December 31, 2008:
Although I have not spent a lot of time studying Vermeer's paintings, I have always found them to be very interesting. One of the things that first strikes me is his use of the repoussoir (a term that I was, until recently, unfamiliar with)...
Repoussoir (from the French word meaning 'to push back') is the term for a compositional device used in painting to achieve spatial contrasts. To increase the illusion of depth in a picture, artists would place something in the immediate foreground, which the viewer must look past--thus forcing perspective. One common example can be found in landscape painting, where a large tree in the foreground frames the picture.
Vermeer used a drapery to this effect in several paintings (a few such examples, pictured above). I intend to borrow this motif for the studio painting I'm currently working on...
(images courtesy essentialvermeer.com)
December 08, 2008:
The Minthorne Gallery at George Fox University in Newberg (OR) is putting on a group show called "Mentors: Northwest Artists Who Teach", which will include:
Beneath the Dust and Love (2008)
Opening Reception January 20th, 5:00pm-6:30pm.
Exhibition Dates: January 20 - February 26, 2009.
George Fox University: Roger and Mildred Minthorne Gallery
414 N. Meridian Street
Newberg, Oregon 97132
503-538-8383
Continuous:
I teach an observational painting class at O.S.A. (Oregon Society of Artists).
The Portrait, Still life, and Landscape are among the subjects covered. Focusing on observational drawing and painting, students learn to analyze what they see and record it with accuracy. Various observational techniques such as sight-size drawing, and tips for achieving color accuracy, are discussed.
Class time: Mondays, 1:30 - 4:30pm.
Oregon Society of Artists
2185 SW Park Place
Portland, OR 97205
503-228-0706
www.oregonsocietyofartists.com