Meeting notes, Dec 4, 2014

At today's meeting Loretta, Jim, Tim, Kristina, Charlie, David, Char, Jeanie, Jeanne, Jerry, Joanne, Bill, Eunice, Brenda, Jacqueline, and me Celeste. 

Today's suggested the table topic:  Gray, what do you know about it? 

Celeste: When I was in design school I had an assignment to do an advertisement. I wanted it to really stand out, so I used a lot of colors. The teacher way back then told me what the problem was: "there is no relief for the eye". We need neutrals (grays) in order for colors to stand out. The same principle applies. I brought in a painting that is predominately gray. 

Eunice: I love gray. Gray is "every color". (All the colors combined). I particularly like orange-grays and blue-grays. On the back of this month's Plein Air Magazine Kevin Macpherson's painting clearly shows how good gray is with a bright color. I brought in two paintings. 

Bill: This topic made me think about "Whistler's Mother". It is really called something like: "study in gray and black number one" or something like that. I brought in three paintings. One was from Hipbone Studio, the long pose. Another was done of a man who is crafting a round object in his hands. I brought in the actual object in the painting...to show you what it is. 

Joanne: I brought in the book by Goerschner. He explains grays very well. He shows you some specific colors that neutralize each other.  I used to make up grays (as Goerschner recommends) and tube them myself. I don't do that now, but I have the knowledge to mix grays to modify colors. I brought in a painting that uses a lot of gray. The two paintings I brought in are from life sessions. 

Jerry: One thing I want to know is how do you spell gray? Gray in America is spelled GRAY. Gray in England is spelled GREY.. I note that Gamblin spells it GREY. This is all just interesting to me!  If I paint with a grisaille I feel at ease. I brought in a painting that I did from a photograph (taken in Vietnam). I like what Za does ...She scrapes up all her paint at the end of a session and puts it in a jar. This is her gray for the next time she paints. I am doing the same thing now. 

Jeanne: Well we live in a very gray world here in Oregon. I like gray. You must use it if you live here!  I brought in a plein air painting that seems on the one hand to be a poor composition, however, I really like how it turned out. I won't change it.

Jeanie: it was a revelation to me to learn about warm and cool!

Char: I brought in a watercolor that I did recently.

David: Well, of course, you all know there are many purples and greens in gray. I have always embraced gray. It is my go-to thing. The Gamblin "Portland Greys" are very helpful. There is a warm version and a cool version. I brought in a painting that I did for the Portland Art Museum Rental Gallery. 

Jacqueline: This is my first time here. I came from Vancouver. I brought in two paintings that I did plein air. I think gray is important for paintings. (Welcome, Jacqueline)!

Brenda: As a pastelist I lean toward very bright color...but as a plein-air oil painter, I must use gray in order to push my colors. I brought in a pastel. (I also did this same scene as a oil painting). 

Charlie:  I brought in a piece that shows the gray in the foreground and the colors in the background. I don't think about grays...about if something is warm or cool--I just respond to the project intuitively. 

Kristina: I wanted to find some great technical insight about gray, and I was on the internet when my husband asked me what I was doing. I told him ..."I'm trying to come up with something about gray for today's meeting". Here is what he said: "Gray is half white and half black, that's how you make gray...use that".  (Laughter)! I brought in a painting from Villa Catalana.

Tim: When I watched Kevin Macpherson paint in his demonstration I didn't like that he made the sky a solid gray! For one thing ....the day that he was painting was a blue sky. I guess he did that as a design consideration. I have to admit---that it was a very successful painting.  I am showing you two paintings that I brought in on my new Panel Pak carrier. 

Jim: When I begin a portrait I mix up a middle gray-green and also a darker gray green. I often use this for the background and I will pull the paint directly into the face and the figure.  This unifies everything. When I'm having trouble, often times the color I'm really looking for is probably gray. For example, I was recently searching for a color for a piece of furniture in a painting. I tried different colors, scraping it off each time it didn't work. I landed on the idea to make a gray. It looked perfect that way. (P.S. Also! I recommend you keep your earliest work. Date it and years later, when you look at it again, you will be heartened to see how far you have come). 

Loretta: I like grays... when it is used judiciously and not too much. Too much gray can just kill a painting in my opinion. It is obviously a very useful color. It will make other hues stand out and come alive. I brought in a painting that I did a long time ago.  I painted it in Europe and you can tell the canvas is very different from what we are using nowadays. This is a heavy burlap-y type linen.

Mark: I got here at the very end of the meeting and brought my painting of a homeless man. I have painted him twice and paid him $10 an hour. It is such a good way to get a model and feel like you might be helping someone. 

Announcements: 

December 13 is the opening for the 500 show. 
http://www.peoplesartofportland.com/schedule.html

Troy Studios has an open house this weekend Friday 5 to 9, Saturday noon to five, Sunday noon to five. (Joanne Kollman is at Troy Studios). 221 SE 11th, Portland OR 97214

Brenda is in Plein Air Magazine again! Congratulations Brenda! (Brenda discovered it by just opening her own recently received copy after dinner recently). A Super-great surprise. 

Attic Gallery: Brenda Boylan, Urban Scenes at First Thursday (tonight). 
http://www.atticgallery.com/GalleryArtists.html?bid=110&step=2

Brenda's third series of pastel classes will begin in January at OSA. She will have something on her website about it soon. You have to sign up as soon as you learn about her classes, because they fill up fast!
http://brendaboylan.blogspot.com

Michael Lindstrom and Harry Wheeler at First Friday, Art on the Boulevard:
http://www.artontheboulevard.org

Scott Gellatly, Eric Bowman and Aimee Erickson at Brian Marki (until Dec 31)
http://www.brianmarki.com

Celeste Bergin, George Broderick, Crawfurd Adamson, Quin Sweetman, First Thursday, 5-8pm
http://www.broderickgallery.com

Jerry Dickerson wants to cordially invite you to an Open House (it requires an RSVP):


Join us for a Celebration of the Falcon Artists and bringing in the New Year! January 15th 2015 from 6pm to 9pm @ 5415 N. Albina (Falcon Building)



Open studios, live music, prints for sale. Donations for the artists are welcome at the door.



Sidecar Bartenders will provide drinks for purchase. 



Please RSVP to Briana Tatanish by Dec 15th
Eunice recommends SunLan lighting on Mississippi if you need any type of lighting. 
http://sunlanlighting.com

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Today was our first time meeting as The Thursday Drawing Club (directly after O'Connor's meeting). We had intended on going to Starbucks, however most all of the seats were taken. Instead we went to Renner's Grill. We hope everyone got the message that we switched places. Even though it was dark in there, we had a wonderful time and Renner's was very welcoming. Next Thursday we will try sketching at the big building that houses Loaves and Fishes at 688 SW Capitol Hwy. This is right down the street from O'Connors. They have a big space there. We have to keep our decisions of where to go sort of "fluid" --so the best thing to do is assemble at O'Connors around 10:30am and go from there.. We will keep the Thursday sessions each week within walking distance of O'Connors. (If you don't have my cell number, email me and I will send it to you): celesteobergin@gmail.com

Next meeting Thursday, December 11 suggested table topic:  Have you ever experienced a slump? What did you do about it? (Your suggestions for how to stay motivated if and when you feel demotivated).

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