Meeting Notes, August 10, 2017

At todays meeting: Loretta U, Loretta L, Joanne K, Joanne T, Tom D, Thomas, Becky, Tracie, Raphael, Kristina, Annie, Jeanie, Judith, Jim, Mike, Eunice, Dotty, Elo, John, Nancy, Tedd, Tim and me, Celeste

Todays suggested topic: What is the single most significant thing you have learned about painting or drawing over the past year (that "stuck" with you)?

Celeste: Joanne and I took a one-day workshop with Terry Miura. Up until that time I changed my palette (order and colors) around quite a lot. I liked his palette arrangement and colors and I've used it ever since. Also, I am more and more committed to painting from life.  (I'm showing paintings from my archives).

Loretta U: My significant thing is just this.... "Keep Calm and Carry On"  (Laughter)! Really! That's my best one! I am showing a recent painting.

Eunice: Mine is from Dennis Perrin. He said: "I've seen thousands of plein air paintings (and many miss the mark)...my advice: if there is sunshine in the day, put it in your painting!"

Mike: I like this-----"Life is a learning experience, but only for those paying attention." I'm going to be taking a trip overseas...so I am preparing for it.  I'm showing you a color chart refresher (with the colors I am taking). I am also revisiting drawing. Drawing and tones are the foundation of everything.  You do those first before thinking about color. I found a wonderful book recently. It was authored by James Gurney and Thomas Kinkade. It's a great book. I am showing some paintings from my sketchbook.

Jim: What I've been working on lately is limiting my palette and getting back to basics.

Jeanie: I have learned to slow down first...think first! I'm better off slowing down instead of plowing in without that thinking time. I'm showing paintings that I'll be showing with Chris Haberman this month.

Tom:  I go out in the field and decide there--do I darken this? Do I lighten? I work on trusting my instincts. I told you all that I have almost a "rule" about not returning to the same place....and yet, for this painting, I broke my own rule and returned to this spot (Laughter)! I am also showing a 2nd plein air painting.

Annie: I had a teacher once who said "Interesting shapes trigger the imagination". I thought..."THEY DO?" (Laughter) So, I do purposefully look for interesting shapes. I am showing a painting I did in a life session. I changed everything about this at least three times! In the end,  I was happy with the "slap-dash" look of it. (Laughter)!

Kristina: This is what I've learned: "Listen to what your teacher tells you"! (Laughter)! I am showing you a painting that started as an idea in a life painting session. The model had shown up in retro clothing and I kept thinking about Hitchcock movies while I painted her. That experience made me gather up the elements for this painting. I like paintings like this, where the viewer decides their version of the story.

Loretta L: I am showing a painting that I did from Tedd's photo. (Thanks, Tedd). I wanted to show you this painting to remind you of this type of weather (Laughter)! And I have learned this lesson: If asked to do so...don't assume that you can paint a painting "just like that one" that will match the success of a prior painting. I don't know why, but it is just not easy to return to that painting (to duplicate it).  It seldom works! (Laughter)! P.S. I could tell you what is wrong with this painting, but I won't! (Laughter)!

Joanne K: The most significant thing for me was doing the Strada daily challenge (beginning in Sept) and then continuing on past that! I loved painting every day (even when the results weren't what I hoped for). Eric Jacobsen told me that it can take 10 years to truly understand temperature and nuances in painting. I am showing a life session painting.

Raphael: For me the most significant thing was being able to watch Aimee Erickson do a demo. That changed everything for me! That day I changed my palette and my brushes. I really enjoy how she is focused and deliberate. I tend to want to just wail away and indiscriminately scrub-- but in my heart I really want more thoughtful results, like Aimees. I plan to study with her. While you were all painting in the Gorge I went to the coast and painting this. Also, as you know, I'm working on a stained glass project. I brought in these to show you what the planning stages look like. (Photo on front page)

Geri: When I did daily painting I did get into a rhythm of doing it....and I've had to handle non-art-related things lately and I MISS daily painting. I did get to do this one recently. It is from a reference on the Sktchy app. Oh--my family is very supportive of my efforts and they want me to do a portrait of them all together...seven of them..together! (Laughter and collective groan)!

Lisa: Recently I took Brenda Boylan's class. She told us something that I find really helpful. She said: "Make three of the corners of your painting either light or dark". You can see I did this with this painting, making only one corner dark.

Diane: "You don't know what you don't know"...it takes awhile to learn and understand WHAT you need to learn. When I started,  I was having trouble with ellipses so I used gridding and math to get things right. Yes, it was tedious, but I'm really glad I did it, because it taught me to see...to really look at things, to pay attention. (This is the painting that I gridded).

John: I took classes with Cliff Smith. He would tell me..."Don't stay in one place, move around". That makes a great deal of sense, but I have to remind myself regularly. I was a landscape architect and there is a rigorous test I had to be able to pass to work in that field. There are similarities between that type of art and the art we do...if you spend all your time on one tree...you'll never get to the driveway! (Laughter)! I am showing drawings I did with Cliff and a recent life session drawing. I'm taking Brenda's class in the fall.

Elo: I need to draw the scene in my sketchbook first. If I don't take the time to do that, I'm not happy. Drawing gives you the opportunity to really look. Then, if it doesn't look strong in your sketchbook, you can abandon it and move onto something else that gives you a much better chance for success. Now....I didn't draw first for either of these paintings (Laughter)! But, you learn from your mistakes. I consider the mistake-paintings to be favorable paintings for that reason.

Dotty: I've had to research pastel papers. Wallis paper is no longer available...I've found a paper that I like. It is called Lacart by Sennelier. But! even a small drop of water is a disaster on that paper. I love how the paper reacts to pastel..but it is touchy. I brought a painting that I started plein air and finished in the studio.

Judith: I came today, because I thought no one would be here. (Laughter)!! I did this in a life session...and I think I did appreciate it, because the subject looks like a pugilist to me. This second painting..this was an Aimee Erickson exercise. She had us use a very small black and white photo as our reference, then we had to use a big brush and (if we had glasses) you had to take off your glasses! This is my result.

Tim: I painted with Ward and we get all set up (which takes quite a long time) and what does Ward start doing (instead of getting right to painting)? He makes tea! He makes tea out in the field! It is a ritual with him, and I appreciated it too. It is a contemplative thing. A meditation. Those moments before you paint are important. It sets the tone.

Tedd: If you ever get a chance to paint in Southern Utah...I encourage you to do it. It seems when you look out that there is "no focal point"..but it is worth it to paint what you see there. If you get to Monument Valley--it is almost a religious experience. I am showing a recent painting from a life session.

Joanne T: For a year I have been working on warm-cool, warm-cool. Oh, and also harmony. I am working for harmony! Lately, I have been painting walls at home. My new studio was white. I had to change it. Also, thanks to Tim Young for the photo from one of his hikes...I did this photo from it.

Tracie: I am someone who has been over-blueing things. I took the Mike Hernandez workshop and he explained that there is warmth in the darkest shadows out there! It is not straight blue! (Laughter)! If you put too much blue into a painting it will cast a pall over everything. I brought two paintings, experiments where I worked on warm and cool. I know you people, you are going to complain about me putting this statue in the center....aren't you!! (Laughter)!

Nancy: I took a workshop with a teacher in Eugene. She uses a limited palette! ONLY yellow, red and blue! I started doing it too and it has helped me. It gives you harmony when you take colors OFF your palette! I am showing recent sunrise paintings. I have learned that green needs red in order to seem natural. It is fun to get paintings done so early in the day. I am happy to do "something"! (Laughter)!

Becky: I was doing watercolor before I did oil...and now I have settled on a warm and cool of the primaries and some additional transparent colors. I got a "palette garage" and I really like it. I also went to the Mike Hernandez workshop. I'm going to focus on color mixing.

Thomas: What have I learned this year? I know which scotch I like best! (Laughter)! Well, this year I put earth colors back onto my palette and I used Gamblin grays too. I took purple off. I'm less interested in high chroma these days. I've learned also...to not mix too much. I like the striations that you get when you don't mix it all the way. Sorolla was famous for this...letting the "marbleizing" indicate light and shadow. I took Alizarin Crimson off my palette. To get a purple I mix Cad red med or deep with Ultramarine blue. It is more subtle!

Announcements:

Congratulations, Kristina Sellers, Best Water at Maryhill Museum Pacific NW Plein air (Applause)!

Congratulations, Aimee Erickson (First Place/ Museum Purchase) and Eric Jacobsen (Second Place)

Congratulations, Thomas Kitts, Third Place AND Museum Purchase at Maryhill Museum Pacific NW Plein air (Applause)!

Congratulations Za Vue, Yong Hong Zong and Brenda Boylan Honorable Mentions

Congratulations Cathleen Rehfeld (Best Mountain)

Congratulations Celeste Bergin: Scottsdale Art School Sponsorship (thanks, Scottsdale)!

To see the complete list: go HERE

Joanne Radmilovich Kollman Life Session OSA Friday, August 11, 1-4pm
http://www.oregonsocietyofartists.com/classes-and-workshops/classes

Joanne Radmilovich Kollman: Fresh Flower Saturday at OSA 9-12  (August 12)
http://www.oregonsocietyofartists.com/classes-and-workshops/classes

Michael Lindstrom workshop (August 26 and 27):
http://michaellindstromartist.com/workshops
https://www.facebook.com/paintingpdx/

Thomas Kitts Drawing for Plein Air Workshop (August 11-13):
http://www.thomaskitts.com/2017/06/announcing-3-day-workshop-august-11-13.html 

Additional workshops with Thomas:
http://www.thomaskitts.com/p/blog-page_22.html

Umpqua plein air

Villa Catalana paint out August 12 (email to confirm your spot)
https://www.villacatalanacellars.com

Chris Haberman show: https://www.facebook.com/events/1842821289379382/?hc_location=ufi

We are working on a "field trip" to Maryhill Museum--details to come.
http://www.maryhillmuseum.org

Next Meeting: Thursday, August 17, suggested table topic: All about neutrals-- Tell us how and why you mix the neutrals that you do! Give us your thoughts, tips and suggestions about neutrals and grays.


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