Art Reception at the Faneuil Library

Me and my art

(Doggie Butt, Bull Terrier & Bongo on the Beach)

Last Tuesday was my reception for the first solo show that I've ever had. Quite a milestone for me! There were some familiar faces that came out (my parents and aunt were there) and some new fans as well. Over all we had a great turn out. Someone asked if I was going to do a "talk" but not really given any structure, I was more left to talk to people on a one on one atmosphere and I think that actually was better for me!

I would like to thank everyone who came and John Quatrale for putting it all together. The exhibit will be up for the entire month of August. The Faneuil Library is located at 419 Faneuil Street, (Oak Square) Brighton MA 02135.

The Effects of Art

I truly believe that a successful piece of art is one that leaves you with emotion as you walk away from it. This could be disgust, joy, sadness, anger or anything really. I'm wondering if my art does that for anyone. Does it even do it for me?

"Horse Landscape Vermont"

Oil on Canvas

I will admit I'm more of a junkie when it comes to painting.... and it's not the art that I'm producing per say, but more of the medium: Can I handle oils? What can I do with salt and watercolor? How much can I stretch this composition out with out having it break apart in my hands? As you know I work primarily in watercolors. When I first started working with this medium, I would use colored pencils as well. Primarily  to correct some mistakes I had made, or punch out some values to make the piece more dramatic.  Slowly over time, I've stopped using those pencils because it was more like having a crutch - something to fall back on if things didn't turn out like I wanted them to. I have started using oils and looking at some videos regarding color mixing so that I can master this one as well.... But are my pieces evoking an emotion????

I've never been one wanted to "disturb" people viewing my art. Blame it on my 1990 experience of being in the middle of threat of the pulling out funding National Endowment of the Arts. I was in DC at the time of Maplethorpe's NOT being shown at the Corcoran Museum (my school). Too many people where figuring out how they too could make "shock art".

I was at Mass MoCA recently and saw this piece:

"You Are Loved"

Andrea Mortson

Oil on Canvas

I was thinking, "Oh my goodness. It's so beautiful the way she leans against him, how the tree encompasses both of them" and then I read the title and was just hit with a wave of emotion. That we should all feel loved.. Am I loved like the woman in the painting? I believe so. Is the artist loved? She must be, how else could she have captured this so perfectly? You might not feel the way that I do, but again, this is what I call a successful piece of art.

I hope to God that my art does this to people, and if not, will some day. Maybe I should start believing that it does and it will reflect in the art itself. But like everyone I need reassurance. And I guess I haven't got that in a while.

Trying new things

Someone told me once, to keep everything fresh in your art, you MUST try new things. Whether it be a different medium, or even subject matter, it will help you grow as an artist.

When T gave me that box of water based oils last Christmas, she also gave me the tiniest canvas that was 2x2 inches. It even has special cute little staples in the back to hold the canvas in place. I recently painted some flowers on it. I brought it to my office job to remind me that I am an artist first.

Flowers

oil on canvas

2x2 inches

Another thing I've been doing is experimenting with different backgrounds on the pet portraits. Salt is a great thing to play with in watercolor. Science will tell you that salt absorbs up water if place on it (that's why they spray salt on the roads when it snows.... to prevent freezing and ice). So if you sprinkle some salt on wet paint and leave it there for a couple of minutes, you'll get this really cool texture that almost looks like rock or something. I did it on the background of this collie.

Playing with Salt


Tri Color Collie
watercolor

5x7 inches

I've also been ditching the pencil overlay on the watercolor pencils. I think I was using them more as a crutch (as in: oh, I'll just fix that highlight later with pencil). I finished up that ream of reams of Cotman paper where I would ALWAYS use the pencil and I think that had a lot to do with it as well.

Salty detail

Pretty cool effect, huh? Looks like the paper has a texture almost....

What are you going to do to break out of the box?

Wonderful, beautiful (waterbased) oil paints

Bongo's Beach Day

16x20 inch

oil on canvas

It's been 20 years since I painted with oils... seriously. I took some classes in school and that's it. I always loved them: the flow, the color, the SMELL! (I'm talking the paint, not the turps)... Oh how I missed them. I don't have a studio, hell, I don't even have a separate room in my condo where I create. I work in a corner in the kitchen. So for the longest time oils were just NOT an option. Then T bought me a "starter set" of waterbased oils for Christmas. And Tina Morgan (from CAG) was getting rid of canvas so I had her ship it to me. And Lo! I am a happy artist again!!! Well, always been happy but now I'm elated!!!

I love them. I've read some mixed reviews on line regarding them. Some say they're not for the serious painter, just the hobbyist... I call BS on that! Maybe it's because it's been so long since I did use oil paints that I don't notice a difference between normal oils and waterbased but....

Some also said that if you do use them, then Windsor Newton is the brand to get. My set is WN (I use their watercolors and watercolor cold press paper too) and maybe that's the difference? But because this is a starter set there was no umber or sienna, so I ended up mixing all my browns and using a lot of paint to get there (Color Theory 101 in the Allston Skybox this Sunday!). So I went to my retailer and he didn't have the WN brand, but a brand called Cobra (?) never heard of them. He gave me a sample to try, but ended up ordering the 2 browns in WN anyway. They should be in next week! I'm almost ready to chuck the watercolors out the window I love these so much!

But I won't :)

So have you used water based oils? What's your take on them? I would love to hear from you!