Day 5: Red Sea

Red Sea

Oil 

12 x 12

$400.00

Available

http://www.Durinda.com

Couldn't let the week slip by without doing a poppy painting!  This one started as a demo for the Impressionist oil painting class on Tuesday.  Of course the scene is from a photo taken in Provence during a workshop there last May.  Not saying that every time I go to France or Provence that I see a poppy field, but have been fortunate to find them.  Now if you are interested in finding them too, please join me for Painting in Provence, May 27, 2014 for a week of painting and discovery of that lovely region!!  Registration is open now:  http://www.frenchescapade.com.  Register before November 30 and receive a discount!  

The name for this painting came from one of my grandgirls who said it looked like a sea of red!

Also, thanks for bearing with me on this monthly painting challenge! I just found out how to post on the 30 Day blog without posting to my blog every time!  So what I will do now, is upload several paintings and send out no more than once a week.  I like my friends too, but everyday in the mail box is a little much for me.  I hope this will work!

Happy September!
Durinda

Day 4: Day's End

Day's End

oil

8 x 10

$250.00

Available

http://www.Durinda.com

There is something quite somber about going to the Chickamauga National Battlefield and seeing the cannons and monuments.  When you read the accounts of the fighting there, you can only imagine what a hard and trying time that was for so many men and their families.  The Park, as we call it, adjoins my neighborhood so I travel through it almost every day.  This painting was done for the 6th Cavalry Museum (http://www.6thcavalrymuseum.com) exhibit "Lives and Lands of the Civil War" which is part of the commemoration of the Battle at Chickamauga. I did two more paintings which are different scenes of the area.  The exhibit opens Friday, Sept 6 4:00 - 7:00 pm and lasts until Oct 26.  

A Painting A Day

Jane Painting in the Olive Grove

oil on linen

16 x 20

$400.00

Available:  http://www.Durinda.com

Trying it again!  I am setting a goal of posting a painting a day for September.  May get a little tricky since I will be traveling a lot but hopefully I can do a sketch while on the road.  This painting is from a trip to Assisi, Italy.  Jane set up to paint in the shade, yes, it was warm that day!, and I loved the way her sundress slipped off her shoulder while she was painting.  I also love the twisted shapes of the old olive trees cascading down the hillside.  Awww, something about Italy keeps drawing me back!  I will return the end of the month to paint and play at Lake Garda in the lake district and then on to Venice!  

If you are a painter or sketcher, I plan to send back photos on my blog for you to enjoy so you will feel like you are on the trip with me!  They won't all be as complicated a scene like this and I will give you a few tips along the way about composition and cropping using photographs.  It will be the next best thing to being there!

Ciao for now!

Durinda

Wanderlust

Florence Cafe

Oil

Available 

When you close your eyes, where are you? Are you still in your own environment surrounded by things that are familiar to you?  Or are you someplace where you have been where you remember the sights, sounds, and smells?  Maybe you can imagine a place you would like to go.  Is it very different from where you are?  What do you envision you will see?  What do you hear? Are you alone or around others?  Is the language the same as yours? Are you in a town or out in the country? Maybe at a beach or in the mountains?  Do you smell traces of flowers or freshly baked bread at a market?

There is something about experiencing a new place that has always drawn me to travel.  Perhaps you enjoy discovering new places, new sounds, and new foods?  Where would you go if you were given a trip?  There are places I have been where I would return.  Still others that I would like to visit.  

Part of the joy of being a teaching artist is helping others to record what they see in sketches or paintings.  It is like you can stop time for a moment and capture it all to yourself.  When you return and see your artworks you created, you can still feel the presence of the place.  You can close your eyes and imagine being there again, hearing the sounds, smelling the air,and feeling the heat, cold, or breeze.  

Let me know if you want to experience some of the places I will be going this year.  I would love to have you join me!

Plein Air Painting in Venice  October 5 - 12, 2013, contact:      info@ilchiostro.com 

Painting in Provence  May 25-June 1,2014, contact:    contact@frenchescapade.com

Ciao!  or Au Revoir!

Durinda

First Snowfall

First Snowfall

oil on linen

10 x 8

Behind every painting is a story.  This is a section of an original oil painted last winter.  I had not been at home in years during the winter months so being here for the first snowfall was especially exciting.  I loaded up my painting gear- in my backpack so I could carry it- in search of the perfect spot to paint.  After a few steps in the snow, I decided I liked my view of our yard from the front porch!  And, the fact that I could set up my easel on a flat surface, be under the covering to block the wind, and not get my feet wet, well, hey, so much the better, right?  Just goes to prove, sometimes the best things are actually right around you, like your home, your family, and your friends. 

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Cheers!

Durinda

The Secret

I often get asked, "What is plein air?"  I know it sounds like some Secret Code that artists use.  True, it isn't something you hear everyday.  It means in the open air.  It's a term we artists use when we are referring to painting outdoors.  And, not sure why we westerners insist on using the French term.  We don't use other French terms that much.  I guess it relates back to the Americans who went to France to learn the Impressionism style of painting  in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  They had heard or even seen paintings by these French artists thanks to Mary Cassatt bringing them over.  This was something new as far as art styles.  Loose choppy brushstrokes, high key color palettes, and painted outdoors? 
The French Impressionists weren't the ones who invented painting outdoors.  Certainly artists had been carrying sketchbooks outside for centuries.  And the British would tell you they were watercoloring outdoors long before Monet painted his "Impression: Sunrise".  It just happened that oil paints could now be stored in tubes as opposed to being handground in the studio where it was stored in pots.  Adding to that, artists were now painting on linen canvas which could be stretched over supports making it lots lighter than painting on primed wood.  Monet even used a boat as a floating studio to paint the populars next to the river bank. 

Painting Aspens at Lake Tahoe

Plein air painting can be as rugged a sport as you want to make it.  Some artists hike miles in the woods and mountains with their supplies on their backs just to capture their scenes.  You can paint in public or not.  You can carry large canvases or very small.  There just isn't a right or wrong way.  So if you see an artist outside set up with their easel and paints, you can say, "Good luck with your plein air painting." And they will know that you know the Secret.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Paints

D & Barbara

Sandra, Susie, D, Ruth

D, Phyllis, Diane

This blog today is dedicated to the women painters I have met over the years. These are not your ordinary, paint in the studio and don't get dirty painters. They are the ones who paint on-site or outdoors in all kinds of weather and all kinds of conditions. We are Sisters of the Traveling Paints.
I have always drawn and painted. I can't remember not doing it. I carried pieces of paper outside as a child and drew what I saw: flowers, bugs, trees. I didn't know it was called "plein air". It was just something you did because you had to. You wanted to capture what attracted you on paper. Save it for looking at later. It was fun.

Today I count myself very lucky to have crossed paths with lots of women who share the same passion for painting outside. They come from many different backgrounds, many different locations, and many different personalities. Some are very representational painters, some are nearly abstract painters. Yet we all paint for basically the same reason: we have to. Along the way, I have come to know a few of these sisters and their families more in depth. It becomes like a network of friends that you hear from occasionally, but you think about more often than that. When one suffers a sickness or a loss, you feel it too. You know that while art is very important in their lives, so is their family. You also rejoice in their victories- awards, sales, new galleries, etc. And in the achievements or expansions of their families as well.

So, here's to you, my fellow Sisters of the Traveling Paints. You have made my journey into painting outdoors a lot more enjoyable by sharing it with you. A few of my oldest paint buddies:

Susie Covert, Bradenton, FL; Barbara Perriotti, Ormand Beach, FL; Diane Johnson, Cary, NC; Linda Blondheim, High Springs, FL; Ruth Cox, Myrtle Beach, S. C.; Phyllis Franklin, Thomaston, GA; Carly Hardy, Darien, GA; Marsha Savage, Smryna, GA; Sandra Babb, Ringgold, GA; Terry Mason, Sarasota, FL; and the many new sisters I have met: Jeanne Salucci, Long Island, NY;Priscilla Watson, Aptos, CA;Barbara Davis, Montgomery, AL; Barrett Edwards, Naples, FL; and others. Thanks for sharing your advice and your friendship.

May you always have your palette ready,
Durinda

Life Springs

Life Springs

oil on linen

12 x 9

private collection

Paintings tell stories. Some paintings tell us everything. Others make us guess. Still others lead us to come up with our own story. This painting was done last week during the Callaway Paintout and Sale at Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Georgia. Only this particular painting wasn't done at Callaway at all. It was painted on an estate in LaGrange, Georgia. LaGrange is a few miles west of Pine Mountain. But this place was more than a few miles apart in character from Pine Mountain. It was an ocean apart.

The artists in the paintout were divided up into two per team and shuttled to nearby cities to paint in private gardens on Tuesday. I was partnered with Robin Roberts from Ohio. We were met by a gentleman who drove us out to his castle, estate, er home for the day. Now imagine the sites and landscape along the way. LaGrange is a pretty enough town. It has a nice college there and lots of churches in the downtown area. The surrounding landscape is humble houses, small farms, and a few mobile homes sprinkled now and then. We drove through a large stone gated drive and down a long narrow road. Then before us appeared this "mini" Biltmore house. At least 3 stories with a English tudor styling that rivaled anything you would see on the Hudson or Long Island. Vast green lawns stretched forever with stacked stone walls lining them.

I expected Giles or Jeeves to come out and take our humble backpacks crammed with our supplies. Instead, we were shown around by the owner and then set up to paint where we pleased. I love painting architecture. But believe me, I was way too intimated by this place to paint it. No way. So I found a humble smokehouse in the back of a small (comparatively) perennial garden to paint. It was one of the remains of the plantation that once occupied this land.

After lunch, I went up the hill to this spot in the painting: a foundation and chimney left by a former dwelling on the property. The new owner had cleared the area, there were wrought iron chairs and tables nearby and had planted this native azalea. What appealed to me was the way the ruins were so cared for and left as they were. Certainly the owner could have razed the stones and naturalized the area. But here they were: a nod to the inhabitants of years gone by. A slave quarters? Tenant farmers? Gardeners house? And before it, a brightly lit orange azalea that seemed to say life goes on. So when you think about it, we all just pass through this earth. We create dwellings, clear the land, and plant our gardens. Nature really owns it. I think that's why God gave us springtime to remind us.

Happy Earth Day on Friday and Happy Easter to you and yours,

Christ died and rose again. Life Springs Eternal.

Durinda

Super Sunday Sale

Midtown Gallery

1912 Broadway

Nashville, TN

Wildflowers I

oil on board

6 x 6

available at http://www.midtowngallery.com/

Looking outdoors at my back yard right now looks nothing like the images I am creating inside. Still trying to keep my spirits up during the winter doldrums, I am painting a series of wildflowers on hillsides and also marshes with "happy clouds". The small square format is perfect for these scenes. The hillsides are based on my Tuscany travels where I have painted. The marshes are images from different locales around Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. One thing I tell my students is to choose your subject in a landscape. Is it the ground or is it the sky? Don't divide your composition by painting the horizon line right in the middle and developing details in both areas. This is a fun (two) series for me and I love the wide floater frames I am using on them. The new paintings are available at Midtown Gallery in Nashville where I am now represented. Midtown Gallery is located on Broadway near Vanderbilt University. I used to be in Local Color Gallery in the same location a few years ago and am very excited to be back showing in the Nashville area. I hope you will drop by Midtown and see my paintings. For Super Bowl Sunday, Gary Tisdale the owner does something pretty unique: he has a Super Art Sale from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. It's a great time to get new works for your collection at great prices. Tell Gary you know me!

Also, I am now a part of Daily Painters of Georgia and you can follow our blog: http://www.dailypaintersofgeorgia.blogspot.com/ I am hoping it will motivate me to shoot, edit, and post my paintings more often. I wish I could say that I don't mind that part of the art trade, but I dread it. So I usually wait until I have several new paintings to shoot before I set things up. This will be an experiment to see if I can do this!

Have a Super Sunday no matter whose team wins today!

Durinda

Housebound and Happy

WIP in studio

If you are not in the southeast region, our big news here this week is the Big Snow. Over 8 inches at my house. Unusual for our area, especially since we had about 4 inches on Christmas Day. Now for you Yanks out there who get snow all the time and just get out and go in it, we don't have equipment to clear secondary roads. Our 2 or 3 salt trucks work the main interstates. The rest of us are on our own. So, pretty much our whole city is shut down until the snow melts. No school, even the malls were closed yesterday. And yes, I am staying home this winter instead of being at the beach. My S.A.D. has not kicked in yet. I am actually enjoying looking at the snow.

So, how do you paint snow? My personal preference is a composition with some color in it whether it is blue or violet cast shadows or something architectural like a stone wall or corner of a house. If you are unsure of composing landscapes, use your viewfinder in your camera. I will be watching the light today from the sunroom for cast shadows. Right now, the whole scene is white. The sky is the same color as the ground. I already have a view in mind that I want to paint. I will have my supplies ready in case the sun cooperates with me.

If you are new to painting, use the quiet time to organize your materials. Put your name on your things. Try out your paints by making a color chart and writing the names on it. Email me for a copy of a color wheel you can make. I always find things to do in the studio. I spent a lot of time Sunday cleaning my palette. If you have old magazines, go through them and rip out things you like (scenery, interiors, faces, etc) to start a resource file. It's nice to have a photo of a certain thing if you are painting something similar. I keep flower catalogs to help with painting gardens or flowers in pots. If you are not a painter, you can keep a file too of things you like and would want a painting of some day. It is much easier for the artist to visualize what you have in mind if you can show an example. It doesn't have to be perfect. There is always some research in painting a commission. Even giving a color swatch torn out will help.
In the meantime, I will be snug and warm in my sunroom studio painting flowers I bought Sunday. I'll keep an eye out for the sun to peek through. It's kind of like, "when the moment is right" commercial. When it happens, be ready (to paint, of course).
Take time to enjoy your view!
If you would like to continue to receive this blog, click the title and go to the main page where you can subscribe. The blog is a written commentary on what and where I am painting or traveling. My newsletter features a recent painting and/or updates on shows or paintouts. You can subscribe to it on http://www.durinda.com/email-newsletter. I welcome your comments or suggestions about what you would like to see in the blog. So let me know!

Durinda

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

Your World of Art Interview on Charter TV

Cameraman Josh Brown, Charter TV

Donna Hilley, owner of Artistic Gifts and Framing, with Ron Arnold

D with Ron Arnold, host of Your World of Art

Just so you'll know, I was taped for a segment on Your World of Art, a Charter TV show. Donna Hilley of Artistic Gifts and Framing, my gallery in Dalton, Georgia, arranged to have the interview at her shop on June 23. Ron Arnold, the host, and I stood in front of one of my paintings in the gallery and talked about my beginnings as an art student and later as an instructor and professional artist. I tried to be at ease, after all, you are being asked about yourself, nothing you shouldn't already know, right? Ron also interviewed Heidi Ingle, an art teacher from the Dalton area. I went first- gulp! We went straight through, no stops or retakes. You know, it is pretty easy to talk about your work, but making your life sound interesting- well, that is something else entirely. So, I hope I didn't bore anyone to sleep, or maybe if I did, I hope you see images of French cottages and poppy fields in your dreams. That's what I try to dream about.

The show is airing on Charter Cable TV channel 17 (at my house) and maybe channel 22 in other places. I have caught it around 8 pm nightly. It should run during the month of July. I think the whole concept of spotlighting local and regional artists is really kind of nice. We try to promote other things, why not the artists and craftsmen as well? BTW, Ron is a photographer and shows his work at Reflections Gallery in Chattanooga, another gallery of mine. Check out Heidi's cute animals in acrylic. She has been selling at the Chattanooga Market on Sundays. It is always a pleasure to meet other artists and talk "shop". I hope the interview will encourage children and young people to think about following their dream of becoming an artist someday. And, give inspiration to those adults who have always wanted to paint or draw, but just haven't started.

"Life is a great big canvas; and you should throw all the paint on it you can." Danny Kaye

What are you waiting for?

Durinda

A Memorable Weekend

Frankie Willis, my newest collector with Golden Dreams

My setup at the
stone bridge on Sunday

PAG painters

Bambi, Phyllis, Durinda & Sandra

(We've been painting together for years)

The Reception at Pinky's Parlor

Sandra at the river

I don't know what possesses two reasonably sane people to drive to middle Georgia on Memorial Day weekend, setup to paint outdoors in 90 degree heat with pending thunderstorms, but all it took was a "ya'll come" from friend Phyllis and off Sandra and I went. The event was sponsored by Plein Air Georgia in Flovilla. Yes, Flovilla. I had no idea where it was. It is between Atlanta and Macon. We actually were in the Village of Indian Springs. There is a state park which contains the mineral springs that the Indians thought contained healing powers. The village was in its heyday during the late 1800s until 1920s. Without telling you too much history, it is now restored with a cafe, museum, shops and gallery, rental cottages, and gardens.

So what do you do at a paintout? First, you register and the canvases or paper you think you will use that day are marked or stamped on the back. That insures that you do something on the spot and haven't brought a painting you did earlier or in the studio from a photograph. Then you have a time limit to submit your paintings for judging and a display. Our deadline to have work framed and submitted was 3:00. Whew!

The three of us, Sandra, Phyllis and I painted in or near the botanical garden. I setup on the hillside near a small stream with purple iris lining it. I tried out the new MatteFinish Alkyd paints from Gamblin for my underpainting. Working with them on my linen boards went well. They do dry out quickly on your palette in the heat. After lunch at Pinky's Parlor, I again painted in the same area, this time an arbor with a wooden bridge.

Twelve painters from different areas of Georgia presented one or two works each for the reception. Pat Burns won First Place for her Mossy Tree and two other awards were given. Phyllis had made up the "I Survived" awards for the people who were first timers painting en plein air. I always say painting outdoors is not for sissies. Besides the sun, the wind, the bugs, the animals, the kids eating ice cream, you also deal with folks who just naturally are curious about painters. "Do you know Thomas Kincaid?" a sincere bystander asked Phyllis once. "No, do you?" Well, I am sure that sweet Phyllis had just the right thing to say back, but I would have been tempted to say that.

At the end of the reception, it was such an honor to have Frankie Willis purchase my two oil paintings as well as Sandra's and Phyllis'. Frankie is the one who has brought Indian Springs back to life. What a wonderful support for the local vendors and families. Her insight into recreating the village and establishing the gardens makes the area well worth the trip. You can stay in the state park, the Indian Springs resort, or rent one of the cottages in town. I guess a bonus of being a painter is getting to see interesting places and meeting other artists. It sure helps to have friends who enjoy the same things you do!

Now go make some memories!

Durinda

New Homes and Gallery

Poppy Walk

oil on canvas

24 x 30

Italian Alley

oil on canvas

10 x 10

Bonjour!

oil on canvas

16 x 20

I am pleased to announce that I will be represented by Artistic Gifts and Framing in Dalton, Georgia. Donna Hilley, the owner, chose four oil paintings for her gallery: French Barns, French Farm, Bonjour!, and Oriental Lilies. The gallery is off Cleveland Highway in the Vista shopping center next door to The Spiced Apple. I hope you will drop in and see not only the artwork she carries, but also the gifts and other handmade items. Donna will custom frame your new artwork purchase too!

Field of Poppies went home with new owners at the Boyd Buchanan School fundraiser Saturday night. It is always an honor to have someone choose your paintings for their homes or businesses. I hope the new owners will enjoy the painting for years to come and thanks for supporting the school!

New works went out to Reflections Gallery in Chattanooga last week. I sent a series of sunset marshes. Other new works from a series of Italian streetscenes went to Ringgold Art & Frame as well as Poppy Walk, another in my series of poppy fields. More to come! I have lots of ideas for the series based on my three weeks in France. Not to slight my Italian poppy fields, I will be using some of those references for paintings too.

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." -Pablo Picasso

Hope you have some art in your life!

Durinda

Lasting Memories

Field of Poppies

Oil on canvas

16 x 20

So every chance I get to refer back to my photographs and notes of France, I take it. My daughter asked for a painting for the Boyd Buchanan School fundraiser. Of course I have paintings that were finished and framed that I could have chosen, but I wanted to get back to my "zen zone" of painting the wild poppy fields. This is the one I selected for the auction. I hope it will find a good home. The auction is Saturday, April 17, at the school. I am working on a couple more of the fields this same size and smaller works of Italy scenes.

If you would like to see the "La Dolce Vita" show on line here is the link for il chiostro. If that doesn't work, just try www.ilchiostro.com . I would appreciate you voting for my painting The Brass Shop Doorway (watercolor) as one of your 3 favorites. You simply email: info@ilchiostro.com and write VOTE for the subject. Then in the message list your favorites by name and artist. If you love Italy, you will love this show! Workshops are being booked now, so if you are thinking about going with me in October to Tuscany, get your name in! I will furnish you a sketch journal and IF I should win as one of the top favorites from the show, you could be in for a surprise too!

"A landscape is always something other than the reality it portrays. It is essentially a product of the mind." Charles Burchfield

Now go think good thoughts!

Durinda

A LOVER-LY WEEKEND

My Mickey Award shot by my 5 yr old grandgirl

Blossom showing my art set up

Front: Barbara Perrotti, Dorothy Gardiner :Back Durinda, and Diane Johnson
at the Artists' Reception on Thursday night

English Doorway, oil on canvas, Sold















The Artists in the Gardens weekend was LOVERLY! The gardens were awesome and that is quite a feat given the cold weather that Florida has had this winter. I enjoyed seeing my art friends at the reception and lunches as well as painting in the "United Kingdom". The Epcot cast members take great care of us, providing water and sodas throughout the day. Friday and Saturday the weather was perfect and then Sunday it clouded up and poured later in the afternoon. We were packed up at lunchtime and didn't go back on the streets. I had a few sales, which is always an added bonus, and talked to some really interesting guests. The children are the most fun. I had two young boys who came right up to me and said, "I'm an artist too!" I just loved that!

If you get the chance, visit Epcot during the International Flower and Garden Festival in the spring. The plein air artists are there only the one weekend, but there is lots going on throughout the festival. I am so honored to have taken part in my fourth year and hoping for a return in 2011!

Now, go play in your yard!
Durinda

On the Woad Again....

In the UK gardens at Epcot in '08

My husband thinks the neighbors don't know I live here, it seems like I have been gone more than I have been home this year (true). We are leaving today for Disneyworld and the Artists in the Gardens weekend. Each spring Epcot hosts the International Flower and Garden Festival with all kinds of gardening exhibits and beautiful flowers in the World Showcase. This is my fourth year to be invited to paint plein air in the park. There will be sixteen artists scattered through the countries painting on location. It is always a fun weekend meeting guests and visitors in the park and getting to paint in such a wonderful location. The UK has the English cottages and gardens full of color. Last year I painted in Canada and it was equally as pretty. I can't wait to see what the horicultural department has done this year with the landscaping.

For your artists, I will be taking my Anderson easel. It has a swivel back that will lay flat because I will be taking my watercolors. I can either stand and paint or sit by adjusting the height. I will be using my transparent colors - no cadimums or earth colors. My Art comber is going again too. It holds everything in the basket and has the chair that pulls out. You never know when a quick rain will pop up in FL and it is good to have a place where everything can go plus it has wheels so it is easy to transport. A good sunhat, sunscreen, and I am ready to woll- eh, roll!

Wishing you a magical week!

Durinda

Love what you do

Approaching storm, south Lido Beach

North Siesta Key Beach, in progress

There's a commercial now for Blackberrys that uses three different scenarios of people overcoming obstacles, a musician, a clothing designer, and a young couple. In the end they are all triumphant and the slogan is "Love what you do." I found my ADD mind saying,"Do what you love." We all know you can't always do that. Sometimes you have to do things you don't really love or like because that's just the way it is. But you can love WHAT you do. Painting is like that. If you don't really care about what you are painting, it shows. When you paint what gives you chill bumps, other people can feel it too.

People have asked me if I find it difficult to sell a painting if I really like it. When I am working on a painting or a series of a subject, I live with that image. It is the last thing I think about at night and the first thing I think about in the morning. What does it need to communicate my idea? What is my next step? How much more work is left? Then, wah-la, it is finished. The point is made. I am onto the next image. Painting is really more about loving the process than loving the product. Once the painting is complete, it is ready for someone else to love. I have a "new baby" to care for.

I have to go now, I hear one calling...

Paint the whole world on an 8 x 10

You know who you are! You go outside with your paints and easel and BAM! Everywhere you look it is beautiful. Great light, great sky, glowing colors... it looks so good you just want to paint it all! But wait! You have to put it on an 8 x 10! What's a painter to do?

First, what attracts you most? What do you really want to paint? The sky? The trees? The grass? The water? The alligator? (no, really!) With your idea in mind, use a viewfinder, even cheaper, use your fingers and make a viewfinder, a keyhole, if you will and look JUST at the area you want to paint. Forget the lovely flowers on your left or the white bird- an egret?- that keeps strutting in front of you sticking his neck WAY out. Go away, distraction! The light will change in less than 2 hours and you have to get to work!

Make a sketch if you can, of just the large shapes. OK- you are going to put that on your canvas. Draw with charcoal or thinned paint. Go for the big blocks of local color. Here's your mantra for the day: SQUINT! Reduce the landscape into large masses of values and color. Get the essence, not the entirety ( I made that up!) Sure, it looks simple. The guy behind you is thinking, "I can do that". Yes, he can. That's why he is watching you and not painting himself. He "thinks" he can. He hasn't tried it.

Wow- that part took almost an hour. You still have to make it look like a landscape. Put in your lights. Put in your darkest darks. Hmmm, all you have to do now is tweek the midtones and then a few highlights- a tiny dab of sunlight here and there.

Time is growing short. The light has started creeping onto areas that were dark before. The shadows are much shorter. You are getting warm. A bee lands in your paint. Of course, he is in your most expensive imported white paint. You can paint around him. Naw, better flick him out. He looks like a ghost bee now on the ground. Maybe he can rub off the paint in the grass. Why did he want to dive in it in the first place??

You hear a rustling behind you. The looker is back. "Hmmm," he says,"I can see what you are painting now. Not bad." Thanks, you mumble, scraping off your palette. Note to self: in a little more than 2 hours, I painted "my world". Here's my world and welcome to it....

F-f-f-un Painting in F-F-F-Florida

Painting at the Myaaka River

Marc Hanson's Demo at the Beach

That's not snow you see there, it's sand, but we look like we could be painting at the Antarctic! Marc brought the cold weather from Minnesota with him so we could experience his same painting conditions. All week in SW Florida it has been 20 - 30 degrees colder than normal. Factor in the wind from the gulf and it feels even colder. Susie Covert called us the "Guerrilla Girls" for braving the out of doors.

Marc was here for a one week workshop in plein air painting through the M Gallery. He has a show there this month also. This was not a workshop for true beginners. We dove right in to working with value, composition, and brushstrokes. Marc kept us working with a timer. Some pressure, huh? Actually, it really kept you thinking about the painting. After all, "our job is to create a good painting" one of the many reminders Marc gave us. His other often quote was,"It is getting warmer, don't you think?" Not! At least it was a way to paint like the midwesterners without having to be there!

The teacher in me was really pleased at Marc's presentations and demeanor. He really tried to encourage us to think about what we were expressing and not just paint what was there. Jack Beal used to call it, "See, Put." You are in control, not the weather, not the paints, not the brushes, etc. My favorite painting of the week was at night- eeks- on a dock looking across the water. Talk about shivering! It was pretty amazing to watch and listen to him talk about keeping the values close. I like my painting looking across at the skyline and can't wait to try more- when it warms up, of course!

It's a wienie bit chilly out this am. After it warms up some, I will retrieve my paintings from the trunk of the car and try shooting a few to post. Marc gave us some advice on that too. Hope I can retain all this knowledge when I am out painting later this week. I am inside with my watercolors right now. Ahhh- it's warm here in the kitchen....

Now go play with some paint!
Durinda