Down-Time Begins

Although the sun is shining and the sky is bright blue, the wind is brisk, the temperature, 30 degrees.  Not a day for Painting Outside!  I don’t even have the heart to spend an hour sketching from the relative warmth of my car.  

I think I have to say that Painting Outside! is officially over for the season.  Let Down-time begin....

Many years ago, I worked in a Print Shop.  We were more than busy – pressured, stressed – for most of the year – except for immediately after Christmas until mid-February, which was known in that shop as ‘down-time’.  That’s when we spent most of our time cleaning, tidying, filing, checking inventory, making repairs, stream-lining systems....  I used to think of Fishermen, spending the good weather out at sea catching fish, hunkering down close to home in the off-season, repairing nets, equipment, boats –  dreaming of and preparing for Fishing Season and Spring through long winter nights and short days....  

I knew in my heart that down-time was coming 2 weeks ago when we walked to the top of the hill at the farm because it was too cold and windy to sit and paint.  My down-time plan is similar to how I imagine the fishermen.  I’m mending my metaphoric nets with some reading & painting experiments I’d like to do and some writing.  I have ideas to work on for next season.  I have technique to hone and sharpen/soften.  

At the moment we’re in the Holiday Season which to me is the down-est time of the year.  I’m working on honing technique by doing very small paintings from photos and sketches from the farm.  I want to learn my subject and experiment with ideas.  These paintings are very small, 3.5x5.5, which means I can do that many more experiments, create that many more to give as Christmas Gifts, gather that much more experience between hand and eye as I keep my interest alive in my overall project, which is to make sense of my commitment to do much of my work at the farm next to where I lived as a child – until mid-August ‘11.  

I’m ‘setting up camp’ in my kitchen for the winter.  I’ve put plastic film over the windows and outside door.  I’ve installed weather-stripping around the door and it’s now quite draft-free in here.  I’m keeping the kitchen warm with an oil-filled electric radiator.  My kitchen table is now my center and all my supplies are here on the table or nearby.  I’m cleaning and tidying, preparing me and my house for winter.  I’m beginning to enjoy down-time and thinking about Christmas projects and projects for ‘after the Holidays’.  I have much to occupy my mind and heart.  

November 13, ‘10

Another Saturday with great weather.  The high today is 63, with little wind and clear blue skies.  More like Spring today than Fall.  We’ve been painting at the farm since early Aug and haven’t yet had a Saturday with bad weather.  What a gift these Saturdays have been.

We got to work this morning around 10 and sat close to the apple storage in a spot where we were sure to have sun for the few hours we were there.  It was heavenly just to be there.  As ususal, I feel tension easing away the minute I turn on the road to the farm and feel fully present in the Now by the time I arrive to where we plan to work that day.

I’m happy with this small sketch, approx 5 x 9.  I drew in my main elements using a brush and a thin mix of Indigo as my base or ‘mother’ color.  I’m liking the Indigo for this time of year because it best expresses cool earth and shadows for me.  I’m learning to use much more water and to my advantage.  I’m learning to plan my passages and work from my plan.  I’m keying my painting to the middle ground, like I learned in Tony Connor’s class in Vermont at the end of Sept.  I’m enjoying the process of the work and the child-like sense of freedom in the creation of a scene on paper.  I love to draw with a pencil or charcoal but am enjoying the freedom and simplicity of sketching in my basic elements with brush and thin paint.

I feel that my painting is changing, evolving –  and am a satisfied participant in the process.  I’m enjoying the memories of this morning that are incorporated into this small painting.  I’m enjoying that Painting Outside! is not yet over for this year.  Hopefully, we’ll have another great weather Saturday next week, too.

November 6, ‘10

The way the morning was supposed to go: get up early, pack stuff, go to bank, go to credit union arrive at the farm between 9:30 and 10.

Here’s how the morning went: woke late because the alarm on my phone didn’t go off at 7.  The phone was still turned onto emergency mode after my call to 911 last night re: noise upstairs.  I opted to do the bank and credit union stuff on Monday.  Before I left the house I got a phone call from a good friend.  I told her that I finally got up the gumption to call the police regarding the people upstairs and the noise & how happy I was about taking that step, which was difficult and a step I wish I’d taken some months back. 

While I talked to my friend on the phone, I ran from room to room in search of my car keys.  They were nowhere and it was also 9:40 which meant I was 5 minutes short of running late.  We ended our conversation, I looked a little deeper for the keys and finally decided to get going, use the spare set attached to the strap of my bag.

From waking up so late and trying to get my head together and save what I could of the morning’s plan, I felt as if I were in a frantic attempt to run with my feet stuck in glue.

Stepping outside, smelling the air, feeling the warmth and seeing some very pretty clouds drifting across a deep blue sky lowered my heart rate, slowed down my thinking.  I enjoyed the scenery on the ride to Watertown and felt closer to a state of Tranquility by the time I reached the farm at 10:15.

D was already at work, and I unwound about my lateness as I set up my stuff.  Just before I sat down to work, I reached into my pocket for my gloves and heard something jingle.  When I put on the left glove, I heard it again and when I pushed up my sleeve , there were my lost keys. Attached to my arm the entire time I was frantically looking.    I’m chalking-up this brain-fart key-losing experience to stress, sleep-deprivation and tension from living with whatever is going on with the people upstairs as expressed through the excessive noise that affects me 24/7 for the past 10 months.

In the hour and a half  I worked on this painting, this is all I got done.  I like this painting, consider it a good exercise.  The angle from where we were sitting made doing the storage barn difficult.  There was also an overwhelming amount of subject matter all around us, new in a way, because we’re now into November and many changes since we started in Aug – hard to know where to start.   It was colder today than ever since we started in Aug. We were both comfortable in our outer clothing, blankets, hats and gloves.  Don’t know how many more Saturday mornings we can eke out but since we started this project in mid-August, there hasn’t been a Saturday when the weather’s been bad.  If this trend holds, maybe a few more sessions between now and Christmas.

As I settled into my chair and my work this morning and my mind settled to observing what was in my immediate vicinity & throughout the process of selecting or discarding one element or another, I could feel my tension melting and after a few minutes, the moment of taking a deep breath, giving it up to the gladness of being here now.  The hour and a half flew by as if 30 seconds.  D left a little before Noon.  I worked until I heard the noon whistle blow in town, 3 miles away.  I slowly packed up my stuff, took a few more photos and then went to mom’s for lunch.  She was just pulling into the driveway, back from her Saturday morning job at the library.

I'm Back!

I've decided to post here and on my website....  www.ggetsinger-paintingoutside.com

Last night was supposed to be the night of Killer Frost but it  was somehow delayed. Today dawned fair and mild and my garden plants were unscathed.  And from the news of frost and my own personal sense that it was in the air,  I expected today to be a day where painting outside would be cold but do-able, but never expected that it would be as fair and pretty a day as anyone could want.  I arrived at the farm  around 10:30 and this is all I got done by noon, when I quit and went to have lunch with my mother.  I painted alone this morning as D had business elsewhere.

I knew I could have gone painting at 9 but decided to deal with some household issues before I left and gave up the time I would have liked to have spent on the pleasure of doing a few drawings before I tried to paint a picture.

This painting is a 7.5x11 med grade wc paper.  I’d thought to enjoy the pleasure of drawing on my foundation with brush and paint but discovered to my horror that I’d forgotten to bring my Pringles canister filled with necessary tools which meant no painting unless I could find a stray brush somewhere in my backpack or car.  The possibility of a stray brush in either of those locations is highly probable so I looked on my forgetting my tools as some kind of ‘happy’ accident, some kind of message from the Universe and me willing to be flexible with my plan.

Minutes later, without having to remove my blanket and go to the car,  I found a decent brush in my closeby backpack, so was able to paint today.  It was a #10 round, and relatively unused, so a brush with a fine point & good luck for me.  As I realized I’d forgotten to pack the Pringles can, I also realized that I’d forgotten to bring the bowl of Kale Slaw I’d intended sharing with my mother.  Some days are like this....

I parked on the right side of the road just past F’s house where there is sun without shade as well as a great view.  My car shielded me from the wind and I had a spot in all sun and never a moment of shade from a passing cloud and felt blessed.  The moment I sat in my lawn chair and looked about I felt my worries melting, the way I sometimes do when I’m in church.  I felt grateful to be where I was – not only in that spot of sun but in my life – and thank you for bringing me all this way.  The hour and a half of joyful drawing & painting went by as if in a heartbeat.

I know I’ll probably work on this painting more, but not for awhile.  I’m going to keep it around where I come upon it often as if by chance & will be aware of any thoughts and feelings I may have about it when I do.

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I’ve been reading Edgar Whitney’s Complete Guide to Watercolor Painting and enjoying it very much.  I’ve read it before, but never had the understanding to ‘get’ some of his advice and technique.  I’m finding his philosophy and his technique a harmonious blend of emotion and logic to which, quite often, I relate.  I’m going to be reading it more and will report any more findings.  My father studied from this book and referred to it frequently.  I inherited the book from him, read it and sold it on eBay.  Later, I wished I hadn’t but also felt it had served me well in that I think of Edgar Whitney quite often when I draw, as he’s very encouraging that way.  One of the reasons I was interested in learning from Tony Couch was that he’d studied for quite a few years with Edgar Whitney.  One of the things I found interesting about Tony Connor’s work is that he studied with Tony Couch, which was when I decided to see if I could locate an inexpensive copy and read it again and the beginning of an Edgar Whitney experience or ‘thread’ in my mind & thoughts.

I’m in the process of going through my art books and weaning out the ones I want to keep and the ones I’m going to offer for sale on eBay.  The pile is about 2 feet high.  I’m trying to winnow my art instruction books down to very few.  I’m planning to spend most of tomorrow listing my Quilting Books and many Craft books, too.  I’m looking forward to lightening my load and maybe getting a little cash for it, too.    
    
                  

Moving....

Painting Outside is moving to www. ggetsinger-paintingoutside.com

Oct 14, ‘10 -- Last Community Center Class

This last class at the Litchfield Community Center ended where it began, at our home base.  Our first class was held on the lawn outside but yesterday was windy & chilly with occasional spats of rain,  so we worked warm and dry in the shelter of the Activity Room.   This little tool shed tucked into a corner of the LCC property was our best available landscape from the windows of the Activity room.  Because there’s so much color in the foliage, it was a colorful gray day.

Because this little tool shed has been the subject of past paintings done from the Activity Room, I didn’t bother to do a preliminary sketch as I feel I ‘know the route’.  And because I’ve seen & been excited by a few watercolor paintings in recent weeks that included pen and ink, I decided to start my painting off with an Ultrafine Sharpie.

I actually didn’t work too much on my painting because I spent a lot of time with the 4 ladies in my class talking about their work.  Everyone in this class had a lot of talent and interest in painting & our discussions were of great interest and a lot of fun.  And as with every past class, I felt sad that this was our last day, glad that we had the time together.  I know I'll treasure the memories. 

This morning I decided to finish the painting from where I began yesterday.  I’d spent the most time in the middle ground so had that to ‘key’ from.  What I did today was to go over everything and intensify tone, heighten color.  I didn’t touch the front of the building or the ramp.  I’m satisfied that when I look at this painting in the future, I’ll re-experience the nature of the day and remember fondly the last few hours working in the Activity Room with these wonderful women.  As with all my past classes, I hope to see everyone in the future.

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This will be my last entry in Painting Outside as I’ve decided to continue this blog on my website.  I just don’t have the time to manage 2 blogs, so am going to move Painting Outside to www.ggetsinger-paintingoutside.com    Many thanks to my loyal followers for your continued support; I hope you’ll continue to follow me on my website.

Bantam River, White's Woods

Today is chilly and cloudy & not a particularly inviting day to be outside but since I unexpectedly had the morning off, I decided to do a few things around the house and then have lunch and an hour or so of painting on the banks of the Bantam River at one of my favorite locations.  I think that I would have done better if I’d gone out to paint this morning and saved the household tasks until noon but that’s a case of hindsight being better than foresight.

I’d planned a more leisurely approach to my lunch and painting but around the time I set out, the weather was changing and not for the better.  I’d planned an ‘order out’ sandwich from a local restaurant but decided, as I drove to Litchfield, to grab a fast $2 sandwich from C*mb*rl*nd F*rms instead of waiting around for 15-20 mins for a sandwich at a local deli.

It felt great to be at my spot but not comfortable.  To keep warm while sitting in my lawn chair I wore a hat, wool scarf, windbreaker over my jacket & warm pants and a blanket wrapped around me, too.  I did a quick thumbnail as I ate as well as talked to a guy who was driving by & stopped to see what I was doing.  I wasn’t comfortable with the guy, either, so kept working & hoped if I didn’t give him much attention that he’d go away.  Which he finally did.  He was kind of creepy in that he had a penetrating stare and asked a lot of questions to keep me engaged.  Of all the days to have forgotten my cell phone.

Because today isn’t the kind of day to be sitting outside for very long, this is a very small painting done on a 5 ½ x 7 ½ pc of Strathmore student grade  watercolor paper.  I started drawing my design on the paper with a Sharpie fine-point but gave that up after a few lines and painted in the rest.  The trees with color and the area in front of the trees I called my middle ground and did those first, starting with a light density layer of UB into which I worked the tree colors in slightly thicker mix of color.  After that, I did the background in medium density & very wet UB and then worked thicker color and tree shape into that.  I used a much lighter wash of the background color to do the reflection of the trees in the foreground and a lighter version of the tree color into the wet reflection.  Then I did the sky in a washy bluish-gray made of UB and BS.  I used a tint of Prussian Blue in the little area of blue in the sky and added in a stronger bit of UB near the top of that patch of blue, just to strengthen the blue a bit.  After that, I flipped the paper and did the blue sky reflected in the water nearest me.  The blue in the reflection was pure blue, medium density and graded out to wet and white near the bank of the river where I dropped-in a mere tint of CY.

For me today, the cat tails were an achievement.  I like the way I got the underneath layer to take on the shape of the bank and then, after it was relatively dry, with heavier, more colorful paint, did the foreground leaves & cat tails, then using a grayed-down & thinner mix of the foreground leaves I put in the receding (& smaller) leaves.  I did the cat tails pretty much the same way. I used a grayed-down and thin mix of the middle ground of the leaf/cat tail section to do the reflections of the leaves in the water.  I’ve done this scene countless times but it’s the first time I’ve gotten the cat tails in to my satisfaction.

I think it didn’t hurt to hurry and that by doing so, I automatically discarded everything that wasn’t important.  In thinking fast and working fast, I got a painting that looks fresh,  spontaneous and that I really like.