Technical Insights from “Not Far from Home” #18

The Passage

As a visual artist, I am continually challenged with the idea of what I am to say with the language and medium I have been given.  Most often in my case, the simple and profound message of hope as it points to our Creator through “the beautiful” is more than sufficient and provides all I that I wish to say with most subjects. In other words, the fact that I am struck by the simple elegance of a line in nature, or the moving harmony of two or more colors dancing together are more than enough reasons to record them and provide ample material for a work of great meaning.  However, there have been instances when I have been inspired to include an overarching narrative to depict an emotion or tell a story.  This painting “The Passage”, page 123, was one of those for me.

The inspiration for this work came in a vision of the completed painting that flashed in my mind as I lay in bed ready to retire for the day.  Just weeks earlier, during a time of great sadness, I had the privilege of being with my father as he breathed his last breath and lost the battle from a relatively short illness.  This moment of profound loss was also one of the more sacred times in my life.  As I witnessed his passing, I could not help but wonder how we are transported to the next realm and what his journey may have looked like.  I, in no way mean to conclude that this image has any historical accuracy, is substantiated by scripture, or is what our experience will look like.  I was simply following the inspiration and seeing it through.  What I am certain of is the great hope of eternal life we have through our Lord and I stand on that as I move ahead.

These following passages have always given me great comfort and offer such assurance.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25

I know that my redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand on the earth.
And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.

Job 19:25

As to the execution of this work, various studies were completed on location of the model in twilight light on the shores of a river.  As you can see in the study, not much attention was paid to detail or proper drawing as the light was fleeting fast.  In this case, it was only important to capture accurate values and color relationships to translate the effect of light in the finished piece.  Later in the studio, I then transposed the key to create the desired lighting to better depict the mood.  Finally, a sketch was created one quarter size to work out the harmonies and final design before the finished canvas was begun.

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Blessings…

Technical Insights from “Not Far from Home” #17

Keeping it Fresh

 

Keeping it Fresh

While I have primarily been an oil painter for the last 25 years, I find it important from time to time to change mediums just to keep my thinking and approach fresh. The following two works (pages 50 and51) from “Not Far from Home”, are examples of such attempts.  “A True Gentleman” is a pastel painted on Wallis sanded paper and the watercolor, “Bohemian”, was painted on 300lb rough Arches Watercolor paper.  While the lighting was similar on both, warm rim light, the application of paint was reverse in the watercolor as I needed to preserve the white of the paper for the lights as opposed to opaquely added the lights on top of the darks in the pastel.

Other means can also be employed to keep your approach honest, one effective path is to shake up the lighting of the subject. I encourage my students to paint many different types of light effects so as not to become too familiar and formulaic in their seeing and color mixing.  This forces us to really look at the relationships and harmonies to accurately relay the effect of light.   (I should add here that while the subject is lit with differing temperatures, I find it crucial to have balanced light on my canvas and if possible the palette).  As I begin a new work, I will often paint a different temperature or angle of light from the last effort to maintain honesty is seeing.  Warm light, cool light, front light, back light, Twilight and nocturnes all offer nice alternatives and will keep you scratching your head!

 

Anders Zorn and John Singer Sargent’s works are truly an inspiration as they fluidly switched between the mediums of oil and watercolor to capture what they saw beautiful.  I encourage you to look them up as well!

Thanks much!

Technical Insights from “Not Far from Home” #16

Resolutions

As I am anxious to start the new year with it’s hopes, dreams and new beginnings,  I am reminded of how on a smaller scale to the artist, a fresh white canvas offers hopes and dreams all on its own.  Just as in life we see the importance of looking back in review to more effectively move ahead, I am reminded of the necessity to treat each new canvas with the same degree of serious reflection so as to learn from the last attempt.
Each painting must begin with a resolution of sorts, to improve upon a deficiency in edges, value, drawing, or color to greater achieve the mood you are aiming for. I am continually striving to get to the next level and have found that it clearly helps to have a plan formed before the brush hits the canvas.  Be specific. Resist thinking, “I hope this one turns out better”, but rather meditate on, “What specifically do I need to work on to gain greater sensitivity or strength in my work”.  If you have trouble identifying what that might be on your own, ask someone you trust to tell you the truth.  I am extremely dependent on “outside” help.  My wife Jennifer has an amazing eye and often sees what I miss.

I remember specifically the resolution I made prior to this painting, “Tricia”, page 33, that being to severely limit my color palette.

My work had become too colorful, meaning I was using color for color’s sake, throwing it in haphazardly and not being truthful with what I was seeing. The “circus” look was not working!!!    Having recently viewed an Anders Zorn exhibition helped me to identify this color problem and I recognized that something had to change.  As an exercise, this work was completed using his choice of colors as well, that of, white, black, raw sienna, and Rembrandt’s Permanent Red Medium, (which closely resembles the vermillion Zorn used.  I have since broadened my palette again, but the lesson was invaluable to teach me what effects could be achieved with very little shift in color.

I wish you great paintings as you break out into the New Year!

Thank you for your enthusiastic support of Not Far from Home!

Carl Marr… Far from Home

At the young age of 16, Carl Marr left his home and family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to study art abroad in Munich, Germany.  The story goes that this homesick lad had shared his feelings of  sadness with his maid when he left go visit friends for a Christmas eve gathering.  Upon his return, Carl had been beautifully moved by the kind gesture of his maid friend who had set up this tree in hopes to lift the boy’s spirits.  In fact he was so inspired, he set up his easel and recorded the scene for generations to enjoy.  This work of Carl’s has always been one that I have been taken by and when visiting the museum, I make it a point to soak in its ambiance.

Apart from its general beauty, I have noticed several technical things that may be of interest…. Notice that every square inch of the canvas has an influence of red and green in it to balance the harmony.  As he did this from life, it makes seeing all of the color and attaining that  harmony much easier.  In terms of value, notice how much darker the tablecloth is compared to the candle flames.  This is necessary in order for the light effect to read.  In terms of edge, I have taken note of how Carl has softened the “architecture” of the furniture so as to keep the interest on the focal point.

 

 

 

Lastly, included below is a work that I  completed that features a stable or creche that my great-grandfather built for his family many, many years ago.  Enjoy… and Merry Christmas!

 

 

 

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Technical Insights from “Not Far from Home” #15

“Bring on the Wonder,”

Over the years many have asked, “Where do you get all of your ideas for paintings”, or, “Is it hard to constantly come up with fresh concepts”.  I have found that if I simply live and soak in the world around me, there is ample visual stimulus to spark what I need for a composition. The problem more often is how to distill all of the input into something I can wrap my mind around to utilize.

One example of how a painting began with the simplest of inspiration is found in the work, “A Light in the Darkness”, page 156 in “Not Far from Home”.

As I was walking to the studio one day, the branch of a cottonwood tree had fallen on the path that I trod.  As anybody would, I picked it up to toss it aside but then noticed the amazing harmony of the muted violets and ochres interplaying on the leaves.  This stopped me long enough to further observe the spellbinding rhythm of line created by the leaf stems that wove my eye in and around the branch. It was then that my mind made the connection that this may be useful in a painting or may serve as a foil to set a model against.  So instead of tossing it aside, it made its way to the model stand and I began to assemble the composition around this element.

It was important to build the design with elements that worked with and not against the aspects of the original inspiration. For instance, it was the subtle dance of color between violet and yellow that first caught my eye, so why would I add all kinds of other color influences that would dilute or distract from this subtle harmony.  In terms of rhythm of line, it was important to choose lines that echoed the branch and did not fight against the swing of line.

Having mentioned how this work came about with some ease and seeming happenstance, I am fully aware of how it is not always easy to see the world with the wonder of a child to pick up on the nuances of line, harmony, design, etc…  For a period of time after my father passed away, I was numbed to the beauty and couldn’t find joy in the simplest of things. Thankfully prayer and time has brought back that sense wonder. I found that asking God to open my eyes anew helped to see again as a child. I do not share this to be sanctimonious, but simply to tell my story and share the struggle.  The lyrics of Sarah McLachlan’s “Bring on the Wonder” so poignantly illustrate my heart’s cry during this time.  “Bring on the wonder, bring on the song, I pushed you down deep in my soul for too long…”  How refreshing to break through.

I wish you great joy as you find the inspiration that will lead to your next great work!

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Technical Insights from “Not Far from Home” #14

Discouragement and “Forgiven”

Have you ever had a day when you were not sure that what you were doing had any meaning?  Or had the feeling that in light of all the world events, this practice of moving colored mud around a canvas may be overwhelmingly trivial.

I was having “one of those days” when I began this work, “Forgiven”.  I am grateful to have been given the energy to push through the discouragement of the moment, because as I began the preliminary drawing on the canvas and the charcoal followed the line of her skull, I was immediately exhilarated with a sense that I was exactly where I needed to be, doing precisely what I had been made for.  The simple act of mimicking the rhythmic and mathematical line of this Egyptian woman’s head created such a sensation…amazing.  I truly believe our Creator had this reaction in mind when our world was knit together. (Not just for me specifically or for artists in general, but for all who respond to His calling, whatever it may be).  For me, this changes everything.

For me it means that investing my time to study beauty and recording it for others to see in a fresh way has tremendous meaning.  This may be an obvious no-brainer to most, but for some reason I need to be reminded of this from time to time.

Discouragement can be a wicked taskmaster, but I find that if when facing it, I simply put myself in the position to be inspired, it will surely dissipate.  And what exactly do I mean by “putting myself in the position to be inspired”. For me, it is simply hiring a model and watching the beauty unfold as the light falls upon it.  Unfortunately, left to my own devices, this does not always happen on its own as it seems at times I would rather mope than be fruitful.  Fortunately, my wife Jennifer then gently reminds me to hire a model and allow myself to be moved… (thanks Jen).

On this week of Thanksgiving in America, among many other things, I am grateful to our Maker for the inspirations I have received and for His endless mercy and undeserved grace as I stumble my way through this life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Technical Insights from “Not Far from Home” #13

Coffee

The work of the great pioneers in the art of photography have long been a true source of inspiration for me and have been a driving force in my design sensibilities.  Studying the simplicity and solidity of their compositions has had a profound impact on the way in which I view my subjects and played significant role in the composition of this painting,“Coffee”, (page 30) .

As I was surveying the subject while deeply squinting to prepare my approach to this work , I could almost see the veiled effect of light that the early photographers so keenly captured.  This “veil” softened the forms while pulling together the values, simplifying the shapes and created strength in the design that would have been lost had the shapes been broken up by more value transitions.

The challenge at hand was  to continue to see the elements in their simplest essence, so as not to disrupt the simple masses and to create a connected design with the lights as they weaved through the dark background.

While modeling the detail within the larger shapes, the photographs of Clarence White and Edward Steichen whose bold graphic shapes and simplified value patterns flashed through my mind as I continued the work to completion.

While ” Coffee” was the first of many works that had this influence, many more of the works within “Not Far from Home” were created in a similar fashion.  Some include, “Leica” (page 112) , “Scarlet” (page 99) and “A Simple Gift” (page 95).

Blessings…

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Adoration of the Christ Child by Carl Marr

The story goes that this magnificent work by Carl Marr was deteriorating in damp storage at the University of Berkeley, California before it was recently given the light of day and beautifully restored.  Now on permanent display at the Wisconsin Museum of Art, this painting (just guessing, roughly 8′ x 14′), is an excellent example of Mr. Marr’s incredible ability to capture light.  The artist’s lyrical arrangement of the heads of the numerous angels has also captivated me as I have studied the work.  The positive and negative interplay of shapes is exquisite as well as the warm and cool dance that was employed to turn the forms.  Notice the cooling of tone at the top and back of the heads which creates greater dimension by rounding the head with temperature.  This is truly a great work of Carl’s and will always be a favorite of mine.  However, his magnum opus, ” The Flagellants”, is an even greater achievement of design and scale, which I hope to share with you when I can photograph it upon re-installation in the new museum… until then, I am glad you are enjoying his work as much as I have.

♦

Carl’s Mother and Father

The following post continues to share the amazing work of Carl Von Marr.

This portrait of the artist’s mother has always been a mesmerizing work to me. The draftsmanship impeccable, her glance loving , yet still the look of a parent keeping watch and the palette colorful, but still reserved.

One aspect of this work that I noticed early on is the dark, rich value of the shadow pattern that starts in her left eye socket and is connected down along the nose to the mouth and chin.  This value is nearly as dark as the darkest dark. So often in teaching, I find that a students reticence to go that dark in the shadow on the face often kills the work before it gets off the ground.  It is so important to get the initial values accurate right from the start.  Squint and ask yourself, what is this value, and most importantly, how does  it compare to the extreme darks.

Another exquisite, tender work of Carl’s father.   Notice how the darkest darks of any given value range always end warmer than the adjacent tone. The photos above are details of the full paintings which I hope to show on a subsequent post.  These two works, perhaps more than any others, have been enormously inspiring to me over the years… I hope they resonate with you as well.   Thank you Carl.  Enjoy!

Spoon fed by Carl Von Marr…

As I promised a few posts back, I would like to share with you the work of Carl Von Marr (1858-1936), American artist born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who studied and spent most of his professional life in Munich, Germany.  Growing up 10 miles from the museum that had a grand collection of a hundred or so Marr’s had a significant impact on my sensibilities as an artist.  I have greatly admired his amazing draftsmanship as he displayed his talents in so many different styles from the highly realistic, academic approach to the more impressionistic works of late in his career.  Perhaps his greatest strength, in my opinion, was his ability to capture a convincing effect of light, whether it be the mysterious quality of twilight light,  the blazing sun, or the soft natural effect of descending, cool studio light.  In my formative years as all of this was new, I would spend hours in front Carl’s works, absorbing all I could of his dramatic compositions of multiple figures intertwined with sensitive tonal transitions.  I would copy them, draw them, or study them to see how he might handle an area in a painting that I was currently struggling with.  The Wisconsin Museum of Art, located in West Bend, Wisconsin, which houses this great collection is currently poised to rebuild its museum to display his works on an even grander scale.  If you are ever in the Midwest on travels, this museum is a “must see” for art lovers.

The following works are a few examples of Carl’s diverse group of works that spans several decades.  More works will follow in the weeks to come…Stay tuned.