Aug 30
My wife Donna and I donated a couple of pieces of art and photography for this years fund raising gala, An Artists Christmas, for Camp Fire, held year at the Fort Worth Zoo. Our works, along with 80 other pieces from local artists, will be auctioned off at the event. The Gala is November 12. Click here for more information.
Jun 15
Memory is one of those functions of the brain that is most taken for granted, until it begins to slip away. God gave us the awesome creation of the brain… a small computer in our head that does all kinds of incredible things day in and day out. Recall of past events is one of those incredible things our brain does.
Remembering can be good and bad. Some things are best forgotten. If you break your wife’s favorite dish, the marriage would be best served if that particular incident was not remembered, but forgotten. But some things are to be remembered because of the learning experience they provide, or because they contain warnings that would be best heeded. Deuteronomy 32:7 says “Remember the days of old, Consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, Your elders, and they will tell you.”
Scripture also tell us to “remember our Creator” in Ecclesiastes, and to “remember His precepts” in Psalms. Remembering is a gift. It is beneficial and promotes the good.
Gun Turret No. 3 of the Arizona at the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Look close and you will see the oil that is still leaking…Black Tears.
I got to thinking about these ideas of remembering this past Memorial Day. To have a “memorial” is to intentionally remember. My wife and I were blessed to visit good friends in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu when this past Memorial Day rolled around. It was a pretty cool place to be on that holiday. The island has several military bases, and of course it is also rich in WWII history. Visiting the Pearl Harbor Museum and the Arizona Memorial were some of the highlights of the trip. Remembering what happened on December 7, 1941 was sobering, as well as a call to vigilance.
During the morning hours of December 7th, 2403 lives were lost, 1,177 of those were on the Arizona alone. The days and hours leading up to the attack were replete with careless attitudes, apathy and misinformation. That day at Pearl Harbor we stumbled in our vigilance and it cost us much.
While on Oahu, we stayed mostly on the Marine Corps Base Hawaii and on Ford Island. I was able to set up and paint several small pieces, both on and off the bases. Kaneohe Bay was one of my favorites as seen from the Marine Base, and the Northwest shore was another place I really liked. But then again, perhaps the beautiful beaches on Bellows Air Station were my favorite. Too many places that were absolutely stunning; each declaring God’s creative glory.
7 x 12 Oil on panel painted on location on Bellows Air Station on Oahu, looking at Rabbit Island just off Kaupo Beach.
Pochade box at Bellows Air Station, Oahu, looking towards Rabbit island
When I remember Pearl Harbor, I can’t help but see the parallels between that tragedy that took place in 1941 and the spiritual tragedy that is taking place in our nation now. Our nation slumbers as it declines morally, our institution of marriage crumbles and families weaken and no longer provide the protection God intended. Meanwhile, we sit on the beaches of the past, staring out at what we believe to be a clam, peaceful ocean. We are clueless of the tsunami that is gaining speed as it moves towards all we know and hold dear.
One last thought about remembering from an old book that contains the “Light of Life”:
‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. Revelation 3:3
Jun 11
Spring of 2016 turned out to be quiet a spring. The first of May I was painting in Italy (Texas), and by the end of the month I was set up on the beaches of Oahu. An awesome place to paint, and visit friends.
I had to make paint box form materials from Asel Art Supply, Hobby Lobby and Home Depot just for that trip. It was a good exercise, though, as it forced me to lighten my painting gear by at least 40 percent. I am liking the lighter version. Donna and I flew to Oahu by way of Los Angeles and was immediately blown away by the beauty of the island.
Painting on the northwest shore of Oahu
After settling in, one of the first things we encountered was the boundary where sea and land meet. The clear, turquoise/blue water rolling onto the beautiful sand of the beaches, the crash and thud of the powerful waves sliding in as if trying to reach new ground, then slipping back into the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean – it all screamed of God’s glory revealed in His creation.
Psalm 95:5 and 6 says: “The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.”
We were in awe of His creation. The lush, green mountains that seemed almost always covered in clouds and rain were very intriguing to me, and I enjoyed painting this new subject matter. We were not in Texas any more.
In a few days we covered most of the island, mostly avoiding the touristy area around Honolulu…too many people. I was able to set up and complete 6 paintings during our stay, most of them on the military bases we stayed on. To our delight, the beaches on the bases were almost deserted, and some of the most beautiful on the island.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. Psalm 33:6, 7, 8
May 30
To say that I love(d) my Jullian Plein Air Easel would be an understatement. I really loved everything about it, especially the fact that is was made of real wood, had cool hardware, folded and I could throw it on my back using the leather straps I added when I bought the easel back in 1999.
I have taken my Jullian with me to Maine, Tennessee, North Carolina, Oklahoma and every direction in Texas. Once while painting in West Texas with a friend it was ran over with a Razor ATV. The wood snapped, crunched, and actually held the weight of the 4 wheeler. But, it wasn’t a pretty site when the offending vehicle was removed. But with a few screws, glue and specialized hardware, it came back stronger than ever. My Jullian is like an old friend.
However…
The opportunity arose to travel to Hawaii and my Jullian was not the best traveling partner for the airlines. To take it was simply a bridge too far. Reluctantly I begin to think thoughts I said I would never think, and began to look at small, easy traveling Pochade Boxes that would mount on a tripod. Of coarse, I made sure my Jullian could not see the computer screen as I googled the many types, trying to make a decision. Seems there are several to choose from.
I finally decided to order one, but the departure time for the trip had advanced too near the order date and no one could deliver in time. What do you do? Southern engineering.
While in an Asel Art Supply store in Dallas I saw some paint panels that looked strangely like two halves of a small box. Umm, what it…
I ended up buying the cradled birch panels, a couple similar ones at Hobby Lobby, a small wooden table top easel at Hobby Lobby, some screws, piano hinge and various other hardware items at Home Depot and the building began. I like to build so it turned out to be an adventure. Below are photos of all the pieces, minus the screws, etc. and the finished Pochade, which worked very well on the island of Oahu. All work was done with drill, screw driver, file and handsaw.
Basic materials for pochade box purchased at art supply stores
Pochade box at Bellows Air Station, Oahu, looking towards Rabbit island
May 01
S. Miller setup painting at the Miller’s beautiful garden
The Colleyville Garden Club invited a few artist to setup and paint at some of the homes that were participating in the 22nd Promenade Garden Tour in Colleyville, Texas. The selected homes had beautiful landscaping and gardens, and the Dale Miller home I was assigned was one of the best looking on the tour. The visual treats on this property included a Gazebo, a wide and varied assortment of plants and small trees, a water feature with koi and several kinds of rock work including a dry creek bed that meanders through the garden. All of this well shaded with large trees; the shade broken here and there by persistant sunlight that made it’s way through to the grass, plants and rock pathways. Below is an image of the final painting.
9 x 12 Plein Air Oil on panel
Apr 21
Beginning April 14th and running through April 23, the North East Texas Fine Art Alliance sponsored the Paint Historic Terrell Plein Air event in and around Downtown Terrell, Texas. Terrell was established in 1873 as a railroad town, and was named for Robert A. Terrell, a pioneer who originally came from Murfreesburo,Tennessee.
The weather did not pan out as many of us who participated would have liked, but what do you do? Rain off an on, clouds one minute, bright sunshine the next. Hide and seek lighting conditions always proves difficult to capture. A huge help to this problem was the nature of this particular paint event, which allowed some some studio work once the piece was began on site. I took advantage of this and finished a couple pieces under more controlled circumstances.
This paint was unique in another way as well. There was a photography division, with separate judging and prizes. My wife, Donna joined me on this Terrell outing which made it even more enjoyable for me. I never tire of her presence. She also brought home a bit of prize money when she won 1st Place in the Photography competition.
Below are both her’s and my entries in the show and juried competition held at the Terrell Heritage Museum, built in 1904. (Carnegie Library Building).
12 x 9 Oil on panel, Titled – Two Car Garage – This one won 3rd Place in the Terrell compeitiion
8 x 6 Plein Air oil on panel called “The Orange Door”, painted on location just off Moore Street in Terrell, Texas
This is a 14 x 11 oil on Birch panel, began on location at the Johnson Feed Company just south of the old downtown section of Terrell, Texas.
This plein air piece was painted Friday morning on location, Moore Street, Terrell, Texas
The photography below are Donna’s entries into the Terrell competition where she took 1st Place.
The Iris – on Moore Street in Downtown Terrell, Texas – Won 1st Place in the photo competition
This photo was created by Donna Miller and shows a view of Moore Street in downtown Terrell, Texas
Johnson Feed Company, Terrell, Texas by Donna Miller
Photography by Donna Miller, House on Brin
Donna discovered an awesome dove nest in an old telephone pole, just south of Moore Street in Terrell
Unique shot of the Carnegie Library, build by Dale Carnegie in 1904
Apr 12
The annual “Paint the Glen” Plein Air Event that is sponsored by the Barnard Mill Art League, kicked off Saturday morning, April 9th, with an unofficial “nocturne” outing Friday night, April 8th. See bottom of page for more.
Kent Brewer and Steve Miller at the annual Paint the Glen Plein Air event in Glen Rose, Texas
Spring in Glen Rose, Texas is always beautiful. Bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrushes and cactus add to the fresh new spring greens of the fields and trees. Add to that the historic setting of Glen Rose, and especially Barnard’s Mill and Art Museum, and you have the perfect setting for a great paint outing. In order to simplify the limited time we had, I painted two pieces in the same location Saturday morning, moving about 80 feet from one spot to the other.
When I finally got down to Barnard’s Mill and Art Museum early Saturday morning to sign in, I was greeted by an old friend, Kent Brewer. Kent is an excellent artist – I really like the way he handles color, values and brush work in is paintings. I joined him in painting the old silo-looking “The Round House” that sat beside the main Barnard’s Mill building. I am grateful to Kent for his input in the piece I turned in for the competition. It won first place, and I told Kent I felt I should share some of the winnings with him for his input. (I didn’t follow through on that kindness though.) When this first piece was complete, we moved on to paint the same subject, but from a different angle. Both images below.
The Round House, oil on panel, 12 x 9 – won First Place in the Paint the Glen Plein Air competition and show. This piece also sold. I am grateful for both.
Second plein air piece painted during the “Paint the Glen” event – The Round House, Side Veiw, 6 x 8 on canvas board
Friday evening after dark, the day before the Saturday event, there was to be an “unofficial” nocturne painting time there near the Glen Rose square. According to an online source (so it must be true 🙂 the term “nocturne painting” was first used by James Abbott McNeill Whistler to describe a painting style that renders nighttime scenes, or under a condition of the absence of light.
I Don’t know what happened to those official-unofficial plans, but Trent Summers and I found ourselves on the basically empty downtown streets of Glen Rose, around 9:00 in the evening, just off the square straining our eyes to create a painting in the limited, if not absent light conditions. The world of the “Nocturne”.
I wore a LED headlamp that lit whatever the immediate area I was looking at, whether my palette or 9 x 12 panel. But, it never lit them at the same time since the light was very limited to one foot radius. It was an adventure to say the least. The exercise led to much thought about light and shadow, and darkness. Light is one of those things often taken for granted…until you are in want of more of it. When I was a kid my cousins and I took kerosene lamps into a large cave in Georgia. Without any light source in the cave at all, one kerosene lamp ripped the thick darkness open, making travel in the cave possible and somewhat safe.
While painting in the cool air on this particular spring night in Glen Rose, Texas, studying how a single street light worked it’s magic on the surrounding tree, building and ground, I thought of another Light that shined in darkness.
This Nocturne painting is called “Midnight”. Painted a bit before midnight in Glen Rose, Texas
John chapter 1, verses 4 and 5 make an interesting statement: “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
I think of those blind fish or blind salamanders that live in the light-less caves in various location in the world. Light has no effect on them. They do not comprehend the light at all. They are blind.
One of the very clear things you see in scripture is that there is a blindness in all people. Jesus said this in Luke 4:18 “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED…”
Recovery of sight to the blind…we all come into the world like a blind cave fish – we do not comprehend light. We hide in spiritual darkness, much like Gollum in the classic work by J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings. Our spiritual dead-ness, our sin keeps us hiding in the shadows, separated from God.
Jesus came to fix that. He came to open blind eyes, give spiritual site in place of spiritual blindness. When light begins to shine in darkness, everything in the light’s path begins to be reveled. Beauty replaces the colorless world as light, shadow, form and color flood in. As Jesus said, Life comes in with the Light.
“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12
Dec 19
Christmas is a favorite time of year for many people. I love it myself. Celebrations of Christmas can be seen in the many and varied trappings of this holiday. All kinds of traditions have been mixed together to create an eclectic holiday that sparks all kinds of reactions in our culture. And, all this Christmas lore can be seen in an endless collection of artwork that has been produced over the years. From snowmen to reindeer and Santa Clause images of every imagine-able shape and style, to the quiet landscapes covered in snow and decorated trees and nativity scenes – all invoking a particular feeling or emotion in the viewer, both good and bad.
One of my favorite Christmas images is an old painting by the American icon, Norman Rockwell. The painting is called Christmas Homecoming.
Norman Rockwell’s painting – Christmas Homecoming, painted in 1948
There are some unique things about this “Christmas” painting. One is that we see none of the Christmas trappings you would expect; That is except the little hint of a Christmas tree in the upper left corner. Another is that the people in the painting are Norman Rockwell’s friends and neighbors, and include his three sons. The eldest son is the focal point of the painting – he is the one with his back to us, the one who is coming home. The artist’s wife is also there, as is the artist himself- he’s smoking the pipe. This sheds a little light on Norman Rockwell’s priorities…family.
When friends and family are together, when sad hearts are rejoicing at the homecoming of those who have been separated by the hardships and issues of this life, this gets closer to the true “fruit” of Christmas than probably anything else.
This illustration reminds me of what God had in mind the first Christmas. His desire was to end the “separation”. The separation of man in his fallen state to a Holy God. Ephesians 2:17 and 18 says it like this:
“AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR;
for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.”
This is why I like to keep Christmas simple. Even though I enjoy all the sights and sounds of this Holiday, I try to keep my focus on the celebration of His birth, which was the first step in the redemption process. He came to die for us.
That’s what is alluded to in Luke chapter 2, where it says that the Child who came would be a Savior. Luke 2:10 and 11 says this:
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
And one of the unique things about this coming of a Redeemer, a Savior was that God foretold of the event hundreds of years in advance – to help us know that it was in fact His plans and His doings. We see this in Isaiah 7:14:
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”
And also in Isaiah 9:6 it give some particulars of this One who would be coming, what He would be like:
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
That’s Christmas. The word “Immanuel” means “God with us”. God did the unthinkable, the most unexpected thing and stepped down to man, died in our place so we could be a part of the family. He describes Himself as A Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace, Savior. To quote a bit of pop culture, “It’s a beautiful thing”.
This Christmas, come in out of the cold. Embrace this One who came to Bethlehem a couple thousand years ago and died to give us life. Believe.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name…John 1:12
Oct 28
Saturday, October the 17th was the first day of the Paint Rowlett Plein Air Event. When I headed out to participate in the paint out, my easel was still loaded with the limited palette I had used in a John Pototschnik workshop mentioned in previous post. It was a Quadratic Square, with Violet, Red Orange, Yellow and Blue Green. I setup at the first location, an old almost 100 year old train bridge, which was built in 1922. It was on Main Street, not far from the point where Main dead ended into Lake Ray Hubbard. I liked the angles, the light and the relative quietness of the spot. I ended up painting in direct sunlight, something I don’t like to do; struggled with the values and color in the hard light of the sun. After a couple of hours I called it quits on this first piece – Over and Under, 12 x 9, Oil on panel.
12 x 9 oil on panel, titled “Over and Under”. This piece won First Place in the recent Paint Rowlett Plein Air Event.
After a bit of an afternoon lunch break I setup at the Rowlett Community Center which was not far from the old railroad bridge. The Rowlett Community Center seems to always have something going on – sports, wedding receptions, various meetings;
Limited palette used to paint “Over and Under” and “Community”
and it’s also the meeting location of Artists ‘Round Texas, the Rowlett art club that meets once a month. The interesting thing that inticed me to paint the center was the curved front, glass and walkways. It had somewhat of a retro look to it, with the before mentioned curved front. With the addition of the American flag, it just seemed like a good place to paint. It was going on 4:00 in the afternoon when I started painting the center, and the sun was sinking in the west, making the colors richer and the shadows longer. This time of day is always a good time to paint because of this beautiful lighting. Painting outside around people is always an adventure. Lots of kind words and questions about the painting and the process. I worked on this piece for two and a half to three hours before I finally packed it up.
Since the rules of the competition allowed for some work to be completed in studio, I took advantage of these instructions and re-worked a couple of things in each of the two paintings I did that first day in studio.
12 x 9 oil on panel called “Community”, a rendering of the Rowlett Community Center. This work, painted on location and touched up in the studio, was selected for the Purchase Award in the recent Paint Rowlett Plein Air Event.
Later the next week, October 20, I found myself back down at the old railroad bridge, but this time setting up on the opposite side, out of direct sun in a nice inviting shade, looking west up Main Street. It was the same angles and interesting lighting that attracted me back to the almost 100 year old bridge. From this new angle, the engraved date the bridge was built was visible – 1922. You can’t help but ponder the years the old bridge has seen. The almost 100 springs, summers, falls and winters the much aged structure has silently endured.
Triad-Split Complimentary Palette of Blue-Violet, Orange and Yellow- painting below- Spanning the Years.
I scrapped the 4 colors I used to paint the two pieces above off the palette and decided on another limited palette, this time a Triad- Split Complimentary consisting of Blue-Violet, Orange and Yellow.
When I was about an hour into the painting, I noticed a rather large, skinny cat came out of the woods almost at the base of the bridge. The hungry looking feline looked a bit strange to me, then I noticed the “bobtail” it was sporting. The bobcat seemed rather relaxed as it stopped and looked at me, turned and looked up Main Street and then wondered slowly across the road and back into the woods on the other side. I think he had smelled the lunch I has just eaten, which included a bit of meat. I believe both me and the bobcat probably feel the same way about meat, and I was glad it didn’t come to a contest as to who would retain control over the tasty protein.
This third entry into the Paint Rowlett competition is as I left it the day I painted it on location and may be my favorite of the three.
12 x 9 plein air oil on panel called Spanning the Years
All three of these works are available at the Paint Rowlett Plein Air Art Competition Show. The reception will be November 7, 2:00 p.m., at the Rowlett Annex Building, 3900 Main, Rowlett, Texas. The show will hang until Saturday, December 5, 2015.
Bridges are very interesting when you really take a few minutes to ponder their purpose and nature. They usually span two banks of a river or two land masses separated by seas or impassable terrain, or in the case of the old railroad bridge above, they allow a road to pass under the railroad tracks, thus spanning two otherwise separated track beds. In a broad sense, bridges link two things or places that are separated. Separated by something that cannot be traversed by other means. They make a “crossing over” possible.
Earlier I mentioned visiting my kids, one of which was my daughter, who lives in Memphis, Tennessee. Problem was that the “Mighty Mississippi” River separated Arkansas from Tennessee. The car simply could not make it to Tennessee simply by driving. The rent-a-car we were in could not swim. It’s true…it swims like a rock. But of course we had no problem crossing over into Tennessee because of a huge steel and concrete bridge had been built across the river; the impossible was now possible in the same car that didn’t have the ability to swim the river. The bridge that spanned the Mississippi River at Memphis linked the community of Arkansas with the community of Memphis. It linked me and my wife with the community of my daughter and her husband. Bridges are really cool when you simply contemplate what they are able to do.
A bridge may cross a river, a gorge, or it may simply cross over a busy highway. Bridges make a way of passage where there would otherwise be no way to pass.
When I think of the nature of a bridge in this present world we find ourselves, I cannot help but think of what Christ did on the Cross. In our universe (a universe we did not create ourselves) we find ourselves in a dilemma. There is a chasm, a gorge, a canyon that we cannot cross. It’s like a car trying to swim the Mississippi. Under its own strength and design, it will never happen. But now enter the “Bridge”. Christ spanned the gap between a sinful and broken mankind to an infinitely holy and Loving God. Here is how Paul said it in his first letter to Timothy in chapter 2, verse 5 and 6: “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.”
The definition of mediator is this: “one that mediates between parties at variance”. You don’t have to live long to recognize that we and all people are at variance with a Holy God. Only by the blood of Christ can this variance or gap be “bridged”.
God is a bridge builder.
“and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. Yet now He has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in His physical body. As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault. Yet now He has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in His physical body. As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault.”
Colossians 1:20, 21, 22 NLT
Oct 24
My wife and I were blessed to take a trip back across the “River”, the mighty Mississippi, to visit family. Our trip really began with Memphis, (where our daughter, son-in-law and grand kids live) then through Nashville, Chattanooga, and a stop in Cleveland (Tennessee) where my son lives, along with my favorite mother-in-law :-). Fall is one of my favorite times of the year and it was a pure pleasure being able to drive through the mountains of east Tennessee and see some color. We ended out trip with a stop in Blue Ridge, Georgia to see Donna’s aunt and uncle, and then on to Dahlonega, Georgia for a three day workshop taught by Texas artist John Pototschnik.
A lot of people don’t know that Dahlonega, Georgia was actually the location of the first gold rush in the United States. Not California. The Dahlonega “gold rush” began about 1828. The Cherokees owned much of the land that was home to the gold. The sad outcome of this chapter in American history was that most of the Cherokees lost their land and were re-located to the reservations in Oklahoma. The famous “Trail of Tears” was caused by the gold in the mountains of north Georgia and Tennessee.
I discovered a bit of gold there in the mountains of north Georgia as well. The workshop referred to above was hosted by Anita Elder at the Art Loft, a beautiful and relaxing place in the woods of North Georgia. Anita has accommodations for those who attend her workshops – a bed and breakfast atmosphere rich in hospitality. When we saw that she was hosting John Pototschnik for one of his last workshops, we signed up for what turned out to be a great 3 days of painting and relaxing. Worth its weight in gold, so to speak.
John Pototschnik is an excellent artist and teacher. Since he is winding his workshops down in order to spend more time creating his work, I counted it a real blessing to participate in one of his last workshops. Workshops are an excellent way to break out of old ruts and habits. I think of an old Hebrew proverb, actually in the book of Proverbs in the Bible. It says this in chapter 27, verse 17:
Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.
With someone as accomplished as John at the helm of a workshop, there is a lot of sharpening going on. A lot of knowledge and experience compressed in a few days. The areas stressed in the workshop were Value and Color. His disciplined approach in these two areas are second to none and in my opinion, beyond price. The group of artist was small but eager to benefit from John’s many years behind the brush.
Painting demo
The first day we took notes while John spoke of the framework for a painting, color and value. This was followed by a demo, where John worked through some of the early stages of a painting. After the demo, we squeezed out some ivory black and white on our palette. With these oils we painted a value study of a subject of our choice. As we all discovered, this exercise allowed us to working out problems with composition and values, a bit like a test drive before committing to the final color work. I found a few areas I was struggling with during this process of creating the black and white study.
Next day we cleaned palette and added Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Yellow Light and Ultra-Marine Blue to the palette. With Cad. Yellow Light and Ultra-Marine Blue we mixed a Yellow-Green and a Blue-Green. The Cadmium Yellow Light and the Ultra-Marine Blue was then scraped off the pallette, leaving only Alizarin Crimson, Yellow-Green and Blue-Green. These three colors were all that was left on palette, besides white and formed a Triad – Split Complimentary palette.
I worked through the same painting I had done the black and white value study the day before, but with those three colors, plus white mentioned above as the only oils on the palette. What begin to seem the relation of color to the colors near it. With no blue on the palette, the blue-green stepped into it’s place and looked blue where it was needed. With no yellow on the palette, the yellow-green stepped up to the place and became the “yellow”. Limiting the palette in this manner is an excellent way to see how color works together.
Workshop group at The Art Loft in Dahlonega, Georgia, hosted by Anita Elder
The last day we scrapped our palettes clean once again and this time we mixed a Quadratic Square palette, made up of Cad. Yellow Light, Blue-Green, Violet and Red-Orange. The base colors used to mix the secondary colors were Ultra-Marine Blue, Alizarin Crimson and Cad. Yellow Light, which remained on the palette as it was. (Alizarin and Ultra-Marine Blue were scrapped off after mixing). I worked through the same painting again, using the same photo reference, creating a third painting of the same subject – but with alterations and changes suggested by John’s years of experience. Without hesitation I can say the whole experience was invaluable, the hospitality and accommodations at The Art Loft were second to none and my wife and I really enjoyed the experience.
The Art Loft has on-going workshops throughout the year by some of the most accomplished artist. Check out her workshop schedule at www.AnitaElderArt.com
Also check out John Pototschnik’s web site – he has weekly blog entries with many articles on all things art, along with a monthly newsletter.
Below are the results of the three day workshop, along with the palettes used.
Value study using Ivory Black and White
Triad – Split Complimentary Palette – Alizarin Crimson, Yellow-Green and Blue-Green
Day Three…
Quadratic Square Palette – Cad. Yellow Light, Blue-Green, Violet, Red-Orange
Sep 06
I was recently blessed with news of the acceptance of two works in oil into the 2015 Seven-State Biennial Exhibition. The Juried exhibition is unique in that it begins September 26, 2015 at The Nesbitt Gallery, located on the campus of the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha, Oklahoma and ends on the 31st day of January, 2016 at the Museum of the Red River in Idabel, Oklahoma. But wait, there’s more… sandwiched between these two locations the show hangs in Ardmore, Oklahoma at the Goddard Center from November 15, 2015 thru November 25, 2015.
The two works accepted into the show were an 8 x 24 oil on canvas titled “Shotgun” and an 18 x 24 oil on canvas called “The Blue Window”.
Top: Shotgun, 8 x 24, Oil; Bottom: The Blue Window, 18 x 24, Oil.
The Juror for this competition and exhibition is internationally known artist James Surls. James is one of the most preeminent sculptors in the United States. His artwork has been seen in over 350 solo, group, museum and gallery exhibitions across the world.
Another blessing came in the acceptance of two of my wife’s beautiful wildlife photographs. A Great Blue Heron titled “Airborne Blue” and another titled “After Its Kind”, which captured a nesting Great White Egret and 3 of it’s young. You can see her photography here: www.DonnaMillerPhotos.com
Jul 21
A view of the Pease River from the cliff tops that was also the location of our camp for two nights.
There are places on this earth, landscapes and environments, which are beautiful. Beautiful in a quiet, peaceful benevolent kind of way. Words like paradise, or utopia or heaven might be used to describe them. There are other places, other landscapes that are equally beautiful, equally magnificent. It’s a solid, timeless beauty – crisp and quiet. Its’ mood can quickly swing from benevolent to something that seems to be laced with malice. It’s a beauty with an edge, and that edge sometimes leaves a mark on the viewer. A mark that cuts deep into your soul, and sometimes in your body.
Last morning of trip I walked to the edge of the cliff tops to look one last time at the Pease River and stepped right over this guy. Reminded me of Proverbs 16:9 “The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”
When my fellow artist and friend, Pete Quaid, invited my wife and I along on a painting and photography trip the last weekend in June, it was to a place described above, one that leaves a mark; a place with an edge, but also a place of incredible beauty, both day and night.
Our destination was the isolated property of one of Pete’s good friends who owns several hundred acres in the panhandle region of Texas, bordered by the Pease River. I had painted here in October of the previous year and was eagar for my wife, Donna, to see this beautiful place.
Most people who hear of a trip to the panhandle of Texas say “Why would you go there? There is nothing out there.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The panhandle of Texas has some of the most beautiful and amazing landscapes in the world, inhabited with a myriad of creatures designed by the Creator of the Universe. And to literally “top it all off”, the night skies are awe-inspiring.
The spring that had recently ended was one of the wettest springs in recent Texas history. The rain started in late April and hardly stopped until mid to late June. This left an unusually dynamic landscape for this time of year. The land was very green, clothed with prairie grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees (although trees got thinner as we drove north) that were still showing the benefit of frequent spring rains. This array of every shade of green you can imagine was complimented by the red and reddish brown sandstone rocks, cliffs and gullies of the panhandle region. This landscape, at this particular time in history, was ripe for both the brush and camera lens.
Pete Quaid and Steve Miller painting on porch of cabin overlooking the Pease River. A rainstorm was the motivation to paint on the porch.
We camped on the property for two days, painting, shooting photos both day and night, and simply enjoying the rich gift of God’s creation.
Not long after we set up camp, a rain storm moved across the plains. It was not a surprise at all, as we were actually able to see it come towards us from the southwest direction. Pete and I set up to paint our first “plein air” piece under the shelter of a small cabin’s porch that was on the property at the top of some cliffs overlooking the Pease River, where we also camped. The rain that came as we painted was refreshing and left us with a challenge to paint. The mist rose from the gentle hills and river valley, changing all the values of the landscape into something that bordered on mysterious. However, it didn’t last long enough for me to capture on my panel – the clouds begin to break up and the sun shown through and the mysterious mist and soft values faded into a sunlit landscape once again.
The King’s View, 12 x 16 plein air oil painting on panel
As the bright Texas sun begin to drop behind the western horizon, little lights begin to show themselves in the ever strengthening darkness, along with a moon that was almost full. This bright moon lit the landscape somewhat in the darkness, but it also weakened the visual display that is ever present in the skies of the panhandle and night. On a moonless, clear night, the Milky Way Galaxy is incredible to see. As are the millions and billions of stars that populate the immense reaches of space. But tonight, the moon mask most of this splendor, and only a small percentage of the stars could be seen. But, as they say, “the night was young”. Due to some knee pain from fairly recent surgery, I found myself awake, staring through the screen of the tent at 4:00 a.m. Everything had changed. the moon had sank behind the dark horizon and the night sky had come alive with the incredible and indescribable lights of the Milky Way and it’s billions of twinkling companions.
Under the stars
I had recently read an article on the web describing a method of shooting the night sky and that article was enough motivation to crawl out of the tent at four in the morning with camera and tripod to give it a shot (perhaps a pun was intended 🙂
Although you could see the wisp of the Milky Way Galaxy and more stars than you ever thought existed with your naked eye, the light the camera captured through the 10 to 15 second exposure overwhelmed me. It was an immediate and awe-inspiring reminder of the all powerful, infinitely wise, holy, and loving God described in Psalm 19 – “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.”
I was also reminded of Psalm 33:6, which says ” By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host. ” Imagine that – God breathed out the stars, spoke that universe into existence.
Time Exposure of Milky Way Galaxy, Pease River and the distant glow of Paducah, Texas
When I crawled back into our tent on the cliff tops overlooking the Pease river under this vast night sky, I was again thankful for a God who was still in control. I was reminded that God is ever present to believers, but not always visible. Even in the darkest night, He is there, and He has not dropped the ball. I was also very thankful I had not stepped on a rattlesnake in the darkness.
The next day Pete, Donna and I headed down to the bottom of the cliff tops to the cool waters of the Pease river to paint and shoot some photos. The Pease River is unique in several ways. As the landowner told us, the surrounding landscape has a high mineral content, salt in particular. This makes the Pease River very salty. Not much grows in it, only one little fish lives in it. The river bed is red sand that seems to be alive. The water is mostly shallow, only inches deep in most places. This makes a great river for wading; cool clear water with a sandy bottom. Almost like being on the beach.
Pete wandered down stream a bit and set up his easel. Donna roamed up and down the cool river bed shooting photos, and I set up with a view towards the cliffs to paint the river bed, cliffs and distant landscape. I quickly discovered that the sandy river bed was seemingly alive and ever changing. In some spots if you stood still, the sand would shift from under your feet and you would begin to sink towards the center of the earth. Ok, maybe not quiet that drastic, but at times you did wonder how far you would actually sink if you did not move to firmer footing. When I set my easel up in this environment, it began to settle down into the sand, the legs of both my easel and portable stool getting shorter and shorter. I begin to reconnoiter that river banks for rocks and sticks to provide a platform for my easel and other gear. Having stabilized the setup, I finally started a painting that I would work on for the next 4 hours. I did wander up and down the river some during this time. Sometimes it helps to remove yourself form your work and revisit to gain a fresh perspective.
Painting on location in the Pease River bed in the Panhandle of Texas
I always enjoy painting outside. It calls me back to the basics, a thankfulness that there is a loving God who cares for us. The weekend we were at the Pease River painting was the weekend the Supreme Court handed down a decision that basically destroyed marriage in America. I was reminded of this as I stood in the Pease River painting the red sandstone of the crumbling cliffs tops. What a vivid example of America: a crumbling culture, a crumbling morality, and crumbling families, which I believe to be the foundation of our society.
But all is not lost. There is a sovereign God who rules the universe. A God who loves us and calls us out of our fallen state, who calls us to repentance and to a relationship with Himself. I’m reminded of the words of Jesus in Mark 13:31 where he says this: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”
He also said this:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28, 29, 30.
Plein air oil on panel titled “Heaven and Earth’, painted on location at the Pease River. This 12 x 16 painting is available at the Adobe Western Art Gallery in Fort Worth, Texas.
