Must Have Book: How Successful Artists Study (Effective Learning Ideas and Knowledge for Artists)

When I first flipped through this fascinating and unique new book, by Samuel Adoquei, I was so excited to see how much valuable information was packed into it. The book contains essential advice from someone who knows how to achieve the goal of having a successful career in fine art. It is a fantastic resource for any artist, with Mr. Adoquei serving as mentor, and is destined to become a classic.

Not only is the volume chock full of relevant information, the chosen paintings that illustrate the book are absolutely wonderful and include colorful samples of the work of past masters (including Sargent and Sorolla, two of my favorites) and contemporary artists.

This is not a book to be read and then put back on a shelf, never to be seen again. I plan to keep it on my nightstand and I believe it will become a treasured source of guidance, inspiration, advice and encouragement.

Some of the many topics covered in the book include: getting the right education, artistic growth and the pursuit of excellence, the practical aspects of drawing, different painting methods, color and paint handling, issues around photography and technology, dealing with art competitions, the value of still life as a learning tool, finding your own style, developing good taste and what to have in mind when preparing your portfolio and approaching galleries. Mr. Adoquei writes in a friendly and accessible style, with many anecdotes and personal stories to enliven his teachings.

The book is available online here:

http://www.amazon.com/Successful-Artists-Effective-Learning-Knowledge/dp/0578043580/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271752486&sr=8-1

You can also contact the author directly to order the book:

http://www.howsuccessfulartistsstudy.com

Whether you are already a working artist or dream of earning your living this way, this book is a must have resource.

Hands - Close Up of Raeburn Painting

I neglected to write down the title and date of the paintings I photographed at The Montreal Museum of Fine Art, but I am pretty sure this is by Sir Henry Raeburn, a recent addition to my list of favorite painters.

Just look at the economy of detail for these hands - amazing how they can be represented by only a few strokes of paint.

I just love the relationship between the man and his dog too.

Sir Henry Raeburn - Sargent's Predecessor

Most painters like to get their noses right up next to the canvas when examining work in museums, risking the wrath of museum guards, so I tend to photograph small areas of a canvas so I can study the painting later at my leisure.

Given the fact I only had my teeny point and shoot camera along for the ride during my trip to The Montreal Museum of Fine Art and very dim lighting, I am amazed that some of the shots actually turned out, so I am going to share them with you.

Isn't this wonderful?

J. W. Waterhouse: Garden of Enchantment at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

In December 2009, I traveled to Montreal on the train with my youngest son (the other art enthusiast in our house) and visited this exhibit. My son, being a bit of a Greek and Roman myth aficionado, was able to enlighten me about some of the subject matter, so we both enjoyed the show very much, stopping to sketch a few details and noting the thickness of paint and lush color harmonies.

My initial impression of the exhibit was the brilliant, jewel-like color and thick paint in the pieces - even in the darks. The scale was smaller than I expected, with figures being significantly less than life size even in enormous paintings like Mariamne. He appears to have used a bluish/greenish underpainting, at least some of the time, which shows through the flesh in some areas. The values are massed and carefully planned to emphasize the area of interest. For instance, in Ulysses and the Sirens 1891, Ulysses white robe really pops and the values of everything else is subdued, with the faces of the sirens being the next lightest value.

Three of my favorite paintings in the exhibit were:

1. The Lady of Shalott - in the boat, absolutely breathtaking and riveting.
2. Mariamne - a masterpiece, great feeling, striking composition, brilliant value massing, color, and texture - the highlight on the medallion at her waist is a huge, very thick glob of whitish paint!
3. Circe Invidiosa - gorgeous blue green color, intense expression, value massing, very modern feel.

I also love all the other Lady of Shalott series, one of which normally resides in our very own Art Gallery of Ontario.

The June 10, 1907 Royal Academy of Arts Visitors Report, found displayed in a glass case, was rather amusing, ". . . work of the students . . . not quite so good. They seem to have no idea of setting a palette and are too much addicted to the use of small brushes." Seems not much has changed when it comes to students of painting!

All in all, the overnight trip to Montreal was well worthwhile to be able to see this amazing group of paintings.

Sadly, photography was not permitted in the special exhibit, but after we finished with Waterhouse, we visited the regular collection and found some really great work including Bouguereau, Rembrandt, Tissot and Raeburn.

Your Studio - Better at Home?

The Canadian painter Robert Genn recently sent round an article wherein he strongly recommended that a young man have his studio in his home in order to overcome his procrastination. His argument for this stance is that everything is right there so you have no excuse to not get to work. Mr. Genn spoke of how, while his house was full of company at holiday time, he escaped to the garage to paint.

My reaction to this story was a mixture of envy and longing. I tried to picture myself doing the same while entertaining company. Nope, I don't think I could get away with it. Is this a gender divide or am I just not brave enough to put my own desires ahead of my perceived responsibilities to other people?

Mr. Genn did have the good grace to send a reply to my reaction, and I quote, "You got me there Laurel, men do get away with murder". So I think my suspicion that men have an advantage working from home is correct. The dust bunnies and piles of dirty dishes just don't call out to them in the same way. I am sure I am generalizing somewhat and there are male artists who also have trouble ignoring the other tasks at home and women who are better at using their time, but I don't think I am alone in my difficulties working at home. When other jobs are not the issue, my own inherent laziness sometimes surfaces and I find myself making a sandwich or calling a friend or trolling the internet.

I recently decided to rent a studio outside my home. I am not sure whether this will improve my productivity, but I suspect it will. Maybe it is just me, but I often find myself putting in a load of laundry or cooking something when I had every intention of working on a painting. My feeling is that having a space solely dedicated to my work will mean more painting gets done.

Don't get me wrong, I love my work and spend hours and days happily immersed in it, but interruptions are sometimes frequent, especially when the three other people I live with are around.

How about you? Do you have a studio outside of your home, or do you create your art at home?

By the way, if you do not already receive the really terrific twice weekly letters from Robert Genn, you can subscribe at http://www.painterskeys.com and be sure to search through the backlog of clickbacks from the past as there has been some terrific information discussed.

Avoiding Perfectionism

Recently, I was excited to finally meet and have a photo shoot with my very first famous person. I wasn't so much nervous about meeting a celebrity, but I was anxious about getting all the reference information I would need and thoughts about the potential benefit to my career were buzzing in the back of my mind.

I had worked long and hard to first contact and then convince this person to agree to pose for me. You would think, given the importance I had assigned to this painting, that I would immediately and unceasingly work on it. However, I have had a surprisingly hard time with the progress of this piece and have found all kinds of excuses to do anything other than work on it.

Fortunately, since the holiday season has ended, the kids have gone back to school and external demands on my time have decreased, I have finally gotten into the groove and back into the studio most days of the week, with the painting progressing well.

How have I overcome the perfectionism that was stalling my progress? I have decided to do an adequate job and just enjoy the process. Once I start painting, I am in the moment, and no thoughts of grandeur interfere with the process.

Procrastination due to fear of failure is at the heart of most avoidance behavior when it comes to artistic endeavors. I had built up in my mind the extreme importance of creating a masterpiece with this commission. Telling yourself that this painting must rival the work of Rembrandt is a sure way to become frozen with indecision and fear.

So, get into your studio and just do it. No one can predict whether the end result will be amazing or mediocre, but getting in the flow and letting the magic occur will guarantee that you enjoy the process and isn't that really what painting is all about?

Fear of Flying - Airport Strategies for Traveling with Oil Paints

I have flown often with oil paints and because of my fear of confiscation have always put them in my checked baggage and had no problem.

I always pack them carefully (wrapped in absorbent paper towels, in a closed plastic container), along with a printout of the following page from Air Canada and MSDS forms, following these instructions (look under PAINT and see the heading "Exceptions" for how to pack artist's colors):

http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/airport/baggage/security.html

When I traveled to Paris I even printed out and attached a statement in French, stating that I was a painter and my materials were not flammable and officially permitted.

When I travel to the U.S.A. (I am Canadian), I also put a printout of the TSA site page stating they are allowed:

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

However, I really wish I could just use a carry-on bag so I don't have to worry about my suitcase going AWOL. And, unfortunately, these days it costs extra to check a bag.

I had always interpreted the TSA instructions to apply to checked items and not carry-on, but on re-reading the information just now, it seems okay to carry on the paints as long as the tubes are small (make sure you exclude that giant tube of Titanium White, even if it is almost empty) and you can prove they are not flammable. I think I will try this next time, and bring a printout from TSA along with the MSDS which proves that the items are non-flammable.

Of course, you can't bring a huge array of colors and you have to limit your toiletries since everything has to fit into that teeny ziploc bag, AND if you need a largish painting support you are out of luck.

MSDS forms are available online from Gamblin. Look under Gamblin Oil Painting Materials, Artist Grade Oils, and then click on the individual pigment:

http://www.gamblincolors.com/artists.grade.oils/index.html

MSDS forms are also available from Winsor & Newton, which provides for individual colors as well as their paint in general:

http://www.winsornewton.com/products/oils-solvents-mediums-varnishes/oil-colour--oils-solvents-mediums-varnishes/health-safety-data-sheets-oil-colour-oils-solvents-mediums-varnishes/

Some of my less mainstream brands such as Michael Harding have not responded to requests for MSDS. I figure if I can prove that oil paints for artist's in general are not flammable, they will probaby accept that none of them are likely to be dangerous.

It is also a good idea, if you check the paints, to politely request in writing that they replace everything in the same manner it was found. I have heard horror stories of people opening their suitcase to find everything coated in cadmium red after an officer failed to put the cap back on a tube correctly. That's enough to ruin your day for sure!