Here are some highlights from the current classes being offered so you have an idea of what we did this week in class. If you missed class, this may be helpful.

If you are visiting town and want to take one of the classes, contact the studio at (802) 457-2020 to join us for the three hour session.

Individual classes are $45 per class.

Drawing by Lois Macuga

"Fish in the Sea" watercolor on paper
by Annette Compton

"Rift" watercolor on Fabriano Cold Press
by Annette Compton

"Spring" watercolor on Textured Claybord
by Annette Compton

Find out what the other 2010 Spring Class is doing...

Or review 2010 Winter Classes here!

MORE ABSTRACTION IN WATERCOLOR
10AM to 1 PM starting Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Course objective: —To explore your own vocabulary for abstract images. —To continue to study watercolor techniques to expand your personal vocabulary of lights and darks. —To understand the depth and range of art since 1945 and how watercolor can be influenced by it.

March 31, 2010 WHERE ARE YOU WITH ABSTRACTION?
One definition of abstraction in painting is: The process of considering something independently of its associations, attributes or concrete accompaniments. Where are you with your own watercolor work? We will explore some six watercolor techniques and how you may incorporate those into imagery that is “modern,” “contemporary” or “abstract.”

In class, we discussed what elements of watercolor were ideal for the world of abstract or contemporary painting. We came up with: freedom in paint, the aspect of floating pigment in water, soft edges, and transparency. We also agreed that watercolor has a "self-organizing" aspect to it. Its action as a medium is conducive to a meditative, non-verbal state and encourages a high degree of interactivity with the artist and her/his painting.

Abstraction, on the other hand, seems to be about creating something that comes from the unique perspective of the artist. Therefore, watercolor is an ideal medium to use to explore abstract painting. The techniques we listed together make the medium ceaselessly entertaining. When some of these are practiced over time, the facility of the artist makes contemporary watercolor a joy to behold.

Techiques coverd in class in the six samples to the left include: wet-on-wet, glazing,
drybrush, spatter, pouring, lifting, blotting, lost edge. etching, scumbling, stamping, sponge, salt, alcohol, turpentine, scraping, roller, fingering, dry wax, oil, blurring, spraying, masking.

HOMEWORK: Combine a group of watercolor techniques into a painting.

April 7, 2010 CUBISM
Cezanne, Picasso and Braque are considered the “fathers” of abstraction because of their ability to see planes on objects based on how light effects the form. The shapes of these values become the painter’s subjects rather than the object itself. In class, we will use a still life for inspiration.

First, from a complex still-life in grays includind a cut crystal decanter, shell and hydrangeas, we were able to experiment with the ideas around cubism. Nearly 100 pages are devoted to the subject in the book, "Theories of Modern Art" by Herschel B. Chipp. The writers Appollonaire and Salmon wrote extensively about this fertile period in French art. From about 1905 through 1915, artists in France such as Marie Laurencin, Juan Gris, Braque, Picasso, Gliezes, Metzinger and Leger all contributed greatly by exploring geometry, African art, and the new philosophies emerging at this time.

The work of Cezanne cannot be minimized as an influence in Cubist art. However, what is interesting about Cezanne is that he was painting directly from life. He was not considering himself to be abstract. He was completely influenced by nature alone. The artists of the cubist movement rarely painted from life it seemed but rather used images from their minds to break apart form and recompose it into a design or expression.

The adjacent drawing was approached with the challenge: draw this still life using only line and form. Note that forms are often approached as closed or continuous lines.

We then explored the technique of shape painting which appears to be a useful way to delineate planes in watercolor. We observed painting within a wet shape, using the lost-edge against a single line, mixing two colors together in one wet shape and finally doing lost edges with neutral colors—certainly, the most challenging for us as mixed colors can separate irregularly.

Using a photograph of Sienna, Italy, I abstracted the shapes of the city entrance and used shape painting to add to this. I will put it up online as soon as the work is completed.

HOMEWORK: Use a landscape around you or in a photograph for reference. Reduce it to an abstraction through cubism. How can watercolor be used effectively to describe these planes?

April 14, 2010 AUTOMATISM
The machine and assembly line had an influence on artists. Do automatic marks imply a deadly repetitiveness or a reflection of an abundant universe? Richard Pousette-Dart is one of the artist’s work we will explore.

After reviewing the veins of Abstract Expressionism, we identified that cubism, surrealism and automatism were all parts of this movement in art in the mid 20th century. In the book American Art Since 1945 by Barbara Rose she says, " ...it was the buried primitive in modern man that the Surrealists wished to reconstruct. Inspired by the Freudian method of free association, they invented the technique of "psychic automatism." By means of this technique, the poet or the artist allowed his thoughts or hand to wanter spontaneously, much as the hand moves at random on the Ouija board, and to meander in strange paths unchecked by the fetters of reason and logic."

Allowing subconscious, non-objective images to bubble forth appears to be more challenging than it sounds. Here is the result of a process painting done over two and a half hours using three colors to begin with: vermillion Sennelier Blue and Quinacridone Gold. Note the use of salt and the movement between line and form. Each person in the class came up with a completely different image using relatively similar processes.

HOMEWORK: Try doing a series of four-six small watercolors over the week as automatic paintings. Where does your brush lead you? Can you paint with an empty mind and simply respond to the brush and color?

April 21, 2010 ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM AND EXISTENTIALISM
Some believe Abstract Expressionists were egomaniacs determined to place their “mark” on art history. Others see them as the pure expression of “nihilism”. What are you using your paint to express when you are not painting an object?

Hans Hofmann, a European artist who emigrated to New York during the 1930's stressed both instinct and awareness in the artist as the basis for all contemporary art. His emphasis on color and its relational aspects influenced artists in the 1960's, particularly the Color Field painters. In class, we read a bit from his Catalogue written in 1955:

"Pure painting is the anithesis of tonal painting...In pure painting color serves simultaneously a plastic and a psychological purpose...Color has in itself a sovereign function on the basis of its intrinsi qualities. Color in itself is Light. In nature, Light creates the color; in the picture, color creates light. Every color shade emanates a very characteristic light—no substitute is possible."

Hoffman goes on to describe that the relation of these qualities of light and color are the predominant concern of the artist. Therefore, painting objects is no longer necessary—simply, painting color and the relative light intrinsic in each value and color creates a pure painting. Abstract expressionism is born of a reduction of ideas. He was also interest in the artist's choices—"Painting...is the harmony of heart and mind in the capacity of feeling into things...Painting is always intuitively conditioned." Hoffman believed that color came from a "hypersensitive mind" that reacted with a physical expression. His writings are heady treatises encouraging artists to act spontaneously and creatively.

What is often misunderstood in Abstract expressionism is that the artist is just splashing about in paint. Hoffman and others negated this theory by writing extensively about their work. The website Hans Hoffman offers endless cerebral disertations on what is often considered a tremendously spontaneous experience of work.

In class, I invited students to work in a limited palette, having a dialogue with the marks on the paper. Here are two examples of what I came up with in class. The first was a figurative landscape that I painted from my mind and then proceded to "destroy" its objectivity through relative mark-making. The second was created by selecting a limited palette: Venetian Red, Carmine, Cinerous Blue, Gold Ochre, Blue Violet and Sepia

HOMEWORK: Describe a relationship in your life through mark-making and color choices. Are you describing an event? Your opinions? In class, we will see if you as the artist has revealed a universal, non-verbal metaphor in your painting.

April 28, 2010 BEYOND THE OBJECT
How has advertising influenced the work of an artist? Consider Pop and Op-Art of the sixties.
HOMEWORK: Find a sign or an ad; a box or a package, maybe a label or a logo? Consider how you can make a painting including that in a new way. Is the readability important to your creation? If it is, does reading the image make the concept of the painting become more ironic or interesting?

May 5, 2010 COMBINING THE DRAWN MARK WITH COLOR FIELDS
The spontaneous mark of the artist becomes an abstraction in itself. We’ll look at Helen Frankenthaler and some of the artists of the 70’s who included the marks of charcoal with a scumbled paint technique. Consider the work of Philip Guston and Cy Twombly.
HOMEWORK: The mark from media such as charcoal, pastel or crayon have a unique “drag” on watercolor paper. Combine this mark with the form of paint and color and see what kinds of composition you can create. Evidence of your “hand” as an artist can be the unique part of your creation. Work from life in an abstract color scheme or create a non-objective piece.

May 12, 2010 CONTEMPORARY PORTRAITS
Alice Neel and Chuck Close in the eighties gave us new ways to look at people. In class we will explore some color theory ideas as well as mark making that may enhance the energy of your depictions. Sometimes “abstracting” the sitter actually makes a likeness appear by finding the strongest elements to emphasize.
HOMEWORK: In a style you explored in class, do a portrait of a well-known figure in your new “abstract style.”

May 19, 2010 WHAT IS “NEW” IN WATERCOLOR?
Reviewing your work from this class and/or the previous class, can you evaluate how you might use new techniques to make your watercolors contemporary? We’ll look at new materials and explore combinations of water media to produce unusual imagery.
HOMEWORK: Consider your summer schedule for weekend workshops.

Materials List for Abstraction in Watercolor
COMPTON ART

Brushes
Wash Brush, preferably sable, at least 1” wide also one that is wider of a week exploring a large painting
1-2 Round Brushes, sable or a combination acrylic sable in sizes 8, 10, 12 or 14 depending on how large you like to work.
Water containers—I use two; one small inside a larger one. We have some at the studio, but bringing your own will allow you get comfortable with your set-up, if you like. I use a larger Tupperware with a smaller one inside.
Board: You can use Gator Board, 1/4” plywood, or Plexiglass in a 13” x 17” size or so.
Paper: A range of paper in 140 lb. We will use mostly Cold Press. Five to eight full sheets of paper should get you through the whole class.
Bring some drawing paper we’ll be doing for warm-up; old copy paper is fine to recycle for this. Or a sketchbook suitable for drawing and notes.

EXTRAS:
Artist’s Tape (available at Cheap Joe’s)
1 roll Bounty Paper Towel (yes, it matters what brand it is!)
Masking fluid, Natural Sponges, single edged razor blade (if you can find one!) or Exacto Knife
Extra palette for your gouache colors, such as a plate or butcher tray.
A Clamp Lamp from your local hardware store to use to set up a structured light on your work at home.
Images from newspapers or magazines to collage.
Onion bags, old credit cards, string, lace: things t use as printmaking materials.
Masking Fluid and paraffin
Rubbing alcohol with an eyedropper.
Watercolors
COLORS: The objective is to have nine primaries (three of yellow, red and blue respectively) in the three values: Light/Medium/Dark. We will discuss the properties of the paints throughout the class so that you can make more educated decisions about your palette. Use ONLY professional grade pigments: I prefer Winsor & Newton, Sennelier, Daniel Smith or M. Graham. Note the word “or” below: you really only need 9 though its always fun to have more!
YELLOWS: Aureolin or Lemon Yellow
New Gamboge
Quinacridrone Gold
REDS: Vermillion or Cadmium Red Light
Rose Madder Genuine or Permanent Rose or Opera
Permanent Alizarin
BLUES: Cinnerous Blue or Cerulean Blue or Peacock Blue
Cobalt Blue or French Ultramarine
Thalo Blue or Prussian Blue or Indanthrone Blue
Additional colors are fun to add but optional. Consider adding:
Burnt Umber Thalo Green
Burnt Sienna Indigo
Yellow Ochre Dioxinine Violet
Naples Yellow Sap Green
Viridian (Daniel Smith only) Chinese White
Cobalt Violet Metallic Paints you may never have used!
GOUACHE: White in either Titanium or Zinc White and any colors of gouache you want to play with