Meeting Notes, Thursday April 21

At today’s meeting Loretta, Susan, Thomas, Tim, Joanne, Lisa, Diane, Bill, Jeanie, Ward, Kathy, Annie, Genie, Mike, Tedd, Eunice, Za, Kristina, Charlie, Peggi, Stephanie, and me Celeste.

Today’s suggested table topic: split primary palette (generally two yellows two reds and two blues) do you use this palette-- what can you tell us about split primary?

 Kathy: I use Indian yellow, Thalo green, blue, orange and purples, I throw in earth colors too. For 20 years I have wanted to do charts. I finally have done charts and I brought them to show you! (applause)

Annie: I like purple and viridian.  I didn’t realize that there were so many differences in paints. 20 years ago an art instructor held up two reds and he asked us which red was the truest red. He then told us that one of the Reds that he had was the“the” red (the truest red) from 20 years ago. This red was no longer available. I am showing some paintings I have done of rocks and one painting that I did in my class-- it’s painted on the backside of glass.

Genie: I am a beginner. I don't think that I use split primary. Taking workshops can be confusing because different artists use different approaches. I took a workshop recently online with Colley Whisson. I am going to do a workshop in person with him in August. This instruction was from Art Academy online. I am showing you a painting I did from the class. I am also showing you Colley Whisson’s palette set up and colors.

Mike: “Handprint” on the Internet has a great section on color theory. Watercolorists seem to use a fair amount of “designer” colors. We will get enamored with a certain color for a while. I am showing you my charts. I know that Celeste will like my charts! (Laughter)! I am showing you my chart for single pigment palette and my plein air charts. I have laminated these so that I can continue to refer to them.
http://www.handprint.com

Tedd: I do use a split primary pallet. I am back from the plein air conference. I landed during the thunderstorm! (Laughter)! I wanted to tell you about an artist I met named Curt Walters. He does huge paintings. He does a little sketch first and then he premixes a whole bunch of colors before he starts. I also enjoyed meeting Bill Anton.  He said under no circumstances should you have burnt sienna on your palette. It makes things muddy.  He advises to use ochre to plan your paintings (instead).
http://www.curtwalters.com
http://www.billantonstudio.com

 Eunice: I do not have any squares to show you! (Laughter)! But I do paint with a split primary palette. I am showing a recent painting that I did of a still life.

 Celeste: I know that Jennifer Diehl mixes two yellows together to make her primary yellow. I think that is interesting. I have recently added permanent rose for my warm red. I am showing you a painting that I did at Joanne’s studio and another that I recently sold that I’m delivering today (applause)!

Loretta: I want to say what Za always tells us--- paint to just be happy! (Laughter)! Yes I do use the colors that I want to use for the painting. Sometimes that is split primary. Sometimes it is not.

Susan: I use Split primary but being (also) a pastel artist we have what we call color families. I brought in some paintings done by the children in my class. We are going to be having a spring art show. These are grades three through eight. I find things that they can paint--they choose photographs. The children are instructed to use split primary and that they can add a “guest”. (A guest is a additional color to your regular colors). I printed out something from Richard Schmid about his palette. I am showing my students paintings. I am so proud of them.  

Thomas: When I went to school I didn’t know what I was using was a split primary. But I was using a split primary with a viridian. This was taught to me by my guru at the time. I use the typical split primary and cerulean blue. if I want to use a black I mix Aliz Crimson and viridian and Ultramarine Blue. When I lay out my palette I lay out the colors “neighbor to neighbor”. (Warm/Cool,Warm/Cool etc) One time I tried putting warms and cools opposite from each other on the palette but I didn’t like that so much. So I lay out things out warm to cool in a rainbow spectrum. I have a rule for myself-- if I have a guest color that stays too long I will get rid of it. I don’t want it to become a crutch. I mostly think of temperature when I am painting.  I am showing a painting that I did at Studio One-Eleven.

Tim: I did have a split primary pallet and then I scaled back. I use transparent paints and added an ochre to it. And then I try to have a zinger color here and there. I am showing two paintings that I did recently.

Lisa: I do use a split primary palette with a guest. I like Portland gray in the warm and cool. I am showing a painting that I did recently. I don't use any tubed greens. I am from Tucson but I didn't go to the plein air convention. I hope to go to the next one.

Diane: One of my first teachers put out a lot of paint--- it was a lot a lot of colorful paint. I was overwhelmed. Then Za got me to do the Zorn pallet and I got a sense of comfort through that. I now use a limited palette but I will add another color to it --something like a “bug green”. I like to invite cad orange onto my palette too. Working with a limited palette has really helped me. I am showing two paintings; one  of a rabbit (with a bug green background) and a plein air painting that I did indoors! From a photo… it was “practice” for the real thing.

 Bill: I have used it apparently without knowing what I was doing (laughter)! I have just returned from a trip to California. I am showing a painting from OSA. I liked that the model was holding a flute in her hands.

Jeanie: I have actually marked some of my tubes of paint witb a w for warm or a c for cool ---because it is all so confusing. I get it now, but warm and cool is a challenge when you first start out.

 Peggie: I use a split primary. I am showing recent paintings that I did at the tulip Wooden shoe Tulip farm and  from Hood River.

Stephanie: Of course you can make everything with the primaries. But you can use some help out there in the field. I think is a mistake not to have two yellows on your palette for plein air painting. I like raw sienna for the background. I am showing a recent plein air painting.

Joanne: I use a basic split primary palette. I like to have lots of guests. I'm like Goershner’s  book --it is a favorite. And doesn't Richard Schmid use Cobalt? It is a very expensive paint. I like to use Cad red deep for a change for a portrait. I always think that it’s best to keep things as simple as possible.
 I am showing a recent from life figure painting.

 Charlie: I will pass on this topic

Za: I want to say that I am envious of all of you! You have a family here to learn from. When I was in illustration school I just had no clue how to go out into the world to paint a picture. You have each other ---I did not have that. I first went out I went out with a teacher (but he wasn't there to teach me)! and when he looked at my painting he acted scared!  (laughter)!. But it is good to have your journey just as you have it.  It was challenging for me because I had to figure things out a lot on my own. I wanted to show you my progression. Here is a painting I did when I was very young (while in school). Then here is the 2nd phase, it is more recent when I started to have a better understanding of warm and cool… Finally with this painting you can see where I where I am now. My painting has become more subdued.

Kristina: I use split primary and ochre, burnt sienna and purple.  I am not used to going last! (Laughter) I painted this recently, inspired by the Frescos that I saw in Italy.


Announcements:

Lavender Festival Call to Artists
http://lavenderdestinations.com/paint-out/

Pacific NW PLein Air Call to Artists
http://www.onlinejuriedshows.com/Default.aspx?OJSID=8605


Painting Workshops 2016 on Facebook

Rental sales Gallery reception is tomorrow (Friday)
5 to 7 (Peggi Moje', Cathleen Rehfeld and others):
http://portlandartmuseum.org/plan-your-visit/rental-sales-gallery/

Za Thomas and Scott Gellatly are going to the Olmsted plein air event. (Za has been challenged to smoke a cigar with Thomas--unknown if Scott will be smoking)
http://www.olmstedpleinair.com

Studio One-Eleven in the Troy "Rainy Saturday Still Life with Joanne Kollman"
(plus space available for Friday) details on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1695576667380902/

Portrait class with Za May 7 and 8
http://sequoiagallerystudios.org/events/151-fundamentals-of-portrait-painting-yer-za-vue/



That is it for today thank you for sharing your ideas and paintings with us! next meeting is Thursday, April 28 suggested table topic: Backlighting…have you painted a “backlit” subject? Have you an example of a successful backlit painting (yours or someone elses)?  Suggestions for painting effective backlighting? Let’s discuss!

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