| Planning a Painting:Okay, you've found | | | | way of viewing the world around you. Don't |
| it--the perfect scene, the one you think will | | | | lose sight of what attracted you to the scene |
| make the perfect painting. What's next? | | | | at first. Was the palette pleasing to you? |
| Different schools of thought broach the | | | | Did it trigger certain memories for you? |
| subject. Some artist go straight to the | | | | Remember that. If it was the color, you'll |
| paper (or canvas, as it were) with brush in | | | | want to keep that in mind, especially if it |
| hand. The spontaneity of the project is most | | | | is a break from your usual scheme. I've |
| important. Others will do a detailed sketch, | | | | found more than once that I was disappointed |
| perhaps a small study of the scene. I'm a | | | | with a painting only to recall that it wasn't |
| mixture of both. Once seized by an idea, I | | | | the composition as much as the color that |
| will do a sketch, but only the roughest of | | | | attracted me, that I wanted to |
| sketches. The shapes are crudely drawn, just | | | | capture.Whatever element is the attraction |
| to give me an idea of their placement. From | | | | don't let it stop once the painting is |
| there, I proceed to transferring my idea to | | | | complete. A fitting title will reinforce |
| my support. I've learned through the years | | | | this feeling.Chris Dinesen Rogers has worked |
| that if masking is involved, it's best just | | | | with local artists, but is primarily a |
| to draw the outline and fill in the details | | | | self-taught and self-representing artist. |
| later. Masking may remove my pencil lines. | | | | Her work weaves a tapestry of the realistic, |
| Besides, there's a risk of smudging the | | | | natural, imaginative and historic, reflecting |
| lines.A friend of mine who also paints | | | | her deep love and commitment to the |
| reminds of of another lesson that I've | | | | preservation of the natural resources of the |
| learned. He will want to stick slavishly to | | | | Upper Midwest. Her paintings are found in |
| a photo or scene. If what he sees isn't | | | | collections over all the United States and |
| right, he looks until he finds it. Other | | | | Canada. Her work has also placed in juried |
| artists have taught me the value of | | | | competitions. She is represented by Art in |
| rearranging things, moving objects to frame, | | | | the Village Frame Shoppe & Gallery, New |
| point to, lead the eye around in a painting. | | | | London, MN and the Earth Works Art Gallery & |
| Try to do that. Notice how your eye moves | | | | Studio in Penn Yan, New York.She is a long |
| through a scene, what you notice first or | | | | time supporter and volunteer of conservation |
| don't notice. A truly excellent book I found | | | | efforts throughout the Midwest. In 2000, |
| on the subject is Barbara Nuss's book, "14 | | | | Chris and her husband, Norm, were |
| Forumulas for Painting Fabulous Landscapes". | | | | commissioned Colonels by the state of |
| The book has more info on oil than | | | | Kentucky for their volunteer efforts at |
| watercolor, but the information is | | | | Mammoth Cave National Park. Chris and Norm |
| outstanding. Truly a book to help you | | | | are also co-authors of "101 Things To Do on |
| see.Another thing you want to keep in mind | | | | the Wisconsin Great River Road." The book |
| about your work in progress is your own | | | | details the unique and wonderful of the |
| feelings to the subject. That is the goal, | | | | Wisconsin Great River Road. |
| isn't it? Developing your own style and your | | | | |