Painting In Maine! It doesn't get any better. This blog is my attempt to share what I learn on the journey. I retain the reproduction rights to this artwork.
Well it's been almost ten years since I first started Daily Painting Practice. But everything in life has an ending, and so it is with my blogging. The ease of Facebook is an evil tonic to someone like me who suffers from LAPS ( Lazy Art Posting Syndrome) and so I find myself surrendering to the tides of technology. You'll still be able to find my adventures in art on (My Facebook Page) or (on my website). So please join me there in my blogging after life.
Here are some of my thoughts and some thoughts from a few people I spoke with about the passing of Daily Painting Practice.
All palettes must be cleaned at some point. Every tube runs out of paint. Brushes wear out and so do art blogs. Never cry over spilled art blogs. Old art blogs never die... they just get dropped by goggle search. There is a place where all good art blogs go.... ( The NSA)
Words of comfort by some friends of Daily Painting Practice.
“Well, what can I tell you? Life in
the wide world goes on much as it has this past Age, full of its own
comings and goings, scarcely aware of the existence of Art Blogs, for
which I am very thankful.”-Gandalf
"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the Computer." -Dumbledore
"...Art should be independent of all clap-trap..." -James Whistler
Tuesday Night I am giving a talk and Demo at the Bellevue Artists Association. The talk is about Daily Painters, blogging and selling on Ebay. THe Demo is how I do a typical daily painting practice piece. The speaking part I will work on tomorrow. I have only done this demo /talk thing once before so I need a little practice to help me organize what it is I am going to do.
I thought I would demo how I used to paint when I started my daily painting practice blog. For those of you who have read this blog for a long time, you may remember how I use to show the set up and the progress shot at the same time. Here's a look at the composition in abstract shapes of light and dark. If it holds your attention here you should be good to go. I went back to the wipe off method I used for a while. This is fun but I get so much paint on me. I hope they enjoy watching me cover the canvas more than how I cover myself. Something strange and mystical starting happening to my painting of the pear. I wasn't paying attention to the drawing side of things and didn't notice what was happening until I was finished...
click on the image to enlarge the painting
The Magical Floating Pear original mistake by Peter Yesis 8"x10" oil on canvas board
The pear looks like it is starting to float away. I was so engrossed in laying in the thick paint I never went back to check the position of the pear. This was a good lesson for tomorrow. Maybe I'll bring it along and show them. You never learn more than when you make a mistake....still, it looks pretty,floating in the air that way.
This is a new year so I tried a new approach with this first study. I coated the entire panel with a Liquin and Turpentine mix. Then started painting into it. I wasn't really comfortable with the feel. But this is practice and who said we should always be comfortable? I thought the composition had that breakfast in Italy feel to it.
click on picture to enlarge the image
Orange Delight - Study 8"x10" oil on masonite
SOLD
It feels good to be painting again. I have not painted or posted a blog for almost three weeks so forgive me if I do too much babbling. I think the time away was a gift and I am so grateful to be seeing clear again. Moody artists should take note. You are not alone. I think all artists have a genetic requirement that makes us go through mood swings or periods of self doubt. It may be God's way of balancing the universe. We get to play with beauty and occasionally we need to feel like we may lose the gift.
Being away (in Bolivia) not only helped me to kick my habit of .. I must be on the computer every hour to check email and the latest updates on every daily painter's blog in the universe..., but I was also able to clear my head of silly things like feeling depressed if my little practice paintings did not sell on Ebay, or I really got into trouble listening to myself say things like I can't do "real art".
So I am back. I feel like I am entering my sophmore year in my homeschool of art. This year I am changing the way I approach my daily painting practice and how I will post on my blog.On Mondays, I will show the setup and composition I will be working on for the entire week. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I will be posting small daily studies or practice pieces for the larger painting I hope to have done each week. Thursdays, I will post something painted just for fun and Fridays I will post the finished painting of the week.
I am hoping this approach will keep me focussed on my goals for the year and also keep me challanged. Painting is hard work. The more I do the more it seems I learn just how hard it really is. This first year has been remarkable. I have learned so much and gained a lot of confidence. So back to work!
Oh- and thanks to everyone who commented and wrote emails while I was away. The encouragement and support we give each other is the best antidote for doubt and fear.
My son called me today and kindly but directly reminded me to get on the stick and stop ignoring the blog. The name of the blog is Daily Painting Practice after all, not Every So Often Painting Practice. I must admit he was right. I have no excuse for the absence( other than being lazy) especially since so much has been happening in and around the studio. So let me catch you up on what has been happening and give you a little bit of news on things coming up. Last week I was at the Salon International show at the (Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio), Texas. I was lucky enough to get two paintings juried in. It is quite an honor considering the quality of the art and other artists chosen. I met so many wonderful people. I had to ask several kind hearted people to take photos for me since I forgot my camera. The show was truly an amazing experience. One of my all time favorite artists (Daniel Greene) was the judge. His talk about why he choose certain pieces for an award was an art course all by itself. However, the day after the awards dinner, a lot of the artists came back to the gallery in the morning and Daniel Greene gave a few of us critiques of our work. That was like a year of art training in 10 minutes. Here's my second painting. I met a few artists I have only talked with via email, several who recognized my name from the blog and a few I recognized from art magazines and articles . One pleasant surprise was meeting (Carol Marine), my friend from the (Daily Paintworks) group. We were talking so much about art and daily painting ideas we nearly had to be ushered out so they could close the gallery. I have more to say regarding the show and also my next adventure, but I'll save that for tomorrow's post.... Yes, I promise to post again tomorrow. But before I go... Here is the update on the Old Florida painting.
click on the photo to enlarge the image
Old Florida oil on canvas 20" x 24"
I am not sure it is completely finished so I'll submit it for comments and a virtual critique. What do you think?
Yes it is true! I have completed one year of Daily Painting Practice!
Enough celebration back to work. Remember yesterday I said I thought challenging yourself was important? Well, I really dove over the edge in challenging myself. My second year of Daily Painting Practice will be dedicated to doing Plein Air Painting. Yikes!
Of course I need to equip myself properly. Most Plein Air painters I see use a pocade box on a camera tripod. But my art supply budget is currently being spent on frames for my show. What can I do?
The art gods whisper in my ear , " You can build it yourself. we think"
So the handyman in me gets out an old paint box and a few tools. "I'll just cut this thing in half...."
I need a few more tools. This may take a bit longer than I thought but it still might work. " All I need is..."
A few more tools ...and some really good glue.
Of course I don't read the instructions on the glue where it says DO NOT get any on your skin until I have it on my skin. Also I am in bare feet and have walked through a few drops of glue that dripped on the floor. This is not going as smoothly as I thought. Finally, if all else fails. Get the Duct Tape! It holds (3) 9"x12" panels, paint and a prayer book. Here's the set up. Not bad. I even made some wet canvas carriers for 8x10's and 5x7's. The best part is it all fits in this handy carry on case. I am good to go. All I need now....... is the nerve to do it.
Perspective (a big word for artists) has different meanings and methods in art. You can find a lot of information on the subject if you just take the time to look and study.
There is the perspective you first learn in school when you try to draw a house that looks 3 dimensional. You learn some tricks to drawing and stick with it. Soon your grandparents are bragging to their friends how talented you are.( The first lesson in perspective then is that it draws attention )
Then there is the chapter on perspective you skip past in the first art book you actually buy. You learn it's a corner stone of realism, yet a lot of us seem to not give it the attention we should.
( Second lesson on perspective: It takes practice and study... Not the thing to put in a beginner's art book)
You discover there is one point, two point, three point, and four point perspective.
Then you start to see how Master artists have created masterpieces with it. This should inspire you, but of course we artists are sensitive creatures. ( Lesson three: Be afraid be very afraid. Perspective can be scary!)
School of Athens by Raphael
Perspective is one of the tools artists use to trick the eye. Here's a great example on video:
(Lesson Four: on perspective: it's all about illusion )
But there is another side to perspective that every artist should know about and experiment with: Personal Perspective
I have recently looked into this particular art lesson and thought I would share my experiment and the results.
First, you may have noticed that the posts on this blog have been rather thin lately. Well, a lot has happened in my art world . Another gallery closed, sales have not been there, my studio is starting to accumulate too many old paintings, some of which are rather large. All of this has added to the feeling that my contribution to the household has not been... .adequate.
My solution was to take on a full time (real job).....landscaping! No, not painting landscapes, working as a landscaper. You know, hauling, digging, weeding, planting, fertilizing, and wait for it.......killing dandelions. Ughhhh! The ultimate sin for a painter of flowers.
First Pick
Daily Painting from 2007
At first I thought it would all work out great. I would earn some money over the summer, get into shape, and of course paint at night. But then reality kicked in.
( Lesson One in Personal Perspective: Seeing reality is different than experiencing it.).
At 56 my old body needed a while ( several weeks actually) to... let us say , adjust, to the new regimen. My exercise before this was stepping back from the easel and walking up stairs to make tea. I must admit I am in great shape now. I have lost a lot of weight but the benefits are quickly being replaced by deterioration... I broke a tooth at lunch.
(Lesson two:Money is not all that matters)
The money ended up paying for an old truck to get me back and forth from the job and for the dentist who fixed the tooth.
My contribution to the household, I have discovered, has more to do with having the time to paint and take care of my counselor/wife, then it is to make the money.
(Lesson three: You don't get perspective unless you go out to get perspective)
Just like the illusion lesson in art, things in life aren't always what they seem. I learned I needed to get away from the painting in order to see how much I wanted to get back to it. I gained fresh ideas in what I want to express and how I want to paint.
The result : I discovered perspective is related to appreciation and gratitude. I have been wanting to try a new approach to my painting for a while. Now I clearly see what it is I want to try......and will start soon .... ....That is as soon as I have quit my day job.
I will be taking a Blogcation ( vacation from blogging) for the next month or so. Please check back in August. ... by then I will have more to share about my new approach to Daily Painting Practice!
Here's an experiment I tried in the afternoon. I wanted to see if I could turn off all the studio lights (my studio is in the basement) and paint only using the southern light that shines in the basement window. I decided to reuse a panel that had this early daily practice piece on it. Recylced art. I spun around in my studio chair and set up my plein easel. This worked well for having both the subject and my panel in the same light. However, my palette is now on my right side and I cast a big shadow over it when sitting and painting (not good). I covered the panel with very wet Cadmium Red & Cadmium orange mix of paint. I knew I was going to really slop on the paint when I started out this way. Notice how cool the light is in the background? Watch how the sunlight changes in the background of the studio as the painting proceeds. Sketch a little with the darks...I can still see the roof from the previous painting. Block in the main shapes. So far the light is holding out just fine maybe changing just a little....but wait... That window in the back is on the western side. The sun has moved and it is getting darker all around me. "Eyes don't fail me now!" The light is beginning to fade a little and so am I. I should lighten the background more but I decided to quit.
click on the image to enlarge the painting original by Peter Yesis Marigolds 8"x10" oil on masonite SOLD
Now you can understand why painters always say paint from a north light window if possible. The north light stays constant and cool. The southern light changes position and temperature through out the day. I hope this will work fine for my small daily painting practice pieces because the light changes take about 2 hours. If a painting needs more time I will have to come back and paint the following day.
Is it really cheating? I mean, do I have to submit a new painting for Leslie Saeta's 30 day painting challenge? After all, this is what I am painting today. OK, it's not a small daily painting but it is a daily painting.
Work in Progress _ view from Pigeon Hill - Maine
It's a daily painting because I have been working on it daily for days and days and days. I don't want to say that I am nearly finished because this one seems to be taking forever.
It has been a lot of fun though. I especially like a few of the changes I made in the foreground to add some more interest and the the color is coming together nicely.
OK, I'll say it anyway.... I'm close to finishing it.
This is my attempt at "Quick do a Daily practice piece then get back to work on the larger studio pieces". I am reusing a panel that had a cloud study on it. I liked it here at this stage. The painting was loose and it had an Oriental feel to it. There was even a feeling of space that made this little 5"x7" seem larger than it was...
Valentine Leftovers 5"x7" oil on masonite
...That all disappeared by the end. I am not pleased. I think the red roses were too heavy and the blue too light, and the atmosphere evaporated. I am posting this to show that not every daily painting practice piece ends up being a keeper. These are the paintings I learn the most from though. Studying your own mistakes helps you identify what makes a painting work and what makes a painting weak. There is nothing more powerful than the knowledge that you can do better next time.
I am sorry that there are no progress shots with this one. This is what I call a reserve painting. I actually did this painting just before I started my daily painting practice blog. You might say it was a practice painting for the practice paintings...Come on all of you daily painters out there, it's time to confess, we all have done this ... stick an old painting in when we have either messed up our daily painting or were too busy to get one finished. My excuse? I started a portrait yesterday and went out to see a gallery.
I like this study though, I tried very hard not to put any opaque paint in the shadows and reserved the thickest paint just for the light. I also like the fact that this painting has very few brush strokes and yet tells a convincing story: light washing over pear. My reserve of reserve paintings is now empty. I'll have to think of something creative for tomorrow.
I am sorry for not posting the past few days. I have been down and out with the flu and not painting. I did this painting just before dropping out of the studio and into bed. I started the painting with the masses and began the sky before I realized I hadn't stopped to take any progress photos. So, this shot is at the stage where I am laying in the sky value and some color. Again, I find the pre-toned panel really helps speed up the painting process and holds the painting together while I search for the correct value with my brush. I keep talking to myself while I paint "Stay loose, not too thick, remember how the sun felt, keep the shadows warm and transparent..." Sometimes I even listen to myself and do the right thing. Zorinsky park in Omaha has a great paved biking and walking path around the lake (which is actually a reservoir). This is the view near where I parked the truck on the northwest side of the lake. The photo I am using for reference was taken near the spot I did (this pleine air painting) last fall.
click on the picture to enlarge the image Summer Day at Zorinsky Lake 9"x12" oil on masonite
I remember the sky color that day it really invited you to look up. I stopped for this view because I like the small break in the tree line that allowed the view of the bridge. This just proves you don't need to travel to find beautiful landscapes. I have to tell that to myself because when I see people who live and paint in other parts of the world I always wish I was there. Seeing beautiful things where ever you are is one of the best lessons you can get from daily painting practice. Enjoy!
Here I am back from my "bolgcation" a month earlier than I had planned. I left the landscaping job. (It seems working in 100 degree heat doesn't do good things for my body.)
Before I took time off from blogging, I said I was thinking of taking my art in a new direction. I am still working that out as I type this, but here's a hint... I actually took out my watercolors!!!! I know... I was shocked too! But let's not get ahead of the ourselves. This is about a new journey. A new direction for Daily Painting Practice. ( with some familiar bumps in the road.)
I have always had a deep love of nature and have always had a special place in my heart for birds, flowers, plants and trees. I have been a bird watcher since I was a child, I remember illustrating my own book of birds in the 4th grade. Botanical drawing and painting has always fascinated me as well. The Dutch flower painters from the 1600's.have also intrigued me. The exquisite quality of their work is fascinating but what interests me is the study and knowledge that is behind those paintings. So that is where my journey will begin.
When I say begin, I mean I am a beginner at this. I have piles of sketch books in the studio... all empty, waiting to be filled with plant studies, bird sketches, and flowers... lots of flowers.
My idea is to do as much study from nature as possible, then take those sketches (and photos) and develop compositions from them instead of copying still life set ups in the studio. I will create the arrangements in my head and work them out on paper like the Dutch Masters did. I often wondered how they were able to put flowers that didn't bloom in the same season, in the same picture.
I am finding that the sketching takes so much longer than I imagined. However, I have discovered one of the gifts that comes with this practice.... It generates ideas. The time spent sketching frees space in your mind that allows creative thoughts and ideas to flow in. Think of it as yoga for your brain.
Above is a thumbnail sketch of an idea for an arrangement fora painting of peonies.
I took a bunch of photos of different peonies and did some sketching and arranged the composition.Some of the peonies are the same flowers turned and only a few days older so they opened up more. (can you find the peony bud I used from the sketch at the beginning of this post) So far so good, right?
I decided to transfer the drawing to another piece of paper and try to do a complete tonal study in pencil and charcoal...but I ran out of patience ( need to work on that). I just want to start painting!
Here's my first mistake. I started playing with the arrangement of the flowers and changing the drawing. I thought the flower on top should be a little higher.....and lean toward the right..
Now the flower pot looks too small.... Creating your own reality is harder than I thought.
Made the pot wider at the bottom and changed some of the flowers.... funny thing, after doing all that work on the sketch, I am now making changes with the brush directly on the canvas.
I start adding cooler colors and I change the location of the buds several times.
Now I am actually relaxing with the paint and enjoying the process. I don't like the handles onthe vase.. Change them. Change is my friend...I love change...
But then that voice...something is not right or is it right. I can't tell anymore . My reality is slipping away....
I ask she who must not be named " What do you think? What's wrong with it?"
" That flower on the top is too high for the vase it would fall over."
Now I can't decide. so I took it out.
I have a painting problem. Every problem I think I solve I cause another to appear. I'm hoping those of you still reading this can help me solve some... take a look at the last two photos. Was there anything wrong with the top one? Does the arrangement feel right or should it come out? Any ideas on what to do?
I love change... change is my friend....change is good.... I need a cup of tea.
A good daily painter must be ever on the look out for subject material and always be ready to act . After my baker/wife finished baking the other morning, I spotted this flour covered measuring cup full of egg shells on the kitchen counter. I waited until she left the room, then I grabbed it. I quickly hid it down in the studio so she wouldn't clean it and throw out the egg shells before I had a chance to paint them. Art schools should teach how to sneak props into the studio. It is a valuable skill that was nearly lost until the daily painting movement came along to reclaim this ancient practice. I have heard that some classical art ateliers still teach this method, but it is a long 3 year process that most young artists don't have patience for. Where is the discipline these days?
click on the image to enlarge the painting
Cake's in the Oven original by Peter Yesis 6"x6" oil on canvas board SOLD
I think this maybe the first egg shell painting I have ever done. As a daily painter I think it is required to paint certain subjects...My daily painting resume is short on runny eggs, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and pastries. I guess I should get to work on some of those.
