The Painter. A painting newsletter from Christopher Leeper

Transcription

1 The Painter A painting newsletter from Christopher Leeper J a n u a r y

2 The Painter J A N U A R Y Happy New Year Well it is 2014 and winter has come with a vengence. Right now it is -4 degrees with a 25 MPH wind. It is a good day to work on my newsletter. I hope that all of you had a nice holday. We have had a great time with the boys. We even got away to Florida for a week. Obviously, things have been rather slow in the studio. I have painted here and there when I have had an opportunity and am really looking forward to getting back to my regular schedule. I have been trying to get out and experience the winter as much as possible. I am planning some winter plein air but haven t been able to schedule anything just yet. I have however, been accumulating some great new photos. I have a few one day workshops and some demos lined up for early spring but there is nothing on the schedule for winter. I will be back at YSU in a week or so teaching a watercolor course. Enjoy the season and remember all this cold and snow will make us appreciate the magic and beauty of spring. Happy Painting Chris Here is a night photo of the house and studio. The cold and grayness of winter does get tideous but it can be amazing and magical when we get fresh snow. 2

3 Winter Marsh Winter Marsh. 22x30, Watercolor on 200 lb. Twin Rocker cold-pressed paper This painting was inspired by a walk in Mill Creek Park. I liked the variety of earth tones and the challenge of creating interesting color within a rather narrow color scheme. Most of the grays and earth tones were done with Quinacridone Red, Hansa Yellow Light, Cobalt Blue and Ultramarine Blue. The painting was done on 200 lb. Twin Rocker cold-pressed paper. It is a smooth sheet (alsmost like Arches hot-pressed). It is the first time I had used the paper. Lift, 24x18, oil on mounted linen 3

4 Hollow Light Gilded Meadow, 24x30, oil on canvas Hollow Light. 22x30, watercolor, 300 lb. Arches, cold-pressed This is a painting of the Smokey Hollow section of Youngstown, OH. 4

5 Fresh Squeezed Fresh Squeezed, 22x30, watercolor on 5-ply Strathmore Bristol Board The painting was a bit of an adventure on the bristol board. If you have never used this surface it might be worth a try. It is a wonderful paper. It is very thick and 100% cotton. It has a smooth surface and washes can be easily manipulated and lifted. Check out the great work that has been done by Burton Silverman and Irwin Greenburg using this paper. This is a scene from the Canfield Fair. I was fascinated by the girl at the lemonade stand. She wore a skintight tangerine dress and seemed so out of place at a county fair. I could have come up with a more daring title but settled on Fresh Squeezed. I had drawn this out on the paper in October but it took me two months to be in the right frame of mind to paint it. 5

6 A Moment of Clarity A Moment of Clarity, 24x30, Oil on Linen This subject is the same set of fields that I painted in Gilded Meadow (left). I was thinking about the Hudson River School painters as I did this painting. I purposely used a richer and earthier palette for the foreground so the painting would have a 19th century-like feel. 6

7 Gulls Gulls, 10x10, Oil on Linen This was a quickly done sketch. It was just pure fun to capture the movement and energy of a gull feeding frenzy. I used a photo I had taken on Florida pier during the summer. I changed the pier to a beach and moved the birds around a bit to get the right design. Notice the color variety used on the white birds. 7

8 First Light I was on the turnpike recently driving back and forth from a workshop. I was struck by the contrast of the deep blue shadows and warm light. Since I was driving I couldn t do much to capture the scene so I painted this as a reaction to what I saw. I used a photo I had taken of an inner city neighborhood in Youngstown (left). Obviously, I changed the light and removed the vehicles. Actually, I had painted the van (very well if I might add), but it seemed to be a painting about a van so I painted it out. It was an acrylic because I hadn t done one in quite a while. The painting was done at the island in the kitchen instead of the studio. Brian wanted to paint with Dad but wanted to stay in the house. 8 First Light, 11x14, Acrylic on canvas

9 Street Glow Street Glow, 22x30, watercolor, 300 lb. Fabriano, cold-pressed The biggest issue encountered here was the drawing. I completed the drawing while sitting on the couch watching TV with my family. The next day, I looked at it and realized there were perspective issue so I used a kneaded eraser and removed the drawing. My son Brian had a fit. He had watched me do the drawing and thought it looked great. I was glad it was 300 lb. paper so that it could take a bit of erasing without ruining the surface. I redrew it in the studio and corrected the problems. The reference was a photo taken in downtown Lisbon, OH. I was drawn to the lonely feeling of the deserted street. A couple people have mentioned that it was Hopperesque. I understand their sentiment but I never thought of Hopper while I worked on it. Fabriano is a softer paper than Arches and washes tend to dry faster. I allowed some blossoms and edges instead of overworking the washes. 9

10 New Art Books Like many artists, I love art books. I have collected several new ones over the past year. Here are some of my favorites. Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct by Adam Duncan Harris I love good wildlife art and Kuhn was a master. John Sargent by Evan Charteris This is a paperback biography written in the 1920 s after Sargent s death. Chateris knew Sargent and his family and this book gives us some interesting insights about the artist. The writing style is of the early 20th century which makes it a bit dense to read, but it still a worthwhile purchase. Kuhn John Singer Sargent: Watercolors by Erica Hirshler Large coffee table book. Nicely done. Beneath the Roses by Gregory Crewdson Great book on a masterful photographer. Pennsylvania Impressionism by Brian H. Peterson Comprehensive look at the Bucks County impressionists. Sargent Anders Zorn: Sweden s Master Painter by Johan Cederlund Great book. Must have if you are an alla prima oil painter. Alla Prima II by Richard Schmid Enlarged version of his classic text. Zorn Sorolla: The Masterworks by Blanca Pons-Sorolla Sorolla was the Spanish Zorn or Sargent. Book is a lush pictorial of this prolofic 19th century artist. Sorolla 10

11 Workshops in my studio Workshops for six people or less. Topics can include oils, acrylics, watercolor or drawing. They can be scheduled in 2 or 3 day sessions, 9-5 each day. Classes must be scheduled well in advance. These workshops include demos, handouts and lots of one-on-one attention. I try to provide plenty of information in a short amount of time. I can shape the workshop to the group s needs. You can bring your own reference or we can work together on the same subject. The workshop can also be focused to learn a specific technique or concept. Weather-permitting, these sessions can include plein air painting. There is a new Hampton Inn just five miles from the studio and many nearby restaurants and shopping venues. Your workshop can also be combined with a visit to the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio and/or a visit to beautiful Mill Creek Park. I have taken many workshops over the years and you have been the most helpful. I learned more in three days than I have in the past 20 years. Plus, it was so much fun! Fees: 1-2 students: 2 day class: $400 per student / 3-day class: $600 per student 3 students 2-day class: $275 per student / 3-day class: $400 per student 4 students: 2-day class: $200 per student / 3-day class: $300 per student 5-6 students: 2-day class: $150 per student / 3-day class: $250 per student Call or me if you have any questions or to schedule a workshop Christopher Leeper Studio 4411 Mellinger Road / Canfield, OH leepart@zoominternet.net 11