Category: Art Events Blog

This month critique focused on volume, mood and the painted picture dialog.  It was a great way to start the New Year out and a way to keep the creative juices flowing for the entire year.

We began with three pastels on Bonsai trees that I completed over the holidays.  Pastels is a great medium for creating saturated images, so two of these are drawing of azaleas I saw in Japan last year.  Though the beauty of the medium and colors of these azaleas was successful, there needed to be additional work to shore up the base of the trees and how the trunk roots into the ground (in the Bonsai world we call that “Nebari”).  There also required more definition of volume around the edges of the foliage, I did this by lighting the edge a bit.  Overall the group thought the drawing were well balanced and showed a nice variety of textures.

Thom brought a painting in that focused on the “Searching for Global Warming #2”.  It is a 25” X 36” acrylic painting which is composed of 4 figures either searching with flash lights or balancing on a beam.  Above is an “ideal” earth versus the below earth as it is (in the mist of today’s climate changes) today.  The first critique item came from the neutralist color palette of browns (tertiary colors), pushing the colors toward primary saturation could bring drama to the composition.  The other area of contention, which is unusual for Thom, is the composition; it appear the painting would be better served if the space was further fragmented and broken up; in particular the left hand side of the painting.  The figures also seem static and creating some accent marks or duplicate forms around the figure would activate their movement.  It is a playful piece and brought a smile to all of us, which seems at odds with such a heavy subject matter.

Ron finished the evening with a coup de grace watercolor.  It is a beautiful painting of the sunset with bold monumental rocks in the foreground and a threatening cloud front in the background.  The two are separated by the ocean, which appears to me as a perfect metaphor for a communication space between two giants in argument and/or readying for battle.  Ironically, Ron calls it “Moonrise” which pushes beyond what we are seeing and gets one think of the future state of this inauspicious environment.  The execution of the painting is very dramatic which harkens back to great romantic painting by artist such as Goya, Delacroix and Gericault.  The painting is a real gem.

I hope that you will be able to join us in February.  All is welcome, just send me you information and I will contact you about the time and place.

Cheers

This was a night filled with good talk and great art that we hope will translate into works that are better by the effort of the evening.  The idea of form dominants the discussion and the integration of those forms within the motif completes the cycle.  Close to those topics are the true representation of texture and mark-making that make a work of art a truth about the persona.  These Art Critique sessions bring home the necessity of the beholder (and friends) and the joy that one gets from good constructive comments for colleagues (and friends).

Loren brought a very powerful painting, about 4’ by 6’ in size, of deep red/maroon flowers contracted by a strong light that moves from the upper left corner to the lower right corner. We particularly like the full complement of colors within the forms and the areas of open space created by the stems of the plant, referred to as the ‘negative space’ of the motif.  Within most painting it is necessity to coordinate the negative space with the positive space in order to balance the composition, by that measure the upper right corner of the work could be improved by coordinating these spaces.  Integrating the light throughout the forms could activate the space, and add to the dynamics of the mark-making, which is of particular note throughout the work.  This is an expressive large work that excites the critique and is a great start to Loren’s presence within the group.

Ron brought a beautiful watercolor of rocks on the shore.  The rocks are brought way forward into the picture plain which allows the viewer a detail look at the texture of the rocks.  It is fascinating from a technical aspect to see the details in his work; the nooks and crannies of the rock are meticulous.  The work is activated by the presence of light which is enhanced within the watercolor media if treated as Ron does.  The sand is a bit ethereal and did not work as a presence though. Some additional separation from the sand to the rocks is needed in order to ground the rocks; as of now they float a bit.  The color scheme is spot-on and added to the overall experience of the work.

Karen’s “Mind of Meditation” seems more whimsical than deep which is a good thing for me.  There exists such energy in the drawing forms that one finds oneself starring deep within the piece, which may be the antecedent to the title, but these forms do not take away the joy of pure mark-making. Though there is this wonderful energetic foreground, the background lacks any union to that energy.  A lot can be done to work this out which is perhaps why so many suggestions were given, accompanied by lively discussions about the merits of the artwork.  But all in all, the surface texture and signature sketch like quality of the forms makes this an exciting peace to experience.

I showed my Bonsai etchings and received a real positive reaction from the group.  Everyone likes the articulation of the drawing line work; these are small works, about 4” X 6”; I use a magnifying glass when I’m drawing, so it is encouraging to be rewarded for that effort.  Some of the auxiliary items, such as the pot and the piece of fruit hanging from the twig, is not clear to the viewer and so will need to be further worked.  In addition the group likes how the form of the branches gives motion and personality to the plants.  Printing a series of 100 prints takes some energy and the reception of the etchings is encouraging towards that effort.  I also will spend a good amount of time hand painting the ‘Artist Proofs’.

Thom’s “Still Life with Guitar & Nasturtiums 2 stage 2” was another fun motif.  He captured the color of late Picasso surreal colors so as to create a very balanced work that is pleasant to look at juxtaposed against the odd cubist shapes. The coordination of organic shapes against a background of geometric shapes also help accent the forms against each other. I little more emphasis on color saturation may develop the painting closer to what would be called a “Thom piece” which is important when working in a familiar genre; that is to say to create a unique vision to advance an older style or movement.  The black base brushstrok doesn’t work with the rest of the motif though, and needs to be re-evaluated.  All in all, it is a playful painting that expresses in a harmonic way the joy of music making and painting.

Again, it was a fun and rewarding night for all.  It is a great sign of progress to see that the group is getting bigger and the work is getting plentiful.  Each additional member adds to the whole, and in fact makes it greater than the sum of the parts.  I hope that you can join us to share in the experience of joy and contemplation.

An eclectic group of artwork is shown at this month’s critique which highlights each individual’s process and style, so it was a good night for evaluating the meaning of art making and the conscience need for each of us to create art.

The night began with series sketches that Ryan had made during his breaks at work.  The quality of the sketches is impressive and shows that a great deal of effort went into creating a body of work.  In some cases, an effort was made to capture the values of the scene, but the line work of the sketches seems to be the most important information; that is done with great dexterity and talent.  We suggested the use of other drawing materials would add to the rendering of the motif, and help to assist in developing paintings from the sketches.  Also, greater emphasis on the line development (though very good already), and/or quantity of mark making, would add to the interest of the image.  From the group’s point of view, this is a great start and Ryan should continue with these drawings and push hard to develop paintings from them.

Thom brought a variety of “cubist” paintings which made up a lot of work he has been doing on paper since our last meeting.  There are a dozen new mixed media drawings, all within a stylistically cubist genre.  As always the compositions of these paintings are very strong, and the whimsical nature of the artwork makes the viewing of them enjoyable, and often surprising.  One sketch is of a self portrait of him playing a guitar.  The inner connection of lines both organic and geometric pushes both the boundaries of what is ‘cubism’ in structural space and art nouveau decorative appeal.  The color is muted though and doesn’t have the bright colors seen in say a Klimt painting, nor the articulation of gradations seen in Braque’s cubist work, so some work in that area would serve the idea and honor the style better.  But all in all, the pure joy of the piece makes up for any minor short comings and the sure volume of work he is putting out are inspiring to use all.

Karen is new to the group and we had a great time engaging her in conversation and listing to her insights. She brought a drapery shaped acrylic textile piece made from tea bags.  It is beautiful and is illuminated when the light hits it.  The surface is very unusual since it appears solid but is in fact soft plastic-like and can be shaped in various wave-like forms.  The pattern created on the surface with bag material and various other materials is articulate and beautifully designed.  We discussed that the pattern, which is wonderful, is not particularly clear in context, and that there needs to be a lot of attention paid to how the piece is to be displayed; currently it is hug on the wall like a drape.  Being a textile like object we thought that possibly making it more of a dress-like shape or something that refers back to fashion would add an additional dialog to the idea.  In any case, it is a neat piece and we all enjoyed looking at it very much.

Donna brought in a sketch and an etching; both are handled with a lot of care and show a great since of scenic value and articulated line work.  The sketch is of Balboa Park and illustrates a Spanish type structure surrounded by a variety of foliage.  The draftsmanship is handled with care and it is obvious that a lot of time is spent to create the mood of the scene.  To avoid the pitfall of a monotone drawing, some additional efforts could be made towards creating expanding representative textures and deeper values.  Also, an emphasis on line and boldness of approach could add energy to the surface of the drawing in unique ways. All in all, any derivative off this sketch, such as a large drawing, would be exciting to see.

The night was filled with discussions of perseverance in art when all other things in life pull us away from do it.  As Artist we need to be prolific in our art making and keep the production going regardless of distractions.  Art making is of value within our own personal journey and this group explores the worthiness of this effort, what it means to share the work and evaluating the merit of the effort.  We hope that you can join us for our next critique and we always appreciate your comments.

This was a night where we could take some time to look at the work, talk about the exploration of art and discuss the struggles in finding ways of expressing our artistic scheme as a cohesive unit;  this was particularly Socratic since it was just Ron and I.

Ron brought two pieces that explored the contrary nature and inner dialog of shapes.  Within the motif lies a large wedge like structure contrasted against an organic flower like object.  This sets up a certain dialog against the two; one being hard versus the other being soft in nature.  The contrast of light is also very interesting which is well handled within the medium of watercolor.  The boldness of the piece is very attractive, yet the clear separation of the object is less attractive.  We talked about shifting some of the values and color consistencies to bring the objects together as much as possible.  All in all though, the expressive mark-making is excellent and adds to the expressive nature of the work.

The other painting looked like an explosion of some sort with plumes of smoke, orbits forming and jet streams of energy passing throughout the work.  The chaos of the work presupposes a unique problem of finding a thematic foundation for the work; what is it about?  The title of the work is ‘Universe 1’ which seems appropriate for such an astro-dynamic beginning (if this was the intent).  What stood out was the variety of technique, which I personally consider to be a big challenge in watercolor.  The lack of a clear un-ambiguous direction was not so well received, but as in any exploratory work, the ambiguity gives purpose to having to work the idea out.  Ron agrees that it could be a bit bolder like the previous watercolor, but the free nature of the work is what best sets this piece apart.

I showed my last work associated with the Shipley Center Spot 13.  It is a monoprint using plexiglass and a woodblock to create the work.  We spent a good amount of time talking about the background tree line and how the shifting of value from the foreground did much for creating depth in a realistic way.  The color did not have the same intensity or saturation that some of the other works from this series had (talked about in past critiques).  In addition, more separation of the objects could further enhance the interest of the work.  What didn’t need to be change was the mark-making in the monoprint technique, which we thought added a great amount of character to the piece.

Again, as in all these critiques, much was gained by sitting down and looking hard at our work.  This is something that anyone reading this blog should leave with the desire to do.  And as always, we look forward to increasing our circle of friends.  In order to join the critique, please review the front-page for the date and time of the next critique session and contact me at info@reekersart.com

Last critique was an interesting (and fun) time again, if not so much for the diversity of the work, but for the similarity in the art that was presented.  All the works are connected to the earth in some way, and each piece is more of an interpretation of the experience of nature that an actual rendering of the environment.

I was very excited to show my development of prints based on the Shipley Center Spot 13 series.  These are a combination of monoprints and woodblock prints either hand painted or printed over a monoprint.  I began the series with a quick set of monoprints, which I did not like.  The group liked the strangeness of the print, highlighting the freshness of the mark-making, but I guess my mind’s eye was more interested in reproducing the motif in a woodcut, so that is what I did.

Some of the prints are simple black ink on white paper; others are brown in on tan paper. I also painted some of the prints using watercolor paint, which ‘prettied’ up the prints quite a bit. (I found using Japanese colors seen in their prints work well).  The boldness of the black printed block is well received and a few suggested breaking up the block into separate colors, particularly cooling off and whitening the background trees which I can do this using a stencil.  Regarding the last monoprint, the colors were considered to be rich (which is good), but perhaps too saturated for the background.  I’ve concluded that I need to spend a little more time developing the background trees and sky colors, which should help finalize what I need to produce a good series of monoprints.

Ron brought in a strongly composed watercolor from the series of work critiqued in April.  The motif is composed of rock or mountain structures sitting on sand and water.  The emphasis is on the objects; their texture, color and presence.   The sand/water that the objects sit on is ethereal, and except for a modest shadow at the base of the objects, gives them a floating affect.  Unlike the previous piece these two objects are clearly separated by a gap, yet the arrow like shape of the bottom left object points to the upper right object thus creating a dialog between the two.  Since the negative space is such a dominate element of the composition it became a point of discussion.  The background space is composed of a clear cool versus warm gradation from top to bottom which gives interest to the space, but adding whisper type marks to that area, especially in the high value areas, would help define the space better. The two rocks are also very similar so adding cooler colors to the shaded surfaces would both define the planes more and give interest to the overall color play.  All in all though, the painting was very interesting and the details in the rocks are astounding, especially since they are entirely done with a small brush.  It was great that they were shown to the group.

Thom brought some very interesting cubist work that bridged the gap between analytical and synthetic cubism, but most importantly post modern. As always the compositions are spot on and filled with interesting shapes, objects and textures to enjoy. The composition’s color values in the one are varied and complementary to each other, and the other’s values are mostly low in key and visually silent.  One seems a bit more complete than the other, so adding saturated colors in inactivated areas would also add interest to the one and may resolve the complementary colors within the motif.    I think, and I wasn’t alone, that some of Thom’s great work is best when it employs humor and witticisms.   The trees, found tootsie roll wrappers and painting balls in these painting are all loved ,and we appreciate Thom’s sense of humor and fun.

The climax (sorry about the expression) of the evening is Donna’s cliff drawing.  This is a hard fought drawing that for the spectators is well worth visually experiencing.  The care and love she put into it is really astounding.  Some works of art are epiphanous to ones artistic life; this drawing (along with the one show in November of last year) appears to be very important to Donna’s oeuvre.  These are wonderful drawings with many enjoyable gradations and color variations to see from afar, as well as the mark-making and object textures to focus on from up close.  As in all artwork there arelittle areas to critique, we mention a shadow like object on the rocks, and suggested introducing some additional color contrasts,  but other than that there is no need to work the drawing anymore.  We all hoped that this work will be showed publically; these are much too good to be stored away.

It is interesting that the earth subject occupied all ourwork; this may be due to each other’s influences, or due to the current crisis of our ecological environment, but whatever it is that drive us to create artwork about our world, it is clear that this subject will continue to be explored from a deep visceral place, and because of our need to express this it will continue to impact our everyday life as an Artist and a need to visualize it.

We missed some friends at this critique, people that couldn’t make it because of one reason or another, so we hope that you can make the next group critique and continue to bring interesting work, but ultimately increase our fellowship in art-making.

This is almost a year of doing these Art Critiques and upon reflection it appears to be more about how to intensely observe and take in a work of art.  Unlike a lot of art shows, or museum walks that one goes to, one rarely sits and observes a piece of artwork for any serious amount of time at all.  In our critique we afforded at least 15 minutes of intense observations of the artwork, and from that intense exercise come inspirations that warrant a response.  The artworks critiqued this evening was (for lack of a better word) modest, but as one observes them deeply a higher level of consciousness takes place and a richness of discussion that I rarely experience in any other way.

Thom was up first.  The painting was an addition to the Global Warming series and continued the theme of energy being exchanged between two bodies.  The texture of the painted surface is very interesting, and also added emphasis to the erratic nature of the motif.  But there are areas in the painting that are more or less interesting than the other objects in the motif.  For instance, we all agreed that the satellite type geometry at the bottom center of the painting was very interesting on its own, but did not play a major part in the allegory of the idea.  Similarly, the triangular wedge type shapes seem to demand attention on their own, but detracted from the global warming idea.   The excellence in this is the challenge Thom has imposed on himself to have strong compositional elements, but have them dance and comingle with each other with a specific message, and/or question.  With this said the colors are very interesting and just needed a bit more saturation (which is noted by the red and deep orange bars in the picture done after the critique).  There is this odd grey shape across the center of the work which works well within the chaos of the piece too; (this is an example of how an item like this works within the quirkiness of the painting as a whole).  It is very fun stuff.

Donna brought in two pieces which really warrants discussion on both.  The first was a dry-point etching that looked to me like a mezzotint.  It is a very small print, approximate 4 inches square, but the delicacy of the line work and the softness of the printed technique provided for a very intimate amalgamation of observational care and sensitivity.  The richness of the blacks was a testament to the great care in printing the plate, (which we Printmakers get very excited about).  We didn’t have any constructive criticism of the work since it seemed very finished; it was also difficult to suggest any type of follow-up.  It may just be one of those pieces that stands on its own and is best left alone as a work of art onto itself.

The second piece was a sketch of Balboa Park in San Diego, where the Cabrillo Bridge crosses of the 163 freeway (we San Deigans affectionately call it ‘Suicide Bridge’).  The idea was to translate this into a larger drawing once the sketch was resolved.  Since the drawing isn’t done yet, there were a lot of suggestions on how to bring it all together.  The biggest challenged would be to resolve the perspective space.  Western Artist define space very differently that Asian Artist which the drawing has elements of both.  The typical Western landscape breaks up the depth with the three foreground/middle ground/background compositional elements.  The more classical approach to the landscape makes use of atmospheric perspective and the more defined use of deep value shifts between the grounds.  On the other, hand Japanese landscape prints show depth in space by partitioning many ground planes, not just three.  Depth is illustrated by positioning closer objects at the bottom of the motif and the far off objects high on the print.  This sketch hovered between both worlds.  Donna could separate the composition such that the background tree line stands separated from the bridge and the foreground foliage could be more suggestive than exactly articulated as in a Japanese print.  On the other hand, overlapping the various objects with a clear define one point perspective could unify the image as in classical Western landscape compositions.  All in all, it will be interesting to see it develop over time.

We were very excited to have Edythe join the critique this month.  She added greatly to the discussions and had a wealth of good ideas.  Her work concentrated on the fashion industry and the plasticity of the Models.  She created works that transformed the Models into garments standing stiffly posed and silhouetted around labels with terms like “Deformed, Abused and Rag Doll”.  We found the use of button eyes, and stitched lips, particularly visceral and strange, this also added to the dehumanizing of the Models.  The models are willowing away from dieting and dissolving into the space.  Edvard Munch prints often have both the isolated figure in the background and another figure starring out of the picture plan.  This method of layout confronts the viewer and is very successful in these pieces.  I’m not a big fan of putting words on the surface of a piece since I don’t want the viewer to read the words and forget the image, which often happens when words are added.  With the addition of stitching under the words it is even more obtrusive and directly focuses the viewer’s attention.  Others agreed and suggested a more subdued approach to the words may be warranted in order to concentrate on the figures alone.  But, all in all, these are interesting and provocative works done from a very meaningful Artist.

It was again a very pleasant evening with friends and colleagues sharing our work and ideas, which ultimately helps us with our body of work.

Thursday night’s critique was filled with interesting work, and great sidebar discussions.

We started off with Thom’s series of acrylic paintings focusing on global warming.  These consist more of a visceral idea of the phenomenon, than a political statement of this condition; though science is always present in the work.  They provoke ones emotive response to color and the since of order created through line.  We thought these were wonderfully thought provoking pieces, which requires a deeper look in the mark-making and color variety present in the motif.  The ‘G’ was concerning due to its dominant size.  Thom thought that the ‘G’, along with the title, will provide the viewer an insight to the series’ theme.  We could see that, but the formal introduction of the ‘G’ into the space needs similar texture and color in order to harmonize within the whole of the painting.  We also suggested to taking a look at the overall color theme.  We all have had color theory training and the discussion on color was very interesting (and fun).  The image you see was worked on since the critique; the dominance of the yellow and high key value of the negative space adds force and impact to the motif.  [DISCLAIMER: critiques are opinions; Artists are at their full discretion whether to accept or reject suggestions, which is why I often use the term ‘suggestion’.]  In conclusion, the work is provocative on a social level and interesting on an aesthetic level.

Ron is a new member to the group and he brought in a watercolor that used the Seal Beach Jetty as the subject.  We were all astonished by the detail of the cliff (or jetty) objects.  These objects were very interesting from afar and up close too.  This is a great achievement for any piece of artwork, but personally I was amazed that he achieved this in watercolors.   In my opinion, often watercolors are very interesting when viewed up close, but lack in any profound interest from afar.  This is not bad; it adds intimacy to the media and delicacy to the subject.  In this case, we sat there for a while, and just looked, one finds themselves stepping up to the work and stepping back.  The following critique was more geared to both learning of Ron’s work and, for a lack of a better term, “nitpicking “at little details.  We thought that the cliffs appear to float over the foreground.  There is a hard line at the bottom of the cliffs which separate the middle ground to the foreground, so adding passages from cliff to sand, and drawing in more of the sand color to the cliff will help the eye move from the two spaces.  The warm and cool space in the foreground is almost split in half, so perhaps changing that relationship would be helpful.  All in all, we are honored that he brought the work and are glad for the discussion that came from such a wonderful piece.

I showed my ‘finished’ studio Shipley Center painting (see Art Critique March 2012) where I had further developed the landscape structural line work and heighted the key along the foreground bushes.  Everyone is very encouraging and have only a few minor suggestions which I will implement.  They suggested warming up the ground much like the background; this would tie in the foreground to the middle ground more affectively.  There are suggestions in creating more variety in the background trees to avoid any flattening out of space; this can be achieved by modulating values (gradations) and warm versus cool colors.  Some people wanted more sky and others less, so I believe I’m good there.  These are all good suggestions that will help finish the painting.

Again, this was a great evening where a lot of interesting subjects and discussions took place.  We even had a talk about signatures on work and what that means.  In any case, I hope you enjoy reading these blogs, and we all look forward to meeting you all next art critique.  (Every 3rd Thursday evening we meet at 6:30pm to 9:30pm)