What if You Are a Lousy Painter?

"Out of the Shadows"

Oil on canvas, 6" sq.,  c. Catherine Vines

About 4:00 in the morning - when I still couldn't get to sleep - I had a blinding revelation: I can't paint. Why did I ever think I could? How could I have invested my life in something I'm still no good at?

The next day one of my private students - all of 5 years old - was complaining about his shark: "It just doesn't look right!" I talked to him about practice and patience.  Finally it clicked for me. So I'm not the great painter I secretly yearn to be. I care about improving and I work hard at it. What else matters?

This painting revisits a recent purple/yellow color scheme (see March 19 posting) in the Magnolia Series. A mixture of these two colors makes the loveliest browns, if not the best choice for a portrait. See. I learned something.

What Comes First?

"Orange Magnolia"
Acrylic on Masonite, 20"x16" c. Catherine Vines

Finally!  I have the answer.  Or Alyson B. Stanfield does: HxWxD. She even has an artist's mnemonic to remember which comes first. Her speciality is "art biz coach" and her advice invaluable. This latest in the Magnolia Series also uses the tar gel I blogged about previously, this time tinted with black. It gives an interesting raised surface to the flower. I even like the irregularity for a more spontaneous look.

Have You Ever Experimented with Tar?

"Yellow Magnolias"

Acrylic on Masonite, 16" x 20," c. Catherine Vines

Tar Gel, that is. The ultramarine blue outlining the magnolia petals is Golden's "Clean Tar Gel," tinted with acrylic paint.  It is a stringy, colorless (without the paint) gel that dries to glossy finish and allows you to drip paint in a more-or-less controlled fashion. Fun, especially if you like to experiment. I think it will accept any color of acrylic paint, but you should check with the manufacturer for specifics. For some reason this magnolia reminds me of a cactus, but that's me. A fun cactus, mind you.

Tired of Magnolias Yet?

"Pink Magnolias"

Acrylic on Masonite, 16" x 20," c. Catherine Vines

Because there are still more! I think this painting especially shows how I am cropping my photos to select an extreme close-up view. This gives me the abstract look I am going for without removing all references to my flower.  I prefer to paint from black-and-white photos; I find my color choices are more imaginative. By the way, there is no black in this painting.

Metallic Paints

"Magnolia Metallica"

Acrylic on Masonite, 16" x 20," c. Catherine Vines

The copper color in this paint is actually metallic paint and in person has a lovely sheen. It's an opaque paint, so it completely covers the colors below, sometimes a disadvantage.  I use a palette knife because I love the way it lets me develop layers of colors.  Working that way can be misleading though if I don't frequently get back from my canvas and look at my painting.  Too many ridges of color can add up to a brown mess because of the way they blend from a distance. I prefer larger areas of overall color complemented with juicy details.

What as I Thinking?

"Blue Magnolia"

Acrylic on Masonite, 16" x 20," c. Catherine Vines

I'm sure there's a reason I included so much red in this painting.  It must have seemed a good choice at the time! In person, the blues I used are stronger and balance the reds somewhat better. I am learning that it gives me another perspective on my paintings when I see them posted, not always a pleasant experience. Looking back at my photos of the magnolias makes me think about an all-white painting - now that would be a challenge.

What if Your Painting Wanted to be Bigger?

Magnolia Triptych

Acrylic on Masonite, 34" x 20," c. Catherine Vines

Then you would have to paint a triptych, especially since I have already done the hard work and learned how to spell "triptych." This painting has the clear, bright colors I love. And the palette knife is such a great tool for building broken color patches. Each time I paint a Magnolia in this Series, I can picture something else I want to try, the perfect definition of a series. If there ever was a case of a painting saying it wanted to be bigger, just try and imagine this one with only the center panel. Can you even picture it?

Purple and Yellow Make....

Acrylic on Masonite, 16" x 20," c. Catherine Vines

A complementary color scheme. This is another in the Magnolia Series, again done with a palette knife. The texture of this painting is a luscious element in its own right.  Claudia, a friend from Seattle, got me started on the palette knife when she talked about her mother using it as a painting tool. It turned out to be a wonderful suggestion. I am currently finishing up a small portrait using the same color scheme but as neutrals.