Meeting notes, May 26, 2016

At today’s meeting Loretta U, Khanh, Tim, Jerry, Jim, Betsy, Thomas, Tedd, Eunice, Marty, Donna, Diane, Ward, Loretta L, Jeanne C, Kristina, Jeanne, Kay, Annie, Laurel, Donna, Nancy, Joanne, Za and me Celeste.

Today’s table topic “transitions” in painting. What does this mean to you do you have anything to share about it?

Celeste: In James Gurneys book he writes about transitions and how they are related to gradation. Nature is never one solid color-- everything has variances and this is what we must do in our paintings. I brought in two paintings from recent figure sessions and a painting of an old car that employs gradation of color.

Tom: I equate transition in paining to music. In music there are transitions from one key to another. The modeling of form (for example in a drawing of a sphere) clearly shows transitions in light and shadow. I think about temperature, hue and value. I am showing a recent painting. I added a figure for interest.

Donna: I don’t have any examples of transitions in what I am showing today. I like to work with abstraction. I am showing some paintings along with photographs that I used for inspiration.

Marty: I have made a decision ..when I paint in my studio I am going to transition my martini glass from the left side to the right side --- (laughter)! I am showing a painting that I did of a master painting by Sorolla. I learn so much from copying a great painting. How did he paint this!? I am also showing a painting that I am working on for a series about homeless people. In this third painting I am showing you I painted over a portrait. I believe I am going to let the lips (from the first painting) show through (laughter)!

Kristina: I think that Za’s class helped me the most about transition. She teaches about color shifting on your palette.  I brought in a painting that I did plein air.

Annie: I have been taking a class. Our assignment was to paint a group of people in a restaurant. I started to paint them with smiles -- but then I changed it.

Thomas: I like the music analogy best. In music there are chords 135 and 7. In music there is a progression and everything needs to linked together in order for it to be a good composition. Transition is going from one thing to another. It's not just color variances it’s things like thick and thin and textures. And don’t forget, sometimes we want things to have discord. I am showing a painting that I did in Georgia. It has a lot of variances throughout.

Loretta L: I have been on a road trip for two months. It has been a great learning experience. I took acrylics and I found out just how fast they dry. Acrylics are not the best for transitions. It seems better to work with oil for transition. I am showing paintings that I did on the trip.

Jeanne (pronounced Jeannie New): I am visiting. I am Loretta L’s sister. I teach in Cairo Egypt. I teach costume design. I didn’t bring anything to show but when I paint it is mostly figure. (Welcome Jeanne, you get the prize for traveling the farthest to an OConnors meeting)!

Jeanne C: I have been taking a class. I brought in a recent painting I did of a figure.

Jim: I like things in balance. I like everything to be harmonious. Basically there are two shapes of everything --light and shadow. Your first impression of this painting that I'm showing you is that it's mostly white. But in fact when you look closer you can see that there is a lot of color variation in the white sky. I am showing another painting I did where I used very close values of gray.

Betsy: I don’t have anything to say on transition I am just listening today.

Diane: I have been concentrating mostly on figure. I am trying to study modeling of the face. It is a challenge. I will practice grissialle and glaze next. I am showing a painting I did recently of my niece it is done all in umber and white.

Jerry: When I read the notes from last week I saw that this topic was coming up and I thought about it. I did a painting last year at Villa Catalana. I thought how can I transition from the foreground to the background better? I decided to take the gazebo that was in the middle ground completely out! Thank you for this topic because I believe it helped me to think about this and make this improvement to my painting.

Laurel: I wanted to thank Khanh for writing (on facebook) about painting an hour a day. I aspire to do the same! I thought recently about Prince and how he has transitioned from this life into another one. I am beginning a painting of him and I am showing you my initial draft.

Ward:  When I think of painting I also draw the analogies of music. Where people come from and what we are is truly magic. We are made of everything and everything is made of us! We are one with everything else. I try honor this magic in y painting. Often on Facebook I'm asked “Ward,  can you paint this?  Ward can you paint that?” (Laughter)! A friend offered this photograph of irises and I painted it. I feel I did come close to indicating how beautiful they are! I used Brush-o.

Tim: This week I transitioned from oil to gouache.  (Laughter)! I enjoyed working with gouache for a change. There is a lot of soft/ hard involved in gouache. I am showing two paintings.

Kay: I am currently transitioning to my workshop-free life! (Laughter)! However, I just signed up for a Craftsy class (Laughter)! I recently have returned from a workshop with a Russian artist. He had a translator. Those Russians must get free paint from the government! (Laughter)! (The instructor used a TON of paint). The instructor used a musical analogy too. He uses a lot of extreme abstraction in his paintings. He told us what was that it is not all crescendo-- there must be spaces just like in music for pauses. He was a very poetic speaker. He said there can be calm and chaos in the same painting. I am showing paintings from the workshop.

Joanne: I also like the musical analogy. You know, I went to the gym today and even though I am walking/running  furiously on a treadmill I am thinking about painting! (Laughter)! In my case I put a lot of energy into a painting and it shows in the brushwork. Sometimes I have to take a cloth and wipe some calm into the painting. 
I recently painted with Eric Jacobsen in a workshop. I am showing paintings from the workshop.

Nancy: I don’t have anything to add to this discussion about transition. I recently painted the red clover. I am also showing two landscapes and a narrative type paining about my family.

Khahn: I am also still learning. I don't have that much to say about transition. I have looked recently at Jeremy Lipking's work and noted that he doesn't use any highlight! I have used highlight and also am now looking at using less highlight. I have done some new paintings that I am showing you. I have a new model named Olive. I like to make rules for myself. I like to give myself goals to advance.

Anna: I took the Eric Jacobsen’s workshop. I think about transition and using value. I like to use texture but I have been using less. I won't stop using palette knife altogether but I am using it less lately. I used to use a lot more paint that I use now. I am showing some landscapes and a painting that won best in show at Artsplash.

Za: I like what everyone has said. It is really great that you are looking into these technical matters. I have nothing new to add to what has been said. I just want to have fun when I paint. I know one thing.. when I'm not having fun that shows up in my painting. My advice is always the same --please enjoy your painting and have a good time. Nothing is more important. I am showing a painting I did recently in a life session.

Loretta U: I also like the music analogy. Value and tone is the most important to me. If I am driving a manual car I know enough to shift to neutral before I put it into gear laughter! Have a good plan.

Dotty: I find that it is really important to put in a sky separate from other things—It is so important to keep the sky free of contamination. I brought in a recent pastel.

Tedd: I received a letter from New York. I had done some drawings of a woman and she decided that she wanted to have these drawings. I am showing you this before it is sent to her. It is charcoal on cradled panel.

Eunice: I am showing you the palette I purchased from Camille Pryzewodek. http://finearttech.com/FineArtTech/Paint-Saver_Palette.html

Susan: I have a real love affair with pastel. Pastel is a great medium in order to learn about any of the other mediums. It is all there. When you learn pastel you’ll learn about value and color. All right, that is my plug for my workshops! (Laughter)! I have to go back to Chicago because my Mother is in intensive care. I’ll be there for a couple of weeks.

Special Thanks to Eunice Sause for donating a bunch of art books today. Very much appreciated!

Announcements:

Susan Kuznitsky workshops/classes:

Mitch Baird First Friday Art on the Boulevard (June 3)

Joanne Kollman Coastal Painting workshop (with lots of amenities) June 18-19

Painting Workshops on facebook:

Art on Broadway receptions/exhibits

Happenings at OSA:


Thank you all for coming today and sharing your ideas and showing your paintings. Next meeting, Thursday,  June 2 suggested table topic “Good Habits” Tell us what good habits you’ve developed as it pertains to painting.  What good habits do you advise others to have? Let’s discuss!

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