Monthly mailing

I thought I’d try this way of reposting my Monthly Newsletter.  Nope, my html isn’t good enough to get rid of the squares…..

 

View this email in your browser There are many ways in which government can get involved in art, aside from their involvement in the creation of public art.  I had two such significant encounters in the last month, one negative and three positive. The first positive encounter was somewhat by proxy.  Ontario Airport has a few display cases in the concourse where the art of regional artists is displayed.  I was very happy to be informed recently that my application to show work there was approved and on Feb 19th five of my paintings were installed via the intermediary of Chaffey Community Museum of Art.  The paintings will be there until mid August. Art fair promoters have to work with local authorities on the locations for art fairs and any permits that are required, rules to be followed and registrations of individual artists to be processed.  I’ve done hundreds of fairs over the last decade and one of my favorites is in Palm Springs.  A few years back we had an issue where the city decided to move our venue from the center of town (loads of foot traffic and drive-bys to supplement our other advertising) to the civic center for the following season.  We appealed to the council and they relented. A few weeks ago our promoter commented that the permits for the two March shows hadn’t been approved yet.  We protested further and pointed out that the reason they’d given was no longer an issue.  Then more burning hoops were given.  This from an eblast from West Coast Artists: After meeting with the City of Palm Springs’ Special Event Team today here are the new requirements for the Desert Art Festivals. Loading: We are allowed to reserve 7 parking spaces in the small parking lot for loading at the end of the event. We are to stagger the loading process so that all of the 60 artists use those 7 spaces. There is no parking on Alejo and no parking on Palm Canyon Drive for the purpose of loading. We are not allowed to close the parking lot for loading or unloading. Cross Walks: We are to have crossing guards at the crosswalks because some people neglect to push the button for the crosswalk. This is perhaps a safety issue? Parking Attendants: We had contracted with the property owner across the street from the park, 4 acres, and we must have Community Service Officers patrolling the lot and showing people how to park during the event. Two officers at $55.00 an hour. Police Presence: We are required to have 2 Palm Springs Police officers at the event on Saturday morning for a minimum of 4 hours to make sure everything runs smoothly.  Traffic Plan: We are required to have a Traffic Plan for the parking lot across from the park where we intended to have Patrons park. The spaces in the dirt lot should be delineated so that people know how to park…. After all of these new requirements and the fact that the City Manager, Mayor, and several of the City Council Members have made untrue, disparaging remarks regarding the event to the public, I can’t help but feel like they do not want the Desert Art Festivals in Palm Springs any longer. After the meeting in Palm Springs, I attended the meeting in Rancho Mirage. They have welcomed us with open arms and are going to push the Permit application through the City at an accelerated pace.  At The River in Rancho Mirage management had very few requirements. They have opened up their facility and are very excited to welcome our events. Our events are actually WANTED in the City of Rancho Mirage. The comment was “We would love to take the events from Palm Springs!” Later on it became apparent that The River were not able to accommodate us on the 21st/22nd due to an existing event scheduled, but Indian Wells welcomed us back too, for that weekend.  Not all cities are the same! Here’s my schedule for the month: Fairs: Mar 7th: 29 Palms Art Gallery Spring Art and Craft Fair, 29 Palms, CA. Mar 14th: “Art on Main St“, Old Town La Quinta, CA Mar 21-22nd: Desert Art Festivals, Indian Wells, CA  (Their website might not be up to date yet, it’s on the corner of Cook and 111). Mar 28th: “Art on Main St“, Old Town La Quinta, CA Shows: Feb 2020-Aug 2020 Ontario Airport.  Show case at terminal displaying 5 mixed media paintings. Mar 2nd-26th: Artists 55+.  Walter N. Marks Center for the Arts, College of the Desert, Palm Desert, CA. Reception March 10th 5-7pm Mar 5th-22nd: 29 Palms Guild Members Juried Exhibition. <29 Palms, CA.  Reception  March 7th, 5-7pm.  Classes: Mar 19th: Painting for Absolute Beginners, Borrego Art Institute. $110.  Contact me to book.

Variable student levels.

This month I had a full class scheduled for my Painting for Absolute Beginners class at Borrego Art Institute.  I only accept six students due in part to space, but also because the small class allows me to give more individual attention.

On Monday I emailed my students to check they were still on boards, but one of a group of three had pulled her back and was not sure she was able to come.

So, probably five.

Then the day before the class the coordinator for the group also said that she wasn’t able to attend, and because she was the driver, the third member of the group was also grounded.

So, down to three.

As I left the house on the Friday morning, prepared for three students, something told me to go back and get some extra water pots, just in case.  As I was setting up, my phone rang.  A lady asked if there was any room in the class, she was on her way into town.  The reason she hadn’t called earlier was that she and her husband were rving in Ocotillo Wells, and they have no cell service there for their provider.

Well, as it happens not only is there space, but I have enough equipment with me!  So we had a nice group of four students who all learned a lot and had a great day.

Working on the color-distance landscape exercise.

Sunday morning on the front porch

Mary started out as a friend of a friend on facebook and then took my Painting for Absolute Beginner’s class, then became a very close friend.  Shortly after that class, a couple years ago, I helped her create a painting for a friend.  I hadn’t realized that she had not had time since then to pick up the brushes.  A lot of life had happened.  A few weeks ago I went over to help guide her through another painting.  This time she has a new home with a wonderful front porch.  We have to paint out on the front porch because she has cats and I have allergies.

A little cramped on that table but we make it work.

Mary lives quite a way from me so we get our painting stints in sporadically and yesterday morning I was able to swing by for a couple hours before her grandson’s party and my reception for her to make progress on this sunset.

We weren’t able to finish yesterday but hope that we will do in the next session.  She made good progress.  Part of the challenge has been vision issues.  Mary recently had major eye surgery.  She can see colors better now, but the amount of light is difficult for her and towards the end as the sun came over, she had to resort to the shades.

Still needs a little work in the middle, and all the clouds at the bottom need to go in.

 

More teaching

On Tuesday I taught my ‘Painting for Absolute Beginners‘ class at Borrego Art Institute.  The gal who does their social media came around and took a bunch of photos on her phone, then obliged by taking some on mine.  I don’t often get to be in front of the camera.

Answering questions during the paint-mixing exercise.  Disclaimer, I am actually wearing shorts behind the pinny.

Color mixing exercise gives the students a cheat-sheet to go home with.

If you’re in SoCal, I run the class in 3 different venues, plus my studio, or I can come to you in reasonable distance, with a group to teach.

Monthly Newsletter

Here’s the monthly what’s-happening-in-the-skyscape-world newsletter.  Powerful storms!  We certainly live in a wacky climate.

Painting the morning in the night

Last night I guided a small group through a paint and wine class at Vanguard Gallery in Moreno Valley.  One of my students had already taken classes with me, including the Absolute Beginners class and was happy to work through this painting  of winter solstice sunrise across the Salton Sea to hone some of the skills.

We’re doing an underpainting to get rid of the white so in the final painting we’re not strugging with that aspect

We’re painting the sky part of the top coat

It’s easier to paint the bottom of the panel when it’s upside down.

Adding the sun.

All done!

 

A thousand words…

A couple days ago one of my Absolute Beginners students came to the studio for some follow-up lessons.  She had been practicing in the intervening year and had also bought some books containing lessons.  They were fine books and she had learned a lot from them as you can see from the work she produced that she showed me.

Some of this students work. Yes, I know it’s a photoshop together, just couldn’t get the right angle for a table-top shot.

Nevertheless, if a picture is worth a thousand words, and a youtube video a million, then sometimes a little bit of extra in-person instruction is priceless. Sometimes I’ve shown students the difference between the brushstrokes they’re making and what they need to do to get the effect they’re aiming for by making the two types of brushstroke on their inner arm. Often it’s also picking up on the slight difference between to two in order to guide them.

Student progression.

About 15 months ago, ‘Jo’ took my absolute beginner’s class.  Earlier in the month, she took the class again, not having painted very much in between.  One of the things that I ask at the beginning of the class is what the student hopes to get out of it.  It can help me tailor the class a little to hopefully cover any specific items. In this class Jo was lucky in that she was the only one, so we got to discuss her progress a little more.

She had indeed painted the day before, using watercolor crayons.  The papers were tiny piece of printer or drawing paper – not the best surface.  Jo expressed that she had had difficulty making out what she had painted afterwards and had ended up using ink to define the items painted.  Towards the end of the afternoon, after the standard Shadows exercise, we looked at Jo’s paintings and I thought we could tackle one of them as a larger watercolor and make a more realistic painting.

Working a little larger does help.  This time we used watercolor paper (Canson 140lb cold press) – about 12×9″.  I drew a quick value sketch first on a scrap to outline some of the changes that we would make to make the little barrel cacti look more round, and the rocks “rocky”.  The main adjustments were addition of shadows/shading to bring out the shapes of the cacti and rocks.  I suggested a simple blue sky/purple hills/sandy mid-ground behind the cacti in order to make them stand out from it, rather than a green one of a similar tone.  The cacti flowers didn’t come out as well as hoped – I’m not by nature a floral painter and they were a little on the small side to do much more with than a bit of impressionism.

Jo said her husband thought everything she painted was wonderful, but when he came to pick her up after the class and we showed him the before and after, there was no faking those eyebrows shooting skyward.  Here’s the before (on the right! 🙂 ) and the after.

Monday’s cactus painting on the right, and Tuesday’s redo with Absolute Beginners class and a little individual guidance.

Conejo Barn

On Monday I taught my regular class at the Trilogy gated community.  I caught a few students working on the last few stages of their exercises.  They all want to remain anonymous so no faces!  The last one is from one student who took it home and completed it later.

It’s easier to do those wires by painting down, rather than up.

The balloon of knowledge….

Here’s November’s monthly newsletter.  As an addendum, I realize I was actually working on 25 commissions in October.  When do I find time to clean the house?  Oh, wait……