Viewing Art is Like Being in Love

 

Red Rose Study

Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

6 x 8

I'd like to share an interesting article on the effects of viewing art. Brain chemistry research has shown it's similar to the feelings of falling in love. No wonder we artists and art lovers are so passionate.
Click here to link to the article:        Viewing Art is Like Being in Love

Flower Painting Class

This was the last session of the Painting Flowers- Loose, Fresh & Easy class I teach in Atlanta.

We had a great class of 15 painters. We paint each week from flowers the students bring in. It's fun to have a room filled with artists happily at work surrounded by colorful  flowers. 

Here are some of the students at work.

  Have a great summer and see you again in the fall.

For those who don't want to wait till then, I have added a new one day workshop on June 14th at the 

Smith Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw GA. It will be a plein air painting workshop designed especially for those who might be new or less experienced at painting outdoors. I shared about the gardens on an earlier blog post (May 6).   If interested, please contact me at patfiorello@aol.com

Hydrangeas Take 3

Hydrangea Impressions

Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

9 x 12

Tried a totally different approach on the hydrangeas today using a method I learned from Susan Sarback, founder of the School of Color & Light, capturing more of an impressionist look. It's done totally with a palette knife and is very different from the "transparent start" and more classical approaches I used the past 2 days( see blog posts for the past 2 days). This one does look very different- partially due to the palette knife textural effects and also the intensity of colors achieved.

Hydrangea Painting-Take 2

Photo of hydrangeas

Today I decided to paint the same hydrangeas as yesterday, but with a totally different approach. Yesterday I approached it using the method I learned from Hedi Moran while at the Scottsdale Artists School earlier this year. That approach starts with transparent colors only then builds with opaques in the 2nd stage. Today I tried a more classical approach . Here are a couple of preliminary stages and then the paintings in it's close to final form (still need to touch up a few areas, but this is as far as I got today).

This is the result of today's approach compare to yesterday's below.

Both approaches were fun and the results were not as different as I had expected. The classical approach feels a bit more formal and tight,  than Hedi's approach which feels a lot freer to me, but knowing that I could make some adjustments next time if I want. I guess the good news is that you can get to the same end with a variety of means. Maybe WHAT you want to paint is more important than HOW you get there. A lesson for painting- and a lesson I have come across in other areas of life. Sometimes we let the "how" get in the way ( or even stop us... in the case of "I don't know how") . If you know what you want and why it's important, many hows can get you there.

What do you think? Have you had that experience in art or other places in life?

Hydrangea Painting

Hydrangeas in Blue
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
12 x 16



Here's today's painting. The hydrangeas are out in bloom and beautiful. They are one of my favorite flowers to paint.


 Here is the still life set up which I simplified a bit:

The start- using only transparent oil paints

Adding in a background underpainting, still only transparent paint.

 After the 2nd stage, where I added opaques and adjusted colors, values edges, brushwork. On the easel left, with the set up  on the right.

It was a fun day!
 I plan to try the same arrangement in a very different approach later this week and will share what I learn.

You make a difference

Villa Ciprese

                                                         Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

 I went to see the movie "I Am " today. if you haven't heard about it, it's worth checking out. It was created by Hollywood filmmaker Tom Shadyack, who suffered a significant injury that caused him to really step back and look at his life and the "big picture".  I won't give too much away, but the film is quite thought provoking and  inspiring . It explores how we are all connected  and every individual person can make a difference in the world.

 It had me reflecting on the ways to share positive energy in the world thru my everyday activities in art- creating things that touch people or bring beauty to their environments, helping students and other artists  to grow thru sharing, teaching etc.. . Keeping the bigger picture in mind can reframe the context of creating from a personal activity to a contribution. Sometimes it's easy for that to get lost.

And it reminded me to be grateful for the contributions of other artists that I have received. If not for the generosity of artists who have come before us, we would not have the benefit of much of the knowledge about art that we have today. We in turn have a responsibility to pass that on to others.
 Something to think about...