Qiang Huang Workshop - Day Two

We started our second day of the Qiang Huang workshop bright and early on Tuesday.  Many of the participants were in place and working on their still life paintings from the day before well ahead of the official starting hour.

One the second day, Qiang again started a demonstration, but this time he had everyone return to their own paintings after each step in the process.  We set up a new still life arrangement for the day.  Honestly I didn't feel comfortable with this arrangement.   In particular I didn't like the lone flower and the foreground seemed a bit scattered to me.   I know a better painter would have made these 'shortcomings' work, but I struggled.  It might have been also that I felt a bit of a come down after the first exciting day of meeting Qiang and finally getting started.   Whatever the case, I was out of rhythm all day. It seemed I forgot everything I already knew and everything I had learned the day before. 

Once again, there were many really beautiful paintings done by classmates.  I was impressed as I struggled along with my own battle.  Qiang's instructions and guidance were as solid as the day before and he gave me suggestions that helped pull my painting out of the abyss even if it came up a bit short in the end.  When I got home I felt mentally and physically exhausted, but I couldn't wait for the next day to begin.

My painting for Day Two.   I have done a little bit of work - on the flower in particular - in the studio but because I didn't have a good photo of the set up, I was unable to do much. However, as I look at it now, it doesn't seem as lost as I had originally thought. 

Red Flower, Orange and Apple   Oil on panel (Ampersand)  9 x 12 

My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

Qiang Huang Workshop - Day One

Last August, when I saw that Patris, owner of Patris Studio and Gallery in Oak Park, Sacramento had managed to sign up Qaing Huang for a workshop in March of the next year, I signed up immediately.  I've followed Qiang's blog for several years and in that time I not only found a painter to admire and emulate, but a very extraordinary individual whose writings on his blog reveal a special soul...artistic and otherwise.  You can follow Qaing Huang (pronounced Chong Wong, by the way) here if you aren't doing so already.  You are in for a treat.
http://qiang-huang.blogspot.com/
And you can find more about Patris and her active and energetic studio and gallery here:
http://patrisstudiogallery.blogspot.com/

It was a wonderful three days full of art, laughter, learning and atching a fine artist at work.  Qiang demonstrated a complete still life painting everyday, and I never tired of watching and listening to him explain and teach.

Day One:
After introducing himself and his wife Song, Qiang spent the morning instructing us on his five step process for still life painting. With his engineering background (he is a doctor of optical physics!), he has naturally spent some time breaking down and studying the art process and he has developed an easy to remember and follow road map for still life, and I suspect, any other subject matter.  It's too involved to explain here....not to mention that it's HIS process....but during his demonstration on the first day, he literally showed us each and every step from accurate placement of objects to establishing values and final modeling and refinement.

I followed his demonstration in the afternoon with my own effort.  Patris had established enough 'stations' that we each could set up our own still life subject with only one other painting partner.  I found that the process Qiang taught and demonstrated was a very natural progression.   Some of it I had already been doing thanks to the outstanding online instruction I received from Dan Edmondson.  Taking that background from Dan and adding Qiang's own processes and insights felt comfortable.   I don't mean to say it was easy or that I had instant success....far from it!  But it all made sense and was easy to follow the concept.

This is my still life from day one....

Green Wine Bottle with Oranges  12" x 9" Oil on RayMar canvas panel 

At the end of the day, I felt tired and elated at the same time.   What a special day it was!  Thanks Qiang and Patris!

 More on the workshop will follow in the next day or so. 

(Painting is SOLD. )

My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

Along Railroad Avenue - Plein Air

I joined the David Peterson Third Saturday Meetup of the Sacramento Plein Air Painters in Roseville.   This was my first time painting in Roseville.  We met at the center of the "old town" area.  There were several fine old buildings there but nothing really struck my fancy on this particular sunny day.   I wandered down a block to Railroad Avenue, which runs parallel to the enormous Roseville rail yards.   (OK.  I found out it isn't Railroad Avenue, it's Vernon Street.  I don't know about you, but I like the sound of Railroad Ave. a whole lot better.  It SHOULD be Railroad Avenue, so that's what I'm calling it!)  Most of the interesting things were quite far off, but I found this small string of gondolas and one box car on a siding with some interesting brick structures in the distance.

I moved a few things around and added some stuff that wasn't there and came up with this.  

Along Railroad Avenue    16" x 12" Oil on linen panel.  

My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

The Foundry - Sutter Creek Plein Air

On a whim early this morning I called my artist friend Howard Rees to see if he was free for some plein air painting.  Fortunately he was!  And to add to my last minute luck, at an art event the evening before, Julie Trail had told Howard she would be painting at the Foundry in Sutter Creek.

We met there in the most incredible spring weather....I think it reached at least 80 degrees...it was calm and the skies were clear and blue.  Wow, what a day.  Amazing.

The Foundry is actually a collection of buildings.   It is no longer in operation, but I think the history dates back to the Gold Rush, when the Foundry built mining implements.    It's a great collection of wooden buildings.  Unfortunately, they are pretty neglected...and in a decade or two, I'm sure they'll be gone.  But in the meantime, what a wonderful plein air subject.

We had a great time painting and then repaired to Pizza Plus in Sutter Creek for some absolutely delicious pizza, and, of course, an ice cold 24 oz beer.   Things don't get a lot better than that.

The Old Foundry - Sutter Creek  Oil on linen panel  12"x16"

When I got home this afternoon, I took the painting into the studio for some final touches.  As often happens when I paint in bright light, the painting overall was a bit dark.   I lightened the side of the building, which .helped define the structure a little more clearly and also reduced a large dark area.  I also added a few suggestions of greenery above the roof line.  I had originally painted some very light -almost white - sky there to separate the roof from the burnt umber tone I had previously applied, but it was too intense and distracting.  Adding the green and gray tones calmed it down and allowed the building to come forward.  Finally, I added some interest and texture in the near surface of the road and around the painting in general.   All in all, the time in the studio was probably less than 20 minutes.

I'm pleased with the painting.  Again I tried to plan before I started by doing a small sketch of the composition and the lights and darks.  I wanted to resist painting and then correection, painting and correcting, painting and noodling.  I blocked in everything with Transparent Maroon and Ultramarine Deep.  After my first block in, I did not like the size and location of the building, so I wiped out most of it and blocked it in again.  That's a real advantage of blocking in with transparent color line and wash on a non-absorbent oil primed panel.  Once I had it as I wanted it, I began to add color and to define shapes with restated darks as much as possible.  There was a lot of jumble and junk around the area.   I felt it was critical to capture the feeling of that junk without getting caught up in rendering it.  It's interesting how much you can suggest without really painting anything specific at all.  Those intense darks in the foreground junk also made for some great contrast with the light areas in the foreground as well.   I love the effect of that relationship....it gives such life and energy.  This painting was a lot of fun. 

My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

Jill - Oil Portrait Sketch

Friday I joined several other artists at Patris Studio and Gallery for a 3 hour "open studio" session.  Our model was Jill and she posed in a beautiful dress, but I decided I wanted to try a portrait.  I keep the canvas size small so I wouldn't get overwhelmed in the brief time we had.

The block in was done entirely with W&N Transparent Maroon with a bit of Rembrandt Ultramarine Deep added for darks.  The transparent colors like this one and Rembrandt Transparent Oxide Red are wonderful to work with and mix well with other colors.   They serve particularly well for laying in line and wash when you are establishing shapes and the light and dark areas of a painting.  Very forgiving, easy to paint over and easy to wipe off and redraw a passage when necessary.

My goal was to think "art" during this painting.   I tried consciously to think about each brushstroke: to resist the urge to paint on auto pilot.  I forced myself to step back often...to stop and look and consider for a few moments before continuing.  And in the end, when I found myself making the first 'blending' stroke, I put my brush down for the day.  It's surprising how good that felt after the initial anxiety!

"Jill"    Oil on Raymar Panel,   9" x 12"

"Jill"    Oil on 9" x 12" Canvas Panel 

 

My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

"Helen" Oil Figure Study

 Another open studio day at Patris Studio and Gallery.  The rain came down in torrents at times.  Inside the studio there were only four painters plus Helen, our model.  It was warm and peaceful.  The sound of the rain on the roof was soothing and welcome in our drought parched valley.

This was another 2 to 21/2 hour oil sketch.  Good practice.  Once again I felt that the morning was successful.  I've fallen in love with the Isabey Mongoose Brights that I have and this evening I ordered several more, including some new sizes.  The chisel shape is wonderful and the feel of the brush on oil primed linen is magic.

Helen   Oil Sketch on Linen   16" x 12"

My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

"Bella" An Oil Portrait

This painting is from a photograph.  I really enjoy doing portraits and when the subject is as beautiful and the pose as striking as this young woman, it becomes a special journey.  I've read many artists who say that in order to do their best, they must feel a connection to the subject...no matter whether it is a portrait or a landscape or a still life.  I couldn't agree more.  Whenever I force a painting simply because I should paint "something", I usually have a less than successful effort.  I suppose every painting is a lesson worth experiencing, but when there is a connection to the subject matter, it becomes special.

It would only be a slight exaggeration to say that for a while, I fell in love with Bella, the subject of this painting.  I couldn't resist that "look"...it would melt an iceberg.  Although I only had a photograph as a source, painting Bella was a joy...and good for an old painter's soul. 

Bella    oil on stretched canvas   16" x 16" 

My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art