October 26, 2010 is an awfully long interval between posts and is entirely my fault.  I apologize to those who looked in from time to time.

I will try to be good and do better (both morally and artistically!)

 Across the Valley Oil 16x20

 Rain on the Wind Oil 16x20

 New Friends Oil 18x24

The Babysitter Oil 18x24

Down to the Sea

Second completed painting in my Aran Islands series.
Oil on Stretched Cotton 18x24
Depicts fishermen hastening to their fleet of currachs to go out to hunt a shoal of basking sharks. A century or so back, these creatures were a vital source for lamp oil from the shark liver. More so the liver oil than the meat, I read in my research.
As before, I am trying to paint in the style of Irish artist, Paul Henry.

Studio in the Woods, Brown County

22nd Annual Great Outdoor Art Contest, T.C. Steele Historic Site, September 11, 2010

16x20 Oil on Stretched Cotton.

This was an interesting day, unusual in regard to lighting conditions, which were overcast with rain and intermittent fog (or clouds) rolling through.

Everything was wet all the time, including my canvas, pallette and brushes (and me)-but I still had great fun!

In this work, I know I failed to capture that atmosphere. All values should have been more subdued. This effort is too "colorized".

I hope I live to 110 years or so, as, eventually, I will get it right.

I have tried to cultivate the habit of taking pictures a lot during the painting process. I actually found it helpful, later. Sometimes, weeks after, I will prepare a self critique, as a Word document, with phases of the process inserted. The critique is a way of keeping oneself honest.

Plein Air Franklin Farm

Finished Painting
9x12 Oil on Raymar Panel

Plein Air Time 100 Minutes
Studio Touchup Time 30 Minutes

Work in Progress # 3

Trying to control hard and soft edges.

Work in Progress # 2

I was anxious to show the lower sky haze.

Work in Progress # 1

Composition Sketch

Close to lens view, but wanted to include some cornfield

and distant trees on right

My Camera View

Spent over one hour meandering around Franklin back roads,

trying to find the right scene with a good safe pull over spot, and enough

seclusion. Very hot, sultry conditions (temperature around 86 F)-needed to

paint fast.

Heading in a Direction

Storm Watch

Launching the Currach

My first efforts at oil painting occurred in my early 'teens. The paints and other materials were a gift from one of my uncles and, for a couple of years, without any tutoring, I pottered about learning as best I could, how to use the paints. At the time, I was given a biography of Paul Henry, who was at that time, the early 'fifties, one of Ireland's most gifted and prominent artists.

I copied a considerable number of the color plates in that book, one or two of which have survived in my family home.

Recently, as much out of curiosity as nostalgia, I decided to see how I would perform/react/fare-whatever word suits best-to the experience now of copying one of his pieces. I chose this painting, because of the fluid, dynamic and dramatic position of the figures and thoroughly enjoyed the initial drawing of the figures, which I did very quickly. In fact, in order to convey the fluid movement, it was essential to draw quickly (with the brush).

I was not concerned with making a faithful copy-just conveying the general mood. The big problem I had was finding a good color copy. Initially what I found was from an on line source, but it left me feeling that the color reproduction was far from true. From there, I investigated further and found a new publication in the central library, downtown Indianapolis, which showed different colors. So.... I sort of compromised and towards the end, flew on my own.

Here are the two side by side. My copy is the second image (obviously, I guess).

This effort led to more research into finding photos of West of Ireland fishermen and Currachs. For the un-informed, a Currach is an ancient Celtic No Keel wooden fishing boat, formerly covered in animal skins (in tarred canvas these days). These boats, extremely lightweight and buoyant, are very effective in the rough Atlantic on the west coast, but hard to handle-usually with three or four oarsmen. Currach images in Irish painting scenes are somewhat cliched, but I have never done one. Now I am looking further for composing more paintings.

In the meantime....going, as I said, In a Direction, I looked at Patrick Flaherty's famous documentary Man of Aran (on the same Currach quest), and from that, created the painting shown, which I am calling Storm Watch. It is supposed to convey the anxious search by the boy in the film, looking out to sea for the return of his father in a currach. View the movie on YouTube.

Back to Basics

Yesterday, following my stumbling and bumbling around the Noblesville area, discovering that I am not translating what I know onto canvas, I resolved to set aside a portion of my time to re-learning basics. The primary aim is to look at light and shadow, i.e. Values. Towards this end, I intend to do some plein air value studies.

I was quite surprised when, same day, I came across the Blog of an English artist, Paul Foxton, who describes a similar pilgrimage he has made to get back long forgotten skills (in his case-not mine). In my case, most of these skills are work-in-progress.

Anyway, I thoroughly recommend visiting the following links:


Learning to See Blog

http://www.learning-to-see.co.uk/limited-palette

Foxton Website

http://www.paul-foxton-paintings.co.uk/