December Critiquing

LEFT TO RIGHT KIRSTEN, KITTY, MELINDA

This month's Critiquing was full of information. Not only did we change the location for something new, we did a demo. Our location this month was at Melinda's studio in Dripping Springs. Melinda's studio was awesome, lots of creative space to work in, with inspiration surrounding you on the walls.

Our first mini talk was about networking and selling paintings. Some of the area that were suggested were getting your artwork into galleries, belonging to art groups, doing shows, and talking with owners of different venues to show your art like small cafe's. No matter where you live there is at least two places you can have your artwork, look at independently owned salons, cafes, or other places where there is lots of traffic. Art groups are always a great idea. Most cities have an art guild or something similar to learn, explore, and share information. Art shows can run anyway from a weekend up to a month if there is a competition/gallery involved. You need to show your work to potential clients so they know you are an upcoming artist.

What do you use to paint on? We have a variety to choose from. Yes we have the typical canvas stretched on a wooden frame, but have you tried untreated hard board nailed to 1 x 2 strips of wood, then add some Matte Medium, and several coats of Gesso? Melinda talked about how she creates her own painting surfaces by this technique. Amazing. Michael Skalka wrote about this technique in an artist magazine.

There was a demo on how to stretch your own canvas. I used the following tools framers square clamps (4) Canvas Stretcher tool, staple gun, and measuring tape. One thing we found out is not all stretcher bars are created equally or should I say work with other brands. So when you purchase your bars be sure if they are from different companies or they work together. Some company's male tab that fits into the next frame is in the opposite position as others. I started with placing the framing bars in the framers square clamps after putting the square or rectangle together. I measured the opposite corners to verify the frame is absolutely square. I placed staples on the same side but opposite ends of the same framing bar. Then working from the center of each side pulling the canvas tight. The next staples are place on the right of the first center staple then the left of the opposite side so the second staples are on the same side if you are looking at the canvas. Then the opposite ends are done the same way. Back to the first staple side. A staple is now placed on the left side and the opposite end is on the right and you work your way around using the canvas stretcher tool to pull the canvas tight each time. Each staple is place about an inch to an inch and a half from the next. When you get close to the corners pull the first initial 4 staples so you can continue with the stapling to about 3/4 of an inch from the corners. Now there are two ways you can do your corners, one way is like a linen fold for your bed sheets or the second is pulling from the center of the corner then staple each side of the corner.

We talked about pricing our paintings and what seems to work best was length x width x price per square inch.

Our critiquing was so much fun. Kirsten had a small abstract that was not of a woman. It had great lines and lead our eyes around the canvas with great resting places. Her second piece was much larger 24x36. The painting was done with the width being 24, but I felt that it needed to be turned and what a difference it made. Melinda had a well started pastel stick abstract; it had a great red in the center. Her next piece is a still life with a great composition and dramatic shadows. Kitty did something new an abstract sunflower. Great colors and composition, with a deepening of some shadow the piece is done. Kay reworked a previous painting and it was well done; however I need to remove a shadow that now cuts the painting. The second painting just needed a little shadowing added to one plant and we can call that one done too.

Our next meeting will not be till Jan '10' so we are taking a break for the holidays. In the meantime I will post toward the end Dec. Have a great few weeks.

What has been going on

Wow, last few weeks have gone by faster than I ever imagined. As I had stated in the last posting, I had started a critiquing group in the Austin area. We now had three sessions, so I will catch up on the last two first. A few confessions first; on the 1st meeting I was very nervous. I had not done anything like this before but I felt that it's needed. Now I'm really feeling very comfortable with our critiquing group. It is growing and the talent pool is great. We all see something different and our words are kind. I've recently noticed more and more artists are opening up and sharing more. Which I think is absolutely fabulous. There is a group in the Dallas metroplex that I had the pleasure of meeting at a workshop with Carol Marine in Jan of this year. They all work together and that is what it's all about. I would like to invite them publicly to our next session. You hear that Karen, Mark, Suzy, Carol, Grant, Sharon, and Kay; and if I forgot someone sorry. Come on down and we can make a day of it. As for the critiquing three weeks ago was our second session. Kirsten and Kitty were there and Melinda came in a little later. Kirsten had two new paintings, great colors and contrast. You can really feel the mood she is trying to create. Kitty had one she had got closer to finishing and another that she decided to change into an abstract. I was still struggling with one and Melinda has just blown me away with her paintings. And to think she is just getting back into it. This week Kirsten, Kitty, Deborah and Belinda were present. Kirsten you are a painting machine. She had two more paintings done. Kitty finished her floral and with some very very minor color tweaking in this small area she will make it all pop. Deborah, your colt is just wonderful. Belinda was running short of time so she did not bring her paintings with her and I revisited my last painting and got some tips on adding depth and it should be done and I will post by the next session. I certainly learned alot this week about the way I paint and how to make it better. Thank you all for being here it really made a difference in the way I think about my paintings and what I see. We have a great group and I would encourage all artists to get together with other like minds and see how much your own artwork will blossom because of it. Next session I will demonstrate how I stretch my canvas.

Inside the Gate....

Inside the Gate 22 X 18 Oil on Canvas

Wow, time fly's when you're busy. I promised a new painting and I have more. So first things, first. This is a view from an open gate on the island of Cyprus. Hence the name "Inside the Gate". I know you will enjoy the view as much as I did.

Next I started a critiquing group that has met twice thus far. It is really great, they are some extremely talented artists who have a discerning eye when it comes to what little tweaking needs to be done to bring a somewhat complete a painting to am outstanding painting. Example the one above was two inches longer, therefore there was too much shadow to allow your eyes to travel into the painting gracefully. Not to say the shadow was not done well it just was a bit too much. With the suggestion from one artist then verified with several others, I took the plung and cut two inches off before stretching the Canvas. What a dramatic difference those two inches made. I can't thank those artists enough for making a painting for average to great. Anyway, the group is wonderfully filled with lots of caring critiquing, loads of shared information, and new ideas. I had one artist say this is what she had been looking for, a group that is not afraid to share, being honest, and truly wanting the other artist to succeed. Yes my artist friends and collectors there are really great people out there and I have been graced by them and they are fabulous artist to boot. We all have our strengths and we know our weaknesses, and we are not afraid to put our hearts out on the line because we know that it will not be injured, it will be held lovingly and nurtured to create what our souls intended. In the weeks and months ahead I will introduce you to them thru their eyes (or should I say brushes), so stay tuned.

Busy week and then some....

Well it has been awhile. I have not painted as much as I would have liked, but have been busy with kids, and sports. I am working on a scene from Le Suzette from local hilltop, it's about 3/4 done and hopefully be finish this week. In other news, I am starting a critique group. This is in attempt to create an atmosphere of honest helpful critiquing, inspiration, sharing ideas and support. It seems that there are long stretches of time when we spend so much time in our studios we sometime loose sight of our artistic instinct, or just need an extra set of eyes to help us figure out what may be wrong with a painting.

Why are you an artist or better yet what makes you an artist?

A while back, I was reading an art magazine and somewhere along the way I started thinking about why I wanted to be an artist. It's strange but I can remember many years ago my father introduced me to a doctor friend of his and he asked what I wanted to be when I grow up. Now mind you, my father worked in the health industry, this was my first week as a candy stripper/hospital volunteer (for those who are younger) and I am sure this gentleman just assumed that I wanted to be in the same industry, anyhow I replied that I wanted to paint and be an artist. He just smiled, (you know one of those smiles that have more to say but won't say it) but I am sure he was thinking somewhere along the lines of "that's fine little girl but we doctors make more money". (Ah my comment now is" but do they enjoy their vocations for many, many years and even into those retirement years or don't have the fear of being laid off or have some young college kid taking over for less money) So why is it that I wanted to be an artist at such a tender age? Well, the only thing I can think of is that my school took the ling trip to Chicago Art Museum one year, and I was hooked. I remember asking my mother for a paint-by-number kit, which she did. When I got to the real small parts, you know the ones for highlights or nuances of color to make the shape turn and such. Weill, I had already painted over the numbers that indicate what was the number/color was supposed to have gone there. (Hey, it was the first time I had such a kit and didn't know all the rules) Anyway, I add libbed what I though needed to be there and frankly it turned out ok, for the first painting of an 8 year old, and it was all I could muster, and to that same 8 yr. old it was a masterpiece. From that point on that was all I wanted to be. Now mind you this was a long, ok, ok, really long time ago. Now it was not only in my mind but it was in my heart racing through my veins. So now the question remains what makes you an artist? Now exactly what does an artist do? For me I look at an object/scenery and think of it in shapes and color masses. Questions start racing through my head like, how would I paint that, what colors create the colors in the sky/tree/building or whatever. If I add a color like yellow will it make it come too far forward/and the opposite for a green or blue. What if I took this tree out so I could see the building better? Will a square or rectangle canvas be a stronger composition? What do I need to add or subtract to make it a better mood? And then there is the, I can't do anything else, I just have to paint that scene because it just moves me so much. Everywhere I go everything I see; these are the questions that arise. And the questions continue until I decide to paint or not. Whether it is abstract, realistic, impressionist, a photograph, made of any type of material or into any object; it is considered these days as art. Age has no limit on this either. I know, there are some people out there that would say I am wrong, or my definitions are out in left field somewhere, but really am I truly that far off? Is it training or schooling, well no because I know of several self taught artist who are doing quite well. so the only thing I can conclude is that it is in your heart and that it is all you want to do, it is all you see and think about. It is a job that consumes you 24/7, and it is done with great enthusiasm, and gratefulness to be able to create. So the torch is passed to you the reader, fellow artist, art collector: what is your definition?

What would you do part 2

The top is the version that was to be corrected. Can you tell me what was wrong with it? Are you able to see where the perspective is off? Would you have just left it alone?

This is the corrected version, can you see where changes were made? Would you have made similar changes? Granted both paintings were taken in two different locations so the color may seem a bit different but let me explain what changes were made and why. Karen asked/stated a valid point (commented on Blogspot); she asked what decision I had made and she would like to view what was done so she and others could maybe learn from it.

Ok, did you see what changes were done? Well I did some adjustments to the shutters to line them up correctly. Then I did the same for the bottom of the doorway, things were just not lined up. Then the last thing was I added some more stones to the planter.

Both Monte and Gayle had great points also(commented on my website blog), the percentage of changes was not that great, and it seemed to me that when I paint something a second time sometimes I lose some of the spontaneity and spirit that was created in the first painting. So let me know what you all think of the painting and the changes.

What is a person to do?????

This is for all you painters out there. I had finished a painting 2 weeks ago, and I leave it somewhere in my studio to view. This is a practice that helps me know when a painting is really done. As I am working on another painting or just puttzin' in my studio, I have the pleasure of reviewing the painting several times a day for about a week or two. Well this last one that I call Red and Blue, was bugging me. Something about it was wrong or off. I had one of my critique buddies stop by to look at the painting, and she loved it; actually four of them had stopped by and all said the same thing. I had picked these people because they have great taste, yet they are not professional painters but they all have done a great deal in the creative realm. Anyway, it was still bugging me so I left it out for review. For the life of me I spent two weeks looking at the paintings and I could not spot it, whatever it was. I finally re-measured and noticed my perspective was really off. I had used the wrong tools during the drawing stage and got myself in trouble. So my question to you is... If you have a painting that needs to be corrected in a few places, do you correct the original or do you just start over? And to what extent do you work on the first one before you just say you are better off starting afresh? is it a judgement call, or something like if it is less than 25% you work on the first one but after that you might as well start over? I have always wondered. Do you sand that part that needs the correction, what is your process? I am curious, what would you do with it all?