Hope you are doing well and staying safe as we start a new year.
I live in the Phoenix metro area and it's a desert climate here. So, we don't have an obvious change of seasons like much of the country. However, I spent four years in Flagstaff, Arizona getting a degree at Northern Arizona University. Well it's Winter and I feel the need to share something wintery. What better way to show winter than a few campus pics of my alma mater. My freshman year in 1967 there was a record snowfall in late December. It snowed seven feet in eight days. It's still a record in Arizona. it's not just desert here in Arizona. Happy Winter!
The last segment in this newsletter is a short bit which wouldn't have been written had it not been for recent events at the Capitol. Let me know what you think. I'd like to know if I'm totally off base?
Some Late Year End Advice
Kelly Anne Powers of Learn to Paint Podcast asked if I would give some advice on setting aside time every day to paint my small intuitive sketches and how I go about setting goals for myself in the new year. You can read that advice by clicking on the image below. Once you're there at the Learn to Paint Podcast site you can also listen to the podcast I did with Kelly last year and perhaps explore the many other artist podcasts Kelly has done. They're all good and I'm sure there are a few artists whose work you've been admiring for some time.
Recent Paintings
Windowpane No.54 - 15 X 15 inches - Ink, Watercolor and Gouache on Paper
Windowpane No.53 - 36 X 48 inches - Mixed Media on Canvas
Intuitive Sketchbook
The following intuitive sketches are ink, watercolor and gouache. They are roughly 8 X 8 inches square on a 12 X 9 inch sheet in a Canson 140 lb Watercolor sketchbook, signed and dated right below the square. All of those posted here were available when this newsletter was sent. If you would like one please contact me here or reply to this newsletter. ($60 shipped anywhere in the continental U.S.)
If you're interested in the intuitive process I use to create these small paintings, my only online workshop to date is available. In the workshop there is a start to finish painting demonstration of my intuitive process. You can also download the supply list and two documents with descriptions of the elements and principles of design. The workshop shouldn't take more than a day to complete, but you can take as much time as you like. Unless you don't want one, I will critique your work when you are ready. You can enroll in the workshop here:
8 X 8 inches square on a 12 X 9 inch Canson Watercolor Sketchbook page
12.18.2020
12.17.2020
12.16.2020
12.15.2020
12.13.2020
12.11.2020
12.10.2020
12.9.2020
12.8.2020
12.6.2020
12.5.2020
12.4.2020
12.2.2020
11.30.2020
11.29.2020
11.28.2020
11.27.2020
11.24.2020
11.23.2020
11.22.2020
11.21.2020
11.17.2020
Workshops
Freedom in Watermedia
The Freedom in Watermedia Workshop is designed to help all levels of students paint intuitively, starting without preconceived notions or outcome. There will be no preliminary planning or drawing. Process will dictate direction as students use a variety of techniques to implement elements and principles of design. Instruction will start with random mark making and color application, working transparent to opaque creating a library of design elements using a variety of mark making tools, watercolor, gesso and acrylic. There will be regular comments and evaluation of work in progress concerning relationships between elements and principles. It is entirely possible finished work may be representational, but the goal is work which is compositionally pleasing and aligned with the artist's personal aesthetic.
Mixed Media/Collage on Canvas
Participants in the Mix It Up on Canvas workshop will create mixed media/collage paintings on canvas using an intuitive process, starting with no preconceived notions or outcome. Process will dictate direction as students use a variety of techniques to implement elements and principles of design. Instruction will start with semi-arbitrary application of collage materials in combination with acrylic, gesso, acrylic mediums and assorted mark-making tools. There will be regular comments and evaluation of work in progress concerning relationships between elements and principles. It is entirely possible finished work may be representational, but the goal is work which is compositionally pleasing and aligned with the artist's personal aesthetic.
Watercolor, Gouache and Ink
This workshop is designed to help all levels of students paint intuitively, starting without preconceived notions or outcome. There will be no preliminary planning or drawing. Process will dictate direction as students use watercolor, ink and gouache to implement elements and principles of design. Instruction will start with random ink marks, then color using a mixture of watercolor, gouache and titanium white gouache to create a library of design elements. There will be regular comments and evaluation of work in progress concerning relationships between elements and principles. It is entirely possible finished work may be representational, but the goal is work which is compositionally pleasing and aligned with the artist's personal aesthetic.
Upcoming Presentations/Workshops:
The Intuitive Sketch with Ink, Watercolor and Gouache
Online Registration
Waterloo Watercolor Group - May 3-6, 2021
Intuitive Painting with Watercolor, Gouache and Ink
Austin, Texas Registration
Fanciscan Life Process Center - September 16-18, 2021 Mixed Media/Collage on Canvas Workshop
11650 Downes Street, Lowell, MI 49331 Registration
Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society - October 18-22, 2021
Freedom in Watermedia
Buffalo, New York Registration
Northwest Watercolor Society - October 2022
Seattle, WA
Registration information will be available early 2021 at nwws.org
If you or your group would like to sponsor a workshop in your area and would like more information about workshop costs, please reply to this email or inquire here.
Just My Opinion
I'm sure you are aware of what happened at the Capitol on January 6th. I can't believe something like that happened in this country. I don't care what your personal political bent is, that violent breach of the Capitol was nothing less than criminal. I was going to post some new images of intuitive sketches on Facebook that day but decided not to and posted them the next day on the 7th. Almost as soon as I had posted the images someone made the following comment:
"Not a good day for self promotion. What planet are you on?"
So my question is, did this person decide to police Facebook armed with some self-righteous code of ethics, or was this person browsing for the normal reasons one might use social media? If it's the normal reasons, it seems a little hypocritical to me. If it's for policing, it's uncalled for. Is it a day to not post anything on social media, or just self promotion? The commenter didn't exactly explain why it was not a good day to self promote, but I suppose had reasoned it was ok to post comments on the timelines of those who do. I could only assume I was being reprimanded because I hadn't given any credence to some imagined or presumed moratorium on self promotion in light of recent events at the Capitol. I first wanted to comment back in a similarly derogatory manner but quickly thought better of it. I know anger is never the first emotion. I was mad about it, but first off I was hurt. Why would someone want to make me feel guilty about showing my work? Was it just their own emotions boiling over from the day before? Not sure, but I don't believe I did anything out of line. Many others liked and commented kindly on the work I posted that day. Numerous artists who posted images on Facebook that day apparently had no inhibitions. I wonder if any of them received a thou-shalt-not scorning. I have to get on with my life regardless of the terrible historical events taking place. I would rather look at art than reruns of extremists storming the capitol. I believe my paintings can only be some light in the darkness of a dismal onslaught of raging idiots. It is my opinion the comment this person made was inappropriate.
