Ruins of the Castle at Santa Coloma de Cervello

In 2004 Nicole and I ventured southwest of Barcelona to the small village of Santa Coloma de Cervello to visit the Eglesia de la Colonia Guell, the village church designed by Gaudi and built in the early 1900's. From 1898 until construction began in 1908 Gaudi worked on developing a system using hanging strings and bags filled with pellets to determine the arch supports needed for his organic, irregular design of the interior columns. The success of his method in Santa Coloma de Cervello led to the design and construction of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

On the outskirts of town, the ruin of a castle, the Torre Salvana of Santa Coloma de Cervello captured our curiosity. It sat high on a hill above sun-parched fields. The root of a gigantic tree carved a lace-like pattern out of the bleached blue sky. The castle spoke of an earlier time when the air was not filled with a muffled silence. There was something about the castle that drew us nearer to it and caused us to linger for well over an hour. To get to the castle we had crossed over the parched fields from the road that led away from Gaudi's Eglasia de la Coloma Guell toward the train station. We left the ruins by way of an ordinary path that led to a road that led to a formal entrance upon which hung a sign that indicated that we had trespassed. Oh well. The castle inspired a sense of starkness. Rather than paint an image of the Salvana Tower, the main feature by which the castle is know, I have chosen to focus on the abstracted features highlighted by that early afternoon sun.

While researching the castle I stumbled upon a few blogs written by individuals who have visited Barcelona and the outlying areas. Once again I am reminded of how important it is to take more careful notes when traveling abroad, especially when experiences evolve into paintings. I totally misunderstood the information I gathered at the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia. I did not realize until my recent research into the history of the Torre Salvana that the interior of the Sagrada Familia and the Passion Facade on the east side were not actually designed by Gaudi. The amazing tree-like columns of the interior are a cross-mix of more modern design and the original intent taken from Gaudi's notes. One of the pieces in my upcoming show Unveiled-The Anatomy of a Painting is inspired by those enormous tree-like columns. Another painting (shown here), inspired by the Passion Facade on the west side of the Sagrada Familia should be attributed to Subirach, not Gaudi.


Images:
First Image - Charcoal drawing on canvas - Torre Salvana in Santa Coloma De Cervello, Spain
Second Image - Underpainting - Raw Umber and White
Third Image - Oil Painting of a portion of The Passion Facade of the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

Link to page on website featuring progress of architectural paintings

Thunderstorms

Summer is not my favorite season. For me, the highlight of summer is thunderstorms. I love lying in bed, total darkness except for the flashes of lightning, the wind causing the curtains to billow into the room and the sound of rain on the gutters and ground. The sound of the rain pounding on the metal roof at the studio is even better.

A powerful storm moved through in the early hours of the morning taking with it the electricity at the studio. I've painted in the dark before, no reason to break my routine due to lack of light. A perfect opportunity to play with my paint, using extreme colors calculating the mixes in my head and making sure the values worked. Even after the electricity came back on I continued to play. As much as I have enjoyed working on the Road Series, I have also felt restricted by working representationally and focusing on relatively realistic atmospheric conditions.

One of the benefits of painting a series is that after having solved many of the common problems presented by the series, I can't help but veer off in another direction that usually suggests a fresh approach and ultimately stronger work.

Sky as the source of color scheme

The underpaintings shown are a mix of viridian, cadmium red medium and white. Yesterday I applied the first glaze to the square painting illustrated above, a landscape in Northern Portugal. I started the session with a neutralized blue-gray to the sky. My attention was focused on mixing colors to create distant atmospheric perspective. When it came to the foreground greens I found it difficult to mix colors that didn't make my stomach turn and cause a sense of depression to deplete my energy. After several hours of struggle, I was able to mix brighter, yet still grayed, greens and an odd, but not unpleasant sense of light began to give life to the painting.



Today's session started on a second canvas (same underpainting colors) with a different approach to the sky, a bright, yet light value mix of cobalt turquoise and white. The color of the sky determines the light source and therefore affects all the other color mixes on the canvas. If the sky is gray, there are no blues being reflected off of the landforms in the shadows below; nor are there warm yellows reflecting off of the landforms in the sunlit areas since the sun is also blocked. Therefore only grayed variations of all the colors are possible if I am limiting myself to reality which, of course, I am not. Reality is only a starting point. When the sky is blue, the shadow areas will reflect a lovely blue variation of the local color and the sunlit areas will reflect white or yellows variations of local color. As the sun sets and the sky becomes more purple with oranges reflecting off of the clouds, the same colors appear in the shadows and lit areas of the landscape.

I remember the first winter after discovering alizarin crimson. It was the early 70's. Winter no longer appeared gray, white, black and brown with a blue sky overhead. Everywhere I looked I saw crimson and purple brambles, hillsides of lavenders and pinks. My eyes, having awakened to the crimsons of the leafless trees and bushes, became aware of the bright blues in shadows cast upon snow next to the sunlit yellows and oranges. Once again, painting is awakening me to new colors and nuances of color that have surrounded me all my life without my taking notice.

Creeping Up on Color

July in New Jersey challenges me to find interest and variety in the color green, even when painting in the studio. Using a limited palette makes it easier to create variety in my greens without introducing a green from a totally different light source. The fact that the same limited palette can be used to express landscapes at different times of the day and under different weather conditions might appear to contradict my last statement. I use a large sheet of glass as a palette allowing me to leave many piles of mixed paints spread about the surface. If the colored piles don't work well together on the palette, the colors won't work well together on the canvas.

I am finding that cool greens work better than warm greens when glazing over an underpainting of cool red. Both cool and warm greens work well over a warmer toned underpainting. Each day another positive aspect of underpainting reveals itself to me. Because the hues of the underpaintings are varied, I am forced to explore different choices for the glazes such as grayed greens, purple-greens and strong blue-greens.
The strong yellow-orange underpainting of the sky in the last two images forced a stronger blue that moves toward a lighter lavender and ended up suggesting one of those peculiar weather situations where it is raining a few miles up the road while the sky above is still a bright blue. The trees ahead, closer to the storm, are a cool, gray-green, while the trees closer to the foreground are a warmer, grayed green.

An unexpected result of painting landscapes in the studio is that I see the combinations I've created artificially in real landscapes. I've learned more about atmospheric color schemes in the past month than in a decade of plein-air painting. I'm looking forward to packing my gear and setting up outside this fall. Perhaps I will do a quick underpainting in acrylic so that it will dry quickly and I can immediately begin to overpaint in oil.

Link to page on website featuring progress of these paintings.

Subtle Changes and Safflower Oil

About a month ago I came across the book Traditional Oil Painting by Virgil Elliott. I refer to it often while experimenting with the technique of glazing over underpaintings.

In Chapter 7, Oil Painting Materials, Elliott suggests using safflower oil for cleaning brushes followed by soap and water rather than using turpentine. I have always used soap and water on all of my brushes, but never thought of using a vegetable oil for the preliminary cleaning. Safflower oil is a common binder in many oil paints. It can also be used judiciously to thin paints while glazing. I was surprised by the successful results as both a cleaner and a medium.

I applied a very thin glaze on the painting illustrated here. I wanted to get a feel for the coloring of the sky before I worked color into the trees. After the first glaze on the sky and a bit on the road, I mixed a cool, dark glaze of alizarin crimson, viridian and a touch of manganese. I glazed over the trees and grassy areas attempting to establish a sense of the clustering of the trees. It is difficult to see the subtle changes of value in these photos. The manganese helps to create a sense of the same atmospheric light. I'll let the painting dry completely before going back into the trees with a greater variety of greens, both warm and cool, the cool being dominant. After establishing the final range of values in the trees as well as a stronger palette for the trees I will glaze another layer onto the sky and the road. I want a sense of rich darkness in the trees, but I want the grass of the medium to be lighter, reflecting more sunlight and sky. The foreground road will be darker; the foreground grass will be lighter. The challenge at this point is finding a suitable hue for the lightest lights in the foreground grass.

Underpaintings of Figures

The benefits of doing an underpainting continue to delight me. I find it easier to correct drawing and test values. I have more patience, correcting the drawing as many times as necessary. Trees are much more forgiving than faces. The technique of glazing multiple layers of paint over the underpainting requires weeks, perhaps months to complete since each layer must dry completely before applying the next layer of glaze. What is the sense in spending weeks applying glazes over a poor drawing?

The colors are so extreme that the canvas begins to take on a life of its own from the very first few brush strokes. A conversation begins almost immediately and the dialogue between the canvas and the right side of my brain is absolutely entertaining. I am amused that I feel as carefree painting this way in oils as I do splashing, splattering and pouring watercolor paint. For the past several years I've been trying to figure out how to thin oils so that I can manipulate them like watercolor. I thought I needed to splash, splatter and pour to get the sense of depth and motion I want. It is absurd to me that the technique of the old masters has given me the freedom I was searching for. It is difficult at this stage to imagine what the paintings will look like with five or six layers of glaze.

Image: Rachel Brice, Tribal Fusion Belly Dance Performer

Link to page on website featuring progress of portrait paintings.

Five Elements of Art

Talking about a painting is a challenge for the viewer as well as the artist. Artists often use words too esoteric for even other artists to grasp the intended meaning. Viewers might not even attempt to connect the words with the brush strokes on the canvas. The solution is to find a simple vocabulary that can be understood by all. My friend, Dine, introduced me to Art Fundamentals – Theory and Practice published by McGraw Hill, a fantastic book that offers definitions and examples of a basic vocabulary with which to talk about, analyze and appreciate the world of art. I immediately read the book from cover to cover.

After so many years of painting I had taken my evaluation process for granted. I had stopped communicating clearly with myself, working more from the gut and ignoring the input that the left side of my brain might offer. With the Five Elements of Art in mind, I reviewed the paintings throughout my studio. My strengths and weaknesses shouted through the veil of artistic expression. How refreshing!

The experience of traveling to a foreign country is much enhanced when the traveler is able to communicate with the local people in their own language. The experience of standing before a painting is much enhanced when the viewer understands the language of the artist. So began the development of the yoga/art workshop that combines yoga with visual games focused on the five elements of art with the intent of opening the door to the pool of creative energy available to all, artists and non-artists alike. So began the idea of an exhibit that reaches out to the viewer rather than simply presenting itself to the viewer. Unveiled – The Anatomy of a Painting is such an exhibit, displaying paintings that illustrate my decision-making process as well as preliminary stages of the paintings to clarify that process.

I am a bit hesitant to bare my dirty laundry on the walls of Monsoon Gallery, while at the same time, I want the viewer to see what is beneath the many layers of paint that lead to the final surface. Within those many layers is the expression of the creative process, both the struggle and the joy. The final result is the conclusion of that creative process to which I am addicted. If painting were not a challenge, I would have given it up long ago. Each painting presents the opportunity to try new variations of manipulating the basic five elements of art; the options are limitless.

Image: Underpainting for Nicole - oil painting on masonite - 2' x 2'

Link to page on website featuring progress of portrait paintings

What if ......... ?

Though the technique of glazing over a complementary-color underpainting is quite different from throwing, splattering and dripping watercolor onto paper, I discovered yesterday that the labor intensive glazing technique triggers the same thrill of experiencing the unexpected as my watercolor technique. As I gazed at the variety of the underpaintings of the past two days another significant similarity struck me. Both techniques lead to my asking “What if ....... ?”

What if I intensify the values of the underpainting?
What if I use analogous colors in the underpainting?
What if I handle the brush more freely?
What if I draw with strong-valued lines of paint?
What if I use more turpentine, causing the paint to drip in the underpainting?
What if I use that horrid color, cadmium red medium, in the underpainting?
Can I make the color sing by glazing vivid colors over a neutralized underpainting?
What if I do the underpainting in two or three sessions of glazes?

Yesterday I began by digging out my least favorite color, cadmium red medium. As beautiful as cadmium red light is both by itself and mixed with almost anything else, cadmium red medium is dreadfully dull by itself and manages to absorb the life out of any other color it is mixed with. Earlier in the day, while sipping a delicious cup of Dine’s coffee, I mentioned to my dear friend that I would experiment with cad. red medium in the fall after the exhibit at Monsoon is hung. She asked why I didn’t get rid of the paint rather than spoil good canvas and expensive paint trying to make it into something it isn’t. Perhaps the answer is that I’m stubborn and can’t help but believe there is at least one way to use the color successfully. As soon as I climbed the stairs to my studio I knew that there was no reason to put of until October something that I could do immediately.

I squeezed out cadmium red medium, alizarin crimson, cadmium yellow medium, cobalt turquoise, pthalo turquoise and french ultramarine blue. After completing one large and one small underpainting I was left with sizable piles of blue paints on my palette. I ended yesterday’s painting session with extreme dark blue of the trees contrasted against a pale sky and ribbons of road.

My animosity toward cadmium red medium diminished significantly. I decided to use only cadmium red medium and viridian in today’s underpaintings. After the first two, I added pthalo turqoise.

There are two tried and true ways to activate color. One is by placing complementary colors next to one another. The second is to place vibrant color against a neutralized color, one that amplifies rather than competes with the color that is meant to sing. Even a less-than-vibrant-color can appear quite lovely against a neutral. I look forward to breathing energy and life into all of these experimental underpaintings.

Glazing Technique

On July 1st, Judy Stines asked "Can you give us any details on your glazing technique?"

The purpose of the series Between Here and There is twofold: to explore the technique of glazing and to create a series of paintings that clearly illustrate the five elements of painting as simplistically as possible. I chose subject matter that presents a common, everyday experience, that of seeing the road cut through the landscape while driving in a car. The subject of these paintings is secondary to the elements of the paintings. The exhibit, Unveiled - The Anatomy of a Painting, will present both representational and abstract paintings. My hope is that the road series will introduce the idea that all paintings are working with the same elements. It is only through the artist's skilled and successful manipulation of these elements that content and meaning are communicated to the viewer.

My experience with this glazing technique has already inspired me to go further with it following the exhibit. In the future I will concentrate more on layered, composite drawings. In the road series, the drawing is extremely simple, stating only basic shapes and only suggestions of more complexity within those shapes.

I begin with a photograph. Hah! I cringe at the thought of working from photographs. In this case, fortunately, I made an exception.

Surface: My surfaces are either prepared birch plywood or stretched canvas. The plywood is sealed on both sides with two coats of acrylic GAC (made by Golden) and four coats of acrylic gesso. I sand the surface before applying the next layer. I also glue a frame made from 1"x2" strips 2" smaller than the board on the back to prevent warping and to provide a way to hang the paintings if they are not framed.

Drawing: Working from the dimensions of the canvases and boards, I crop the photographs and rework them using pastels to achieve the shapes and values that will create strong compositions. Using a projector, I transfer the drawing onto the surface indicating only the basic shapes, avoiding any small details.

Color Palette: My color palette is limited. I want to explore the range of color I can achieve using only White (Zinc White or Permalba White for transparent glazes and Titanium or Flake White for more opaque layering), Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Red Light, Permanent Alizarin Crimson, Manganese Blue, Cobalt Blue and Ultramarine Blue.

Mediums: I am using either oil paints or acrylic paints for the underpaintings. I am using only oil paints for the glazes. I am not using a medium with the oil paints for the glazes, only turpentine.

Underpainting: For the underpainting I mix colors that are close to being the complement of the final color and are the same value as the final value. For example, if the sky will be a dark blue, I mix a dark orange. If the trees are going to be a mid-value cool green, I mix a mid-value cool red. I am experimenting with the warm and cool aspects of the underpainting and glazes. I will adjust my technique depending on the results.

Glazes: Each layer must dry completely! I apply the glaze with a brush, sometimes rubbing it into the surface with a cloth or removing parts of it with a brush or cloth. Sometimes I scumble the paint over the surface. I keep the edges soft at this point. Sharp definitions of shapes will come in later layers. I mix colors both on the palette and on the painting, enjoying the nuances that are automatically created by the interaction of the underpainting and the glazes. I allow the underpainting to show through in order to preserve the push and pull that occurs when complementary colors are placed next to one another.

The technique is quite simple. What is hardest for me is to be patient and allow the layers to dry completely before applying the next glaze. I am working on at least eight paintings at a time. That, too, is a new experience for me.

Color Play

Figure 1. illustrates the first layer of glaze on the road in the foreground. Figure 2. illustrates the first layer of glaze on the rest of the underpainting and the second layer of glaze on the road.

The cool reds of the underglaze demand equally cool greens in the glazing. The mood created is wonderfully different from the first few paintings in this series. I continue to be in awe of the ease with which a sense of mood and light can be created by this technique, glazing over an underpainting of complimentary colors. I can only imagine the results of at least half a dozen glazes.

I see experimenting with this series as another turning point in my growth as an artist. What might have been a miserable experience of juggling too many responsibilities and time crunches with preparing for the solo show in October has been transformed into a journey of joy and discovery. Had my time not been so restricted, I would never have chosen this path. I would be outdoors painting.

Last winter I began to prepare for a spring and summer of painting outdoors again. Little did I imagine that my life would change in a way that kept me from that goal. I have watched the most beautiful spring that I have ever experienced in New Jersey, followed by a lush and visually exciting summer. Perhaps next year I will be able to paint outdoors. When I do, my experience will be richer as a result of this study of glazing over underpaintings. The series is appropriately named "Between Here and There".

Links to previous blog entries and images of the progress of this series:
Exhilarating Fun
Underpaintings
Acrylic vs. Oils