Workshops 2013

It's hard to believe that the painting season is almost here! I'm happy to announce another season of drawing and painting classes.

The schedule is:

April 5,6,7 Drawing Fundamentals and Gouache (Opaque Watercolor Painting) Workshop

May 10, 11, 12 Values Workshop

June 8,9,19 Full Color Workshop

August 24,25,26: Plein Air on Location Workshop

I am also teaching a workshop in Door County, at the Peninsula School on July 11 - 13. To view more information on that workshop, please visit the Peninsula School website at: peninsulaschoolofart.com

The venue for several of the workshops is the Chicken Coop Studio, which is a renovated chicken coop on our 100 year family farm. 

Please view the photos on this post for more information. Page three has several pictures from last year's workshops. If you have any questions, please email me at blksquirl85@yahoo.com

On Turning Five

Hwy S Barn

It is my birthday week. We constantly measure ourselves by how many years old we are, our age defines us. it would be impossible to separate from being __ years old. Remember in your early twenties, when anyone above thirty was a fossil? I am sure that many of us look back fondly on those days, but quickly snap out of it when we realize that we are lucky to have survived them. Reality.
More importantly (at least to me) is that this week also represents my REbirthday, the day that I started to paint. Now, I've been painting for much of my life, but February 11 2008 marks the day when I began really working. In high school and college, I was always drawn to paintings from life, thing is, I was never very good at it. I understood that it was going to take much time and effort to be able to paint landscapes outdoors, and I was alright with putting it off until the time was right. I envy those who were able to paint through these years, but also value my own perspective. The years after college were spent designing skateboard graphics and t-shirts, I had stuff to do before I could set up my easel all day. It's been five years of painting so far, and 2013 is my last year in my second round of college, I'm looking at it as another time of change. I cannot wait to finish school and paint more.

This was my first experiment painting outdoors after returning to  painting in 2008.  

This is my second outdoor painting after returning to painting. This old co-op remains one of my favorite places to paint.

This is the third painting after returning to painting. 

We cannot live by the past. The present is so transient that it almost does note exist. As a matter of fact, we live by the future; or more accurately  we are unceasingly preparing ourselves toward it, trying to anticipate it. From this flow all ideas. It is impossible to be alive without the effort to create and to  bring something new into concrete manifestation. - Nicolai Fechin

Art in Sauk County

The Sauk County Fine Arts Festival will be held this Sunday, February 3rd. This event will bring together some of the finest musicians and artists from Sauk County. This year I have been invited to give a demonstration and lead a discussion on painting, and the area. The discussion will start at 12:30, and is at RAHS. 

The piece above is one, BP Sunflower Farm, is of my favorites from late summer. We had a terrible drought this summer, and these sunflowers suffered because of it. They are normally over head high, but none of these grew past my waist.

Till You Drop

I'm back to my normal routine today after a long weekend in Door County. I was in Fish Creek for a 3 day workshop at the Peninsula School, to a great group. There might be some misconception that during a workshop students are on a breezy and leisurly weekend. For instance I've had people study with me while their partner was fishing or going to the movies, and one might gather that their workshopping counterparts were also enjoying such relaxing activities. After every workshop I am drained physically and mentally, and the students must feel the same way. I am happy to be back to my regular schedule to get some rest.

Workshops are a great opportunity for students to gain new information to inform their painting. In this workshop I wanted to give some specific exercises to drive a concept home, specifically creating a value plan. We did a bunch of value work and moved into color later in the workshop. There was much new information for students to take in, which might cause some to shut down, but this group charged forward and worked with an honest effort up until the last minute of class.
 

It's That Time Again...

... Workshop time! I am excited to head up to the Peninsula School in Door County for a three day workshop, this Friday - Sunday. This subject of the class is painting interiors bathed in natural light, exploring values and simplicity of design is especially cozy this time of year. I have been spending my days painting and my evenings putting together materials for the class, I like to have plenty of learning tools and materials on hand so that the information can stick in the long term. By preparing some video's for my student's, focusing on value and composition, they will be able to return to them over and over. It's the next best thing to having me in their living room! I enjoy teaching and can't wait for the class to begin.

I am also a part of a group show in the Guenzel Gallery, at the Peninsula School. The show is the annual Salon Show, where hundreds of works fill the Gallery from floor to ceiling, in traditional salon style. The opening party is Saturday evening. The School knows how to put on an opening reception, so get ready to party if you are in the area.

"Details. When a boat comes out of the fog, you see first the large simple forms. As it comes closer, you see more. Each detail grows in place and with the same relationship to the other details that it had at first the details do not suddenly leap out at you but appear by gradual transition. Noting is applied. Everyithing grows out of the thing itself. The thing grows and the details are the crescendo of the form. You put the cart before the horse if you put them first" - Kimon Nicolaides.

The Natural Way

It is hard to believe that it is early December. This year has been on fast forward for me, and it seems like it could be late August. However, the weather has not waited for me to catch up, and it is cold out. During these winter months I enjoy changing my routine. I have been working on the exercises prescribed in the book The Natural Way to Draw by Kimon Nicolaides. I first heard about the book, from what I consider a great learning tool, Oil Painting, Develop Your Natural Ability, by Charles Sovek. Nicolaides taught at the Art Student's League. His influence on the teaching of drawing has been long-lasting and substantial, and his book is still in use today. In brief, he advocated a three-pronged way of learning to draw, through (1) slow and meticulous contour drawing, (2) free and rapid gesture drawing, and (3) vigorous tonal drawings of weight or mass.

The book has 25 Chapters. In order to complete the book, there is 15 hours of drawing to be done for each chapter. The 15 hours is broken into 5,  3 hour sessions. Nicolaides wants readers (participators?) in the book to have an experience. It takes much work to learn to draw, and any serious art school works it's drawing students for hours on end as well. I'm at the beginning of my journey into the book, but it already feels like a fascinating journey. For instance, in several university classes, there have been assignments to do blind contour drawings. My experience in the classroom is that these are quick, one minute at best, gesture drawings, but in the book, Nicolaides demands an hour. An hour, of moving your eyes and hand in unison a hair at a time, tracing around the subject. Mind you, that is the last hour of the 3 hour session, where the first two hours being very gestural. I'm hooked!

 There is still time to register for my winter workshop in Fish Creek. To view the class description, supplies list, and to register, please visit the Peninsula School Of Art Website. The workshop is the third from the top. If you have any questions, please email me at blksquirl85@yahoo.com.

Wildes Interior 14x11"

Sunflowers Still Life 16x12"

The Show Will Go On

Taliesin - Midway 12x16"

Midway Morning 20x24"

The Taliesin Artists are having a showing of our work at the Overture Center For The Arts in Madison, WI.
In 2011, 25 artists were chosen to paint on the grounds of Taliesin for two months. Artists who participated were invited to a gala auction at the end of the summer, with proceeds benefiting the Taliesin estate. Chris Gargan, John Ribble, and I had a three person show as well as participating in the gala, but there has never been a showing of ALL the Taliesin artists... until now! The show will open in May, my favorite time of year in Madison. Special thanks to Cynde Quinn for corralling the painters and getting the show on it's way.

The Dates Are Set!

I am happy to announce a 3 day workshop on January 18-20, 2013, at the Peninsula School Of Art in Fish Creek. The workshop is going to focus on my favorite facets of painting, values and composition! I find that painting interior and still life is a very refreshing change of pace from landscape painting, and the winter is a perfect time to study values and color. There are fresh value arrangement and color harmonies in waiting around (and in) every corner, and these are worth exploring. In my workshops I describe the information in several different ways and make sure that the concepts make sense to every student. In order to make the concepts of value design clear, I provide a few tools that ensure success, I even include some video lessons that recap the main ideas of the class. We are going to put some serious miles on our brushes, I hope you can join us!

To view the class description, supplies list, and to register, please visit the Peninsula School Of Art Website. The workshop is the third from the top. If you have any questions, please email me at blksquirl85@yahoo.com.

Fall Art Tour

The Fall Art Tour is this weekend, October 19,20,21, from 10am - 6pm daily. I've been busy, framing and pounding nails into the wall of the Chicken Coop Studio. This year, specially for the tour, I created 40, nine-color hand pulled serigraph prints. In addition, I collaborated with Alan Anderson on some hand carved frames. We have been working on these frames since January, and Al delivered them this week. The Coop is full of work, and I can't wait for the tour to begin.

Be sure to stop by Alan, in Baraboo, as well as Sandy and Wyn Byers in Rock Springs. Al refinished the woodwork in his home from the ground up. When you buy a piece from Al, your family will have it for generations to come. Sandy and Wyn are nationally known for their porcelain and stoneware respectively. Sandy's porcelain work is very delicate and light plays an important role. Wyn works with simplified forms and complex glazes. Their studio is in the old school in Rock Springs.
For more information, including a map, fallarttour.com

It's going to be a great weekend, I hope you can attend!

Door County Plein Air Festival

I looked forward to the Door County Plein Air Festival for a long time. For me, the festival kicked off a week early, as Dan Corey came out to stay and paint. While he was in town he taught a well receive and attended workshop at my home space, the Chicken Coop studio. He covered everything, from ideas for studies that students could explore to more advanced concepts of composition and personal vision. All the while he stressed the power and importance of the abstract. Dan is very straightforward as a teacher which is refreshing. and I took in as much info as I could. I got 15 pages of notes, just off the first demo.

After the workshop, it was time to head up to Door County. The Peninsula School of Art has created and nurtured this event to the current state of it being the premiere event for outdoor painting. Year after year, they bring in a fresh group of the best painters and put them in position to be successful. During the festival, there are several opportunities to paint in specific areas. The staff at the school hands out maps with a list of "who's going to be where" to collectors and those interested to see a dozen or so painters all in a relatively small area. This is a nice touch, as it connects the painters with the collectors and general public.

There are several reasons why the Door County Plein Air Festival is the best event. The Peninsula School promotes the event very well, advertising in several publications and releases a large guide book each year. The organization is well thought out, planning for this event is no small task. The volume of collectors is large and the quality of artists is high. All these reasons aside, it's the staff at the school who makes this week special. Cathy, Kay, Karen, Martha, Tori, Lindsay, and who can forget Trevor, this one's for you! Thanks for building such an inviting and successful event year after year.

Gills Rock Harbor 8x12". I enjoyed painting this working fishing harbor the most of all during the Door County Plein Air Festival.

Girl 10x8". This was painted during the sunset paintout in Sister Bay, on Wednesday night. The evening was just perfect, sparkling light on the water followed by a celebration with wine, crab cakes, and a jazz quartet playing some of my favorite blue note numbers. Jenny Anderson, Dan, and I had a great time listening to the band and drinking Spotted Cow that night!

A piece from the Gills Rock Harbor. 14x18"

Fish Creek 14x18"

Trap Net Boat 16x20".

Chetek Vacation

Summer is gone. This year, the second half was hot and busy. I am going to make a series of posts to pick up where the blog left off... nearly two months ago!

Each year, my wife and I take a fishing vacation for a week in Chetek WI. This year, it was during the second week in July. I like to fish, but when I get out on the boat, I usually end up with the urge to paint. I brought my pochade box with me this year and several panels, instead of my usual french easel and stretched canvases. This made it easier to paint on a whim, because I could just hop on with a loaded palette and a couple of brushes. The week was one of the coolest of the summer, and it ended up being a nice warm up for the Door County Plein Air Festival.

12x16" oil on linen Morning Clouds

8x10" oil on linen Blue Gill

9x12" oil on linen Out To Dry

9x12" oil on linen Golden Hour

5x7" oil on linen Sun on the Water

Midsummer Drought

July is the busiest month of the year. Jenny and I just got back from a week long fishing and painting trip, and today I'm getting my gear in line for the Door Co. Plein Air Festival. Dan Corey is arriving in town this week as well and all the students at the Chicken Coop can't wait for his workshop, which is Thursday and Friday. Yesterday, I was at the opening of a two man show that I'm in titled Double Vision. The show is up through the end of the month at Rountree Gallery in Platteville. Mike Kabele is the other half of the show, and everyone agreed that our paintings complemented each other's work nicely. I also have two more shows coming up, toward the end of summer, but more on that soon!
We are in the middle of a drought. There has not been a good rain here, since Memorial Day. The grass is brown, and driving down the interstate, there are large burnt areas of grass where fires started from cigarettes being thrown out the window. I can remember the last big drought we had here, in 1988. My mother drove us towards Tomah, and there was raging fires on both sides of the road, right next to our car. If I remember correctly, those fires started because of some faulty brakes on a big truck. I also remember there being warnings that fires could start by the sun reflecting off of a foil gum wrapper. It is going to be 100 again today, but then will taper off to the 90's for the next week or so. Last year, in Door Co, it was hot and humid. I hope this year it's just hot.

12x12" Union Sailboat

20x16" Shell and Jar

8x10" Golden Light

24x20" Statue