Transitions Post 7

Forsythia

Field Study Reedsburg

Transitions Post 6

Backyard wood pile

Tulip Trees

School is out for summer. The top piece was painted one morning, before I had to be in class. The second piece was painted between classes, during the last week of school where all that is left to do is hand in the last papers and jump through a couple more hoops before they send you on your way.
I am studying art education, and got a 4.0 both semesters this year. Painting has made studying for school much easier. Painting in one shot combines an athletic performance with intense concentration. I have found that it is not anywhere as difficult to complete homework by approaching it in the same way, just get it done in one shot.

Transitions Post 5

Morning Light Magnolia

 The light was so intense that I couldn't see much when painting this piece. There are times when a wipe might be the right move, I don't know that this was the place, but I felt like trying.

Interior

Transitions Post 4

Debt

I painted this tractor after arriving home from Minneapolis about a month ago. As soon as I got home, I made an oil sketch of my wife, and then rushed out and painted this during the last hour of light. I felt good about the simplification of shapes.

Georgia Magnolia

Transitions Post 3

The Dead of Winter

Drying Time

A few more, showing the change of season. The Dead of Winter piece,  is a favorite plum tree that I revisited while walking around with my pochade box. I enjoyed the conversation that I had with this piece, and felt that I said a little less than usual, which I like.

Transitions Post 2

Storms coming over the bluffs

Signs of Spring - Flowering Trees

A couple paintings showing the change of season that happened withing just a few weeks this year. 

Transitions post 1

Mud Season

Dreaming of Spring Green

I upgraded my camera and am going through work that I created during the transition from winter to spring. I have a few posts loaded up and ready to go, spread out over the next couple of weeks.

The two paintings shown above were done during the mud season on Hwy 23, in the Spring Green Hills.

Winter

We have had a winter this year. It has been snowing and grey for much of it. I have been painting indoors more this winter than in the past, mainly focusing on some still life setups to play with compositions. It's mainly a time thing. I'm a full time student, and for the past 8 weeks have been spending my time pre student teaching in the public schools, in addition to my 18 credits.

Hunting for subjects will always be my favorite thing to do, and I'm sure that many outdoor painters feel the same way. We are all chasing for that new feeling, the uniqueness of that situation.  I'm lucky that next week is the final week of my pre student teaching. That, combined with the latter sunset means I can get back outdoors 6 days a week. I hope I am not coming off as complaining, but nothing feels better than painting to me. I have bad FOMO syndrome (fear of missing out) and driving 75 miles to school and back makes me a little anxious when the light is good.

That said, here are some paintings that I've done outdoors in the past couple weeks. Every color is out there in the blue landscape, and depending on the time of day they can be very warm.

Fuel Truck 14x18"

The Cat 16x20"

Hidden Valley Light 11x14"

Big Red 12x16"

You've Got Mail 9x12"

Throwing Shadows 8x8"

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.