Studio Tour

Sometimes, you just have to take things in hand and make them happen. That’s what I decided to do when I wanted my community to hold an artist studio tour. My idea was that I would reach out to other artists, who I didn’t know, and create a group of people who would work together harmoniously, sharing the effort, to make it happen.

Luckily, my friend (and very talented book artist and writer), Brenda, consented to jump into this endeavor with me (if a little reluctantly). We held meetings to get a group together & make things happen. But for a while there, the only things that happened were dissension. After a screaming match in my own living room (where I was the one being screamed at), I almost bagged the whole thing.

We had, then lost, support of the Flatbush Development Corp.- our community org, and gained support from Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition.

With all the talent I had reached out to, we still didn’t have a useable logo for the event . So, even though I have no graphic arts training, I decided to come up with a logo. You see here what I came up with. Since our acronym is FAST – Flatbush Artist Studio Tour, I really wanted to convey something art-like moving swiftly, hence the
spinning color wheels. But because we are a Victorian neighborhood, and are running the tour the same weekend as the house tour, everyone seemed to like the house best. (The easel guy was no contender.) And that’s what we went with. Which do you think works best?

Flatbush Artists Studio Tour (FAST)  June 7 & 8, 1-5PM www.FlatbushArtists.org

FAST Group Show June 1-15 at Voxpop and Connecticutt Muffin, 1022 & 1106 Cortelyou Rd, Brooklyn, NY

My studio: 190 Marlborough Road., Brooklyn

Plan On It!

Solitary Pursuit

Returning to New York was a disorienting experience. Of course, I was glad to see my husband and daughter after two weeks away. It was fun going that evening to the 50th Birthday party of my dear friend, Marilyn Davidson. My energy was waning but her husband, Steve, spoke so tenderly about her that I got a second wind. Dancing almost pushed me over the top.
So those were the good parts. But coming back to everyday life, the responsibilities in home, family, friends, FAST and food, had been shed while I was away and I only resumed them reluctantly. It is amazing how quickly we can get used to changes, especially those that make our lives easier. For two weeks, I only had to care for myself and my painting. In that time, the two were synonomous.

I was anxious to continue what I had started and to apply what I learned. It is always helpful to work in a group setting—there is feedback and comments throughout the painting process. One may even have the opportunity to talk out a problem and solution, with the only input being the listening of another artist.

But talking it out with yourself is a more difficult and solitary pursuit. The critical, problemsolving dialog exists only within yourself and, with new tools gain in the workshops, it is difficult to implement them effectively.

The painting above was begun at the workshop and finished at home. It has a brief beginning in acrylic and the rest is watercolor on synthetic yupo paper. Painted of a model to whom the face, clothing and setting bear no resemblance. What is she gazing at through the black opening? (Your comments are welcome.)

What a Party!

Friday, March14, 2008

Struggling with this painting seems to be the order of the day. While one can get a layer of paint to stick to Yupo (synthetic paper), frequently, putting on a subsequent layer, as is demanded for a “painterly effect”, will just pick up the first layer, leaving you with nothing. At the same time, take this approach to design is so outside my normal perview, it is hard to evaluate when it is working or not. Also, with abstraction, there is no object to compare your picture to detect its “correctness”. Coping with all these new challenges simultaneously is sometimes frustrating and confusing.

Finally deemed that painting finished & gave it over to the picture hanging elves who make the 3rd floor studios into a very large gallery. I need to pack up and make the box of canvases and boards that I didn’t use, to be Fedexed back to NY.

The South Carolina weather was enticing me to never leave, so I took my last long walk down on the beach from the Springmaid pier down to the next.

Returning with just enough time to get into my glad rags & make my appearance for cocktails. Similar to last week, the work is wonderful. This time, however, there is a greater diversity of style as there are more open studios. Because we are all heading back home shortly (this is the last of 3 consecutive sessions), I made a point to photograph several of my friends with their work. It is quite accomplished and all seemed to feel they had gained from this intense learning experience.

After dinner, we returned for dancing but there was a different DJ from the week before. We swore we couldn’t imagine where he dug up some of the music he was playing. Most of it was from the 1940’s & 50’s. Old, old old! But he did get some of the couples up for some (really) old standards. My friends, Kathleen & Dennis, looked romantically sweet on the dance floor, especially when Dennis swooped Candy in those deep dips.

Photos: me at the top at our gala, more friends and their art work, at the bottom, the romantic dancers of Michigan.

Getting "Painterly"

Thursday, March 13, 2008

This point in the workshop, everyone starts to see the end of the week coming and with that comes a sense of regret and anxiety. While I am really enjoying myself, it has been a long time away and I am very tired. With completion also comes our show finale, so all of us focus on finishing and getting work ready to show. I continued to work on my third figure painting but I was anxious to try a non-objective painting.

This was to be a workshop about working on alternative surfaces. However, the only techniques George has taught have been about Yupo. I feel a bit disappointed as this was not as advertised and I know George has a great deal of knowledge about many technical areas of painting.

George and I had private conference for him to review and critique my body of work. He was quite supportive and, as a direction to explore, suggested I work on integrating a more “painterly effect” with my “decorative” imagery. Having his feedback was very helpful and I appreciated it.

I proceeded to create a “painterly” (layered) underpainting and then placed a chair on top of it. Now my challenge is to turn it into a painting.

Photos top to bottom: underpainting with chair outline, Springmaid Pier, finished painting.

Into The Experience

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

The week is moving on quickly and I am onto my third painting. Not that both of the others were completed, they weren’t, I just have other things I want to try.

I have finally given in and will try a painting on yupo in watercolor. This is what George is teaching, principally. He spends a lot of time demonstrating these techniques, I guess because he has spent a long time developing them. These are his primary medium and surface. So I won’t buck the trend; I’ll give it a try.

Photos: my acrylic painting completed, "Diana's Daughter", sunrise over Springmaid Pier.

The Five Fundamentals of Design

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Having drawn and redrawn yesterday’s effort, by last night, I had had enough. I brought a sketch book and drawing materials back to my room and set about making several drawing that could be the basis of a painting. Captivated by my teacher’s wonderful paintings of people, I drew several figures, one of which became the basis for today’s painting.

I am working on canvas board, which I have textured, with acrylics. I had planned to work in acrylics all week but all the instruction and demonstration by instructors, has been with watercolor.

George talked about the most dynamic part of the picture plane. He diagrammed it for us but not too surprisingly, it is the center rectangular half of the picture, slightly above the midpoint.He also explained the difference between form – a 3 dimensional experience and shape, a 2D experience. Shapes relate better to the grid because they are both 2 dimensional.

Design, he noted, is the organization of visual materials. Dark shapes define light shapes; light shapes define dark. The human eye is drawn to light. James explained the Five Fundamentals of Design. They are: light shape on dark ground, dark shape on light, exchange-the alternating of light and dark ,which he applies, light shapes on light ground and ark shapes on dark.

A lot to take in for one day, and to apply it to one’s work.

Photos at top: George demonstrates a vertical seascape. At right: the 5 fundamentals.
Center: my painting in progress.

Art On The Grid

Monday, March 10, 2008

The first day of the workshop, instructor George James began with a lecture on design. This is just what I came for and I enjoy his intellectual approach. He talks about how your eyes’ perception takes in the three dimensional world. We artists then take that 3D perception and make is two dimensions when we put it on a “grid.” Grid is a metaphore for the 2D nature of the paper, the flatness of it. Many things in our in our environment, such as televisions, computers and even the projections in Times Square, are the “grid.”

While admonishing us to find the emotional connection to color, George notes that the human eye needs contrast—dark vs. light. Dark explains light; lights explain dark. This concept of exchange is key to the day.

I began a painting on Yupo paper with acrylic. The new surface gives lots of unexpected effects, some desirable, others less so. The image is from my trip to Beijing two years ago, when I visited the hudong, the old neighborhood of walled paths, behind which courtyards and residences were hidden. Here you see my start. Also, photos of George James' demonstration of "12 Angry Men" painting that he did in response to having seen the play several times recently. An example of art inspiring art.