Exploration

Finding inspiration, and staying inspired, is a process that goes in cycles. With practice, a great deal of inspiration can be found in relatively mundane places or things. Always trying to find inspiration in the same places, can also lead to boredom and frustration.

Sometimes, keeping a strong will and fighting through a slump is effective. When fighting doesn't work, it can be even more frustrating. If I sense I'm losing interest in creating art, I try to find ways of becoming involved again. A change of pace or scenery is an effective remedy for boredom.

I recently went exploring a new area, several hours west of where I live. I wasn't convinced that there was much for me to see before I went exploring. However once I paid a visit, I found a source for at least several new paintings, and a nice change of scenery.

And More

This is another quick figure sketch in the same vein as the previous. Whoever set up this model decided to incorporate props into the pose. I threw some of them in for effect. I am generally pleased with how this one was developing. A light bulb to the right of the girl constantly shone in my face, presenting a challenge.

Figure Study

The past week, I had the opportunity to attend a "sketch class" for a bit longer than the usual few hours. I usually don't sketch with anything more ambitious than charcoal, but with extra time at my disposal, I decided to work in oil.

Just for fun I also thought I would try using my traditional palette, usually reserved for more "serious" work. Up until that point I had confined the use of my hand-made paints to landscapes, and had never applied them for figurative work.

I really like the way I can express the model's fleshtones using these colors. The cinnabar in particular is a deep warm red that stands out in the mixture. I would like to see how I could develop this kind of picture, given more time.

Woodcut tips

Recently, while I was getting prepared to make some new prints, I discovered a new guide to making woodcuts. Written by the printmaker JJ Lankes, it contains a wealth of information I hadn't encountered elsewhere. It is even available to read online, at http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/011_04/011_04.html.

While going through this book trying to digest the new information, I became aware of the contrast between guides to printmaking and painting. Books such as this one on printmaking were written by practicing artists in the twentieth century. They are easy to relate to, being relatively contemporary. In contrast reviving the craft of traditional painting, necessitates perusing sometimes ancient documents. While some things, such as the plight of the artist, never seem to change, we share little else. This leads to a lot of uncertainty. Language, materials and working methods have changed immensely. One often encounters a broken trail of technique, formulas and advice. The need arises to fill in the gaps somehow.

Eager to try out some of the tips in the book, I began preparing a new set of poplar boards for carving. Before carving, Lankes recommends coating each piece with linseed oil. This has the effect of sealing the wood he says, so it is more stable. It is also supposed to tighten the surface grain, reducing its tendency to split under the carving knife.



Here I am preparing some linseed oil on my stone block. I mixed the oil with some turpentine to thin it, as instructed in the book. This will accelerate its drying time.



Here is a shot of one of the poplar blocks, partly coated with linseed oil.

The oil quickly soaked in. I allowed it to cure about a week. The early results are a panel with a nice smooth, tight grain. I will make my final conclusions once I have finished the print.

Forests

I like forests. There is something about them, that makes them interesting to me. A sense of nobility and mystery.

I have always wanted to take these feelings, and express them in a good forest painting. This has proven to be very challenging. There is an abundance of detail, all of which must be absorbed and filtered. Forests also involve painting more up-close and intimate detail. I tend to prefer painting the far-away.

This season, I have focused on painting the forest. This picture was done on location at Blandy Farm, up in northern Virginia. It is of a special grove of ginkgo trees. I made the journey at just the right time to capture them as they turned in unison.

The trip up to the farm, as well as my stay, were marked by misadventures and bad luck. This culminated in the picture itself falling out of my car. The canvas received some damage, and at that point I decided to call it quits.

Portraits

I have neglected portraiture a bit over the past few years. Figuring out landscape painting, among other things, has consumed the bulk of my attention. So recently, I have set aside some studio time, to bring in new sitters.

Since I'm still a bit rusty, I'm going to avoid painting anyone for awhile. Charcoal is more forgiving. At some point I will consider hiring some strangers to sit, but for the time being, the "victims" will be friends and family.

Volkonskoite

Volkonskoite is rare green earth mineral, found mainly in the mountains of Russia. Named after a Russian prince who was a government minister, its use was confined historically to religious icon paintings. Volkonskoite is not well known outside of Russia, the most famous exception being Picasso. He was known to have imported large quantities from the Soviet Union for use in his paintings.

The green color derives from chromium-oxide, also used in a modern equivalent by the same name. The natural variety green is more subtle, and not as "loud" when used in mixtures. It also is far more transparent.

Up until this point, I haven't made much use of a standalone green in my pictures. I am always open to the idea if I could find one that was suitably flexible.



To that end, I've purchased a small jar of the relatively expensive Volkonskoite, to try out.



To the left is the raw color mixed with oil, to the right it has been tinted with white. It is a blueish green with cool undertones. I did not find Volkonskoite as weak as some of the green earths I have tried in the past.