"The Fox and the Sun"

The Fox in the sun

The Fox and the Sun” 16” x 20”

This is an oil painting of a fox calmly sitting in front of a hill. When we first moved to Virginia in 2022, I was surprised by the number of foxes. We would see them all the time in the fields on our walks and drives to school. I wanted to capture the personality of one especially resting in the sun. I love how soft and dynamic the features are in their bodies, and how intricate their faces can be.

This is an oil painting with Gamblin and Williamsburg Oil Paints on hand stretched canvas. This painting is a Christian Ives original oil painting that is colorful and semi-abstract.

Boston's Finest

This is an oil painting of a Boston terrier I painted at the beginning of 2023. Also known as the “American Gentleman,” they have the largest eyes of any other dog breed. If that title isn’t funny enough, I recently discovered that Boston Terriers were originally bred to fight rats in garment factories. These dogs always crack me up so much, and to be able to paint them is even better. This painting is a Christian Ives original oil painting that is colorful and semi-abstract.

Quotes from other artists: When is a Painting Finished?

A few years ago, I went to an Open Studios event in Portland, Oregon where there were over 50 artists available to talk with the public. I made sure to ask each artist I met how they considered their painting to be finished. This is a very tough question to ask, especially if you are really wanting to make a strong painting. The following are the responses I got from each person:

-When there is nothing else you can add to it

-When my wife takes it away

-When nothing else can be added to make it even better

-It looks good hung in my dining room

-I have to put it away for a few weeks and not look at it. When I look at it again I can’t think of anything else I would like to add.

-When I view my painting next to other paintings I love, including ones I made

-Looks like it was fun and it was easy to paint

-It has the shadow of a God (originally quoted from Rembrandt)

I still struggle to know when my paintings are completed, but these quotes definitely helped me. The beautiful thing about all of this is, even with so many professional painters, there never is a clear-cut answer for when a painting is complete.

Top 5 Books on Making a Strong Painting

There are so many books out there on painting. My favorite painting books have always been the ones that explain the fundamentals of making a strong picture. Step-by-step books are great for someone who has never painted, but I don’t think those books really help the artist with the main issues of creating a strong painting (realistic or abstract). The books on this list have helped me understand what makes a visually strong painting without feeling stuck in a particular style or step-by-step method.

1. Andrew Loomis-Creative Illustration

While this book isn't strictly about painting, it does have a lot more information than any other book on constructing a strong composition. What I love most about this book is that Andrew Loomis writes in a way that is very strait forward, easy to understand, and is so accessable to whatever type of painter you are. It does a great job explaining how to set up a strong design, how to simplify your values, make your colors more harmonious, and how to draw attention to your main focal areas. I can't praise this book enough.

2. Andrew Loomis-The Eye of the Painter .

Andrew Loomis continues where he left off with “Creative Illustration” from above, but focuses more on specific painters between the 16th and early 20th centuries. His different chapters talk in great detail about unity, simplicity, design, proportion, color, rhythm, form, texture, values of light, the beauty of the subject, and technique. A lot of what you will find from Alla Prima (including Richard Schmid’s famous squinting technique), can be found here. He specifically talks about specific paintings from artists such as Goya, Titian, and Velazquez and how they used these methods to achieve their painting results. Unlike Harold Speed, Andrew Loomis takes a bit more time to make sure the viewer really understands these principles without rambling. While this book is currently out of print, it is free to download online since it is past it’s copywrite. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

3. Richard Schmid-Alla Prima II. Everything I Know About Painting - And More.

This is a beautifully written book. Richard Schmid (rest in peace) was an incredible Plein air painter. Not only does Richard really open up about the process of his paintings, but it also features incredible reproductions of Richard Schmid's paintings. The book is beautifully laid out and goes into great detail about what he focuses on in creating a painting. His color charts alone are worth doing. I felt comfortable before reading this book with mixing my own colors, but these color charts really did help me get a clearer understanding of the color combinations you can truly get. If you can afford this book ($120-$180 if you find a good deal), I highly recommend adding this to your bookshelf.

4. Harold Speed- Oil Painting Techniques and Materials.

I love this book! Harold goes into great detail analyzed a large range of artists from Titian to Joshua Reynolds and how they would have applied their paint. He divides his chapters into the different stages in creating a portrait, the various techniques premiere and Velasquez used in their paintings, practices for creating a strong composition, and many different analyses of paintings that he finds strong in the National Gallery in London.

5. Robert Henri- The Art Spirit.

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This book was made from a collection of letters Robert Henri wrote to his students over his many years as an artist and a teacher. He covers many issues that his students had with their own paintings such as how to compose their portraits, layer their colors, and compose their pictures. Even though Henri was a realistic painter, his ideas focus more on being more expressive and talks about ways to loosen up. This is such a great book to help you feel more free and in control of your own paintings.

Grisaille Underpaintings: How and Why They Work

First of all, what is a Grisaille underpainting? It is actually very simple. Grisaille underpaintings are monochromatic underpaintings, usually done with Raw Umber and white, to create the tonal composition of your painting. The reason Raw Umber is used instead of Ivory Black is because it has less oil and dries very quickly (mixed with Gamsol, it can take less than a day before being dry to the touch).

So why would you use a grisaille instead of just directly painting? I use it to establish my lights and darks early in the painting. It is much easier to get your colors correct once you know where your lights and darks will be situated in the painting.

Once the picture is drawn in vine charcoal, I mix my 4 main tones (2 lights and 2 darks) for the painting with Raw Umber and Flake White Replacement. Both paints contain very little oil and will less likely crack with more layers of paint added later (fat over lean). The White Replacement does take a few extra days to dry, but I like to use it to create a little texture (especially when mixed with some Cold Wax).

The book that really got me into grisaille underpaintings was Solomon J. Solomon’s- The Practice of Oil Painting and Drawing. Grisaille underpaintings have been used for centuries from painters such as Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyke, and Velazquez just to name a few. I strongly recommend trying this technique if you want to create balanced tones in your paintings.

How to Start a Painting

When starting a painting, the biggest things that help me more than anything are making 2 studies: a noton and color study. This not only helps to make a strong foundation, but ironically also saves time since most of the problems are being solved before the painting even gets started. I do my studies each on an 8”x 10” canvace with acrylic paint on the notan, and oil on the color study.

Notans

Notans are incredible tools to help figure out the light and dark designs of a painting. They help figure out the design and composition of your picture on a smaller image before you get stuck on your actual painting. Most of the time, if a painting isn't coming together, the light and dark design isn't very interesting. If you can make a notan design you are happy with, you will almost certainly be happy with your paintings. They always say that values do all the work, and color gets all the credit.

To make a notan, I always use acrylic on an 8”x 10” canvas. The values of your picture that are lighter will be pure white, and the values that are darker will be pure black. If you are painting from life, the easiest way to tell what is in the light and what is in the dark is to close your left eye and squint hard with your right.

Remember, notans work great for realistic and abstract painting. In fact, some abstract artists use the idea of notans as their finished paintings (look at Franz Kline and Robert Motherwell).

Color Study

Once the notan is figured out, I use a separate 8”x 10” canvas to figure out the color design. Whether my colors are based on reality or made up, this is a great way to figure out the color design of the painting. The main thing I try to remember at this stage is that the values of the colors need to match the values of the notan design.

Bottom line, this HELPS the painting be more free and spontaneous

For anyone worried about losing the spontaneity of their painting by doing these studies, I strongly urge you to try it and see for yourself. One thing these studies have done in my own work is prevent me from overworking my painting as most of the problem solving is done way before the actual painting has even started.

New art at the end of 2018

What a Bulldog and a Dove have to do with making your Art Great

There was a professor I had a few years ago that talked about using the Dove and Bulldog approach to learning.  We were going to cut copper that day with a jeweler’s saw.  He said in order to learn how to use the saw efficiently, you had to learn two methods: the bulldog and the dove.

The Dove:  The dove method is very soft, and very delicate.  Oftentimes when we first try something we resort to using this method without even thinking about it.  We don’t want to break anything, or even worse, mess up. This method is great for starting because we really are trying; we are just not sure how far you can push what you are doing.  Once you are able to, it is time to gradually push what you are doing to the Bulldog stage.

The Bulldog:  Anyone who loves, or doesn’t love, bulldogs know that they are anything but elegant.  I don’t care how adorable your little Fiona is, she is a sloppy and stubborn bulldog.  When we finally got comfortable with the dove approach, it became time to really test the strength of these saws.  By this we had to break the saw.  “How far can I push this until...shit!  The stupid saw broke!  Wait...I can replace the saw.  Alright, let’s try this again with a little less...damnit!  Oh wait, I think I am getting it…”

This could go on for hours…days.  It can be frustrating and nerve racking.  But it can also be the best thing to help you move forward.  Go ahead, give it a try!

Becoming An Artist in One Day

Art is about freeing yourself up; seeing the world outside the box.  Oftentimes in doing so, we must turn our heads away from things in life that will drain us from creating. Go out tonight with friends, or stay at home and work on your painting?  Hang out at the river, or add another page to your website? 

The one thing that determines what you will do in life, how well you will create, or how far you will make it in your art career is the one thing that is more precious to being an artist over almost any other profession.  That would be responsibility.  But now in the way you think.

But I thought being creative meant trying to lessen your responsibilities, not try to gain more responsibilities.  “Why would I need to clean my room?  I’m an artist, damnit! I am creative, free thinking, and can’t be bothered by adding more to my plate.”  Well, as it turns out, being responsible is one of the best thing you can do for yourself; whether you are trying to be a free and happy artist, a teacher, or anything else you want to do in your life.  Though it is not about adding responsibilities…quite the opposite. It is about admitting our responsibilities.

In the book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck,” Manson talks about how we are essentially responsible for everything that happens to us.  Got cancer? You are responsible for that.  Got robbed? You are responsible for that as well.  That was a hard bit of information to digest. How can you say we are responsible for something that we have no control over?  I read further. 

What Manson meant by this is that it may not be our fault something happened to us, but it is our responsibility on how we deal with it.  It may be the idiot with the Washington plates’ fault for hitting your car with his dumpy Ford Focus, but it is your responsibility on how you choose to react; how you choose to take action.  Are you going to yell and cuss at this man?  Call your insurance? Play dead?  Whatever you choose to do, you took responsibility and took action.  Even taking no action is, in fact, taking action.

So where does this come into play with creating? As much as we don’t want to admit it, it is our responsibility to make time to create, to make a picture you are happy with, and to get yourself out of the house and find people interested in your art.  It may not be easy, but it is nobody else’s responsibility but your own to make it happen. 

I can’t tell you how many people I’ve known that gave up on doing the art they loved because it was someone or something else’s fault.   “The economy isn’t great for art.”  “It is hard to paint with kids...with a job.”  “I have writers block.”  I’m not belittling anyone’s problems. 

These things are tough!  Your kids will require a lot of time.  Your job will require a lot of time.  I know.  I’ve worked a dead-end job where people yell at you for their TV bill being higher than usual, hour after hour in a smelly cubicle, and then expect to have enough energy to go back home and paint a beautiful picture.  It fucking sucks...but it isn’t impossible.

Over these last 3 years, I have made more artwork than any other time in my life.  Did I have more free time?  Quite the opposite.  I actually had less time to paint.  I spent, and continue to spend, a lot of quality time with my girlfriend, now fiancé.  I keep myself busy with work, spending time with family and friends, and making meaningful trips. 

The difference between now and then is I know I am responsible for making things happen in my life.  If I am tired after work, it is my responsibility to recharge (normally I go for a 30 minute walk or run).  If I am still exhausted, I do something I know will help me get back on track like clean a part of my studio or scrape the paint off my pallet (totally exciting I know, but it works).

Go ahead and try acknowledging you are responsible for your actions in life.  It will free you up in ways you never though were possible.

The Secret to Creating

I have read a lot of self-help books.  Why?  Because they are fun and always teach me something new about myself and reflect how I am currently viewing the world.

One thing I have tried over the last few years, and continue to do today, is to take action...even when I don’t “feel like it.”  Now to be clear, do I do this all the time? Of course not.  I’m only human after all.  But if there is something I need to get done (cleaning the house, looking for a wedding venue), I take action and start working.  Even if it feels like I am getting nowhere from lack of motivation, I am actually getting something done.  Plus, it gets me motivated to take more action.

So why then should it be different for anything that involves creativity? A part of the reason I looked so much at self-help books in the last years is I wanted to find a way to work on my occasional artist block.  Yes, that dreaded, self-destructive force all artists and creative folk have to deal with.  I would cover my walls with quotes from my books; highlighting and rewriting certain areas to make them stand out more.  I would be so excited one week with a piece of advice, and then the next week frustrated because it wasn’t working anymore.  There had to be a better piece of advice to help my poor inner artist. 

As if bitten by a magic muse fairy, I finally got an understanding that would continue to help me day after day for the last few years.  It is only by taking action that will help you move forward. 

Really?! It was as simple as that!  If I only painted when I understood exactly what I was going to paint, I would never paint anything.  If I only worked out when I was in the absolute perfect mood, I would weigh 250 pounds and watch Family Guy reruns all day. 

“Being ready” is just a state of mind.  Even if you are carving the statue of David and absolutely need to be in the right frame of mind, get yourself into that state of mind.  Sweep the floors, organize your brushes…hell, when was the last time you cleaned your studio?  I’m not saying you need to work all the time.  Even making yourself step away from your canvas from time to time is taking action.  

In my next blog I will discuss effective ways to take action, and how they can be applied towards anything you want to work on in life. 

Work in Progress: Yosemite Waterfall

Swirling beams of greens and blues dance around as we approach the giant blue cliff and sparking waterfall.  Currently I am approaching the final stretch of a painting inspired from my time in Yosemite National Park.  Though I say I am almost done, my fiancé reminds me (as she knows me better than anyone) that realistically I should say I am ¾ done.  It’s true a lot about how to make changes to a painting.  At the same time, this also means that my painting changes drastically along the way (normally for the better I always tell myself).

Yosemite piece has been a fun challenge to work on.  The view that inspired me to do this piece was of El Capitan (just a week before Alex Honnold broke the record for free climbing the face faster than anyone!).  It was early in the morning when I first drove into the park.  After about an hour drive I finally noticed the mountain.  It was immense. One of those views that leaves you breathless for a while.  I wanted this painting to capture that moment of first seeing this mountain. 

Why I Paint

If today were your last day on Earth, what would you be thankful for?  Would you have changed anything?

For me, the ultimate reason that continues to fuel me day after day, in my art and my life, is my emotional connections to the things in my life that matter.  The way I live, as so many others have inspired me to do so, is if this were the only life we had. 

This life is too short to focus on the negative and mundane routines we all get in from time to time.   It is ridiculously easy to get sucked into the evening news, or follow a mundane weekly schedule.  Life is about taking chances, connecting with others, and finding your own form of abundance (which I will talk about in another blog).

Painting is my way of giving gratitude for what is important in life.  The subjects I choose to paint are the things in life I am most grateful for.  Whether it is a moment I shared with someone, a place I visited and took the time to enjoy, or a person that impacted me, I am reminded day after day on how I would not be the person I am today without the people, places and events I have allowed into my life.  These are the things that are worth living for and worth sharing with others.  

What I hope you get out of my art is the same thing I hope you get out of this life; a sense of awe, love and appreciation for the things in life that are most important to you.