• July Goals

    02Jul
    Categories: Musings Comments: 0

    Setting monthly goals for June worked so well for writing that I’m going to do the same for painting this month.

    The first thing I want to do is lesson paintings. I’m going to set a goal of three paintings finished in the Flemish technique for July. That shouldn’t be a problem, with five currently in the color stage.

    The second thing I’d like to do this month is finish the portrait of the Little Dog. We’re planning a trip to Michigan over the Labor Day weekend and if I could deliver that, I would love it.

    The third goal for July will be finishing the portrait of Lockkeeper. That may be a stretch because it’s now the largest painting in progress. It would also be nice to able to deliver it in September.

    Finally, if I can complete these two portraits, I will have cleared my schedule of portrait work. There are some large scale projects I’ve been thinking about tackling when “I can make the time”. It may just be the right time to begin planning those. Once the show collection is complete and the portraits are done, my painting time will be my own.

    I also need to start the serious thinking about a painting for the 2010 Michigan Harness Horseman’s Association auction. Time is drawing short for completely a new piece for that January event, but it’s not yet too late.

    Tags: ,

  • Guienne Hanover; Finished but for the Tweaking!

    30Jun
    Categories: Final Color Layer Comments: 0

    The portrait of Gueinne Hanover is now complete except for the tweaking! Praise the Lord!

    I worked on the painting on Monday in spite of the fact that some of the previous work was still a little bit tacky. There wasn’t much to do, but it was about the most difficult part of the entire painting: those nasty straight lines and curved lines of the bike!

    But it was put in place in the first session, then tweaked a little bit in the next.

    I also did some tweaking to the driver, including the rather complicated looking design on the helmet, touched up the race track, and began the lettering at the bottom.

    After that, a day or two to dry and I’ll look it over to see if I’ve missed anything and it will be D-O-N-E!

    Once that happens, I’ll have to take it to the gallery, where I can place it on an easel and get sufficient light and distance to take a good photograph. It will probably stay there until it’s ready for framing or for delivery, whichever the client chooses.

    Tags: , ,

  • In the Homestretch

    25Jun
    Categories: Final Color Layer Comments: 0

    The last previous work on Guienne Hanover wasn’t completely dry when I went to work the evening of Wednesday, June 24, but I decided to work on the painting anyway.

    I started by fine-tuning the horse, especially the front end, but once the lights and middle tones were in place, I dry brushed Lamp Black in the mane and tail and the darkest shadows. I used Transparent Yellow Oxide, Titanium White and small amounts of Transparent Red Oxide for the bay areas and Lamp Black for the darks.

    When that was done, I worked on the driver, using the lighter horse colors to start the face, then moving into the uniform with the same greens I’d mixed for grass and other areas. When working this area, I kept the edges softer and more blurred, using my fingers to break up the paint layer especially on the trailing edges. Most of that area is looking much more complete, though there are still some problem areas. Once this work is dry, I’ll add the red shapes and fine-tune the fabric.

    The horse is done for the time being and the driver is nearly done. The only remaining areas are the bike itself and the helmet, which will probably be the last thing I do before the final adjustments.

    It will probably have to sit over the weekend to approach anything like dry, as hot and humid as it’s been the last few days, but I may be able to begin painting harness before then. I was very happy with the work. I’m not sure it can be done by Saturday, or even by June 30, but I’m determined to get as close as possible.

    I have no photographs of the painting to share, since the client hasn’t seen the painting, yet. I will post a photograph when becomes available.

    Tags: , , ,

  • Recovering My Stride

    23Jun
    Categories: Musings Comments: 0

    I had a very difficult time getting going Monday, June 22. A lot of heat (forecast high near 100 and humid … it was so hot, it was impossible to stand in bare feet for very long on a sunlit porch this afternoon), a little bit of depression and a lot of work to catch up on after last week’s hiatus. I didn’t get anything except checkbook work and laundry done before noon and didn’t really get started on anything significant before two o’clock this afternoon.

    At that point, I took something for headache and went back to bed, thinking I’d do something when the ibuprofen kicked in and the headache was gone. If I felt like it. Definitely one of those days!

    I also said a prayer for a kick in the rear (quite literally!) and within five minutes thoughts of portraits and possible ways to ‘ease into’ work began to parade through my head. Thank You, Lord!

    I got back up, searched through my CDs for something I hadn’t listened to in a long time and found several things, including John Williams Summon the Heroes (a collection of Olympic music and themes), the soundtrack for Titanic and Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons performed by the Israel Philharmonic Orchesta, conducted by Zubin Mehta and featuring the violins of Isaac Stern, Pinchas Zukerman, Shlomo Mintz and Itzhak Perlman.

    Summon the Heroes went into the CD player and I went to work.

    The first thing I worked on was the portrait of Lockkeeper. The background was finished and I blocked in the area around the horse’s feet with greens. The greens were painted all the way to the bottom of the panel, but I decided I didn’t like that and rubbed off some of it. The session concluded with blocking in the tail and the off side hind leg. I also photographed the painting before and after today’s session, since I’d gotten a little bit lax about that.

    Lockkeeper is a 16×20 portrait in oils on Baltic Birch. It’s my first experience with Baltic Birch and after getting accustomed to the surface texture, I have to say I am much impressed. This panel is one of those I purchased back in May from Signature Canvas.

    Next on the list was Guienne Hanover (photo by Jeff Coady, Coady Photography)

    John Williams was replaced with a CD featuring general classical selections and away we went. Again.

    Since I obviously didn’t get this portrait finished last week, I am aiming for completion this week. My goal for the day was to finish the horse. That work would (should!) dry over night and I could then place the harness.

    So I photographed last Monday’s work, then began painting.

    I worked through the front half of the horse, which is the area that needs to be finished, but I wasn’t able to finish it. A couple of areas were muddied past repair and I couldn’t wipe off the fresh paint without creating a worse problem, so it will have to dry before I can finish those areas.

    However, I did begin painting in some of the harness and was very happy with that work, so it may all work out in the end.

    Guienne Hanover is a 22×28 original oil on quarter inch masonite, a nice, sturdy, ultra smooth surface ideal for my painting techniques.

    Tags: , , , ,

  • The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

    18Jun
    Categories: Musings Comments: 0

    …often go awry.

    So said John Steinbeck in his 1937 novella, Of Mice and Men.

    I know it to be true.

    On Sunday, June 14, I had the great idea to finish Guienne Hanover this week and move it out of the studio and into the drying room.

    On Monday, June 15, I had two great painting sessions, made lots of progress and began thinking that maybe it wouldn’t take all week to finish the painting.

    Monday evening, my plans were blown all to pieces by two things.

    The first thing was the weather and a very bad thunderstorm that went through between 8:15 and 8:45. Lots of thunder and lightning, but even more high winds and rain. The temperature dropped nearly 20 degrees from nearly 90 in just a few minutes and I ended up changing out of my shorts and into a pair of jeans. It looked cool and kind of scary at the same time.

    That led to the second thing. We decided we should put the harnesses and leashes on the cats in case we had to head to the basement. Bro accepted his all right, but Thomas went ballistic. He’s never been bad in getting the harness on because the harness and leash mean a trip outside. He likes to go outside, so all I usually have to do is get the harness out and he’s right there, ready to go.

    This time, though, he yelled and screamed and when I persisted in attempting to harness him, turned his head around and the next thing I knew, I had an 11-pound tom cat hanging off my right wrist. An interesting sight.

    When Thomas got away, Bro was right there and attacked him with such ferocity that they rolled on the floor three times and we had to separate them before it ended. Bro got locked in the bedroom area and Thomas hunkered under the chair by the front door.

    The long and short of it is that we never did get a harness and leash on Thomas, the storm passed by with no major damage that time and three others rolled through before 4 a.m. and there was no third painting session. It was, to say the least, an interesting evening.

    The long and short of all that is that my right wrist was no longer quite as mobile as it was Monday afternoon. I can type and do most of my work, but haven’t tried painting, yet. There was some swelling and the discomfort that goes with that, but I’m more concerned with getting pigment and other materials in the wounds if I leave them uncovered and when I bandage them, the bandage interferes with movement.

    I had Tuesday off from the studio anyway because of band practice in the evening and I didn’t do anything on Wednesday, either, even though I had the evening to myself. I spent a good part of the evening soaking my hand and wrist and it’s impossible to paint that way. I did manage to read all of The Black Stallion’s Courage Wednesday evening, though. I’m considering that writing research!

    The good news is that I’ve gone all day today without the bandage and the wrist is doing much better. Depending on how the day goes, I may attempt a little bit of painting this evening just to see what happens.

    It that doesn’t work, there’s always a novel to work on!

    Tags: ,

  • A Brief Break from Lesson Paintings

    16Jun
    Categories: Final Color Layer Comments: 0

    I am taking a brief ‘vacation’ from lesson paintings to focus attention on the large portrait of Guienne Hanover that has been on the easel since October 31, 2008, when the first paint was applied to the under painting.

    Guienne Hanover (photo by Jeff Coady, Coady Photography) is a five-year-old trotting mare. On October 20, 2007, she became the world’s fastest three-year-old trotting filly when she trotted one mile in 1:51.2 at Colonial Downs. The previous track and world record was 1:54 and the North American record for the same distance was 1:52.

    The portrait was purchased at the 2007 Michigan Harness Horseman’s Association benefit auction, but it wasn’t until Guienne Hanover turned in her stunning performance at Colonial Downs that she became the subject of the portrait.

    The portrait is 22 inches by 28 inches on prepped masonite 1/4 inch thick and is currently the largest thing I have going. That’s part of the reason it’s taking so long.

    It is also a fully landscaped painting designed to capture the moment and setting as well as Guienne Hanover.

    While it has not been painted strictly according to the Flemish technique I’m documenting on these pages, it does feature an under painting, followed by color applications in a series of opaque and transparent glazes. Lots of painting, some repainting and lots of waiting for paint to dry!

    That, along with a trip or two, a three-day show and two weeks of no studio time due to illness, has led me to decide to focus on this painting above all others for this week or until it’s done, whichever comes soonest.

    The portrait is very close to completion, so there is not a lot left to do. Most of the work involves several different areas that just need tweaking. The driver, the bike and finishing the horse are the major things.

    On Monday, June 15, I set aside all of my lesson paintings and devoted time to Guienne Hanover. I alternated studio time with writing time, working on the painting until bending over it caused back strain, then taking a break to write or do housework, then back to the painting.

    In the first session, I tackled the driver and the bike, both of which feature my two least favorite things to paint…straight lines and curves! Subject and background were worked simultaneously so I could manipulate edges, light and reflected light. I really wanted to finish each area completely before moving on to the next thing, so proceeded a little more slowly than I might otherwise have done.

    In the second session for the day, I continued working my way forward by painting both hind legs and the hindquarters of the horse. Because I had already put quite a bit of work into these areas the work went fairly quickly and I was able to get all the way up to the girth without too much difficulty.

    Tags: , , ,

  • Finally…Color!

    13Jun
    Categories: First Color Layer Comments Off

    Studies in the Flemish painting technique entered a new phase today: color.

    Three paintings were ready to being color work and I worked on all three of them.

    Two of them, Contemplation and Joker involved nothing more complicated than rubbing the first color into the backgrounds and the horses themselves. Just a few minutes for each one and they were done for the time being.

    I used Magnesium Blue throughout the entire painting (except the white blaze) and Prussian Blue in the dark areas on Joker (shown below).

    Contemplation (shown above) was started with Yellow Ochre in the lighter areas and Raw Sienna in the darker ones.

    For both paintings, I used a rag to apply the paint and smooth out the paint layer and used no solvents, mediums or oils on either the panels or mixed in with the paints.

    Afternoon Graze, which was actually the first one I worked on, had more involved work done on it.

    I began with the sky and painted forward and downward from there, painting color over each of the hills in the painting. By the time I finished, only the horse was still in the dead layer stage.

    More detailed information on the work done is available on the page for each painting,

    Tags: , ,

  • A Page for Each Painting

    11Jun
    Categories: Musings Comments: 0

    Now that I have most of my lesson paintings set up on an individual page elsewhere on this blog, you can follow your favorite painting without searching the blog. Each painting is documented beginning to end as it goes through the painting process. Most of the same information presented in individual blog posts is included on each painting page, but the individual painting pages also include additional information.

    The individual painting pages are linked from a page called The Paintings, which has it’s own tab at the top of the blog page. From that page, you can follow the link to each painting page.

    Most of the paintings I have been posting about are on this list. The two portraits are not yet available and most likely will not be until after their completion and approval by the clients. The painting I’m painting as a surprise will also not be posted until after it’s completed and has been delivered.

    There are also some potential new ideas that will be getting a page once they have been confirmed.

    The individual painting pages are definitely something you will want to check out and book mark, because they will be very fluid. All work will be posted there whether or not there is a post written about that work.

    Here are the links for the available pages. Enjoy!

    Tags: , ,

  • Impulsion, Dead Layer Finished

    09Jun
    Categories: Dead Layer Comments: 0

    Impulsion
    14×18 Oil on Prepped Panel

    This certainly took more time from beginning to end than I planned on, but I can now report that the dead layer is complete, cold and several days of delays aside.

    Painting the horse took more time than painting the background, but having the background in place and completely dry was a huge help in the process. I had the freedom to rest my hands wherever they needed to be and to turn the painting in whatever direction I needed to turn it in order to get the results I wanted.

    It didn’t matter if I smeared the background with fresh paint, either. All I had to do was wipe it off! That was great!

    The work spanned three days, but went very smoothly. On June 1, I started with the off side hind leg thinking that if I ran out of energy, I could at least finish that small area and have a good place to stop. As it turned out, I didn’t run out of energy and after painting that leg, I painted the other hindleg and the tail, then worked forward into the shoulder.

    On June 3, I started with the shoulder and painted forward into the chest, then upward into the neck and the head, finally painting the mane and forelock before returning to finish the shoulder. I spent the most time on the head because that’s where the horse will be identifiable.

    The last work session for the week was on Thursday and I finished the front legs, which were the only areas remaining to be finished.

    From beginning to end, this part of the process went extremely well. Each area was finished before I moved on to the next and when the horse was completely painted, I made all adjustments that were then apparent. There weren’t very many. Then the painting went up to the drying room, where it will reside until June 25 at the earliest and, more likely, until June 29. If it is ready to move to the next stage at that time, it will be time for color work.

    You can read all about this painting on it’s dedicated blog page.

    Tags: ,

  • Working a New Schedule

    06Jun
    Categories: Musings Comments: 0

    Back in April, I decided it was time to change my daily schedule. The combination of the three-day Sunflower Arab Show, during which time I did very little painting, and the beginning of the summer band season at about the same time significantly reduced the amount of studio time for that week and eliminated one day each week for the duration of the concert season.

    Back then, I decided it was “time to get SERIOUS about painting”, as I said in the April 21, 2009 post.

    What changed that week was my morning routine. No more morning naps after Neal leaves for work and to the studio instead.

    On May 11, I took another step toward organization and actually set up ‘business hours’. A little bit of time each morning to do art, a little bit to do writing. A little bit of time in the evening to do art and to write.

    I did that as a personal challenge and on challenge from Neal, who was thinking along the same lines I was (that happens more and more the longer we’re married!).

    The specific hours as I first outlined them didn’t last very long, but the division of time did last. I learned very quickly that in spite of not being a morning person, my best painting time is before going to work. Quite often, I come home from work with just enough creative energy left to write something, but not enough to do more than just think about painting.

    My evenings are also most likely to be busy and away from home, so that time is best used for writing if it gets used for anything creative.

    So for a week, I painted in the morning and wrote in the evening and it worked out quite well. On some of the days I wasn’t been able to paint in the morning, I was able to paint at the gallery or in the evening. On most days, I worked on two or more paintings and the painting that received the most work was the portrait of Guienne Hanover.

    Needless to say, I was happy!

    Then came May 18 and the first big challenge to my time management plan. A cold!

    For two weeks to the day, I was out of the studio completely. In the second week, as I began to recover, I had enough energy to look for new projects and even to do some sketching, but that was all. I thought about painting, about all those paintings that were being neglected and especially about the two portraits on the easel. But no painting was done.

    So the real test of my time management system began June 1, when I did finally get back to the studio. I’m still not at 100% and may not be for another week or so if the reports of others who have suffered this cold prove true for me. So far, I’ve addressed four paintings between June 1 and June 4, including a change of direction on one of them.

    The best part of this time management idea was that before the cold, I was getting at least on hour of painting time in each day. What a confidence builder that proved to be! I’ve averaged about an hour a day the first four days back in the studio, but have to say that I completely missed one of those days and did no painting at all. Not quite back to par, yet, but getting closer.

    Tags: ,
« Previous Page

Blogroll:

Meta:

Recent Posts