A Fine Kettle of Fish

Ya know...being a plein air wannabee, I sometimes do not know what I'm getting into. Thought these industrial huts would be a snap, and the truck and car in front would be fun too. Three hours later, my painting looked like shit (if I may put it ever so delicately). So...as often happens, I took a photo and finished the next day in my studio. Another half and half! Half plein air and half photo referenced studio painting. Go to: terrimiura.com. It's a fabulous and very educational web site. He is a phenomenal plein air artist. His new Sept. post shows his latest paintings. One has a wrought iron gate in it. A COMPLEX wrought iron gate. He writes about this challenge and mirrors the kettle of fish I got into. But ya know, ya gotta face these challenges, however frustrating they may be, to learn and grow.

Dust, Steam, and other Vapors

Ever seen some atmospheric Whistler or Turner paintings? I've always loved them! Maybe its because I have always loved the transition of Summer into Fall here in the Great San Joaquin Valley. The temperature cools down, and we start to get misty, hazy days that eventually transition, as we go into the winter season, to deep "tullie' fog. No sun for days and weeks on end! Driving conditions are horrible. But to see things such as trees, people, buildings, being shrouded and obscured in the fog is amazing. Well, we are only on the cusp of that season, but I'm already limbering up. About a week ago, when I was doing my plein air thing in downtown Sacramento, I saw a street person who spends his days randomly sweeping. I have dubbed him "Mr. Clean". He was sweeping dirt in the early morning and was somewhat back lighted. Wow! Fortunately, I had my camera at hand, and took a few reference snaps. I'm not sure at this posting if I'm finished with this acrylic... sometimes I polish my paintings too much. I think I like it the way it is. I especially like the billowing dust. I took some photos over 35 years ago when I was a college student (that's just after they invented college) of a car wash in Stockton (where I grew up) during the fog season. They had a young man, handling a steam hose, cleaning off the cars as they went through. So not only was there fog in the background, but this billowing steam coming out of the kid's hose. That's a double wow, and the image has never left my mind. I'll try to dig out the photo soon and post it. Meanwhile, as you can see, I'm getting limbered up to transition into tullie fog season here in the Great San Joaquin Valley.

Paint the good, bad, and ESPECIALLY THE UGLY

If you can go out there in the big world and find something "ugly" to paint and make it into something beautiful, well...I think you are going to become a better painter. Instead of relying on beautiful pastures, mountains, ocean beaches etc., etc., to draw in the viewer, you start to think more about composition, brush and color work, dramatic values etc. I know... you think about these things anyway , but guess what?... you think about them even more when painting the "ugly". For me, at least, the so-called ugly or prosaic is really not at all ugly or prosaic! We all grow up to dismiss a lot of what we see as not worthy to look at for more than a second or two. I suppose this is OK, because we have to get on with our lives. But when one takes the time out to paint something, its fun to look these types of things for maybe an hour or 2 or 3 or more! And like I said, you need to dig deeper down into your bag of artistic tricks to end up with a compelling painting. This I am learning as a plein air wannabee.

Plein Air AND Abstract Wannabe

Sometimes one takes artistic side excursions. I've been invited by a Northern California art supply chain store (University Art) to teach acrylic painting workshops here in Sacramento. This means representational AND abstract painting workshops. Now as a plein air wannabe, I feel that the skillsets I'm developing and practicing are really not too different from abstract art. I have not ever specialized in abstract painting, but every time I've done it, I find it very challenging and exciting...gee...just like plein air painting, come to think of it. But unlike plein air painting, there is nothing to look at. I find that a little daunting! To overcome this very scary situation, I like to mull over thoughts and feelings and maybe even do a thumbnail pencil sketch with notes. Do I want a hard line feel? A geometric look? Something natural and organic looking? Do I want vibrant colors or monotone or earthy? Texture and impasto? Mystery? Anger? Softness? Do I want a highlighted element? Do I want the eye to travel about the painting or come to rest on an element? I could go on and on at the expense of boring you dear reader. The point I am trying to make is that these are all similiar questions I ask as a plein air wannabe! With a great deal of humbleness, I present an abstract canvas I've just completed.

A closer look at "Ranching Equipment"

I want everyone to see more detail in the painting from my previous blog. By the way, in California, a Farm is sometimes a Ranch. This painting is a good example of not only watery or soupy washes but also a good example of charging in other colors while the previous wash is still damp.

Ranching Equipment

Nice thing about teaching my college summer plein air ink/water color wash sketch class is I too get educated. The contraption next to the 1947 Ford truck, one of my studenets told me, is a seed spreader. The contraption behind the truck, another student informed me, is a harrow. What's a harrow?...it breaks up hard soil to prep it for plowing. Obviously, all three items have seen better days. This sketch was a demonstration I did for my students to show how to paint nice watery washes of color. Water color painting has been defined as "controlling the flood". What an apt definition that is!

Changing The Light

I mentioned in my last blog that there is a wonderful twice- weekly letter you can recieve from an artist in Canada . His name is Robert Genn. If you want to check it out, go to http://www.painterskeys.com. Anyway, in his lastest email letter, he wrote about painting en plein air in the Queen Charlotte Islands. He was faced with a flat, overcast, grey day. He captured the scene alright, but at the same time, he remembered the sunset of the previous evening. He wrote about painting over what he had just done with those beautiful sunset colors. Robert , like me, is an acrylic painter. He could do this rapidly, because he did'nt need to scrape or wait hours for the paint to dry like an oil painter must do. Again, I must add that I'm not putting down oil painters! I'm merely deliniating the possibilities that lie within the medium of acrylic painting!
One can respond to his letters. I attached a painting I had just completed this Monday, and, like him, completely re-orhestrated the colors to a sunrise. Here is what I wrote: "Imagine my surprise when I read your latest missive titled Changing The Light. I go out with fellow plein air painters here in Sacramento, CA every Monday morning. We paint from 8AM to about 11PM. Same thing!... I captured the colors in the water, tree lines, and distant city buildings. Only one problem...BORING! I've spent a number of hours now in my studio simply changing the colors. I work in acrylic, so this is easy to do within short periods of time. I think i'm finally there. We're looking south down the Sacramento River. It can't be a summertime sunrise or anytime sunset. Maybe its an early morning winter view. Ahh...who cares!...its pretty and anyway...sometime in the future, I may paint over it. Hey... maybe a bright noontime view!
I'm probably going to look at this painting in the future and say "ugh!" But that's growing as an artist and meanwhile, I got lots of practice working with warm sunrise/sunset colors! As many artists have said before me, don't make your paintings too precious. Use them to learn and grow.