FEAR (False evidence that appears real)
How much fear have you built into your life? Some fears are obvious threats and some are so subtle you don’t realize that you have them. As of now, we have a definite outside threat. How odd, being isolated forces us to come to grips with our values and lifestyle.
I have just realized that not only has my fear escalated, because of the coronavirus it, has also made me aware of the small fears that I live with daily that consume me. The virus has forced me to face my daily fears and ask “why must I have these”? Are these fears forced upon myself, or are the actually valid.
How often are we faced with going into our studio looking at the blank canvas and recognizing that we are afraid? Why? Rationally, it doesn’t make sense that we would be afraid of a benign canvas. The canvas isn’t going to jump out at you and attack you. It does though, bring up our vulnerability to being judged not only by ourselves, but also the fear of other's criticisms. We may feel that we are not worthy as well, or afraid that our visions cannot come to fruition.
So many fears we have developed over the years and the news and advertising industry has not helped the situation. We have become brainwashed and believe things that are not true.
We also have forgotten how powerful we are as an individual and look too much for others to solve our problems.
I do believe for me that this pandemic has forced me to come to grips with my fears and also discover my strengths. All of a sudden, believing I am gluten sensitive becomes a hoax I developed in my mind. How many other things have I caused myself to believe that are not true?
What we once thought was important isn’t as important anymore. I only hope that after this is all over that I remember what I have learned and don’t back to things as usual. This is a time to reevaluate what is true and what isn’t, what is of value and what isn’t, and what should continue in our lives and what needs to be thrown away. [recent max=1 template=caption/]
Maximize Your Art Studio
My art studio is only 143 square feet. In order to maximize my space, I had to be creative. I also wanted to make sure that there was flexibility and mobility of the furniture used and find extra storage where you wouldn't normally. It was important that the furniture and flooring was impervious to paint and that accidental spills were easily cleaned.
Home Depot provided a great selection of flooring. I chose Pergo Laminate. The price is very reasonable. There are many styles of Pergo, but all are not equivalent in regards to staining. I brought samples home and found that XP Vanilla Travertine was excellent even though very light in color was impervious to stain. I chose the most highly saturated pigments of oils to test. All came off with a cleansing wipe. It was that easy. As a plus, I found out after installation that the floor is a floating floor, the cushioning is very forgiving on the body especially during longer sessions at the easel.
You don't have to reinvent the wheel, the internet has many ideas to improve organization, as well as, help you create more valuable storage. I'm going to share my Art Studio Pinterest board that is chock full of ideas that will improve your studio. Although, it took some time to create this Pinterest board it saved me so much time and money.
Extra storage for my closet was installed by California Closet. I love the file drawers, the peg boards that have wire racks and plenty of shelves for open storage. Taking off the closet doors also gave me more space exteriorly.
Now for the furniture! All my furniture in the art art studio are on rollers, except for the book towers. The rollers allow each piece of furniture the ability to be used in more than one way, can be stored in one area and brought out when ready to use. If you can't go out then you must go up was the reason for my next choice; the 77" high Wire Shelving rack. I wouldn't have a clue where I would put all my art supplies without this item. Clear plastic tubs storage for acrylic and oil paint fit perfectly. The rack not only was able to hold all my art supplies, but with a few extra materials, peg board and dowels, created upright storage for small paintings.
I had previous book towers for my art library. There are many places that you can purchase them. The towers both fit perfectly in the nook, one framing each side of two Alex Drawer Units that have six drawers each. This is a great alternative for filing paper art, that normally would cost a fortune, when purchasing furniture specifically meant for art storage.
My beautiful art cart was designed to be my pallet, protected by a glass top cut to size. The cart also contains all my brushes placed in cylinders that fit perfectly in the cubby, pallet knives, rollers etc., hooks for garbage bags, and extra art supplies. If you have any interest in the cart and you live in the vicinity, my friend said he would be happy to design more. He is an excellent craftsman.
He also helped me design a desk with a side table. This is probably my favorite piece in the studio. The table can lie flat or one side lifts up creating an easel for smaller artworks. This table is excellent. It is so functional and could be used in so many ways. I can use it to draw, as well as paint smaller pieces and when the easel partition drops down, the table can be used as a larger pallet. Cover the table with Reynold Freezer paper lay your paint down, use and dispose when done; making it easy for a quick cleanup.
Now last but not least, one of my pride and joy pieces from Paper Bird Studio and Design. The 66" x 66" Red Oak wall easel made by Jason Tueller . This wall easel probably saves me a third of my studio space. All the material used to make this easel came from one Appalachian Red Oak and hand made. For as much work that went into this product I find it extremely worth the purchase. The easel gives you the ability to paint more than one painting at a time as well as by sliding the mounts together a large painting can be created.
If you have any questions please put in comments below. And also I would love any suggestions or ideas that you may have to share in creating your studio. Thank you!
Cold Wax Part II Tools and Applications
Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.~Frank Borman
This is part two of my Cold Wax post covering tools and applications. Please read part one before continuing if you haven't done so. We've talked about the supports and types of wax in my previous post. Essentially, it is best to use a harder support if you want to use thicker layers of wax. Below are the lists of tools and mediums used with CWM.
Tools for applying the wax: Brayers (2",4" & 6" Speedball and Inovart ), brushes (all sizes, all types), Princeton Catalyst Blades, pallet knives, Princeton Catalyst Silicone Wedge, Dough Scraper by Wilton
Tools for drawing: Charcoal, Graphite stick (preferably soft), oil sticks, oil bars, bamboo skewer, stencils, doily, Q-tips, oil pastels, beeswax crayons, knitting needles, pottery scraper, pottery carving tool, oil pen, stamps, the above Princeton Catalyst Blades and Wedges can also be used for marking.
Tools for creating texture: Rubber basting brush, steel wool, yarn or string, plastic combs, pattern tracers, plastic wrap, bubble wrap, whisk broom, muslin, florist mesh, cheese cloth
Mediums: Following to thicken CW-Marble dust, lime, coffee, dirt, graphite powder, Gilder paste, sand; Citra Solve and Gamsol to remove layers of wax, Gamblin Solvent free Gel, Solvent free fluid and Liquin to thin mixture or glaze.
Application: Prior to putting down the first layer of CWM, prime your support with a solid color of oil paint of your choice. Let the it dry throughly before laying down layers of CWM. Take a large sheet of Reynolds Freezer Paper, tape it to a flat surface. This will be your pallet. Lay out your pallet of oil paint, take a dollop of oil paint and mix with pallet knife 30 to 50% of CWM. Then take your brayer and roll into mixture on Freezer Paper. Roll the mixture on primed support. Take another color and do the same, etc. You can lay wet into wet if you have a light touch. You can dry in between layers.
It is advised that you work on more than one painting at a time to allow for drying time. You will have different drying times for different colors of oil paint.
You can then build up by layering with larger amounts by applying it with pallet knife, squeegee, wedge etc. As the wax dries, you can start to scrape, revealing the layers below, or you can use any of your drawing tools. Drawing is much easier if the layers are somewhat dry. It is easier to mark when it is tacky and not completely dry.
There isn't one way to use CWM. I noticed through my research that each artist creates their own style. Some artist may create abstracts, while other may create landscapes, still life or figures. Some artists may prefer the squeegee, wedge, scraper or pallet knife to apply the cold wax and oil paint mixture rather than the roller or a combination of both.
Experiment and have fun, discover your own way with CWM.
Below are a couple of videos using Cold Wax Medium.
https://youtu.be/mc0NvgyLm_E
https://youtu.be/M4nwjauyMZc
How Long Does It Take To Paint A Painting?
Give anyone who asks this, the answer that Whistler gave to someone when asked how long it took to do his "Nocturne in Blue and Gold". He said, "It has taken me a lifetime to get to where I can even begin to do this".
—Guest Flora
It always amazes me when someone asks me, “How long does it take to paint a painting?” I had wanted to create this painting shown above for the last two years. I then realized that painting a painting not only means the actual applying of paint but additionally the process of which it takes you to get to the point of application; some say years, some say a lifetime.
I guess the other question could be “When is the painting done?” There is a point when one extra stroke could ruin it and one less stroke would leave it unresolved. I guess I would rather have one less stroke. On observing a woman painting one day, I noticed that she continued painting until she had painted five separate paintings on one canvas, because she refused to stop and get another one. Each painting was beautiful in its own right, but soon became something else. After seeing that display I would often think it would be great to have an observer to tell you when to stop.
My process most of the time is to take photos for inspiration, then I may play with the photo that interests me, either change the color, always the composition, eliminate, exaggerate, combine with other photos, etc. Then the process is in my head. I see the painting painted in my minds eye. In fact, I have been known to paint a painting many times in my head before painting. Sometimes I do small studies of the painting. So much of the painting is done prior to painting the painting the process could go on for months or weeks. I may come back to the idea over and over until it pushes me to paint it. My mind is full, my passion is deep and my energy is at its peak, waiting to erupt at once at the canvas. I need this tension prior to my painting.
Through this process it allows me to spew out the painting in a dramatic speed. I become an action painter, desiring to get out as much as possible on the canvas and as quickly as I can, fearing that my vision may disappear.
Everyone has his or her own style, which is another factor of time involved. Some are contemplative painters, some are action painters or perhaps a combination of the two. Some take years to paint a painting. Some have paintings that are ongoing and never completed, others may do a painting in a couple of hours. They are all approached differently, but in the end we all take our experience to each painting; we bring our education, our many hours of painting and knowledge of a subject, which is impossible to measure. All this combined can be added to the time it takes to paint a painting. So the answer to “How long does it takes to paint a painting?” could be 2 hours, a day, a week, plus 25 years; 25 years of experience.
And my painting isn’t completed until I sign it. Amen
** “Bicycle Memories” 36″ x 36″, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, Price $3240, If you would like to purchase this painting please contact me at jvander51@msn.com or call (408)460-7237 Thank you!
Is Bigger Better?
Changing my challenge this year to paint 20,000 square inches, Art20K, instead of amount of paintings, as in last years goal, #Paint 52, has been quite thrilling. I have found myself painting much larger and in turn experiencing much more freedom and joy painting. Creating a body of work feels more substantial painting larger and more conducive to preparing for a show. Although, I love painting larger, I have found myself asking questions about the upside and downside of painting large vs. small.
Is it easier to market smaller paintings than larger, due to their affordability?
As an artist, should you make sure you have a balance of sizes available for market?
Does certain subject matter demand a larger format?
What are the advantages of painting larger or smaller?
What are disadvantages of painting larger or smaller?
What tools are needed when painting a large painting, that may not be needed when painting small?
Is studio space an indicator for size selection?
Does painting large equal being a serious painter and more appropriate for gallery representation?
Is intimacy affected when painting larger?
What are your feelings about painting large vs. small?
Thank you for your responses always love hearing from you and hearing your perspective.
*ART20K footage completed 3,540 square inches
*Painting above, Title: "A New Balance", measures 36" x 36", Atelier Interactive Acrylic on museum wrapped canvas (no need for framing), Price $3240.00 SOLD
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!