Painting a Gas Station in Gouache

In celebration of his most recent video, Gouache in the Wild, James Gurney hosted a competition to paint a gas station in gouache. The contest was simple: paint a gas station on location (en plein air) using only black & white gouache. The top ten paintings would be featured on Gurney's blog, Gurney Journey, with physical prizes going to a Grand Prize winner and three honorable mentions.

The winners were announced today - and I'm honored to be in the top ten!

My entry for the contest, gouache, 5x8"

The competition was fierce. Established veterans were joining the contest alongside gouache newcomers like myself, and the results speak for themselves. Everyone did a wonderful job, and I must say I'm certainly in great company in the top ten.

After watching Gouache in the Wild, I was intrigued by the medium, which seemed like a mix of qualities I enjoy in both watercolor and oil. The contest was a fun and exciting way to encourage artists from around the world to try out the medium, and it certainly hooked me.

James Gurney says of my entry:

“This painting by Nicholas Elias picks up on the weird forms of the superstructure above the pump, with all those fire prevention nozzles.  And it looks like he's got a cool palette rig to hold the sketchbook vertically.”

Many winners provided more information about their entries, so I wanted to share some more info about mine. James picked up on the structures above the pump, but when I first picked the subject, I was actually drawn to the old-fashioned full-service booth joined with a modern gas station. The gas station is a Sunoco right up the street from where I live, and I never noticed how uncommon the booth was until now.

Fittingly enough, as I was painting, the gas station attendent in the booth glared at me suspiciously for the entire two hour session. He seemed particularly bewildered when I first pulled up, sat on my trunk, and started setting up my tripod. But even after a couple of hours, he didn't seem to get used to it. Thankfully he left me alone to paint and didn't ask me to leave.

Posing for a shot on location with the painting nearly complete

James also picked up on my pochade rig, or what little of it was showing in the photo above. Many of you may already be familiar with my oil painting pochade box, custom built out of a cigar box. Modifying the box for painting with gouache was actually very simple. I took the top of an old 24 colored pencil set, turned it upside down, and it just so happened to sit perfectly on top of the removable oil palette in my box. The smooth aluminum surface was perfect for mixing gouache, and makes for easy clean up.

Modified pochade box for gouache

My pochade box already had a shelf that holds 1/8” boards in place, but it was thick enough to hold my sketchbook. In keeping with the spirit of trying new things, I used a watercolor sketchbook recommended by Gurney from Pentallic. The hard covers protect the delicate surface of gouache paintings, and I'm really enjoying the paper's surface with goauche. I have yet to try it with watercolor.

5 minute perspective sketch done in watercolor pencil which dissolved after being painted over.

From set up to clean up I was on location for two and a half hours. This was my second gouache painting ever, and it was already significantly stronger than my first. I'm eager to play with the medium more, and I'm thankful to James Gurney for his video and the contest for introducing me to such a wonderful new medium!

Spending Time with my Forefathers

Hello again!

It's been quite a while since my last post, longer than I thought. The month of April flew by as I worked tirelessly on the final illustrations for my senior show at the University of Hartford (which was a huge hit by the way!) And I officially have a BFA in Illustration with Magna cum Laude honors!

At the gallery opening with the best professors and mentors I could've asked for, from left to right: Doug Anderson, Dennis Nolan, myself, Bill Thomson

After graduation, I took some time to get my business affairs in order. My three month, six month, one year, year and a half and two year goals are outlined and a calendar has been written. My first wave of postcards and emails have been sent out to potential clients and art reps, and I'm now officially a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI). I moved back to Long Island, and set up my new art studio in the spare bedroom. All in all, a very exciting time for me!

First batch of postcards and tear sheets!

My new studio set up, with some decor that I picked up on my trip.

Of course in the interim I've continued to draw, paint, and look for inspiration, which is where the meat of this week's post lies. I visited a number of museums and exhibits over the past few weeks, and I've got so much to share!

I went on a camping-trip-art-museum-excursion two weekends ago with a number of friends and fellow illustrators. We camped two nights in Pennsylvania and visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Brandywine River Museum & Wyeth estates in Chadds Ford. The third day we drove down to D.C. to visit the Smithsonian American Art museum.

Sufficed to say in those three short days I was overloaded with information and inspiration, having seen some of the greatest painters from the Renaissance through the Impressionists at the Philadelphia Museum, gawked in the presence of N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, and Howard Pyle at the Brandywine River Museum, and sat in awe in front of the masterworks of the Hudson River painters at the Smithsonian.

Couldn't really keep it together seeing this Alma Tadema in person for the first time...I spent a good half hour with this masterpiece, and kept coming back to it whenever I wandered for too long.

My face the entire time at the N.C. Wyeth gallery at the Brandywine River Museum. Here I am with "Crystal Depths," such an incredible painting in person...

Of course a trip like this wouldn't be complete without doing plenty of sketching and painting along the way. We had to do something to let out all of the energy we were absorbing from these paintings!

Did this quick sketch (10 min) of a local at a diner, "Hank's Place," right near the Brandywine River Museum. 

We explored the surrounding fields and park along Brandywine Creek. I stopped to paint these very N.C. Wyeth-esque clouds in the late afternoon. 5x7" oil on canvas board.

Painted this warm sunset peeking over the Creek from the grounds right in front of the Museum. 6x6" oil on canvas board.

And the weekend came to an end! My friends and I sketching passersby from a Starbucks in Chinatown, Washington D.C. 

Last sketch of the trip. This was from our campground at Greenbelt State Park, MD. There was a magical glow in the woods after a rainstorm from the night before.

I'm going to go into more detail for each of the museums over the course of few posts, making a short blog series out of the trip. There is simply too much to share in one post. But for now, I'll leave you with my major takeaways from the trip.

Even the most richly realistic paintings are abstract suggestions - illusions - of what they represent, especially when you view them up close in person. I took almost 2,000 photos over the weekend, mostly detailed views I'd otherwise not find online or in print. Details maybe an inch from the canvas at times, to the point that out of context, that inch or two looks like nothing more than a few abstract strokes of paint - nonsense, really. This was really to remind me afterwards of what painting really is - strokes of pigment suspended in a medium lying flat on a surface.

It was quite eye-opening to see masters such as Coypel, Eakins, Church, Bierdstadt or Moran up close, to see how abstract and textural their paintings really are. Alma Tadema was especially surprising! There wasn't a single painter I saw all weekend whose work was an exception to this revelation. I realized that what realism and representational art boils down to is edge control. It doesn't matter if you hand-paint every crack and surface of stone, or strand of hair, but rather you can allow the qualities of the paint do so much of the work for you. It is really about edge control above all else. Edges allow the eye to read a certain texture, a variety of lost and found edges can bring so much depth to a painting, strengthen the focal point and retain the viewer's interest. And every painter, without fail and regardless of medium, allowed the qualities of the paint itself to do so much of the work.

Most incredible to me was seeing Howard Pyle & N.C. Wyeth's work in person. I was surprised to see how large the illustrations were - and they really came to life in person. They were both very, very loose in handling the paint, but less "stylized" than they appear in print. It looks largely alla prima, and perhaps the speed of painting alla prima was a necessity under the restraints of deadlines.

N.C. Wyeth was especially so rough and loose in unimportant places - just a couple of strokes indicating an entire form at times. I think working large lent itself to working this way as well, because when the paintings reduce down they tighten up. It's a similar affect to simply standing a few feet back from the painting. (I think I may try to work a bit larger on my next illustration, I'll just need to remind myself to step back often). Faces and body language were of the utmost importance in Howard Pyle's work - and as such the faces were the most carefully tended to. Other spots could literally be one stroke. One, carefully placed stroke!

Every masterpiece I saw this weekend was in their own way loose and abstract, but so completely controlled. It was perhaps most evident in Sargent's work in particular. In person, it almost looked like he didn't paint quickly at all, but he simply painted every stroke accurately.

As I said, these are some rather simple major themes from the trip. Over the next week or two I'll go into more depth with some of what I experienced, and post plenty of photos!

Sicily, Part Four

This week on the blog is Part Four in my series recalling my experience in Sicily last year. If you haven't already, read parts one, two and three first!

Color sketch of Ionian sea from Taormina, sketch of Trinacria, symbol of Sicily

"3/23/14 7:20 am
Last morning here in Sicily.
The sun rose over the Ionian sea today, casting an orange glow on the water. I'll never forget the colors of this place. Mt. Etna always has a belt of fog at it's base, just above the coast line. And the colors of the ocean! I'm looking at them right now from the balcony in the hotel. Bluegreens, viridian, the purest light cool blue, and a summer of white on top of it all. It's paradise. I'm sad to leave, knowing what's back home.
Stressful school work, mind-numbing distractions, and the lack of this beautiful island."

3 Legged woman, symbol of Sicily - Trinacria
-Head of Medusa, thrown into center of Sicily to protect it by Athena
-3 Legs = 3 corners of Sicily, 3 Nymphs w/ Basket of fruit, soil & flowers
-Greek Symbol, 2800 years old (Naxos 2800 years old, 1st settlement)
-Birth of Sicily - basket & Nymphs fell into ocean, Zeus made an island
-Messina, Syracusa, Palermo 3 major cities at corners where 'knees' bend

This trip is perhaps the greatest experience of my life in so many ways."

On our last bus ride to the airport from Taormina, our tour guide Rosa gave one last history lesson. This time she spoke about the creation myth of the island itself. I tried to take notes while listening, but I was enraptured in Rosa's telling of the story, the Trinacria. I'll expand on the Trinacria next week as my final post about Sicily.

Finally, I'd like to share with you my final writings from Sicily, my reflection from the plane ride back to the U.S.

"3/23/14
On the plane from Rome to Boston.
I just looked through this book. It's incredible how vividly a memory can come to you from journaling and sketching. With each page I would remember the exact moments I drew something or wrote something down. I could remember the sights, the smells, the sun on my skin, the tastes, the feeling of the place, and my own emotions in that moment.
I've been a student of art for my entire life, but never have I kept a sketchbook and journal like this. I've talked about needing to sketch more, but never have I had a book in my pocket the way I have had the past ten days.
I've become attached to this book already. Sicily was the spark I needed to force myself to journal, and now I want to bring that home. Regardless of the monotony of daily life in Connecticut or New York, or the comparatively boring scenery, there is beauty everywhere.

If there is one thing I can take away from this trip, it's that beauty does not only exist in vast mountains and oceans, sprawling archaic cityscapes, or in grandeur. It also exists in every tiny moment that make up those larger than life scenes.
It exists in the rusted iron door knockers on a weather beaten green door, in the shimmer of light on a cobble stone street. It exists in the moments when a complete stranger says, "Buon giorno!" to an American abroad.
It exists when the sun shines just the right way, illuminating a potted plant on a balcony above you.
Beauty exists when you wake up to the sun rise poring through the window, rather than a beeping alarm.
It exists in the sound of waves and smell of salty air, in the taste of wine and sounds of laughter with good company.
Beauty exists in solitude, exploring every nook and cranny of an olive oil estate, in the moments when the sea's colors beckon you to wade out & touch them all.

Beauty is everywhere, you need only to look.
And it's in those small moments that the sudden need to capture it in writing or drawing or painting arises, and a book in your pocket becomes a necessity.
I've never felt more connected to my pen or pencil, and I've never been able to see so well. Regardless of whether or not I spent 5 minutes or 50 minutes on a sketch, however loose or tight it ends up, it's in the seeing that matters. By looking at something and attempting to draw it, you take it in in a different way. It forces a slower pace, and opens up a greater appreciation.

I can recall the first semester I was an art student in HAS, after switching from Hartt (I was a music major for the first two & a half years of college). That was just one year ago. I recall the feeling of being able to look up, look around me and appreciate the visual sights as opposed to being locked up in a practice room all day. Art requires looking, experiencing, traveling, it all goes into your visual bank. Traveling to Sicily takes that feeling from a year ago and expands it a hundred fold. I feel reinvigorated, and humbled.

Returning home, I will keep this journal in my pocket as I have the past ten days, as I still have half of it left to fill. Once full, I will continue journaling, sketching, writing and painting. It will keep me humble, force me to think of the basics of visual communication, and help me to keep my eyes up and open. It will keep my love and appreciation for art alive. 

Painting is more than a job, or career, so much infinitely more. It is something intangibly personal and therapeutic. There is nothing else like it. There is a stillness in motion, as I recalled on the third day in Sicily while I sat by the ocean. But as I sit here now reflecting on art, those same words apply to painting. While painting, there is a peace and calm in the heart, even if there are moments of stress.

My final thoughts before wrapping up this trip have to do with distraction. Traveling and journaling, keeping my eyes open, waking up at sunrise and enjoying that sunrise before starting my day, spending my free time exploring, thinking, writing and drawings, leads to a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment at the end of a day. I didn't have a phone, computer or any device with me for the past ten days. I noticed within a single day how much more in tune with myself I felt, how much better I slept, how much more human I felt!

I'm as guilty as anyone else in my generation for being addicted and dependent on phones, computers, internet, etc. But a ten day complete break from it all was incredibly powerful for me. I often complain about not having enough time in the day to work, but how many hours are wasted on my laptop? I depend on TV shows for "down time" and relaxation. After this trip there is a clear distinction between relaxation and distraction. Relaxation is healthy for the mind, you clear your thoughts, settle your emotions, and regain balance. Distraction simply pushes all of that into the back of your mind, bottling up everything, and never balancing anything. Well no more, not for me. No more distractions. I want to paint!

It is those distractions that detract from our humanity. All of the beauty around us goes unnoticed because we keep our heads down in our own personal worlds where we are the center. Not the Sicilians! They look up and say hello. They make everything around them a work of art. They are warm and kind, inviting strangers into their homes. It is unlike anything I've ever witnessed.

All of the hours spent on the internet, watching TV and movies, texting, etc could be so much better spent! Taking a walk just because, with no where to go, head up and taking in your surroundings. Bettering yourself as a person, or as an artist. Both!

On this trip, even if I wasn't drawing or painting, I sat somewhere and looked. I would take a walk, and better yet I'd do with friends. I'll repeat something I've already written:

I feel human.

It is a combination of the incredible experience, traveling around Sicily, learning what I have learned, as well as the lack of distractions that sort of gave me a new breath of life. I don't want to go home because I don't want to leave Sicily. I don't want to leave the beautiful place, nor the experience of the place. I know old habits of distraction, stress, etc, wait for me back home. But I know it's on me now to bring Sicily home with me. To take all I've learned and continue to push myself and learn more. 

One of the greatest things said this entire trip sums it up; as Jeremiah related a quote by Jack Beal in the Greek theater at Taormina:

'Make your art like your life and your life like your art.'"

One year later, I can say that I did take Sicily home with me in so many ways. I've kept a journal & sketchbook with me at all times, and I spent last summer focused on plein air painting. After my thesis project is complete in May, I intend to return to plein air painting. I've let go of so many distractions, and spend my days filling my time with art, books, and experiences in their stead. At the end of the day, my goal is to go to sleep feeling accomplished and fulfilled. It is far more rewarding than anything one may gleam from distractions.

One year later, I can say that Sicily changed so much in my life, from the way it inspired and still inspires me artistically, to the way it changed my approach to every day. The lessons learned in those ten days will inform me indefinitely, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have had that experience.

Next week will conclude my Sicily series. I will write about the illustration I painted as a reflection of my time in Sicily. 

Also, I will repeat the public announcement made on last week's post:

I've been expanding my social media presence! In addition to this blog, my website, Facebook, and deviantART, you can now find me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr!

All of the profiles feature my current portfolio, and I've begun to post unique content to each as well. Over time, the unique content will continue to grow, so be sure to follow me on your favorite platform. Thanks!

Sicily, Part Three

This week on the blog is Part Three in my series recalling my experience in Sicily last year. If you haven't already, read parts one and two first!

“3/21/14

The Catania market is like a step into another world, separate from not only the U.S. but even the rest of Sicily. The market was bustling with people. Butchers and fisherman shouting over the crowds to sell their stuff. As soon as you get to the fountain separating the market from the piazza, an overwhelming smell of fish and flesh slams your nose. I almost slipped on the unexpected slime on the stone streets. There was a beauty in the market when the sun reflected on the wet ground and through the transparent red awnings amid all the chaos.

I found myself wishing we had markets like this in America. Meats were fresh, fish were still alive. Every part of an animal is sold.

We also witnessed an anti-mafia protest, mostly by young students. They were calling for the police to control the mafia, and were gathered in the piazza naming off members of the mafia.

Catania sits on top of an ancient Roman Catania, which is buried under ash and lava.

Magma is a greek word that translates to liquid fire. Mt. Etna is an effusive volcano with 4 mouths that are individual.

Everything grows in volcanic ash – fertility.”

I wrote this quick journal entry about Catania on the bus as we rode from the city up Mt. Etna. The last part, starting with “Catania sits on top of an ancient Roman Catania...” was actually note-taking from the history lesson our wonderful guide Rosa was giving us on the bus.

Unfortunately I didn't do any sketching in Catania, as we were only there for an hour or two and I was overwhelmed with all that was happening! But I had to share some pictures to give a sense for this place that words couldn't describe. Thank you to Kyle Garron for these beautiful photographs that he took while we were there together! 

Photograph by Kyle Garron

Photograph by Kyle Garron

Photograph by Kyle Garron

Photograph by Kyle Garron

On the opposite page in the journal:

“3/22/14

Taormina's architecture from 1200's, towns grew near Norman Fortifications.

Greek Taormina is from 4^th cent. B.C.

-Taurus-cliff shaped like head of bull”

A sketch of a great fountain in a park next to our hotel. The park was built from brick from the Taormina theater. And another history lesson! This was my last full day in Sicily, and we definitely saved some of the best for last.

Sketches from the Taormina Theater

“Archimedes was Greek, but Sicilian. Invented magnifying glass & catapults”

“Make your art like your life and your life like your art" - Jack Beal

Sitting in the Taormina theater, we had a couple of hours to explore, sketch and paint. Jeremiah gave one last big talk as we sat there, in the same spot that the great Thomas Cole and so many other artists have been inspired by over the centuries. The experience in Sicily was one that showed me how to do exactly what Jack Beal says in the quote above, relayed to us by Jeremiah. Beal was a teacher and close friend of Jeremiah's, who sadly passed away in 2013. But what I love most about that quote, is that we heard it for the first time on the last day. The previous 9 days showed us the way, allowed us to experience making art like our life, and life like our art. Only after we knew it internally, were we given the words to describe it. And what perfect words they are.

Theater at Taormina, 3/22/14. Watercolor, 8.8x5.75"

I sat at the Theater in Taormina, in the same spot, for about two hours. Breathing it all in, reflecting on the trip, reflecting on what Jack Beal's words meant to me. And in doing so, internalizing it all, I knew that this feeling, and this way of living, was one that I would need to strive to keep with me when I returned to the U.S.

Last week will be the final part in my Sicily series, so don't miss it!

Also, a bit of a public announcement here!

I've been expanding my social media presence! In addition to this blog, my website, Facebook, and deviantART, you can now find me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr!

For now, I've uploaded my portfolio on all of these profiles, but over time I will be posting unique content to each. So be sure to follow me on your favorite platforms!

Sicily, Part Two

Last week I began a series of posts about my trip to Sicily last March. You can read part one here.

I'll be continuing from where I left off last week, five days into the trip.

Sunrise at Campofelice di Roccella, 3/19/14. Watercolor, 8.8x5.75"

Sketches from Alimena, and the view from the park

"3/19/14 7 am

I feel a lot better this morning than yesterday.

Hung out with great company last night on the beach, a great way to end a day that started off so poorly.

I woke up to the glimpse of light in the hotel room at 5:30, it's such a peaceful way to awake.

I just painted a quick sunrise for our last morning in the Fiesta hotel, I'll have to go back in with darks later.

It's much too damp in the morning, nothing dries!
But I'm much more at peace today, I'm sitting at the ocean waiting for that painting to dry as I write this. I've been untterly humbled by this trip in countless ways.

Not only for being in Sicily as a place, seeing the incredible vistas at every turn, or the incredible humanity of the Sicilians, but of course in my art as well.

I am still learning, and have so much left to learn, so far to grow.

Being here, journaling sketching, puts me completely out of my comfort zone. And as much as it can be stressful, Jeremiah gave a moving pep talk to us all last night and just reminded us to enjoy the process. Remember that you love this, drawing, painting. It's too easily forgotten sometimes when I get wrapped up in not being as good as I want to be.

But that's just fuel for the fire.

I am excited for the rest of the trip, I'm ready to just give it my all and love it, whatever comes out of it.”

More sketches from the park at Alimena

This day was wonderful. We spent the morning and early afternoon in Mario's (our bus driver's) home town of Alimena during St. Joseph's day, which is more or less father's day. We had a picnic/barbecue at a park on the top of a mountain overlooking a great distance. It was a laid back day, and everyone was in high spirits, including myself. A huge part of being in Sicily was of course the food. I tried everything we were served (and ate some pretty strange things) but loved everything! At the barbecue Mario grilled artichokes with olive oil, salt & pepper. A must try!

Value sketch for the painting, "Masseria degli Ulivi," and sketches from the olive oil estate

“3/20/14

The olive oil estate is gorgeous. Having a day to just focus on painting and drawing is exactly what I need. When painting from life, I need to get back to basics a lot faster. When you have 30-60 minutes to paint something from life, value and larger shapes become more important. I'm still taking too long to get to the right values of dark & light. Jeremiah said to paint light, not the object. Don't forget!”

Masseria degli Ulivi, 3/20/14. Watercolor, 8.8x5.75"

We spent two days at Masseria degli Ulivi, an olive oil estate. They opened their hotel early in the season just for us, so we were the only guests! We were free to roam around the estate to just draw and paint the buildings, the olive trees, the wildflowers, anything we want. The food here was some of my favorite of the whole trip. The most delicious homemade pastas, bread, and of course olive oil!

Watercolor sketches of one of the buildings at the Masseria, and some geranium leaves

More sketches from the olive oil estate

“Late afternoon gives long shadows, golden glow. According to Jeremiah, the 'baton' sketching technique and 'painting with the pencil' loose shapes of value rather than contour lines is how Wyeth did it. It's difficult, but it makes sense. Helps when translated to paintings.

Sicily looks fascinating because of how old it is. 'Old' visually translates to nature taking over; mosses, grasses and plants growing out of stone, cracked and imperfect shapes/objects, and organic building materals; stone, wood, clay, etc.”

There was such a sense of history in Sicily, this place had clearly existed for hundreds and thousands of years. Older olive trees grew long, twisted, and heavy. Buildings were hundreds of years old, made of organic materials rather than the metal cities of modern America. Nature was allowed to grow and reclaim some of what the Sicilians built. It felt like stepping into another time, and somewhere full of magic. That feeling stuck with me after returning to the U.S. Fantastical, magical worlds that exist in the imaginations of illustrators and painters do exist in the real world. I feel like major parts of America are too stifled but humanity, too controlled. In Sicily, there was integration with the natural world. It is too separated here for my taste.

Come back to the blog next Monday for Part Three, and follow me on Facebook for more regular posts and updates on my Argonautica series!

Sicily, Part One

Today is going to mark part one in a series of posts for the month of March. On March 14^th of 2014, I had the great privilege to travel to Sicily for ten days with a group of fellow art students under the tutelage of Jeremiah Patterson.

The short term study abroad program focused on plein air painting with watercolor, and served as my introduction to the art form. It was also my first experience traveling outside of the United States, and to say the experience was life changing doesn't scratch the surface of those ten days.

It was the first time I kept a sketchbook in my pocket, at all times, everyday. Wherever I went I always had my sketchbook, a pencil and a pen. It opened up my eyes to the world around me in a unique way. I allowed my gaze to linger longer than usual, as I carefully observed Sicily to drink it all in. I kept a keen eye, always looking for something to interesting to draw or paint. The problem with Sicily was that everything was beautiful and interesting! I couldn't keep up! The act of keeping a sketchbook connects you to your world and your experiences. I discovered that even the most scribbled mess of a sketch, splash of color, or quick note can capture a moment in a profoundly more personal way than a camera.

Another noteworthy part of this experience in 2014 was the lack of technology. I didn't bring anything with me. Not a laptop, not a tablet, not even a cell phone. (I did have a point & shoot digital camera for reference photos). All I had was my sketchbook, my watercolor block, and a wristwatch. It was enlightening to detach from the myriad of distractions we are pummeled with every moment of every day! That part of the experience is worthy of an entire post itself!

Each part of the post I'm going to share a few pages from my sketchbook and take you through what those ten days were like for me. Some of it is of course very personal, but that's what makes keeping a journal like this so special, and elucidates why the trip was so enlightening for me.

Sketches of Selinunte - Temple of Hera

“3/14/14 @ Castel Buono

This is Paradise!

It feels unreal, like a fantasy. The teal ocean, the peach and sand buildings, rolling green hills & mountains. The warm sun and cool sea breeze. The aroma of thistle, weeds and wildflowers. It's overwhelming my senses already.”

Sketch of berries outside my hotel window, a Valley along the road to Palazzo Adriano, and a doorway to a bakery in the town

"At Grand Hotel Selinunte.
Not having a cell phone or computer is liberating. I'm looking to this paradise I'm in instead of thoughtless distraction. I don't ever want anything other than this."

3/15/14
Sketch interrupted
-sweet older woman loved our art, invited us into her bakery.
Gave us free sesame-semolina bread (amazing!) and a local traditional pastry - incredible! slight licorice flavor & biscotti"

La Fontana all Palazzo Adrianno, watercolor sketch. Pencil of  ruins of an arab castle at Planeta Winery

3/17/14
Jeremiah haves us a quick lecture about the use of the Golden mean in Greek temples when we visited the incomplete temple at Segesta. The temple was erected to impress the Athenians in order to secure their help in a war, but was never finished!

Sketch of overlook from theater at Segesta, and designs from the ceiling of a Chapel 

"3/18/14 @ 6:45 am
Second attempt at painting the sunrise this morning, another failed attempt. Being in Sicily counters the stress to a degree, but I so badly want to get a decent painting already! I've already torn out five paintings and thrown them away.
We're now staying at our second hotel on the beach. I sat by the ocean for a half an hour last night. It reminded of home, since it was dark and I could only hear the sounds of the waves. There is a stillness in motion, a calm peace in the rhythm of the waves.
There is a strange dichotomy of emotion within right now. Awe of everything I see, touch and taste. Inspiration to try harder, to push myself, to grow. Disbelief that I'm even here! That, couple with the stress of feeling like I'm not good enough & don't deserve to be here. Jeremiah talked about throwing away anxiety, I don't know I can."

Sketches of a house in the mountains alongside the road to Castello Buono, a sculpture over a fountain in Castello Buono, and a watercolor sketch alla Castello Buono

Church Bell tower alla Castello Buono

This day was an important one for me. As you can see from the passage of writing above, it didn't start out entirely positive. This reflected in my subsequent sketches, and Jeremiah sort of came to the rescue. I was tight, and a bit frustrated. He essentially told me to loosen up, and showed me a technique whereby you hold the pencil towards the end of the shaft, like a conductor holds a baton. You lay the pencil on the page, and use the wrist to rapidly lay tone and find shapes through that motion. The result was the church bell tower on the right.

Cefalu Boat in the Afternoon 3/18/14, watercolor, 8.8x5.7"

Cefalu was perhaps my favorite place in all of Sicily. It was a great little city right on the Tyrrhenian Sea. This day was also a bit of a break through day for me.

Sketch of Statue at Duomo in Cefalu, and speed sketch of sunset over Cefalu

"So this morning started out poorly. Struggling to have any confidence in my sketches and especially my paintings. Roaming Cefalu and sitting on the dock, taking my time to paint a boat, after talking to Jeremiah really helped me feel better. The water was beautiful and soothing.
I finally got a painting I feel OK about in the boat. Then on our way back to the hotel we pulled over to look at the sunset over Cefalu. I owe it to Chelsea (Norwich, a fellow student) for challenging me to grab my paints and bust out a quick 2-3 minute color sketch, it was exhilarating!
Adrenaline was high and for what it was it came out OK.
I'm glad I was able to turn it around today. I needed that.
Finally getting the hang of it all - looking forward to the next few days."

Check back next week for part two, and follow me on Facebook for updates on my Argonautica series!

The Fine Art of Illustration

The Imprisoned, oil on canvas board, 20x16"
Photographed by Katharine Manning at www.katmanning.com

Here is the figure painting from last week, finished up into a complete painting. I had a lot of fun on this one, and I've submitted it to Spectrum! Wish me luck!

The piece started off as a two day figure painting, and the most important part (the figure) was finished in those two days, around 12 to 14 hours. The study just so happened to come out well enough that I decided to take it further, and after doing a very brief digital sketch that I shared last week, I dove right into the painting, improvising as I painted, a very different process than how I typically approach my illustrations.

The figure painting already invoked some sort of feeling and setting to my eyes, so I knew the direction I wanted to go in and went for it. The last thing that really tied it all together was painting the gate behind the marble column. Every element in the background serves a compositional purpose; the dark drapery was meant to break up the large space of the back wall and help frame the left column, and the rug was added to break up the space of the floor and reinforce the perspective of the room. Finally, I was left with this cooler, lighter value against the right column to help bring it forward in space, but I didn't know what this shape would become. I began to add thin lines to suggest planks of wood on a door, but when my hand slipped and the line became thicker, I started to see a prison gate. I painted the rest of it in, and it worked!

It really helped give the suggestion of a story & added some mystery. I saw the figure as fairly regal, perhaps an angry, bitter or ruthless young ruler. By why would he be nude? What function would that serve in the story? As I painted the background, I thought of it as a Throne room or hall as first, but with the addition of the prison gate who knows? The curtain is pulled back as if to reveal the gate. Is the gate leading out into a prison, and the curtain revealing what's in there that we can't see? Or are we as the viewers inside the prison with our main character, nude and on display? Perhaps our character is a prized gladiator or slave, kept in a special chamber by his Dominus. Or maybe I've watched too much Spartacus. I'll leave it up to you to decide!

I really love painting and drawing studies from life, because the practice is it's own reward. There is no concern for a finished product that is meant for a portfolio or a client, but rather you are painting for the sake of painting and improving. It takes a lot of pressure off! In my illustrations, I spend anywhere from 40 to 60 hours per painting, and that's after thumbnailing, sketching roughs, taking reference photos, and doing a tight pencil drawing. It was rejuvenating to break away from that for a couple of weeks and just paint for the practice. And I got a portfolio piece out of one of them to boot!

While this painting has become an illustration, I'll shortly be adding a new section to my website to incorporate my other figure paintings, plein air paintings, and studies that otherwise wouldn't have a place in my illustration portfolio. Since I've shared my figure paintings on the previous two posts, today I'm sharing a few of my plein air paintings from July & August 2014 as a preview.

Shrine at Old Westbury Gardens, oil on board, 8x10"

Christopher Morley Park, oil on board, 8x10"

Child's Cabin at Old Westbury, oil on board, 8x8"

Castle Gould, watercolor, around 4x2"

Lake George, oil on board, 11x6.5"

Sands Point Bluffs, oil on board, 10x8"