How do you know when a painting is finished?

My studio full of mostly finished paintings, awaiting the fall show at West End Gallery.

How do you know when a painting is finished? This question runs through my head a lot, especially this time of year when I am finishing up my paintings for the West End Gallery show. An exhibit takes a lot of planning. I need to finish applying paint about a month before the show so that the paintings have time to dry before the final layer of Retouch Varnish. Then they need another week or so before the varnish is dry enough for the painting to be framed. My calendar is all marked up with self-imposed deadlines.
One way to know when to stop working on a painting is a firm deadline like an exhibit. I could keep fussing away at small details in my paintings, but time will not allow it. Instead, I stand back, look at them from a distance, or reverse in a mirror, and say to myself "It's finished." This requires turning off the critical perfectionist part of me and focusing on the big picture.
Here are some questions I ask myself to help decide if a painting is finished:

• "What is the main idea I want to communicate in this painting, and have I achieved that?" 
• "Is there anything about the painting that is catching my eye in a distracting way?" 
• "Do I like it?" 
• "Will continuing to work on this painting help or hurt?

When I teach and give Artist Talks I get the question of "how do you know when to stop?" a lot. I wish the answer could be simple. Deadlines do help. Otherwise, you just need to ask yourself if you are achieving what you set out to do, and if continuing to work on the painting/artwork will help or hurt. Sometimes a partially finished painting has a fresh vibrant quality that more time and layers of paint will destroy. This painting of Peonies below is a good example of that.

Painting Peonies from life in June.

This painting was painted on multimedia board. You can see the board and the first layers of paint showing through in the brightest spots on the right side. The multi media board gives a watercolor-like effect in the first few layers of paint. I love the freshness of the beginning and middle stages of a painting. Sometimes, by the time I finish, I wish I could rewind to this stage.

Cloud Study plein air painting.

This Cloud study painting was done en plein air, meaning in the open air. It took me about two hours painting on location at a friend's home on Keuka Lake, NY. There's a spontaneity to plein air paintings that I love. If I were to work on it more at home in the studio, I would lose some of that fresh feeling. So I declared this painting finished when it was time to pack up and go home.

Work in progress during the Marty Poole workshop at 171 Cedar Arts Center

I started the above painting in a workshop with Marty Poole at 171 Cedar Arts Center this past June. This photo was taken at the end of the two-day workshop. I'm happy with the progress I made during the workshop and plan to leave this painting in its semi-finished state. I might work a little more on the apple in the girl's hand, making that the focus of the painting. Other than that, I think I will leave the sketch lines of the under-painting in the bottom half. During the workshop, Marty talked about pushing through the hard stages of a painting and not just giving up. It's at this point in the painting process that you really learn and grow.


The question of when to stop working on a painting, or any project, is an age old question. You can apply it to many areas of your life. How do you know when to make a change? How do you truly know when you're ready? Sometimes you just have to dive in and go for it. Only you can know when time is right.

Happy painting,
Bridget

P.S. See all of my finished paintings at West End Gallery this fall. "Nature's Light" Opens September 9th with a reception from 5:00 - 7:30 pm. This is a two person show with the fabulous work of Brian Keeler. The show will be on view through October 14, 2016.

Sketching along the way - Northern California and GNSI Conference

I just returned from a trip to Northern California and I'm full of inspiration, new connections, and ideas! I kept a sketchbook/nature journal along the way. Keeping a sketchbook is a great way to record your experiences in a visual way. Drawing pictures and taking notes has a way of helping you remember information. Some of these sketches may turn into larger more finished paintings in my home studio, we'll see. . .

I thought I'd share my trip in pictures from my sketchbook and some field notes. I hope you enjoy them.

Morning coffee sketching at our Airbnb in San Francisco

The main purpose of this trip was to attend the GNSI (Guild of Natural Science Illustration) Annual Conference on the beautiful campus of UC Santa Cruz. My good friend and colleague, Gretchen Kai Halpert, and I decided to expand our trip to San Francisco and the Sonoma Valley the week before the conference. Gretchen was a delight to travel with, and no, we are not sisters (we were asked this three times!?)

Gretchen Halpert and Me; Hiking in Petaluma, CA

These two sketches below were drawn in pencil and pen on location, then I added the watercolor later. Sometimes, working out in the hot sun has its time limits. If I can get the lines in while out in the landscape, it's easier to add some color from a photo reference later.

Top: Bay Bridge in San Francisco. Bottom: Golden Hills and Live Oak Trees in Petaluma, CA.

California Poppies were growing wild everywhere. They were such a beautiful pop of color in the dry landscape.

California Poppy Sketch

Week two - we arrived on the UC Santa Cruz Campus for the GNSI conference.
UC Santa Cruz is known for banana slugs. The Banana Slug is a bright yellow, slimy, shell-less mollusk commonly found in the redwood forest surrounding the college. Of course, being serious nature artists, we had to take some "Slug Selfies" when we found one near the lecture hall.

Slug Selfie

There is also a beautiful Botanical Garden and Arboretum on campus. Here's a sketch of one of the many white eucalyptus trees growing there.

Eucalyptus Tree in UC Santa Cruz Arboretum

If you love science, nature and art I highly recommend the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. You can find more information about this non-profit organization on their website: gnsi.org. I am a member of the Finger Lakes Chapter of GNSI, meeting in Ithaca, NY. They are the most welcoming and generous group of artists I have ever meet.

During the conference there are several opportunities to take workshops with talented Science Artists. Below are the handouts, and my painting, from the Mushroom Painting Workshop that I took with Julie Himes. It was informative, and fun.

Mushrooms Painting Workshop with Julie Himes

The following pictures are from the second half of the conference week, when we ventured off campus for field trips.
While kayaking in the Elkhorn Slough we saw Otters, Harbor Seals, Sand Dollars, a Sea Hare, and lots of birds. We were able to kayak slowly and quietly by this colony of  Harbor Seals.

Colony of Harbor Seals in Elkhorn Slough, Moss Landing. 

I was fascinated by the pattern of tiny spines on the bottom of this living sand dollar. I have only seen them dried out and for sale in booths at the Jersey Shore.

Sketch of tiny spines on living Sand Dollar

We visited the Natural Bridges State Beach and spent a few hours observing and sketching the tide pools. There is so much life and drama in each one.

Notes on the Tide Pool 

Sketch of one tide pool with Sunburst Sea Anemone, Mussels, Turban Snails, and more!

Sketch of Mussel shells found on the beach at Natural Bridges.

Natural Bridges State Beach is known for this Sea Arch carved out of Santa Cruz Mudstone.

Sea Arch of Mudstone at Natural Bridges State Beach.

The last field trip of the week was to the Redwoods forest. We had a guided tour through the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, just north of the UC Santa Cruz Campus. Here are my notes from the tour:

Redwoods Notes

 There was a little time a the end of the tour for doing some sketching. So I speed walked back to my favorite tree- "The Giant", a 270 foot tall, 17 feet wide spiraling Redwood, and did some quick drawing. I added the color later.

"The Giant"

Scientists are still not sure why some of the Redwoods spiral and twist as they grow. There are a few theories. You can read more about it in this article: 

Why Do Some Trees Grow in Spirals?

Perhaps the most impressive fact we learned about the Redwoods was that they absorb more carbon dioxide (CO2) than any other tree on earth. This makes them important players in climate change. Here's another interesting article on the trees: 
Redwoods keep the climate healthy for us all.


Overall this was an inspirational and information-filled trip for me. I hope I've inspired you to keep a sketch journal on your next trip. I'll have my sketchbook on display during my show at the West End Gallery in Corning NY, if you'd like to thumb through it, and get a closer look. Join me for the reception on Friday September 9th, 5:00 - 7:30 pm. We can chat about my trip and the new paintings in the show! If you can't make it that night, the exhibit will be on view from September 2 - October 14, 2016. 

Happy traveling and sketching,
Bridget

Iris Symphony, a peek into my process.

 

Iris Symphony, work in progress currently on my easel.

This time of year, I can't paint fast enough. So many gorgeous subjects are in bloom and crying out, "Paint me!" Last week the Siberian Irises in my garden were at their peek, so I started this painting. As fellow flower lovers know, iris blooms only last one day. This is where my tablet comes in handy. In the photo above, you can see it set up alongside my painting. One big advantage of digital images over printed photos is that I can zoom in on the details of each blossom. I'm finishing the painting from digital images, with many more hours left to go.

Detailed drawing on canvas. 

I usually start a large painting like this (it's 24x36 inches) with a detailed drawing. The start of the painting is my time to capture the gesture and movement of the plants on my canvas, and to lay out the composition.

 The inspiration for this painting came from sheet music. I'm thinking of the irises as notes going up and down, signifying more that just a two-dimensional image. Working in pencil, I can erase and change the composition much easier than I can in oil paint. When I'm satisfied with the drawing, I spray the canvas with fixative. 

The next step is the metal leaf base coat. I've experimented with different colors of straight paint for this coat, but I've found that sticking to the gilding base coat works the best. It has a nice red earth color to it. You can see it peeking out in the silhouette of the plants in this photo:

Gilding with 12kt white gold leaf.

After the base coat, I apply the gilding glue around my subject. Wherever I apply the glue, the metal leaf will stick. This is a slow and tedious process. I usually turn on my audio book at this stage to keep my brain engaged. Here's an short and sweet video of the process:

Well, back to my studio to finish Iris Symphony! Save the date to see this finished painting in my show at the West End Gallery. The opening reception is Friday, September 9th, 5:00-7:30pm. The exhibit is on view September 3 - October 14, 2016.

Botanical Watercolor Workshop

Happy students from last summer's workshop.

Botanical Watercolor Workshop

in my Home Studio

Corning, NY 

August 13, 2016

10:00 am - 4:00 pm 

(break at noon for lunch, BYOL)

Workshop Description:
Join me in my light filled home studio for a day of painting plants. Working with live plant specimens, students will learn to draw and paint plants with accurate detail. The morning will be spent going over the basics of botanical drawing. After lunch we will practice watercolor painting techniques, then put our new knowledge to use in a finished painting. I will be teaching the classical botanical style of working in thin transparent layers of watercolor along with other detailed painting techniques.
This class is for all ability levels.  

 

 $90. per student 

To register: Contact me at bbvanotterloo@gmail.com 

Suggested supplies list and address will be sent after registration. 

 

Purple Irises in progress

Summer time = plein air painting time

Work in Progress - Painting at the Peony Farm.

I love living here in the Finger Lakes region of Western, NY. Summers are a perfect time get out of my studio for plein air painting trips with artist friends. There's something magical about painting outside and from life. All the information is right there in front of you, including the bugs that get stuck in your painting. The weather had been gorgeous here, so I packed up my half box folding easel and headed out. Thank you to Barbara Hall Blumer for showing me a great painting spot, and thank you Doris for letting us invade your beautiful home on Keuka Lake.

Here are some pictures from last week's trip to Borglum's Iris and Peony Farm near Geneva, NY, followed by pictures from today's trip to Keuka Lake. 

Fields and rows of peonies at Borglum's Farm, near Geneva NY.

"Clouds over Keuka Lake" 11x14 oil on board

Cloud study #2, 8x10 oil on canvas

Debian critiques my paintings back home in the studio.

Relaxing and enjoying the view after a productive morning of painting.