Autumn Enters... at a Gallop!

It is strangely bewildering to discover how quickly autumn seems to have arrived... and summer vanished. The constant summer boating delirium on the river has been replaced by either complete quiet... or an occasional whine of an outboard. Bus tour traffic has dropped off and visitors to the gallery comprise of retired folk intentionally day tripping after the hordes have departed. The "summer people" have surrendered their island refuges for another season... driven either by lower than usual water... or their migratory habits and demands to return southward for the long, cold winter months lying not so distantly ahead. Our dwindled once florid flower beds tell us that winter is on its way- the much-feared word "frost" has been mentioned in very recent local weather forecasts.

Our song bird visitors... amongst them our three  ruby throated humming birds appear less regularly...and seem somewhat unappreciative or disinterested in Deb's sugary offerings. Jays and crows... once quietly absent in the heat of summer are now obnoxiously omni-present... their raucous ranting especially unpleasant in the very early morning. Silently marauding flocks of American Robins sweep the yard and treed areas in search of food... foretelling their mass departure. Swallows line the telephone wires and long... strung out flocks of blackbirds swarm corn fields. Fall has arrived! On the art scene... my focus must soon shift to annual trips "out there"... trying to record the rapidly changing landscape from summer greens... to scarlet fanfare... and finally to winter bareness.

Time management becomes the real concern and necessity for the plein air painter. As well... for the first time in over a decade... flower beds must be tended and readied for sleep as well. Given the number of ancient oaks closeby... there will be much yard clean up as well. I am entering three painting into the ECOAA's annual "Mystery in the Park" exhibition... an Algonquin opportunity for exposure to large numbers of visitors for the annual  leaf tour.

After a recent invitation... a recent  piece of my work was featured at the grand  opening of  new The Eagle Point Winery closeby. It was a gala cultural affair blending the presence of the new Chinese owners and the local residents. I am including a couple of jpegs to give a bit of the flare of this late summer harvest event. My first time witnessing a "Lion's Dance"... an energetic and colourful spectacle for sure!

Friday... our 2nd Annual Rockport Plein Air Paint Out is taking place here in the village and in the Islands.
You'll remember that it was my coming to this event to paint that resulted in our decision and action to move bodies and business to Rockport! Am looking anxiously forward to painting with the twenty odd painters already registered for the event! Hope that the weatherman cooperates! Thunderstorms are on the radar for Friday! Pack the rain gear gang!

 Given all of these tasks coming up (too) quickly... my blog will have to receive less than my usual attention and time. I had seriously considered taking a hiatus for a few months... but have learned from experience that sometimes the road leads away and if left... even with the good intentions to retrace the path back... often that never occurs. I enjoy writing... and sharing thoughts and events in the common lives and pursuits of "regulars" who visit and share with me on our sites! I'll do my best to check in as my time permits... and when things slow down a bit!

Until then... Happy Autumn Painting ... to ALL!!!

"Annual Mystery in the Park Exhibition" opening on October 29th, 2012

 "Tamarack Time" Opeongo Road, Algonquin Park--oil sketch on linen 14x18 inches

 "Pointers" - oil sketch  on canvas 16x20 inches

"Spring Tumbles In... at the Chute in the Algonquin Park Logging Museum Exhibition" - oil Demo 24x18 inches


The Grand Opening of The Eagle Point Winery



                                                   
 Lion Dancers entertaining the crowd of visitors

The Eagle Point Winery main building

Casks of aging new wine

\ New General Manager greeting visitors at one wine bar area

"Island Joy" oil on canvas 30x24 inches on the mantle at the Winery!

Looks very comfortable! HA HA!!!

Once again.... Happy Fall Painting ... to ALL!!!

"P" Words!....Painting/Drawing Class and Paint Out!

Our painting class held at new member Marsha's lovely riverside home focussed upon drawing. Both Robin and Marsha expressed a common need to develop new strategies to help build better draughts(wo)manship in their work. Both have purchased Philip Jamison's book "Making Your Paintings Work at my urging. It is a "must" for every serious painter... no matter their level of skill. It is not the conventional "how to" type art book... it travels well beyond that genre because it addresses  thoughts on creativity based upon years of trial and error... and master water colour recognition.

Simply stated... it has been a "bible" of sorts... a source of reference and inspiration that continues to fuel my imagination and to act as an important contributor to my own personal artistic growth.He expresses his ideas and thoughts in plain everyday language and provides plenty of visual support in the book to guide personal home study at every level... in all mediums. I began this week's introduction to the focus merely by opening his book at the opening chapter... aptly entitled: Using Drawing as a Foundation." Within that title lies the "Holy Grail" of every artist.... and this is the opening paragraph to reinforce his position and my own:

"Drawing is the framework of all art. It is the foundation of painting, the glue that holds it together.

A popular misconception is that the term drawing means only linear representation i8n a medium such as pencil, oink, or charcoal. Drawing, however, exists in works that have no lines. "Lines" can be formed by colour areas abutting each other. Even a non-objective painting contains drawing.Drawing is the ability to express or put down on canvas or paper exactly what you want. Once you have acquired good drawing habits, everything will come much more easily.

Drawings may be made for two reasons...... one is to produce a finished drawing, a work of art that exists for its own sake,. The second is to make studies for other paintings. The main purpose of such studies is to explore a subject try out ideas in preparation for larger or more important work. When trial and error are behind you, it is possible to approach the final painting with more confidence.

If you obtain good groundwork in drawing, you have the framework on which to hang any kind of painting, from realistic to non-objective. Without this foundation, you may flounder because you lack the necessary skills to put down in paint exactly what you desire."

-taken from Chapter One, p17 in Jamison's book

For our lesson on Tuesday, I borrowed a technique that I picked up after reading and working through Dr Betty Edward's classic "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain." Her research and teaching centres around the notion that linear drawing which is directed mostly by the left lobe, or language area of the brain... rarely makes use of the more creative and less controlled right side which houses the imagination and dreaming capacity of the brain in all of us. Her work and this marvellous book encourages us to engage the right side more into the creative process... say in drawing tasks. She has developed some very novel approaches to help achieve this goal... and are worth considering as support bin becoming a better draughtsman.

The one I chose to put out to my duo on Tuesday last was to simply provide a picture reference that was in itself easy to translate and to attempt to draw it working with the reference completely upside down... that is... inverted. We began the drawing exercise by first completing a notan drawing... or thumbnail sketch to explore the pictures basic's elements/masses and lines. We then evaluated each of our finding and shared our feelings about this "turn of events"... excuse the pun!

All of us enjoyed the experience... and all of us were as bang on with our renderings... as if we had pursued the conventional "right side up" approach. Both ladies were entirely surprised with their success... although Robin had braved the experience earlier on her own. My next step was to introduce colour as a drawing tool into the process. I accomplished this by using a program on my computer which can take a photographic jpeg and reduce it to an image built entirely from abutting masses of colour. Each person was given this colour map... not merely to copy... but rather to look at and to understand how these masses translate a sense of line... without translating as purely linear entities. This approximates the strategy of looking for and painting masses... a skill which most plein air painters often rely upon to start a painting outdoors.

Again each of us found success from employing this technique as well. Both strategies, when combined... do create a new and exciting path for those who have only approached drawing and painting using The "draw carefully  in pencil... then draw again in paint method." In plein air painting... one does not always have the luxury of the time it requires to come at a subject in such a way, The chance that you are going to become overwhelmed by the tremendously distracting presence of so much visual detail is likely. Simplifying becomes the safest order of business.

The ladies took their work and references home to complete the exercise while I completed my own watercolour version of the same subject... demonstrating techniques to encourage free flow and quick decision-making. Being away from my usual oil paint box was at first a bit of a stretch for me. But things quickly started to fall in place as we worked lesson by lesson over the summer. I'll be more than ready for an possible trip south to the Barbados... should that occur during the winter months. But regardless... the process has helped me rethink and reshape my own method of working.

An extension of the principles used in this lesson can be seen in the artistic method which my wife Deb uses in creating her "A Cut Above" stained glass artistry. Deb begins each her projects with thumb nails that point towards a line drawing pattern. She selects and cuts pieces to be used in her design from various choices of coloured glass from her inventory... aka palette. When all of the pieces have been cut out and lie on the pattern... she encloses them with a metal jig to hold them firmly in place. Notice her incorporation of negative (open) with positive (glass pieces). This is a feature of her stylism that separates her from "the ordinary" totally glass works! Think of the sun light that flows into a room.... especially on dark days!

The next phase of her work is to put 1/4 inch  foil with one side adhesive uniformly the perimeter of each piece of the "puzzle. This accomplished... she is ready to begin the tricky and time-consuming task of soldering all of the parts together using a carefully laid bead of zinc solder to join each of the pieces together into a whole. Then the piece is flipped and the soldering is carried out on the reverse side... safely encasing the design from both sides to make it rigid and  permanent. The final step in the actual glass making.. is to add a solution which causes the copper foil to oxidise... leaving the pieces of glass separated by a web of black lines... like colour partitioned by black lines... which appear only in the final stage of the creation process. How neat is that?.... Painting with Glass... with class! That's my Gal!!!

Might be worth a try... to "shake the tree"!

"Sunken Rock Lighthouse, Alexandria Bay, NY

SOLD!.... now lives happily... in Washington

Good Painting to ALL!!!

THE CLASS IN PICTURE SEQUENCE.... From Drawing to painted finish

 Sunken Rock Lighthouse .... the subject reference

The reference photo ... inverted for the preliminary drawing activity

 Masses of abutting colour vs line approach

Finished water colour

"Sunken Rock Lighthouse, Alexandria Bay, NY watercolour on paper 14x 10 inches


PS 2nd Annual Paint Out will take place in Rockport next weekend... Excitement's building...as are the registrations for the event! Still not too late... see the Poster included!!

September Song...

"September Song" - oil on canvas 30x24 inches

Oh it's a long, long while from may to December
But the days grow short when you reach September
When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame
And you ain't got time for the waiting game

When the days dwindle down to a precious few
September... November
And these few golden days I'd share with you
Those golden days I'll share with you

This has been the project that has captured most of my thoughts... time and interest over the summer. It has been in my mind constantly... gradually emerged out of the mists of my imagination and planning... and is finally on canvas.

There are a few canvases in one's life which have special personal meaning... which reveal and reflect memories and events worth remembering about one's life. This canvas will always remain that for me... and by the manner in which it has already been received... many others feel similarly and are attracted to it. Perhaps... it might become my second foray into the giclee world! Food for thought and consideration with my partner in crime!

As I reviewed the folder of jpegs that I had collected labelled "River Vesper in Process", I realized that the final outcome... the canvas itself spoke more eloquently on its own... rather than being accompanied by the  description and numerous jpegs at different stages to describe how I arrived at the end of the creative process. Even the title "River Vesper" seemed somehow to be just as redundant. While it did eloquently offer insight into my deep feelings of almost religious respect for the River that I have lived most of my life... this newer and larger version of the the 7x5 inch panel created months ago offered much more to the viewer. Visually... the additional attention to line and detail in the skiff and the deeper sense of mood and more accurate aerial perspective are radically changed and improved upon in my mind. In a phrase... it better expresses my original feeling and intentions. So I have posted the image on its own for you to enjoy.

Rewind back to the introduction of the post. "September Song" ranks with the most beloved of my personal playlist. Co-written by Maxwell Anderson and Kurt Weil for the Broadway play "Knickerbocker Holiday"  in 1930... it has become a classic and since then has been reworked and returned successfully to the hit charts by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughn Sammy Davis Jr, Willy Nelson, Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, Lionel Hampton, Gracie Allen, Ray Coniff, Eddie Duchin, Dion and the Belmonts, Montovani, Gordon McRae....  and the list goes on endlessly.Need I say more? This particularly popular classic has been performed in every conceivable musical genre... and by the icons in each. And why? Because the melody in concert with the "lyrics-beyond-lyrics"... reach into the very soul of every human being who embraces music in their lives. The work knows no borders... and has  few equals in contemporary music!

"September Song" offers a universal connection to the bitter-sweet feelings we all share about the departure of summer... closing the cottage... the beginning of school... empty nesting... saying goodbye to relatives and summer friends. While the feelings are not at all sadness on a tragic level... they are indeed felt whenever the events mentioned above reoccur... and usually they do in the each and every September.

Perhaps my being a teacher... knowing that the arrival of September meant that  my freedom to realize and enjoy some of my own needs... amongst them time with my own family and painting space was slip-sliding away. But it dates much earlier than that period in my life. I felt that nostalgic twinge heavy-heartedly delivering my US summer friends to the wharf here in Rockport... knowing that we would not see each other until next summer. Too... in those early years of growing up at the Narrows, I would miss the seemingly endless warm summer mornings of early rising to search out fish.... berries and solitude in the quiet Island places.

On a purely lyrical interpretation of the song... it is about treasuring the years left in one's life and in the joy of spending them ... with that "special " Someone... to watch over "You". I am indeed blessed to be sharing my life with such a person... "Someone Special" in these autumn days of my own journey. "I" am deeply blessed... as I know many of you are as well... to share your own journey with your own Someone Special.

I would appreciate hearing back what feelings... if any... this painting conjures up from within you. Does September sing a special song for you? Does it harken back happier times?...

I wonder!...

Good Painting to ALL!!!

Outside... Inside

Site selected for quick demo. Note the distinct large masses and vertical feel. The focus will be on the Black-eyed Susans

"Quick draw" demo results. Black-eyed Susans in minor detail. The remainder of the masses are indistinct and just washed in. The demo was complete at this point... to be reworked away from the subject later in the studio.

 The notion of middle ground tree development creeps steadily into my thinking... and into reality.

The basically  "New"structure for the painting has been accomplished... what do do with the foreground... if anything remains the final question to be resolved.

The final out come: "Summer... Dropping Away!" - mixed media / watercolour on paper 14x10 inches


"Failure is our friend" - Dale McKinney
-excerpted from "Making Your Paintings Work" by Philip Jamison



OUTSIDE...

Here is the result of a "quick draw" lay in of the masses... the focus being the clump of colourful Black-eyed Susans. All of the other masses surrounding this interest comprise of subdued washes. Note the absence of any real attempt for detail at this point in the process.

I ended the demo and encouraged everyone back to their own subjects to lay in in a similar quick fashion, emphasizing the fact that neither medium lacked the ability to be corrected at different times along the way. The objective was to lay in quickly over the lightly drawn pencil mapping and then to build gradually upon that structure.

INSIDE...

I brought the demo home and didn't get back to it until Friday afternoon. I began the process of creating a finished painting without any reference material. At this point , I assumed ownership of the final outcome... painting totally from the feelings and responses from within. In some cases that response was likely tempered by my memories of the experience outside... but for the most part, the final statement and direction of my painting came out of impulse and in "seeing" possibilities to be explored.

When one first looks at the initial demo result... one might feel discouraged... or even feel a sense of failure. It appears on the surface to be ill-conceived and at the best a "slap-dash" effort lacking punch. What to do with it is the question. While one can continue to pound away using the usual watercolour techniques to rescue this piece... and most likely fail... I would offer that one thinks and works "outside the box. Think in a different way. Paint in a different way. Use whatever means you wish to ... to simply "play." Let go of the notion of failure. It is merely one single piece of paper... in a succession of blank sheets on your journey to become a better painter.

I learned early in the game that the only rule in painting... is that there aren't any rules. Rules confine the mind... and greatly impede progress. Admittedly, there are "rules" that when used as general guides reduce dead ends. But keep in mind that every painting we make has its origin from an internal response. We first respond to an exterior stimulus within our mind... not the brush! That drives us to investigate further... in the case of the artist... with brush , paper/canvas and paint in hand.

The entire afternoon of painting lasted about two hours. During that time, I dropped in various washes of colour...removed paint using brushes loaded with water followed by dabbing with paper vowel and in some cases even removed set areas using a dampened sponge. In some cases... entire plots of some flower varieties completely disappeared because I saw and felt strongly that there was a "tree effect" in the background the begged to be introduced... and I responded!... I played freely!

In other places, I more carefully pushed and pulled at colour values... defining more carefully individual flowers in the central focus... the Black-eyed Susans and raising the darks underneath them. I added some splashes of other colours such as reds and blues to act as "colour surprises"... animating the painting with complementary colour. I even employed acrylic white as an opaque agent to "correct." Yes... I realize in so doing, that this painting will not be considered a "transparent" water colour... and would be shunned by purists or most juried watercolour shows. However... the whole purpose of this exercise is to feel the pure joy of painting... to stretch my imagination and thinking and  not to produce a water colour masterpiece. I long ago in my journey gave up any notion of becoming a "master" of any medium at the expense of enjoyment. Few of us are... or ever will become "masters"! Mastery infers power over. Isn't the whole purpose of painting to show freedom of spirit and medium?

My appreciation and enjoyment in my own work comes fully out of the joy it gives to me personally on each and every occasion. That joy is deepened... when I am granted the opportunity to share what I do and find along the way... with those who share my passion... humility and willingness to learn (from mistakes). Making art has provided me with much more than money... attention or a boosted ego. It has brought many new friends into my life... whom I cherish!

And "I"... have been deeply blessed!

Good Painting to ALL!!!

The Perfect Space

Tuesday's class offered some new surprises. Firstly... Robin and I had two new enthusiasts decide to join us  for the final class in August on Little Hebrides Island. Fred Guild and his wife graciously offered us the keys to their private space to roam over and paint as we pleased. Given its privacy... its many panoramic vistas of the River and beautifully designed clutches of garden... this Eden was indeed the "perfect space" to inspire good painting!

The weather forecaster had offered less than perfect conditions for the day with partly cloudy conditions and the strong possibility of thunderstorms and rain. Those conditions failed to materialize and we enjoyed a "bluebird day" (blue sky and sun) for the entire paint out. The perfect place also offered many places and opportunities for shade, including a lovely gazebo complete with comfortable and strategically placed Muskoka chairs.This site offered a protected location and three magnificent river views. The scattered gardens along the pathways leading to the south side of the island and the home's entrance afforded not only interesting painting subjects... but shade as well.

In my initial planning for the day completed days before setting out, I tried to encompass a lesson goal which was both achievable... but challenging for each of the participants at their particular levels of experience. I had previously painted with Robin and Jane, so I had a handle on their strengths and basic interests. I knew that they could fend for themselves with minimal worry. The two new ladies were friends and came together... with enthusiasm to discover what this plein air painting was all about... and whether they could cut it. And they did admirably achieve that goal with panache!


Here... is the essence of the brief introduction. lasting a mere ten minutes that I offered as they sat under the gazebo. I wanted to keep it simple and succinct... open-ended, but with enough structure for each person to begin their day with confidence. I would then be able to evaluate strengths and weaknesses as they revealed themselves without holding anyone up and offer help as it was required on an individual basis. The main goal for the day coincided with the reality that we were painting in a "perfect space"... in terms of the numerous motifs and solitude that this island paradise offered each of us. The theme I chose focussed upon "Creating Your Own Space." Here are the cogent points in my short presentation to the group:

Space... on a purely technical level can be achieved by understanding and employing these tasks:
1. Space on your canvas or sheet of paper is two dimensional... possessing only length and width
2. Depth is the third dimension... and is "illusionary" in nature and must be created
3. Depth can be created in the picture plane using light and shadow, colour (warm and cool) ie aerial perspective  and elements of linear perspective ie size relationships through scale
4.The use of all three in combination result in the creation of the illusion of deep space ie. foreground... middle ground and background

Finding your own "perfect space"... in the face of the complexity of Nature in her fullness is a daunting task each and every time one goes "out there." Trying to replicate all that is in front of one can only lead to disaster and discouragement. One must learn to look for the abstract patterns... the larger masses... which are in their essence those strong compositional elements which pique our interest and form the design in our paintings.

Secondly... and most importantly, we must learn to simplify the elements... to translate them into an impression... as opposed to making an attempt to create a  photographic reproduction. Avoiding this pitfall can be overwhelmingly challenging to the novice plein air enthusiast.  I gave each member a 5x7" view finder cut from a piece of mat board to crop out a section of what lay before them. It would serve as a tool to help them focus and refocus their attention as they sketched and painted. Three made use of them... the other person didn't feel a need to use it. The three found it very useful in both the drawing and painting stages.

The painting session began with a laugh. The two new ladies chose a shaded site along the path with many floral opportunities and lots of colour. They had just completed their drawings and were laying out their palettes of colour... when the timed sprinklers went off... trapping them as they sat in the midst of geysers of cold water  - not great with acrylic paints! A "baptism-by-fire" entry into the business of plein airing! HA HA!! They were wonderful sports about it and quickly shifted gears... and locations... coming out into the sun to dry off. We all enjoyed the comic relief... and the nervous relief of being "out there" melted away for the remainder of our wonderful outing together. Plein air always provides unforeseen challenges.

Here are some of the opportunities that I introduced as  available possibilities for a painting. Each selected their own study and we got quickly under way.

 Robin and Jane under the Gazebo... deep into the Flow!

Both painting this garden theme that both found interesting

Over the shoulder and into Jane's Space

 Marsha at work...... before the sudden deluge!

 Marsha at work in the zone...

Nancy with the world to her Self!


We broke for lunch at noon and during the break I completed a "quick draw" watercolour demo to the lay in stage... promising to complete it at home later under my own steam and by memory to illustrate my belief that one must use the subject only as a springboard to begin the process and rely on the inner spirit and feelings to carry it to the conclusion. In this fashion of working... the work becomes truly creative in every respect.In summarizing... The space you create depends upon physical choices and specific knowledge as to how space can be created visually on a two dimensional surface. Your space as well has a spiritual aspect... if you have the courage to let your innermost feelings guide your brush and pencil in the process. Always remember. As Philip Jamison reminds us: "that the mind paints... before the brush!"

I am passing along some memorable highlights of our day together on Lesser Hebrides in the form of jpeg shots which illustrate grandly some of the island's beauty and the the great enjoyment and work of our participants We bid farewell to Nancy ... as she departs for home. Hope that this inspires and encourages you to follow your heart and to continue the great success you enjoyed on your first plein air outing! Good luck with it! As for the rest of our group... we'll see you next week! It is necessary for me to reschedule from the Tuesday, as I have a previous appointment. I'll email all to find the best common alternative day for next week!

Our deepest thanks to the Guilds for so graciously sharing their Shangri-la with us! Hope to return again real soon for another island adventure there!

Good Painting to ALL!!!

Metamorphosis... Final Stage

I must apologize for the excessive length of my last post... and for perhaps a too deeply personal diatribe on my part concerning my interest in social metamorphosis. In reviewing the post this morning... to see where I left off it, I can clearly see that the post might have been originated from my sense of sadness and feeling of nostalgia which always arrives as summer draws to an abrupt close. This feeling dates back to my childhood days when my seemingly endless summer days of freedom on the River suddenly evaporated as the Labour Day Weekend approached. I have discovered since living in Rockport that my feeling in this regard is shared by some... who like me are saddened. Others are gladdened by the fact that the hurly-burly insanity which grips the village as hundreds of loaded tour buses descend upon us to board the tour boats... will soon draw to a close. This year for me as well... September's arrival will mean that "we get the River back." And I don't need to report to classes... either in a seat at the front, or in those front-facing! So enough of sadness!

I would like to use the remainder of today's post to showcase the "metamorphosis"... of my painting student... now my painting pal Robin Heberling. Robin had been keen in her pursuit of new skills and learning in her artistic expression even before our first plein air outing together. She meets regularly with other artists in her home town, but her experience was limited to studio painting. Her goal in joining my summer classes was to "get a leg up" on plein air painting. She recognized the gains to be made in this choice and had an ultimate goal to paint more freely and loosely - in a "painterly" fashion as the term goes. In viewing her paintings... the progression of very obvious steps she has made towards accomplishing this goal can be easily seen as the weeks have evolved. Along with the actual technical skills she is gaining... it is obvious to me and to her... that she is now painting with a very new sense of confidence. She now risks... without hesitation... and paints under her own power and vision.

The word metamorphosis clearly defines the artistic life and search for each of us who choose to paint... whether in the studio or en plein air... whether in oils, water  drawing media. There are no tricks to leap frog one to the head of the line. There is just Time.Time spent working.Time spent searching. Time spent playing.
Time spent using more than one's eyes alone to seek out new answers. "Seeing"... meaning understanding... which creates confidence only will be achieved through the passage through the metamorphosis of artistic growth... not unlike human growth and development.

Look at Robin's lovely crisp water colours... each full of vitality and richer colour than before she began her new journey. "She" is indeed a "Monarch"... a butterfly... now free to continue her exciting adventure and journey as "Queen" of her own Destiny! I sincerely hope that you enjoy and are encouraged by this post... and its application to your own struggle and challenging relationship with your own easel and brushes!

Metamorphosis... a process of systematic... experiential learning... in stages.

Lesson #1   Focus was on perspective and creating a focus. Mission accomplished!

Lesson#2 Chose this floral study over landscape choice. Added Seran Wrap texture at home. Focus was to paint quickly and to choose shapes that interested her from the whole flower.

Arrived for second lesson with these extra studies... "home work... not assigned! Guess which one was painted with a glass of red wine in hand?... Fortification of spirit! HA HA!!

\OOPS! Sorry! Tilt yer head!  A quick study of one half hour completed at home from photo reference

Lesson#3  On the waterfront!.. Eugene's Work Boat... another look at perspective.... and "getting the proper line and proportions" of a boat. Very difficult assignment! This one is PERFECT! Interest in water movement... help required! A nice study!

Lesson#4 Fred's Retreat!  A strong effort with little or no need for my help. I suggested some "sponge erasure" in the foreground reeds to make it less linear.

Lesson#5 - Captain Carnegie's House... Very little need to achieve this lovely airy water colour... just help in creating the transparency in the shadowed areas of the house.



Lesson#6 - A lovely floral in every respect. Completed...mostly... indoors in our kitchen but touched up and tweaked at home to attain her own state finish.

Lesson# 7 -  On location at the park in Gananoque. Tough because the light kept changing and the wasps continual interruption. She asked to watch me complete mine... wanting to see how I achieved fluency through speed of brushwork and decision-making. We'll post her final interpretation from the reference I gave her to work from!Here's my quick study... as it will remain... I think! It "is"... what it is a study!
Why work it to death????

At a lay in stage.... Ready! set!... GO!

"A Quiet Day at the Tourist Bureau, Gananoque" water colour on Watford Paper 14x10 inches


My hat's off to "You" Robin! "You" should be proud of this summer's achievement!... "I" am!!! See you on Tuesday! We're off... across the bridge... to Fred's Retreat at Alcatraz Island. But that's another story... for another day! Stay tuned!...

Good Painting to ALL!

Metamorphosis- Stage / Part One

From the very moment that the word"metamorphosis" was first introduced into my thinking... its might has followed and directed my footsteps continuously. No longer can I recall exactly its moment of origin... for is now veiled in far too many layers of memory and experience to recall the precise moment of its arrival.

Nevertheless, I can offer that it was the very first of many "Epiphanies" which I have experienced on my journey to discover meaning and direction along this sixty-eight year pilgrimage.The wonder... even in its very sound... has continuously excited my senses and curiosity over my entire life time. The notion and process of something rather ordinary...  inert and dare I say even ugly being transformed through time and effort into something unexpectedly and unbelievably beautiful... has continued to intrigue me.

I believe... that my preoccupation not only with the word itself... but as well with the process of transformation and emergence has led "Me" to this very moment in the Present in all aspects of my own... "metamorphosis." My earliest exposure to this term and process... I can only guess most likely revealed itself to "Me" in a junior elementary school Natural Science lesson. The  subject was for absolute certain, the life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly. I can, in truth remember the exact feeling of awe and elation that entered my thoughts and being at that precise moment.

I believe that because I was likely about the age of ten... struggling in a very Mormon environment to become /emerge (at my Dad's urging seeing his example)... a "free thinker" to make sense of abstract and intangible images and teachings of "ideas" such as God... Heaven  and above all... " the notion of "resurrection'.... or being reborn or restored to life after dying. These were not only intriguing to my ten year old intellect... but at the very same time fear-munging to me as well. Heavy stuff for "a larva" to chew on"... let alone swallow... without questions... and hopefully some kind of answers!

"Don't Fence Me In!", a canvas 30x24 inches from several years ago... I think, naturally weaves together my spiritual and artistic intentions using the Monarch in conjunction the cast ironwork fence to create a very clear visual metaphor. One need not be deeply intellectual...or even "literate" in the sense that society measures expressive language to feel... and to fully understand what this image intends. The image states unequivocably the message that I have carried on behalf of my Self... and the countless children in our educational system who can only express themselves eloquently using another "voice."

It requires little imagination to understand the fear and uncertainty that this last term that the "idea" of Death instils upon a child who has scarcely begun their own earthly journey. The total understanding and acceptance of the "possibility"... and the certainty of Death, even in the human life cycle is a life time process totally which tests and eludes all but a select few of us right up to our own demise. Plainly and simply stated... it is scary stuff!

This first clue... the Monarch Butterfly... as tangible evidence of the Absolute wonder and mystery of Creation and the Creator continues to fuel my curiosity, thinking, my work as an artist... and my Hope... in the Fall season of my own life cycle. Though I have only once used the Monarch Butterfly as a subject in my paintings... I have fully embraced the notion of "metamorphosis" in my working artistic method. My process may always follow the same early stages of development... but the ending, I hope is continually subject to a different outcome in the "adult" or finished state.

As well, the concept of"metamorphosis" has become the basis of my spiritual belief system. My sense of place and  purpose in the Universe is based upon my firm belief that the Universe is governed by very precise fundamental Truths... and on every level of existence. We are but a single part in this complicated and grand scheme of organization... and subject to these same laws as much as any other species with which we share this earthly and celestial kingdom.

We are no more... or no less important... except - that we have the innate capacity to alter the workings and outcomes effecting this organization through our care-less development... use and misuse of its resources. We are the only current existent species able to assume "stewardship"... as opposed to the biblically spoken "dominion over" all things on land... in the air or in the water. The  outlook... and the outcomes... employing either of these two ideologies as our yard stick is critically divergent in terms of the sustainability of life as we know it... for all species... including mankind.

Back to the Monarch... and my main thrust in this post. Metamorphosis can be seen to play an intrinsic apart in the development of exploration... agrarian to urban growth settlement growth and technological development. It can be seen to be the determining force of current shifts in cultural movement and financial emergence around the globe. Combined with more efficient and faster passage of information through education and electronic stimuli... this metamorphosis has sped up in these areas of change so rapidly, that the outcomes no longer requires several decades.The transition pattern of the past has given way to an outright demand for necessary change for the masses in mere weeks. Social chaos and armed conflict has replaced normal change through developmental readiness and consensus for changes to be made.

The Monarch, we already acknowledge faces grave consequences... and indeed extinction, as a result of the interruption by man and his intrusive actions which jeopardize the Monarch's habitat... specialized food supply... migration paths to wintering sanctuaries in Mexico. The monarch is but one species under assault. Birds... fish in all waters fresh or salt... amphibians such as frogs... honey bees which pollinate flowering plants and trees are others which come quickly to mind. Recent research indicates that this global problem has reached a state of critical mass.

Time... is quickly running out! Some damage is already accepted as irreversible. We have reached the very point prophesied years ago by Dr Seuss in "The Lorax." His work was not a child's tale. He had  hoped that the parent reading this wonderful lesson to an impressionable child cradled in his or her arm would both see the message... and act together within their generation to address the problem created by greed and arrogance. Now ... it would seem, the seed has been left in the hands of our children to protect and to nurture.

The Monarch... if I might belabour my metaphor a bit longer... represents each of us in the world. We are all on separate journeys... no matter our marital status or situation. We come alone... from who knows where and after a lifespan that can vary from individual to to individual... we depart just as mysteriously as we arrived... to who knows where. These are the great and unanswerable questions of earthly life... and the Universe. For you see... we understand that the Universe is constantly morphing along with Time. Both are undoubtedly linked one to the other... I realize and can comprehend  that fact. However... the likelihood of our discovering the knowledge to explain the sacredness  of of the two questions and this vastness to me seem out of reach. Our species will not have sufficient time to do so... and perhaps that is a good thing... given the abhorrent travesty which we have created in only a few thousand years... in the entire scheme of things!

I will close today in Hope... and not pessimism. Man kind has the wonderful ability to learn from our mistakes and the problem-solving ability and skills to develop solutions. He has as well... as can be seen in his capacity to think and act nobly ... as seen in the legacy of beauty he has created in the Arts. My Hope is... that "He"... "We" can set aside greed and the need to control the lives and destinies of others... and in so doing... not "fence ourselves in. That prison is the worst kind of imprisonment... and its needless! Here's to Hope... and more evidence of our ability to create and affect a beautiful final stage in our metamorphosis!!!

Stay tuned for Stage / Part Two... which will focus on another Monarch of sorts... an adult  "Butterfly" who I have most recently had the good fortune and privilege to discover... and to hold briefly  in the palm of my hand . I think "She " took flight yesterday during our painting time together... "free" to be her beautiful creative Self! Judge  for yourself next post!

Good Painting ... to ALL!
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