Painting in Maine- A new day another painting

Just finished!

Started plein air in Rockport, Maine. It took a while but I completed the last 10% in the studio. That last ten percent may have been fewer strokes and  adding details but those  strokes clear up and tighten up the whole painting. I am terrible at painting crisp lines in the field.

Rockport, Maine

Waiting Room

16x20

oil on linen canvas panel

Daily Painting Practice - Maine Coastal Seascape - Thumbnail & several color sketches

This thumbnail sketch was only the beginning to a grand painting adventure.

 Who would have guessed that the small  sketch on the right could turn into so much fun? 
I started with a pre-toned 5"x7" canvas and just scrubbed in some darks.  The concept was "rough seas".

 A very limited palette of colors again.  Though this time I added Viridian Green to the mix. I  thought a ship might add some drama... or might just be fun to  try and paint.

 Definitely have the stormy seas going.  This is what I like  about photographing my sketches as they progress because...

 They change. But I still have a record of the previous idea.

 As you can see, my sea voyage continued for a while longer. The weather became much more dramatic. That is, until the sun came out and the storm passed.

 

 click on the image  to enlarge the painting

After the Storm

oil sketch - 5"x7"

oil on canvas board

I wonder where the boat went.

Daily Painting Practice- Rough Seas -Manicuring Thumbnail Sketches and Growing Ideas

Thumbnail sketches have not been a common practice with me.

I have always been too eager to jump right into painting relying on my photo reference or even the plein air scene in front of me to generate the composition and ideas. However, recently I have started a new habit that not  only keeps me tuned into my creative side  while I am at work but also helps me formulate concepts that make my work more personal.

 Every year, especially at this time of year, you can find these small checkbook size calendars or daytimers. I discarded the calendar and folded some scrap paper (roughly 5 3/4"x6 1/2") and stapled the center.  Sliding them into the  calendar cover,  I have my own thumbnail sketch book.   The ideas flow out during the day and only take about 60 seconds. Then when I get home, I pick which ones I want to develop further into color sketches, like the thumbnail of the ship.

I have no idea or what a schooner actually looks like other than it has sails. I don't have reference for  details of the boat or the sea but I have my imagination. So relying on that,  I am developing the concept " ship at sea, rough water"  I started by reusing an old daily painting canvas board that I covered over with a gray green mix. I originally thought of a night scene but I must have waited too long because by the time I got to adding some color...

 The sun was breaking through the clouds on the horizon.

 I am sticking with a very limited palette to ensure my colors harmonize.

 I also wanted to stay away from white. The details may not be correct, that doesn't matter. It's the feeling and idea that you want to capture.

click on the image to enlarge the painting

"Heading Out"

color sketch 5"x7"

oil on canvas board

Seems an appropriate theme as we start a new year. Happy painting , happy new year! Enjoy the voyage.

Daily Painting Practice - Painting Fishing Boats and dealing with doubt

click on the painting to enlarge the image

Retired
(title pending approval by the CTO
Chief Title Officer/wife)
18"x24"
oil on canvas

I almost named this Dream Boat because I like to dream that someday I will be able to live and paint in Nova Scotia or Maine, then be able to paint scenes like this every morning.

I will let this painting sit for about a week or two before officially declaring it finished. Also, my Council of Four must file their critiques before it is officially released. Every emerging artist should have an entourage he can depend on for critiques, titles, encouragement and suggestions because art can be a dangerous career choice.

Left alone to his own thoughts of what it means to be a successful artist, the artist in training can quickly become overwhelmed and discouraged and begin to slip into melancholy and despair.

So I thought it would be a good idea to post the warning signs of artistic depression for all those artist support people out there. Post these on the refrigerator at home . (That is the first place a depressed artist goes.)

There are four stages that lead to creative impotence that every artist- wanna- be should be aware of. Have your support team look for these signs and have an intervention plan ready.

The first warning sign is, not caring enough to clean the studio. This leads to using dirty brushes and getting lazy with putting out enough fresh paint. Also playing Barry Manilow over and over again in the studio is a dead give away something is wrong. Catching artistic depression early is the key to a quick recovery.

The second sign, the artist begins to take a lot of breaks. You'll begin to hear the excuses roll out " I need time to recharge my creative batteries", or "I need to take a step back", and the 911 call for help..." I'm working it out in my head"... At this point he may begin to drink an excessive amount of tea. This is usually followed by binge eating and weight gain, or compulsive shopping in art stores for " just one more brush".

Third, the self pity and self doubt stage. " I can't paint, I'll never be good enough..." this requires quick intervention and encouragement by the support team. However, they need to be very careful. Giving the artist reminders of how Aunt Martha still loves the painting he did in third grade, may do more harm than good.

Last, the artist stops showering, brushing his teeth, combing his hair. He makes statements like" I can make more money at McDonald's" Now is the time for emergency action , and a dose of reality.
The support person should sit the artist down someplace other than the studio, make a nice cup of herb tea to calm him down then repeat these words very gently.
" If you think making money and working at McDonald's or Walmart will make you happy... then I'll support you in that effort."

Don't be surprised if your artist's creative output for the next week is at a frantic pace. Fear, when applied by a trained artist support person can be a great motivator. Good luck!