At today's meeting Loretta U, Za, Tim, Jim, Stephanie, Annie, Kathy, Bill, Peggie, Carolynn, Ward, Loretta L, Dotty, Christine, Geri, Elo, Jeanie, Mike, Eunice, Claudia, Tom K, Joanne T, and me (Celeste).
Today suggested table topic: being "playful" while painting or drawing-- do you have experience with this? or is playfulness out of character? What might be important to "play" in painting?
Celeste: I like to paint "real" things. However, as you know, as part of my daily paintings, I have painted this fat red bird figurine several times. Whenever I paint him... I feel playful. I admire an artist named Heidi Jo Summers --she uses poetic and expressive brushwork. I am showing other "playful" paintings.
Geri: Today is my 70th birthday (applause)! I have mixed feelings about it (laughter)! Most of the work I do is caricatures. I always push the playful in everything. My brother-in-law loves the Wiener Mobile. When I am in a thrift store like the Goodwill and I see paintings I just want to rescue those paintings --it's sad to me that the painting has wound up there. So what I did here was I bought someone else's painting at the Goodwill...and I painted the weiner mobile into the scene. (laughter laughter laughter applause)!
Since today we were talking about playfulness, I brought this blank board and I am going to ask you each to draw something onto it...the idea is to create the composite "Mr./Ms. Alla Prima Portland"
Christine: I have become interested in painting small..very small! So I researched and made this painting box from an altoid tin. This is just a way to change things up. I painted this tiny painting of Venice (a subject I wouldn't normally do). I've bought a bunch of these tiny canvases and because I am making a tiny painting as a present, I got this tiny easel to go with it. (Laughter)!
Dotty: I think it is all fun! "Playful" to me is doing something different. Like for instance to use your palette knife (when you hadn't really expected to) ---that's fun! I am showing a recent pastel painting I did at Laurelhurst Park.
Loretta L: Joanne T and I go together today! She and I went to a demonstration a while back on the subject of cold wax and painting. This demonstration was done by Serena Barton. Well, we were charged up after the demonstration and we vowed to do the work --but we stalled. However...we got together in honor of this meeting to do some of the things we learned in the cold wax workshop! (laughter)! We worked in layers and used tools. You can use 50% cold wax to 50% paint (though other ratios work). I especially enjoyed painting over some of my old paintings. This one used to be a terrible nude (laughter)! In this painting the texture was created by using the sleeve that goes around a hot coffee cup.
Joanne: I really enjoyed this project that I did with Loretta L. I enjoyed looking at these pieces after I did them and realizing they can be oriented any way. If you turn it this way ---this is a chicken coop! (Laughter)! When we went to that demonstration we went right out and bought all the materials but then we didn't do it. (Laughter)! I enjoyed using the tools and scratching into the surface. It has been a lot of fun--very enlightening and liberating.
Ward: I just have to make a remark about the Oscar Meyer Wiener Mobile. I have a client who was an Oscar Meyer Wiener Mobile pilot ! (Laughter)! As it turns out, to be a pilot for the Oscar Meyer Wiener Mobile is a very sought after position--and once you are a Wiener Mobile pilot --doors open for you! (Laughter)! Ok..Playfulness --I can't imagine painting any other way. I look at the homeless and I think yes maybe I should paint these hardships, but then I realize no, that doesn't work for me. I took a flute to get it blessed. And what this master told me was: "Every sound you make with this flute will be heard forever and will heal everything". I take that seriously and I believe it's true --what we make will heal everything. I'm showing a recent painting.
Carolynn: My kids told me 15 years ago: "You can do this mom, just try it"! I went into the creative field of face painting. I am showing you a picture and example of the face painting I've done. People would tell me what kind of character they identify with and then I "interpret" it and do it in a whimsical way. I'm also showing a copy that I did of a master painting. I like to try to do things that would be different than me. I like to try on a different persona. I'm also showing a couple of drawings.
Bill: I took Thomas Kitts' workshop in Mexico. While there, unfortunately, I came down with a terrible case of bronchitis. I didn't go far from the hotel. I did these street scenes--I liked the lights of traffic on this hill (and now I am wondering what it would be like to imagine a weiner mobile coming at you). (Laughter)! Recently I have done some commissions. A family was missing one portrait..(two other family members had previously been painted but they couldn't put them up until one more sibling was painted. And so, even though I'm not used to pastel pencils, this is what I did to try to match the look of the other portraits. (I am showing two other commissioned portraits also).
Kathy: This is a "posthumous" portrait of my friend's dog. I really wasn't sure about it until I looked at it and felt the dog looking back at me. I felt the spirit of my friend's companion! That's precisely when it becomes playful for me...when I sense the life of what I am painting.
Annie: There is a section of this book (about radiant color) that deals with relaxation and alertness. What she writes about here is that art students seem to have difficulty reaching a state of relaxation and alertness. When are trying to learn something we are clenching our jaw and tightening our shoulders. We need to find ways to learn without getting uptight. Some time ago I decided to to put things on my calendar (after the fact) that were the most fun thing of that day. Here is an example that I wrote on my calendar: "Serving the bisque right on time and adjusting the panther's eyes".
Jim: I have been having fun because I take Ward's class! (Laughter)! I especially like being in the back row! (Laughter)! I used a palette knife when I painted this painting about the rain. The name of this painting is "Is it still raining"? (laughter)! I like to do these out of the ordinary subjects that Ward suggests in his classes. I am also showing some daily paintings (from the daily challenge on Facebook)
Tom: I forgot my painting-- but I can assure you that it was playful (laughter!) I will bring it next time. On the topic, I equate playfulness with courage. I think they go hand-in-hand.
Stephanie: I like sketching because when I am sketching I'm not trying to make art. It is only paper. The money part does affect me! When I am painting on a canvas with oil paint I am aware that there is an investment there. So that makes it so I might screw up more than if I'm just using paper. My goal is to have the same freedom and the same type of exploration that I have when I'm painting as when I am sketching. Recently I did a plein air painting and painted it again at home...only with exaggerated color. Much better than what I did in the field. I'm also showing a painting that I did based on a black-and-white photograph.
Tim: I don't know anything about play (laughter -- laughter---applause)! "Play" is something children do so that they can learn about everything. As we mature we forget about that (that play and learning are linked). I took a whole bunch of vibrant color out into the field to plein air paint...but then I realized that I didn't bring any white! Well, I did have yellows, so I painted this small painting. I'm also showing two other plein air paintings. I'm wearing my coat that I made in honor of this meeting. I used silkscreen inks to paint directly on the fabric. (Applause)!
Za: I don't know, I'm still waiting to grow up (laughter)! I give the illusion of seriousness, but I am not serious. I start dancing often while I'm painting. There is proof of it somewhere-- there is a video of me painting during a studio session. We do forget in a lot of ways how to express ourselves. Actually it's a good thing to make a fool of yourself --I do it all the time! (Laughter)! I have been told that there is a lyrical feeling to my paintings and there is the real reason for this--it is because for me it's hard to stop dancing sometimes when I am painting. It translates into my brush work. Sometimes I have to stop myself and stop dancing to put in the eye in. (Laughter)!
John: I ordered better weather on Netflix, but it has not arrived yet (laughter)! I have a lot of fear...but despite that, I went to Joanne's life session last Friday, paid $20 and I drew this there. (John interjects a story about having served in Viet Nam and about fearlessness vs fear-- let's just say we get it, John, and we're glad you're here with us)!(Applause)!
Peggie: Loretta (U) and I worked in the same legal office 10 years ago. We always loved to laugh. We would still do our work, but we would always laugh (and get people mad at us). (Laughter)! I was at the coast with my paints and it wouldn't stop raining, so I decided to do a still life with all the most happy sunshine-y things I could and I created my own sunshine. I had so much fun painting this. I am also showing another painting I did downtown of the pink trees. I'm always about what is beautiful!
Loretta: Art for me is serious play. I have a good time painting! I am showing a painting I did from my memory.
Eunice: I have more fun painting still life than landscape. I will try lyrical brushstrokes in the future! I read about a person who is going to conduct a workshop in Canada ---on and of the icebergs! I suggest you go to grommet.com and look at the rocket book....! I saw a painting in the New York Times of a bunch of blackbirds and it reminded me so much of Tom's painting from last week.
https://www.thegrommet.com/wave-reusable-cloudsynced-notebook
Mike puts a napkin on his head (laughter)! Mike: I read "Thinking fast and slow"-- in the book it describes how we are always shifting all the time back-and-forth between thinking freely but then thinking about survival. I recommend this book! I know I'm way too logical...but I'm working on it. (Laughter)!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow
Jeanie: I moved out of my big studio and now I'm back to my small place. I just finished this painting.
Elo: I painted this painting of clouds. I was just trying to do a study of the clouds. Then I realized it really had no focal point so I threw in a bi-plane. (laughter)! Maybe I could have put a Wiener Mobile in it instead (laughter)! I was inspired by Carrie Holst and her gelli plates. It is so much fun. I did a background for this floaty polar bear was a gel print. I got such positive reviews about this rooster on Facebook. I could've sold it a couple times over. It is just done with leftover paint (some gold). I am showing a big book. I just experiment in this book. I do a lot of bad stuff here-- I just don't care! I read how Edgar Payne painted morning, noon and night! I like to paint on things also. I painted some comics onto some tennis shoes once!
Announcements:
Mike Porter's fundraising coffee scoops (for OSA): If you ordered one or want one please contact him.
tmikeporter@gmail.com
Za Vue will be teaching from her new location in a once a week session. The dates are to be decided, but likely Tuesday or Thursday. She will be taking around 7 to 8 students. If you are interested let her know and you will be put on her mailing list.
studioza@me.com
Ward's classes are on Friday
http://www.oregonsocietyofartists.com
Congratulations, James King and Susan Kuznitsky ribbon winners in the Nautical show
Annie Cannon wants to know if you were looking for a studio space --she has found one in Northwest Portland and if you are interested you should see the space. It is near Montgomery Park.
cannon_annie@hotmail.com
The Friday life session at OSA is canceled this Friday see you next Friday
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1695576667380902/
Max Ginsburg workshop in Portland has been a huge success. Thanks to all for making it happen.
http://allaprimaportland.blogspot.com/2017/04/max-ginsburg-workshop-at-oregon-society.html
Jeanne Chamberlain's solo show Friday, May 5 reception Multnomah Arts
http://www.multnomahartscenter.org/events/gallery/#current
Information on Oregon art beat screening party to come (via email)
Gretha Lindwood workshop
https://www.facebook.com/groups/408762309299376/
Joanne Kollman's floral workshop (this Sunday) and other workshops
https://www.facebook.com/groups/408762309299376/
Next meeting is next Thursday May 4 suggested table topic: Books and movies (either art related or not) that have made a big impact on you! Tell us what and why.
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