Inspiration & Aspirations
Pam and I like taking long drives together. We always find ways to make it interesting and fun. We take detours from major highways to check out interesting places and to look at scenery. Our own version of car pool karaoke is one of our favorite distractions.
We just arrived back home from our annual plein air workshop in Naples Florida. We visited friends and family on our drive south and back north. On these long adventures, inspiration is found everywhere, by the things we see and the friends we share time with. We had some wonderful conversations about the making of art, the collecting of art and all things art-related. We discussed art with friends and family in Amston Connecticut, Monkton Martyland, Abingdon Virginia, Cartersville Georgia, Ellenton Florida, Naples Florida, Vero Beach Florida, St Augustine Florida, Pine Mountain Georgia, Bolivia North Carolina, Richmond Virginia, Annapolis Maryland and Peekskill New York. We also got to visit galleries and museums and view the personal art collections of friends.
One of our stops was in Cartersville Georgia. We had wanted to see the exhibit East/West Visions: Scott Christensen & Quang Ho, and at first we didn't realize this museum was on our way south. (The Booth Museum features Western art and we both thought it was somewhere in the mid west.) The exhibit ended the day after we saw it and so we both count our blessings in having had the opportunity to see this body of work by two contemporary masters. We were both deeply touched by this exhibit. As we looked at the paintings, along with others in attendance that day, there was a shared feeling of deep respect and awe that permeated the room.The paintings, most of which were large scale, were intoxicating to the senses. In every painting, the mastery and versatility was clearly evident. Some of Quang Ho's work filled me with tears.This is an artist who is capable of painting so deeply from the heart, that the viewer feels the emotion behind every brushstroke. This was a show that changed me somehow. I can't explain just how it changed me, at least not yet, but I know I'm a better person for having seen it.
There was no catalog made for this unique exhibit, so I can't offer up a way to buy one online, but I can say that if you ever have a chance to see the work by either of these gifted painters in person, you should make every effort to do so. I've seen work by these artists online before, but like most paintings viewed as a small image, it doesn't do the work justice.
The time spent traveling has opened up numerous possibilities for future workshops and gallery representation, and has us both aspiring to be the best landscape painters and workshop instructors that we can be. We are looking forward to our 2019 workshops and making new paintings for the coming season..
A White Christmas
A White Christmas
Here in New Hampshire, we recently experienced our second real snow fall of the new winter season. The snow seems to be early this year, but I'm OK with that. I'm thinking about how exciting a winter storm can be. New fallen snow blanketing everything outside is truly a wonder to behold. Its rather easy to think about the negative aspects of winter snow storms, like cleaning the cars, shoveling and snow blowing the driveway etc. But, if I let myself be filled with that same awe and wonder I felt as a child every time it snowed, I can easily rekindle my love for this season. I think of the song 'White Christmas', written in 1942 by Irving Berlin. Each year I find myself hoping for a White Christmas and I think this year we have a real shot at it. My favorite version of the song is the one sung by Bing Crosby. Did you know that it is the world's best-selling single with estimated sales in excess of 100 million copies worldwide? Wow! I guess I'm not the only one :)
From a painters standpoint, snow is pretty fascinating stuff. Snow turns any scene into a paint-able one. The blanketing of snow upon the surfaces of each element in the landscape, unifies all the parts into interesting patterns and shapes. The science part of the color of snow is also pretty fascinating in itself. We think of snow as being white and there is a scientific reason for that. Snow is made up of ice crystals and light gets scattered and bounces off the ice crystals in the snow. Snow reflects all colors and all the colors of light add up to white. So in general, we see white snow. In reality though, surfaces of built up snow do absorb some light. My theory is that the compactness of the ice crystals produce this effect. That is why the painters trained eye can actually see the nuances of warm pinks and violets in sunlit snow. Extremely subtle oranges and yellows are possibilities too. The shadows of snow appear blue and purple because the color of the sky is reflected into these shadow areas. It is always fascinating for me to paint snow outdoors and to be on the lookout for the slight variations of color within all that 'white' snow.
A heartfelt snow painting is a special kind of work. A snow scene lets the viewer step into the unique beauty of the winter landscape. For anyone who grew up with snow as a regular part of their winter routine, there are plenty of great memories that lay just below the surface of our adult selves. There were all those snow days off from school, along with weekends that were spent building snow forts and sledding down the fastest hill that could be found. This activity evolved to cross country and downhill skiing as we got older. But you don't have to ski to know the beauty and wonder of snow; you just have to experience it. A walk through a snow filled neighborhood or park is an exciting and aesthetically pleasing experience. I think a well painted snow scene strikes a chord within us and ties our present self to those childhood memories.
Win-Win
I’m writing this as I look out above the Gloucester harbor from the large windows of the Drift Cafe. The view before me is one I painted last week at the 3rd Annual Cape Ann Plein Air event. I caught a glimpse of this harbor scene one morning as I was driving by on my way to another painting location. A lot of moisture still hung in the air and infused the scene with atmosphere and bright early morning sunlight. It was an ‘aha’ moment and I jumped out of my car and set up my gear as quickly as I could.
The work came easily, as the paint seemed to glide off the brush. All painters live for moments like this and are all too aware that these moments are far and few between. It’s a combination of feeling greatly inspired by the subject and being mentally prepared for the painting session.
The painting titled ‘Good Morning Gloucester’ 10x12, was awarded the ‘Working Waterfront’ ribbon by juror Don Demers at the Saturday night gala. I feel honored to win this award among my peers who are some of the very best painters in the country.
This annual event is in its third year and is fast becoming a top plein air event. The paintings that were done during the six days by the other 39 juried artists were just amazing. As one of the oldest artist colonies in America and still very much a place filled with working harbors and stunningly beautiful scenery everywhere, Cape Ann is a win win for an event such as this. The dedication by the organizers of the event in making the artists’ time here special along with the camaraderie of all the artists makes for another win win situation. Forty painters are essentially competing against each other for prizes and yet there isn’t one bit of a competitive feel among the artists. We all just want to paint our best and are inspired and motivated throughout the week by the endless array of subject matter and also by each other.
It's also not hard to wander and paint throughout Cape Ann and feel the presence of the past Cape Ann greats. Emile Gruppe, Aldro Hibbard, Anthony Thieme, Carl Peters, Edward Potthast, John Sloan, Edward Hopper, Harry Vincent and Jonas Lie still have a voice here. The list of past greats that lived and worked here could go on and on. Their legacies and the timelessness of their work, will forever be an inspiration to artists everywhere.
Robert Henri summed up the camaraderie felt between artists in his book ‘The Art Spirit’ when he said; and I’m paraphrasing a bit here. “Through art mysterious bonds of understanding and of knowledge are established among artists. They are the bonds of a great brotherhood and sisterhood. Those who are a part of it know each other and time and space cannot separate them. The brotherhood and sisterhood is powerful. It has many members. They are of all places and of all times. It goes steadily on. It is the evolution of man. Let the surface destroy itself, the brotherhood and sisterhood will start it again. For in all cases, no matter how strong the surface institutions become, no matter what laws may be laid down, what patches may be made, all change that is real is due to the brotherhood/sisterhood.
A week before the Cape Ann event, Pam was busy painting in a five day plein air event in Quechee Vermont for the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS). She was awarded 1st place in the Quick Draw part of this event.This award, plus my award at Cape Ann, literally made the month of October a win-win for us :)