Erik Satie Sounds Good in the Studio

Time Runs Out Today on the Pre-Sale

Pre-Sale

Available Works

Thanks to my readership for your attention and purchases!

Medium Works Monday

Red & Violet Corner River

9.75" x 9"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

$550

Music and Fields

8" x 12"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

$600

Here are a few more of my medium-size, framed works for sale.  Wednesday, I take them to Spokane, and they will no longer be available online.

My currently available works are also posted at this blog.

Colorist Methods - My Thoughts On The Subject Of Color

RYB

There has been some call for me to reveal my opinions on the use of color.  When I demonstrate in person, students invariably wants to know why I pick each color as I work.  This series of posts will be my attempt to draw back the curtain on my ideas about color.  


After perhaps six, or maybe ten, of these posts, there will be some organization to what I am saying. For now, I'll just write things down as they occur to me.

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  Color choice is a very personal thing.  I mean that in both intention and in talent.  You have your own color sense, and it is up to you to let it reveal itself.  Choose the color you want.  WANT!


  Kandinsky got it wrong when he assigned meanings to color.  That is, I think that the artist's job is to make the patron see his, meaning the artist's, own meanings. One should not pander to perceived ideas of what colors may mean to the viewer.


...umber comes from the earth already umber.




  I use the RYB color theory.  Red, yellow, and blue.  The reason I do is that I am not submitting my artwork to the printing press or the camera, at least not at the conceptual stage.  I will become involved in color mixing, and the RYB color space works well for this.


  In thinking about color theory, and in spite of the fact that I use the "old school" RYB method, I do think in terms of modern, or contemporary, color.  That is to say, we have the fattest color array available today.  Raphael would have given his left arm to work with this many colors.


  I begin with the hue.  More on this later, when I lay out for you my own theories on what is most important in approaching color.  By the way, I hope you are arguing with me about these things.


  A Color Solid is a fun and useful tool, also.  I have seen it used with the Munsell theory, so I just make adjustments in my head to see it my way.  Someday I will construct a Color Solid as I see it.


  Just because you know that color theory has evolved over time, does not make you "right" in your opinions about color theory.  It does reveal that opinions are subjective.  I need to focus on what works, and my tools are laid out before me.  It is important for the artist to know how to mix a brown he likes, but please also realize that umber comes from the earth already umber.


Homework:


Robert Gamblin has a great video about his Color Space theories.  I differ in that I think of each hue as a two-part system named by its color, but not by its temperature.  More on that later.  I say, "blue-red" and "yellow-red," not cool or warm red.






  

An Artist In Winter

Casey Klahn at Work

Please go here to see all of my available works at once.

More Medium Size Works

Green Grass Landscape

7.6" x 9.5"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

$450

l

Orchard Grass

5" x 6.5"

Pastel & Charcoal

Casey Klahn

$250

Sold

As priced, plus shipping and tax.

Medium-Size Works in Black Frames

Mystery

Pastel & Charcoal

7" x 9.2"

Casey Klahn

$450

Today I will begin posting medium-size pastel works.  The past few posts were large works that are available for purchase.  This sale will end by the 29th., because many of the pastels will be on exhibit in Spokane.  Actually, wait a minute.  Probably only half of my inventory will be there, so I will re-tool and update so you can still shop here.  Thanks!

Big Works on Black Friday

Fluid Corner

19.5" x 13.75"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

$1900

Up Country Pines

11" x 17.9"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

$1400

These large works are available.  Contact me by e-mail.  How to purchase.

Progressive Post - An Exciting Online Event Today!

Shadow River Framed

This is a photo of the large (11" x 19") pastel I posted yesterday, in the frame.  It is available (inquire here) for $1,400. Shipping and tax extra.

Today, I will be posting all of the medium and large-sized framed pieces that are available through my studio.  Sort of a progressive post, so stay tuned.  I will update this very post, and as that gets longer, I will add posts. This may produce new listings for the same post on your feeds, and for that, I apologize.  But, it sounds like too much fun to avoid.

Tomorrow and thereafter, I will post more small works that are available.  The previously available works, starting at $75, are posted as follows:

Neutral Corner.

Spokane Valley.

Violet & Green Dusk and Folded Pine.

New Large Artwork - Happy Thansgiving

Shadow River

11" x 19"

Pastel & Charcoal

Casey Klahn

Thanksgiving blessings to all.  

Small Pastels in Black Frames at $75

Folded Pine, 3.5 " x 3.6", Pastel, Casey Klahn

Violet & Green Dusk, 3.5" x 3.6", Pastel, Casey Klahn

$75 each, plus tax and shipping.  How to buy. 


Available.

Contemporary Framing.

The Incredible Science of Art Restoration

VVV

Because new technologies are revealing tremendous things in the art world, I wanted to post this amazing video showing the slow revelation of Leonardo da Vinci's painting, Salvator Mundi, through the restoration process.


Re-posted below is a blog by The Colorist which is receiving some attention on the Interwebs.  

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Salvator Mundi,  Leonardo da Vinci

o/p, 25 13/16" X 17 7/8 "

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Salvator Mundi, c. 1500 Oil on walnut panel, 25 13/16 X 17 7/8 inches (65.6 X 45.4 cm) (C) 2011 Salvator Mundi llc. (PRNewsFoto/Robert Simon, Tim Nighswander)

This post originally published May, 2011.

Although he has been safely dead for 492 years, Leonardo da Vinci continues to make headlines.  Arguably the greatest polymath ever, Leonardo is never uninteresting.

Is it possible that da Vinci painted an image titled Salvator Mundi, and that this has only now come to light?  News reports say that experts have re-attributed this painting to the master, whereas before it was said to have been created by one of da Vinci's students.  Incredibly, this would be only the fifteenth known painting by da Vinci that exists.  Unless, of course, somebody un-crates another one somewhere. 


Dan Brown!  Paging Mr. Dan Brown!


PR Web Press
Lairweb - best report.
h/t Vanderleun

The Colorist

Pre-Sale of Small Works

l
Spokane Valley

4" x 6" 

Pastel

Casey Klahn

Sold.

Painted Gold Frame, measures 9" x 11".

This pastel, framed, is on a "buy now" basis - no auction.  Just e-mail me to purchase.  $145, plus $20 shipping, and tax will be added.


Yesterday's auction.

Pre-Sale of New Works, Bids Accepted

 Neutral Corner

5" x 5.5"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

()

Sold

This pastel is now ready for the pre-sale of new works.  By December, these will be on exhibit in Spokane, and no longer available here.  I will post more works soon.


Bids will begin at $165.00 plus $20 US Shipping.  Tax will be added.  Just e-mail - refer to my sales page here at The Colorist for the address, and enter the subject line "Neutral Corner" and offer your bid. The bidding will close Monday, 28 Nov.  The winning bid amount only will be announced.


As I continue to frame, post, and offer new images, there will be a mix of offers.  Some will be available unframed, some framed and available by auction, and there will be some available to "buy now," as priced.

I Saw You

I Saw You

Small

Pastel

Casey Klahn

Raining in this picture.  Eric Satie knows the feeling, and expresses it in the video.

Not Available.

Neutral Area

Neutral Corner

5" x 5.5"

Pastel

Casey Klahn

This is one of endless variations done from one seed image, with a twist.  This is the formal photo - I posted a poor photo of it elsewhere a couple weeks ago.

Available. 

Inventory is a Never-Ending Task

Inventory is a Never-Ending Task

Don't get me wrong.  I am blessed to have a big studio, with several rooms and lots of organizational space.  But it isn't perfect, yet.  I very much need one of those framed artwork organizers, so I can access what I have when needed.

There is an upcoming exhibit in Spokane (more on that later) and I am having a grand time framing small works to fill out the display of pastels that will be shown.  If I can get organized really well, I may open up the sale to include my readers here at The Colorist.  No promises, but it would be nice to sell a few before they even get to the framing stage, as I probably have more than I need for this show.  

One recurring problem for me is to discover framed works that never got photographed.  It is possible to get a picture through the glass, and I may have to resort to that for two of my works that I found today.  The photo shown is of a pastel titled, "Public Works Road."  It is of an actual place, rather than the imagination.  But, no record of it exists!  

In all of my spare time ;) I may get these formally recorded and posted here soon.  I am certainly feeling the holidays coming on, with fresh snow on the ground.  Look for snow pics soon, too.

Cheers!

The Rest of the Story - The Little Dancer

X-Ray of The Little Dancer, Degas.

By National Gallery of Art, Washington DC (ArtDaily.org) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Subjective Subjects

Some of the content of this post was brought forward from a previous tips post, and updated with new material.  Also published at pastelsblog.blogspot in December, 2010.

It was interesting to see a great pastel artist list his focus on a narrow range of subjects in a book I read recently. The book is a dated one by Albert Handell: Pastel Painting Workshop. He likes the Southwestern landscape with arroyos and pueblo-style structures. He does trees, rock boulders and waterways. In his figurative work, he likes vignettes and portraits.

Why be narrow in subject matter?

It is good to be aware of what your subject matter is before you go off to the field to paint on site. Why be narrow in subject matter? My own feelings are that you may delve into a subject as deeply as you wish, and may never run out of inspiration. If your goal is to "draw things", then you may wish to pursue every possible subject one after the other. But, if you are wanting to produce paintings with depth and with good technique, then limiting yourself to a handful of subjects will provide you a greater opportunity for depth.

Limiting your subject matter will put you in good company.

Limiting your subject matter will put you in good company. Van Gogh stayed with agricultural landscapes in France that revolved around trees, waterways, fields, buildings and bridges. He did portraits and still lifes, but he stayed with common themes. Degas stayed with interior and theatrical figures, such as orchestras, singers and ballerinas. He did nudes at the bath. He also liked the horse track, and some industrial interiors. Daniel Greene stays with the portrait, but in his figurative work he focuses on painting his wife, artist Wende Caporale, in the New York subway with tile mosaic backgrounds. Of course, he does other works, but his series work is a method of staying focused. Harvey Dinnerstein does self portraits where he is painting bare chested, and Andrew Wyeth stayed on the Helga series for a number of years. His Helga series kept true to his own ouevre of rural interiors and moods.

Limiting my subject matter helps tremendously in finding compositions.

My own oeuvre features trees, forests, rivers and the prairie.  Sometimes rural buildings are featured, and rarely do I bring in the sky, horizons or light.  It's interesting to think of what I purposefully omit.  The horizon is too much landscape - too boilerplate.  Light is not much of a part of my environment, especially where I grew up on the Washington coast.  The sky is better left alone, unless to add a pushing or pulling event, or to set the color concord. 

Motivational Poster

Somebody asked me to make these motivational posters available for sale - I think it was on Facebook.  I am considering it, and they aren't all as self-promoting as this one.  There are lots of projects like this on the back-burner for wintertime, and since we now have the first snow, they will be moved forward.  Some of these (surprise) projects are very exciting, and I hope I can get even half of them done.

Autumnal van Gogh Landscaping

This post is a response to:

Art of the Landscape - van Gogh.

Memorial Videos On Veteran's Day 11-11-2011

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Salvator Mundi

@@@

Salvator Mundi,  Leonardo da Vinci

o/p, 25 13/16" X 17 7/8 "

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Salvator Mundi, c. 1500 Oil on walnut panel, 25 13/16 X 17 7/8 inches (65.6 X 45.4 cm) (C) 2011 Salvator Mundi llc. (PRNewsFoto/Robert Simon, Tim Nighswander)

This post originally published May, 2011.

Although he has been safely dead for 492 years, Leonardo da Vinci continues to make headlines.  Arguably the greatest polymath ever, Leonardo is never uninteresting.

Is it possible that da Vinci painted an image titled Salvator Mundi, and that this has only now come to light?  News reports say that experts have re-attributed this painting to the master, whereas before it was said to have been created by one of da Vinci's students.  Incredibly, this would be only the fifteenth known painting by da Vinci that exists.  Unless, of course, somebody un-crates another one somewhere. 


Dan Brown!  Paging Mr. Dan Brown!


PR Web Press
Lairweb - best report.
h/t Vanderleun

The Colorist

Demonstration in Oakland, CA

Here is a photo report on last weekend's See Differently workshop.  I, personally, had a great time and there was growth for all in one form or another. I tried to treat each artist individually, and was challenged by the high experience level of my wonderful students.

My workshops are meant to provide breakthrough growth opportunities, and that means hard work.  You will paint hard, think hard and maybe learn to understand your own art a little better as a result of this challenging two day class.  

Host Jon Larson asked me to throw a workshop in the Bay Area.  It took me three years to finally do it.

My second demo.  Re-purposing a "failed" artwork.

Kris, Robin and Linda at show and tell.  Linda Schweitzer has an art blog linked at the bottom of this post.

Robin changed one little thing at the end and was energized by the results.  Responsive painting  can be a valuable technique.

Kris graced us with this bell pepper as a result of a Notan type exercise.  Bravo, Kris!

Set up to demonstrate in Oakland - I just put that there to see what Google does with it.

Slipper was disinterested in the art, but happy nonetheless.

Back home in cold Washington State - happy to complete a  great workshop.

Workshops.

Linda Schweitzer.