My Blog has moved!

Greetings Fellow Bloggers and Artists,

Beginning October 3, 2012 I am moving my blog to Fine Art Studio on Line to be more interactive with my website.  You may access the new blog via my website at www.SGTarr.com or go direct via http://SGTarr.com/blog.

All posts published prior to October 3, 2012  will continue to be available on this blog, "Art Talk and Images", for your reading and viewing enjoyment at www.SGTarr.blogspot.com.

I'll look forward to continuing our communication with one another.  If interested, you may also subscribe to my monthly Email Newsletter via my website to stay current with my career events and new paintings.  The new blog, "The Painted Canvas",  will focus on art  issues and instruction.

Warmest regards,

Sharon Griffes Tarr

On: Why Paint a Still Life?

Many students say,"I don't like still life's, can I paint something else"?

"Untitled Study", 12x9", oil on canvas

Learning to "see" is the first and most important skill a beginning student must learn to develop.  By far, the humble still life is most emphatically the very best place to do this for several reasons.  No where are color, value relationships based on light more consistent and straightforward than in a still life.  Everything the student needs to learn is long lived and clearly stated in a still life without deviation or distortion as in a photograph.  This gives the student time to study, see and perform without the stress of the ever moving light found in the landscape or of subject matter that twists, turns and moves through the scene. It far exceeds the convenience of painting from photographs which fall far short in providing this information. As the well known and respected  Russian born American artist, Sergei Bongart, is known to have often said:

  "Still Life is best school, best exercise for artists."

Bongart is most definitely not alone.  Few well known contemporary and old master artists would disagree with him. Most  have hailed the still life as the place to learn light and to see value and color correctly.  I believe that if a student can paint a good still life then he or she will have the tools to paint anything else that might present itself as subject matter  It is for these very reasons that all of my students begin by painting still life's in my classrooms. I care greatly about my students and want them to grow and be all they can be and I know of no better way for them to prepare for a life of painting then by learning to see from life in an environment in which they have total control.

The aluminum pitcher in the study above was done in a short time during one of my classes as I painted along with my students.  My painting focus was totally on the light and its play across the surface of this graceful object as it reflected the beautiful colors of nearby influences.  It is studies such as this that I find most valuable to me as an artist in developing my "seeing" skills and improving my painting technique.

A student who puts subject matter ahead of learning creates an enormous rift in their growth that ultimately slows them down to a snails pace in advancing as an artist.  In my studio, I practice with these small studies more often than I paint paintings.  I believe the humble still life is what makes my ability to paint my passion for the landscape possible. No, I don't love painting still life's....I am after all, a landscape painter.  Like my students, I would frankly prefer to be painting something else. BUT, I am grateful for the still life and hold it in the highest esteem for its ability to develop my eye and technique beyond the mundane.

 If you want to learn how to paint, paint the still life...paint life. You wont be sorry!

On Gamblin's Chromatic Black Pigment

Sometime ago, I wanted to explore the use of black in drawing and redrawing shapes in my work such as the French Impressionists employed in their work.  At first, I used Ivory Black but did not like the intensity of the color in that it appeared too bold for what I was attempting.  In frustration, I wrote Robert Gamblin at Gamblin Colors and asked what he might suggest.  His response was to try their Chromatic Black, a transparent dark rated at lightfastness 1.  I loved the transparency of the pigment and was delighted with the results.

"Study of Grapefruit", 12x9", oil on panel

As time passed I eventually dropped my original idea but found that I thoroughly enjoyed Chromatic Black's (CB) versatility. As a result, I am now using it to tone many of my panels prior to painting as well as creating lovely warm and cool gray mixtures during the painting process. "Study of Grapefruit" (above) was painted on a CB toned canvas. Many of the colors within the painting have varying amounts of the transparent black added. The result is a lovely, moody image that represents the subject very well in the cool light of the Conservatory where it was growing.

The beauty of CB is that it is not "black" at all but rather a mix of chlorinated and bromated phtalocyanine and quinacridone red The color tints out to a lovely grayish mauve and is supportive to many of the more vivid color combinations found in nature. I've found that adding colors to CB creates beautiful subtle variations that are very pleasing to the eye.  It has become a most welcome and frequent addition to my regular palette.

Painting note: "Study of Grapefruit" was painted en plein air in the Conservatory at Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, Michigan on a CB toned Raymar Panel in the afternoon on February 13, 2012.

On The Rhythm of Painting

Wow!  I think this has to be one of the most unusual Michigan winters on record for plein air painters. Each year some of us look forward to the snow because of the fantastic abstract subjects it provides us.  However this year, Mother Nature has played some really nasty tricks on us.  Since last fall, it seems like the weather has seesawed between cold and snowy to warm and balmy spring like weather on an almost day to day basis.

Ingham County, Meech Road

9 x 12", oil on panel

I'm finding that my palette has fluctuated daily between my usual winter palette and a much grayed fall color palette.  It's kept me on my toes as we never know from day to day what Mother Nature will deal out.  Last weekend I enjoyed a beautiful sun-filled snowy day with lots of blues and violets contrasted with high key warm lights.  Today, no snow, lots of sun and a perponderance of warm oranges and warm grays in the vegetation. It's a challenge to say the least.

Ingham County: First Ice,

11x14", oil on panel

By the way, getting back to painting after almost a year of little plein air work due to family concerns has been just about everything but easy. Even after regularly painting outside over the past month I'm still don't feel consistent.  It's frustrating to say the least and I'm getting impatient with myself.  Some days paintings almost paint themselves  like the"Barry County: Charlton Museum" painting (see newsletter) painted in the snow last weekend.  I come away excited thinking that I've finally made a break through.  Then I have a couple of days like yesterday and today when I don't seem to be able to nail my usual style of outdoor work  Getting back into my rhythm is proving harder than usual. I'm sure the weather fluctuations affecting subjects hasn't helped nor the length of time since I've been able to paint en plein air on a regular basis.

Do you ever experience the loss of rhythm in your work?  How do you deal with overcoming it?  I'd love to get some tips on how you work through this problem.

Don't forget, you can now subscribe to my monthly email newsletter at www.SGTarr.com and stay updated on my plein air and studio paintings completed each month. Frankly, I'm finding that keeping my blog updated is a real chore with my current teaching and painting schedule. For this reason, my focus has changed to doing a quality newsletter each month instead of frequent blog posts. Perhaps when my work levels out a bit and I don't feel so pressed to paint instead of write I'll be able to get  back to blogging again.  I suppose, time will tell.

On "How Long Did it Take to Paint That?"

Artist's are frequently asked "how long did it take you to paint that painting"? It's a question I always hated as I felt it shortchanged my efforts and experience. I've often been tempted to glibly respond, as I once heard another artist remark, "50 years and an hour". While this is not exactly accurate, it does at least suggest the years of training and experience that hones the diverse skills required to create a painting of merit.

 It seems to me though that when a prospective collector asks this question what they really want to know is if  the price I'm asking is a fair price?  A much more accurate and better answer would be "three months plus my X years of experience". 

So, you ask,  how did I come up the the idea of three months? 

Actually, my husband Paul came up with the idea and I thought it was a great way to deal with this situation.  He suggested that I average out the amount of time it takes me to show a painting from the time of inception through developing the idea, creating the painting, framing and marketing. As I considered this criteria, I realized that there have been a number of paintings that have taken several years and of course those that are created en plein air in an hour or two and may never be made into a studio work.  It took a bit of doing but, as best I could, I averaged these factors out and realized that my paintings over the past five years, all things considered, generally average about 3 to 3.5 months.  So now, my answer to the age old question of "how long did it take you to do it" is, "three months plus my 50 years of experience".

This  response is so much more realistic than simply saying X hours of painting time and it satisfies most inquiries. The price of the painting is immediately seen as a good deal instead of being pricey and is fair to me as an artist for the amount of hours I've worked on it in my thinking, planning, and marketing, as well as in the doing. 

I hope this helps you as much as it has helped me deal with an awkward situation. If you have another way of answering this question I'd sure love to hear it.  Remember you can always contact me below through this blog or via my website at www.SGTarr.com.

My studio on wheels.

On Getting Started Again

Sketchbook: pen and ink over a watercolor wash

Old Barn at Cedar Creek, Barry County,Michigan

Wow!

 It's been ages since I last updated my blog…. (I really do  have excuses!)

Last May Paul severely injured his back which was followed by one thing leading to another and then again to another requiring my focus on him and his situation(s). I’m delighted to say that six months later we are gratefully arriving at the end of a long dark tunnel and he is doing just great now. So…….! It’s time for this artist to begin getting her artistic life back in order. I’m counting on 2012 being a renaissance year.

Obviously, during these past months I’ve not been able to paint much but I’ve given a lot of thought to where I’m at and where I’m going with my work. The result is I am in transition. Not particularly satisfied with where I’ve been and still not completely sure of where I’m going but getting closer every day.  If you're an artist, you probably know what I mean.

The one thing I’m completely sure of is that I am back in touch with my love of shallow water and the environment. I still love landscapes more than any other genre and plan on exploring more shallow water subjects as they relate to the land.   The photo below is one such scene taken at a recent artist’s retreat where I spent a goodly amount of time sketching and photographing my favorite subjects while doing a lot of serious thinking. This was so good for the soul...I came back refreshed and energized.

Cedar Creek, Barry County, MI



NEW NEWSLETTER:

 If you haven’t as yet signed up for my website newsletter you might want to do that so you can keep abreast of  new paintings fresh from the easel and events as they are announced.  If you’re like me you hate to miss out on anything fun or exciting….you just never know! Click here www.SGTarr.com then click on "Newsletter" in the main menu and fill in your address.

Arizona and Back Again

I just returned from a short week in Arizona where I found the mode of transportation to be versatile...

 ...the dress casual and a bit different from what I'm used to in Michigan....

....and  the natives friendly and always willing to say "howdy".

As soon as my paints, paintings and gear arrive via UPS I'll be able to add a few more new images to the blog.  Rarely do I take a workshop, usually I conduct them.  However, this trip was a learning trip for me.  I studied with Carolyn Anderson, a fabulous instructor by the way, at the Scottsdale Art Center in Scottsdale.  I was fortunate to have friends to stay with and so was able to get out and see the desert and get up close and personal with the horses. Needless to say, with such a full day of learning and fun evenings exploring the desert I was exhausted and usually in bed by 9 pm to gear up for another day.

More later......



New Paintings and Studio Space

"First Light of Day", 18 x 24", oil on canvas

I apologize that I've not kept up with posting.  It's been a hectic few months.  I'm finally back in stride now, although I've still not found adequate time to paint en plein air....a sorrowful state of affairs to say the least! However, my time in the studio has been good and I feel as though I've made progress.

"Summer Light", 20 x 24", oil on canvas

These two paintings and several have been newly added to my website at www.SGTarr.com. Be sure to sign up for my occasional newsletters when you visit the site.  I'll look forward to keeping you updated.

Studio seating area showing drying wall.

The photo above shows the area of my studio where I relax at the end of the day to study work in progress.  The wall shelf also allows me to study plein air works that may become references for larger paintings.  The chair I relax in (not shown) has, in addition, an excellent view of current work on the easel. This pleasant and comfortable area also doubles as a place for clients and  students to gather and discuss art. It's a good space.

The Uniqueness of YOU

"It’s only with the heart one can see clearly. It’s what is invisible that is essential."
                                                              The Fox in "The Little Prince"

                                                                  

Have you ever spent time with someone who is constantly cracking jokes about themselves that imply their ineptitude?  At first it's usually funny but soon gets to be a bit much after the 4 -5th slam? 

In my classes I find that it is not unusual to hear negative comments from students as they attempt to cover up their insecurities.  Normally I ignore it knowing that once they gets further into their work they'll drop this false safety net.  There is though, from time to time, a student who will continue to knock him or herself verbally to a point that it can't be anything more than an ingrained personality habit.  This I find very disturbing and, I believe,  the biggest block to creative self-improvement and growth that exists.

I care greatly about each of my students and highly respect their uniqueness.  In fact, this is often a topic that I expound on in my classes. However, I sometimes suspect I may have more respect for their uniqueness  than they have themselves. There are times, out of frustration, I end up reacting negatively to their negativity.  It happened again earlier this week.  After demonstrating a technique in one of my classes  I said something to the effect that "try this and see if it helps you in your work".  The immediate response from one student was "... nothing is going to help me". 

This kind of verbalized self doubt, often repeated, soon  becomes a way of life...a way of thinking about one's self.  Because I care, I shudder every time I hear a student talk this way. 

As I said earlier, I believe each of us is unique and as artist's, that uniqueness is evident in our visual expression.  We should glorify in this knowledge.. not denigrate and destroy it. We artist's have a wonderful opportunity to express our inner feelings and beliefs in ways that are not possible for others. We should embrace this and use it to its fullest, not demean it and put it down.  What is within us is a beautiful thing. 

In conclusion, I say to you.....

...hold what you are in great esteem, you are the only one in the world that owns this invisible essential. Glorify in your uniqueness and share it honestly.

Reflections on Style

"Grand Flowers", 24x18", oil on canvas

Style can be a seemingly illusive element in our work that students seek and seasoned painters seem to own.   Where and how does one "find" style and what is it? The answer to that, like so many things in art, is both simple and complex.

To begin with, style can not be taught, it is inherent in each of us. We can develop it through painting miles of canvas and we can recognize it within us through self knowledge and understanding.  It is, after all is said and done, who we are and how we do it.  The more we understand and focus on what comes naturally to us as a unique individual, the closer we arrive at style. Style is after all, no more than our "signature". An example of this is the way each of us writes. We can force a style of writing that is unnatural  but when we are relaxed we revert and write in a way that is unique only to ourselves. Style in painting is the same, unique and self inscribed. Style is all about what we say as an artist in our work.

Don't be confused between the issue of developing one's own personal style and learning the principles of one's craft through instruction.  They are two entirely different things. Unfortunately, some students feel that taking art classes will influence their style. This is true only if the instructor they choose is one that insists students paint like them....and, frankly I can name several nationally known artists who have a whole cadre of students (the magazines are full of them) who are copycats of the instructor's style. Sad but true!  I believe, the measure of a good instructor is one who teaches the principles of sound painting and "guides" his/her students in developing their own signature. Teaching is not, should not be, an ego trip. Students should be encouraged to study and learn all they can about their craft, their style will develop in its own good time as they work.

As a student, my work exhibited an energetic brush work that I didn't understand and found difficult to control. Being without an instructor or mentor at that point in my career,  I literally worked hard to eliminate it and to establish what I felt was the "right" way for me to paint based on what I saw others doing. This had nothing to do with art classes or instructors.  It was my mind-set. I would have been much further ahead if I would have applied this energetic enthusiasm to my studies and allowed this to develop into my unique signature.  The effort to control and divert my natural inclinations unwittingly delayed any progress I hoped to make.

Today, as never before, I enjoy the freedom of being in touch with myself and have learned to ignore external influences in books, magazines,  DVD's, etc.  My style has evolved and I find once again that energetic loose brush work is important to my work.  I am not pursuing someone else's style but my own. In fact, I am pursuing it with a vengeance. It is at once exhilarating, freeing and really quite wonderful!

"It’s only with the heart one can see clearly. It’s what is invisible that is essential."

                                                                                                                                                        The “Fox” in The Little Prince

Art Supplies and Equipment Recommendations

The studios of other artists have always held a certain fascination for me. I like to see and learn from others.  It occurred to me that perhaps some of my own studio "finds" would be of help to blogger's.  So, here goes....

Still life stands are not as easily found as I thought they would be. After I spent literally months searching and finding nothing that would work for me, I found this gem (left) by Mabef at T-Square, a local art supply store in Grand Rapids, MI.  It's a sculpting stand that is adjustable right and left as well as bringing the subject up to near eye-level.  I'm tall and it was really hard to find a stand that raises high enough plus one that didn't take up a mile of floor space. This stand may be available through a local store near you  and/or via one of the many art supply catalog companies for about $125.

For "Over Abundance" (below) the stand was placed close on the right of my easel so that I could sight/size my work.

"Over Abundance",

14x11", oil on canvas panel

Website development was a huge mystery to me.  After hiring and struggling through working with this and that designer and spending an inordinate amount of money and time away from painting to work with these folks I decided I had to bite the bullet and find an easy way of doing it myself.  The answer, after a lot of research, was Fine Art Studio on Line (FASO). Their simple template method and superb tech support, available 24/7, made it a snap for even a computer dummy like me  to quickly and easily present my work professionally. I'm not alone.  Any number of artists that we've all heard of such as Mian Situ, Keven MacPherson, Laura Robb, Matt Smith, Ron Rencher and William Schnieder  are among the users of FASO's website template system.  You can Google these artists to see their sites and contact FASO at http://www.fineartstudioonline.com/ to start your own easy to do website.

Last  but not least, I prefer to paint on canvas and later hand-mount it on panels, when working plein air or small in the studio. This offers me an easy way to travel with many studies/paintings in my suitcase without the bulk of panels or stretched canvases. To do this I require a high quality reversible archival adhesive.  Again, after a lot of research I found Lascoux's 498 HV Adhesive to be the best possible option. However, it's  hard to find.  Recently my source dropped it from their inventory and I had to web-search of another distributor.  The only one I found was Museum Services Corporation available at:

385 Bridgepoint Way
South St. Paul, Minnesota 55075-2466
PHONE 651-450-8954
FAX 651-554-9217
info@museumservicescorporation.com

A liter costs $60 plus shipping but this will mount a lot of paintings and I know that those I choose to mount are archivally sound.

I hope the studio information above helps and cuts you some slack in research time. If you found this of use but have other studio questions/needs let me know and I'll post what I'm doing to resolve the issues for me and/or my students.  Good luck!



Inspired and Breathless in Utah

 While I don't have to travel to find subjects to paint I must say our western U.S. holds my heart and takes my breath away. Until recently I have to say that of all the National Parks, Teton and parts of Yellowstone have  been my number one favorites.  That was before I experienced Zion  in the snow.  This beautiful magical wild place gave me an experience that I will hold dear to my heart for the rest of my life.  Beyond its ageless heights of limestone and sandstone, amazing in their own right, the beauty of the Virgin River canyon was compounded with unexpected snow.  Hiking the canyon last Sunday morning, in blizzard like conditions, I felt a personal joy for the richness of all that nature can offer.

Side pools collect water from the heights and feed the river. The water shows teal green and red color in contrast to the white snow.

A monolith near the entrance guards the canyon.

Wind and the Virgin River created the canyon over millions of years. Seasonal run-off and flash flooding carves out the soft rock.

Other special experiences on this trip included Thanksgiving with my daughter Renee and her family in their home, hiking and playing with grandkids in 18" of snow at Snow Basin in the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake and gallery hopping in Park City, Utah's ski capitol.

At Bryce Canyon I stopped to help a Chinese family  with their camera so they could all be in the picture.  They in turn did the same for us.  In spite of the language barrier, after much gesturing, smiling, and bowing, we all went away happy. Later, with the exception of a lone Steller's Jay for company, we picnicked in the 27 degree weather.  What fun!

Steller's Jay waiting to clean up any crumbs that escaped our mouths.

Left to Right: Renee, Ian, Roger and Maddie. The black-headed gnome is...Me!

Holidays vs. Art

I love the upcoming Holiday season but know that every year it puts huge limitations on my time normally devoted to art.  There were even a few years in the past when I didn't paint, draw or even think much about art for a number of weeks because of heavy personal and family commitments at this time of year. Each time this happened I found that my ability to perform regressed. I lost my working momentum, the rhythm of my process and even became unsure in my skills. It took weeks to regain all that was lost. This lapse combined with others of shorter duration throughout the ensuing year delayed my growth as an artist.

I finally came to realize that I could not afford to allow this to happen.  Instead of beating my breast and feeling guilty I decided to break my time into small segments that were manageable and develop a schedule I could keep.  My formula was simple, it consisted of deciding what I needed time wise to maintain my skills and rhythm at a working level. 

In general, I knew personally I needed at least 4-6 hours a week to just keep my skills honed to a passable working level.  That broke down to doing quick studies for at least 30 - 40 minutes each day. That was reasonable and something I was able to do even on the most busy of days

One of the biggest misnomers among my students is that they feel  they must create "paintings" whenever they pick up a brush.  That's wrong!  It is far more important to do studies and small exercises to keep up skill, grow and be able to preform when called upon to do so. Anyone can do a drawing, a series of 4-5 thumbnails, work on a value or color study, etc., etc., in a 30 minute period.  That is far more important than waiting until you have a "block of time" (which may never happen) when you can "paint".  Part of all this is simply mind set.

The bottom line is that if you do nothing with your art over the holidays you will most assuredly regress.  If you dedicate 30 minutes per day you will maintain for a few short weeks before regression begins and if you work an hour or more each day you might even be able to build more skill in certain areas.

If, throughout the year, you take art classes and/or work regularly in your studio then why jeopardize that investment? Isn't what you do important to you...important enough to maintain it through a busy time?  Surely you can tweak your schedule to guarantee just 30 minutes a day for your art?

Fall Trees Looking Garish?

Last weekend I painted with a group of artists on a west Michigan farm where the trees were nearing their peak autum color. During our afternoon critique, several artists commented that they find it difficult to control fall colors in their work so they don't appear garish. I believe the answer to that is transitions created by soft edges and carefully used neutral tones between color shifts.

"Fall Color", 12 x 9" plein air oil study on canvas

The hues, in "Fall Color", above, read well and are pleasant to look at. Notice how the bright instense colors are juxtaposed with neutral hues of less intensity giving the eye a place to rest. Notice also how soft the edges are within the tree's color shapes and how they help the eye travel from one area of the tree to another.

Fall is a wonderful, albeit brief time, to paint outdoors. For those of us tired of painting summer's green the challenge of a warm autumn palette is creatively exciting and most welcome. Enjoy!

Painting a Rainy Day

"Rain or Shine?", 8x10", oil on gessoed panel

"Woodland Path", 8x8", oil on gessoed panel

This past Saturday, I awoke to a torrential downpour, lightening and thunder outside. With only one eye open I was sorely tempted to roll over and play dead. However, after having been sick with a virus for over a week and a bad case of cabin fever I determined to struggle up out of sleep and dress for painting out-of-doors.

I'm a member of the Great Lakes Plein Air Painters Assn. better known to its members as G.L. PAPA. The all day event was scheduled at Sleepy Hollow State Park about a 40 minute drive from my home. I decided, due to the weather, to at least enjoy the drive up and back if nothing more. After downing a quick breakfast I headed out. The weather was so awful that I was convinced I would be the only one crazy enough to make the effort. Much to my surprise I found six other painters at the park who also shared a desire to paint. With no other option, we began painting from inside our cars and were finally able to migrate outside about an hour into our day. After a very damp, cold morning we broke at noon for fellowship and a hot lunch of grilled brats and salads provided by a couple of members. One of them were organized enough to bring a spouse along who likes to grill. It doesn't get better than that.

The two studies above were the result of a good dose of determination and no matter how wet, the inspiration of Michigan's early fall color. One was finished on site and the second touched up at home later. All in all, a fine day...if not a bit damp.

Back to Basics

"Onion Study", 11x14", oil on canvas

It's been a good but busy summer and I see that I've been remiss in adding new posts. Sometimes it is just plain hard to stay focused. I find that is true of my work as well. When I have periods of not being able to paint I find it difficult to get back into the swing of my normal painting process. It's at times like this that I force myself to go back to the basics. Last month was one of those times.

To jump start I often do a simple still life. This allows me to focus on the process and not the subject. "Onion Study" was successful in getting back to thinking the process including my use of brush work and edge control. This was a fun piece, no pressure since it was a study, ending with success. It gave me the encouragement to begin several larger paintings that have been on a back burner for awhile.

Speaking of which, I often have a handful of paintings stored in the studio in various stages of completion. This gives me time to think problems through and also to keep my interest level on any given painting at a peak. I don't get bogged down feeling the pressure of having to finish a painting unless of course I'm working on a commission deadline, which is another story.

What do you do to get jump started? You may email your comments or questions to me by clicking on the small white envelope below.

Forget Me Not!

"Forget Me Not!", 11x14", oil on canvas

My summer has been chopped up as far as painting vs. social interchange and family commitments are concerned. I find it nearly impossible to keep focused on my art when schedules and people come and go and change constantly. The only thing that seems to get me centered and technically back on track is to drop large projects and go back to either doing small simple studies or finishing smaller works that seem to accumulate in my studio in droves. "Forget Me Not!" is one such painting.

I started but didn't get too far with this as a plein air piece when painting one evening near Harrisville, MI in early summer. Usually, I wipe such a brief start off the canvas but this had a good feeling and the subject remained in a somewhat sketched in mode. After returning from Mackinac Island this year I was looking at this canvas and realized how much it reminded me of the unique woodlands of Mackinac Island. I decided then and there to alter it into a studio painting of my favorite Island wildflowers which grow there profusely. As I love the more intimate parts of Mackinac Island, not what the tourists usually see, it was fitting that the painting be titled with its double meaning, "Forget Me Not!"

Beating the Positive to Death!

I had lunch the other day with several friends who are also students of art. The topic of negative and positive space came up. Their general agreement was that their focus gets caught up on the positive and that they often forget about negative shapes. My comment to that was, "...one of my frustrations as a teacher is seeing students ignore the negative while beating the positive to death". Well, this made everyone laugh and they all agreed that this had to be the subject of my next post.

"The Road to Somewhere", 18x14", oil on canvas

by Sharon Griffes Tarr, copyright 2009

First, let's assume that everyone, at least intellectually, understands the difference between negative and positive shapes in art, ie: the horse, the tree, the building, etc. vs. the negative space that surrounds these shapes. Due to the way we have been trained to see since childhood, we humans naturally focus on positive shapes. This is our nature. This is also where unskilled painters get into trouble. Because they see only the positive they will continue to erase, redraw (repaint), erase, redraw (repaint), erase, redraw (repaint), or incorporate fussy fussy, dibby dabbing, and mindless pencil marks or brush work to correct a positive shape until it is beaten into submission. Unless reminded they will never look at the negative as a moderating or correcting tool.

There are certain truths in art that are, unto themselves, self evident. This is one of them... if a negative shape is not correct, the positive shape next to it will also be wrong. It cannot be otherwise. So, for seasoned artists, when a positive seems wrong the first thing they do is look at the negative space(s) and correct the shape.

James Reynolds is an American icon of western art following in the footsteps of Remington and Russell. Formerly a Hollywood screen illustrator and later fine artist extraordinaire, Reynolds passed away this past year. What I find interesting about his beautiful oils are the small passages throughout his paintings that show slightly altered color shapes and brush strokes in negative passages that clearly demonstrate his attention to correcting and enhancing positive shapes. His style of work makes it easy to find these alterations. His positive shapes remain clean, crisp and fluidly beautiful by comparison because they are not beaten to death. His adjustments are most often made in the negative. His negative shapes are as interesting as his positive shapes. Reynolds work is well worth studying, if no other reason, for this one aspect alone, simply because his brushwork is so readable. However, I would hope anyone taking the time to study his work would also recognize his phenomenal command of draftsmanship, sense of color and composition. He was clearly a master of his craft and should be studied seriously.

In "Road to Somewhere", above, I spent as much time if not more creating interesting negatives. My positive shapes are the small hills on both sides of the road and the road itself. All the remaining shapes including the fields, roadside grasses and sky are subordinate or negative. However, note how interesting each of these shapes are. They are quite clearly, part of the whole and what creates the "finished" quality and unity in the painting. Without them, this painting would have very little impact. The are effectively important to the overall look of this work.

So, the next time you find yourself struggling with your subject, take a moment and look at the negative space around it. You just might improve that tree or building by creating a better negative.

Summer on Mackinac Island

Each summer I am blessed to spend time on Mackinac Island visiting my family at their summer cottage. This year was no exception. I love being there and due to the family and home-style experience may view the Island a bit differently than casual visitors. With time, the Island offers so much more than hasty bicycle rides and touristy shops. For me the family situation is the best.

Some say my sister, Barb, and I look alike. Actually, in looks, I take after our Mom and she takes after our Dad. But, I guess there is a family resemblance. I often remind her though that I'm the better 1/2 of the two of us. She claims I'm the spoiled one and she's the favorite. We have a good time razzing each other and know it's all in good fun. I'm shown here relaxing one afternoon at the Grand Hotel.

Family is what makes Mackinac Island special to me and sharing time with my sister, Barb, IS the best fun I know as we are usually only able to see each other once or twice a year. We always have a lot of catching up to do. I took this picture of her and she took the one of me above. Not too bad for a couple of amatures.


"Sophie" was a new addition to the Island this year and she decided that "Aunt Sharon" was OK! We became great pals. Sophie has a great and gentle personality with just a tad bit of "naughty" to make life interesting for her humans. She is not allowed to be in the chairs....get my drift on naughty? How could anyone possibly get upset though with a face like that to discipline?

Painting with friends is always a joy for a plein air painter. This summer I met several new artist friends and had a great time sharing this beautiful garden with them. Other times, I sketched local scenes with my watercolor sketching set-up or painted with oils in the side yard of the cottage.

Early morning adventurer's find all kinds of fun things to photograph and paint. I fully believe that getting up early to experience the awakening of the Island is the best part of each day. For instance, it's always a treat to stop by the horse barns just up the hill from the Grand Hotel and watch the hustle and bustle of horses being fed, washed, hitched to surreys and wagons for their work day. Animal lovers can be assured, the horses are well taken care of as they are "king" on the Island where no motor vehicles other than emergency services are allowed. A stroll down Main Street at dawn when the street lights are still on is lovely. Crews in bright yellow slickers and boots hose down the streets and they and the lights flicker their reflections on the wet pavement. The island is still, hushed like, and yet pockets of "busy" of a different nature from the daytime crowds make it intriguing. And...finally at 8 a.m. the first boats of the day bring dock workers and others from Mackinac City and St. Ignace, along with early visitors, to begin the tourist day.

Boats from the annual Bayview Yacht Club's Port Huron to Mackinac race arrived at the harbor a couple of days before I left for home. I missed the Chicago to Mackinac race this year. The Island virtually hops with excitement when the crews arrive and there is plenty of partying and fun for all....

...and, sometimes if we're lucky, even fireworks to end the day.

Be sure to visit Marcia's new extensive Mackinac Island website: http://www.mackinac-island-insider-tips.com/ to see all there is to do and enjoy.

More on Sketching with Watercolor

Sorry! This workshop is full. A wait-list for a possible repeat class in late summer, early fall is availabe. Go to "Contact" at www.fineartstudioonline.com/sharongriffestarr to be included.

I've had several students requesting a photo of the color sketching system I use. Above is a photo showing the field watercolor book, my water supply which is a bottle that originally held seasonings (the cap is what I dip my brush into), one of two field boxes (palettes) that I use and my trusty Cheap Joe's Dream Catcher #10 brush...couldn't do it without this brush. All supplies are available at Cheap Joe's Art Supplies at http://www.cheapjoes.com/

See examples of field sketching with this system below in the next post.

Sharon