Art and Critique Review #3

I enjoyed the final review by Elijah. He chose a sample trio of trees that I did last year. I drew these trees during a difficult time, and I found them to have the stability that I needed.

If you have had trouble linking to this review (I linked the blog title), here is a direct link to each review:

#1 - Landscapes and the Simple Average
#2 - Still Lifes
#3 - The Structure of Trees

Or a link from my personal page:
Robin Neudorfer


Thanks for letting me share these with you.

Art and Critique Review #2

Three of my charcoal still lifes were reviewed by Elijah Shifrin. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these reviews as he was very aware, without me telling him, that these are quite symbolic pieces.
Close to my heart you might say.

I love how he compared the work to Jean-Luc Godard's films. I would like to study the director more, because I am contemplating a self portrait, and I have a sense of what I want to do, after a brief visit of some of his images. I created an image in my mind ... time for some thumbnails.

Once again thank you Elijah. Extremely thoughtful and appreciated.

Art and Critique

I have a review of my work by Elijah Shifrin, at Art and Critique blog. He claims not to be a professional critic, however he proves to be quite passionate about art. One that learns more about art by examining different artists, and writing about it on his website.

I am certainly not going to attempt to dissect his review of my work. It is his interpretation of what I do. I am pleased that he has found my work to be worthy of taking the time to look at, more than once. It is a treat, during this time when life has taken the artist tools out of my hands for the moment, to read from someone else's eyes, about that which comes through my soul.

It was interesting to see which pieces were pulled to showcase.

Thank you, Elijah.

April

Artist Reception - Sunday April 6th, 1-4 pm.


Family obligations needing to be fulfilled at the moment.
This leaves less time for making art.
I have faith life will settle down very soon.

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What Classic Movie Are You?
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***.......Pasadena Society of Artists.......*** 83rd Annual Exhibition > March 29 - May 2

I have had three pieces accepted into the Pasadena Society of Artists show coming up at the end of this month. It will run through the first of May. This show will be held at the beautiful Brand Library, in Glendale, California.

I think if you make the trip over there you won't be disappointed. The reception will be April 6th from 1-4pm. I will post the invitation as soon as I get one in my possession.

These are the three pieces that I entered. I am very honored that the first received and award.



Orange in Brooklyn



Unwrapped Expectations



Cobb Estate

Cal Tech

Cal Tech 9"x12" oil on panel

Ginny was able to get the approval for us to paint on the Cal Tech campus, and there were so many opportunities, one had to make a decision and fly with it. Otherwise the morning would have been wasted wandering. I was captivated by this rather homely building, which someone, somehow, one day thought was a good idea. It is centered in the middle of traditional buildings, and attempts to be contemporary, but falling short.

One student walked by me, thought I couldn't hear due to the fact that I had my ipod ears in. He was commenting to his friend about why anyone would want to paint that, because it has to be one of the ugliest buildings in SoCA. I have seen worse. Though walking through the traditional entry archways, one sees this structure and thinks that it just does not fit in the surroundings. No one every said that Cal Tech had the top designers on campus. Now... if Art Center did that, there would be an uproar.

I was taken by the graphic views in the water. I wish I had brought a larger panel to get more reflection in my composition, but I did have fun with what I could see, which included the brilliance of the building. It was from first glance a black and white view. However, once again as I looked longer, I saw quite an array of colors. It makes one think how much more we can really see as we slow down.

We are experiencing rain here in SoCA so the plein air outings are on hold this week.

Green Bottle

Green Bottle 12"x16" oil on linen panel.
Alla Prima 2.5 hrs

Last week in my Direct Painting Class, we had the challenge of painting this set up. She showed us some work by Morandi
I chose not to paint in his style, as I find the lack of light, lack of shadows occasionally, and lack of form, bothersome. That is not how I want my painting to be seen. However, I do like the fact that he can take a few items and paint them many times in many different view. He creates a tension within his work that would be hard for me to want to create. Yet, when I view his composition, I am interested as to why he chose to crunch the vases together, or why he didn't flip his canvas to give more breathing room. When I consider the objects more as architecture, I loose the tension and see the gracefulness of each form, and the subtle variations of the edges.

What I had fun with was the reflections. At first you might not notice them. The tables are made of a dark gray surface. When this is lit with the spot, they are a very light warm gray. The more I looked the more I saw the subtleties of the reflections. Someone in class thought I made them up. I typically do not make things up. I do find however, that the more I look, the more color I see in my surroundings. Am I pushing this? Or am I just able to see clearer now that this has become a priority to me? I have learned that the brain is a fascinating muscle. It is extremely plastic, and can be retrained. So I would bet that my daily observations are creating a clearer picture where color is concerned.

Flaming Aloe 2

We are experiencing 80 degree weather and I know if I had waited much longer, all of the petals would have fallen. I am glad that I made time to go back to the arboretum today. Folks passing by were very friendly today. Maybe Tuesdays are just that way.

Success

Some people succeed because they are destined to, but most people succeed because they are determined to.

-Anonymous

Flaming Aloe

Flaming Aloe 18"x26" pastel on canson paper

I began this last week, but lost the light quickly. I think it holds promise so I hope to get back to the Arboreteum before the flower wilts. This will happen quickly since we are experiencing 70º days this weekend.

I did not accomplish what I wanted to in my workshop this week. I think I was distracted by the start of a headache. I will study what I did and learn from it.

Work Table

Work Table 12"x16" oil on linen panel

I almost titled this, Clutter, yet that has such a negative tone to it. A work table is far more engaging, because they are all the beloved tools that are used during the day. These unfortunately are not symbolic in any way to my life. They were set out for my direct painting workshop that I am taking. It does prove though, that you don't need expensive items, or unique subjects to paint. Objects that are around you every day will suffice for an interesting subject.

I found this almost too much information to be digested in one sitting, though I attempted to paint what I saw. I cleaned it up once I brought it home, and in fact changed the background. I originally put in tones of what was behind in the classroom with a counter edge and its shadow, etc. It was far too busy, so I grayed it all down. I might sit on this view for a while. The instructor did take a few photos that night. I might view them and see if I can adjust a few areas.

I had fun approaching this with color. The challenge for me was to create depth in two feet of space. After it was set up, I decided that I was going to use a limited palette, however as I moved deeper into the space, I saw color that I could not ignore. The palette needed to be rearranged to accept a full range. Also, in a class such as this, there is just so much room for easels. You don't always have the luxury to pick the view that you saw first. You jockey for position, and "get" the view that you "get". It forces you to see compositions in a new way. There is no time to rearrange the objects, and if you could, others would be shaking their fist. You look for flow, and interesting corners.

I hope this inspires some of you to look around and paint your everyday "Clutter".

Golden Beets

Golden Beets 12"x16" oil on linen panel


On Thursday my youngest needed a purple cast on her wrist...figure skating injury. After I was sure all was well, I raced to my workshop. I was excited to see gorgeous beets... golden orange no less. The greens were lush and they were just calling to be painted. I jumped in to it and really lost myself in the process.

I looked into the shadows like Michael had taught me and saw gorgeous blues on the plate, so I rubbed some blue onto the panel. This instructor does not allow any type of thinner or medium, so getting the panel toned evenly wasn't that easy. I began building on top of that, and eventually pushed the lights in the front beet and on the front edge of the platter.

I completed this in 2.5 hrs and am quite pleased with the results.

Skull

Skull 12"x16" oil on linen panel


I am taking a workshop at Art Center College of Design, my alma mater. It is a seven week direct painting class. When considering whether or not to take the class, I figured that it was 3.5 more hours that are concentrated on painting. No phone, no carpooling, just me and my paint. Oh... and Ginny and Debbie too. What could be wrong with that?

After arriving an hour early (can you tell I was ready for this...), I wandered off to kill some time, and when I returned to the class she was setting up a chrome object. I thought YES! something to get my teeth into right away. Wasn't meant to be... She wanted those of us that had not taken her class before to use a limited palette and paint a skull. Inside I was stomping my feet, and wishing I could paint with the big kids. However, I didn't want to ruffle any feathers straight away, so I minded my manners and painted the skull. Actually using the limited palette of White, Yellow Ochre, Raw Umber and Ultramarine Blue was a good lesson. It is similar to my grisaille, but in an alla prima method, you see the results immediately.

Cobb Estate

Cobb Estate I 6"x8" oil on linen panel

I love to see the fresh growth after a good rain, here in Southern California. At the Cobb Estate on Wednesday it was peeking out. Set again the blue hills in the background, I found my spot for the morning. My intention was do do three small paintings and call it a day. I think I visited a bit too much because I only completed one and a half. The plan is to go back next week, so I will finish off my group of three.

Coffee Notes

Coffee Notes 5"x7" Charcoal on Strathmore 400 series

This month many lists are being made of notes, changes, and expectations. 2008 has much in store for me.

Name of the Game

At first I was going to write that I was not going to set to any goals as of today. However, I have decided that I will commit to taking forward steps throughout the year. I have many challenges facing me throughout the coming months, but as long as I keep my art as my goal, it will please me to no end to see all that can be accomplished even at a slower pace.

Sometimes I do work that isn't quite a "hit" in my eye. Of course that isn't to say that I haven't learned a tremendous amount from doing the painting or drawing. It just didn't quite have the ummph that it needed, to encourage me to see it through to the end.

At times the light has changed far too fast, I am trying a new approach, or at other times I have struggled seeing the true colors. Not that I haven't stared at the subject looking at a multitude of colors. My eyes perhaps are confused, or my mind is tired, or distracted to actually "see" that day. They are all good lessons, and I have decided to share a few recent "strike outs" with you.

Michael would probably have said wipe it down, begin again. Problem is... sometimes by the time it occurs to me that I am struggling... it is much too late to begin again. My other life is calling me and I must pack up and put on a different hat. So... I have a quiet chat with myself, reminding the perfectionist side of me, not to be discouraged. I pull the positives from the negatives, and attempt to take that knowledge into the next round.

I share a few recent "pops"...




I worked on this in Eaton Canyon one day. What drew me to this particular composition was the gorgeous blue sky behind the brilliant branch. I knew I had a challenge in front of me, but I have never been known not be be up for one. I always bite off more than I can chew. This day had me questioning the colors in the shadows. Against the blue, I saw warmth, and yet as I turned back I saw gorgeous blues in the shadows. Confusing, but I am proud of myself that I have never once thrown a brush.


Anticipating a lunch date with a few artist friends, I was dressed in clothes that I did not want paint on, so this day I took my gouache with me. For those of you that are not painters, this is waterbased, and can be easily washed out if a mess occurs. With me that is often. I had never tried a watercolor canvas panel, but I found this one in my supplies so I thought I would check it out. So for that, it was an okay experiment. The clouds played games with the light. So the colors on the City Hall bounced around every minute. It was an enjoyable hour with Ginny, even if the results are less than stellar.






















Oh... I wanted this one to work so badly. The light on the steeple was just magnificent. It was such a crisp morning, the chill was really hard to deal with. I do not know how some of my painting pals can paint in the snow. I had my Starbucks to warm my hands for a while. But even that didn't last very long after it sat on the cold sidewalk a few minutes.

I studied the light in the shadows. I saw yellow, pinks, mint greens. They looked to be jumping around. Perhaps the next time, I should crop the subject, so that I can focus on that which I want to study. Yet it is similar to an ice cream store. You want a taste of it all. The light of the steeple against the sky, the form, the shadows... Perhaps it all just can't be captured in a plein air. To capture it in an hour, is quite the race. It sure is fun to try though.

Time

"If you want to make good use of your time, you've got to know what's most important and than give it all you've got."
Lee Iacocca

Now...

"The time has come. The time is now!"
Dr. Suess

If you don't get started today, you'll be in the same place
tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that...

Descanso Lane

Descanso Lane 9"x12" oil on linen panel

A few of us met at Descanso Gardens today. Some were needing to finish up a color project so they stayed together in the Rose Garden. I wandered around far too long, looking for something to capture my eye, and I found the prettiest light along this path. It leads to the Japanese Garden, and then winds around to other parts of the garden. Such a short amount of time to capture the light.

There are a few tweaks I see I need to make before this is dry. However, I need to get back in the habit of posting regularly.

In the past I gave a link here and here to Descanso and its history. There are some current renovations being done to another area of the gardens. I hear they are going to showcase a native oak that has been hidden behind overgrowth. If it is like everything else that Descanso does, it will be first rate.

I hope you get the chance to visit your local gardens. I think it is a wonderful way to fill your soul and rejuvenate. Plus it is a great way to get landscape ideas for your own home.

Arboretum

Arboretum 8"x10" oil on panel

I had a lovely day yesterday at the L.A. County Arboretum. I walked quite a bit before deciding on a view that wasn't constrained by a mass of greenery. The day was overcast, but I was intrigued by the angles this view created. I guess it has helped to have an environmental design background. I believe I can appreciate what the designer has created in a three dimensional image. Of course I still have to consider what I can capture visually.

I had fun with this view, though it shows nothing of the acres of Botanical Gardens behind me. Nor does it bring to mind the 50+ geese on the grass to my right. They ended up in the pool before I left, and it reminded me of a teen pool party. Noisy as heck.

As I should have predicted the shapes of the reflections on the water were interrupted by the great staff of the gardens turning on the fountain. The reflections were a part of what attracted me to the angular perspective, so I left it in. Creating much of it by memory.

The Errand

You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a fine spirit of hope of achievement. You are here to enrich the world and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.

-Woodrow Wilson

Recycling

Found a few handmade gesso panels and I decided to bring out some gouache. Still haven't decided whether or not I will try it again. I much prefer gouache on a porous surface.

Found myself at Eaton Canyon again with Ginny, and Carolyn. Being the day before Thanksgiving, many of our group are traveling, or starting to prep for their feast.
It turned into a perfect day in the foothills, and pockets of color grabbed our attention.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. I hope you are able to take a moment to write a gratitude list. We are so blessed.


Eaton's East Side5"x7" gouache on wood panel

Explorations

Shadow View 9"x12" oil on linen panel






















Structure 8"x10" oil on canvas panel

I have been having fun lately looking for abstracted plein air views. It is not easy to tune out the wide vistas I find myself in. Occasionally if I wait long enough I can narrow my view and see something that captures my eye. Both of these were done in the Pasadena Arroyo. The top one being a small bridge that allows you to get across the wash safely. I was taken by the colors and shape of the shadow. The second was painted very close to the first. It is a view of the bottom curve of that same bridge but I liked how the chain link fence posts were creating interesting abstracted shapes. Very difficult not to get too detailed but still paint all the textures and colors in a pleasing composition.

I might play with these a little bit more, but I want to keep a record of where I left off when I stopped painting for the day.

Photographing Artwork

Here is a great tutorial I came across today on Empty Easel about photographing art, if you don't have a 20' studio to do this in.

Photographing Artwork

In addition, when you are asked for slides of your work, here is a great resource to be able to take your digital images and reproduce them. I have not used this service, so let me know if you have good results. Some juried shows have been fine with receiving the digital image on CD.

i print from home

More Pastels

Eaton's Maple 18"x24" pastel on Brown Canson






















A Sip of Yellow18"x24" pastel on burgundy Canson
Read the next post as to how this ended up with a designer fold.

Mid October

Good thing that the hard drive decides to crash during a time when you are feeling like a bit of a break from routine. That is what happened to me. We won't even discuss what was lost in the monumental MAC crash, but yes...with my tail between my legs, I have promised my computer advisor, (my son David), that I will back up from now on, and... I will organize my computer in a much more professional way. I guess my computer files show the state of my mind a bit too vividly.

I have learned some new lessons from Alyson Stanfield, precisely about this subject, so now I can put them to good use. I also am learning how to use my Canon Rebel more effectively, so now I get to practice by re-shooting all my art. Not a bad thing in the least. I most likely will get a better image from the experience.

Here are a few pastels I did while in New York,
with Michael Newberry. I hesitated posting them then, because after safely returning them home, as I was sharing the drawings with a friend, I accidentally let them slip a bit in the portfolio. I realized this after about 2 min. By that time I had a couple of pastels with beautiful folds down the middle.

Tried the ironing trick..

On another note... I did want to share what I learned, since that was the purpose of the practice.

This particular piece was done near Columbus Circle, in Central Park, looking west. Very pricey real estate with a view of the park. I just loved how the peak of the one building stood out against the majestically blue sky. That was no exaggeration. While I was drawing, the street in front of me was filled with hundreds of New Yorkers...ok a few tourists too, out for a Sunday stroll, jogging, bike ride, rollerblading. I was aware, and yet I was in my own little world. That world connected me to these buildings, and how they were placed in space. I needed to tug on one corner, and push back another. Lift up one and turn back another. This is a process that is felt with the whole body. When creating on location, one actively connects with the physical world. The space, the color, the sounds, the air... and most importantly of all the light. Difficult to capture, and yet so worth the effort.






















The Penthouse 18"x24" pastel on blue Canson

I will share some more tomorrow, as Blogger and I am not speaking the same language today.

NY

I will be writing about my trip, but for now I wanted to post a couple to let you know I didn't get lost.






















Afternoon Light 18"x24" pastel on black Canson


Golden Field 18"x24" pastel on sepia Canson

Conscience

"I should love to satisfy all, if I possibly can; but in trying to satisfy all, I may be able to satisfy none. I have, therefore, arrived at the conclusion that the best course is to satisfy one's own conscience and leave the world to form its own judgment, favorable or otherwise."

-Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948)

Listen

None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Spheres

After a week of over 100 degree weather, I ventured out. I think it was in the 90's but it sure felt cooler. Sometimes a plein air destination can be so vast that one is not sure if another better view wouldn't be around the next corner. Today, however, I saw these cute little spherical bushes, and the awesome San Gabriel Mtns behind and decided they would make a great subject.

I need the practice, since next week I will be off at this time in New York for my 3 Day Pastel Workshop with Michael Newberry . He is scouting spots in Central Park for us. Knowing the area very well I am getting so very excited. However I have no idea if I can do one pastel an hour. YIKES.. that makes six a day!

This process is not easy folks. It may look unfinished to some, since it is not blended carefully. Yet if you were to stand next to an artist working with this technique, you would see careful and thoughtful choices in colors. Placing colors side by side, to create depth and capture the color key for that particular time of day. Also, the choice of paper is included in the color considerations. Dark paper is preferred since it can become one of the shadow colors, and creates an harmonious color note throughout the drawing.

It is a fascinating way to study color.