Compositional Clarity

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

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

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

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

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

Working in Series

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

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.