In Good Hands

In Good Hands

I loved this family photograph from Christmas so I decided to paint it.   It was a candid shot of my Grand-nephew being held by his Dad while they opened his Christmas gift bag.   Baby was more interested in watching all the activity in the room while chomping on his chubby little fist.    He is so cute and I am not just saying it!  

Sometimes a painting flows and this was one of them.   Although it was done from a photograph instead of "from life"  the structural likenesses were important.   I tried to approach the sketch in exactly the same way as I would if I had the figures physically present.    I think I got off to a good start by establishing a strong geometric rendering which yielded the correct perspectives.

If you like the painting, you can help my "like" count by clicking this link.

To see a video of intermittent stages of this painting's development, you can go to the blog directly and click on the video link.  It's less than five minutes long.

You can also watch via YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_AP_3k1_o4

Christmas Still Life with Antique Key, Mister and Holly

This year at the Duxbury Art Association Craft Showcase, I participated by both shopping (great merchandise) and painting.   My favorite booth was that of Marlene, an expert in handknits.  I could not resist her selection of adorable children's sweater sets.   She is a master at her craft!

I did settle down and concentrate on my painting demonstration.  I had been tempted to paint something from a photograph; it would have been much lighter and less bulky than bringing all the items needed for a still life set up.    My good painting conscious saved me and I assembled, packed and hauled the necessary gear.     That list included a spotlight, fabric, assorted ceramic, holly leaves, holly berries, ribbon, and antique key.  Yes, painting from life always yields a better result so it was worth a little extra effort.

I had numerous visitors, young and old, curious about the paint, the painting, and the process.    One four year old boy (actually he clarified that he was "four and three-quarters") insisted to his Dad that he didn't want to leave this spot, and wanted to watch me paint.    He suggested to me that instead of red holly berries, I should paint blueberries, since blue was his favorite color.  I obliged, of course..who could resist this adorable little guy.

It is interesting that the easel and paint draw some children like a strong magnet.   Little children are still attuned to what they really want and like - years before their natural tendencies are - perhaps -realigned. taking on the parental "ought to" slant.

Here is the 2014 Christmas Still Life antique key, purple plant mister, pine cones, holly leaves/berries and teacups with red ribbon woven through.

Merry Christmas to All!

Christmas Still Life with Nutcracker

Christmas Still Life Demo Nutcracker

Shown in the photo to the right is the painting I did at Compass on the Bay Senior Residence.  I was looking down at the set up of the nutcracker figure, glass Christmas bulbs and a cranberry colored wire ribbon.  The lighting wasn't great, but a lamp behind the set up cast a few shadows so at least the objects looked grounded.

What a lovely and attentive audience.   They offered feedback and asked questions as it isn't always easy to tell what is developing, especially at the beginning of the painting.  It didn't take long to remember something I already knew about talking and painting at the same time.  I find it very hard, and have great admiration for people who can do it.   Painter and teacher Dianne Paranelli Miller comes to mind; she can verbalize continuously as she paints; so can painter Daniel Keys.

Luckily for all of us at Compass on the Bay, present in the audience was a knowledgeable watercolorist and painting enthusiast.  She sat up front and supplemented my skimpy narrative by explaining what I was doing when I drifted into a muted "right brain" mode.  Many thanks to her!!

Shown here is the finished painting.   Back in the studio I decided to transform the yellow and blue walls into Christmas tree greens with lights and more ornaments.

Christmas Still Life Nutcracker

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*If you have ever read "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Dr. Betty Edwards, you read that certain types of brain functons are dominated by one side of the brain over the other.    For example, studies have shown that while working on tasks that required logic, analysis and/or verbal expression, the left hemisphere was most active and in control.    While people were working on tasks that were visual and intuitive, the right side of the brain was most active and in control.    Furthermore, the contention was that at any one time, usually people are operating more strongly in one half of the brain with some minor support from the other half.  It was noted that people often have difficulty simultaneously executing tasks that depend strongly on one side of the brain or the other.  So - this is the scientific evidence I offer for my deficient verbalizing while painting!

Pumpkins and Blue Pottery

Demo Set Up

Pumpkins and Blue Pottery Still Life

I like the blue and orange harmony with this set up and you may recognize some of the objects from another recent still life.   This was the painting that I did at the Duxbury Art Association Craft Show last week. I met lots of nice people who were interested in the painting process.
As for the show, the variety and quality of the artisans and their creations was superb.  I stood amid the sights and sounds of crowds and onlookers, as well as the aromas breads, pies, and sweet treats.   Immediately to my left was Sirenetta Seaside Chocolatier and you might know how I feel about chocolate.   Her samples enticed me to buy a box and I can personally state that this is outstanding handmade chocolate!

Yes, it was a true test of my concentration to get a painting done with all the sensory stimuli around me.  I got about eighty percent of the painting done, and then completed it from the photo reference above.

Pumpkins and Blue Pottery

Daniel Keys Demo at Regis College

With another year of phenomenal success behind him, Daniel Keys just wrapped up two weeks on the East Coast, culminating in a painting demonstration held at Regis College in Weston, MA.   I was particularly psyched to learn of this venue because I graduated from the school, oh so many years ago.   If you have ever been to Regis, you know that the main building is College Hall, a grand stone building with pillars and archways that no doubt had attendees marveling at the beauty of the place.   The building may have been the first beautiful observation, but after just three hours, Daniel had created his own beautiful creation.   The crowd numbered roughly fifty, men and women ranging in age from twenty to eighty.   We learned that an instructional DVD was to be filmed as we observed the demo.   We were asked to hold questions or record the question to be addressed at appropriate points in the demo, so that the filming would go more smoothly.

It was no less enjoyable watching Daniel paint this year, even though I saw him paint a year  Like all of us who paint, a continuous evolution occurs.    He is trying different colors (like King's Blue), techniques (dry brush), mediums (walnut oil) and planning new subject matter.   

The two aspects of Daniel's painting that I find the most fascinating are:

The loose initial strokes made with large wide brushes approximate the color and shadows and look almost messy and haphazard.  Section by section this looseness is transformed with precise and economical strokes that bring laser focus to each element;

Keys Set-up, Palette & Painting

Secondly, the care taken to mix pristine, unpolluted color.   This includes the discipline of rinsing brushes in between strokes.    The photo doesn't lie.   Look how fresh and clean the palette pools of color are!   No wonder the painting is also bright and fresh.

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Sunflowers and Hydrangeas Demo

DAA Lobby Demo - Start

I love to look at art and I like to take my time enjoying every piece I see, so I don't mind one bit when there is a need for gallery sitter volunteers.   Today I was the sitter at the Duxbury Art Association Mid-Summer Show.    Would I consider doing a painting while I was minding the shop I was asked?   No problem.   I could look at the art of others and use the time to produce something of my own, a double benefit.

I brought some props with me to use in a still life, but when I got to the Ellison Center in Duxbury, I saw that the beautiful floral arrangements for the Art Party were all set up.   They screamed of summer freshness - sunflowers, hydrangeas and coneflowers.   More than one person were compelled to touch them to see if they were real or artificial, because of their perfection.





DAA Lobby Demo - Finish

My temperature scheme was cool light and warm shadows. I began with my transparent oxides - brown and red - to chisel in the drawing.   The sunflower petals that were in light were done with a cool bright yellow (titanium white, lemon yellow and cad yellow light), and the shaded petals were warm dark yellows (terra rosa, cad yellow deep and a touch of transparent oxide brown).     The hydrangea petals were various shades of lavender (cobalt blue and permanent rose) and in some places light blue (titanium and cobalt blue)   The shady petals actually looked greenish so I used a warm green in some places and a warm violet in other places.     


As I told some of the people who came by to observe,  I think that the painting was at its best about one hour before quitting time.   In the last hour, I may have taken some of the freshness away.    The photo to the right shows the painting at the end of the day.    As always, I will review it in a few days and make any other revisions.





Schmid and Keys Cape Cod Demo

A remarkable, once-in-a-lifetime event occurred this past Sunday.    This rare opportunity presented itself in the form of a painting demonstration with a living legend and a young phenom.  Seventy-five lucky people gathered in a small West Falmouth library to see this special demonstration.

Richard Schmid and Daniel Keys painted their respective still life painting on either side of a centered floral display, watched by a mesmerized audience.       Richard Schmid, looking strong and fit at 78 years old was absolutely magnificent.   He shared some techniques, some stories, and by example, his philosophy on mentorship in art.   He in no uncertain terms stated that the young man next to him, his mentee, Daniel Keys, was the person to watch in art today and declared him a premier artist.

Daniel Keys, a mere 26 years old, appropriately deferential to the master, showed a level of talent and discipline that was truly remarkable.  It was both fun and amazing to see their paintings develop.   They seemed to thoroughly enjoy each other's company, fondly exchanging smiles and comments, so confident in their abilities, that they seemed to hardly notice that a crowd of observers were watching.

For a sampling of their beautiful work, use these links:

www.richardschmid.com

http://danielkeysfineart.com/



Richard Schmid and Daniel Keys Painting Side-by-side Demo