Something is Better than Nothing

“Purple Pole Beans”, Watercolor on Yupo paper, Katie Turner

A fellow artist approached me recently bemoaning that his drawing wasn’t as he would have liked it.  When I asked him why he didn’t like his drawing he explained that it had been done using a photo reference rather than sketching it “en plein air”.

In my opinion, drawing from a photo is certainly better than not drawing at all.  But without the right approach it can be a sad experience with drawings and paintings that look flat, lifeless and soulless.

So how do you keep your drawing or painting from lacking soul? First, have a positive attitude and then an open mind. What are you feeling as you draw this?  What senses are affecting you during the drawing process?  What is it about this particular subject that you want to communicate to the viewer in your drawing?

Another thing to consider is what the photographer has already done in the photo.  How have they already edited the scene and what can you do to make it your scene rather than just a repeat of what the photographer created?  What else can you bring to this drawing that would make it fresh and spice it up?

Remember that your art tells your story and you get to choose what you want to say and how to say it.   Happy creating. ♦

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Rodin’s Answer to Rejection.

The Benedictions, executed 1894
Musee Rodin cast number unknown, 1955 bronze
Marked: “A. Rodin”, “Georges Rudier Fondeur Paris”
35 1/2x24x19” Lent by the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation

Attending Syracuse University’s Lunchtime Lecture afforded me the opportunity to hear Professor Romita Ray’s wealth of information and insight into the current show, Rodin: The Human Experience.

This free event is open to the public and gives visitors a chance to familiarize themselves with Rodin and all of the SU Galleries in the Shaffer Art Building on campus.

The show has 28 bronze sculptures all by the French sculptor, Auguste Rodin (1840-1917).  Rodin is considered the father of modern European sculpture and he studied under Antoine Louis-Barye.

Rodin came from a working class family, his father a police inspector and his mother a seamstress.  After he was rejected from Ecole des Beaux-Arts (art school), he worked for sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse for six years.  After having his sculpture rejected from the Salon several times, he was determined to continue working in his own style.  He was inspired by Michelangelo’s work during his travels to Italy in 1876.  Not long after that his work began receiving positive attention and international fame.

Professor Ray gave insight into the political events that were happening during the time Rodin was creating various sculptures. It was interesting how critics of the era responded.  She took time to describe the actual process of creating a bronze sculpture, which I found very helpful.  She told us how Rodin described sculpting as simply “making holes and bumps”, gave a hand-out full of detail and explained how the Rodin sculptures “Vibrate” power without many details.  It is fascinating to see how this artist was able to give the feeling of flesh and fabric using a metal.  Some of Rodin’s sculptures feature oversized feet, hands or other body parts, which Professor Ray stated “Art is about more than beauty, it’s also about exaggeration.”  I saw the exaggeration as Rodin’s expression of power or strength.

Professor Ray explained that the emotional pieces that were rejected were also the same pieces that later were considered to be masterpieces.  Rodin’s art is considered a link between traditional and modern sculpture and is rich with feeling.

I appreciate artist stories and particularly enjoy hearing the successes – how one persevered, overcame and found success.  What can I take away from this?  Sometimes it’s important to ignore the critics (even if they are only in your own head) and push yourself to create the best work you possibly can.

Syracuse University has many free events, so be sure to check out their art and newsletter here: http://suart.syr.edu/  ♦

Chromatic Interaction

Sketchbook – random circles

sketchbook page – wavy lines

sketchbook page – painted circles

There are many methods for organizing colors in the world of art and science.  Having a visual model can help an artist see the relationships colors have with each other. A color wheel, developed by Albert Munsell in 1905, assigned a numbering system to colors and became a useful and common tool artists and designers could use for planning color ideas.  Johannes Itten also developed a three-dimensional model, integrating the color wheel into a globe.

Using a sketchbook to study colors can help an artist examine the relationships between warmer and cooler colors as well as between analogous and complementary colors.  As a watercolorist, I can gain an understanding of how the various watercolors work together, but may find changes as I experiment with different brands.

Testing chromatic interaction doesn’t have to be boring at all – try this exercise for fun:

1. Draw several free-hand circles in various sizes.  Allow them to overlap.  This first step is optional, since you could just create your circles with the brush.
2. Start with the largest circle, painting one color into the circle.
3. Clean the brush with water before adding a second color. Paint the new color into the adjoining circle on the first circle.  Watch the colors bleed, paying attention to how the colors are interacting.
4. Continue painting circles with different colors.
5. This is only one way to paint the circles. You could also wait for each circle to dry before painting the next, so there would be no “bleeding” of colors.

Have fun!

To read more about color theory, click here: https://watercolorpainting.com/color/

https://uxplanet.org/algorithm-for-automatic-harmonious-color-selection-for-the-image-fc26dde69ca1

The Munsell Color System: https://web.archive.org/web/20030813092028/http://www.adobe.com/support/techguides/color/colormodels/munsell.html

Itten Color: https://www.bauhaus100.de/en/past/teaching/classes/preliminary-course-by-johannes-itten/index.html

An art & design duo from Milan have chromatic interaction art:  https://www.carnovsky.com/RGB.htm

Art Park Inspiration

Arlene Abend “Aggression”

Sculpture by Arlene Abend

Inspiration can come from many places but this past weekend I found inspiration at the Arlene Abend Exhibit and Reception.  The event was located at the Stone Quarry Hill Art Park in Cazenovia, New York and hosted by the Cazenovia Counterpoint.  The Stone Quarry Hill Art Parks grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk and has unique outdoor art throughout the 104 acres.  There are four miles of trails with breathtaking views.

Land was purchased in 1958 by Dorothy and Robert Riester and the house and studio at the top of the hill are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Arlene Abend’s reception included a documentary film by Courtney Rile which I found entertaining and inspirational.  Abend is a small woman with a big personality.  She has spent the last four decades creating her wonderful sculptures.  Some of her favorite tools are the welding torch, plasma cutters, vices and grinders.

I found her large sculptures captivating and thought-provoking.  Her story of overcoming challenges was inspiring to me and I was very happy to watch the film by Courtney Rile.  Abend worked as an artist in the field of metal work which was pretty much dominated by men.  She was not deterred but forged ahead with new ideas and techniques.  She has great enthusiasm which motivates me to continue on with my art.

If you are in the area, I would invite you to stop in at the Stone Quarry Art Park to walk some trails, look at some art and then head into town to visit some of the great little shops and restaurants in Cazenovia.

 

Video link   https://vimeo.com/241040476

article: https://www.syracuse.com/good-life/2016/11/woman_of_steel_with_a_welding.html

website link: Stone Quarry Hill Art Park

Exercises For Brush Control

Chinese Brush Painting made easier using a giant serving tray as a mixing palette.

Chinese Brush Painting was one of many items on my Art “To-Do” list.  I had heard from others that it would be helpful in learning control of the brush.  I’ve been painting for a long time so I knew some techniques but I was happy to find that daily Chinese Brush painting practice has helped my painting.

Masters of Chinese Brush Painting study the art for many years and create some of the most beautiful paintings and calligraphy.  I was more interested in building the brush work into my daily habits.

Some of the exercises include painting bands of color, laying varying colors side by side (steady hand practice), and painting thick and thin lines using the tip and base of the brush (practicing pressure).  Painting fast lines with a wrist flick and cutting shapes are more exercises.  These are only some of the many exercises to try.

If you haven’t tried Chinese Brush Painting and you want to strengthen your brush control, give it a try.  There are many inexpensive books to help guide you in the process.  You can even use YouTube to get an idea of how to paint this way.

Here are some online resources: http://education.asianart.org/explore-resources/background-information/introduction-chinese-brushpainting-techniques

http://asia-art.net/chinese_brush.html

https://www.wikihow.com/Start-Chinese-Brush-Painting

https://youtu.be/qF3EbR8y8go

 

 

No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man

“Flowers and Circles” Watercolor by Katie Turner

The Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC has a new exhibit of large-scale works that runs through January 2019.  “No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man” is a major exhibition curated by Norak Atkinson.  It’s an interactive installation filled with sight and sound.  Atkinson brought in various artists from The Burning Man Project to create special installations for this exhibition.  I find the art to be wonderfully strange and colorful.  To check out the art, click here: https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/burning-man  the video here: Renwick Gallery Burning Man Art Video

 

The Burning Man Project is an annual event held north of Nevada in the dessert.  The original event took place in 1986 and has since developed into an incredible experiment in community and art.  The event is all about exploring various forms of artistic self-expression and sharing one’s unique talents, not just being a spectator.  To see some of the experimental art at this event, click here:  https://burningman.org/event/brc/2018-art-installations/?yyyy=&artType=B  Here is a video from 2017 event: Burning Man 2017 Video

 

For the Joy of It: Watercolor Paintings by Katie Turner

This Saturday I will be hanging a new show at the Maxwell Memorial Library.  I titled the show, “For the Joy of It: Watercolor Paintings by Katie Turner” because I specifically wanted to focus on the positive aspects of art.  I find art can fulfil many roles and joy is one of my favorites.  Art can be so much more than just pretty pictures, it brings healing and peace to a challenging situation or it refocuses our minds to a certain time or memory.   This show gives me an opportunity to share joyful paintings with other art lovers.  I hope local friends, family and art aficionados will join me for a reception on Monday, June 4, 2018 from 6-7:30 at the Maxwell Library, 14 Genesee St., Camillus, New York.

For more information go to: www.KTArtStudio.com or www.Maxwellmemoriallibrary.org

The show runs from June 2-30, 2018.