Water Soluble

Don't Forget to Play

2012-01-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

Watercolor is a wonderful medium for giving the artist gifts; they've often been called "divine accidents". Taking advantage of these gifts adds magical energy to a painting. We learn to see and use these unexpected wonders by playing with paints. Not every painting needs to be a masterpiece: don't take yourself too seriously. Take time to play with paint, take risks, and push limits just to see what will happen -- this can be reason enough to paint. Watch and observe and tap into your creative process.

By doing playful paintings, we learn how the paint moves across the paper and to expect the unexpected. We also learn how to control the accidents and help them work for us. Relax, don't force the paint; if we're uptight and work too hard, our work will come across stiff and contrived.

"Country Boy Mine" uses illusion to suggest weathered wood and rusting tin. Yet, on close inspection, these passages are just flowing washes of pigment that I painted in a playful manner. We learn more from playing than we can imagine, and, remember, you can always paint on the back of the paper!

Building a Bridge

2011-12-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

When painting realism, I believe that we should paint subjects as our eyes actually see them, not as a camera's lens captures them. Cameras are not selective in their focus and will put everything in the focal depth into sharp detail. A painting handled this way, while technically accurate, will lack emphasis and appear busy.

Here's a way I've learned to correct this. Pick an object and stare at it without letting your gaze wander. Notice and remember how you see the neighboring objects. While we recognize what they are, they're less definite in their focus. This is how we should be painting. The center of interest should be in focus while the remaining objects are not.

I like to think of painting this way as building a bridge between the painting's borders and its center of interest, wherever that may be. I go for a steady transition from soft to high focus. Think of gradually sliding from low focus to sharp detail. A viewer should not perceive the change taking place. In my watercolor of long-horn cattle, I've used this concept to put the calf in focus and make it the center of interest. Best regards - Tom

Dillman's

2011-10-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

The White Sand Lake in the forests of northern Wisconsin was my home for the past week. I was teaching a watercolor workshop for Dillman's Creative Arts Foundation. Located on a peninsula overlooking the lake, Dillman's has a rustic look, inside however, all of the buildings are modern and comfortable. The teaching rooms are large and well equipped. Sue and Denny Robertson plus their daughter, Stephanie, and son-in-law, Todd, were my hosts. They were gracious and very attentive to my needs and those of my students and made my stay a pleasure.

Late September is peak time in northern Wisconsin for autumn foliage: birches, assorted maples, and oak are juxtaposed against dark evergreens. The waters of the lake reflect these colors. And, yes, we had time and opportunity for pleine air painting. It was a magical time to be in those woods and I'll be back next year (the week of September 16-20, 2012). Look for me there!

Tom

Finding One's Voice

2011-06-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

A great deal of importance is placed on finding your voice or developing your style and mostly I think, "Rightly so!". Originality carries a lot of weight. Yet, I also believe that we can work too hard on developing a "look". I prefer to just let it happen by virtue of making personal choices like color selection, favorite shapes and patterns, tonal choices, brush strokes, content matter and so on.
Trying too hard can make work seem contrived or formulaic. On the other hand, if a body of work lacks cohesion, it may also be criticized. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. But it's interesting to look back on the work of great artists and see how often they changed their style or media. I'd recommend Picasso as a good example of this.

Creating Space Using "Push Back"

2011-06-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

So often in painting we have a situation in which there are several objects that are very close in tone and color and we wish to create a sense of space in a subtle way. Using a technique called the "push back" is a good solution.

If you have a painting that doesn't read the right way spatially, decide which objects in the painting need to be closer. Next, paint a halo of very pale cobalt blue (very watered down) around the closest object and blend the halo as it moves away from that object and across the rest of the painting. This subtle temperature change pushes the other objects back creating an illusion of space.

In my painting of Spruce Creek, I wanted to bring the windfalls on top to appear closer than the others and used this effect to push the rest back. These temperature changes are very important to create a sense of dimension and space in 2-D work. This glazing technique can be used in paintings of any subject from figurative to landscape. Give it a try!

Variation on a Theme - Kolob Canyon

2011-04-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

These watercolors are a series of class demos based on southwestern Utah"s Kolob Canyon. Doing a series is always a great way to explore possibilities. These paintings used a variation of technique and value plans. Methods include watercolor and ink, masking, wet-in-wet, watercolor impasto, lifting and glazing.

My Spring 2011 newletter is posted on my website -
http://www.thomasjowen.com/news.html
It's Part 1 or a 2 part series about painting light and shadow. Enjoy!

The Art of the Ordinary

2011-03-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

The dilemma of what to paint. Over the years I've wondered about it and faced it by looking for strong subjects everywhere I go. These subjects are around us all the time and it's a good exercise to find and paint them. I like to walk around with a small digital camera and point it in the direction of anything interesting. Later, I go through the images to see what grabs my attention.
Often I'll make paintings from compositions of several photos. Moving subjects around until I get a dynamic design is one of my goals. If your painting is only as good as your reference material, you may miss a feeling you want to convey. I let the reference be a spring-board from which I develop my ideas.

In this painting of a city maintenance crew, the men are working to repair stop lights after a storm. I let the reflections on the wet street as well as the rich warm colors against the grey backdrop tell the story. With a value plan of a large light with small darks in a field of midtones, the eye is drawn to the focal point of the worker carrying a cone and then around the painting.

Let Intuition Lead the Way

2011-02-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

Many artists who have worked with young children notice that they have a natural ability to create effective design using contrast, shape and color. As children mature, their natural strength in design is often replaced by their desire to "get it right". Over the years, I've sought to return to these beautiful designs and subordinate hard facts to a more appealing design-oriented direction.

I like to set up paintings that allow me to discover new motifs. In the watercolor at the right, "Adirondack Chair", I used a color underpainting to achieve the variation in color and texture on the side of the building. My article in the April 2011 Watercolor Artist magazine entitled, "Setting the Tone" discusses methods for opening intuitive paths to successful paintings. Hope you get a chance to check it out.

Frisket or Not

2011-01-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

As a young artist I believed that masking agents (tape, film, drawing gum or liquid masking fluid) created stiff, contrived watercolors. As the years pass, so has my opinion. I now think that these materials can be a great aid. For example, try painting a smooth, gradated sky around some light-toned, lacey branches. Well, you get the picture: it isn't easy unless you mask the lights. Also there are numerous textures that you can create by applying masking agents. Go to my website for my Winter 2010/11 newsletter . It's a short lesson in masking with a demo painting.

"New Snow, Grizzley Creek" is one example of frisket at work.

Is Snow White?

2010-12-01T09:27:00.001-08:00

In my experience as a Colorado resident, the answer to this question is, "Only a small percentage of the time." When snow faces directly at the sun it appears pure white. Most of the time it will be a warm shade of gray. On days with bright sun casting hard-edged shadows, the snow will be warmer in the light and colder in the shadows (as in the photo above).

The opposite occurs on cloudy, over-cast days with diffuse shadows. In the photo below, the color temperature of the lights is colder while the shadows will be darker and warmer. You can also see that the edges are softer on an overcast day.

I like to look at and paint snow because it lends itself to watercolor techniques. In particular, I like to start wet-in-wet with stucturing the whites and then proceed by adding the hard edges.

Recently finished the fall newsletter where I talk about painting skies. See my website for more painting info.

Compositional Clarity

2010-10-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

A question my students often ask me is how do you know what to emphasize/de-emphasize. I showcase my "first impression" or what attracted to the subject. It could be a single person in a group, the sunlight on a mountain top or a texture on rusting metal. Something first grabbed my attention. Whatever it is, this should be your star. Think of the other elements in the painting as supporting members; they are necessary but must be played down. So always ask the question, "what is this painting about?". If you can answer it, you're on your way to compositional clarity. A vignette is often a good way to get to the point.

A Summer for Plein Air

2010-09-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

As the summer ends, it's still hot and sunny in Colorado and I've extended my plein air season. I love to take students out on location to work -- we see so much more by looking directly at our subjects vs. working from a photo in a studio. We see color and tone more easily, the scale is correct and gone is the exaggerated perspective of the wide-angle lens. Many of my original plein air sketches surpass later studio work. So I encourage everyone to get outside while the weather's good. Paint and enjoy it!

Newsletter on Glazing Now Available

2010-07-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

Just uploaded my Summer Newsletter on a topic that's received a lot of interest in my classes and workshops: Glazing. It's a way to paint luminous backgrounds in watercolors that add interest and depth. I often start paintings by glazing with different transparent watercolors followed by more opaque pigments. This painting, "Riding in Style", is an example of glazing using semi-opaques for the final glaze. Enjoy!

In a Series, Part II

2010-06-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

Preparing for an exhibition, I'm again painting variations on a theme. This time the subject is a series of views of Gore Creek in Vail, CO. On summer days, the streams edge is a popular place for waders of all sizes. I decided to concentrate on the children playing in or near the water. These paintings are composites from numerous photos and sketches of the view from the gallery with a goal of creating a sense of place on a warm day.

Spring Newsletter now available

2010-04-28T08:03:00.001-07:00

Just finished my spring newsletter "Multiple Centers of Interest". This goes into more detail than previous posts.

Working in Series

2010-04-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

Is once enough? Well, probably not. I was recently looking at a complete edition of Picasso's known works. I enjoyed watching the creative process as good works morphed into masterpieces. Some subjects were painted over 20 times until he was satisfied(?).

This process opens the creative doors. We can try out new designs, uses of color and value as one idea leads to another.

The images here show what goes on behind the scenes at a horse trial. It's not over yet. The next round will emphasize color. For now, I'll continue painting horses, people and trailers until I run out of variations on this theme.

Out of Sight, But Still Seen

2010-03-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

In my watercolor classes at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, we're currently working on a project entitled, "Out of Sight, But Still Seen". Our goal is to produce a successful watercolor in which we see an something indirectly. For example, we could see a subject's imperfect reflection, its shadow or its footprint.

I'm using this exercise to get out of the rut of painting objects in a classical way. Far too often, art is a repetition of what's gone before and loses our interest. Sometimes the perspective from which the painting is produced is as interesting as the work itself because of the clues it gives the viewer without explaining too much. I like these paintings because I find them mysterious or evocative. In the photo below, I like the way the scene in the rear view mirror seems to fit in with the view, but is really a reflection of where we have been.

Multiple Centers of Interest

2010-03-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

My last blog was based on "emphasis" and the concept of having one dominant idea in a painting and focusing on it. Yet I'm often asked, "Can you have more than one center of interest?" The answer is yes, provided that one area is the dominant center of interest and the others support rather than compete with it.

I like to divide the canvas or paper in quadrants and have something strong happening in each quadrant, all the while being mindful that one of these must be the star. And it's important to have balance. If you assign a weight to the visual strength of each area, then the dominant area must be equal to or greater than all of the other areas to have balance.

This is a big subject and I'll talk more about it in my next newsletter. In the meantime, here's an example of a painting that uses this concept. If you divide it into four equal parts, the top, left quadrant is dominant. I used color and tone to draw interest to the other areas, but was careful to subordinate them.

The need for emphasis (and downplay)

2010-02-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

As an instructor, I have new students enrolling in art classes all the time. Many of them arrive with strong backgrounds in the techniques of drawing and painting, but few know how to emphasize an idea. They usually want to give equal importance to every part of their painting. Even older students who have been painting for a long time seem to have trouble with the concept of "emphasis". Ed Whitney used to say that the problem was "tight jawed egotism" or a desire to show off. Whatever the cause of the problem, the inability to emphasize one idea above all others and do it with subtlety is an indication that you still have room to grow.

So how do we move toward clarity of statement? I'll ask my students, "What do you want to say in this work? What first attracted you to the subject?" I'll have them write it down so that they can stay focused on it. Then, as they plan their painting they are aware of what part needs to be emphasized and what other parts need to be downplayed.

As they paint, I coach them on not letting the subordinate areas steal the show. They can unify them with color, tone, shape, etc., but their goal is to let the focus of the painting remain dominant. This is the hardest thing to teach! But I've found that the more you paint with this in mind, the easier it gets.

In "The Moorage" the emphasis is on the shaft of light rather than the ships and it was this light that first attracted me to the subject.

Winter Newsletter Now Available

2010-01-22T12:47:00.000-08:00

After lauding transparent watercolor, I just wrote and uploaded my 2009/20 Winter Newletter on using iridescent and metallic paints (a/k/a opaques) in watercolors. Pictures included. For a very different effect, you might give them a try. Best of luck!

Transparent vs Anything Goes

2010-01-11T17:28:00.001-08:00

Learning to paint watercolor in the late 60's, I watched an evolution from pure and transparent to the almost anything goes spirit of today's watermedia. In full honesty, I can do things opaquely that I could never do in transparent watercolor and I'm thankful for the progress. Yet I wish to pay homage to the purist ways. When I see a good transparent watercolor handled in the classical way, it's a joy to behold: fresh, crisp, luminous as if lit from within. Whenever I can achieve it, I'm thankful and "Dive Boats" is an example of this. Direct and to the point, not overworked, what a former teacher called a "watercolor statement".
So, go for the glow, and if you miss, there are always alternatives.

Holiday Greetings

2009-12-23T12:30:00.000-08:00

To all my friends in the arts, both near and far: may this holiday season and the new year bring you health, happiness and new creative directions. May your brushes stay wet and all of your efforts be positive.

Best Wishes - Tom

ps. Rudolph stopped by and says, "Hi"!

Cropping?

2009-12-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

As a student, I was told never to crop. Reason given: a strong artist knows how to design and cropping is a sign of weakness. It reduces the value of the painting. I choose to blow off this expert advice and crop whenever it will make a better painting.

What's "cropping"? It's the process of cutting down a painting's dimensions by reducing the horizontal or vertical sides or both. I've even converted a vertical painting into a horizontal and found more than one successful small painting in an unresolved large one.

I've had a fair amount of success cropping. The photos show how I use mat corners to find potential crops. I often find new takes on a successful painting that I wouldn't crop, but would start a new painting based on this technique.

As far as a reduction in value, I just don't believe it. Your job as an artist is to produce the best image possible. If the cropped version looks stronger, go for it!

Carlin Kielcheski, a Force for the Arts

2009-11-18T16:10:00.000-08:00

I want to honor a friend who has been a true supportor of the arts. Recently, I received an invitation to attend a show of artwork by Lt. Col. Carlin Kielcheski (ret.) at the United States Air Force Academy. I've known Carlin for many years and have admired him as an artist who paints strong, well-designed watercolors. However, it's his devotion to integrating the arts into a military education that makes him outstanding. While many believed that there was no room in the service academies for art classes, Kielcheski debated this issue with senators and generals, keeping the program alive. He has been a positive influence among many academy graduates including a Medal of Honor recipient, an all-American football player, some very accomplished artists and many who have a great love and regard for the arts because of him. I salute Carlin for his achievements and service.
For those of you who have access to the USAFA, his show is at the Permanent Professors Art Gallery on the 3rd floor of the Fairchild Building and runs from November 1st to December 8th, 2009.

Glazing with Brights

2009-10-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

A short video that highlights the process of glazing using bright watercolors. I glaze over a muddy area on a student's watercolor to bring it to life.

Fall Newsletter Now Online

2009-10-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

Since the last post was about painting rich darks, I've devoted the Fall Newsletter to the importance of value studies and six basic plots that have worked for me. Read more at:

http://home.earthlink.net/~towen02/Newsletter5.pdf

Snow's coming!

Creating Rich Darks

2009-10-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

In transparent watercolor, being able to paint rich, luminous darks can be very rewarding and very frustrating. The frustration almost always happens when artists fail to create a fluid, saturated mixture. They select a color that's dark by nature, like Prussian Blue, water it down and layer it over mid-tones. Because it lacks intensity it fades to a dirty gray.
The trick is to make a large puddle of pigment (any dark color will do) on your palette and keep adding pigment until the puddle becomes very dark and intense, but still remains fluid. If I would compare this puddle to something that we all know, it should have the consistency somewhere between whole milk and cream: maybe half & half?
Float this color with a soft brush over the desired area. Avoid scrubbing or working it into the underlying colors. This makes mud. You can create color variation by dropping some equally dark colors into the area while it's wet (sometimes called "charging").
It works for me. Remember: fluid darks, soft brush and float the colors.
Let me know if you have any other ideas that you'd like to share. I'd be glad to hear from you.

Good News

2009-09-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

" Socked In" the watercolor from my last post received the 1st place award in the Rocky Mountain National Water media Exhibition hosted by the Foothills Art Center in Golden Colorado. I thank all who posted positive comments,as they reinforce what we are all seeking,personal growth in our art.
Regarding ,questions on the atomiser. I use a cheap one I bought for $3.95,but alignment is the secret. The tubes must meet at 90% and touch or it will not work. Also you must blow with a strong and steady breath. The color,coastal fog, is an American Journey Product. I use a variety of brands and keep trying new colors. Some are added to my palette others I reject. However,shame on the government taking away the manganese blue that granulated so well! What did they think,we were using it like ketchup
Tom

Seeking Atmosphere in art

2009-08-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

As a teenager, I can remember sitting in English class on rainy days looking off towards the dark spruce woods on South Mountain and watching the mist drift over the land obscuring some trees and revealing parts of others, to suddenly be awoken from my daydreaming by my teacher, "Owen! Your attention on the blackboard!". Fog, mist and rain have always fascinated me and even then I thought it would be great to be an artist and be able to portray these effects.

Watercolor possesses the ability to create atmosphere unlike other medias. We can start with an wet-in-wet approach and concentrate on soft edges putting in transparent silhouettes of objects and gradually adding color and darker tones as we advance to the foreground.

Another approach is to layer transparent washes of gouache over the entire painting laying down a veil of fog. The painting above, "Socked In", was done in this way with two opaque colors, Chinese White and Coastal Fog. Using an atomizer, I sprayed this mixture over the entire paper, allowed it to dry and then came back and selectively added accents and brighter colors.

Structuring the Whites

2009-07-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

Thomas Owen talks about the value of starting watercolors with an underpainting, a practice that he refers to as "structuring the whites".

An email from a friend

2009-07-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine from Georgia sent me this email and I'd like to share it with other artists. This was written in response to a question from a friend of his, "when will I be considered an artist and not a student?"

"When we stop being students, we will no longer be artists." Keep that fervor you have and combine it with the skills you are acquiring painting by painting, class by class... you will be an artist when you know that you know. (I think you are an artist now, but you are the one who determines when you have earned the title.)

I am reminded of Stuart Cink who won the British Open yesterday . He was a three time All-American golfer in college at Georgia Tech. While on the PGA tour, he trains with a strength coach, a psychological coach, a swing coach, a putting coach, and is buoyed by an understanding, supportive family . He is on top of his game, yet he takes lessons from someone practically every day . The people from whom he takes lessons will never win a golf tournament, yet Cink keeps on studying with them because they can minimize the mistakes and time it takes him to the achieve greatness to which he aspires. Yesterday, Cink was an artist at the top of his golf game yet he will be back on the practice tee tomorrow, taking lessons. There is another golf tournament somewhere again this week. Will Cink win it?
We will know Sunday afternoon. If he doesn't win, somebody else shot better scores. When you are at the top, there is only one direction to go.

The moral: never stop learning, never stop being a student of your craft or there are 100 people who will begin to take your place.

Paint, paint,

Gary
www.garybaughmanstudio.com

Thanks Gary for a great email!

Intuitive vs Logical Design

2009-07-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

Over the years, my creative process has been engaged in a contant struggle. At times it's more of an all-out war between laying out/planning my work versus trusting my instincts. Plan, plan and plan some more and work comes out looking stiff and contrived. Grab a brush and go for it and end up with something unresolved. Yet out of the struggle, some very strong paintings arise. They seem to be born of a marriage of both approaches and I can never predict their birth.
A very logical painter I know called me a gambler, always rolling dice. Another artist told me to get that broomstick out of my a** and loosen up. The question remains: what is the best way to paint? From my experience, the best way requires hard work and developing an attitude that no painting is precious. You have to be willing to risk failure.
With regard to hard work, constant and on-going exploration of the elements and principles of design allow me to approach each painting with a good plan. With regard to failure, my best work may not happen on the first attempt, so I paint in series. I learn from my previous paintings.
Artists walk a fine line and the words of Johannes Itten express this well, "Doctrines and theories are best for our weaker moments. In moments of strength, problems are solved intuitively, as if of themselves". "As a tortoise draws its limbs into its shell at need, so the artist reserves his scientific principles when working intuitively. But would it be better for the tortoise to have no legs?"

2009-06-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

Several years ago I had the opportunity to visit MOMA in Queens and view the Picasso-Matisse exhibition. It was a thrilling experience to see such a range of work by two of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
However, I recently visited the Arvada Center for the Arts to see a Joseph Raffael exhibit of his large watercolors. Most of the works were close to 60x90 inches in size and had such a presence that I sat on a bench in the middle of the gallery for a long time surrounded by the paintings. Raffael's work is so powerful, especially considering the subjects, that I didn't want to leave. I didn't know that floral still lifes and intimate nature scenes could evoke such strong emotions from an old guy like me. The show was highlighted in the Artists Magazine and seeing small images in the magazine made me realize that this would be a strong exhibition. But seeing the paintings in person made me understand how watercolor can reach a level on par with the MOMA exhibit. For more by this artist go to: http://www.josephraffael.com/. This show will be traveling to other parts of the country and I'd recommend it highly.

My recent work is on more mundane like the painting shown below of an old garage with an interesting collection of signs.

Thomas J. Owen Newsletter

2009-06-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

My newsletter on photographing artwork is now on line at www.thomasjowen.com -- click on newsletter.
My next post will be on the Joseph Raffael show, now in Fort Collins, CO. A must see if you can do it.
Tom

Springtime in the Sangres

2009-06-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

Returned last night from the workshop -- the area around Westcliffe in the Wet Mountain Valley is picturesque and holds some surprises.
For someone who grew up in Lancaster county, Pa, I didn't expect to see an Amish community in a high Colorado mountain valley. Friday afternoon, I saw a group of young men playing softball in their traditional attire (black pants, white shirts, suspenders and hats) while a group of young women in long black skirts and white prayer bonnets filled the bleachers. (Sorry, no photos out of respect.) You could hear them speaking "Dutch" as we used to say growing up (it's really a form of German).
The Valley is a relatively isolated area that's irrigated and grows some of the best grass hay on the east slope of the Rockies. I guess that's what has attracted the Amish to this valley. The families still ride into town in their horse-drawn buggies, but the team arrived in a bus with a non-Amish driver.
The Sangre de Christo Range starts at the Arkansas River and extends south into New Mexico as far as Sante Fe. The area west of the Valley contains the highest percentage of peaks over 14,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains. This time of year, they still hold a fair amount of their snow and the jeep roads up to the high lakes are often blocked by snow drifts eight feet high. Had to fish at DeWeese Reservoir instead, a few miles northeast of Westcliffe, where I caught a nice rainbow on a "gold-ribbed hare's ear".
Teaching the workshop was fun: the students were highly motivated and kept me busy answering their questions. They were interested in design and composition more than technique. The workshop was held in a turn-of-the-century stone schoolhouse that doubles as a museum (http://www.custercountyco.com/museums.htm). Here are some of the students working on simplifying complex subjects while developing a strong focal point.

A Juror's Observations

2009-05-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

I've just completed juroring Watermedia XVI, a biennial exhibition sponsored by the Pike Peak Watercolor Society. After selecting 80 paintings from a field of over 380 works, I'd like to make some observations on the process.

Artists entering the exhibition ranged from Dolphin Fellows of the American Watercolor Society to newcomers to watermedia. Most states and six foreign countries were represented. In order to be more inclusive, I selected no more than one painting from an artist (artists could enter up to three works and several artists entered three strong works). Submissions were via slide or digital image.

My method of selection was to evaluate each painting on four criteria:

1. Technique

2. Design

3. Content

4. Originality

Design and originality were the main qualifiers. Most entries had sound technique and something to say. Original thought was at a premium, but some good examples were entered. Design was strong on at least half of the entries, so it was a matter of being demanding on many of the borderline paintings. As Ed Whitney used to say, "In watercolor a placement differential of 1/4" can promote or demote". (He was extremely picky, in my opinion.)

One major concern was the large number of poorly photographed paintings. Artists can help themselves immensely by putting more energy into photographing their work. I've judged several shows where the quality of the image was crucial to being accepted into the exhibition. So, if you're serious about getting work selected, make the effort. A good entry should be in sharp focus, have the correct tone (not too dark or too light) and show only the image (no mat, frame or background). Digital entries should be set at the appropriate resolution as required by the exhibition prospectus. If it says, "No larger than 1200 pixels on the longest side", then pay attention to that requirement. Photography problems like keystoneing and angled or skewed images must be avoided. Appropriate lighting is important for displaying the colors correctly in your painting. Failure to pay attention to these things makes the evaluation of your work difficult. Hence, a judge is more likely to pass on it. Remember that you're competing with other artists who are serious about getting into shows and are doing an excellent job of photographing their work. To learn more about photographing watercolors, check my Summer 2009 newsletter at my website: http://www.thomasjowen.com/. It will be posted in mid-June.

This coming weekend, I'll be in Westcliffe, CO at the foot of the Sangres de Christo Range (the highest and longest range in the Rocky Mountains) for a landscape painting workshop titled"Springtime in the Sangres".

ps. the photo has nothing to do with the show, I just like my irises!

Working from Photo References

2009-05-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

Photos can be a great time saver in the developing realistic paintings. However,they can present many problems:too much information,key stoning,black shadows,false colors,distortion of scale,and compositional problems. I can often tell when an artist is a slave to the photograph. One or more of the preceding problems will be evident, and the painter will say,"but this is how it looked".

One should think of the photo reference as a springboard to a painting that will eclipse it. Some solutions I use are: One shoot images with a 90 MM lens for scale.Take more than one shot with varied F stops for value variation. Simplify information (trace subject on parchment,next trace the tracing.Repeat until you have the essence).Check all vertical and horizontal lines against the edges of you paper to catch key stoning .Move or introduce objects to the best positions in the compositions. Finaly express yourself with unique colors,textures,edges,tones.etc.

One method I like is to paint an abstract under painting. Finish the work with complementary colors of the under painting. The marina painting above is an example.

Regards-Tom

Reef Fossils,Combined media on paper mounted on canvas

2009-05-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

Combined media on paper,mounted on canvas.

These are really fun! I use this method for many abstracts paintings,also. First, mono print a mix of acrylic modeling paste and gel medium on Fabriano 140 lb rough artistico to create bone like textures. Continue painting wet in wet over the paper with acrylics,watercolor, and India inks to revel forms. Opaque colors are used to paint around fossil forms. Lastly emphasize bone textures by sanding the high spots. Mount on gallery wrapped canvas using acrylic gel medium as a glue. Spray with a fixative,then varnish. Let your imagination go,be inventive. My college students love this way of working. They come up great variations on this theme.

Tom

A tale of two shows.

2009-04-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

A tale of two shows. Yesterday I visited the Colorado Watercolor Society's statewide exhibition and the Colorado Open . Both are excellent ,however ,they express very different views on art. The Open is true museum show with content and original thought leading the way. It is edgy and thought provoking . The artists are making statements,and this is good. Art should seek to be a visual communication. The CWS is more comfortable.Design,color,and technique lead the way. I could live with most the works in this exhibition. The key word is Quality, and both have this in abundance. I invite commentary on the value of each school of thought.
Tom

Front Range Red

2009-04-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

" Front Range Red" is an abstraction inspired by the free standing red rock

formations that run north to south along the front range of the Colorado Rockies. They are known by names like : Garden of the Gods, Perry Park, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Red Rocks Park, Red Canyon, and Roxborough Park. When the Rocky Mountains up -lifted the sandstone of an ancient coast line was broken and flipped on its side,erosion did the rest.
You can view the steps in the three images. Watercolor impasto on wet paper, red ochre gesso overlays with lifts and scrapes,and a finish with white gesso and watercolor mixed.

" Sukey "from Washington State e-mailed and said she was painting

tulips blooming in the rain and wondered how I liked spring with a

parka. Guess what it's snowing again and tomorrow is humming bird

day. I think they'll stay in the valley.

Tom

2009-04-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

I promised some images of abstract watercolors,but nature has a way of upstaging us . This is how my deck looked this afternoon . Would you believe it is April 18. This is the what happens when you live at altitude { 7,800 '}, nine days until the humming birds arrive. Every year they show up on April 28. I hope these weekend snow storms are finished by then. However, I have seen them as late as Memorial Day.

Back to abstract watercolors. I start with a method I call watercolor impasto. First I spray a sheet of Fabriano Artistco rough with water . Next I'll drag a loaded palette knife across the paper. By loaded, have 3 or 4 colors straight from the tubes on the blade, and I spread them like butter on toast. The water will do the rest. After this drys I cover what don't like with a mix gesso and watercolor. Also, I'll scrape back some of the gesso to reveal underlying colors. With an eye on the elements and principals of design I'll continue in this way until I am happy with the results. So goes the arts endeavours for the last few days. My college students get a shot this next.Images are coming .

Tom

2009-04-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

Been a busy week finishing up taxes -- April 15th has come. Now it's time to focus on art again (instead of the art business). Wanted to share some photos from the Kanuga Art Workshop and some of my new friends in the arts. Photos include Tom Fong and Donna Zagota; Robbie Laird addressing the group; myself, Kathy Salminen, and Miles Batt; Don Getz, John Salminen, Judy Morris, Mike Bailey and Tom Fong standing next to Lynn McLean.

I'm currently working on some abstract paintings in preparation for the Watermedia class that I teach at Pikes Peak Community College. We'll be combining transparent watercolor with acrylics. Photos to come.

2009-04-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and watercolor followers. "The buck Stops Here" has been completed. This 22"x 30" was started as a workshop demo on creating weathered wood. Most of the wood was completed in the demo. 1st masking fluid was applied over the buck skulls. 2Nd waterproof ink was added to the shadows and the sky.3rd the side of the cabin was wet and thick ultramarine blue,copper kettle,and cobalt Violette were drug down over the wood siding using a scrape of mat board. 4Th the shadows were defined with transparent glazes of blue ,green,and sienna. Next a wash cerulean was glazed over the sky and allowed to run down. The foreground was darkened to push the lights and lead the eye into the painting. final details were added . This is based on real place ,along some Colorado back road,one more stop in the artistic journey. Tom

Spring Snow #2

2009-03-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

Hi friends, this is the back door to my studio. Only a week ago the day Lillis were sending up shoots of green now they are waiting under blanket of white. Still working on the "Buck stops here" . The concept remains, but I am seeking more drama. Darker tones are pushing the light antlers and skulls . I'm seeking a statement . I'll let the viewer determine what it might be. Art should leave room for the imagination . Just as I roll scenarios around in my head,so should the viewer. Soon the bucks will no longer be a product of the world. So joy to the fish in the deep blue sea and the bucks up a tree. Thinking

of large paintings of steam engines in cool lights and warm darks. I think I'll do a series . Big acrylics coming at you 60x60 or larger. Call it rust belt memoirs. TJ Owen

From the Smoky Mt rain to the Rocky Mt snow

2009-03-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and fellow watercolor artists. I just returned from the rainy Smokies to the white of a spring blizzard here in the Rockies. I was conducting a workshop (www.KanugaWatercolorWorkshops.com) at the Kanuga camp and conference center near Asheville NC with instructors Batt, Cadillac, Conover, Fong , Getz, McLain, Morris, Reyner, Rothermel, Salminen, and Zagotta. Other notables giving short programs and having studios where Carrie Brown, Linda Baker, and M.E." Mike " Bailey. A great bunch of artists, and not a single curmudgeon. I've known all of them for their art; now I know them as the interesting folks they are. Robbie Laird and Will Rasmussen run a great Workshop! Now it's back to the studio with a renewed sense of purpose thanks to these new friends and the fine students I had the privilege of instructing. I'll post my painting (started in the workshop) "the Buck Stops Here" as soon as I complete it.