Break Point

"Break Point" a term in tennis, is used to describe when a player is one point away from a break in score. Lately this seems to sum up what I have been going through as an artist... work and work up to a important moment then start all over again. This month I present a drapery study painted in closed grisallie over about 40 hours worth of effort. While seeing plenty of room for improovement, I find this study as a significant example of many well orchestrated choices that have brought me to this "break point". The game is well in play, the score building but the match nowhere completed and it's still anybody's game. G.A.... making a point to take the break.

Ups and downs

The last 3 months have been a rollercoaster of progress and failure which is a good thing- it means I am growing as an artist! In struggling with a full figure painting I fought to get something out of the work that was not working. Through embarrasing amounts of time of "no, that's not it... nope not that either" I took a break to watch a master painter work on the other side of the room. I watched closely trying to understand what she was doing, how and why and asked her questions every time she stopped for what I was not certain about. The next day I went back to my side of the room, took out a new panel and did a portrait as if I had been doing it for years. At the end of the session I went to get my glasses and came up on the panel thinking 'who's work is this?' As I stood in disbelief at the jewel before me (not even a done work with detail as I had no small brushes that day) I felt like I had gained ground in my uphill climb and was amazed at just what a difference one day with a master made for my own work- a much wiser choice to spend the day tring to listen then to try to speak. G.A. progressiong.

What a difference

So this is a progressive look at the evolution of a painting I did from a 7 session still life. The main point being (image #1) the drawing and layout, (image #2) the warm and cool with a massing of values,(image #3) the final stage with it's color and highlights. In the same breath I note the material and their importance being just as critical as the process of a well planned proceedure.

In the final of Raven's boots you can see that the colors have held strong, the shadows rich and the highlights setting up nicely without the thickness of putty paint. I contribute this to an accidental discovery of a more superior material I found in a discount remenant bin at New York Central art supplies. In conversation with fellow artists they suggested the material to be linen but I knew that the white back and weave told me this was not the source. This weekend I hunted the wonder material down to see what made such a difference to learn that it was a double lead primed portrait duct with a rabbit skin glue base- the way the masters used to do it... only they probably used linen. So although I haven't used the "cream of the crop" yet, I am glad that I am working large in studio (30x35 & 30 x60 currently) so I can get rid of all this yucky inferior product and get down to some real work on the weekends when I do my own studies! G.A looking at a new lead primed canvas on the easel... just across the room with hope for me yet.

An I for the eye

It has been an intense summer that I mark with printmaking and road trips. After completing 25 wood and lino blocks in the last 3 months, my 1st book of proofs (a 3 year project) is finished. I have already cut 25 pieces for the next book which I plan to theme as miniitures (4"x5" as the largest). I hope to acheive 50 proofs in a year. To balance the scales, drawing and painting goes to a larger size begining with 24"x "36", more than 2x the size I painted last year... stay tuned!
After visiting lighthouse # 9 this summer on record breaking heatwave, with a short tide table schedual down a 5 mile spit, I have determining that there will be one more road trip of the season before returning to studio. Poor weather is predicted for the weekend on the coast, it may proove to be a hopeless effort for lighthouse painting... but often the reward is not the painting but more the adventure. -G.A. packing that long sleeved white shirt and hat one more time.

Lost and found

Greetings art enthusiests,

Absence makes the heart grow fonder but right about now my loss is in time to commit to a serious project of lengthy significance. It is a summer of short studies and 'scaping with a theme toward lighthouses so here is my first study of the summer... in watercolor for irony.

G.A. checking the map to find the next destination.

Switching Gears

After having hung a couple of pieces in a local show last night this charcoal drawing "off center" seems appropriete to describe how I'm transitioning the change. I realize how quickly time is flying by and how much work that needs to be done this summer! I do have 2 companion pieces working on the easel (charcoal drawing and painting) of drapery study. I hope to have designed a printmaking project before the day's end so that I can begin to cut the substrate tomorrow. I find it best to have 3 or more things working at once.- G.A. heading to work at 6:30 a.m.

More is not always better

After just finishing 2 longer poses I was assessing the month's work. 8 pieces done in a one time effort which amounts to a little less than 2.5 hours per piece, one drawing done in about 25 hours and a painting I restarted and rushed through in about 30 hours. My favorites are the shorter works even though they are less developed. It seems my accuracy was better... didn't have the time to recall all of my old bad habits I suspect. G.A. taking a deep breath and gliding to the finish line.

If at 1st you don't succeed...

Welcome to the multiple model!

I have never been one to do an abundance of preliminary drawings or rough drafts when it comes to art making.

Yet last month I found myself doing 5 color studies of the model. They would start out as poster studies until I would loose sight of the "game plan" and end up with a "not quite right" mini study of the model. Seeing quality in the study I simply began again until I ended up with four 6x5 paintings and one 2.5x3 ATC... what the heck right? I won't mention the 2 composition studies, the value study, the seperate hand study and finally the grisallie. Anyway I think it is a good thing to rethink the revisiting of a subject in frequency when you are really trying to understand your efforts and study something from all angles. G.A.- happy to have a new model... no offense J.

Quality verses quanity

I have recently taken a step backwards in my artwork (in so many ways) and aquired a lesson in which to share. Long ago I was introduced to "better materials" and learned the hard way what an incredible improovement a good paintbrush or quality pencils can make. In many ways, 'You get what you pay for,' is a statement well worth its meaning. The down side to this is "sacred art" and the worthiness of working on better materials which can stiffle creativity but more importantly productivity.

Having said that I have a sketch group that meets 2 nights a week for 3 hours a night. In the course of that 3 hours, after 20 minute model breaks and 5 minutes between 20s, we have 34 poses in about 2 hours 15 minutes using 2 models; in otherwords WORK FAST! This translates to ripping through alot of paper so I invested in a cheap multimedia sketch book and work front and back 1/2 page. Because the 1st session of model pose is ten 2 minute poses, I sought to set up ten 1/2 pages so worked the fronts intending the backs to be the 2 minute poses. I did this with fast ink wash or watercolor sketches found anywhere. Point being made is working fast and cheap seems to have loosened me up to do less tedious work and get back to sketching... the creative process. Included are works from the book of 20 minutes or less. Enjoy! G.A.- back to it.

North

After working half day in studio on a portrait session, I planned 2nd half of day for landscape work and headed out to the lighthouse. It was heaven and a pleasure to be outdoors. I found a great place and managed to do a quick watercolor study onsite. The lamposts were leaning a good way more than I have here but in my haste it looks like everything is wobbly. Auh well that's why they call it a study. G.A. off to work on a still-life.