Monday, May 11, 2009
Summertime plans
Yesterday (Sunday) was “Art Day” at my Unitarian Church - a one day show for anybody who wanted to bring in their artwork. They hadn’t limited the number of works an artist could bring in, so I decided to take in enough to show what I’ve been up to: Two portraits (my copy of Walt Whitman and one that I’m not so wild about but Patricia insisted I take), my painting of a Lancaster County Farm in Autumn, Night Bus, and a selection of the fruit/vegetable paintings. They looked good, presented together, and I got some good complements from other Church artists that I respect. That even included Logan Speirs, whose work I am just in awe of. Of course, a lot of people had no idea that I’d been painting at all, so were surprised to see my things just for that reason alone.
There are lots of interesting summer painting classes, but I have decided to avoid them. So far, most of my paintings have been either class assignments or studio settings that I have no control over. I want to take this summer to see what kind of paintings and settings I choose in the absence of that classroom direction, and spend some time just fooling around with paint. Maybe this will even help me find a “direction” in what I am doing as an artist and painter - but I’m not counting on it.
There is one major exception to that last paragraph, however. Neil Di Sabito will be giving a class entitled Conquering Hands and Feet at the Academy in June, and I’m really looking forward to that. Neil is a good artist and teacher, and those appendages are a problem for most artists, certainly including me. It is interesting to notice how many paintings hide hands and feet, or just kind of “indicate” them in their paintings.
And then, some minor exceptions too. I’m joining the Philadelphia Sketch Club (it claims to be the oldest sketch club in the country, this IS Philadelphia after all), and they hold lots of “workshops.” These are basically open studios with a model provided, for drawing, sketching, painting, whatever. I'd largely stopped going to the workshops through the year but, with more time now, I dropped in again last Thursday. The model, Cheryl, was beautiful and there were spectacular shadows across her face, framed by her long black hair. I wish I’d had more than 2.5 hours to paint, but even so I’m happy with the incomplete painting that resulted. I even like the sketchy background I used. It is the most dramatic background I’ve used in any painting to date.
Cheryl
9" x 12", oil on canvasboard
Just in goofing-off mode, I’ve also painted a bunch of female heads. Not from life, just generic sketches. Silly, but fun. I’ll probably do more of these just to see where it goes. Or doesn’t.
So that’s life here in my studio, for now. (I used to call it my apartment, but by now the art supplies, equipment, paintings, books and stuff have taken over.)
There are lots of interesting summer painting classes, but I have decided to avoid them. So far, most of my paintings have been either class assignments or studio settings that I have no control over. I want to take this summer to see what kind of paintings and settings I choose in the absence of that classroom direction, and spend some time just fooling around with paint. Maybe this will even help me find a “direction” in what I am doing as an artist and painter - but I’m not counting on it.
There is one major exception to that last paragraph, however. Neil Di Sabito will be giving a class entitled Conquering Hands and Feet at the Academy in June, and I’m really looking forward to that. Neil is a good artist and teacher, and those appendages are a problem for most artists, certainly including me. It is interesting to notice how many paintings hide hands and feet, or just kind of “indicate” them in their paintings.
And then, some minor exceptions too. I’m joining the Philadelphia Sketch Club (it claims to be the oldest sketch club in the country, this IS Philadelphia after all), and they hold lots of “workshops.” These are basically open studios with a model provided, for drawing, sketching, painting, whatever. I'd largely stopped going to the workshops through the year but, with more time now, I dropped in again last Thursday. The model, Cheryl, was beautiful and there were spectacular shadows across her face, framed by her long black hair. I wish I’d had more than 2.5 hours to paint, but even so I’m happy with the incomplete painting that resulted. I even like the sketchy background I used. It is the most dramatic background I’ve used in any painting to date.
Cheryl
9" x 12", oil on canvasboard
Just in goofing-off mode, I’ve also painted a bunch of female heads. Not from life, just generic sketches. Silly, but fun. I’ll probably do more of these just to see where it goes. Or doesn’t.
6" x 8", oil on board (left side) and foamboard (right side)
So that’s life here in my studio, for now. (I used to call it my apartment, but by now the art supplies, equipment, paintings, books and stuff have taken over.)
