February-June, 2019

CATCHING UP!

Sorry, it's been ages since I've posted anything and I told myself I would start up this blog again as soon as....well, you know how that goes. No time like the present to procrastinate. The month of February was hectic with selling old house and buying new then the wonderful people of the Main Street Arts asked if I would be a guest artist and I knew I had to squeeze it in because it is such a friendly and talented group and the space downtown is my dream gallery. Go to this link to check them out: Main Street Arts. If you get the chance to be there for the art walk, go! They know how to have fun in Martinez. I was lucky to sell a bunch of my paintings (even though it was pouring rain) so I didn't have to pack them for the move. 

February

I love the Main Street Arts Gallery in Martinez, especially for its cool storefront windows

PROUD GUEST ARTIST AT THE MAIN STREET ARTS GALLERY IN MARTINEZ

March

Moving, uggg. I know people who love to move every four or five years but I am not of that ilk. I am happy to plant roots as deep as I can and not budge if I can help it. That said, I am very happy to be in a smaller, more manageable home with my studio in the garage. I like being able to spill stuff on the floor and not have to scream and pull out my hair at the stains I make on the carpet. I've got my Richard Schmidt color charts up and my drying shelves--currently displaying older paintings since I haven't any wet ones yet to put up. I'm totally faking the action here...not actually putting paint on anything...It will take me some time to settle in enough to get the juices flowing. 

My new studio in Lincoln, CA

April

Our first plein air session since the new move: Horton Iris Farm in Loomis. I just love to say the word Loomis. It's such a great sounding name for a cool little town. This is a great place to paint with lots of choices of where to set up. And there are baby goats!

Jeff, my painting partner. He helps to schlep my stuff and tells me when it's time to go home for martinis.

BACK TALK: If you can't get away to paint outside, stay home and paint in your yard. Someone's grandma once said that, I'm sure of it. It can be such a hassle to pack up all your gear and drive around looking for a good spot. Sometimes you don't have to look any further than your own backyard. I think Dorothy said that. Or her grandma. 

ROSES...ARGGGG!

When the roses started blooming, I realized I had no idea how to paint them! They are complicated little suckers. The little painting below was left unfinished for now. You can see I had problems with values and shapes. I promised myself I would keep trying.

GOING OUTSIDE TO PAINT IS HARD TO DO, BUT VERY NECESSARY. 

Lincoln Hills: Used to be ranch land, now retiree heaven. This pond is not far from my house and is a wonderful open space. Don't tell anyone, but I stepped off the path to set up my pochade and paint. Here, I have taped off the panel to do a quick study of the tree and its reflection. 

MORE OPEN SPACE NEAR MY HOME. We've been given warnings about the dangers of rattlesnakes in the area. People I barely know come up to me and tell me their snake stories. I have yet to see one, but as soon as I do, it will be plastered all over the internet. 

MY TINY TREE PAINTING. 

The pond on one of the hottest days in early June. I set up in the shade, but it quickly disappeared. Then I forgot to put in a duck or two, sheesh! Not bad for an hour of painting, though the 5x7 size was about all I could manage in that time.
How hot will it get in the Sierra foothills you ask?
Everyone keeps telling me to gird my loins for major sun action. 

June

GOING FROM TINY TO HUMONGOUS. 

Underpainting the 40x30 big boy canvas. I love Transparent Oxide Red because it is transparent and red. I have no idea what oxide is, but I love it too. I do this because I can't draw. I just move the paint around until it looks good enough, then I let it dry and start slapping paint on top. 

NEXT STEPS

My subject is the dogwood tree in Lithia Park in Ashland, Oregon where painters who have been very, very good must go when they die. This one is a much larger version of a painting I did last year and now is owned by my good friends John and Kathleen. Here, I am starting to add some blue and green notes to the background

More progress in defining shapes and trying to bring the dogwood flowers forward. I will be sure to post a picture of the finished painting. Sometime in the next century. 

ANOTHER STEP BY STEP SERIES: THE SHEETROCK HAMMER and the CUP OF JOE
Just in case you didn't get enough from the dogwood series. This one was back at the old studio, just before we sold the house. I had been looking around for something to paint when I came across Jeff's old sheetrock hammer and I fell in love. My friend Kim Homes, who is a painter and a potter, gave me this funky coffee cup that seemed to fit in well in the story of the sheetrock guy who had to put down his tools and stop for a break. Jeff said he liked it but the nail looked a little bent. I said that was why the guy had to stop...to find straighter nail. 

Emails from my Father, continued... snippets of encouragement and random musings on life, art, and literature

OLD RUSTY BIKE 1

On Feb 13, 2013, at 4:34 PM, "Norman K Vance" <normvance@hrecn.net> wrote:

As Cyrano de Bergerac said in his final soliloquoy " My salute will sweep away all the 

stars from Heaven!!,,,,This is how I feel about you and your astonishing painting 

progress! The painting of the  rusty bike tells me how much you have learned in these 

past months.  There are many things I want to say about the painting:Good background. The weathered and vari-colored boards were a good choice.The bike: Very well done, except that worrisome spike on top of the seat.  Just brush 

it out with a dab of white. The wheels, tires and spokes are just perfect.  

Highlighting the few spokes was a good idea.  It would be my guess that you used the 

ellipse guides to draw those wheels!  Ole!  Foreground: The bike is sitting on the ground, instead of floating above it.  That is a mistake made by many painters.Good for you for considering this!

No criticsms...I find your rusty bike a fine work, hopefully wanting to see it in one 

of your local art exhibits.  Now, don't be shy, you are ready to show the public your ability!!!

Love, Daddy

From    : Tamsen[mailto:tamsen345@comcast.net]

Sent    : 2/13/2013 7:18:34 PM

To      : normvance@hrecn.net

Subject : RE: Re: rusty bike II

Hi Daddy:

Your salute to my rusty bike and progress in painting is very much appreciated. I took 

the photo at my friend's Stinson home last fall and have been itching to make a 

painting of it. I printed the photo in Black and white to study the tones and shapes, 

then painted in the fence and bike in thinned burnt sienna. I did use the ellipses! 

They were a big help, though I still think my hand is shaky when I painted over the 

sketch making the tires a bit off kilter. 

The multi colored fence was my own invention as the real life fence was dull brown and grey. I wanted a contrast to the orange rust of the bike, so I used a complimentary color scheme. I used a little comb to add texture to the wood pattern and a razor knife for the spokes.  

I also liked the idea that the bike was so old that it had sunk into the sandy soil and that helped keep me 

from having it float on the ground. It was nice that you noticed that detail! The spring protruding from the seat is a disturbing detail that Jeff also questioned . I will take another look and maybe paint it out, but I may do the opposite and enhance it just for fun! 

Emails with my Father, continued.

>------- Original Message -------

>From : Tamsen Armstrong[mailto:tamsen345@comcast.net]

>Sent : 7/22/2012 4:45:34 PM

>To : normvance@hrecn.net; annevance@hrecn.net

>Cc : 

>Subject : RE: railroad crossing

>

>Well, this was a two day project that started yesterday out at the Carquinez Straits with my friend Kim Homes.. I sketched the composition first, then started painting. The funny part was when the trains would come by (it seemed like every 15 minutes!) and broke my concentration! But it was lovely to be outdoors in the sunshine. When I took it home, I realized I was much too tentative and stingy with the paint, so I loaded up by brushes and went to work! I like it so much better now. Im sorry I did not take a photo of the first step, but here is my (nearly) first landscape in oils. It just needs a few more highlights and some detailing on the sign. I hope you think it is decent. I think I was trying to emulate your bold color strokes, Dad. Love you both!

TamZ 

From: "Norman K Vance" <normvance@hrecn.net>

Date: July 22, 2012 6:11:31 PM PDT

To: tamsen345@comcast.net

Subject: RE: railroad crossing critique

Reply-To: "" <Norman K Vance>

GOOD ONE!!!  Your composition is good, but I would like to see the tree trunks a bit smaller, and one tree trunk looks like it is resting on the track.

I love your choice of colors, and your application technique/  

Tone down the tree leaves, they overpower the study.  Use mix of chromium oxide and a bit of naples yellow for this.  

All in all, a very good study, worthy of a glance from Edward Hopper!

love

Daddy

Emails with my Father

I'd like to post some of the email conversations I had with my father on the subject of books, painting, art and life, since he has given me so much encouragement and inspiration throughout my life. 

We didn't start talking seriously about my own journey as a painter until 2010 when he and my mother came to visit during the Christmas holidays that year and we started painting and drawing together. He died in 2013, just after his 60th wedding anniversary and a few weeks before Christmas. 

From    : Tamsen[mailto:tamsen345@comcast.net]

Sent    : 4/22/2013 7:55:05 PM

To      : normvance@hrecn.net

Cc      : 

Subject : RE: Re: .....by holding my breath...

Oh frabjous day! Callooh callay! 

Or is that not Lithuanian enough for you!? Glad to hear your computer is 

back up and running. It's my lifeline to the world and I don't know what 

I'd do without it! 

Hey, Daddo, I'm glad you like my Mount Diablo painting. I feel that for a 

first effort, I did pretty well. Im still making changes to the 

foreground tree line and may do some more with the sky  I'd like to keep 

exploring the subject and try for all kinds of variations. I found that 

the best time to see the mountain is in the late afternoon and early 

evening. The colors are much more saturated at that time. 

I think of you every day and hope you are feeling well. I love you!

TamTam

From: "Norman K Vance" <normvance@hrecn.net>

Date: April 23, 2013 10:59:22 AM PDT

To: tamsen345@comcast.net

Subject: Claude Monet, the father of impressionism....

Reply-To: "" <Norman K Vance>

,,,,,painted dozens of studies of "haystacks". I can only assume he was 

exploring the shapes and textures, the lighting and colors.  Monet was in 

a learning curve at this time, a place you are in, now, so don't be 

afraid to paint Mt Diablo again!  You will learn much as you do this!

If you remember my series of abstract paintings of "Rock Crushers", I did 

many studies and finally found some design I liked.

Just a few words of advice from

your ever loving

Daddy

I'm going to Stinson Beach next weekend for my annual Accidental Readers Book Club Slumber Party, so I decided to practice painting a beach scene. This photo is from my friend Lisa, who loves Stinson over any other place on earth. I used brushes at first, then started messing around with a painting knife. Just a little 5x7 quickie on a cheap canvas board.

I thought it was time to get back to drawing, but I really hate working with pencils. I need to erase too much, so I started drawing a shoe that I love but don't wear anymore. I drew the shoe in thinned out blackish paint, then started filling in and moving the paint around until it looked right. That's not a great way to learn to draw, but easier for me. I call this one Kitten Heel.

I participated in the Lamorinda Arts Alliance show at the Lafayette Christian Church a couple of weekends ago---my first big chance to show and sell a bunch of paintings! My painting buddy, Kim Homes, and I had a lovely patio all to ourselves, shady and pleasant. We greeted visitors as they came through and I got the opportunity to speak with several people, five of whom bought small paintings. It was fun, but exhausting. A lot of work for so little money! I've been told that these kinds of shows are hit and miss and not to get too discouraged, especially if your first wasn't all that spectacular. We'll see. I've heard that the big shows are really expensive to get in. How to make enough money to keep going, buy paint and canvas...I love to paint, but I'm not an expert at selling.