Light Manipulation and a Good Book

Here is another landscape where I used the technique discussed previously, which is the technique of placing the immediate foreground into shadow to pull the viewers eyes into a picture more effectively.

It’s done to a lesser degree here than in the painting from last post. If I were to do this one over again, I would really darken that foreground grass more and darken the water more too. It’s all about contrast, and the illusion that something from outside the picture plane is affecting the light within it. That’s what automatically gives a sense of depth to the viewer.

I was mistaken in my last post - I have used that little trick in still life subjects. Here's one now:

There really is no foreground or background here, but the idea is the same - something outside the picture plane is casting a shadow across the center of interest. In this case the object is on the left, outside the picture, and its shadow creeps up the left side and over the subject. I really darkened down all the other edges on this one as well, to really pump up the drama of the subject.


Bit of art news of note today - The huge oil painting “Gallery of the Louvre” painted by Samuel F. B. Morse (yes, the inventor of the Morse Code) is now being exhibited in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. near the East Garden Court of the West Building. Here is the painting:

I love the timing of this at the National Gallery because in his new book called “The Greater Journey, Americans in Paris” author and Pittsburgh native David McCullough tells the entire story of how this painting was executed. Morse was a man who many folks didn’t realize was a painter prior to being an inventor and his story is very interesting. All goes well, I’ll be in D.C. this summer to see it.

I went to the book release for this book, heard Mr. McCullough speak, and got a signed copy which I’m in the middle of now. The book is currently number one on the New York Times best seller list. Get your own self a copy by clicking here and it’ll be delivered to you by Bastille Day!

joewinklerart.com

Summer

Since we just celebrated the summer solstice a couple days ago, thought I'd feature my painting called "Summer" for today's post:

 She's 18 inches wide by 14 inches deep, oil on canvas.

In this piece I did something compositionally that many painters do, I threw the immediate foreground into shadow to bring the viewers eyes into the painting. I think there's an actual name for that technique, but I just call it "throwing the immediate foreground into shadow to bring the viewers eyes into the painting".

A lot of times this trick is used when the immediate foreground has nothing of interest in it. I've only employed that technique in landscape subjects so far, but this can work just as well with still life subjects too.

Another thing about this painting I thought worked well - I used a color base of warm yellow and then let some of that show through in the final painting layer. Mostly in the sky is where that happened. Here is a detail:

Anyway, Happy SUMMER!

JoeWinklerArt.com

Really Big Show (Prep)

Quick post today - Since the painting of our cat has been finished and accepted into the “Hello Kitty” exhibit in the sunny and fashionable Sewickley area of Pittsburgh, I’ve been busy getting ready for another exhibit - the best kind of exhibit an artist can have - a solo exhibit!  This exhibit is in a nice gallery space in a local public library called the Mt. Lebanon Public Library. As I mentioned in the last post, the nicer neighborhoods in my city and surrounding areas at least, tend to have really sweet libraries with good display areas, as well as patrons who enjoy and appreciate nice art.

Toward that end, here is the e-card I am sending out to everyone:

Consider yourself invited!

joewinklerart.com

Our Cat and the Importance of Painting Backgrounds

A few posts back I mentioned a new painting I was working on for submission into a juried, cat-themed exhibit. I finished that painting prior to going on holiday last month, and just last night received a call from one of the jurors that my painting "Lilly Mesmerized" has been accepted into the exhibit. Here is the painting.

She’s 24 inches long by 12 inches high (the painting not the cat) oil on canvas. The exhibit she’ll be in is called “Hello Kitty”, and it will take place at a local library called the Sewickley Public Library. The exhibit runs from July 9th through August 31st.

That venu may not sound real impressive, but I know from prior experiences that the old and nice neighborhoods in my neck of the woods tend to have really sweet libraries with good display areas, along with substantial foot traffic who enjoy and appreciate nice art. Among the best places I've had one man shows in the past, is the public library in an area near where I live called Mt. Lebanon. And when I say “best” I’m talking in terms of both sales as well as publicity.

In any case the subject of this painting to me is not really the cat or the toy, but the tension that exists between the two. However I wanted the cat to stand out more than the brilliant red of the toy and be the focal point of the painting. As a result, the biggest challenge for me in executing this piece (and so many other pieces) was how to treat the background. The photo reference I shot and worked from, had our blurred stairwell as a background. I actually liked that because the horizontal lines tied her and the toy together. But I decided to go with a more loose and abstract background. I attempted to use gradated intense color and a bit of texture to visually tie the two together.

Backgrounds in any paintings - particularly still-lifes, and portraits, may seem simple, and to some viewers insignificant. However, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. A background can easily make or break a painting. It’s one of those challenges that you actually have to be involved with in order to appreciate how tough it is.

The background is the most important element of this particular painting. Had I decided to go with a smooth, dark, and cool colored background, the focus on the cat would be totally gone and the toy would become the subject. Using the blurred stairwell from the photo may have worked, but with this tight of a crop would have become too complicated. So a carefully executed, warm, intense, and abstract background with loose brushes of complementary blue near the cat, was the definitely the way to go.

As I mature as an artist, I’m realizing that the tough, “down and dirty” planning stages of the painting process are just as, if not more important than, the actual execution stage!

joewinklerart.com

Today’s Featured Sketch and Some Photography News

The Roland Garros mens final is behind us and I’m still in a bit of a mild depression from Roger’s loss. So I thought I’d look forward to the Championships Wimbledon (where strawberries and cream are the main delight) and share with you a quick painting sketch I did for the Sketchbook Project 2011, (which visits the Form/Space Ateller in Seattle, WA on June 10th throught the 12th by the way).

This will potentially turn into a full blown painting at some point. Repetition is an under-used design element by me, so thought I’d try it in this piece. The background color was an experiment. Maybe I’ll go even higher key in the final version of the painting.

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I was just made aware (by a fellow Beatles freak) of one item of interest in the photography world today; there is a new exhibit of the late Linda McCartney’s photographs on view in London. “Linda McCartney - Life In Photographs” is at London gallery Phillips De Pury until June 16th. If your summer holiday is taking you to the Championships this year head up the road a bit early and visit the gallery. All the prints are for sale.

Speaking of photography, I remain hard at work processing my digital negatives from my Nevada holiday, and setting up my Flickr galleries. Let you know when they are ready to view.

joewinklerart.com

Postcard From the Edge

Just returned from holiday in Las Vegas and I'm experiencing the down side of the digital photography age - namely the ability to shoot so damn many images which then I must process up really right before showing anyone. I have a load of canyon shots alone.

I've come to the realization that if the photos can't be all that I want them to be, then at least I have a nice bank of good reference photos for future paintings. And after all isn't a good painting more interesting than a photo?

No matter how you answered that one, paintings are a lot more time consuming for me to execute I'll tell you that!

Anyway here is the first photo I'll make public:

In any case, I have decided to start using Flickr to show all my photography. When I get enough images uploaded I'll share that link with you. There just isn't enough time to do everything I'd like anymore!

DAMN' YOU SCOTT KELBY!!

joewinklerart.com