Is it just Spring?

Jardin d'Amour

Original oil painting  18x24"

by Susan Roux

Perhaps it's spring, but I feel something trying to sprout in my work. It's similar to hitting a wall and coming around the other side with added knowledge or clarity about something. Only there's no wall. I feel myself bubbling almost percolating inside. (and no, it isn't anything intestinal... I knew what you were thinking) It's like an excited child in there, full of energy. I want to paint all the time. It feels like a painting high and it's pouring out from my creative side.

Did you read Keith Bonds article titled Recuerdos de la Alhambra and your art?  It was a wonderful article about needing a balance between fundamentals and passion. It's what I talked about as my New Year's resolution goal.  It all comes down to knowing the rules, yet still applying your own creative voice to it. I'm sure you've all seen art that is correct in defining its forms, yet is void of emotion. It usually leaves you feeling flat. Because the painting has no emotion, it gives you no emotional reaction. One of my students recently told me of a work of art she saw while on vacation. It brought her to tears. She found herself in a public place crying and a bit shocked about it. An embarrassing moment for her, but the ultimate compliment for the artist.

I believe this is what masterpieces are made of. Just the right balance of the two.

My crazy emotional side is rallying for attention! I must have spent too much time focused on my fundamentals and it got a bit jealous. Hopefully all that time spent on them translates into some of my natural instincts now. (I can wish, can't I?) Anyways, I'm not questioning it at the moment. Exploding on canvas these days is too much fun. I just want to ride the wave!

Oh yes, there's been experimenting in the process.

I'm working the brush in ways I've never used it before. Pushing instead of pulling. Push and twirl even! It's as though I'm fearless and trust my heart will pull me out of whatever jam I put myself into.

I'm watching and observing everything that's happening as I try new things. I didn't know you could teach your creative side, but it seems to be what I'm experiencing. It's elating!

Flowers seem to be a good subject to experiment in. They can be so forgiving, bouncy and happy. Not to mention a party of color!

I know everything I'm trying isn't perfect. But after all, isn't it what makes the whole journey worthwhile in the first place? 

I hope you're having fun experimenting too. It is spring you know, so allow something new and exciting to spring out of you! (I haven't used this many exclamation points since I was about thirteen. Can you tell I'm excited? I told you, just like a little kid inside me full of wonderful playful energy! I hope he sticks around for awhile...)

I also want to thank all of you for stopping by and commenting. It means so much to me and I rarely take time to let you know how special you are to me. So thanks for visiting, my friends!

How old are you?

Flamboyant

Original oil painting  12x30" gallery wrap

by Susan Roux

I remember having tea with John Morris while touring his studio in Ireland. John had lots to say about art and the business of art. He was so interesting to listen to. One of the things he described was how the artists community was like tiers of a cake. I didn't get what he was saying so I asked him to elaborate. This is what he told me.

The bottom tier is the largest. It's where an artist begins. There are lots and lots of people on this tier. Lots and lots of people proclaiming to be artists or creative. As an artist develops and improves they rise to a higher tier. The tiers, he said, quickly become quite small compared to the bottom one. He suggested that it was very easy to communicate with an artist on your own tier, but trying to have a great artistic relationship with someone on a different tier, was much harder. Especially, he noted, with someone on a tier or two beneath you. The very top tier is the smallest where only a few artists reside and he suspected they must all know each other.

It's an interesting concept and I thought about what he said many times. I have to agree that it's easier to relate and communicate artistically with someone on your own tier. I'm sure many of you can relate to loosing art friends as your ability developed. For one, as you do develop, your understanding of certain things deepen and it's difficult to have the same conversations with an artist who has not experienced or has not gained knowledge of these things. 

I remember telling my mother that my mind was opening to knowledge about color that I never even knew existed. She wanted to know what. But it was difficult to put into words. All I could do was give a glimpse, a suggestion of what I was talking about. I remember feeling so alone. I had acquired this amazing new knowledge and had no one to converse with about it.

Perhaps John is right about the tiers, but I see it a little differently. For me, the artists journey resembles that of a person growing. We first begin all excited, wow I can do this. Like the young child who wants to have all their work up on the refrigerator, you eagerly show others what you've achieved. You glow with their compliments. Then adolescence hits. You become shy about what you're doing because you feel it's inferior to others works that you admire. You push on however and soon like a late teen or early twenty, you feel it's so simple and rejoice that you know it all! Unfortunately your bubble is burst as you move into your mid twenties. Suddenly you realize you have a lot more to learn. As you continue through your adulthood, gaining information and honing your skills, you eventually come to a place where you realize you'll never know all there is to know or understand about art. The more you learn, the harder it becomes. With continued work and learning, I think we'll keep growing all the way to old age. 

I chuckle when I look back to a time when I thought all this was so easy...

I think perhaps I'm somewhere in my late thirties possibly early forties, as far as development. It's a little hard to judge. I do know I still have a long way to go. Unlike actual aging, I think it's possible to leap through several years, possibly decades at times. A great teacher can propel you forward. 

So how old do you think you are in your artist journey?

(And in case you didn't know, Don Hatfield is a great teacher and will be teaching 3 workshops here in Maine in August. Contact me for more information.)

Invitations

Old World Serenity

Original oil painting  18x24"

by Susan Roux

I don't know what it is about Europe, but for as long as I can remember it feels like it's been beckoning me. Perhaps it's the ancient. Perhaps it's my ancestry or perhaps it's works of art I've seen depicting it that pulls at me. I'm really not sure. All I know is the feeling has always been powerful.

For years, I never thought I'd get there. Sometimes life turns and suddenly you find yourself where you never thought possible. Who would have predicted an invitation to exhibit in Russia would get me there? But it did. I've been overseas twice now and I hope to return again. The lovely scene depicted is from Ireland. This wonderful place stole my heart though I'm not of Irish decent.

Sometimes new worlds can open up for you by means of a simple invitation.

Those words: Please Come or You Are Invited can open opportunities you might otherwise have thought impossible. Have you ever gone somewhere unexpected because of an invitation? Have you ever wished you had been invited to something you weren't? Sometimes invitations can trigger one to suddenly do something new and adventurous.

I've come to realize that many people are never invited to things. Especially people of prominence. Lets put this in terms of art. Is there a gallery you'd love to be represented by? What about the owner? How often do you think they get invited to art openings? Sure they host plenty of them, but do you really think they get invited outside their own gallery for something artistic? It's a bit unlikely.

I have to admit, I'm often spurred by impulse. I get a crazy idea that might be really out there and before I can talk myself out of it, I act upon it. I know it can be a mistake. Spontaneity isn't always your best friend. But most of the time it hasn't steered me wrong.

Invitations.

Surprises can happen with them.

Are you feeling in a rut? Are you feeling humdrum? Invite somebody unexpected and see what happens. Nora Kasten invited me several years ago to come visit when she found out I was going to Florida for a vacation. Such a simple gesture that led to our friendship/relationship. She's since come to Maine and we've had the pleasure of spending quite a bit of time together.

I invited Don Hatfield a few years back. Just like that. A simple invitation to come to Maine. Look at all that has led to! Looking back it seems completely impossible that that tiny little gesture would lead to him becoming my mentor.

What's the worse thing that can come from an invitation? They decline???

I could go on and on about people I've invited and the opportunities that arose from it.

Take this painting for instance. I came to this little town because I contacted Irish artist Owen Rohu before I traveled to Ireland. I invited him to paint with me. The invitation didn't lead to painting together, but it did lead to being invited to his home where I visited his studio, had stimulating conversation about the art world in his country and lunch with his lovely wife and children.

If you would like opportunities to open up for yourself, try beginning with an invitation. You might be very surprised who'll accept!

I would like to extend an invitation to  you. Please come to Maine in August. Don Hatfield will be teaching 3 wonderful workshops. (Did you know he doesn't teach a circuit of them? You'll need to come to Maine. This is sort of an exclusive!)

Here are the dates:

August 1 2 3: Portrait Workshop


August 6 7 8: Still life Workshop


August 10 11 12: Figurative Workshop (in costume)


Cost is $300. for one workshop, $500. for two and $700. for all three. A $100. deposit is required at signup with the balance due July 1, 2012.

Please contact me for further information. As mentioned in my last post, Don Hatfield focuses on the fundamentals. No matter how experienced you are, whether a beginner or seasoned artist, taking his workshop will improve your work. Don is funny, honest and won't teach you gimmicks. He'll give you the knowledge you personally need to move forward with your art. I highly recommend it and promise you won't regret taking it.

Plus you get to meet me!


-----------------------------------

Note: The above painting is exhibited and for sale at the Blue Heron Gallery, Wellfleet MA (Cape Cod) Please contact owner, Roy Thurston, if you're interested in purchasing it.

Don Hatfield Workshop 2012

Nature's Dance

Original oil painting  12x36"

by Susan Roux

Basic fundamentals. I can't say enough on the importance of them. I don't care how seasoned an artist you are or if you're just a beginner, those fundamentals are of utmost importance to the representational painter. Sure there's creativity and you may want to simplify things in your own way as part of your creative voice. But without a clear understanding of the fundamentals, your work will remain a hit or miss sort of thing. Some are good and other's ...not so much. 

The artist's journey is lifelong for most of us. In this journey we strive to find our unique voice and hope to see continued growth. We're usually our worse critics, often allowing that terrible voice inside to spook us.  Art is a very revealing thing. It's pouring yourself out on canvas, exposed to the masses. Criticism crushes often giving voice to that inner demon. The best way to arm yourself against it is having clear knowledge of the basic fundamentals.

How good is your foundation? Solid? Shifting? Crumbly? Wouldn't it be great to answer Solid with confidence?

I for one, would like more confidence in that department...

Don Hatfield. It's not uncommon for his name to pop up on this blog. (By now, I think it's even surpassed Luka Bloom! How can that be???) Don is not only my mentor, he has grown to be a very dear friend. The longer I know him, the more he amazes me. As an artist, I've admired his work since I first came upon it in the early '90's. His voice is filled with soft beautiful color and arrangements that let the viewer dream. Serolla and Sargent are among his favorites and it's easy to see signs of their inspiration in his work. Basic fundamentals are strong in all these great artists.

Nowadays, you can sign up for workshops from all sorts of "masters". I can't vouch for their teaching abilities. I can however vouch for Don's. His focus is Basic Fundamentals. Improve on those and your art improves. Plain and simple.

Are you finding yourself stagnating? Could your art use a little more Punch? Definition? Impact? Emotion? Are you having trouble elevating to the next level? 

The answer lies in the fundamentals.

I'm so excited to be hosting Don Hatfield again this year for a series of workshops in early August. Actual dates and specifics will be announced soon. Don will teach 3 separate 3-day workshops: portraiture, still life and figurative in costume. Cost for the 3-day sessions is a reasonable $300. with reductions for multiple workshops. Whether a beginner or a seasoned artists, you would benefit from his teachings. 

Aren't you just itching to come to Maine? August is a lovely month. Think about it. You could begin with a 3-day Hatfield energy boost and continue on to a beautiful coastline town for an extended stay and paint, armed with precious fundamentals and a new-found confidence. 

Does it get any better than that?...!

(Note: I can't get this photo adjusted to look as soft and delicate as the actual painting.)

Word verification

Coastal Simplicity

Original oil painting  14x18"

by Susan Roux

Is it just me or are you annoyed by the new word verifications too? I'm finding myself commenting less and less since the change to the double word. Many times, the verification is longer than my comment! It's becoming tedious and frustrating.

I suppose I could write to blogger urging them change it back, but something tells me that would be an impossible feat. After all there must be some reason they suddenly change it in the first place.  Who am I to tell them to revert to the old one?

No. It's not my approach. Instead I prefer to appeal to you. All you lovely artists bloggers. Do we really need the word verification anyway? Who among us will spam comments? I think it's safe to assume that that really isn't an issue here. Perhaps if we were targeting the masses, it might be an issue. I know we like to think we're reaching all of them, but seriously, who are your comments coming from?

Other artists.

I thought I disconnected my word verification back last summer. Recently I was in my settings and realized it was still turned on. I apologize for making you type all those unnecessary words for so long. Apparently I mustn't have "saved the changes" when I made them. Now I believe it's really disconnected. If you still have to type their crazy letters here, please let me know.

You're already aware from my last post, my eyesight isn't great. Even with my glasses on things aren't perfectly clear. (maybe it's time to visit an eye doctor, but I just don't want to) I suppose if the new letters in the word verifications were clear and straight, this wouldn't be an issue for me.

However they aren't.

I find myself wondering if it's an r pushed into an n or if it's an m. Today I came upon a double o. You'd think if I discerned the first o the second one would be a snap. No, it wasn't that easy. The second o looked nothing like the first one. It was all dented and bumpy and attached to an l. So was it a d or another o???

If I would have written like this in grade school, I would have flunked penmanship.

So please everyone, be comment friendly. Go to your settings and change that nasty word verification to a "no". And please be smarter than I was in July and remember to click save changes.

I blog with morning coffee. It's a nice way to wake up. Unfortunately lately, frustration builds with every comment I leave, making me start my day on the wrong foot! I hope you'll join me in simplifying are comments. Let's take matters into our own hands and annihilate the word verification from our blogs. Please pass the word around.

(If we begin to have problems with spam comments, we can always turn it back on...)

Thank you and happy commenting!


Note: Coastal Simplicity is a scene from Monhegan Island, Maine.

Squint they say. Squint!

Wildflowers

Original oil painting  14x18"

by Susan Roux

I have to admit, I really can't see. 

I don't mean that I'm blind, though I often refer to myself as the blind artist. Without my glasses the world is a blur. I like to think of it as a good blur. 

Most art teachers will stress the importance of squinting. It eliminates detail and reduces your subject to a series of values. It's a great tool. You can quickly evaluate which darks are the darkest and assess exactly where the light turns to shadow. Sometimes color can be confusing. It can play tricks on your eyes. An object of bright color placed in shadow may appear lighter than another of a dark color in light. A quick squint and the real values come into clear view, instantly. I think it may be one of an artists most important tools. 

I teach to a new group of beginners twice a year through a local Adult Ed program. I've come to realize how useful it is for me to teach this class. It keeps me focused on the fundamental basics. When you take people who've never picked up a brush, perhaps never even drawn before and try to teach them to achieve pleasing results in a total of 16 hours, you find yourself focusing on the bare essentials. My first lesson is all about learning to see. I refer to it as apple night. We paint a single apple three or four times within two hours. I've found the first thing a student needs to know is how to begin looking at things.

Objects of any kind can be broken down as a form. If you learn how to see the basic make up of forms, you can be taught to imitate the values and thus capture form on your canvas. It is the fundamental premise of representational art. 

Squint. Remember to squint!

I began the above painting during my artist retreat at the mansion last month. In one sitting (standing really) I played wet into wet capturing this simple marsh scene. I was unhappy with part of the foreground. Now I wish I had photographed it at that stage to show you, but it didn't occur to me to do so at the time. All I was thinking of was fixing it! The swooping bush of delicate white flowers didn't read as a full bush. It was a problem of overlooking form. The entire form. In this case, the bush. I had focused too much on capturing the tiny delicate flowers and by doing so, overlooked it as an entity. What I needed to paint was the bush itself and then add flowers. 

Today I set this sorry painting on my easel. I removed my glasses. It helped me see beyond the dotted details I had spotted in. Looking at my reference, all I could discern were the values. I picked up my friend, the BIG brush. (It's a number 10 filbert that measures about an inch wide.) Fearlessly, I chopped into my white dotted flowers and began to establish the form of a bush. Immediately it improved. I dropped a few more quick colored strokes, adjusting my values. 

No squinting necessary. 

Without my glasses, I see a lovely blur. A blur that has the same effect as squinting. Not only is it a great painting tool, it's even saving me from developing an abundance of crows feet! How can you beat that? After capturing my form, I put my glass back on to clean up my details. 

I would have to say as a teacher, I forget to remind my students to squint. I've grown so accustomed to not needing to, that I forget to mention it. How about you? Do you remember to squint? Are you an on the glasses, off the glasses type of painter too? How do you go about finding your values?

For the children

Moving to the Rhythm 

(panel 1)

Original oil painting  28x22"

by Susan Roux

For some, when it rains it pours.

Imagine loosing your wife (or husband) to cancer and the following month loosing your only daughter because she was brutally murdered at the hands of her husband. Seems unimaginable doesn't it? Let's say she had three small children and you're the only one left to care for them. 

I'm sad to say this isn't a hypothetical but reality for my good friend and mentor, artist Don Hatfield. 

As if matters aren't bad enough, he's finding himself in a battle to gain full custody of his only grandchildren. It's very sad and I'm embarrassed to live in a society that prefers to put children in foster care/up for adoption rather than grant them effortlessly to a close loving relative. What has our nation come to, to make a grandfather fight for the custody of his orphaned grandchildren?

Think of those lovely adorable little ones. Big questioning eyes full of sadness, longing for their mother and their incarcerated dad. They're only babies. What do you tell them? All you want to do is hold them tightly in your arms. You cry silently... What would you tell them if the State ripped them from your loving embrace only to hand them over to strangers? As if dealing with two deaths isn't enough, you don't even have time to morn. Instead you're busy hustling trying to make some of the most important decisions of your life in order to reach the State's requirements of what's best for your babies. 

Within 24 hours of his daughter Rachel's murder, Don was required to have a court hearing. Do you know what it's like scheduling a court hearing? Friends came to his rescue and luckily he did obtain one. No time to deal with the shock of his immediate loss. No, the State won't grant you that. If you don't get your court hearing within the 24 hour period, the children are immediately put into foster care. 

This hearing granted Don a temporary guardianship that lasts but one short month. At that time, he'll be visited by social services to see if the living accommodations he's providing meet their standards. That is just one bullet point on their list of requirements. 

Those of you who follow Don's blog know he filed bankruptcy over a year ago. His credit is as low as it can go. You could say it's nonexistent. No bank will loan him the funds he needs immediately to put together the pieces necessary to meet State requirements. 

One month. 

That's all he gets. Not one month of clear level headed thinking. No, one month when he's facing a crushing emptiness that can devour even the strongest among us. How he longs for his loving wife to be by his side during this trying time. But it's not the hand he's been dealt.

Don needs financial assistance at this time. He is a wonderful loving, giving man. The sadness that overcomes me at this time is indescribable. Please consider helping a fellow artist. Any contribution is helpful and greatly appreciated. Remember the March of Dimes? Their motto was based upon if each person gave one dime, they would have enough money to help those in need. Well times have changed and one dime doesn't go as far as it did back then, but the same principle exists. Small amounts by many add up.

Please go to Don's blog to help. If his story touches your heart, please do every effort to spread his information around. We have great power at our fingertips with the internet and our computers, laptops and smart phones. Wouldn't it be great if together we could make it go viral? 

At the moment there is an effort to create an account on a fundraising website. I'll post a link to it as it becomes available. 

Thank you for reading through this post. As you know Don is very dear to my heart. Please help.

Moving to the Rhythm 

(panels 1+2)