I grew up in central California, practically right in the middle of the state where those who lived there were surrounded by fields of alfalfa and cotton, walnut orchards and fruit trees. In the distance was the Sierra Nevada, softly blue, lying in her majesty, and where my family drove to camp outdoors many times. These 54 squares state my thoughts and love for California, the rich, loamy soil, redwood trees and occasional painted skies, my home.
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I changed very little this time. At this point in the process, one cannot work too quickly. One cannot force it. All I did was add paint to the gessoed areas from last session. I added Viridian and Alizarin/Yellow Ochre to the vertical strip and a Magenta/Yellow Ochre/Alizarin to the bottom right spot. So far, I feel that the painting may be going in a better direction. I look at it and still ponder if it will be transported into a work that I really love.
I promised that I would write about what it means to "trust the process". For me, it means to go back to what I know is true. Review the teachings that I follow every time I stand before my canvas or sketch pad. It has to do with how I mix my color, and the way that I place certain colors in a composition, varying as much as possible while keeping it harmonious. Occasionally it means keeping some areas quiet, even though it would look so attractive to show off a couple of colors that look smashing together. So many times I just don't know, and it is hard to see the next step. From time to time I even build the composition intuitively as I go and feel quite insecure until, once again I ask myself these questions: What am I trying to say? How can I best show that concept? What do I already know to be true? These questions offer the road to my authenticity and the final outcome of a painting. Now that I am progressing further into the painting I am challenged to make the top and bottom of the painting relate better to each other. Quite honestly, I am scratching my head, as I was believing from past experience that it would come together more easily. I will figure it out in time.
As you can see below, I sanded and painted gesso on a couple of the blocks that did not look right to me. The bottom right block was too dark, and the 4 blocks running together were too bright, and inconsistent with the painting. And lastly, I painted the block to the right of the central turquoise a soft, Tuscan tone. It adds warmth to that row and more separation to the white and turquoise block above it. Nearly every painting comes to this place of question marks. What do I do to make this work? The harder I think about it, the more the answer evades me. I stop and remind myself how often I have been in this spot, and how, if I trust the process, I will find it. Just what is this place in the process? Hmmm. To say it in words will take some drafts. I'll work on it and present it as best I can in the next blog. Continuing my work on this California themed painting, I am excited to make it a few steps further!
I am currently rewriting my artist materials, my artist statement, bio, etc. It has been a great help for me to make use of a fabulous book, Art Write, by Vicki Krohn Amorose. Vicki helps the artist take the necessary steps of describing what we do as artists, breaking down the information into individual, succinct thoughts, and writing it clearly and intelligently. I am also finding that I am better able to describe who I am and what I do as an artist "on my feet" because of the clarity that has been brought to the surface through her well thought out exercises and prompts. I am truly grateful for this kind of professional assistance. Thank you, Vicki! Be prepared to do some well rewarded work! I started this painting before we left for Europe, and couldn't find the right angle to photograph it. Now I've got it. The work is inspired from the place I have lived all my life, and it is coming along nicely.
While I am painting, my mind is in a super creative mode and words that describe my process come to me as freely as the mixing of paint. However, they are only in my head, there and then gone, but they are great! I sound so brilliant to myself, so eloquent and succinct. So, my next step, while I am painting, if possible, is to some how break away from my painting and relay this very keen verbiage to myself by pen or recording, so that I can then relay it to you. And, you know, it's not really brilliant, but it's what I am thinking at the time, which really helps me discover what lies beneath the surface of creation, paint and canvas. I don't know if it is worth breaking the artistic moment so that I can explain what I am thinking while I am doing it. Anyone have any ideas? I made some adjustments today on this panel that I feel really good about. I changed four of the color blocks on the outside edges, the more somber tones. Some of them were to bright, and there were too many greens. I didn't want them to dominate the tone of the overall painting. While I am writing I see the upper left square seems to draw my eye too much, but "in person" it does not. It sits there beautifully, just the way it is supposed to.
My next target, when the fresh paint has dried, is to soften the intensity of the blue square on the upper left below the gold tone. Its brightness draws too much attention, and I want it to set off the brighter, more clear hues in the center. The tones in the center need some adjustment as well. This painting as well as Panel 2 are an exploration based upon Paul Klee's Bluehendes series. I must admit that I got a bit lost on these, but I love digging my way out, and learning to identify just how I choose to handle this situation based on my own sense of color. By the way, it's great to be back home! I have been working on two panels that are inspired by Paul Klee's Bluehendes series. In some way they are coming along and evoke the feeling that I had in mind. But not quite. I shall continue working on them. However, it may be a month before I return from a trip to Portugal and Switzerland. In Portugal I will explore the countryside, Lisbon and Porto with my husband, all the time collecting colors to inspire new works. In Switzerland I shall do the same, and in addition go to museums that exhibit the works of Itten and Klee.
Other than all this rambling and collecting of color, I will play around in my sketchbook while Josef talks to his family in their native tongue. I will drink in the warm and crazy conversations and antics, and make them all laugh when I try to say "chuchichäschtli". They love it. It's really important for an artist to make time to attend at least a couple artist receptions a month, and not just the same galleries where you are familiar with people, but a variety of them. I really used to struggle with this, as I was so busy that it seemed to be one more task added on to a big pile to-do's.
Here's what helped me; I have a quiet nature, and I just had a hard time getting started, so I just had to get used to the fact that I would probably stand alone for a while. (I still do). I learned to ask questions. Ask about the featured artist's process. Ask other attendees if they know the process; that starts another conversation. Ask them if they are an artist, it's always a compliment. Here's a really amazing technique. Stick your hand out and say, " Hi, I'm So-and-So". I'm not kidding. It took seemingly, a very long time for me to get to the obvious. I was at a reception, I knew no one. I heard a nice gentleman say, "Hi, I'm Jay". You'll think I'm nuts, but a light went on! And I thought that was the best thing since sliced bread. People enjoy meeting a smiling person who is interested in them. I still get a little quiet when I first enter an art reception where I am unfamiliar with the other attendees, but the more I do it, the more fun it is. It's really so easy that I feel silly writing this. But I know there a a number of people out there for many reasons who are just like me. Try it, it gets easier, and the reward is many new friends. Oh, and remember to smile! Quite honestly, I'm not sure where this is leading. I know how I want it to FEEL. Looking at it today it seems to be going in too many directions. Sometimes the colors just don't seem to be working, and this is one of those times. The 2 canvases that I am currently painting are heavily influenced by Paul Klee's "Bluehendes" series, but with my process. I'll need to step aside and not try to be Klee, and rather be Jill with a reflection Klee. This really differs from my usual color palette, and that's great, because my work is about
e x p l o r i n g. Today I started a new painting to complement the one I started yesterday. It makes sense to me to design the paintings in pairs, as it allows for a greater scope and discovery of the palette as well as offering the option of extending the painting to a diptych effect or just a complement piece relating on an adjacent wall. The dark tones are quite dark and are a little bit difficult to see their hue, but it will be quite striking when the adjacent blocks are painted.
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Luminous Color Explorations
My name is Jill Keller Peters, and I am passionate about using color as a language to Archives
August 2020
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