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?

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!"

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.

Color Sketching Workshop

My unique no fuss, no muss, one brush method of sketching strengthens the intuitive use of the three value system in all other areas of my work as well as honing the ability to work quickly and capture gesture effectively. Below are examples from my various sketchbooks. YOU CAN DO THIS TOO.

Color sketching is my favorite way to accumulate knowledge of subjects and understand color mixing while keeping up my drawing skills. I decided to offer a color sketching workshop out of my Williamston, MI studio on July 8/9, 2010 to help other artists learn the simplistic approach to color sketching that I've developed over the years. This workshop is of great value for all artists...not just watercolorists. Because of the simplicitiy of technique, it is especially helpful to those folks who have little time to devote to their painting and especially helpful on vacations when time to create is limited.

All sketches show here are approximately 5x8" or smaller.

Contact Sharon Griffes Tarr for workshop info via www.SGTarr.com

Paintings in Progress vs. Progress in Painting

I believe the beginning of a painting is the most important creative phase whether an artist jumps directly into his/her known rhythm to "find" a subject, or carefully plans with thumbs. Personally, I feel so strongly about this that I set a time to start when there will be no interruptions...sometimes even in the middle of the night. I've come to know that if the painting doesn't connect for me at this point then it never will and there is no point in continuing.

"Sound of Water" (a work in progress)

30x40", oil on canvas

The "Sound of Water" is a work in progress that is currently on the easel. My studio work has evolved over time into applications of light filled opaque passages over the all important initial transparent layers to evoke contrasts in texture, color and depth. Notice the transparency of blocked-in passages. These strong transparent passages are super important to the opaque layers to come. This method of painting takes longer and is in direct opposition to how I paint en plein air.

"Kate and John Exploring", shown here in progress...see finished painting on website.

When painting outside on location, I usually work alla prima which means "all at once". This is due to light changes caused by the traverse of the sun throughout the day. "Kate and John Exploring" is an example of this approach. Somewhat unusual for me, this particular painting was created alla prima, in the studio, simply because I felt it was the best approach for the fresh and crisp feeling I wanted to achieve for the children. Never-the-less, it is a good block-in example of all prima. Each brush stroke of color is placed with the knowledge that it will stand on its own and will not be covered with subsequent layers of paint as in the studio approach. See the difference?

As an artist, my work and procedure of painting continually evolves. These two approaches have, over time, become more separated in my working methods to the point that today I clearly utilize each to the advantage where they work best for me. By in large, I've come to separate what I do outdoors from what I do indoors in the studio and am finding more consistency in my work because of it. Sorting this out has taken time but it has certainly been a wonderful and satisfying experience.

Perils of Plein Air Painting: Hee Haw Round-up!

I awoke yesterday morning with anticipation of a peaceful day outdoors painting en plein air. The night before I had planned on a site at a nearby farm where the view was pastoral, quiet and angled correctly for the early morning light.

Still not fully awake, I drove into the farm yard with coffee in hand and was greeted by six free-roaming donkeys. I parked and eased out of the car so as not to frighten them off and went in search of someone to get them back into a pen. I checked the house and several barns only to find that I was alone. Not even a friendly dog in sight....just donkeys. Each of the nearby fenced enclosures had either cattle in it or more donkeys and all visible gates were closed.

It was clear that I was going to have a problem trying to get the six donkeys into an enclosure without other animals getting out. If you've ever tried to herd animals into an enclosure you know it's almost impossible to do so alone if there are already other animals in the pen. Where one roams free they all want to roam free. I could see the writing on the wall and knew there was a strong likelihood that I was not going to be painting the early morning light as planned.

I tried calling the owner on his cell phone, the only number I had. All I got was a message that said "...thank you for calling. Please leave your number and I will return your call as soon as possible". Great! I left a jumbled message and hoped that he'd show up soon. In the meantime, the donkeys were on the move.

I don't know a lot about donkeys, but I found out three things mighty fast. First, for being such small animals they can move remarkably fast. A LOT faster than this artist. Secondly, they have a mind of their own (they don't care for or listen to strangers). Third, they don't respond to "here, donkey, donkey, donkey", "cluck, cluck, cluck" or "tch, tch, tch"...it was clear I didn't know any magic words. Well! What to do now?

After 20 minutes of racing back and forth, fancy footwork and sweet talking, I finally got one donkey in a pen. Unfortunately, "my" donkey was not particularly well received by the current residents. After a lot of braying, kicking, biting, etc. he ended up in one corner of the pen and the others in the opposite corner...all with ears back (unfriendly sort of...not unlike boxers after a grisly round of fighting. I was now down to five free-roaming donkeys. Roughly figuring, if I allotted 20 minutes per donkey, things were not looking good, and still no help in sight.

It was at this point my charges (notice that they have become "mine") decided to head down the lane at full speed headed for a busy side road. Having a bad foot, I didn't even try to keep up. I jumped into my car and the race was on. Would I be able to catch up, make it past the donkeys, and turn them before they made the road or not? I gripped the wheel and drove like a mad woman with stones flying as my tires bounced over the uneven stony ground. Luckily I was able to outdistance the herd just short of the road and turned them (doesn't this sound like a movie plot?) back the way they had come.

The only good thing I could find about this morning was the fact that donkeys are herd animals and are not inclined to separate from each other. I can't even imagine the scenario of them going off in five different directions. Horrors! Returning back up the lane, they stopped short of the barn to graze on a grassy knoll. Leaving well enough alone, I prudently decided to stay in the car and watch them while I explored my options. It was with welcome relief, that about 10 minutes later, the owner and his wife showed up and the three of us herded the five donkeys into a pen. Hee Haw! Round-up completed in just under an hour of high jinx.

For more "Perils of Plein Air Painting" stories be sure to see posts at right for March, 2010.

COMMISSIONED PAINTINGS: CHILDREN

"Clara", 16x20", oil on canvas panel

Copyright, 2010 by Sharon Griffes Tarr

Balancing artistic integrity and a clients vision in a commission can be a daunting task for an artist. In "Clara", as compelling and endearing as the subject was, the painting of it offered numerous unique problems that had to be dealt with prior to and during the painting process. I'd like to share these with you.

First, the photograph provided by the client did not include the entire figure of the child or in her reflection. Secondly, she had already grown past this age and was no longer available to me as a model. To resolve the lack of legs and feet in the photograph, I simply hired another child as a model to replicate her extremeties. While not perfect these references were sufficient to at least create a believable reflected image.

The second issue to be dealt with was which to emphasize, the child or the reflection? I chose to down play the main figure except for the face around the nose and eye and to increase the color and light contrasts in the reflection, thus directing the viewers eye to the mirrored image. Keeping edges appropriately soft between the two was also a delicate balancing act. Consequently, there was, in my mind and in my brush, an ongoing yin yang between the two images. Throughout, I had to constantly consider and reevaluate relationships so as not to lose the original intent.

On the choice of pigments, I chose to modify what has come to be known as the "Zorn Palette". In reality, it is a Victorian palette of Ivory black, Titanium white, yellow ochre and red (Zorn used Vermilion). To this I added Cobalt blue, chose Permanent Red Medium for my red, and changed to yellow ochre pale. I used thinned down Transparent Red Oxide to establish shapes and suggest features during the initial block in. This slightly expanded palette allowed me to execute the warm and cool contrasts of Zorn and Sargent while effectively capturing the child's warm flesh tones. Overall, I am well pleased with the outcome of this painting feeling it captured all that was intended. The plus side of this is that my clients were delighted and that validates my creative efforts.

Footnote: This from the client who commissioned "Clara". "Your 'Clara" still takes our breath away." So lovely!"

Dogs in the Field

Sporting and working dogs will take to the fields in April to begin learning the fine art of tracking, retrieving and herding, from their trainers. If you've never watched

"Friends", (detail), 16 x20 oil on canvas

them work you've missed one of the greatest joys in the life of these dogs. Joy is the only word I can think of as you watch them work a field. Their eagerness and quick thinking belies their remarkable natural abilities. They are bred to work and work they do with wonderful enthusiasm.

The detail of "Friends" above, shows "Jack", a farm dog, who, trained as a puppy, herded his owners cattle to the fields and back to the barn at the end of the day for milking without human commands other than, "Jack, get the cows". He did this daily with eagerness and joy for most of his life without human intervention. It is dogs such as "Jack" that gave me a life-long sense of awe and respect for their intellegence and for the folks who love working with them.

A Last Hurrah of Winter?

"Snow Tracks", 8x10 plein air,
oil on panel

We've had a remarkable run of good weather in Michigan. For more than a week the days have been warm and sunny with snow remaining on the ground. This weather condition has been key to Mother Nature providing phenomenal abstract shapes for our enjoyment and material for artists to capture.

During this time, I've been busy in the studio working on several commissions but have made it a point to head out to my favorite location to paint en plein air from 4:00 PM until sunset each day. Being familiar with the area I usually have a feel for what I might want to paint before arriving which cuts down on set-up time. I get right into it and paint until just before 6 PM then stow my gear and wet canvas in the car. Then, with camera in hand, I enjoy the next one-half hour of the most extraordinary light imaginable.

The conditions have been remarkable. I'm not a scientist so have no idea what the official explanation would be but it must have something to do with the low trajectory of a very warm sun on moisture laden air and snow. It's at times like this that I wish every student I've ever had who has said, "I don't see all those colors you put in your snow", was with me. In these brief unique sunny days the snow has been a kaleidoscope of color. Strange colors have even shown on other objects as well as I was able to record below. Note the turquoise fence shadow on the side of the barn. This is accurate and has not been digitally altered. Unbelievable!

"John and Kate" a Painting in Progress

Sometimes it's helpful to see how a painting has developed. I wanted to capture the sibling relationship between John and Kate as well as the sense of discovery children have when playing in shallow water. John is intent on moving boldly ahead while his sister shows her concern for him by her slightly turned head and upraised hand reaching towards him. Both poses imply the personality of these siblings.

"John and Kate" was a commissioned painting completed this past year. It was a fun painting for me to do as it brought back many wonderful childhood memories of my own and that of my children and grandchildren. Those memories helped me to relate to the children as I painted them.

To start the painting I used a warm orange based color to suggest the placement of forms. Some of this color was allowed to peak through subsequent layers of paint which helped to harmonize the flesh tones with the cool tones of vegetation and water. The overall effect was one of sparkle and freshness.