Monday 28 February 2011





Course work: Ongoing Project 3 work.



Reading and theoretical studies:



Albert Kostenevitch The Nabis

Parkstone Press International, New York, 2009

Pp. 70-119



Sketchbook work: In my pocket sketchbook, part of a tangle of vines. These remind me somewhat of Celtic knots.

Time today:1 hour 13 minutes

Sunday 27 February 2011





Course work: Continuing work on Project Three. Today I put a dark wash over my background to push it further into the background, and lightened the table upon which my plant it sitting to help bring it forward. I made a few other color adjustments as well.



Reading and theoretical studies:



E.H. Gombrich, The Story of Art

Phaidon Press Limited, Oxford 1978

Pp. 325-341



Sketchbook work: A pile of small cardboard boxes, almost a “found” piece, requiring only offsetting the boxes to be a sketchable subject.

Weekly reflections on learning experience: I missed three days of work this week because of a distant doctor’s appointment followed by ongoing travel to visit relatives. My effort for the days I was home was fairly satisfactory. I continue to struggle with the peculiarities of acrylics: each time I think that I have gained a little ground I discover a new and more complex problem, correctable only by painting over with opaque paint and starting afresh. This week’s museum visit allowed me to see original work by several fin-de-siècle and early 20th-century artists; I am always surprised by how different the original work seems from book illustrations and computer images.



Time today: 1 hour 43 minutes

Saturday 26 February 2011




Course work: Further work on Project 3: Painting a Flower or Plant.



Reading and theoretical studies:



Albert Kostenevitch The Nabis

Parkstone Press International, New York, 2009

Pp. 36-69



Sketchbook work: In my pocket sketchbook, a little scribble of one of the cats nestled against my foot. In my ~A4 sketchbook, I randomly brushed cerulean blue onto the page, let it dry, then looked for an image in the brush marks. What I discovered was a bear-like animal fighting a hurricane: I developed it a bit with charcoal and white pastel. This proved to be an interesting experiment: I plan to repeat it.

Time today: 1 hour 40 minutes

Wednesday 23 February 2011




(A museum visit to the High Museum in Atlanta, reported separately.)



Reading and theoretical studies:



Butler, Christopher Postmodernism

Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2002

Pp. 1-21



Time today: 27 minutes

Tuesday 22 February 2011




Course work: Continued work on Project Three.



Reading and theoretical studies:



Albert Kostenevitch The Nabis

Parkstone Press International, New York, 2009

Pp. 8-35



Sketchbook work: A pages of studies of my coffee cup, an exercise that proved more interesting than I had expected.

Time today:1 hour 24 minutes

Monday 21 February 2011




Course work: work on Project 3: Painting a Flower or Plant. A progress photo:

Reading and theoretical studies:



Sarah Simblett The Drawing Book

Dorling Kindersley, London, 2004

Pp. 155-173



Sketchbook work: A drapery sketch in pencil. I need lots of practice on these.

Time today: 1 hour 25 minutes

Sunday 20 February 2011




Course work: Continued work on Project 3: Painting a Flower or Plant.



Reading and theoretical studies:



E.H. Gombrich, The Story of Art

Phaidon Press Limited, Oxford 1978

Pp. 301-324



Sketchbook work: In my pocket sketchbook, two turkey vultures silhouetted against the light, quickly sketched in pencil using binoculars, then inked in later.

Weekly reflections on learning experience: This has been a fairly successful week: I did lose a day owing to a broken water-pipe in a wall, but was otherwise able to get adequate course-work done on each day. I think that I am beginning to work a little more comfortably

with acrylics, although I doubt that I shall ever come to love them.



Time today: 1 hour 57 minutes

Saturday 19 February 2011




Course work: Further work on the background for Project 3: Painting a Flower or Plant, using the color mixtures of 16 February.



Reading and theoretical studies:



Douglas Cooper Toulouse-Lautrec

Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 2004

Pp. 86-126

(Toulouse-Lautrec was an interesting painter, draughtsman, and lithographer who died too soon: one wonders what he would have accomplished had he lived another thirty years. It is also interesting to speculate on whether his handicaps contributed to his work or deterred it. This





book has a reasonable amount of text to give an introduction to the painter, and a nice collection of full-page full color plates.)



Sketchbook work: Four small sketches of the changing shadows on a pile of builder’s sand, seen as the day progressed.

Time today: 1 hour 54 minutes

Friday 18 February 2011




Course work: Mixed cadmium yellow light with touches of ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson to produce a serviceable substitute for yellow ochre, then used this mixture with white and cadmium yellow light to start adding some tone to the armchair.





Reading and theoretical studies:



Phil Metzger The Art of Perspective

North Light Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 2007

Pp. 176-201

(The author starts at the beginning and works his way through the entire corpus of perspective. Abundant illustrations, step-by-step procedures, and clear explanations make this an excellent text for the student interest in understanding perspective.)



Douglas Cooper Toulouse-Lautrec

Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 2004

Pp. 60-84





Sketchbook work: In my pocket sketchbook, a tiny (4mm) flower, the first harbinger of approaching spring in our area, usually about five weeks before the last frost.

Time today: 1 hour 42 minutes

Thursday 17 February 2011






Course work: Additional work on the background books for Project 3: Painting a Flower or Plant, using various mixed colors as before; I can tell that I will be busy at this for some time.





Reading and theoretical studies:



Sarah Simblett The Drawing Book

Dorling Kindersley, London, 2004

Pp. 131-153





Sketchbook work: Daubed some leftover acrylic paint onto a sketchbook page, and then sketched an oak worn by age and weather. The technique seems interesting, and worthy of further experimentation to see how differing colors affect similar subjects, and similar colors affect differing subjects.

Time today: 2 hours 13 minutes

Wednesday 16 February 2011




Course work: After some preliminary sketchbook work, I started painting the top row of books, using various mixtures of cadmium red, ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow, black, and white.



Reading and theoretical studies:



Douglas Cooper Toulouse-Lautrec

Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 2004

Pp. 38-59



Sketchbook work: Some further sketches of books on shelves in preparation for the background work in Project 3: Painting a Flower or Plant.

Time today: 2 hours 7 minutes

Monday 14 February 2011




Course work: Started painting Project 3: Painting a Flower or Plant. Used cadmium yellow as an underlayer for the chair, and various mixtures of cadmium yellow and ultramarine blue as provisional colors for the leaves on the plant. I think that I should paint the background next.





Reading and theoretical studies:



E.H. Gombrich, The Story of Art

Phaidon Press Limited, Oxford 1978

Pp. 277-300



Sketchbook work: Some pencil studies of books on a shelf, in preparation for the background work in the painting.

Time today: One hour 30 minutes (101h17m)

Sunday 13 February 2011




Course work: Did most of the underdrawing for the full-size painting for Project 3: Painting a Flower or Plant. I made a few small design changes as a result of having worked through the preliminary studies.



Reading and theoretical studies:



Phil Metzger The Art of Perspective

North Light Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 2007

Pp. 146-173



Sketchbook work: An attempt at capturing a chair using only twenty lines.

Weekly reflections on learning experience: This has been a better week: I have come near to fulfilling my week’s objectives.



Time today:1 hour 5 minutes

Saturday 12 February 2011




Course work: A color study for Project 3: Painting a Flower or Plant. I simplified the plant a bit for purposes of the study, and used a sheet of paper cut to 15 x30 cm. The study was done fairly roughly, in a little over two hours. This study was very helpful for planning purposes, as it revealed some problems that were not apparent in the preliminary charcoal sketch, and enabled me to try out a few design changes, one of which (making the flowerpot vertical instead of tapered) proved unsuccessful; it makes the pot look bottom-heavy.

Reading and theoretical studies:



E. H. Gombrich Art and Illusion (11th Printing)

Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, 1969

Pp. 367-396

(This volume originated from a series of lectures given in 1956, and it still has more of the flavor of speech than of writing. Primarily an extended rumination on the psychology of drawing and painting, there is much to be thought about here. The occasional introduction of psychological hypotheses now known to be incorrect does not detract from the text. One significant weakness is the illustrations, which are small and mostly black and white. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in why artists do the things that they do, and who is willing to take the time necessary to work through it.)



Sketchbook work: A little cartoon strip about the difficulties of creativity.

Time today: Two hours 39 minutes (98h42m)

Friday 11 February 2011





Course work: Today I moved my peripatetic Sanseveiria to the top of a filing cabinet, giving me a view from beneath for my third preliminary study. This, together with looking out one door and partially into another, is fairly interesting, but perhaps a little “gimmicky.” I think that I prefer the first setup, and will try a color study based upon it.

Reading and theoretical studies:



Douglas Cooper Toulouse-Lautrec

Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 2004

Pp. 9-37



Sketchbook work: Some foreshortening practice using a manikin.

Time today: 1 hour 29 minutes

Thursday 10 February 2011





Course work: A second sketch of the potted plant, on a rectangular table by another arm chair. I abandoned this one fairly early, having concluded that the front-lighting was less than optimal, and that the lamp and the chair had become the dominant features, rather than the plant. If I wanted to use this location, I think that I would have to work after dark, light it from the left, and work closer to the subject in order to increase the prominence of the plant.

Reading and theoretical studies:



E. H. Gombrich Art and Illusion (11th Printing)

Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, 1969

Pp. 350-366



Sketchbook work: Some preliminary attempts at depicting coloration of the Sanseveiria with acrylics.

Time today: 62 minutes

Wednesday 9 February 2011





Course work: Selected a Sanseveiria as the plant subject for Project 3: Painting a Flower or Plant. This plant has the advantages of durability, slow growth, and a shape compatible the vertical format required for this project. The first preparatory charcoal sketch was done with the plant on a small table near an armchair in front of a bookcase.

Reading and theoretical studies:



E. H. Gombrich Art and Illusion (11th Printing)

Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, 1969

Pp. 330-349



Sketchbook work: A caricature self-portrait.

Time today: 1 hour 8 minutes

Tuesday 8 February 2011




Course work: Further work on the second attempt at an apple for Stage Two of Project Two: Solidity. I think that I am about done now: this apple appear much more solid than my first attempt. I’ll start work on the next project, and look at this again in a day or so, to see if any further correction is needed.

Reading and theoretical studies:



Cynthia Freeland Art Theory

Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2001

Pp. 122-140

(This is a brief, densely-written introduction to art theory; it probably contains about as much information about this nebulous subject as anybody really needs. I have read other books on the subject but found little in any of them except unsupported opinion, usually tainted by the author’s personal political beliefs. This volume is no different.)





Sketchbook work: A page of small charcoal sketches of reflective metal objects found in a bathroom.

Time today: 1 hour 30 minutes (92h22m)

Monday 7 February 2011




Course work: Work continues on the second apple for Stage Two of Project Two: Solidity, with most of today’s effort on the background.



Reading and theoretical studies:



Phil Metzger The Art of Perspective

North Light Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 2007

Pp. 117-145



Sketchbook work: A carbon-pencil sketch of a reproduction statuette of an Egyptian cat goddess, fairly strongly backlit.

Time today: 2 hours 16 minutes

Sunday 6 February 2011




Weekly reflections on learning experience: This week’s effort was significantly better than most recent weeks. I feel that I am beginning to grasp just an inkling of how to make acrylics function. My studies of artiest recommended by my tutor progress, along with additional course-recommended and self-guided study. Sketchbook work has been somewhat better.

Saturday 5 February 2011






Course work: Work on the second apple for Stage Two of Project Two: Solidity. I am beginning to like it, an indication that I should use caution as I progress further.



Reading and theoretical studies:



Antoine Terrasse Bonnard: The Colour of Daily Life


Thames & Hudson, London, 2000

Pp. 92-111

(A small, but useful introduction to Bonnard’s work. Numerous reproductions of paintings are included, and all are printed in color, essential to the appreciation of Bonnard. The writing is sometimes a bit florid, but this can be overlooked.)





Sketchbook work: A second attempt at an acrylic sketch of trees reflected in a frozen pond, which comes somewhat closer to my objective, and gives me a point of departure should I decide to pursue this subject further.

Time today: 1 hour 5 minutes

Friday 4 February 2011




Course work: Some additional work on the second apple for Stage Two of Project Two: Solidity.



Reading and theoretical studies:



Antoine Terrasse Bonnard: The Colour of Daily Life

Thames & Hudson, London, 2000

Pp. 60-91





Sketchbook work: A quick charcoal sketch of the trees reflecting in a frozen pond. I am better satisfied with this than with yesterday’s effort, probably because I find charcoal easier to manipulate than acrylics.

Time today: 1 hour 8 minutes

Thursday 3 February 2011





Course work: Continuing work on the second apple for Stage Two of Project Two: Solidity. An interim step:

Reading and theoretical studies:



Antoine Terrasse Bonnard: The Colour of Daily Life

Thames & Hudson, London, 2000

Pp. 27-59



Sketchbook work: An unsuccessful attempt at capturing the reflections of tree trunks on ice, using two acrylic colors. I think that I would have done better to apply the base coat, let it dry, and then apply a thinner layer for the trees. I’ll try this soon.

Time today: 1hour 18 minutes

Wednesday 2 February 2011




Course work: Further work on the second apple for Stage Two of Project Two: Solidity.



Reading and theoretical studies:



Cynthia Freeland Art Theory

Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2001

Pp. 107-121



Sketchbook work: In my pocket sketchbook, a hawk’s feather.

Time today: 1 hour 3 minutes

Tuesday 1 February 2011





Course work: Started painting the second apple for Stage Two of Project Two: Solidity.



Reading and theoretical studies:



Antoine Terrasse Bonnard: The Colour of Daily Life

Thames & Hudson, London, 2000

Pp. 13-26



Sketchbook work: A colored pencil sketch based on a portion of a Matisse painting (Laurette in a Green Dress), a pose roughly comparable to the sketch after Bonnard that I did recently. Both artists used a highly simplified method of facial construction, but that of Matisse was almost comparable to an African mask (perhaps unsurprising, as such masks were exciting a good deal of interest among artists of the era).

Time today: 2 hours 36 minutes