My evening sketchbook work. 

After working on my cabin and dealing with some family health issues, I've gotten back into my daily sketchbook entries.   I'm always amazed at how much my mind advances when I only think of creating, even though I make no actual art.  It reinforces that drawing and painting are more psychological, and less physiological.  I have many new ideas and inspirations and my studio will be set up and functioning shortly.  I'm experimenting with new surfaces for painting; I'm excited to work on a glass smooth surface I've created on a bunch of panels.  I also want to get going on some big paintings on aluminum.  Anyways, I hope you enjoy the new sketchbook entries, and I'll try and post new sketches every couple days.

Figure study, graphite and white conte, blue paper, 10 x 13"

Warm up sketch.

Thank you for attending the opening at Piney Creek on April 19th. We had a great turn out and sold this little one, (one of my personal favorites) "Sunrise", Oil, 7 7/8 x 10".

My Philosophy of Vision in Regards to Art

So I'm going to start putting my sketchbook/journal notes here, hopefully there will be some semblance of organization, although I suspect that won't happen until I have most of it posted.  If you have anything to contradict or support my ideas, by all means throw it out there, I have thick enough skin to handle it, and the curiosity to encourage it.

First, I believe the basic idea that the skill involved in creating art, at least the representational two-dimensional form applied directly i.e. painting and drawing, relies most heavily on an individuals perception, not their manual dexterity.  Betty Edwards, in my opinion, proves this in her book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain".  So my summary on her book… a very skilled artist can more than likely put a line or brushstroke that just about anyone could replicate fairly closely.  Of course the former might have a certain quality that would distinguish the two, but not by much.  There are exceptions to almost everything; I have seen videos of people with impressive brush control earned through experience, pinstripers come to mind.  The long-winded point is this:  Painting and drawing are psychological exercises.  Change your paradigm; change your art. 

I'm not really sure how to organize my journal entries, or what to edit out as I can't say I understand exactly what I describe sometimes.  That's specifically why I tried to put down how I thought about one thing or another at a time when I "Had the ball rolling", to record the way I thought about things at that time.  It seems to me I see and think differently of things when my draftsmanship is more keenly tuned.  Looking back upon my journal entries helps lessen the time to get the ball rolling again, and since I am drawing daily as a goal, I figured I may as well put them down and see what people think of it all while I review my thoughts.  I am not saying all of this is mine; it would be foolish and ignorant to ignore the fact that countless artists have influenced my thinking.  On the other hand, maybe my thinking is wrong, or grossly incomplete, I certainly wouldn't blame external influence.

On Painting

Try to incorporate everything you learn into every painting.   Practice the basics often so there is less thinking involved as to how a thing is done, instead focus on using your tools to create something new, an idea, by not struggling to learn to use the tools during the creative process.  Certainly there are exceptions, gesture drawing and "happy accidents" sometimes teach us amazing things, but with trying to pull an idea together and complete a piece as you envision it, knowing your working materials is priceless.  I firmly believe if an aspiring painter wants to learn by leaps and bounds, pick a palette that was used to create work that you admire and make color charts.  I am guilty of not having a complete set of all the colors I use.  It seems to take forever, but the learning seems to be almost exponential. 

Things to remember:

Idea- Start with a good idea, not necessarily a complicated one.  This will hold a well-executed piece together.

Composition

Light 

Value range

Color(s)

Edges

Plan- Think about what you will need to do and when.  Work from general to specific.  Are you painting yellow speckles in a sea of blue paint, or are you painting around yellow speckles with blue paint?  Whatever fits with your idea.

Variety- Remember to vary things in your composition and its execution.  Vary your edges, your values, colors, light.  Thirds is not perfect, but a good start.  Train your eye to "feel" this uneven balance; do research on the Golden Section.  

For example:

Keep a third of your edges sharp, a third light or light in value, a third of the texture smooth or rough, a third of your painting one color.  This is where having a plan is paramount, as you can see the list of things to vary could go on for a very long time.  This is where creativity comes in.  

I believe Jeremy Lipking said in an article... something along the lines of: If you find yourself struggling with a painting, you're more than likely have a problem with one or more of the following: shape, value, edge.  I am positive that is not an exact quote.

More to come, now to sketch.

   

I'm going to make a serious attempt to sketch 20 minutes every day, simple to say, we'll see how I do. 

Just found out all three of my entries in Randy Higbee's 6" Squared show in Costa Mesa California were accepted! What an honor!

This painting will be at the opening in conjuction with the annual Christmas Open House at Piney Creek Interiors featuring new artwork, gift ideas and hors d'oeuvres, upstairs in "The Gallerie".

These are the three latest paintings I've been working on for my entry to Randy Higbee's upcoming 6x6" show in California.

Sunrise on the Foothills 6 x 6" Oil/Panel

Peter's Ridge 6 x 6" Oil/Panel

The Calm of Morning 6 x 6" Oil/Panel

These are my three entries into Randy Higbee's 6" Squared Group Show in California in December. "The Calm of Morning" sold pre-opening.

Morning sketch.

3rd prize in the Hockaday Museum's Peoples Choice Awards

I'm pleased to announce "Morning In the Jewel Basin" won 3rd prize in Peoples Choice Awards at the Hockaday Museum's 9th Annual Members Salon.

Logo for this year's Polar Bear Plunge

Logo for this year's Polar Bear Plunge at the Raven in Woods Bay Montana. This will be on a black shirt.

I will be getting back to my drawing this week.