I am getting inundated with requests to teach. Since I take the vocation, or avocation, of teaching seriously, I'll be carefully planning my first pastel workshops. There is a potential venue opening for me in Spokane, but I'll be going forward with plans in case I need to increase the reach of the workshops. Many possibilities beckon, including using technology to offer non-residence sessions.
Please vote the poll in my left hand column if you have opinions about pastel workshops in general. What is your favorite feature of a workshop? Thanks!
Remember when Don McLean was on the radio? Here is a touching video tribute to Vincent van Gogh set to the song, Vincent (Starry, Starry Night). Better have a tissue handy...
Lyrics:
Starry starry night paint your palette blue and grey
look out on a summer's day with eyes that know the darkness in my soul. Shadows on the hills sketch the trees and the daffodils
catch the breeze and the winter chills
in colors on the snowy linen land. And now I understand what you tried to say to me
how you suffered for your sanity how you tried to set them free. They would not listen they did not know how
perhaps they'll listen now.
Starry starry night flaming flo'rs that brightly blaze
swirling clouds in violet haze reflect in Vincent's eyes of China blue. Colors changing hue morning fields of amber grain
weathered faces lined in pain are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand. And now I understand what you tried to say to me
how you suffered for your sanity how you tried to set them free. perhaps they'll listen now.
For they could not love you but still your love was true
and when no hope was left in sight on that starry starry night. You took your life as lovers often do; But I could have told you Vincent this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.
Starry starry night portraits hung in empty halls
frameless heads on nameless walls with eyes that watch the world and can't forget. Like the stranger that you've met
the ragged men in ragged clothes
the silver thorn of bloddy rose lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow. And now I think I know what you tried to say to me
how you suffered for your sanity
how you tried to set them free. They would not listen they're not list'ning still perhaps they never will.
The Mortar & Pestel, Jumbo Brown Sennie, Wallis Orange, Powdered Whitting and Some Blue-Gray Easel Tailings.
A Box of New Biggies and How They Register.
Without much copy, I'll just show you my pastel making efforts recently. I needed a big brown (tan) stick, so I converted a jumbo Sennie that I had into just the colors that I needed.
Thin on posts these days! With the Bellevue coming up, I am scrambling in the studio to get ready. A studio assistant is coming today to help, and so the tips will have to wait a while.
Lake Sketch with Teal, Blue & Red @4.5" x 4.5" Charcoal Casey Klahn
Lake Sketch with Green, Red, White & Black @4.5" x 4.5" Charcoal Casey Klahn
At The Lake @8"x 6" Pastel Casey Klahn
Docks at the Lake @6"x 8" Pastel Casey Klahn
As promised, here are the sketches done at the lake over the Fourth of July holiday. You'll recall that I got to the lake without paper, and so a search of the cabin revealed some old sketches that I had done many years ago taped on the wall in the dining room. Already, acid was starting to yellow the edges on these, but you make due with what you have!
Luckily, a small Le Maxi sketch book stays in my canvas sketch bag all of the time, and so I was able to sketch as well. I also severely missed my umbrella, and made due with tree shade that was barely adequate.
What I liked about these scenes were the colorful boat canopies. I didn't really overcome the warmth of the paper for the first pastel. The evening light was very warm, but I still think it's too much in the resulting work. I did better on that account the next day for the second one. I really enjoyed having my large palette box on hand with dozens of colors. And considering that, I feel very good about keeping the colors under control for these realist works.
Newly Minted Large Plein Air Palette, with Medium Boxes Shown at Top.
Over the Fourth of July holiday, the family and I enjoyed our traditional weekend at the lake cabin. Complete with fireworks and a fun boat parade, this vacation offered me a much needed chance to sleep like the house cat. I couldn't get enough! Because of a mix-up, the pre-packed plein air kit that I had staged by the door of the studio arrived at the lake with no paper! Try that for an obstacle, some time. Safely there were my French easel, my canvas bag with accessories, and my newly supplied big palette box for its maiden voyage. You may recall that my Plein Air Project had featured my Six Unisons "Go Kit", and my medium sized palettes, but the big box hasn't been shown yet. So, here is the reveal.
Many years ago I had purchased a box of 100 Senneliers at a clearance price from Jerry's Artarama, and like all of my original boxes they become something to reuse. I keep a stock of small wooden boxes, especially cigar boxes, ready for my next idea or need. The great thing about this Sennie box is that it is made-to-order and divided just right. Without foam inserts, I figure it must be good for about 200 sticks. Then, I add foam over the top to make a tight clam shell.
Next time: Lake Images, and How to Cope Without Paper. Also, at The Colorist, I will be writing about my conversation at the lake with our cousin, the HP color printer soft ware engineer. He took me to school about the computer and printer world of color theory.
Intuitive Composition. Before you get to intuitive drawing, you may have to discover the rules of classic composition.
Mattise laid awake at night...
Sketch in your center of focus first, then arrange the rest of your composition around it. Of course, you will usually have the center offset, as most good compositions follow the Golden Mean outline.
Look at a thousand works by advanced artists and master's works. Learn how they have used the Golden Mean, and it will ingrain in you this not-so-secret formula of compositional success.
Include the knowledge of the Fibonacci Spiral with your Golden Rectangle. I am a believer in taking the viewer's eye for a walk around my painting, and the spiral is the basic tool for this. Other tools include lines and patterns that suggest where the center of interest is. Another secret of mine is keeping the eye on the picture plane. More on that later.
Be your own harshest critic. Before someone else is. What I mean is, learn to decide whether a composition of yours is better as is, or might be better re-arranged. Make the changes, or don't be afraid to discard the whole sketch.
Brutally discard details that don't matter to the direction of your piece or your art. Mattise laid awake at night because someone complained, asking him why he hadn't used shadows and perspectives with his forms. By morning, he retorted to the air, "because they don't add anything to what I am saying!"
Not feeling intuitive? Go here for the Golden Rectangle PC cheater tool. Need to cheat the Golden Spiral? Here you go.Reference to Fibonacci.
What Should I Teach, and How?
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