Plein Air On The Mountain – The Big Picture

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Sara Beth

I found this thumbnail on the internet. It is a great example of a way to do it. I especially like how the design, values and shapes are simply and clearly shown!

What a blessing to be able to go on the mountain and really see the magnificent skies and vistas. I love looking at the horizon; it helps me to keep my perspective on the big picture and not on my feet!

That was also the topic of our first plein air class – starting a painting by looking at the big picture (shapes and values) and the big idea or emotion (adjectives) and recording it simply. We do this by:

  1. Squinting to simplify the scene and see both the big shapes and the big values;
  2. Feeling our response to describe the idea or emotion of the scene;
  3. And in order to record the shapes, values and our response, we begin our plein air experience with a small sketch, a thumbnail, having 2-5 value shapes with a few words describing the scene using adjectives. You may even do more than one thumbnail or crop the one you did in order to have a sketch that better depicts your feeling or focus about the scene.

These three little steps are so valuable to help you get to know your subject, analyze it in the simplest terms, and help work out some of the problems before you begin.  The thumbnail importantly serves as a reminder of the big picture so that when the light changes along with your mood, you are seeing the horizon and not your feet.

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Drawing Made Simple – Goals

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Sara Beth

I wanted to share with you my notes from my first drawing class at the museum last week. These notes descibe my goals and intentions and I thought they might be helpful if you are trying to teach yourself to draw.

My intentions are for you to see the beauty and elegance associated with drawing, to obtain an understanding of how to approach drawing, and finally, with practice, the confidence to draw. The Goals for the class are:
1. To See the Large Shape, Rhythm and Sensitive Line
2. To Know How to Start
3. To Know How to Improve

We will Study: Line – Shape – Rhythm – Form – Emotion
• Seeing Simple Line of Action
• Training Hand to obey Mind’s Eye
• Training Eye to be Sensitive
• How to Develop the Block In Shape
i. Seeing Big Shape
ii. Block in Big Shape
iii. Accuracy
• Line Sensitivity, Rhythm and Emotion
• Form

Guiding Principles:
“Finish in art has no connection with the amount of detail in a picture, but has reference only to the completeness with which the emotional idea the painter set out to express has been realized.” Speed

“You must be guided by feeling to select what is essential and suppress the non-essential; this is pure eloquence and beauty and art!” Sara Beth

The mind is the eye, it “sees through the eye, the hand, the nose, ear, and the mouth.”

“Good academic drawing is often lifeless, no room for the play of life, imperfectly perfect, lack of variety which is Life!” Speed

“Finally, the true test is whether the drawing has life and conveys genuine feeling.” Speed

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Get In Shape for Spring!

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Sara Beth

Check out all the ways to grow this spring artistically!  Dig deep to find the seed of creativity that is in you and cultivate it to grow for a fresh, rich Spring. Join me in one of my new class offerings.

 See Workshop page for more Info and Registration.

Drawing Made Simple - Fridays, 12:30 – 2:30, $125
April 22, 29, May 6,13 and May 20 (makeup date), Huntsville Museum of Art

Plein Air at the Burritt – Tuesday, April 26 – Intro and Demo
Thursdays April 28, May 5, 12, 19
5:00 – 7:00 pm,  Museum members $175/ $200 

One Day Intensive Painting to get you on Track- Bring several photos to choose from and Complete a painting while reviewing fundamentals including shape, value, color and edges, also business of art, setting up a studio, art materials …Saturday, APRIL 30, $125, 8:30 -4:00, Sara Beth’s Studio (former students only)

Plein Air at the Weeden House - Tuesday May 24, May 30 10:00 – 12:30, $10 each session, open studio format, everyone welcome, all mediums! No registration required.

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The Importance of Your Focus

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Sara Beth

When painting are you always wondering what to do next? Does your eye have no place to rest and your painting feels weak? Do you have trouble knowing when you are finished?

I am embarrassed to say that although I have always known in painting to specify what my focus or vision was before starting, I did not realize its importance and, even more embarrassing, I did not always do it. It finally dawned on me one day that the significance of the focus or focal point is not just to know what to highlight, it is to know what to leave out and to know when you are finished!

Our focus in life is also important! If you know what your focal point is before you start making your plans for the day, you will know what to say no to! When we don’t know what our focal point is we fill our days and our work with so many extraneous things called distractions. In a painting, it will result in so many things being beautiful that the viewer only sees the technical ability of the painter and not the story or purpose of the painting.  As a result, the painting is overworked and overwhelming and the story is not told.

The abundance of distractions leads to confusion. We go around, our life and our painting, not knowing what to do next. Discontentment is only natural at this point setting the stage for doubting which is accompanied by a loss of confidence, insecurity and discouragement. Yuk! This sounds all too familiar and then the pity party starts.

 We are not admitting defeat if we say no, we are strengthening our focal point.  It will really put into perspective what to do that day and most importantly what to leave out.  And the reward is the satisfaction of knowing when you are done when your focal point has been clearly stated.

Are you distracted and worried about many things? Maybe it is just a simple thing that you forgot to specify your focus.  - Sara Beth

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Paints and Mediums – Keep it Simple

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Sara Beth

 

I love to squeeze out fresh paint. I don’t use a lot of different colors, only a warm and cool version of each of the primaries and white. (Sometimes I will squeeeze out some mud colors like ochre and sienna but they are more colorful if you mix them.) The less number of colors the easier to figure out how to mix one.

The brands I use are Gamblin, Rembrandt, Winsdor and Newton and Grumbacher. I love these paints for their juiciness and strong pigments (they don’t get easily dilluted when you add another color to them.)

The way I paint, I can not stand to squeeze out paint that feels very stiff. I want it to be a lot like the consistency of whipped butter. Especially the white! I do paint with cheaper, student grade paints but I always whip these with my palette knife like you would with whip cream before I use them. (I really do this with all my paints when I squeeze them out regardless of their consistency.) This adds air into the paint, helping it flow a little better. I will even whip a tiny bit of stand oil or linseed oil if they are too stiff but not too much – it makes them greasy and hard to handle.

When starting a painting, I may use a little turp in my paint to thin it but only at the beginning. Be careful, this makes your paint change chemically and dries very flat leaving a very dull oil painting and isn’t one of the beautiful things about oils their luminosity? I do make a mixture of an old master’s medium (gum turp, damar, and linseed) to use if I need something to make my paint flow near the end of the painting process but it is a nasty concoction I try to avoid.

It is best to Keep It All Simple.

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Rainer Maria Rilke – Letters to an Artist

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Sara Beth

I am so encouraged every time I read the advise that poet Rainer Maria Rilke gave to a troubled young artist in 1903. Rilke wrote ten letters now known and widely published as Letters to a Young Poet.  His words are truly comforting, grounding, and loving. Some of the advise from the letters was summarized and is given below by Robert Genn in his newsletter Painter’s Keys, http://clicks.robertgenn.com/letters-artist.php.

Your work needs to be independent of others’ work.
You must not compare yourself to others.
No one can help you. You have to help yourself.
Criticism leads to misunderstandings and defeatism.
Work from necessity and your compulsion to do it.
Work on what you know and what you are sure you love.
Don’t observe yourself too closely, just let it happen.
Don’t let yourself be controlled by too much irony.
Live in and love the activity of your work.
Be free of thoughts of sin, guilt and misgiving.
Be touched by the beautiful anxiety of life.
Be patient with the unresolved in your heart.
Try to be in love with the questions themselves.
Love your solitude and try to sing with its pain.
Be gentle to all of those who stay behind.
Your inner self is worth your entire concentration.
Allow your art to make extraordinary demands on you.
Bear your sadness with greater trust than your joy.
Do not persecute yourself with how things are going.
It’s good to be solitary, because solitude is difficult.
It’s good to love, because love is difficult.
You are not a prisoner of anything or anyone.

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) was born in Czechoslovakia and died in Switzerland. Dogged by fragile health and the constant search for inexpensive and healthful accommodation, he anxiously moved from one climate to another. Considered the greatest modern poet in the German language, Rilke counselled the young poet, known only as Mr. Kappus, over a five-year period. No evidence exists that they ever met. What a gift!

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Where to Buy Art Materials

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Sara Beth

When Buying Online- Some of you asked me where to order art supplies online. I only use Dick Blick. www.dickblick.com I have ordered things from them for about 10 years. They are very professional and have the best prices and you get things quick. That is perfect for me because I usually need it fast. Their name brand items, Blick, are also outstanding and very reasonable. (I have also ordered from other online retailers but am not as satisfied consistently as I am with this company.)

Tip: They always have an extra discount on their already low priced items but you have to look for the code. A link for it is usually on their home page at the top. Also, dont throw away their catalogues, you can use the discount code on the back of the too!  http://www.dickblick.com/landing/specialoffer/Wehn

When Buying Local - I do try to frequent my local art supply stores as well. It pays to know them on a first name basis and support them regularly. In Huntsville, I love Southerland Station. They are my go to for small orders and canvases where they are 40-50% off if you buy 4-5. They are located on Governors Drive behind the Captain D’s and always put a smile on my face!

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Speed is Your Creative Friend

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Sara Beth

Uncork what is inside YOU by going really, really fast!

CUTE and INSPIRING TIMERS from ANTHROPOLOGY

Understand that the most important thing that you need for Creativity is the thing you already possess – YOU! A trick to find YOU is by giving yourself a time constraint.

Tip – Buy a cute timer from Anthropology and get started discovering who YOU are as an artist.

WHY Really, really, really fast? It makes sense that speed can unlock creativity. When we have to do something under extreme time constraints, we have to rely on the more intuitive, subconscious parts of our brain – the part that really defines who YOU are! The time pressure can help suppress the logical/rational/critical parts of your brain that can KILL an idea before you’re barely aware of it. And we know criticism Kills creativity!

Sure you need to PRACTICE the fundamentals but perfect drawing is not the goal in art – perfect expression of human emotion is all that counts! So when you step ONSTAGE – speed is your friend to bring out YOU.

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