First Plein Air Painting of 2009!

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My first day out was a balmy 37 degrees! I didn't think I could stand the cold below 40, but determination, calm air, warm February sun this afternoon made my day a success. That and my Zippo Handwarmers!!! (see them in their little soft black pouches lying on my easel? They were in my jacket pockets the rest of the time.) I Love Them...two thumbs up! (Thank you to my husband for a very thoughtful Christmas gift) I had to spend an inordinate amount of time negotiating the back roads looking for A. sun, B. ice-free spot to stand on, C. good scene with water and D. parking space for Prius that I thought I wouldn't get stuck in. It all came together finally and this is the 11 x 14 painting I did on UArt paper mounted on board with an assortment of quite soft pastels. It may get a few touch ups in the studio but this was how it looked when I left the field today at 4pm. Beebe Hollow Road

Recyling Pastels Sticks

For several years I've been throwing scraps of pastels into a box on my workbench, knowing some day I would try turning the tiny chips and bits into new sticks. I had purchased a delightfully heavy granite mortar & pestle for the purpose of grinding the pieces into a fine powder.

4 or 5 years ago a friend and fellow pastel artist presented me with three pastel sticks she had made herself at a Santa Fe workshop. They were very lovely colors and I saved them...they seemed so precious. A part of me wondered why anyone would spend time recycling used-up pastels when you can buy thousands of colors in varying hardness/softness grades at the flick of the mouse.

Sunday was the day for me to give it a try. Who knew it would be so much FUN! As is often the case with making something by hand it is an incredible thrill to see the project unfolding magically; whether it is baking, woodworking or music. It is just plain rewarding to have a simple project turn out well.

It is basically; select for color, grind thoroughly, add enough water and not too much, roll into a stick-like form and let dry. More thorough directions can be found here from Richard McKinley.

As far as color goes, I had some control, but the results are serendipitous; not a reasonable way to obtain that mysterious shade of smokey blue you forgot to buy. I was surprised at the cost effectiveness, though. I produced 22 pastels at an average retail value of about $3.50 - after deducting the cost of the mortar & pestle, I'm still about $20 ahead! Artists are always aghast at the price of their supplies. Feels like I made something out of nothing!

E. I. Couse at the Rockwell

I finally dodged the ice and snow storms to travel up to Corning, NY to the Rockwell Museum of Western Art to see the excellent showing of one of my favorite "western" painters; Eanger Irving Couse; A Place In the Sun.

Couse (1866-1936) has influenced me for quite some time. Born in Saginaw, Michigan he was classically trained at the Chicago Art Institute, the National Academy of Design in NYC and the Academie Julien in Paris. There he studied under Adolphe Bouguereau. Three large Bouguereau canvases are part of the Rockwell exhibit, showing his influence on Couse.

Many of Couse's early sketchbook pages, photographs of his models, plein air oil sketches and figure studies in oil are included in the exhibit; most of these from the years previous to his membership in the Taos Society of Artists.

The exhibit highlights are the figurative pieces from New Mexico...mostly Native Americans, many lit by the moon or firelight. Couse's strength lies in his incredible skill at portraying the (often) crouched human figure and the way light played off of it. His paintings literally take my breath away and it was a very worthwhile afternoon viewing pieces from the Saginaw Art Museum's collection as well as from the Rockwell's permanent collection. I love his unconventional use of strong color.

Couse was a successful artist before he even got to Taos...his wife feared he had made his reputation as a painter of sheep...lovely French pastorals (four on display). His success escalated throughout his life and later.

BTW this museum has some wonderful pieces of very contemporary Native American artists work. I always love visiting to see what they have been adding. The museum building itself is quite the showpiece...all lovely old Victorian structures should be so lucky as to get a facelift like this! Couse show only through Feb. 8!

Three Oranges Times Two

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These bright little painterly pastel still life studies brightened my January gloom and look great on my freshly painted lavender grey walls. One includes a clay bottle and the other a little Nan Burti sugar bowl. They are available in the studio for $250 each. The image size is 8 x 10 inches each.

December Thaw Completed

This is the finished painting. Very little else was done to it. I didn't want to lose the freshness and I am quite pleased with it....a good finish to 2008.

Blown Off the Field

I was so excited to be met with a day above 50ºF that I quickly grabbed the easel and a few pastels and drove down my road until I spotted a likely subject. A cold front was moving in quite fast and the sky was very active. I kept a death grip on the easel against the gusts and did manage to get the panel covered with color before the rain sent me packing. I don't care; it was my first day out since Nov. 4!

I like this painting...it has strong composition, interesting color and it is fresh & windy. I might normally title it 'spring thaw' but we are far from spring here and we've all ready had several of these thaws, then ice storms, then foot of snow and we're only a week into winter officially.

December Thaw (11 x 14 UArt #800 on panel) will get some finishing work and I will publish the finished piece then. Such a delight to get out of the studio even if it was brief.

BTW the studio is open for appointments during most of the winter. email is best rtilley@rodricatilley.com

Season's Greetings

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The studio is shrouded in clean new snow...about a foot now, but we keep having thaws and freezes. Just want to thank everyone who has visited the studio or one of my exhibits this year. Your interest in my work is one of the reasons I keep painting.

It seems for the past month I've been mostly moving paintings around to and from various exhibits, but I look forward to some serious studio time in January...I have ideas collected in my brain.

My exhibit in Ithaca at Kitschen Sink (two posts below) is on until just after the New Year and the exhibit at NOW (one post below) will hang through January. And I'll be here not far from the woodstove at my Montrose Studio.

This pastel painting, Watrous Corners Barns is available for $475, framed to 20 x 26 in a rustic gold wood frame. You can see it in the window of NOW Hair Studio at 132 Adams Avenue Scranton.