3 BOATS ON CASCO (study) | 5×8” | graphite on paper
Figuring out why a composition is failing can be a real challenge at times. If the painting fundamentally sucks, I know it’s a lack of talent or experience on my part. Sometimes, however, it just doesn’t look right. It’s on this latter front that I often find myself with boats.
Granted, I don’t have extensive experience painting seascapes that highlight boats. They’re tricky and I believe lots of practice is the key to get the blizzard of weird angles, maddening levels of detail, and the reality that they move constantly, even when anchored, working in concert as a composition.
Last week I did a short plein air session of boats – it was a total failure, although the outing itself was great time spent on the coast. I decided to try drawing the same scene in the studio to see if I could figure out the issues. As it turns out, this small study solved a lot of problems, of which there were 2 big ones.
First, the viewing angle was too steep, meaning it works better with a more horizontal perspective. The painting I had done was simply too aerial, probably in part because I was standing on a pier and secondly it was low(ish) tide, so everything was below my line of sight.
Secondly, the composition included something very unusual, namely Fort Gorges, which is literally a Civil War era fort seemingly floating around in Casco Bay. It’s an iconic part of the Bay for those who know Portland, Maine, but for those “from away”, it’s basically a big ‘ol WTF part of the horizon. It’s made all the more confusing to the uninitiated because it has a tree filled square in it’s center, which makes Fort What-the-Fuck even more awkward with what looks like a Jolly Green Giant broccoli patch springing skyward. How does one work that convincingly into a composition. NOBODY!
Upon realization that Fort WTF needed to be ignored, aka artistic license, the final version of the drawing was complete. Note that in the pictures there is a before and after version to show the impact of using a drastic design decision to make the composition work. Whaddya think?
UMBRELLA IN SHADE (study) | 5×8” | graphite on paper
This is a plein air sketch from my rental backyard in Maine, which has a big, red umbrella as well as a massive oak tree for shade. At certain times of day the umbrella gets shaded by the oak tree, which creates a neat value contrast underneath. While I didn’t get the pass through lighting just right, its always satisfying to get an object like an umbrella properly drawn.
On a compositional note, I definitely will look to do a future painting of an umbrella from this underneath perspective. I really like the mystery it creates whereby the viewer has no idea what’s happening on the table, or even in the background below 3 or 4 feet. Oddly enough, the lack of a “bottom” seems to continually redirect me back into the composition. Does it work that way for you, too?
This study doesn’t make the cut for a “real” painting, but it was fun to draw, so perhaps I might try another angle one day soon. In the meantime I’ll keep an eye out around town for a bright, colorful patio umbrella for a proper painting effort.
Greetings from South Portland, Maine! Plein air sessions in the July Texas heat aren’t exactly an inspirational setting for creativity, so this piece is brought to you by the cool breezes of the land of 75,000 moose.
This garage was painted over the course of 3 short sessions in the mid/late afternoon. The shadows created by the sun really make the garage door pop, so I wanted make that the clear focal point without making the white to prominent. The final solution was to tweak it so the black window of the door was the primary focus, using the high contrast in values with the white door as an easy viewing vortex.
In terms of the other elements, a lot of artistic license was taken to pare down the details and keep things simple. That said, it was important for me to include the iron fence and the color of the garage. The fence because the ironwork is very eye catching given the design. As to the green hue of the garage, while I’ll admit it’s not my preferred color, I wanted anyone who’s seen this house and garage to instantly recognize it as “hey, it’s that green garage!”
Lastly, I made a decision in the final minutes of painting, after having thought I was done, which significantly improved the finished piece. Because I don’t have a before and after shot, I can only describe what I did, which was to add the high contrast “rows” on the garage, then scraping down to give the sense of textured panels. I was pretty sure the move was going to muddle the whole thing, but as it turns out it was a vast improvement. I must learn to be much aggressive when painting and this sessions went a long way in validating that approach.
I’m privileged to be included in another group show at Art for the People Gallery in Austin! I’ll have two pieces in the show, FISHERMANS POINT and SMOKY ON ICE. I’m especially stoked at this opportunity because these pieces showcase two very distinct painting styles, namely landscape and still life.
The show runs June 7th – August 17th, 2024, opening reception NEXT SATURDAY, June 8th, 12-4pm CDT at the new location of Art for the People Gallery in Austin, Texas.
Note that the Art for the People Gallery has moved locations and is no longer on South 1st street. They are part of Good Dad Studios located at 2801 S. I-35 Frontage Rd. Good Dad Studios is Texas’ largest artist complex, which means they have a lot of artist studio space, and within the facility are galleries and other businesses, one of the most notable being Art for the People Gallery.
Reach out if you have any questions, or better yet go to the gallery and check out all the art.
When I first started painting, the term “study” was something I did to suspicious food at a dive restaurant. Over time, I learned that “study” oftentimes meant “practice”, typically done as a trial effort before tackling the same composition on a larger scale. This interpretation is meant to allow the artist to figure out technique, color palette, and orientation of the work. Fast forward to current day, I’ve come to find that “study” can mean a brutal self-critique of a practice painting that becomes more than a mere invalidation of the compositional structure, but rather a realization that you buggered it up entirely!
Of course sometimes a “study” can magically have no serious flaws, the plaint flowed effortlessly, and all your compositional ideas worked beautifully. Sometimes.
The study FLATIRON HOMESTEAD is proof that this practice has merit! That said, I like this piece because at the end of the day it was a lot of fun, the palette is pretty good, and doing a “real” painting is a likely outcome. There are progress photos per usual, but I’ve also included an annotated version of the completed study to point out the issues of which are detailed below.
This was painted from a reference photo taken by my mom during a plein air session we did last year near El Dorado Canyon, Colorado. It’s a beautiful location as you can see for miles along the Front Range with the Flatirons as the backdrop. To insert a human-made structure as the focal point of the piece felt wrong and awkward, but in the end it worked out.
I did a couple of sketches to mock-up compositional options, taking more time than I normally would, which I think proved beneficial because the core approach turned out to be much more compelling than the reference photo itself. The other key to this study was setting a time limit, which I chose to be 3 hours. The idea being to not overthink it, but give myself enough time to get the core elements fleshed out properly. This worked well because in the end I had to make major design change decisions (see fence line) quickly, focus on values over hues, and avoid the complication of detailed brush strokes.
Following is the summary of what I learned from this “study”:
1. The tree line is oddly symmetrical in terms of height. Not good! Need to change that next time and always be conscious of varying heights.
2. The fence line is a little too straight, even after the compositional decision to remove part of the fence so it didn’t cut the painting in half.
3. Light source is inconsistent. This would never happen if I painted this en plein air because it would have been impossible to ignore the sun, but drop me in the studio and things can get whacky. The sun is overhead for the flatirons and fields between the trees and the mountains, but the foreground and focal point are clearly lit by a sun that’s more on the horizon, albeit not sunrise.
4. Cast shadows of the fence line are critical and extremely effective. On a larger piece this will really grab the viewer and suck them into the painting.
5. The homestead building angles aren’t right, most likely the front side that’s lit by the sun needs to be a little less wide. This is the only real negative I found by having a time limit because I could have taken the time to repaint this part… then again, why bother if this is a “study”?
6. The highlighted tree trunks, meant to capture the high value contrast of the sunlight coming across the field, are effective and something I want to use in a larger piece, but in this study they are way too big/wide. Should have used a lighter touch with a think brush.
7. The sky color is excellent! I made an adjustment in the 2nd hour to the sky, deciding it was too blue and dark. This has been a problem for me in the past with landscapes, but I think this provides better awareness going forward, namely start lighter than I think it accurate and darken if needed.
8. The flatirons look really good, even though they’re just supporting background to the main elements. I used a palette knife to scrape the granite colors into the greens and that worked well. Need to remember that trick for future efforts.
So, that about sums it up. As you can see, you can learn a lot if you “study”!
Flatiron Homestead ReferenceBlock In – Values!Uhm… lotta greenPalaette and Values WorkingFence Line Needs Help3 Hours Limit!Final FLATIRON HOMESTEAD
If you’ve lived in South Portland, you knew the Fishing Shacks. If you don’t, please get out more and explore the wonders of your own backyard!
For the uninitiated, the last of the 3 remaining, dare I say “iconic”, Fishing Shacks were sucked into Casco Bay on January 13, 2024. Over their 120+ years, these historical structures had endured whatever the tumultuous Maine coast could throw at them, but a record tide (14.57 feet) coupled with a massive storm surge was a one-two punch they simply couldn’t withstand.
Many Fishing Shacks On Willard BeachShacks Stored Fishing Gear… Maybe Bodies 🙂Fishing Shacks With Metal RoofsReference Photo of Fishing Shacks – August 2023
Despite their absence, they leave many fond memories, a rare marriage of human structures and the natural environment which, together, made Fishermans Point a better place. As an artist, one of my primary inspirations is to return to a fond location and remember the time I spent there by recreating a view or experience on the canvas. Regarding the Fishing Shacks, my wife and I spent many happy hours soaking in the sights, sounds, and sea air on Fishermans Point, the shacks standing guard. It was, and still is, our happy place… just a little different now.
The painting (not my first of the shacks, see Fishing for Edward Hopper) is meant to capture that unique light at the end of the day when the world is bathed in golden rays and everything looks just a little more inviting. I used very little artistic license regarding the shacks themselves, as I wanted to preserve their actual structure as much as possible, including their positioning on the rocky point.
Experimenting with color to figure out the right palette for the waterZoom In Shacks
I used a painting knife and broken color on the illuminated side of the shacks to ensure they were the focal point of the work, most notably the railing leading to the first shack, guiding the viewer into the work. The use of high contrast values of the railing against the sunlit side of the shack should pull you back to that point every time you look at the piece, supported further by the diagonal cast shadows of the railing on the shack wall.
Compositionally the piece could be unbalanced and wonky, the shacks and rocky point stacked on the right side.To offset this issue, I incorporated a lot of high value, strong chroma setting sun reflection in the still(ish) blue waters on the left side. This is a relatively new compositional strategy I learned from another artist, Jeanne Hougen , who I had the pleasure of taking a class earlier this year.
Lastly, there is some hidden meaning in this composition, most notably the lack of the rocky point and the supporting stilts of the shacks in the water’s reflection. This was done intentionally and is meant to represent the physical disconnection of the shacks from Fishermans Point, but also a reminder of their powerful presence in the memories of all of us who shared time with them looking across the bay.
Reference PhotoBlock InProgress – Sky Sets ToneBright Blue Water Aint RightWorking in ReflectionsSunlight Reflection for BalanceSHACKS OF GOLD | 20×16″ | Oil on Canvas
Dam at Hill of Life Falls, AustinBlock InNice Day at the OfficeValue Contrasts!Not Bad for 90 Minutes
2024 will be the year of more en plein air! I love being outside painting in the field, but it does require getting up earlier, planning the night before, and a commitment regardless of the weather. This is a whole lot like camping, which I used to do all the time many years ago, so perhaps I just need to think of it as a short camping trip without sleeping on the hard ground.
I’ve finally made a return to this site after more than a year, which is kinda sad given it’s about a 20 minute hike out my front door. I’ve had a lot more practice since my last session (Breath of Plein Air) at this location, so I was excited to see how this study would compare to the previous work.
I opted for a profile perspective this time instead of landscape, as I feel that compositionally it just works better. The eyes are drawn down and up into the waterfall, the clar focal point of this work. The horizontal landscape can work, too, but I feel like it takes away from the expanse of the landscape, which flows naturally top to bottom. Structure is important, something I didn’t understand entirely when I tackled this last time.
I also split my board in half with blue tape, the intention being a return to this same spot later this month to build on what was learned from this session. I might play with this work a little more in the studio, but I’m more interested in developing experience and skills in the field, most notably improving value contrasts that really capture the outdoors, and secondarily developing a better palette that emphasizes atmospheric perspective.
This study lasted about 1.5 hours of actual painting, so I’m pleased with how much was done in that short timeframe. I’ll get out earlier next time – I started at 10am – and spend a full 3 hours and see how things turn out.
This was a commission piece for a friend, Jason, who had recently lost their beloved furry family member, Vedder. His wife, Alicia, reached out to me and wanted to have the piece done as a surprise. I knew the loss of Vedder was very difficult for both of them, having seen various remembrance posts from Jason on Facebook recently, it was clear this was a difficult time, so I wanted to make sure I got this right.
Alicia was extremely easy to work with, remaining very flexible in terms of what she wanted, essentially leaving most of the creative decisions up to me, saying she had confidence that whatever I created would be wonderful. At least that made one of us.
Then the pressure set in! This had to be perfection given the subject matter.
Ultimately I devised a number of possible compositions based on pictures and videos of Vedder, created sketches, and passed them along to Alicia for review. Thankfully her top 2 choices were the ones I wanted to paint the most.
I’m not a pet portrait expert, at least not at this point in my creative experience. That said, I have done a number of what I like to call “dogs in motion” pieces, so not having to tackle the task of Vedder’s face in detail was going to make this a lot easier.
There were a few compositional elements I wanted to bake into this piece. First and foremost, Vedder had to look like Vedder, even if his face was in profile, there’s still the challenge of getting his body just right. I wanted someone who knew Vedder to walk into the room where the painting was hanging and be able to tell at a distance “hey, that’s Vedder!” Secondly, the setting had to be his favorite excursion location, which was this unnamed rocky beach along the coast (they live in the Los Angeles area), and there had to be clear elements that made it recognizable as that beach. Lastly, I wanted to include “Easter Eggs” in the composition that would give the work more meaning and personalization for Jason and Alicia.
The initial block-in went well, despite the need to improvise the landscape a bit – the natural rocky jetty wasn’t in the same view as Vedder in photos, but it was an integral element of the beach, so it had to be included. The initial draft of Vedder’s silhouette was a lot more difficult, having gone through at least 10 variations before landing on the final version. I also made the decision to incorporate a calmer ocean than what was typically in the reference photos, which often featured a very active surf.
The most difficult technical challenges were the very black coat of Vedder, and the !*$king sand! First, the sand…
I’ll need to do a number of seascapes featuring beaches this year so I can capitalize on the lessons learned with sand. First, sand apparently comes in a wide range of colors, none of which you recognize until you try to paint said granules. I thought there was simply dry sand (light brown) and dark sand (dark brown). This is not the case. For the record, a beach full of sand has an infinite number of value and color gradations. Suffice to say it worked out, but I have a newfound appreciation for professional painters who incorporate footprints along the beach.
The biggest challenge, as expected, was Vedder. Getting the shape right, and I hope it is (you’d have to ask Jason and Alicia), wasn’t too bad, but trying to get the black hair to pop on the canvas and work the reflection of the sun on his coat, well that took some experimentation. Ultimately it came down to the magic of alternating warm and cool blues. I also incorporated a lot of knife work so there was some texture to his coat, as well as some fine brush work on the edges so he looked wet. When I asked Alicia what Vedder likes to do at the beach, thinking I could incorporate a ball, stick or frisbee into the artwork, she said “he just likes to run around”, or something to that effect. He was simply a happy, energetic, loving dog!
As to the Easter Eggs, namely hidden references in the artwork, I like to use these in commission pieces because it adds personalization and helps lend meaning to the work. The trick is to not do too many, keep them simple, and above all else, don’t compromise the quality of the art. In the case of VEDDER, I incorporated 3 Easter Eggs, two of which I’ll share here. First, Vedder’s paws create a rainbow reflection in the sheen of the water, representing the Rainbow Bridge. This element is designed to be subtle and not something you notice until you look very closely at the artwork. The other Easter Egg can be seen in the rocky peninsula. If you turn the painting upside down, reading left to right are the letters “VeddEr”. They’re not easy to see at first, but the intent is to make it hard to find initially, but then it’s impossible to look at the painting and not see them going forward.
Overall I’m very happy with how this piece turned out. More importantly, Jason and Alicia loved it, at least that’s what they told me. Haha! All kidding aside, the fact that I got a text from Jason with a picture of him holding the painting with a huge smile on his face was all the thanks I needed.
I’m very excited to be included in a new exhibition called “IMPRESSIONS: Paintings by the artists of Plein Air Austin”, happening at The Hive in Bee Caves, TX. This show celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Impressionist painters. If you don’t know much about the Impressionists, even if you don’t like the style (weirdo!), the history is fascinating.
In short, the movement, as it were, was actually facilitated by an American painter, John Rand, who in 1841 invented… wait for it… paint in a tube! Over the following years, some artists started to take their hobby outdoors (thanks to their tubes of paint) and began capturing the scenes of the world around them, a major break from compositional structures of the time, and emphasizing light and color to give a sense of place.
The debut party for the Impressionists is what’s marked as the anniversary, which occurred in 1874 in Paris at a show called “The Cooperative and Anonymous Association of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers”. This group of arty-farty rebels included some of the (now) most recognizable names of the art world, including Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Degas and Cézanne.
One final fun fact. The term “Impressionists” was initially an insulting critique from the press, who hated the style, calling one of Monet’s paintings “Impression, Sunrise” and comparing it to wallpaper.
Back to the opening, where 6 of my pieces will be included in this fantastic group show of plein air works. Opening reception will be Saturday, April 6th, 2-4pm. Swing by if you’re so inclined and meet some artists who love the outdoors and have created some amazeballs artwork! Let me know if you plan to drop by and I’ll keep an eye out for you.
COMMONS FORD RANCH BARN | Oil on Board | 9×12″ FISHERMANS POINT | Oil on Board | 9×12″ BREAKWATER MARINA | Oil on Canvas Board | 8×10″ SPRING POINT LIGHTHOUSE 1 | Oil on Canvas Board | 9×12″SPRING POINT LIGHTHOUSE 2 | Mixed Media on Board | 10×8″ GREENWICH VIEW | Oil on Canvas | 20×16″ 6 Paintings in IMPRESSIONS Show
This is my first composition of an old barn and it was an absolute blast! I came across this barn exploring a metro park near my home called Commons Ford Ranch. My initial goal was to simply find a new place to explore with my dog, and I was surprised to find this metro park on the map near my home, of which I’ve lived in for decades.
Commons Ford Ranch parkland was donated by Bradley and Wooley, Inc. in 1983, but the historic buildings, including the barn, were from the Resaca Ranch, which was a working cattle ranch in the early 20th century. If you live in the Austin area, I strongly suggest exploring this small park, which has riverfront, hiking trails, and obviously historical elements to enjoy.
After my plein air recon visit with Wolfy, I returned a few days later to do some quick field sketching. Having no experience with barns, I took some time back in the studio doing a more formal drawing, trying to figure out how best to simplify the elements of the barn and ensure I could get the whacky angles figured out. When I finished the drawing I realized the better angle was going to be from the other side of the barn because the tree was a distraction no matter where I put it, seemingly popping out of the barn like a jack-in-the-box gone wrong. But this is why we do sketches and practice drawings, right?
I spent about 3 hours painting on-site the following week. The weather cooperated for the first 90 minutes, then the clouds rolled in, which threw off some of the preferred lighting. Luckily I took a few reference photos when I first setup and was able to use those back in the studio. I really focused my plein air session on highly contrasting values, something I feel would help improve the realistic nature of my landscapes.
The studio work went very quickly, which I’m convinced was due to the strength of the values throughout the piece. I was able to convey a more realistic composition with depth. At least that’s my impression. The most tricky bits, which were honestly a bit maddening, were determining the colors for the wood. The gray of the actual barn wasn’t going to make for a very interesting painting, so I went with 20 versions of reddish brown. I used almost exclusively painting knives for the barn, finding ways to maximize wet-on-wet technique to get swirls and variations in the wood panels, giving them (hopefully) a more aged look. Lastly, using the edge of the painting knife, I applied somewhat random crisp black lines to get a more realistic look to the slats and slight gaps between the wood.
The addition of wildflowers was a suggestion from my wife, which I think adds a nice pop of central Texas spring to the piece. These were also done with a knife, using scraping and splotching techniques.
Overall, the Commons Ford Ranch Barn was a great introduction to this type of landscape feature that lends itself nicely to en plein air.
Art Bern 