The Tools of the Trade, Part II

It's The Smock

For me that is.  For most of my artist friends, it's the apron.  I really don't understand wearing an apron because I would absolutely ruin the clothing worn underneath.  My pigment loaded brushes get wiped on every part of my smock including the sleeves.  Aprons do not have sleeves.  During a recent demonstration I gave in my studio I was told I even have paint on the back of my smock.  An apron just wouldn't give me the coverage I need.  I am still wondering how the paint got onto the back.

So what is a smock anyway?  If you Google it, you end up with all kinds of info and pictures.  Even a picture of an old Simplicity sewing pattern for number 2436, and those of you who learned to sew in the '50s remember these patterns.   I kind of like this one.

Or you see a fancy jacket type thing with pockets galore, presumably for brushes, pencils, rulers, erasers, tubes of paint.  Looks like this one even has a loop for a rag.  It  probably has a nice price tag too.

I like to re-purpose things, so I select a smock that is actually a very large shirt.  Maybe it's the history from childhood when we were instructed to bring one of our father's old shirts to wear over our clothing during art class that encourages me to wear a big old shirt that I borrowed from my husband's closet.  I have to chuckle about the borrowed part....he won't see that shirt again, and he wouldn't want to, so technically it isn't borrowed.

Look at it...it's a mess, but a colorful mess!  This particular smock has seen a few years of use so the build up of pigment is thick and the shirt is stiff.  I can look at the smock and remember the various palettes used while I have worn this smock. Like a little trip down memory lane.

It was a really nice designer shirt and I can't even remember now if I asked to take it into the studio.  Maybe I accidentally burned it while pressing it and that decided the need to be re-purposed.  I have never been very good with an iron.

So while artists wear a variety of smocks and aprons to protect their clothing, I find a simple old shirt easy and practical.  And you know what?  Even with this big old shirt I can still manage to get paint on the clothing underneath now and then.

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Artists' Tools

The Tools Of The Trade

BRUSHES!!!!

This is the second in a series of posts about the tools we artists use, the first post was a few weeks ago when I wrote about the palette.   I am choosing to deal with brushes this week because I am having a love affair with two of my new brushes.

The photo above labels the various parts of the brush.  It is the belly and toe of the bristles that has me captivated right now.

These are some of the styles of brush tip:

Round, Flat, Bright, Filbert, Fan, Angle, Mop, Rigger.  Each has it's own best use, and it's the Bright that is my new favorite.  I had been using rather large Filberts and find I prefer the rigidity of the Brights at this particular moment and especially for painting the rocks I do at this time of year.  Typically I tend to load my brushes with a great deal of pigment, however the Brights carry less and are making a difference in the way I paint and a difference in the finished product.  With the Brights I tend to use less pigment, thinner pigment and work it further into the canvas.  The painting shown below is a perfect example:

Delicate Balance

48 x 30   Acrylic

2500.

Brushes are usually given numbered sizes. 000 (smallest) to 24 (largest) are most common, and decided by the area where the ferrule and bristles come together.  

The bristles can be natural or synthetic, but for my purposes with acrylic paint, it's the synthetic, a nylon filament or Taklon, a multi-diameter polyester.

The handles, which are made of varnished wood (sometimes but not usually plastic) can be long or short.  The longer handle allows the artist to stand or sit further away from the canvas for a different perspective.  

The ferrule, which holds the bristles,  may be aluminum, nickel, copper or steel.

Split

48 x 36    Acrylic

3500.

Each artist has their own preference when it comes to brushes.  There are definite favorites for each of us and as with anything else, those preferences change from time to time.  Right now my favorite if the Bright.

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Lake Tahoe Open Studio Tour

North Lake Tahoe Tour

Caught On The Back Side

48 x48   Acrylic

5500.

Currently on exhibit at Village Interiors, Incline Village, NV

ARTour, a self guided studio tour that takes place on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe is half way over for this year. This past Friday, Saturday and Sunday 40 artists opened their studios to the public.  

Caught Again

48 x 30   Acrylic

2500.

Currently on exhibit at Village Interiors, Incline Village, NV

Some of us gave demonstrations of techniques and all of us welcomed, greeted, and enjoyed visiting with our guests.

Study for Splits and Cracks

8" x 10"  Acrylic on Canvas Board

Sold

It was fascinating to listen to comments and field questions during the demos which I gave twice each day.  After explaining the inspiration for my paintings and taking my guests through my sketching and composition process I painted a small canvas board while they watched.  One of the comments I enjoyed: 'Look at the painting come alive!"  

At The Point

3"x 3"  Acrylic on Canvas Board

40.

Thank you to everyone who came by my studio.  And special thanks to those of you who purchased art.  Creating is a passion for me and I am fortunate to have others appreciate my work.  

The Big Split

48 x 36   Acryic

3500.

Currently on exhibit at Vista Gallery in Kings Beach, CA

Though ARTour runs another weekend, my studio will not be open.  If you are interested in visiting, please contact me to set an appointment or visit one of the galleries that represents my work.  

Village Interiors in Incline Village, NV

Vista Gallery in Kings Beach, CA

Spirit Gallery in Truckee, CA

To contact me click HERE

To visit my web site click HERE

Open Studio Tour

ARTour

Caught On The Back Side

Acrylic    48 x 48

currently exhibited at Village Interiors, Incline Village, NV

Yes, it is ARTour time.  This is a self guided tour of artists' studios around the North Shore area of Lake Tahoe as well as Truckee.

Delicate Balance

48 x 30

Currently exhibited at North Tahoe Arts, Tahoe City

As one of 40 participating artists my studio will be open to visit this Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM.   Though the event spans two weekends, my studio will be open only the first weekend.  This weekend, July 12, 13, 14.

Take a look at this ARTour info:  Click Here

Three Birds

36 x 36

You may pick up directories which include maps at many locations around the Tahoe-Truckee area, and I have them as well, so make my studio your first stop.

I will be giving painting demonstrations at 10 AM and 2 PM each day.  

Hope you will come by.....

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July at Lake Tahoe

It's Always A Party!

Delicate Balance

48 x 30

2500.

Currently on exhibit at North Tahoe Arts, Tahoe City, CA

Not only the first week of July, but the remainder of the month as well.  Party.  No Kidding.  There are commitments with my art, but they are just squeezed in between the Party.  Or maybe the Art is the Party too.

Delicate Balance

Take today for instance, July 1.  Got out on the lake early for a  row, which is a party in my own mind.  Then I signed a completed painting.  While the signature dried I was off to run errands to buy stuff to prepare for this week of Party.  Later the painting was wired for hanging then delivered to a gallery.  Back to the house to do more party prep.  Art and Party.

Art desk work came next.  Printing labels for the work I will be showing on July 5th at The Lahontan Marketplace.  Putting together the photo book of available paintings to take along. Now, that day at Lahontan will definitely be a full work day, but a Party none the less.  Art and Party.

Tomorrow I must pick up my borrowed tent, organize the work I am taking, move paintings around and then Party with arriving guests.  Art and Party.

Wednesday will just be a party day since that is the day our community celebrates our Country's Independence, I know...it's a day early.  Chances are there will be an hour of art related activity early in the day.  Art and Party.

Thursday, the actual day of Independence is another party day celebrated at someone else's place, however I have guests so we will party.   I am guessing I will squeeze in some art related activity like loading the truck for the Lahontan Marketplace.  Art and Party.

Friday...well, that is the Lahontan Marketplace.  The full day of Art and Party I mentioned previously.

Then I get to take a deep breath, and begin preparing for the North Tahoe Open Studio event the following week which includes a gallery opening at North Tahoe Arts, Party,  and having my studio presentable, ready for demos and people flowing through Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  More Art and Party.

All that takes us through the first half of July.  I think I said the art is squeezed in between the Party, but actually the art and Party are one in the same.  Bring it on!  Art and Party.

If you would like to attend the Lahontan Marketplace (35 vendors, BBQ, music) let me know so I can get you into this private event.  Friday, July 5 at Lahontan Golf Club in Truckee, CA, 2 - 7 PM.  ART PARTY!

To contact me click HERE

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Anatomy of a Painting.

From Beginning To End.

I received many comments about one of my recent paintings, The Pond.  Most of them came from my Artist's Facebook Page where I was posting photos of the painting as it progressed.  A recurring theme with the comments tended to be about the process and enjoying the process, as well as how different the subject matter from what I typically paint.  So I thought I would go back to the inception of this work....the Anatomy of this painting...

The Pond

48x30

Acrylic on Canvas

Because I have committed to an outdoor show this summer, something I never do..outdoors that is....I had to plan my set up.  I have begged and borrowed a 10x10 tent with sides which gives me six walls for exhibition purposes.  I sat down with pencil and paper to draw out the walls and virtually place the art on those walls.  Wanting to exhibit a variety of work to show my oeuvre I selected and decided I would devote one wall to florals.  Oops... I had only two available and wanted three on the wall. This became the first driving force to painting another floral.  

The size was dictated by the size of the other existing two paintings and how I visualized the wall.  Ok..it was to be a vertical canvas, 48"x30".  

I wanted the palette to be a bit different than that in the two other works, but I wanted it to be somewhat complementary.  

It seems best to show a variety of plant types inspired by different environments.  The existing paintings are tropical (Three Birds) 

Three Birds

36 x 36

3000.

and mountain (The Yin and Yang of Spring), 

The Yin and Yang of Spring

24 x 20

1000.

so something from a middle environment appealed to me, a water environment.  This past spring I was near a pond with lily pads and flowers that completely captivated me, just asking to be painted.  I took photos, sketched them like mad, but just never got to painting them. This was my opportunity! My other florals represent two flowers on each canvas so I wanted to compose the lilies with another water plant. Perhaps it was my history of living several years on a farm with canals and ponds that were filled with cat tails and the need for a vertical water plant that led me to the thought of adding these stately, uniquely different flowers to this pending composition.

I sketched several different options, selected the one I preferred and began the painting.

After sketching the design onto the canvas I painted in the background with big, loose swipes of the brush to create movement.

Next the tails, which are actually flowers, and the broad, spiked leaves found their way onto the canvas.  My work is stylized and with the florals somewhat fantasy, so the leaves bend, twist and intertwine to create additional movement.

Time for the lily pads!  At this point the painting began to take on a life of its own, a rather intuitive situation developed.  My brush began to stray from the sketch and time vanished.  I forgot to take the photos I normally snap.  But when I began the lily flowers I remembered the camera.

After completing the flowers and stepping back I realized I needed to add an additional pad on the right side of the composition and a few more of those broad, spiky cat tail leaves on the left. This was an intuitive addition.  Then a few corrections to the high and low lights and the painting was ready for signature and varnish.

The Pond

48 x30

2500.

If you would like to see this painting it will be shown in the Lake Tahoe/Truckee area at Lahontan's Marketplace on July 5th.  Because it is a private venue, let me know if you are interested in attending and I will arrange for your entrance.  

Hopefully this post gave you a bit of insight into this painting, why I chose the subject, palette, size, composition.... anatomy of a painting.

To contact me click HERE

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An Artist's Palette

What is an Artist's Palette?

There a couple answers to this question. It can be a selection of colors and it is the surface that holds those colors.  I use both definitions as do all artists.  For instance, my selection of colors for a painting is most typically a limited palette.  Preferring to mix and blend, I select five or fewer pigments for each work.

The palette selected for a desert plant painting.

If you look up the definition of palette you will find that it is 'the board on which an artist mixes their colors.'   Being a person who likes to reuse things I frequently use old plastic tubs and containers for my palette, the place where I place the pigments, and because I paint with acrylics which dry very quickly I need a palette that has a closing cover.  You see here that my current palette is the bottom half of a container that at one time held a salad.  It is a bit of a clam shell affair, so the top is placed over when I am not painting which keeps the paint fresh.  

Because I like this particular palette container additional pigments were added when I started a new painting.  I kept to my limited selection of color using the new and ignoring the old.  The palette certainly began to take on a bit of a messy look.

Then when I got into a third painting more color was added.    This was a bit unusual for me.  I normally start each painting with a fresh palette.  Again, I have to say, I like this particular container, so I have just continued to add to it.  Then I started a fourth painting and an interesting thing happened, a serendipitous effect.  Quite accidentally a bit of the magenta, which was used in a floral painting, was picked up by the brush while working on a Tahoe Rock painting.  

Split

48x36

3500.

Currently exhibited at Spirit Gallery, Truckee, CA

Now my use and reuse of this palette container is causing me to use a new palette (colors) in some of my paintings.  I rather like this idea of allowing fresh new color to come into my work.  

And there you have it....An Artist's Palette....with a bit of a digression telling how it works for me.

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