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.