Monthly Archives: February 2021

What I’ve been listening to in the studio

Posted on February 28, 2021 | 2 comments

It’s no great secret to anyone who knows me that I read…a lot! But I also spend a lot of time in the studio. I listen to the radio, mostly NPR or music. Play some favorite CDs. Yes, I’m of that age.

But one of my favorite things to do is to listen to recorded books. And my particular favorites are biographies or tales of heroic deeds or periods of history.

We don’t have the high speed internet to listen to podcasts, and audio books take awhile to download. But we are blessed with a fabulous library with an extensive recorded book collection.

Listening to these recorded books doesn’t seem to interfere with my painting. However, I often recall the book that I was listening to as I painted a particular painting.

I got into the habit of listening to recorded books when I had a fifty mile commute. Also, they are very enjoyable while driving on vacation. Although once the family was enjoying the audio version of The Green Mile when we discovered that I’d only taken out the first volume. Very disappointing.

So, these are a few of my favorite recorded books for the past year, mostly biographies or historical. I listen to fiction as well but this is the short list. And I don’t hesitate to stop listening to a recorded book if I don’t like it. Life is short and there are just too many other choices.

The boys in the boat [sound recording] : nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Olympics (2013) By Brown, Daniel, 1951- I found this true story of a bunch of working class and farmer’s kids who competed in the rowing competition in the 1936 German Olympics fascinating. They didn’t know anything about rowing and were one of the least-likely teams to reach this status and to go on to represent the United States. From the University of Washington, to winning the national competition, to Germany and back home to pre-war America, this is a story you’ll not forget soon.

Benjamin Franklin [sound recording] : an American life (2004) By Isaacson, Walter. This twenty-plus set of CDs is a daunting project but worth it. Franklin was so intelligent, industrious, and sociable. His influence on a nation in infancy cannot be overestimated. He lived a very long time which is why the recording is so long.

Steve Jobs [sound recording] (2011) By Isaacson, Walter. I had wanted to read this book for a long time but didn’t have the time or patience to do so. Actually, I really just wanted to know more about what made Steve Jobs tick. Frankly, I didn’t care for him very much by the time I finished the audio but it was interesting to learn about the early days of the digital tidal wave.

Cronkite [sound recording] (2012) By Brinkley, Douglas. Walter Cronkite was a television news staple to those of us who grew up in the 60s and 70s. People trusted him. I was too young to remember when our family first began watching the nightly news but I certainly remember him for many significant moments. News stories dealing with a man landing on the moon, the Vietnam war, civil unrest and so on. As Lyndon Johnson said, “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America.”

Becoming [sound recording] (2018) By Obama, Michelle, 1964- I wasn’t sure how I would like this but it was very refreshing. Read by the author herself, she was pretty open about not wanting to get involved in politics but followed her husband in his dreams. What I really enjoyed was learning about the security details and life behind the scenes in the White House. How does one actually raise a family in this environment? Very commendable.

Educated [sound recording] : a memoir (2018) By Westover, Tara I didn’t really know much about this book but had noticed it on the best seller list for a long time. Written and narrated by the author, it presented a lifestyle that I had never really considered. Very isolated, home-schooled by parents with some “eccentric” beliefs, the author managed to gain an outstanding education eventually. I later watched an interview with Westover. We should expect to hear more from her in the future.

This is just a short list of my favorites and recommendations of recorded books from the past year. If you’re still stuck at home, or if you have some long trips planned, you might wish to check out these options.

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Posted in books

Tagged recorded books, studio

How Long Does It Take?

Posted on February 21, 2021 | 4 comments

After the Dinner Party. Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 30. Kit Miracle this is the final version of the painting. I’ve tweaked a few things. I didn’t like the shape of the wine bottle, added a few more highlights here and there. The whole idea with this type of impressionism is that the brush strokes are clear and bold. Your eyes will fill in the rest. I think this makes a much livelier painting than if I had meticulously smoothly brushed all of the shapes.

One of the most frequent questions that artists get is, How long did it take to paint this painting? I’m not quite sure why people ask this question. Are they trying to gage how much per hour that I’m charging based on the price of the painting? Maybe. Is it worth more if it takes more time? I don’t know.

My flippant answer is, Thirty years and a week. No artist reaches a professional level without a lot of work. This is actually true for most professions. Some people may have a little extra edge in a skill, maybe eye/hand coordination, color discernment, perfect pitch, but most people get where they are by plain hard work. I think this is true for athletes, musicians, artists, chefs, frankly nearly everyone.

I painted this painting After the Dinner Party in my Breaking Bread series pretty much in one day. But that number is deceiving. There was a whole lot of work required before I even began painting.

First there was the canvas prep. I purchased the gallery-wrapped 24 x 30 canvas. Then sanded it, applied two coats of gesso allowing for drying and sanding in between. I like a textured canvas so you will notice that in some of the photos. All of the canvasses in this series are primed with a greyish/greenish color.

Then there was the time to sort through the hundreds (thousands) of photos that I had to select the one that I wanted to use. Then to decide what I wanted to keep in and what to take out or move or change. I did two small NOTAN (black and white) sketches, two large charcoal sketches, and a preliminary watercolor painting. I noodled around with the idea of placing a bouquet of flowers in the background. Which lead me to paint two possible floral candidates. In the end, I did not use them as I thought they didn’t add anything to the painting set up. Finally, I sketched the full painting on the primed canvas.

THEN….I could begin the actual painting part.

I started in the morning with the colored outlines and painted in the larger areas first. I pretty much worked all day until late evening. Once I’m on a roll, I’m on a roll.

You can see the step-by-step at this link.

It takes time to achieve a certain level of skill in nearly anything. Larry Bird shot 200 hoops before school every day and was known throughout the NBA for the hours he dedicated to conditioning. Even after decades of success, Norman Rockwell agonized over the details of his paintings. How many hours a day do you think Yo-Yo Ma practices his cello? (He estimates over 10,000 hours every five years which is five hours every day.)

Next time you admire someone’s artistic skill (or other skill), keep in mind that the final product is just the tip of the iceberg of work behind the scene. You can do it, too. If you wish to work at it.

4 Comments

Posted in contemporary impressionism, impressionism, painting instruction

Tagged cezanne, colorful, contemporary impressionist, hard work, impressionism, matisse, painting instruction, practice

Getting by in an emergency

Posted on February 16, 2021 | Comments Off

A few years ago I posted about the challenges of living in a rural area during emergencies, especially if the power goes out. Living in a 135 year old house which only received electricity in probably the 1940s or 1950s has it’s challenges. I talked about having alternatives and backup plans. Like oil lamps, wood or kerosene heat, propane stoves or water heaters. But sometimes you just need a little electricity.

You could buy a huge generator but it’s difficult to justify spending thousands of dollars on equipment than you may only use once every few years. I’m going to talk about a few items which might make your life easier for about $100 or less, for most of them together.

A couple of inexpensive hand-cranked emergency tools. The radio on the left and the flashlight on the right. I like the flashlight but the radio seems a little tinny. You have to put your own batteries in to charge. And you should take them out between uses in case they corrode and ruin your equipment. Only about $10 or less at a big box store.

The first are having a hand-cranked flashlight and / or radio. You can pick these up at your local big box store for under $10. They’re usually in the camping section but check around. They’re not terrific but work well in a pinch.

The power bank and side view showing the USB ports. You can charge this up and it will hold for several months. I don’t know the brand name but there are many, including many sizes. This one is 16,000 mAh.

My next recommendation is having a power bank. This allows you to plug in your phones and USB items. You just charge them up (when the electricity is on) and they’ll hold a charge for a long time. Keep them in a drawer or place where you can find them easily. It seems the power always goes out when my phone is nearly dead. They’re smaller than a paperback book and cost about $30-$40. Useful for camping, too, but not recommended to keep in a hot car.

Folding solar charger front. Four panels in all and you can attach it to your backpack to charge while hiking. This brand is Hiluckey but there are other brands, too.

Folding solar charger back. The white square is a built-in flash light.

Another handy item is a solar powered charger. The one I have folds up to about the size of a wallet. You can set it out, or attach it to your backpack as you’re hiking. Mine also has a built in flashlight. It has a couple of USB ports, too. Costs vary depending upon size and power, but again, around $30-$40.

Multi-purpose flashlight radio. This is my favorite little gadget. The radio (three bands) is really good. Three power sources – hand crank, solar, or lithium battery. And the reading light and flashlight are very bright. Plus it has USB ports for those essential phones. About $40 or less.

Multi-purpose flashlight / radio back showing the hand crank, battery door, antenna, and the light/auto switch.

Multi-purpose with three-way flashlight.

Finally, a little item that I LOVE is my multi-purpose flashlight / radio. This is the neatest little gadget. It comes with a lithium battery to insert and a little screwdriver. The battery can be charged by hand-cranking or it has a small solar charger on top. It seems to hold a charge for a long time. The charger flips up to show a good light for reading. In addition, it has a very good flashlight on one side and some USB connections on the other. The radio is terrific! It has AM/FM/ and weather band. Very good reception with the fold out antenna. It also has a built-in SOS alarm and light, and a motion sensor good for 3 meters. The cost is about $40.

I recommend that you keep a few of these items handy for emergencies but they’re also very useful for camping or putting into a GO bag. A small waterproof box or bag will make them readily available for use. The links below will take you to more information about some of these items.

Hiluckey Solar Chargerhttps://www.amazon.com/25000mAh-Hiluckey-Portable-External-Smartphones/dp/B08CSD9VWY/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=hiluckey+solar+charger&qid=1613507019&sr=8-5

Multi-purpose Flashlight Radio https://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Radio%EF%BC%8C4000mAh-Solar-Portable-Flashlight-Lamp%EF%BC%8CCell/dp/B083TLZN7G/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=multipurpose+flashlight+radio&qid=1613507123&sr=8-4

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Posted in country living, opinion

Tagged emergency, flashlight, power, power bank, radio, solar power

What Is Impressionism?

Posted on February 14, 2021 | 4 comments

Impressionism is, without a doubt, one of the most continually popular painting styles of our times. But this has not always been so. It evolved in France in the 1860s to 1900s with a group of artists whose names you know well – Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cassatt, Degas, Pissarro, etc. In an act of rebellion against the strict styles of the time of realistic, classical-based story-telling, this group of artists burst onto the scene with a new style which emphasized the beauty of nature.

It is generally agreed that the invention of paints in tubes provided artists the freedom to begin painting outdoors. Before this time, paints were hand ground from pigments, mixed with oil and turpentine, and used only in the studio. There was a possibility of using paints stored in pig blatters or glass syringes, but the Winsor Newton company patented the metal tube and added a screw cap. This gave artists the portability of leaving the studio for the open fields and forests. In other words, they began painting en plein air (out of doors).

Impression Sunrise by Claude Monet. This is the painting from which the movement derived its name. The painting itself isn’t very large, only about 19 x 25 inches.

The freedom of painting outside allowed artists to capture a “snapshot” or impression of what they saw at the time they saw it. This new style was labeled impressionism after Claude Monet exhibited his painting, Impression Sunrise. The label was meant to be derisive but as fate would have it, it stuck. After the initial shock of the crude paintings by this group of rebels, in a short time the public’s tastes were changed to one of acceptance and regard. This big change was as revolutionary as going from classical music to rock and roll overnight.

American collectors were the first to embrace this style and began snapping up the paintings of the notable impressionsts and shipping them back to the United States. Even today, many French musems relegate the impressionist paintings to some dim, out of the way spot while they are often featured in American museums.

Impressionism continues to be one of the most popular painting styles both among collectors and painters. So how can you recognize what denotes an impressionist style? Here are a few guidelines.

Painters express feelings more than capturing a specific place or event. How does the sun feel? Can you see the glint off the water? Express the coolness of the shady trees?
Thick brush strokes are another indication of impressionism. The brush strokes are visible and the paint is not over-worked.
The colors are mixed with the eye, i.e., they are laid down next to each other instead of being mixed to death on the palette. If you look at an impressionist painting up close, it will often appear fuzzy and unclear. However, if you step back a few feet (or several) the bold strokes and colors come together to form the image. Think of Monet’s water lily paintings. The paintings are huge and up close they appear to only be a loose collection of swirls and paint blobs. However, from a distance of about ten feet, the whole painting comes together and the beauty of the scene is striking.
The subjects are often common place, found objects or still lifes. People in ordinary circumstances.
There is an asymetrical cropping of the paintings. Parts of the scene are allowed to go off the edge. Many times the scenes are captured exactly as they are found. Landscapes often have a very high or very low horizon line.

These are just a few of the main points defining impressionist style. It continues to be popular with both painters and viewers. However, there are now many finer branches of impressionism – contemporary, nouveau, outsider, open, etc. Some use very bold colors and others are more muted. Frankly, it’s all good.

One of Monet’s many waterlily paintings. He painted over 250 images of these. Up close, it appears to be swirls or patches of paint. The composition doesn’t come into focus until you step back several feet.

If you would like to see more artwork, I suggest that you visit one of the many free museum exhibits online. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a breathtaking collection of work by the impressionists. There are few things so humbling than sitting in a room full of Monets or VanGoghs. Especially if you calculate how many millions (billions) of dollars worth of paintings are just in that one room.

There are more than 6,000 books on the subject listed on Amazon and more than 600,000 links about impressionism listed on Google search. Yep, still pretty popular. Here are a few links to museums with online exhibits.

https://ecobnb.com/blog/2020/03/online-museums-free/

https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours

https://www.museumnext.com/article/the-best-free-virtual-tours-of-museums-in-the-world/

4 Comments

Posted in art, contemporary impressionism, plein air painting

Tagged cassatt, defining impressionism, impressionism, Monet, museums, painting styles, pissarro

The Cultural Center, Part II – The New Library Is Open!

Posted on February 7, 2021 | 2 comments

The new Thyen Clark Cultural Center is now open to the public.

Finally, the new library is open at the cultural center. And, boy, is it magnificent! Better than anything I could have imagined, even when I was working on the project!

As mentioned earlier, this is a joint project combining the Jasper-Dubois County Public Library and the Jasper Arts Department (excluding the performing arts center). I posted photos of the new galleries earlier. I’ll add the classrooms, studio spaces, and the black box theater later.

Cultural Center front, east wing holding the library.

Today’s photos feature the new library. After nearly two decades of planning, votes, fundraising, the doors were open this week. I took my granddaughter for our first visit afterschool on Tuesday. Then went back alone for a more thorough visit on Wednesday.

This is the beautiful atrium which separates the arts side from the library. It has a full catering kitchen for special events and will seat 150 at table. I think this will become very popular for families looking to get out of the house in the winter with the kids…once we’re allowed to get together again.

In speaking with the library director, she said that people have commented on all the new books. She’s replied, they haven’t added any new volumes; the old library was just that over-crowded. Now it has plenty of room for technology, including a maker space, a teen zone, genealogy room, lots of quiet nooks and meeting spaces. Plus…the books books books. It even has an outdoor balcony for those who like some fresh air while they read.

For now, the entire Cultural Center is open six days a week with plans to expand to seven days a week sometime later. If you come for a visit, don’t forget to save time to visit the nearby Schaeffer Barn, the old school house, the mill and the train depot, all set along the scenic Patoka River in downtown Jasper. Admission is free.