Spring is finally here

Spring fever and a generous slice of humble pie

As we finally start to move away from the distractions that we all lived with during much of the pandemic, I am so happy that the warm Plein Air painting opportunities are slowly returning and to see smiling faces once again (maskless).  I don’t know about you – but I have serious spring fever!

It’s been a Corvid kind of Covid

As you probably know, I almost always paint in a series. This year is no exception I have painted three crows and a blue jay! Both are members of the Corvid family!

Intrigued

We started to feed blue jays. We purchased a wire ring peanut holder and happily hung it high on the pergola outside our kitchen window. If you know anything about blue jays it’s that they announce their arrival with rather loud screams. Their ruckus also got the attention of the resident crows.
Now crows are unable to perch on this type of feeder so it created a problem for them. This fella was trying to figure out how to get at the peanuts. He would sit there and think about what its next step would be. He was very intrigued with the feeder.

Nonchalant

Looking only slightly curious as to what was going on, this handsome fella seemed to know that I was not bringing out more peanuts. That fleeting glance says it all. Looking nonchalant. Does she or doesn’t she? Nope! One sideways look and he strutted away! But I had my camera!!!!

Conundrum

It sat under the peanut wire ring feeder wondering how to snatch a few peanuts. After many failed attempts- he studied it. Contemplating. Trying to figure it out. This is a real Conundrum for this fella. Hopes almost dashed.
Now crows are clever and this one is no exception. At first it would wait until a blue jay got a peanut out – then chase after it annoying poor blue until it dropped the peanut. Clever, eh? And it worked. Only it was too much work and the blue jays were onto it. They came in fast and left even faster.
So this clever corvid changed its tactic. So now when a blue jay comes in … he harasses it immediately and the jay leaves without its treasure. The peanut is now poking out of the wire frame. This guy now can either jump up or fly by and snatch it. Quite Brilliant!

One of the things my painting friend Dale Cook and I appreciate about our adventures while painting Plein Air were the art conversations we had when we were together.  I often joked that we would bore the ears off anyone else who had to listen us talk about pigments, supplies, composition and light.  Often it would start as what colour do you see in the sky over there? Or what colours would you reach for to start painting that?  Ugh – how would you approach that? No Helen, other than Paynes Grey how would you approach that…….

The time we spent travelling around our region completely immersed in art talk was unique to our time together.  And I really enjoy all this.  When the most recent lock down was mandated we were confined to single household bubbles and were unfortunately unable to get together.

So being unable to hang out in person, many people turned to online meetings.  Dale and I were no exception.  Only we added purpose.  We selected subjects to explore together.  Each week we chose a different topic and gathered reference materials to review,  collecting our reference materials in secret Pinterest boards and Instagram folders.  Very helpful.

With the magic of being able to screen share we were able to explore the work of so many artists and themes. Each week we selected a different subject to study.  We explored trees, skies, water, landscapes and Russian and Canadian painters.  We spent a lot of time with landscape painters as we were seeking to understand what attracted us to a particular painter or painting.  We looked at composition.  We looked at value and the use of colour.  We were learning and expanding. More often than that we were in awe of the talent and the painters ability to capture values and hues.

Humble Pie

Arrrggggh!!!  I like to work on a few poured watercolours at a time.  As the paint is quite expensive I do not like to waste it.  So I work often work on a few at a time.  The first one really workout well.  Dang, the second one not so much.  The third one is ok.  Only ok.  Only, I don’t do ok.  And I managed to mess up the perspective on the last pour.  Sometimes we have to know when to call it quits. This series of poured watercolours were not to be. And they did wind up in the firepit!

What do you do with work you are not happy with?

I like to think that mistakes and challenges serve a purpose.  First to make you think and second to keep you humble.  I have been served a rather heaping slice of humble pie this month.

Something to think about

I like to think that I’m something of a professional painter. I’ve been at this for years and consider myself to be a continuous learner, always seeking out ways to improve and finesse my work. I’ve travelled to paint and been fortunate enough to have won awards.

I continually seek to understand how and what other artists are doing.  What is it about there work that caught my attention?  What can I learn from observing their work.

Although the answer is not always tangible, for me I think excellence is key. Attention to value and subtle colour variances. Does the painting work and why?  I don’t think that it’s enough to be a technical painter. I think to be a true painter that you have to have an eye for it.  To feel it. The ability to differentiate values and subtle colour variances. To understand movement. To know when to break the rules…or not! What do you think?

So much more to learn, until next time

Stay safe!