Do you ever feel like there is just too much going on in life? Yeah, we all do. I've had this video on YouTube for over a week now and I'm just getting to posting it on my blog.
Portrait Painting In Oil Demo
This is a progression video of my latest painting "On The Horizon". My lovely model is my younger sister Emily. She didn't know I was going to paint her. I had made the bubble ear cuff and I asked her to try it on and sit while I take some test photos. I figured if I had formally asked her to model for me, she would have not been as relaxed. My little white lie worked as the photos turned out awesome.
As simple as this painting appears, there is a lot going on. The glass bubbles symbolize fragile thoughts as she looks forward to the future. My main goal was capturing a complex expression showing hope and uncertainty.
I've been trying to work on more studio tip videos. I just painted my studio walls and am anxious to share what I learned about the ideal studio color. The video was a mess though! I need a little more practice in front of the camera, and I need to stop saying "um" every other word! Even if I don't get a decent edit from the video I took, I'm still going to do a blog post soon about it. Stay tuned ;)
This past Saturday my husband and I made the eventful but short trip to Sag Harbor NY to attend the artist reception of the exhibition Women Painting Women The Tales We Tell Together, at RJD Gallery. Neither one of us could take much time away from work (I NEED to finish my latest painting!) so it was a one day deal. It had it's ups and downs (bad flying pun), but it was so worth attending.
Me with my painting "The Fall" at RJD Gallery
Now, I'm not much for flying. I'm more of a road trip gal. But not being able to make this a several day ordeal, I purchased the tickets and hoped for the best. I nearly overslept to catch my flight out, had a bit of an.....um....episode right before takeoff* (luckily for me my husband restrained me) and I got to briefly enjoy the morning sun reflecting off the Atlantic ocean before landing.
We stayed at a lovely little hotel in South Hampton and got to spend a little time sight seeing before getting ready to attend the reception. What an amazing show it was!
Meeting and getting to know these hard working artists was a real treat. I love how when artists get together we somehow form an instant bond, like we have known each other forever.
I feel bad I didn't take photos of all the work because all the paintings were stellar. I was too in the moment and wanted to spend time really looking at the paintings. I feel we sometimes spend too much time adjusting the focus on our cameras and not enough time seeing the beauty right in front of us. If you like, you can take a look at all the works on RJD Gallery's website HERE.
If I could give a bit of advice to aspiring artists or artists trying to make it in this art world: Attend as many events like this as you can. You meet the most amazing people, get to see the work in person (no matter how good the photograph, I assure you, it is nothing like seeing it with your own eyes), and you can learn so much about other artists processes and inspirations.
I wish I could do this more often. Although, next time, I may skip the flight...... ROADTRIP! :)
*A little aside about my anxiety involving air travel. When I started this blog I wanted to share more than just the fact that I paint. I want to share the good and bad about what it means to follow a creative path in life. It is not always a blissful effortless endeavor. No. It is full of rejection, being very unsure of yourself, difficult and lonely hours working alone, and often it means stepping WAY outside your comfort zone. I hope that by sharing my experiences, that someone out there feels a little less alone. Perhaps I'll talk about that more another time.
Yesterday was one of those laid back Sundays where you leave the World Wide Web to fend for itself, and enjoy the day....unplugged. I finally got around to going to the Vintage Faire Market which is held on the last Sunday of the month. It's only a few miles from my house, but I always forget to pay attention to which Sunday is the last Sunday. I found some stuff to include in upcoming paintings, so, well worth going.
In the afternoon I put together another miniature garden. I'm obsessed with miniature gardens.
Then, late in the afternoon I had some down time and decided to pick up my phone and see what was happening on Facebook. A short scroll down and I saw my friend Shana Levenson announced one of her works had been accepted to the Women Painting Women 2015 exhibition at RJD Gallery. I submitted to that exhibition. I had not checked my e-mail all day.
Whenever you need to open an e-mail right away it takes FOREVER, but I saw the subject line....."Congratulations". Now, I would like to say that I handled the news with restrain and dignity. But I did not. I let out a loud squeal. I may or may not have ran through the house screaming "YES!". My painting "The Fall" has been accepted.
The Fall
The exhibition opens October 10th. For now the only info on the gallery's site is the call for entries here. I will be updating the blog as soon as I get more information.
For now, if you will excuse me, I have a flight to schedule!
"I don't want to deal with -sun-wind-rain-bugs-heat-cold-"
"What if people see my painting and it is not very good"
Yeah, excuses are easy. But the lure of plein air painting wins in the end.
Plein Air (outdoor on location) painting is something I have wanted to try for years now. My two biggest excuses were "no time" and "I hate bugs". When I started planning my trip to northern Wisconsin I realized the "no time" excuse would be null and void. I also realized I was going to have to suck it up and get over the fact that numerous insects were going to compete for a place to bite me as soon as I sat down to paint (a good spray of repellent made the experience much better).
Although I have a nice full size plein air easel, it is bulky and cumbersome. I ended up building a small pochade box from a cigar box. (I did not follow the tutorial that I link to, but used several tutorials off the internet to create one that fit my needs. Because I had the materials to build the box lying around the house, my box cost me nothing). My pochade box attached to a standard camera tripod, and when paired with a comfortable camp chair, I was in business!
Plein Air Painting in Wisconsin
It's not hard to find something beautiful to paint when you are on a lake. My cabin overlooks a small bay with towering aspen trees and ancient looking white pine. I completed the 4x6 painting in about an hour.
Putting On Finishing Touches
I wanted to keep this one. It's small, simple, and, like all plein air paintings, captures what I felt more than what I saw.
The Finished Painting
But, my husband and I meet the nicest couple while we were up there. Jim once worked on our cabin many years ago, and Sue has spent many fond hours on the lake. After telling them how we were filling the cabin with antiques, they stopped by with a vintage lantern as a gift. I wanted to give them something in return. As they are in the process of selling everything so they can travel the U.S. in their camper, I gave them the little landscape so they can have a reminder of the lake where ever they go.
(I wonder if they ever stopped fighting over where they were going to put the painting. I bet Jim won. I'ts hanging over the sliding glass doors isn't it?)
I've been thinking of this for some time now, but I finally got around to setting up a page for available works. Now that I'm painting more studies and small works I'll be offering those (and a few larger paintings as well) for sale. Just click the "Available Works" tab above to see what I have.
I finally did it! I made a studio tip video! Ok, it's not the best, but after several hours of technical difficulties, garbled lines, me repeating myself, and editing out all the weird faces that I apparently make.....I'm calling this video done!
Keeping Oil Paint From Drying Out On The Palette
First off, kudos to everyone who has ever made a YouTube tutorial video. It is not easy. Talking to yourself is one thing, videoing yourself talking to yourself is completely another. My goal was to have this done by lunch. Nope. Even this edited version is not my favorite, but sometimes you have to go with what you got. And, watch till the end, I left a little "blooper" in!
In the video I explain how I cover my palette between painting sessions. I made a picture frame to fit over the palette, but you could use other things, such as a baking sheet. I would still use the weather striping to help seal the bottom edge, and if the baking sheet was light weight, put something heavy on top (the frame I made is plenty heavy enough).
Different paints have different drying rates. I use Windsor and Newton oils. Because oils dry by oxidation, contact with air and the ambient room temperature will effect drying rates. In a relative cool room (around 65 degrees F), this is how long you could expect to keep paints open and workable with clove oil and the palette covered:
Flake White - 2 to 3 weeks
Titanium White - 4 months or more
Windsor Yellow - 3 weeks
Cadmium Yellow Light - 4 to 8 weeks
Yellow Ocher - 2 months or more
Cadmium Red - 3 weeks
Alizarin Crimson - 2 to 3 weeks
Dioxazine Purple - 4 months or more
French Ultramarine Blue - 4 months or more
Cerulean Blue - 4 months or more
Burnt Umber - Less than 18 hours
Ivory Black - 2 to 3 weeks
At the end of the video, I show how you can save your paints on a piece of glass sealed in an airtight container with the clove oil. I didn't show what I really use in this case. I have a tiny tabletop refrigerator that used to work, which was awesome. Keeping oil paints cold extends their drying times. Unfortunately, the electrical failed, so I just use it as an airtight container.
Some people place their palettes in their home refrigerators, alongside with their food. I don't care how sealed it is, I don't want my palette with lead and cadmium anywhere near my food. On rare occasions, I have placed my palette outside in the winter. It works amazingly well.
Now when I'm working,
Example of my pre-mixed palette
I've noticed that these pre-mixed strings dry faster than an unmixed pile of paint. Especially if I used Flake White or Burnt Umber at all in the mixes. If I need to save pre-mixed strings any longer than overnight, I'll use my tiny broken refrigerator as it seals fairly air tight.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to E-Mail me. I'm trying my best to explain things clearly, but if I have failed, I'll do my best to clarify!
This one took me a little longer than expected. But, I always tell myself, "better do it right than fast". I started out the idea of wearing some sort of armor, but not full on battle armor. I wanted something a bit more subtle. I searched around looking for the right thing, but couldn't find what I was looking for. Than it hit me, why not make it myself?
Arm Cuff
I created the cuff out of a soup can, felt and polymer clay. I love how humble materials can make really cool stuff. The polymer clay was painted with a special paint that has bits of metal suspended in it. That way you can put an authentic patina on the finish. It looks like sunken treasure!
I made the hair comb to match:
Polymer Clay Hair Comb, $35 USD
I am offering the hair comb for sale. I plan on making a lot of the props for upcoming paintings and offering some for sale. The price includes the display frame, and the comb can be removed to wear. It is sealed with a clear finish. All sales will be invoiced through PayPal and shipping will be calculated. E-mail me if you are interested.
I would have loved to offer the cuff for sale too, but it turned out way too fragile. I broke it 5 times before the photo shoot. Luckily, I was able to repair the breaks so they don't show, but I know it would not take shipping well. Live and learn!
So now for the finished painting:
Quiet Reserve
It was a little less weird painting a self portrait this time. I think along the way I try to forget it is me.
There is a lot of meaning in this one. I don't want to give too much away, but in this painting I am turning away from the light, pausing a moment while seeming to come to terms with what is in front of me. Although turning away, I am taking a step forward into the light, not backing away from the challenge that I face.
I think I have said it before, but I love painting white! The dress was tough to get right, but I love the myriad of colors that are needed for a white object to "read" correctly. I have a white peony sprouting in my garden. Last year it had only one blossom, and I couldn't bring myself to cut it. I hope this year I have a few so I can at least paint a still life with one!
I feel so productive this week! Today I finished a still life painting:
The Key And The Cup
9x12, Oil on Panel
If you have been following along, it may seem like I actually finished two paintings within a week. I should let you believe that. But to be honest, I've been working on this painting on and off while working on "Surrendered to Daylight".
Painting tarnished silver is so much fun. There is so much color and depth to play with. This still life was painted directly from life, as most of my still lives are. I bumped the set-up a few times, knocking the cup around. Usually it is a major problem if anything in the set-up moves even the slightest bit. I'm either lucky or getting better at my craft, because it was not an issue. (I'm going with "lucky" by the way)
This weekend I'll be starting my next figure painting. It's going to be another self-portrait, but a lot different than the last self-portrait. I'll keep you updated on the progress.
Finished! After four weeks in the studio my latest figure painting is done. Now we can both step out into the daylight, blinking and rubbing our eyes.
Surrendered To Daylight
This was an enjoyable painting to work on. There were no real difficult parts, so no tantrums or breakdowns. The surprising thing is, the painting experience is different every time. Some paintings are emotional, some are easy to paint (as this one was), some are a struggle at times. Sometimes finishing a painting feels like the end of a marathon race I was not ready to finish. Other times it's a relief. The only constant is that I'm ready to start it all again the next morning, but first I need to dig myself out of the pile of laundry that somehow got out of hand. I've been trying something different with my works. I start out with a set idea of how the figure should look, but I let the background evolve as the painting progresses. Rather than starting with a study of the full painting, I will do small studies during painting to get a better idea of how certain colors will look. It's a little scary to not know ahead of time what the finished product will look like, but it's exciting too. As promised, I made a video of the progression:
Figure Painting in Oil Demo
My plans are to make more videos and cover topics on things like how to chose an easel, setting up your palette, and other tips for the oil painter. If you have a topic you would like me to cover, feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail me at rae@raewhalenart.com.
I tried, I really did. I had a job at a bank. I woke up with an alarm, showed up on time, attended mandatory meetings, drove that 45 minutes home. I did it all over again the next day. I got my weekly paycheck, health care, retirement. I hated every minute of it. I felt guilty for hating it. It was a good job, with good people. It just wasn't for me.
I don't regret leaving. I don't miss it at all. I don't miss trying to be a grown up.
I still have a slight twinge of fear of what others think of me. This society is so strange, telling us to be individuals but shaming us for being unique. Fortunately for me, today I didn't care.
What an artist does on her day off.
Yup, that's me. Out in the snow. Building a snow dragon.
Snow sculpture!
I don't have kids. I can't use the excuse "it's for the children". No. It's for me.
Snow Dragon
All in all it took around 2 and a half hours. I didn't want to stop, there was much more detail I wanted to add. But blizzard conditions started setting in and my jacket was water logged. I went back inside to warm up with a nice cup of herbal tea. Back to being a grown up, sorta.
One of the most important lessons in art is knowing when to stop painting. I don't mean stop painting altogether! I mean, knowing when to walk away from the piece you are currently working on and call it finished. How do you know when it is finished? That's going to be different for everyone and every painting. Sorry, sometimes there are no easy answers! I've found that setting solid deadlines and sticking to them keep me from endlessly picking at a painting. But I don't always have deadlines.
Realizing I needed to practice my edges I did a few small studies a while back. My model is a little butterfly who valiantly gave his life in the name of art.
Painting from life in progress
I also thought I would experiment with a drippy background. In the end, though, I chickened out. I finished with a mostly solid, neutral background. The drips became too subtle.
I was content with the painting, I thought. I had achieved the edgework I was looking for. The body looks soft and fuzzy, the wings have just enough detail. But I wasn't happy.
I realized I needed a little bit more bravery.Brave endeavors usually require weapons. I grabbed my knife.
Yellow Butterfly
Ok, I'll admit this is one of those "before and after" photos where the colors in the first photo are bit drab, and the second, voila! But, what a difference! The rough texture sets off the refined butterfly exactly as I hoped it would.
So, if I had one bit of advice for any struggling artists out there, it would be this: Never hope to be completely satisfied with your work. Always push yourself harder with each painting. Not every experiment will be successful, but somewhere along the way you will have unexpected and exciting breakthroughs!
So far the greatest benefit of re-writing a blog is having past posts I can recycle. It's a nice break from trying to write something clever.
Recently I decided to take a risk and do a painting with a lot of texture and some wonderful drippy paint. I've done drips before but this time I wanted it combined with some knifework. Normally when an artist decides to try something new, she paints a study first. I'm not normal. I dive right in.
The Fall, 14x24, Oil on Linen
The model is my niece Evelyn. Evie is a typical little girl, energetic, bright, caring. But what I wanted to capture is the look she gets when she is lost in deep thought.
Coming up with the concept is easy. The photo shoot was a different story. Put a pretty little dress on a pretty little girl and try to explain to her your artistic vision for the painting to follow. What I got was a fairy princess who wanted nothing more than to laugh and twirl. After over 400 images, I was getting tired and frustrated; she was getting tired and frustrated, and I finally got the shot I was looking for.
Evie was visiting when I was working on the painting. I wanted to finish it before she had to go home (she lives over 1,000 miles away). Four weeks of work. It took a lot of late nights and working through the weekend, but I did it! Her reaction was the best: "look at my hair! I love it!".
I entered the painting in the Richeson 75 International Portrait / Figure Competition. I was thrilled to be named a finalist. I was able to attend the artist reception. I'm so glad I did.
Second Place 2014 Richeson 75 Portrait/Figure Competition
There were so many awesome works there! I was beyond honored to take second place. To see all the finalists, visit Richeson 75.
I've tried this before. This blogging stuff. I'm only a great writer in my head. Give me a keyboard and all the eloquent prose goes right out the window. I tried writing about my paintings. It always felt forced, like I was writing for a school project. I got a C- by the way. Never one to back away from something I am not good at, I'm trying this once more. So here goes.
I didn't start out as a visual artist. My dream was to sing, or act, or sing and act. Musicals would have been a great job for me. Then the "real world" slowly crept up on me. I found myself standing in front of a time clock way too many times. Singing in the car on the way to work didn't rid me of all the pent up creative energy that was building, so I started drawing. I found a job as a picture framer and I loved it. I was surrounded by art day in and day out. For a while that's what I did. Work ridiculous retail hours,and create a handful of substandard drawings and one lousy painting per year.
Lots of stuff happened before 2009. I'm sure I'll write about it someday. But 2009 was the year I decided to become a better artist. I had that revelation before, but this was the first time I put some real effort into it. I'm talking working from 9 to 6 at my "day job" and studying painting from 7 to 11, or later. There was a tipping point that brought me to work that hard. Behold, Hollyhock Lane:
This was an actual street a few blocks away from where I lived with actual hollyhocks planted under the sign. For years I thought it would make a great painting. I didn't paint it because I was sure I would botch it up. I eventually did anyway. Now, I’m not saying this is a bad painting, but it’s bad. The colors are all wrong, values are all wrong, the forms do not turn. It was easy to see what was wrong, but not too easy to see how to fix it. There was only one thing to do, forget EVERYTHING I thought I knew about art.
Over the years I bought dozens of books and videos on painting. Each new book sent me to the art store to buy the recommended paints, mediums and brushes. Each painting that followed failed.
Then I discovered online art forums. There I found a group of working artists who were willing to share how they were able to produce amazing works of art. The answer was simple. Work from life, and treat the study of line and color as a science, not "art".
Four months later I produced this:
Tea With Lemon
I don't know how, but it clicked. Suddenly realistic painting made sense. Oddly enough, at the same time, I realized I knew nothing about art and I had a long road ahead of me.
It took years of unbelievably hard work to bring myself to the point that I could devote all my time to painting. I've been a full time artist now since September 2012. It's an interesting story, I should share it with you someday.
So stick around. I'll talk about my work, my thoughts on the art world, and my adventures along the way. Feel free to comment, ask questions, visit my website, follow me on Facebook, you know, all that fun stuff.
