Verisimilitude

Hauser Book Release

2012-02-05T22:12:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned before a book about Cincinnati painter John Hauser for which I penned a chapter. The book has finally been released and authors were signing copies at the show featuring the artist's work on view now at the Cincinnati Art Galleries.
It was a lovely opening and not just because the author's wife, Marilyn Harris did the food. Though you know the snacks are one of the major things I factor into my judgement of the success or failure of an art opening- and the food was amazing.

The book can be purchased at the gallery or online at this website:
The John Hauser Project.
If you are interested in the article I wrote for the book you can read it in this post.

Put Some Sugar On It!

2012-01-12T13:51:00.001-05:00

I started two 5x7 paintings just before the New Year and thought I would post them after another paintin session. I made a few changes but mostly just pushed it to a finish.Of course this involves refining and bring it to focus, but all the while I am correcting not just drawing, but value and color. No matter how much I think I have it on day one, a fresh eye reveals more.


Cream and Sugar, Oil on Linen, Each 7"x 5", © copyright Richard Luschek 2011

So you can compare before and after, below are the paintings after a few hour lay- in. I thought the right panel was boring, so I repeated the opened sweetener pack and added a spoon to the cup.

Cream and Sugar (Day 1), Oil on Linen, Each 7"x 5", © copyright Richard Luschek 2011

The Destruction of a Building.

2012-01-09T20:02:00.001-05:00

This is part 2 of a series of posts about the travesty that is the "updating" of the Art Academy building.

A drawing of the building from 1885 showing the building before it was attached to the museum complex.

Again, I am just going to continue the discussion with a second letter I sent out on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 after they offered up a presentation of the building as if it were a rickety old barn about to fall over. It was a presentation with an agenda.

Concerned Citizens of Cincinnati:

The Cincinnati Art Museum is proposing a Facility Master Plan for some ambitious growth. The museum is presenting ideas and options at six stations located throughout the museum complex. Essentially there are two plans, of which the most clearly touted option involves destroying the wonderful and historically important Art Academy. Built in 1887, it was designed by the great Architect, James W. McLaughlin.

Please go to the museum, have a look at the plans and voice your opinion.

I attended the member’s forum held on Monday and would like to share my thoughts. I definitely have some concerns about the Museum’s presentation.

The Master Plan presented to the members on Monday was biased and manipulative. Instead of presenting a range of options, the Museum offered only two — in effect, a “right” one and a “wrong” one! This Master Plan could well have said right at the beginning, "If you are foolish enough to think the Art Academy building should be saved, we are here to help you understand how ridiculous that would be."

As I viewed the stations, I saw and heard a lot of "Ours isn't as big as theirs" comparisons to other museums, calculated to demonstrate our inequities. Since when does size matter? We have a top notch museum! These discussions of needed growth at all costs sound like those of a company catering to its stock holders who demand, "We must grow or die!" Did I miss something? The museum is still a non-profit organization isn't it? It's not the size of your museum that matters; it’s how you use it. Why should the CAM be concerned about how flashy, new and competitive it is? That is a job best left to the Contemporary Art Center. The trend in numerous museums is a move away from deep, quiet and studied scholastic thought, towards flashy pop culture. Is this really the direction the CAM should go? This flashy plan could result in the bulldozing of building that, while it may not be glistening with new glass and steel, has a stately presence that is timeless.

The Art Academy build is a fine example of American Romanesque Architecture. Its beautiful exterior is the jewel of the entire museum complex. One plan keeps the building, yet butts an addition along the façade. The second, and most developed plan, destroys the Academy building and replaces it with a giant rectangle. We would be replacing an architecturally significant building with a box.

The Cincinnati Art Museum Facility Master Plan is using some bombastic rhetoric to push for a larger and snazzier plan that expands over the soon-to-be razed Academy building. One reason the museum offers for razing the building is that, "The Academy has been considerably compromised and left in bad condition." Has it really? Three beautiful floors remain. While it has been altered, it is a strong presence that is still quite beautiful and well worth saving. Cathedrals in Europe have been considerably altered and governments still work to preserve and save them.

When we were directed toward station 3 in the Academy building where we expected to hear the pros and cons of saving the building, the tour conveniently led one through the unimpressive back hallways of the Academy building itself. There, in the Academy building, which, in all fairness, is in need of restoration, I listened for the "pros" but did not hear any.

Information was given in a very negative way, discussing only the problems and concerns of the Old Academy building. Missing was an option that restores the Old Academy building to its original glory? There was no discussion of its great history, or of the days when it was one of the nation’s top training centers for young painters. A number of paintings produced by graduates of the early Academy hang in the museum’s collection. While the interior may seem unimpressive after walking through the decorated walls of the museum galleries, remember, it was built to be a working studio building for training painters, and for that function it is one of the finest surviving examples.

Another complaint frequently brought up as an unsolvable problem, is that the Academy building is built a half floor off from the main building. I’ve always been under the impression that getting from one level to another is a fairly simple architectural idea. It is probably one of the earliest innovations in architecture, right after the idea of constructing a roof! But here we sit and scratch our heads over 6 or 7 feet.

Questionable statistics were often used to push the CAM’s agenda, perhaps the most egregious being their complaint that they are only able to show 3% of the Museum's collection. This sounds compelling enough, unless you’re aware that all but the smallest museums display only a fraction of their collection. It is interesting to note that this was one of the few statistics utilized by the Museum that was not compared to those of other museums. In fact, the largest portion of the CAM collection is made up of drawings and prints that are light sensitive. They are safely stored in controlled environments for preservation, and are only placed in the galleries for a limited time. At present the museum shows the best of its collection. This is as it should be.

The final station, explaining the need for educational space was laughable. Here again the numerical comparison of the CAM to various other museums was disingenuous. They claimed to have only 1700 square feet of educational space. Apparently the only space now available to the museum for education is a small room which was last used as the museum café. When I asked about the huge differences between the square footage, I was told that the other museums may be including their lecture halls. OK, why are we not including our lecture hall? What exactly is the Cincinnati museum using their lecture hall for? I called the Toledo Museum of Art, and their huge number (40,000 sq feet) includes a Fine Arts center in which the University of Toledo offers art classes. So this is not really a fair comparison. I have always considered the galleries hung with art as educational space. I asked the Toledo museum what they label as educational space. Interestingly, they feel that almost all of their spaces serve an art-educational purpose.

It seems to me, and to several other attendees who later voiced their opinions, that there was no serious attempt to make a professional, viable plan to preserve the Academy building. On the other hand, the plan without the Academy building was expertly landscaped and polished with all the bells and whistles. Their presentation was carefully crafted to discredit the option saving the Academy building. It is the classic Straw Man argument, useful in a debate, but falling far short of the kind of considered discussion that this situation calls for.
Cincinnati deserves to see a third version of the plan, one that includes the Historic Art Academy building, with the bells and whistles too. If one wants to consider destroying a building with such historic presence, it ought not to be done lightly. I believe we must save the Academy building! Once it is gone, it is gone forever.

Please know that I support and understand the museum's quest for more gallery space. I also recognize that he last few updates to the museum have been quite positive. The Cincinnati Wing is a shinning example of what this museum is capable of and how proud we should be of its past. How many other cities of this size can field such an impressive collection of work by local artists? The Art Academy building is the seed from which that talent germinated! Despite this fact, I find their current plans to be utterly inadequate. So inadequate in fact, that one could make the case that this is not just about trying to save a building, but is a major social and political issue concerning the goals of our public institutions.

The point could be made that I should just appreciate the two choices, and that the museum could just as easily not have offered us any chance to review their plans. Such an argument would ignore the fact that the Cincinnati Art museum is not a private institution but a public one. The museum's administration is not made up of elected officials that have the power to make major decisions for us. They should not make major decisions, and then veil them in a seemingly democratic process while offering up only two woefully unequal choices.

Webster defines museum as "a building, place, or institution devoted to the acquisition, conservation, study, exhibition, and educational interpretation of objects having scientific, historical, or artistic value." If the current administration is not able to see how the Old Academy building fits into that definition, maybe we need to look at what the ‘mission statement’ of the museum is and reconsider how we spend our tax dollars and to whom we should give our generous donations.

Richard J. Luschek II, Painter

Rest in Pieces

2012-01-04T20:35:00.000-05:00

The former location of the Cincinnati Art Academy- now being adapted for use by the Cincinnati Art Museum.

I believe one goal of a museum should be to teach and display the historic masterpieces of society; to demonstrate good taste and the higher ideas of truth and beauty. These days, instead of a masterful display of higher ideals, it is most often about entertainment and pushing an agenda or political view. A lot of new work chosen for display is about chaos; ideas that supposedly embody progress but are often just offensive in a gross attempt to shock- one could write an entire book on the topic of chaos in art. Any work of true beauty that is displayed (generally being at least 100 years old) is often described by the curator with modern eyes, ignoring the bigger ideals and historic context, instead focusing on perceived sexist or racist overtones. Aesthetics are rarely brought up. The lack of aesthetics can be seen in the atrocious presentations in many of the shows. The recent renovation of the Schmidlapp Gallery are a perfect example. I have discussed the ineptitude of displaying artwork in the past.
The push of these ideas of chaos are happening not only inside the museum but are continuing outside and are destroying the most beautiful building of the entire Eden Park complex.

I will continue discussing this disaster in future posts, but would like to begin the conversation with a few letters I wrote back in 2005 that garnered a lot of attention, resulting in uncomfortable phone conversations with museum directors and newspaper reporters. It was a response I was not expecting and one I must admit I was not entirely prepared for. When Timothy Rub (the director at the time) called me, put out and insulted by my letter, he denied that they had in fact decided to tear down this building. Well of course this was just smoke and mirrors. An attempt to get those criticizing their actions to back off.

Shortly after they announced their plans to tear it down despite a grassroots movement to stop it.
Timothy Rub moved on to greener pastures in Cleveland. A new director was chosen to manage the Art Museum expansion. At first I was hopeful, as he claimed to be a scholar of architecture. He even discussed his love for the Art Academy building and it's architect, James W. McLaughlin (1834-1923)

Well, not sure what to say about the following photo, "Uh, thanks for not burning this to the ground."

A construction crew is tearing off the 3rd floor, with it's copper roofing and wonderful North facing sky lights. It is to be replace with a modern glass box that from the designs I have seen, will look like a big square fish tank.

The following is the letter I sent in a mass emailing 7 years ago:

"Throughout the discussion on options for the future of the Art Academy building, there are many reasons tossed about which in the end would seemingly justify tearing the building down.

One argument is that the museum complex is no longer unified architecturally.
The museum, as it should, displays paintings and sculptures of many moods, styles and periods. The museum complex itself also happens to be made up of many styles. Isn't the Art Museum complex itself a
superb educational tool?

Another suggested 'problem' is that the Academy building has been altered from it's original grandeur. Does this then make it obsolete and fodder for the wrecking ball? It is not necessary to assume that a building be fully restored to its original state to be saved. Great cathedrals all over Europe have been seriously altered and rebuilt over time. They have changed with the tastes and moods of the day, from Romanesque to Baroque for example. This doesn't make the current state less valid. This doesn't mean it is not worth maintaining if it is not as the original architect envisioned. It may not have all of the glory of the original, but it is still an impressive and beautiful piece of architecture.

Most of the damage to this lovely building has been done since the late 40's, being topped off with the cold and unfortunate addition of the Adams-Emery Wing added in the 60's. This was followed with the strange addition of the museum power plant located right at the museum entrance.

The last major move move spun the progress of this museum's renovation around in the right direction with a "$13 million renovation project, completed in January 1993, restored the grandeur of the Museum's interior architecture and uncovered long-hidden architectural details." I must now say emphatically that the possible destruction of the Art Academy building would be a serious move away from this progress.

I understand that the Museum has limited funds and is in need of more space for its collection. Undoubtedly, saving this building will take dedication and a good deal of creative thinking.

In addition, I realize that there may be more glory in building a supposedly 'forward thinking, ground breaking, modern glass and steel structure' than there is to saving this symbol of Cincinnati's past, but I believe that it is imperative that we do save her!

I've been asked why I am so committed and involved in the future of this wonderful building. After all, I did not graduate from this school, and while I have worked in the building as an instructor, I am not a member of the faculty. I am, however, a painter and citizen that is proud of this city's past influence in the arts and the place that the old Academy building holds in its history. As a citizen of this city I have an opinion on how our museum uses its funds and educates the public. I hope you, the community have opinions of your own and will make them known to all that will listen.
Spread the word.

Thank you
Richard Luschek "

Painting Under Rainbows

2011-12-30T21:14:00.000-05:00

Today was a crazy day in the studio. It seemed to alternate between having a dark black cloud parked over my sky light hitting it with wind and rain blocking every last bit of my north light, to clear blue sky, big white clouds around bright rainbows filling my studio with glorious light. As magical as that sounds it was mostly dark and rainy. In general, a pretty rough painting day. As much as I have tried, shaking your fist at the heavens while cursing never helps the lighting situation.
I still managed to lay in a little diptych today. I pulled this off in a few hours and think I can finish it up easily next session- in a few days after it dries.

Cream and Sugar, diptych, Each panel 7" x 5", Oil on Linen, © copyright Richard Luschek 2011

I Cracked that Nut

2011-12-19T21:40:00.001-05:00

Just a brief update about my newest paintings. Aren't they just the cutest little things?
I am enjoying the process of doing paintings that have a relationship with each other. Sort of force the issue when the same object appears in both. My attempt is to have them work together, but to also be their own individual composition.
Below are the finished product after a bit of work to touch up the details and bring it into focus.

Nut, Washer, Nut, 2" x 3", Oil on linen
Bolt, Washer, Screwdriver, 2" x 3", Oil on linen
© copyright Richard Luschek 2011

The painting on the left is almost completely reliant on highlights and reflections for the composition. All else is pretty unified and evenly toned. The other has a more powerful and obvious abstraction. Despite the differences I think they balance each other nicely.
These paintings are revisiting a theme I did last year.

The Nuts and Bolts of Painting

2011-12-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

I recently found a bunch of tiny 3" x 5" oval frames at the Castner Frame warehouse, so I made some canvas panels to fit them and am going to try to finish a set a week- until they are all filled.
I like doing these little guys, as I can play with composition in an oval rather than the normal rectangular format. I can cover the canvas and get some form, value and color fairly quickly- I spent maybe an hour and a half on these. If you design pictures you know that sometime the corners of the picture can be tough. Solution: paint pictures without corners.

So, here are the paintings with the setup to the right. Once these dry I will dive back in with a fresh eye and fix the problems- starting with the thing that is most off in a big sense. Probably value and color. Then refine the drawing a bit. I should be able to finish these up pretty quickly.

I shot these at an angle to remove the glare and now they are a bit wonky. I tried to square them up- but they are ovals, so...... I will post the finished paintings soon.

Panorama of Cincinnati Art XXVI

2011-12-05T17:44:00.006-05:00

Sorry to be so lazy, but I just copied and pasted last years announcement of being in the Panorama show- with some updates.
______________________________________________________

A panorama is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model.

I am honored to have been selected for Cincinnati Art Galleries 26th anniversary Panorama of Cincinnati Art.

Opening Day 1977, 18 x 24, oil on linen, © copyright Richard Luschek 2011

Click here to see the painting on their site.
There are two reasons I am sure this show will be fantastic. For one thing the title ends in -orama. Secondly, most of the paintings are by the "Old Masters" of Cincinnati painting. The list includes Edward Potthast, Joseph Sharp, and John Weis. This is an Artorama of great art by wonderful dead painters. I have been quite vocal of my support for and love of dead painters. They have done the best art in the Western world and it is a club I hope to be part of in the future. In fact I have pretty much guaranteed it.

The opening was last Friday. Sorry, I should have told you.
Anyway, it cost $100 a person and will benefit the Cincinnati Opera. Now as much as I think it is completely fair for you to have to pay money to see my work, you can check Panorama for free the rest of the month. If you buy my paintings a percentage also goes to help the Opera. It's for a good cause. If you do go to the opening, I imagine there will be wine and cheese. I don't know if there will be entertainment, but for the 26th anniversary, if it were up to me, we would celebrate Panorama with the band Bananarama. That would be incredible.

Anyway, below is the information about the show.

Panorama of Cincinnati Art XXVI

Over 100 works

by Cincinnati's most famous artists

from 1850 to the Now.

Opening Reception Friday, December 2rd from 5:00 - 8:00pm

$100 per person (payable to Cincinnati Museum Center)

Located at 225 East 6th Street, Cincinnati OH
Please call Sarah at 513-381-2128 for reservations

*Ticket sales as well as a portion of all painting sales during the month of December will benefit Cincinnati Museum Center. The exhibition and sale will open free to the public Saturday, December 4th and will continue through January 31st. All items can be viewed on our website at www.cincyart.com

Exhibition and sale includes paintings by the following artists:

Stephen Alke, Paul Ashbrook, Tom Bacher, Herbert Barnett, Robert Blum, Paul Chidlaw, Mark Daly, Matt Daly, Julie Morrow Deforest, Frank Duveneck, Louis Endres, John Joseph Enneking, Henry Farny, Reginald Grooms, John Hauser, Arthur Helwig, Edna Boies Hopkins, James Hopkins, Charles Salis Kaelin, Kevin T. Kelly, Robert Knipschild, Thomas Corwin Lindsay, Richard J. Luschek, Lewis Henry Meakin, Emma Mendenhall, William Meuttman, Kate Reno Miller, Franklin Morris, Henry Mosler, Frank Harmon Myers, Elizabeth Nourse, Edward Potthast, Charles Reiffel, John Rettig, Wolfgang A. Ritschel, Paul Sawyier, Joseph Scheuerle, Dixie Selden, Joseph Henry Sharp, Leslie Shiels, William McKendree Snyder, William Louis Sonntag, Sr., Rudolph Tschudi, Louis Charles Vogt, Edward Volkert, John Ellsworth Weis, Bessie Wessel, Herman Wessel, Carl Zimmerman
& Others

Full Color Catalog available for $20

Monster Attacks the Contests

2011-11-28T11:09:00.003-05:00

My still life A Monster Attacks at Breakfast was selected as a finalist in the Artist's Magazine 28th Annual Art Competition. Pick up a copy if you want a magazine with my name in it. For a small fee, I will personally sign your copy. It is nice to see the painting be recognized like this. It recently won a prize in a local show as well.
This is my third year in a row to make it to the finalists selection. One of these days I hope to win one of the top prizes- you know the king where you get featured in the magazine and are celebrated with money and women. As always, it was an honor to be selected. There were some great painters in the finalists selection. So I am in good company.

A Monster Attacks at Breakfast, 22" x26", oil on linen, ©copyright Richard Luschek 2010

A creepy new friend.

2011-11-24T14:04:00.000-05:00

I have really been wanting a Mannequin.
I don't mean the 80's movie starring Kim Cattrall, though it was pretty awesome. Honestly I think I liked the sequel a bit more- but I digress.
I have been looking for a poseable manikin for the studio to use for doing portrait work or to set up if I need to do fabric studies. It is tough to get any model to pose for long periods of time, so it is useful to have something to dress in the costume.

The full-sized wood ones sold at art supply warehouses are pretty expensive and can run up close to $1000. I figured I could make my own or find something cheaper that I could make work. Even an old department store mannequin could be used somehow.
There is a local fellow that has a great suite of warehouses full of antiques. He has some great stuff and I am often dropping in to look for still life objects or for stuff I need to fix my 100 year old house. I called him and told him if he didn't already have something to be on the lookout. He just called and said he had found me a creepy dude. It is an old medical mannequin, and was not really in great shape, but the price was right. I spent a day and an evening getting it fixed up. I built a new hip, made a wooden foot and fixing up some of the joints. The other nice perk is that I can practice my CPR technique.

I still need to fill the chest and stomach areas somehow, the light patches on the arms and legs are spots where you can practice giving the doll injections. They were missing in a few places so I sprayed expandable foam then trimmed it smooth.

The fancy new wooden foot I made out of a piece of 2x4

My next order of business it try to make it so I can set a pose. The joints are pretty loose so I can't lock a pose yet.

As it stands he is just a creepy fixture sitting in a chair in our basement. It freaks my wife out every time she goes into the basement.
I will probably be dressing this fellow up like a Knight Templar for a painting I am working on. Look for more photos of my new creepy friend in the future.

I will tell you a Secret

2011-11-18T22:16:00.002-05:00

I just got back from the Secrets event. I had a great time. It was very crowded with lots of fancy Cincinnati people there. I ran into a lot of old friends and meet a lot of great people. Of course we can discuss the real reason I enjoyed it- the snacks and beverages. Very nice.
The event opened at 5 and I got there around 6 and my secret card had already sold. It's no longer a secret so I can post the image here.

Basement Bulb, 7 x 5, oil on linen. © copyright Richard Luschek 2011

Yes, I did another light bulb. This time I did a lit bulb. I have to say, it is a challenge staring at a light for that long. I was doing a lot of squinting, but still it took a toll. I hope who ever purchased it appreciates the possible long-term retinal damage this painting may have caused.

I knew the trick to getting this painting to read was to get the overall key of the picture correct. Even the lightest light in the painting has some color to it, a warm chromatic yellow. Very near white, but not quite. So I had to darken everything else down to get that to read as a lit bulb. In a heavy squint the aura around the bulb was an orange to red glow that filled the darks.

Psssst, Pssssst

2011-11-17T21:38:00.000-05:00

Once again it is time for Secret Artworks.

Below are two Secrets cards I did a few years ago. I can't show the card I did this year, but I can tell you it is very cool.

Secret ArtWorks: The Masters

The Party Starts Next Friday (Nov. 18^th!)

Still haven't made plans to attend Secret ArtWorks: The Masters? Here are 3 reasons why you should:

You could be the proud new owner of brand new, original work of art by some of the best artists from Cincinnati to Columbia!
Proceeds from Secret ArtWorks supports ArtWorks programming! That means your money will help ArtWorks employ youth and artists, and engage the community to create public art that will transform our city!
It's a lot of fun! There's food, drinks, live music, and a room full of art-loving individuals like yourself!

Secret ArtWorks: The Masters

Friday, November 18^th, 2011

5 pm - 9 pm

MCA Event Center

(former CAC, in the Mercantile Building)

120 E Fourth Street

Cincinnati, OH 45202

Admission: $125 (single), $175 (double).

Includes admission to the Event, an art voucher redeemable for one (1) Secret Work of Art, drink tickets, and hors d'oeuvres.

Additional vouchers can be purchased for $75.

Click here to purchase your tickets now! Online sales end at noon on Thursday, November 17^th. After that, you will have to purchase your tickets at the door.

You've already seen the Online Preview of this year's Secret ArtWorks. Why not go ahead and see them in person?

Preview Week

November 14^th - November 17^th

Westin Hotel Atrium

21 East Fifth Street

Cincinnati, OH 45202

This is your chance to get up close and personal with the art that will be available at Secret ArtWorks: The Masters. You'll have the opportunity to decide on your favorite works. That way, when the doors open next Friday night, you'll know exactly what you're looking for!

Art Show Season

2011-11-07T23:16:00.000-05:00

Fall is a busy time for art shows. So, if you have been thinking about how much you would love to drink cheap wine, eat cheese cubes and look at some art, then I have a few events for you!

43rd ViewPoint show at the Cincinnati Art Club
My painting A Monster Attacks at Breakfast is showing at the Cincinnati Art Club. You can see all the paintings in the show if you click here to see the slideshow.
I was also honored with the Viewpoint Chairperson Award.
I did not get any photos of me receiving my award last Friday so here is another photo of me accepting an award.

Show continues weekends (Saturdays and Sundays)
November 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 2011
Hours: 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Cincinnati Art Club's Wessel Gallery
1021 Parkside Place
Cincinnati, OH 45202

Indian Hill Church Art Show
I have done this show two other times. It is a pretty good show, though it can get crowded. They have a new event this year that is pretty cool. Artists were asked to do a 6x8 painting, these "miniatures" will be on sale in a separate area. Here is mine.

Tea on Green, 8x6, oil on linen, ©copyright Richard Luschek 2011

A social fund raising event featuring local artists. Each artist donates 30% of their proceeds to benefit the church's Outreach Programs.

Friday November 11th:
6 PM - 9 PM. Wine tasting, appetizers, complimentary valet parking.
$5 Donation for adults.

Saturday November 12th:
10 AM - 3 PM. Light refreshments.
Free admission.

6000 Drake Road, Indian Hill, OH 45243 · Get Directions

Finally, I am in a secret art auction that is a fund raiser for LAM Foundation.

Here is the information for this event. I plan on being at the signing event on Thursday.

ART MASQUERADE 2011

Who is the artist?

WHAT:

A charity/fine art show for which the artists will create an 8” x 10” unsigned original piece of fine art that may, or may not be in their style. (hence the Masquerade).

The signing of the artwork will take place on the last day of the show.

All artwork will be 8” x 10” and priced at $250 with half of the proceeds going to the LAM Foundation. The $250 price will be in effect until November 3rd when a silent auction will begin and end on Nov 10^th.

WHY:

To support the LAM Foundation Charity. (A lung disease striking mostly young women)

WHO:

Participating artists include the following plus others:

Eric Franke Richard Luschek Diane Young Bonita Goldberg

Lilnda Fisler Mary Beth Thompson William Cole Rich Bitting

Carl Samson

Hosted and Sponsored by:

Christie Crawford

Cal Weigold

Laura Heidorn

Jim Aria

(All four of the sponsors are formerly associated with Closson’s)

WHERE:

Aria’s Oriental Rugs

9689 Montgomery Rd.

Montgomery, OH 45242

WHEN:

October 27, 2011 through November 10, 2011**

Opening Reception – Thursday October 27, 2011, 5-8 p.m. RSVP to 513-378-3836.

Show will remain up during business hours:

Mon-Fri 10-7: Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5

Signing Event – Thursday November 10, 6-8. Come and meet your artist.

John Hauser- Cincinnati Painter of Indians.

2011-10-29T21:15:00.002-04:00

I was recently asked to write an essay for a new book on the life and works of John Hauser, an Indian painter from Golden Age of Cincinnati art. The painter's house and studio are just a few blocks from where I live. The current owners of the Hauser house and studio are a lovely couple that have become champions of the painter, and have organized shows, given talks and finally, Mr. Harris has written a much needed book on the artist.
He recently sent me an email that the book is going to print soon. I thought as a preview I would share my essay here. You can see more information about the project and book here.
http://www.johnhauserproject.com/

John Hauser in his studio.

We are very pleased to tell you that our book is now complete and in the hands of the publisher. It is scheduled to appear under the title:

*Straight White Shield* A Life and Work of John Hauser (1859-1913) with a Catalogue Raisonné
a preface by Phyllis Weston and an essay by Richard Luschek
xiv + 308 pages

In addition to being the first biography of this forgotten artist, it also offers a survey of his reception within the art world and a source book of the complete newspaper citations, a page of sample signatures to help authenticate and date his work, a section on the studio where he worked with a full set of photographs, an annotated bibliography and such extras as family trees.It is also, of course, richly illustrated with countless previously unpublished works.

/Straight White Shield/ will appear in early February, 2012, in conjunction with a major exhibition of the works of John Hauser at Cincinnati Art Galleries, 225 East 6th Street, in downtown Cincinnati. You’ll have ample opportunity to see and purchase the book.
For further information, please contact epharris@cinci.rr.com

A Critical Look at John Hauser

By Richard Luschek

Having lived in Cincinnati as a painter for twenty years, I have great admiration for the wonderful collection of painters from Cincinnati’s Golden Age. When we study the outstanding artistic heritage of this city, an impressive group of painters can be assembled, most notably Duveneck, DeCamp, Sharp, and Farny. One name, however, which is often absent from this discussion is that of John Hauser. This book sheds light on this forgotten Cincinnati painter.
I have been given the humbling task of critically analyzing the work of John Hauser, specifically his dependence on photographs rather than live models. I have chosen to begin with an observation taken from the brief biography of Hauser issued by the Altermann Gallery in Santa Fe: “. . . Hauser tended to model his subjects rather heavily, which could very well have resulted from the artist's over reliance on the photograph as a resource tool.” This quotation sets the tone for my discussion of Hauser’s work. This book offers a fascinating look at one of Cincinnati’s most neglected painters. Hauser captured the nobility of the American Indian, painting quiet scenes of them in their own environment. To quote the authors of this book, “Hauser’s output is uneven and many of his pieces left his studio that probably should not have. . . . His work is often derivative in the choice of subject matter and composition and he falls into the cliché trap often. That being said, however, he is clearly capable of creating an occasional masterpiece.” (p. 123)
This book offers a wealth of illustrations of Hauser’s work and you may judge them for yourselves. A complete view of the artist from my perspective can best be presented by discussing a few deficiencies found in Hauser’s work. In particular, I will offer some insight into his “uneven” output. Let me start by saying I believe any of Hauser's deficiencies are less a question of talent than that of his limited training and subsequent overuse of photography.
It is a myth that great artists are born geniuses. Most successful artists have studied long and hard to develop their craft, most often having studied under a master who was trained similarly. The techniques of a painter have been passed down through the ages from teacher to student since the Renaissance. The students learned these techniques through intense study of classical sculptures from ancient Greece and Rome, copies of great works of art, and intense study of nature. This worship of nature joined with a love of beauty helped guide understanding of a visual truth—a truth that could be represented in paint.
The advent of photography forever changed the art world. Artists had not only new competition in visual representation, but also a versatile tool at their disposal for closer study of the visual world, if they could avoid its pitfalls.
Many great artists welcomed photography as a means to aid their perception. They could explore new compositions and poses difficult to capture from mere observation. The additional motifs allowed by the camera aid the artist’s memory of a natural scene. Poses that a model or animal would be unable or unwilling to hold can now be captured with the camera.
Naturalists of the nineteenth century such as Jules Bastein-Lepage (1848–1884) and Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret (1852–1929) used photography to great effect along with their rigorous academic training. Their understanding and mastery of the rapidly developing craft allowed them to use photography as a tool rather than something to slavishly follow as the sole means of creation as is often done today.
Problems with Photography
Rarely does a photograph have the mood and atmosphere admired in history’s great paintings. What accounts for this difference? Painting's most manifest definition is the interpretation of form. The painter, when representing the visual world, directs the viewer into believing a two-dimensional surface is depicting three dimensions. Since a painter typically has been blessed with two eyes, when he is working from nature he is simultaneously able to see two views of the same scene. This dual view from slightly different perspectives allows for understanding form and spatial relationships.
I am sure you have heard it suggested that the camera adds ten pounds. Unlike human vision, a camera is monocular, offering only a single view. This flattens out the image, making it formless. Conversely, when we look at things with both eyes we see the shift in perspective known as parallax—background features hidden from one eye can be seen by the other. Our brain is able to blend these images into one. We see more of what is behind the object when using two eyes, making the object appear smaller. Thus, a binocular view is slimming. In seeing around an object we have more of an idea of an object’s form; a monocular view does the opposite.
In addition, and again unlike a camera, our eyes have a limited focal area. Outside that area of focus, objects can be perceived but not studied in detail. This area is our peripheral vision. A camera has the tendency to put everything into equal focus. Even further, a camera is just not as sensitive or accurate in perceiving half tones, shadows, and minute changes in color.
As if that were not enough, there is yet another problem involved in the overuse of photographs for painting reference. Photography is static. An artist can rely too strongly on the photograph as the final word. Happenstance events while painting from life can not only increase the painter’s understanding of the visual world but can improve the final work. A portrait model can move slightly; a fold of clothing shifts or a curl of hair may fall into the face, offering artistic possibilities the painter had not initially considered. When painting outdoors, a shadow under a tree will move with the sun, presenting the painter with variety. A camera does not study a scene through time or capture the dither and vibration of life.
Photographs are flattened, fully focused images which can cause the artist
to “model his subjects rather heavily,” missing the atmosphere and beauty found while standing before nature.
John Hauser and his Camera
There is little doubt as to the talent of the artist we are discussing here, but I believe that his limited training and overreliance on the photograph accounts for his spotty output. While he did travel to some of the best schools at the time, his studies appear to have been cut short for financial reasons. Upon returning to Cincinnati, he went to work with the tools he had at his disposal and, certainly by 1893 and his fascination with the West and the American Indian as his subject matter, he began relying on photography as a means to execute his paintings. Working in Cincinnati as a painter in this milieu, he was forced to use the reference photos he had taken during his trips west. This reliance on photography was a limiting factor on his growth as a painter. In working this way he missed the vibration of life, his work often appearing static and overrendered. He was left to repeat compositions from his collection of photos and drawings. Photos are copied, quirks and all. Some of his compositions are not explored as carefully and as thoroughly as one might when working directly from life or from memory. Assembling a scene from a variety of photographic and sketched sources can give a painting a harsh and cut-out, illustrative appearance.
Hauser’s “Laguna Pueblo” paintings (p. 159) offer a fine example of this effect. He began as early as 1895 to produce variations on a theme that could be modified only slightly and still claim to be an original. (He was not the only painter of the period to adopt this “business plan.”) In one case, Hauser found an appealing Pueblo background, a downward-sweeping main street leading into the old Laguna Pueblo which widens into the main plaza of the village, with the picturesque multi-level adobe structures stacked to the horizon. In the foreground he shows a variety of Pueblo Indians carrying out everyday chores: a woman with an olla on her head, a man bearing a bundle of sticks, children on burros, or sitting on an abandoned cart, all of which were taken from photos from the 1893 Pueblo album. (p. 158) It seems a safe assumption that he painted a number of identical background scenes, generally in an oblong 18 x 12” format, emphasizing the verticality of the scene, then filled in the foreground with a seemingly random combination of assorted figures modeled on the photographs as shown on the following page. Works in what we can call the Laguna series begin as early as 1895 and continue as late as 1905. Some of the photographs and four examples of the series are given on the following pages.
On page 160 is another example which may or may not have anything to do with photographs, but does illustrate a key problem with Hauser’s approach. The first two paintings have a group of Indians on horseback evenly arranged like paper dolls on a painted background. If we examine the image as an arrangement of light and dark shapes, each of the parts, while meticulously painted, is done without enough consideration of the image as a whole. Close tangents should be avoided in a composition. In the first painting the hand of the chief is just touching the tree at a right angle. At the center of this painting, the horses feel uncomfortably close with their noses just about to touch.

“Indians on the Trail,” 1902

If we examine a variation on this subject within the same year in the painting at the bottom of the page we see a much more successful grouping and arrangement of these mounted Indians. We now see a painting with variety, rhythm and atmosphere.

“War Party,” 1902

Lastly, we have to consider the young age at which Hauser’s career ended. Most well-trained artists will continue to improve and hone their craft as they age. One can easily see continued growth in the works of Joseph Henry Sharp after the age of fifty. As we examine Hauser’s work chronologically we can see gradual improvements in his working methods up until his final years. We can only imagine how his work would have developed had he lived a long and full life and not been plagued with poor health.
In this essay I wanted to explore some of the problems in his work, put them in context, and give explanations for them. John Hauser produced a number of fine paintings. A Western artist, living in the Midwest John Hauser faithfully illustrated the dying culture of the American Indian. He did so with reverence, attention to detail, and studied execution, portraying his subjects with dignity.

Finally Done- World Series

2011-10-19T22:02:00.002-04:00

I recently posted about a painting that I decided to attack after getting it back from a show.
It had issues, about a dozen or so cringe worthy issues. I quit way too soon on this one, so I did my best to set up the still life objects again and start painting. I did my best to not worry so much about the exact copying of nature but just made sure to make a good painting.
The main issue was the big empty area in the upper left of the picture. Here is an interesting coincidence for you. I wanted to set up a scene about opening day. I looked for opening day tickets on Ebay, and finally found some the size and shape I was after. I did not buy them, but just copied the photo of the tickets off Ebay, put them in photoshop to fix the color and adjusted them to the exact size (determined by a call the Reds Hall of Fame). I printed them out on card stock to arrange in the still life. Without really thinking about it, only considering the aesthetics, I printed out the tickets from opening day of 1977.
Months later when I reworked the still life I was trying to find a way to fill the space in the corner, I just happened to remember a team photo my Grandma had purchased for me when I was a kid. It was hanging in the corner of my workshop. She used to take me to games during the time of the Big Red Machine. Oddly, the team photo was from 1976. So, it was meant to be. It worked both compositionally and with the subject matter.
The photo itself might be worth something if my six year old self had not proudly written my name with a ball point pen across the top. While I reduced the value of the photo with my name, I think the addition of the team photo greatly increased the value of the painting.

Here is the finished picture.

Opening Day (1977), 18 x 24, Oil on Linen, ©copyright Richard Luschek 2011

I listed the things I changed in the last post. This image is mostly a refined version of that first post. I made a few other changes- making sure the bottle was symmetrical, toning down the color of the hot dog bun and repainting the ketchup. Rather than buy another hot dog, I looked at a painting by Chardin with bread to get some idea. Generally, I just painted until I was satisfied.

For comparison, here is the painting before the adjustment. I just noticed a new feature on this blog is the ability to flip through images from each blog post if you click on them to enlarge. Do this and you can flip back and forth to see the changes.


Opening Day (1977), 18 x 24, Oil on Linen, ©copyright Richard Luschek 2011

This painting is hanging in Cincinnati Art Galleries downtown. I believe it will be showing in their Panorama Art Show next month.

iUpdate

2011-10-14T12:14:00.000-04:00

An artist friend of mine sent me an email after reading my last blog about a ridiculous museum show (click here), totally based on name recognition rather than actual artistic ability.
Really the point of that blog post was two fold- first to comment on digital art, and how portable devices are progressing this new medium. An advance that has a lot to owe to the genius of Steve Jobs and his Iphone/Ipad.
Second, the post was to once again show how the established art world (art market) is a small incestuous club that rarely steps out of it's own box to see great work being done all around them. Most major museums are working hard to promote concept over beauty- even if they do occasionally have a show of beautiful work they do everything they can to force their own agenda. A show on 'The Portraits of ________', becomes a comment on feminism, racism, or sexuality. Most art museums do not bother themselves with any discussions on aesthetics.

But I digress.
My friend Bruce Petrie is a local painter that does wonderful landscape paintings. I suggest you check out his work. He is also a well respected lawyer who I am very glad to call my friend. If you read this blog you know I am very sueable.
See his website here.

Bruce sent me one of his Ipad sketches. Despite being a digitally rendered image, it had breadth and beauty of the actual sketch. It is more than a photo of the sketch, it is an interpretation of the image. A visual note that has a lot of power. This image allowed Bruce to learn from a master and quickly, and cleanly take down the information. See his comment about using the iPad below.

i Pad drawing of Rubens Study, by Bruce Petrie, 2011.

"This summer I went to the National Gallery of Scotland and saw in person this Rubens "Study of a Head".... so I did a study of the study. One convenience for the traveling artist is that you can carry the tool with you without all the other supplies. The key thing about this, like every other tool, is the purpose to which it is put: i.e. not to elevate the electronic medium as an end in itself but as just one more tool in the paintcraft toolbox. -Bruce"

Just to be careful, I am sure Bruce would want me to post the following disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in the above blog post are solely that of Richard Luschek and are not necessarily the views of Bruce Petrie. In fact, Bruce barely knows the guy. I mean come on, Luschek is a jerk.

iCrap

2011-10-09T11:39:00.000-04:00

After the very sad passing of Steve Jobs this week I wanted to do a post about his amazing influence not just on the computer industry, but on design and the arts. He made sure his product had both form and function. While I am typing this blog post on a PC, I have always loved the great products made by Apple. I very much plan on getting an iPad at some point to use as a teaching tool and as a digital sketchbook.

I check out ArtDaily.com pretty much everyday. Mostly I scan quickly for any good shows or current auctions of master paintings. More often than not there are articles that speak to my sense of beauty, then kick it in the groin and gouge out it's eyes. Some of the stories are so ridiculous you could not make them up.
Today it was an article about D H. I have mentioned him before on this blog. I am very confused as to why he is so popular and I will in fact not be using his name as that is exactly what he wants. The more I mention him here, the more he will come up in search engines. He will be mentioned as D H.
The article was announcing The North American Debut of D H's of "Fresh Flowers" at the Royal Ontario Museum. These "drawings on iPhones and iPads, an exhibition that reveals the artist’s extraordinary use of this novel new artistic medium and its impact on shaping visual culture today."

D H, Untitled, 10 June, 2010.

To be honest, they are not terrible, but it is interesting that this warrants a major museum show. It is a wonderful new medium and there are tons of artists using the Ipad to make sketches for both hobby and professional use. Just doing a Google search for "Ipad paintings" will bring up tons of interesting and well drawn work- not in museum shows. Of course their name is not D H and they do not write a ton of social BS to go with the work.
New York Artist David Kasan has actually gotten a lot of press on his beautiful and well crafted portraits on the iPad. He is even teaching workshops on his techniques. Here is a video of him at work.

While I do not have an iPad, I do similar drawings on my Nintendo DS.
Here is one of mine. So, where is my museum show?

R L, Coffee Cup, ‎October ‎05, ‎2010.

Tid Bits of Fall

2011-10-08T18:00:00.000-04:00

Thought I would post a few little things I have done recently.
First we have a quick painting I did as a demo for my Landscape Painting Class. Yeah, I know, it is not a landscape, but it was more comfortable in the studio that day and I was instructing on the use of the palette, the lay in, and the ideas of covering the canvas- applies to all kinds of painting. I only worked on it about an hour during the class and had to finish it up the next day.

Blushing Pear, 7x5, oil, © copyright Richard Luschek 2011

I did what I thought was a nice figure drawing in out Tuesday night sketch group the other night. Well, I at least had a great time doing it. We were very excited to have one of our favorite models return. She is very lovely and took some great poses. This was done in about an hour or so. I did not get a good likeness at all, but after she left I tried to clean it up and fix the face- though not that I see it here I think the head is still just a touch too big.

Rebecca, 11 x 9, charcoal, © copyright Richard Luschek 2011

Post Season

2011-09-30T21:10:00.001-04:00

I rarely pull of a good design or well thought out picture quickly. The set up of a scene or still life needs to be tinkered with for a while before anything good comes of it.
This spring I did my best to do a still life fast so it could be in the gallery window before opening day of the Cincinnati Reds baseball season.
I set this painting up in a day and finished the picture in a week. It was too big a picture to manage in that amount of time. I even adjusted the composition by adding stuff to it late in the week. First I added the curtain, then the hot dog was added in the last few days.
Revisit that post here.
I just got this painting back from a show at the University Club and seeing it with a fresh eye made me cringe a bit. It was probably not ready to hang in a show.
So, I have set the still life up again, the best I could, and am attempting to make this picture a successful one.

What are the issues with the painting?

Opening Day (1977), 18 x 24, Oil on Linen, ©copyright Richard Luschek 2011

-The main problem I had was that it lacked 'punch'. Basically, it had a weak light effect. Also, the colors seemed a bit boring and seen as local color rather than impressionistically.
-There are too many overly chromatic colors in the edges and not enough bright colors at the center.
-The picture felt out of balance. It looks too heavy on the left side. That space in the upper right was begging for attention, so much that it drew attention.

I actually have had a lot of fun diving back into this picture. I am being less precious about it. I am able to ignore whether or not I am being accurate and concentrating on the quality of the end result. Setting up a still life months later is pretty much impossible to match exactly. As the light and scene are a bit different, I can only take bits and pieces, using the still life as a suggestion.
I have begun to address all the issues I had with the painting and will discuss them more thoroughly when I finish.
Here is the updated image as of yesterday.

Opening Day (1977), 18 x 24, Oil on Linen, ©copyright Richard Luschek 2011

Other than the obvious stuff, like raising the top of the hat and adding the team photo, I have been softening edges to add some breadth to the picture while strengthening edges, chroma and values in the center.
The team photo is barely past a lay-in stage, so it will need a bit more work, though I will do my best to keep it loose so it does not draw too much attention.
I think it is much improved.

Here Comes the Judge

2011-09-19T11:20:00.002-04:00

The Innocent Eye Test
Mark Tansey, 1981

Yesterday I had the honor of judging the 6th Annual Exhibition for the CPSA (Colored Pencil Society of America) District Chapter 119. The show was located in the Sharon Center in Sharon Woods and will be open September 17th 30th, from 10:00-5:00.
I have judged a few shows before and it is not an easy job. I was asked a few times at the opening if I worked in Colored Pencil. I do not. I have of course used them, but never for finished work. That being said, I judged the work under the same standards that I would when viewing any other work.
One does not need to bring in a cow to judge a painting of cows, as in the Mark Tansey painting above.

I gave a small talk at the show and I discussed my method for selecting the winners.
1)Composition. This is where I started in the process. Did the picture have a pleasing and lovely arranged abstraction of shapes on the page? Was there a good and strong center of interest?
2)Color. I think most good work has some Red, Yellow and Blue- meaning, is there color variety (unlike the painting above). Now, I do not mean specifically those colors, but at least colors in those primary families. So more specifically, something Reddish, something Blueish, and something in the Yellow family.
In addition, the color arrangement should be harmonious and pleasing. Usually, one color is prominent, and the rest are there to feature the "star" color and help set it off.
3)Breadth and Atmosphere. This is the area where drawing and painting can separate itself from photography. If drawing it the interpretation of form, a successful piece must be considered in this way. By carefully managing the relative hardness and softness of edges, the painter can direct the eye and begin to create the illusion of form. I will say this was the one thing most difficult to find while judging this show. Colored pencil, by its very nature, lends itself to extreme detail and sharp edges. It can lead to an image that is hyper-focused and flattened. If I could pick any one thing lacking throughout the show, this would be it. A lot of work would have been greatly improved had there been more soft edges and atmosphere. I would imagine much of the work in the show was completed by copying photos, which are not form, but flat images. A lot of the work would have benefited from more study from life.
4)Subject matter was my final consideration. I did look at mood, story, and the clearness of the message. If I was at all confused about the subject of the picture, it got crossed off the list. While subject is important, it must be clearly stated through good composition, pleasing color, and breadth of treatment. To do otherwise would be like writing a book full of misspellings and bad grammar.
This was a good show and I had fun judging the show, meeting the artists and talking to them about their work- congratulations to all the winners.
First- Cecile Baird "Twisted Lemon"
Second- Tom Kinarney - " In the Woods"
Third- Cheryl Metzger- "Puppy Dog Tales"
Honorable mentions:
Jean Malicoat- "On the Chopping Block"
Margi Hopkins " Hot Dog"
Marcia Greenwald " All That Jazz"
Nancy Pugliano "Cherries"
Janice Glaser "First Taste of Snow"

Ten Years Later

2011-09-11T22:04:00.000-04:00

Of course we are all reflecting on this terrible day in American history. I thought I would post some of my experiences from that memorable week.

Avenue in the Rain by Childe Hassam (1917)

It was going to be a memorable day for me no matter the events that occurred that morning in Manhattan. I happened to packing my car getting ready to drive 900 plus miles to New Hampshire. I had only been married 3 years to my wife when I got the idea in my head that I needed some serious training if I wanted to be a painter. Laura was very supportive in this decision and traveled with me to Italy to look at a few Ateliers. Oddly, I chose The Paul Ingbretson School of Drawing and Painting in Manchester, New Hampshire without having visited it. It came highly recommended by Carl Samson.
I would like to stress, that I am not much of a traveler. I am also not a very good driver (I was in an accident just a week before- having driven into the side of a tour bus). So the idea of leaving my new wife in Cincinnati, while I drive 900 miles to a place I had never been, not knowing a soul, with no arrangements for a place to live, for an undetermined period of time was pretty daunting already. The plan was to leave early on September 11. As Laura and I where busy packing the car, I decided to check my email and received one from a friend in Sweden asking "What the hell is going on in NY?" I had no idea.
We turned on the news and so ended the preparations for the trip. We were glued to the TV the rest of the day.
I won't go on about that day, as we all had similar feelings of shock and fear. I did not leave that day. I think it was a few days later before I finally decided the world was not ending and it was relatively safe to leave. One thing that sticks in my mind about the drive, was to listening to the radio discussing the events and heroic rescue attempts at the site. A few times it was too much and I worked to find any station that was just playing music. It seemed most of the time I was able to find a 70's rock station that was not playing too much news. The nonstop coverage on the stations was just too intense. It is hard to drive if you are crying.

I finally made it to my new home away from home, arriving at the studio the next day. I was of course very anxious in a new place but it only got worse when I was meet at the studio door by a student. I was lucky enough to meet the only student, in Paul's 20 years of teaching, to have been kicked out of the school. He was actually voted out by the other students. He was there packing up his stuff to leave and was not happy about it. There was no one else in the studio.He was very excited to learn that I was also from Ohio and then went on a tirade about how everyone in the studio was of "noble blood", unlike us Ohioans. He said they were all going to look down on me as being a "lowly Midwesterner". I began to wonder if I had made a terrible mistake.
He took me on a tour of the area and then out for a beer. He spent the evening telling how he was going to be the next Michelangelo and that he was kicked out of the studio because everyone including Paul was intimidated by him. He also went on and on about how the events of 9/11 were the beginning of a holy war started by Louis Farrakhan and that we should both go sign up with the military to fight the fight. He kept asking me if I loved my wife. If I did, I should go home to her.
This was not what I was expecting to find when I got to the studio. Now, I am a pretty good judge of character and had figured out that this fellow had some issues. Turns out he had a lot of issues. He was very sick and troubled and left offensive and threatening messages on the studio voice mail for years- some mentioning UFO's, black helicopters and Gandalf.
After he finally left for the evening, I was alone in the studio to sleep on the couch as it stormed outside. It really was a surreal evening.

Well, once that "introduction" was over, the next morning I finally meet Paul and his students. As soon as Paul began to speak I knew I was in the right place. The students were all there for the same reason, to study the art and craft of painting. We were all there to learn how to see the beauty in the world and represent that beauty on the canvas.
As I reflect on the events of ten years ago and the days following, I have mixed feelings. Of course that day changed things for all of us, but for me it was also the beginning of a life long struggle for Truth and Beauty.

Art Students- then and now.

2011-08-24T12:46:00.001-04:00

The title of this blog post was going to be "OH MY GOD! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH THE WORLD?! WE ALL DESERVE TO DIE IN SOME SORT OF TERRIBLE AND PAINFUL FIERY APOCALYPSE! SINNERS! SINNERS!!!"

I thought that title may be overly dramatic, so I went with "Art Students -Then and Now".
Why am I all worked up again, you are asking. Well, today it started with a post I saw on the site ArtDaily.org. This is a site which posts the terribly infuriating and sad news of the arts today. "Why torture myself by reading this" you ask? Well, it does occasionally have some sort of interesting bits of news about museum shows, artists, archeological discoveries or art auctions. The rest of the stuff .........

I am not a fan of BS. If I were I would have gone into politics.
Truth is beautiful in life and in art. I respect art and artists that follow that model. The rest I dare say borders on being evil. Most contemporary art today is closer to vandalism than it is anything else.

Just to set the tone: In reading a book on one of my favorite artists, Jean-Baptiste Chardin, there were some quotes by him discussing the hard work involved in becoming a painter. He talked being a young student in dusty academies with backs bent over drawing boards copying from the antique and from nature. The years and years of hard work he put into his studies before he was able to paint beautiful pictures. The genius of Chardin owes much to the training and study he received.
Below is a painting by Chardin of an eager art student working diligently.

Fast forward 300 years.
Here is a photo I found today on Art Daily of art students in training.
These are students of the Royal Academy of Visual Art in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Let me repeat that... " THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF VISUAL ART!"
Below we see the eager students "diligently" participating in a "Graphic Design workshop".

They are hard at work with an improvised drawing tool. To quote directly from ArtDaily.org - "Pencils, pens and brushes are stuck to a vibrator that makes drawings on the paper. At the start of the new school year students participate in all kinds of workshops."

I bet they do.
I don't really have to say much more do I? This is not drawing, this is not training, nor does this fit my definition of "Royal" or "Academy". It is a self important playground for a culture with too much free time and too little respect for beauty and truth.

The only thing that should be vibrating on the end of a pencil is an eager and intelligent art student with respect and love for the world around them.

Of course there are schools out there that offer training similar to that received by Chardin. They are not in Universities, Academies or Colleges, they are private training studios. Though they are rarely, if ever mention on Art Daily.org. If you want good training, find artist you like and go study with them. If they hand you a sex toy during a drawing class, ask for your money back and contact your lawyer.

I am still waiting for that fiery Apocalypse.

Framing Options

2011-08-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

Last post I discussed my newest painting. I have been trying to do standard size paintings so I can easily get frames, but this time I strayed from that promise to myself and painted an arched painting for which a special frame was needed.
I thought I would post the process for making these special frames.You can follow along and make some yourself, though it would be best that you have some basic knowledge of woodworking and own a few tools. If you don't, I suggest you make friends with someone that does- Oh, and by the way. I don't mean me. I have enough friends and this blog post is as far as I am willing to go.

Basic idea here is to take a frame you already have, place a panel in the frame where the painting would normally go, then cut a new opening for a smaller picture. This can be done for any size or shape. This time we will be making an arched insert. I really enjoy the arched top paintings. It is a pleasant shape in which I enjoy composing.
If you have a lot of frames hanging around the studio this also opens up your options. Sometimes a frames is not quite the right size or shape. I have quite the collection of old frames and am adding to that pile all the time. Small paintings often feel better with a big frame on. So you can take a 6 x 8 painting, using one of these panels to add an inch all around, and now the painting and panel will fit an 8 x 10 frame (did that make sense?)

After showing the steps to make the insert I will show you how to apply a painted finish. One "do it yourself" frame finish I am almost always happy with is the flat black, hand rubbed finish. I will explain how that is done at the end of this demonstration.

Below is a frame I purchased for $20 at Castner Frames. It is for a 16 x 12 picture, the opening is 15 1/4 by 11 1/4. For my 13 x 9 painting with an arched top, this frame will work perfectly. I just need to make an insert. This is basically like making a fancy matte for a frame out of wood. While I am doing this for an arched top frame, it can be done for a square or oval picture.

Step one- Cut your insert:
I will start with a quote by Norm Abram, one of my heroes. "Before we use any power tools, let's take a moment to talk about shop safety. Be sure to read, understand, and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools properly will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury. And remember this: there is no more important safety rule than to wear these — safety glasses."

I have a 16 x 12" frame, so with the rabbit in the back I need and insert that will fit. Measure its exact size to be sure. For my insert I use a material called MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard). It is like a hard cardboard, made of paper fiber, wax and resin. It cuts like wood and takes paint well. You can buy handy 2' x4' sheets at most hardware stores. For these panels I normally like to use 1/2" thick, but all I had was 3/4". Either thickness will work.
I cut a piece to fit tightly in the frame rabbet- make sure it is square (you can check the diagonals, corner to corner, making sure those measurements are equal). I used a table saw, but a jig saw will work. I penciled out the size and shape of the new opening on the panel, making sure to center it. I drilled holes in the corners big enough to accept the jig saw blade.

Step Two- Cut out opening:
I use my trusty Jig Saw to follow the line as closely as I can.

Step 3- Smooth the cuts:
Using wood files and sand paper (100 grit) I sand the cut edges smooth. This step is important, so spend the time to get this right. You want smooth edged and nice curve. The saw is not exacting and will need to be cleaned up. I have an orbital sander that helped speed things up. Be careful to not sand at an angle or dig into the corners.
Step 4:- Route the edges:
You will of course need a router and a few bits. You need one bit for the edge that meets the painting. I used a simple cove bit- shown below on the right. A rabbet bit is used to cut the space in the back of the panel for the painting to fit into. The 45 degree chamfer bit eases the outside edge of the back of the panel were it fits into the frame. This is not necessary, but since I had a larger 3/4 thick board it just looked better. Read all safety precautions when doing this step. MDF resins contain small amounts of Formaldehyde, so wear a mask with cutting and sanding.

If you do not have a router, you could probably file an edge on the front as a transition, and just use z clamps to attach the painting to the back without a rabbet. This will take some time to get your hand filed edge even, but it could be done.

Step 5- Chisel the corners:
The router bits are of course round, resulting in rounded corners. You can leave them, but I think it looks cheap. I use a straight edge to mark off squared edges and use carving chisels to cut them square. I first cut straight into the corner, with a straight blade. Next I carefully make slight cuts on the squared lines I drew. Use the rounded chisel to ease out the material from that corner until it looks like a smooth transition. Sanding is usually required to clean things up. Go slow, as it is easier to take off more than to add some back.

Step 6- Suck it up and don't be a wuss.
Sorry for the graphic nature of the next image, but I want to demonstrate two things. One, that you need to be careful when using sharp chisels, always cutting away from your hand. Second, I wanted you to see what a total bad ass I am.
Did I stop here? No, I continued on like a man.

Yeah, Sorry about that Norm.

Step 7- Attach insert into frame:
You need to attach the MDF insert into the frame. I used pocket screws, being careful to not screw through the front of the frame. I have done this before. When this happens it is followed by about 15 minutes of profanity, and an extra 30 minutes of work repairing the frame. You can glue the insert in, use nails or just use z brackets as if you were putting a painting in the frame. I also fill the screw holes so it looks better. Not necessary unless you have OCD like I do. Finally, go over the frame, sand any sharp edges front and back, fill any holes and generally make sure the frame is ready for paint. I clean off any dust with a rag or tack cloth.

Step 8- Prime and paint:
I used Red Iron Oxide primer in a spray can to coat the frame. I suggest you do this step outside if you can. You will find any remaining imperfections after you prime it. You can fill and sand those and then prime it again. I usually paint the front and back making sure to cover all the edges. The MDF will suck up a lot of paint. Painting them will make the fibers swell on the edges a bit. Sanding and priming a few times will get them very smooth. After the primer dries (usually I wait 24 hours) I coat it with a fast drying ultra flat black. One trick I do, is to force the paint to crack. I like this look as it adds age and variety. If you want some cracked or wrinkled looked to the finish, Look for a can with instructions suggesting you recoat it withing two hours or to wait 5 days. Paint will continue to cure even after it is dry to the touch. The paint is still uncured enough within two hours to accept a second coat. The paint will tighten and move as it cures for days. I disobey the directions and paint it after the suggested time. I wait about 4 hours and then spray it with a heavy coat, being careful to not get any runs. I paint heavier on the larger flat surfaces. This top coat which dries and shrinks faster than the under coat will start to crack in a few minutes. This is not an exact science, but it almost always works. I will say on this frame I got just a bit carried away. I prefer the cracking to be a bit more subtle.

Here is the frame after a final coat. You can click for a close up view to see how the paint cracked.

Step 9- Silver leafed edge and Final finishing :
I decided to add a silver leaf edge. There is a silver coffee pot in the painting so it will match. A leafed edge can help ease the transition from the frame to painting. I am not a leafing expert. This topic would require its own blog post. I suggest you look elsewhere for gold or silver leaf advice. If you want you can also paint the edge silver or gold. At times that looks almost as good.
I lightly sand the frame, especially the raised edges slightly to get through the black paint to the red primer. This gives it some age, distress and variety. The final step is to use butchers wax. Most hardware stores should carry the wax. Using a clean rag, I scoop up some wax, giving it a nice even coat. I then use Rotten stone, a gray powder used for polishing. I use that to dust the corners and draw around the edges with a brush that has been dipped in the power. Blow off the excess. After the wax as set up a bit, I take a clean soft cloth and buff the frame. It will get a very deep shinny finish. I leave the rotten stone in the corners. It will stick to the wax and give it an aged look that I like. You can see that powder stuck in the cracked paint as well.

On the back I add the picture wire and the z clips for holding the painting.

Here it is all put together.
I really should stop making frames and just paint more pictures- but wasn't that fun?

To Do List

2011-07-31T22:37:00.001-04:00

The Late Night, 13"x9", oil on linen, 2011, ©Richard Luschek

I just finished this painting the other day and thought I would post some process shots. I am quite pleased with this painting. It has a very comfortable color harmony. I had an arched frame for this piece, though once again I did the painting out too close to the edge of the canvas, so the frame I had cut off some parts I was not happy with. I had to build a new frame for the painting. I will post the process of making the frame some time this week.

The sketch:
I was up late drinking a lot of coffee. I like coffee, but this night it was to keep me fired up so I could get a pile of illustrations done on time. All my coffee cups were getting stacked up and I really like the rhythm they created. At first I thought the joy I felt from this visual phenomenon was mostly as a result of my caffeine overdose, but the next day after I got out of bed and returned to the desk I was still impressed with the arrangement. As I often do, I screamed out "I shall paint that!"
The next day in the studio I tried to recreate the scene. I enjoyed the curves and movement with all three stacked up, but was a bit much. I played around with a set up for a while till I got something I was happy with. I then did a color sketch on my Nintendo DS.

Day 1:
I am painting on oil primed linen glued to a birch panel. I set up the still life and was going to just dive in, but I got side tracked and had less than two hours to paint before I would loose my light. I decided to lay it in quickly using only burnt sienna. I don't usually do that, but I wanted to mass it in and I knew it would go faster in monochrome.

Day 2:
After it dried I made sure to go in on the second day and cover the canvas as best I could. I felt it was one of the better lay ins I had done- meaning, it had fairly accurate color and value notes and just enough drawing.

Day 3:
A short day, just refining some of the forms and correcting the drawing.

Day 4:
Bringing it into focus, I add details as needed. I had a group coming to the studio and I thought it would be fun to play a trick on one of my friends by adding an item to my "to do" list. I quickly painted "Kill Clem" on the painting. It was an hour into our sketch group before anyone noticed. I was thinking I should paint this message into all of my work.

Day 5:
More finishing and refining. Of course I removed the "Kill Clem" joke and repainted the pad to get more of a light effect in the center of the picture. The coffee had evaporated and was covered in mold, so I cleaned the cup, added more coffee and repainted the cup on the right.

Day 6- The Final Day:
I now decided I needed to finish the picture with some text. I made up a To Do list, wrote it on the pad in the still life and then did my best to copy it. I did not want the text to be readable, but to just appear as if it could be read. After this I realized the red vertical strip on the right was too dark and chromatic, so I lightened it a bit. Checking it for any other issues I realized the perspective on the cup was off. I repainted it again correcting the curves. A few tweaks and I had all I wanted. I then crossed this painting off my To Do list.

Death of a Modern Realist

2011-07-22T09:15:00.001-04:00

Lucian Freud died this week at the age of 88.

During my time studying 'art' in college, Freud was one of two living realist painters we were encouraged to look at. Odd Nerdrum and Lucian Freud were two painters that managed to straddle realism and the modern in an art world too tired and self important for truth in painting. Since I believed the sole purpose of art was a faithful representation of nature's beauty, study them I did.

While I must admit, after moving out of the study of 'art' and into my study of painting, I do not look at the work of Freud much these days. He was a realist for sure. His paintings are studies of life with crumbly, thick surfaces which are something to behold in person. You can see the journey, the study and the learning. He painted his subject warts and all. As a result he was a brutal painter. His work is often not pleasing. He never idealized his subjects, he painted what he saw. I think it is important to note that he did not refer to his models as "nude" but preferred the term "naked".
He was a hero for me in college, as living heroes were hard to come by. I still admire his work. When you look at a Freud painting you have to wonder if it is about the struggle the artist had visually or if it was something else in the painter. It is not surprising that the grandson of Sigmund Freud's would be so psychological but it often results in paintings that are not fun to look at. They tend to be confrontational and uncomfortable, much like listening in on a therapy session.

A few quotes from Freud:

"A painter must think of everything he sees as being there entirely for his own use and pleasure. The artist who tries to serve nature is only an executive artist. And, since the model he so faithfully copies is not going to be hung up next to the picture, since the picture is going to be there on its own, it is of no interest whether it is an accurate copy of the model. Whether it will convince or not depends entirely on what it is in itself, what is there to be seen."

"Painters who use life itself as their subject-matter, working with the subject in front of them, or constantly in mind, do so in order to translate life into art almost literally, as it were.....it is this very knowledge of life which can give art complete independence from life, an independence that is necessary because the picture, in order to move us, must never merely remind us of life, but must acquire a life of its own..."

Bridesmade Revisited

2011-07-10T08:50:00.000-04:00

My painting A Monster Attacks At Breakfast has been selected as a finalist in the Still Life/Floral category of The Artist's Magazine 28th Annual Art Competition. As a finalist my name will be featured in the December 2011 issue of the magazine.
So, that is three years in a row. It is of course an honor to be selected but I was hoping to win fabulous prizes. Oh well, there is always Next Year!

BS Creator

2011-06-20T13:27:00.000-04:00

I was recently asked to write an artist statement for a show I was to be part of. I declined and just sent the painting sans statement-The work speaks for itself- at least it should. I could write some flowery prose that speaks the obvious, but I am not one to do that sort of thing. I like subtlety and truth. Artists statements do not usually contain either of those things. I suppose you could argue that I am not writing a relevant artist statement then. That I should take the time to craft a statement that has all the things I cherish.
I have done so. This time I suppose I was just not in the mood.

Someone recently sent me a link to the following website with an artist statement creator that I found pretty entertaining. I thought I would share. Now if such an issue ever comes up again, I can use this technological marvel to create my own.
Click the following link:
INSTANT ARTIST STATEMENT

Here is a photo of some terrible artwork followed by one of these "artist" statements to help you understand it. It works!

"The above work explores the relationship between acquired synesthesia and urban spaces.

With influences as diverse as Nietzsche and John Cage, new synergies are crafted from both explicit and implicit meanings.

Ever since I was a teenager I have been fascinated by the traditional understanding of the human condition. What starts out as triumph soon becomes corrupted into a cacophony of greed, leaving only a sense of decadence and the prospect of a new beginning.

As shifting impressions become transformed through boundaried and personal practice, the viewer is left with an impression of the inaccuracies of our world."

William McGregor Paxton

2011-06-12T00:06:00.001-04:00

I posted this article in another blog to which I will be an occasional contributor. I thought while I was at it, I would post it here. This is an article written by the teacher of my teacher, Paul Ingbretson. The author Gammell has written some great books of which I have mentioned here.

William McGregor Paxton
by
R. H. Ives Gammell

Les Poetes, devant mes grandes attitudes,
Que j'ai l'air d'emprunter aux plus fiers monuments,
Consummeront leurs jours en d'austeres etudes,
-Baudelaire, La Beaute

Introductory Essay on Impressionism

In 1977, as I write this introduction to a biography of William Paxton, a resurgence of interest in the American painters who were prominent during the closing decades of the nineteenth century and the first two of the twentieth is already under way. This entirely predictable revival conforms to a general pattern which has repeated itself again and again throughout the history of European art. When a succession of painters carried a particular interpretation of visual experience to a high level over a period of years, usually approximating three generations, there occurs a shift in esthetic values sufficiently marked to deflect the oncoming young into paths differing sharply from those followed by their immediate predecessors. The painters recently most admired are banished, contemned for a while and soon forgotten. Then, with the passing of another sixty years or so, the momentarily discredited school is brought out for reappraisal, their pictures are seen in a fresh light and each artist's reputation stands or falls in accordance with the actual merit of his work as that becomes apparent in the perspective of time.

The Crystal, 1900
Estate of the Artist

When the current manifestation of this familiar cycle runs it course Paxton will emerge as an arresting and significant figure. Historically his pictures will be seen as the ultimate and most uncompromising expression of the concept of painting which was reanimated in France during the last third of the nineteenth century. By the time Paxton returned from Paris in 1893 this pictorial orientation, now quite universally called impressionism by a usage which simply broadens the implications of a singularly felicitous word coined to ridicule the painters of Claude Monet's circle who were also working for similar objectives, was widely regarded by painters as the culmination of the art they practiced. Given its most complete expression in the art of Velasquez, who is still its greatest exemplar, its aim has ever been to convey on canvas the impression made on the painter by the subject he elects to depict. To the impressionist the splendor of the visible world as it appears to his sensitized vision surpasses in aesthetic significance and beauty anything that man can invent. His creed by no means belittles the essential role played by the artist in the making of a work of art, a role which is perceptible throughout in his selection, arrangement, emphasis and handling, but he never ceases to feel that the visible world before his eyes provides the surest guidance and criterion. From which it follows that the ability to see and to render truthfully the appearance of things is the prime qualification of the impressionist painter. After he has acquired the ability to do these things well, his stature as an artist will ultimately be determined by his personality. The training of painters in the western tradition was based on this principle from the time of Masaccio and Van Eyck until the twentieth century.

An aim of this book is to point out the role played by the impressionist attitude throughout the history of Western painting and in Paxton's relation to its last great flowering. For the art of painting can no more be divorced from its impressionist factor and survive than literature could continue deprived of the descriptive uses of language. When a vital element of a great art is momentarily abandoned because of some passing freak of esthetic fashion there is grave danger of its being irrecoverably lost before a reverse trend demonstrates its indispensability. Such losses have occurred in the past with lasting injury to the art of painting. And now today, in the nineteen-seventies the disciplined thinking whereby an artist is enabled to analyze his visual impressions and the complex procedures required to render those impressions on canvas are things known only to a handful of painters, and imperfectly known at that. It is reasonable to suppose that when painters of a future generation seek to rediscover, as they will certainly wish to do, the lore which made nineteenth-century painting possible, they will prize any information susceptible of facilitating their difficult task. To these searchers Paxton's pictures, and especially the thinking and the methods which produced them, should be of outstanding interest, for they represent the summing up of a movement which he understood with exceptional lucidity.

After all, the element in painting which we call impressionism is simply the pictorial expression of an artist's reaction to his visual impressions. The dominant characteristic of the painter, the trait marking him out from other men, has always been an exceptional sensitivity to such impressions. Whenever any painter transcribes a visual impression to paper or canvas, to that extent he is an impressionist. Obviously, then, all painters who have made representation a part of their aim have been, to some degree, impressionists. For many, rendering visual impressions was a minor part of their art or at most it remained ancillary to some other esthetic purpose. But others found the phenomena of the visible world so surprisingly beautiful and fascinating that they devoted their lives to rendering with paint or pencil what they saw, as they saw it, using the other elements of their craft to enhance their portrayal. Painters of this latter sort have now been designated impressionists because no other tide is so descriptive of their aims. To ignore or to belittle the esthetic value of impressionist painting is to reverse judgments which have prevailed over a very long period. To discard the working methods evolved by the impressionist masters is to greatly reduce the scope of painting as an art.

The essential characteristic of the impressionist painter is his attitude to what, in studio parlance, is often called nature. The word "nature" has long been in common use among painters to designate objectively observed aspects of the visible world. These aspects may be compared with an artist's representation of them and, when the representation differs from the thing represented, the divergence may safely be attributed to the artist's defective powers of observation, to the inadequacy of his rendering or to his intentional alteration. Nature provides the starting point of the rendering as well as a criterion by which the truth of the finished product may be judged. The general validity of this criterion has been accepted by virtually all painters of the Western tradition from Giotto to Cezanne. But the impressionist tends to place visual truth ahead of all other pictorial qualities. He does this because the beauty he perceives in nature seems to him of a higher order and of a more deeply satisfying kind than any other. Consequently nature remains his chief source of inspiration and his dominant purpose is to render as faithfully as possible, those aspects which stir him most. He realizes that an aspect is necessarily conditioned by its beholder, without whom it could have no existence at all. He is perfectly aware, too, that this subjective factor modifies his own observation and introduces an element into his rendering which is largely responsible for its artistic validity. So he strives to render his impression of reality, not to create a facsimile of it. But the true impressionist remains humble before nature. And the great practitioners have proclaimed that the more completely they gave themselves to the study of nature the finer were their results, as is attested by a considerable body of tradition based on letters, precepts, anecdotes and studio gossip, as well as by the published writings of painters.

Students of Western painting have observed that periods during which artists were greatly preoccupied with the direct study of nature have alternated with periods when artists fell back upon formulas of representation derived from the work of their predecessors. The nineteenth century, by and large, belongs in the former category. During its first half intensive study of form was carried to a high pitch under the leadership of Ingres and the academic painters of France. This academic art has been so frequently labelled artificial that few people today realize that the idealized forms which its practitioners introduced, when it suited their pictorial purpose, were arrived at by stressing typical structural shapes underlying the idiosyncrasies of the individual model and that this can be done effectively only by a painter who has acquired both a thorough grasp of structure and the ability to set down accurately what he sees. The best nineteenth-century drawing was based on the study of nature and it reached a very high level of draftsmanship. To appreciate this one has but to compare it with the draftsmanship of the late seventeenth and the entire eighteenth centuries until David.

But the chief contribution of nineteenth century painting was the renewed study of color which got under way in the sixties. Landscape painting and the study of color relationships observable in nature out of doors, as demonstrated by the group exhibiting with Claude Monet, brought a new element to the art of painting, an element which actually revolutionized that art and seemed at the time destined to expand its scope immeasurably. We have now so completely assimilated the discoveries of that era that people have forgotten their once revolutionary character. The change which they brought about in our perception of color remains especially evident, of course, in the painting of landscape. More subtle and therefore less perceptible to the untrained eye, but perhaps even more important in its effect on the art of painting, was the change in the painter's perception of flesh-tints. Because the human body, and especially the head, furnishes the most important theme for the painter's art, rendering the subtle and elusive character of flesh has ever been his central problem, the one which has generally been considered the supreme test of his craftsmanship. So a brief examination of the development of flesh painting should lead to a better understanding of the impressionist attitude and of its esthetic contribution.
Painters working before the fifteenth century were content to fill in the outlines of their figures with a conventional tint which could be identified as indicating flesh. Presently the Van Eycks and their followers in Flanders and men like Piero della Francesca in Italy made great advances in this direction. These painters evidently mixed their tones to match actual flesh in light, adding brown or black to suggest the shadows. A little later Leonardo contributed to the understanding of visual impressions by demonstrating that the shadowed parts of an object were those which did not receive direct rays from the main source of light and furthermore that the points at which those rays ceased to illuminate always formed a perceptible line of demarcation between the lighted parts and the shadows. This seemingly self-evident observation constituted probably the greatest single step ever taken in the slow development of man's perception of how things appear to him.

For a time painters merely assimilated Leonardo's discovery with their established practice of coloring flesh. They now set down the shadow area in its full degree of darkness and differentiation, but they made it with a brown or blackish tone which Varied with the individual painter rather than with the lighting conditions of the particular - painting. Indeed, it is notable that very little advance was made in observing the true color of flesh in shadow until the late nineteenth century. But certain colorists began to note the subtle shifts of color observable in flesh in light. The evolution of their observation edged away from a warm tonality toward the balance of cool, pearly tones which we now recognize as the characteristic color of flesh in ordinary daylight. It is fascinating to trace this evolution in the work of the great colorist-innovators, Titian, Veronese, Velasquez, Vermeer and Chardin. The extraordinary distinction of color attained by these painters, of which their treatment of flesh is an outstanding factor, is sufficient proof of the esthetic value of their achievement

The great change in perception of color which took place in the nineteenth century was primarily due, as I have already indicated, to the vogue of plein-air painting. The effort to render brilliant light effects, and especially sunlight, forced painters working out of doors to study color relations as they had never been studied before. Their researches led to the adoption of methods now familiar to all, such as the use of more or less pure tones in juxtaposed touches. Although the more extreme of these methods soon fell into disuse they served to make painters aware of color variations to which they had formerly been blind and this awareness came to be partially shared by the public. Plein-air painting became a necessary part of the professional painter's training and the acuity of vision which he developed out of doors affected the work he did indoors as well. He saw that things were colored very differently from the way they had previously been depicted and that they looked vastly more beautiful and exciting to the eye. Small wonder that the painters who were young during the eighties and nineties felt that a new world of painting had opened before them in whose untrodden paths they were destined for great adventures. Yet in less than sixty years the movement engendered by the new perception had petered out. A new generation of painters repudiated its objectives and dismissed the great traditions, visual and technical, from which those of nineteenth-century impressionism had been derived.

Why did this happen? It is sometimes argued that nineteenth-century impressionism destroyed more than it came to fulfill. For reasons inherent in the social and artistic conditions of the times, impressionism developed in opposition to the so-called academic painting, whose erudition and traditional craftsmanship the impressionists attacked and eventually discredited. By so doing the innovators cut themselves off from a vast body of knowledge which some few of them could afford to ignore as individuals but which the art of painting could not dispense with without serious injury to its development. Another causative factor of its early decline lay in certain characteristics of the movement itself. Absorbed as they were in the study of color, of light and of atmospheric effect, the impressionists tended to neglect the study of form, a neglect which resulted in the rapid deterioration of their standards of draftsmanship. Moreover, their emphasis on the immediate impression, on direct notation in the presence of nature, often under uncomfortable working conditions, led them to improvise the composition of their pictures, thereby discarding the carefully considered preliminary studies of their predecessors. Furthermore, this art of observation and interpretation turned its back on the imaginative side of painting. A movement which should have greatly increased the resources of painting, enlarging the scope and possibilities of the art, by cutting itself off from the central tradition of which it was an offshoot, brought about its own decline. The painters who grew up during the earlier years of impressionism and who therefore still benefited by the broad and sound training of the old schools produced fine pictures, but each succeeding generation gave evidence of an ever narrowing outlook and of a weaker technical equipment. By the nineteen-twenties the prevailing concept of painting had become so limited and its techniques so feeble that a violent reaction of some sort was inevitable. It gave us Modern Art.

Nineteenth-century impressionism will always be studied for the great pictures that came out of it. When the sterile representational conventions in vogue at the present moment are outworn, painters will turn to the great protagonists of impressionism in an endeavor to rediscover the lost art of painting. They will study the nineteenth-century painters for the skills which were their special province. But .the painters of the future will also study nineteenth-century impressionism as a step towards understanding the still greater impressionism of the seventeenth century. It is a hopeless task to emulate the great masters of that time without first acquiring the more readily accessible knowledge of the recent painters who best understood the objectives of their great predecessors. This has been abundantly demonstrated in our time by the persons who profess to paint "in the manner of' one or another old master but who are quite incapable of making a passable rendering direct from nature. Their would-be pastiches of the old masters are acceptable only to themselves and to their disciples.

The pictures, ideas and methods of William Paxton should be of exceptional interest to future students. In several respects his position was unique. He received his early training at a time when drawing was still insisted upon and he was well taught. His first teachers were Dennis Bunker and Jean-Leon Gerome. Their training, superimposed upon his remarkable natural gift for drawing, enabled Paxton to retain a sure grasp of form while pursuing the most subtle color effects. He thus escaped the major defect which too often mars the pictures of his contemporaries. By temperament an impressionist and living in a period when the impressionist ideal was universally accepted, Paxton dedicated his powers to setting down on canvas the beauty he found so stirring in nature, which he looked at with eyes of very exceptional sensitiveness and accuracy. It is not an exaggeration to say that he accomplished his object more completely and faultlessly than any other painter who worked in the color-scale evolved in the late nineteenth century. Paxton's pictures may be taken as examples of the ultimate limit to which that kind of painting can be carried.

Cherry or The Gay Nineties, 1906

Estate of the Artist

As a conclusion to and a commentary on the great impressionist movement of the nineteenth century Paxton's pictures are eminently worth studying. But they will also be highly prized as paintings. When an artist has been deeply moved by some aspect of life and has devoted his energies with undeviating sincerity to expressing his reaction to that aspect and when such a man also succeeds in giving to his expression an artistic form of great technical perfection his pictures are sure to hold the enduring interest of posterity. The principle will hold in William Paxton's case as it has in others throughout the history of painting.

Upcoming Shows

2011-05-30T22:31:00.000-04:00

Happy Memorial Day.
I have a few current and upcoming shows I thought I should mention.

Manifest Gallery

2727 Woodburn Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio

7th Annual MAGNITUDE 7
Drawing Room and Parallel Space Gallery
Exhibit continues: May 28 - June 24, 2011

Every year Manifest calls for little works of art from around the world. Each exhibit brings in hundreds of powerful yet diminutive masterpieces for our jury to consider. Inevitably we end up with a gallery full of diverse, compelling, and exquisite little gems. Manifest’s patrons eagerly await the Magnitude 7 event, thrilling to discover the variety and charm of so many little creative treasures.
We are delighted to offer this annual exhibit of works no larger than seven inches in any dimension - our collection of visual haiku.
For this seventh incarnation of the project 349 artists submitted 801 works for consideration by Manifest's rigorous jury process. Forty-one works by the following 24 artists from 15 states and the Bahamas, Canada, and China were selected for presentation in the gallery and catalog. Works on view throughout two galleries will include paintings, mixed media, drawings, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, digital drawing, and more.
401 East 4th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

University Club of Cincinnati
401 East 4th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Above is an illustration I did for the last show I was in at the University Club. My lovely wife Laura posed for the personification of art and beauty for the cover of the catalog. I did portraits of all the artist as well- my profile pic on this blog is one of those portraits.

It is a great place to show work and it has a great history. I also get to wear a tux to the opening. I will have around ten paintings in the show.

This is a group show that opens on the June 4th. The opening is for members only, but after that you can visit the show at the club down town. As it is a private club, they have a dress code. I think men need a jacket to get in the club. Don't drop in without a shirt wearing flip flops. I suggest you call first- 513- 721-2600.
This show will feature other noted Cincinnati Artists, Jeff Gandert- current artist in residence of the club, Carl Samson, Bruce Petrie and Clem Robins.
The club also has a wonderful permanent collection- I think they even have a painting by my buddy in the photo below. I think this show will run for about 2 months.

Duveneck & Friends
Cincinnati Art Galleries

Here is a very nice photo of Duveneck and I. We will be showing together downtown. It really is quite and honor to show with Mr. Duveneck.

225 East Sixth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(513) 381-2128
A show of select paintings from Cincinnati Art Club members.
I will have a diptych in this show- two small still life paintings. The Club will also display several Duveneck paintings from the permanent collection.
The opening is June 10th, 5 to 8 pm. The show runs through July 8th.

Elevating the Figure

2011-05-27T00:04:00.001-04:00

I have been wanting to build a new model stand for a while. The one I had in the studio did the trick, but it was too small, a bit rickety, and was just not fancy enough- it's main fault being that I did not build it. I wanted the new one to be a bit bigger for reclining poses- so I got to work.
I am a bit of a pack rat. I have a room in the basement that is basically an old furniture grave yard (this room is right around the corner from the stone, glass, and tile room and the old frame room). Part of my collection of junk were some wonderful old carved legs, just the right height for a model stand. I am guessing they are from a pool table. I found them in a house that a friend bought at a police auction. The previous owner had just walked out one day and it was left full of junk. The thick wood top I found on a drive home one day sitting in the garbage. One great reason to drive a van. The drawers are from a very old priest's wardrobe I got out of an abandoned convent that I was looking into renting for studio space. This wardrobe had 7 huge drawers- 53 by 35. I had them all stored up in the rafters of my garage. They were very old and in bad shape, so I had to bust them apart and use the parts to make new drawers which ended up being 24" wide and 32" deep. A great size for storing drawings. Everything had to be sanded down and refinished. The sides and back of the basic box of the stand are made with 2x4's. I sanded and filled them and did my best to fancy them up with face frames and trim.

Is that not an awesome drawer?

Below is the model stand before I stained and clear coated it. I believe the top is poplar, 2x4s are pine and the legs are some sort of mahogany. I had to stain it in layers and use a tinted polyurethane to get an even color.

The only thing I had to buy for this model stand was a sheet of plywood for the bottom platform and large bolts to attach the legs to it. Everything else was reclaimed wood. It is a very Green model stand.
I am looking forward to putting it to use this Tuesday.
The basic dimensions of this stand, if you are interested in building your own is 35" deep, and 58" long. It is 20" tall, a great height for portrait, as the seated model will be at eye level.
Just looking at this beauty makes you want to disrobe and pose on it's finely finished surface. Feel free to stop by the studio and do so.

Signature Member Show

2011-05-18T14:17:00.000-04:00

I am in a show at the Cincinnati Art Club. I submitted a small still life. Stop in and have a look. I have mentioned before just how fancy it is to be Signature Member.

SIGNATURE MEMBER SPRING EXHIBITION AND SALE
==========OPEN TO THE PUBLIC=========

Friday, May 13 .........6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Opening reception
Yeah, I know, we missed it.
But........
The Show continues Saturdays and Sundays:

May 14, 15, 21, 22, 2011 .....................l:00 - 4:00 p.m.

The Cincinnati Art Club is located at the foot of Mt. Adams at the corner
of Parkside Place and Martrin Drive. Our nearby neighbors are Playhouse
in the Park and Krohn Conservatory.

Use www.Mapquest.com for directions from your home
to 1021 Parkside Place, Cincinnati, Oh 45202

Here is the painting I entered:

The Force And A Can Of Soup, 8 x10, oil on panel, 2011, © Richard Luschek

Turning Japanese

2011-05-03T13:47:00.001-04:00

After 12 sessions with a great model and new friend, I did my best to finish up a portrait I have been working on sporadically for the past few months. I would have like a bit more time as I was just starting to figure things out but I feel pretty good about the results.
I learned a few things while working on this portrait- first, the sessions with the model would probably be best if they were shorter. Posing is hard work, and the model starts to get tired towards the end. So, two hours seems to be the limit- of course the other option is to work three hours but use the last hour to paint the clothing and surroundings while the model struggles to stay awake- and most sitters seems to do so.

I also learned that I still am not seeing "big" enough. I still am looking in, painting stuff rather than shapes of values. It's a life-long struggle I suppose.

The other thing I had a tough time with on this painting was the control of edge quality. I still feel, the edge under the chin is a bit too strong. I may go back in and soften that edge a bit.

Midori, 20 x 16, oil on linen, 2011, ©copyright Richard Luschek 2011

Here is the charcoal drawing I did the first session. You can see it has been a while and her hair has changed a bit. I just moved things around till I was happy. I liked her hair a bit longer and the strand of hair was distracting, so I took it out.

2011-04-22T11:09:00.000-04:00

I thought I would post these pie charts my friend Bruce Erikson sent me.

To be honest, as much as this chart is meant to be a cute joke, it is pretty much dead on. There are many folks calling themselves artists who could not draw their way out of a paper bag- many even teach college courses.
Interestingly, most painters that can draw and paint know that all good painting begins in the abstract. I good start on a painting should have accurate, color, value, and approximate placement. What I mean by approximate placement is that the basic composition, shapes of light and dark, should be down. Any strong reading edges are indicated, but much else is very loosely stated. The early stages of a painting are abstract. Let's get professorishy and state the dictionary definition of the work abstract: expressing a quality or characteristic apart from any specific object. So, it has the qualities of, but not the specifics.
Now the fine art definition: of or pertaining to the formal aspect of art, emphasizing lines, colors, generalized or geometrical forms, etc., especially with reference to their relationship to one another. Also a good description. It is about the shapes of value and color that make up a picture that will make up a likeness. Shapes and masses that do not add up to a likeness are not something I am interested in, to me it the equivalent to gibberish in writing. Just my humble opinion, which if you read this blog, you know is always right.

Here is another funny pie chart.

If you have told anyone you are an artist, you have likely heard at least a few of these. Of course I would add the phrase "Too bad you ain't going to make no money till you be dead."

Cut and Paste

2011-04-15T17:55:00.000-04:00

My most recent painting needed a frame. 18" x 24" is a fairly common standard size- meaning you can easily find frames for it. I had a very nice frame of that size sitting around that I have been wanting to use but the style was just too fancy. I decided to go with a simple wood frame. This is a style of frame that I have been using a lot lately and are made by local painter and frame builder Joe Stewart.
He had one in stock and dropped it off at the studio this weekend. It looked great on the painting. Only problem was that the opening was very close to 18 " and the painting was a bit bit less than that. So, once in the frame it was just a bit too small.
There are really only 3 ways to fix this- a new frame of the exact size, add a liner piece to make the opening smaller, or make the painting bigger.
A new frame would take time, the liner goes around all 4 edges and cuts off some of the painting at the sides. I chose the last option. It was the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to go- and did not cut off any more painting.
I thought I would show a bit of how this was accomplished.

You can see at the top of the painting is a white strip- which is the canvas showing. It was a dark line showing the top of the canvas but I added a strip of wood to the stretcher bar to make it a bit bigger. I have a workshop with a table saw and sander.

Here you can see the back of the canvas. I removed all the staples holding the canvas on the side to be lengthened. I cut a strip of wood to be screwed on the stretcher bar that was 24 inches long, about 3/4 thick, and then ripped it on my saw the depth I needed, which was about 3/16" thick. I drilled pilot holes so the screws would be counter sunk and not split the wood. I then carefully screwed the piece on and then restretched and restapled that side of the canvas. As the canvas had been stretched, the part of the canvas that was the corner is not lower and in the painting. That can show as a line. I could have ironed it flat, but one is twas stretched it was almost invisible.
Then I just had to paint that strip so it did not show as white. I scraped the painting to removed excess paint that may have been build up on that corner and then painted the 1/4" of white to match the rest of the painting. It took about 20 minutes.

Here is the painting, in the frame with the strip painted. It is almost unnoticeable. The heavily figured Oak frame stained in a warm tone looks great with the painting.
To purchase these frames, contact Rottinghaus Gallery and ask for the Joe Stewart line of frames. 513-871-3662
Stop in to see some of the other frame designs. I have some of my newest still life work there as well.

1983 Madison Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45208
Tuesday - Saturday, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Root, root, root for the home team

2011-04-08T12:44:00.002-04:00


Opening Day (1977), 18 x 24, Oil on Linen, ©copyright Richard Luschek 2011

Finally finished a painting, that I planned on completing in two or three days. As usual, my eyes were bigger than my stomach. I ended up working on this one for 6 days.

I thought I would post the photos I took after each day.
A friend of mine that is currently studying with Carl Samson wanted to watch me lay in a still life. She took a few photos of me in action.

Action shot.

I think this was after about 2 hours. Honestly, at this point the lay in looks a bit too edgy- meaning I have done too much drawing and have not kept it loose enough. The edges should be a bit more amorphous and movable. I have no problem moving edges, but it is probably best to leave it in that blurry eyed view for as long as possible. I was trying to get the painting done before Opening Day- a Cincinnati Holiday, so I used Liquin in the paint so it would dry fast and I could work it the next day.
Here it is at the end of the first day.

Day one lay in.

Here is an example of why I rarely do a quick set up. The composition is pretty bad. So, you have to ask yourself, "Do I throw in the towel? Start over? or Try to fix this mess?"
I decided to push through. Here we are at the end of the second day, after adding a Hot Dog to help balance things out. I had also called the Red Hall of Fame Museum to find out how big to print the 1977 opening day tickets from the image I found on Ebay.

Day two- the wiener addition

It still has way too much space at the top. More help is needed. I set up a screen to cast a shadow on the right side of the set up and added a curtain as if this is near a window I did not want to change things too much so I picked a curtain with colors similar to what was already in the still life and with a value not too different from the back ground.

Day three- hang the curtain

Clearing things up a bit.

Day four- Tighten and adjust

I found some drawing issues. I adjusted the bat and glove on the left side.

Day five- think about destroying everything

Carl Samson stopped by studio and offered some good advice. I was having issues with the space and atmosphere feeling flat. He suggested the hat was too in focus and too intense for the rest of the painting. Meaning that the object in back was pushing to the front visually, thus throwing things off. He suggested a scumble over the hat with Cobalt violet to adjust it towards blue and kill the chroma. This is a very transparent color and it worked wonders, not really changing things too much and it got the whole hat wet so I could then paint into it adjusting as needed. I did my best to lose all the edges around the hat and some on the bottle. In addition the back corner of the table was too in focus so I darkened and lost that edge as well. Finally I popped some of the edges toward the front.


Day six, Opening Day (1977), 18 x 24, Oil on Linen, ©copyright Richard Luschek 2011

Unfortunately the Reds lost yesterday, destroying all hopes we had for an undefeated season. I still think they will do quite well.
As an added bonus, if you buy this painting I will throw in for free the hot dog that used in the still life. I am a vegetarian and this is the first hot dog I have purchased in 20 years so I don't want it to go to waste. It is a Skyline hot dog with mustard and ketchup. Don't miss your chance at this bonus offer. It is a bit gray and crusty but it would look great on a shelf near my painting.

Learning from old work

2011-04-04T19:15:00.002-04:00

I was cleaning up in the basement today and found some folders of my old work. Most of the work I found from college and just after should be burned, the ashes beaten with sticks, the resulting mess shot with a machine gun, gathered up and flushed down the toilet of a poorly run Mexican restaurant, shut down by the Food and Drug administration before everyone involved is executed by ninjas. The work is that bad.

Though I found a few things I really liked. It is interesting when you see your innocent, untrained work and discover qualities that may be missing in current efforts. I feel like I have learned a thing or two since this drawing was done. Now I have a need to finish and finesse work, fixing any thing that looks wrong or off. I will say that I may be losing something in that quest for visual truth. This drawing got me thinking; how to do that without loosing immediacy and energy.
Below is a self portrait from at least 15 years ago. Interestingly, I like a lot about it. I am not sure a self portrait done right now would have a similar feel.

It lacks form and good proportion, but it has personality. I had long hair then,roughed up into dreads and the beard had some color. This is a drawing of me as a young hippy. I knew little to nothing when this drawing was done but I still like it. A self portrait today would not look like this. Of course it would be a drawing of a 41 year old and not a drawing of a 24 year old- big difference in subject matter, but I am thinking only of the works execution. How would the work look now.
I will have to work on a new self portrait to compare.
I should go through more of my old work to see what I can learn from hippy Luschek.

Cream and Sugar

2011-03-31T22:28:00.001-04:00

Cream and Sugar, (7x5- each panel), oil on linen, 2011, © Richard Luschek

I just finished these two paintings today. I have some nice arched frames that I wanted to use so I cut some panels to fit and designed these paintings. I am pretty happy with the results and they were completed in two sessions for each panel.

I will finish the frames in silver which I think will go well with these paintings. Here are the paintings shown at the end of my day one lay in and then the finished painting after a second day.

Cream, Day 1 Cream, Day 2

7x5, oil on linen, 2011, © Richard Luschek

Sugar, Day 1 Sugar, Day 2

7x5, oil on linen, 2011, © Richard Luschek

Don't Be Like Pierre

2011-03-30T23:00:00.000-04:00

Pierre Brassau was a four-year-old West African chimpanzee from Sweden's Boras zoo who never took my landscape painting class. Look at his work hanging on the wall behind him. It is awful.

Put your opposable thumbs to good use and sign up for my landscape painting class. If you have never painted before but have always wanted to, this is a great introductory class that will take the fear out of oil painting. This class is for both hobbyists and professionals. It is great for teens trying to build a portfolio for college. Those that have taken this class multiple times see continued improvement. I introduce the techniques in a simple, easy to understand manner, not mention it is loads of fun.
Here is the information, and a link to sign up.
Sat., 10 am-1 pm; April 09-May 28; 8 wks; $189 (no discounts), supplies are the student’s responsibility. A list will be sent with your enrollment confirmation or see www.uc.edu/ce/documents/comm/PAINTING.pdf..
Location: First class meets at my studio in Eden Park; then at various parks thereafter.
Click here to register.

Till then, read these books.

Gods and monsters

2011-03-26T13:30:00.000-04:00

I have spent most of the week catching up on illustrations for a game company called Dark Skull Studios. It has been a fun project with a good friend working as the art director. I got to draw weird fantasy gods and some creepy monsters- which I really enjoy drawing. One of the gods is a mix of a deer and a human. I used my lovely wife as the model- well, her and a deer. I can't show them until the book is published, so use your imagination.

I finally got into the studio yesterday and did a two hour start that I was pretty happy with. This was how the canvas looked at the end of the session. As soon as this dries I will dive in and try to finish it in the next coat. I will probably pour coffee in the cup with some cream, since that is the subject and it will add a warm note to the center of the painting.

Espresso and Cream, day one

In my old studio I built a model changing room behind the model stand. It was a great studio, not as classy as the one I have now, but 3 times as big in addition to being cheaper. If you could ignore the fact that I was on the 3 floor with no elevator and that when it rained water poured in and ran down the stairs like a water fall- it was an amazing studio with 30 feet of north facing windows. I was only there for a year until evil developers kicked everyone in the building out, but I digress. What was I talking about?

Oh yeah, my model changing room.

I made a pretty cool door that had a nice art deco design for the model changing room. It was left over wall paper that was printed on canvas for a set at the Playhouse. I glued it to a panel and built a frame around it for the door. I just recently found the door tucked away behind some canvases in a closet and thought it could make a great background for still life set ups. I have a higher set up space on top of a filing cabinet in my studio that I can paint little paintings on. I put some adjustable legs on the door and have set it behind the filing cabinet. I was excited to put it to use the other day. You will be seeing this background in a lot of work in the upcoming year.

This is part one of a pair of paintings that will have cream and sugar. Lately I am enjoying the challenge of working on high key painting with lots of whites. It is a fun problem handling the values in such a limited rang. I also find the results to be very beautiful.

The Force And A Can Of Soup, 8 x10, oil on panel, 2011, © Richard Luschek

Though I said I was done, I worked on Yoda a bit more yesterday and then took a better photo. Some of the forms were crunchy and the half tones dirty. I did not have the still life set up (I took it down so I would not do any more work on it). I just worked it from memory, and adjusted things till I liked them. Much better.

The Force And A Can Of Soup.

2011-03-17T23:28:00.000-04:00

The Force And A Can Of Soup, 8 x10, oil on panel, 2011, © Richard Luschek

I just finished a painting I had started as a demo for a local grade school. I posted about that event here.
Thought I might show the stages of the painting, beginning to end.

This is the painting after a little more than an hour painting surrounded by kids, it is very loose and wet and I did my best to cover the canvas with the right color and value. Drawing is minimal, just for placement and done in a very abstract way. I did this demonstration under a mix of bounced natural light and florescent lighting. It was not ideal, but it worked fine.

After packing up, I moved the set up to my studio, and did my best to replicate it. I had to move it around the studio till I got lighting that was close. I ended up directly under the skylight. I needed some bounce light, so I placed a panel just out of the scene to throw some cool light on the back of the can and Yoda. I spent an hour just repainting the scene with the new colors and values that I was now seeing in the studio, in addition to some improvement to the drawing and proportion.

A few more hours refining image. It was a terribly dark day in the studio. I had hoped to finish it this day, but it was such a dark dreary day I had to quit early.

Today was a beautiful sunny, spring-like day and I was able to spend a few more hours. I think it is finished.

A Serious Turn On

2011-03-15T11:51:00.002-04:00

I just finished a frame for a painting I did about a year ago. The painting was originally part of a diptych, but I sold the other panel- light bulb hit with a hammer. With just the original bulb painting left, I thought it needed something to electrify it.
I built the frame out of pine and MDF (a plywood type material made out of paper that is easy to work, sand and cut).
It has a red primer finish, topped with flat black. The top coat is sanded to show some of the red and the entire frame waxed and dusted with rottenstone. Sorry for the terrible photo- as I tend to post a lot of photos on this blog that I am apologizing for, let's just call it my photographic "style".

Bright Idea, 3 1/2 x 5, oil on linen, 2010, © Richard J. Luschek II

Different Point of View

2011-03-09T22:38:00.001-05:00

You might find this hard to believe, but I have decided to change my view point. When it comes to Art, you can't always look at things the same way. You must have an open mind. I am officially announcing that I am going to be more liberal when it comes to my point of view.

My normal viewpoint on art, at least for still life, has been about 48 inches.
A typical still life stand is about 4 feet tall, which puts your subject at eye level when painting. Lately I have been designing some pictures that are asking for a lower, more top-down view.
I had considered just cutting down an existing table to 30 inches- about the typical height of a dinner table or desk. Instead, I decided to make a still life table that would allow for adjustment.
Here is what the old fashion, non-adjustable still life stand looks like in my studio. I built these a few years ago using some old porch columns I found in the garbage.

First thing I had to do was cut the main column down to the minimum height. I chose 27 inches.
Now I had an open box into which I could insert a smaller column like a piston.

I built the box 1/8 inch smaller than the inside diameter of the main column. It would be snug with a bit of wiggle room so it would slide freely up and down. I made it about 30 inches long so it would slide up a good distance.

The box is slid into the column all the way down. A hole is drilled through the outside column and the inside box. The hole is in the middle of the front and back side, about 2 inches from the top of the outside column. The box is slide out. I used the drilled hole as a guide to mark off lines where I will cut a slot. I cut the slots in two sides, front and back. These slots need to be big enough for bolts to slide through freely. I used a 1/2 inch carriage bolt, about 2 inches long. After I marked it off in pencil on the inside box, I drilled two holes in the top and bottom. Then used a jigsaw to cut the slot between those holes. You should be able to see above that I made sure the slot did not extend too close to the ends so as to weaken the side.
I painted the box. When the paint dried I waxed the box so it would not stick.

A bolt is feed through from the inside and a wing nut place on the outside.

Here is the column slide all the way up, wing nuts are tightened down.

I then attach the top. The top is a light 1/2 sheet of plywood 3 foot square with a block on the bottom that will fit into the column. I can screw it on tightly. The whole thing is painted with some left off miss matched house paint I have sitting around. I did realize that the piston created some suction and made it hard to pull up, so I drilled an air hole at the bottom of the column to prevent this.
Here is the finished still life stand in the studio at its lowest setting.

Here it is at it's highest setting.

Now, I have a still life stand that I can adjust anywhere from 30 inches to about 46 inches.
Ta Da! The official Richard Luschek Magic Adjustable Still Life Stand © patent pending.

Paintings with a new point of view will be appearing on this blog very soon.

School Demo

2011-03-03T23:33:00.007-05:00

I did a little painting today for the "Arts Alive" program at E.H. Greene Intermediate School in Blue Ash. My audience was a pile of 10, 11 and 12 year olds, which seems to be the demographic I tend to paint for most of the time. Unfortunately, I have yet to sell a painting to anyone of that age group. Turns out kids are pretty cheap.

I brought in a few of my more playful paintings to display. I made sure to set up a still life to paint that would appeal to kids and be simple enough that I could make something out of in the short amount of time I was allotted.

I thought this photo was funny- notice the two boys on the right standing behind me reading a magazine about video games. I am sure they were just taking a break from my exciting demonstration.

The "Arts Alive" event was during the lunch / recess period, so kids were coming and going. They could watch me paint then go eat some tator tots, check back to see how I was doing, go climb on the monkey bars, and stroll in to see me finishing up. In addition to having me there painting, there were musicians and craft artist with a table full of puppets. It was nice painting with live music near by- I wonder what it would cost to hire classical musicians to play in the studio?

There was a crowd around me much of the time. Mostly they just stood there quietly and watched. A few of the kids asked questions like, "How do you do that?", "What kind of paint do you use?" and "How much would you sell that for?"
I really enjoyed the "Wow, you're good!" comments. I wonder what it would cost to hire some kids to hang out in the studio shout out those kind of things while I paint?

I decided early on that I was going to bring a Yoda doll that I found in the garbage to paint. I have painted it once before a few years ago. Yesterday, while I was gathering stuff to bring with me, a story developed which involved me arranging Yoda with a baseball and a can of soup. I put the baseball on a clear beaker so it would appear as if the ball was floating in the air.

It is called The Force And A Can Of Soup. Here is the set up and the painting after about an hour and a half. (I had nothing to do with the painted pig in the background, it was there when I arrived.)
It was very cool that a few of the kids totally got the story in the painting, though they were a bit confused by the can of soup. I told them that Yoda needs a hearty can of soup to use the force successfully. In reality I just needed something red in the picture and the can of soup did the job. One girl did ask me if I was a Pop Artist. Funny that keeps coming up.
I will probably set this still life up at the studio and try to finish. It will of course be in different light, so I will have to adjust it, but I think it could be a fun little painting. Some of the kids took business cards, so I am thinking someone might break open the piggy bank and buy this one.

I could possibly be talked into trading for some baseball cards.

Shot of Espresso

2011-02-25T11:17:00.001-05:00

Espresso with Cream, 5x5, oil on linen, © Richard Luschek 2011

Thought I would post some new work. I am in the process of setting up some bigger still lifes, which always takes me a while. So, until I can figure out the designs of those bigger pictures I have been painting some little guys. I enjoy working in these smaller formats, as it is easier to play around with the arrangement of the stuff in the square. It calls for closer and more intimate viewing. Plus I can finish them in a day or two.
I wish my stuff looked better in photos, I swear to you this looks better in person. I am not just saying that.Go to the gallery and see for yourself.

Apples and Tea- 12:30, 5x5, oil on linen, © Richard Luschek 2011 (left Painting)

Apples and Tea- 1:08, 5x5, oil on linen, © Richard Luschek 2011 (right Painting)

When I was studying in New Hampshire a frame shop in the building of the studio went out of business. We got to pick through the left over junk. I grabbed a few nice things. One of my favorite things was a simple horizontal pencil holder that I keep on my palette to hold brushes. While I am working I can set down a brush and not worry about it rolling through the paint on the palette.
The second acquisition were two keystone shaped silver leaf frames. I have tried to paint for them before and have failed on two separate occasions. I think I finally did some paintings I am happy with to fit in these frames. I set up a light lunch scene and did a before and after kind of thing. The apple was delicious.
I enjoy the slight change of view point from one painting to the next. I zoomed in on the apple core-which I had to paint fast as it turned brown within 30 minutes. I try to compose them so they work together, but make sure they work well on their own. I also thought I would try painting them on a very rough canvas. I really enjoy the texture. I can be almost like working with pastel. You can adjust colors with subtle scumbles and build up a nice surface.
Again, these look better in person.

All of the paintings will be on view at Rottinghaus Custom Framing (513) 871-3662

1983 Madison Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45208

Tuesday - Saturday, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Apples and Tea Framed© Richard Luschek 2011

Honkin' Frames

2011-02-21T10:11:00.000-05:00


Soldier at the Crossroads, 5x3, oil on linen, 2010, ©Richard Luschek 2011

I just had some new frames made for some of my smaller works. Having shown small paintings in tiny frames, the work seems to just get lost on the wall. They need something more substantial. I have even had galleries refuse to show smaller work for fear of them being shop lifted. So, some big, heavy, honkin' frames should prevent that. Lately I have been moving a bit more towards wood frames for my still life paintings.

I am really enjoying the wood frames I have been getting from local framer Joe Stewart.


Espresso with Pink, 5x3, oil on wood, ©Richard Luschek 2011

The above frames are both 4" profiles and are pretty substantial in thickness. They are made from quarter sawn oak with a nice deep finish. I think these frames have a simple Arts and Crafts feel to them and work well with the typical decor of today.
Joe has a few classic looking profiles to choose from and can pretty much do any color or finish you are looking for. He can even do multi-paneled frames and some custom work.
He is great to work with, turn around time is quick and they are very affordable. Order your Honkin' Frames today. Contact Rottinghaus Frames to order some Joe Stewart frames of your own.

Both of these paintings in their fancy new frames are now on view at:

Rottinghaus Custom Framing (513) 871-3662

1983 Madison Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45208

Normal business hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Luschek Reveals All in Record Setting Auction

2011-02-12T22:01:00.002-05:00

"Sold for $520 million to Scarlet Johansson in the front row!"

Unfortunately for you, I have yet to unleash my collection of life sized nude self portraits on the world. We can only imagine what a smash hit that would be. Records would be broken I am sure, but the above simulation of this fantasy was staged just for this blog post. Thanks to Sotheby's for their cooperation.

Actually, I do have some work in an online auction. The auction is being hosted by Brigham Galleries online. A percentage of sales go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an international charity raising awareness for breast cancer [http://ww5.komen.org/]

While a preview of this auction was held last week in New York, the auction is still going on. If you are interested log in and place a bid.

Click Here to BID

Above is the painting available for auction shown in its frame. Let the bidding war begin!
I discussed this painting last month in a post, basically explaining how complicated life can be.

Luschek Frame and Sargent Palette

2011-02-07T21:29:00.001-05:00

Thought I would share a few projects I have been working on at home.

I have been making a few palettes for friends. I made this one out of birch plywood from the hardware store. Not to sound like an old curmudgeon, but 'the dag nab plywood just ain't what it used to be'. Actually, the quality of all wood at hardware stores has drastically gone down hill. Took forever for me to dig through the stack to find anything acceptable.
In any case, I found two good sheets and made these magical palettes. This palette is traced from my palette, which was traced from another palette, that was traced from a palette that was traced from of an original Sargent palette. It's a John Singer Sargent palette three times removed.
So, this shape was on Sargent's arm. It's a nice, comfortable shape and has plenty of painting area.
I traced it on the plywood so the grain runs length wise- A 2' x 4' panel will give you 2 palettes. The off fall I will cut into squares to glue canvas onto for panels.
After shaping the palette with a rasp, rounding over the edges, and shaping the thumb hole so it is comfortable, I sand it till it is smooth all over. I wipe it down with a tack cloth and then apply a few coats of tung oil (please note: tung oil has little, to nothing to do with your tongue). The photo above shows it after a second coat. I let it set up for 15 minutes then wipe it down with a soft, lint free cloth. After it dries I lightly sand with 220 paper and then rub it with fine steel wool. Repeat till you get a smooth surface. The palette can be oiled with linseed oil or even baby oil (a fragrant and cheap mineral oil). The palette is ready for use.
If you want to use the Sargent palette on the Sargent palette have a look at this link.

The other project is all Luschek- though I think Sargent would be impressed.
I designed and made a frame a few years ago for a series of still lifes that I wanted to be joined together in a chain-like configuration, so I made a frame that was hinged between panels. Just in case, I made a pine practice frame to see if it would work. It did work and this prototype has been sitting around the work room for a while. The final, 5 panel frame was made out of oak.
This one did have a few accidents with the router, so I had to do some filling and sanding. I decided to go with a flat black finish. I will probably gold leaf the inset later.

Here are the painted frames ready for assembly. The hinges are connected with long screws. The openings are around 8 x 10.

In addition to looking cool, one of the nice things about the hinge frame is that it is free standing. I am not sure what I will kind of picture I will paint for this frame, but it will certainly be two paintings that play off each other thematically. Maybe something like a handsome self portrait on left, and a handsomer self portrait on the right, staring lovingly into ....my eyes. Seriously, it will probably be something less creepy.
Any ideas?

Revisiting old Themes

2011-01-24T20:26:00.000-05:00

Morning News, 8 x 10, oil on linen, 2011

Three weeks ago I got an email that my painting called Morning News was selected to be in a show and charity auction held in New York on the floor of the New York Stock exchange. I was very excited, except for the part about how that very painting had sold two days prior. I had that painting in galleries for almost 3 years and nothing, all of a sudden it is supposed to be in two places at once.

Since I had some time, I suggested I paint another similar painting for the show. They agreed. Above you can see the painting I did last week. The auction will be happening at the end of this week.

Below is the older version, now hanging in someone home in Glendale. While I liked this painting, the new one above is better for a few reasons, one is just that the cup is a more pleasing shape. I think the colors are a bit more subtle. Plus, I am a better painter now. It was fun to revisit a theme and see how I could improve on it. The goal of both paintings was to make some interesting abstract shapes with the contrasting colors of the table cloth and the newspaper which reads a bit on the purple side. The arrangement forms three yellow triangles all of various sizes around the coffee cup.

Morning News, 8 x 10, oil on linen, 2008-Private Collection

Juried, Charity Auction to benefit Susan G’s Komen’s Breast Cancer Research , in association with Susan G. Komen.
The NYC chapter of Susan G. Komen is having an event for their young professionals on the floor of the NY Stock Exchange, with a reception after. There will be a Silent Auction, and The Brigham Galleries will participate. We will have computers at the event so people can bid on a selection of artworks.
https://www.thebrighamgalleries.com/

Workshops in Iowa

2011-01-21T12:46:00.000-05:00

My love for Iowa is well known and documented on this blog. If you are in Iowa, you are probably getting ready for my return which is less than a week away.

A handsome shot of me in Iowa, with a John Deere cap, in front of a field of corn.I shot a lot of photos in Iowa and everyone of them had a John Deere hat and corn it somehow.

I am heading north by north west again to do a few workshops: The first is an Illustration Workshop. I think this will be mostly for teens and young adults.

The second class will be an Evening of Figure Drawing- the classical approach. Teens are welcome, but will need a permission slip from the parent to attend.

I thought I would post a bit about the classes here with a rough supply list for both.

Illustrative Iowans

January 28 - 29- Friday from 6pm-9pm,
Saturday from 9am 5pm
A workshop on illustration where we will learn how to draw and paint:

· -Stuff that doesn’t exist, like Dragons

· -Events that you wish you had seen, like the time Lincoln sucker punched Zombie Napoleon.

· -And things that will only happen in the future of your dreams, like a self portrait with a mustache.

We will look at illustrators of the past to see how they worked.
Using these techniques we will create some illustrations of our own. These pictures will include:

· A small pen and ink illustration.

· A series of thumbnail sketches for approval

· A finished drawing from the sketch and reference photos or drawings.

· Color study for a finished picture.

· To finish on your own will be a final picture based on all of the previous work.

Topics covered will include- basic composition, drawing in line and mass, traditional materials, new technologies in illustration (working digitally), what to read and how to continue your studies.
Each student will receive a few illustration assignments to complete during this course.

Friday- Discussion of Illustration, it’s history, the job, and basic techniques. There will be a slide show. The assignments will be handed out.

Saturday- Assignment 1- Pen and Ink spot illustration: assemble your reference, do a sketch, ink.
Assignment 2- The cover illustration: sketch out ideas for approval, assemble reference, final thumbnail sketch, Finished drawing, color study. The overview of the class, discuss how to transfer the drawing to the painting, and start with a rough lay in. Discuss how to move the work to finish.

Basic Supplies:

-A sketchbook. It can be cheap paper for working out ideas.

-A drawing pad with a good heavy paper- I like Strathmore medium Drawing paper- 80lb. 9"x"12.

-A variety of pencils, though a simple #2 pencil will work.

-A kneaded eraser and a white rubber eraser.

-A tray of water color paints.

-Drawing pens, I recommend Sakura Pigma Micron Pens. They have sets which are nice, the Pigma Micron Pen Set of 6, Pigma Manga-Comic Pro Set of 8, or just get a few 005, 01 and 02 size.

-India ink

-A good drawing brush- I like the Raphael #2 -they are expensive but last a long time if you care for them. A similar but cheaper brush would be fine.

-Some Quill pens will be provided

-Gel Medium

-Oil paints, a palette, and brushes.

-Deoderant

An Evening of Figure Drawing

the Classical Approach

January 30^th, Sunday, from 3:00 to 8:00

At the Eclectic Eye, in Moline.

$40 / person (includes cost of model)

Contact me or Pat Bereskin if you would like to sign up for the class. mrsbsart@gmail.com

Learn the greater art of “seeing” as practiced by the Boston School of painting and how it is applied to the figure.

Working from a live model, students will learn the basics of the pencil sketch and then move on to a finished charcoal drawing.

Participants will begin by learning the basics of the visual language, the craft and order of drawing in traditional media.

Focus of class: to provide initial or further introduction to the steps taken and principles applied to the art of drawing.

This includes:

i. the basics of composition and gesture.

ii. setting up a pleasing pose.

iii. using the tools available (charcoal, good paper) and creating a comfortable setup

iv. the execution of a start, the idea of the light and dark, and flat shadows

v. Main focus that Drawing is the interpretation of form

vi. The use of these drawings as a means to completing finished paintings.

for more information:

Call (513) 479-3322 or email: richard_luschek@yahoo.com

See more work at Richard’s Website www.richardluschek.com

Basic supplies (Some supplies can be shared):

Some sort of easel- I would prefer you stand an an easel rather than sit
Drawing pencils- you can use what ever you have. A perfect set would contain various soft and hard pencils. 4H, 6H, & HB would be plenty.
Sketch book (8x10, 9x12, or 11x16)
A hard rubber eraser- for pencil drawing.
A drawing board made of a flat smooth sided material that will hold pushpins. I often use a ceiling tile for a drop ceiling as a drawing board. Get the smooth kind. They are cheap and can easily be cut to any size.
Pushpins
Three grades of vine charcoal (Hard, medium and soft)
-you will mostly need hard, so I recommend a few packs
Medium-fine sandpaper on a small board ( I will bring a few with me), you can buy the pad, but I find them too small. They will work if that is what you have.
Kneaded eraser- for charcoal
White charcoal paper (I like white or ivory colored Ingres Fabriano)
Plumb bob (basically a small weight on a string- fishing weight, washer, or a key.

Optional:
A 24 inch ruler
Mirror
Black mirror (Claude Glass- glass with back painted black or black plexi) I will have some with me.
A mahl stick. A simple dowel rod will do. It keeps your hand off the paper surface when drawing.

The Mona Lisa Curse

2011-01-16T22:30:00.000-05:00

I thought I would post a wonderful documentary by Time Magazine art critic Robert Hughes. It is a fascinating and depressing look into the contemporary art market that has led to piles of shallow art and armies of ignorant art collectors only concerned with making money on the investment. You will meet one of these intellectually asleep collectors in part 11. I have posted all 12 parts below.

As a painter today I am trying to figure out how to survive in today's market. Honestly, I am not sure what to do with this information just yet. The only idea I have come up with involves building a time machine to go back to the late 19th century, but that seems like a lot of work.

A more realistic idea is to keep painting with the idea of creating beauty that will hopefully connect with people. I also hope to win the lottery.

After you finish this series, I suggest you also watch Hughes series called American Visions, also on YouTube.

Packing for a Show

2011-01-11T22:01:00.000-05:00

A Monster Attacks at Breakfast, 22" x26", oil on linen, 2010

I finally finished and signed my newest painting. This painting was a bit of a struggle, I almost quit after a week and ended up putting it on hold for over a month. I did a few paintings in the mean time. After the holidays I got charged up and finished it in a few days.
I like to take photos of the work as it develops. I have about 18 photos of the painting as it progressed. In my next post I will show all the steps involved in this picture- except for the temper tantrums, though honestly they would be entertaining. You can see from the first post on this painting, I has gone through quite a journey.

The Monster painting will be part of still life show opening in a few weeks. This week I am busy packing up about 18 of my paintings to deliver to The University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The show will have the work of 4 other painters, including my good friend Jonathan Queen.

Objects of Interest: Five Contemporary Still-Life ArtistsJanuary 22, 2011 – February 27, 2011
Opening Reception: January 22, 2011; 7-9pm
This exhibition will feature five artists working in the genre of still-life painting. David Carpenter (Bloomington), Andrew Conklin (Chicago), Richard Luschek (Cincinnati), Helen Oh (Chicago),
and Jonathan Queen (Cincinnati). Each artist will bring a slightly different and unique approach
to the tradition of still-life.

2701 Spring Street Fort Wayne, Indiana 46808 call for info 260.399.7999

Riffing and Sampling

2010-12-30T13:04:00.001-05:00

I am almost done with my newest still life. I have decided to do a few small paintings that borrow from the larger still life. I like the idea of paintings moving out into sequels or spin offs. They do it in TV all the time. So far, much like TV the spin off is not as good as the original series.

Soldier at the Crossroad, 5 x 3 1/4, oil on linen, 2010

This is not the best photo of the painting, but you get the point. Once it is dry I may scan it so it can get a better image.
This is an army man that my wife found digging in the garden. I have a bag of my own army men from when I was a kid, but this one is older and more interesting. I have a box of old match books and picked this one for two reason, the color went well in the scene and I thought the tomato sauce looked a bit like blood. So it gave this war scene a touch of blood and guts. Of course something that I don't think kids think about when they are blowing up their toys.
I will tell you that today's firecrackers do not do the damage that I remember then doing. I was lighting them in the studio thinking of doing a before and after, but really all a firecracker does is make noise and throw pieces of paper all over the place.
Do you think this painting is too political?

Do kids still blow up their plastic army men? I imagine there is probably a computer game or I Phone app that does it for them. Though looking back on the stupid stuff we did when we were kids I occasionally am surprise I have both my eyes and all my fingers and a computer version would be much safer.

He Framed Me

2010-12-23T22:04:00.002-05:00

The frame for my newest painting was completed this week. I dropped by the framer's shop the other day for a test fit. Now I just need to finish the painting- which is very close.

Above is Joe Stewart masterfully placing the frame on the painting. Joe Stewart is a local home builder that has in the last few years began painting landscapes himself. He builds fine Arts and Crafts furniture and his frames are right at home hanging over those pieces. For years my wife has been yelling at me that my paintings don't always need a gaudy gold frame with all the fru fru. She kept pushing for dark wood frames. Of course I could not listen to her advice immediately. I had to wait a few years, until it almost seemed like it was my idea.
For this new painting I decided to go with a dark wood frame. I selected a warm silver liner that goes well with this painting which is primarily cool. I ordered the liner from Rottinghaus frame shop which I then gave to Joe so he could build the frame around it. He has a good selection of moldings, most of which are cut from quarter sawn oak. He could put together pretty much any thing you need including frames made for diptychs, triptychs and quadruptychs.

Here are a few more of his moldings and some of the finishes he offers.

He uses aniline dyes to stain the wood, often using multiple coats till he gets the tone he wants. The frame is coated with a thinned shellac and then rubbed with clear or colored waxes, which are buffed out to beautiful deep finish.
If you would like to order a frame I suggest you call him. He does custom work, and they are very affordable. He is also willing to build a house to go around your new frame if you are interested. It is a considerable up-charge, but I think if you need both a frame and a house, he may offer some sort of deal.
To purchase these frames, contact Rottinghaus Gallery and ask for the Joe Stewart line of frames. 513-871-3662

Panorama of Cincinnati Art XXV

2010-12-02T23:49:00.001-05:00

A panorama is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model.

I am honored to have been selected for Cincinnati Art Galleries 25th anniversary Panarama of Cincinnati Art.

Father and Son (diptych)-22x28- oil on linen

There are two reasons I am sure this show will be fantastic. For one thing the title ends in -orama. Secondly, most of the paintings are by the "Old Masters" of Cincinnati painting. The list includes Edward Potthast, Joseph Sharp, and John Weis. This is an Artorama of great art by wonderful dead painters. I have been quite vocal of my support for and love of dead painters. They have done the best art in the Western world and it is a club I hope to be part of in the future. In fact I have pretty much guaranteed it.

The opening is this Friday. It cost $100 a person and will benefit the Museum Center. Now as much as I think it is completely fair for you to have to pay money to see my work, you can check Panorama for free the rest of the month. If you buy my paintings a percentage also goes to help the Museum Center. It's for a good cause. If you do go to the opening, I imagine there will be wine and cheese. I don't know if there will be entertainment, but for the 25th anniversary, if it were up to me, we would celebrate Panorama with the band Bananarama. That would be incredible.

Anyway, below is the information about the show.

Panorama of Cincinnati Art XXV

Over 100 works

by Cincinnati's most famous artists

from 1850 to the Now.

Opening Reception Friday, December 3rd from 5:00 - 8:00pm

$100 per person (payable to Cincinnati Museum Center)

Located at 225 East 6th Street, Cincinnati OH
Please call Sarah at 513-381-2128 for reservations

*Ticket sales as well as a portion of all painting sales during the month of December will benefit Cincinnati Museum Center. The exhibition and sale will open free to the public Saturday, December 4th and will continue through December 31st. All items can be viewed on our website after December 3rd at www.cincyart.com Color catalog will be available for $20.

Don't Shush Me!

2010-11-28T19:10:00.000-05:00

In the last post I told you about the Secret Artworks Sale that I was participating in. I am sure it was a big success, and thought I would show you a photo of the work I donate for the cause.

Copy of The Girl in the Black Hat by Frank Duveneck, 7X5, Oil on panel.

This is a little copy I did of a Frank Duveneck painting called Girl in a Black Hat.
This painting was actually a result of experimenting and playing around with a more earth toned palette for painting portrait. A few colors suggested to me by Carl Samson who using them to great effect in his work. I am used to a very chromatic palette, with no earth tones. So it has been a struggle for me to figure it out and work them in comfortably. This exercise was very helpful to understand the benefits and limits of each color.
I did a test canvas using all the colors in various mixtures. These extra colors are: Greenish Umber, Burnt Sienna, Indian Red, Light Red, and Vermilion. I just tested the colors with white, and then all the others on my palette, then started using the colors to work up a thickly painted copy in the corner.I strongly suggest that everyone do this with their colors. It is a good way to get to know your palette of colors.

SHHHHHHHHHH

2010-11-18T22:58:00.000-05:00

I am participating the Secret Artworks fundraiser again this year. I can't make it this year, so you will just have to go without me. Don't let that dissuade you, if you buy the card that I painted, I would be more than happy to get together and then let you take me out to lunch. So, that is an added bonus. Actually you do not have to purchase the card I painted. I am more than willing to let any of you buy me lunch.

I posted a few of my Secrets cards from years past.

The idea, 5 x 7, oil on card- My secret from 2006

Selected as one of the top 100

5th annual Secret ArtWorksFriday, November 19, 2010
6 - 9 p.m.
Westin Hotel Ballroom, Downtown Cincinnati

TheSecret ArtWorks is a fund raising event featuring the exhibition and sale of 5” x 7” works of art from local, national and international artists. All works of art sell for $75 each. The ‘secret’ behind each piece is the identity of the artist – which is revealed after the work is purchased.

Admission: $125 (single), $150 (couple).

Includes one Secret Work of Art, appetizers, beer and wine, and entrance to the event. All Art Vouchers will be held at Check-In on the night of the event. Art Vouchers for additional Secret Works of Art available at $75 each.

Click here to buy!

Secrets are out! You can view the Secret Works of Art here. Click here.

I have just one card in the show this year. If you want a hint, mine is one of the better ones.

Bunny and his Peeps, 7 x 5, oil on canvas, 2007

Selected as one of the top 100

The Weekend

2010-11-15T23:50:00.000-05:00

The Indian Hill Art Show on Friday and Saturday went pretty well. The show was not only a bit more selective, with fewer artists, they laid it out in a more open and comfortable arrangement. It was fairly well attended, but very crowded on Friday night. I had a great time getting to know some of the artists. I want to thank everyone that came out to visit stop by my booth. It also helped that I sold a few pieces and made some nice connections.

Yesterday my family had an early Thanksgiving get together. My wife (in the above photo) and I drove to my parents house extra early so we could paint before the feeding frenzy. My mother and father live in a very picturesque farm community about 1 1/2 hours north east of Cincinnati. It is an open area surrounded by rolling fields with distant tree lines. There are various out buildings, barns and farm equipment around with which to compose a picture. I found dozens of possible pictures as I strolled around the farm looking for a spot to paint. I first settled upon and started a painting of barn full of tobacco hanging to dry (also shown in the photo above). The light effect changed immediately and became less interesting. Making a fast decision, I threw in the towel immediately- well, after about 30 minutes of getting in the big shapes. I scrapped it down, wiped it out, and moved to a new spot to start anew. Facing the opposite direction, everything was being pounded with sunlight. This time the painting came together quickly and it was an absolute joy to paint- except for the wind- which blew my easel over as I stepped away to get some more paper towels. The easel went upside down, brushes and paint tubes went everywhere. The painting and palette fell face down in the grass. This is generally frowned upon in plein air work. It all cleaned up pretty well. I had to scrap dirt and grass out of the sky area and clean up a smear or two. Not too bad really. The only disaster was that all my turpentine spilled out on the ground. Laura was nice enough to give me some of hers.

An Early Thanksgiving, 12 x 16, oil on panel, 2010

After a little less than 3 hours I ended up with this. A cloudy morning had cleared way for clear blue skies. The light was incredible. With the dry summer I was not sure what the fall would look like, but the leaves this year are lovely hot reds and oranges. Everything seems to be glowing. I just hope the trees survive the continued drought.
I also got to try out some big, flat bristle brushes that I just purchased. They were very useful for carving out the big planes and chiseling out the form. Today I spent some time in the studio tweaking the drawing, cleaning up sloppy edges and strengthening effects. I am pretty happy with this one. Probably one of my better one shot landscapes.

I love painting coffee cups almost as much as I love drinking tremendous amounts of coffee. Coffee cups have a romance to them and often have a graceful shape that is a challenge to draw. I enjoy using just a few simple objects to create little abstractions that will be pleasing not just as a recognizable objects. They become little arrangements in color and value. I recently bought a lovely Jadeite coffee cup in an antique store that I knew would be fun to paint. After trying a few things, I chose a pink table cloth and a gray background which produced a very pleasant color scheme.The goal was to paint something fairly quickly for the show- usually a bad idea to have that as a goal. As is often the case I ended up working on it a bit longer than I anticipated. After spending the weekend with it hanging in the Indian Hill show I knew it needed more work. It was a bit lack luster and needed more color vibration so I went back in today. I may go back in on the steam. It looks a bit fake at the moment.

Study in Gray, Green, Pink and Decaf, 7x5, oil on linen, 2010

Stocking Stuffers

2010-11-11T01:04:00.001-05:00

I will have some work on display at the Indian Hill Church Art Show this weekend.
Much of the work will be small paintings for $150 or less- great for holiday gift giving. I am serious, they would make great stocking stuffers. Larger, more expensive work will also be on view- which is in my opinion, even better for holiday gift giving. What a great way to really proves your love. If you are in competition with a sibling for parental approval, a finely crafted painting by one of the cities best still life painters can almost guarantee a better result in the Will. Consider it an investment in your future. You could also buy one for yourself, as that also would be a good investment in your future. See here.
30% or proceeds benefit the churches outreach programs

Friday, November 12th, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Wine Tasting, appetizers, complimentary Valet Parking
$5.00 donation for adults

Saturday, November 13th, 10:00 am -3:00 pm
light refreshments- Free Admission.

6000 Drake Road
Indian Hill, Ohio 45243
Click Here
513-561-6805

I will be there, all spiffied up with a glass of wine in my hand. Every year the show is very busy and happening, and I suggest you get there early before all good stuff is snatched up, and so you can talk to me before the wine really starts to take effect.

Some Reading

2010-10-31T16:37:00.002-04:00

Ivan Kramskoy. Sophia Kramskaya Reading. 1863. Oil on canvas.
The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.

A student had asked if I could hand out a list of books, blogs and internet sites to read. I can't stress enough how important it is to constantly be reading about your craft. Read stacks of books, blogs and sites written by artists you like and admire. In this way you will get an understanding of how a painter works and thinks. You need to get the brain of a painter. The "red and blue makes purple" information or suggestions of special mediums to mix with your paint are not as important as the bigger ideas. I also suggest you read mostly dusty, old books, the older the better often. Many of the bigger ideas of painting have been lost to the majority of working painters. So many of the instructional step by step books you see today will teach tricks, but will not make you a better painter. Surprisingly, most of the books I most strongly recommend have few if any pictures, and if they do, it is a great painting that demonstrates the execution of one of these bigger ideas.
I will try to post links to the books on Amazon. Some of these I have posted before, over time I will try to give the entire list. Paul Ingbretson, my painting teacher, gave us a great two page list of books that, if read, have all the information one would need to become a world class painter. It was an adjusted list that he got from his teacher, Gammell.

In a few posts, I will provide links to the books, starting with the ones I strongly suggest.

Strongly suggested:

The Boston Painters 1900-1930
Twilight of Painting
Dennis Miller Bunker
The shop-talk of Edgar Degas

This next one is an electronic version, and is not a format I would recommend. You can find this one online for free. Click Here

VELAZQUEZ by R.A.M. Stevenson

Become A Revolutionary

2010-10-13T10:51:00.000-04:00

As you know I like to occasionally give the Modern Art movement and serious kick in the crotch. I have been criticized for doing so. Even my wife has suggested that the time would be better spent painting.
Yes, I probably should be painting, but I think part of my duty as a painter is point out scams, lies and the ugliness in the art world, and there is a lot of it. Most of the museums that have decided that what the public wants is irrelevant. Most colleges have moved from teaching drawing, painting, and sculpture to brainwashing young people into believing that beauty is irrelevant and that art is about ideas. This is easier than teaching people how to paint, sculpt or compose- especially if you have no idea how to do it yourself.
Thankfully, in the last 10 to 15 years I have seen signs that beauty is again starting to gain favor. Artists are studying great painters, working with other trained painters to master the craft.
Though as I say this I still see my young niece come home from school ready to ask her "artist uncle" about the great Picasso that she learned all about at school (I know the correct pronoun after Picasso was "who", but I chose to use "that". Picasso is more of a thing than a person at this point). My niece is also taking a "drawing class" where they did action painting in the style of Jackson Pollock. That is not drawing! I bet it was fun, but it is not useful to a child who may find it useful to be able to draw at some point in her life. So, still we are brainwashing these young minds into believing that the visual art is not about beauty or skill or love or the universal. If you are a parent, you can do something about it. Talk to them about what they like and why, take them to museums, and maybe even get them into art classes that actually teach useful skills.
I wanted to share this series of videos put together by Scott Burdick. He is a very skilled painter whose work I have always enjoyed. This is a one hour slide show he did in Laguna Beach for the American Artist's "Weekend with the Masters" event.
I suggest you have a look. If you have been told over and over why you should like a Picasso, despite your first inclinations, watch this and then decide for yourself.

As a follow up in this subject, you should read this book. I have mentioned this book before. It is a great read and can be finished in an afternoon. Check it out.