I always admire how you handle the color. If you would take away the blue part in the backround, it could be too harmonious. But this way, it creates a really strong picture and I'm very curious to see the other ones.
I never looked at it that way, Asti. Thank you for opening my eyes to the idea of visualizing this without the turquoise blue. That gets me thinking how near the edge paintings can be to total failure except for a key element. I welcome any criticism you offer, too.
Thank you, Kathy. I respect your input highly. It is an interesting palette - I think I arrived there partly by intuition and partly I may have thought that an intense color, even "behind" as this one is, would function okay with the other strong, but neutral, colors. I loves me some gray, that's for sure.
I love this one - it has everything I like in a landscape - the mood, the color, the meandering path and a sense of time and place combined with a feeling of timelessness, yet so simple.
Katherine, Loriann and Mary Anne - thank you for the kind comments. I take them to heart, because I had probably forgotten much of what I did or thought about this painting, and I have taken a new look at it, now.
I started out with hard Sakura carre pastels (Japan) and made some rudimentary landscapes with broken colors and they were essentially impressionist works. Gradually I began introducing soft pastels-maybe I bought some Schminkes a few at a time at Spokane Art Supply, and then began to collect Unison sets.
After a couple of years (BTW, I started to sell these at a small local outdoor fair that ran all summer - which gave me an idea of how to price and how to set up at fairs. I interacted with veteran fair artists there) I attended a workshop locally and I got an idea of how to present my pastels in a palette- I had no idea whatsoever. I had been using Ersta paper and probably a few watercolor papers at that time.
I was really in the dark! Anyway, I went to another workshop in western WA and I was a total train wreck. I couldn't make an image to save my life. I wanted desperately to keep my own sense of style, and didn't even have one yet. I wanted very much to stay away from realist landscapes, although I had a very long background with the realist figure.
Somehow I found some personal images that worked for me, and around that time I started pouring over Wolf Kahn's books and internalizing them. I told a mentor of mine (lifelong oil painter who is big time in the Seattle area) that I knew nothing about color. So, since I had no idea of what to do with color, and because I had focused on graphite or charcoal figures, it was my idea that I should dive head first into colorist landscapes. That makes sense, doesn't it?
How have I succeeded with this story of mostly self taught art? Probably my background of drawing with the pencil up to 9 hours a day from the age of four helped me to understand the visual plane.
I am still trying to figure out pastels, but I think I am getting a handle on them. Thanks for the question, Jala.
Love it. This painting reminds me to try harder for spontaneous color arrangements. (That for me means be less in my head and more about the active process of painting!) Really inspiring.
This is gorgeous, Casey - lovely turquoise/teal and gray violets beside the earth tones. The composition here leads the eye back very elegantly as well. Glad Jala asked about your experience in learning to use pastels - that was great to read. Wolf Kahn's books continue to be a tremendous inspiration to me, too.
Sometimes Weather
I'm generally not a fan of delicate color, but once again, I'm learning a lot from you. This is exquisite.
ReplyDeleteSimply fantastic!
ReplyDeleteA haiku for you:
ReplyDeleteSometimes weather is
too active. Other times it's
a still-life painting.
I always admire how you handle the color.
ReplyDeleteIf you would take away the blue part in the backround, it could be too harmonious.
But this way, it creates a really strong picture and I'm very curious to see the other ones.
A very unusual, and effective, palette. The turqouise horizontal really works.
ReplyDeleteSam - thanks for the praise.
ReplyDeleteAdebanji - I'm grateful.
Johnnny -
looked intensely
waxing.
I never looked at it that way, Asti. Thank you for opening my eyes to the idea of visualizing this without the turquoise blue. That gets me thinking how near the edge paintings can be to total failure except for a key element. I welcome any criticism you offer, too.
Thank you, Kathy. I respect your input highly. It is an interesting palette - I think I arrived there partly by intuition and partly I may have thought that an intense color, even "behind" as this one is, would function okay with the other strong, but neutral, colors. I loves me some gray, that's for sure.
wow i love this pianting
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laura!
ReplyDeleteI love this one - it has everything I like in a landscape - the mood, the color, the meandering path and a sense of time and place combined with a feeling of timelessness, yet so simple.
ReplyDeleteLove the subtle color arrangement, still it is very clear who is the diva and what is the spotlight. Nice.
ReplyDeleteI looked at this and thought, "He really understands color", and then I read the other comments. I'm not the only one who thinks that! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteKatherine, Loriann and Mary Anne - thank you for the kind comments. I take them to heart, because I had probably forgotten much of what I did or thought about this painting, and I have taken a new look at it, now.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, Casey.
ReplyDeleteThank you, again, Takeyce.
ReplyDeleteA little more delicate than your usual? But lovely of course. Love how that turquoise is so different than the other hues, yet is not overpowering.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Casey, did you ever take any actual lessons in pastel, or just figured it all out as you went along, by yourself? (which is what I'm doing)
ReplyDeleteI started out with hard Sakura carre pastels (Japan) and made some rudimentary landscapes with broken colors and they were essentially impressionist works. Gradually I began introducing soft pastels-maybe I bought some Schminkes a few at a time at Spokane Art Supply, and then began to collect Unison sets.
ReplyDeleteAfter a couple of years (BTW, I started to sell these at a small local outdoor fair that ran all summer - which gave me an idea of how to price and how to set up at fairs. I interacted with veteran fair artists there) I attended a workshop locally and I got an idea of how to present my pastels in a palette- I had no idea whatsoever. I had been using Ersta paper and probably a few watercolor papers at that time.
I was really in the dark! Anyway, I went to another workshop in western WA and I was a total train wreck. I couldn't make an image to save my life. I wanted desperately to keep my own sense of style, and didn't even have one yet. I wanted very much to stay away from realist landscapes, although I had a very long background with the realist figure.
Somehow I found some personal images that worked for me, and around that time I started pouring over Wolf Kahn's books and internalizing them. I told a mentor of mine (lifelong oil painter who is big time in the Seattle area) that I knew nothing about color. So, since I had no idea of what to do with color, and because I had focused on graphite or charcoal figures, it was my idea that I should dive head first into colorist landscapes. That makes sense, doesn't it?
How have I succeeded with this story of mostly self taught art? Probably my background of drawing with the pencil up to 9 hours a day from the age of four helped me to understand the visual plane.
I am still trying to figure out pastels, but I think I am getting a handle on them. Thanks for the question, Jala.
Yours, KC.
Love it. This painting reminds me to try harder for spontaneous color arrangements. (That for me means be less in my head and more about the active process of painting!) Really inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThis is gorgeous, Casey - lovely turquoise/teal and gray violets beside the earth tones. The composition here leads the eye back very elegantly as well. Glad Jala asked about your experience in learning to use pastels - that was great to read. Wolf Kahn's books continue to be a tremendous inspiration to me, too.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see your comments, Diane. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks, too, Brian. I had a good time writing that - it's interesting how the short space of comments helps to shorten a long story.