What is your gut telling you?

"I like what I like.  I can't tell you why, I just do."  That was my Dad's oft repeated saying about Art.  He was a huge fan of Norman Rockwell and one of his favorite books was a book of Poetry illustrated by Maxfield Parrish.  Dad liked a 3d painting of mountains and a lodge in Japan, it was given to him as a present from an inn keeper in Japan and was always up in the house.   The styles could not have been any more different but he liked them all the same.

I do find that the different mediums I work with all inform one another.  For instance, I find working in pen and ink makes me think further about composition and design as the medium is so direct and unforgiving.  I know that I've barely scratched the surface of Pen and Ink.

I enjoy studying the many moods of the ocean.  The power of the waves.  The color and the shapes in the rock and in the surf, the reflections of the sun and moon, the mist, sea fog and foam, and , the movement of the waves create constantly shifting and new fascinations to me.  This is all purely the visual and doesn't even take into account the impact of the sounds and smells of the ocean.

The same composition of rocks and beach or a cove could literally be painted daily or throughout the day and every painting would be different.   Claude Monet studied the effects of light on subjects in series such as haystacks, Rouen Cathederal, Houses of Parliament and more.  The same subject in different light and atmospheric conditions held his interest (not to mention ours for more than a century) because the challenges presented and, therefore the subjects themselves were, in fact, different.  Sometimes subtle differences, sometimes dramatic differences.  

I remember reading a note from Winslow Homer describing one of his paintings to the dealer, describing in great detail the lighting effect of the clouds being 15 minutes before sunset and how different the lighting would be 15 minutes after sunset.  It's not something that the casual observer would even notice, but master artists such as Homer and Monet could never be described as casual observers of the world around them.

It's interesting to note that even people with little to no interest in art can, if they are familiar with the subject matter, can "tell" if a realistic picture "rings true" with their expereience.  They may not be able to describe what is right or wrong with a picture but their "gut" will let them know if something "isn't quite right." 

Acrylic

Acrylic is my second choice for on location painting.  It dries incredibly quickly - which can create some challenges but it allows for many of the same properties I mentioned about watercolor.  The primary advantage I find in acrylics is that areas can be quickly painted over and it can also show brushstrokes which can add greatly to the feeling of movement within a painting.

Pen and Ink - Breakers Two

I'm not sure what started me on this particular exploration of pen and ink but I do find it quite enjoyable.  I work in a variety of media: Watercolor, Charcoal, Acrylic, Oil, Pencil, and most recently Gouache, and Mixed Media experiments.  I'll write more about the differnt media in subsequent posts.

Charcoal 

Charcoal is probably the medium I enjoy working with the most.  I love its flexibility and the acutal feel of working with Charcoal.  It's a medium that can be worked with very rapidly and can create both fluid compositions as well as highly detailed drawings with very wide ranging tonal values.  Charcoal can also be layered and built up over time should one choose to do so.

Watercolor

Watercolor is another medium I enjoy very much.  It's my first choice for painting on location.  I find watercolor is able to capture so many of the effects found in nature very quickly - which is especially important as the light is constantly changing.  I also believe watercolor to be far more flexible than the common public perception.  While its true that its important to plan your lightest lights and darkest darks - beyond that I find it to be a very maliable medim.  I personally prefer transparent watercolor and "untouched" watercolors done in one session - but thats simply a personal preference.

Oil Painting

As of this writing, I've only done a couple of oil paintings on location.  I find it challenging to store the wet paintings while on the move.  I haven't really taken the time to explore what exists for this beyond the paintbox itself nor have I taken the time to try to invent something due to the ease of working with watercolor.  I enjoy working with Oil Paint in the studio, but have done little of it so far.  I currently use water soluble oils as I don't really have a ventilation set up for oils.

Show Me - Oil over Acrylic Base

24" by 36"

Gouache 

I've just begun working with gouache so I have very little experience to comment on.  I've just begun experimenting with this medium, having experimented with working gouache over charcoal drawing and to add a few highlights to abandoned watercolors.  I think there certainly are possibilities.

Gouache over Charcoal - New Hampshire Memories

12" x 18"

Mixed Media -Experiment -  Abandoning worry about what "could happen" is incredibly freeing.  I had a charcoal sketch that I'd set aside long ago.  Never quite satisfied with it.  I decided to experiment by  putting watercolor over the drawing.  Below is the result.

Mixed Media - 12" x 18"

This process helped me work out different compositions.  Although the "look" is different I ended up liking it more than I thought I would.