Katherine Wright asking: "How are you stuck?"
“How do you find yourself STUCK?” This was the question that Katherine Wright posed at a recent FREE demo at the Seattle DANIEL SMITH Art Supply Store to the Artists attending the demo. Answers ranged from “what to paint” (the anxiety of facing the white page) to “finding the motivation to paint”. Looking around the room I saw lots of nodding heads agreeing with the answers voiced.
Katherine then asked, “Why is it that we feel as Artists, [that] we have to create a finished piece? A musician [expects to and] practices scales, well so do we as Artists.” “If you are an Artist, you know you should have to practice.” Try doing different types of exercises to shake things up and loosen up.
Several exercises Katherine offered during the demo were:
1) Doing the same subject over and over again in different Artist Styles, think Matisse (Impressionism, Fauvism) Van Gogh (Impressionism) Gauguin (Post-Impressionism) and Picasso (Blue Period, Cubism). Essentially “play” with the creative process and imagine how other Artists whose work you enjoy/admire would paint your subject.
2) Another way to overcome the “fear” of having to produce a “Masterpiece” every time you approach a blank paper is to use “horrible” paper (like newsprint) so you know that it is just for practice, and that you have permission to play and allow your creativity to be set free.
3) Do quick studies – like a painting a day.
For the demonstration itself, Katherine talked about how a friend had asked Katherine to paint an Italian Seaside Landscape and how overwhelmed Katherine was by its’ complexity. So Katherine began to take the landscape apart, and began doing sketches of the boats, outlines of the buildings, etc., just doing lots of sketches of small sections of the whole scene. By breaking the scene into smaller parts and making many sketches she became comfortable with the shapes, and values. Later when putting them altogether, she found that being familiar with the shapes and values made it easier to deal with the complexity of the whole.
Katherine Wright working on one of her sketches of the 3 men sitting on the bench
Katherine then demonstrated the different steps she would take before painting a scene of 3 old men sitting on a bench in front of an immense, beautiful fountain in Italy. Working from a photo she took, Katherine zoomed her focus in on the figures of the men to see the values and shapes,and sketched out those shapes, getting to know her figures. For some of the studies, Katherine used “horrible” newsprint and gouache telling us; “see how this is not precious? I am free…I mess up my paper, I am freed up because it’s not important.” Doing all these quickie sketches helps Katherine get to know her subjects, and helps free her up to play and experiment, because again, “it’s not important.” Switching her focus, Katherine now began sketching out the fountain. She then showed us several sketches already done and told us that “I know my subject so much I don’t have to refer to my photo”.
After all this practice, Katherine is now ready to paint her subject on her watercolor paper. She has worked it out so much that she can now make wonderful creative choices about what she wants to include in her composition.
Katherine Wright with the beginings of her watercolor painting of 3 old men on a bench
Katherine uses tracing paper on the final composition and transfers the composition on to her watercolor paper. She uses masking fluid to preserve areas, then sprays a very diluted solution of watercolor on to the paper to give her a background and allows it to dry. Taking an already dried copy, Katherine begins (working sideways on her paper) to paint in shapes working from an earlier black & white value sketch. Telling us to use as “big of a brush as you can”, and that she has actually painted entire paintings even the details, with a size 40 round brush. Then gradually, Katherine begins working towards painting in the details, and tells us that “these guys already have a lot of life [and] I’m adding Artistic Life to the painting.”
Good tips for “Getting Unstuck” and for how to paint what was once an overwhelming scene, Thank you Katherine!
WATERCOLOR: “Getting Unstuck with Katherine Wright”
Monday April 12, 2010
Katherine Wright
“Don’t get stuck…let Katherine show you how easy and dynamic ideas to loosen up and make your paintings lively! Students will learn basic fun techniques to get the joy, creativity, and confidence back in your watercolors. Bring to class several paintings that you feel could use a fresh new look.”
Monday, April 12, 2010
11am to 4pm
$75 per day
001 900 326
Come for Fun, Information and Inspiration!
Every Day, Express Yourself with ART….
~Deborah Burns
