Lesson 2: Shape

Today Megan started with a demonstration that focused on shape while painting with a palette knife. I too focused on shape but started with line and quickly moved to emphasize the forms of the various items (old cameras, radios, phones, cans etc.) I used only blue, yellow, orange and white. The limited number of colours unified the odd shapes. I plan to add more white and emphasize the darks as well.

Abstract representation with Megan Hinton - Lesson 1: Line

Above, an abstracted representational photo of the Cape Cod shore by water on the windshield and HM.
A brief break in the big wind and steady rain allowed for a more traditional view of the dunes:

Greetings from Cape Cod! I am here with hubby and pooch to attend a workshop on abstract representational painting with PAAM (Provincetown Art Association and Museum). Our instructor is Megan Hinton and we are working in her new studio in Wellfleet. Today's session focused on line as one of the 5 basic elements in visual art. After a brief demonstration the group began working on a abstracted still life based on objects Megan had set up to inspire us.

Here's my work so far. Starting with line is new for me, but I like it! Megan also adds line as she works, sometimes using charcoal. I am seeing changes I want to make but this one was nice and quick.

Despite the stormy weather this is a beautiful place! A couple more photos:

eee Show Coming Soon!

Seismia 8" X 10" (HM)

I've just finished writing a little description of our upcoming show. Hopefully we can get some good press and get lots of folks out. Here is our "press release"

The “eee” show is an unusual name for an unusual art show
which opens July 9th at the Wilson Room at the Kingston Public Library.
The show owes its theme to the proliferation of e descriptors
in the art world. Artists explore, examine, evolve and may
finally leave the emergent field to become known as established artists. The artists represented in the eee show will cover all these e’s and promise not to evoke the commonplace. Prepare for a highly diverse and stimulating exhibition!


Sheila Dunkinson is an emerging artist whose work reflects an intimate connection to the natural world. Organic forms are interpreted through bold use of colour, pattern and shape.

Irina Skvortsova is a multi-media artist, working in both
traditional print and painting and experimental community arts
collaborations. The eee show will feature Irina’s unique and intriguing
prints.

Hennie Marsh has been creating richly textured and abstracted landscapes pushing the potential of acrylic paint using various
mediums and tools. Her work is constantly evolving and attests to her
strong belief that consistency is highly overrated.

Ben Darrah is an established artist who portrays a playful exploration of elements in mixed media work. His choices reflect a curiosity in elevating an everyday, recognizable, common object or image to the status of scrutinized subject.

Terry Culbert is a writer and illustrator whose paintings represent daily life in Kingston and Amherst Island. His work is often whimsical and
humourous; each canvas tells a tale.

The opening reception is from 7 to 9 pm on Thursday July 9th. The show continues to July 29 during regular library hours at 130 Johnson Street.

More hot stuff

" The Way I Remember It" 16 X 20"

Another one with lots of hot colours, maybe it's the summer influence, maybe it's Fred Williams. More fun with drips, drops and very wet acrylics. I think it's ready for the show on July 9th. Maybe just a little more green....

Trio done

Here they are finished, more or less.
A lot more colour and a lot more detail now.
I worked on all three simultaneously,
trying to make sure they each had some
unique features while the palette is fairly consistent.
Iceland or Australia - take your pick!

Size matters?

These are works in progress, very small, 5 by 7 inches each. I haven't done any work this tiny before but am enjoying focusing down. Once again I'm letting the water do it's thing and I'll be adding more of "my thing" as they reach completion. Can you see the Icelandic landscape that inspired these?

Before and After

These two paintings are the same canvas. The lower one is a piece I did last winter, very soft and atmospheric, thin paint that looked like water colour. Above it is the piece reworked, much bolder. I'm not sure it is better but it has a very different feel.

I have been attacking older pieces, anything is fair game. There are some paintings that are perfect as they are, at least in my mind. But lately it is survival of the fittest. The studio is stuffed with canvases and the runts have to beef up. Mean. That's me the mean painter. Even the newset one may not survive the week.

Cooperate

The piece above is one I have been working on, getting ready for a show in July. Not sure if it is done or not, the usual dilema. Wouldn't it be great if you could just set the timer on your stove and you'd know when it was time to take it out of the oven - off the easel. Or in my case off the table. I have been working flat as I'm using very wet acrylics. At times the water controls the work and I'm trying to cooperate with the natural properties of the water. I'm learning what it will and won't do, mixed with the paint and mediums. I can encourage it to make little bubbles or drips or thin washes. I use a variety of sponges, rags, spray bottles etc. And my fingers, moving the thin wet paint or dabbing to make little spots. It sometimes surprises me how these layers change as they dry. The process is totally different than work I've done with tube paints and brushes. Stand back, wait, watch and play some more.
Click on the pic to enlarge and see the lovely effects of water play!

Opening Night for the Madonnas!

"Isis Dreams of Horus" mixed media. H. Marsh

It was a busy evening on the Kingston arts scene last night with at least 3 openings, ours at Sandra Whitton Gallery, another across the street at Aroma and another at Gallery Raymond. The snapping cold weather didn't seem deter anyone as the gallery was packed for our Black Madonnas opening. Tim out did himself with amazing "black" foods like marmite, olives, dates, blackberries etc. I contributed licorice, cookies with black sprinkles. Later dark cakes and what looked like black rice crispy squares arrived. No black drinks tho there was plenty of the red stuff! Despite all this, the art managed to hold its own. Some patrons even claimed they saw a Madonna moving.... The carefully selected music was drowned out pretty quickly by enthusiastic chatter. Here's a very little sample of the event, click on the arrow:




And a few photos:

Mounting the Black Madonna Show

On the left is one of 5 pieces I have in the Black Madonnas show. It is about 2 feet by 10 inches, mixed media. I call it "Full of Grace" a phrase I remember from an oft repeated prayer.

I spent most of yesterday helping Tim Soper (curator, he's in the photo on the right) and Sandra Whitton (gallery owner) hang the Black Madonna show. It was a good experience, Sandra has lots of expertise and seeing her in action was great. I'll be mounting a group show in July and have come to appreciate that displaying the art is an art in itself. Each piece needs to be considered in terms of lighting, neighbouring pieces, wall surface, height, and the impact of distant and close viewing. We finished up by 5pm with most of the work effectively mounted and ready for the opening on Saturday. Tim's vision is coming to fruition. Sandra has kindly let her gallery be "hijacked" for a unique show that features artists of all ages and all levels of experience.

Bushman Madonna

This is a small piece (10" X 10) with lots of texture inspired by very old pictographs by African Bushmen. It needs a little more colour variation before I am satisfied that it is done. I haven't altered the image of the woman, I think she looks strong and lovely though to western eyes her body is exaggerated. She wasn't pictured with a baby so I added the seated infant and some hints of a spirit life with the gold spots and swoosh. Not sure how this one will be received.... but she definitely IS a Black Madonna.

Dutch Madonna

This Madonna is almost done, maybe a little tweaking with the colours.

My inspiration was the statue which Mom and Dad had in the dining room. It was a replacement for one they brought from Holland which fell off its little wooden shrine and broke. This one too is from Holland and the shape and symbols are quite traditional in Dutch depictions of Mary (apart from the black).

I suspect there may not be traditional madonna figures in the upcoming show so perhaps this one will pay homage to history.
My next one will be a Bushman Madonna, African.

Black Madonna

possibly the Black Madonna of Chestochova, 6th century

Last week I met fellow artist Tim Soper at the Sandra Whitton Gallery. Tim is planning a group show exploring one of his long time interests, the Black Madonna. Here's the Slate description of his upcoming show:

Black Madonnas – a group show curated by Tim Soper. Dark statues
and paintings of a mother and child exist in hundreds all over Europe, and
especially in France. They are revered as the image of Mary and the baby Jesus.
However, their origin may go back to pre-Christian pagan times. They share a
kinship with with ancient statues of Isis and Horus, and Cybele and Attis. These
mythical figures tell a tale of a mother and her God / Son who dies and is
reborn. Over the past year, Tim Soper has been creating his own Black Madonna
sculptures. He has invited a collection of artists to create their own pieces
symbolizing their connection to, or perception of, the Black Madonna. From
literal translations, to dynamic and challenging representations, the pieces in
this show capture the evocative and mysterious nature of the Black
Madonna.

I told Tim about a Madonna I had created, a watery blue-green figure as she was inspired by an incident I witnessed by the riverside at Kingston Mills. Some kids had caught a huge salmon, very heavy, and as they dragged it along the shore it spilled what seemed to be hundreds of golden eggs. The kids were thrilled with their big catch, I was sad. Here she is, rather Byzantine, swimming with silver eggs.

I think she will be in Tim's show next month and perhaps I will make another, this time black and more like the Madonnas I remember from church. Or perhaps like the one we had in the house when I was I child.

If you have a Madonna to share Tim would like to hear from you!

Grasslands

Grasslands 20 X 40

I finished this last week but it was lacking in depth and the colours were a little flat too. I'm happier with it now, especially the sky. If you click on the image you will see at least 8 glazes in the sky. I've done several landscapes like this. The strong and simple horizontal is always a big attraction for me. Perhaps having lived near a strong horizontal for most of my life (Lake Ontario) I am compelled to paint it, tho rarely in the form of water. Tomorrow this piece heads to LSP Designs for a show with 12 other recent paintings. The show runs til Christmas and some of the proceeds go to a charity called Kingston Grandmother Connection. KGC is a fund-raising organization in support of African grandmothers raising their grandchildren. I hope we both do well!

Too sweet?

Lovers' Tree 16 X 20

Artists can color the sky red because they know it's blue. Those of us who aren't artists must color things the way they really are or people might think we're stupid. Jules Feiffer

I must admit this is my first red or rose coloured sky. I rarely do blue skies, usually gray, yellow, white, beige - anything but blue. My landscapes tend to earth tones, usually fairly "real". The above painting seems a tad too romantic or sugary. Hence the title. Maybe it is not the sky rather the composition or treatment of content that is mushy. I'm going to post this on WetCanvas and see what the crtics have to say... I'll let you know.

Exploring Colour

This odd little painting (8" X 16") is an exploration of colour. I saw this palette on a large abstract in a Toronto gallery, warm reds and golds with a splash of cool light blue for contrast. The combination has potential for a bigger piece I think...

Consistency is highly over rated

Just when I thought I would be in the running for the most inconsistent artist in the country I am now convinced there would be no contest. I would win. As my painter buddy said today "Consistency is highly over rated". We both played happily in the studio all day, experimenting and teasing the acrylics with brushes, scrapers, sponges etc. I picked up a brush (as opposed to a mini roller, knife) for the first time in weeks and these popped out. Both are works in progress. They do not look like my work. BUT just maybe this will be the real me.....




Some interesting quotes about consistency:

CONSISTENCY is contrary to nature, contrary to life. The only completely consistent people are the dead. Aldous Huxley
CONSISTENCY requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago. Bernard Berenson
And my personal favourite:
CONSISTENCY is the last refuge of the unimaginative. Oscar Wilde

Wolfe Island WIP

My daily walks take me to the shore of the St. Lawrence where it meets Lake Ontario. Across the river is a large island which has been sprouting windmills, an eyesore or a delight, depending on your point of view. Above is my rather fanciful view. I have yet to add the ferry that travels back and forth. Not sure about adding more windmills with the blades? There are going to be over 80 windmills, not all will be seen from my vantage point:

http://www.canhydro.com/newprojects_wolfeisland_wind.htm

Some residents are pretty unhappy:

http://www.truveo.com/Wolfe-Island-Wind-Turbines-Life-on-the-Front-Lines/id/2623355125

Lean...

Here's one I've been working on, very lean acrylic paint, looks like watercolour. I'd like to keep it soft and calm but I think it needs a little more definiton to make it interesting.

Spinning my Wheels

It has not been easy get back to work in the studio. While I've been in there almost every day I have little to show for my efforts so far. Two months away has filled me with a tremendous amount of stimulation and my brain whirs with anticipation of creating a masterpiece! I can see the finished product but the road is not clear. I am frustated with the quick drying time of acrylics but also seduced by it. It may be time to head back to oils for a while.

I did tweak this one, so now it is ready for an upcoming show:

"Grow Baby Grow" 24 X 24 acrylic on canvas