Art Everyday: Getting Schooled

Part of the reason I wanted to take up this daily painting challenge is to loosen up my painting. I have typically (for like 15+ years) painted very thin with lots of blending. Somewhere along the line my figurative paintings got really stiff. I don't tend to have this problem when painting more expressive works or non-figurative works. So, in order to become a better painter (and a better teacher), I am still trying to improve my figurative painting skills.

Part of this effort involves seeking out a mentor who isn't afraid to crack the whip and beat me over the head to try to undo (or loosen) the habits of the last 15 years. Enter Kristen Dukat. If you follow the blog you know what my stalking of her on facebook has led to our friend/mentorship and the inspiration for me doing the challenges. She is going to turn the world into daily painters. You can view her blog here. So, after our first teaser of a session, I dreamt about going to her house to paint with every spare moment I have. Of course, painting isn't a quick process, so I wanted to give myself at least 4-5 hours to learn.

A couple of weeks ago, before the sickness arrived, I got the chance. Kristen had this great tulip and we matched it up with a great plaid purple background and colored plates.

Seemed simple enough. Both Kristen and I have long enjoyed painting flowers. However, once we got the still life set up, the flower began to open up from the heat of the light, adding an additional challenge. I struggled getting started, doing a couple under paintings and wiping them away. I think I kept shifting angles and couldn't quite get the drawing down. I also decided to ditch the water-based oils and bring the real deal this time. I was definitely ill equipped. My white had stiffened. I had weird colors that I don't ever use as part of my traditional palette set up. I hadn't painted with my oils in a good 7-8 months...my brushes scattered. So, I didn't have a good brush either.

ugh-Round 1

Kristen shows what's up!

Pretending to have a clue!

The set up in Kristen's studio (JEALOUS!)

So, after a little break and Kristen putting the smack down we decide to try to recover it with Kristen lending me some not sucky paint, a couple palette knives and some patient instruction. I have to break the habit of over blending (resulting in muddy colors). One of the steps I think I am going to have to employ is mixing the paint to the desired shade/hue/saturation/tint/etc. before applying it to the canvas. Maybe not necessarily as strict as the one color per stroke, but I really need to slow myself down and retrain myself identify the values present and work on mixing to match said values. I think part of this comes from being a working mom whose job is not to paint all day. I have this little voice in the back of my head always urging me to finish quickly and it's the same voice I urge my students to silence. I don't know when I might get back to a painting if I don't finish it in one sitting. I don't have a studio or space that I can leave an in-progress work and still life set up. I can paint in the garage when it is nice out, or I can paint with household approved mediums at the table...then pick up the mess before I'm done. These factors are causing my to rush through the processes and not trust the years of training and painting to do what I KNOW I should be doing!

Luckily, I had Kristen there to try to resurrect this painting So, after more LOOKING, a lot of mixing, and a few cracks of the whip...this is what I came up with...