I came to art later in life with the hopes of diverting my attention from work to something creative. As a child I drew and desired to someday get back into it. When I turned forty-seven, I was fortunate to have landed in Loveland Colorado which has a thriving art community. I joined an art group with good instructors.
My first group painted live portraits. My instructor said if you can paint portrait, you can paint other forms of art as well. I believed her and struck out with easel and a 16x20 white canvas to a local open space. The first time out I fell flat on my face. Painting landscapes was very challenging.
I painted outdoors for two years before getting comfortable with the process and noticed my work getting better. With practice, workshops and classes I became familiar with a foundation process which 20 years later I still basically use. I start with compositions that are balanced. I would mull over Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting as well as Edgar Pane’s Composition of Outdoor Paintings. In addition to these worthy masters, I needed to get myself outside and do field sketches, go back to the studio, and develop paintings.
Developing skills is also worth mentioning. Having artist friends and being paint of an art group was important to my development. Being with others and challenging ourselves to get better paid off. Painting alone, day after day, is a bummer for me.
I have had good teachers tell me to take a sketchbook along and figure out composition on paper first. They are entirely right, but I don’t do it--unless I am teaching students to develop good habits. Instead, I do my line drawings on the canvas. I use thin oil washes, which can be erased with a paper towel until the foundation drawing looks balanced and complete. Changing the shapes at this stage is a lot easier now than later. This foundation step is crucial in starting out on the right platform.
The first time I went outside to paint I was overwhelmed with so much information coming at me. I had to learn to step back and bring form out of chaos--I needed to simplify first and detail later. These things help: squint when you need to come up with a competing value mixture to fill in the foundation shapes. Start with the thin mixtures and leave the heavy applications until later. Fill the entire canvas with these thin value colors.Time to step back and see if everything is where it should be.
Next, using heavier applications of paint, it’s time to move into colors, values, and edges to better define the story and beauty of each unique painting. To describe this phase of the painting I use the term “balance phase” and the best way to find out how to balance is to watch my videos.
After creating balance and meaning from the previous steps, it's time to address details. Details are a easier than you expect when the whole foundation is laid out before you. (I find it's easier to finish when I don’t overdo the details.) Next: Give it a rest. Come back the next day--if something is really bothering you, change it. Take time to enjoy your work before sending it off to a gallery or giving it to your mother-in-law.