Elements of Design - Gradation

A long time ago in Maine, I decided to concentrate on one or two elements and a couple of design principles when I went out to paint on location.  Then, when I returned home, I would set the painting up in a trial mat to evaluate how I had done.

Here's an example.  Gradation, the gradual proceeding from one thing to another in any shape, can be seen in the gradation of color in the sky and the gradation of value and texture in the buildings. 

If you don't have some elements and principles in mind when you set out to paint, you're doomed to fail.  Instead of thinking about painting things (i.e.trees, buildings, water and mountains), concentrate on the the elements and principles you want to use to portray those things. Get your check list out when you evaluate how your design  succeeded or not in each of your paintings.

Paint What You Know

Last week I had a visit with a friend from New Hampshire who was in St. Louis to talk to the students of Parks Aviation College.  Betsy is a retired pilot who flew 757's for UPS.  She brought along the sketchbooks that she's been making of her workplace for the last few years.  There are sketches of the planes on the tarmac, her co-workers, and from the cockpit of the clouds and weather formations she observed.  It's all accompanied by wonderful explanations and descriptions of what she's depicting, and makes for a fascinating look at aviation from the pilot's point of view.

I've said it before:  Drawing is essential, no matter if you are a realist, impressionist or abstract expressionist.  Sketching and drawing should be a regular and routine part of keeping your hand and eye ready.  Sketch your daily surroundings, your workplace, and the people around you. 

Here are a couple of Betsy's sketches.  Thanks for sharing, Betsy!

Impressions of Maine

Maine has several well known towns, but because of a certain family, one community is known by the rest of the country better than the others.  Kennebunkport is a quaint seaside village whose most notable residents are George and Barbara Bush.  I imagine curiousity about their residence on Walker's Point has pulled more than one vacationer off I-95 to see what the place has to offer.

It's also a magnet for artists of every stripe.  Here's my take on the town square, very loosely represented.  I have a second version on the drafting table as I write. 

Painting From Photos

Sometimes it is easy to become a slave to a photograph.  More often we overlook some photos as not having enough in them to make them candidates for painting source material.

In early June last summer,  I stopped briefly at Old Orchard Beach on my way to my summer place in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. 

It was a gray, rainy day, and very few people were in this honky tonk amusement town on the beach.  But I took some photos anyway.

Here is one I took from the beach looking back at the amusement park.  You might not think that it would inspire me to paint the scene.  No color, no people, and the rides weren't even open yet, so there were very few people around.  However, there are enough suggestions of the carnival atmosphere to build a painting.  And the gray scene meant that I wouldn't be tied to local color.

The problem in the photo is the lack of subject matter in the upper left hand corner.  I solved that by raising the roller coaster and inventing signage.  The straight unbroken line of the fence also presented a problem.  I changed it by including figures about to enter the park, and slightly curved the fence to repeat the curves in the ferris wheel and the halfdome building.  One figure breaks the line of the fence and the bottom edge of the paper.

You can also detect the linkage of white shapes to lead the eye through the painting. 

One last suggestion.  As you discover motifs that you have used in the past, draw upon those to help solve the empty space problem.  I have often included signs in my paintings, and they certainly came in handy for this painting.  By making them slightly oblique, they were also a useful element to "point" to the focal area.

So don't eliminate photos just because they are not ready-made compositions.  They might just be the motivation to think about the elements and principles to add to make the composition your own invention.

Secondary Triad

The secondary triad is becoming a favorite these days.  Here's a scene of the Old Orchard Pier in southern Maine done in purple, green and a hint of orange.  I'll be trying it again soon in another combination....Maybe analogous colors. 

Try limiting your palette selections for a greater sense of harmony, unity and dominance.

Returning to an Old Motif

                                                                  Neptune's Trident

I love painting statuary and fountains.  When they are combined, that is even more interesting to me.  Here's one in Kansas City of Neptune with his trident. 

I'm having trouble with catching a wi-fi signal at home so I'm at the library today.  Don't give up on me if I don't post for a few days! 

Using a Motif

                                                              Kirkwood Market II

One of the best ways I've found to stretch my limits in painting is to use the same subject again and again, but paint it as differently as possible each time.  The first time you might use local color.  But the next time try using only three colors.  The next time eliminate everything in the background.  The following time raise the horizon line; the next, lower it.  Paint wet into wet, but switch to painting on dry paper for the next painting.
Bring the subject up close, then push it back.  Paint the background to leave a white silhouette (painting the negative shape); then paint the object in a darker, positive silhouette.  Paint in neutral tones, then in pure tones. 

Experimenting will give you  options.  You don't have to follow the same method every time.  Deciding what you want to say will influence the procedure you choose.

Here's another take on the Kirkwood Market with a cooler palette and more pure colors.

Final Version

                                          Kirkwood Market
Here's the final version of yesterday's painting.  I'm using it as a model for a demonstration to students in watercolorist Carol Carter's classes at Maryville University this morning.  I'm going to also try it with a cool palette today.

Linkage

I'm choosing to show the midway point in this painting of the Kirkwood Farmers' Market to make a point about saving the whites to form a passageway through the painting.  Rather than think about objects, concentrate on weaving the whites.

I decided to eliminate the background noise of trees and sky in favor of a dominant yellow/orange palette.  That led to a secondary palette of orange, purple and green.   I used combinations of those colors to surround the whites. I then started painting some darks from the inside outward, grading the values so that the whites "pop" where the darks and lights meet.  Textures also remain in the central part of the page, thus subordinating the borders. 

This stage of the painting tells you more about how to link objects into shapes that are interesting and lead the viewer around the parts of the  painting that I want to emphasize. 

Matching the Sofa

A little while ago I looked up at the painting over my fireplace.  It was a break-through painting when I painted it nearly twenty years ago. But I've been fiddling with the decor in my living room, and wanted a painting that would not only be an example of my latest style, but also come in aid of the red accents in the room these days.  Luckily, we painters have the option of swapping out old paintings fairly easily.

Sometime it became chic to say that you shouldn't mind, and even be proud of the fact that a painting doesn't match your sofa.  I understand that you shouldn't let the colors of your furniture and accent pieces interfere with your love of a particular piece of art.  But one of the elements of design is repetition which comes in aid of harmony.  Why not let the painting complement the decor and vice versa? 

So here's my effort to match the pillows on the sofa.  It's a full sheet (22" X 30"). 

Missing Naples

Here's a painting I did several years ago of the entrance to the Naples Pier. 

 Look for ways to interrupt straight lines or boring rectangles.  It could be a tree trunk, a bench, a railing or a person. 

Also you can simplify tree foliage by using the silhouette technique to describe it rather than including every leaf or frond.  Too many textures in too many places confuse the viewers.  They can't tell what your focal point is. 

Happy Daylight Savings Time!

Watering Holes

Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know that I've done a series of paintings of people enjoying themselves in pubs and taverns.  I am pleased to announce that Gleason Fine Art in Boothbay Harbor, Maine has decided to feature them in a show next July.  I hope that some of you can make it!

Since I've been home in St. Louis, the weather has been conducive to studio painting, so here's today's effort, hot off the easel this noon. 

Workshop Opportunity

We interrupt this blogsite to bring you an important message about Carol Jessen's 2011 Watercolor Workshop in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. 

My workshop will be held September 12th - 16th.  The scenery is quintessentially coastal Maine:  lighthouses,  rocky beaches, quiet village streets, working waterfronts and harbor scenes.   Each day's lesson will focus on a different aspect of producing a successful and entertaining painting. 

The workshop is headquartered at the Beach Cove Resort, a small resort with spectacular views of West Harbor Pond.   Located on a quiet street yet convenient to the downtown area, Beach Cove has large, modern and affordable rooms.

To request an online brochure, email me at   caroljessen@yahoo.com  

We now return you to our regular blogsite.......

Bridging the Gap

While travelling home, it's nearly impossible to dig out the easel from under the suitcases to do a painting. 
And taking time out from the trip can cost money in extra hotel bills.  So, how do you keep your hand and eye ready when bridging the gap between locations?

I found myself in a restaurant which covered their tablecloths with paper.  My hand was itching, so I took out a pen and started to draw.  Suddenly there was a beach with driftwood, a dog and a schooner out on the waves.  The only drawback is that your waitress may be reluctant to put your plate down on your tablescape masterpiece!

On the Road Again

I've been travelling for a few days, so I haven't posted anything.  My painting time has also been restricted.  I arrive back on the panhandle tomorrow, so I hope to have some new paintings to share very soon.  Meanwhile, here's a painting to tide you over!

Onlookers

While painting on location, an occupational hazard/delight is having people stop by to look, comment, and admire.  Occasionally, though, their comments are memorable. 

Yesterday I was painting in downtown Naples.  I was standing in a parking lot looking across at a wonderful old banyan tree.  When I was nearly finished with the painting, a couple walked up, and the husband said, "Wow!  That's a really nice painting!  Are you painting a local scene?"  (No, I'm painting a banyan tree in Miami from a photograph and just thought I'd come out to this hot parking lot to do it.  Sigh......)

Most folks are very kind, respectful and admiring.  I generally enjoy the contact.  But some do make you wonder!

Naples Workshop

I was so pleased when five ladies here in Naples invited me to give them a one day workshop today.  We returned to Haldeman Creek on a beautiful February day. (That MUST be an oxymoron!).

The lesson began with a description of the six major value patterns. I chose one and then did a demo which illustrated procedure. 

The ladies said they were in unchartered waters, but felt adventurous enough to try something new.  To their delight and mine, they succeeded beyond their best dreams!  We had colorful minglings, good shapes, warm against cool, cool against warm, gradation....they mastered almost every single idea I threw at them.  Thank you, ladies of Naples!  It was a most enjoyable teaching experience.

Workshop - Day 2

Naples cafe

Yesterday the class went downtown and painted street scenes.  It was a warm sunny day with many passers-by.  Peter did his demo, and then we went to work.  It is just so good to be in the open air again, with the sun on my face.  And it just wouldn't be right to go home to St. Louis without a tan!

Study this painting for its compositional elements. The focal point is the fountain, which is slightly off center, and the people sitting at the tables, enjoying lunch.  The repetition of triangles is also a feature.  The oblique shadows point to the focal point.

After I was finished, I walked down the street to a little tapas bar and restaurant and had a sangria underneath the shade of an umbrella.  A very peace-filled day.

Plein Air Workshop

Haldemann Creek

Yesterday and today, my friend Chet and I took a workshop with Peter Spatero here in Naples.  Here's yesterday's work.  We were on a little creek with some falling down tin-roofed shacks that were so tempting!  So this was my first plein air painting in almost five months. 

Several of the students in the workshop were interested in the three-steps-forward approach to the background.  Looking at the painting, you'll see that there's the very light sky background, a slightly darker distant tree suggestion, then another closer silhouette of trees. I saved the texture for the foreground trees.

Being able to edit out objects and elements in a scene is an important component of plein air painting.  In reality, there was a dock, no boats, and no figure.  Since the shack was the focal point, adding the figure and the boats help focus your attention in that area. 

Don't be afraid to add or subtract elements that add interest.  And save texture for the foreground!

Travelling

Sorry I've been offline for a week.  I hit the road last Thursday and went to Homosassa Springs and then to Bradenton to visit my friend Connie.  I haven't painted in so long that I haven't been posting anything.

I'm staying in the guest house of friends in Naples.  I'm including a snapshot of the estate. 
Hopefully, I"ll have some paintings again very soon.
P.S. Would it be too cruel to tell you that the high today is 78?  I'm sitting out by the pool as I type!

Symmetry and Asymmetry

In this painting of the historic Gibson Hotel in downtown Apalachicola, the problem was one of depicting the scene somewhat accurately while maintaining some of the desirable aspects of informal balance.  The two palm trees make for a very symmetric composition.  To counterbalance that, I placed a few more small trees on the left and then placed the monument on the right.  Some might consider the building too centered, but the fact that it is interrupted by the foliage provides some asymmetry there, too.  Granted, it's subtle, but one could certainly make the argument that the composition is not totally symmetrical.

The easel is in the car, ready for the trip south to Naples.  I look forward to painting plein air again very soon!

Plein Air and Enthusiasm

I'm a plein air painter.  But when the weather is windy and cold, rainy and cold, foggy and cold, or sunny, windy and cold,  painting outdoors becomes nearly impossible.  Since I'm a nearly compulsive painter, I drag out the photos and sketch books in a quest for a subject.  But somehow I always feel the enthusiasm factor wane, and that usually gets transferred to my hand.

Here I am in Florida, and I have found myself painting New England from photos because of the weather.
The longer this goes on, the tighter my style becomes.  Thus, this painting from a photo I took in Vermont two years ago.  If you scroll through my other paintings, you'll see that the color is subdued, the brushstrokes are more careful, and the long, vista shot has taken over again. 

I long for warmer weather to be able to see, hear, smell, and feel the subjects I choose to paint.  That is about to happen.  Thursday I leave for Bradenton and then Naples.  I need a shot of summer color, the smell of flowers, the contrast of sun and shadow, and the feel of sun on my skin.  I'm pretty sure you'll see the difference.

Eastpoint Shoreline

                    Eastpoint Shoreline
This is a small park, unmarked and hard to find, that has a great view of the working waterfront of Eastpoint.
The driftwood on the shore gives the place an unkempt look with lots of textures.  Hardly a place for sunbathers, it's a great spot for painters.

I'm waiting for the rain to clear so that maybe, just maybe, I can paint outside. 

Diminishing Repeats

Between Eastpoint and Carabelle, Florida, the road hugs the Gulf for almost 15 miles.  About halfway, there is a stretch of beach that has the remnants of storm ravaged cypress trees and scrub pines.  Coming home after a day of photographing the waterfront in Carabelle, I again spotted the trunks which were dark silhouettes against an orange sunset.  Their shapes were so interesting that I just had to paint them.

Yesterday you saw the planning stage.  This morning, I took a deep breath and splashed away.  Mixing up  big puddles for the larger shapes enabled me to cover the sky and beach quickly so that I could drop colors into the "mother color".  After this was dry, it was simply a matter of adding the darks. 

This painting also illustrates the concept of "diminishing repeats."  By repeating the shapes of the stumps in ever decreasing size, you need less and less texture and fewer details.  The eye supplies the distant stumps with the details that appear in the foreground shapes.

Since the next few days look rainy and cold, I think I'll try a couple more of this motif.  I might try a more neutral palette next time.

Anticipation

                                 Driftwood on the Beach
Sometimes after getting the composition and drawing ready, I deliberately wait awhile.  I've found that the anticipation of painting builds the adreneline or serotonin or dopamine or some kind of chemical that makes the act of painting very exciting.  Instead of anxiety, I experience a kind of high that eventually finds its way to my brush.


That said, here's the next painting.......waiting......waiting.....

Shaking Things Up

                                 Sand Dunes of St. George - 6" X 11"

What to do when you have a painter's block?  Sometimes you need to shake things up a bit by trying something out of your routine.  A new brush, a different size paper, a new color, a different format (i.e. not always a half sheet or full sheet.).  Being out of your normal approach and using different materials can sometimes stir the juices.  Risk is a stimulant. 
Here's a different sized format, new colors, and new subject. 

In Your Own Backyard

Here on the grounds of Sportsman's Lodge, in Eastpoint, Florida, there is plenty to paint.  There are live oaks, palmetto trees, peacocks, and a small cove/creek.  The buildings are old and full of character.
So why drive all around looking for something to paint when there's plenty here on the Lodge grounds?

Here's a painting I did several years ago.  I took a photo of the scene yesterday and am including it, too.

Incidents Along the Edge

In this small painting, study the edges of the awning and you'll see that they are not perfectly straight lines.  Some students believe that the straight edge is to be desired, but the seasoned painter looks for ways to interrupt the monotony of a line.  Ed Whitney described this as "avoidance of monotony en route".  It's a subtle consideration but serves to provide a more interesting, if not exciting, shape. 

Finding Subject Matter

I got to thinking about those poor red winged black birds falling out of the sky in Arkansas, and decided to paint some living birds.  John J. Audubon I'm not, but it was challenging to try something out of my usual repertoire.

Sometimes it's a place or region of the country that inspires an artist.  Sometimes, it's a person, sometimes, an idea about art; sometimes it's wildlife, and sometimes it's an event.  Take the time to reflect on what it is that has captured your attention recently.  Maybe that will help with any painter's block you may be experiencing.

Intuitive Color

                                                              Spring Point Light
After you've decided on a subject and a composition, next comes the decision about values and colors.
When I finished the arrangement of this painting, I had no idea what colors were going to be used.  I soaked the page, and then, without really knowing why, I reached for the lemon yellow.  I worked outward from there, mingling blue onto the yellow producing green and then on to blue.  As I worked down the page, I made sure to repeat some of the green in the sea.  I dashed in a bit of violet for relief.  From there on, the colors reflected the actual local color of the lighthouse roof and the rocks. 

Decisions have to be made quickly in order not to let the next color be introduced on a damp or nearly dry page.  It helps to know ahead of time that two primaries--blue and yellow--make green.  The green acts as a bridge, both in color and value.  Staying with those two colors resulted in unity.  But it was still basically instinctual to choose those colors.  This can't be taught, but it can be learned.  Practice and lots of painting is the key.

Arbitrary Color

In this painting of Marshall Point Lighthouse, the use of arbitrary color makes for a much more dramatic depiction of the well-known scene than a literal translation.  Favorite color combinations develop over time, and replace blue skies and white clouds that do little for a dramatic presentation. The values set off the carved out whites and make them pop.

To reinforce the point, the other side of this sheet contains just such a traditional attempt.  Often, the first failed try is the motivation to let loose and paint without fear.  I just get out the biggest brush I have and splash away.

Trinity Episcopal

Here's the painted result of yesterday's   drawing/composition.  Things don't always turn out the way we envision them, but that's okay.  There's honor in the attempt!

From Photo to Painting

Here's a photo of Trinity Episcopal Church in Apalachicola.   I love the statuary in front which commemorates John Gorrie, the inventor of the forerunner of the air conditioning machine.  Oftentimes, I hesitate to paint something because it is obscured by  foliage or other objects, as is the case with the church.  But then I remember that I can move things around. I altered the position of the tree to reveal more of the entrance to the church.   Then I eliminated some of the base of the statue so there wouldn't be so much to attract the viewer's eye.  So here is the sketch that I intend to paint tomorrow.  We'll see how it goes.

From Eastpoint

Every oyster boat in Eastpoint was out in the bay today.  I'm guessing it's because oysters are a New Year's staple and they are stocking the restaurants for the big night.

Here is their starting point.  Apalachicola is the tourist destination, with its romantic shrimp boats, old Victorian homes, and broad street commercial district.  Eastpoint is the real world of hard working fishermen, with its own pick-up truck culture.  The warehouses and launchpoints on this side of the Apalachicola River are much more to my artist's liking.

Happy New Year!

Christmas in Apalachicola

I can't remember the last time I painted a sunset, but last night was a beauty.  This is the scene about a hundred feet from my room here in Florida.  I waited until today to paint it so that I wouldn't be too influenced by the details of the sky.  It was actually the live oaks that I wanted to capture.

Merry Christmas to my Followers!  I hope your stockings were full of art supplies for 2011!

Getting Settled

I hope you'll forgive me while I'm getting settled here in Eastpoint.  I took some photos of very old paintings before I left.  Oil and still lifes.... So this doesn't fit my blog site at all.  But everybody needs a break sometime.  I just didn't want you to be stuck with the same painting for a week or more. 

Have a Merry Christmas, and tune in again soon!

Going Negative

If you paint the forest, the trees will come.  Painting the areas that are not the subject, but rather the background will give a unity to the background.  Then you can cut into that layer and "find" trees by painting what's behind them.  Repeating this, each time going darker, will grow you a forest in no time!  For variety's sake, add a positive shape tree or two where it comes up against the light.  This technique can be used in depicting buildings, flowers, schooners, and abstract designs. 
Think negative!

Soft vs. Hard Edges

I've recently been re-exploring the advantages of contrasting soft areas with hard edges.  Mixing the colors on the paper rather than homogenizing them on the palette first makes for a more glowing effect and, of course, a softer look.  Soft underpainting makes a good foundation for harder edged shapes to be placed on top. 

Of course, you need to think which areas make using soft edges feasible.  A soft-edged rock doesn't register as a hard surface.  On the other hand, hard edges on clouds defy their soft nature.  Large areas also provide an opportunity to give an out-of-focus look that provides relief from the hard edged focal subjects.

House of Cards

Here is, I think, the last of the card series for Christmas.

The speed with which I painted these was very enlightening.  Mingling colors became a sheer delight. Not knowing which colors would be chosen, but rather just reaching for a color that seemed right and then flowing it into the wet colors already on the paper seems risky, but is also very liberating! 

To get your creative juices flowing, try this assembly-line approach for a couple of days. 

They wouldn't let poor Rudolph....

Poor Rudolph with your nose so bright!  No reindeer games for you.

Pardon a watercolor gal.  This one is a pastel.  Every once in a while, it's good to get out of your major medium.  And your major motif.  I rarely resort to still life paintings any more, but this one seemed right for the season.

Watch for ways to cluster objects....and to set one apart. 

Yesterday we remembered John Lennon.  Today they pardoned Jim Morrison.  So maybe the lonely lightbulb isn't a lightbulb at all, but a symbol of all those who find themselves on the fringe, on the frontier, on the outskirts looking in. Remember, Rudolph, You saved the day when the rest of us were in a fog.  And we are grateful!

Go Tell It On The Mountain

Mountains often appear in the background of paintings.  Why not make the mountain occupy the whole painting?  This is a small paintiing, which made me think of eliminating the foreground because the elements there would have to be so tiny. 

I was also conscious  of providing contrast to the angular edges of the mountain.  Study the snowcovered areas lower on the mountain to see the curves that help define the slopes.

The snow is made by flicking a toothbrush with white paint on it.