Adventures in Texas and Colorado

Roadside Walk, pastel, 12x12

I just returned from teaching a three-day pastel workshop in New Braunfels, Texas. As with most workshops, the group of artists was comprised of a variety of skill levels and experience. However, we all shared such a great enthusiasm for painting that we enjoyed what seemed like a continuous positive flow of knowledge and encouragement, with some laughs thrown in.

If you ever have the opportunity to take a workshop at Farmers Road Art Workshops, run by Mary McIntosh, in New Braunfels, TX, I highly recommend it. And if you're coming in from out of town, she also runs a fantastic bed & breakfast right there by the studio.

Above and directly below are two of my demos from the workshop.

Hidden Pasture, pastel, 11x14

Following below are a couple of other pieces painted in the past few weeks...

Suburban Respite, oil, 11x14

"Suburban Respite" was painted for a private class recently. Separating the busy green foliage from foreground to background was the challenge of the day. Carefully controlling the warm and cool hues was key, since the values from foreground to background were very similar.

Waterton Canyon, pastel, 9x12

AIS Artists Choice Award!

I had the awesome opportunity to attend the American Impressionist Society show and paintouts recently in the Denver, Colorado area, and painted several plein air studies while there. "Waterton Canyon" was done in pastel back in my studio from one of my oil studies painted on location there. I'm hoping to paint some more studio versions of my studies real soon! What made the AIS event even more special...my painting, "The Six O'clock Show" won Artists Choice award!

Next week it's off to Charlotte, North Carolina to teach an oil painting workshop. Below are some more workshops I have coming up...


UPCOMING WORKSHOPS:

COMPOSITION BOOT CAMP/PASTEL & OIL -  Dahlonega, GA
NOV. 6 & 7 (Thurs/Fri)
The Art Loft, Dahlonega, GA
Visit www.artloft.net to register.
Workshop fee - $225

LANDSCAPE OIL PAINTING: THE NUTS & BOLTS - Austell, GA
Nov. 15 (Sat.)
Red Cockerill Gallery
2845 Cemetery St.
Austell, GA 30106
www.redcockerillgallery.com
Contact Ann Cockerill to register: 770-944-3160 or anncockerill@bellsouth.net 
Workshop fee: $130

PASTEL Workshop - Stevensville, MD - 3-day 

Workshop - February 6, 7 & 8, 2015 (Fri/Sat/Sun)

Demo - Thurs., Feb. 5, 5:30 - 8:30 pm, $45, $55 at door

Chesapeake Fine Art Studio 

609 Thompson Creek Rd.

Stevensville, MD 21666

(about 40 minutes from downtown Baltimore)

$400

www.chesapeakefineartstudio.com

410-200-8019

PASTEL Workshop - Bonita Springs, FL - 3-day 

Feb. 25, 26 & 27, 2015 (Wed/Thurs/Fri)

Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs

26100 Old US 41 Road

Bonita Springs, FL 34135

$350/members; $400/nonmembers

www.artcenterbonita.org

239-495-8989

See my workshop page on my website for details and complete schedule through 2015, or email me with any questions.
www.barbarajaenicke.com
barbarajaenicke@msn.com

Going the Distance

Roadside View, oil, 8x10

Peeking Through the Trees, pastel, 8x10

Along the McKenzie, oil, 8x10

I came back from my visit to Oregon a couple of weeks ago supplied with some new photos for studio work. Looking through them, I saw potential for focusing on distance in the landscape for my studio classes this week.

Discussions in my classes revolved around making value shifts in the more distant areas to read lighter than what the photo shows, and carefully addressing color temperature according to the lighting conditions.

In the case of Roadside View and Peeking Through the Trees, the foreground is in shadow and the distance is in strong, direct sunlight, which flips around how we normally think of how to use warms and cools, since we have strong cool hues up front and sunlit warms in the distance. More saturated hues in the foreground cools, with the help of some more defined edges, allows that area come forward. And in the distance, muted warms in the sunlit areas, with very little value contrast against the cools, still allows that area to read far away.

Along the McKenzie has more consistent lighting from foreground to background, so in this case we have the more common use of warms up front and cools in the distance.

Below are a couple of other demos from private classes I've held recently...

Dappled, oil, 8x10

September Wetlands, oil, 8x10

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
I'm teaching three more workshops this year...one in Texas next month and two here in Georgia in November...

PASTEL WORKSHOP - New Braunfels, TX
OCT. 13, 14 & 15
Farmers Road Art Workshops
1105 FM 1863
New Braunfels, TX 37132
Contact Mary McIntosh at 1863farmroad@sbcglobal.net or 830-625-0132
Workshop fee - $345

COMPOSITION BOOT CAMP/PASTEL & OIL -  Dahlonega, GA
NOV. 6 & 7
The Art Loft, Dahlonega, GA
Visit www.artloft.net to register.
Workshop fee - $225

LANDSCAPE OIL PAINTING: THE NUTS & BOLTS - Austell, GA
Nov. 15 (Sat.)
Red Cockerill Gallery
2845 Cemetery St.
Austell, GA 30106
www.redcockerillgallery.com
Contact Ann Cockerill to register: 770-944-3160 or anncockerill@bellsouth.net 
Workshop fee: $130

See my workshop page on my website for details or email me with any questions.
www.barbarajaenicke.com
barbarajaenicke@msn.com

A Peek Inside My Box

My "backpack" size pastel box.

I've had a couple of requests to post an image of my opened pastel box. (Or for those of you on Facebook...to re-post.) I don't claim to have the perfect set up, and I'm always questioning if I have the right proportions of each hue/chroma/value, and I add/subtract from it when I acquire a new supply of pastels. But this is pretty much what it usually looks like.

I mention the part about having this image initially posted on Facebook, because I chose to delete the entire post due to some unfortunate comments made by someone who simply misread something, and then decided that I was just doing it all wrong, partly because it didn't appear that I use any hard pastels.

When I posted the image on Facebook, I didn't mean for it to be that specific about my working methods or all of the materials I use. But for anyone curious, I do use a small amount of hard pastels--usually only about 4 or 5--for a loose block in that I wet down with alcohol, plus greys and neutrals, which I keep separate just due to space limitations. The pastels shown here in my box are mostly soft brands (Terry Ludwig, Sennelier, Schmincke and Unison, and maybe a few misc. others.)

When traveling, I find it easier to place my hard pastels separately in a small cardboard box with foam cushioning since it's just a few that I need, and then another cardboard "Terry Ludwig" box that holds 30 of my favorite greys and neutrals. I sometimes customize these small boxes with specific pastels I think I may need for particular workshop demonstrations. Those small cardboard boxes, with my backpack size Heilman box, fit nicely into my rolling backpack that I carry onto a plane. I usually use this same combination for pastel plein air in my same rolling backpack.

For traditional pastel artists, the norm has always been to start with hard pastels and work up to softer sticks, typically due to the way in which pastel pigment fills the tooth of the paper. The softer the pastel, the more quickly it fills the tooth of the pastel surface. But materials are changing all the time, and the pastel supply manufacturers are getting almost as creative as the artists when it comes to how the products perform. So even though an admired artist or workshop instructor shows you a particular method, certainly give it a try, but always give yourself time in your own studio to experiment with your supplies. What didn't work on materials made 15 years ago may actually react much differently with newer brands. There are of course common methods that are used for good reason. (i.e., don't try and wet down a thick layer of very soft pastel...it makes a sticky mess that completely fills the tooth! But hey, someone out there may find a way to make that method work in their own unique way.)

What's amazing about pastels, or any painting medium, or really any creative process, is that there's no one right way to create art. That's what makes it art, and not something cut-and-dry like accounting. And it's also what makes it unique to each individual artist.

On another note...

I've noticed that I no longer can receive comments on this blog. I have no idea why. I've looked into it and haven't yet found a solution. It doesn't appear that there's even a spot anymore for someone to leave a comment, but I could be wrong. If anyone happens to know why this is and how to correct it, I'd welcome your input via email (barbarajaenicke@msn.com). I always enjoy reading the comments people leave here on my blog...and I really miss them!

A Quick Visit to my Home State!

I grew up in New Jersey and lived there until 1992 when I moved to Atlanta. Since my sister just moved from New Jersey to Florida a few months ago in search of sunshine and year round beach time, I no longer have any immediate family there. A little odd knowing I won't have reason to visit there nearly as often. But I'm looking forward to a brief visit there in a few days, by way of a quick overnight stay first in New York City to attend the Pastel Society of America awards night on Sunday, and then on to New Jersey ....

On Monday I'm conducting a pastel demonstration in Middletown, NJ (central NJ near the coast) from noon until 3:00. For anyone who'll be in the area at that time, you're invited to attend! If you'll be in the city, you can take a NJ Transit train from Penn Station to Middletown Station (about an hour) which is just across the street from Middletown Arts Center where the demo will be held. See the flyer above for details. (Yes, you can still register, or even decide last minute and just show up and pay at the door!)

Hope to see some of you there...either at the PSA show or at the demo in Middletown!

It was all great, until it wasn't.

I just returned from teaching a workshop in Springfield, Oregon at the Emerald Art Center for the Pastel Society of Oregon with a fantastic group of artists. Their enthusiasm for the pastel medium and desire to learn made it an inspiring week for us all! Plus, it was my first visit to Oregon, and although I didn't get to see a whole lot of the area since this was a studio workshop, I did get out a bit here and there to see the spectacular scenery and enjoy some gorgeous weather. Topped it off with having the honor of presenting awards for the Pastel Society of Oregon's annual show. Really a great week!

All went incredibly well until I returned home, opened up my new issue of the Pastel Journal, looked at my workshop listing in the back, and realized that I had the dates wrong for my next workshop coming up next month in Texas. (Oh, #&@%!!!!!!) My host for this workshop did contact me yesterday to let me know a student just called her regarding the date discrepancy, but I assumed it was an earlier issue, which may have had previously planned dates that we needed change after the magazine went to press. I suppose I never made the correction and never caught it for the more current issues.

With all that said...I have plenty of room in my pastel workshop next month which has been promoted with the WRONG dates in the "pastel bible"! It's in New Braunfels, TX (Texas Hill Country). Correct dates are October 13, 14, & 15 (Mon/Tues/Wed). The studio location is also a bed & breakfast, so lodging is right there, making it super convenient for out-of-town participants.
Interested?
Contact Mary McIntosh at Farmers Road Art Workshops
1105 FM 1863
New Braunfels, TX 37132
1863farmroad@sbcglobal.net
830-625-0132
Workshop fee - $345

In the meantime, here are my pastel demos from Oregon this past week...

The Back Roads, 11x14

Cool Summer Evening, 11x14

Closing out Summer

Don't hate me, but I can't wait for summer to be over.

Even though I tend to be the person who's always cold, I still much prefer a colder climate. I love cuddling up in blankets and warm clothes. I hate sweating when I'm not even exercising. And since I live in the land of green here in the southeast, I also love the more varied color palette of the colder seasons. I'm looking forward to delving into more snow scenes in the coming months. I still paint them year round--I normally include at least one snow scene demo in all of my workshops--but I tend to stay somewhat seasonal in my local classes and in much of my studio work, and of course the current season dictates my plein air work.

In this post I thought I'd include the demos from my recent workshop I taught at Dillman's Art Workshops Retreat in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, and also a few other summer paintings.

A note about Dillman's...What a wonderful place to teach (or take!) a workshop! It's a secluded location along a peninsula in northern Wisconsin that provides the perfect atmosphere to immerse yourself in your creative pursuit. Their studio facility is open 24 hours for student use, and accommodations are provided right there within their rustic resort atmosphere...complete with boat rides, yoga classes, campfires, and the beautiful calls of the loons.

I had a fantastic group of artists for this workshop. Besides a productive four days of class, we enjoyed talking art and getting to know each other each evening at dinner. Below are my demos from this workshop:

Winter Walk, pastel, 12x12

Evening's Approach, pastel, 14x11

Summer Shadows, pastel, 11x14

(We also did a day of my minimal stroke exercises, but I'm thinking I may do a separate blog post at some point in the future with various demos of this exercise.)

Following below are a few landscapes from the past few summer months that I thought would be fun to share here to wrap up the summer season!

View Through the Trees, pastel, 8x10

August Afternoon, oil, 8x10

Summer Stillness, oil, 8x10

Down the 'Hooch, oil, 8x10

Georgia Morning Mist, pastel, 11x14

Top 'O The Dune, pastel, 11x14

Out in the Dunes, oil, 8x10

Evening's Shade, pastel, 11x14

Upcoming Workshops:
I'm headed to Springfield, Oregon next month and Charlotte, NC in October. I'm happy to learn that both of these workshops are all filled up. Listed below are workshops scheduled over the next several months which still have openings...

2014
New Braunfels, TX - Oct. 13, 14 & 15 (pastel)
Dahlonega, GA - Nov. 6 & 7 (Composition Boot Camp, oil/pastel)
Austel, GA - Nov. 15 (oil)

2015
Stephensville, MD - Feb. 6, 7 & 8 (pastel)
Bonita Springs, FL - Feb. 25, 26 & 27 (pastel)

Details are on my website at www.barbarajaenicke.com.

More Greens

We tackled the wall of green again in my classes at my studio this week. The source photos I used for my demos conveyed several vague varieties of green, including the elusive "grey green"...another tricky color to handle.

When the true color just doesn't translate accurately from the camera, I think it's up to the artist rely on his or her own knowledge of values, color temperature, and color intensity. In some cases, you can slightly exaggerate what happens with atmosphere and distance--through small shifts in color temperature, hue or value--and enhance your artistic message in the painting.

Shady Spot, oil, 8x10

When working with a very green landscape, I tend to work in other various colors to balance the greens, often pushing the green hue into a different color family that will still convey the same temperature or vibrancy.

With the large amounts of similar looking foliage, I find it helpful to start by carefully organizing the composition into a few distinct shapes. Below are my initial block-ins for each of the above demos, along with the reference photos used for each:

Temperature Control

I held a couple of small private classes in oil at my studio this week and focused on color temperature with these students. Coming from a background of many years working primarily in pastel, color mixing in oil has always been a challenge for me. I've found that keeping the goal of capturing the color temperatures within the landscape, rather than trying to mix the exact color you see, often yields better results. Below are my demos from these classes.

Distant Light, oil, 8x10

Kimmons Mountain, oil, 8x10

When working from photos, there can be so much variation on the color represented--whether working from a back lit monitor (iPad or laptop computer), professional print, or a paper print from your home printer--that it's somewhat pointless to struggle with matching those exact colors. Instead, try to achieve the relative temperature contrasts between cools and warms that your source photo conveys.

For example, if you're mixing paint for an area you know is warm compared to what it's next to, mix up your "guess" and test it next to the cool area. Don't worry if it doesn't match the color in the photo, but test a dab of it next to the cool area, stand back, and after first deciding if the value is correct, observe if the two areas convey the same degree of warm/cool contrast that's perceived from the scene captured in the photo. I usually need several tries to capture an accurate value and temperature. (My students will vouch for that!)

In the end, you're better off spending more time fussing with the paint down on your palette and fussing less with it on the painting surface.

 Below are the block ins for each of the two demos...

WORKSHOP NEWS (Several locations just added for 2015!):

Over the next three months I'll be teaching in Wisconsin, Oregon and Texas. I've just updated my 2015 schedule on my website with several additions to now include workshops in Maryland, Florida (Bonita Springs and Jacksonville), Rhode Island, New Mexico, Maine, Minnesota, and New Jersey. Click HERE for details and my full workshop schedule.