Beaminator

Prophetic words?!

2012-01-28T21:21:00.000+11:00

In the car going to the movies I am sounding off about my art frustration and the slow progress and how I wish I was improving at a greater rate when I notice Hubby isn't driving as fast as he could.

"It's a 110 zone," I helpfully hint.

"No it isn't." Hubby seems very confident.

"But we haven't gone past the servo yet," the place where the speed limit drops.

"Yes we have. That was a good five minutes ago."

I have that freaky moment of suddenly realising that I am not where I think I am and I rush forward in a visual time warp labelling the passing scenery in it's new and correct context. Hubby laughs.

"You are further down the road than you think you are."

And there it is. The glimmer of hope.

Maybe, just maybe, I am further down the road than I think I am.

Just a bit fed-up

2012-01-27T21:31:00.001+11:00

Oh so fickle and totally over painting. I know what I want to be able to paint but am totally not there yet. I can't tell you just how frustrating it is to be at this end of the 10,000 hours and not progressing as fast as I would like. I am uninspired today and just pushing paint around hoping that something nice happens and somewhat underwhelmed by the results.

Then I finally feel inspired to try something a little different for me and beyond my skill level when...

Self-portrait A3 Oil on canvas paper

...the art critics in the family bring me bumping back to earth. Okay, so my cheeks are a bit chubby. A little extra shading will fix that. And my proportions need a little tweaking.

Sigh...so over it.

Some handy practice

2012-01-24T13:13:00.000+11:00

Every now and again it is good to get back to basics and do some drawing practice. And what is more available than your non-drawing hand! On the whole I didn't use the eraser, except for on the second hand when I realised that I had stopped drawing what was actually there and had started drawing from memory and assumption. It builds your confidence when you deny yourself the eraser "out" as you accept the marks as they are.

My hand 8B pencil on paper A4

It isn't just drawing for drawing sake. I am toying with the idea of including a hand in my chalk painting, but if I don't know what a hand really looks like then I won't know how to simplify it.

A crazy quick painting, bit by bit

2012-01-21T09:32:00.002+11:00

I set the parameters for the task: don't think, just paint. Not going for realism, just impression. Working from a vase full of roses I had just picked, strong light source from the top right corner.

1. On an acrylic base of light red I painted in the general negative shading.

2. Lay in the shadows of the flowers.

3. Lay in mid tone and some highlights.

4. Background in, with thought being given to the light source from the top right.

5. Stalks in.

6. Contrasting tones in (darkest and lightest).

Roses, Oil on canvas paper, A4

7. Two final adjustments: The rose closest to the light source was reduced in size, as was the vase. If you compare the final two pictures you can see that the rose sits too far forward because it is too big. The vase is simply out of proportion to the flowers. That many flowers wouldn't sit like that in a huge vase. Also, the very dark line is in the wrong place so it goes.

What did I learn?

I need to be careful to start thin and work toward being thick. This would reduce the need for scraping back. I also need to pay more attention to shadows and proportions.

Take that misbehaving painting!

2012-01-19T12:04:00.002+11:00

I was reminded of the need to keep things simple, both in life and in artwork. So that's what I decided to do. The kites are the focus and everything else is a supporting element.

Kite flying in St Kilda Oil on canvas 30x20"

A One Hour Painting

2012-01-18T19:48:00.001+11:00

Just for fun I thought I would see if I could get a painting done in one hour. It is an image I am already familiar with so I have an idea of the rhythm of the piece. Next time I might try an image I am not familiar with.

Hiking in the Highcountry Oil on canvas paper 30x20cm

I want to work on being brave and using the pallet knife for more of the detail work.

Still, it was good fun to Nike it!

A painting that won't behave

2012-01-15T19:44:00.002+11:00

I am grumpy with this painting, but I think I made progress with it today. However, there is still work to do. If you want to see the previous version (where I scraped out the foreground) go to Family Life with an Art Nutter Jan 14th.

Before I make any decisions about whether the people stay or go, I want to work on the tonal variation in the ocean, and the colour choice too (the sand should be showing through as the water meets the shore). It is still too flat, as you can see in this black and white version of the piece. Likewise the kites need to have highlights on them and perhaps the foreground could be deepened a bit at well (trickily with light colours, but not impossible).

At least the symmetry is better with the shape of the ocean and the shape of the beach creating a sense of balance.

Obsessed, me thinks.

2012-01-11T17:50:00.001+11:00

Okay, it's another painting of the ocean! To be honest I don't think it will be the last, as I'm in the middle a flow. Thanks to Andrew S. for his inspiring photograph that I based this picture on.

Solitary walk 9x12" Oil on stretch canvas S.Beamish SOLD

My paint pallet was ultramarine blue, viridian green, cad' yellow light, cad' red, titanium, raw sienna and raw umber. I painted this piece by laying in cool colours where there were shadows and warm colours where there was light. I then worked the contrasts in, aiming to keep it very loose. I used the brush and then the pallet knife.

Funny thing is, it isn't even dry and the first person to see it bought it!

Strange and unusual pears

2012-01-10T12:58:00.001+11:00

Strange and unusual pears Oil on canvas 9x12" 2012

Done! Second entry for the month of January. So far so good with my year 3 goals.

Progression of a painting FINISHED

2012-01-09T17:46:00.001+11:00

I have had several false finishes but this time I really am finished. I have had to work through the tonal qualities of the land and the placement of figures.

Oil on deep stretched canvas 36"x48" S.B. 2012 SOLD

Now I am happy, really happy. Oh, wait a minute...

One little problem. What to call it?

Something fun that you can do too.

2012-01-09T10:02:00.001+11:00

I just got an email to say that my piece has been accepted to be on the Inspire Me - Arts Centre web site http://inspireme.theartscentre.com.au/# . It is an interactive site and anyone can submit an image. The only catch is that it needs to be relevant to the Arts Centre Spire in Melbourne Victoria. You'll recognise my piece - I use it as my profile picture.

If you do want to submit something you click on CREATE which is in the top right corner. It took me ages to figure out that's what you do. Such is the life of the virtually challenged!

Progression of a painting PART 2

2012-01-07T17:32:00.002+11:00

Step 1: I began by mixing tonal variation of the different colours I intended to use and adding Raw Sienna to my pallet. No matter how much I love my accidental wave, it had to go, and I also reworked the far hill. I took took much time with this and fiddled around too much. Something to avoid in the future. I extend the foreground wave and add in some dead trees sticking out of the growth.

Step 2: Straight away I see that the contrast in the far hills is too strong (taking photos is really helpful for that) and I work to fix it. I also become more particular about the lines in the painting. All of the dead trees point to the focal point (the far hill and the hills that disappear behind it). So I lighten the sea to form another line taking the eye to the focal point.

I also tone down the far hills and begin to form the story.

There are people in this remote place, and birds. I begin to add in simple forms. Finally the story is in my mind. I am the bird looking down at where I live. I live in community in this wild place, sometimes strangers arrive and then leave again. They hardly matter because they are overshadowed by the scale.

Things left to do: place more birds, decide if my foreground figure is too small, remember to sign it!

The development of a painting PART 1

2012-01-05T21:47:00.000+11:00

I decided to just go for it with one of my new large 48x36" canvases (see Family life with an Art Nutter Jan 3rd for the story of the Canvas FAIL).

This is my second very large oil painting. I choose a limited pallet of Ultramarine blue, Yellow Light, Cadmium Red, Yellow Ochre, and Titanium White. What follows are the steps that I took

Step 1: Lay in a foundation of cool and warm colours. This is rough work and goes in quickly. I roughly outline the hills (I have already roughed the picture in with pencil making sure that my water horizon line is straight, i.e. ruled in).

Step 2: I lay the sky in being mindful to reduce the tone as I approach the horizon. I also blend the sky into the top of the hills aiming for reduced contrast as things that are far away tend to blend into each other and share light. I go in with white on my pallet knife and put in some clouds. I deliberately keep it minimal. This painting isn't about the sky.

Step 3: I begin to lay in the ocean. As I look at it now I see that there is a line on the horizon, this is tonally incorrect. Tomorrow I will need to blend this line as it is cutting the picture into segments. A happy accident that I decided to leave for the moment and make decisions about later is the wave that appeared when I scraped white paint on with the pallet knife. It was my intention to blend this white but it became a wave that I liked the look of so I left it.

Step 4: I continue with the ocean, remembering that as the water gets shallow you begin to see the ocean floor through it. I work quickly and am mindful to keep my strokes horizontal with a slight bend as the water comes up onto the shore. I enjoy the process and allow it to morph as I add warmer tones to the foreground. Things appear warmer the closer they get.

Step 5: I mix a variety of greens with the pallet knife and using my dirty brush loosely work them into position. I grapple with the far hill and am mindful that my tones might not be as strong as I want them to be. I lay in the sand and can't resist adding red highlights that help carry the eye around the shore line.

Step 6: Mindful of tone I take the final photograph and make it black and white. I see immediately that I need to add to the tonal variety of the hills, specifically making the far hills lighter. I also see that the strong contrast created by my accidental wave is too strong.

Step 7: At the moment there is no sense of story. The place strongly reminds me of Waterloo Bay at Wilson's Promontory where the only people there are hikers, and sea birds. And so a story is beginning to form in my mind...

To be cont...

My first painting touched-up and ready for competition!

2012-01-02T12:20:00.000+11:00

The little red boat was creating a problem for me in the previous version so I posted my picture on The Complete Artist site and got some really good feedback. Following Ann Turner's advice I billowed the sail and added some highlights. I also adjusted the angle of the reflection to suggest that the boat was moving in turbulent water.

Yachting at Flinders Oil on canvas paper 37x24cm 2012

Now I think I will enter it into my first competition.

The magazine Australian Artist runs a monthly competition and this month is Challenge No.47 Seascapes, rivers and lakes. It closes on the 13th of January 2012. There is prize money involved but, in all honesty, I just want the experience of entering something somewhere. You never know, I might actually get a comment!

Yup, way too excited!

My first painting for 2012!

2012-01-01T18:16:00.002+11:00

Too lazy to find my reference photos (which I think might be on Matt's phone), I decided just to wing-it. Using my plein air pieces I set myself a time limit and came up with this.

Yachting at Flinders Shelly Beamish 2012

Oil on canvas paper 37x24cm

Plein air painting

2011-12-30T09:05:00.000+11:00

We packed up the kids, bathers and towels and headed down to the coast. The day was overcast and not as hot as we imagined it would be but we all enjoyed the space and the beauty.

This is my first real go at plein air painting - where you take your paints outside and paint what is actually there.

I did okay with my Notan paintings. These are quick paintings that identify the balance of warm and cool in your painting and are very small.

Choosing the first Notan, I did a tonal painting of it.

I found managing the paint more difficult as I was working with acrylics and they dried quickly, even with loads of retarder medium mixed in! The colour piece was a challenge as the colours dried on the pallet and had to be remixed if I wanted to go back and dab at anything. This really stops you from fussing way too much!

I allowed different boats to come and go in the various pieces so that I can decide in the studio later what I want and where I want it to go. It'll be interesting to see how I go with the oil final today.

Help! I need your ideas

2011-12-28T09:52:00.000+11:00

I have run dry on ideas of what to paint so I've started asking the people around me for their ideas.

So far I have:

A jetty/water/boats
Fruit done with the pallet knife

While I build these ideas into pictures I like to have new ideas floating around in my mind forming the next pictures...but there are none!

We are not in this world alone, and each of us has the amazing capacity to help each other be more than we currently are.

Will you "comment" your ideas here to help me build momentum?

An unexpected Christmas gift

2011-12-24T23:16:00.000+11:00

Tonight at our local Carol's By Candlelight service I bumped into one of my year 12 English students from this year. I congratulated him on his final result, which reflected his teachability, openness to new ideas and commitment to the task. It was a nice moment that I had hoped to have at some point with this particular student.

Then he said something that was like a Christmas gift.

"English was my best result."

I find myself honoured and amazed to have played a role in this student's life. At the beginning of the year I was worried about how he would manage the subject. It just seemed beyond his reach.

And then he engaged. He followed class discussions closely. He took new ideas on board. He responded to feedback.

I am so proud of this young man. He has taught me that when students decide to open their minds they really can change their outcomes. He has also reminded me that it is all worth it.

All it takes is one.

Playing with oil

2011-12-19T12:29:00.000+11:00

Blown away - Mixed medium A4, canvas paper

My first practice piece for the summer holidays! I haven't touched oils for some time so this was really a time of reintroducing myself to the possibilities. The mixed medium comes from the acrylic light yellow that I used to base coat the paper with. Now to go an sign it - I forgot!

A gift

2011-12-11T16:27:00.000+11:00

Some friends do amazing things that inspire you.

It is a privilege to be able to acknowledge it and say thanks.

Blessings to you Nick and Elise as you marry on Friday.

May the adventures continue beyond anything you can imagine.

Nick 18"x24" (approx), watercolour on coldpress paper

A gift to wish them well.

If you want to see it framed and hanging, you best ask for an invite around to their house!

A story I am working on: page 1 & 2

2011-12-04T11:30:00.000+11:00

When God puts it on your heart to do something,

you should just do it.

I wrote this story a couple of months ago and began illustrating it but then got discouraged.

Funny how much of an impact people's words can have on you. When my friend suggested that my work was too illustrative and not painterly enough I really took it to heart. So I redid the first four pages in a more painterly manner but they were all a disaster. I did them again. More disasters.

This morning it came to me: This story needs an illustrative style. It helps keep a lightness to the text, which does get a bit serious and sad.

Of course, I am out of the flow and need to find my rhythm again. This is what is great about this site. I have a place to commit myself to posting, and getting the book finished. So I will post it in bits. All of the illustrations are pen and wash, A4.

(Untitled)

Page 1

Page 2

To be continued...

More practice with watercolour

2011-11-28T20:52:00.002+11:00

Today, much to my surprise, some friends gave me a fabulous amount of watercolour paper.

Thank you Nick & Elise!!!!!

I had the afternoon at home and decided that it would be a good time to use some of this wonderful paper.

There are still some touch-up's to do before it goes to the framer.

The size is about 28"x15".

I am in two minds about it. As a photo on the site it looks flat and lifeless. It is better in real life but I will be thinking about those final touches - maybe I need a bird or two.

Having sat here looking at it, I think that I will paint it again but go with a different colour choice. It also needs deeper tones in the mid ground trees. Now that the composition is sorted, it really is a matter of colour and tone. It lacks that something special. Things to think about...

Yellow Gerberas

2011-11-27T13:07:00.000+11:00

Yesterday I bought some yellow gerberas (they are daisy like flowers) and have spent this morning drawing and painting them. My head is a bit fuzzy (thanks to this yukky head cold) so I have tried to keep things simple.

Pencil drawing A3ish

Watercolour A3ish

This watercolour was a response to having studied the flowers. I wanted to do something quick and free flowing. I limited my pallet to cad' yellow, cad' orange, ultramarine and burnt umber. I added the falling petal to create a moment of movement as the flowers are in various degrees of decay leaning over the edge of the path.

A ten year plan

2011-11-26T19:25:00.001+11:00

I was reading an article 'The 10,000 Hour Rule' in the magazine Australian Artist (Dec 2011). The author, G.W. Smith, talked about research that had been done on how people became masters at their craft, be that music, art, performance etc. It was concluded that to really master your craft you must spend 10,000 hours at work on that craft. That's ten years of three hours per day challenging yourself to improve!

I long to have this sort of time at my disposal but I simply don't.

What I do have is my own ten year plan.
It started last year, Year One, with one painting a day. I managed 280 paintings for the year. A few really good ones but mostly ordinary, practice type pieces. This year, Year Two, has focused more on deliberate improvement of skill rather than bulk production. I know I can make painting a priority if I want to, but I really wanted to be more mindful of learning new skills. The result? Less finished pieces and the creation of some truly awful paintings, but noticeable improvement.

Year Three (2012) will involve a focus on purposefully understanding art making and looking to learn from local people. After that is unknown, however at the end of Year Ten I will have had enough practice to justify professional instruction (you know, the sort you get in France or Italy!).

A ten year plan like this might seem like an idealistic way to approach art making but, for me, it takes the pressure off having to be perfect every time I make marks on a page. It also helps me to stay focused when I am tired and over it all.

My philosophy?

A little bit everyday makes a big difference in the end.

In the meantime, I picked up my commissioned piece from the framer today. He was able to do it quickly as he had another job which used the same materials, so I am thankful that things worked that way. And I am very pleased with the results. I think it will really suit the purpose for which it has been created.

2011-11-20T18:29:00.002+11:00

I had to pray this one in! It is a commissioned piece and time for framing is running out. Thankfully three weeks should be enough.

Eagle over Feathertop 28"x16" Watercolour

Sometimes pinning a piece down can be really difficult. Acrylic, oil or watercolour? I'm not particularly brilliant at one over the others, and I like all three. I had imagined this in watercolour but then I had a friend critique a similar watercolour I had done. It knocked my confidence even though it improved my skill.

Eagle over Feathertop refers to the Australian Wedgetail Eagle that is flying over my favourite mountain in Victoria, Mt Feathertop. It has been commissioned as a gift for someone who also loves this part of the world.

Finally finished it!

2011-11-12T12:01:00.002+11:00

I began this painting months ago, building up from small sketches and making decisions about composition, colour and tone. I started the large painting and then went cold on it. What if it didn't work the way I wanted? Worry, worry, worry. And then life got busy so I had more excuses not to finish it.

God put it on my heart, finally it was time. So I put on some music and let the painting flow. The result? A piece that was far better than I had planned and that, for me, captures the moment when our relationship with God is restored.

Restoration (3'x5' approx.)

A little bit of something special

2011-11-07T19:46:00.000+11:00

I named the painting below "Transitions" and took it to school to share with my Year 12 English class in our last class together. We talked about how this final year of school was a time of transition in their lives, and about how our English class had journeyed through that year together, sharing something special.

Then I took the painting and laid it on the guillotine.

And gave a little bit of something special to each one, keeping one for myself.

Here is my piece.

Having fun with watercolour

2011-10-22T18:41:00.000+11:00

It has been a lovely day stretching paper and myself! The following pictures are on cold press watercolour paper, size - about A3

I painted this and was disappointed with my first effort. Then I remembered seeing a piece that had been masked into stripes and decided to give it a go. I painted a blue wash and added darker toned details to create contrast with the initial picture. I am really pleased with the results!

Again, aiming to experiment, I played with suggestion and a contrasting colour scheme.

Oh, and had fun flicking paint around!

This is what I learned today:

Don't be afraid to be wrong.

No one engages with perfection

but everyone understands mistakes.

A new direction

2011-09-25T17:09:00.000+10:00

A friend introduced me to Zentangle and I went a little crazy with it!

I bought a set of Inktense pencils and just had to play!

Learning to journal through art naturally includes reflection on spiritual things.

I found an old, "failed" watercolour I had painted and tangled over the top of it.

I really like the result!

Inspired by a tangle blog I saw where the focus was strong black and white and making everything look shiny, I decided to mount a watercolour. My family commented that they thought it looked like an Indigenous inspired turtle. I enjoy the ambiguity of it.

A thought...

2011-08-10T07:08:00.000+10:00

"But I (God) lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey me commands." Ex 20:6

How much do parents love their children? When things are as they should be, the answer is "more than anything". When I watch my children sleep, comfort them in times of need or simply enjoy their company my heart fills with love for them. We are made in God's image, a reflection of God. How much more does His heart fill with love for us, especially when we choose to be one of His children.

God, please help us to understand that you lavish good things on us, that all good things are from You. Amen.

2011-07-30T23:21:00.001+10:00

I've been to the theatre and having admired the pieces in the foyer am feeling all inspired again. It's a pity that I have an essay to write and a serious amount of marking to do! However, that doesn't mean I can't share a couple of pieces I really like that I painted a couple of months ago.

I am toying with this habit of touching in highlights with red paint. It just seems to make the picture snap. Snap, by the way, is my latest arty word that I try and fit into every conversation I have with students about art. It just makes the conversation snap!

A4 Oil on canvas paper SOLD

So this one was painted for my hubby. It's oil on paper (about an inch smaller than A4 - I should really measure it but I can't be bothered right now!).

And then I thought I would dabble with a pretty lady but no red highlights.

A4 Oil on canvas paper SOLD

2011-07-29T20:01:00.000+10:00

This piece was inspired by a method I read about where light and dark were initially laid in with warm and cool colours. Then the picture was built up from there with the finishing detail being completed with the pallet knife.

2011-07-29T19:52:00.000+10:00

I base coated the paper with acrylic paint and then used the pallet knife to place the rose. It was exciting and fun to see paint move and mix in ways I hadn't experienced before.

2011-07-29T19:39:00.001+10:00

SOLD

I normally paint with acrylic but have discovered how much I love oil. We seem to suit each other!

Inspired by Tabor Nagy

2011-07-29T19:35:00.000+10:00

2011-07-29T18:51:00.000+10:00

Shell is my mild-mannered name when I am an ordinary couch potato. I magically transform into Beaminator as I juggle kids, hubby, teaching and creating art. I have transferred my fb addiction to this new forum of blogging - another excellent procrastination tool! So while I wait to take Twin 1 to youth group (having already taken Twin 2 to a birthday party) I should be marking student's work. Instead I am playing here, wondering whether this really is a good idea.

But still, what a great place to exhibit and view shared artwork!