More Information on "Painting The Plein Air Portrait"

This excellent DVD series simplifies the process of capturing the true light effect out of doors, both with colored blocks and when painting a portrait. Utilizing the method of painting taught by The Cape Cod School of Art, every plane change is not only a value change, but also a color change (not just darkened or lightened with black or white) when painting with this colorist process.

Ms. Baumgaertner is an excellent teacher who explains everything you need to know about painting a portrait "en plein air", from the materials to how to set up your model to shocking new ideas about color - did you know blue turns pink in sunlight? Sounds crazy, but it really works!

There is now information about how to purchase this unique instruction here:

http://portraitclasses.com/dvdvideoandbrushes/pleinairdvd.html

Age and Gender - Does It Matter?

I just read a very interesting post by artist Alexandra Tyng, who is represented by a New York Gallery, about discrimination women face in the art world. Go here to see what she has to say about contemporary figurative work:

http://alexandratyng.blogspot.com

One of the issues she discusses is age discrimination by galleries, asking, "doesn't age bias eliminate many female artists whose career trajectory takes a different path?"

Shouldn't choosing artists to show in a gallery be about the art?

Food for thought.

New DVD from Margaret Carter Baumgaertner - Painting The Plein Air Portrait

I have wanted to view this DVD for months, but have been so crazy busy (selling my house, moving to a smaller place and subsequently spending hours hunting for things on a daily basis) that it has taken a back seat until now!

In the photograph above, you can see a rundown of the contents of the DVD, filmed by Baum Squad Productions. The footage I have watched so far has been clear and well edited.

This DVD fills a gap in the market for art instruction videos by addressing painting outdoors in a colorist/impressionistic fashion, following in the footsteps of artists such as Monet, Sorolla and many others.

Ms. Baumgaertner (also known as Peggy) trained with Cedric Egeli, whose teacher was Henry Hensche of The Cape Cod School of Art in Provincetown.

In this DVD series, she explains how to capture the light key, initially with colored blocks and then by painting a little girl in sunlight.  The beginning of the painting process, after a charcoal drawing is dividing the subject into areas that are in the light and shadow. Peggy, an accomplished painter and teacher, uses an extensive palette (over 20 tubes) and does all her mixing (other than to match value) on the canvas rather than the palette.

For more information, here is the website to peruse:  http://www.baumportraits.com

Plein Air Festival - A Brush With The Highlands

I have been doing way too much thinking about painting and not enough doing lately. I just managed to live through a rather stressful period of time wherein we listed and tried to maintain a perfectly tidy home while still living there with two active kids. After way too many weeks of this, the place finally sold and then we had the fun task of getting rid of stuff, packing up the rest and moving. Ugh. I do not recommend it.

Anyhow, I have been doing a lot of painting in my head these days. Everywhere I go, I see paintings that just haven't happened yet, whether I am driving down the highway or walking in my neighborhood. I keep telling myself, "I would use a combination of ultramarine blue and burnt sienna for that", or "I would have to really compress the values for this", and asking myself "Is the ground really darker than the sky in this instance"?

Even without a brush in my hand, I am always creating something in my head. Time now to get to work and actually do it! Fortunately, I am going to be participating in an outdoor plein air painting festival at the end of July. It is called A Brush With The Highlands and participating painters will be guided to scenic areas in and around Wilberforce, Ontario. I am really looking forward to immersing myself in painting in the company of other plein air enthusiasts, including a number of people from the newly formed Ontario Plein Air Society.

I hope everyone is getting out there and enjoying the beautiful warmth and color of summer - there is no better way to improve your skills as a painter!

Everett Raymond Kinstler at The Players Club

I just stumbled upon the most wonderful interview with artist extraordinaire, Everett Raymond Kinstler, shot in March 2010. In this six part short film by Sharon Littig, Mr. Kinstler gives a tour of The Players Club to a group of artists and tells some very interesting stories about the paintings, the sitters and the painters.

Mr. Kinstler gives a tour of the club, including the Sargent Room and also talks about his own work that hangs there. Sadly, one of the Sargent paintings (which had been custom fitted above a mantel) was sold and a copy hangs there instead.

Here is the link to the Kinstler video:

http://www.sharonlittig.com/Video/kinstler/main.html

Sharon Littig has also posted videos of Cedric Egeli, Joanette Egeli and John Ebersberger demonstrating the Hensche method of painting here:

http://www.sharonlittig.com/Video.html

More Jewelry and Hands by Sargent

From the same painting as the previous post - here are some lovely hands and rings for your perusal!

How To Paint Jewelery by Sargent

What we can learn from Sargent's treatment of jewelery is: don't spell everything out! Suggest things.

This is a close view of his painting of Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler. I am actually quite surprised this photograph turned out, as I took it with the camera propped on my forehead to avoid distortion. Aren't digital cameras the best?