August 28, 2007 – Painting in the CCP Gardens
Even though we have lived here over 26 years, and I’ve spent a good portion of my time working in the yard, I’ve never thought of the yard as a place to paint. Last week a group of artist joined us here for a morning of painting. Seeing the yard through their eyes has changed how I see where I live. Instead of focusing on the bind weed and devils grass (dead spots in the lawn, dead branches in the trees… ) I see color and shapes. What a gift! Since then I have found much more peace here.
I have touted for years the importance of being able to see things as shapes etc. It took seeing through the eyes of others before I could do that for myself, here where I spend most of my time. What a gift!
Also, we received notice that THREE Creative Catalyst artists won awards in the recent National Watercolor Association show. Nicholas Simmons received the NWS Purchase Award, with Silver Star (top honors!). Mark Mehaffey won the Janet Hilford Memorial Award…..AND artist Donna Zagotta also won the Members Memorial award in the NWS show as well! Mark has two CCP workshops, we filmed Nicholas in May, and we will film Donna next year.
Something to think about
When I was a child, I remember one of my Moms first art shows. A friend of hers, the renowned teacher and mentor Reynold Brown, gave her a word of advice. He told her that you can tell the difference between an accomplished artists and a novice by the attention the artist gives to the edges of their shapes. Whether or not this is true, it has stuck with me throughout the years. Reynold, after all, was an instructor at Art Center School of Design and an illustrator.
Over the years, I’ve been especially alert to whatever anyone says about edges. Below are a few remarks from other artists:
William Reese: Have an entry point and escape route in and out of your shapes using a value transition or soft edge.
Skip Lawrence: All the information is in the edges.
Jan Kunz: A soft value transition on an edge of a shadow can indicate a rounded surface. A hard edge indicates an abrupt change of direction or a shadow cast by another object. In addition, Jan says to connect your foreground subject to the background by ‘loosing an edge’. Notice how the model in Jan’s painting becomes part of his environment in part because his left shoulder is very close in value to the background. – Lynn
Finding our Personal Style
When we first start to paint other artists want to share their creative process and we are eager to learn. There is also a tendency for us to want to emulate them. This may work well if, and it is a big if, our natural style of working is similar to theirs. Otherwise, we may find ourselves in an internal conflict that we find difficult to explain or understand.
As a consequence of filming a variety of talented and experienced artists, I have observed that their approach to art falls along a continuum between those who are “Planners” and those who are “Intiutives” and “fly by the seat of their pants”.
This distinction is not determined by where they paint, i.e.: studio painters vs. Plein air painters but by how they approach the process.
At the “planner’s” end of the continuum is the person who likes everything laid out before starting. The complete drawing is on the paper, every detail is down, and a firm plan is in the artist’s sketchbook. Accurate reference material is important. This seems to me a very ‘head’ way of painting.
At the other end of the spectrum is the artist who applies paint to paper for the pure enjoyment of the process. They are comfortable with random results and they take a lot of chances and say “who not” and “what if” as they paint. Theirs is an emotional approach”¦ it is the “heart” way of painting.
Art is communication, we need both head and heart. Finding that spot on the continuum that best suits us and facilitates our best mode of expression is, I think, the first major step toward achieving our personal style.
MAKE DRAWING PART OF EVERY DAY
Most artists agree that drawing is the foundation on which the visual arts are built. It is said that we should draw every day! So make drawing something that is fun and easy to do daily. Put a small sketchbook and pencil in places you frequent, such as your car, next to your TV, at the telephone etc., and leave them there! They will remind you to draw and make it possible to draw rather than spend time looking for your drawing materials!
Nearly all of the artists who have filmed here at CCP have brought a sketchbook and each book has been very different. It reflects the varying goals of the artist. Mark Mehaffey and Ratindra Das used theirs to think through design options for paintings. They make bold value sketches and notes of what is going on around them. George James paints relationships. His sketchbooks are filled with people in active poses. With his sketchbook as a reference, he is able to place figures in his paintings with realistic accuracy. In George James’s third art instruction video, Designing for Content we included over 25 pictures of his sketchbook. It’s a wonderful insight into how he thinks.
Cheng-Khee Chee tells us to collect visual reference material. As he puts it, “For an artist, it’s like money in the bank!”
Enjoy a Selection of Wonderful CCP Workshops for Drawing
Most artists agree that drawing is the foundation on which the visual arts are built. It is said that we should draw every day! So make drawing something that is fun and easy to do daily. Put a small sketchbook and pencil in places you frequent, such as your car, next to your TV, at the telephone etc., and leave them there! They will remind you to draw and make it possible to draw rather than spend time looking for your drawing materials!
Nearly all of the artists who have filmed here at CCP have brought a sketchbook and each book has been very different. It reflects the varying goals of the artist. Mark Mehaffey and Ratindra Das used theirs to think through design options for paintings. They make bold value sketches and notes of what is going on around them. George James paints relationships. His sketchbooks are filled with people in active poses. With his sketchbook as a reference, he is able to place figures in his paintings with realistic accuracy. In George James’s third art instruction video, Designing for Content we included over 25 pictures of his sketchbook. It’s a wonderful insight into how he thinks.
Cheng-Khee Chee tells us to collect visual reference material. As he puts it, “For an artist, it’s like money in the bank!”
MAKE IT PERSONAL With Your Point of View
A few years ago when I taught drawing at a local Junior College extension class, I had the students move outside to draw while enjoying a beautiful Oregon day. A particularly talented student was very frustrated with her drawing. It looked quite nice to me, but after talking to her for a moment, it became apparent she was not so much frustrated with the drawing but rather with what it said. It had missed the mark. She had been particularly attracted to a shadow cast across the bark of an old tree and the line and texture it created. Instead of focusing in on that particular aspect of the scene, she felt compelled to draw the entire tree AND a few others nearby. The result was that her drawing was less personal to her. Does that sound familiar?
Take ownership of your painting process by painting what interests YOU. Your paintings will have more energy and be more satisfying and unique! Here are a few examples.
If it’s a selected few flowers that interest you, why not zoom in on them and save the bouquet and it’s surroundings for another day. Likewise if it is the model’s hair that is her defining feature, make it dominant or perhaps change her pose all together for a more unique portrait. You’re in charge!
-Lynn-
One woman’s observation about what makes an ARTIST
Have you ever asked yourself “What makes a person an artist instead of just a painter?” The answer to that frequently asked question was again brought home to me this week while filming Carla O’Connor.
For me, a PAINTER is someone who finds joy in the act of painting, frequently has a preconceived idea of the end result before beginning and is directed by the ‘object’ being painted. In addition, there is often an element of risk-aversion in a painter’s way of attacking a painting.
An ARTIST is frequently inspired by visual stimuli, is inwardly driven, permits the painting to ’speak to them’ and is as interested in the creative process as in the result. An artist is willing to ‘risk it all’ for the improvement of the whole. They are willing to alter much more than a few edges to improve a painting. Artists are also willing to spend as much time thinking about their composition as they are painting.
I watched Carla wipe out entire areas to strengthen her painting (even her “favorite” section). She was brave and exercised the power of design. The result was wonderful “¦ a learning experience on so many levels. This is going to be an excellent workshop.
-Lynn-
Creative Catalyst Newsletter – August 7, 2007
JOHN SALMINEN ON DESIGN
John Salminen’s
A DESIGNED APPROACH TO ABSTRACTION is one of the best workshops CCP has ever produced. It is a tour-de-force of a nationally honored artist at the top of his form. John demonstrates principles key to strengthening composition. He elected to use a non-objective painting as the basis on which to discuss design in order to separate the design options of a painting from the ‘things’ in a painting.
Whether you are interested in painting portraits or abstract art, A DESIGNED APPROACH TO ABSTRACTION will help you wrap your mind around the design process. John presents an exercise that permits you to apply what he teaches to a painting of your own. It is a complete seminar in a box!
I heartily recommend this DVD to EVERY serious artist, or student. – Jan Kunz
Sullivan’s MIXED MEDIA Workshop
Join JACQUELINE SULLIVAN in ACRYLICS: TEXTURES, LAYERS AND METALLICS as she demonstrates the unlimited possibilities of collage. Learn the proper way to layer tissue, cheesecloth, aluminum and which medium to use for each texture for durability. Jacqueline clearly explains the differences between Golden mediums. In addition to stencils and metallics, she incorporates everyday household items and discusses how to analyze your design for a better composition. This DVD is perfect for collage artists of any level and style.
THE COURAGE OF TO TRUST OUR OWN VISION
One of the major contrasts between the folks we film and the folks I paint with is CONFIDENCE. This is expressed in a variety of ways. The primary and most glaring is in what people CHOOSE to paint.
The scenario goes like this. I hear someone say, “I love that barn! Look at that wonderful color!” When I see the finished painting it is about everything except the color of the barn…A lot of farmyard ’stuff’ and a little muted barn. What causes us to swerve away from painting our unique experience? I would just love it if we could all somehow permit ourselves to recognize that it is OUR PAINTING! We can paint whatever the heck we want, even if it is just color, and it’s no skin off anyone’s nose! And furthermore (excuse me while I pull up my soap box…), odds are we won’t be satisfied with the painting if we don’t at least TRY to paint what attracted us to the subject in the first place. Even if we get lucky and end up with a ‘nice painting’, it won’t be a full-spirited reflection of our experience or of our unique view of the world.
There is a saying I love, and I’m sorry I don’t know who said it, but it’s something like this: “Art is the expression of our authentic uniqueness.” Let’s permit ourselves to be ourselves, with confidence!
- Lynn -
Betty Carr Watercolor
Betty Carr’s free and flowing style is perfect for summer’s outdoor painting. With her upright easel and full arm strokes, Betty attacks watercolor like an oil painter. She places her darks first and sculpts out shapes! Enjoy Betty’s newly remastered DVD watercolor workshop.
Learn more.
“The artist begins with a vision — a creative operation requiring an effort. Creativity takes courage.”
~ Henri Matisse
1869-1954
From Artist to Artist
Compiled by Clint Brown
Craft Cat Newsletter – August, 2007
JACQUELINE SULLIVAN COLLAGE DVD
Now’s your chance to join Jacqueline Sullivan as she demonstrates the unlimited possibilities of collage. Learn how she layers tissue, cheesecloth and aluminum and selects the medium to use for each texture for durability. Jacqueline clearly explains the differences between Golden mediums. In addition to stencils and metallics, she incorporates everyday household items and discusses how to analyze your design for a better composition.
This DVD is perfect for collage artists of any level and style.
Meet Jacqueline Sullivan
Teacher and artist Jacqueline Sullivan discovered collage early in life when she took a high school art class. Since then, Jacqueline’s artistic studies have taken several paths, including a degree in graphic design and years as an advertising and publication designer. Jacqueline has also focused her talents on calligraphy, having studied under world-renowned instructors Sheila Waters, Jenny Groat and Reggie Exell.
Jacqueline’s fans can see her work in galleries and learn from her first hand through one of the many workshops she teaches around the world every year. Jacqueline has juried art fairs across the country and has been on the faculty of several International Calligraphy Conferences.
Jacqueline currently resides in Michigan. She and her husband, Victor, run a custom frame shop and gallery, The Artful Framer.
(The following is an excerpt from a recent interview with Creative Catalyst.)
How do you find time to do art? Can people be successful as part-time artists?
If I can find time to do art, anybody can. I own a gallery/frame shop where I regularly work 6 days a week, 10 hours per day. I travel and teach at 8 – 10 venues in a year. In addition, I still do some free-lance graphic design work. To “speed up” the practice of creativity, I make sure that I am around something or someone creative all of the time. Thus, my “day job” has always been something that is creative: graphics, picture framing, teaching. If I am too tired to make art, I am reading about it, watching DVD’s, or looking at art on the web. I am on several Yahoo groups and enjoy the creative “chatter.” When my children were younger they always had a strict bedtime – giving me a couple of hours in the studio between their bedtime and mine. When they were young, the playroom, studio and laundry room were all adjoining, allowing me to multi-task. My daughter is disabled and we spent lots of times in doctor’s offices and hospitals and I always tried to keep a sketchbook or a journal with me to “stay creative” while waiting. This also helped reduce the stress of those situations.
In order to be successful as a part time artist, you have to make some tough choices. I don’t run a “perfect” household. It is often embarrassingly chaotic. Friends who visit us understand that I need to make art and understand the “clean enough to be healthy” concept. I don’t garden, although it is something that I love and I am careful with volunteer activities. I have dinner with friends or they visit with me at the gallery, but my social time is very limited. Shopping can be a very creative pursuit, but also a very time consuming one, and so, I try not to “lose myself” in shopping for new tools and materials.
Out and About- CCP Artists’ Workshops
ANN BALDWIN
September 24 -28
Color & Texture in Abstract Painting
Coupeville Arts Center, Whidbey Island, WA
www.coupevillearts.org
SHERRI HAAB
Aug 4
Image Transfer PMC Jewelry
Kit Kraft
Studio City, CA
818-509-9739
Sign up by calling Kit Kraft, email Sherri with questions (sherri @ sherrihaab.com).
TRACI BAUTISTA
Aug 8-12
Art Unraveled
Phoenix, AZ 8/8 – Crayon Cupcakes
8/9 – Creativity Unleashed
8/10 – Flourished Layers
8/11 – Visit Traci’s booth @ the artist’s show – paintings, journals, kits 4 sale!
8/12 – Diva Fairies
Aug 24-26
Stampers Warehouse
Danville, CA
Sept 7-9
The Art Bar
Santa Ana, CA
9/7-Graffiti Bouquet
9/8 – 10am-2pm – Monoprints & Drizzles
9/8 – 3pm-6pm – Doodles & Letters
9/9 – FIBERfusion Art Book
Sept 14-15
More Than Memories
Schaumburg, IL
9/14 – Graffiti Bouquet
9/15 (am) – Colorful Layers. Doodles. Monoprints
9/15 (pm) – The Macrame Journal
Sept 28-29
Rubber Chicken
Gaithersburg, MD
DAYLE DOROSHOW
John Campbell Folk School, North Carolina
www.folkschool.org
Sept 29-Oct 5
John Campbell Folk School, North Carolina
www.folkschool.org
LESLEY RILEY
September 22-24
East Bay Heritage Quilters Guild
Quilted Memories
Fabric Altered Book
LISA ENGLEBRECHT
August 5-11
Art Unraveled
Crowne Plaza, Phoenix, AZ
www.artunraveled.com
8/9 – Swirls and Twirls, calligraphic flourishing on paper and fabric
8/10 – Letter Tool Time-all the latest cool tools for neat-o letters
8/11 – (10am-4pm) – The Vendor Extravaganza
Sept 21-23
St.Louis Calligraphy Guild
9/21 – Lecture
9/22-9/23 – Workshop
JACQUELINE SULLIVAN
Aug. 5-12
Phoenix, Arizona
Linda Young
info@artunraveled.com
Learn Monotype Printmaking, Fabric Altered Books, Precious Metal Clay, Polymer Clay & Collage
Let your friends know about Creative Catalyst
Elephant Magnets
This fun and quick project makes a great summer project.
Creative Catalyst Newsletter – July 31, 2007
JACQUELINE SULLIVAN COLLAGE DVD
Now’s your chance to join Jacqueline Sullivan as she demonstrates the unlimited possibilities of collage. Learn how she layers tissue, cheesecloth and aluminum and selects the medium to use for each texture for durability. Jacqueline clearly explains the differences between Golden mediums. In addition to stencils and metallics, she incorporates everyday household items and discusses how to analyze your design for a better composition.
This DVD is perfect for collage artists of any level and style.
Great Workshop – CHEE’s CRINKLE PAPER TECHNIQUE
Learn to work with watercolor from master artist Cheng-Khee Chee. You learn to achieve a sense of texture, atmosphere, dappled light and dense foliage without painting details. Chee shows you the tips that make the difference between success and frustration!
This Creative Catalyst watercolor workshop contains two complete demonstrations. It’s a wonderful workshop from one of America’s living masters.
REASONS TO BE HAPPY
Recently, I became bummed because I exceeded my listening allotment of NEWS. In reaction, I began thinking about all the great things in my life, and ART ranked high for so many reasons!
Aside from the occasional creative frustration, art is a wonderful constant source of pleasure. It provides opportunities for personal growth. We can challenge ourselves and celebrate when we see progress. We can share what we create with others in the form of gift giving.
Art provides an opportunity for social interaction when painting with friends, watching a CCP DVD workshop together (forgive me for slipping in that plug….) or taking a class together. It has been through art that I have made some of my best friends, and it has been through ART that I’ve been able to, now and then, admire the work of Mother Nature while Plein air painting. I think we also get the side benefit of seeing more: colors, values and patterns than the average non-artist. In addition, I enjoy art museums on a very personal level. It is as if I connect with the painters of long ago.
So permit ART to be important in your life. Honor it, it is far more than only a past time to be pursued after the “laundry gets folded”.
-Lynn-
“To be an artist is to believe in life”
~ Henry Moore
1898-1986
From Artist to Artist
Compiled by Clint Brown
Creative Catalyst Newsletter – July 24, 2007
“Go with the flow!” and learn the art of working WITH the natural tendencies of watercolor and not against them. In ANN PEMBER’s DVD watercolor workshop, PAINTING IN THE FLOW OF WATERCOLOR, you see Ann use Strathmore high plate bristol board and only five colors to produce this serene mountain river scene. She works on a slant, and with the use of a spray bottle, coaxes the most incredible textures. Her technique is straight forward, and amazing. It’s worth at least checking out her preview / trailer!
We had, Paula, a wonderful customer, suggest we keep you informed of what’s in “the works!” Good idea Paula, thanks!
Acrylic layering artist JACQUELINE SULLIVAN’S workshop will go on pre-sale soon. In her workshop you will learn about using the right adhesives for layering different materials, including metallics and a variety of texture compounds. It was sent to our duplicator on Monday, 7/23/07. Take a peek at Jacqueline’s CCP gallery to see the rich variety of work she does.
Front and center in the editing bay is currently GLORIA PAGE’S workshop about creative stamp carving and some cool ways of incorporating stamps into our art.
Last week we finished filming (A) CARLA O’CONNOR AWS DF, NWS last week. Carla’s workshop is part of the master’s series and is primarily focused on design.
Prior to filming Carla, we filmed (B.) NICHOLAS SIMMONS. Nicholas’ workshop entails using acrylics in conjunction with masking fluid. The result is a very unique effect that looks somewhat Asian.
Before Nicholas, we filmed VIRGINIA COBB. Her problem solving approach to painting is an eye-opening, mind-expanding approach to design.
Watercolorist, SUE ARCHER arrives in about 2-1/2 weeks “¦ looking forward to her arrival (SIDE NOTE: We are remolding the guest bathroom “¦ hoping to finish in time for the Sue’s arrival!)
We’ve just scheduled oil artist CRAIG NELSON“¦ he will be coming back to Oregon to film a Plein Air DVD workshop in early September. Here’s hoping it won’t rain!
Watercolorist, PAT WEAVER will join us after Craig.
Then Lynn and Jim will be off to the Florida Watercolor Society’s Tradeshow where we will meet and greet customers and artists.
In October we will be headed to ART & SOUL in Portland to film three mixed media artists, ANNE BAGBY, ROBERT DANCIK and a new ANN BALDWIN workshop.
Next year is looking great too… the lineup, so far: NED MUELLER, DONNA ZAGOTTA, DOUG LEW, JEAN PEDERSON and a new tour de force by JOHN SALMINEN.
Whew!
View or Enter the Summer Art Show
“Finishing a painting demands a heart of steel: everything requires a decision, and I find difficulties where I least expect them…It is at such moments that one fully realizes one’s own weaknesses.”
~ Eugene Delacroix ~
1796-1863
From Artist to Artist
Compiled by Clint Brown
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