ArtBlog

Oil painting with glazes January, 2010

Glazing consists of applying one or multiple layers of diluted pigment to a dry under painting. When light travels through a transparent glazed surface, bounces off the color underneath and travels back through the glaze, it emits an incomparable luminescence. As a painting technique glazing has been used over centuries by many artists to render a unique luminous effect, sophisticated color nuances and transparencies not attainable by a direct mixture of colors.

There is considerable dispute as to which glazing formulas work best. Since glazing can alter the original color cast from a mere transparent subtle change of hue to a more drastic change depending upon the opacity, it is essential to experiment with several formulas. Additional variations might include changes from a matte to a glossy finish depending on the medium used. And, to make matters further more complicated, the pigments themselves vary in their inherent transparency or opacity.

In general any of the following ingredients can be used in your glazing recipe:

Dammar varnish, linseed oil, stand oil, fast drying alkyd medium, turpentine or mineral spirits. A formula that has worked well for me consists of mixing 2/3 of a painting medium such as Liquin with 1/3 of odorless mineral spirits to which I add at first a very small amount of pigment. The amount of pigment can easily be adjusted later. If I plan on keeping the glaze for a while in a small glass container I simply add more mineral spirits. Liquin is a fast drying medium and over some time the stored glaze will dry out unless one adds a bit more mineral spirits. The following pigments are particularly transparent and work well when used in glazes: Indian yellow, raw sienna, alizarin crimson, viridian, ultramarine blue and indigo. Glazes are best applied with soft brushes. If you choose to apply several coats of glazes you will need to let each one dry thoroughly before applying the next.

Contrary to some information I have read on the subject, I find glazes easy to use and remarkably forgiving as areas can be swiftly wiped off and reworked. So, venture into your painter’s kitchen, mix a few batches of glaze and try glazing on an old canvas. This versatile painting technique might just open new and exciting modes of expressions for you!

Holiday Melancholy

December 2009

No Title

The ash grey field ahead
In its enormity distorted
And every space filled
With rocks in boredom blank
Wide open towards fading light
Still expecting a vision
As if it hadn’t happened
As if it were still possible
Within reach in each breath
Yet how stark the horizon
And how numb your canvas
When your heart in silence
Remembers a train gone by

Copying others November, 2009

“Good artists borrow. Great artists steal” Picasso, 1881-1973

We all get inspired by art and the sensory world around us as we should. Writers get inspired by other writers. Painters get inspired by other painters. Copying other artists can have its merit as a tool to further learning. It is also an open door to gain insights into the creative process of a particular artist whose work one admires. Many view copying as a worthwhile exercise that can help you refine your skills and technique.

There are of course degrees of “copying” from a mirror image of the original to a piece that has undergone so many layers of interpretation, it has become a completely new piece. Copying is not synonymous with getting inspired or influenced by some one else’s vision. If I may be so bold as to interpret Picasso’s quotation, I would say: immature artists copy, good artists borrow and great artists steal. I think perhaps what he meant by stealing, is that in the process of inspiration and imitation we need to indeed reinterpret and transform what has already been done with our language and our own vision.

Borrowing is not copying. Copying another artist’s painting without giving credit to the original is plagiarism. While copying can be a tool, making it a habit is not the answer. You are robbing yourself of the opportunity to develop your own creative voice.

Composition October 2009

“And after drawing comes composition. A well composed painting is half done.”Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947)

A composition in a painting is by definition the arrangement of shapes and colors on a surface. Placement is obviously important and needs some thought. What is a good composition? Opinions differ. Like everything in art, there are no rules. There are some techniques and strategies that you might find more effective and expressive than others.

I know I have a composition that works for me, when my eye gets drawn to the entire surface of the canvas and not to just one area and, when both positive and negative spaces have been treated with equal importance. A successful composition may also include some tension or drama even some ambiguity as well as more quiet passages. The decision behind placement ultimately has to do with intent beyond merely engaging an interest. Do you intent to report visual accuracy? Do you intent to create an illusion of depth? Do you intent to suggest a mood or an emotion? Do you intent to show movement or stillness?

When composing my paintings I try to stay away from the predictable. I search for a more unusual perspective. Yet, at times I go against my own guidelines. For example, who hasn’t heard: “don’t put your subject matter dead center!” Well, the design of many of my floral paintings is often centered, but this is usually offset by the choice of bold colors and brushstrokes.

The illustrations below say more than words and explanations

1. Boring 2. More interesting 3. Much more interesting

So, before you start your painting give some thought to where you are going to put what. What are you going to include and exclude? What is your intent? A few quick sketches might be helpful in order to select the composition that most pleases you. Happy painting!

Yvette Stenzel

New beginnings carry the seeds of hope. They are opportunities for change, new perspectives, new directions. New beginnings promote growth.

Every fall I try to bring my excitement for new beginnings to my painting. And, I do this with ceremony as if it were a ritual celebrating a passage. So, come September, I take inventory, clean the studio, get new art supplies, organize paints and brushes and prep canvasses. It fills me with the same enthusiasm and anticipation I experienced as a girl getting ready for a new school year. It energizes me.

The Merits of Drawing August, 2009

“Drawing is the basis of art.” Arshile Gorky (1905-1948)

It would be quite commendable if I could claim that I draw every day. I don’t but I try to do it on a regular basis. I always carry with me both a small sketch book and a pocket camera in case I get inspired or feel I need to record something.

Drawing keeps your eye trained and yours skills sharp. Yes, it does require discipline and discipline can be boring as well as tedious. And boring it will be if you tell yourself so; boredom is but an attitude. The perceived rigor of drawing can seem so contrary to spontaneous creativity, yet one can be as spontaneous with an energetic gesture line as with color on a paint brush. Some fellow artists have gone so far as to say that they really do not need to know how to draw especially if they are not after realism anyway. Whom are they kidding? Drawing is to the artist what practicing scales is to the musician. Whatever kind of music a musician ends up playing or composing, practicing scales is a professional part of his or her routine.

Drawing exercises do not need to be elaborate or time consuming. Start with some common objects around you and simple shapes. Challenge yourself by using ink rather than pencil making corrections more difficult. This will keep you sharper and more focused on your task. Experiment with different mediums such as charcoal or Conté crayons. Soon you will discover what appeals to you. Once you gain greater confidence in your drawing ability, you will be less intimidated by more complex compositions. You may even consider taking a life drawing class. It is the most challenging class I have ever taken; a humbling experience to remember no doubt but one that has greatly enhanced my ability to draw.

You may in the end surprise yourself and discover that lulled by the inherent hypnotic rhythm of repeating lines, drawing can be a soothing opportunity to decompress.

P.S. I recommend, “The New Drawing on the right Side of the Brain Workbook”

Betty Edwards. 2002. Penguin Putnam, Inc.

Feeling a bit sluggish these days? Who hasn’t on occasion felt indolent! Is your technique becoming too familiar and predictable? Before you risk boredom which will erode your élan and eventually send you right down the path of depression, take some action and try something new. Get out of your comfort zone! Engaging in new creative activities is a good way to regain focus and gusto.

Never have taken a life drawing or print making class? Now is the time to sign up! I strongly believe that one art form enhances another. All creative processes are somehow connected. They all participate in making us more aware and in heightening our senses. The greater interdisciplinary exposure you’ll get the more resourceful and adventurous you’ll get. The different modes of expression you will internalize will translate into a greater variety of tools at your disposal.

Of course I am not advocating that you spread yourself all over the place. It is not so much a matter of how many classes you take, but rather a matter of recognizing when you’ll benefit from a change of pace, and when your creativity needs a tune-up. For me it is like taking a vacation from a routine which I periodically need regardless how much I like what I am doing. After such a break I’ll come back to what I usually do with a refreshed eye and renewed energy.

Thoughts on signatures

Obviously a signature is very personal and there are many ways to sign a painting. It took me a while to find my painting signature.

Foremost, I do not want my signature to be so noticeable that it is the first thing one would see upon viewing a painting. I prefer the signature to become an integral part of the painting. I also favor a signature that looks like a signature not like some childish block printing or overly stylized doodle one cannot recognize. I practiced my painting signature for some time until I was satisfied with the results and until it became easy and natural.

Using a small fine brush and plenty of painting medium, I sign my painting as if I painted calligraphy each letter at the time carefully copying my model signature. My signature is not very big and blends in. I choose a color in harmony or in pleasant contrast with the colors in the painting. Once a painting is signed, I habitually write on the back the dimensions, medium and title. This is a good habit that will make record keeping and cataloguing so much easier. While I predominantly sign on the bottom right corner, the placement may vary and I have signed paintings on the bottom left, the top right or left and even on the back. When a painting is very small I’ll either sign it on the back or use just the first two letters of my name on the front. A painting signature does require some planning, thought and awareness. While highly personal and by no means trivial, signing your art is an affirmative act of ownership.

Why not exhibit your art? May, 2009

When I recently helped to organize a student art show, I realized how very important it is for each participant to exhibit his or her work. An art opening or show is not only an exciting event, it is foremost a learning experience for every serious artist. Unless you choose to be an artist only for the sake of being an artist, exhibiting is an important aspect of the creative process. A work of art carries a message; it invites a dialogue between the artist and viewers. Sharing your artwork with others is a logical conclusion. Why bother making a statement and sending a message to no intended receiver? Why not exhibit your art?

You may be asking yourself whether you are ready or good enough to exhibit your work. If you are ready to hang a piece you created somewhere on a wall in your house or apartment, then you are both ready and good enough. Anyway, such questions are not productive as they will invariably plant self-doubt and derail you. When you find yourself on such a path and we all do at times, practice strategies of detachment and risk taking.

Planning to exhibit one’s work even if it just involves one piece, starts with a myriad of questions with regard to selection, title, signature, selection of frames and price. Furthermore, this may also be a great opportunity for you to work on your own artist’s statement. Once exhibiting becomes a part of your routine such questions become obviously much easier.

With time and discipline your exhibiting experience will not only become easier, it will lead to better art. When you show your work you’ll become more aware, accountable and responsible for what you create. With each exhibit you will be moving closer from a mere hobbyist to a professional artist establishing connections in a community of artists, art lovers and collectors.

When is an artwork finished? April, 2009

“A painting is finished when the artist says it is finished” (Rembrandt)

Over the years I have heard many opinions and theories on the subject. I have not yet come to a conclusion about it and that is fine since I would rather leave the door open to explore further possibilities as the desire arises. I would like, however, to share a few observations and strategies you might find helpful when deciding if a work of art is finished.

After I have worked on a painting for some time and have reached a first level of satisfaction, I set it aside out of sight. Then after a couple of weeks I hang it on a wall of my studio where I can easily see it. I let it there for a while and observe it expectantly trusting that a silent dialogue will somehow emerge. When I feel ready I‘ll take it down and either work on it some more or sign it. Yet, for me signatures are no seal of completion and on numerous occasions I have reworked a painting well after it had been signed. If after all these steps I still feel stuck, I will ask for feedback from trusted fellow artists.

As I look towards the finishing touches of a painting, I will seek a certain detachment to see it again with refreshed eyes. I hope this will give me a greater discerning approach. As in every aspect of the creative process there are no ready -made formulas. For me a painting is never finished. At some point, however, I decide this is where I want to leave it with a clear conviction that it will both echo my expectations and engage a viewer’s interest.