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Sometimes it's best to throw away the plans.

A few weeks back my friend, Diane Nelson-Gold and I got together to go to Santa Paula to paint.  It's a long drive but there was a chance we could find some suitable studies and reference photos for an upcoming exhibit opportunity.  We always have fun together.  I love talking about painting with Diane.  She's fun and social and I get to hear all about what some of my friends are doing -- even though I don't see them.  We also do a lot of talking about art and life. 

I had a list of places to paint that my friend, Laura Wambsgans, and I had gathered from a previous visit.  The California Art Club had thought they would have a paint out up that way, but it never came to pass.  So I took the list of suggested places with me.

Diane, however, let her adventurous spirit take over and headed off-plan once we got into the Santa Paula area -- after all, - she was driving!  I didn't object.  We were enjoying our conversations and we stopped at a bunch of "likely spots" to explore.  We drove through nearby Fillmore and noted that there was a flower festival coming up in April or May.   None of the spots we stopped in to explore, however, really grabbed us until we were heading back toward one of those spots on our original list.

We were driving along one of the ubiquitous roads surrounded by citrus and avocado that wind through the countryside when we spotted a flower farm.  We decided to stop and explore.  While we were exploring the rows of flowers and the many hot tents of flowers, we looked up and saw that a truck was trying to enter the farm  --  AND WE HAD PARKED RIGHT ACROSS THE ENTRANCE!!   OOPS...

Thinking we were going to get yelled at and tossed off of the property by a very angry farmer, we hurried back to the car to move it.  However, the flower grower, who was named Robert, was good-natured and, we found after a lively conversation, loved his farm, his flowers and his life.  He told exuberant stories and shared his grateful feelings about his fields and his life.  He even let us return to the middle of his flower farm to paint... (as long as we promised not to break a leg or something.)

We each spent the rest of the day in heavenly contentment as we painted our paintings and shared our day in the middle of Robert's flower field.

I decided to call this little painting

"Robert's Gratitude"

(And yes, Russell Black, I did do a 3 value sketch before I started blocking it in.   I've been doing that with all of my plein air work over the last few weeks.....  I think the hardest part of doing that isn't really getting the values right, but simplifying the masses so that there aren't too many shapes.)

Both Diane and I feel very thankful for our ability to get outside to see and enjoy the beautiful gifts of nature.  We, also feel gratitude.

When Kay Zetlmaier and I took our road trip up along the California Coast on our way to a California Art Club paint out at the Mission San Antonio de Padua, we found that the best part of the trip wasn't the paint out but it was the trip up the coast.  The mission was founded by Father Serra in 1771.  It has an interesting history and has been restored several times since it was built.  We enjoyed our visit and our time meeting the other artists.   But the trip up the coast was really the best part of all.

We explored along the coast and saw some breathtaking scenes.  We painted and we took lots and lots of photographs.  I look through those photos often and enjoy the road trip all over again.  Here is one of Kay getting a shot of the lupine on the hillside just before the turn

in the road where we saw the view in this painting which I called:

"Beyond A Sunny Hillside"

I loved the way the sunlight was hitting the mustard on the hillside and the way the road disappeared. 

When I painted this painting, I had several of Dan Pinkham's paintings in my head.  Although I liked how my painting came out, I didn't come even close to the wonderful paint handling and color transitions that can be seen in Dan's work.

Wonderful examples of work from the fabulous artist, Dan Pinkham.

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I am the chairperson for a group of volunteers within the California Art Club called the Ambassadors.  Because of that I have been able to attend the annual board meeting for the CAC for two years now.  Seriously for most of my clubs, attending any kind of board meeting is a drag, but this once a year meeting has been interesting.  Last year Dan Pinkham gave a presentation about his work.  As he talked, it became clear that his art is a part of how he practices his faith.   He calls his pencil sketch his "prayer".  He calls his plein air piece a celebration.  The studio piece is a work of "contemplative faith".

This year, I wasn't sure anything could beat that, but this year's meeting was just as interesting.

Peter Adams, CAC President, spoke about the Four Styles (or Groups) of California Art.  He showed examples of the work of each person mentioned within each style.

1. Bold Muralistic - Japonism - characterised by rhythm - shapes thought out from a design standpoint -- hard edges give strength and keep the eye moving
   
   • Frank Brangwyn
   • Dean Cornwell
   • Frank Tenney Johnson
   • Edgar Payne
   • William Wendt
   • Franz Bischoff
2. Decorative Style -- gentle lyrical curvilinear
   
   • Alphonse Mucha
   • William Russell Flint
   • Arthur Mathews
   • Reginald Machell
   • Yoshida Hiroshi
   • Jessie Arms Botke
   • Marion Wachtel
   • Theodore Lukits
3. Tonalist Style -- not much detail -- leaves lots to the imagination -- inner voice is apparent
   • George Innes
   • John Twachtman
   • Emil Soren Carlson
   • Russell Chatham
4. Realistic / Naturalistic Style
   • John Singer Sargent
   • Anders Zorn
   • Guy Rose
   • Jack Wilkinson Smith
   • Hanson Puthuff

I love learning.

It's not often that one paints dead flowers.  I usually opt for prettier, more inspiring subjects.

But I went to David Gallup's class on Monday and had decided not to bring any of my ongoing projects to work on.  When we paint what David chooses for subject matter, we should never be surprised with what he comes up with.  We've painted a shark's head, goldfish in a bag, piles of rocks, fish heads, dead birds, beautiful flowers from the local florist's discard pile, abalone shells, vegetables, fire wood kindling and many of the usual pots, vases and bowls.  On that Monday all the florist had to give away free were dead flowers.

It was fine.  I was trying to see if I could paint "anything".  It's all for practice after all.

I pulled out an old canvas that I had covered with oil based gesso over another failed painting.  Therefore it had a great deal of texture before I started.  I began painting with my usual 3-value umber block in.  That's when it all went haywire.  David said something to the effect that I should just stop there because the composition was perfect.  (WHAT????)  I probably took a photo for reference but since I have lost my phone (*&^%$#@) I can't show you.  I doubt you'd be impressed.  I wasn't.  Always striving to understand, I asked David what he was talking about.  -As always David tries to enlarge my repertoire of great painting examples, so he whipped out examples of Frederick Cuming, a contemporary impressionist English artist.

Cuming's work is considered "vaguely Turneresque". 

David would like me to learn to appreciate the loose beauty of this work.    ... okay...

Then David started talking about patterns like what Gustav Klimt used in his paintings.    David somehow believed that the pattern I had created made him think of what he sees as beautiful patterns in Klimt's work.  I couldn't see it. 

The larger problem I had was that I fail to see what makes either Cuming's work or Klimt's work so well-accepted and revered.  I'm not saying they are not great artists.  Obviously they are both wonderful artists in the view of the world -- it's just that their work is far from my aesthetic and I so wish I could UNDERSTAND what makes either artist wonderful.   My inner being believes if I can UNDERSTAND what makes these painter's work great, then I have a better chance to learn to incorporate that "it" into my own work.  Fantasy, maybe... but it's the way I think.

Anyway I did not SEE or understand what David was seeing so I just went on to work and painted my dead flowers the best way I could.  I enjoy learning about various artists and their work.  I enjoy trying to grow as a painter.

So this is my painting:

"Dead Flowers"

Seacliff  20x20x2 O/C

Casting About In The Great Unknown 18x24  O/C

More and more, I've decided not to enter shows that I had been entering in previous years.  There are lots of reasons why this has happened -- suffice it to simply say that it has.  However, I still want my work to be seen by other people, so I look for opportunities and ask myself lots of questions before deciding whether to enter or not.

If it's a show for one of my clubs, I sometimes enter just because I want to support the club.  More and more, though, I am being more selective.  I used to think that jurors only picked work that was in the same genre or style as their own, but since I've been exhibit chair for one of my clubs for several years now, I've found that jurors are mostly out to create an interesting show which will attract people of a variety of tastes.  So although I often look at the juror's work or the work which hangs in a certain gallery, I no longer use that as a red light green light indicator.  Here are some of my considerations.

1. Is there a theme?   If so is it something I can live with or will I have to create something that will be out of place in my portfolio?
2. Do I have work that would "fit" the venue?
3. Will I have to "sit" the show?
4. Is the work going to be seen in a new location or by a new group of people?  
5. Is the gallery likely to receive good foot traffic?   /sales?
6. Is the juror someone I'd like to have become familiar with my work?
7. Is the group sponsoring the show likely to attract other artwork that I would feel proud to have my work "hung with"?
8. Is the show a regional, statewide or national show?
9. Is the show likely to "stretch me" to be a better painter?
10. Will I have to ship my work if it is accepted?

All of these things went through my head when I decided to enter the show above.  This is a group that I have belonged to for quite a while, but most of them are abstract artists.  I often feel like the odd-man in this group.  However, just before I was going to stop entering this group's shows, my work began to be accepted and shown in their walls.  

So..  soon two of my paintings (both were juried in) can be seen right in the heart of Santa Monica!

Perhaps you'll be able to join me next Saturday at the opening reception on Saturday night from 6-9 pm.   I'll probably be there shortly after 7:00.  I'd love to chat with you. 

Show:  3-14 through 3-29

Opening Reception:  March 15  6:00 pm to 9 pm

There seems to be so much to do that it doesn't seem like I can get anything done.   I'm working on a few larger pieces and wallowing in frustrated self-doubt.

I have no real reason for it... but it's there.  I imagine we all go through phases like this.

Good things are happening in life.   My daughter had a wonderful healthy baby daughter yesterday.  Everyone is doing well.  The immediate family is doing fine.  Both artwork pieces that I entered into a show in a new venue were accepted..  I have no excuse for the anxious feelings I have.

They are just there. Perhaps I need to do what Robert Genn suggested in his blog a few posts ago and don a wizard's hat to fool myself into believing that I CAN do it.

HOWEVER... when I get out and paint outside.. I can forget my self doubts, anxieties and frustrations.  I can just have fun.  I went out with my friend Diane Nelson-Gold the week before last.  I haven't spent much time with her because our schedules aren't the same so it was good to get together.  We went to a spot she likes.  I am so impressed with how her work is blossoming...  makes me feel like a snail with my progress.  But no matter.  Progress of any kind is welcome.  

We both decided to work on getting the values right.  I tried the value sketch that my blogging friend, Russell Black, keeps telling me to use.  I know it really helps many, many painters, but I have to say..  it just doesn't do anything for me.  I much prefer blocking in the 3 values with umber or another neutral as I've learned to do in David Gallup's class.  The thing I need to do better is stick with my initial plan.  That's pretty much what I did. 

Diane and I both chatted happily away and had a grand time.  The fog came in shortly after we arrived down on the sandy beach at El Matador.  We had seen it from a distance when we first arrived, but by the time we decided to set up it was upon us.  It made the day pleasant but the light was fairly filtered, narrowing the values.

Although I was fairly happy with my plein air piece, it was boring... no interesting color.  I decided to add some color in but to keep the values the same when I worked on it at home.   This is a close in view of the famous Elephant Rock at El Matador State Beach in Malibu California.  (Another view from the opposite side is posted on the right.)

"Foggy Day At Elephant Rock"