Pear Study-Workshop5

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Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on February 12, 2012 at 1:36

Barb, they are actually Bartlett pears and they are ripe, but I just did not get the color right, so they look like Russet potatoes. Stu

Comment by Barbara Sawyer on February 11, 2012 at 18:56

Wow Stu  think  they may  be  just a bit over ripe  the  shape is good     Think they need a bit  more warm and  more  golden with a green   tinge   Maybe a highlight  in center  would help    Or maybe  it is a Bosch pear  they are   brownish 

 .    

Comment by Nancy Sands on January 27, 2012 at 20:12

Yes, every assignment seems to push us out of our comfort zones. There are so many good qualities in your pears. They could use more color which is something that is really fun to practice. I had a brilliant art teacher who always said that color is soooo seductive. She used to make us gray down most of our paintings except in the center of interest. That was where we could live it up with strong color. When I look at my landscapes, I realize that I'm not really following that edict. The book by David Curtis sounds like one I will definitely purchase. I have not done any paintings with figures. I haven't had the time with the holidays...and think I am a bit apprehensive. Maybe you are giving me the push I need.
You made a light box? I just got a corrugated box and cut off the front and top. The light was never right, and surrounding light crept in. Your's sounds perfect. Were you also able to place a strong light inside to get those deep shadows? I couldn't do that either. what did you make your box out of?
Thanks again. I'm going to look up David Curtis now. Maybe that will get me painting those figures. Talk about getting out of my comfort zone...
Nancy

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on January 27, 2012 at 19:29

Nancy, thanks for your compliments. Like I told Jane, these do kind of look like potatoes. Bartlett pears really do have more color than this. I did get pretty good color harmony and my brushstrokes were better than usual and my values are fine. But the color still is way off. I think I will do fine painting a pear, some grapes, and a white jug; I just really need to use bolder color. When I was first getting back into oils about 12 years ago, I painted a slew of still lifes for practice, but now I mainly painted landscapes. I did get my light box made, so it's real easy for me to set up a still life. Besides making all the painting friends, these competitions are good for me because they push me out side of my comfort zone. Have you tried any figures in your landscapes yet? You said you wanted to and that you were going to try. I just finished reading a fabulous book by a terrific artist from the UK, David Curtis. The book is "Painting with Impact". His loose and painterly style in oils and watercolors reminds me of work by Sorolla and by John Singer Sargent. The book is all about the story of the picture or it's "poetry" and involves simplification and careful design and placement of shapes to give a strong composition. He uses a lot of grays and very selective saturated colors with very carefully placed figures to make fascinating paintings of everyday scenes. Really a very nice book. His website has some short videos from his DVDs that compliment his books. Thanks again. Stu

Comment by Nancy Sands on January 27, 2012 at 18:36

Stu, I think you are being too hard on yourself. I really like your strong light and shadows and your bold brush strokes. The gray scale painting Is really strong. I think my favorite of the ten minute paintings is the third one with the red violet background. With it's loose brush work, it is rendered so that it's roundness give the feeling that it could be picked up and eaten. I will be anxious to see what you do with the next still life assignment.

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on January 27, 2012 at 17:07

Jane, these are Bartlett pears and I let them sit around a little too long making my light box, but I also used too dull a yellow to paint them.  Yes, the paint is a lot thicker than my usual, and even with the alkyd medium took several days to dry.  They really do look like potatoes, but my brushstrokes were better than my last workshop where Richard told me I was a bit of a "dab hand".   I called that my "bedrock" style (Fred Flintstones "abba, dabba, do") but Richard may not know who the Flintstones were.  Anyway, I need a lot more practice on this stuff and have a nice Larry Seiler's light box to work on my still lifes.  Oh, my other pears were a D'Anjou, a Concorde, on a Bosc pear--none of them are very colorful either.  I think I'll paint the three of them as "Les Trois Muskepears" (D'Anjou, Concord, et Bosc) since they kind of look the same but different shapes--long neck, fat neck and no neck.  I'll post it if I do.  Keep your paint thick!   Stu

Comment by Jane Albin on January 27, 2012 at 13:21

Stu,  I think you took a potato and stuck a stem in it.  What kind of pears are these?  Really, they are wonderfully rendered.  Looks like you are using a bit more paint too.  Nice work!  

(But I think you should have gotten a more colorful pear. )   ;)  Jane

Comment by Ningning Li on January 27, 2012 at 7:59

 Thank you very much for sharing with me your interesting  experences. I will as you said try my best to find time and keep up my good work.

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on January 27, 2012 at 4:47

Li, I have been painting for many years, only started showing my work about 5 years ago, and sold paintings from the first showing.  Your work is good enough to sell and you should.  My philosophy is that if someone else likes my work well enough to buy it from me then they have given me a great compliment.  Also, if I really like the painting and then sell it, I can paint an even better painting from the same reference material the next time.  I am only a part time artist (I am a general surgeon), but get great enjoyment and relaxation from painting.  You are doing the right thing in exhibiting your work and networking with other artists and constantly trying to improve your work.  I also show my work in the Cancer Center at the hospital that I work in and have donated paintings to the employee association for fundraising raffles.  I have sold some of the paintings that I show there, even though I never put prices on them or promote them; they are for the enjoyment of the patients in the Cancer Center and the hospital employees.    Keep up your good work.   Stu

Comment by Ningning Li on January 27, 2012 at 4:33

Thank you again for your valuable information.  Your non-workshop paintings also are excellent. I think that is because we painted them in our comfortable zoon. When I learn some new tricks I foregot to take care of other things , therefore my new try will looks awkward. But if I try more times then it will become my habit. And I will have wisdem to banlance it with other elements. I do not have a lot of time for painting but I will do my best to improve and show you more. I am very happy that you like my paintings. I never exhibit or sell them. My husband do not like that I gave away a lot paintings. He want me to exhibit and sell them. He said a painting will not be an art if you do not sell it. Interesting, isn't it. I am going to join an exhibitation with other painters in May.  This will be my first one. It is ok, let more people enjoy an art from heart is better than keep them in the service room.

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