Patience vs Persnickety-ness

Recently I complained about my lack of patience when it comes to painting. That comment sparked "incredulous" replies suggesting I must have tons of patience, considering the level of detail in some of my paintings. In particular, this one -

Sitting Pretty, 9x12" ©2014 Dorothy Lorenze

The thing is, although I love the details, it can be hard for me to stop adding them. So that's where patience comes in. I just can't believe I'm not done yet!

With so many details under scrutiny, I tend to get antsy and then I have a hard time staying focused. I'll be working on the wallpaper when I notice a part of the rug that isn't right so I have to fix that before I lose track of it. Then I'll go back to figure out where I left the wallpaper pattern, when suddenly I notice that the perspective needs correction!!! 

So I make tea. 

Why tea? It takes a few minutes to boil, a few more to steep and then I sit at my easel waiting for it to cool enough to sip. Just about the perfect length of time to refocus and reassess.

This became clear in a class with Leah Lopez at New York Academy of Art. I was having trouble deciding what was wrong with my painting. Leah told me to step back, and compare the subject to the painting to see if the area I was struggling with should be lighter or darker. I said, "lighter." Wrong. She gently (but firmly) suggested that I step farther back and give it some distance. When I still couldn't see it, she told me to leave the room! 

So I left. And when I came back it was immediately obvious that the trouble spot needed to be darker! Real distance requires time as well as space.

There is something about walking away and returning that can bring a level of clarity. Being impatient is what gets me to walk away. It's all a part of the process. 

Here is the painting framed in a beautiful plein air from San Diego Framing Company. Putting a frame around an interior scene adds a bit of mystery or intrigue, I think. It's like looking through a window into someone else's story.


Thanks for joining me on my painting journey!

Daily Painting or Painting Daily

There's an ambitious movement in the world of painting that has inspired lots of painting "hobbyists" to become more serious about their artwork. It's called A Painting a Day or Daily Painting, etc., and the idea is to commit to making a painting everyday for a specified period of time. It can be a great motivator.

The practice apparently started with Duane Keiser around 2004 when he decided to challenge himself and to maximize the internet as a marketing tool by posting (and selling!) a new painting everyday. Duane explains it in an interview in Huffington Post.

I first heard of daily painting through Carol Marine's Daily Paintworks around 2009, about the time I was trying to establish a painting discipline of my own - and totally clueless. The idea of doing a painting each and every day was intriguing, inspiring and seemingly impossible!

So I tried to paint fast and loose... and I really do like those painterly, vibrant brushstrokes... but it turns out I like the details even more!

Although I know there is great benefit to rendering quick interpretation of a scene and simplifying images, the pressure to complete a painting a day is more than I can take. And I'm never satisfied with the results. So, instead of Daily Painting, my commitment is Painting Daily.

Establishing a routine to paint daily was hard enough. I once asked Karen O'Neil how she organizes her day to paint regularly. She said, "I put my son on the bus, go for a run and then I paint." That sounds simple enough.

Now it's working for me (minus the running!) And the more time I spend at the easel the more I observe the subtleties and details that excite me in a composition and I know that's what I want to master.

©2014 Dorothy Lorenze, 9x12" oil on panel

This is Dr. Haines Petit Déjuener. (Dr. Haines is the owner of the top hat - it says so, right inside!)

I'm proud to say that after working on this painting for days, and thinking it was "done" I felt the need to refine the silver butter server and knife, and it's so much better. Maybe someday I'll get it right the first time, but for now, I'll practice patience and perseverance.

Just for fun, a close-up of the before-and-after of the butter server:

Now the silver shines, the bell is rounder and the knife lies flat. 

I'm a happy camper. And this painting is on its way to Greene Gallery in Guilford, CT.

Thanks for stopping by to view my art!

painting alla prima

This painting was done in the traditional "alla prima" or "direct" method of painting which involves painting wet layers upon wet layers. It has been used for centuries by artists from the early Dutch masters to the Impressionists and beyond (not that I'm comparing...)

The other traditional method is glazing or "indirect" painting which involves adding thin layers of paint on dry under-layers to build up the color - which basically takes more patience than I have! 

Oil paint dries  s l o w l y .

The beauty of alla prima is that you can't over-think it! That's helpful to someone like me who tends to obsess about capturing details in graphite drawing and even graphic design (Q: how many fonts do you need to try to design an invitation? A: about as many as you have!)

So, for me, it's a challenge to capture the essence of a composition without over-working it. Alla prima painting stifles that obsession - in a good way. It means honing in quickly on what you want to express. In this painting the thing surprise observation that interested me was the warmth of reflected light in the shadow area of both the vase and the grapes. It links the objects in an unexpected way since you generally think of shadows as cool. Everything else is painted to support that relationship.

Of course, the fact that this painting was done in Leah Lopez's class at the New York Academy of Art didn't hurt. Nothing like knowing you have to finish within a three hours to help FOCUS!

(to be completely honest... I did add some finishing touches at home)  

You can see this effect more clearly in person. And just your luck - this painting is part of my solo show this May at the Ruth Keeler Memorial Library in North Salem during library hours.

Stop by!