Jose's Art Journal

Deadlines as lifelines.

2012-02-04T22:25:00.001-08:00

"Karoly's studio" watercolor.

Sometimes the best encouragement to paint comes from setting your own deadlines. And instead of setting artificial deadlines, I find contests and show entries provide tangible and unmovable dates to abide by.
This year, I am trying to enter as many shows as possible. I even have a list in my wall that indicates when the different deadlines are. For example, I always miss the National Watercolor Society deadline, I think I've entered three times in ten years, but not this time. Above, my entry for this year. I am not sure if it will be accepted or not but at least I was motivated into action.

Sure, pressure like this makes painting more of a "job". I am normally assaulted by performance doubts: I am not good enough; I might no win anything; I am not totally happy with this piece, etc, etc... But the key for me is to keep excited about the goals shows represent: Waiting for the answer. Aiming to ever more prestigious shows and trying to match the quality of the artists that flock to those shows.

Rejection hurts a bit , but it is a necessary spur. Many times, I 'know" my piece wasn't up to snuff. In other occasions, I also "know" when a piece is going to do well for me. This "knowing" is like an inner compass of quality. Am I getting better, more confident, or am I falling asleep at the wheel.

"Moon Gasp, Dume Cove" oil, 20"x24

Above, my entry for the California Art Club, "On Location in Malibu". This is a larger piece as dictated by the venue. No problem, I need to paint bigger. It's a subject I rarely attempt. Again, a challenge I want to tackle. Below, my entry for the Pasadena Gallery Association. This time it's a larger painting as well and it's a figure.

"Baker Girl" oil, 24"x18"

Sometimes, venues and shows are right down my alley. Below are my entries for the Fremont Gallery in South Pasadena and The San Marino Arts League show. I am well provided of pieces for these shows so it's a no-brainer. I must add that entering shows and contest sometimes can be distracting but I keep my "excessive entering" in check by trying to pick the best match for my art or the most convenient.
Next up: Oil Painters of America. I know some top notch painters enter that one.

"Busters" oil, 8"x10"

"Conversation in the Garden" oil, 12x16

Trip stamps.

2012-01-14T22:58:00.000-08:00

During my trip to Madrid, I mostly visited family. But I took a notebook and a watercolor box almost everywhere. So in between shops, friends and museums I took a few breaks to sit and sketch what was in front of me. Here are some of my favorites. All in watercolor.

Plaza Carlos Cambronero , Madrid

El Rio Manzanares.

Plaza de España

Catedral de Salamnca

Fuente de Apolo, Paseo del Prado

Plaza de los Chisperos.

Plaza de Olavide.

Plaza Cánovas del Castillo.

The value and vice of small

2011-12-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

I am always a bit pressed for time so small studies ( I don't like calling them "little gems") are a must if I want to get the amount of practice I need. Drawing and painting in notebooks is a good way of not getting rusty. Recently I've been admiring sketches done by the likes of Nathan Fowkes and Mike Hernandez. Both are concept artists for Dreamworks Animation, my old employer. Their sketches sometimes are done with watercolor and gouache.

Watercolors offer a quick way to block and simplify complex scenes in small format. The gouache comes in handy to add detail. Its opaque nature gives body to the painting. I have done small pieces in oil, in straight watercolor, in watercolor and ink, in watercolor and white gouache only, etc.... the value of the study is not in the medium used but rather in the simplification.

"Huntington roundabout" watercolor and white gouache

These are some of the advantages and disadvantages I find in small pieces. The advantages are pretty obvious:

1) One glance judgement. Small studies allow you to avoid getting lost in detail. The shapes and composition , the tonal values and the color work or they don't and you can see that in the palm of your hand.

2) Savings in time and effort. A small study can save hours in a large painting since it allows the artist to spend enough time solving problems before they rear their ugly head.

3) Diary value. Over time, notebooks register advancement and state of mind, even improvement.

4) Options. Doing several studies at different times or different angles allow for a catalogue of choices if a final piece is desired. They also can be goals in themselves. Nobody says small studies need to end as large paintings.

5) Scope of ideas and experiments. Some things just don't grant a whole statement. A simple scene, a detail, a simple light effect...these things might grant a small study, not a more time consuming work.

"Atlas street" oil on canvas 7"x5"

There are also disadvantages, mostly one: I find it hard to launch into larger pieces when I know I can be "done" in two hours with an idea. Larger pieces require a preplanning, patience and discipline that is its own practice. After all, it is difficult to mess up the palette when its all used up in one session.

The freshness of a sketch needs to translate in larger pieces but miniature practice can make one underestimate the "larger" scale required, the use of the arm rather than the wrist so to speak.

"Fishing pond" watercolor and gouache

Jose Vera Gallery Opening. "City to a fault. Los Angeles and Environs"

2011-11-14T17:32:00.000-08:00

Alex, me and Will Wray

Finally the day arrived fro the opening of "City to a Fault. Los Angeles painters" at Jose Vera Gallery in Eagle Rock, California. The artists involved were Oscar Arroyo, Jose De Juan, John Kilduff, Alex Schaefer and William Wray. The show was very well attended and the artwork was amazing. Alex brought one of his latest "burning bank" creations and so did I. Except mine was in the form of a cake with one of Alex's now famous banks printed of top. After all, our boy was turning 42 that very day and we wanted to surprise him. (see pic below).

Alex conversing with Aaron Westerberg

Alex was displaying some large format plein air views of downtown L.A. His pieces showcased his usual talent to create very dimensional images with a great economy of brush strokes and little messing around. Placed alongside William Wray's loose masterpieces in bold colors and brushwork, you had two radically different visions down a similar path. John Killduff's matter-rich urban landscapes were full of grit and gesture as well. Oscar's pieces were more contained and premeditated but he wasn't shy about subject matter or design either and given his youth, it can only get better from here.

Alex with a burnin' cake.

All five artists attracted a fun crowd. Even Sean Cheetham and Aaron Westerberg among other famous and less famous artists stopped for a peek which was the best validation one could hope for besides a sold out show.

Sean Cheetham in front of one of Will Wray's pieces.

Frank Eber - Workshop

2011-10-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

I decided to take a half day workshop with Frank Eber at the Art expo in Pasadena. I am quite wary of these types of workshops because they usually are just means to push some brands unto the participants. Moreover, this particular Art Expo doesn't have enough vendors and sponsors to really grant a visit and purchase art materials at a discount.

However, the name of Frank caught my eye because I had seen some of his watercolors in San Clemente Plein Air and I thought his art reminded me a bit of Alvaro Castagnet and Joseph Zbukvic. There was more of a method to his paintings though so I figure it would be interesting to check his workshop out.

Here are some examples of his artwork:

Frank Eber is sponsored by Daniel Smith watercolors. Here is the palette he was sponsored with.

Frank Eber watercolors are moody and crisp.

So here is his setup. A simple table easel. A metal palette with his colors distributed between a warm zone and a cold zone. He uses Arches paper , 140 lbs. Usually half sheets.

Franks principles are few but solid. Mostly he emphasizes that TONE is the most important element by far. He quoted another artist (whose name I forget): "Colors get all the credit but tone does all the work."

In essence, color mixes do not matter as much as keeping warm and cold color temperature and thinking in terms of tone and temperature. The colors used in a painting are very few most times and Frank uses a "dominant" color throughout.

As far as layering the watercolor, "it's about the right amount of water, the right amount of pigment, at the right moment, with the right brush." Of course that takes ages to master. The main goal is to create a mood. To that end, after creating an outline of the drawing, Frank creates a wash layer, a very simple wash with some paper white reserved for things like rooftops, windshields or people.

Initial wash. Notice the deeper pigment in the foreground.

He also emphasized that, in watercolor, shapes have to be connected, literally. So as he started creating the main shapes, the color didn't stop at "things", buildings, people, cars, but created their shapes as he painted schematic shapes and textures as connected shapes.

This workshop in particular was about painting an urban landscape so he distributed his big blocks of building masses first , using thicker pigment for the closest structures, being mindful of the areas and edges we had reserved.

My attempt at a wash.

Connected shapes and big shape washes. Observe the density of pigment at the base of the buildings and the connected shapes of the cars and buildings.

The watercolor process was really quick in itself . Frank let the car, tree and people details for the very end, carefully delineating their shapes sometimes, "messing them up" a bit others by creating water splatters or dragging the brush to generate interesting designs. . It is easy to see in his watercolor that the roughly textured paper leaves some sparkle and allows for interesting dry brush work. He also taught us some tricks regarding car , people and building rendering.

Frank Eber's finalized demo piece.

A quote I was left with.

2011-10-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

No, not "Eat the Rich."

I spent the weekend sketching the "Occupy L.A" people at City Hall. Among the hemp whiffs and other kinds of whiffs, the deep/obtuse/erratic discussions and the general lovely/disappointing/energizing mess of it all I read some of the scribbled quotes and bumper-sticker demands/prayers/statements. Some of them in flyers or scribbled on cardboard, some of them had to do with art and they boil down to one thing: Fear versus being and loving. I found this quote by Ira Glass especially true:

"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners. I wish someone had told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have "good taste". But there is this gap. For the first couple of years we make stuff, uit is just -not that good-. It's trying to be good, it has potential, but it is not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase; they quit. Most people I now who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn't have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know that it is normal and that the most important thing you can do is DO A LOT OF WORK. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you finish one piece. It's only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I ever met. It's gonna take a while. It's normal to take awhile. You just gotta fight your way through. " -Ira Glass

I would add, we are all beginners anyway so while the deadline is a great idea, I don't see the closing of the gap as a final stage but an aspirational one.

And I would also add that "fighting" involves doing a LOT of work but also being SMART about it so as not to repeat failure too often. In the case of painting, same habits will produce same results and delay our ambitions further. Someone said it is unwise to expect different results with the same thinking that led to errors. So capitalizing on partial successes is important but so is seeking out instruction and challenge.

Art 's function is to give shape to life experience. It is no wonder then that fear (of failure) shapes our art as well. I find it comforting that this is normal even if it is frustrating.

Laguna Plein Air 2011

2011-10-16T21:37:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to go see the Laguna Plein Air Festival. I am always amazed at the quality. Here is a selection of the paintings I liked. I know for a fact I didn't see more than 40% of what these artists did but there was enough to feast the yes anyway...So less talk and more pictures.

Jill Carver, very interesting compositions.

Mark Bryan Taylor. Pictures really don't make justice to his atmospheric prowess.

Calvin Liang, his paintings have a beautiful luminous quality and wonderful color gradations that seem to cover the whole canvas.

Michael Alten, most improved, this guy has been just improving and improving without loosing the muted and subtle qualities.

Michael Obermeyer, always insanely accurate even in complex subjects.

A painter with East Coast sensibilities, Mrs Gavin Brooks.

Carolyn Hesse-Low, a sharp and luminous master.

Ken Auster. Bold strokes.

Debra Huse. Very nice silvery light.

Rolando Macedo, a discovery , very tonal.

Ray Roberts. Breathtakingly beautiful.

Ray Roberts, I think people will think twice before attempting this often painted corner of Laguna Beach , I don't think it can be done any better.

Ray Roberts, wow. My favorite painting of the show, just the right balance of color, design, compositional mastery and brushwork.

Thomas Kitts, abstraction without obstruction. Fantastic painting.

Jeff Horn, simplicity and beauty.

Jeff Horn, the importance of a statement well made.

I was really impressed, again, by Ray Roberts artwork. It is no wonder he won Best of Show. I probably really need to find a workshop with him. I wish I could create such clean and well managed artwork.

San Luis Obispo Plein Air 2011

2011-10-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

This year I was lucky to be juried again into San Luis Obispo Plein Air. It was my third event of the year after Telluride, Co and Sonoma,Ca. So I was a bit weary. Never mind that some people think nothing of doing 8 to 9 events a year. That's like a full time job, honestly. But fortunately, my hosts this years were out-of-this-world accommodating and gracious. My own room, with studio and workshop, can I just stay forever? Alas. No. But because I've done this event quite a few times, I felt very comfortable with the area as well. I know where the ATM's and gas stations and tire shops and coffee shops are. Heaven.

"The Long Shadow" 11"x14

As a personal challenge and in order to not stress myself out too much: ALL my work was done in same route. 10 paintings total. From San Luis through Los Osos Parkway to Montaña de Oro and Morro Bay. No running around like a mad man. The weather was amazing with plenty of clouds and some rain so everything was a study in shifting light and fresh cloud upheaval.

"Passing clouds" 14"x11"

I never planned anything. Not even the Quick Draw day when you have to chose a spot and paint for a determined amount of time in a determined location. I just let things catch my eye. And so they did in abundance. I could paint here fro a year and never tire. One weapon I have become accustomed to: I brought with me my Isaak Levitan book for inspiration . I would browse it in the morning and the lyrical mood of his landscapes would get my engines revved up. I think it is obvious that it had some influence. Not may buildings or people, just landscapes as lyrical as I could make them. I think this bringing a book or clipping book with you is such an essential tool when you are ready to go painting. Just looking at what you admire sets your eyes into extra-preceptive mode.

"Seagull Sunset" 9"x12"

In any case, I am happy that I am actually pleased with most of my work. Sales were dismal, ah, the economy, the economy. Plus I wonder how many more walls are left without paintings in a smallish area like San Luis. May be we have saturated the whole thing with our doodles? Many unhappy painters.

"Morro Lagoon. Sunset" 8"x10"

I am not sure myself if I want to put myself through the ring again but I just enjoy it so much purely from the painting and company aspect of it. I am not sure if these events are going to be around for long supplying America with millions of square feet of painted canvas. All I know is that I will keep doing it as long as it is feasible.

"Morro Harbor" 12"x16"

Quick Draw "Gradma takes control" 12"x9"

Just for fun.

2011-10-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

"Marco Marco Fashion Shop" oil on canvas.

A painting of a fashion workshop in Hollywood. There really is a painting anywhere if you look. As an interesting anecdote, I painted it under a dim and warm light. When I pulled the painting out, it almost had a blue cast on it because my eyes had been compensating for the warmth of the light....I heard of this happening to people but now I have the experience.

Manet unfurled

2011-10-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

"Cafe at the Folies Bergere" Manet

I was driving to San Luis Obispo for the Plein Air Festival and half-way there I had some sort of epiphany , I just couldn't get the painting "Cafe at the Folies Bergere" off my head.
Ok, there might be an explanation. Last weekend I went to see Manet's paintings at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. I also had just finished reading the book I mentioned in my previous post: "The Judgment of Paris"... so I guess Eduard Manet was at the back of my head "somehow".
By the way, if you live close by, do yourself a favor and go to the Norton Simon where you'll find a few choice paintings by Manet, like "The Ragpicker", a clear homage to Diego Velazquez in it starkness.
But back to the point, I'll admit I always considered poor syphilitic Eduard kind of an over-rated painter. Never mind that the Impressionists thought of him as a trailblazer. A case of the tide raising all boats I thought.

The Ragpicker by Manet

"Menipo" by Velazquez

Not today. I like the "Cafe at the Folie Bergere" piece well enough: The orange hair of the maid echoing the fruit bowl, the black of the silhouette complemented by the lace and colors of the bottles in the bar , the soft almost sad expression of the figure, the balanced triangular composition...
This is a nice painting.

It is also Manet's last painting. He died shortly after finishing it. Would Manet have wanted to "leave" something behind, an artistic testament of sorts?
Well, It is unlikely that he would have chosen this painting in particular to do that. As a matter of fact, his "Olympia" was probably more of a statement than this melancholy maid in a bar. But, to me, this one painting acquires a more transcendental meaning when I realize how much effort Manet devoted to go beyond the beautiful shapes and colors and give us a "truth". It is impressive how much study Manet had devoted to soak up the sources of great art, specially Velazquez and Titian, to translate them into images for the eyes of his contemporaries. In a way, Manet was more himself by imitating his idols and imitating them at every turn.

The maid looks beautiful but real nevertheless. Her arms are not artificially slender; her pose is not that of a classic goddess, she has weight and could be any waitress in any bar. Unlike most other paintings by Manet where his subjects have a certain vacant expression, this red-head does have a soul: a sad, may be bored, may be slightly amused but direct gaze. The mirror in the back reminds the viewer of Velazquez's mirror use, be it in the Meninas or in his "Reclining Venus", a device to break the space represented. The brush stroke is loose and expressive, also a Velazquez trademark. It's obvious application is unable to conceal it's material nature, its truth. It's almost almost sloppy.

Detail of "las Meninas" (mirror) by Velazquez.

I am touched by this life-long effort. Here is a painter who made his mission to paint the truthful world using the best masters he could find as a guide. That some of his paintings are beautiful is almost besides the point as the canvas surface is just the entry point to what boils beneath. His work was undoubtedly triggered by beauty, wherever it might reside, not fetched but found, much in the same way what we call the "divine" is inherent to what's human. I am happy I took a second look at Manet. Whether I imagine some of these things or not, I think his intentions were clear, Manet painted the world he lived in very much like Velazquez or Titian did. To use art as truth, it has to hurt a bit but what's the point otherwise?

"Infanta Margarita" Velazquez

The Judgment of Paris, a review

2011-09-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

The Judgement of Paris, The Revolutionary Decade that gave the world impressionism by Ross King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Paris Salon was the ultimate tribunal where French Art was judged during the 1800's. Thousands of artists submitted paintings, sculptures and other forms of art every year in hopes of being accepted.Being chosen or not could break or make an artists' career quite literally. Over the decades, the tribunal that selected the works had become a self-perpetuating institution with sclerotized ideas of what constituted Art- both in regards to content ( mostly mythological, classical or historical grand scenes with some sort of moral) and style (no trace of brush strokes and soft chiaroscuro transitions).

In 1863, driven by the outrage that resulted from the rules imposed by the Count of Nieuekerke and which resulted in controversial refusals, Napoleon III ordered the opening of the Salon des Refuses: an exhibition that was to display many of the works refused by the official Salon. Napoleon III knew how to distract the population from his dictatorial government after all.

This book follows the fortunes of two painters that were deeply involved in the Salon controversy: Meissionier, a very succesful painter of excruciating detail and accuracy; and Manet, a representative of a more direct and modern style.
In a very accessible style that flows quite well, the book delves into the state of French Art of the nineteenth century. The panorama that emerges is a lot more nuanced than what we normally understand by the rivalry between impressionism and classicism, the mere confrontation between the "new" and the "old" which ends in 1874 with the Impressionists Exhibition. The author reveals that Manet, for example, used very classical models (Titian, Tintoretto) for his first paintings. Also, Manet valued the Salon and kept presenting his paintings to be juried year after year, even after becoming the hero of many an impressionist. Meissioner on the other hand struggled to create a modern vision as well despite the fact that his enormous success stemmed from his anachronistic and greatly detailed canvases of a somewhat dutch inspiration.

The cast of characters that surrounds these two masters is the subject of much literature: Courbet, Baudelaire, Whistler, Monet, Zola, Fantin-laTour, Ingres, Degas, Bougereau and the "pompier" painters, an endless row of royals, politcians, gallerists and collectors. "The Judgment of Paris" does a phenomenal job of integrating all these pieces in a coherent narrative.

I particularly enjoyed the glimpses into the lives of the painters, how young some of them were when they created some of their work, how poor or rich or inbetween some were, how they debated with their own place in time and art, how some died young and how some fought, escaped or resisted the Franco_Prussian war, the siege of Paris and The Commune. I thought it was fascinating and far form the "finished" product and narrow portrait of self-determination most biographers produce.

For anybody interested in art and history, the book is well documented and seamless. Not just a collection of facts in search of a story but a good narration.If you are a painter, this is a must read and the only thing you will regret is the time you won't be painting waiting to put it down.

View all my reviews

A (computer) experiment.

2011-07-31T23:17:00.000-07:00

Just recently I saw a wonderful show by Eric Merrell at Legacy Galley in Pasadena. Eric loves the desert in its starkest, most transcendental and distilled state. So taking advantage of a trip to Palm Desert, I decided to try to paint a desert scene. I approached it in my usual style, trying to capture the nuance and be as accurate as possible in color . When I got home, I got a glimpse at Eric's show brochure and realized my painting didn't quite "sing" like his. I was curious to see if by using a few Photoshop tricks I could recreate an Eric Merrell using my piece as a base. Now, before anybody says that no amount of computing could imitate the nuance and subtlety of Eric's art, I agree. I agree and I agree. I use Photoshop sometimes to check my levels (posterize and desaturate) but I never tried this kind of experiment.

First of all, any computing process can only alter color , contrast and other bidimensional qualities, never the volume and spirit of a brushtroke. Second, compositional and subject choices are also part of an artists arsenal and I didn't intend to recreate those elements. But I think my exercise could be a useful learning experience even ifI can't get to a perfect recreation.

So here it is , this is my painting 12"x16":

The first thing that occurred to me is that Eric's paintings have a lot more color. So I just applied a straight increase in saturation and obtained the following. It was surprising to see that more color didn't lead me in the direction I wanted. It's not about cleaner, purer colors ....just yet.

On second thought I decided to apply an increase of contrast by using a curve operation where I brightened the higher tones and darkened the darks. Then, I desaturated the image a bit. What this did was create a more distinct distance between brights and darks and also made the colors closer to each other, retreating to the center of the color wheel and becoming grayer.

Then I applied a saturation increase and applied a palette filter to create less distinct edges and emulate Eric's softer paint application. I really enjoyed the result because it started to remind me of Eric's artwork a bit more. Most of the colors fall now in the "secondary" category, no pure yellows or blues or reds.

And of course my painting is no Merrell but I did re-learn a few things:

A) A clean painting is not always about cleaner color or purer colors but colors that are distinct and relate better to each other. Whether high key or high contrast, colors need to be parented to each other as equals.

B) Not to get too scientific but color tension can be created by applying a bit of knowledge on complementaries and paired colors.

Telluride. Part 2

2011-07-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

Me and "Trout Lake"

I am safely back from Telluride and in Pasadena after a grueling 15 hour drive. Probably traveling there was the hardest part. But with an award from Southwest Magazine for my "Trout Lake" painting I couldn't be happier about the experience. This event is not for the faint-hearted. Being my first time, I had a lot to learn. The weather and altitude require some adjustments. The buying public also has a very particular composition . A sturdy car might be less necessary than I thought initially since there is so much to paint everywhere but a 4x4 will get you closer to lakes and trails unreachable otherwise.

These are some pictures of my booth and others during our first day of sales. I painted during the festival itself and was able to sell my on-site pieces both times. I wasn't as successful with the other sales. I think I know the reasons and I've moved on. I wasn't the only one with dismal sales, it takes a while to acquire some recognition. We also got a rain pattern that hindered a big chunk of first day sales.

The 4th of July event takes a break during the 4th Of July Parade.


Rain can be a daily disruptive occurrence.

Telluride Plein Air. Part One

2011-07-02T00:18:00.000-07:00

Telluride , Co used to be a mining town with iffy prospects...tellurium anyone? But because of its snow pack and amazing natural beauty it has become a winter/summer nest for the well heeled who have built "cabins" that put some palaces to shame. The town has a pioneering, hippie and major bucks vibe. Charming indeed.

It also is the seat of Telluride Plein Air, an event modeled after Sonoma Plein Air , a brainchild of Keith Wicks. Painting in Telluride is both easy an difficult. Easy because every corner is a painting waiting to be made. Difficult because Telluride is not really close -it took me two days of driving and nineteen hours of car to get here- and the altitude can play tricks on ones' health. I was very lucky to be juried in this year nevertheless. The event benefits the Sheridan Opera Foundation which restored its homonym building and maintains it.

My roommate at the house I was staying was the phenomenally talented Thomas Kitts. Here he is posing with the result of the 1 1/2 hour Quick Draw. So I got to learn a lot from a master just by being here. He taught me , for example, not to ever again introduce myself as "a person with another job that finds his/her escape through events like these." He is right. Even if you have another job , the pros have a bit of unease for artists that participate in these events as an aside. Some think hey tend to undermine them with low prices, unrealistic expectations and nibbling at their collectors base.

Here is the entrance to the Opera building during the Quick Draw. Calling it an opera is a bit misleading because beautiful as the building is...well, I don't think is Opera-ready. But for BlueGrass it will do fine. The energetic staff of the event were on hand for our orientation where all the nitty-gritty details about the horrid parking, the grueling schedule and pizza were dispatched.

And ...drumroll. Here is my Quick Draw piece. I was a bit too ambitious I think both in size and content. I didn't sell it or win anything. Next time.

I think Joshua Been's motorcycle below was one of the best pieces even though he didn't get the award. He was smart to pick a subject matter that , although intricate, is manageable in the short period of time.
Tomorrow is the gala and artists reception. The harder part of this grueling three days is over. I painted in some very difficult conditions with relentless gale-force winds, a lot of rain and hail or a baking sun. But the environment is so magnificent you just want to paint every aspen, elk, peak, poppy or victorian home. Even the gas stations is kind of cute.

Time is your extra medium.

2011-06-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

Phew, if it is not one thing, it is another. I am lucky to be in good health this year because I have over-committed myself in every way. Of course there is my job which always takes precedence due to a thing called bills. But then there are all these shows and events I am involved in. So once the year is over I am going to start phasing out a few things and streamlining others. With time so scarce, it becomes invaluable. Moreover, I need time not just to paint but to paint well. I am a fast painter according to friends and I can "crank them out " as my quick-draws would attest but time is a mental thing a well. Driving, scouting new places, carpooling, framing, meetings, ...it can get so messy that by by the time you pull out your brush, your mind needs to travel from outer space to look at what you are doing. It rarely works.

"Barn and Silo" 9"x12" Sonoma. A quick painting due to weather.

-Choose two or three organizations you'd like to work with and work with them. Aspire for the best, the most difficult to get into or the ones that touch a nerve with you (they are local, you have many friends...) . Do not expect them to do all the work for you. If you don't feel you are selling enough (while you are selling with others) or can't be bothered to volunteer a couple of times, it's time for you to leave .

"Veranda Breakfast, St Regis Hotel" 10"x8" An example of enhancement of a venue through art events.

- Community events are nice and helpful but they are a LOT of work, ArtWalks, Demos, Fundraisers and such. These are events that want artists to enhance the community/organization so they are counting on you to make them look good. That's perfectly fine. But if you sell nothing, well, you just added to the excitement. This might be worth your while if you actually live in that community but if you are an outsider it might be too small a reward.

"Sworks, Eagle Rock" An example of a painting done quickly due to dwindling light.

-Painting plein air doesn't need to be a solitary event but painting alone allows you to not be tied up buy others people's schedules. If you paint with others, scout beforehand, be ready to accept physical limitations and people with different schedules. Plan lunches and other buffers, you could even drive separately. Workshops are a different thing, the more the merrier.

Lummis Day Print Show. Curated by me.

2011-06-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

I just came back from the first show I have ever curated. I was assigned to enhance the Lummis Day celebrations in Highland Park with an art show. My concept was simple given the space and budget limitations and the environment: Invite 8 accomplished printmakers to display and sell their work.
Quite a lot of preparation came into this, form choosing the printmakers to designing postcards and acting as a liason between the Lummis Home Foundation , the Historical Society of Southern California and the artists. I can't say I enjoyed the process but what I can say is that it was a treat to deal with the wonderful artists that gave 120% of their effort to make the show a success. I even got to meet my (third) Consul General of Spain. After all, Charles Lummis had been knighted by King Alfonso XIII with the Order Of Isabel La Católica for his writings on the Californio population of this area of the world.

The artists that we displayed were, in no particular order, Linda Lyke, Olivia Barrionuevo, Roderick Smith, Don Newton, Cidne Hart, Kathy Mas-Gallegos, Poli Marichal and Sonia Romero. The worked with our limited space and resources and were infinitely gracious. LOTS of people came by and admired their work, bought some and enjoyed the historical site.

I am not sure I'll ever volunteer to do an event like this and I am so glad it is behind us now. I really need to get painting and preparing my own shows but I think it is a bit of a duty to help organizations like these that bring art and enjoyment to so many people.

Sonoma Plein Air 2011

2011-05-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

Keith Wicks. Winner of the Artists Choice Award.

I just came back from Sonoma, Ca. The Plein Air event was absolutely wonderful. I was very lucky to be juried in. I admittedly haven't been to that many events but the thing that struck me most is that Sonoma Plein Air has a charitable dimension besides the survival of the event or art organization itself.Not that the survival of the art organization is not lofty enough in itself. Most of the proceeds from auctions and sales go directly to support art programs in local schools. Talented artist Keith Wicks is the founder of Plein Air Sonoma and he has summoned a great amount of support among the community members for this cause that brings great artistic talent to the Sonoma public, exposes artists to the beauty of this enclave and provides much needed funds for the schools.

"Josephine Lake" 10"x8"

I will be the first one to admit that I was a bit nervous, being so far from my turf and a first-timer but the volunteers that worked for the event were very welcoming and like Keith Wicks said: "if you don't know where to paint, well, then you are blind. What are you doing here?". Sonoma is spectacular in an understated but magnificent way so subject matter is certainly not problem. From barns to vineyards to wine cellars, sheep, cows, old trucks, buildings, creeks, oaks and eucalyptus groves, subject matter is not an issue.

A highlight of the event is the Gala Dinner where paintings are auctioned in silent bids.

A personal highlight. I made the acquaintance of Mr. John Lasseter., quite a wonderful guy who gave an impassioned speech with not a hint of boilerplate about arts funding and education and donated time and even two lunches at PIXAR.

My booth at the Saturday show before the rain made us all close the shop.

Among the highlights of the event, the QuickDraw at Sonoma Plaza, the Artist reception,the Friday night Gala Dinner and the Saturday all day sale. All of the events went smoothly, including the Saturday sale where we had to contend with a heavy downpour that sent us all scrambling.

Other highlights of course included the acquaintance and re-acquaintance with some phenomenal artists, some of the lunches and get-togethers, the community members that opened their homes and properties for us to trample, the food itself and the excitement that kept me up at night.

"Vadasz Barn" 16"x12"

Some notes for myself. Yes, this is California but t-shirts won't cut it. I am going to get me some long sleeved shirts and some sturdier shoes. Protection against the elements is essential painting outdoors.

On Completion.

2011-05-29T21:57:00.000-07:00

And a final thought. When is the painting done? The short answer is "never". The long answer is whenever you have said what you set out to say.

I am in Sonoma , Ca participating in the Plein Air event. It is a new event for me so I was a bit nervous. I didn't know the area -which is ok- but there is a competitive aspect to it, a desire to prove the organizers that they juried you in for a reason , be it sales or quality, and there's the pressure of time.

So that got me thinking, when is a painting done, or rather, when do we leave the painting alone.

"Mossy Monsters, jack London State Park" 12"x16" One of my more "finished" plein air pieces.

"Jack London Inn, Glen Ellen, CA" 8"x10" An intentionally less worked-over piece but may be more "done" than the oaks above.

Of course, everyone has a different idea and that's ok. Here are some thoughts:

Detailing. Nature is infinitely detailed. No painting will match nature or a photo in detail. Ever. So it can't be just about the detail. Especially if you are en plein air, detail is a relative concept and interestingly enough comes mostly from the brush stroke itself , the edges and the washes, not how much work goes into every leaf. Striking a balance between detail and not-so-detail. This painting below is "Back Harbor Road" 12"x12" from Hawaiian artist Darrell Hill and it illustrates the idea of sourcing the detail from the brushstroke. He is "done" with this piece.

Highly detailed, every hair and cranny paintings are a tradition and an aspiration from the dawn of oil painting and even before. Every painting needs to keep your interest somehow and create or recreate its reality. You have to be a virtuoso to pull detail off on a smooth surface without a lot of painterly fireworks. Some very excellent painters : Richard Dadd, Norman Rockwell, Andrew Wyeth,Peder Mørk Mønsted, Daniel Smith come to mind, have done wonderful detail work and managed to keep the painting fresh at almost microscopical levels without loosing sight of the fact that they are painting.

Photorrealism. Painting from a photo is a valid mechanism. But again, if your painting ends up looking like a photo you haven't done your homework or you are going for virtuosity -which is highly valued in illustration. But I've often seen paintings with lens flares, blurry cars, people in awkward poses, color hue shifts or deep deep darks that betray their photographic origin rather than artistic decisions. A painting might start with a photo but it can't possibly end there. So a painting is not "done" if it looks and feels like the photo it came from.

Experimenting. What does experimenting have to do with completion? Well, a favorite quote of many artists and mine too -you've heard this, you've said this, usually after a two hour nasty struggle with your canvas: "I was just experimenting." -Aha! I failed, so it must be an experiment. Noooot so quick buster, I am not getting away with it. Admit it Jose, you set out to do a masterpiece. You might have been even just practicing (practicing is when you are not experimenting, just like an athlete is not experimenting when he trains fro the marathon) but that thing you just called an experiment is staring back at you looking every bit the nasty mess it is. Well then. You are not "done". Done for the day may be but not done with the painting. Pull out the spatula and wipe it out. No, it won't look better tomorrow when the elves come fix it at night.

Experimenting requires that you set out to try something new to you, be it a new material, technique or even a new mental attitude. You open yourself to the possibility of failure, sure, but you walk in with your eyes wide open just in case you discover something new as well. Experimenting is as conscious as everything else. Failure just happens and is as necessary as it is hard to handle but hey, in the field nobody hears you curse so tell that cow how you really feel.

On subject matter

2011-05-22T00:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend I did two paintings. Both brought the issue of subject matter to the fore. One was in the San Gabriel River where I actually hiked for about 45 minutes before settling for a nice spot...which might account for why I need to finish that piece in the studio. The second one was the birdbath painting above, done during a demo at the San Gabriel Fine Art Association. The subject matter was "imposed", I mean that birdbath is exactly what was in front of me at the entrance of the gallery. I didn't bring pictures with me to paint from.

SCOUT: Sometimes it is worth walking or driving a bit. But searching for the perfect spot can ruin hours of perfectly good paintings. A good spot presents itself almost every time just walking around.

SQUINT: I am of the opinion that a painting is almost anywhere if the light is right. When looking for a "good" subject matter the first thing I do is squint an see where the most interesting plays of lights and shadow happen.
The fame of a place is irrelevant if the light is not right. A buyer might buy a painting of a famous building or area "despite" the fact that it is uninteresting as a painting but that invariably makes the satisfaction suspect. People, dumpsters, cars, ignore what they are, just look for what makes a good composition.

SCOPE: If an area is not all that interesting, I sometimes change "scope", I focus on smaller landscapes within the landscapes. Instead of painting the whole street, paint a building. instead of the building, paint the bucket and the brooms in the porch.... The birdbath above is an example of that, I am painting a small section of the building even though I am sure the light behind the wall was a lot more interesting. Recently I found some weeds in the freeway during my commute that would make a great painting.

Red gel

2011-05-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

I post this comment to Judy's question because I think I need to explain further.This is no endorsement of any product at all and I don't think this is an essential tool.

Red gel is a lo-tech solution, a simple sheet of red acetate. All it does is remove all the color information when you look through it so you can see more clearly the tonal values i.e. lighter lights, darker darks. It simplifies the scene to just big shapes so you don't loose track of the overall tonal range. A better choice yet is to use your digital camera and when viewing the picture turn the settings to black and white. And if you are in the studio you can go all the way and use Photoshop/Paint package of choice to 1) load the picture b) desaturate it and c) posterize it to 3-7 shades of grey. I've seen this done by very good and famous painters and it will save you a myriad squints.

Publish Post

On simplification

2011-05-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

For a while now I've been thinking about "simplification". As a plein air painter, you have a limited time to get as scene. In theory you should be able to tackle anything but some painters will limit the scope of the scene to limit the confusion. If you were in a farmer's market for example, you could choose to paint the whole scene with crowds and all or just one stand or even one single orange. Simplification will be needed regardless of the scope. -and the orange is just as difficult a the whole market.

We can define simplification by what it is NOT. It is not carelessness or hurrying. As a matter of fact, to be fast and simple you will need to spend a lot more time preparing your attack than throwing paint willy-nilly.
The first thing I always do is lay the horizon line, never in the middle, but thinking whether I want to emphasize the sky or the land below. It amazes me how many people ignore basic perspective.

I lay down a precise and accurate position "map", I pick some key points in the scene and measure and measure again. Is the span of the dark arch a wide as the receding wall, is the distance between the tree to the right and the building twice or three times that span. Amateur painters and some experienced ones often make their subject of interest a lot larger than it is or try to squeeze things in at the last minute when they should have taken the time to measure. This results is awkward paintings and wasted time.

Then, I figure out where are my darker darks and my lighter lights, my softer edges and my harder edges. I don't care what things actually are, I don't see leaves or bricks, all I see is soft edges and had edges. UNTIL you can speak out loud where this things are, don't even bother.

And then I lay down accurate averages of the colors I see, not the local colors but the actual colors.
Only the last hour is devoted to quickly and precisely fill in the gaps and details. All the guess work is gone or very limited. By the way, more and more I use my grid view-finder, my red acetate gel and my color charts. No shame there, it is not cheating. And every time I use these devices, a better painting session is almost guaranteed.

So simplification, the process of reducing infinite detail to the main shapes is just that, KNOWING what the main shapes, colors and forms are so you can achieve freedom from details while you paint.

NOTE: A gridded view finder is a piece of plastic you hold up to find the best composition. Not the most sophisticated tool ever but some of them have a superimposed printed grid that allows to place the different elements according to a grid you can draw in your canvas mimicking the one you see.

On Perfection.

2011-04-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Laurie Hendricks and I went for a critique and painting session organized by the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association . The host was Michael Situ. We managed to arrive quite late but I think the light was incredible regardless. I did the above 9"x12" study of some cliffs.
Lately, it seems my painting has stagnated a bit. I used to get very worried when I noticed this stagnant periods. Now I feel this months of insatisfaction are more like pregnant pauses, sometimes even long pauses. I know I am comparing myself to other artists or using the same old tricks again and again or, worse, I am not connected with the joy of painting because I set to do other things, like paint for a specific show or try to finish in two hours.

We have a saying in Spain: "The Perfect is the enemy of the Good". This doesn't mean one shouldn't strive for perfection but that one must know that it is the striving that constitutes the goal, not perfection itself. How many good paintings have I crushed in frantic overworking. How many times have I changed course mid-painting because I saw someone hit the nail in the head or deplored mistakes that became such a big deal (when they needn't be). The joy of painting is sucked out of it when this perfectionism finally backfires, when one tries to be in many places at a time mentally and physically. Even very tight and careful painters experience this. May be even more than loosey-goosey artists.

I will try to apply a remedy that has worked before for me: breathe. Yep. Remember to breathe. If I had a camera I'd see myself frowning and grabbing that brush like one grabs a handle in a roller-coaster when I am in the negative zone of "it has to work". I'll take five minutes or twenty before I dive in. Contemplate. Make a tonal study. No rush, no goal besides getting an idea down on paint, whatever idea you like, wherever down is, on paint. Let the painting breathe as well poor thing. Let it paint itself . Aren't those the best?

And here, just for kicks. A picture of Richard Schmid talking to Tony Pro with Daniel Keys close by at the California Gold Medal show of the California Art Club. Ok, so perfection *is* possible in a few individuals. But just so that you never ever feel completely satisfied.

Publish Post

Eric Merrells demonstration

2011-03-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

It was an unusually rainy stormy evening in San Gabriel, CA, when a group of people gathered to attend Eric Merrell's demonstration in the Glass Room Gallery of the San Gabriel Fine Arts Association.Eric is duly famous for his very sensitive use of color in landscapes. His work breathes color nuance and atmosphere without the burden of heavy detail or elaborate drawing. That doesn't mean there is not a lot of thought and method to his approach as we were about to see.

Originally scheduled to paint the mission outdoors, the heavy weather precluded any outing so he settled for a tray of oranges and an abalone shell. The lighting from outdoors was cool and grey. He only set up one single warm light he used both to paint and illuminate the still life.

Eric brought a Yarka type easel (with legs collapsible from the box). He used a single filbert brush for the whole demo. A very old brush from his times at Art Center -about ten years ago- which he dipped gingerly in a can of turp. No medium was used. The palette of color was very wide and the listing is posted in the picture below. His color brands were Utrecht and Gamblin mostly. He paints in luan boards, a wide denomination for inexpensive wood boards found in hardware stores and mostly used to "skin" doors. He applies a few coats of gesso and even applies canvas directly on the wood sometimes:

He makes a few marks to guide the composition. Then aims at a color area he thinks he can get down and makes his initial dabs. From this initial area, the painting grows in a contiguous march, spreading out slowly and deliberately. The reason for this methodology lies in the need to compare all colors with the adjacent ones. Eric squints constantly and compares each color to the whole for every step. His initial strokes are diluted but not runny. He is just skating the chromatic ground so to speak. I found this approach interesting as other painters like Calvin Liang and Clayton Beck emphasize color comparisons across the whole piece almost from the start. Choose what works for you I'd say.

Eric maintained a pretty clean palette all the way to filling up the board. Despite the fact that he didn't quite finish the piece, he was kind enough to demonstrate a more "finished" approach by really focusing in one single piece of fruit. It was very obvious that he wasn't looking at "fruit" anymore though, just masses of color and changes in hue . He really couldn't just "finish" one orange without retouching the surrounding colors. That is a mark of excellence.

There are many lessons in Eric's craft I find: Make your painting about something not some "thing". In Eric's case, it's all about the color. Trying to gather all the information in the world around you and place it in your canvas is a tall order. Trying to keep color theory in your head while painting -even as a colorist- can be tricky. Eric just tries to be as accurate as possible and sometimes , a lot of times, gorgeous color marriages occur. Painting is a "choosing". As a consequence there are no oranges of shells or trays but just color interactions, beautiful compositions or arousing light plays.

Extreme painting (so to speak).

2011-02-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

It seems lately I've had to paint in some unusual conditions. Yes, I could have stayed home and paint in the studio but I just love love love winter here in Los Angeles. It is the only season that really matters because you can feel human. Summer months are so damn long and hot one can barely muster any energy or mood to paint. Plus it's all so brown and scorched anyway.

So besides going to Santa Cruz a few weeks ago I've been escaping to paint here in Pasadena despite some inclemency in the weather. I found this swarms of blooming soulangea magnolias ("tea cup" some call them) close to the city center and just had to paint them....even if it was raining heavily, even if it was a bit chilly. The painting below was painted under the sole protection of a tree branch. It was pouring so it was a bit hurried . It was finally interrupted when lighting and thunder began to rumble. But I like how I captured the mood, the fallen petals, the wet pathway...it is a 6"x6" piece.

I went back the next day because it was sunny but the clouds rolled in again. So I had to change course midway and change my color scheme. Then, it go so cold I ran home where I settled on a watercolor of Hollywood based on some pictures I had taken.

Whenever I can I try to take pictures when it rains, weather makes everything interesting.

Painting in Santa Cruz, Channel Islands

2011-02-08T17:10:00.001-08:00

Last weekend we did one of our field trips. Joshua Tree was our destination last year. This year we were fortunate enough to have a friend with a (very nice) boat that offered to take us to Santa Cruz, one of the absolutely beautiful Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. The trip lasted about an hour, the day was splendid and, more importantly, I didn't get sea sick which would have been a bummer. Once anchored in Scorpion Harbor, we took a small boat to the dock were we had to climb gear in hand. But it was worth it. Recent rains had covered the island in luscious green and the water was calm. My painting, meh. But what a wonderful day anyhow.

Montecito Flats

2011-02-03T11:04:00.000-08:00

Montecito Heights (Flats is the popular name of the area around the antenna on the top, a semi-private lot with a gate and a self-appointed caretaker called Tuck ) is a rarely mentioned neighborhood south of Pasadena with some beautiful hilly areas and a rare undeveloped area on the very top that affords majestic views of Los Angeles skyline. Our Group painted there for the whole month of January which posed some challenges since it is not a place with a lot of foreground, it's all about the far back, mountains and city views.
I painted three small pieces that try to capture the majestic sunsets and distance in a tiny square. Here are the uneven results.

The first piece is my favorite with a sunset feel of the eucalyptus and a hint of the snowy peaks in the distance. I find the trick with is to allow a slight difference in cool /warm between the white of the snow and almost identical sky color. A bit of volume in the paste also seems to help create the impression of distant-but-not-same.

The second piece was another 8x10 , no deer showed up I am afraid but I added it in jest so I could enter a wildlife exhibit in nearby Audubon Park. Ok, so I cheated, so sue me :)

The last piece I did hurriedly *while* or rather in the minutes of sunset I had. So I would paint the piece of the day and then run to
my sunset spot and paint for twenty minutes on the ongoing work below. I tried to capture the abstract play of light on the mass of buildings and trees. I think in the future I will use a different approach, less color based, with a lot more matter involved as I've seen other artists do (Bryan Mark Taylor for example).

Holmby Mansion commission

2011-01-28T16:44:00.001-08:00

My friend Cristina Capitanio of Sorelle Fine Arts is a wonderful muralist and decorator. She works with her sister and they are used to high-end work in imposing mansions and homes. I got this commission through her kind recommendation since the client didn't need strictly a fresco or a wall painting but a panel. Meant to cover some unsightly electric boxes in the main living areas, these panels were of "free" subject matter as the clients were a bit vague on what they wanted. The panels are not contiguous.

I chose "California Gold" as my open-ended theme and went to work. For the cliffs, I obtained permission to use a photo from someone that had posted in on Flickr. I added a few details like seagulls, clouds and the like. The second scene is from a picture I took in Sweetzer Falls during last spring. I added the autumnal colors and ... a mule deer. Alas, the deer was universally disliked by all, including the client. So shoo deer! disappear! Spooked by the general consensus I painted her over. Size is 30"x24" and it's oil on canvas.

Some exciting commissions

2010-12-18T23:15:00.001-08:00

This month I've been tremendously busy with commissions. Most of them have been a chance to meet wonderful people. It is a strange rapport when someone gives you an art commission. On one hand you want to please them of course, on the other hand they have to be " open" enough or agree with your view, your level of achievable detail, etc....

In no other subject I've received more categorical advice from fellow artists. Some favor payment beforehand, payment for every sketch previous to the final piece, a staged plan, etc... I am lucky that I do not make my living from art just yet so I am very loose when it comes to commitment, basically, "you don't like it, you don't have to buy it " is my rule. And "liking" it is impossible to predict , unlike, say, plumbing. Naturally, if it was a hefty commission as far as the work involved I might have to add some safeguards. Most importantly, the client must have seen something in your style that he/she likes.

I painted this view of a Baltimore street using Google Earth. The client asked for the addition of certain details like the specific cars seen here. It is not the first piece of art I see using Google by the way.

This other piece was painted on location, the house of the client. He liked the view of downtown Los Angeles from the porch, and it was quite a view. He only asked for some minor adjustment to the sky color after he saw the final piece.

Arroyo Arts Collective Artwalk 2010

2010-11-25T14:13:00.000-08:00

Bellow, "Shakespeare Bridge" 9"x12". A lot of folks had stories about discovering, living or experiencing an aspect of this Silverlake landmark. I usually paint things that interest me formally, color or design-wise. But most people really find an emotional connection with the "content" of the painting , there is no fighting that.

I think this is the sixth year I participate in the Arroyo Arts Collective Artwalk in Highland Park. Eight painters from the Mt Washington group were exhibiting at the Ziegler Estate house. We were a popular stop in the tour and made some sales. Here are some (not too good) pictures of my artwork and the event in general. Above, "Fair Oaks Cafe, Pasadena", an 11"x14" piece.

A crowd pleaser above: "Mt. Angelus ".

Below, "The Silver Platter" a dive bar in Korea Town with the Bullocks,Macys tower in the background (Today Southwest School of Law).

Bellow Chris Zambon's lovely set-up in the lobby of the Ziegler's house.

California Art Club Mian Situ's Demo.

2010-11-14T19:54:00.001-08:00

I attended Mian Situ's demo organized by the California Art Club at the historic Blinn House in Pasadena. It was a real treat. But can I say how much it annoys me when people use the intermission to plant themselves in front of the canvas-in-progress? I mean, taking a picture or two is expected but just chit-chat and ignore the crowds behind you is kind of rude and won't make you paint better. There , I let that out. Needless to say, attendance was high.

The model was Barbara Chung, part of the California Art Club team. Video services provided by Karen and Glenn Winters which makes me think there will be an available DVD in the future. Mian Situ was extremely sweet and funny during the whole thing. His palette consisted of the usual suspects but his array of earth colors was a bit wider than usual.

-Titanium white
-Cadmium Yellow
-Cadmium Red
-Alizarin Crimson
-Yellow Ochre
-Burnt Sienna
-Terra Rossa
-Ultramarine Blue
-Cerulean Blue
-Sap Green (even though his green today was more like a light green)

His smaller brushes were of the mongoose Rosemary brand name. The bigger ones were bristle and his brand of choice varies.
His canvas was a regular acrylic primed canvas primed with a bit of grey.
He normally will paint without primer and take his time to build up the layers but, for the demo, he needed something ready made.
His medium is none, he thinks paints have enough oil to be handled without.

Mian started with some deliberate markings. Very soon, the likeness of the model was dead-on. Mian applied the painting blocking first the biggest masses and broader areas. His brushwork is very interesting to watch. He doesn't hesitate to use paper towels,knife, fingers and all kinds of brush application techniques to keep it moving.

He created the hair and shirt masses first. The lighter and darker areas first I suppose. He blocked the color quickly and loosely. He pointed out is is not that important to try for accuracy in the actual color but rather to pick whichever one feels right and make it work inside the canvas. The way he created soft and hard edges was like magic, really. trying to explain it is like trying to explain music. One thing that stood out is how his work was extremely accurate and , like I said, deliberate. It seems that he had a plan for every stroke as he would go back on certain areas after every once in a while and just apply that softness or accent that made it all work.

Once the cleaner colors were applied, Mian felt very comfortable mixing nuanced tones to connect and enhance the areas. The nose bridge , the sap green and burnt sienna mix in neck and shadow area were applied soon and remained the "big notes' in the actual face. The lips' tones came soon thereafter and a few of the chiseling features . Everything else was done in more muted notes and brush sculpting.

This painting bellow is the result of exactly one hour and twenty minutes of work. Pretty amazing if you ask me.
And the model's likeness is just incredible. He admits it might take days for him to finish a figure in his studio but what does this man consider finished? Mian is kind of famous for his beautiful "historical" or "narrative" pieces. He researches these quite a bit and sometimes they feel a bit distant. he uses photographs as reference as well. So it was really nice to see him paint "alla prima"

Downtown painting with Alex Schaefer

2010-11-13T20:19:00.000-08:00

I've always admired Alex's Schaefer bold and wonderful artwork. I tell him that if I had money and a house I would just buy his pieces and Jennifer McChristian's. I just love both these artists a lot and I am lucky to know them both personally. So I called him up to see if we could go downtown and paint for a bit. He knew of some new park with wonderful views of the downtown skyline so there we went. The weather was great and Alex made such a beautiful and LARGE painting .

The skyline is deceivingly complex and it requires either great simplification of shapes or -if taking a more detailed approach- a lot of attention to color nuance, edges and texture.
Alex is always generous and open about his methods. His style is very free flowing. I loved the answer he gave to one young admirer. Young Admirer :"How long did it take you to paint this?" Alex: "We got here at one, so ...three hour and twenty years." I am adopting that answer.

He alternates between acrylics and oils. he painted with oils and a mixture of galkyd and gamsol as medium which made the paint somewhat workable when using wet on wet. And that's it, the rest is his awesome sense of color, design and color, really.

As a cap to our afternoon, I drove Alex around to one of my favorite spots in hopes we will be able to paint there sometime soon.

"Believeing in Seeing" by Bonnie Young.

2010-10-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

Bonnie Young is the poet laureate that "shadowed" me last Monday while I was painting as part of the San Luis Obispo Plein Air 2010 event.
We drove around a bit in her town of Arroyo Grande in the insane heat and picked a spot close to a park where we could get under the shade. But alas, the only scenery was the back shack of Ira's Bike Shop. So that is what I painted.
The car in the painting is Bonnie's. She actually placed it there when the one I was painting left. This is my painting and the poem she read at the Poetry Reading . "Plein Air Poetry". I like that she called me the "Houdini of Color" , wouza.

"Believing is seeing"

"People forget how to paint when they begin learning - they paint what they know, not what they see" -Jose L. De Juan

Ignoring pink berries, reddish fruit
of Strawberry trees and their peeling
red-wine bark, the artist sets
his easel toward Ira's Bike Shop.
A ramshackle one-story structure
backed by tall uneven buildings,
all built in early nineteen-hundred.
Hot sun glazes old brick and block walls,
dark red and watery blue paint curling.
What secrets will he reveal?

With umbrella hoisted, brimmed hat
aslant, he quickly sketches his scene.
He splashes yellow on lower
canvas, orange across the skyline,
nothing I can see before me.
Windows begin to open, browns
and blues entering. Unlike early
builders and masons, he creates
a miniature of today, transporting
us back and forth one-hundred years.

A Houidini of color, he swirls
all that yellow into warm beige
of Ira's walls, vivid blue trash
barrel, sunlight glinting off a parked car
as the persistence of light suffuses.
A bike rides in, but that car's exit
frustrates the painter vision
until a new car arrives to reflect.
Light stroking color becomes the god,
speaking to the artist soul.

Now sky's blue is jazzing with bright
orange ripples inviting the ages
to trade wheels, deliver mail, try
a taco, whistle a tune,
look around and sink into seeing.

-Bonnie Young

Some small pieces from Mt Washington.

2010-09-18T11:43:00.001-07:00

Sometimes one only has a couple of hours to paint. This is a great chance to exercise simplification and try a small piece with the biggest brushes you can find. These two pieces are from Mt. Washington.

California Art Club Paint Out South Pasadena

2010-09-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

This painting was done last Saturday during the California Art Club paint-out in South Pasadena. I drove around for a bit and saw this fabulous hydrangeas...and the orange cat in the sun. Of course tabby was long gone by the time I got to paint but i tried committing him to my memory. Almost every neighbor in Filmore St. came out to see the painting except the owner of the house.

After the accident.

2010-09-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

I had a bad accident in my left hand that required tendon surgery. My father recently had another brush with bad news of the medical kind. Our reaction was the same : My father painted everyday this summer in his beloved Euskadi. As soon as my cast was off I launched with more urgency into painting. Nothing else seems to matter. Not my search for a new house (which must have a studio of some sort), nor whether I ever become famous or wealthy as long as I can pay for paints, not negative relationships or even distractions regarding whether I am a good enough painter or even questions off faith and self-value.

Renoir had to have his brushes tied to his hand so he could paint due to his rheumatism. I am a fan of that even if I don't like Renoir.

I started painting in a quite unexplored area of Los Angeles pictorically. About 80 years ago, Wilshire Blvd. encompassed everything that was happening and it was a glistening Art Deco mecca. Today it is a third Korea Town, a third salvadorean ghetto and a third everything else. The mixture makes for some interesting "canyons" that produce surreal landscapes at sunset or when it rains.

Calvin Liang's workshop. Day 3.

2010-07-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

The "Overseas Painter from China" a.k.a Calvin Liang performed a looser demo today at Heisler Park in Laguna Beach. By the way, that "overseas" alias is the title of his published monography . A book worth having for sure but whose title is either badly translated or claims Calvin as a Chinese national a little too strongly or both. Was Picasso the "Overseas painter from Spain" ? or Chagall, the "Overseas painter from Russia?"...but I digress.

Besides hammering down "form, color, value and edges" today Calvin had an inspired moment. Pointing to the tip of his brush he said all four elements are contained in every brush stroke. Aha! So every brushstroke counts. I also realized today that what he means by "detail" is not what us westerners would consider as such per se, that is busy work, branches an pebbles. Rather, it is the just as precise and just as deliberate blending and enhancing of the initial masses.
Different today was the palette as well. Just because he demonstrated how he keeps three premixed piles of color, one cool, one warm (made of whatever is left he said) and a neutral grey one. Calvin winces when I say my colors are dirty. He believes it's all in the greys anyway. He also demonstrated the use of black ....in the sky nonetheless.

The use of covering a canvas quickly has become very apparent to me as light kept changing and shadows moving in the cliffs. I post here a bit of my evolution throughout the workshop in the shape of my three pieces. The first one looks quite tentative and confused, the second one of Crystal Cove looks a bit dirty but the basic methods are there, specially in my "Calvin cloud" in the upper corner right ha ha. My third piece -and may be- my most accomplished at this stage- took a lot less time and paint because I finally slowed down enough to become quicker, that is, less mistakes make a faster painting. Even Calvin liked it. He had some awesome suggestions I'll keep to myself.

I really focused on the "form" part today . And it made quite a difference When you think "form", and design, things start to slow down. You want to create forms in the most organic way possible, no parallel strokes or repetitive moves.

And that's that.

Calvin Liang's workshop Day 2.

2010-07-13T22:10:00.000-07:00

Oh look! Our dehydrated and roguish group!

Day 2 of Calvin Liang's workshop took place in Crystal Cove State Park. Calvin set up for a morning view of the cliffs below: Calvin used his "cover the canvas" approach again but he was a lot more detailed than during day one. He traced his usual charcoal design. He carefuly laid the pigment being quite accurate in his color and shape choices. He didn't leave so much detail for the end as in his first piece. Again, he started with the darkest darks, the fence climbing up the left in this case.
But for me it was all about the edges. One thing I noticed is how cleanly Calvin applies the painting and chisels his edges. He was deliberate and very careful. One would expect a slow process and yet, his painting was done in no time, no messing around, no mistakes.

Some quotes from Calvin (in my own words): 1) When you apply a color, do not look at the area you are painting, rather look at any other area. You are constantly comparing and looking for how color compares, not what color it is.
2) It is good to cover the detail in a sort of clockwise move, going from one area to the next and then coming back, it's difficult to make decisions without knowing what's around the corner.
3) Top of the sky is cooler. Bottom is warmer. But we knew this , righ?4) Again, form, color (and color temperature), tone and EDGES. Here is a slightly more colorful puddle. This is -all_ the color Calvin used in his 1 hr, 30 mins painting which is shown at the bottom.

Calvin Liang workshop Day 1

2010-07-12T21:37:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the Laguna Plein Air Association, I received a scolarship to take a workshop of my choice. So who happened to be teaching close-by but the master Calvin Liang. I've always admired his rich luscious masterpieces so I took (even more) time from work and took myself to Newport Beach.
- I will try to synthesize some basic points of his amazing demo.
-For starters, Calvin doesn't use expensive or sophisticated materials for his plein air work. His setup feels comfortable like a pair of old slippers. It's what he is used to. There is a message here, it's not the materials that make the painting. His palette is limited outside, but in the studio he confesses to using a wide palette of up to 23 pigments.I took a picture of his setup and his palette for reference. Nothing fancy. However, Calvin was adamant about one necessary ingredient: "You can't start a painting without a clear design." A concept if you will. It is good practice to have a design in mind before even touching a brush. Then comes the question of form, color, tone and edges. The only things that can go wrong are those four components and any error can be traced to them . "The only trick is no trick" he answered when queried about that deadly question people always ask.... what color is that?. ... A color is the result of the colors around it and there is definitely no recipe. Calvin basically used the same puddle of color for the whole demo hat took aprox. 1 hr an 30 mins.

Calvin showed us his color wheels, some fine examples of his design work and examples of his oeuvre in books and magazines. But soon it was canvas time. First he did a soft charcoal design to be certain of where the elements of the design would be. After the drawing, he applied some dark shapes outlining some foreground boats and deep darks. But he had no hesitation moving on to a thick paste for the rest of the canvas. No liquin or turpentine. Lying the shapes thickly as if applying tile. The goal is to cover up the canvas and create unity.

Calvin never looks at "things", just shapes. And he creates the shapes with an incredible lack of detail initially. He believes, and I agree, that the detail practically paints itself once the main shapes are laid out. In this demo, there were two clear phases. An initial phase when he just lays and covers color to achieve unity. The brushwork has bravado and variety. No reviewing or massaging colors around. Barely a paralel brushtroke.

The second phase is methodical and "fun" according to Calvin. One segment at a time, detail is added. But detail is not a reason to look at things "in detail" . Detail now will be kept together by the fact that the whole canvas is thickly covered. Mind you, some of the canvas peeks through in places.One thing Calvin avoids like the plague is the creation of lines or edges by tracing them with the brush. When he needs to paint an edge, he kisses with paint and "overshoots" the color. Then , with the background color, he picks up the edge and creates a very distinct and clean edge where the one layer of paint overlays another in the right places.

I have to say Calvin is incredibly deliberate and quick because mistakes are few and far between. When he makes one, he mixes back the color, and covers it up to redo the area until he is happy. No matter how many times. It's a "schoolboy" approach that I find attractive since it is common to believe everything we put down is precious.

San Clemente Plein Air

2010-06-21T23:04:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I made an effort and drove an hour to San Clemente to participate in the Quickdraw which is the kick-off event to the Plein Air San Clemente. I wasn't familiar with this event at all. Moreover, I can't really be part of the event because I have to work all week. But I was very glad I visited the town . It is very nice indeed. I also met up with some fabulous artists and friends like Michael Alten, Laura Wambgans, Catherine Hill, Al Tofanelli, Paul Strahm, etc...

For my Quickdraw I chose a garage sale scene going on in a street behind the gallery. It turned out pretty nice and I ended up winning Fourth Place and 100 bucks. The awards were juicy and well deserved and the artists roster was impressive. The awards are even juicier for the main event next Saturday so I am a tad bummed that I won't be painting that much. I did the required two paintings on Sunday though.

On a side note. I also secured a honorable mention in the main event and met some very talented artists. Tim Tien got the first price for a very nice painting indeed.

Some amazing portraits at the Huntington.

2010-06-15T22:21:00.001-07:00

McEntee's symphony greys harmony conveys his mood after loosing his wife. The landscape as portrait.

Clearly a Vermeer inspired interior. A bit contrived but that light...

Formal and elegant . Love the risk of the brim shade.

I can totally see this woman just barge in a room. German painter active in England. Notice the "bottleneck" shoulders so typical of the period portraiture. Probably didn't have money to add hands.

Sargent. Just plain incredible.

Mr Watts. by Raeburn I think. Again, the light. And the uneasy stuffiness of this character who practically launched the industrial revolution.

They speak for themselves. However, I found it strange that anybody would collect portraits of families not their own. I guess Mr. Huntington was trying to import England wholesale. These are not just nice pictures of anonymous subjects as "figures" but people with clear genealogical roots, names and families. Then again, they are beautiful on their own and some of them were latter acquisitions.

Tony Pro Workshop Part 3 and final.

2010-06-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

After some more thought I decided to add a few notes about what I got from Tony's workshop.By adding some artwork that relates to it. First, I attach here a picture of Teale holding an artichoke. I did this one week before the workshop. You can see the harsh edges in the wrong places and the overall "hacking" at it. It is very apparent on the nose and the shaded side of the face.

Next, is the portrait of the model we used at Tony's workshop. The method I used here is a lot more "thought out". First I applied the overall simplified blocks of color, then the secondary details, most detail was actually added at the very end. You can see how the portrait becomes a lot softer and how it resists distance watching a lot better. Progress is evident from the example above. You can barely see also one classic "trick" , the adding of a thing fringe of color to the illuminated side of the face, to avoid a very sharp delineation a and create a sort of "glow".

I add here the other two paintings we did during the workshop. One is a landscape where Tony had some input but an area where you can tell I am more confident. The other, the blocking of Tony's wife posing in the park, no details. The dirt on the canvas was the result of the hefty winds.

Lummis Day 2010

2010-06-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

This morning I was interviewed (in Spanish) by Univisión and KTTV (Fox) did a segment on Good Day L.A. About Lummis Day. They called me yesterday and I was ready to go at 5am this morning.
Not only that, I sold the two small 5"x7" pieces I made during the taping to the producer Rosa Maria and the photographer Al.

Wonderful event by the way.

Tony Pro's Demo Part 2. Methodology.

2010-05-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

Tony Pro's style is lush, rich and rooted in classical tradition and many influences (as it should be). He is a master of "alla prima" and his demo was in that style.

The basis of his method during the workshop was to start with the average of the main blocks of color and work towards the lights and darks. His canvas was primed in a neutral grey.

A preliminary drawing is necessary. Through comparative measurement and shape relatedness, the basic angles and key lines are rendered, a map of the main features.

The likeness of a model, says Tony, really hinges 85% on the triangle formed by the eyes and the nose tip. How far, big or wide the eyes are with respect to the nose. The way this triangle rests on the remaining head structure determines 15% of the recognition of a character. Of course this is just theoretical but hints at where likeness can derail easily.

Once the preliminary drawing is enough to map the features of the model, we proceed to block the main areas of color with a careful assessment of the light temperature and how its relative tone and chroma might affect the final result.

Squinting provides the necessary abstraction of shape and color to start blocking in the shapes. The main planes of the head are covered paying special attention at the tone and color. No hurrying here, no fireworks, the foundation of the whole portrait needs to be solid.

As reference, Tony pointed to Assaro's head to get some clues as to where the primary planes fall. Observe how he just blocked in the eyes as reddish shadows, and the cylinder containing the muzzle as a basic shape, no lips or eyelashes . We will "sneak in" into these details at a later stage, when we are sure the main and secondary planes are properly featured.

The main areas of color, including the background needs to be placed to get an accurate idea of the relative value of all colors. For example, the model's pale skin looked dark until it was compared to the deeper blacks of the background. Ditto for the color temperature on both sides of the face.

Most areas will remain simple, most of the modeling and work will occur where the warm light meets the edge of the cool area.

No mysteries here, no magic brush, the modeling and chiseling of the face proceeds in the same manner, always looking for the simplest shapes. No hesitation to wipe them out and revert to simplicity when things get out of hand.

It is easy to get "muddy" in a hurry by overworking details and adding information that adds nothing. That is why it helps to have the main areas "solved" before moving on. You get the idea. Down here I post the final or almost done result.

Tony Pro's workshop Part 1. Set up.

2010-05-28T22:41:00.001-07:00

So I *finally* had a chance to take a workshop with the Tony Pro. I've been trying to take it for years, quite literally. Something always got in the way. I think Pro is one of those awesome painters we are lucky to have around giving classes for which one doesn't have to take out a bank loan to attend.
I wasn't disappointed. Tony did a demo of his friend Martin. He captured the character masterfully. There is no replacing attending a workshop but -as I did for my workshop with Sean Cheetham, http://josedejuan.blogspot.com/2009/06/sean-cheetham-workshop-day-3.html I will post some highlights.

Tony teaches with the limited Zorn palette but for demo's he likes to have all the weaponry, including a couple of pre-mixed colors for lighting cool areas and warm areas :Radiant Blue and Naples Yellow. Here is a picture of his palette.

He uses a variety of transparent colors including transparent red oxide, ultramarine blue , alizarin crimson permanent and viridian. Alizarin is considered too tinting to use for under-drawing so Tony -for this demo- used a mix of viridian and red oxide. Venetian red also has a powerful tinting strenght.

As for brushes , he used a variety of flats and brights and the occasional filbert and a smallish round for details. You can see the list of materials from his website.

Tony used a slightly tinted linen Claessens #13 canvas, oil primed. The purpose of this demo was teaching how to see the color of light. So some explanations about the Kelvin temperature of the lights pointed at the model were in order. The model was illuminated by a cold 5200K light from above and from below with a 3200K much warmer light that created interesting highlights and edges on the receding side of the face.

Nature has it all.

2010-05-26T21:38:00.001-07:00

In this time of oil spills and general disregard for our environment, it was great to pay visits to some of the most wonderful natural spots around Los Angeles. Nothing is more humbling than an ancient oak or more lively and exuberant than a creek. Why is it that just taking a walk in the woods seems like the best use of time ? It has the power to wash away so much mental toxic waste. The weather has been incredible this May so I just had to go out there and enjoy it. And paint it of course.

Santa Rosa Plateau. One of my favorite spots. Threatened by tasteless development and people that think it is a city park.
Peter Strauss Ranch, in the Santa Monica mountains. Not known for water courses. This year there was enough water to fill some creeks.

A great oak in the Santa Rosa Plateau.

Back on the saddle

2010-05-17T15:04:00.001-07:00

After my trip to Spain and my move to an apartment and what not, I've decided to regroup. I have started scheduling the rest of the year ( a dangerous task fraught with self-deception) and apply some of the lessons of past seasons. I signed up for Tony Pro's "Understanding the color of light workshop" of which I will post my impressions. I also intent to do larger pieces and delve a bit more into watercolor. Not to mention updating my marketing materials. Phew, I am tired already. One step at a time. I went out and forgot about it all painting this slightly overworked "Shakespeare Bridge" in Silverlake.

Show at the Los Angeles Cathedral.

2010-05-17T14:50:00.001-07:00

The day finally arrived when my "Siegfrieds" (three of them) were hung at the Our Lady of Angels Cathedral as part of the California Art Club organized Ring Cycle exhibit. Many artists participated with interpretations of Wagner's work that ranged from the classical illustration style to the almost abstract an even humorous. Each chapel was decorated with pieces corresponding to the parts of the Opera. One last big chapel captured the paintings that had no specific episodic attribution like landscapes or symbolic artwork. The space of the cathedral is stunning to say the least and the reception was a lot of fun. Unusual subject in an unusual setting for sure.

Joshua Tree Field trip

2010-04-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday the Mt. Washington Painters organized a field trip to Joshua Tree. Our first.
It was hot already but lots of flowers greeted us , albeit not in big masses. Boulders like those of Joshua Tree are interesting by themselves but it is an easy mistake to think they will translate into interesting paintings. A painting has to explain itself and curious shapes and stains that look perfectly natural in real life might look as bizarre design elements in a painting. Rocks color shifts are very interesting and subtle and the form beautiful layers. So the utmost observation of tones and realism, or else, invention and design seem the best approach. I chose the former but my piece became a little cloyed nevertheless.

And here i am looking dashing but dehydrated.

And one of the results of my toils.

Thomas F Riley Wilderness.

2010-04-13T23:23:00.000-07:00

I got an unexpected vacation so I wasted no time scrambling to find painting opportunities. The Laguna Plein Air Painters had organized an outing with Michael Obermeyer at the Thomas F Riley Wilderness by Coto De Caza (can you say $!) . It was rainy and it was far but I was desperate to start being productive. I got there and it was ...closed. Due to the rain. Fortunately, fellow Pasadenian and european artist Mathias Fischer pulled right behind me on his car with the same disappointed look and so together summoned the courage to jump the fence. Just to find everyone had gotten inside ahead of the closure. It was a wet morning but I soldiered on until the sun gave us the most amazing clouds in the afternoon. No flower masses bur extensive green meadows and some challengingly "simple" compositions. I did three pieces.

Figure and landscape

2010-03-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

A long time ago......I was about 16 yrs old and I saw a reproduction of this painting by Giovanni Fattori, an italian painter that belonged to the "Resurgimento" or the Macchiaolli group of painters. These artists sort of announced the impressionist movement while making the naturalistic art which was en vogue back then (in the first half of the 1880's) .

I sought this image out because it impressed me so much back then. Today, I remain impressed and may be I can expand on what is that so attracts me to it. First, a figure in a landscape. Besides the obvious man-nature yuxtaposition, it gives everything so much sense of scale and beauty. I think it is no accident that my last painting was a figure in a wild landscape as well (see previous post) . Second, the gorgeous simplicity of design, light and shadow. Just look how luminous those tree trunks feel. You can hear the bees buzzing in and out. And last but not least, the loose brushtroke and ease of technique. Everything in here "belongs". Sure, the woman's dress is old-fashioned now and she is surely going to have a heat stroke. But that ruffled blue dress makes her such an attention grabber in all its artifice. I just love looking at this.

Another Large Scale (2) Almost done.

2010-03-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

So I am almost done with the 48"x24" painting of "The Death of Fafner". I say almost becasue after taking pictures I think Siegfried's underlip is a bit extreme. I applied the lessons from the first large format painting and I was a lot more succesful this time in my opinion. It actually was a lot easier to paint knowing beforehand what the colors and drawing would look like. Also the brush strokes were applied more freely and I did'nt have to review so many areas as in my first attempt.

Here I am reposting my almost finished piece and the original study plus a "live model" piece.

My very first workshop

2010-02-21T21:49:00.001-08:00

At the request of the San Gabriel Fine Art Association, I conducted my very first workshop with five "students". It was a two day affair. The first day we painted at the Arboretum while I talked about my every thought for three hours. It was exhausting. It was a cloudy day so we did a low-key painting and discussed selecting subjects , materials , the paradox of overworking the areas we want to focus on and how the fastest paintings are those which have no mistakes. We created thumbnails, used red gels and all kinds of devices to aid our thought process. Mostly it was about the importance of thinking before starting to lay paint.

The second day it was the turn of Liz, Barbara and Rod to try out the new techniques...I chose an urban/gritty setting and so we all launched into our paintings. As expected, there was a bit of initial fear and fumbling because it is hard to break old habits or merely try new approaches but slowly things started to happen....and each persons' style found its way . I think style finds us and not the other way around, we just need to stop worrying about "finding" it and experiment, be playful with it and even try to go against it just for kicks, for example copying the masters. That is the role of workshops and classes, to exercise our "alternatives" so we can come back to our style.

Most importantly, I think we all had a lot of fun despite the light showers, blustery winds and graffiti artists in the alleys. Some of them even paused to admire something other than spray painted walls for a change.

Another Large Scale. Studies for "Fafners Death"

2010-02-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

I have decided to approach large scale again after my ho-hum previous experience . This time, I know that I need to spend more time preparing the preliminary drawings and studies. So here are some samples of these studies. Including alternative posing and composition. I'll post my progress as I go on the actual piece.

The most "finished" study, of course, is the 12x6 little oil I add at the bottom. The idea is to picture how a large 48"x24" painting would look like before starting to fling paint around.

La Galeria Gitana

2010-01-28T23:24:00.000-08:00

Fabulous opening last Saturday at La Galeria Gitana with the show "Urban Spaces, The San Fernando Valley". Two paintings sold and a lot of good friends showed up, not to mention the fantastic pieces from Alex Schaefer, Chuck Kovacick, Marian Fortunati, Jennifer McChristian and many others in no particular order....

Along with the artists, numerous friends and collectors drove to the Valley's cradle city , not famous for its cultural life, but interesting nevertheless. The gallery is huge and still managed to get full to the rim. Karen, the owner, is a very gracious hostess.

Thank you to all that came and those who even wanted to come. Here is a wall list of all the exhibitors .

San Fernando Valley (V)

2009-12-30T17:28:00.001-08:00

Found time to do two more vies of the San Fernando Valley. Sherman Oaks at sunset and a dim light in the Sepulveda Dam, Van Nuys.
Typical winter weather in Los Angeles, my favorite season here for sure. While the rest of the country is wrapped in storms, this weather makes you want to cry it's so beautiful.

San Fernando Valley (IV)

2009-12-30T16:20:00.000-08:00

As we finish this 2009 year, I also finish my series on the San Fernando Valley urban scenes slated to be exhibited in La Galeria Gitana this January 2010.
I have read a lot about Vermeer, the dutch master of the seventeenth century . When one thinks "plein air", nobody seems more removed from it than Vermeer. And yet, his solutions and focus could be as valid for a methodical painter , like he was, as for a guerrilla plein air painter armed with a Toyota Prius, aluminum color tubes and a rich palette.

It is winter in Los Angeles and light is fleeting. No snow scenes at hand unless one takes to the mountains. And yet it is brighter outside than in Holland most of the year. Vermeer captured the northern light masterfully. He also captured domestic scenes and simple moments only to bring them to monumental beauty . As I painted these rooftops over Burbank, I kept his "View of Delft" in my mind. Sure, the difference is abysmal, but I wasn't afraid of the passing clouds and muted tones any more. The red trees added accents, the roof workers a little narrative...Cheers to Vermeer and many more discoveries in the new year.

The issue of large scale.

2009-12-08T23:21:00.000-08:00

So I've finally taken the plunge and did my first large scale painting, 36"x24". That is pretty large for a guy like me used to do little 8"x10" plain air pieces. I am not entirely happy with it and I am anxious to try it again. But a lot of unexpected challenges came simply from the painting's size. This are some lessons I hope I learnt:

1) A previous study can save a lot of time and pain. In fact, it helps if the study is not just a try-out but a real blueprint in scale, color and mood. I did a study but then changes the ratio in the painting with the result that I had to address perspective issues very soon. The dog, for example, had to be repainted closer to the girl in order to avoid making it look like a chihuahua.

This was the study.

2) Drawing and perspective problems will be more acute by the fact that we need to encompass more surface. Pull back often and follow your study with care. I now have a deeper appreciation of the careful underpainting old masters used to build a canvas.

3) Using larger brushes and more paint is not just an obvious choice for larger scale paintings. If we desire to maintain a certain "freshness" of stroke , we should treat the surface with the precision and textural interest of a smaller piece, not hiding mediocre brushwork in the large area or getting lost in parcels of messy work.

4) In small alla prima paintings, color harmony is almost guaranteed since the palette we use to start is the same as the one we finish with. Not so with a large painting, it behooves me to "plan" the palette carefully.

5) A schedule of work is very useful to hammer out a larger piece. Since it is painted in stages, it is essential to maintain a rhythm.

So this is my final piece. I see so much room for improvement I am almost giddy with impatience to put this lessons to work in my next painting.

Demo Number Two

2009-11-22T00:09:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday I did a demo at the San Gabriel Fine Arts Association to a small but very receptive group of members. I was a tad nervous after a long drive from Marina del Rey but I think things went swimmingly. I decided to paint an airplane from a picture I took at the Burbank airport with the intention of not only explaining whatever techniques I thought of but also trying to convey that a painting can be lurking anywhere, even in a seemingly sterile environment like Los Angeles.
My main emphasis painting the piece was the idea of a verbalized "concept" or main idea before starting. Also the avoidance of errors of color, drawing (including perspective) and tonal value while in pursuit of the idea. And finally a few notes of reflections and edges as defining of shapes rather than lines and detail.

Thank you Alice Lee and all the organizers for a nice evening of fun.

Ribbons, ribbons

2009-10-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

After all the October events and having a bit more time in my hands due to vacation, I started reconsidering my painting direction. Armando makes me reconsider it *every day* but that is another story :). When I get in this kind of "funk", I find it useful to go stroll in a museum or a good exhibit to stay enthusiastic and even though I have no ego problems, humble and conscious of the way ahead. I also find it helpful to enter smaller events and socialize with artists and people interested in art.

So

a) I visited the Laguna Plein Air 2009 event and let my jaw drop in front of the Ray Roberts, Calvin Liang, Jennifer McChristian, Greg La Rock, Ken De Waard , Bryan Scott Taylor and J. Budicin masterpieces among others. I also took a peek through the "Pasadena, City of Trees" organized by the California Art Club.

b) I entered some paintings in the San Gabriel Fine Arts Fall show -that is where I got the ribbons in the pictures- as well as the Craftsman Weekend in Pasadena where my gallery Jose Vera had a booth. I also entered the miniature show at the Segil gallery which afforded me the opportunity to talk with Jason Situ and Laura Segil for a while.

Here are Tania Verafiled and myself at the Masonic Temple in Old Pasadena during the Craftsman weekend. My paintings separate us, figuratively speaking.

So many questions bubbling in my head. One is the matter of size. Painting bigger and not in just one session as I usually do. I am not a subscriber of bigger is better but it would be interesting to see a painting through in a larger scale. The other is the question of the physical studio. Part of the reason I don't tackle certain projects is a lack of appropriate space. I need to work on a solution and quickly. And of course the question of "quality". That I don't expect to ever solve.... fortunately.

SLO Quick Draw

2009-10-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

This is the part of the week when all participating artists paint a 2 hour piece around the Mission Plaza. My painting reached a high price so needless to say I was elated. (Thanks Ray and Elaine!) Here are two pics of the painting and the auction.

San Luis Obispo 2009

2009-10-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

I just came back from San Luis Obispo Plen Air 2009. This event gets better and better every year. The selection of artists was amazing. The main benefit any artist can obtain from entering this events is beyond monetary. Sales this year were a little slow and that can damage the validation necessary to "keep at it" for sure. I sold four paintings so I can't really complain.
The main benefit comes from knowing some wonderful people and learning from all. I was lucky to room with Ken DeWaard. This master from Wisconsin is talented beyond words and has a natural ability to tackle big formats with dynamic brushtrokes and a very solid concept. Check out his website.
Some pics form the event. Here are Greg La Rock, Ken De Waard and Mike Rada, three masters I was lucky to meet. Catch them at Laguna Beach next weekend!
A view from the gallery in the Art Center. The paintings in the front are Scott Lloyd Anderson's.And here are Ed Terpening and Chuck Kovacic in front of Ed's paintings.

Here my corner of the gallery....all these are sold!

vendedor de paletas

2009-09-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

Adding people to your paintings definitely makes them more narrative. I was painting in Hollenbeck part in East Los Angeles. A whole school of children was leaving school soon after I settled. Between comments like "Not bad" and "That's rad"(really?), most of the kids were fascinated by the fact that I added a "vendedor de paletas" in the background, a popsicle salesman. One kid paused for a bit and blurted "So how do you do it?" I immediately recognized a certain urgency I used to have regarding painting (I still do) so I put down the brushes for a minute and gave him some hints: can you see how things far away look more and more like the sky color? what color are the tree trunks, really? (very confused look after I said they are not really that brown and compared them to his shoes). If you mix yellow and blue, what do you get? When he started to show signs of saturation I felt my job was done. It is work kid. Forever. But it is fun work.

San Fernando (III)

2009-09-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

Endured the blustery Santa Ana's in the San Fernando Valley last weekend. A girl came out of the shop behind where I was painting and said. "Do you mind me asking *why* are you painting ?" Good question. I mumbled something unconvincing. She looked around and said "Oh, You are painting suburbia." I thought, well yes, I guess I am painting "suburbia". I figured she must have wanted to sound educated or something ....only later I noticed the name of the gown shop I was painting: Suburbia. A poem in pink, chiffon and fluorescent lighting.

Some paintings from North Tahoe.

2009-09-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

This was my favorite painting, a small lagoon around Donner Lake. I liked the abstraction of the water reflections and the row of trunks in the back as a lattice of sorts.
The second one was my last painting (currently at Backstreet Gallery in Truckee) , I painted it in an almost impossibly beautiful spot by the Truckee river.

North Tahoe Plein Air 2009

2009-09-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

I traveled to lake Tahoe last week not quite knowing what to expect for North Tahoe Plein Air 2009 , an event organized by Lois Skaff and the North Tahoe Art Center. The ten hour drive from L.A. was pretty intense but the landscapes that greeted me were worth it. It is no wonder this area has become a popular tourist destination, some would argue too popular. It is simply gorgeous with its turquoise lakes, dramatic light shifts and layers of forest.

We had three days to paint and even though I spent a substantial amount of time exploring and hiking, I managed to come up with enough paintings for the festival (7). Most importantly, I made some new friends and met some great artists. I sold four paintings total. Celia Howe of Backstreet Gallery in Truckee even asked me to keep some of the pieces in consignment. Celia and business partner Peggy have a wonderful gallery and framing store in Truckee.

The main show was part of the Northstar wine and food festival. During our show, artists Paul Kratter and Craig Mitchell (judges along with Zeze Mott) did some demonstrations. It was interesting to see how two artists approach a landscape in such different ways, with Paul in a more direct traditional way and Craig with a more illustration approach, that is with a more extensive palette and graphic concept. Here are some pictures of the demonstrations . Guess who is who in these pics from my sparse description....
Clue: Craig is standing in front of Andrew Bolam's gallery in Northstar and Paul has a crowd of devotees around him. :)

Estes Park, cancelled. :(

2009-08-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to cancel my long awaited Estes Park trip. I was really looking forward to it. The urgent keeps getting in the way of the important.

If you can't stand the heat....

2009-07-20T21:41:00.001-07:00

you were probably in Pasadena yesterday. This will be my entry for the Playhouse District contest.

San Fernando Valley (III)

2009-07-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

Painted in the San Fernando Mission. One of the most (surprisingly) well kept mission buildings I've seen. It was a really hot day but the painting turned out well despite the fact that most interesting light occurs in the evening and early hours of the day in my opinion. I was there at about noon.

Later on, I moved to Pasadena where I tried a quick sketch overlooking the Rose Bowl . After all, I need a painting for the Pasadena Art Walk in October. ....and quite by chance I met Elaine Adams from the California Art Club ! Just as I was talking about the California Art Club to a couple that stopped by. Now what are the chances? The couple commented on the view. They might even might commission a large piece of the San Gabriel mountains. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Another couple had a picnic overlooking the area as well.

I need to get to those mountains.

Old Mill reception.

2009-06-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

So here is Armando partaking in the cheese and crackers at the Old Mill California Art Club reception in San Marino, CA.

Sean Cheetham Workshop. Day 2

2009-06-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

During the second day of the workshop. Sean entered into some detail about his supports and his approach to alla prima painting. His "pieces de resistance" use wood as a support. He uses MDO wood or some panels form a provider which already come framed in the back to avoid bending.

1) He then applies an acrylic sealant that he lets cure for at least a week.

2) He applies several layers of gesso allowing drying between them and some texture to occur. No sanding. Chemicals from acrylic materials easily get in the air and can be dangerous.

3) The last step pictured here is using a big trowel to smooth a last layer of molding paste which gives the surface very smooth but absorbent.

The process takes minutes in every layer but it takes two to three weeks to complete as the layers have to dry and cure completely.

He then uses graphite rubbed on a paper to transfer the drawing onto the board. The graphite in this stage is loose so he will wash it very lightly with acrylic paints. he will recreate the whole painting using acrylics almost as if they were watercolors in very very transparent layers but with accurate local colors.

We then moved on to the "interactive" part of his demonstration. Painting from a live model he demonstrated that even in a larger format, the same principles can be applied. He used a Fredrix support with Belgian linen onto which he applied a wash mostly consistent of Burnt Siena. He then established as tight a drawing with his brushes as one could hope for and moved onto the darker areas of the subject with a mix of burnt Siena, Alizarin and Olive green.Right after this stage, he mixed his fluorescent light Manganese Blue+ White mix (something ,by the way, that also Jeremy Lipking is fond of doing) and his "main" tone. From then on, he systematically built the face form the darker to the lighter areas with some balancing in between. The result was "sorollesque" and loose. Never or very rarely did he go over trodden territory. I won't post my attempt at the same subject because I made a mess of it.

Sean Cheetham Workshop. Day 1 (b)

2009-06-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

For an excellent review on Sean's workshops click on this link and do not miss the graphic of his palette. This are some common weaknesses he points out:

*Starting to paint without a tight and accurate drawing. Impatience costs in time and it doesn't improve spontaneity.

* Starting with powerful darks maintains the luminosity of the shadows and allows the painter to not have to revisit them later and making them muddy.

*Transitions between light and shadow are more subtle than novice painters make them.

*An organized palette saves most of the guesswork as the painting progresses.

* Regular painting helps the artist remember and consolidate what he/she learns.

After Sean had placed all the dark areas with a rich mix of burnt siena and olive green, he made a large pool of mid-tone color and a smaller pool of fluorescent or cool light with manganese blue and white. He then carefully proceeded to add the mid tones. I think this might be one of the most critical parts as it forces to distinguish what is in light and what is receding. Depending of the degree to which each area is exposed to light, cooler or warmer tones will be used. Into consideration as well is the reflection of the background, clothes, etc. ..

Finally, Sean tackled the most luminous areas never for a second jumping to highlights or touches of "effect" which are so frequent in other painters which shall remain unnamed. For a more realistic effect, he used some of the more worn out brushes to blend the paint a bit afterwards loosening the almost graphic effect of the result. This sobriety and uncompromising approach is what makes Sean's paintings so appealing and contemporary as well as the subject matter which shuns the precious and picturesque. You just can't beat reality.

Sean Cheetham Workshop . Day 1 (a)

2009-06-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

I decided to take this workshop an hour before it was about to begin. Kind of in the "spur of the moment". Sean Cheetham is an artist I've admired for a while even though his style is quite different to mine. He paints in a realistic fashion with a very high emphasis on the drawing. His main influences are Michael Hussar and Antonio Lopez among living artists and anywhere from Holbein, Alma-Tadema, Waterhouse, Dagnan-Bouvert, etc... among old masters.

During the first day, he decided to paint a portrait of a sculptor friend in the manner that he usually approaches most of his "finished" work. He brought several non-glossy prints and a support which he had previously primed and already had the drawing of the subject. His palette is not unusual but there a couple of more "acid" colors that seem to go well with his subject matter and lighting of choice.

Cadmium red
Cadmium Green light
Burnt Siena
Scarlet lake
Yellow Ocher Pale
Indian yellow (transp.)
Titanium White
Manganese Blue (semi-transp.)
Cobalt Blue
Windsor Violet
Alizarin Crimson Permanent
Olive Green (dark, from W&N)
Burnt Umber
Ultramarine Blue

and a warm Grey from Rembrandt to neutralize.

He goes over the whole painting first with a light wash of acrylic. Very light so as not to create a layer of plastic between the oil and the support. He usually starts laying the darks first, very precisely and deliberately. He uses cheap University W&N nylon brushes of sizes 4 to 6 which tend not to last but fare well in the level of precision he requires. No big brushes here. He works with a tremendous amount of detail and focus. No rushing here. That's how you go quickly actually, by not making mistakes or adding random garbage.

Here is a picture of the painting after all the darks have been placed.

And here is a picture of the original print. Sean says he prefers to work directly from the monitor to judge color and is not against any technique to accomplish accuracy. Of course, he draws *really* well.

It is worth observing how organized he is in his palette construction. During the dark building process he mixes enough of a pool of dark. he also mixes the tone of the fluorescent lighting with manganese blue for posterior use. Like any good painter, his colors will remain almost miraculously clean throughout.

San Fernando Valley (II)

2009-06-20T13:13:00.001-07:00

As I explore the San Fernando valley I came across the Hansen Dam , an elegant structure in the middle of what the L.A. River might have looked like at some point in History. I explored the area around the Equestrian Center and came home reeking of manure. But it was worth it. No horses in the paintings but I took photos for future reference.

Amazing skies

2009-06-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

We rarely see clouds here in LA . However, during the California Art Club paint-out at Griffith Park 06/06/09 , the sky was like a battlefield of beautiful, rolling and massive cumuli. I was so excited I *had" to borrow a bigger canvas from my friend Rod Smith least I was imprisoned in my usual 9x12. I did two paintings that day, I felt I couldn't let these storm beauties pass by unaknowledged.

The San Fernando Valley

2009-05-28T23:05:00.000-07:00

With my views set on a future exhibition I've started exploring the San Fernando valley. Here is my fist piece done while randomly driving away from Encino. Balboa Park has a lot of picnicing people and willing albeit impatient models...like ducks.

2 duds in search of a reason.

2009-05-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

We all make mistakes. But mistakes, while frustrating, can be a great source of learning. Here I present two of such mistakes. Now, to be fair, nothing is more uncomfortable than urban plein-air painting but all that means is that you need to adjust and I quite didn't.

In these examples, some things are missing. Whether it is color or contrast or tonal values or brush adeptness I will figure out eventually.
This first example, overcast day but heat galore, light barely peeking. That tower in the background way too detailed and the trees kind of mushy, some errors in the drawing of the jeep with the open hood. You can tell it is a little overworked.

Second case: Good depth but bad color choices in the sky. The dark tree in the middle has not receded enough and there is a messed up perspective in some of the buildings . Weird base for the bottom edge with that car hood peeking through. A re-do. The scene has potential though.

A nice commission piece.

2009-05-12T22:37:00.000-07:00

It took me two attempts until I got this right but I am happy I put the extra effort. The owner's of this ranch style beauty wanted a portrait of their house...an the amazing rose bushes in the front. I arrived in the afternoon and the light was ok but did not frame the roses properly. The next morning I arrived early and the piece painted itself. I gave the owners both pieces since not only are they very nice but they already bought two previous paintings.

Santa Rosa Plateau.

2009-04-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

This is what i ended up after my hour 1/2 hike in the Santa Rosa Plateau. I'll probably retouch the branches a bit and clean the color of the tree. I tried to be as accurate with color as possible which somehow tends to dim colors and muddy them a bit. I think accuracy should not be the goal in the final result but it helps to have the tonal scale correct. These kinds of landscapes are much less forgiving than urban scenes in that sense.

So that was a long trip to paint. This other pices is what I see right across from my house. I made the neighbor move one of his cars because I wanted the blue VW . I hope he didn't mind ;)

Thoughts on location

2009-04-18T23:29:00.000-07:00

I did two hikes recently. One, with Armando, to the waterfalls at Eaton Canyon. Another one today to the Vernal Pools in the Santa Rosa Plateau. The watercolor sketches here are the result of 10/15 minutes of taking a break from walking.

I really went to the Santa Rosa Plateau in search of wildflowers to paint. And there were so many. But not in patches of color. So I looked around for other subjects and the place was so beautiful that I ended up walking for about an hour and a half with my backpack trying to take it all in. I will soon post the result of that trip but here are my sketches for now.

New notebook. yay!

2009-03-29T20:36:00.001-07:00

Two sketches from an unusual spot in Pasadena. Memorial park I think it's called. The Park has a definite East Coast penchant but what attracted me there initially were the blooming trees. They are spectacular. You can see a small one in one of these watercolors. This is one of those rare occasions where I miss the masking fluid. It would work so well with the bloomig trees and little specks of light in the counter-light.

Chinatown

2009-03-29T20:27:00.001-07:00

Exciting and artificial colors abound, shapes are never sedate, everything scintillates with people and movement. We are in Chinatown. Here are two of three studies I made from the same angle in three consecutive weekends(one sold) and under different weather conditions.

Firs Los Angeles Notebook

2009-03-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics that final my first watercolor L.A. Notebook. The first one is of the Rose Bowl and there is not much more to say. I exercise around there so it was a question of time before I found some merit on this very ungraceful building. The time to paint os late afternoon and if the neon lights up when the sky gets dark, it can be very ineteresting. The second one is of the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies in Cal Poly Pomona - that's a mouthful- an interesting place where they have all kinds of agricultural experiments. What was I doing there?

Winter in Los Angeles.

2009-02-01T22:06:00.000-08:00

Winter in Los Angeles is the best time to paint outdoors. There are blooms from late January on, the weather is mild, the skies spectacular.

Malibu.

2009-01-20T13:33:00.000-08:00

A sketch made in Malibu this weekend.

Art Scam Alert

2009-01-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

I had a sobering experience this week with some "collector" from overseas that wanted to purchase a painting, or so he/she claimed. "She" signed under the name of lindas_maicon@yahoo.com , clearly and alias, and claimed to be convalescing in London or some such garbage. She sent me a fraudulent check for some outrageous amount of money and expected the "excess" to be sent back to her. While the original letter she sent sounded plausible, I quickly assessed it was a scam but decided to confirm it waiting for the check. Also she expected me to receive some "movers" at my house to collect the painting. Sure, I'll be waiting with my dial on 9-1-1.

# Never respond to scams. Of course the trick is sometimes to be able to distinguish.

# Do not let the "sale buzz" (greed, excitement) overwhelm your "scam alert" sense. Cool heads prevail.

# Never send a check of your hard earned cash, excess or otherwise.

# Avoid at all costs giving personal info. Including addresses, phone numbers.

# Bad English or strange syntax. Red flag.

# Email your friends when you suspect a scam. Email account providers like Yahoo at abuse@yahoo.com with the whole email the scammers sent you.

# Wait for checks clearance between committing your art to shippers, movers or anybody else.
This can take a while.

# Always talk to your clients , not just email. A phone call can save you money.

# It is OK to be wary and "drag things" as much as they need to be dragged.

# Use PayPal or other secure payment services.

Happy sales.

Pages of the Journal. Trip to Spain

2009-01-07T21:29:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed myself in Madrid and lLisbon. I even had a few minutes here and there to sketch. I finished my first journal and even started another. Here are some pages.

Ending the year in Sorolla's Museum

2009-01-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

While vacationing in Spain, I had the opportunity to visit the new and improved Sorolla Museum. I frequented this museum before but the remodeled version is magnificent. What a treat to end 2008 with a visit to this museum, the house where Sorolla lived and created some of his masterpieces.

I include here some pictures of the entrance to the museum and the studio. In the enormous room that served as Sorolla's studio I enjoyed the detail of Velazquez's print of Inocencio X in the wall, a print of the painting that inspired the model to exclaim in annoyance:"troppo vero!" . I am sure the artist was greatly inspired by it despite the lack of color. The museum displays also the work-bench and palette Sorolla used and the many objects he collected, including the beautiful ceramic jars he used to place his brushes, many ceramics and sculptures of friends like Mariano Benlliure.

Noteworthy was the dining room which he adorned with his own wall paintings much in the manner Goya did albeit with much happier themes of garlands and his wife Clotilde and daughters peeking through the leaves. The garden , which he painted many times is samll but gorgeous and draws a lot of inspiration from Sorolla's native Valencia.

Whittier Narrows

2008-12-08T21:01:00.000-08:00

The California Art Club had a paint-out in Whittier Narrows. I was curious about the location so I decided to go. It is a riparian environment with lots of lagoons (if it ever rains). Because there was not much water, I abandoned the main group and walked down to the San Gabriel river.
I painted this while situated in the middle of a dam. The water rose quite a bit in the evening and covered the path I had come by. May be that is what the docent that conducts tours for groups around the Nature Center was gesturing about when she kept staring at me for about 30 minutes. And I thought she was upset because I was disturbing the birds (I wasn't , I swear. If anything, I was disturbing an eclectic group of individuals that inhabit these banks) . It was quite a walk back to the car.

The Japanese influence

2008-11-24T11:37:00.000-08:00

John Byram and I tried to go see the Fealing Lin and Tom Fong watercolor show at Alhambra City Hall. It was closed and the schedule is "office hours" . Needles to say I was disappointed as I don't have a lot of time to go to shows. I moxied over to Nucleus Gallery in Alhambra , a gallery and an outpost of hyped-up heavily asian-influenced artwork which I like to browse from time to time. I am not particularly fond of the self-centered attitude and peter-pan-ish charm of a lot of the artwork but sometimes a burst of wonder pops out. They had a wonderful exhibit of drawings for starters. Browsing a couple of books ("The Totoro Forest Project" and "Three trees make a Forest") I hit upon two marvelous artists: Tadahiro Uesugi and Eric Tiemens . The first one had the most stylized and wonderful illustrations of women in this anonymous but poetic environments. Eric had some classically strong and romantic gouache and watercolor landscapes. I will keep track of them both I am adding them as links.

The Arroyo Seco Re-discovery Art Walk

2008-11-24T11:15:00.000-08:00

I think this is the fourth time I do the Discovery Tour along with the Mt. Washington group at the Ziegler House . The sales were ok ( the economy is certainly in everybody's mind) but this had to be the best displayed, better advertised and 'minglier' show ever. Everybody that showed up stayed a while and it was truly a very pleasant experience. Here is a pic of Chris Zambon proudly displaying her art with a very schoolgirlish pose.

After the show we all moved to Roderik Smith's house who was also featured in the Art Walk and where Linda, Rod's wife, treated us for dinner and Rod had all his recent pieces on display. If you think you have seen the Dodger Stadium or Catalina Island , you need to check out his amazing renditions of these two locales. He layers his oils thickly in a scintillating array of hues without ever loosing a strong sense of composition. You can check his artwork at www. rodericksmith.com.

San Gabriel Mission

2008-11-03T21:53:00.000-08:00

In what it looks like the most extended summer I've ever seen (It's November and it's still hot) I decided to paint the San Gabriel Mission from the gardens as my submission for the San Gabriel Plein Air 2008 extravaganza of the San Gabriel Fine Arts Association . My intention was to travel around the city and avoid the mission since usually shun the typical and like a few challenges. But once in there, the place is so peaceful and romantic that it just felt like a crime not to enjoy for it a bit so there, I stayed, what can I say, there'll be plenty of time for soot and grime. Plus they allowed artists in for free and i was not about to miss that. A big thanks to the amazing organizers Alfred Tse and Alice Lee and all the others whose name i can't retain and that work so hard to get a little bit of the arts in this town.

"Visions of the Rialto"

2008-11-03T21:38:00.000-08:00

Well, I participated in my first official event with the California Art Club and I must say me and hubby Armando were VERY impressed. The SoPas gallery was marvelous, the people I met couldn't have been nicer, specially Miriam Noske who is an exhibits curator from the California Art Club and Tom R. Field the gallery manager. Among the wonderful artists let me mention Paul Strahm and his wife who gratiously lent me a poncho when we were oainting in the rain in San Luis Obispo, Debbie Holladay , Alex Schaeffer who has a great touch for contemporary landscape and Lynne Fearman. And I sold my painting to none other than the Chief of Police of South Pas. Now about those parking tickets...... just kidding.

San Luis Obispo Plein Air 2008

2008-10-11T10:12:00.001-07:00

This is my second time at this plein air festival. It was even better than the first time now that I knew the ropes. Sales were a little down but I did pretty well overall. One of my paintings even had a bidding war. I woke up at about 6:00 am and the fog was crawling downhill over the farm of Mr. David Saari, where I was staying. I decided to capture that fleeting moment of quiet before the fog gets burned out. Luis Obispo is the closest one can be to Paradise as far as landscape, man-made or sea-made or otherwise.

More on "Painted Ladies"

2008-09-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the house of Andy Bohbot, a real estate investor that restored this house beautifully . he also purchased the painting I made of the house. Isn't it amazing what you can find in Los Angeles? Earlier in the week I was painting the group of houses to which this one belongs from the other side of the river valley.

SouthWest Museum Show

2008-09-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

Undoubtedly our most prestigious venue to date, the Southwest Museum Gallery hosted a wonderful show. I even sold one of my favorite paintings. Here I am with Jennifer McChristian and hubby Ben posing in front of my piece "Threshold".

Falkner Winery

2008-09-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday a group of us went o a Segil Gallery sponsored event at the Falkner Winery in Temecula. The surroundings and smell of the place are spectacular. Unfortunately, so was the heat. And at the reception time, some chilled wine fell in empty dehydrated stomachs which prompted and abundance of sudden "I need to sit down" moments . Great places to paint all over.