At today’s meeting Loretta, Peggie, Tim, Joanne, Ward,
Diane, Lisa, Jim, Bill, Tracie, Charlie, Tom, Teresa, Jeanie, Susan, Jill, Genie,
Mike, Tedd, Eunice, Kristina, Annie, Anna, Judith, and me Celeste.
Today’s suggested table topic “Gesture” in painting-- do you
ever think about gesture? what can you tell us about gesture?
Celeste: As it pertains to painting, I think it has to do
with painting in an immediate way to capture the look and feeling of the person
or object. Kenn Backhaus taught in his workshops to look at something quickly.
That way you’d paint the impression. He implored us to stop staring really hard
at things! (laughter)! I am showing a value practice I did, but I realize it also
has a lot to do with gesture. I’m showing a recent life portrait and thought it
has nothing to do with todays topic, a study that I did of colored blocks.
Eunice: I pass on this topic.
Tedd: (Tedd read a definition of Gesture). I am showing a
gesture painting from my archives. The model from this session was the best
model I ever painted. She was sort of famous from having posed for many great
artists. She has been featured in many publications.
Mike: Artists get to know a lot about people. I would like
to acknowledge Genie for letting me know about this book called Art and Fear. So
now I will credit her for saving my art career! (Laughter)! The author explains
that there is a difference between stopping and quitting. The author recommends
getting together with other like-minded individuals and sharing in progress
paintings with one another! (Laughter
and applause!
Genie: I am showing you a jigsaw puzzle that I am going to
do with my husband (laughter)! The puzzle is of the painting of Lady Agnew. There
is gesture there. I recently completed this painting for my daughter.
Jill:.I have only just looked at my paints since the last
meeting (laughter)! I am happy to be here in this great atmosphere.
Susan: I love gesture! I learned a lot about it when I
studied with Albert Handell. He taught me that there is gesture everywhere
especially in nature. There is gesture in a tree and gesture in a flower. In the
children’s classes that I teach I call gesture drawing “action drawing”. They
draw for just one minute. The kids really get it! I painted last weekend in
Toledo, Oregon. This was a plein air event. It was so windy and I had to hold down
my equipment so much so that I got a stiff neck! (Laughter)! Despite that, I was pleased with the paintings
I did. Toledo is just east of Newport. I am showing two paintings that I did
there. One is of the mill and one is of a train. http://www.artintoledo.com/art-walk/
Jeanie: I still have two big tablets that I had way back in
our school that were meant specifically for gesture drawing. I am showing a new
painting that is in-progress.
Theresa: I took a class with Eduardo Fernandez. He taught
about gesture. I am showing the painting I did of my grandchild. I don’t think
you’ll find more gesture anywhere than you will find in a grandchild (laughter)!
Tom: I painted on Sunday with Joanne and the group. We painted
at Sauvie Island. I painted cows. I like gesture. I plan to do more figure
painting in the winter. I am showing the painting that I did on Sunday.
Charlie: I think when you think about something like this
you have to think about whether you were referring to gesture as a noun or a
verb. If it is a noun it is static. You can catch a child doing something just as
they do it….that place where they are “frozen” in the paint. By the way I think
the Toledo Oregon is a great place. I have been there and I agree!
Kristina: I have just come back from the Erik Sandgren paint
out. It is still going on. Sandgren’s father was an artist of note here in
Oregon and he taught at the University of Oregon. He is the one who started
this annual 2 week paint out. His son now carries on the tradition It is a wonderful experience-- there is no
pressure. People paint and then come together in late afternoon to share their
work. While there Peggie Moje’ and I
watched an art DVD together. I am so glad that I watched it and then painted
afterwards. It made me feel more bold in plein air. (The video was by Pete
Brown). It inspired me. Palette knife is
very gestural! I brought this painting because it fits this topic. You can’t
paint with palette knife and get too fussy or detailed. Therefore everything
you paint with palette knife seems to come out in a gestural way! I am also
showing two paintings from the coast.
Judith: I have been copying the artist George Stubbs! It is
wonderful practice for me. I know that I don’t really come close to the great Stubbs,
but I learn a lot each time I do one of these.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stubbs
Bill: I have bought a Soltek easel! I have gotten together
with my family from Germany. We have very young children in this family and it
is hard to get them to sit still. It is always a challenge to capture the
moment. I am showing a recent painting that I did of our youngsters.
Tracie: To me gesture means resisting gravity--or the moment
before or after a potential thing. I went to the Aimee Erickson field trip. I
was so inspired by the small paintings that she did. I did these gestural
paintings on small surfaces. This is very opposite to how I usually work! For
some of these I worked from a video-- you can stop a video and paint from the
“still”. I am showing recent paintings from these experiments.
Joanne: I am showing a recent figure painting. A friend had
advised me to stop sooner. Maybe if I had, the gesture might have been
stronger. Gesture, of course, is always in figure and prevelant everywhere else
too! I always try to build the painting
up. I make a variety of marks and I go
over marks with other marks in an effort to create interest and energy. I was painting this painting when Eric
Jacobsen said: “stop there, don’t do anymore! just leave that be and start
another one if you want but just don’t work on that any further”. I guess he
recognized that all the information was there that was necessary.
Lisa: I love three-minute drawings! I normally think of
people as being gestural but now I know from listening to all of you that
gesture is in other things aside from people! I brought in a painting I did
from a photo reference.
Diane: I know about gesture from various classes. Gesture
can be an indication of weight or any part of the body that is important. I am known
as “our lady of the incomplete”! (Laughter)! I did come to a full stop with
this one because I reached a place where it said it all. And this is a drawing
I did of Tim. I feel that it shows the gesture.
The field trip to Aimee Erickson’s was really marvelous. She showed us
illustration board that she got from Columbia the Arts. This is the center of a
mat board that is cut out and they save these and sell them cheap. I bought
these and then painted some of them with house paint (like Aimee does). If you
paint on this and it’s no good you’ll just toss it aside. It’s a great way to
do color study.
Tim: I spent about 45 minutes trying to find out what the
heck “gesture” in painting meant! (laughter!)! I decided for myself it is how
the paint is laid down…and with what kind of energy. I painted with Thomas
Kitts. I watched him paint and it was a
lot like watching a dance. I painted this plein air and also painted this
figure from my photo reference.
Peggie: I don't have a lot to say about gesture. I went to
the Sandgren paint out. When Kristina and I watched that DVD together we took
note that Peter Brown painted in inclimate weather. It was raining so that DVD
inspired us to go ahead and paint in the rain. When you paint in the rain you
get wet. (Laughter)! I am so glad that we went ahead and painted. I am showing
paintings from the time in the rain as well as other times. Peter Brown showed
in the video how to paint a straight line, which I did on this boat.
Anna: A couple of my teachers have told me that I have a
tendency to make similar marks throughout so I am more aware now and making an
effort to create a variety. I watched Mitch Baird paint and it was like
watching a boxer! I am showing paintings that I did in Richmond and at the coast (at
the Sandgren paint out). I saw it. I got interviewed at plein air Richmond: https://www.facebook.com/tabitha.hanes/videos/10154423393823189/
Annie: I went to the Sauvie island paint out too.! I was
there right at 9 AM at the Cracker Barrel. But I went on Saturday! (Laughter)! So
I did a painting and I also picked blackberries! (Laughter)! I did two small paintings from memory later
at home. I brought in a booklet that comes from Disney. It is about animation
and in particular…gesture! In the booklet there is a passage about how we
should all look at the whole scene, not just parts of it. On this topic, I was
once at a bus stop –and an annoying man was waiting for the bus too. He was
annoying everyone, asking obnoxious questions. I noticed a lady who was kind to
him. It struck me how she was a lovely, caring person. I decided to try to be
like her…if only just there at the bus stop. I tried to adopt her stance.
Eventually she made her way over to me. “Do you take yoga”? she asked. I
answered yes. And then she said: “I could tell that…from how you are standing”.
(Laughter)!!!
Loretta: Gesture is a lot like poetry…it goes to the essence
of something. Gesture is also a way to warm up.. to gear up for a session. I
like the gestures we did when I went to school. We would use big sheets and our
whole arm –developing big motor skills.
Announcements:
Ward: My new class at OSA is not just about water media –I
am teaching artists how to use their cameras to their benefit. We’ll be covering
composition and other dynamic subjects. It starts in September. Details to
come.
Joanne: Our first Sauvie Island Sunday paint out was a
success! I’ll be there to meet you all again this coming Sunday, July 24, 9am
at the Cracker Barrell. If you are late, call me and I’ll tell you where we
went. (503 752 3708)
Joanne Radmilovich Kollman oil painting class at Oregon Society of Artists
Fridays 1-4 starting July 29th.
We’ll kick off the class with a group critique, bring a
painting that you have been struggling with and/or one that is successful. If
you have been painting with us on Sauvies Island bring your paintings to share.
We’ll go over pertinent topics like: temperature, technique and composition and
a game plan for getting familiar and comfortable with new materials and
surfaces.
More workshops:
Other classes at OSA:
http://www.oregonsocietyofartists.com/class-schedule.html
Art Splash is this weekend (Anna Lancaster)
https://www.tualatinoregon.gov/recreation/2016-artsplash-art-show-and-sale
Muse, I’ve been Framed and Collage have a special promotion
this weekend.
http://www.museartanddesign.com/events/
George Broderick’s "bonne journée.” deck party is
Sunday, July 31, 1-6pm. (he is moving to Baker City). Details to come.
Beaverton Arts Mix:
(Deadline July 25)
Plein Air in Washington County:
Brenda Boylan:
Now taking in registrations for 2 workshop opportunities.
1. Painting Water with Observing Eyes 1 Day Dec 3, 2016
$125.00
Location: Sequoia Gallery
All painting mediums welcomed.
http://brendaboylan.com/…/painting-water-with-observing-eyes
2. Pastels en Plein Air 3 1/2 days Aug 25-28, 2016
$325
Locations throughout Portland, OR.
Must have an understanding of the pastel medium.
Next Meeting, Thursday, July 28, 9am. Suggested table topic: Transparent paint/Opaque paint..uses and differences. Tell us what you know about Transparent and Opaque paint.
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