me motivated. When you think about some of the conditions that some of these artists lived in, and yet they still persevered and kept creating their art. Most did not attain wealth or fame during their lifetime. Picasso, Dali, and Monet being a few of the exceptions. And the best part, they kept working in their own style, no matter what the "trend" of the day was, their art represented them. I think that is a lesson for us irregardless of what we do for a career or hobby.

So keep working!
Durinda

Oh, I come from Alabama.....

The Visual Arts Staff on Friday, minus Sally

What a great week with the Alabama Institute for Education in the Visual Arts, June 15 - 19, held at the Montgomery Museum of Art. We had 36 participants from all over the state. This was truly a group "who played together well." My deepest thanks go to my facilitators aka "The A(Art) Team": Sabrina Hubbarb, Donald Myer, James "Doc" Bender, Sally Chambliss, and Margaret Snider. The week could not have gone on without them. Our special guests were Margaret Lynne Ausfeld, curator of paintings and sculpture at MMFA, and Charlie Lucas, sculptor. We were very fortunate to have Pat Wanglie, a seasoned docent from MMFA, joining us for the week. Pat did a great job describing the museum's sculpture collection. She also contributed a lot with our classroom activities

Some of the units we covered during the week were da Vinci's painting and inventions; Van Gogh's expressive painting; Georgia O'Keeffe's nature subjects; Picasso's Cubist sculptures and Charlie Lucas' Outsider art. On Friday, we had a rotation day with the other art institutes and a lesson with Jacob Lawrence. I am hoping that the teachers who attended will be able to share new ideas about using art in their classrooms. I look forward to teaching again at the Arts Integration Workshop in Montgomery and a Professional Development week for Dothan schools in July. I created a new blog for posting art related lessons and photos from the week: http://www.alaarts.blogspot.com/.

Just a plug: the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts has a wonderful collection of American art. It is a beautiful setting in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival park.

Wishing you lots of creative thoughts!

Durinda

Life at the Beach

New Year Greetings to Everyone! I hope your holidays were filled with joy. I have been catching up on different blogs and newsletters the last couple of days and really amazed at the determination of artists to make the new year a successful and productive one. Everything from keeping a daily log to writing long term goals, improving marketing, etc. has been in their articles. Good thoughts! I am in my "good place" for two months now; the place I envision when scary or hurtful things are occurring ...the dentist(sorry Jason), etc.. It is also the place where I can let my creative juices flow. No normal routines, no interruptions, nothing to keep me from painting or drawing or just thinking. It also gives me time to self reflect.
I will be working on plans for the coming months: new classes, new workshops, and new paintings, of course. I hope to keep you updated on works in progress.
In the meantime, I hope you will also have a block of time in your life to just enjoy the stillness.
Peace! (that's my message from my "hippie" house at the beach ;>)
Durinda

Cha-Cha-Changes

The new gallery space, 2712 LaFayette Road, Ft Oglethorpe, Georgia

For those youngsters, that was part of a song from some years ago. It was going through my head today when I was thinking about this past week. A lot has changed! My daughter gave birth to a boy Monday night. She has two girls, ages 4 and 6. This new addition is a real cutie- blonde hair and eyebrows, sure to have blue eyes. So now, our family has increased. I didn't think it was possible to love another child as much as I love the others, but it is! Somehow your heart is big enough!

This week also marked a change in locale for my weekly classes. Instead of meeting on Lookout Mountain, we met at my Ft Oglethorpe studio for a Color Workshop. I called it, "Need to Know about Color". They were very enthusiastic about making charts of colors and mixing grays. Hopefully, they all gained something they find usable in their painting.

Then, this weekend, we have been moving the studio to another building just down the road from where we were. I say "we" because I share the space with my husband, Bill. He has an office for his company and I take the majority of the space to paint! Good deal, right? It has been some experience packing and moving supplies, canvases, easels, tables, etc. When I moved from my retail space a year ago, I put everything in storage and went to Italy for two weeks! Needless to say, there are boxes I haven't opened since and here they were, ready to move again. My son and husband have been very patient with me- I have enough canvases if we have a major depression for the next five years. I know this because he told me! So I said, "Right! I can keep on painting while other artists are wishing for canvases." :) So, if you are in need of a painting and NO ONE else in the USA can do it because they are out of canvas, I am your artist!

Of course the major change in our world is our new president elect. I am hopeful that he will be energetic yet methodical in his duties. It's not a job for a sissy! How great is it to live through a stage in history like this?

Back on the "art front", I will be taking commissions for original works through Michael's Fine Arts and Framing in Dalton, Georgia. Now is the time to request a painting in time for Christmas. The house portraits will be offered with framing at a great price. Stop in and see Michael at 1325 Dug Gap Road or phone: 706-278-8840 for more information.

Have a wonderful week and remember our Veterans.

Durinda

Hunter Eddy Workshop Notes and Upcoming Show

Studio class with Hunter Eddy

painting demo

Shown at top is the painting demo by Hunter Eddy next to the real vase of money plant. Hunter was in town at the Gold Leaf Gallery (http://www.shuptrinefineartgroup.com/) for his show. He gave a talk/demo on how he paints. Hunter is an instructor at the Florence Academy of Art, Florence, Italy (http://www.florenceacademyofart.com/) . It was very enlightening to have him explain the procedures of painting that require precise measurements and accurate color mixing. His work is not photographic, but soft edged and very subtle. They remind me of Jean-Baptiste Chardin (1699-1779). Hunter also does large figure paintings, mostly nudes, from models at the Academy.

The other photo is part of the our oil class from the Lookout Mountain Studio who attended the demo: Anne Platt, Sarah Fowler, Hunter Eddy, Durinda, Evelle Dana, and Martha Elder. We now have our notes and observations to compare. On our next workshop trip to Tuscany, we will definitely visit the Academy and see Hunter's studio. Evelle Dana's son, Brent, attended one year after graduation from Baylor and loved it. The first year is very strict about learning to draw from life using plaster casts and then drawing from models. Excellent instruction that some of our American art schools are not teaching. Everyone who wants to paint realism should study drawing, in my opinion. I know there are artists who have never taken formal classes, but drawing consistently in a sketchbook counts too. It is all in training your eye.






Featured Artist for October at Amelia SanJon Gallery:



I will have 5 or so paintings for the First Friday opening, October 3, at Sandy Hinton's gallery in Fernandina Beach. See earlier posts: Around Amelia and Amelia Island Part 2. The show will be up through October. Here is one painting based on my stay there this summer. I fell in love with the area and decided to do a series of beach chairs in different sizes and situations from 30" x 36" to 4" x 4". This is Dune Buddies, 36" x 36", oil on canvas. I also have a couple of paintings of the wonderful Victorian porches and the marshes. An article is in today's Town Talk in the Chattanooga TimesFree Press about the show and the upcoming workshop with students from Happy Painters': L.J. Huffaker, Anne Platt, Martha Elder, Sarah Fowler, Barbara Murray, Ann Currey, and Betty Moses. I am hoping that there will be interest in doing another workshop there again soon.

Lots of things coming up- hope you are having a great start to fall too!

"Every artist was at first an amateur," Ralph Waldo Emerson

Durinda

Floral Painting Workshop Coming July 31 & Aug 1!

I will be leading a two-day workshop in painting flowers at the Happy Painters Studio on Lookout Mountain. This is a class that I have been thinking about since teaching the Sketching Callaway workshop in April. I envision lots of flowers on a center table with artists circled around it. We will begin with sketching individual flowers to explore the structures. Next, we will work with composition, different techniques, and color with setups. Each artist will complete a larger painting in the medium of his/her choice.

The workshop will be 10 am - 2 pm on Thursday, July 31 and Friday, August 1. Artists will need to bring their painting supplies, supports (paper or canvas), and a sketchbook with sketching pencils. Cost is $100. The class will be limited to six. You can bring a lunch or order from the Mountain Cafe. Email me to register: Durinda@Durinda.com.

Let's Paint!

Durinda

Au Revoir, La Bonne Etoile!

Our workshop ended on Friday night with a "Vernisage" in the studio. Kippy explained that it was the night that the artists who were juried into the Salon in Paris would put the final coat of varnish on their works before the show opened to the public. It was the preview night for the patrons with a reception. Ours was lovely! The studio had tables decorated with flowers and of course, cheese, wine and champagne!

Each artist had a panel of their paintings and sketches from the workshop on display. Our watercolorists also had their sketchbooks out. Kippy and Jerome invited several guests including our chef Marc; the sculptor John-Paul; Chantal the art restoration expert; the house manager Madame DeLahye and her husband; neighbors; French friends Monique and Raymond from Gravon; artist Nicole and her husband from Villuis; and even ladies from Marnay-sur-Seine where we painted.

I was very proud of the work that each of the participants had completed from their first en plein air experience! I hope that they will all look back on this with many happy memories as I will: Living the life of an artist in France!

Check out my Picasa web photos for more workshop scenes!
Durinda

Successful Show at Happy Painters

Here is a group shot of the watercolor class at Happy Painters' Studio on Wednesday. Our show opened Friday night and it was very well attended. I was so proud to hear many comments that the artwork this spring was even better than the previous show in the fall. Congratulations to all the artists who sold on opening night: Estelle Skoretz, Ann Currey, Wendy Williams, Betty Moses, Anne Platt, Jeanne Rudisill, and Margaret Sexton. The show will remain on view until May 30. The gallery is open Tuesday - Friday, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm or by appointment. Don't worry, each artist has another work to replace the one that sold, so the gallery will have plenty of wonderful original works for sale during the show.

Spring Art Show Opens Friday Night

You are invited to the opening this Friday night, April 25th, at the Happy Painters Studio. This is the second exhibit for the Studio classes and includes watercolor and oil paintings. The reception begins at 5:00 pm. Parking is available on the street and also in the lot to the right of the building. This is a great way to add something "spring" to your collection by buying directly from the artists.
I am very proud of the work that everyone has done. I know you will want to be there to support their efforts too.

Happy Painters Studio

116 N Watauga Lane

Lookout Mountain, TN

See you Friday!

Durinda

Autumn Art Show at Mountain Mirror Gallery

You are invited to the Autumn Art Show Opening on Friday, November 9, 6:00 - 9:00 pm. The gallery will be filled with wonderful paintings by the Studio artists who come weekly to paint. The show will feature acrylic, oil and watercolor paintings and will remain on view until December 15, being refreshed with new works as others find new homes.
The Mountain Mirror Gallery is next door to the Lookout Mountain Mirror office on N. Watauga Lane. The easiest way to get there is to stay on Scenic Highway to the business district. The Mirror is directly behind the Post Office, Twigs, and the Mountain Day Spa. Turn at the Mountain Cafe and it is the second building on the right. There is parking on the street and a lot right beside the gallery.
Thanks to Billy Parker, owner of the Mirror, for allowing us to use this space for our studio classes and gallery. We hope that he will have works in the gallery that night too.
I am so honored to work with these lovely and talented ladies: Evelle Dana, Sarah Fowler, Anne Platt, Jeanne Rudisill, Charlotte Wardlaw, Lisa Whittle, Ann Currey, L. J. Huffaker, Jan Michaels, Betty Moses, Barbara Murray, Wendy Williams, Margaret Sexton, Rita Bickerstaff, and Estelle Skoretz.
We are expecting a crowd, so come early for the best selection! If you need further directions or have questions, email me: Durinda@Durinda.com.

Double Primary Palette

Some years ago I started working with a double primary palette in watercolor and in oil. For the benefit of the new class members and others who struggle with color, I will explain the colors and the reason behind their choices. Sometimes I am amazed that people have taken classes where the instructor did not talk about laying out a palette and color mixing. Everyone has their own system but I find if I lay out my colors the same way each time, I can find them easier and mix faster.
The pure white goes on the top center of my palette. I squeeze out more of it than other colors. On the opposite end, goes my black, if I am using it, and a row of earth colors: raw sienna, burnt sienna, burnt umber and raw umber. I always look at my subject: what do I need? The earth colors are useful for mixing. I can make greys and nice greens by adding them. Next I do a row of the warm colors down the side beginning with the lightest: Lemon yellow, cadium yellow medium, yellow ochre, cadium red light, alizarin crimson. Permanent rose is one I may add if I am working with violets or lots of shadows. The cool colors are together on the last side starting with the lightest blue: cerulean blue, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, then the greens (again, what am I painting that I need greens I can't mix?): permanent green light, sap green, and viridian or hooker's green. For a landscape palette, that is all I will need to mix lots of greens, shadows, and sky.
What makes it a double primary palette? There are two values of each primary here: a lighter or cooler value such as lemon yellow and a deeper or warmer value: cadium yellow medium. Same with the reds: lighter cadium red light and deeper alizarin crimson. Blues: cerulean blue and ultramarine blue. You could use just the lighter colors and mix the darker or you could use just the darker and mix them lighter. It is just a matter of convenience that we have so many colors to choose.
I am working in my studio today to finish a few of the Tuscany paintings for the October show at the Hollis Gallery. I will shoot my palette (before it gets used) and post. After my head clears of hilltops, vineyards, and cypress trees, I will explain the colors and how to mix them without creating "mud".

Classes and Workshops

My fall art classes will be in a new space on Lookout Mountain, Tennessee beginning Wednesday, September 12. Oil/acrylic painting will be from 9:30 - 12:00 and Watercolor painting will be 1:00 - 3:30. The studio is next door to the Mountain Mirror office on Watauga Lane. I am looking forward to working with returning students and meeting new ones. I plan to have the classes outdoors some this fall painting on the mountain! Email me for registration information.
I have two new workshops to share with you. I hope that you can join me in my Artist's Travels this year!

Spring workshop: Sketching Callaway, April 4 & 5, in beautiful Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Ga. We will create a journal of sketches, watercolor paintings and notes about the garden with the help of the staff horticulturalists. The azaleas should be in full bloom! Registration will be with Callaway Gardens at a later date.

Summer workshop: Durinda and Friends in France. Two weeks at a lovely country house, all expenses included (except airfare) to paint, sketch, relax, shop and sight see. Instruction for plein air painting in the French countryside will be in watercolor and/or oil painting. Registration will be with La Bonne Etoile. More information will be posted later.