Flower Study 19 Red Rose Blue Willow

Red Rose Blue Willow
12 x 12
Oil Painting

This is a larger version of the study I did a week or so ago from the still life set up in the Robert Johnson workshop I recently took at the Easton Studio and School  in Easton Maryland. The  flowers were good practice as part of my ongoing flower study challenge but actually the Blue Willow sugar bowl was the most fun to paint. You are always straddling a fine line between including enough detail to suggest reality, but not so much to be precisely literal. It's also always amazing that you can create the illusion of a 3 dimensional object on a 2 dimensional canvas.

 Painting the container requires the same approach as the flowers- get the big shape first,  then describe the form ( by depicting light and shadow) and after that is established you can get to the decoration or small details.

Studying Still Life Oil Painting with Robert Johnson

 I am in a 3 day workshop studying oil painting with master artist Robert Johnson. I studied with him earlier this year and learned so much that I decided to work with him again to deepen my learning. It is good to study with different artists, but once you find someone whose approach and teaching style fit with you, it's a good idea to focus and go deeper with that teacher. I'll briefly share his approach here:

Still Life set up for demonstration

In the design phase, Robert starts our with a toned canvas and with one fairly neutral color( Transparent Oxid Red and Ultramarine Blue), he loosely places the big shapes, knowing that at this stage anything can easily be changed.

Next he wipes out the light areas and lays in the background and a wash for the rug color

He begins with the largest shapes and center of interest- the sugar bowl and red rose. During this phase he shifts his approach to lay in each brushtroke very deliberately to be descriptive. It's an "alla prima" approach where his intention is to put down a brushstroke and leave it so he is very carefully observing the shape, color, value, edges of each area he's painting and then using each brushstroke to describe that.

Here's the finished painting. (still wet on the easel, so ignore the clip on top) it certainly captures the set up, but is actually much more beautiful. It looks highly finished, but up close it is actually looser than it appears.

Robert is not only a wonderful artist who clearly has worked long and hard to develop his level of mastery, but is also a great teacher who generously shares his passion for art and learning. I plan to continue my studies with him in 2012.

 If you want to learn more about Robert Johnson's paintings, workshops, dvd's or beautiful book( one of my favorites) "On Becoming a Painter. visit his website Robert Johnson Art

On Commitment

Sunflowers & Oranges

 9 x 12

Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

In yesterday's blog, I shared some ideas for making more time to paint on a regular basis.

 Today I'd like to continue some thoughts on that subject. 

After painting exclusively in watercolor for about 12+ years, I decided to try my hand at oils about 3 years ago. While you might think painting is painting, each medium has its idiosyncrasies and even though I know a bit about color, composition etc.. which apply to any art form,  the actual handling of the paint and painting process is quite different between oils and watercolor.

 When setting my goals for this year, I decided to really invest the time develop my oil paintings further on my own as well as study with some top instructors. I took a look at my typical plan  for the year and eliminated a few activities to focus on more time to paint aiming for an average of 4 painting days/week in addition to 1 day of teaching.

This required some hard choices of things I had to cut out in favor of freeing up more time to paint.  And it is a daily challenge. As new opportunities come up , I have to decide if they will truly further my intentions or if they will "cost" too much in terms of time that could be spent painting and learning.

Part of what had me say "no" to several things and put others on the back burner, at least for this year, was the following quote from Robert Johnson's  ( magnificent) book, On Becoming a Painter:

“You will never know how good you can be until art gets your very best.

 Your best time, your highest energy, your complete commitment”


Actually Robert didn't say that , but  he was sharing what a mentor of his said to him during a critique when he was seeking feedback on his own paintings.

 If you dont' know Robert Johnson- look him up on line at  RobertJohnsonart.com. He's an amazing painter, wonderful teacher and inspiring in many ways. But it's clear he invested the time  to develop a level of mastery.

 I have that quote posted in my office so when I see it it reminds me to get back to the studio and make the time to invest in myself and my art.
 When I am at a decision point , I can refer to it and remind myself that painting deserves my best time.

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