Thoughts on Painting Still Life



Food for Thought
16x20



Still Life painting is a great passion of mine. And i think for most people, you either love em', or you don't. For me, still life's hold a special place in my heart, for that's when colors and values and shapes, began to make sense to me.

I also enjoy the gathering of trinkets and formulating them into a display. And, I gotta tell ya', you just haven't lived until you've wandered through thrift stores looking for interestingly shaped items that are just begging to be re-purposed. It truly is great fun. However, some items, like the bud vase, was my mother's, the book is my wife's, and the flowers are snips from our yard.

I knew i wanted this painting to be full of texture and that it would take multiple sittings to get it where i wanted it. The whole thought process that takes place with problem solving (the application of paint to a painting revisited) is quite freeing and magnetizing. Freeing - in terms of not having to dial everything in during the first pass or two because i know i'm going to refine as i go. And magnetizing - because each visit is like a new painting, only better. The juicy thick paint being pulled and dragged, grabs like a saber tooth tiger and reveals wonderful nuances.

If you already enjoy painting still life's, i might be preaching to the choir. If you don't, i would urge you to give it a shot - you never know, you might succumb to the power of the still...and if you're an appreciator, you probably already have.

Truth in Painting

Gorge White House
6x8

Last Sunday, Vicki and I, went to The Gorge White House in Hood River, OR for Celeste Bergin's solo show opening which was great.

We are no stranger to the great city of Hood River, we actually got married there, but it was our first time to the delightful old farm house.

We arrived early to allow me get a plein air painting in and enjoy a picnic before the scheduled event. I found it a struggle to land on something to paint, for there is so much beauty with every turn. Mt Adams and Mt Hood are both clearly visible, amazing hillsides, and terrific orchards. I finally landed on a distant view of the Gorge White House itself with the wide grassy path, cutting through the fields and leading you to the house.

There are some things i really like about this painting, but there are some things i didn't see until later in the day which could have made it a stronger composition. The most glaring to me, is the way the line of the dark tree trunk is right in line with the edge of the grass. That line should have been broken up.

Performing the act of painting is all about choices and making decisions. What to put where, and how to compose a piece in a manner of the mood or feeling you are trying to convey. Now, i could have moved the tree to make it more technically correct, but i was not willing to lose the spontaneity of the main subject farm house. So there you go; I made my choice.

Plus, there are times when i like to show the truth of my day, the honesty in my moment of how i was seeing. At times that may be a bit cockeyed, but for better or worse the authenticity always shows through and that's one of the great things i love about painting.

Art - Vancouver,WA



Art - Vancouver
Oil on panel
12x9

In an effort to celebrate the return of Spring and the start of the outdoor art event season, i decided to post a painting that i worked on last month. And since our weather, here in the Pacific Northwest, is just about to turn a swift 180 degrees, where the sun comes out to play a little more regularly, i thought this one might be appropriate. 

The scene here, i painted from a photo reference that i took last August while participating in Vancouver's annual, Art in the Heart, art festival.

I really enjoy capturing urban street scenes; scenes that have an intimate feeling to them; scenes with interesting lines, shapes, and colors. And ultimately trying to give the viewer an experience through my eyes that i find intriguing enough to paint.

A big thanks to, Cirith, for being my unsuspecting victim in the red dress. Word to the wise; Beware, for you never know when you will wind up as Art in Vancouver.

Spring Time Still Life

Spring Time
9x12
This last weekend was mostly about still life painting, and i had these three Daffodils left over that i begrudgedly did not paint during Eric Jacobsen's workshop. I was determined to not let my efforts of finding them on the side of the road go to waste though, and so i stayed up way too late Monday night in an effort to give them their due.
After painting it, i let it rest for a couple days to let things get good and tacky, as i was planning on a second coat, but all i did was add some lighter shadow values to the daffodils and that was it. There are a couple things i was wanting to change, but the most important thing i found to this piece is its spontaneity. Much of the time, i enjoy going in two, three, and four times adding texture, building up a painting surface that would rival the consistency of a chewy granola bar, but not this one.
Although, there is a good amount of paint, it doesn't get bogged down and retains a freshness that i really like.
I've talked about it and many others have too; knowing when to stop can be a real challenge. And i am not willing to sacrifice the feeling or mood of a painting for sake foodling, at least not for today.
Today is about Spring, flowers in bloom, and of course the timing of things....



Going Outside the Lines....

Academy Ruins V

6x8

A main focus for painters is knowing where your light source is coming from and how it falls upon a subject. It is a most critical key ingredient when designing a composition. For many, that means getting out in the field before sun-up to capture that elusive early morning light, or staying late to take advantage of the amazing colors of a nocturnal scene.

As a rule of thumb, most painters and photographers put down their gear between the hours of 10am and 2pm due to the flat light that ocuurs that time of day. However, rules are meant to be broken, right?....

I began this painting about 1pm last sunday, not for its outstanding light quality though. I have been wanting to paint this scene for the lines and how the shadows fall across the grass and the face of this part of the Academy's old laundry building.

Even though it's the wrong time of day, i really enjoy the effective light on this old structure. Plus it was a great study of line and composition.

It's important that we know what we are trying to convey, what initially draws us to a particular composition and execute the emotion.

Like many, I enjoy painting amazingly lit scenes, but i also won't limit myself to staying in the lines; if you couldn't tell.... :{>

Urban Impressions

Out for a Stroll

8x10

Recently, i have hit my urban impressions of downtown Vancouver,WA. Last weekend, the weather was so nice - it gave me a great chance to get out and snag some well-lit scenes for a couple of plein air pieces, and some photographs for studio work.

This painting was done in studio, but i wanted to give it a plein air feeling. The initial pass went in quite quickly - i did not fuss with perfect lines. Instead i focused on putting splashes and swipes of color and value in loose fashion. If you've never done that, you should try it. It's almost like being a kid again. Or in my case, dinner was just about ready.....

Over the next couple evenings, is when i really focused. I tidied things up a bit and infused some intense light, but still tried to keep to the playful feeling. I left all the signage as strokes and splots to keep to the looseness of the design. And although this is a representational painting, it could be more an expression color and light.

I know this is a tall order for anyone outside the area; but can anyone guess what the subjects are in this painting?

One hint....The yellow building was the first home of The Columbian newspaper.

Still Life

Young at Heart

12x9

This past weekend was filled with the painting of Still Lifes and the main focus was an Eric Jacobsen workshop at Art on the Boulevard.

If you've never taken a workshop from Eric, i would highly recommend taking one. He is a great instructor with a wealth of knowledge and one of the most inspiring people i have ever met. If you already have, then you know what i mean.

Saturday, after MEKing around, we went trinket hunting at local thrift shops and i found some new subjects to add to the collection as well as a Frank Sinatra album that i just had to get.

By Sunday afternoon, my new vinyl, interestingly shaped friends, and flowers were begging to take center stage and perform. So, after my display was set, the turntable began to spin and i started to paint in a most passionate way. I usually paint in silence, as i am a deep thinker, but the electrifying sound of Sinatra energized me and i just didn't want it to stop.

I painted all afternoon, until it was dark, having to get up and flip the record every so often, but i didn't mind. Having Ol' Blue Eyes, fill our home with his captivating sound was worth every moment of what would be considered, to this day and age, a hassle.

After letting this painting sit for a few days to tack-up, i revisited it and made some modifications. I may make a few more adjustments, before i consider it done, but never-the-less, i hope you find this painting, Young at Heart.