To wash or not to wash, that is the question!

Perhaps you think that you're seeing triplicate, but there actually are three versions of this painting taking form in my studio today. I'm investigating a question which often crops up as I develop a work- after laying in the rough shapes and values, I often liquify the pastel with mineral spirits, and brush the pigments about on the paper, creating a 'wash' for an underpainting. Sometimes I like the unity, and painterly feel which comes with this technique, and at other times I miss the sparkle of untouched paper which cannot be regained. With this painting, I was on the fence about whether a wash would add to or detract from the feeling of the water, so I created three versions to find out! The painting on the left was created on location (in 28 degree weather!), the middle is the second go, with blocking in but no wash. The third version, on the easel, will involve a wash technique.  I'll post the results next week, and share what I learn!

Hooked Rug Exhibit

The Huntingdon County Arts Council is hosting an exhibit of hand-hooked rugs created by several area residents.  The show includes two rugs which I created several years ago for my daughters, and a large rug (about 3' x 4') which I designed, and created together in quilting-bee fashion with a small group of fellow 'hookers'!

Stop by if you get a chance!I love the tactile qualities and soft colors of these unique art/craft creations, and delight in seeing a collection of many rugs by several makers gathered together in an exhibit.  Here's a link for more info. about the show, which is in downtown Huntingdon: http://www.huntingdoncountyarts.org

Mood and Key

"View from the Ridge - Evening" - Final

I shared an early version of these paintings in early December in my posting on "Value and Key" where I demonstrated how 'value' plays such an important role in determining the feel of a painting.  In the finished paintings, shown here, the 'Key' (predominance of light or dark color range) makes a huge difference in the mood of the work.  The evening image above is in a lower key (darker), and feels more settled, like the end of the day.  The morning version is in a higher key (lighter), and feels expectant, like the start of the day.

"View from the Ridge - Morning" - Final

I had fun exploring how key creates mood with these paintings.  I think most people are aware of the light qualities of different times of day, and key and value are vital tools for the artist to use in recreating these.

Pretty Palette

I thought that you might enjoy seeing the bright oil paint colors on my palette, esp. at this time of cold and neutral colors outside. I used these colors last week on a large oil painting of water lilies which I am developing in the studio. I'm savoring the lush colors and slick paint, and the energy that they are adding to the work, and hope that you enjoy them too!

Show is Coming!

Several of my new oil and pastel landscapes will be included in the upcoming Farmland Preservation Artists of Central PA Show/Sale Feb. 3 - 5. I'm a founding member of this small group of local artists who teamed up with the Centre County Farmland Trust to raise visibility for the Trust's mission to preserve farmland in this area.  We exhibit our paintings (primarily local landscapes) at several events throughout the year, and donate a portion of the proceeds from sales to the Farmland Trust and the PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture.  I enjoy working with others who appreciate the beauty of open land in this area, and feel excited about this partnership to help maintain open space through my work as an artist. I hope that you can come and see the artwork- please feel free to contact me for more information about the show/ sale.

Evolution of a Work - 'Fields Across the Stream"

"Fields Across the Stream" - final

This is a scene along Marengo Road, about one half mile from my house.  I go on walks this direction a lot, and see this hillside nearly every day.  I always seem to be drawn into this scene. I like the composition and warm late winter colors in this oil painting.  I began this painting on location with a pencil sketch on a small pocket-sized notebook since it was too cold to stay outside for long.  This painting seems to have a poem-like quality which appeals to me, saying just enough for it to feel 'whole,' but without distracting details.

Original sketch, made on location

I made this sketch to remember the composition of the scene that appealed to me with its interlocking arcs.  The colors I filed in memory, and noticed them more as I drew and interacted with the scene.  I remember sitting there, feeling grateful for this open land, and a touch of warm sun despite the cold air.

Grisaille oil sketch

After getting back to the studio, I wanted to lay in the tonal masses to make sure that the values would work as a composition (and not just the lines).  I decided to work on canvas paper so I felt free to experiment, and then later use this as a reference for the final work.  Such a sketch is called a Grisaille, and is a time-tested approach to beginning a painting.  I don't do this too often, but I've been paying close attention to value-masses lately to see what I can learn from it.  I liked this sketch, so I then used it as a reference for the final painting on canvas. 

The Value of Value and Key

I've been exploring how value and key affect a painting's mood in two recent works-in-progress.  Even with identical compositions,  paintings will look and feel very different depending upon the value and key used.

Here's an example.  Based on a sketch done at a nearby farm, I created several 'thumbnail' sketches (small, quick, images of major compositional shapes) to test out what values (grey scale lightness and darkness of each shape, like the note in a scale), and key (overall placement of values, mostly darks or mostly lights, like octaves on a piano) work best in creating the feel of the place. The composition of all the thumbnail sketches are identical- only the value and key vary between them.  

Colors have value, and to focus in on this quality, I often follow the time-honored approach of squinting at the image, which narrows perception down more to a grey scale (dark to light range), temporarily factoring out other delightful aspects of color (hue and intensity...more on this on a later post). Give this a try, look out the window and watch what happens!

Thumbnail images of a scene, to explore value and key options

I decided to develop two images, the second and third from the top. Note that the composition (placement of shapes) is the same, but the values and overall key differ.

Value Example 1 (painting in progress)

Value Example 2 (painting in progress)

Example 1 uses the higher (e.g. lighter) key and closer value range of the third thumbnail, and I think that it creates a lighter, relaxed, harmonious mood, and the feeling of morning.  In example 2, which follows the second thumbnail, the key is lower (darker), with more dark and middle values, and I sense more solidity and weight to the shapes, and a bit more solemn feeling, like dusk.  I'll be working on both paintings later today, and will keep you posted!

Value and key play critical roles in a painting's structure, and the feel it conveys to the viewer.  I've learned time and time again of the importance of making deliberate choices about how to use these elements in each painting I create.  When viewing works by other artists, I realize what an impact value and key have in the painting.  Try the squinting method to see the 'forest' rather than the 'trees' the next time you're in an art gallery, or try it out on my website paintings.