New Cezann-esque Pastel still life painting

This is the original set up , I am inspired by a batik scarf a gift from an Indian student , the white plate with fruit and veggies, and a nod to Cezanne . I am using a sanded surface, Art Spectrum Paper which comes in various sizes.

Here I begin blocking in the colors, were I answer the question " what color IS this area. I am working loosely and lightly with NuPastels, all over the mid value paper. The entire painting will be developed at the same time , rather then only finishing one element at a time.

Clarifying my colors and and adding softer pastels for depth and variety of strokes, I use the side, and points of my materials, varying the pressure. Since I am working on a sanded surface, the base color comes through to give a more textured visual look which my goal.

I am not happy with the wine glass in the middle of the composition. How do I get rid of this element ? I am using a stiff brush to get rid of the pastel build-up, and re applying the table color , and scarf folds into that area, AS WELL AS, the shape of another pear. I now feel that more weight is needed in the lower left front of the painting under the white plate.

Further adjustments are raising the turquoise table line higher. This means adjusting the folds of the scarf, as well as a darker area under the table. Any color alterations are surprisingly possible at every stage of a painting. Brushing off the color, the surface of a sanded surface will allow for major surgery to a painting.

Plein Air Painting In Coastal Maine 2010

ACADIA WORKSHOP CENTER
Shelli Robiner-Ardizzone
Oil, Pastel or Watercolor
July 26 - 30, 2010

PLEIN AIR BOOT CAMP

Painting outdoors is absolutely NOT like studio painting. There is nothing like being IN your painting, IN the physical world, IN sun, wind, fresh air and IN the MOMENT totally involved. You cannot get the feeling unless you do it, and Shelli can help you find your way.

This is for studio painters who wish to challenge their comfort level and plunge into Plein Air in the best possible setting - with expert guidance in COASTAL MAINE.

LEARN THE ESSENTIALS of plein air painting as Shelli Robiner-Ardizzone takes you through the basics of color mixing with a limited palette, values and color clues, and selecting great compositions on-site, in gorgeous Maine vistas.

This PLEIN AIR BOOT CAMP workshop will also include a combination of demos and individual guidance, quick and extended studies, and group critiques that will increase your color awareness and expand your painting skills and confidence.

There will be optional evening studio time in the excellent facilities of the Acadia Workshop Center and local seacoast dining.

SHELLI ROBINER-ARDIZZONE is a Studio and Plein Air Painter, garnering awards in both oil and pastel media. She has organized painting workshops in San Miguel de'Allende, Mexico, Taos, NM, and Tryingham, MA. Presently, she is teaching at The Newark Museum, NJ, and various Long Island, NY art centers.

ALL LEVELS OF PLEIN AIR EXPERIENCE WELCOME!
Workshops run 5 days, M-F, unless noted otherwise. SUPPLY LIST to come.

TO REGISTER AND FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit: www.acadiaworkshopcenter.com/Enroll.html

TO CONTACT Shelli Robiner-Ardizzone, visit: www.shellirobiner-ardizzone.com and at artzoneny@earthlink.net

FOR LODGING contact Jeannie at (718) 597-1414 or jrw.esptravel2@verizon.net


View a slide show from the 2009 workshop below:

Spring Upcoming Workshops

CUMBERLAND ADULT CENTER

Pastels: A Dynamic Approach with Super Results

Explore the radiant colors of soft pastel while experimenting with various papers and techniques. Learn the basics of composition and work with color, pattern, and light. Develop your unique artistic expression. Work from still life, figure, and reference material, at your own pace, in a very supportive atmosphere. Two models included in fee.

SHELLI ROBINER-ARDIZZONE

FA160-1 No Models. Seven Thursdays, March 11–April 29
(no class April 1), 1–4 p.m. Cumberland. RA $155 / SC $95.

FA160-2 Models. Four Thursdays, May 6–27, 1–4 p.m. Cumberland. RA $123 / SC $87.

Textured Surfaces NEW

Shelli will guide you through the process of making your own textured surfaces. These will make your pastel paintings richer because they hold more layers of soft pastel. Over the past few years, there have been many innovations in granular pastel surfaces, but finding a granular paper that pleases you can be expensive. If you would like to try an easy, economical recipe for making your own granular surfaces for charcoal, pastel, and mixed media, this class is for you.

SHELLI ROBINER-ARDIZZONE

FA196-1 Tuesday, March 9, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Cumberland. $35. No nonresident surcharge.

Paint Like Van Gogh: Palette Knife, Limited Palette & Full Spectrum Color

Expand your technique, color perception, and vocabulary. In this workshop for oil and acrylic painters, learn to use the palette knife for applied textural strokes. You will get clean mixes and easy application of color using only red, yellow, and blue. With this limited palette and your palette knife, you can create a full spectrum of colors. Armed with new skills, work directly from observation of the still-life setup.

SHELLI ROBINER-ARDIZZONE

FA125-1 No Models. Seven Thursdays, March 11–April 29 (no class April 1), 5–8 p.m. Cumberland. RA $159 / SC $99 / HS $99.

FA125-2 Models. Four Thursdays, May 6–27, 5–8 p.m. Cumberland. RA $128 / SC $92 / HS $92.

TO REGISTER

Complete the registration form by visiting http://www.greatneck.k12.ny.us/GNPS/Pages/adult/adult.html. Mail: 30 Cumberland Avenue, Great Neck, NY 11020 Complete one registration form per person and mail with check(s), money order(s), or credit-card information in provided envelope. Submit separate check or money order for each course. Cash not accepted for payment. Does not apply to Great Neck Senior Center. Fax: (516) 441-4937 Fax completed registration form(s). Use MasterCard or Visa. Does not apply to Great Neck Senior Center. Phone: (516) 441-4949 Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.—4 p.m. (July & Aug. 3 p.m.); Use MasterCard or Visa. Does not apply to Great Neck Senior Center. In Person: 30 Cumberland Avenue, Great Neck, NY 11020 The Cumberland Adult Center, is a block south of Northern Blvd. and 11⁄2 blocks east of Lakeville Rd. Does not apply to Great Neck Senior Center. Cumberland Office Hours: Mon.–Thurs.…9 a.m.–4 p.m., 7–8:30 p.m. Fri.…9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sat.…9:15–11:15 a.m. CLASSES BEGIN SOON. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Flowers In Summer, The Art Guild

Reflection in a Tidal Pond

These are inspirational photos of reflections in a tidal pool area which we had painted throughout the week. The challenge for the trip was the overly verdant palette of "greens". This was my first opportunity to do some work after the Workshop ended and I was still in the area.

Gestural pastel color sketch of the movements on Kitty Wallis on a sanded surface. Working directly on to the surface with a sketchy approach in color and line to find the dominant shapes and color areas.

Continued development of the theme in local color, trying to find the correct greens of the areas. I used primarily soft pastels and strong color for this sketch. The intensity of the visuals and the area cried out for bold color choices.

Adding more strokes of different color to form the matrix of shapes. The pine trees, the grasses, and the moving water combined to create strong dark and light areas of broken color. Everything vibrated and moved making it a perfect impressionist subject.

Close-up of area to show application and variety of impressionist color and strokes, I hope to do other paintings of this subject in more relaxed and colorful interpretations.

Water reflections as broken color strokes, as well as larger masses of color. Feeling a little "Monet" with this area of the painting.

Attention given to edges, watery feeling in the reflections, as well as grasses in the foreground area completes this pastel in the studio. I am looking forward to a series of the "Greens of July in Maine."

Preview of Pastel Sunflower Demo

A fall out from exposure to Jimmy Wright's pastel sunflower series and my upcoming demo at Suburban Art League on June 2, 2009.

I spent some studio time with a "curvy " model sunflower, and built it up on a Sabretooth pastel paper sheet. Working directly on the turq-blue paper, no under-painting, going to the soft ammunition, Rembrandts, Sennelier, Unison, Rowney (for highlights and line work).

Catastrophe with clogged nozzle of spray fixative !!! Which I hardly ever use. Lumpy spots of fixative everywhere on the surface, also spray killed that color. Faced it to the wall.

After 2 days, I looked at it and decided to work on a portion of the paper - "what the hell, it cannot get any worse"- pockmarked and flattened color, one step away from the garbage.

"Try to remember it is the JOURNEY, and this piece that is the story."

Well - it was an OK struggle, this time. The wonderful soft pastels can overcome the physical damage, if I can overcome my fear and continue to work the surface. Using a stiff brush to remove several layers, and start reapplying this magic medium that I love.

Voila, a smaller, kinder painting.

I like do a rehearsal Demo before my in-class Demo, to overcome my fear of working in public. I have no fear of speaking in public, however I hate to be exposed as when a painting does not go well. A painting going downhill fast is bad enough--to do it in front of witnesses is really disheartening!

OK, so this is on a sanded Art Spectrum Colorfix surface, under-painted with Alcohol and Pastel, (which I will also demonstrate ) a charcoal sketch, and soft pastel application of a Sunflower with "Personality".

Sunflower Pastel Demo

I try to do a rehearsal for my demos, in order to feel more comfortable with the subject and medium. This series is inspired by the recent article in Pastel Journal on the work of Jimmy Wright. He has brought sunflowers, long a favorite subject for painters of all stripes, into iconic celebrity status.

I have enjoyed them always as a part of a large casual bouquet. This painting will celebrate one sassy, shapely bloom. Here goes.

Pretreatment and Under-painting.
I am working on Art Spectrum Colorfix 1/2 sheet, a light yellow. This paper already has a medium sanded surface and can take many layers of pastel. Rubbing the side of several colors which are arranged in horizontal bands, I cover the surface.

Alcohol is brushed on and manipulated while wet, softened and made to resemble a wet water color. I enjoy working on a pre-treated textured paper because it challenges me color wise. It enables me to see the tone as a medium VALUE so that I can better judge which lights and darks are to follow.



The "portrait" of this sassy and curvy feminine form is drawn in charcoal with attention to the GESTURE of the stem and placement of the leaves. I am enjoying this shape very much and it feels like it will make its appearance onto the paper in an organic and natural way.

I see this Dancer in a Musical - and the color costume, greens and a crown of yellow. Unlike Wrights often tortured forms this one is happy and willing to show up and show-off.

The background gets more alcohol/pastel treatment and some side of the stick lightly applied color application/enhancement.

I am too much committed to the background and will not mess with it too much - on this piece. Building up using soft, also referred to DRY Pastels, Rembrandt, Sennelier, Schmincke, Unison, and Rowney as I am blocking in the darks of the leaves and the darks in the corona at the base of the flower.



Developing the drawing, and wanting to keep the feeling of this piece about the movement and personality of the flower as I see it. This looks "pretty" is that a bad word?

Some further enhancement of pastel in the background and a lot accents in the leaves to exaggerate the movement that Sunflower leaves actually have. They twist and turn in an amazing variety of shapes and lines, light and darker color. I am using warm and cool greens, and as well as various line colors. The stem is a riot of line and color striping.

This is the finished pastel, I shall call it "Struttin My Stuff" or something like that.

This is a closer view of the Sunflower strutting its stuff. I enjoyed this one, and I want to do more with other attitudes. Stay Tuned!

Lilly Pastel Demo

Beginning pastel and alcohol under paintings.

The grey blotches are my granular surface gesso/punice mix added to block in the new floral group. Not only is this gesso mix a base, but it will serve as to "correct " this stage of the piece. My other choice was to start over - however I wanted to show that this type or radical surgery is possible.

The new flowers are actually pink, I am undecided as to what color they will be in the painting, so the pastel block in is red and pink, see me feeling around for some petal structure in the background - still thinking of this as a bouquet.

More mucking about and a ghost of the bottle appearing. I thought that you had done the bottle that I would set up the same challenge, it is drawn in and I am trying to integrate the bottle neck and width of the bottle into the painting, by making in wider. Not yet committed to the drawing, lots of "thought " lines still showing.

New set up, These lilies are PINK , and I am using one of my favorite multi-colored fabrics. I also felt the lilies needed needed the darkness of the green leaves as counterpoint to the very orange at the bottom.

I am color blind , and seem to refuse to make the proper color adjustment. Little by little the block in is filling out into describing the leaves, the bottle, the fabric, and bringing the lilies in focus (lighter and brighter ) if NOT in color.

I am working the ENTIRE picture. It is difficult, I know, but it is the correct strategy. You will learn how to do it - I suggest concentrating solely on the flowers and suggestion of the dark leaves as you subject matter. Here is what I am looking at, and developing:

1) The fabric (lights and darks ) - Fabric is one of my favorite things, therefore I think I over-render.

2) The flowers - Bringing them into focus, and contrast to the background.

3) The vase - Reflections abound, it is a great distraction. Ask yourself What is the SUBJECT of this painting? THE FLOWERS.

4) Flowers - Make a portrait of this group, this is your primary area of interest-given the time we have.

The Flowers are beginning to be PINK, I might have done this sooner, don't you think? I was sort of thinking that the colors under the pink, would give more variety to the color (having a limited number of pinks, and whites to choose from led to keeping the reds in evidence).

This was shot in the RAIN, so the color of the image is greyer then on the day before. This is where I am now, the orange at the bottom, and the reflections are not to my liking...too strong and not enough variety of color. I am going to work on the green leaves later and see how it looks tomorrow.

Hydrangea Pastel Demo

I was really jazzed to try to complete the Demo which I began in the class. As you saw, the water color under-painting on the white sanded surface gives one lots of options in developing a pastel painting. Using Nu-Pastel, and softer pastels back and forth the piece went through a number of changes as it was developed. This is pretty much how it all began, when I left you on Thursday.

I thought it would be boring to keep doing the Demo. My usual purpose in doing a classroom demo, is to get you started in a new way.

Here I did some leaf drawing with a dark nu-Pastel stick, and filled in some "mass tones" (the general color of an area). Each flower head had a little different division of the predominantly pink/burgundy and green tones to make it more interesting.





Here I whittled down the vase, which kept growing as I worked on the interior stalks of the flowers. In removing with water, I softened and added more turquoise in the background. A combination of wet (water) and the side of a Nu-Pastel were used to remove, replace, and soften the background.




I am interested in the background here, and went back into the piece with water and Viva towel. Now there are watery looking passages which I may or may not keep. Pastel is a very forgiving medium, especially when used on a surface that allows for various kinds of repairs, wet removal, dry brushing the surface, kneaded eraser, and resurfacing if needed.

Further articulation of dark and lights within the color scheme. One is always looking for light, medium, and dark in the "value" of the colors. The darks carry the eye of the viewer around the painting. Notice how the vase has grown in width, I will have to deal with in a later step which is when I finally noticed how it deviated from the set up I had right in front of me.

Detail showing drawing, water color areas showing through,opaque passages of soft and hard pastel, using the stix on the side, with the point, blending by softening an area with Viva towel wrapped around my finger.



This was the original bouquet. It was necessary to find and define color areas within each flower head. The arrangement of color, line, shadow areas, lights and darks, interesting shapes, exaggerated or realistic will make for an interesting and individual interpretation of this bouquet. Doing yet, a second painting from this set up, will be more expressive and easier. Better yet, do the second painting from the first painting only - toss the bouquet.

I will carry darker, and mid tone values and color into the area on the upper left to integrate it with the rest of the painting. I am about 3 hrs into the piece.

One needs to develop the entire surface, all at the same time. I have been concentrating too heavily on the pinks shapes, and now I see the the green and blue "heads" to the left are under developed.

This is almost done, there will be more accent darks moving the eye into the upper left, and balancing the composition. As long a the dark value is the same as the colors used, I can vary dark green, dark blue, dark purple as linear points of interest and broken varied outlines.

The ever growing in width vase, which got fat AGAIN, will get special slimming attention before I can call it quits.

The class inspired some homework for me, and perhaps for you too?

If you enjoy this sort of Blog stuff as I do the work, I am happy to send the "lessons" by e-mail.

Turban Squash Demo

Our feline Frida is posing with the subject and my present obsession, the Turban Squash. I have been wanting to do this beauty in pastel for some time. Often when I wish for something, and visualize it, the universe provides. I almost gave up on this one, however it appeared in a Green Market near my home.













Turban squash, the model in this still life set up, lit from the top left, shadows are below and under the right side of the set up.

The sketch is in charcoal on the sanded pastel paper that I make myself. The recipe is Acrylic Gesson, Rainbow Pumice and marble dust. This surface holds a lot of soft pastel. It is my intention to use multiple layers of hard and soft pastels.

I am doing an under painting with water color, however it can be any water based media gouache, or watery acrylic paints. I do this to get a head start on my color layers. Sometimes the colors are cool in areas that will be warm, in this case I am staying fairly true to the MASS tones in each area.

I am beginning to fill in areas with the side of my NuPastel sticks. As I am working on a sanded ground, it takes lots of pastel to cover the area. I will be building up many layers. It is like painting a piece over and over again, until BINGO!, it eventually gets to the point of FINISHED.

I have used NuPastel on its side to cover some of the cloth with a darker red. Also I am layering lots of color on the red, orange bottom area of the squash.

As I work along all over the painting. You will notice a richness of the pastel color. This is the characteristic that draws artists to this medium. Pastel pigment, softly formed into a stick and applied to paper is like finger painting with pure pigment. The color is captivating. While I have blocked in the yellow band, I am leaving the pink water color without any pastel over it.

The subtle changes are not dramatic, as I am sharpening color and focus as I work all areas of this piece. The more I do the more I see - colors appear, shapes emerge, lines want to be stronger. I am in the flow of the creation process.

Somewhere, along the way, hours have passed, and I am still finding shadows, reflections, texture, and color layers to apply. This is ALMOST...finished.

FINISHED

"Turban Squash"
pastel, "18 x 15"

I will pronounce it finished as much of the tooth is filled, and yet not over worked. My goal is to offer an "in your face" portrait of one of natures finest, most audacious characters.

Shelli doing the Demo at the National Art League