Learn As Though You Will Live Forever

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I’ve been off my stride with this blog.  Apologies all.

But I have a good reason. Two weeks ago, I taught a pastel workshop here in Silver City. It was very well attended and I can honestly say that everyone did a bang up job with the challenges I had set up for them. They all dug in, got familiar with the new stuff and produced lovely things. From semi-abstract to very detailed realism, the results were exciting.

After her return home, one of my ladies had a stroke. And it was not of the kind that allowed recuperation.  When we were working I had quoted Mahatma Gandhi’s words to ‘Learn as if you will live forever’.  She had done just that, and with enthusiasm.  We all had spoken about how tomorrow is not promised to any of us, that we should do what makes us happy and fulfilled.

Angela's Teddy Bears
Pastel

Our friend Angela did not make it and we were saddened to attend her memorial service three days ago. All of this was a shock, as not one of us had noticed anything out of normal bounds, when we spent the last couple days of her life with her. Her eyes had danced with excitement for those two days.

The abruptness of it all makes the quote and the artistic intensity of Angela’s last days almost an imperative in my mind. It is even more important to me to learn as though I will live forever; to paint as though I will finish every work I start; to honor like minded friends by thinking of them as I create my pieces. Perhaps some of their spirit will enter my work that way. I know I will never teach a workshop with complacency. I will cherish every discovery by every attendee, love the ability to share the passion, and in doing so honor my artist friends, and those who taught me.

So do the same as Angela did, and learn as if you will live forever. Maybe through our works we can a little bit.

Simply Getting There

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I wondered why my plein air pack was getting so heavy. 

You see, I had been using a back pack on rollers to transport my painting things. The wheels were small and didn’t negotiate sandy or gravelly surfaces very well and often I had to pick it up to carry to the site before setting up to paint. So the transport from car to view point could be taxing.  This was especially true as the bag seemed to get heavier at each outing.

One of the things that a backpack does very well is hide things from you as they migrate to the bottom of the bag. When in the field I defy you to find those pliers, or that sunscreen. I had a heck of a time doing that. So upon your return, if you are like me, you throw into the bag those items you could not find when you were last out. That is how I was carrying about 3 pairs of pliers and 2 large tubes of sunscreen, along with 6 tubes of various yellows and 5 of different blues.

Enough!  No wonder I was played out at the end of a painting day.

This is what I was using. Notice the tiny wheels. They rolled smoothly as long as the surface was slick and like marble,

I saw a great little system that a fellow painter had and asked her about it. It consisted of a black metal tube folding trolley with 5 inch wheels and a cooler she had purchased at Walmart. Her wheels traversed a gravel parking lot with ease, while I had to carry half my kit. I seldom if ever actually backpack in to a site, but I do cross many different types of surfaces from fine soft sand to asphalt and concrete paving.  I realized that I was carrying as much as I could without wearing myself out totally. You do need energy to paint, and I was wasting it on logistics! And this system was compact enough that it could live very comfortably in a small compact car.

This is what I now have. 

 Look at those wheels! You could hitch a horse to this thing, and it would fly!

The beauty of it is that it is washable, crushable and inside car friendly. It is a collapsible cooler!

Everything is open to view once the lid is unzipped. It comfortably holds my Open M paintbox, my paints, turps container, brushes, fingerless gloves, sunscreen, vinyl gloves, hand wipes,  mahlstick (retractable backscratcher from Walgreen’s), trash bags and water bottle. And it is all visible from above. No more trying to find things at the bottom by Braille method. Believe me, that was an adventure in the case of my razor blade paint scraper.

Painting season is upon us. Take stock of what you are using to paint in the field. Is there a better option to fit your needs that you might find less taxing and more efficient? As I get older and find I am unwilling to give up my time outside painting, it is obviously worth my time to work these things out.  It is easier to paint outside when you are not huffing and puffing from the exertion of simply getting there.

Pastel Inside for a Change

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I know this isn’t plein air, but it is art and you might be interested why I have not painted outside so much lately. Number one reason was the weather and the fact that I am wimpier than when I was younger. 

My pastels in their travel Heilman case

Number two is that I held a pastel workshop here in my studio to introduce many different papers, pastels and ways of working to people who had pastels but no working knowledge of how to even start a piece. Some had started but left the work in confusion, knowing there was an easier way to do this, but what the heck was it? Having it here meant that I had to clean and organize my studio so that was week one. Then week two was spent in setting up tables, chairs, and covering tables. I also had to get a drawing done for them so that they could concentrate on the pastel part, not the drafting part, and getting photos enlarged so that whatever they did not finish in the studio could be worked on in their own work space and I still had to set up my own pastels.

A workshop attendee who swears she isn't
a 2 dimensional artist. I am not listening to her anymore.
She fibs.

 That meant tearing down the oil setup for my studio and breaking out the pastels. So I have been busy. One of the beneficial by-products of all this activity is the finding of various and sundry items that I had wondered about since our move from California.  I liken this situation to the single sock syndrome. Such as, here is the pencil sharpener, where the heck is its base? Well I found many missing items that had been oh so carefully put in a safe place, which in my case equals the kiss of long loss and death. I can actually find anything I need in that studio now.

A student enjoying her very first workshop, and her
very first pastel piece.

The students were amazing. We didn’t dwell on inexperience in the medium, we just all jumped right in, experimenting with different papers, underpaintings and pastels. If we moved along quickly, it was by design. That gave them less time to dwell on how unsettling it was to be out of their comfort zones. They were all a bit uncomfortable and that was good. It provided a common ground for people who had not known each other before. And it was invigorating for all of us. I love teaching as it solidifies many concepts when I have to give voice to them for others to understand. And I love questions that are well considered and insightful, and there were plenty of those.

Student block in for Teddies Left Behind piece.

And did they produce! Wonderful pieces, from semi abstract to tightly realistic pieces, everybody had successes and room and direction in which to grow. I’d say that this weekend was an unqualified success. It certainly enriched my experience and I was very pleased when I could see the lights go on above their heads when a concept clicked. I do like those light bulbs.

The piece directly to the left is the very beginnings of a talented student's piece with antique teddies, sailboat and red truck. It was intriguing to see  almost 20 teddies take form and all of them unique in color and attitude and expression.

Favorite Quote:

The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled, for it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching.        (Gregg Stone)

A surprise and a lesson just around the bend

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After living here in New Mexico for about two and a half years, I figured we had explored most of the area around here. Especially considering that we do take excursions when the mood strikes and we have nothing better to do than jump in the car or on the motorcycle. Wrong. There are gems all around this place.

This week a neighbor showed me the most delightful canyon, less than 7 miles from our house. It is hidden away and a local favorite of off-roaders, be they motorized or hoofed and saddled. If you feel like backpacking (not in this lifetime) there is actually running water further up from the canyon entrance. But the road farther in is very soft sand and treacherous to vehicles unless they are ATVs or the saddled variety. This canyon is called Saddle Rock, because there is a formation that looks very clearly like a saddle.

Saddle Rock and two riders

It was a delightful place to paint, one that is both secluded and having some recreational types around that seem to want to keep to themselves as well. So it was a major find in my book.  And though I don’t have 4 wheel drive vehicle, prudent driving keeps me safe and makes the most delightfully dramatic canyon views accessible.

Clock in of Saddle Rock area
Oil 8x10

I painted with this new painting friend. That is we are new in our acquaintance and she is new to painting. It takes a couple of shake down forays to work the kinks out and figure out what a body needs, so this was her virgin cruise so to speak. There was lots of frustration on her part, coupled with more than a few exasperated sighs, and flying paper towels. But she took home a painting that had a decent beginning and learned the value of wiping out and starting over. She also left with a list of a few items to take with her the next time and a major adjustment to her palette for stability. It’s the little things that make painting en plein air enjoyable, chasing down a palette and picking up dumped turps cups, not so much.

Finished study of Saddle Rock
Oil on Linen Prepared Board
Available

It strikes me that painting is so very much like life itself. If you don’t like the results, you change your path, your plan, your mode of operating. There is no shame in that. It simply makes basic good sense. I told this friend of a workshop I took with David Leffel, who many consider one of our great living master painters. We watched David wipe out a very decent painting block in four times before he was happy with it. He refused to proceed until the beginning matched his concept. It didn’t come right away, he had to work at it. David Leffel, master painter, had to work at it. Even now in this stage of his career. That is one powerful message. And it was a revelation to me, to never be satisfied until the imagery matches the concept. That lesson alone was worth the price of the workshop.

I doubt I’ll have a new painting this week, as I am preparing for teaching a pastel workshop this coming Friday and Saturday. This workshop will be taught from a setup as well as a photo, and there are still the logistics of the studio to figure out and set up. This dual approach is for those who attend and work slowly, to enable them to finish the piece at home, while the setup will not be available to them. If there is any interest in this, I might blog about it. So tell me if you want to see it, I’d like to know.

Favorite quote:

‎"You will always get into trouble unless you design all the time when you are painting. Stop designing and you are in trouble. You are so fascinated with painting, with making the things to look like reality that you forget to design. The things themselves should be made only at the very end..."                                 (Frank Benson)

Painting in 27Degrees F

www.louisesackettfineart.com

How do you know when a painting is done?

Some of the most well spoken, deliberate painting teachers I have ever known have stated, in effect, that a painting is done when you have realized the concept that drove its creation.

So obviously, I need to have a concept. What is this painting about? Is it a reaction to, and therefore my interpretation of visual input that lay before me? Or is it more the realization that I have followed and completed a self imposed series of tasks, in the creation of this work? If the work completes the concrete vision of its imagery in my mind, then it is done. Or is it?

January Morning Light
Oil - 8x10
Linen on Prepared birch board
Available

I painted this past week, en plein air, with a set problem in my mind. I imposed a task that I try to do more with the temperature of color rather than its value. I depend quite heavily on value, and many painters do. There is a saying that goes “value does the work, but color gets the glory”. It is well known amid painting circles and widely remembered. Many teachers go so far as to say that as long as you get the value right, any color will do and the painting will read right. Value is the underrated workhorse that pulls the wagon. But knowing how a thing works makes you wonder if anything else would work as well. I have noticed that I am admiring paintings with a tighter value range than my own paintings have. I love when the artist keeps the value close but turns the object with the warmth and then the relative coolness of the color of an object.

So I tried that with this painting, ‘January Morning Light’. This is my attempt to do that in a landscape study. I think I might be more successful in a still life where the shadows are not so fleeting, where I can control the lighting. Plein air does not lend itself so easily to slow considered color judgments, when value is so nearby, a steady and trusted work ally. Especially as you try so hastily to capture the wandering lights and shadows as the sun races across the sky.

Again, how do you know when a painting is done?

I say it’s when you cannot feel your toes and you have been out in 27 degree temps and the painting looks close to darned well finished.

Fav quote:

An artist is not paid for his labor, but for his vision.                                                                                      (James Abbot McNeill Whistler)

January Can Brace the Soul

 www.louisesackettfineart.com

Beginning Burbling Brook Trail

January usually has a thaw about mid month. We had ours for two days this week. So a new painting friend and I went down into the canyon and up the far side to a lovely secluded spot. There were very few vehicles, but we did meet one resident walker, who was very interested in what we were doing. My friend did not paint. It was her first time out and she observed. She will be painting in the house tomorrow and I anticipate a call about the time she gets either totally excited or totally frustrated. Its fun watching a newbie take their first steps. And we got to hear donkeys and mules braying at the early morning light. You can’t hear that in midtown San Diego!

Blocking in color areas

While we were out, I did get one painting done. It’s a view looking West from the top of Fleming Tank Road. It took me much longer than I normally paint as there were lots of questions about the process. This sight is on Burbling Brook Road. Show me the brook. I never saw it. There are water related names out here and sometimes you just have to wonder what these people were drinking when they named something. Now Whiskey Creek I understand in a mining town. But, Burbling Brook, when the closest water is over 800 feet down?

Trying to catch the light - Shadows are moving about very quickly

I think that I did a good job covering the surface and in some places chose to let the toned canvas be the surface even at finish. And I tried to use pigments that I normally don’t. I used a brilliant turquoise and a rock your socks cadmium orange to get some mixes, and I did get the far greenish yellow hills spot on in value and color. The recession is good even with the darker range of the far Burro mountains. They are darker, covered in pinions, even though experience tells me that aerial recession is usually lighter and bluer. Sometimes nature hands you unexpected surprises, like that far dark mountain range. So I painted what I saw.

Burbling Brook Trail
Oil 11x14 Available on my website
www.louisesackettfineart.com

I did find that talking my way through a painting made me remember stuff that I ordinarily do just by habit. And the ‘why’ of it. Having to explain my working methods made me pause and find the right terminology and give reasons why I do things in a certain order or at all. Her questions are making me validate, in my own mind, my process, and that is a good thing.

We are back to temps in the teens, and it is darned cold if you are standing in the wind. Our only snow is in small patches left in areas that do not get the afternoon sun.

I am now engrossed in setting up a studio still life for the pastel workshop I am doing in February. That will not be plein air and I need to do a pre-stage drawing. It will need to be simplified and dramatically lit. Should be fun.  It’s good to mix it up. 

Favorite quote:

An artist is no bigger than the size of his mind.                                                                 (Jack Shadbolt) 

New Year - New Site!

New Years brings with it a host of good intentions, that we will do something positive in our lives. It also makes us take stock of what we need and are in a position to change. It is important to many of us to use this milestone as a mile marker on our journey that here, with intent, we altered our course.

I did that today. I finally put up a new website. My old one had ceased to function, and seemed to be a portal for enhancement products that I would never try or need. I tried to filter the allowed messages from that site, to no avail. So I had not updated it in a dog’s age. It was an embarrassment in an age where we are often judged by our digital selves. My kids thought it was good, but hey, they have never had a purely dispassionate view of what I do anyhow.

So I took some of my paintings, a few that didn’t turn out too horrifically, and populated a canned website, rather than going through the ordeal of making another flash driven site. How on earth did I ever find the time before to do all that? My blog will continue to talk about the process, and to dismember the efforts and to discuss the trials of painting, especially plein air. But this new website will be a window for most of the world to see, and through it, maybe own one of my pieces. It’s really a showcase rather than an artist’s ramblings, as is this place. Now I had to look at them in a body. The better to compare them?

I find I paint things predictably the same. I am now making a new New Year’s vow (having fulfilled my first one with the creation of my new site) to try to mix it up some. To not paint so safely, to take more chances and be willing to trash more than I keep, so I can GROW as an artist. That has always been the goal. To have someone look at one of my paintings and appreciate it emotionally, is a real bonus, one I never expect. For someone to really ‘get’ what I am saying in paint and canvas is the ultimate compliment. I often use painting as an affirmation of my appreciation of life itself, and a way to say thank you for that life. 

To consciously try to change one’s painting direction is not the same as trying to alter one’s personal style. I really have never tried to achieve a style, (says the lady who wears sweats to the point where I forget where I put my regular clothes). I think that painting is as personal as handwriting, that the message distilled by our brains is hardwired in a certain way. And because it is unique, it is translated very specifically as our own. I believe our own styles advance as we mature as artists. We find our own vocabulary and phraseology in this language of art. I am still learning to refine the message. I hope to never feel the consummate communicator. To feel that way would be to die artistically.

Rage against stagnancy. Revel in the mystery and opportunity. These are resolutions 2 and 3. Happy New Year!

www.louisesackettfineart.com

Favorite quote:

My role as an artist is to be honest with myself, so that I make Art that is solely mine. I have no illusions that what I do does or will matter to anyone other than me in the end. Not to slight those who collect it, and compliment me on it, that’s an honor that I never discount. When Art is your life, however, you live it, breath it, are up and down with it. If I stay true to myself and honestly evaluate what and how I’m creating it, then all of the other factors will fall into the place that they belong, whatever that may be.

(Marc Hanson) during an interview for OPA(Oil Painters of America)

http://blog.oilpaintersofamerica.com/2013/01/marc-hanson-interview