Saturday, December 4, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Inspiration to keep going
I picked up this quote from Carol Marine's post, and I thought it was very useful for all artists - it's by Steve Martin. "Consistent work enhanced my act. I learned a lesson: it was easy to be great. Every entertainer has a night when everything is clicking. These nights are accidental and statistical: like lucky cards in poker, you can count on them occuring over time. What was hard was to be good, consistently good, night after night, no matter what the circumstances."
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Watercolor Class: Tools For Ideas
The binder is a collection of my favorite photos that I take myself then make prints and put into a book. When I am housebound and need to paint from a photo and need inspiration, it is my go-to resource. I am always working on that and weeding it out and freshening it up. Try to avoid using newspaper or magazine photos, though it is tempting at first. I would prefer you use your own photos. I like to keep lots of watercolor pads of different sizes and types so I can paint on any size and surface I wish. The Arches watercolor blocks are my favorite because they are good to go. I like to put a border of tape around the edge because I like the way it looks when finished, but it is not a requirement.
Watercolor Class: Art Tools Made Simple
Here is a photo of the tools list: Click on Picture to Enlarge
Kneaded eraser, plastic clays sculpt tool for scraping, X-acto knife, #2 pencil. Japanese sumi brush ( I like to use this Japanese brush because its so versatile, but it is not required , Blick sells an entire Bamboo Brush set for $20. I suggest that ). #12 , #4 , #2 Round Sable watercolor brush. White nylon brushes. Blick sells a set of 12 for $13. at different sizes, Hake brush 1" Blick sells these in singles or sets, just type in Hake Brushes). Salt and shaker (kosher makes larger effects regular salt finer snow-like effects), paper towels, a stable water cup, brush cloth or oriental straw style brush mat to keep brush tips safe, a palette for paint like in picture, if possible. Watercolor paints follow a color wheel, or suggested- Color Paints- Brands : Windsor Newton , Utrecht, Grumbacher, or Holbein paints are preferred (they have less fillers and high grade pigmentation ). Cadmium red, rose madder cerulean blue, Horizon blue, olive green, hookers green, sap green, burnt umber, raw umber, burnt sienna, cadmium yellow. Viewfinder, masking fluid, painter low tack tape, sponge. See the video above if you have questions about this paper and why you should use it. Order it from Blick Art Materials has great prices on these- Arches Watercolor Paper Blocks- 140 lb Hot Pressed and 140 lb Cold Pressed 10X14". I also can give 25% off Reddi Arts coupons in classes for those who like to shop for their supplies at Reddi Arts at 1037 Hendricks Ave. Jacksonville , Florida.
Kneaded eraser, plastic clays sculpt tool for scraping, X-acto knife, #2 pencil. Japanese sumi brush ( I like to use this Japanese brush because its so versatile, but it is not required , Blick sells an entire Bamboo Brush set for $20. I suggest that ). #12 , #4 , #2 Round Sable watercolor brush. White nylon brushes. Blick sells a set of 12 for $13. at different sizes, Hake brush 1" Blick sells these in singles or sets, just type in Hake Brushes). Salt and shaker (kosher makes larger effects regular salt finer snow-like effects), paper towels, a stable water cup, brush cloth or oriental straw style brush mat to keep brush tips safe, a palette for paint like in picture, if possible. Watercolor paints follow a color wheel, or suggested- Color Paints- Brands : Windsor Newton , Utrecht, Grumbacher, or Holbein paints are preferred (they have less fillers and high grade pigmentation ). Cadmium red, rose madder cerulean blue, Horizon blue, olive green, hookers green, sap green, burnt umber, raw umber, burnt sienna, cadmium yellow. Viewfinder, masking fluid, painter low tack tape, sponge. See the video above if you have questions about this paper and why you should use it. Order it from Blick Art Materials has great prices on these- Arches Watercolor Paper Blocks- 140 lb Hot Pressed and 140 lb Cold Pressed 10X14". I also can give 25% off Reddi Arts coupons in classes for those who like to shop for their supplies at Reddi Arts at 1037 Hendricks Ave. Jacksonville , Florida.
Watercolor Class Demos: landscape
Taking the previous exercises as starting points, here are some landscapes that take the value scale theme to the next level. Note the sense of where the light is coming from. A common mistake newcomers make is to have multiple light sources, which flattens the picture and confuses the viewer. Maintaining good rich clear colors with a strong light source adds snap to your watercolor.

For my regular watercolor students I would like to include some examples of past exercises we have done so you have this resource to help understand values and the way they relate to building form. The first image is a basic value exercise, to show the way color gradually falls in to darkness gradually as it moves away from the light. The next example is an exercise we did showing how this applies to a landscape when trying to create depth, and the third is an example of how we can use the same principle to create a sense of volume by applying this value scale to a sphere.
Watercolor Class Demo: Small Thumbnails
Often overlooked is the lowly thumbnail painting sketch. This kind of painting can help you when you are groping for ideas, or have an idea but are not sure how to compose it, or you are not sure how to work out the color combinations. Perhaps you are trying to take your painting to the next level and want to get looser with your work. When we are always in "masterpiece mode" our critical parent side kicks in and we can often freeze up, get artists' block. This is because we don't want to fail. Remember back when you were a child , your "adult " parent always complimented you when you did any art, and you were playful and had fun with your art. Unfortunately that side gets pushed down as we get older and enter a competitive critical adult world. No one likes to "fail" . The hard truth is the most successful people "fail" more than most of us because they try more than most of us. It is the juice behind the saying "practice makes perfect". I say this over and over again in class, but it cannot be said often enough. You cannot learn nearly as much from you successes as you can from your failures. It is the way you establish boundaries on your tastes and skills. In any case the thumbnail is a playful place, where you are not trying to create a masterpiece of detail, but a place to get a "BIG picture" a sense of distance on your theme, or a new perspective if you will, or just to warm up to and clarify an idea. You cannot fail on a thumbnail, because failure , or should I rephrase, experimentation is the whole point of a thumbnail. Then after warming up in a thumbnail, take what you have learned and new techniques you discover by accident, and apply that to your more serious work. I have seen some of my students create masterpieces by accident that were only 2" square!! You have much less emotional investment in a thumbnail, therefore allowing your child to come out and play. Play is how we learn, fear is how we truly fail.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
A Seasons greeting-" Beannacht "
On the day the weight deadens on your shoulders, and you stumble,
may the clay dance to balance you.
And when your eyes freeze behind the gray window,
And when your eyes freeze behind the gray window,
and the ghost of loss gets into you,may a flock of colors indigo, red, green, and azure blue,
come to awaken in you a meadow of delight.
come to awaken in you a meadow of delight.
When the canvas frays and the currach of thought,
and a stain of ocean blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters a path of moonlight to bring you safely home.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow wind work these words around you,
an invisible cloak to mind your life.- John O'Donohue
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Screens for flexibly delineating space

I created this screen from luan wooden doors, and used the textured sculpture to paint the image of Kingsley plantation near Talbot Island Fernandina Florida. Screens can come in handy for breaking up a space without building permanent walls, and gives an artistic ambience to the room that no other kind of work can do. Its a sculpture, painting and divider in one!
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Todays Wednesday Custom Art Lessons
Here are some students engaged each on their own paintings, I help each one at their unique level. Each of my students are amazing creative...

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Here are some students engaged each on their own paintings, I help each one at their unique level. Each of my students are amazing creative...
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I offer painting lessons to small groups in my private studio located near San Marco. Here, you will learn the basics of abstract and rep...