Coming Up Roses

Painting plein air at the Park of Roses.

"A Rose by Any Other Name" - 8 x 10" - oil

For the first time in a few months I had a chance to go out and paint plein air (the act of painting outside or on location).  My first outing was on Friday at the Ohio Statehouse (more about that later) and  Saturday I was at the Park of Roses with the Central Ohio Plein Air group.  

It was this time last year when I first dove into the plein air arena.  From what I remember during that first experience, it was hectic.  There were hundreds of people walking by and looking over your shoulder to see what you were coming up with.   There was a chance of rain, the sky was overcast and it seemed like the scene I was painting changed every minute.

This year was a little different.  The weather was far better and I was far more prepared physically and mentally to take on anything.  After a year of plein air painting, I can look back and see that this practice has helped my process in the studio as well.  All in all it was a good day at the park.  I got to see some of the regular group of plein air painters in the area, meet some new folks and work on a couple of paintings like the one above.

Belize it! (part 3)

"Cora & Speth in Action" - sketch

Now that I've been back home for a few days I thought that I should post the last installment of "Belize it."  Below you'll find a group photo of the entire 459th AMDS including my wingman Chris Hopkins (far left) and myself (far right).  If you're wondering why I look so dazed... well frankly I was exhausted and had already started thinking about a couple of projects that I needed to work on before I got home.  

The sketch above was one of the few compositions that I was able to put together during my time in Belize.  Most of my drawings were just thumbnails to help me figure out what photos I would need.  This sketch includes Major Mario Cora and Capt. Sarah Speth during health inspection of the hotel's kitchen to ensure that everything is up to code and that we don't get sick.  Later on in the year I'll post some of the progress that I've made on this and a few other compositions.  

The 459th AMDS

Exiting Belize via a C17

Tripping Out part 2

"Untitled" - 48" x 72" oil

Here's some progress on  the 48 x 72" triptych that I started late last week.  Since I've had to dedicate some time to a 30 x 40" painting for an upcoming show, I haven't been able to work on this one every day.  Overall it has gone surprisingly smoother than I had anticipated even though I had to make a few changes from the original study to add a tad bit more depth.  I think I have a couple more hours to put into this piece before I'm ready to call it.  I'll post a photo later on to show what it looks like once the canvases are separated and hanging on the wall.

Tripping Out

"Untitled Triptych" (study) - 6x12" each

When I'm in the painting zone I rarely think about posting images of pieces in progress.  Part of this is because a majority of my paintings as of late are not that large.  The other part is that the painting process just flies by when I'm on a roll.  The painting that is currently on the easel / easels is a little different.

With some pressure / encouragement from Evelyn to paint larger, I decided to try painting a 48" x 72" triptych.  Triptych: a set of three panels side by side, bearing pictures.  Because of this intimidating size I thought that some preparation would be helpful.  The painting above is the study for the larger pieces.

I haven't painted anything this large since I worked on a set of children's themed murals in Virginia.  In theory this venture seemed fun but there were a couple of  logistical issues , such as size and the crappy state of my studio, that posed complications.  So I turned our living room into a temporary studio.

Below are a few photos to show scale and the start.  Stay tuned for more.

Left:  Used C-Clamps to hold the three 24 x 48" canvases together

Right:  Photo of the set up in the living room         

Loose sketch in Radiant Turquoise to get started.

Thumbs Up for Thumbnails!

"Two stories of Modesty" - 8" x 11" - oil

In step with my promise to keep the mediocre paintings down to a minimum, I've been redeveloping my process.  Part of this redevelopment means getting back to some old habits like creating thumbnails to work on composition.  During my undergrad years, drawing thumbnails was an automatic.  For four years my professors pounded the importance of starting the creative process with thumbnails into my head.  Even to this day when an illustration project comes up I start developing thumbnails but somewhere along the way I got away from this process when it came to fine art.  

So a few days ago I found myself about to start the painting above.  I had my reference in hand but I was still a little nervous about starting.  Then I heard a voice say "if you plan it the art will come."  So I grabbed my sketch book and started drawing thumbnails based on my reference photos.  Within a few minutes I had a few different compositional options like the ones below.

Study Habits

"Aran Island #7 (study)"  - 8" x 10" - oil

Evaluating your art work on a consistent basis is extremely important for artists.  It's one of the few things that I pride myself on but recently my focus has been on the painting process.  After thoroughly looking over some of my old pieces, I've noticed that my major shortcomings start with my lack of preparation.  My best pieces have stemmed from good studies.

Looking back, I can recall several instances where I'd jumped right into a 30x40" painting with no real game plan.  I may have had a few reference photos and a vague idea of what I wanted out of the painting but that's just not enough for me to create something worthwhile.  Often the pressures of deadlines play into this "hurry up and go" mentality but I've decided that I can't let that affect the end result.  I've got to work on my habits when preparing for a painting and if this means that I have to slow down a little... then so be it.

"Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time." - Mark Twain

Plein and Simple

"Mirror Lake" - 8" x 10" - oil

A few weeks ago I was invited to paint with the Ohio Plein Air group. For those of you who aren't familiar with the term "plein air" it is a French term that means painting in outdoor daylight or on location. The Ohio Plein Air group meets every week at a different location in the Columbus area.

Initially I was a little nervous about joining the group because you never know how you or your work will be received. Also, if you don't know by now I like to paint in the studio with the comfort of a controlled setting where I can leave a painting for a few days and get back to it when the time is right. This invitation was just the challenge/experience that I needed. The first couple of trips out I felt like I was on some sick game show for artists. I was fumbling around looking for the right brush, I couldn't paint fast enough and I was overly concerned with details...total nightmare.

Last week things started to come together while painting at Mirror Lake on The Ohio State University Campus. This was probably the first of the plein air paintings that I was somewhat pleased with. There are things that I would change if I had to do it again but I wouldn't change the overall experience.

Inspiration (Revisited)

"Blue Morning (The James)" - 30" x 40" - oil

Available at the Glave Kocen Gallery

I don't know if anyone has noticed but during the past couple of months I haven't been my usual productive self. I couldn't quite put my finger on just what was bringing my productivity to a standstill. After several days of torture, I came to the conclusion that I need to find a new source of inspiration in my subject matter. I've been cooped up in my studio for so long that I've lost touch with my subject matter. So the plan is to get out a little more and let the inspiration find me. For now enjoy this painting of the James River in Richmond, VA that is now available at the Glave Kocen Gallery.