Brushwork

Self-Portraits

2012-01-18T07:18:00.000-08:00

1977 - 4 3/8" x 6"

1977 - 10"x12"

1980 - 9"x12"

1982 -

1988 - 9"x12"

1992

2002 - 10"x12"

2008 - 8"x10"

2011 - 6"x8"

Just a Few Still Life Paintings

2011-12-29T19:41:00.000-08:00

Here are a few still life paintings from this year. I think that it is helpful to see my set-ups. Sometimes I just use the wall as my background, but I do use backdrops with different colors, as well. The eggplant and the top floral were demos in some of my weekly classes.

A Clever Idea

2011-12-29T19:27:00.000-08:00

Very often, when I work on a painting, I will let it rest. That means it sits unframed and leaning against the wall of the studio so I can think about it. Something really bothered me about this painting, which was painted from life (like always). I finally decided that the two main flowers were just too similar...they were about the same size and the faced the same direction, vying for attention.

In the seventies, I was a fashion illustrator for several pattern companies in NYC. If you did any home sewing back then, chances are you might have seen one of my illustrations. They were nothing like my paintings or drawings today, but were mostly in pen, watercolor or charcoal and very stylized. Anyhow, doing an illustration involved turning in a preliminary "sketch" for approval, which was then returned to me with "corrections". The "corrections" were on a piece of tracing paper place over my original drawing, and I would then do another illustration, a "final" incorporating the corrections. Because I do not own Photoshop or something that could help me visualize what I wanted to do, I decided to try something similar to the pattern company "corrections". Tracing paper was too murky, so I used acetate, which is clear and I could paint on it, but it would not bleed onto the painting.

The top photo shows the painting, and the second photo shows the painting with the "correction" done in oils on top of the acetate sheet which is over the bottom right of the painting. The last photo shows the "correction" on the acetate against the floor of the studio. I thought it was a pretty neat idea!

Cape Porpoise, ME

2011-12-29T17:48:00.000-08:00

In September, I spent a week in Cape Porpoise, ME with 8 women (Wah Wah Sisters). It was a painting vacation for most of us, with 6 painters and 2 bicyclists. The weather was perfect allowing for plein air studies each day, as well as exploration of the little townand surrounding areas, dock, lobster shacks and galleries. I brought both oils and watercolor/gouache for fast studies, and hopefully, I will work up some of the studies into larger studio pieces. For most of the women, it was their third trip together, but it was my first.

The smaller, graduated, landscape palette was used for this trip, so that I could use my M Box easel and tripod, which took up little room. Painting seascapes takes definite decisive action, because not only is the light changing, the water level changes too, producing very different effects the longer you paint. Deciding what and where my light effect would be was very important. Painting boats, that turn and move with the waves and wind, adds another dimension of difficulty to seascapes, but I plan to try it again next year! Painting with a group is encouraging and inspiring!

Jeffersonville Art Festival - demo - August 13, 2011

2011-12-29T15:07:00.000-08:00

I have been very slack in keeping up my blog, so I am trying to catch up on some of the paintings I did this year. These photos were taken at the 3rd Annual Jeffersonville Art Festival, August 13, 2011. It was a one-day festival featuring artists and craftsman, mostly from Lamoille County. I decided to participate by being a demonstrator, where I would be painting "On the Spot", so that people could watch and ask questions.

Choosing a nice shady spot, I painted the tents of some of the various vendors along Main Street in Jeffersonville. It was a lot of fun to try to put in people, who wandered back and forth enjoying the beautiful day and supporting local artists. Here is the result of that effort, a 10"x12" oil on panel. Two of my grandkids came by to watch grandma in action.

Painting in Mass

2011-12-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

There are 2 basics ways to approach painting. One is to do a careful drawing in line and then proceed to fill this in with paint, which is a slow, indirect approach. The other is to paint a relationship of lights to shadows by massing, without starting with a finished drawing, and this is faster (the artist is drawing and painting simutaneously, or drawing with the brush). Massing is working for a general "Light Effect". Maintaining the integrity of the masses, or holding the mass of light in relationship to the mass of shadow, is what creates an illusion of light.

When I had the Open Studio, I painted a couple of little head studies, and I decided to do a self-portrait, too. I photographed the process, which gives a visual explanation of massing. I took the top photo looking into a mirror, however, if I took the photo at the correct angle....the camera would have covered my face. But, you get the idea. I normally stand when I paint, but I sat for this one. You can see my palette in the bottom photo. As usual, I have my grayscale. The portable walls with the paintings is from the December 3rd hanging for the Open Studio. This was changed for the December 10th sale.

I began the head study with a basic umber shadow mass, then I massed the lights which included the side of my face, vest, hair and hat. My 2 main masses that had to be protected were the shadow created by the brim of the hat across the front plane of my face and the mass of light, which included the side plane of my face. The light hitting the green wall was a little lighter than the shadow plane. With each pass, I tried to model a little bit of the features, but I subdued anything that might break up my mass. The power of the illusion is in keeping a strong shadow mass to light mass relationship.

This tiny painting was done very quickly, and it holds together as a unified light effect. Painting in mass allows the artist to make changes, developing the piece from general shapes to more specific details, and works well if you are under a time constraint.

More from the Open Studio December 10t

2011-12-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

South wall - unframed paintings on the tables

6"x8" paintings, framed and unframed paintings and a detail from Jack's screen

North wall with skylights

6"x8" head study with model

6"x8" head study of Carl

My Open Studio Sale was held December 3rd and December 10th. I re-hung the studio for December 10th, and changed the portable walls in the middle of the studio for better light. In the picture with the north wall, you can see my card rack with note cards from some of our paintings, too.

I painted another head study. When I re-hung the studio, I put all of my 8"x10" paintings together on the green wall, but for painting a head study I like a plain background. So, I removed a few paintings in order for Carl to have the same background as Diane. Both of these tiny paintings were done alla prima, or in one sitting.

2011-12-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

Here is the start of one of my 6"x8" head studies.

...moving along massing in the lights and shadows

Diane with scarf - 6"x8" oil on panel

Here is a sequence of one of my head studies. This one was done on December 3rd at the Open Studio Sale. I am using a 6"x8" panel with a gray tone. These panels were made during the summer at a panel-making class my husband taught.

I began with a loose umber sketch followed by massing all of my shadows. In the second picture down, I have pitched the background, and I massed my lights and shadows in relation to the background. At this stage, the massing is very flat and general. These basic masses are then developed as I model, edit and draw with the brush, working from the general shapes to more specific shapes. As I continued to add details, I look to the "whole" to make sure that my painting has a unified light effect.

Open Studio - Holiday Sale - December 3rd & December 10th

2011-12-20T18:18:00.000-08:00

8"x10" oils by Karen Winslow

Some paintings along the east wall. Jack Winslow painted the landscapes and the Trompe L'oeil.

Jack Winslow's double-sided screen.

Some paintings on the portable wall. The ones with the mats are oil on paper.

6"x8" head study - this one was a sample and it was a demo that I painted at Lyme Art Association in one of my workshops.

Deciding on a purchase. The top painting sold.

More paintings along the east wall.

I have been remiss again in keeping up with my posting. So basically, I will try to catch up by posting a bunch of photos to show you what I have been up to. Starting with the latest event...I decided to do an Open Studio sale over 2 Saturdays in December. The sale would include painting little portraits for anyone who had the time to sit for me.

Paintings, both framed and unframed, were all around the room. The unframed ones were on tables, and framed ones were on the outer walls, as well as portable walls in the middle of the room. Having paintings unframed saves me a lot of trouble and money, and it gives clients the option to purchase whatever frame might suit their own tastes. Etchings were included in the unframed collections. For people just beginning to buy and collect art, original etchings are affordable alternatives to buying original oils. Unlike the "giclee" reproduction, an etching is a real piece of art. Each print is individually inked, wiped and hand-pulled by the artist; and each print varies depending on the wipe, the pressure, the dampness of the paper, etc., making every print a unique piece, not a mass-produced reproduction.

In the top photo, I hung all of my 8"x10" oils together on the moveable west wall. All of these were painted from life, and 5 of them were demos in some of my workshops.

Month-Long Workshop..continued

2011-10-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

Karen's demo and still life set-up (14"x18" oil on panel)

Demonstration by Karen Winslow 8"x10" oil on panel

Miriam and Kathy with their paintings

My month-long mentoring workshop included indoor still life painting, as well as the plein air classes. Teaching students to work from life is challenging, especially when it involves anything from the garden. Flowers tend to turn towards the light or continue to open, and leaves (mostly those lying on the table) droop or curl. So, even though still life is relatively still, it still changes. My goal is to get the artists to simplify what they are looking at into planes of light, and paint decisively. It is not so much a "copy" of what they see, but an illusion of light, space, form and movement.

I generally paint alongside my students, as well, demonstrating and explaining as I go. The top 2 pictures were demonstrations from the class. The bottom picture shows Miriam and Kathy with their radish paintings. We had a few set-ups to choose from, and I painted so that they could see my painting and palette. It helps to see how and what to mix, as well as how to "key" a painting.

All of my classes are process oriented, not product oriented. Learning to use artistic principles to create a light effect is more important than "finish". The more an artist can depict form by drawing with the brush and manipulating the paint to create depth, turn edges and model, the better and more "finished" the painting will become.

Month-Long Workshop - plein air studies in watercolor/gouache

2011-09-29T21:16:00.000-07:00

Tiny set of watercolors

2 plein air studies in watercolor/gouache

Students by the brook

Students along the path

The month-long workshop consisted of outdoor landscape painting in oils, outdoor landscape painting in watercolor/gouache and indoor still life. I always paint when I teach, demonstrating and explaining as I go. For me, the outdoor painting in watercolor/gouache is relaxing. It is the easiest medium to transport, because it is lightweight, and you can do several studies on a simple hike. These studies can then act as a catalyst to further composition/color ideas, which in turn can be made into larger (more finished) studio pieces.

I posted a picture of my tiniest set of watercolors. If you need to go light, this set fits the bill, because it can be tucked into a small bag. With it, a few brushes, paper and small clipboard, you are all set. The nice thing about this way of working, is that the painting dries and can be placed in a folder right away without damage.

The 2 little plein air studies were done as demos during my class.

Month-long Workshop - outdoor landscape painting in oils

2011-09-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

Karen Winslow demonstrating

Midday class by the Brewster River

Sunset class from Bryce Road in Cambridge

Morning class in Hyde Park

For the month of June, I taught an interesting workshop on outdoor landscape painting using the prismatic palette, outdoor landscape painting in watercolor/gouache, and indoor still life. All work was from life, and the classes met 3-4 times a week. Some of the landscape classes were held early morning, some midday, some at sunset and one for a moonrise. The workshop was more a mentoring class, where I painted alongside my students, demonstrated, and gave one-on-one and group critiques. It was informal, but intense, and students made great strides, working independently on days we did not meet together.

These photos are from some of the outdoor oil sessions. The top photo and third photo shows my palette set-up, with the tonal scales for blues, grays, violets, pinks, greens, and earths. When I finish a painting session, I mix together a lot of the colors left on the palette and place these new tones on the shelf that is second from the bottom. These colors often act as a "soup" for other paintings.

A Few More Pictures from the Demo

2011-09-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

We took a little break for snacks and coffee/tea

I answered a lot of questions

This is as far as I got before the group departed for their picnic

After about a hour or so of painting and talking, we had a little coffee break and I answered more questions. I resumed painting, and the bottom picture is as far as I could go in their alotted time.

The Essex Art League meets every month during the school year, then takes the summer off. The majority of painters were watercolorist, but artistic principles on value, form and light can be applied in any medium. I was the last demo of the year, and afterwards was invited to their "End of the Year" luncheon. They were a great group, very enthusiastic and diverse, and I hope that I imparted a few good ideas as they continue on their personal artistic journeys.

Demonstration for Essex Art League

2011-09-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my palette before I started the demo. I premixed some grays and greens to facilitate speed.

The members of the Essex Art League, seated and waiting for the demonstration to start

I began by pitching the background. Note the clock.

Indicating the rhythms and placement

Explaining a little bit about my scale

Beginning the lights

The big red tulip...

Maintaining my rhythms and simplifying into planes of light

The Essex Art League of Vermont asked me to do a demonstration for their group in June. They arrived around 10am and had to leave by noon. After introductions, tour of my studio and explanations on light, I began painting. The flowers were picked from my garden and set up beforehand, and my palette was prepared with premixed tonal scales of gray and green, as well as my regular cadmiums, blues and browns.

I love demonstrating and teaching. My demonstrations are interactive, and I always ask questions to get the viewers to see what I see.....so that they can understand color/value relationships, as well as spatial relationships and rhythm. I try not to be product oriented, but process oriented. In this way, they can go away with ideas and priciples that they can apply to their own work.

2011-09-22T05:43:00.000-07:00

Here is the start...

For watercolors, I sit on the ground and hold a small drawing board in my lap. My starts are usually somewhat monochromatic.

Then, I add color.

This spider decided that he wanted my brush... I sure jumped!

Adding more color and detail

Here's what it looked like when I stood up..

Painting outdoors is fun, but it has its hazards. I am used to the usual...rain, wind, technical issues, etc., but I wasn't expecting this one. While I was sitting on the ground to paint, I spider decided to join me. He reaalllly liked my paper towel and brush! When he finally darted off, I found myself constantly checking around me for any other critters. With my concentration interrupted, I packed up and headed to the hospital to see my new grandson.

There are many poisonous spiders, and I am not a big spider fan. At first, I thought this might be a wolf spider or some sort of funnel spider, but after looking up photos of various spiders, I think it is a grass spider which is relatively harmless, but could certainly bite none the less. Yikes!

2011-09-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here is my watercolor set-up. I sat on the flat rock and held the board in my lap.

....moving along

adding more detail and color

My 6th grandchild was born a few weeks ago, and I traveled out to MT for his birth, but I managed to do a couple of little watercolors of this incredible part of the country. I packed very lightly and brought along a small drawing board, paper and watercolors. Everything fit neatly into a small bag. This was painted in Paradise Valley.

Family Ties - a group show at the Bryan Gallery

2011-09-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted anything... Here are a few pictures of some of my paintings and my husband's that are on exhibit at the Bryan Memorial Gallery in Jeffersonville, VT. They are part of a group exhibition called "Family Ties", which features work by husband/wife and parent/child artists. We have 7 pieces of display, but these 5 were grouped on one wall.

Painting Kids from Life....going back a few years

2011-05-08T11:59:00.001-07:00

Priscilla, now 26 years old, probably posed for me more than any of my other children. She still poses on occasion. All of these were painted in the studio under natural north light, with the exception of the bottom portrait which was painted in my old storefront studio (see very first post in 2007).

The first painting is a tiny oil on paper that I painted while Priscilla sat in a baby swing. When I paint on paper, Jack frames them like a watercolor...with a mat and under glass.

All of these studies were done in one sitting. For me, painting in this fashion (alla prima) is the best way to work when time is an issue. Time is always an issue if you are painting children from life. :)

Painting Kids from Life...going back a few years

2011-04-12T11:02:00.001-07:00

Dan is 28 years old now. Here are a few paintings of him that were done in the studio from life, when he was between 4 years old and about 12 years old. These are small, fast, studies in oil, and all of them are on panels. I wish I had painted more. I am sorting the paintings of my kids into individual portraits, plein air studies and interiors.

Painting Kids from Life ... a few years ago

2011-04-11T11:02:00.001-07:00

Elisabeth is now 30 years old. She is my second oldest child, and she posed for a number of paintings. These are a few of her that were more specific "portraits". Again, they were painted from life. The bottom one was painted the same year I painted Rebekah with a doll (see below). Lizzie, though, was the only child to pose for an etching.

To do the etching, I did a small fountain pen drawing of her from life. The drawing then became the basis for the etching, which is small, and I think I went through about 5 or 6 "states", or stages, to get to this image. Generally, I print small editions like this. You can see the plate for this etching a few posts down. It is copper, and I used a "Dutch Mordant" to bite the lines. The printed image, as you can see, comes out in reverse.

Painting Kids from Life...going back a few years

2011-04-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughter is 32 years old now. I've painted and drawn her many times. Some of the paintings were specific "portraits", and some were more generic studies. The top drawing was done of her while she slept, when she was 2 months old. Sleeping kids are easy to draw or paint...because they are not moving around and you can actually study the form and light. This drawing is in pencil with conte and fountain pen.

The oval picture was painted when Becky was around 27 months old. It is an oil on paper, and she posed in the studio. It is a one-shot alla prima, which is the most you can hope for with a young child who is moving around (unless, of course, you use photos). But, painting from life is so much better with depth and subtle nuances that are missing in copying a flat photo. This painting is obviously an example of a specific "portrait".

The third picture down is another example of a specific "portrait" of Rebekah at around 5 or 6 years old. It is a 14"x16" oil on linen, and she posed for this one in the studio. I painted a picture of Elisabeth, my second child, the same year. They both posed holding dolls, and both paintings are the same size. Having a child hold something makes a nice portrait.

The fourth picture down is a notecard of the painting. The actual painting sold years ago at a 2 person show that Jack and I did at the Southern VT Art Center. Often I regret selling a painting...not that I regret selling paintings..but some paintings should be kept. This is one of them. This was painted from life in the studio. Rebekah is 11 years old here, and a very good model. The painting was 18"x12" oil on linen.

When the kids were small, I painted plein air studies of them in the yard. Here is one with Rebekah in the garden. This is a one-shot painting and it is a more generic study using the figure as a "prop" to the whole scene. Rebekah was probably around 13 years old in this one. It is a 12"x14" oil on panel.

"Red Riding Hood" was painted in the studio when Rebekah was in high school. She originally posed wearing a russet shawl, but I decided to glaze some red on this, and the idea took off from there. I added the wolf and transformed the background with grandma's cottage in the background (smoke going up from the chimney) and the dark woods and threatening sky to set the mood. This one is 18"x12" oil on panel. Keeping your ideas open makes being an artist such fun. I didn't start out with the idea of painting Red Riding Hood when I had Becky pose, but it morphed into this idea with a simple glaze.

"Sleep and the Sandman" was a one day start. Rebekah posed with Michael (friend) in the studio. The characters took shape on the spot. I will probably play with this one and finish it up.

Make the most of every day. Kids grow up fast! Paint!

Painting Kids from Life

2011-04-02T18:15:00.000-07:00

I had to babysit for my granddaughter, Claire, so I thought I'd try to see if I could paint her. Claire is 25 months old. I set up a mirror so that she could see herself, which sometimes keeps her looking in the direction I want. I tried rewarding her with a pretzel...but as you can see....she was up and down from the seat, and she definitely had her opinions on modeling. :D The top photo is about as far as I could go, but I want to work on this one a little bit more, too.

Painting Kids from Life

2011-04-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

I painted my kids as often as a could get them to pose. I always worked from life, so most of my paintings were small, fast, alla prima studies. My kids are now grown, and I am now painting my grandkids. Violet Pepper posed for about 35 minutes on Thursday. Here are a few photos. As you can see, posing is not really posing. Kids move. They wiggle. But if I can get her to look in a general direction once in a while, I can concentrate on the light and shade. Mostly, we talk and laugh. The top photo is as far as I got, before she had to go to the dentist. Hopefully, I will be able to continue this one, because it was a fun start.

Etching

2011-03-26T16:52:00.001-07:00

In addition to painting and drawing, I etch. Etching is the process of making pictures on a metal plate by the corrosive action of an acid. To "etch" literally means to "bite".

An acid resistant ground usually containing beeswax and rosin is carefully applied to a polished copper plate. Where the artist draws, the ground is removed exposing the copper. When the acid is applied to the plate, the acid "bites" or corrodes the exposed metal, leaving lines or furrows. The longer the acid remains on the exposed copper, the deeper the furrow or lines, and the deeper the line the darker the line will appear when the plate is printed.

Etchings can go through many "states" or stages, where lines are added, subtracted, or strengthened. This requires varying the exposure time to the acid, by stopping-out lines that have been sufficiently bitten, redrawing and making corrections. A plate may be re-ground, re-worked and re-bitten many times. Also, parts can be removed by scraping and burnishing the plate with special tools.

The photos above show a plain copper plate and one that has been sanded and polished. The edges of the plate have been filed smooth and rounded, so that when the plate is pulled through the press it will not cut the blankets. I am using a sewing needle that is inserted into a pencil holder as my scriber. The back of the plate has been covered with tape, and stop-out varnish is painted around the edges. I decided not to place the plate in a bath of acid, but rather pour a small amount of acid on the plate and feather is around. I discovered that nail polish was a much better stop-out varnish, because it dried faster than the regular commercial stop-out.

When I removed the ground, I held the plate up to white refrigerator so I could see the image. The following day, I reground the plate with universal liquid hard ground and continued to draw, and then exposed these new lines to the acid. The new lines show up as light pink. When this ground was removed, I rubbed a little oil paint into the lines so that I could see the image. I will probably pull a few prints to see how this looks. The image, when it is printed will be in reverse.

The last photo shows some plates and prints. All of the the plates are copper, and some are tarnished, but you can the the images a little better. I am still working on some of these. When I am satisfied with my images, I will pull some prints.

Open Figure Drawing Sessions

2011-03-21T13:20:00.001-07:00

Trying to host an Open Figure Drawing group in a rural area of Vermont is difficult. Attendance is often sparse, but we did manage a few sessions in January and February. These were short pose sessions where the model would take a variety of poses lasting from one minute gestures to 20 minutes. I worked with conte crayons, pastel pencils and a fountain pen on pastel paper. Above are a few of my drawings from some of these sessions. My new thought is that I will try to offer 2 short pose open sessions for drawing and 2 long pose open sessions for painting (or more finished drawings) each month. Hopefully, this will keep the artists inspired. For me, it is encouraging to be around other artists, where we can energize and learn from each other.

Artists who live closer to metropolitan areas have abundant opportunity to choose from many open figure drawing/painting sessions that are offered, sometimes on a daily basis. I hope that if you are an artist, you are able to take advantage of these sessions. Being able to draw from the figure will help hone your observational, as well as drawing, skills, and it will help you in painting and composition.

Winter Landscapes

2011-01-06T15:18:00.001-08:00

January 6, 2011 - Happy New Year everyone! I paint plenty of summer, spring & fall plein air paintings, but I am a wimp when it comes to painting outdoors in the winter. Usually, if I paint landscapes in the winter, I sit in my car with heat on, and paint little studies using watercolor and gouache. Well, today I decided to try out my "Winter" set-up to see if I could manage an outdoor oil.

In the top picture, you can see my set-up. I am using an Open Box M easel that is attached to a tripod. Jack made the little palette box, and I premixed 6 strings of colors in 6 value steps. I have the easel opened all the way, so that the mixing area is fairly vertical. Jack made the panel, and it is coated with homemade gesso from Sarti chalk, which is somewhat absorbent, and toned with rabbit skin glue and dry pigment.

My footwear wasn't really adequate for the cold, so I put down a foam mat to stand on, so it could insulate me from the snow. I wore thin woolen gloves, but handwarmers would have helped.

I painted for around 1 hour and 25 minutes, or until my fingers were too stiff and cold to move, and the result is this little 8"x10" study. It was a fun start to the new year and I hope to do many more winter plein air studies!

Open Figure/Portrait Sessions 2011

2010-11-28T14:03:00.000-08:00

Trying to find the right schedule for my Open Figure/Portrait Sessions has been difficult. I started by hosting a 3 hour session every Saturday with a long pose so that artists work alla prima. I changed it to 4, then 5 hours, twice a month (instead of weekly). Attendance fluctuated greatly, which was very frustrating.

For 2011, I am going back to my original idea...a 3 hour long pose session once a week. The difference will be the day. Instead of Saturday, I am switching this to Wednesdays from noon to 3pm. Again, this is not a class, so artists of all abilities are welcome to come and draw or paint from the model. The drop-in fee will be $10. However, for $50. , paid in advance, the artists can come for 6 session, which will give them one free session. I think that this will be a great idea, and I am hoping that the new day will help.

In addition to the Long Pose Session, I am adding a Short Pose Session, which is more suitable for drawing. The Short Pose Session will be on Thursday evenings from 6pm-8:30pm. The model will take a variety of changing poses, from 1 minute gestures to 20 minute studies. The drop-in fee will be $8., but artists paying $40. in advance can come for 6 sessions, which again gives them one free session.

If there is enough interest, I will add an evening Long Pose Session. Let me know what you think of these changes.

Workshops 2011

2010-11-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

I just updated the information on my Workshops in 2011. You can read descriptions on my website: www.WinslowArtStudio.com on the Workshops page. All of my workshops are intensives that run the full day, and all of the work will be from life where the artists will be analyzing light, form and depth. The principles I teach can be used in any medium, and students can use oils, watermedia or pastels. My workshops are intended to help the artist learn to translate what they see into a believable light effect, so they are more about learning to "see". The classes are not meant to give you a "finished" painting or project, but the help you learn artistic principles that you can put into practice, applying them to your own work long after the workshop ends.

8"x16" Paintings

2010-11-22T16:22:00.001-08:00

Normally, my husband Jack makes all of our panels, but because I tend to paint very fast, I wind up using up the lion's share of his effort. So, I decided to supplement my supply and try out some commercial panels. All of these paintings were done on Ray Mar panels, which are double oil primed and 8"x16". The panels come in packs of 10, and this is a great size for little landscapes as well as still life paintings. As usual, all of these paintings are from life. So far, I have painted in the horizontal format, but I am thinking of trying a few vertical paintings soon.

More Paintings from the Sylvan Gallery Holiday Show

2010-11-19T14:30:00.001-08:00

Here are a few of the plein air paintings on exhibit at Sylvan Gallery in Clinton, CT. I thought you might enjoy seeing my plein air set-up with me painting one of the pictures. It was painted at the Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes, VT. The top picture is a plein air painting that was done in Clinton, CT, and it is one of my largest plein air pieces. I normally paint fairly small when I paint outdoors.

Sylvan Gallery Holiday Show 2010

2010-11-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

Every year Sylvan Gallery in Clinton, CT ( where I exhibit) has a Holiday Show. Most of the paintings are small, and I put in a number of pieces this year. I try to do a couple of "Holiday Theme" paintings (which are really fun to do). In addition to the small still life paintings and themed paintings, I exhibit several of my plein air paintings, and I will add those photos next. If you are in the area, please stop in.

Open Session 11/13/10

2010-11-13T17:11:00.000-08:00

Today's was a beautiful, sunny day in Vermont with temperatures in the 50s, which is rare for this time of year. So, some of the regular painters decided to enjoy the outdoors, and only a few of us painted the model. Lori posed for 4.5 hours. I thought you might enjoy my painting sequence. I am painting on one of the panels Jack made for me for my birthday. He makes his own gesso, and this gesso was made with Sarti Chalk, which is a pale yellow (very beautiful). It has an interesting and somewhat absorbent surface.

As usual, I start out very loosely and work from the general shapes to the more specific details. I use mostly large/medium round and filbert bristle brushes, but as I tighten up my drawing (getting more specific), I will use smaller, softer sables or mixed synthetic brushes. The final result for the day is a 12"x16" study.

Friday Still Life Class

2010-10-16T11:45:00.001-07:00

In addition to my Tuesday evening Still Life class, I teach on Fridays. Fridays are usually pretty quiet and only a couple of people can attend. So, whenever possible, I paint along with the students. Here is a photo of this Friday's session, with the set-up, Maryellen's painting and my own. We had a wonderful time, and when we stepped out of the studio door, we were greeted with SNOW! I guess it's time to get those snow tires back on the car!

Sequences

2010-10-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

I thought you might enjoy another sequence. I actually started my blog with this sequence. This painting is of my daughter Priscilla, and it was painted at my storefront from life, while I was holding Violet (now 6 years old). It is a fast, direct painting, or alla prima painting.

As you can see, I started this painting the way I always do, by getting the pitch and finding my general light and shadow planes. I never start with a tight, finished drawing, but rather with the general shapes, deciding what is essential, what is not essential, and where I want my light effect. This allows me the ultimate freedom to "find" the figure, allowing her to imerge out of a nebulous fog, where I can change and edit as the painting progresses. With each pass, I try to tighten up my drawing, but never sacrifice the illusion of depth or light. I am a realist, but I do not want my paintings to be primitive (showing every little detail which flattens the illusion) or photographic (like HD TV, which over-sees, or has hyper-vision, and loses the magic).

Making Changes

2010-10-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

I decided that the leaves I painted in...just didn't work. So, I completely scraped out the leaf on the right, and repainted the background. Then, I scraped out most of the leaf on the left, and I painted another leaf that leaned away from me and towards the background. As I start to refine my painting, I tighten up my drawing.

A little more work on the still life

2010-10-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

I babysat for 2 of my grandchildren today, so once again, my studio time was very short. The weather is turning colder, and the grape leaves on the vine by my garage are starting to fade with each frost. We haven't had a real hard frost yet, but that can happen any day. I decided that I had better try to paint some of those leaves, before there were none to be painted. My original set up had just the right ones, but they had wilted before I had a chance to paint them in. These new ones weren't the same, but they would do. I mix up more green and quickly painted them. I also picked a few more leaves from my apple tree, because the ones in this set up had curled and drooped. I began to develop my grapes a little more, too.

Painting from life, with real fruits (vegetables, flowers, etc.) that are not quite "still" means that your painting takes on a more organic air, with changes and developments that force you to go with the flow. Being willing to adapt and flexible enough to make the changes is fun. Keeping everything unified is the goal. Hopefully, I will get to work on this tomorrow.

Still Life Sequence

2010-10-02T20:04:00.000-07:00

We have a grapevine that grows along the side of our garage. Most years, we get a frost before we actually get grapes, but this year the frost held off. I started this painting late in the afternoon under natural light, so I had to paint fast. I thought that you might enjoy seeing the sequence. This is painted on a gessoed panel. Jack made a batch of panels for me for Mother's Day. They are slightly absorbent.

I start very loosely, with big general shapes. So, in the first photo, the big blob could have been anything, but what I really saw was a big dark mass, or value shape, against the background. the following photos show how I worked into the mass, developing my forms. I generally work from my middle values, and with each pass I go a little lighter in the lights and darker in the shadows. The whole time I am drawing with the brush and trying to maintain an illusion of depth and bulk, as well as thinking about planes of light.

This is as far as I got today before the light faded. If I can get into the studio tomorrow, I will continue. When I set up the arrangement, I had grape leaves, but they wilted long before I got them in, so I will pick more and try to recreate what I originally envisioned.

Old Storefront/studio - classes

2010-10-02T06:10:00.000-07:00

When I had the storefront/studio (2001-2007), I offered some weekly classes, as well as an occasional workshop. I had a head studies weekly class with a model, and the last picture here shows one of my demos. This man just happened to walk in my store one day, and I asked him if he would pose for a class.

The top photo shows they way I normally looked at the store...with a smock. Basically, I painted in my little back room (see older posts), but when someone came in the store, I came out to show them around and invited them to see what I was working on. It was fun.

The second photo was from one of my 5 day workshops. The workshops usually included still life, outdoor landscape painting, and sometimes included one day with a model.

In case you haven't noticed, I am rather small, and I often use a step-stool when I teach. This will put me at the same height level (or eye level) as my student.

The young student took several classes as part of his high school requirements.

More Pictures of the Old Storefront - Violet

2010-10-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

Before Violet, my first grandchild, was even born, she came to the gallery. She visited often. I believe that children should be exposed to art from an early age. They should visit galleries, museums, and art studios. Museums should not be places where only adults venture. Painting (and drawing) is a visual language that allows us to express ourselves beyond words. Children can learn to appreciate the work and study that goes into creating paintings by watching artists at work. In order to cultivate a society that appreciates art, we need to teach them, starting at a young age, to see beauty in design and color, as well as to value skilled craftsmanship.

More Pictures of the Old Storefront/Studio/Gallery

2010-09-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a few interior pictures of the front room. The large painting on the bottom photo is one of Jack's large studio landscapes. It was painted from his plein air studies, and it was on the cover of American Artist magazine in February 1991, where we had a feature article (our 15 minutes of fame). To the right of the painting is the magazine cover, and I will try to take photos of the whole article and post that for you. Looking at the photos now, I wish I had the hanging system then that I now have in my new studio. It would have made switching painting for display much easier.

When I first opened the studio/gallery, I only showed my paintings and Jack's paintings. We are fairly prolic, and we had more than enough paintings to fill the walls. But after a while, I decided to show some other artist's work, too. The third photo down shows a painting by Elizabeth Torak, and the forth photo down show 2 of Elizabeth Brandon's paintings ( the 2 paintings above the table - she did the covers for Cook's Illustrated for many years) and 1 small vertical painting by Ann Scanlan (lower right).

Drawing in the Old Storefront

2010-09-27T17:33:00.001-07:00

My storefront was located in Jeffersonville, VT. It is a rural community in northern Vermont that is located near a ski resort. Many tourists came through looking for "local art", and they wanted something affordable.

Being an artist is not an easy way to make a living, but I believe that everyone should have something "real", not just a poster to put on their wall. So, I offered head studies from life. These were drawings in pastel/pastel pencil that were done in about 30-45 minutes. The customers would come in and sit by a window, which gave me a dominant light side and shadow side. I would sketch them, as we chatted, and I sold them unframed. Although I did not charge a lot for these sketches, I came to think of it as drawing practice. People paid me to practice....I just didn't get to keep the drawing. :D

Painting in Small Spaces - My old Studio/Storefront

2010-09-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

From 2001-2007, I rented a storefront on Main Street in Jeffersonville, VT, which occupied the entire downstairs area of the building. It was my studio/gallery where I painted from life, taught classes and sold my paintings (and my husband's and a few fellow artist's paintings). My storefront was one of 4 galleries that were located on the road, but I was the only one that was an Open Studio/Gallery that was open year round.

Although I painted throughout the store, most of my paintings were done in a tiny, unheated back room, that had acted as a storeroom for the stores, and at one point, post office that had previously occupied this storefront. This back room had shelves all around and a north-facing window. I blocked off the bottom section of this window with foamcore, so that my light could come in at a slight angle. All of my props were stored on the open shelves, and I often used the shelves themselves for my still life table. If I wanted to do a larger painting, I had to set up a table (and sometimes a small dresser which contained more props and draperies).

The room was very small, and it was impossible to step back far enough to get a picture of the painting and the set-up together. To analyze my paintings (because I usually step back to check my painting as I paint) I began using a reducing glass, which gave me the effect of stepping way back. In the first picture which shows the room, my painting in progress, and a bit of the set-up, you can see part of the door on the left. In that photo, you can also see the ceiling, which was made of wooden slats. If it rained for more than 2 days, water would begin to drip along the slats onto me, my work, my props, etc., and I would have bowls, buckets and various containers catching the water that plopped around me as I painted. The longer it rained, the further in the rain would come along the slats. My other concern (besides water) was that the paint chips rained down. I had the suspicion that they were lead chips.

I painted here almost every day, and anyone could come in and watch. Customers were usually surprised to find an artist actually painting from life, and it was a great teaching opportunity.

The 2 paintings that are shown in this post were 24"x30" (top painting) and 20"x24" (bottom painting), and these were about as large as I could go. Both of these paintings sold at the storefront.

Painting Demo Under Artificial Light

2010-09-25T21:01:00.001-07:00

Every Tuesday evening from 6pm-9pm, I teach a still life class. Because it is an evening class, we paint under artificial light. These lights run parallel to my skylights along the north side, so the light mimics the natural light. The previous post shows these artificial lights above the skylights. I usually set up several still life arrangements on the east and west sides of the studio, and the students are free to choose an arrangement. Most students stand to paint, so I have the arrangements raised to under eye level. For the students who are seated, lower arrangements are set up. In these photos, you can see some of my other arrangements.

This past Tuesday night class, I painted a demo of my geraniums. It is painted on a gessoed panel that is 14"x18". In the top photo, you can see the start, with the gesture indicated, and the background started. The following pictures show the general mass into flat value shapes for the leaves, pot and blossoms. Once these were in place, I started adding planes of light, and I began modeling in the light, as well as in the shadow, always keeping in mind where I was on my value scale. With each pass, I tried to get a little tighter, drawing into the mass. I talked the whole time, and students were free to ask questions. I think that demonstrating is important, and I feel that students learn a great deal when the demonstration is interactive.

Painting under artificial light

2010-09-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

Because most of the students who take my classes have day jobs, I teach a still life class on Tuesday evenings from 6pm-9pm. This means that I have to use artificial light, instead of the beautiful natural light coming from the north-facing skylights. To replicate the effect of natural light, I have a series of full spectrum lights installed above and parallel to my skylights. This allows the light to come in at the same (or approximately the same) angle as the natural light from the skylights. Sometimes I choose to turn all of the lights on, but I have the option of just using the middle lights or the end lights, too. In general, I have many still life arrangements for the students to choose from set up on the east and west sides of the studio and the students are in the middle of the room, so any of the lighting possibilities work, and we try them all to see what looks best. It all depends on the effect we are trying to get on the arrangements.

Before teaching in the evenings, I generally never painted under artificial light, but these lights and the high angle make it an acceptable alternative, and we have gotten some nice results. With artificial light the shadows are harsher than with natural light, but knowing this, one can soften these.

Camping & Painting

2010-09-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

September 15, Jack & I drove to Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island in Maine, which is about an 8 hour drive from Vermont, to do a little ocean painting. We camped out 2 nights, one in the pouring rain, but we did manage to do a couple of plein air sketches before driving back on September 17. We would have stayed longer, but I had hired a model for the Open Figure/Portrait session (which we host twice a month).

Cadillac Mountain is accessible by car and has numerous walking paths around the summit for a spectacular view of the water and surrounding areas. We hiked out along the path and set up our equipment. It was really windy and cold, which meant hanging on to the easel and paper towels, so they wouldn't blow away. To my amazement, they were tons of tourists who kept stopping by to say hello and take our pictures.

Here are my 2 sketches, along with a shot of our campsite in Bass Harbor. The top photo is of Jack by the tent. We were the only tenters at this time of the year, so we got a prime site with a platform (good for when it rains...and it did...quite a bit). The second photo is the sketch I did by Otter Cliffs in Acadia. The figure in the painting is Jack. It is a 10"x12" oil on linen. The bottom photo is from the top of Cadillac Mountain, and my sketch is 11"x14" and is also an oil on linen. Both of these sketches were done on site on Thursday.

More Changes

2010-09-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

Jack has changed paintings before. Some have radical changes and some have subtle changes. Here is a radical change. The top photo is the before picture. On this painting, he completely repainted the sky, making it much more dramtic, and he also changed the cows.

Making Changes

2010-09-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

Recently, My husband Jack asked me to retrieve one of his paintings ("Framing") from one of the galleries that shows our work, because he wanted to make some changes. He had been thinking about them for a while. The painting was actually started in September 2008, right before he started painting the large vertical landscape. Both this still life, "Framing" and the "By the Upper Brewster" first hung in Southern Vermont Art Center in June 2009.

I looked through some old photos to see if I had any showing Jack working on this still life, as well as a photo of how the painting did look before the recent changes. I did. So, I hope that you find this interesting.

After thinking about this painting for some time, he decided that it needed a little "something", and I think his additions are fabulous.

The top photo shows the painting the way it looks now, with the addition of the sticky note and label on the box of screw eyes. The photo under that shows the way the painting looked previously. It was framed originally in a black frame, and now it has a plain, weather-beaten green one. The photo under that shows the start, and the one below that shows him painting, where you can see a glimpse of the set-up.

Prismatic Palette Painters

2010-09-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

Frank J. Reilly was another artist who studied with Frank Dumond. He also started his own art school, the Frank Reilly School of Art, that continued the tradition of a controlled prismatic palette. Students would mix a very exact palette of value scales. One of the artists that joined us in the June landscape group, Randy, came from this background. Dumond's influence on plein air painting is huge.

Fran Hoyt studied with Frank Dumond in the 20s and 30s, and continued to paint and teach the Dumond palette to serious students for decades. Gil Perry studied with Fran, and he also painted with our group this June.

It was so much fun to meet and paint with other artists who use the prismatic palette.

Prismatic Palette Painters

2010-09-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

When Frank Mason passed away in June 2009, students who had studied in his landscape painting workshops, continued to go to Stowe, Vermont. Some of us continued to meet, using the same format (meeting 2 days for field study and 1 for a general crit). In some ways, it was a tribute to a great teacher, in addition to being inspired by working alongside of other artists coming from the same tradition. Many of these old students had studied with Frank in different decades, and we all shared what we had learned during our years of study with him.

The prismatic palette, and its use in landscape painting, originally came from Frank Dumond (Frank Mason's teacher), and many of Dumond's students went on to teach this palette, as well. Arthur Maynard was another Dumond student, who opened his own art school, the Ridgewood Art Institute. In turn, Arthur's students, like Frank Mason's students, continue to teach this tradition. So, some of the artists that continue to come up to Vermont to paint together for the month of June include artists who studied with other branches of the Dumond Family (not just Mason students), but who understand and continue to use this palette.

The box that you see in many of my photos is the landscape palette in a vertical format. The colors that you see are in steps, or gradated tones (values), and they can help the artist quickly "key" or "pitch" a painting to create an illusion of light. This palette helps to establish atmospheric perspective, establishing space and depth in the painting.

This year, we met at some of the old "spots", shared many new "spots" and had Saturday crits, followed by pot luck dinners, at different host's homes.

Prismatic Palette Painters

2010-09-12T08:19:00.001-07:00

Frank Mason taught at the Art Students League from 1951. I studied with him from 1973-1978, and I also studied in his month-long plein air workshops in June. In his landscape class, the students met with him for outdoor painting with instruction 2 times a week, usually one sunrise and one sunset class. The third class of the week was a big crit, where students brought plein paintings that were done during the week (which Frank hadn't seen). He taught by "showing" the student how artistic principles work, so yes, he painted on your painting. Painting is visual, and it is best to teach it visually, so the student not only could hear the teacher's instruction but see it. Students would follow Frank around to the different easels, watching and listening as he transformed each piece. Often, the "crit" or instruction you needed was on another student's painting, that "Aha" moment.

Prismatic Palette Painters

2010-09-10T05:54:00.000-07:00

I have an interesting painting lineage. I studied with Frank Mason at the Art Students League and in his outdoor landscape painting workshops in Vermont. In Frank's class, we mixed a Prismatic Palette for landscape painting. The bottom picture of me (1982) is from one of Frank Mason's landscape workshops, which he held every year in Stowe, Vermont for the whole month of June. Frank Mason learned this from his teacher, Frank Vincent Dumond (top photo), and I continue to use it and teach it in my classes.

Landscape workshop June 2010

2010-06-10T16:28:00.001-07:00

With 2 painting session per day, the student's paintings improved. By Friday, they were really beginning to understand atmospheric perspective, and they were starting to "pitch" and simplify by "massing" their big value shapes.

One of the rainy days, we painted under the shelter of a big gazebo, and on the other days, we painted at various locations around Cambridge and Jeffersonville. With a small class, Jack and I got to paint, too. We went around and helped each student individually, but we also had students follow us around to observe the other crits. Watching us re-mass, explaining, as well as showing, "why" and "how" certain colors work to bring a sense of atmosphere and depth to a painting, really acelerated learning.

Landscape workshop June 2010

2010-06-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures from the workshop. I will add more later.

5 Day Plein Air Workshop - June 2010

2010-06-08T19:37:00.001-07:00

We started this year's class along the recreation path in Jeffersonville. Jack did a small demo in the morning to explain massing and to encourage students to do small thumbnail sketches.

Open Studio Weekend - May 29-30, 2010

2010-06-08T18:56:00.001-07:00

Winslow Art Studio participated in the 18th annual Vermont statewide Open Studios Weekend that was held May 29-30. For 2 days all participating studios are open to the public. People make a day of it and wander from one studio to another, enjoying the art. I decided to do some painting demonstrations, so on Saturday I painted a portrait and on Sunday I painted a still life. A small, but steady stream of people came in and watched on both days.

In addition to the demonstrations, I had prizes. Maryellen won my painting, "Fresh Veggies", and 4 other people won a free class. My granddaughter helped pick the winning names.

We had little snacks and pastries, as well as plenty of pretzels for all. The pretzels were a huge hit, especially with the grandkids!

Various Palettes

2010-03-29T16:27:00.001-07:00

I have been painting a long time (since 1973 when I started studying with Frank Mason at the Art Students League), and since that time I had been using pretty much the same palette, or line-up of colors. This palette was a "Cadmium Palette", meaning I used the full range of cadmiums paints, from cadmium yellow lemon to cadmium red deep. Along with the cadmium colors, I used alizarin crimson, cerulean blue, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, raw umber, burnt umber, titanium white (of flake) and ivory black. Under my standard line-up, I made a series of grays using black and white.

When we built our new studio, I decided to expand my knowledge of color a bit, and I started trying different colors in my line-up. Most of the above palettes were used in different "Open" Figure/Portrait Sessions. The above pictures show some of my experiments. As you can see, the grayscale is the one consistency. I learned that there are other colors that I now use and love. Terra Rosa, Viridian, Orange Ochre, and Cadmium Brown are among some of them. Trying new colors keeps you from falling into a formula. It keeps you thinking and problem solving as use paint.

Open Figure/Portrait Sessions 2010

2010-03-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Twice a month, I host an Open Figure/Portrait Session. With the longer days, I shifted the hours to noon to 5pm. This seems to work for most people. Today's model wore a wonderful costume that she had made. To get the nice warm, reflected light, I opened the shutters on our south-facing window and draped it with material. This stopped the direct sun, but left a nice warm glow that you can see on the right side of the figure. It was fun to contrast the cool north light with the warm reflected light.

Working on Still Life

2010-03-17T05:57:00.001-07:00

I added the blue print to the pitcher.

March

2010-03-16T18:48:00.001-07:00

With the coming of March, I began painting with renewed energy. The longer days always make me happy. I can paint in natural light until around 6pm, so I have several paintings going at once. Purchasing a bouquet of supermarket roses inspired several paintings so far this month. The top photo shows a previously painted head study that I re-worked by adding a crown of flowers. The other photos show the set-ups and paintings, and the bottom one shows the start.

Open Figure/Portrait Sessions 2010

2010-02-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

The Saturday Open Figure/Portrait Sessions are held the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month. So, we have had 4 sessions this year. All of our models were wonderful and offered different challenges. We had one nude, a mother and 6 month old baby, a woman in a medieval costume and a young man with a mandolin and really neat jacket. Here are a few photos from some of the sessions. It is fun to try to complete a study in one session, and it is great to paint with friends.

Jack's Screen

2010-02-06T19:41:00.001-08:00

Jack has painted three double-sided screens over the years. All of them had three panels, but this is the only one with the rounded top on the middle panel, and it is my favorite! It stands in the corner of the new studio now, and it serves as the "changing room" for the model. We turn it around periodically, so that we can enjoy both sides. In the top photo, Violet is standing in front of it. On this side is the story of the Fox and the Crane from Aesop's Fables. In the second photo, Violet is peeking out from behind the screen. Can you see her? And in the third photo (which was taken at night), the story of the Fox and the Grapes from Aesop's Fables is seen. Walking into the studio and seeing this wonderful painting (paintings) makes me smile!

Watercolor & Gouache

2010-01-30T17:54:00.000-08:00

More winter painting in watercolor & gouache from the comfort of my car. All of these are small and on toned paper. I usually use Canson pastel paper on the "rough" side.

Watercolor & Gouache

2010-01-30T16:27:00.000-08:00

Stapleton Kearns's blog, which you can get to from my links, has been discussing painting winter landscapes outdoors. Oils paints get very stiff in frigid temperatures, and I hate painting with cold hands. So, rather than standing outside and freezing, my alternative for doing winter landscapes is to paint from the comfort of my car with the heater on and the wipers going when necessary. I use a combination of transparent and opaque watercolors on toned paper. These samples are very small (usually 4"x6" or 5"x7"), and it is easier to do a small watercolor/gouache in the car, where water is the only medium sloshing around, than it is to do a small oil, where the smell of your solvent can be too strong in a confined space.

I have discovered other artists who do something similar. One is Erik Tiemens who has an inspiring blog called Virtual Gouache Land (great title), another is Nathan Fowkes, and also Marc Hanson (who I discovered on Facebook), Marc has a nice, little winter study from his car on his January 13th post.

Creating studies, using transparent and opaque watercolors, is not new. Turner, Whistler, Sargent, and Homer all used them, so don't let the modern notion of leaving the white of the paper, for your white, deter you from trying this delightful technique.

If you want to paint a winter scene (without freezing or resorting to painting from photographs), I suggest gouache and watercolor painting en car. :D

Trying new things - Painting at other studios

2010-01-25T17:09:00.000-08:00

From October - December 2009, I painted twice a month with a group of artists called the High Street Painters. They are located in Brattleboro, VT, which is a 3 hour drive from my house. They meet at the studio of Andrea Scheidler, who is one of the Putney Painters. The studio is located in a storefront along High Street.

The studio is very different from mine. Where my light source is natural light coming from north-facing skylights, the light here is completely artificial. The model had a strong spotlight with a diffuser-type shade that gave a nice light. Andrea hired lovely models and had very interesting props, so her set-ups were much more elaborate than mine.

It is interesting to paint with other professional painters who have a completely different approach. It keeps you learning and prompts you to attempt new things. Prior to painting with them, I had never really used viridian in figure/portraits.

These photos are from a few different sessions.

Thursday Evening Painting Demo

2010-01-22T16:21:00.001-08:00

My weekly Thursday evening class is normally a still life class. However, this week I thought a portrait demo would be helpful because I want to change the weekly format to 3 still life classes and 1 portrait class per month. My daughter Annie posed, and here are a few photos from the session.

I used an extended palette, rather than a limited palette, and the painting is 14"x18".

Drawing - Endings

2010-01-17T16:28:00.001-08:00

Trying to continue painting, drawing, or practicing any of the arts when you become a mom takes effort. You are a caregiver. On the other end of the spectrum, you may find yourself taking care of your parents or some older loved one, so you become a caregiver again. The same time restraints exist, if you are taking care of an older person that exists when you take care of young children, and it becomes very difficult to do artwork. Being flexible and often multi-tasking, in both situations, and not placing unrealistic expectations on yourself, is the way to go.

In 2007, I took care of my Mother-in-Law who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Taking care of an Alzheimer's patient, is very similar to caring for a young child, where constant supervision, support and guidance is needed. It takes a lot of work, and there is very little time to do any sort of artwork. During this period, I did several drawings.

I had always wanted to paint my Mother-in-Law when she was younger, but she never wanted to pose then. At this stage in her life, when the opportunity presented itself, she would sit and I would draw her. She seemed flattered that "The girl who whistled" (she couldn't remember my name) liked to study her face. It was a difficult time, but I am glad that I got this chance to draw her. Having my paper and drawing supplies ready made it possible. She passed away at home in February 2007. She was 86 years old.

Drawing - Beginnings

2010-01-17T15:56:00.000-08:00

Drawing from life is a very intimate look into the way an artist sees and thinks. I like to draw on toned paper with conte, pastel pencils and white chalk. When my grandson George was born in Oregon, I did 2 tiny drawings of him when he was 3 days old. Being ready to draw, when the opportunity...or that little bit of time presents itself (like, when your child naps) is key to continuing to draw (or paint) when you become a mom.

Like my paintings, my drawings are often fast, notes really, suggesting light and form.

Casts

2010-01-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

We began collecting casts when we attended the Art Students League in New York back in the seventies. Drawing and painting from a cast is extremely helpful in learning about planes of light, construction, proportion, and anatomy. Knowledge you gain from this can then be applied to painting from a model. Artists approach the study of casts in a variety of ways. We tend to fall into the comparative measuring group.

The top picture is a quick, little drawing in charcoal, conte and white chalk that I did. The middle picture shows our collection of casts. Some are masks, which hang against a wall, and some are free standing. Others are anatomical studies showing the muscles, one shows the planes of the head, and some are from famous sculptures. Jack is doing an oil study on paper from one of our masks.

Painting with kids

2010-01-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

When your children have outgrown the backpack and playpen, you can have them paint with you in the studio. Jack made Violet a pint-sized version of our studio easels (that he also made). She is very proud of her easel and even sometimes lets Emma use it.

In the top photo, Emma is using the easel. She is 2 years old in this photo. Her studio attire includes big rubber boots with ducks! I was working on a floral still life while Emma painted. You can see my set-up and easel, and if you look down a few photos, you can see me working on this painting.

Violet is painting in the middle photo, and she is standing next to the little easel in the last photo. I included this bottom picture because you can see Jack's big landscape, "Vermont Summer" on the wall. This painting was on the cover of American Artist magazine in February 1991, which included a nice article about both of us. :)

Moms who Paint

2010-01-13T06:27:00.001-08:00

My daughter Priscilla is a mom who paints. Moms who paint need to be flexible, they need to be able to paint whenever they can (like between naps) but setting aside some time to paint is important. Being prepared is also important. If you have little children, some sort of playpen that can be set up in your painting area so that the child can see you, works well. Priscilla attends some of the "Open" figure/portrait sessions, but she also sets up and paints still life in my studio. A backpack and a playpen become part of a mom/artist's painting equipment.

Moms who Paint

2010-01-13T06:12:00.001-08:00

My original thought on my blog was to encourage moms who paint. When I began teaching, around 1997, I discovered that many of the women in my workshops or classes had painted in high school or college, and then they stopped cold when they had children. No doubt, it is hard to keep painting with little kids, but I did it, and I had 5 children within 9 years, so I know it can be done. It does take some planning and a few gadgets, but it can be done. Here are a few pictures of my daughter Priscilla. She attends the "Open" figure sessions when she can. As you can see, she uses a backpack, which is what I did too. You can see many more pictures, if you keep going back to older posts in the blog, where I am painting with a backpack. The backpack is a mom's best friend.

Open Figure/Portrait Sessions 2009

2010-01-12T17:26:00.001-08:00

One of the best things about the new studio is sharing it with other artists. The "Open" figure/portrait sessions give artists a chance to draw or paint directly from a model. Originialy, we hosted these sessions every Saturday from 1pm-4pm, but beginning in November, we began holding them the second and forth Saturday of each month from 10am-4pm. Artists bring their own materials, but we have 8 easels and some tables available to use. It is fun to try new things. I began experimenting with various limited palettes.

Still posting things that happened in 2009...

2010-01-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

I taught 3 workshops for Southern Vermont Art Center in Manchester, VT in 2009. The top pictures shows me doing a crit for one of my students in the Elements of Landscape Painting workshop. The bottom picture shows me doing one of many florals that I produced in the summer.

2 Person Show at Visions of Vermont Gallery 2009

2010-01-04T21:08:00.000-08:00

I took the top picture after the opening, but I like looking through the dining room to the other room where Jack is sitting in front of his painting. Having a show, and keeping it intact for the duration of the show, is often difficult. As people purchased work, some wanted to take the paintings, which of course changes the overall look of the show. So, when this happened, Jane put the "red dots" and the labels along the door frame to indicate which paintings had sold.

In the bottom picture, you can see my daughter's family again and another artist friend. The painting on the right sold and was taken after the opening.

2 Person Show at Visions of Vermont Gallery 2009

2010-01-04T20:43:00.001-08:00

Our paintings hung in 5 rooms. In the top picture, I am standing behind Jamie, who studies with me on Thursday evenings. You can see some of her work, if you scroll down to view pictures from my Thursday night classes. My painting on the right sold.

The bottom photo is one of Jack's large studio paintings. It is 48"x72" (image), and it was painted from a compilation of several of his plein air paintings and drawings. We are posed in front of this painting in the pictures below.

2 Person Show at Visions of Vermont Gallery 2009

2010-01-04T20:26:00.001-08:00

Jack and I had three 2-Person exhibits in 2009. The first was at the Southern Vermont Art Center in Manchester, where I also taught 3 workshops this past summer. The second was at Visions of Vermont Fine Art in Jeffersonville, Vermont. It is a beautiful gallery in a restored Victorian home on Main Street. The exhibition celebrated 30 years of Winslow Art Studio, and our paintings hung throughout the home and were on display for the month of October. Here are some photos from the opening. In the top picture, we are standing in front of another one of Jack's large landscapes with our daughter, Anne, and 4 of our grandchildren. In the bottom picture, you can see some of our paintings, the gallery owners Jane and Terry, and our daughter Priscilla with her 3 children. I thought Emma's crown was excellent opening attire. :)

Exploring Limited Palettes

2010-01-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

Anders Zorn, a Swedish painter and contemporary of John Singer Sargent, was reputed to have painted many of his protraits using just these 4 colors: white, black, yellow ochre and vermillion. In 2009, I began exploring this palette in my "Open" figure/portrait sessions. The model for this session had huge blue eyes, and it was a challenge to make her eye appear blue, without using any blue paint.

Exploring Limited Palettes

2010-01-02T07:52:00.000-08:00

In 2009, I began exploring various limited palettes in my figure/portrait painting sessions. The one that was most intriguing was the alleged "Zorn" palette, which consisted of these 4 colors: white, black, yellow ochre and vermillion (or cadmium red light).

Every Saturday, I hosted an "Open" figure/portrait session at my studio from 1pm-4pm, and the model would take a repeated pose. Here we are towards the end of the session, and I am holding Phineus, my grandson.

5 Day Workshop June 2009 - Winslow Art Studio

2009-12-30T16:56:00.001-08:00

Our 5 Day workshop began with Jack doing a landscape painting demonstration. In these 2 photos, you can see the start, which was on a prepared, toned paper taped to a board. You can also see his landscape palette, with value/tonal scales organized onto a vertical shelves. The idea of the demo was not to do a finished painting, but to show students how to analyze the scene in terms of planes, values and aerial perspective. We teach students to simplify by working in mass (or value shapes), and to go from the general to the specific. In outdoor landscape painting, things are changing constantly: the light, the wind, the weather, etc. will effect what you are looking at. We have much less control in landscape painting than we do in indoor work (still life, portrait, etc.), but if we can understand underlying universal artistic principles, we can sort through the data choose essential information to create a unified, believable light effect.

5 Day Workshop June 2009 - Winslow Art Studio

2009-12-30T16:53:00.001-08:00

5 Day Workshop June 2009 - Winslow Art Studio

2009-12-30T16:46:00.001-08:00

Always step back and view your painting from a distance.

5 Day Workshop June 2009 - Winslow Art Studio

2009-12-30T16:38:00.000-08:00

As you can see, we have our students making value scales. Here are Lynn and Lester with their scales laid out horizontally. In some of the photos, you will see the palette in a vertical form. The vertical form gives you more room to mix. In the bottom photo, where Jack is giving Lester a lesson in massing, he has 2 palettes: one with the scales and the other to mix.

5 Day Workshop June 2009 - Winslow Art Studio

2009-12-30T16:28:00.000-08:00

Our 5 day workshop consisted of landscape painting, still life and one day for head studies. For the landscape portion, we took students to different locations. The locations were chosen for to teach specific problem solving. Some offered long views and others were more enclosed.

5 Day Workshop June 2009 - Winslow Art Studio

2009-12-30T16:23:00.001-08:00

We painted at different locations in and around Cambridge and Jeffersonville, VT. Here we are at a local swimming hole.

5 Day Workshop June 2009 - Winslow Art Studio

2009-12-30T16:16:00.001-08:00

I painted a demonstration for the still life portion of the workshop. It was fun to do a really dark background. I created the dark background on the set-up by making a quick makeshift shadowbox.

5 Day Workshop June 2009 - Winslow Art Studio

2009-12-30T16:10:00.000-08:00

5 Day Workshop June 2009 - Winslow Art Studio

2009-12-30T16:02:00.001-08:00

We worked into a great routine, with outdoor landscape painting in the morning, a break for lunch, and then still life painting in the afternoon. I had several still life arrangements around the room and students could choose to paint what inspired them the most.

5 Day Workshop June 2009 - Winslow Art Studio

2009-12-30T15:48:00.000-08:00

On the last day of the workshop, we explored head studies. I painted a morning demo and then the class painted. At lunch, we had a big barbeque. After lunch, I painted another quick demo, and then the class painted.

June 2009 - 5 Day Workshop with Karen & Jack Winslow

2009-12-30T14:24:00.000-08:00

Frank Mason

2009-12-28T18:03:00.001-08:00

I took this picture at the SVAC exhibition. The woman in the painting also studied with Frank at the same time that Jack and I studied. It is a beautiful painting with dazzling brushwork, yet the most sensitive and subtle nuances. The model and her husband were at the opening, and it was wonderful to see how a beautiful portrait captures the underlying essence of the person. Although, many years had passed since Frank painted this, the model was instantly recognizable, older, but still lovely.

Frank Mason

2009-12-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of Frank's portraits. The top one was of a woman who studied with him at the same time we did, and I love the light effect. The bottom painting was one of Frank's self-portraits, and I first saw it in November, 1973, at the National Arts Club, where he was having a huge retrospective. I joined Frank's class at the Art Students League in December 1973.

Frank Mason

2009-12-28T17:14:00.001-08:00

Frank Mason taught oil painting at the Art Students League of New York from 1951 to 2009. My husband and I were very lucky to have studied with him from 1973-1978. He had a tremendous influence on the way we paint, as well as the way we teach. He taught us to appreciated beauty and to strive to create paintings that excelled in craftsmanship and draftsmanship.

While our 2 - person exhibition was on display in the Entrance Gallery of Southern Vermont Art Center, Frank Mason's solo retrospective exhibit was on display in Gallery I, which was connected to the Entrance. It was an honor to be showing at the same time, and it was wonderful to go from our show to his and see many of his paintings that I knew and loved, as well as ones that were new to me. Our shows opened on June 13, and Frank was in the hospital. He passed away on June 16. He was a great painter and a great teacher who will live on in the many students whose hearts he has touched and whose brushes he has inspired.

I hear him when I paint...."Where's the light effect?"

I am going to post several of his paintings for you to enjoy.

More from SVAC

2009-12-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

These 2 paintings were on the landing. The Sunflowers sold at Visions of Vermont Gallery, and the other painting, "Tomatoes" is currently at M Gallery of Fine Art in Sarasota, FL.

More of the SVAC exhibition in June

2009-12-26T18:38:00.001-08:00

2009 2-person exhibition at the Southern VT Art Center

2009-12-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

Our 2 person show opened June 13. The SVAC has 2 floors with several rooms, and each room serves as a "Solo" show (or 2-person). Our show was hung in the Entrance Gallery and grand stairs.

June 2009 - 2 person exhibition at Southern VT Art Center

2009-12-26T18:07:00.000-08:00

Here are 3 of my paintings: Peonies - 18"x24" oil on panel by Karen Winslow

The Arts - 36"x30" oil on linen by Karen Winslow

A Glimpse of the Sound - 16"x24" oil on linen by Karen Winslow

Exhibitions in 2009

2009-12-26T18:03:00.001-08:00

Here is the big landscape that Jack had been working on. It was the centerpiece for our exhibit at the Southern Vermont Art Center. It is now at M Gallery of Fine Art in Sarasota, FL.

Exhibitions in 2009

2009-12-26T17:31:00.000-08:00

Jamie

2009-12-26T16:44:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo of the painting and the set-up.

Jamie

2009-12-23T17:12:00.000-08:00

When we built our new studio, we made sure that it was handicap accessible. Jamie is an amazing young woman. Because she has very limited movement, she is unable to paint alla prima (one shot). So, I have her painting with a monochromatic underpainting, which she later glazes with color. She is patient beyond words and carefully analyzes her values and works her masses until she is pleased with the way everything looks. When the underpainting is dry, she applies the glazes. She is an inspiration.