Its red period
Its blue period
Its most fun incarnation yet!
My experiment with covering the painting with color and then scraping was eh, okay. Not as drastic as I'd imagined, but only because I lost my nerve and used a LOT of Liquin Impasto medium with the yellow so that it was a thick glaze instead of an opaque covering.
But, I'm thinking my next glaze will be red and we'll see where that takes us. I think it'll 1)take off some of the yellow glaze because it hasn't had a week or more to dry and 2) deepen the values on some of the hidden darker stuff. We shall see!
I guess I lost interest in posting about my non-painting periods, and then when I did paint, was too busy to blog? That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.
To check on what I've worked on since July, check out my website: www.conniemiller.net
And now onto the photo record of what I've done with the painting, "Bigass Agave", which may or may not be its final name. BAA is 48x48" and is costing me a fortune in paint since I just use Liquin Impasto as my medium and Old Holland oil paints. I haven't found any other paint that I like as much, so will continue to stick with the expensive little tubes. Even though I use palette knives to apply the paint, I still don't seem to use a ton of paint most of the time. This bigass canvas is another story. Especially since I did an experiment with toning the entire canvas with just paint, no medium, as a way of getting an oil primed canvas. Can't say that I see a big difference over just the gessoed canvases, but I think I will continue to do that until I can get me an order of oil primed larger canvases. The professionally primed ones really are awesome. I can see a difference over acrylic primed canvas. Much brighter colors and no sinking in.
So, now here is the photo record of what is done so far. The next step is a thick yellow glaze that I will scrape off in some areas...sort of a poor man's approach to Gerhardt Richter
The problem with having a little dog with new health issues (and the resulting vet visits), and a delightful social life, is that painting time takes a backseat. But, I truly thought that I could bang out another winner of a painting even if I only had short sessions in which to paint it every day. The error in my thinking there was that I wasn't thinking! I had an idea for a painting but hadn't thought it through, so I spent 2 out of 3 days of painting wandering all over the canvas and getting increasingly frustrated that my very first thoughts on this painting were 1)not solid enough to have a good start and 2)weren't working for this subject.
I was trying to emulate the vibrant color style of the previous painting, "South Texas Beach", which had worked so well for that subject. But, I couldn't see where to go with it in this painting. In the end, it's possible that the underpainting peeking through will add some vibrance but I'm not sure that it was worth the time wasted getting to this place (and still not done!). It will get finished this weekend and I will have to promise myself to spend at least 2 hours a session and have a solid idea beforehand of where I want to go with the painting. Like writers who meander all over the page before they finally learn to stick to their outline and edit their work, I need to have a good statement going in.
My artwork will be in a group show this August which amazing artist Robbin Robertson Polter arranged for 5 artists at Russ and Co., in Central Austin. It's a three story building, but I will still have to enter paintings with size restrictions, so am in the process of creating much smaller work than I'm used to. To that end, I purchased smaller palette knives and ordered 9x12, 11x14 and 18x24" oil primed linen canvases to work on these next 2 weeks. My first attempt at painting from our week at the beach is a very bright "South Texas Beach", which is 18x24". I wanted to work "large" first, much like the Irises that I did in June. I tend to work out the design and information much better in a larger format and then can condense it into the smaller painting easier. I doubt that many painters work that way, but it works for me, since I primarily work with a palette knife (some day I'll write about that). I do love, love, love the oil primed linen substrate! The colors don't sink into the canvas and are so vibrant! I may have to restrain myself a bit more, now that they show in all their glory. Nothing subtle about this painting!
June and July are traditionally busy months for me, because it's the time to celebrate birthdays and Father's Day and Beach Week at S. Padre, then catching up from all the fun! So, while I did get some painting done during that time, I couldn't find the additional momentum to write about it. Instead, I will do a photo essay...bottom to top order.
"Shenandoah Mountains" 24x36 oil on gallery wrapped canvas (in progress)
I worked on mainly the sky for my session yesterday. The sky is a deep clear blue with wispy clouds, yet there's an area of moisture right in the center that needed just the right hue to represent what was going on with the clouds, moisture and sunlight. And Naples Yellow is just the color to bring in there. It has a bit of a peachy tint that works well with your blues for creating atmosphere. I mixed it with ultramarine blue at first, but got it too gray. Mixing with Schveningen Blue (Thalo), which is an Old Holland oil color, brought in more of the turquoise excitement I was looking for. It was a dance of mixes across the canvas as the light changed across the big blue bowl of a sky. It looks really intense against the blocking in of the foreground, but never fear. It'll all come together (she says confidently) in the next few days. I can't wait to get into the purples and russets and golds of the trees, but know that I have to go slowly and with a light hand or I'll end up with a rougher painting than I'd like. That is an issue that plagues me since my primary paint spreading tool is a palette knife, not a paintbrush.
Shenandoah Mountains 24x36 oil on gallery wrapped canvas (in progress)
Started a new painting yesterday, on the suggestion of my daughter, Sami. She's living in Virginia for a year and discovering the delights of mountain hiking. The photo she sent me was of the view in the Shenandoah mountains on her first hiking trip last Fall. There's tons of atmosphere in this view and I just hope I can do it justice. I blocked it in yesterday, and that's what this is a photo of. Today, all I worked on was the sky and the very distant mountains, and am dead now. Phew!!! I will post a photo of it tomorrow because the sun's too low and yellow in the sky now.
Azalea 18x24 (in progress) oil on gallery wrapped canvas
Iris 2011 CS Miller 24x30 oil on gallery wrapped canvas.
Lake House View 2011 CS Miller 36x36 oil on gallery wrapped canvas
Finished the "Lake House View" without a great deal of additional work. Started a new painting which was inspired by a video of Spring plants. I love the looseness and color combinations. It's had everybody oohing and ahhing, and I think they are inspired by the colors, too. Or maybe it's just that everybody loves an iris. I sure do. I love their long, long stems and their vibrant colors. And, the fact that they show up in the Spring when we're desperate for some color in our lives makes them a superior flower. Add to that my new painting of an Azalea bush (in progress) and I've had a very satisfactory week or two. Satisfying to me to have had the chance to paint them and stretch my skills, and satisfying to have sold the commission to a very happy owner. I'm always happy to sell my paintings to people who I know will love and appreciate them. That's probably why I've mostly just sold to people I know! That may change if "Iris" or "Berkeley Bird of Paradise" find new homes this week while hanging at Real Gallery downtown. If you're so inclined, art galleries on Congress are having another "I Art Congress" this Thursday, June 9th. Real Gallery is a nice space on the west side of the 900 block of Congress (just a couple doors south of Quiznos). They'll have wine and music 6-9p.m. I hope to be there. I have a very sick doggy right now, so all plans are up in the air regarding leaving the house. She's my heart and soul and this house seems rather empty without her little noises right now.
"Lake House View" 36x36 oil on gallery wrapped canvas...in progress...
I had brought the colors into a more realistic realm, in this painting, but wasn't feeling the love. So, after a rousing get together with artist friends where we talked about color A LOT, I took my palette knife and a total devil-may-care attitude and went to town on the water. I liked what happened so much that the hills got the treatment as well. Thinking in terms of color vibrations instead of matching the hues to reality, I had a blast. Generally, you don't go trying experiments on a commission, but I had to throw caution to the wind and listen to the Muse. And I think I've gotten over a hump at last and can strike out on a new adventure.
Sad times have hit area lakes, here in Austin, due to the worst drought in decades. So, knowing that the lake house, whose view I am commissioned to paint, is sitting on a cove that is rapidly drying up, I am glad I went out early this Spring to get the inspiration photos I'm working from. Because, in essence, I am painting an imaginary view at present. Painting a point in time that has passed, for now.
I'm hoping that all my thoughts of water in the lake, while painting on this, will conjure up some much needed rain for the area. If it works, folks, I will let you know!
"Barton Springs Bridge" 2011 CS Miller oil on gallery wrapped canvas 24x30x1 1/2"
"Devil's Hole Waterfall II" 2011 CS Miller oil on gallery wrapped canvas 30x30x1 1/2"
"River Trees" 2011 CS Miller oil on gallery wrapped canvas 30x40x1 1/2"
I first picked up a paintbrush 4 1/2 years ago, after not touching one since the age of 13, so I'm pretty experienced in not declaring a painting done until I've touched every part of it many times. This can be good, this can be bad. And sometimes you have to decide that it is what it is and sign it. You can check these out on my website as well: www.conniemiller.net
"River Trees" 30x40
Got some work done, after two months of sitting. I am in that mode right now, where I feel that I can't start anything new (no matter how I yearn to get to Richmond scenes that inspire me) until I finally sign a few paintings and get a commission going well. "River Trees" has been sitting long enough, so I chanced it that I wouldn't destroy that which I liked about the painting. I took it from normal to colorful and think it's fun. I also did a blue wash on the background and like it better. I don't think it recedes enough yet, so that will get some work. And, yes, I'm aware that the middle tree is way too purple. I decided that I'd been working long enough yesterday, and it's always good for me to leave a painting in an awkward situation so I'll be prompted to get back to it as soon as possible. I hope it's today, but I am wiped out from my morning. We shall see...
Barton Creek Bridge was started because I was attempting a loose composition inspired by Scott Ewen's landscapes
. It was a total failure at looseness, so I just let it sit in the livingroom to mock me. However, I was still drawn to the composition, so decided to work on the things that bugged me.
I told my hubby last night that I usually dread going up to paint when all I have ahead of me are problems to work out. But, I got so involved in making this a good painting this week that it had me totally engaged in the creative process. What a rush!
"Lake House View" 36x36 oil on canvas
"Zilker Gardens" plein air 9x12 oil on canvas
"Devil's Hole Waterfall II" 30x30 oil
Early this week, I decided that my foot could handle some standing for prolonged periods of time, so it was time to go up to the studio and paint!!
I also decided that I would work on a painting that I started back in June of 2010 and hadn't finished in August as planned. It's been sitting on my desk upstairs, mocking me and making me wish that I hadn't made it so monochromatic. So, I got in there and added the greyish greens that are part of the wonderful pink granite of that region of the Texas Hill Country. And I lightened up the background to add some interest. Now, I will let it sit for a bit and see if I think it's done or if I am interpreting visuals in it that no one else is, haha! It's like, I know what I see but does everyone else see it or are they confused about it.
On Thursday, I met at Zilker Botanical Gardens for a Plein Air Austin paintout. I thought the hardest part for me would be figuring out a composition and painting fast enough to keep it together when the light changed. Luckily for me, it was a very overcast day, so the light did not change very fast at all.
Unluckily for me, I set up my tripod and pochade in the parking space next to my car (not allowed to walk distances yet) and some woman insisted on parking in that space instead of one of the two on the other side of my car. I know now that I could have spoken up and nicely asked if she'd move, but I was so shocked and enraged at her behaviour that I couldn't form any nice sentences. And, since I thought she was with our plein air group, I thought it behooved me to keep my mouth shut and not alienate anyone in the group.
She took out her painting stuff and joined another group up the hill who spent the next hour or so laughing like crazy (about what I do not know), so I guess I could have gotten all confrontational on her. But, my mama raised a "nice" girl and so I just spent the morning unhappy that my composition and position had been compromised.
In the end, it may have taken my mind off of all the other things that get in the way of enjoying painting outside, so I'm a bit grateful for that (in hindsight). But, in the future, I may have to make up my own sign that says "no parking", or bring an orange traffic cone that I stole from UT Parking after they gave me a ticket that pissed me off. Perhaps, I spoke too soon about being a "nice" girl?
Friday morning, I had such a great urge to start painting the lake house view that I've been commissioned, instead of doing sketches in 2 more formats, that I just did it. We haven't decided if it's going to be portrait, landscape or square, so it's presumptuous of me to just start in on a square, but it really called to me in that format and I can always do one in a different size later.
I blocked in the darks and lights and tried hard to keep those areas together early in the painting. Then, I had fun with color in the water. I will work on that some more, because the light patches will be toned down as reflections on wind ruffled water. It's fun to paint again! If anyone can tell me how to set paragraphs, I'd be forever grateful. I lost the ability one day and haven't figured out the trick for getting that formatting back.
I had foot surgery, which kept me on crutches for 2 weeks, which also meant that it would be too difficult to climb the stairs and stand at my easel to paint. So, I thought I'd get out the old Prismacolor pencils and have a go. Unfortunately, my full supply of pencils is nowhere to be found (or nowhere that my sweet hubby looked for me), so I had a limited palette and no blending pencil, which is a must. But, it was just for fun anyway. I wanted to make a card for my nephew's birthday and also do a "white object on colored ground" painting challenge, and I couldn't reach any of my white vases, so I found a baseball that this same nephew had signed for me after a winning game, cleaned it up and put it on a colored cloth. He'd given it to me for my 50th birthday and since he's still a primo pitcher, now on varsity, I thought it appropriate to name it, "Birthday Baseball".
The second painting is an oil pastel. I was able to clamber into my car and go get some art supplies, thinking that pastels could be fun. I came home with oil pastels, which have a pretty close consistency to Crayola crayons, but you're able to blend them better. It wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be but I'm not giving up yet. I just need to get looser. Yet, you'd think that doing a painting of something that was just in my head couldn't get any looser...ha! But, if you stand about 20 feet away, in the dark, and squint...it's not too bad.
