Painting Green Stuff in the Out of Doors

This is a class for painters of all levels. Beginners are welcome.
Spring Landscape class starting soon- Saturdays 10-1, April 27^th thru June 15. Fee $220 (Such a good deal. It really should be more- feel free to tip me). Supplies are the student's responsibility. A supply list will be provided.
Location: First class meets at artist's studio in Eden Park; then at various parks thereafter .

I have a very hands on approach to my teaching and give very thorough critiques. Enjoy the spring weather with "Cincinnati's most charming painting teacher", we will meet at a scenic parks to learn to sketch and to paint with oils. Drawing on the ideas of impressionism, you will practice the techniques needed to complete painted sketches, including basic composition, value, pattern, color spotting, and covering the canvas. Then, building on those skills, you will complete a larger fully realized landscape painting that will capture the impression of light and color of the Cincinnati landscape. Details and directions to the various locations will be given in class. No experience necessary
One thing I will be stressing is that what we are doing is landscape painting- and not Plein Air. We are Americans! Students are not allowed to call it 'plein air' unless they are actually French.

Springtime in Eden Park, 16x20, oil on linen, © Richard Luschek 2019.

Email me if you have questions at richard_luschek@yahoo.com
Or call 513-479-3322

 https://www.richardluschek.com/

Is Blogging Dead?

I'm sure my adoring public is waiting with bated breath concerning my thoughts on the importance and relevance of blogs.
Honestly I'm just asking. So my question was more an act of baited breath.
When I started my blog it was a great way to work out my ideas and strong opinions on art. It is a lot of work- somehow I still manage to have typos and misspellings. Basically I have enjoyed my time as a blogger but as you can see, over the years the number of posts has been drastically falling. I recently added an event on my phone to remind me to post every Thursday, which I have mostly been ignoring since I set it up first of the year.
Social media has changed things since I began this blog. Ive noticed that it has been come as satisfying for me to work on a 140 character tweet (yes I know Twitter is now 208 characters- I will never accept that change). Posting an image a day with a short description on Instagram is very doable with not much work.

We are constantly tempted by click bait, enjoy sound bites, funny quips and memes. Do people have the attention to muddle through a long blog post?
I may try to ramp this up again as a more regular effort, but with an effort to try to keep the posts shorter and to the point.
Keep in mind I am also playing with the idea of  a video blog of some sort on my YouTube channel, which may in time replace the efforts I put in to an old fashioned "wordy, have to read it" style thing like this.
Please, let me know what you think.

Painting Vacationing In Florida

Working Lunch, 18X24, oil on Linen, © 2018 Richard J. Luschek II

My painting 'Working Lunch' was one of the 142 entries  juror Steven J. Levin chose out of the 574 submissions received. So, while I'm stuck here in a gray Cincinnati day with ice melting out of the trees my painting is living it up hanging around in the 11th Biennial National Art Exhibition hosted by the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda.  

The exhibit runs through March 20. Throughout the show, visitors will be invited to cast their vote for the People’s Choice Award at $1 per vote. The award money will be split between the winning artist and the Visual Arts Center. Ballot box stuffing is welcome! So, if you need a reason to go to Florida, I'd say this is as good an excuse as any. Of course you also have to vote for the obvious choice. In case you're not sure- mine. You should vote for mine.

Fall Painting Class this Saturday

This is a class for painters of all levels. Beginners are welcome.
Fall Landscape class starting next weekend- Saturdays 10-1, Oct 8^th thru Nov 5. Fee $180.
We will spend the entire class in one location (Still to be determined- considering a park on the river) allowing folks the time to work on a piece for multiple sessions.

A Kiss from Johnny, by Robert Harris (1952)

I have a very hands on approach to my teaching and give very thorough critiques (rarely as intimate as the above painting indicates). Come enjoy the cooler weather and the fall colors.  With "Cincinnati's most charming painting teacher", we will meet at a scenic parks to learn to sketch and to paint with oils. Drawing on the ideas of impressionism, you will practice the techniques needed to complete painted sketches, including basic composition, value, pattern, color spotting, and covering the canvas. Then, building on those skills, you will complete a larger fully realized landscape painting that will capture the impression of light and color of the Cincinnati landscape. Details and directions to the various locations will be given in class. No experience necessary
One thing I will be stressing is that what we are doing is landscape painting- and not Plein Air. We are Americans! Students are not allowed to call it 'plein air' unless they are actually French.

 Email me if you have questions at richard_luschek@yahoo.com
Or call 513-479-3322 

The Frame is the Father!

While I do have work in a big show opening tomorrow at the Eisele Gallery, I thought I would chat a bit more about the frame I made for the Star Wars show, hanging until the end of the month at the Brew House. If you and your children are Star Wars fans and you don't show up and buy them some art- someone really should call Child Protective Services on you.

Philosophical Sci-Fi Drive-By, Oil on linen, 20"x10", © copyright Richard Luschek 2017

It all started when I bought an old toy case in an auction. Also in that pile of toys was the AT-AT I used in the still life set up for the painting, the R2 cassette player in my other painting, and a C3PO case. I already had a Darth Vader case from my childhood and this one was in bad shape, so I did not feel as bad appropriating it.
First I had to cut the case apart and trim off all the extra plastic. I had to cut into the bottom to make room for a panel and then made a paper template that I would be able to screw to plastic Vader head.

I traced this and added lower frame section on a sheet of 1/2 plywood that I found set out by the street for the garbage. I just wanted a rough shape that I could add the actual frame to.

There were holes in the case for pushing in plastic bands to hold in and lable your Star Wars action figures. I was able to screw into those and secure the panel to the head. Next I cut a square in the panel so I could start adding hardwood to the front.

Again, the hard wood is from a painted shelf I had in my scrap pile.
Now I just had to sand it all and start adding my decorations to it.

The frame looked a bit blocky, so I added some edging, and a finally to really take it over the top I cut a piece for Darth Vader's cod piece. Which, after studying Vader's costume, I realized has a door on it. I guess even Vader needs to use the rest room. Now Im thinking every frame should have a cod piece.
After looking up reference for Vader's belt, I cut the designs out of cardboard and wood. They were glued on and the entire frame was sanded smooth. It was ready for painting. I bought gloss black plastic spray paint. Luckily it was a nice day so I was able to spray outside. I wore a respirator as that paint is pretty noxious.

I had a slight issue when during the second coat, the paint on certain sections started to wrinkle. I had waited what I thought was the correct time between coats (48 hours), but it was a chilly week and had apparently not cured enough. After a temper tantrum, which is very embarrassing in hindsight, I let it dry in my hot van for a few days, sanded it all smooth and gave it a nice clean final coat.

I love that it has a medieval icon look. I have more old toys in my basement, so another Star Wars frame may be in my future.

Frames with Rocket Power

Tomorrow is a big holiday. May the 4th is Star Wars Day. The local Cincinnati illustrators group have organized a Star Wars themed art show for the second year in a row. This fan art tribute show opens Thursday, May 4 at the Brew House in Walnut Hills and will be on view until June 4th. A percentage of sales will go to the George Lucas charity Force for Change. This is a kid friendly event. About 40 artists are showing work. There will be cos-play folk and an R2D2 rolling around. A Star Wars Improv group starts performing at 5:30. The opening will be from 4-11, Ill be there around 6 if that is an extra reason to show up.

Last year I did not have time to participate. This year I definitely wanted to be involved so I decided to do two quick paintings- of course I ended up doing way more than I initially planned. I had just purchased a few toys in an auction I thought would be perfect. The R2D2 cassette player was very cool and once I paired it up with a Verbot from the early 80s, I figure these robots would need to find a common language. The flag background added the patriotic space look I wanted.

Still life set up and the painting freshly signed.

Much of the work involved me custom making two frames for the work. I have in the past made a custom  Star Wars frame. I really enjoyed that process and decided to go at it again.

2X4 roughed out shape

Here is that process.
I had some sketches of space ship shaped frames in my sketchbook that I wanted to build. I rough cut one out of 2x4 scraps I had in the shop.

I ran the frame through the saw with the blade on an angle to get the sleek design and used a router to get the inset in the back for the painting and a bevel bit to shape the inside of the opening.
Next I added 1/4" plywood wings and the rocket ports on the bottom, which were made out of wooded eggs I had found- Yes, I save everything. I cut them in half and sanded the top flat and screwed them to the bottom.

Sanded shape with wings and rocket jets

Next I used scrap pieces of matboard and the cardboard backs from old drawing pads to hand cut panels. I would measure the pieces and then hand cut them with an exacto blade to get the bevel. They were then glued on following guide lines.

Covered in cardboard panels and spare parts.

Using another 2x4 piece I cut another rocket port at the bottom to balance it out and added a metal soffit vent. Then I add bits and pieces I had in the shop to add variety. I bought a few parts in the Hardware store that I could add to my ship. At the top, the round piece is a plastic electrical plug insert. The bottom vents on the corners are plastic PVC electrical pipe nuts, that I added metal screen pieces to. I used a few toy parts and upholstery tacks and made sure to sand all the bumps and edges.
Next I sprayed the entire frame with gray auto primer.
 

Freshly primed.

A few times sanding and priming and it was almost done. I then used acrylic washes to tone some color on some of the panels. I added a warm tone, a blue and a green to add some variety. An acrylic silver leaf tarnish gel was brushed all over the frame and wiped off to give some shadow to the recesses. I then drybrushed the frame with a light gray to get the frame to pop. I brushed on some powered pigments to grunge it up and it was ready for the painting.

Death Star Mix-tape, 19"x11, oil on linen, © copyright Richard Luschek 2017

 

 

 Here it is on my back porch ready for take off. Hope to see you at the show.  I'll write about my Vader frame next week. The painting and frame are available. Message me if you're interested.

Spring Landscape Painting Class- Taught by a Great Guy

I will be starting up my Spring Landscape Class very soon. If you have taken classes with me, you are gonna want to sign up again. If you have not taken this class, then you definitely should do so now.

Great Guy painting in Eden Park

The Class will be held on Saturdays from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM. It will start April 22 - June 10th.
8 weeks for $180.00 (that is an amazing deal) -supplies are the student's responsibility.

The class is great for beginners or any working painter who would like to be introduced to the ideas of the Boston School method- which are the most awesome of ideas. I am very hands on and teach to each individual's level of experience.

We will meet at various  scenic parks around Cincinnati to learn to sketch and to paint with oils. Drawing on the ideas of impressionism, you will practice the techniques needed to complete painted sketches, including basic composition, value, pattern, color spotting, and covering the canvas. Then, building on those skills, you will complete a larger fully realized landscape painting that will capture the impression of light and color of the Cincinnati landscape. In case of rain, we will arrange in parks with overhead cover. Details and directions to the various locations will be given in class. A supply list will be sent when you sign up.

If you would like to learn how to not paint yourself in a corner like this guy, then you should talk to me. 

 Email me at richard_luschek@yahoo.com for more information and to grab a spot. Or call 513-479-3322.