Teaching Day: Joaquin Sorolla, and The Art of Play February 9, 2012

Today's class was set up at the Arroyo Burro (Hendrys) Beach in Santa Barbra. Beautiful Day, Beautiful Weather, Beautiful Light. The Surf was up: waves 5-8 feet! Everyone was feeling fine.


Today's Demonstration:  looking into the glistening path of light from a high sun overhead, the goal was to think color first, then seeing the relationships on the notes of color adjacent to the highlights. I chose the color harmonies based on a painting I'd seen painted by Joaquin Sorolla; called, "Beach on the Noon"
(I will post my demo later). 

Joaquin Sorolla: Beach on the Noon

Boy on the March

What captivated me was the quantity of foam that accumulated at the shoreline. I saw a little boy playing by the sea shore and felt compelled to capture his since of exhilaration while playing in the suds.

Skidaddle!

Lite and Frothy

He did his best to avoid the Foam Monster, until he decided to climb into the largest pile of foam, pick a bunch, and take some home.

My Class at Play

Rocket's Red Glare February 7, 2012

One of my art students, Doreen White, took this photo the other day, North of Santa Barbara.  


My philosophy is that because they are open, and looking out over the ledge most of the time, Artists tend to find themselves in situations where they are the witness to events: such as the Artist, Collin Campbell Cooper being on board the S.S. Carpathia when it rescued survivors from the Titanic.  I've been lucky enough to see the original paintings done on location during the rescue, and they are a site to behold.

In this case, Doreen caught the rocket in mid flight as it was heading somewhere, "out there".


It's kinda romantic to look at, unless it is an ICBM  from Vandenberg Air Force Base; heading toward China, Korea, Russia, beginning World War III.


If it was the last day on the Earth as we know it, I'd want to go out painting...

Superbowl Sunday Sunset February 6, 2012

While many were glued to the tube, a few caught a glimpse of the last light of day. For those who missed it, this is the one that got away...

Sunset, near Santa Barbara

Teaching Day. February 2, 2012

 

Criteria for Demonstration:  


Held at Butterfly Beach along Channel Drive across from the Four Seasons Biltmore Hotel, the lecture began with a thumbnail sketch, then articulating the process and importance of designing the composition; like creating a road map for the sub conscious.

Using a warm and cool of each primary color and white,  advancing the colorist theory achieving vibration through the juxtaposition of warm and cool colors.  Creating the entire painting on the palette first, then laying then blending masses together on palette for the purpose of achieving color harmony.   

Along the way, editing patterns; simplifying, then weaving the masses together like tapestries and holding to the principle of using one brush stroke instead of 50.  I'm thinking, "poetry, not prose," and applying the paint as briskly as possible in order to capture the light before it changes.  

One must paint as if their house is burning down.

Searching for Sponge Bob: L.A. Art Expo February 1, 2012

What can you do with a bunch of Green Boas? Hang'em from the ceiling, and have giant plastic jello molds, each with fans inside blowing their lids making the boas shimmer and undulate...  Wow, this concept was most certainly anti C L A M actic!!
It did provide comfort for those suffering from aqua phobia...no need for anyone to ever swim, scuba dive or snorkel again; they can experience the magic of the undersea world right on dry land!  


I looked for Sponge Bob, but I guess he'd run away with Patrick.  Someone had last seen them chasing Damian Hirst's static butterfly decorations.

Pearls of Wisdom from a Monkey's Uncle January 31, 2012:

As if the Second Thursday Art Event in Los Angeles wasn't edgy enough, I attended the L.A. Art Expo a few days later. 

At the Expo my first introduction to 21st Century Conceptual Art was this particular installation; designed to evoke some kind of  primal instinct in the viewer; it was about multi-dimension, time collapsing on itself, all roads lead to Rome in this moment of NOW, esoteric kinda thinking.


It reminded me of the Ape(s) coming across the big black bar in  Stanley Kubrick's "2001 A Space Odyssey", (root word ODD). However, in this case the primate comes face to face with the  conceptual Pearl of Wisdom axiom. Here, the monkey is frozen in time with a funny look on his face; are we to assume this died of fright? Or maybe it died at the instant revelation of ecstatic enlightenment, or maybe of after merely witnessing the enormous size of the pearl! (I might have died if I discovered a pearl this size). Maybe it's about witnessing a moment of transformation? Who knows. The artist wasn't there to answer any questions.

Whatever,   in any case, it's nice to know taxidermy is still available for stuffing family pets; or, to put it in a politically correct manner, "Preserving" them for art installations.




Alas, Shakespeare had it right:  there  is "nothing new under the sun", and at least from my perspective, at the 2012 L.A. Art Expo, this held true, and I don't care to doddle around this Monkey Business any longer.



In 10 Days My Blog will be moved to my website: www.thomasvanstein.net 

The Postman Always Rings Twice: Teaching Day January 28, 2012

Old Barnsdall Oil Co. Gas Depot, on Hollister, near Santa Barbara

Every now and then things fall into place. Wednesday's class location was changed at the last minute due to unforeseen  circumstances. (Construction Equipment)


Instead I opted to relocate the class down the lane near Ellwood, to paint this historic icon which is behind a fence, and slowly decaying.  Still, it was there for us to paint it's portrait.

Light and Shadow in Art, on location Jan. 25, 2012

I only know this building was used as a film location for the movie, "The Postman Always Rings Twice", starring Jack Nickolson. Then one of my students in class told me he use to work there pumping gas. (a long long time ago).


Another student then sent me this image of the gas station, taken not long after it was built. (Thanks Bill)
Now we can only hope to make each brush strokes count, as we paint away each moment; imagining the ghosts of the past...and it all comes together.

The postman always rings twice, because if we don't answer the first ring, we may be out painting. 


In two weeks I will be running this blog through my website:  www.thomasvanstein.net