Saturday, August 12, 2017

This Way, No This Way

"This one makes me happy." - David Dewey
This Way, No This Way
at Birch Point State Park in Owls Head, Maine
painted plein air on July 21, 2017
14" x 10" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and most permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink
on 140 lb. Arches cold press fine grain
100% cotton watercolor paper
$550 USD framed including tax and shipping



This Way, No This Way photo
taken as I started painting for reference
in case the figures or lighting in the scene changed.

Photo of Ralph Steinglass playing his string instrument
with the tresses of Ruth Kaldor in the foreground in the yard
of David Dewey's home/studio in Owls Head, Maine on July 21, 2017

Suite Locks
Bach's notes, light as air,
with golden flow, summer hair,
stylist's compliments.

© 2017 Bruce McMillan

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David Dewey Watercolor Workshop
Final Day 6, Part 1 of 2

04
Breakfast outside at David's summer
home/studio on a beautiful summer morning
starts our last day, a half-day, of the workshop.
05
This was followed by a soothing
classical musical interlude of Bach
and more performed by one of our
workshop painters, Ralph Steinglass.
Then it was
our final critique
of our many watercolors,
person by person, painted this week.
All of us received a thoughtful, helpful,
critique of our work from David.
David Dewey's Comments on the work of
The Art House at Owls Head
20 Main Street, Owls Head,
Gang of Four
Bruce McMillan, Ruth Kaldor,
Kathy Baribeau, and Skye Maher

 
06
Beach Day at Birch Point I
at Birch Point State Park in Owls Head, Maine
painted plein air on July 21, 2017
19.5" x 6.75" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and most permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink
on 140 lb. Arches cold press fine grain
100% cotton watercolor paper
$340 USD including frame and shipping, $300 unframed
07
On Bruce's three paintings:
"These are wonderful ideas."
On the painting above:
"I'd enjoy looking at that for a while."
"The spirit of the color."
"The swirling, the dancing, the theater
in the round, they have spirit, the whole
movement, less John Marin,
more Arthur Dove.
08
Stonington, Maine
John Marin (1870-1953)
Watercolor, charcoal and pencil on paper,
19" x 17" (w x h), 1921
Christie's Auction, NY, 2008, $51,400, USD
Source HERE
09
Clouds and Water
Arthur Dove (1880 - 1946)
Oil on canvas, with selective varnish,
40" x 30" (w x h), 1930
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
More about this painting at the MET HERE
10
On to Ruth Kaldor's works...
11
(top left)
"This one knocks you off your rocker."
"How do I want to move through the view?
How do I want to walk through it?"
"What's really impressive is that
it's a good painting. That's all there is to it."
(top right)
"Every note you put in is not about this,
it's about that."
(bottom)
"This is a wonderful painting.
It has a lot of strength. The white
of the paper pushes the strength of color.
You can breathe in and out of the rocks,
extended contrast.
"This is a very complete painting.
There are two contests going on, flowing
around and steady, flowing around and steady,
back and forth, curve and line."
12
Ruth painting her beach rocks painting,
photo taken by David Dewey.
Ruth's web page is HERE.
13
On Kathy Baribeau works,
specifically her beach scene:
"You talked into your painting."
"It doesn't run out of breath; it breathes."
"The sea, it anchors (your painting)."
"Luminous, your range of greens
is chromatically great."
14
Kathy painting her beach scene
at Birch Point Beach State Park,
photo taken by Bruce McMillan.
15
David was particularly intrigued
by Skye's sketchbook, truly liked it.
On Skye Maher's works:
"You can't help but think of a painter
like Maurice Prendergast . . . figures on the beach."
"The skin tones have a beautiful look to them."
16
Surf, Nantasket
Maurice Prendergast
Watercolor on paper, 11" x 16" (w x h),
circa 1900 - 1905
17
After everyone's critiques,
Christy Gallagher, David's Assistant
shared her watercolor paintings from
the week as well as her insights in painting.
18
Remembering her instructor at Copper Union:
"All you have to do is deconstruct what you're
looking at and put it back together."
And then she said,
"That's how you make a painting yours.
That's how you make a painting
one that only you see."
"I choose a shape.
And then I put it back together."
19
Portrait of a Fine Artist
Thanks to David Dewey for
sharing his time and his skills
and insight to watercolor painting.
20
David left us inspired, thinking big.

One of our workshop's artists,
Stephen Dolleck, has a fabulous
solo watercolor exhibit, Stolen Moments,
at the Amagansett Free Library, in
Eastern Long Island, through
the month of August, 2017.
Stephen's web page is
HERE.
The library is HERE.
The Art Gang held our own daily art critiques.

The Art Gang at
The Art House at Owls Head

by Kathy Baribeau
In the end,
all in all,
from start to finish,
from first to last,
up and back,
great fun,
one and all.
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1 comment:

kaldor150@gmail.com said...

Though your Beach Day at Birch Point shares the curved composition of Doves painting it share more Marin like qualities to me. The whites keep the colors fresh and your eye dances around them.