Don't Do This if You want a Successful Painting

'Under a Spell'          5x7      oil on panel      ©Karen Margulis
available $75

It's tempting. You have a great reference photo. Everything about it is perfect and it screams out to be painted. But it isn't your own photo.....and you have never painted anything like it. You aren't even sure how you would go about tackling it.  Should you use it?  Not of you want a better chance at a successful painting. Don't do it!

Paint what you know and love if you want your paintings to speak.

Your voice is an important part of the process. Using reference material from someone else is like trying to use their voice. It's possible to make a good painting from it but it will most likely be missing the special quality that is your voice. And it is much more challenging to interpret someone else's material and make it your own. Even when you use your own photos you need to make sure to choose something that you know well. (and has good bones for a painting which is another post!)

close-up detail

 I have written about this before but I had a big AHA Moment about reference material today. I was trying to decide what to paint and I was looking through my photos. They are all mine so that's a plus. But some of the photos were things I wasn't really interested in or didn't have experience with.This is fine when I am up for a challenge but since I am trying to learn a new medium that is one challenge I don't need.

'Under a Spell 2'    5x7 pastel    $75

Choosing subjects that I know and have painted before allows me to concentrate on other things such as the handling of a brush and mixing paint! So today I selected some poppy images that I have painted before. I had already worked out design, values and colors. It made the painting process easier and more fun. And I had a better chance of having a successful painting.

My box of wildflower photos and sketches

TIP: If you are trying a new medium OR you are new to painting....choose things to paint that you know and love. Painting things you've painted before will simplify the learning process and lead to more success.

Inspiring Thought for all Artists.... from Finland

'Sidewalk Beauties'        5x7     pastel      ©Karen Margulis
available $75

I find the best things browsing Facebook. I know it can be a time waster and I probably check my feed more than I should....but everyday I come across something of value. Everyday I see beautiful art, delicious recipes and adorable animals. But every once in awhile I come across a gem that stops me in my tracks. Yesterday was one of those days.

I clicked on an article about kindergarten children in Finland because I love Finland and my daughter is about to become an elementary school teacher. I was curious. The article discussed how Finnish kindergarten children were joyful because they had more playtime and less rigorous literacy instruction. They learned valuable skills through PLAY. Very different from most American children. A quote in the article grabbed my attention:

"Those things you learn without JOY you will forget easily"

old Finnish saying

How true this is!  It got me thinking about art and learning to paint. I know that when I am painting with a playful attitude I make all kinds of discoveries and connections. Take this week of daily oil and pastel studies. Oil painting is new and exciting. I set it up as a game. Every morning I wake up excited to play. What will I paint next? What will I learn? It is fun. I am playing and I am joyful. Like a Finnish school girl!

'Sidewalk Beauties'        5x7    pastel    $75

I have learned so much in just a week of consistent daily oil painting. Setting it up as a game and being part of a challenge is making it fun. If the old Finnish saying is true....the things I am learning, I will remember!

How do you learn best? Do you set yourself up to play more often? Make sure that when you paint....you do it with JOY!

Studio Hack: A Must Have Tool for Better Color

'Way Down South'           18x24        pastel        ©Karen Margulis
available $450

It's so simple but it is truly the secret to good color harmony in a painting. Once I embraced this habit my paintings changed for the better. Pastels make it tricky to have good color in a painting. It seems like it would be easy since we have so many colors available to use. That precisely is the problem! Too many colors used in one painting can easily lead to muddy and dull color.

The answer is to limit the number of pastels used for a painting. Many pastel artists leave out each stick of pastel used. Or they stand them up so they can see how many are in use. I prefer to choose my pastel palette in advance. I am still too tempted by that big box of yummy color so I have to avoid it and keep my working palette seperate.

I like to pull out the colors I think I will need for a painting  during the planning stage. I found the perfect way to keep them available and protected. Metal Butcher Trays! They are sold for mixing paint (purchase here) but they make excellent trays for a working pastel palette.

'Way Down South 2'      5x7    oil on panel    $75

I bought several of these trays. I line them with an old washcloth so the pastels don't roll around or shift. Having several trays allows me to keep a working palette for a painting while starting a new painting with a different palette.  This week I have three trays in use. I have three different projects all with different palettes. I don't have to clean up and start over until I am finished with my projects.

Sure you can use box lids or even place the sticks you are using on a table or paper towel....but these butcher trays are durable,  easy to clean and stack for storage. They truly have been one of the most important tools I use in the studio!

butcher trays with working palettes in action

 Note: My 30 paintings in 30 days challenge continues. Today I did the large pastel first then the smaller oil. I am happy to report that I am still having success with my very limited palette. This painting was done with Cad yellow medium, red, ultramarine blue and white. I was happy to discover many wonderful and harmonious oranges and violets and beautiful grays that I was able to mix. I will add more colors to the palette but I am challenging myself to keep it simple....more with less!

Behind the Scenes: Queen Annes' Lace Meadow Painting

'Sunset in the Meadow'           5x7       oil on panel          ©Karen Margulis
sold

It's time once again to go behind the scenes of a painting. I am on day 6 of the 30 in 30 challenge and I am sticking to the plan of both a pastel and oil. Today I painted the oil first. I am getting brave!  I took some progress photos of the pastel painting so for the weekly Behind the Scenes blog feature I will share my thoughts as the painting developed.

'Sunset Meadow'      pastel     5x7

Behind the Scenes of a Pastel Painting

I am using a piece of sienna color Canson Mi-Teintes paper. I am working small, 5x7 as part of doing a quick and small daily study. Because it is just a study I do not do a thumbnail or make a plan. I just simply paint. For this painting (and the oil) I didn't even use a reference photo. It is from my imagination. I start by asking myself what did I want to say. The answer: A meadow filled with wildflowers and lots of grasses and textures lit by the warmth of a setting sun.

The warm tone paper will help me meet my goal. I start by blocking in the dark areas of the grass which is in the foreground. I pull some dark up into the sky area so that the eye would have a path of dark to follow. I add some orange to start creating the sunset glow.

Next I block in the bigger flower shapes. These will be Queen Anne's Lace. I use a cool blue violet for two reasons. I want the warmer and lighter petal color to have the cool shadow and a want some of the flowers to remain in the shadows of the grasses so these will stay cool blue.
I make sure to vary the shapes and sizes of the flowers.

Next I add some orange to the flowers. I want there to be a few flowers kissed by the sunlight.
I am using the side of my pastel to make chunky side strokes.

Next I put in the sky color. I use three different yellow pastels starting with a mid value warm yellow and blending the colors with a light value yellow....no finger blending. I let the sticks blend themselves.

Now I continue to add flowers shapes. I want the meadow to be filled with many many flowers. I use blue violet and blue green to give the feeling of distant blooms. I use a pale blue to suggest that some of the flowers in the shadows are getting some  light.

I continue building up the textures in the meadow by using a light spray of Blair workable fixative and then adding some green grasses. The fixative allows me to build more layers and keeps the darks rich and dark enough.

The last marks I make: I use a pale value creamy yellow for the lightest part of the QA Lace. Notice I use a variety of marks for these flowers.....from thick and chunky to thin flat lines.  I also use the edge of a hard pastel to create some linear marks to suggest grasses and stems.Finally I use a push pin to carve into the flowers to create more delicate blooms. Click photo to enlarge. Finished!

Next week I will go Behind the Scenes of an oil painting! I hope you enjoy this new blog feature.

SOS for Painting More Often

'Marsh Walk'          5x7      oil on panel       ©Karen Margulis
available $75

 It wasn't really my plan. I didn't intend to paint 2 daily paintings every day. I joined the 30 paintings in 30 day challenge so I would be motivated (ok....pushed) to paint more with oils. It is day 5 and I have 10 paintings to show for my effort. I can't stop now and I am glad I began doing both a small pastel and a small oil. I have learned so much already by having an immediate and very direct comparison of the two mediums.

But I have learned something even more valuable and I need to share my discovery. It is important for all new painters and for all of us who want to paint more often.

I call it the SOS for Painting Practice. Intrigued? Read on!

'Marsh Walk II'         5x7       pastel          $75

SOS For Painting Practice

If you want to paint more frequently there are three things that will help. Painting more often doesn't mean only Daily Painting or doing a challenge....it simply means making time for art even with a busy schedule. It means taking time out at least weekly to paint and not waiting for a class or workshop or the perfect conditions.  What is SOS?

It stands for SIMPLE, ORGANIZED and SLOW & STEADY

• SIMPLE: Keep it simple and you are going to have more success. Start with a simple set up and a limited palette. Use the same paper or surface. Practicing with the same materials will help you master them. You will get to know what they do and how they work. Gradually introduce new supplies. Starting out with 25 tubes of paint or 500 pastels can be overwhelming. Keep it simple for success.

• ORGANIZED: I don't usually stay organized but I am finding that having all of my oil painting supplies handy and very organized is making it easier to quickly get started. I am taking time to clean up and set up for the next painting before moving on to something else. Being organized is a game changer! Take time to get organized.

• SLOW & STEADY: Understand that it takes many many paintings before you will feel comfortable. Making the commitment for the long term will remove the pressure to perform. Reminding yourself that it is only practice will free you to play and explore. The result will be a happier painting experience and ultimately better paintings.

I have taken my own advice and set up a small area dedicated to oil painting. I have my paints, brushes, water, paper towels, wipes, reference photos and toned panels all together and ready to go. It is making it very easy to do my quick daily painting without spending so much time setting everything up.

Pastel or Oil? Taking on the Challenge

'Winter Delight'          5x7        oil on panel        ©Karen Margulis
available $75

Pastels are my very close friends. I have my favorites. I know how they work. We are just easy and comfortable together. Painting with my pastels is like lunch with close friends. Fun and relaxed with no need for unnecessary small talk.  Oils on the other hand are new friends. I'm still learning how they work, what I can do with them. What I need to avoid. Excited to get together and paint with them for the sheer joy of discovery.

I have dabbled with oils over the years. I say dabble because I don't take them out enough. In fact I had not touched them in well over a year.  I usually turn first to my good friends, pastels.  So often I hear people say that oils are better than pastels....that they are held in higher esteem. I decided to commit to becoming a better oil painter not for this reason though. I want a challenge and I want to take my pastel paintings to the next level. Challenging myself to understand and work in another medium will only help my pastels.

'Winter Delight 2'           5x7        pastel         ©Karen Margulis     $75

I toned the panel magenta for a cooler feeling

I am on day 4 of my 30 in 30 challenge and I am learning a lot. What I discovered it that I might just like oils just as much as pastels. But for different reasons.

• I love the vibrancy and luminosity of pastels but I LOVE the texture I can get with oils.
• I love seeing brushstrokes in my paintings, something that I can't really do with pastels. Sure we can get the illusion of brushstrokes with a textured support but it isn't the same.
• I love the effortless texture I can get with oil paint. Thick paint either by brush or palette knife can't be duplicated.  I have found ways to build up pastel and get some texture but it takes work. You can't just pile on thick piles of pastel as easily.

So I am still on my honeymoon with my oils. We still have a long way to go before we are old friends. I know that it will take many miles of canvas before that happens.  And now that I can leave my paints set up in my newly organized studio, I am planning to keep the paint wet!
I want to encourage anyone who has been tempted to try a new medium to jump in and give it a try. Make new friends and watch how it will enrich the relationships you have with your old friends!

Note about today's paintings. I did the pastel first. I knew I wanted to use turquoise in the snow shadows. Easy. Just pick up the right stick. But then when I got to the oils I couldn't get the turquoise color with my limited palette. I had to play around and add a touch of another green to get the color I wanted. I loved the challenge of the discovery....it is perfect for my 'what if' mentality. Oh and I know I could do color charts but for now I just want to play and make discoveries.

Studio Hack: A Great Way to Work with Reference Photos

'Where Poppies Bloom I'             5x7        oil on panel        ©Karen Margulis
sold

Sometimes it is just the little things that make a big difference. I am so excited by my discovery of a simple way to display my reference photos while I paint. I don't use a tablet or computer to view photos. Instead I use small photos printed on regular paper. I usually clip my photo on my foamcore support board making it easy to see. But I needed a different solution for my oil painting corner. 

My little Strada easel doesn't have a place for attaching photos....it is a plein air set-up so it really isn't needed. I plan to use the easel for plein air and studio so I needed a way to see my photos.

I decided to think like a plein air painter.....Looking past the easel to my painting subject.....hanging on the wall in front of me! The perfect spot for my reference photo is the wall in front of my easel! 

I created a Wall of Inspiration. Simple and effective!

The Wall of Inspiration.

There was already a nail in the wall so I decided to use the nail. I used a binder clip to hang my photo from the nail. Binder clips are great! I left room on the wall to attach any plein air or pastel studies that I may want to use as reference. I used blue wall tack to attach the pastel study but another nail and binder clip would work and I will probably add another nail.

I printed out one of my favorite quotes about working from photos and added it to my Wall of Inspiration. It will remind me to interpret the photo and not copy it!

pastel study     5x7     $75

 I came upon this solution for viewing photos because of the nail in the wall but working this way is actually a great way to move away from being married to the reference photo and work more like a plain air painter. I am excited!

Finished!  Reference photo and pastel study on the wall behind my easel

close up of oil painting

side by side...oil and pastel

A Simple Tip For Overcoming Inspiration Paralysis

'A Quiet Spot'           5x7      oil on panel      ©Karen Margulis
available $75

It is a time killer. How often do you have time to paint and spend most of it trying to decide WHAT to paint? How often have you gone through stacks of reference photos only to decide you have nothing at all that inspires you. How many times have you given up and called it a day because you spent all of your painting time trying to find inspiration? 

It happens and it isn't a good habit to have. I call it Inspiration Paralysis. If you are trying to make a commitment to paint more often this is one habit that needs to be changed. When I started daily painting it was a challenge at first to find things I wanted to paint. I quickly learned that once I got started on a painting it would give me ideas for another.....and it snowballed until I was never at a loss for inspiration.

This quote from Chuck Close is so true. We just need to get into the studio, pick something to paint and get to work. Inspiration will come with painting. Get the engine primed and it will take off!  It doesn't have to be the perfect subject. It just needs to be something that you know....that you like.

I have a simple tip that helps me overcome the 'inspiration paralysis'.  

I call it an Inspiration Jar. 

My INSPIRATION JAR is filled with things I love to paint

I fill my inspiration jar with small contact sheet size reference photos. I like working from small photos so this size is perfect (about 2 x 3) If you work from photos on your tablet or computer you could fill your jar with slips of paper listing subject matter. If I worked from a tablet I think I would still print out contact photos of my potential subject. These small photos are perfect for doing thumbnails!

When it is time to paint I simply reach into my jar and pull out a photo. That is what I will paint for that session.  Of course I make sure that the photos on my jar are all things that I want to paint. They are all my own photos and they all have inspired me. It really doesn't matter what order I paint these subjects. Daily painting is all about putting in practice time at the easel. I dent want to waste my precious painting time agonizing over subject matter!

'A Quiet Spot II'        5x7      pastel     $75

 I am participating in Leslie Saeta's 30 Painting in 30 days challenge. There are over 1200 artists around the world participating. I am doing a 5x7 oil and pastel of the same scene each day. My goal is to get better at oil painting. I am not giving up pastels! I just want to be fluent in both....kind of like learning another language.  See all of the challenge paintings here.

Day One of a January Challenge....Oil Painting!

'Prairie Magic'        5x7  oil on panel        ©Karen Margulis
available here    $75

I could read about it. I could watch videos. I could buy all the supplies and stare at them. But I won't ever become fluent if I don't jump in and do it. I am talking about becoming fluent with oil painting. Like learning a language, the best way to learn is to speak...to jump in and communicate in the language. I have been wanting to get better at oils but just have not spent time really working at it. 

I want to feel as comfortable painting with oils as I do pastels. I'll discuss why in another post but to become fluent I know I need to practice. I decided that joining Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 challenge will give me the push I need to paint in oils every day. Daily painting worked for me with pastels so I know I can do it if I am committed to making it a habit. There are almost 1000 artists around the world joining the challenge. See the challenge paintings here.

I have set up my studio for success. I want to make it easy to do a quick daily painting. Let's take a tour:

This is my oil painting corner.  I have invested in a new set up for oils. I purchased a Strada Micro easel. It is a very compact box that works nicely with my Oben tripod. My intention is to do more plein air and be able to paint with either pastel or oils. I am going to the Plein Air Convention in April with Marsha Savage and plan to bring my new Strada. It is an investment for sure but I have learned the hard way with pastels....spend the money for the best you can afford rather than trying to make due and struggle with lesser equipment. (all the cheap equipment will eventually add up anyway!)

A closer look at the Strada. I purchased  the two side trays that come off and store inside the box for travel. I love how easy it is to attach a panel.  No knobs or screws to turn and tighten and lose!

I set up a little side table to hold my brushes, paper towels and water. I am using Cobra water soluble oils for this project. I have regular oils but I want to make clean up quick and easy. I really don't know the difference between the two since I have used either so little. It is all a learning experience!

I am planning to begin with a limited palette of Ultramarine Blue, Red,  Cad Yellow Medium, white and black. I have other colors available but I am learning how to mix paint so I want to keep it limited so I can learn slowly. Today's painting was done with this palette.

I began the painting by toning my panel with transparent oxide red. I did a quick drawing with pencil and started with a thin wash of dark purple. Throughout the painting I kept asking myself...."What would I do if I were painting with pastels?"  It helped me decide how to build the painting.

After I finished the oil painting I decided to add another element to the challenge.....I will do a small 5x7 pastel of each daily painting.  This way I can compare and learn from each medium.
 I really liked my oil set up. It truly was easy to get going and clean up. I am going to enjoy this challenge!

Oil on the left and 5x7 pastel version on the right both available $75 each