Today's suggested table topic "Bad Art" --is there something that you unwittingly do regularly that gives you less-than-favorable results...what is it? Can you tell us about your "bad art" and/or show us an example? Let's discuss! (paintings the artists thought were unsatisfactory are marked "nonoptimal" on the front page).
Celeste: I have regularly not really used enough paint. Recently Michael Lindstrom showed us some ideas to improve surface quality of a painting and I've been working on it! It's also a mistake to indicate the foreground with the same purple color I used in the hills that are supposed to be 15 miles away! (Laughter)! In this painting I used a photo reference and tried to "change it" into high key. It seems so bland.
Loretta: I don't have any bad paintings at all! (Laughter)! No, really, I don't because I get rid of them! I think I should use thicker paint.
Judith--Me too! I suffer from thinness! This is the painting I brought that I find dissatisfactory --I call it "Ode to Thomas Kincaid" (Laughter)!
Tedd: Sometimes I am totally locked into a painting, painting away, completely dedicated to the idea and then the realization hits...this is BAD! (Laughter)! I can sometimes salvage a painting by cropping it. This is a recent study.
Tim: This is the first painting that I did in my first workshop (with Thomas Kitts). Its ALL GREEN! (Laughter)! I am also showing a recent watercolor that I did. I used cold wax on the surface.
Kristina: Here is a painting that I ruined while painting plein air...then I brought it inside and ruined it "further" inside too (Laughter)! I lost what I had initially. I am also showing a painting that I am delivering today to a Gallery in Salem.
Tracie: I often see the topic and think...er, I don't know what to say about that. But THIS topic! THIS is one I can talk about! (Laughter)! I painted this painting for a friend of mine who was going through cancer. The painting has elements that have to do with vulnerability, reliance and strength. It is meant to be a message of understanding and hope. I wanted to show it to you because it is a good example of painting something that is important (to me). We all have to remember how important that is (to paint things that matter to us)! If I am reading a book and decide that I don't like it I put it down. I don't want to waste my time. It is the same for me and painting..I can put it aside, stop working on it, if the meaningfulness somehow isn't there. I am also showing my recent "eclipse art".
Raphael: I just brought "bad" paintings and nothing else! This one has no center of focus! This one is so phony! (Laughter)! This one is a piece of crap! Literally! This mound here is manure! (Laughter)~! These are just no good! (Editor's note: these paintings didn't make it to the photographer to be photographed)
Elo: "Bad" paintings often serve as the underpainting for my next paintings (I paint over them). This one is just shameful (Laughter)! It's just so bad. Look at these flowers! All wrong. And this one...so much the same value...it just it's just bad! (Laughter)! I painted these sunflowers recently and also, just very early today....I couldn't sleep, so I got up and painted this view of the Gorge.
Stephanie: I am an expert on this lately because we are downsizing in order to move. A lot just has to go! I learned a long time ago if you are going to get rid of paintings you need to destroy them --otherwise, they will someone show up again (Laughter)! Now I rip them up. Some of the work is just plain BORING. Especially the figures. No one is going to care much about the figures I do, unless they are the person or know the person. And every Spring I do some bad pink paintings (Laughter)! I like those pink trees, but often they come out too sugar-y! I can crop some things to make them into bookmarks!
Becky: This is my first big painting ...It does have good qualities, but I didn't set out to make it this detailed. I really envisioned something more painterly and impressionistic. I think I lost the high range of values.
Joanne: Like Tracie, I want to touch on "intention". There are so many ways to paint. Most of the time I paint as a "response". In other words, I am not painting in stages, I am not glazing--I see something and I paint my response to it. That's my way. It is only bad if you think it is bad. Things change and life is in flux. My interests lie in the journey. This is Ainsworth Park...does it still look like this after the fire, I wonder? These florals are the results of putting down color "notes". I too am looking to put down more paint (but not in a haphazard way)!
Joe (new, welcome, Joe!) I am in Ward's class...and in a short time I've seen a lot of progress. I've gone from here (indicating low) to here (indicating higher). (Applause)!
Jeanie: I cover my mistakes with oil ground! I have a painting that I might "Salvador Dali" (I might make it like one of his--because it is leaning that way). I painted this recently.
Ward: I like this topic! Do you remember the scene in Miracle on 34th Street...the mail? It arrives in bags. Bag after bag after bag. THAT is how I could show you my less-than-satisfactory art! (Laughter)! But, in fact, I don't think there is a bad painting. I asked a Medicine man for a blessing for my flute and I'll never forget what he said. He said: "every sound you make -- that vibration heals everything forever and forever" I think the same is true for every mark that is made. You make a mark...and it is a healing thing. Your efforts matter and change things. Here is a painting (on my phone) done by a true master...but I happen to know that he almost scraped this. He went back into it and now it is brilliant. Having said that, I'll conclude by saying that most of us should also understand that you can't polish a turd! (Laughter)! I'm showing a recent watercolor.
Tom: Ok, I'll be more down to earth than Ward. (Laughter)! I can now appreciate the plasticity of thinking a painting is good and then realizing later --er, no it's not! (Laughter)! I can realize geez this thing has no harmony and that it is bad, bad, bad...or sometimes just bad enough for only one bad. (Laughter)! I appreciate the cosmic aspects of this question. Like if a painting is sold...does that in fact make it a "good" painting? Also, if a painting sits in a basement, unseen...does that make it a "bad" painting? I'm showing you this painting, because it doesn't satisfy me....but looking at it I also realize...I've done worse.
Annie: I've been away and I am thankful for the notes on the blog--I read them while visiting my sister. I went there for the eclipse and drew things into this small sketchbook. I found that things worked out better if I put an ink frame around my efforts. Here is one sketch that I didn't think was all that successful. I think when things aren't turning out it has to do with a lack of focus somehow. I taught a class to young people once and I had them find good colors and then "ugly" colors in magazines. The lesson was how colors are seen in relationship to other colors. They changed their minds about if some of the colors were "ugly" or not.
Geri: Do you remember the big-eyed art of the 60s? The artist's name was Keene. In High School I copied those and even did people I knew making them with big eyes (laughter)! They were disgusting! (Laughter)! I asked my husband which piece was his favorite worst painting of mine and he selected this one (Laughter). This other painting is a recent portrait I did from a Sktchy photo reference.
Jim: The only real failures are when we don't learn from them. I brought a painting that someone asked me to do. She wanted a painting of Haystack rock...but when she saw it she didn't approve. "I thought there would be more ocean", she said. Well, I thought the emphasis should be more on the rock...but the patron wanted something else.
Eunice: I used to paint in California in the desert. You can really rack up bad paintings in the desert! (Laughter)! When I came here and was faced with all the greens...my greens were bad! I've gotten rid of a lot of "unfavorable" paintings. This topic makes me remember something Za said...that when you are set up at an easel your canvas should be directly across from your heart.
Paula: I'm in a learning curve. I recently took a workshop and I am showing you the results. I am also showing a painting that I did in Italy--it didn't come out as expected, but still there are things about it that I like. I keep it in sight in my studio. The workshop actually had to do with imperfection. As a pastelist I can recycle the paper.
Announcements:
Tonight First Thursday Tedd Chilless at US Bank1040 NW Lovejoy
Tonight Hilarie Couture at Sotheby's
http://explorethepearl.com/event/first-thursday-art-walk-cascade-soethbys/#.WbBioJYdmcU.facebook
Fine Art Friday, Figure painting (open session with Joanne Kollman) 1-4pm Friday Oregon Society of Artists
https://joannepaintsfromlife.blogspot.com
Expressive oil painting Saturday 9 to Noon Joanne Kollman Oregon Society of Artists
(she will teach color notes and will have panels for the 200 show)
https://joannepaintsfromlife.blogspot.com
Blaine Johnson, Art on Broadway Reception Saturday Sept 9 5-8pm
http://www.artonbroadway.net/event/blaine-johnsons-solo-show-guest-artist
Painting, Pixels, People at Oregon Society of Artists
Ward Stroud Class Friday September 8,
"Time for some building painting... never worry
about perspective or street scenes again!! I'll show you a simple way to get
your city groove on and goodness only knows what else we'll learn! "
Celeste Bergin and Joanne Kollman at the NE Community Center beginning Sept 8
Medley Tea has closed so the after-the-meeting sketch group meets in the outside section of O'Connors directly after the routine meeting (until we figure something else out).
Washington County Plein Air: http://sequoiagallerystudios.org/plein-air/
Michael Lindstrom is going to offer another 2-day workshop, likely in October. Stay tuned!
Next Meeting, Thursday, Sept 14, 9am O'Connors suggested table topic: Connections, email lists, newsletters etcetera..what tips do you have? (and if you aren't marketing yourself, tell us what you think of other marketing efforts you have seen)...what, in your opinion, constitutes a good marketing effort?
No comments:
Post a Comment