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Friday March 13th 2009, “Off the Wall” Fundraiser

Published by admin March 12th, 2009 in art auctions and Blog. 0 Comments

Tomorrow Friday the 13th The Cape Cod Art Association holds its annual fundraiser called “Off the Wall, ” from 4pm-6pm.

This is an opportunity for collectors and connoisseurs to show their stuff. Because the paintings are only signed on the back. And you won’t know who’s work you are buying till you buy it. The good news is the paintings are quite inexpensive but there is a lot of them to look through.

So without much risk, you can buy a small painting by an artist and support one of the long standing solid Cape Cod Art organizations. I have done one new oil for this fundraiser and am happy to support the Cape Cod Art Association in this imaginative successful format.

See you there.

Cape Cod Art Association

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If Art Were Sports

Published by admin March 9th, 2009 in Blog, Mono Prints and painting on location. 1 Comment

If creating art were sports, than printmaking is golf.

Because there are so many ways to go wrong, and look foolish. It’s like standing on the first tee trying to keep your shot in the fairway with a crowd watching.

As I set my press the other day, lining up my sheet of paper to press into a mono print, I noticed my heart pounding and a slight shake to my hands and it felt like I was teeing up… thinking to myself, talking to myself, now don’t pick your head up Loretta, don’t try and kill it. Just nice and easy like Freddy Couples, right down the fairway. Only I was not on the fairway. I was hovering over a sheet of paper and plate. Taking my time, lining everything up as well as I could, guessing on the press setting, guessing on everything…like picking the right club and the yardage to the green.

Only I am an awful golfer.

To three-putt the green is not unusual to me. To lose a few balls to a neighbors yard along the fairway is par for the course so to speak. So this printmaking to golf analogy makes me uncomfortable, it makes me edgy. For a painter, so comfortable in the studio or on location, confident and self assured, it’s been a long time since my heart pounded with fear as I readied myself for creating. Maybe this is why I love printmaking so.

Someone told me recently that in China they use the same symbol for success and failure, because that line is so thin most of time. If you are creating art and you are not sure of how it will come out, than that is an exciting and dangerous way to work. That is the arena I want to create in. Let the paint drip. Let the paper slip. Turn the music up and take a chance.

This new monotype “Le Deux Margots, Paris” is one of two new prints selected for the

20th National Print & Drawing Exhibition at The College of Notre Dame, Maryland, March 24-April 23, 2009.

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Studio Choices

Published by admin March 1st, 2009 in fine art. 0 Comments

Reflecting back on my painting class the other day it made me smile.

All we do is have a good time, tease each other about the various stages of our paintings, and do good work.

There is learning here. The students are expanding their repertoire, learning that oils should be worked in stages. That usually every painting has it’s struggles and challenges to figure through.

Then I look over my burgeoning studio and long for a larger space. Or an empty one to fill anew. That would be very exciting; an empty studio with clean lines, empty walls and light. But that… is just a dream because my studio runneth over this snowy morning.

Which is just where you want to be this time of year. My galleries will be pleased.

The paintings are everywhere and the work has never been better. I have a huge Tuscany rolling hills on the main wall, hung just a bit lower that my colorful farmland Brittany painting, done on location. After a year of hiding it on myself, finally I took out of storage my “Night Tugboats on the Canal” and did what needed to be done all along. “Take out the two poles in the middle Loretta and it will work.” I couldn’t get the painting on the easel fast enough. Three minutes later the poles are painted out and shazam, it’s working. Now I plan to put a few more hours into it and order a frame. Right now it sits up high on another shelf and stares down dark and beautiful over my bright beach series, Sandy Neck rolling dunes with the canal’s Sagamore silhouette painted just a hint for those that would know.

There’s London studies, a major Brooklyn piece, plus new Fenways and that’s just the oils. No wonder I am tired.

Tomorrow class will see my “Night Tugboats on the Canal” and I will explain to them, if you consider when I shot the photos for this in (February 2005), which is when I started painting it in my head, explain about the recent changes to it after much delay, they will be shocked that a painting could take four plus years and still be unfinished.

I don’t have all the answers, but I do know having choices in my studio works for me and the empty walls with clean lines are just in my mind.

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Embracing the Process

Published by Loretta Feeney February 16th, 2009 in art teacher and fine art. 0 Comments

Giving a demonstration the other day to an oil painting class, I concentrated on discussing an ongoing theme I keep seeing.

Maybe theme is the wrong word, maybe condition or stage is a more correct term.

I find with painting students and some that have been at it a long time are really hesitant to take a chance with their work. They hesitate to let any painting they do get away from them. Students expect their oil paintings to look great at the beginning and get better looking as the oil progresses.

This is where they are mistaken.

Art is a flowing give and take medium. You must take your oils and manipulate them on the canvas, move them around and let the paint work for you. In doing so, you can then start making adjustments. You cannot correct your painting till you get some paint on the canvas and you cannot get painting on the canvas while trying to maintain a good looking drawing in or start.

IN other words; your painting has to go through hell before it can become great and arrive were you desire.

The beauty of oils for the painter and it does not matter what type of artist you are… the beauty is working that paint, using this medium, manipulating your desired goal to your will.

Wiping out, redrawing, rethinking .

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Some Colors can be Detrimental to your Painting

Published by Loretta Feeney January 19th, 2009 in art teacher. 0 Comments

Feeney Class, Cape Cod Art Association

The first session at the Cape Cod Art Association went well last week. I gave my “Take the bad colors off your palette now,” lecture without too much feedback.

Paint companies are in the business of selling paints. They don’t really care if your work is improving or stuck in a Burnt Umber rut. They just want you to buy as many different tubes of various colors as you can.

Now me, I’m all about mixing my own colors. Not that I am a great colorist but I do recognize problem colors and students that cannot let them go. I went over some of these colors with my new students and could feel the good mood deflate in the studio temporarily.

For the Student-

When you are buying your supplies in the future, holding that tube of Sap Green in your hand wondering what route to take to improving your work, right now, … the challenging, satisfying… let me try mixing my harmonizing colors myself route, or to take your tried and true method and just squeeze any old tube habit?

Don’t be a sap. Just because it’s in an art supply shop, that does not mean it will help you create art.

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Craigville Beach

Published by Loretta Feeney January 9th, 2009 in painting on location. 7 Comments

Even though I live near Craigville Beach, I never ever go during the Summer. There are other beaches I prefer on the North side. But I do spend a lot of time in the winter here. I like it empty and barren. The feel of the off -season quiet appeals .

The other day I was at Craigville mid-day in the rain. I could see paintings in several directions. Sometimes the light is right, the weather enhancing and the art so obvious. Sometimes as a artist you get around to painting a scene you have been watching for years without realizing it. You know what size to paint it. How to lay it in, and it all comes so easy.

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Are You Afraid to Make a Committment?

Published by Loretta Feeney December 18th, 2008 in art teacher, Blog, Boston and fine art. 1 Comment

No? You should be.

When starting a painting, being afraid to commit is a very good thing. That is right where you want to be. I tell my students to take their time. What is the rush to get locked in? It’s good not to be able to tell a figure from a tree trunk sometimes. While laying in a new Paris painting recently I really enjoyed the slow process of the emerging figures. Two weeks into the painting now and I still have a lot of room to make changes in the placement of basically everything while I get the mood and key established.

Soft edges and mystery, that is where it’s at. Flexibility at the easel translates to a strength of options.

Don’t commit too soon. parispartial08

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Paris Prints and Ghosts

Published by admin November 24th, 2008 in Art. 1 Comment

It’s great to stay fresh and try new things, to experiment artistically.

After trying to get into Beverley Edwards printmaking class at the Cape Cod Conservatory all fall, I finally have taken a couple of classes with her and look forward to more. She has a nice laid back style of teaching unlike my classes and it creates a nice loose atmosphere for her students.

She is showing me the mono-type technique and I see great potential for experimentation for my future work.

First we paint on Plexiglas. I used my normal oil paints. This is a picture of my Paris painting on glass.

You can notice the glare off the glass. This surface lends itself ( to me) to paint slick, wetter; loose and free. It is fleeting.

Only the results will remain if they are up to par. We wet the papers and dry them just enough before pulling it through the 30 year old press.

I can see a lot of ways to ruin a nice piece and you have to be deliberate when printing.

This is the ghost= the second pulled print. It is noticeable lighter and fainter. we are using nice papers; not sure of the weight. I look forward to experimenting with potential papers.

This is my first print from my second effort. It is a painting made into a print of the popular Paris Cafe De Flore in the Left Bank.

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Easel Tides

Published by Loretta Feeney October 23rd, 2008 in Art, art teacher and painting on location. 1 Comment

Scouting out the area on the back side of Sandy Neck for painting on location several times , I realized as the summer turned to fall it just got better and better. The day I brought my class there to paint was perfect. A little color starting. Crisp air, not too cold. They were up for the challenge. We set up with a variety of views to paint.

Now I did notice the tide was coming in but I just figured I would keep an eye on it. Starting my own study quickly so I could get an example on canvas for them. Within fifteen minutes I had covered my small canvas and went to start checking on the students. Make sure everyone chose a strong composition and had their easels set up sufficiently.

Quickly I realized the tide was not bad near me but it was swiftly moving in surrounding some cars and painters. “Everybody pick up and move out!” I shouted. “Quick quick.” I was impressed how fast everyone moved back up the dirt road to higher ground. They scrambled. I caught my breath and turned around to see that one student had forgot his easel and within seconds it was sitting in the salty water.

I went back and retrieved the easel and reset the class on safe ground nearby.

This gave me a chance to expound on the beauty of painting from memory. “Remember the clouds rolling past. Remember the distant dunes and the hint of color changes in the large marshland.” And they did.

All good studies produced from memory. Next time I could check the tide chart. Na, I would rather keep it exciting.

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Wind

Published by Loretta Feeney October 6th, 2008 in Art and painting on location. 0 Comments

This is why I do not teach on-location classes that often.

As soon as I got to our site today the students were all over me asking, “are we still painting outside today in these winds?” A mutiny on my hands. It was indeed windy.

I listened to my weather radio after class and it said the winds hit 32 Miles an hour or 30 knots this afternoon October 4,2008. It just came out of nowhere. But considering last week we canceled due to a tropical rain storm I was somewhat determined in the second week of our eight week class to get working in the elements.

So if I cannot get them to paint in the difficult elements, then I would show them it could be done, that it should be done. Because it is only on days like today that an artist sees the trees rocking, the clouds souring across the sky, coming from the southeast. The noise was what struck me. The leaves and branches battering against each other. Debris flying through the air. But mainly the clouds roaring overhead in big billows of layers in a hurry to the bay.

I compromised and said we would stay while I demo-ed some important things and then we head back to the Conservatory to paint inside the rest of our class time.

They were all over that.

I set up to do a simple demonstration and it ended up taking two paint boxes to keep my easel in place to work. I painted quickly explaining what I wanted to capture today. A day like this there are no hard lines, no hard edges because everything is moving in the breeze. It is all blurred. The landscape is soft in the movement.

I finished quickly getting a solid study done and they hurried off quickly, driving to the classroom.

But I cannot help thinking of the missed opportunity today for them. As a teacher I failed to get them to work in the tough circumstances. Failed to get them to take the risk of a fallen easel or of learning how to weight one’s easel against the wind and take the extra five minutes to secure the canvas for painting.

Because it’s only when you step up to the challenge, that art is rewarding.

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