Meeting Notes January 9, 2020

Today's topic: Surprise, drama, exaggeration...have you employed these elements in a painting? What was your experience? (And if not, would you consider it?)

Celeste: I brought in my portable paint book (a sketch book that I paint in). Most of the contents are experiments; I tried different approaches. I painted from photo references on the Sktchy app. I am also showing some paintings I did with "surprise" colors and also a painting I did recently for the Strada Challenge (my cat with "dramatic" backlighting). 

Loretta: I think I would try to use different colors in the future! I have learned that Cad red can be too much!

Wendy: I am always surprised by what I do! I exaggerate my ability! My perspective is always "skewed" (Laughter)!  I can relate to this topic! (Laughter)! 

Geri: The first surprise is that I finish anything! (Laughter)! Ok I do like to skew and exaggerate the figure and the face. I like the challenge of it. I also like to add surprises in the details. I am showing a painting that I call  "Bon vivant"...and also here is another weekly collage---just for you! (Laughter)! 

Ken: I brought in my husband (Bob) as my guest today. (Applause)! We have been together for 40 years (Applause)! We were going to take a cruise to celebrate, but I have learned (after a lot of tests) I have to have a surgery (for a cancer). I shared my cancer diagnosis with a friend and then I said, well maybe I should not share this...but my friend said, "No no.. How can I pray for you unless I know what I am praying about"? So, that conversation encouraged me to share the news with you. I am showing a painting where I exaggerated. 

Bob: I am happy to be here. I haven't been in two years. These meetings are inspiring.

Raphael: I am showing an illustration that I did for a role playing game. If you look closely at it you'll see it is all about surprise. It fits the category! I am also showing my first ever nocturne. It was challenging and I am really glad I went for it!

Serena: I work a lot in figure drawing and painting. I brought in 2 figure paintings. I am inspired by British artist Jenny Saville. In these paintings I painted fast and was not shy about using unusual color.

Brenda: I wanted to paint a nocturne in an event....but I forgot my gear.  Everyone came to my rescue and donated most everything that I needed (brushes and paint, etc)! I did have a cookie sheet in my car that I used as a palette. I painted the painting on top of a trash can in downtown Hillsboro. (Laughter)! The whole experience was a real "surprise"..the painting turned out better than you would expect.  I don't have that particular painting to show. I have this one instead..(and I like the way this one turned out too).

Renita: I painted this painting of a green river. The facts are....this river truly was this green, so it is not an exaggeration! (I painted it just as it was, and it looks like it has to be an exaggeration, but it is not)! Nature did it. 

Annie: I haven't been painting for awhile...so to get back into it I have done some 2 -3 and 5 value studies. I am showing my "value kit" (a small box with divided sections for gouache in separate and distinct values). I am showing my sketchbook. As for today's topic, I painted this from a photo of my Mother standing with others. My Mother told me that she can recall the feeling that was in the air at the time. It was like something dark is coming. I removed some figures to heighten the drama.

Stephanie: I have a lot of goofy ideas, but I don't act on them. (Laughter)! When I did the Strada challenge I put an apple on a little chair, just to mix it up some..to make it like a Magritte. It was a good idea to paint an apple in a different way. I am also showing 2 other paintings. One features red clover and the other has heightened contrast. 

Carol: It had snowed where I live and I went out to try to capture it. The shadows were blue and suddenly the light hitting the snow was orange! that warm orange was really an unexpected color.  I *tried* to paint that...but I couldn't get it right. Later I saw that Aimee Erickson did a good demo about glow and I wished I'd seen it before. https://d3zr9vspdnjxi.cloudfront.net/artistInfo/aimeeeri/bio/bio_26.pdf?6590 I am doing the Strada Daily Painting Challenge and I'm not sure I'll ever do it again! (Laughter). This is one of my Strada paintings.

Steven: The word in the question that stuck out to me was "surprise". I actually looked up the origin of the word surprise and in Latin it means to "seize" and in French it translates to: take unawares. I try to cultivate surprise all the time in my work. Then again, sometimes I don't *try* to surprise at all, I let the painting take me by surprise instead.  I am showing two recent small paintings. 

Sarah: I'm surprised every time I finish a painting. My husband tells me that when I am working I sound like this: "Oh no, Oh, God, Ooo no?!  With swearing mixed in...then I might suddenly say, "oh, wait, that works" (laughter) I got a new small watercolor kit by Sennelier. It is expensive and the colors are special. I attended church with my Mother and painted during Mass. I also drew some otters in Monterey. (I am showing my sketchbook). I wanted to thank Tim here, because I look to him as a role model. I like how he uses photography especially. I am getting ready to go to France at the end of this month. 

Donna: When I was in college, I experimented a lot...but I got out of that. Maybe I didn't experiment as much because I was an art director and there were constraints associated with my job. When I painted out last year I used a magenta underpainting and added green on top. That magenta showing through was a surprise for the viewer. My brother passed away recently. I got some paintings back from his estate. Here is one. I would do this differently now...it seems way too dark. I was surprised that he had this commercial illustration of mine in a frame. I am also showing a more recent pastel of a lighthouse.

Becky: I surprised myself by signing up for the Strada Challenge...I had no right to do that when I have other things I should be doing instead.  Here is an exchange about one of my Strada Paintings "Nice Rock"! - "But it's an Egg"...(Surprise)!  (Laughter)!
I am showing 3 recent daily paintings. 

Jim: I am back from a 3 week trip and really glad to be back! I don't have any thing to show. I have been sketching.

Tim: I don't know what to say about my grasp on reality. (Laughter)! Knowing that the Strada challenge is "out there"...I painted this onion (Laughter)! I painted this landscape...I went for the emotional feel. 

Susan: Surprise, drama and exaggeration actually describes my life during the last year...so I paint to get away from surprise drama and exaggeration! I painted this recently...of my friend's telephone. 

Mike: I sat on this side of the table, because I wanted to hear from all of you about this topic. I sort of didn't know what to say about it! In my way of thinking one needs to know fundamentals before going off on any tangents. After all, the Impressionists were all classically trained before they went off to go crazy with unusual new methods. Training first. 

Jeanie: I think of myself as a realist. Maybe sometime I will go bizarre, but in the meantime I'll paint in my realist way. This is a recent painting. (I often do heighten color)!

Eunice: I have not been painting, but my plan is to get rid of a big piece of unwanted furniture (a drafting table) and when I do I will feel ready to get started (painting in 2020!)

Joanne: Brenda's story about the cookie sheet palette reminded me of an unusual experience I had with Za. Za said, "lets just go for a ride" ..we wound up near Mt. Hood...in very inappropriate-for-the-weather clothes and shoes. Oh, she said in her sweet voice "lets just paint here" and  before long I was frozen to death...she called over to me "Hey, my water is freezing" (Laughter)! I saw it through and wound up with a nice painting. Paintings like that --well, there was the surprise of "invigoration" in mine! (Laughter)! I painted this Floral painting (probably next to Brenda) at Studio 30. Everything in it is an exaggeration and there are no distinct edges. I am also showing these two experimental paintings that I painted in the Strada Challenge.

Thomas: There are so many people who do what we do, how do we differentiate ourselves from the others? Well, there is the banana that got taped to the wall at Art Basel in Miami.  A book I can recommend is "The Shock of the New" by Robert Hughes.  We have to surprise the audience and we have to surprise ourselves! Recently, I posted an in-progress painting on facebook. I was surprised how many people commented that it is done as is. I didn't think so..but I also respect their opinions. Feedback is very important! As an aside I recommend any videos hosted by Waldemar Januszczak (here is one, surprisingly good): https://www.amazon.com/Travel/dp/B0767PNMBG/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=Waldemar+Januszczak&qid=1578621977&sr=8-6) I brought this painting I own by Haidee Jo Summers, mostly to show Celeste (editor's note: thanks, Thomas, I am a big fan of hers)

Announcements:

Huge Group Marine-style  OO RAH!  to support Ken for his upcoming surgery (Thank you for keeping us in the loop, Ken and tell us if you need anything specific...we are all in your corner)!

Thanks, Raphael for the donation of special inks for water-media artists.

Congratulations to Brenda Boylan, many new important rewards recently, including Signature status American impressionist Society,  Master Pastelist, Pastel Society of America, and Signature member IPAS

Tonight Jan 9 OSA Reception for the OSA Volunteers show 6pm
https://www.osartists.org/

Jan 10 5-8 Reception Elisabeth Jones Gallery https://www.elisabethjones.art/

Reminder, Alla Prima Portland follows the winter weather policy of Portland Public Schools, If the schools are delayed and/or not in session, we do not meet.

Pittock Mansion/Mt Hood show opening Feb 1, 2020
http://pittockmansion.org/

Elo Wobig Demo Feb 6 at OSA (6-8:30)
https://www.osartists.org/classes-and-workshops/demonstrations

Workshops at OSA:
https://public.osartists.org/public/workshops

Thomas Kitts has written an article for Fine Art Connoisseur (March 2020)

Serena Dinsmore at Cathedral Coffee during this month: https://www.facebook.com/cathedralcoffeeshop/

Lisa Moss Marshall solo show NE Community Center to Feb 6 https://necommunitycenter.org/

Opportunity is knocking for you folks working in oils and/or acrylic. Deadline to apply is January 15th.

This is our facebook page, please list your openings, receptions news here:

The Hiatus Drawing Club:
Fridays at OSA with Joanne Kollman:
Friday Mornings: Jan. 10 9:30-12:30 morning life drawing model
Friday Afternoon 1-4 clothed single pose figure model

Portrait sessions begin Saturday Jan 11
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1695576667380902/
Susan Kuznitsky classes Saturdays and Thursdays
Workshops at OSA:
Dianna Shyne Acrylics classes on Sundays, Mondays Still life, Mt Vernon workshop
Strada Daily Painting challenge results https://www.facebook.com/groups/1826493904296900/

Next Art Discussion Meeting, Jan 16, 9am suggested Topic: "Winter" Painting...for real out in the world or winter as subject matter in the comfort of your studio. What has been your experience? 


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