Redefining Realsime by--Allison Allison Malafronte (senior editor of American Artist)

http://www.artistdaily.com/

Attempting to define realism or to clarify the various styles of representational painting can be a challenging task.  When writing about today's painters, I always hesitate to use words like "classical," "realist," "contemporary," "traditional," or "modern" because they do not always fully capture what I'm trying to describe. For example, a word like "classical" by definition refers to Greco-Roman or Renaissance ideals, but by connotation has come to mean an art form that embodies a certain timelessness and order. "Contemporary" undoubtedly means anything taking place in our time, so by that definition any painter alive is contemporary. But critically speaking, I would not call all painters today contemporary--I'm more apt to use that distinction when a painting has a more modern or conceptual feel.

The Desperate Man by Gustave Courbet, 1844-1845, oil painting, 17 3/4 x 21 5/8.

Artists themselves have felt the confusion and in an attempt to bring clarity have adopted such labels as new realists, figurative realists, classical realists, contemporary realists, and so on. These phrases have found their meaning in a Post-Modern context, which generally defines what it is by comparing itself to what it is not. The New Realists of the early 1960s, for example, made it clear that they were not your grandmother's realists reveling in Caravaggio and Jacques Louis David but rather were trying to bring elements of representation to the Abstract Expressionist aesthetic. The Classical Realists of the early 1980s led by Richard Lack were differentiating their brand of realism from other forms of representational art of the time, even though they knew that within the context of art history "classical realism" was a contradiction in terms.

Realism can mean different things to different people and has changed meaning over time, which is another reason why it's difficult to define. Most would agree that realist painters are recognized by their choice of subject matter. Like Gustave Courbet--by most accounts considered the first Realist--or any of the Russian painters throughout history, a realist paints the real world and finds beauty and interest in everyday people, places, and things that the rest of society might find mundane. The realist is also defined by his or her technical execution, which aims for an accurate, truthful representation of the subject. The stylistic differentiation gets tricky among artists, however, because many realists who work from life do not want to be put in the same category as realists who work from photographs or in a  photorealistic manner. This confusion translates to the public, who will often comment that a painting looks like a photograph, as if that were the highest compliment one could pay an artist.

As you can see, the parameters surrounding realism are rather ambiguous. I think this is because realism is redefining itself as we speak and also because a new movement is on the horizon. I believe that movement will embody a language that is not yet in our artistic vocabulary, forcing us to find new words and a new criterion.

--Allison

Improving a Palette

We recently asked a couple artists who have taken workshops at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio (WIFAS) to answer a few questions for us about our classes. Pat Brookes jumped at the chance to tell us how she has benefited from her WIFAS art instruction experiences. You can read what she has to share about our classes and her resulting growth as an artist in the interview below.

Q: Which workshop at WIFAS have you recently attended?

A: I have taken multiple workshops over the past couple of years at WIFAS including Jeff Legg, Dreama Tolle Perry, Ron Stocke, Pam Ingalls, Qiang Huang, and Jim Lamb.

 

Q: What did you find most helpful about the art instruction you received at the workshop?

A: I am finding that a limited palette seems to make my paintings integrated; less chance of mud, although even mud if you can identify the base color has an interesting quality.

Q: Did you learn any new techniques or were you reminded of old ones in a new way in the workshop?

A: I learned to make a color base, and then change up that base to darker, lighter, warmer, cooler.  In addition, I learned to make fewer pat-pat strokes and more meaningful placement of color. Various artists taught interesting techniques:

Pam Ingalls takes three strokes with one color before changing the color. She uses a limited palette only earth color is yellow oxide. Her setups are exciting and different.

Dreama may take one or two strokes and loads her brush, then lays the paint down. She also works with a limited palette that doesn't include earth colors other than transparent yellow oxide. Dreama uses specific brushes that she tells you about.

Qiang Huang also uses a limited palette, transparent paints and pure colors. His b rushes are non-specific and cheap, but he makes them work well! His work is extra ordinary and we all felt privileged to take a class from him

Q: What did you appreciate most about the setup or structure of the workshop?

A: I think that Cary goes overboard in making everyone feel welcome. We were fed and pampered as if we were in her own home.

Q: Were you inspired to paint a particular image during or after the workshop?

A: I sold my best painting done during the Jeff Legg workshop.  

Q: How do you feel your painting has improved as a result of a workshop you attended?

A: My friends tell me they can see a difference in my painting.  I have just been using oils for a year-and-a-half, but it’s messed up my ability to paint watercolor.  

Q: Could you share a highlight from your experience at WIFAS—either from the workshop or your time on Whidbey Island?

A: I just painted plein air with Jim Lamb at Double Bluff.  We started early in the morning and it was such a beautiful day. I enjoyed the experience of being outdoors and working at representing what I saw. There were tons of people on the beach and even Rainier was out. What more could you ask for?

Q: Are you planning on attending any other workshops with WIFAS in the near future?

A: I feel so lucky to have a quality place to continue my art education right here in my own town! Yes, I will be back.

Staying Focused with Gregg Kreutz

“Gregg Kreutz is a glass-half-full type of guy.”

“Gregg is a wonderful teacher and superb artist.”

“Gregg is the nicest, most humble, and personable teacher, while being a wonderful and gifted artist.”

“It was wonderful to see Gregg paint. He just smears the oil paint on, dividing it into light and shadow parts, and then pulls out the details.”

These are just a few of the comments students have made in regards to Gregg Kreutz and his teaching style. 

Gregg Kreutz is a full-time painter and teaches at the Art Students League of New York, as well as art schools around the United States. He is also the author of the book Problem Solving for Oil Painters. Gregg’s book is not a typical how-to art book. Rather, he describes principles and techniques that keep a painting unified and free of fussy details.

"Learning to paint is learning what things really look like," Gregg says. "Details are always trying to lure us to our doom, but you have to be strong and keep your eyes on the big issues. That's more interesting than saying 'make the sky darker.' If you're only copying the look of things, there is something dead or useless in that."

You can watch Gregg paint in this YouTube video. Over the course of three hours during a morning class, Gregg demonstrates how to paint the figure from a live model.

In addition to being a painter, and the author of a book, Gregg has also written three full length plays that are published by Samuel French. They have been and continue to be performed worldwide.

Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio has the privilege of hosting a workshop by Gregg Kreutz in April. This four day class will focus on the art of picture making; how a person, a view, and/or a collection of things can be turned into a unified whole. Through demonstrations and one-on-one instruction, Gregg Kreutz will explore different strategies to turn the seemingly random into a harmonious unit. 

Gregg will have encouragement for each student. For he says, "In any painting there's always something that's working. Expand on that, and don’t slip into this-is-a-disaster feeling."

Cary the Great!

If you have not yet taken a workshop at WhidbeyIsland Fine Art Studio (WIFAS) in Langley, Washington run by Cary Jurriaans, we want you to know what you are missing. As an artist, as well as the owner of WIFAS, Cary Jurriaans knows what artists need when attending an art workshop. 

The following was written by an art instructor about WIFAS, specifically for artists considering attending a WIFAS workshop.

 

It takes one to know one!

Cary Jurriaans, artist and owner of WIFAS has attended many a workshop in her lifetime. In other words, she has been where you will be when you attend one of her workshops, a student on the learning end of things— and to that end, she thinks like you do!

Cary already knows what you are asking yourself about the workshop:

1.   Will there be a good spot for me to view the model when I paint?

Yes, Cary always has 2 models for each session for 8 students or more, guaranteeing you a good spot.

2.   Will I have plenty of room for all my stuff when I set up?

Again, yes.  WFAS has about 3,000 square feet (give or take a few) for you and fellow artists to spread out in, this is for large workshops.

3. What about still life workshops—I have been stuck in some really bad spots before trying to paint the subject—will there be enough setups to work from without having to stand on my head?

Yes and yes again! Cary has still life setups for each student. You heard right—one student per still life set up.  Virtually unheard of!

4.   How could it get any better? 

Did we mention food?  Coffee, water, light snacks, set up and waiting on you each morning! In addition, organized “out to eat” dinners for the 4 day workshops. Yes, WIFAS workshops just do it better! 

5.   What about the 5 day workshops?

Cary goes all out. She has you to her home for a mixer with great food for all the artists to hang out, talk shop and get to know each other better.

6.   Still got questions?

Just take a look at what others who have attended a workshop at WIFAS and see what they have to say!

If you are looking for an art workshop to attend, we invite you to head on over to our website and check out all the great upcoming classes WIFAS is offering for the remainder of 2012.

A Painting a Day

Do you dream of selling enough paintings on a regular basis to generate a steady income? It is possible. Duane Keiser, CarolMarine, and many other artists are doing it, and you could too.

Back in 2004, Duane Keiser was your typical fine art artist. He created large paintings, displayed them in galleries, and sold a couple of paintings a year. Then he hit upon a new idea.

 

Duane started spending one to three hours each day working on a postcard-sized painting. He created a blog to write about what he was doing and feature his paintings. He posted his paintings for sale on Ebay and pointed his blog readers to Ebay to purchase each painting. Art collectors saw his art, liked it, wanted it, and clicked to purchase. Within a year, Duane was selling a painting a day and the “A Painting a Day” movement was born.

Soon other artists followed and now thousands of artists are selling paintings each day. These paintings, which are typically less than 8x6 inches, sell for around $100 each, usually under a bidding system offered on an auction site like Ebay. 

 Selling a painting a day does not make an artist rich, but it does generate a steady income, and it could make some famous, like Duane Keiser. The practice of creating a painting a day has many other benefits for artists. Some of these include:

• It develops the disciple of being in your studio every day instead of waiting around for inspiration to strike.

• It allows you to develop and hone your skills and sensibilities through many hours of diligent, regular study and application.

• It allows you to break free of your usual and try new techniques or subject matter you might not normally attempt on a larger painting.

• It allows you to produce a larger body of work, which can build your reputation in the marketplace.

As the painting a day movement has gained steam, art enthusiasts recognize that these stunning little masterpieces were a great way to build their art collection at an affordable price. As a result, more people are making a living as artists, and more people are buying art.

 

Carol Marine will be teaching a workshop on this technique of “A Painting a Day” on February 13-17, 2012, at Whidbey Island FineArt Studio. The class is already full, but we do have a waiting list. If you are interested in learning how you can join with other artists in making a steady income by creating and selling a painting a day, go ahead and add yourself to the waiting list. We may add a second workshop on this topic later in the year if we get enough interest.

Advice from an Award-Winning Artist

David Gray, visual artist, (not to be confused with David Gray, recording artist) is a contemporary figure and still life painter in The Classical Realist Tradition. A Northwest local, David Gray, received his Bachelors of Fine Art right here in Washington at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma.

We had the pleasure of hosting David at our recent Open House.  During the weekend, he conducted a portrait demo of a model. His painting demonstration lasted about 5 hours. 

David started with a small color study before he launched into his serious work. The color study is the image on the right in the picture below.

Already an award-winning artist, one of David’s portraits of a young girl named Hannah has just won the Silver Medal Award in this year’s Oil Painters of America Western Region Exhibition. 

As an art instructor, David tells his students, "Take every opportunity to draw/paint from life. Try not to get too frustrated with perceived failures. Learn everything you can and you will improve loads. If you are still struggling, take a workshop or two. I know I have done that, and with great results. Choose your instructor carefully and you will not feel your time and money have been wasted."

You certainly won't be disappointed if you take a class from David. We are pleased that he will be returning to teach a 3-day workshop at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio next month. His class “Painting the Portrait from Life” will focus on the head.

Painting with Feeling

Mary Whyte is known for her large-scale watercolor paintings. A resident of Johns Island in South Carolina, Mary is noted for her depictions of African-American Gullah women (descendents of coastal Carolina slaves). 

A few years ago, Mary realized that a large segment of our population works unnoticed, year after year, in all kinds of jobs that are becoming outmoded, downsized, or phased out. She then turned her attention to painting southern laborers. Her exhibition of fifty paintings and drawings called “Working South” is currently on tour with several museums and featured in her book Working South: Paintings and Sketches.

As an artist, Mary has learned many lessons over the years—both about art and about life. She has shared many of these lessons in the books she has written. Her latest book, Painting Portraits and Figures in Watercolor releases in December.

As an art instructor, Mary believes that the techniques of watercolor painting can be learned. It can be tricky since watercolor is the only medium that relies strictly on timing. While the skill of painting with watercolors can be taught, Mary believes, “skill is never enough. One must also learn to feel as well as to see in order to become a complete artist and a complete person.”

Mary teaches art workshops all over the United States. We are privileged to have her come teach at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio in October. We are excited to have her teach us watercolor technique as well as to help us capture our feelings in our paintings. After all, Mary believes that your paintbrush is not just an extension of your hand, but an extension of your soul as well.