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GO TO YOUR ROOM !

I borrowed this phrase from the recently deceased Canadian painter Robert Genn who believed that there is only so much we can learn about how to paint from the many fine instructors and resources available today. The true learning comes from going off on our own and just doing it - Go to your room!

I have had the good fortune to take instruction from outstanding artists in Canada and the USA. I continue to work on my own development ( Going to MY room!) . I share, through this blog and workshops, what I have learned and what others have shared with me.

I created this blog primarily for those attending my workshops to keep in touch and to further share as we grow together. If others are interested in following that would be great.

Enjoy the journey.

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Getting Ready for Carole Marine

One of my "heroes" is the Oregon (now) painter Carole Marine  (carolmarine.blogspot.com) . Her ability to put down accurate individual  spots of colour that build to a small interesting piece that reads is quite amazing. I am booked to take a workshop with her in February. Basically, I am an acrylic painter but I do enjoy playing with oils (water soluble) for small pieces, in the studio and plein air. I want to improve my skill to mix and lay down a spot of colour and then leave it and mix and put the correct value and temperature relationship in the spot next to it - and so on.

To get the best bang for my buck in her workshop I have decided to spend at least a few hours each week trying just that - doing exercises of selecting simple subjects and and trying to " lay and leave". Put down a spot of colour and not  blend. Place the next one beside it and so on, to build the piece -  then for corrections lay down spots on top of the others (tiling as I was taught at Watts Atelier) but avoid any blending. These are great exercises that I think will help me in both my acrylics and oils to more accurately mix and create interesting pieces that read. Also, part of the intent is efficiency so I plan to limit the time spent and then just stop.

So here's my first attempt.  Image in my TV as reference; surface black gessoed TerraSkin taped on board 6x8"; drawing using white China Marker; paint watersoluble oil with a bit of linseed. Time after drawing limit 30 minutes. I decided to stick with the head to start as I have not done any oil or portrait pieces in quite a while.

Next I decided to tackle the full image and limit my time to 45 minutes after drawing. Surface is black gesso on canvas board. Backgrounds just a mix of all colours used in the painting trying to hold the value but play with temperature.




I like the effect of playing on black gesso for small pieces.

So much for the first attempt. Lets hope I progress over the next two months.



1 comment:

  1. Yeah! Way to go Brian! A super personal challenge and sure to give you that continuation of strength in your work. Yes!

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