Painting 'Plein Aire'

Vacations for me have included time to paint plein aire whether I am in San Antonio, northern New Mexico or on the Monterey Peninsula.  Painting plein aire literally means of or relating to painting in outdoor daylight.  

I frequently complete a quick watercolor sketch on location that appeals to me for whatever reason.  These small works take about 30 minutes to paint and are simple starting points.  Some examples of this method are depicted here.

Junipera Serra at Carmel Mission

Waller Creek Falls at UT


Las Parras de Abiquiu

If you examine these paintings, you will notice there is limited glazing.  The brushstrokes are rendered with a sable flat brush, maximizing control and the white of the paper.  They are simple, yet often complex in the forms they depict.

Generally speaking, there is nothing more exciting to me than chasing the fog on the California coast, painting fast to capture the light, or perched on a downed tree in the cold November wind of a blue norther.  I am a very stubborn person.   When it comes to having time for my art, I am going to paint on the day set aside for such, no matter what.  As a consequence, I have experience with frozen watercolor paint, and on a different trip, had the wind pick up my palette and bathe me and my wool poncho in burnt sienna paint!  It is funny to me now, but not at all at the time....such are the hazards of defying freezing temps.   On the other hand, I have had to deal with a major cricket swarm when I was committed to paint in the summer heat of 100 degrees+ outside Burnet, TX.  I must say, I would rather take on the cold wind, any time!

Cottonwoods on the Chalma

I consider this painting my 'battle stripes' for facing the hazards of working outdoors in less than 20 degree weather (this is when I took the burnt sienna bath...!).

Painting on location is a challenge for many reasons. Number one is the continuously changing light.  Thanks to artist Tony van Haslett, whose workshop I attended in 1996, I learned the value of creating a black and white shadow sketch on site before beginning the actual painting.  I have also learned to document the vista by making reference photographs from various angles, as well as close-up views.  This is for the possibility of finishing the work in the wind- and pest-free environment of my studio.

The Lighthouse at Los Pinos, Pacific Grove

The lighthouse was in deep shadow in early afternoon due to the windswept cypresses.  I made a quick shadow sketch before beginning this work to record the effect of the fading light.  I really liked the drama and the energy in the treebranches.  For me, it was all about the trees!

The Queen of Missions, San Antonio

This is one painting that was a struggle in chasing the light and shadow, on an overcast January day.  I didn't make a shadow sketch in this case...and I wrestled with it for hours as a result.  To top it off, I was asked to leave by the park ranger, as they were closing for the day.  Nothing like being unceremoniously thrown out...and being frustrated, to boot...!

Big Red Rock at Abiquiu


Ghost Ranch Butte

Galisteo Inn

These three paintings, I feel, are some of the best work I've produced in the field.  I love the red earth with the changing robin's egg blue sky, and the play of the shadows.  When painting plein aire, decisions have to be made quickly due to the fading light, which is determinedly marching towards sundown.  I really consider working in this manner to be the ultimate mental exercise in creative problem-solving.  It's challenging...but when it works, it's so satisfying...!

Two collages – a study in contrasts

The dictionary defines collage in this way:  A technique of composing a work of art by pasting on a single surface various materials not normally associated with one another, as newspaper clippings, parts of photographs, theatre tickets, fragments of an envelope, etc.

November through May was always my favorite time growing up in Groves, Jefferson County, Texas.  The humidity was lower at this time of year, and the living seemed easy.  This past fall, I spent some time reminiscing on the simpler time of my childhood that seems to have slipped irrevocably into the past.  A a part of this mental exercise, I realized that my feelings were a mixture of emotions.  I had a wonderful childhood that was mostly unfettered and carefree.  Life in that fine old house and hours spent under the pecan trees are sweet memories that I cherish.  I made a list of things I liked – elements that have a significant bearing on who I am today.  To name a few: the egrets fishing in the bayou, a 6-pack of new Crayolas, hummingbird moths, my daddy's four-o'clocks, my blue Schwinn bicycle, and more.

I had begun a 16 X 20 painting on stretched canvas from an old photograph, as part of my Li'l Donna series that I'd never finished.  I saw this as an opportunity to give this work life.  I found photographs and ephemera to depict various elements that I wanted to include, and set out too assemble them in a satisfactory arrangement.  Thus, Jefferson County Girl became a reality...

Jefferson County Girl

There's a strong element of realism in this work that only happens when one uses photographs and objects that have vivid contextual connotations associated with the memories that are the inspiration.  The piece becomes literal – although the interpretation is in the eye of the beholder, it is transformed into something more specific.

In contrast to this, I often work on a smaller scale using color, form and texture in an abstract manner to create an imaginary environment that is spatial and left to the viewer to interpret and / or visually explore.  This spring I was thinking about the cycle of the seasons, and created this piece to celebrate the idea and spirit of solstice.  This collage is 5 X 7, created on an ampersand board using printed papers, handmade papers, and acrylic paint.  Let the image speak to you and let your imagination interpret the depicted space...

Solstice

El corazón…

At the heart of the matter is the fact that I like hearts!  This thought is centered on the realization that I really love the shape, the connotation it evokes and the mysticism that surrounds its use in poetry, music, fiction, the visual arts and more.  I loved all it implies so much that I used it as a part of my studio's name!

When I began this series some years back it was with a montage of watermedia, oil pastel and handmade papers called How do You Know a Real Sweet Heart.  In this work I explored various colored hearts, working through the psychology associated with certain hues and their subliminal communication. 

How do You Know a Real Sweet Heart?

Lately I’ve created several small acrylic works on paper that express different moods while playing with the idea of a heart shape symbolizing love or one's innermost feelings.

Hearts in Sync

Compatability

In my Heart of Hearts...


My Secret Love


Love and Hate

The last piece is a large work called The Heart of the Matter.  Many situations in life have a dark side that seems impossible to illuminate.  The harder we try to find the answer, the more elusive it seems.  Yet, when the issue is finally worked through and we arrive at its core, we often find light, relief and warm feelings with solving the issue.  This painting was executed by use of a brayer, rolling thin sheets of paint, layered to show the situation's complexity and at its core is the heart shape, relating illuminated resolution.  Many people of my generation were never asked what they thought about anything emotional, and as a result they often find it difficult to attune themselves to their true feelings.

The Heart of the Matter

These paintings are a visual representation of the journey we all need to make in order to find a path that will bring us to a personal truth and a sense of peace and well-being.

Irish Country Road

Let's talk about roads...

There are many that we've come across in our lifetimes...the Yellow Brick Road from The Wizard of Oz;  Abbey Road in London, site of the recording studio most widely known for its association with the Beatles;  the road to nowhere, which I'm sure we all feel we're walking from time to time;  the (hopefully) always comforting road home...and many more.  The road I long to travel is one that will lead me to and around the western part of Ireland.  The Irish have long spoken of 'going to the west' as a metaphor for finding their peace and harmony, either as part of this life or as its inevitable end.  This painting is my idea of that road home.

X
Irish Country Road

Other paintings in my Irish series may be found elsewhere on this blog by clicking here.

Why We Need Art

......In an age of politics, where entire agendas can be hidden behind words and flimsy promises, the world of art is usually pretty lucid about its intended message. Indeed, it may appear in code, contained in metaphor or symbol, but art is a language meant to speak the things that can’t be said in mere passing words. In this way, art can provide a much more honest, immediate, and multi-dimensional means of expressing what we’re sensing, allowing awareness to spread more rapidly in its outreach. Art, now more than ever, is a necessity of life. It’s here to remind us, even in these confusing and rather unstable times, that there’s a reason to press on, to follow our passions, and to celebrate. Art offers authenticity in a world of duplication, honesty in a world of deception, and subtlety in a world of heavy-handedness; art offers a glimpse into another’s soul, which in turn will give you a glimpse into your own. These, I believe, are the central reasons why we are driven to create and to appreciate the creations of others. Art is expressive, expansive and evolutive. And it is spiritual and sacred in that it leads us to a deeper, broader, more honest awareness of what, and why, we are. The arts, if they’re properly fed, can help our world avoid a crash and burn; and if they’re not fed, and we do crash, it will be the arts that lift us back up again. Why? Because whether you are artist or audience, they open a threshold through which creative energy enters our lives. This is really why we need art. Creativity is the blood of the soul.

Part of an essay by John DeMarco, FineArtonline.com
April 27, 2012

Sadie and Herb – True Fans. The newest addition to my Women’s Series : Social Observation and Commentary

The Nighthawk restaurant known as the Frisco Shop has long been a part of my life, beginning when I was a freshman at UT.  At that time, there was a Nighthawk location on Guadalupe at 20th, which was the one I frequented.  Their hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate shavings got me through many a cold night.  My all-time favorite meal there was a chicken salad stuffed tomato.  Through the years, they've remained in my top ten as their locations grew, moved and then began closing.  Today the only one that's still open is the Frisco Shop on Burnet Road, which moved from its original location at Burnet Rd and Koenig about three years ago.  While they have expanded their selections, the old familiar menu items remain.  Their expansion allows larger groups and families to dine there.  Anyone for a 'Down South'...?

Nighthawk's Frisco Shop is literally a sea of burnt orange on game day.  People have been going there for fifty years or more, which is visually apparent as you observe the regular clientele.  Many of these 'old-timers' wouldn't hear of attending a UT football game without lunch at the Frisco first.  One couple in particular, whom I named 'Sadie and Herb', stood out by their devotion to one another and the spirit they radiated.  On the day that is depicted here, I was intently observing them...certainly not to be rude, but simply because I found them charming and fascinating.  I left the restaurant at about the same time they did, and when 'Herb' realized that I was watching them, he lifted his hand in the 'Hook 'em Horns' salute.  The spontaneity and openness of the gesture really touched my heart.  He was making an effort to connect with a total stranger...a simple gesture that spans the generations and shares common experiences, in this case around years spent at UT and what it means to be a part of 'The Eyes of Texas' tradition.

I felt totally compelled to capture this on paper, so I took my reference photos of the signs of this iconic Austin landmark, and set to work, keeping it simple.  I wanted the spirit of this couple, as well as that of the place, to be represented succinctly by 'Sadie and Herb' and the neons.  I did a drawing from memory in my little sketchbook of the couple, and later checked it for accuracy when I saw them there again.

...and here's the first sketch on Arches CP 300-lb watercolor paper...

I began by applying the burnt orange of his cap, shorts, the burger bun and the restaurant wall, then adding the green of the grass and the lettuce of the sign.  Lastly, I added the lettering on the marquee.  As you can see from the message, the Frisco Shop has stayed up with the times...

The shadow play of the neon signs was very interesting to me, as well as being an integral part of their design.  I worked hard to capture the essence of the moving image.



I let it dry, basically for a week, then added the roof and the blue sky...

'Sadie' came to life with my last painting session, along with more details such as shoes, socks, shades, shadows on the facia board, and I more clearly defined the base of the free-standing sign.  To finish, I 'grounded' them with a patch of asphalt.

May I present to you Sadie and Herb – True Fans...

Some might wonder why I would choose to depict this wonderful couple in an almost cartoon-like manner.  It's certainly not done with any lack of respect.  The style allows more leeway for my own 'editorial' expression than something done more 'realistically'.  A 'photographic' result would not allow me to convey what I see as the ageless lighthearted spirit that radiates from these two.

A new addition to my BIRDLAND USA series...

When visiting Rockport and Port Aransas, Texas, I was fascinated by the pelicans and photographed then profusely.  They are very funny birds, capable of almost human facial expressions.  When they're happy or pleased with themselves, they show it.  My newest addition to my Birdland USA series is one of those unforgettable birds.  Posing on the dock, he appears to be laughing at his good fortune in fishing that morning.

I began with a no. 10 round brush and grey watercolor to create my line drawing of this magnificent bird.  Mixing a grey-brown to capture his oily, waterproofed feathers, I began to give his body form.  I was amazed at how quickly the painting developed and how rapidly the pelican seemed to come to life...

I limited my second painting session to defining the background and adding a few details such as the birds in the sky behind my subject.  This gave the pelican center stage...

To really show the bird's expression, I had to give life to his beak and the twinkle in his eye.  Pelicans are basically shades of grey, allowing them to blend into their natural habitat.  What made this particular bird interesting to me was the vivid orange on his scooped-shaped beak.  The addition of this feature of his physiognomy made him stand out as a magnificent example of his species, a true individual character.  The wispy feathers along the back of his head and neck give him the appearance of an old, wise fisher-bird...a survivor, and proud of it.

To place him more firmly in a seascape setting, I further clarified the division between water and sky and details to several carefully-placed seagulls.  My laughing pelican is truly the master of all he surveys, happy in his domain...

The Laughing Pelican