Meeting Notes, Thursday Feb 4, 2016

At today’s meeting Loretta, Carrie, Tim, Jerry, Stephanie, Steve, Vicki, John (new), Joanne, Jim, Jeanie, Lisa, Diane, Carol, Mike, Tedd, Eunice, Jeanne, Dawn (new), Suzanne, Kristina, Kay, Dottie, and me Celeste..

Today’s suggested table topic:  Paint Brands…. Tell us your favorite (and if you want, your least favorite) and the reasons why.

Celeste: I like Gamblin paint and Utrecht paint.  My least favorite brand is Winsor Newton Winton brand…it’s just too thin! I brought in a painting that I was going to destroy but I wound up keeping it because I love the red in the dress. This color was achieved with Rembrandt Cad red light. Recently I listened to a Quang Ho dvd and he reminded me that it is the job of the artist experiment. I also brought in an “experiment”.

Loretta: When I started paining I started with Winsor Newton… but I would like to try old Holland. I agree that I do not like Winton.

Carrie: I am a watercolorist. I like Holbein and Schmincke. Both of these brands have honey in them. You have to be careful plein air painting with these brands ….because using them outdoors attracts bees. (Laughter)!

Tim: I like Gamblin. I have also tried the 1980 brand by again Gamblin. I like it. It is surprising good. I brought in a recent painting.

Jerry: I paint with oil and watercolor. I like Gamblin. I especially like the 1980 raw umber for sketching. I like Winsor Newton for watercolor …but I also like Daniel Smith. There is one called Luminescent that is too glitzy for my taste but I like the regular mineral version. I brought two paintings that I did from a couple weeks ago. I took Scott Gellatly’s workshop and the paint was free! I came away with a really nice new color called nickel titanate yellow. I am showing two paintings.

Stephanie: I use Gamblin and M Graham paints. The Graham paints use walnut oil as their binder. I really don't see a lot of difference between these two. I got 1980 and I got the Thalo-- I just love Thalo!  I tried three colors and I did some charts to see how they look with white, etc. The pallet knife is a lot of fun. I brought in three recent paintings.

Steve: I often times do charcoal studies. I buy medium hardness vine charcoal. What I do is buy two or three different kinds because they will not be the same. In watercolor I like Holbein and Daniel Smith and da Vinci. The main differences are the granulation quality. The cheaper brands blends more smoothly. I like to challenge myself. I took this very complicated scene and broke it down into a foreground, middle ground and background. Planning it and thinking about it in this way helps a lot.

Dawn (new, Welcome, Dawn)! I use acrylics. I love Golden acrylics and I like the neon! I like to work in different layers and I will sand things back and use sandpaper just like a paintbrush. I am showing three paintings.

Dottie: I don’t like Graham paint.. I like Gamblin. In pastel I like Sennelier and Terry Ludwig. I brought in a recent painting.

Jeanne: When I first started out I did use student grade paints. I was told (by someone I respect)…no no…do NOT use cheap paint! (Laughter)! I don't want to paint with lead paint. I have been working on the secondary pallette. This is purple orange and green. I brought in a painting that I did in my class.

Vicki: I like Utrecht. I have used Classic oil and Golden also. Golden acrylics has a great newsletter. I like to look at different brands and compare them. I brought in a comparison chart to show to you. All of the companies offer many of  the same colors but they look way different from each other.  You have to really look at that.  I brought in a color swatch to show you what I mean. I brought in a painting that I did over another. I try for a good abstract composition with the underpainting.

John (new welcome, John)! I started in watercolor and colored pencils. I am showing three things that I have painted. My wife really loves the cow (Laughter)! I had these printed at Pearl Printing. I am happy to meet you all.

Joanne: I don't have a favorite brand of paint. I have tried Michael Harding paint. I use Winsor Newton primarily. I do like Rembrandt Kings Blue and Old Hollands transparent red oxide. I liked painting so much with egg yolk and oil that I almost thought to offer it in a workshop. It is so beautiful.
Walnut Alkyd it is nice for outdoors. I did this painting adding two “special” colors. I did it on the Centurion surface. My favorite surface is oil primed canvas.

Jim: Ken Auster swore by Classic oil. I liked how they sold their white in a great big caulking gun! I really loved using that. But Classic oil has gotten too expensive! I went to Blick and shopped around and Blick was half of what Jerry’s was when I bought a recent order of Gamblin. I don’t use a lot of colors. I like a limited palette. I learned from Jennifer Diehl how to make a beautiful Alizarin Crimson. She introduced me to Quinacridone  Magenta and Burnt Sienna. Together they make a beautiful Alizarin Crimson-like color. I have been working on paintings from my trip to Italy. I am showing two. I have also been participating in the five paintings challenge on Facebook. .

Charlie: I will pass today :)

Jeanie: I like Gamblin. I like certain colors from Williamsburg. I do not like Grumbacher. I brought in a painting that  fit our topic last week (“revisiting a painting”. I painted a painting over…and made it more red.

Lisa: I really like Gamblin. I like the buttery consistency of it. You don’t have to fight it. I do not like Grumbacher. I do like Old Holland Naples yellow for flesh colors.

Diane: I used Grumbacher as a student. It was really good for that painting that I was commissioned to do on black velvet. (Laughter)! For 6 months I did watercolor and colored pencil and a lot of drawing.  I couldn’t work in oil during that time…  but I have come back now and I have been going to Joanne Mehl’s figure sessions and the Brush and Palette studio. I brought in a recent painting that I wasn’t able to complete at the studio, but I finished it at home. I am satisfied with it especially because we weren’t allowed to photograph the model for reference. My goal anyway is to work from life exclusively, not photo reference. I was using Winsor Newton water soluble, but now I have gone back to regular oil.

Carol: I just took Brenda Boylan's pastel class. I really loved it and I recommend it if anyone is interested in pastel. She makes the class so much fun-- there were excellent exercises and I am showing one of the projects I did in the class. I paint in Holbein Duo (water soluable).

Mike: The oil people certainly talk a lot about paint! Watercolorists can't help but talk about paper, paint and brushes. And we go on a quest to get just the right “thing” to make us into good painters! But Steve Kleier is here and he has been one of my teachers --- he has told us “if you want to learn about painting,  you must paint”! So in other words maybe we should stop buying supplies and just use a few things and concentrate on painting mostly. For paper I like Saunders Waterford paper. I like cheap Joe’s da Vinci paint. I have been moving toward Daniel Smith. I have also been buying American Journey watercolors. I like the Rosemary brushes but you know…… “I have a brush problem”! (Laughter)!

Tedd: I like Gamblin and Rembrandt. (It’s hard to follow this guy ….Mike Porter) (laughter!)

Eunice:  I like Utrecht and Gamblin paint.  I wondered, Jim  if you were aware that Ken Auster did pass away recently? (Short discussion followed about Ken Auster’s brilliant use of old brushes, he would not clean them but painted gorgeous paintings anyway).


Za: I do think that we get obsessed about mediums and I could liken it to going on diets. Because, you know, certain “plans” will work for different people. There is Atkins there is Jenny Craig there are always ways to go on a diet-- these discussions are a little bit like that. There are just different things that work for different people. You should never forget to experiment. That is how I found out that water soluable is for me. I stuck with it through a period of discontent…I stuck with it because I just made up my mind to give it a fair test. I did like Classic…. but I do like the paint to “grip”. I use Winsor Newton water-soluble exclusively. I’ve tried all the water soluble and I acknowledge that water-soluble will not be as bright as other paints. It is an concession that I make and agree to.. I mix my paints I never use paint straight out of the tube. Here is a figure painting I did with only Yellow ochre,  Paynes gray, Cad red and white. I have liked going to the Brush and Palette on Fridays. I am showing you another painting and you can see how I have used thick and thin here.

Suzanne: No one has talked about a brand-name Shiva. I took a workshop a long time ago with a man named Gish. He was the man who introduced me to Shiva paint. Over the years Shiva has gone from being great to being bad and (in my opinion) back to great again. You can still find it and I really like it. I brought in a painting that I did for the “something in red” show at OSA. it is not quite finished.

Kristina: I am not brand loyal. I am using water soluble oil and I will change around. Weber is inexpensive --the Windsor Newton yellows are not powerful at all. I will experiment with all sorts of different brands. I brought in a Nocturne painting.

Kay: I have every brand of paint known to man ---but I don't have any Shiva! (Laughter)! I like the stroke to show. I am trying not to blend. I am trying not to have things be too smooth. I am migrating to Old Holland. That is my favorite paint. I understand that Fechin purposefully put out his paints and let all the oil be absorbed by cardboard----this is because he wanted that dry look! I am taking Eduardo Fernandez’ portrait class. He is such a great teacher. He talks about getting the gesture and getting the massing done. I am trying to do massing….instead of drawing in a linear way. I think the worst paint is Georgian. It is very economical but totally not worth it.

Announcements:

First Thursday  (tonight) Gallery 114 Phil Sylvester:

First Friday 2/5/16 Art on the Boulevard with Mike Rangner

Joanne Kollman is starting a new life open paintings session at the Troy building. She has not determined for sure if it will be Fridays or Saturdays. She will start this week and the options are Friday from 6 to 9 and/or Saturday 12 to 3. The sessions are $15.

The Troy building will also offer space for rent for workshops and it is $25 per hour.

Contact Joanne to make reservations and/or ask questions: joradart@comcast.net.

Za is giving a workshop (that will be at the Troy Building). It is "the figure in the environment".  Feb 27 and 28 ---, 10-5pm Contact Za studios@mac.com

Steve Kleier has a two day workshop at Sequoia this weekend. It is all about perspective. If you are needing some depth in your work this is what you should do!
 This weekend from 9 to 4 each day.

Steve is also teaching at OSA:

Joanne Kollman has a still life workshop one day workshop on Sunday  (2/7/16) from 12 to 3. You will be home in time for the Super Bowl if you take this workshop (laughter)! joradart@comcast.net

Congratulations to Dotty Hawthorne on her winning painting in the Bold Brush contest:

Susan Kuznitsky has a new class starting May March 9 at OSA it will be limited to eight people. Contact her to learn more: susankuznitsky@gmail.com  http://susankuznitsky.com

There will be a fundraiser for Ward Stroud on February 19 at the Trails End saloon. Ward will be playing! Let’s all turn out to support Ward. 

Jennifer Diehl workshops:  The design class at the brush and pallet beginning February 12-14 and February 26-28. She will be teaching a crash course much like a college course. It is intensified information that is presented in two weekends. To officially reserve your spot please email Jennifer and send payment. She has another workshop in North Carolina  September 23 and 26th. http://www.jenniferdiehl.com/workshops.html   jdiehlart@yahoo.com


Thomas Kitts new website ask an art artist.com is live! http://www.askanartist.com 

Link to today's Thursday Drawing Club: https://picasaweb.google.com/103423620849168017992/TheThursdayDrawingClubFebruary42016?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Thanks to all for coming today and sharing your ideas and paintings. Next Meeting, Thursday, Feb 11, suggested table topic: The artist "ego"...can you provide examples of times when the artist ego was a negative thing and also examples of when it was a positive thing? (This can be about you or about observations you've made about others).

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