The End of a Series and the Start of a New One

I have painted about 20 impressionistic pictures of my aunts from a photo taken at a picnic in 1945, and I think my most recent one may be the last of that series. It captures everything pretty much to my satisfaction.

Many thoughts of nonobjective paintings have occupied my brain lately, so I started with these two. The first was painted with Mijello Mission Watercolors, and the colors are very intense, mostly transparent and staining. The second was painted with Daniel Smith paints, including several granulating colors. Both are based on grids.



















These two were much fun to paint, and I could have kept doodling on them for hours. I had to force myself to choose a stopping point. While I love the effect of the granulation in the second, I think I prefer the luminosity of those transparents in the first. 

It was also fun to get samples of new types of watercolors at Watercolor West, and in addition to the Mission and Daniel Smith paints, we tried Golden's new QoR watercolors, too, and they were beautiful. Although Christopher Schink always tells us that materials aren't that important, that our artistic intent is what's important, I love new paints and brushes!

More Desks

I got a little carried away combining my Arctic Sea series with my Desk series. But here they are:

Then I did a Woods Desk and then two Apocalyptic Desks. All this was fun, but not yet sure whether I like these works or not.

Desk Series

The New Palette magazine (Issue #66) arrived yesterday, and there was an article on an artist who was doing a series of paintings of chairs. I was inspired to take up my desk series again. I thought it would be helpful and focusing to make an artist's statement about the desk series, and here it is:

An entire life spent as an academic working at desks -- preparing lectures, planning research and class projects, writing books, proposals, reports, and research papers -- is symbolized by the desk.  It represents the values embodied in this work: rationality, logic, evidence, and truth. Today these values are under attack as never before in our country. The symbolic desk serves as a fragile defense against prejudice, fears, and disinformation. It may also represent hope for our future. 

Now to find time to paint!


Here are the prior desk paintings:

Workshop with Rise Parberry

Yesterday was a very enjoyable one day workshop taught by Rise Parberry, whose web site is http://www.riseparberryart.com.  She was teaching her method for creating nonobjective paintings, and it was VERY interesting indeed. She taught us many ways of doing things to create effects and for solving problems, and I wish I had taken better notes!

We started the morning making under paintings her way, on 300 pound rough Arches bright-white paper, half sheet. This involved soaking the paper, painting on wide streaks of pre-mixed granulating colors, and using squirt bottles to move the paint around. We also lifted out white shapes. She said it can take her six hours to do this part of a painting. We didn't have that much time, so we rushed a bit and dried our paintings with hair dryers. Here's my under painting:

After a late lunch, Rise showed us several neat things we could do to complete our under paintings, and again, I wish I had taken better notes. There wasn't enough time for me to paint, so I finished mine this morning at home, creating shapes and using negative painting. It was very fun, so thanks to an excellent teacher! I also think I like it. And here it is:

This morning I also worked on my sixth desk painting, and I succeeded in getting more abstract. It's all watercolor on a half sheet of 140 pound cold pressed Arches. I kind of like it, too, and here it is:

Word/k Desk II

Christopher Schink Workshop Feb 2018

It was wonderful to be attending Christopher Schink's workshop again! As usual, it was held at Sylvia Megerdichian's Art Box Studio in Upland. This one was called "Making the Leap to Abstraction." We were told to bring reference material, and I brought a photograph of my favorite local birding place, the Bolsa Chica wetlands. I made three consecutive attempts to abstract this place, but I was too tied to the reality of the photograph. The third one is better in terms of abstraction, but it still doesn't quite work. It may be that Bolsa Chica doesn't lend itself well to abstraction. I may try again.

Then I made up abstract birds in two different color schemes, using colors I rarely use. Actually, I rarely use the yellow green and the rose color in the last Bolsa Chica abstract either. The last bird was well liked by the teacher and my fellow students. Yay!

Puffin-ish

Stork-ish

Had a lot of fun, loved seeing Toph and Sylvia again, got some painting done. Also enjoyed socializing and discussing grandchildren with the other attendees, some of whom were from far away (Texas, Mississippi, Boston), some of whom I knew from prior years, and most of whom are excellent artists. Can't wait for next year!

Workshops Galore

So far in 2018 I have taken or signed up for several workshops. Besides being lots of fun, workshops tend to shake up my thinking and get me painting after a lull. The year started with Jacki Long's fun weekly collage workshop at Catalyst. See her blog at http://jackilong.blogspot.com . In Jacki's class I made an image that I put into my iPad and made into something new, to enter into the Huntington Beach Art Leagues "Selfies" show.

Journal Collage

Journal Collage

"Worry" (done on iPad with Procreate)

I decided to try a nonobjective painting, completely painted negatively. It turned out OK, and I want to try some more nonobjectives.

"No Object" (watercolor)

Went to workshop with Katherine Chang Liu and did a couple of small things, and got inspired when I got home to try to start a series.

"Arctic"

"Into the Woods"

"Imagining Mom"  (collage on watercolor)

I have spent a great deal of my life at desks, so I decided to do a series of paintings of my desks. Here's the first one:

"Wall Desk"  (watercolor and India ink)

Now looking forward to workshops with Christopher Schink, Rich Hawk, and Rise Parberry. Wow!