Focus

"Then and Now", maybe I should re-title"Focus"Available here

Sometimes the Journey As Artists is about internal journeys; sometimes about actual travels. Sometimes they are the same. The month of September involved some travel to the coast of North Carolina to Southport and Wilmington for outdoor painting events. Most of the journey was stationary in my art studio where I was focused on painting 30 paintings in 30 days when I took Leslie Saeta’s daily painting challenge. 

 

30 oil painting.  Most available here

What did I learn or relearn from this almost single focus in my life?

• that my family is incredibly supportive of my painting when little else is accomplished (I already knew this, but it was tested again),
• that many scenes around us are wonderful subjects to be appreciated—keep your eyes open,
• that I should keep drawing . . . fill in the blank for yourself here (You’re neither as good as you need to be nor as bad as you think you are!),
• that practice (in whatever you choose) builds confidence,
•   that discipline counts—(don’t kid yourself that painting is not work—even though it may also be fun and gratifying),
•    repetition develops better, more efficient work habits (thank you Henry Ford)
•   that painting requires problem-solving skills and stamina (yes, stamina-stay in shape physically!-walk or something), and,
•  you’ll surprise yourself with tangible progress in the short 30 days.

 

Plein air paintings at Wilmington's 275th Birthday Celebration on last sunny day

The repetitive practice I had established in the studio really helped me in the outdoor painting events.  I found I was seeing, deciding and laying out the designs much quicker, an important skill in painting outdoors. 

The plein air events were uniquely different, one quite sunny and hot (Southport), and the other hazy, overcast and cool (Wilmington).  While the coolness of Wilmington was so much more comfortable, it was a much more challenging painting situation.  Overcast lighting does not change (good), but it also means low contrast and close values (tricky). It’s difficult to get “pop” into your painting under these conditions.

Now that the thirty day challenge is completed, I am trying to maintain the discipline, but also taking time to reflect on where to go from here.  I am focusing now on researching how to handle overcast light conditions and will try to subject myself to those conditions again to improve. 

I don’t expect that most of you reading this will undertake a 30 day painting challenge, and truthfully, I’ll think twice about it again myself!  Nevertheless, focusing steadily on your passion has some remarkable benefits.

The journey continues!

I’ll be sharing stories of Key West in the near future.

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Thank you for reading. If you enjoy my essays, please forward to your family and friends.  I’d like to hear from YOU!  Please leave comments and questions.  

My paintings are available at my studio in Cary, NC, online at Sheffield Art Studio and at my Daily Paint Works (see also clickable link above right)

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Out of the Comfort Zone

"Morning with a Treasured Tree" oil 12 x 12 Available at Cary Gallery of Artists through Oct 22

What is my comfort zone?  The studio−everything I need, quiet, being undisturbed to plan and organize, time to complete a painting on my schedule.

So when I was given the opportunity to participate in Historic Southport’s Plein Air Paint Out and Wet Paint Sale, my reaction was:  Ugh, Paint Outs!  I’ve avoided them like the plague.  Pressure.  Jockey for position at the most interesting sites.  Quick decisions. Compose-Paint-Frame! Not the meditative and “sinking into the place” experience that is so enjoyable about painting outdoors.  And during the start of hurricane season, I thought.  Oh, yea.  And scheduled right before I’m preparing for three exhibits.  The date, September 14, was picked to coordinate with the International Plein Air Painters Organization Worldwide Paint Out.  Who knew there was an International WORLD WIDE paint out? 

In my mind there were plenty of reasons not to participate.  But I overcame all the internal nay-saying because one of the organizers was Jim McIntosh.  We wanted to see him again and the ever-so-lovely coastal town of Southport, NC.  We had visited Southport the year before and stayed in the heart of the downtown at the Southport Inn B and B. Southport has been the location to many movies for its historic buildings, small parks, walkable waterfronts, docked boats and yachts, and charming merchant and tree-lined residential streets.  For these same reasons, it’s a delightful location for outdoor painting. If there was ever going to be a fun paint out, Jim, a lively and easy-going watercolorist, would make it so.

The problem is—I’m not easy-going!  So, being a former arts administrator, I went into planning mode.  I spent weeks agonizing over gathering an assortment of frames and painting panels so Walt and I would have a variety of size and orientation choices –6 x 8, 5 x 7, 8 x 10, 9 x 12 (horizontal and vertical) for all the subjects we’d want to paint.  In the final week, I came to my senses and realized neither of us would paint more than two paintings in the morning hours before we’d want lunch and need to pack up for the viewing area.  We ended up packing only a few prepared 12 x 12 frames --one nice square orientation!—prewired with backer boards and identified with business cards.  That decision done! 

Next—map out our desired locations. I’ve been doing a series of trees, so I was particularly interested in painting the estimated 800 year old Indian Trail tree, also known as Treasure Tree.  So that was to be our first stop, followed by either the old yacht basin or a residential scene or downtown business.  We would let our energy and interest of the day guide us.  The evening before we took a leisurely stroll around the town to consider distances (for hauling equipment between sites) and to estimate the sun’s location in the morning—here Walt is of incalculable help as I’ve never figured out the seasonal movement of the planets! Where the heck is that sun going to be?!  Is there an app for this? (Turns out there is, Sun Seeker, but Walt’s a better companion.)

"Bunting and 'Brella" oil 12x12. Available. At Cary Cafe through Oct 27

In the middle of the afternoon, all the participating artists congregated at the Fort Johnson-Southport Museum & Visitors Center lawn.  The assortment of styles and quality was top quality.  This event will surely grow.  We ended the day with a seafood dinner with good friends Paulette and Hank Wright.  Paulette, a photographer and painter, participated with her acrylic work.  

Walt’s paintings have already migrated to his office at Armor Investment Advisors, but I can tell you his acrylic work was very popular. The tree pictured above was the first painting we each worked on in Kezia Park.  Next I chose to paint a portion of the Christmas Shop and, the next day, a boat in the Old Yacht Basin. 
 

"Calm in the Basin" oil 12x12 Available. At Cary Gallery of Artists through Oct 22

How do I feel about the experience?  Ebullient!  By leaving my comfort zone I learned I could make quick and good decisions, that years of workshop and daily painting training would buoy me up, and that, by being approachable, the good nature of the public and fellow artists would encourage me.  Where I had been struggling with painting in the weeks prior, the experience of going out of my comfort zone was what I needed to rejuvenate my confidence and painting. 

Challenge met!

In addition to Jim McIntosh, thanks to Cindy Brochure of Tourism and Economic Development, Film Liaison City of Southport, for organizing this event.  We’ll be b-a-a-a-ck!

In Cary, my paintings are available at Cary Gallery of Artists 200 S. Academy St. in downtown Cary Ashworth Village. 919-462-2035 Mon-Sat 11 am - 5:30 pm. 

On the coast, my works are available at Figments Gallery, 1319 Military Cutoff, Landfall Shopping Center, Wilmington, NC 28405 910-509-4289

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