Comments on: I’m no Plein Jane http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/im-no-plein-jane-2/ Art, Life, Inspiration and St Croix Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:38:21 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: bonnieluria http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/im-no-plein-jane-2/#comment-205 bonnieluria Tue, 06 May 2008 01:38:35 +0000 http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/?p=147#comment-205 Sharon- your words are soooo very meaningful to me. For all my lamenting, the one area I feel pretty comfortable with is mixing colors and their relationships ( years of textile designing does that ). It's possible to use acrylics like oils- just needs more patience and deft layering. I can't express enough how I appreciate your interest and positive words, given how big a fan of yours I am. Sharon- your words are soooo very meaningful to me. For all my lamenting, the one area I feel pretty comfortable with is mixing colors and their relationships ( years of textile designing does that ).
It’s possible to use acrylics like oils- just needs more patience and deft layering.

I can’t express enough how I appreciate your interest and positive words, given how big a fan of yours I am.

]]> By: Sharon Crute http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/im-no-plein-jane-2/#comment-204 Sharon Crute Tue, 06 May 2008 00:40:47 +0000 http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/?p=147#comment-204 Umm, Bonnie, I thought you WERE working in oils. You've captured the energetic brushstrokes, light, and luscious modeling of oils - but in acrylics! And your color is rich, not acidic.. Some artists have this ability to work acrylics in such a delicious manner. As a fan of your sensuous work, whatever you're working is working. Umm, Bonnie, I thought you WERE working in oils. You’ve captured the energetic brushstrokes, light, and luscious modeling of oils – but in acrylics! And your color is rich, not acidic.. Some artists have this ability to work acrylics in such a delicious manner. As a fan of your sensuous work, whatever you’re working is working.

]]> By: bonnieluria http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/im-no-plein-jane-2/#comment-202 bonnieluria Mon, 05 May 2008 13:52:17 +0000 http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/?p=147#comment-202 Sue- jealous?????? You are in need of mental floss my very talented, intelligent, inspired friend! Your work speaks for you. And anything you added to my pages would be welcomed and beneficial. Your blog Ancient Artist is an encyclopedia of creative thinking, provocative questioning, and of course, your stunning paintings. Love having your visits here. PS- I'm still undecided about the change- and look at Jo-Ann Sanborns' great site every day, thanks to you, to see how another talented artist works those acrylics...... Sue- jealous?????? You are in need of mental floss my very talented, intelligent, inspired friend!
Your work speaks for you.
And anything you added to my pages would be welcomed and beneficial.
Your blog Ancient Artist is an encyclopedia of creative thinking, provocative questioning, and of course, your stunning paintings.
Love having your visits here.
PS- I’m still undecided about the change- and look at Jo-Ann Sanborns’ great site every day, thanks to you, to see how another talented artist works those acrylics……

]]> By: Sue http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/im-no-plein-jane-2/#comment-200 Sue Mon, 05 May 2008 01:31:21 +0000 http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/?p=147#comment-200 Hooray! Great post. I'm so jealous. Not only do you live in a fantastic place, get to go to workshops, but you also get tons of comments and support on your posts and I think that's so great - love the pear. Can't really add anything useful here, looks like most of the bases have been covered with good advice. I'm fond of oils, of course, but I must confess to having several plastic shoe boxes filled with old acrylics and watercolors in the off chance I do an abrupt about face and go back to working that way. I just hope the paint doesn't dry out in the tubes! Hooray! Great post. I’m so jealous. Not only do you live in a fantastic place, get to go to workshops, but you also get tons of comments and support on your posts and I think that’s so great – love the pear. Can’t really add anything useful here, looks like most of the bases have been covered with good advice. I’m fond of oils, of course, but I must confess to having several plastic shoe boxes filled with old acrylics and watercolors in the off chance I do an abrupt about face and go back to working that way. I just hope the paint doesn’t dry out in the tubes!

]]> By: bonnieluria http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/im-no-plein-jane-2/#comment-196 bonnieluria Sun, 04 May 2008 13:40:52 +0000 http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/?p=147#comment-196 Wow Marilyn- you are fantastic to put so much into this comment. No wonder you were peeved to see it disappear. I'm going to seriously digest all of this and get re-focused. Thank you Thank you. You've helped me more than I can say. The length and content of your comment here is worthy of framing! Wow Marilyn- you are fantastic to put so much into this comment. No wonder you were peeved to see it disappear. I’m going to seriously digest all of this and get re-focused.
Thank you Thank you.
You’ve helped me more than I can say.
The length and content of your comment here is worthy of framing!

]]> By: marilynmking http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/im-no-plein-jane-2/#comment-188 marilynmking Sat, 03 May 2008 23:01:21 +0000 http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/?p=147#comment-188 Thanks for stopping by my humble little corner of cyberspace. I've viewed and read most all your posts and all these recent comments and feel totally spent, like an introvert after a wild and noisy party. Sounds like you live a very enchanted and full life! What a wonderful place to live as an artist. The only drawback, I guess, is that you seldom get the chance to search for the hidden beauty in average everyday things. LOL This discussion of plein air and oils is very interesting. Workshops can dictate a certain approach to creating from life, but artists have been putting their own spin on it for hundreds of years. Many impressionists only made sketches or watercolor paintings outside and used these as a launching off point for their studio work. Visit a great artist Alex Perez in Chili ( http://perezart.blogspot.com/ ) who shares his many sketches and studies from around the world and then see his expressive finished impressionistic work from those field studies. You don't have to use oils for the plein air work is the point! If you do want to give it a try, though, Kevin Macpherson's book "Oil Paintings with Light and Color" is a good one to start with for plein air and landscapes. He uses a limited palette and discusses so much info about mixing color and and shapes and edges and composition and plein air set up all in one book that comes in paperback. Visit Jennifer Young's blog ( http://jenniferyoung.com/blog/ ) for a good discussion and comparison on plein air easels. One other thing to mention is your "stay wet" palette can be utilized in the studio for oil paints too. I bought a piece of window glass at Home Depot ( if you have one on the Island) the exact size of the box and mix all my paint on the glass. At the end of the day I seal it with the lid and my paint can last several days. To clean I use a razor blade scraper and paper towel with a little of turps. Works great! You do wonderful paintings and I'm not surprised that your recent show was so successful. I heard on the radio today someone said they always tell their children to be careful - when you experience a high in life, an accomplishment or event, that it is usually followed by a period of low. That's often the ebb and flow of life and very natural. That was brought to mind when I read of your "wall" post. I've experienced it this last week or two after my "up" of my plein air experience. I just feel a bit stalled. But it's temporary and that I KNOW. Hope that helps. Thanks for stopping by my humble little corner of cyberspace. I’ve viewed and read most all your posts and all these recent comments and feel totally spent, like an introvert after a wild and noisy party. Sounds like you live a very enchanted and full life! What a wonderful place to live as an artist. The only drawback, I guess, is that you seldom get the chance to search for the hidden beauty in average everyday things. LOL
This discussion of plein air and oils is very interesting. Workshops can dictate a certain approach to creating from life, but artists have been putting their own spin on it for hundreds of years. Many impressionists only made sketches or watercolor paintings outside and used these as a launching off point for their studio work. Visit a great artist Alex Perez in Chili ( http://perezart.blogspot.com/ ) who shares his many sketches and studies from around the world and then see his expressive finished impressionistic work from those field studies. You don’t have to use oils for the plein air work is the point!
If you do want to give it a try, though, Kevin Macpherson’s book “Oil Paintings with Light and Color” is a good one to start with for plein air and landscapes. He uses a limited palette and discusses so much info about mixing color and and shapes and edges and composition and plein air set up all in one book that comes in paperback. Visit Jennifer Young’s blog ( http://jenniferyoung.com/blog/ ) for a good discussion and comparison on plein air easels. One other thing to mention is your “stay wet” palette can be utilized in the studio for oil paints too. I bought a piece of window glass at Home Depot ( if you have one on the Island) the exact size of the box and mix all my paint on the glass. At the end of the day I seal it with the lid and my paint can last several days. To clean I use a razor blade scraper and paper towel with a little of turps. Works great!
You do wonderful paintings and I’m not surprised that your recent show was so successful. I heard on the radio today someone said they always tell their children to be careful – when you experience a high in life, an accomplishment or event, that it is usually followed by a period of low. That’s often the ebb and flow of life and very natural. That was brought to mind when I read of your “wall” post. I’ve experienced it this last week or two after my “up” of my plein air experience. I just feel a bit stalled. But it’s temporary and that I KNOW. Hope that helps.

]]> By: Paz http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/im-no-plein-jane-2/#comment-186 Paz Fri, 02 May 2008 22:44:30 +0000 http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/?p=147#comment-186 What an interesting learning experience it sounds like you had with the workshop. I love your paintings of the fruits. Thanks for stopping by my blog and your very kind comments. I'd love to read about how (why?) you decided to make the change from one island to another. How you made that transition. I have a feeling it's a very interesting story. I've never been to St. Croix before. Must be very nice. Happy painting! Paz What an interesting learning experience it sounds like you had with the workshop. I love your paintings of the fruits. Thanks for stopping by my blog and your very kind comments. I’d love to read about how (why?) you decided to make the change from one island to another. How you made that transition. I have a feeling it’s a very interesting story. I’ve never been to St. Croix before. Must be very nice.

Happy painting!
Paz

]]> By: bonnieluria http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/im-no-plein-jane-2/#comment-185 bonnieluria Fri, 02 May 2008 14:41:36 +0000 http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/?p=147#comment-185 Linda, thanks for your helpful explanation of the perception of using acrylics in a different way. I understand what you're depicting here. Funny, your comment arrived here just as I was investigating oil painting/mediums/techniques on Wikihow. It's very easy to feel pulled in two directions and I think my only concern with oils is the fume factor when the air gets hot and still here. I loved your final bit of advice- just enjoy painting! Thanks so much for dropping in and adding to my decision making. I'm a great admirer of your work. Linda, thanks for your helpful explanation of the perception of using acrylics in a different way. I understand what you’re depicting here.
Funny, your comment arrived here just as I was investigating oil painting/mediums/techniques on Wikihow. It’s very easy to feel pulled in two directions and I think my only concern with oils is the fume factor when the air gets hot and still here.
I loved your final bit of advice- just enjoy painting!
Thanks so much for dropping in and adding to my decision making.
I’m a great admirer of your work.

]]> By: Linda Blondheim http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/im-no-plein-jane-2/#comment-184 Linda Blondheim Fri, 02 May 2008 14:19:08 +0000 http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/?p=147#comment-184 Bonnie, Don't give up on acrylics too fast. Acrylics improved my brushwork with oils greatly in fact. Don't think of them in terms of blending like oils, but instead, a process of many layers with close value transitions. More of a pointalist technique, so that the eye is fooled into thinking they are blended. If you decide to use oils too, that wuld be great. Not a lot of expense really. I use a limited palette with oils of about 6 colors and that's all I need. I also use gouache, which is a terrific plein air medium with some advantage over acrylics. Enjoy painting, that's the main thing. Love, Linda www.lindablondheimartnotes.blogspot.com Bonnie,
Don’t give up on acrylics too fast. Acrylics improved my brushwork with oils greatly in fact. Don’t think of them in terms of blending like oils, but instead, a process of many layers with close value transitions. More of a pointalist technique, so that the eye is fooled into thinking they are blended.

If you decide to use oils too, that wuld be great. Not a lot of expense really. I use a limited palette with oils of about 6 colors and that’s all I need.

I also use gouache, which is a terrific plein air medium with some advantage over acrylics.

Enjoy painting, that’s the main thing.
Love,
Linda
http://www.lindablondheimartnotes.blogspot.com

]]> By: Frank Gardner http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/im-no-plein-jane-2/#comment-183 Frank Gardner Thu, 01 May 2008 14:24:00 +0000 http://bonnieluria.wordpress.com/?p=147#comment-183 Hi again Bonnie. About the safflower oil. I ONLY use that if I am traveling and don't want to stink up the car for the others, leave a jar of turps locked in a hot car for a long time, flying. Then I use it to clean the brushes and the little that is left on the brush mixes well with the paint, no problem. Otherwise, I am a turps guy and rinse my brushes to clean them. I will either use turps to thin the paint a bit or liquin as a dryer and medium. In the studio sometimes I use a mix of turps, stand oil and damar, but I never take that out with me plain air painting. I like to travel light. Hope that cleared up any vagueness on my part. Hi again Bonnie. About the safflower oil. I ONLY use that if I am traveling and don’t want to stink up the car for the others, leave a jar of turps locked in a hot car for a long time, flying. Then I use it to clean the brushes and the little that is left on the brush mixes well with the paint, no problem.
Otherwise, I am a turps guy and rinse my brushes to clean them. I will either use turps to thin the paint a bit or liquin as a dryer and medium. In the studio sometimes I use a mix of turps, stand oil and damar, but I never take that out with me plain air painting. I like to travel light.
Hope that cleared up any vagueness on my part.

]]>