Blue Coo Ka Chu

  As promised in a previous post, here is another piece from my trip to Door County. The day "Ole Blue" (12x12") was painted the sky was overcast but the mood Amongst the painters was all sunshine! I learned right after I 

Ole Blue, 12x12, available

had finished this piece that I was to speak to a good sized crowd of collectors and art enthusiasts. I had a good time talking and enjoyed learning about the other artists that spoke. Also learning last minute that I had to speak helped not having to over think it, which I tend to do. 

Perched

This piece "Perched" 20x20" is one of my favorites of recent. The odd viewing angle and cropping that seems very momentary. Not a traditional view or composition by any means. It kinda makes you feel like Im a Lobster Trap on the way to a boat. ha! The deeper dark pattern and lighter halftone helped me keep this pattern big and clean. Good times.

   One of the things I like to talk about in my class and workshops is the implied (accidental or on purpose) meaning of the the angle of view and cropping. For example in a traditional Portrait looking slightly up at the subject, shows them in a grand more admirable way. Just the same as looking down on a person implies pity, maybe shame or in need of protection. Move this type thinking into landscape work and you will notice some different things when looking at master works. Things like is the boat entering or leaving the picture, are you part of the image or are you removed via distance of foreground? Are you showing a bird's angle or a worm's angle. That's a tough one when you are 6'4".. I am looking into portable seating to get a different angle sometimes in the future.

 Some of my favorites were the way(some of) the Russian Impressionists when doing forest scenes from within the forest would keep the perspective up close and exciting showing you the Grand impressiveness (is that a word?) of nature without it being an open expansive scene. To explain a little better, they would keep the tree trunks deeply angled so that at, depending on the painting, certain areas would taper away from you showing you where the painter was looking and creating a personal perspective. I cant remember certain names right now as I type but will come back and edit this post with some links soon.

 I once asked a fellow painter who happens to be Russian ( no names here) "How did they teach drawing in Russia? Sight size? Relative shapes? Gesture first type of thing? this painter responded... "We just understand and draw" ..  more, Good times.

Perched 20x20, Available at Camden Falls Gallery