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Friday, September 21, 2012

Splish Splash


Peppers, alla prima watercolor.

Wet into wet, my favorite way to play.  I'm not willing to settle down just yet to more complex work. I'm fine just playing in the water.  I was going to roast these veggies, but they're still fit to be painted. Once roasted, Ellis won't know they were slightly wrinkled. By the by, I've stopped reading Schmid's book. Too much info was coming at me and turning me off art just the way it happened years ago. My own drummer is very stubborn and shuts down when boggled down with information.  As many art books as I buy, I really don't like reading anybody's how to. Doing so sets me back.


37 comments:

  1. If I write a book on how to get through those books, will you buy it?

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  2. Muy interesante el texto. A mi me pasa igual, el exceso de información me bloquea. ¡¡Excelente acuarela!! Un abrazo.

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    1. I'm happy to learn I'm not the only one Sonia. Thank you. I'm pretty sure Schmid and the workshop I took had something to do with the difficulties I had with my painting of Steve and Zac. So I'm taking a watercolor break from oils, a vegetable break from portraiture. Un abrazo back.

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  3. Voluptuous veggies - that is how I would describe this painting! I know what you mean about reading books like Schmid's. Sometimes I just enjoy art picture books much more than the ones with painting philosophy and how-to's. I never remember much of what I read anyway!

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    1. Schmid's paintings are spectacularly crippling. I put it asides after reading just two chapters. It may serve me better if I read it selectively or confine the info to warm up exercises? I'll let it be for a while. Thanks Susan. I appreciate your comments.

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  4. I really like how loose and fluid your wet-into-wet paintings are! I usually set out to be nice and loose, and before i know it I m bogged down in detail and have lost tons of texture and freedom:-/ Being more free and less controlled is a huge stumbling block for me. Sigh. Did you stick to a limited palette on this one as well?

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    1. Yes, I did sort of: 3 reds; 1 blue; sap green; cad yellow plus black and white. You can't miss loose painting wet into wet. I am a bit controlling with a piece of paper toweling and I do blot the paper well after wet mounting it to my plexi pizza dough rolling sheet :-) thanks Minnemie.

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  5. Another beauty. Great composition.

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    1. Thanks Dan. It's the sweet potato and the black that makes four pieces work instead of an odd number of items.

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  6. A very special watercolor, in perfect LINDA style!
    The books make me boost the effect of all that I seemed to know: finished this I need rest . And do something else. Have nice weekend!

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    1. Thanks Rita. As you can see I'm giving portraiture a rest and doing something else. A nice weekend to you and yours as well.

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  7. I agree. Who wants to be a copy? There are too many that end up as pale copies. The ideal is to learn and take things from artist you look up too and make it your own.

    Another wonderful watercolor painting. Am I wrong seeing a red onion?

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    1. Yes that is a red onion. I adore them on hamburgers, but they give me heart burn so I paint them (they take a long time to go bad), then I caramelize them and serve them with any kind of beef. The pepper, however, don't last that long--it's because they have the seeds in them.

      Oh this Schmid is something. Beautiful work. Old world made contemporary feel to it. But I think I can only take him in small doses.

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  8. ... beautiful work linda have a good w-e

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    1. You too Jane. That was a smashing painting of thread. Brilliant.

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  9. Another beautiful watercolor! I agree with your view on books, you just have to pick from them what you like and what you can use.

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    1. Thank you Judy. Schmid knocked me for a loop--even though what I had learned in the workshop had obviously been taken from this man's book. In the workshop only one approach was stressed. Reading about all of them and recalling that yes, that approached worked for me too, as did that years ago, befuddled me. I was working on Steve and Zac in the WS method, but the more I worked, the more I knew the overhead, noon lighting called for a different approach then mapping out the masses. I got confused, blamed it on Schmid when really it was just me reading a book that reminded me different situations suggest different ways to approach them. I'm very insecure in portraiture and in oils, not at all with peppers and the wet into wet method with watercolor, which is my favorite method.

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  10. Now if peppers could smile, these would be positively grinning .... you obviously had fun and it shows, lovely work.

    Some of your work - in all the mediums you use - is totally jaw-droppingly brilliant, but you constantly want to improve, raising the bar. The books and workshops are part of this. As we are similarly driven in this respect, we often get totally frustrated ... until logic prevails :0) I have no answers :0) I just recognise the symptoms and nod sympathetically.

    Have a good weekend (both of you)

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    1. You too John--though it's Art Fair weekend and it's raining, so we'll go tomorrow. I like to size up the art community in which I live. I know nothing about it.

      My current artwork is inconsistent. This distresses me. I'm all over the place. If I had a business going that involved a particular subject done in a particular medium, I suspect that would focus me totally on producing and expanding that product. Being in business could be what's missing after all those years of designing and drawing construction plans, which we sold and built. It's hard being set loose with a smorgasbord of mediums and subjects to choose from, all of which I enjoy.

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    2. We are singing off the same hymn sheet, Linda - we both need the buzz of business. That's why I'm focusing on it.
      (a) I'm doing the art shows each month - actually speaking to people!
      (b) I'm preparing my blog gallery
      (c) I'm revamping my web site
      (d) I'm drawing an aviation series and then sell at the airshows - we have purchased the tables/stands and the gazebo.
      (e) I have a product range ready and priced, and am building up stock levels.
      etc etc.....
      This is all 'old-hat' to you, but if you want to talk about it, you know where I am! Anything I can do ...you've got it!

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    3. You've found a subject you enjoy producing. I'm still looking. Business isn't old hat, it's stimulating in both good ways and annoying. I think the involvement is great.

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  11. I love the looseness of this painting, Linda. Something I've tried but haven't succeeded! The colors are so vibrant and beautiful. An excellent watercolor! I like buying art magazines, ..like Artist magazine and the Pastel Journal....two amazing magazines with lots of pictures to inspire us.!

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    1. I'll keep those mags in mind Hilda. I just spent the morning shopping pastel supplies for my up coming class. I had no clue what I was buying. Hopefully I guessed right. Wallis pads are hard to come by. I have a feeling that pastels will be quite helpful with regards to working with oils and yet easier for me given my penchant for charcoal. I could have used your expertise. Thank you for your kind words.

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  12. Love these lively colorful vegetables. I like how you mix up your painting efforts. You have tons of talent, as long as you keep painting all is well in the world! :)

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    1. Thank you Celeste. Vegetables are a welcome relief from my oil studies. I think I need to attach oils with the same abandon.

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  13. What? No pancakes today?? I was hopping for a photo or a sketch maybe... Oh well, I'll settle with the veggies :)
    They look so nice, Linda! All in vividly colours, I like them!
    Although I rarely read magazines, I read in a magazine manner books about 'How To'. Few lines there and here, the titles of every chapter and back and forward, etch. You see, I have this theory (oh, I'm full of those, that's the problem) that since I'm an autodidact and a beginner, I should not overfill my head with techniques and how to, because I wont be able to appreciate and use them correctly and maybe I'll end up doing harm than good.
    Smiles from Greece.

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    1. Alas no pancakes. All gone. Just peppers and a red onion and a "white" sweet potato that's orange. It isn't good to clutter your head. Your head will pick up what it wants and forget about everything else. I know that. But I was overfeeding it. Meanwhile, it took me a whole morning to order art supplies (at the best price) online for the painterly pastel class I signed up for. Why? Not because I don't have enough mediums to play around with, but because pastel and charcoal seem to go well with one another. I'm pretty good at expressionistic charcoal. You are funny Konstantina and oh so talented. Too bad we live so far away. I like you and I like ouzo.

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    2. Likewise, dear Linda!
      We have plenty of ouzo here. How about a visit? Maybe? Or you never know, maybe it will be us who will come closer; we are yet to find out where the whole search for a university job will take us-this will only mean one thing, moving... again. Alas!!

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  14. Fabulous work Linda. So vibrant and tasty looking. :-)

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    1. I don't know about tasty. The veggies are getting a little worn looking being I refrigerated for so long. I am having fun with them though. Thanks Laura.

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  15. This looks like it was fun to do. Beautiful.

    I think you are right, pastels will be fun, with your love of charcoal.

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    1. I will find out for myself what sandpaper is and how it is reusable. I'm looking forward to it, but the class doesn't start till the end of October.
      Watercolor is always fun as long as I don't take it too seriously.

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  16. This is beautifully done Linda! You paint wet into wet with masterly skill. :)) And I feel the same way about art technique books, even though I loved them when I was beginning, now I am a bit afraid of them. I don't want to paint like anyone but me you know?

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    1. Thank you Crystal. I do know what you mean. But Schmid's book is worth reading. It really is a comprehensive collection of what we have all experienced when painting. I don't recommend reading it, however, too close to any workshops you may have attended, for it will cause you to short circuit. It is to be read over a period of time very slowly. I was driving too fast.

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  17. Free souls go their own way...and too much of learning stuff from others can take you away from who you are...so I agree ! You do your own stuff beautifully, love these last watercolors, such great , bold colors...love them.

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    1. Exactly Jane. Now this next class I signed up for is painterly pastels. The subject will be flowers. Flowers are a portrait relief subject for me. Pastels also are a relief medium from oils--relief means I think I will be able to handle them better than oils. A once a week social/learning experience about a subject and a medium I intend to use for warm up fun shouldn't be overwhelming.

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