High Altitudes and Challenging lessons Makes One A Tired Puppy!

Being up at 8600 feet has its advantages when you paint plein air and trying to capture atomsphere. It also has it disadvantages. Thank the Stars for a thing called Smart Water--very soft water with electrolytes. So much better than Gatorade and it doesn't taste salty--it's actually a really nice taste--but enough of the commerical for Smart Water. After standing all day, concentrating on the lesson at hand, being critiqued by a Master Signature Painter and trying to remember what he is telling you...you leave the workshop with your body tired and mind spinning. Is it worth it? OH YEAH! I recommend this to anyone who takes their painting seriously. It's a lot of money, but worth it when you see the difference that it will have on your painting---but more importantly how you see and intrepret what you see will transform your paintings.

The support of those taking the workshop as well as from Kevin himself does keep you hiking along on this journey of seeing better and more. After all, we are all in the same boat--or is that up the same creek without a paddle?

The first day started with Kevin allowing us to decompress and get the first painting out of the way. Of course little do you know that this will be the last completed/finished painting that you are going to paint for a while! Looking back this evening, I think I should have enjoyed that first day morning painting session a whole lot more!! Most of us chose to paint the pond...no surprise. Aspen Pond, the subject of Kevin's series "Reflections On A Pond", calls to you as the reflections in the pond change at almost every moment and the quietness of the scene calms your nerves about being in a workshop of a Master Signature painter...well--almost!!

Here's the scene that I painted---on the left is a photo of the scene I painted. The photo on the right is photo of the painting I did. Hopefully this will give you some idea about how photographs lie and how painting plein air in the outside air is both challenging and rewarding. Between this photograph and this study, I can paint back home in my studio converting this to a larger painting of this scene, and there are a number of things I would change in the composition and what I caught at the time (like the cloud I tried to catch)I was painting and things were changing----here's the photos...












When you paint a study, there are never really any failures. There are things you learn for future reference and your next painting and then there is the editing process in the studio if you convert the study. If you are thinking the study is a total failure, well it isn't. You can always find colors you mixed outside in the open air and can be used for reference for other paintings you may do from photographs when you return home.

The afternoon was spent in Kevin's studio as he instructed us on light and shadows. It was an enlighting experience as things we thought we knew we didn't and how photographs and our perceptions have influenced how we see. In case you haven't figured it out yet, this workshop is all about light, shadows, contrast, and how we see.

The second day is spent on the foundation of the painting and seeing shapes--not trees, sky, pond, etc. There are shapes in that landscape and you will see them by the end of this workshop! It was an overcast day which was a challenge all on it's own for seeing light and shadow in local color...if there is such a thing. But when the sun peaked through the clouds, we worked quickly in the light area and returned to the shadow when the clouds covered the sun or capture in a few quick places that contrast between the shadow area and the light area only to fill in the rest of the light shape when the clouds returned. The afternoon was the same, as we practiced laying in the shaded area in pleasing abstract shapes and then built up the foundation, working in the light area last.

Tomorrow is day three. We'll spend the day learning to paint light and shadows only quicker....we had have a challenge placed before us--two paintings with the foundation light and shadows completed in the morning...and two additional ones in the afternoon. We'll be in Arroyo Seco, a quaint little town. For me, the challenge will be finding compositions that are pleasing and simple...something that hopefully we will cover before I get sent home.

It is always a challenge to paint, and challenging yourself to improve is something that is frustrating, but absolutely necessary. I am and will be enjoying this journey, and can't wait to see the improvement in my work in the very near future--upon my return home and I venture outside to paint plein air in Ohio's atomsphere.
Thanks for reading and all your support!
And now, the bed is calling my name!
Cheers,
Linda

Macpherson's Reflections On A Pond Exhibit and a quick update!

Hello everyone!
It's been a while since I blogged, but if you were anywhere near Middletown or if you were lucky enough to have tickets to the Macpherson Reflections On A Pond Exhibit Opening Weekend, you'll know why I've been absent from writing lately.

First, thank you to all the sponsors and those that attended the opening weekend events. The exhibit was a great success, with a nice profit made by the Middletown Arts Center (final numbers are due soon--but it looks like this was one of the most successful events ever!) and Kevin and Wanda had all their expectations exceeded. Thanks for making them feel welcomed and they enjoyed meeting everyone and spending the weekend in the glow of artistry.

The exhibit is coming to a close and I'll be spending June 15th-17th packing up the exhibit for its trip home. We have some possible venues that we are investigating for future exhibitions, so keep in touch for more on this in the future.

Reflections on a Pond has a Facebook page and if you are on Facebook, please become a fan of the page so that you can keep up to date on the exhibit and all that is happening with that. The link is here. Before the exhibit we had about 20 fans and since then the number of fans have doubled. The latest news is that we are working with Wayne Johnson (musician with Manhatten Transfer and Bette Midler) who has composed special music that was played at the Opening weekend. We have some finish work to do on this but look for an announcement and a chance to hear the music soon.

As for me, well, I've be painting and the painting on the home page of the website is the latest painting. My mentor, Kevin Macpherson, has been busy instructing me and raising the bar. It been a most enlightening time and that includes a bit of a style change for the better of course. Next up is travel to Taos on June 22nd where I'll be participating in Kevin's workshop. Then back home to continue painting and to put into practice all that I'm learning. The website will be updated when the time is write, but if you want to see works in progress and quick pictures of what I'm working on, then you'll need to become a friend in Facebook. The link to my Facebook page is here. I also have a Linda Fisler Fine Art fan page. That link is here.

We hope you enjoy the paintings that will be on the way. Kevin is such a wonderful mentor and friend. I am truly seeing a difference and feel that I'm now better prepared to start competing and also to embark on my journey to become a Master Impressionist painter. It will be a long road, but one I'm preparing for and will be working hard to accomplish. I've recently joined the American Impressionist Society as an associate member and hope to become more involved in this organization in the future. Your comments and continued support would be greatly appreciated as I travel the ups and downs of the new path before me. I'm looking forward to this exciting journey!

Off to a wine tasting now--have a great weekend everyone!!!
Linda

Just some ramblings!

I haven't been in the studio much lately. There are a number of details to follow up on with the Reflections On A Pond exhibition and opening weekend coming up in about six weeks give or take a few days. I want this to be a very successful weekend and am committed to that. Working for Kevin Macpherson gives me a wonderful opportunity to view some incredible art. It also makes me wonder just what the heck I think I'm doing!? It can and has made me wonder if I have the right stuff for this journey. You think your job has competition, join us in the art world!! And then finally I ask--One usually doubts oneself every once in a while, right? And then the inevitable...maybe I should rethink this and put the brushes down.

I had the opportunity today to take another look at the book, "Reflections On A Pond-A Visual Journal". In this book is an interview with Kevin Macpherson, along with his journal entries when he was painting the series. I picked up the book after reviewing some pictures of an exhibition at a museum where we are considering exhibiting the series. The art was incredible and the artist were so talented! Not to mention the old master's work there! I then ended up looking at some of the other masters works and well, quickly began having doubts!

So, as I said, I reached for the book and began reading. Kevin's words are so inspiring and his spirit in helping every artist is ever so present. And although I really am still wondering why I'm doing this, I know deep down it isn't a "why", but more of "I must". It's a part of me--actually it is ME-- and the reason I'm in this doubting mood is because I haven't been in my studio or outside painting plein air in far too long. My soul is telling me it is time to get there. My consious self is suffering and the inner self is calling out wanting to express itself. The self doubt is the dark side fueled by fear and indecision, doubts and emptiness. Yes, the emptyness I always feel when the brush hasn't been in my hand in what to others doesn't seem like a long time but to me feels like a lifetime. It is not feeling the paint on my hands or experiencing the zone of creativity when my Guiding Spirits and Muses gather and speak to me.

Change, the heart of Reflections On A Pond project for Kevin Macpherson, is the only constant in this world. And just as the Earth is changing it's axis to melt the winter frost and cold from our hemisphere, change will allow me to journey back to my world of art. For all this shall pass, just as the past has passed and the present is here and now. And the future holds many more paintings and I look forward to the call of the my Muses. Change....it's inevitable. Thank the Universe for that.

Who is on Center Stage?

I finished a number of paintings in my maritime series and have revised a number of them as well. It wasn't until the other day when I realized that I, like many other artist, suffer from not having someone behind me to "Gibbs slap" my head when I should stop! (Gibbs slap, for all you non NCIS watching folks is a slap in the back of the head done to bring your attention to something stupid you just said or an action that you did and shouldn't have. Usually it is very obvious to everyone else you "went too far"!) Overworking a painting is something that is very easy to do. When is it really "done"? What does "done" mean? The Catch-22 you could get into here is an interesting conundrum.

So, I got out my trusty DVD of Kevin Macpherson (as if I don't hear his voice in my head enough already! ;-) and then it hit me. In Kevin's DVD "Brush With Life", there is a portion of the DVD where Kevin discusses composition and how he selects the components of his painting. (Brush With Life is available on Kevin's website--www.kevinmacpherson.com). He actually makes this very simple and fun. And it is a rule I need to think about more as I begin to ramp up my outdoor painting again.

First, think of yourself as a Director of a play. This is rather easy for me, considering all my life I wanted to attend USC film school to be the next Steven Spielberg--ummm--I mean George Lucas. (Steven went to UCLA...)And as the director you get to choose the players in your play. More importantly, you get to choose who your stars are in this play and who are your supporting actors/actresses. With this in mind, let's examine my latest efforts that I called "Stranded".

In my mind, the stars of this play were the two boats and the platform that leads you to the two boats. It's a nice grouping of three objects and provides a lot of interest. Here's the painting before I revised it. I will admit now that I overworked it--got carried away with the colors and sunlight effects.



Notice in this painting that you are constantly moving from one object to another, almost like it is all overwhelming. Who are you suppose to be looking at the longest--all the characters are on the stage, in the main light and no one is supporting anyone. The trees are just as bright and light grabbing attention as the grasses in the foreground and the boats that are suppose to be in the middle ground--or as I said earlier on center stage.

Compare that painting to this one...


Notice the strand of trees that are now no longer on center stage as a main character, they support the main character by adding depth to the painting and a plane that is calm and supporting to the boats and platform. Since we read left to right your eye enters the painting from the left, moves to the bright platform or the orange bouys and then moves to the boats. The masts of the boats lead you upwards and the trees, again-now in a supporting role, moves your eyes right and down to the shack (notice in the first painting you barely notice the shack and pier) and the pier leads you back to the boats. There are a number of supporting actors in this painting and the main characters itself provide a lot of interest.
It is justified to have some interest in your supporting players, but pay very close attention to the values and the planes when you are adding that interest. Always keep in mind just who is on center stage. After all, you don't want a supporting actor who steals the show--as in Star Wars--there is really only one hero and it's not Han Solo! ;-)

I also would like to publicly thank Joe Anna Arnett for her comments to me when I was working this painting. Although she never said I overworked it, (Bless her!), she did make me realize how all of my characters were fighting for the same attention.

A slightly new look

Hello everyone!

It's a rather busy time right now! We are coming down the home stretch for the big event at the Middletown Arts Center--Kevin Macpherson's visit and the opening of his exhibit Reflections On A Pond. I hope those around the area realize how special this event really is--to have someone of Kevin's stature come to Middletown and to show his museum quality series (which has been shown previous to this engage at the Pasadena Museum of California Art) at the MAC. Kevin's workshops sell out years in advance (for much more than the cost of the combination ticket--for example eight hours (one day) of Kevin's workshop could be priced out at $400 a day--we get him for a whole weekend for $150--now that's a bargain!!) And one way of looking at it.

Ticket sales have been good with a high number of sales coming from outside the area. Most tickets are being purchased from around the state of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, and even as far away as Maryland. I hope to see some Middletown faces to welcome and support Kevin's journey from Santa Fe to our fair city. I also like to thank our sponsors for all they have done for us. You can get more information on the MAC website.

Along with my work in this area, I've been on the phone and in contact to a number of possible venues for future Reflections On A Pond exhibits. These possible venues span across the US. I look forward to scheduling these possible events and working with the staff at the various venues as well. More on that when there are concrete things to report.

I continue to work on my maritime series and receive critiques on these paintings from my mentor, Kevin, and friends as well. Many thanks to Joe Anna Arnett who was standing not far from me when I painted these studies that I am converting to larger paintings. Her insights have been greatly appreciated. In Port, Seaweed Harvest and the Old Mill are 3 in the series that have been posted here. The fourth and five in the series are still in the works and I hope to get some work done on them this coming week.

I hope you enjoy the little changes to the my website and hope to see you at Reflections On A Pond exhibit in May. What a great way to escape the perils of today than to sit and have someone open up a whole new way of seeing the beauty surrounding you everyday. Kevin Macpherson's journey during Reflections On A Pond did just that for him and through his lecture and painting demonstration, he can help you do that for you! A time of change and renewal! See you there!
Ciao,
Linda

Working out a painting

The last few days have been spent in the studio and outside painting plein air.
Saturday morning was an overcast morning and after walking around the Glendale Art Show, I settled in to paint the gazebo in the Village Square. It was fun saying hello to everyone who stopped by and commented on the painting. Due to other commitments I couldn't stay as long as I wanted, but the painting is a great start and I have some good photo reference. I'll work this out over the coming weeks and you'll see the results here I'm sure.

I've also been working on my maritime series. I wanted to get started on these paintings while St. Andrews was still fresh in my memory. My studies and photographs are proving to be priceless. I thought inside of continuing two blogs, that I'd post my work in progress here on the site. It is amazing how much progress you can make by painting plein air. And..well--drawing. I've been doing more drawing and sketching and that seems to have strengthened a number of skills.

I've gone through over two hundred photos of the St. Andrews experience and whittled them down to ones I want to paint. I start with a sketch of the photograph, beginning to work out details and composition. From there I go to a 11X14 canvas board and work out more of the sketch. Here's the first layout I did with the along with the light and shadow areas blocked in...











There were a number of things that I didn't like about this painting and a number of drawing issues. This was a timed study and wasn't meant to be a painting ready for sale, but one to study and determine what I needed to change, what I liked about it, are the values good...just a timed study to question, practice painting quickly, and from to learn. I decided to return to my photo references and decide if there were some elements from other photos I wanted to pull in or was there a better representation of the man in the boat that would be better.

For example, the man is facing to the right. Your eye follows that direction and "off the page you go" since most of us read left to right. There is nothing really to circle your eye back around in the painting. The boat is somewhat centered right in the middle of the painting. I sat and studied the first attempt for a few hours making note of things I didn't like. Also, the size of the man to the boat is not proportioned right. Perspective is a bit off.

The result was this second study. Again, another timed study, only because I want to practice catching and working out details quickly. This again was a study to work out composition issues and focus on getting the drawing and perspective correct.
Here's the drawing that I did...




This drawing is much better and some composition issues were addressed. The man in the boat is more balanced, and the boat is not smack in the middle of the painting.
The background land is more proportioned and adds depth. The man is now turned back to the left, leading your eye not off the page, but back into the land mass and trees. The trees have sufficient interest as does the rocks. Here's the painting in middle.




Note that there is a considerable lack of interest in the center of the painting. While the values lead you to believe this is a sunny day and add some interest there is nothing really in the center to make you want to linger. Now take a look at the finished study.




The pine trees were added and have some curvature to them that pushes your attention to the right...so your eyes enter the painting at the left (because we read left to right here in the USA) move to the boat, man and then back to the rocks to the left part of the painting. The trees lead you to the right to the house roof, which leads your eye down to the land and the seaweed which leads you back to the right.
The result is a balanced painting. The composition is much improved from the first try and the perspective is also improved. With most of the issues worked out, this is ready to be transferred to a larger canvas. Before that occurs, I'll be pulling my studies from St. Andrews out and place it side by side with this study. I'll be asking myself are the values true to what I saw up in St. Andrews when I was plein air painting. I'll make notes right on the canvas board where it should be lightened or darkened. Then, I'll begin the painting that will become the second painting in my maritime themed paintings.

Check back and see the progress from study to completed painting for the "Seaweed Harvest" painting. I hope you found this interesting as you become part of the process of creating a painting. You know how to reach me if you have any questions.

Ciao,
Linda

Hurricane Ike hits Ohio??

Hello everyone.

Sunday afternoon (Sept 14th) Hurricane Ike blew (literally) into the my hometown. We had 80 mile an hour winds that lasted for about 4 to 5 hours. I could hear the rafters of the house cracking and creeking and the windows making noises as if they were about to pop out. I can only imagine what the folks in Texas and Louisanna were experiencing with higher winds!

I was actually out in the storm in my car and almost got a live electric line along with the tree that brought it down on my car! The wind, when behind me while in my car, felt like it was going to flip the car over tail first!! When I got home, the electricity was off and there was no way the car was going to sit outside with everything that was blowing around--actually more like airborne projectiles!!

As mentioned we lost power at 3:00 on Sunday. As of Sunday, Duke Energy--who had sent a large number of workers to Texas, had close to a million people without power in our area alone (Southwest Ohio--Cincinnati/Dayton). They are working around the clock to restore power--and ours has been restored 48 hours later. However, as of last night, still close to half a million still didn't have power and they are saying it will be well into the weekend for majority of power to be restored. Workers are expected to stay in our area for two weeks.

Gasoline here is getting sparse as well. Long lines, some impatience and in some cases the news is that some stations who have been up are now running low or are out of gas. Other stations can't pump what they have because the electricity isn't on at their station.

Then there's the ice issue. Anything that was in our fridge is now tossed...and anything in your freezer has to go as well. Especially if you can't find ice--which you'll burn your gasoline up trying to do. Our local stores lost all the meats, milk, milk products, freezer items and such. So--it will take some time to stock these up and yesterday--some of the local stores had limited power. If our schools have power--they don't have food for lunches--so schools are off again today.

The worst part about this storm was that it caught all of us by surprise. A majority of folks just weren't prepared to be out of power for this long. While we were without power, we had a battery radio that we could listen too. I got plenty of news on Cincinnati or Dayton--but nothing on the smaller town between the two cities called Middletown. No news on where we could go get ice--if any was available, etc. Without electricity, I felt like I was in a world all by myself. Totally dependant on yourself and you had to depend on your own resources. It was a very lonely feeling and it was very scary.

So why am I writing this--to urge folks to be prepared for anything in your house and area. Who would have thought a category 1 hurricane would hit OHIO!!!??? I faired a heck of a lot better than at least half a million people who are still waiting for power--but we aren't out of this yet. I faired a lot better than folks in Texas--we at least didn't have the storm surge and flooding and I'm not sitting on a roof waiting to be rescued without water or food. I was minorly inconvenience...but it isn't making the impact any easier to deal with....

Please keep those in Texas in your thoughts, and please add us in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky in your prayers as we deal with this crisis too. The press obiviously don't think we are in as dire straits, but there are folks who are. There is a state of emergency here--and the Governor is lobbying to have Ohio added to the Ike recovery list of aid etc--but folks need the help now--as do those in Texas. The media is missing the point here--this is huge--bigger than Katrina in the area that the hurricane hit. Ohio's Emergency response is being tested...and they'll learn from it--but in the mean time things are stressed--including the power grid/infrastructure. For the most part, we are all exercising our patience, but for some that isn't going to last long.

It is a stressful time. It is a total feeling of isolation even with a battery operated radio. It also was a time of learning and discovery---Just what can you do with a can of pinto beans and just how long will that food in your refrige remain good if you don't open the door but once a day? After cleaning up the debris from the storm, helping neighbors, what do you do without a computer, TV, and other electrical appliances? What do you do to get information and where can you go for help? Bottomline--you don't get information....even if you do have a radio. Folks need to realize that sending out a media release or an emergency email, doesn't cut it. Without electricity--YOU CAN'T GET THE MESSAGE! DOH! (and yes--I had two email messages the last two days with emergency messages from my city that I didn't get till this morning.) While without power--I heard nothing...got nothing...saw no police or anyone in authority (and I have a councilperson who lives behind me and down a few houses.)

Thanks for reading--it's nice to be back with some electricity....Thanks to friends that have pitched in and helped one another. My thoughts are with those who are facing more days in the "dark".

If you have contacted me in the last few days--I'll be getting back to you shortly. Thanks

Linda