Archive for the ‘Landscape Art’ Category
New Friends
Last Friday, I went to Bivalve, MD, to continue working on a large landscape painting I started approximately a week ago. These folks have the 3 large, very old trees in their front yard that I liked so much.
It has been great getting to know the owners of the house. The man said when he approached the previous owner, she refused to sell the house, even though it was vacant. It took 3 years of mowing the lawn – gratis – before he was able to purchase the house.
Now, he and his wife are redoing it in their spare time. They have been working on it nearly a year and have at least another one to go before it will be completed. I’m sure it will be beautiful when they finish and restored to the original condition, but what a labor of love!
Getting Back to My Roots
Much of my childhood was spent on a rural ranch in the middle of the great state of Wyoming. You could drive for miles in any direction without seeing a soul, which was somewhat frustrating as an adolescent. As you can imagine, as soon as I was old enough I packed up my belongings and headed west in search of a more fast-paced lifestyle.
Now that I’ve lived in a metropolis for over a decade, I find myself pining for the pastoral pleasures of my homeland. When I was younger, I never imagined that I would be homesick for the amber waves of grain, but lo and behold, I am. I expressed my yearning for the Wyoming scenery to my parents, and they recently mailed a painting of landscape to satiate my desires.
The Art Sale
Today, I want to tell you about my friend Thelma. She and I met in the early 70s after my family and I moved to Moline, Illinois, and we have been good friends through the years.
These days, she visits me in Florida in the winter, where we try to paint 2 oil paintings each week. I try to sell mine on the Internet and, thus far, she has refused to sell hers because she thinks they are not good enough.
This past Saturday, after much convincing and increasingly less storage space, Thelma decided to have an art yard sale and she sent invitations to all her friends. For the larger pieces she asked $20, and for the smaller ones $10. At the end of the day, she couldn’t believe she had made $740. It sounds to me like her friends really liked her art work!!
Ocean City, MD
Around here, folks all agree that Ocean City, MD, is the place to be in the summertime. Earlier, the spring breakers flock there, but in the summer, families and couples are more the norm. They come for the weekend, for the week, and for longer periods if they can arrange it.
The Ocean City Art League issued a call to artists. Each artist was allowed to submit 2 large paintings to be hung in the Convention Center and 2 smaller paintings for the Chamber of Commerce, and all were to stay there for the remainder of the summer! There were no entrance fees and only a 25% commission on a sale!
Of course, I was eager to send some oil paintings. So today Betty and I took hers, mine, and Suzanne’s paintings to the Art League to be hung later in those larger venues. I can hardly imagine any greater exposure at such an inexpensive rate!
Friday’s Painting
Friday, I had set aside time to do some landscape painting but had no idea where I would go. Several people had made suggestions and on Friday I checked them out, but non appealed to me.
I continued down Nanticoke Road toward the Bay and realized that I would have to go on a side road if I wanted to find a tree with personality. All the trees along the main road were straight and beautiful. I even checked out several side roads along the way.
When I reached the Westside Fire Station, just before the road makes a sharp left, I went straight, onto Bivalve Wharf Road, and through a residential area where I hit pay dirt! There, on the right were 3 giant trees with real personality, some leaves, and lots of bare branches. Fortunately, I had a large canvas with me – just the size for those beautiful trees! What a fun afternoon I had!
My Neighbor’s Tree
Today was the coolest day we have had in a while. Actually, this week we can expect temps in the 80s and low humidity, so it’s good landscape painting weather.
There is a particular willow tree I have been eyeing on my daily walk, and today was the day I decided to paint it. With all my gear in the car, I drove over and parked in the street and set up my easel behind the car. I had hardly gotten started when the owner came out of his house staring at me. I said I was painting his tree. He came over and said he had planned to take his chain saw and cut out the dead wood, which would have been about half the tree, but he wanted to cut the lawn first. I said I would be finished by the time he was finished, as I can paint in the field only about 2 hours at a time.
Sure enough, when he was finished, I had the bones of my painting completed and some greenery – enough to finish at home. – and I got it done in the nick of time. One more day would have been too late!
To Each His Own
Everyone has his or her own criteria as to what constitutes art. For some the work must display some set of talent as prescribed by classical artists, but for others the definition is more obscure. Personally, I ascribe to the school of thought that recognizes a vast range of art. And while I enjoy many styles of painting, abstract oil paintings are my unequivocal favorite.
While I enjoy realism in painting, I feel more connection with the pieces that are abstract. When an artist simply recreates a landscape or still life, I get the same impression as when I look at a photograph; I enjoy the beauty of the subject, but I fail to feel any serious connection to the artist. With abstract art, on the other hand, the artist’s own interpretation of the subject is palpable, which creates more feeling in the piece.
Another Word about Glazing
There is another option if you aren’t interested in making your own glaze for oil paintings. Liquin is a glaze that can be purchased at many craft stores and is often used.
When applying the glaze, a brush can be used. Sometimes a stiff brush called a stippling brush is used to even out the glaze. For a softer or thinner application, a rag or toe of an old sock filled with cotton can be used to dab on the glaze and to soften the edges.
I came across this quote from a non-glazer: If you hear a voice within you say, “you can’t paint,” then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced”. …Vincent van Gogh
Richard Robinson, New Zealand Artist
Friday’s letter from Robert Genn was about Mastering Colour. He explained some of the difficulties of same, and from the comments, a lot of people must have difficulty mastering color.
He noted that a subscriber and friend, Richard Robinson, a New Zealand artist, has an excellent downloadable video called Mastering Colour, with printable lesson notes. All is free! Go to www.livepaintinglessons.com and sign up for your free painting videos and then confirm from the email they send you. When I clicked on the link to confirm, I landed back on the page to sign up. That seemed odd, but it must have been OK, because I found Lesson #1 in my inbox!
Robert Genn, Canadian Artist
Robert Genn is one of Canada’s must accomplished landscape painters. He paints in acrylics and writes a twice weekly letter which is free, and to which I subscribe.
You, too , can subscribe by going to www.robertgenn.com and click on “Painter’s Keys” at the bottom of the page. Your letter will arrive every Tuesday and Friday mornings in your inbox.
Many artists comment about his letters and include their own paintings. Sometimes I find it as interesting to read the comments as to read the letters.