Book Review-The Acrylic Painter by James Van Patten

I found this book extremely helpful.  I have been an acrylic painter for many years but took a hiatus for ten years without producing many completed works.  This book brought me up to speed on new products and new ways to use old products.  It gave me much to think about as to the various approaches to acrylic painting.
I have read many books on this subject but I have to say, something about this book made it better than most.  It was useable, viable information.  Much of it was written for a beginner. However, I found this information a great refresher and thought provoking.  I did go out and buy some new products to try. I would recommend this book to beginners just starting the acrylic painting journey as well as someone who would like a comprehensive look at the overall approach and all the different aspects it takes to complete a painting from start to finish.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Van Patten is a native of Seattle, Washington, where he graduated from the University of Washington in 1965 with a BA in art education with an emphasis on painting. He completed his MFA in 1968 in Painting with minors in both Art History and Printmaking from Michigan State University. He has taught painting (as well as other studio classes), and lectured in art history at the university level in the ensuing years on both coasts and in the Midwest. Presently, he is a professor of painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York, NY. There he has taught the only course in acrylic techniques offered by SVA for over twenty years. He’s spent bulk of his career in the studio as a practicing artist, working primarily in acrylic paint on large-scale landscape paintings. OK Harris, New York, NY represented him exclusively for over thirty years, and for over a decade the Plus One Gallery of London has shown his work exclusively in England. His work is featured in collections throughout the United States and Europe.

More Info on Purchasing this Book

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

Charlie

 

This painting was completed this week while I have been visiting Iowa City cat sitting for my daughter. I had the photo of Charlie from last spring, hense the dandelion.  I think I did a good job making his fir look fluffy.  He is a eight year old Lhasa Apso with a great disposition.  

I plan to paint the two cats in the near future, Stella and Toki.  They were much harder to keep track of than I had originally thought.  Rather sneaky, getting into their food when they weren't suppose to.  There was a learning curve involved with these two.  

Intimately it has been a slow week as far as painting.  However, I finished a book on acrylic painting which I will write a review on soon.  I also made a trip to Dick Blick here in Iowa City to purchase Golden Acrylic Gloss Medium to cover the painting before I put the final varnish on it.  Occasionally I do not put a finish on the surface and let the Matt gesso remain.  Then when it is held to the light it has a shiny, matt quality to it.  Not sure at this point which I like better.  

Rhythm and movement

Single Iris "8"x10"  acrylic on hardboard

I had an opportunity to visit our local county fair this morning.  The temperature was already creeping into the 90 degree range with a heat index close to 100.  Everyone was moving in slow motion but the general attitude of the attendees was that of fun and excitement.
I returned home at noon to a house full of company and an afternoon of visiting friends and relations I rarely see, reminiscing old stories as we remembered them.  We sat and talked as the air conditioner clicked on and off, fans humming, drinking ice tea and enjoying each other's company.  Last night was a full moon, the "Thunder Moon".  My zinnias are coming into full bloom as are the lowly marigolds that line my vegetable garden.   Summer has its own rhythm and movement.

I included in this post an earlier painting of a single iris that was painted in June.  A simple still life.

Trash to Flash....a Transformation

Flash 8"x10"  acrylic on hardboard 6/20/16

This painting is of a dog named Flash.  He lives with my sister and brother-in-law in Minnesota.  He has had a dubious life in his early years and when my sister first got him he was named Trash.  He was a street dog and a vagabond.  His first owner traveled on boxcars and hitchhiked across the United States.  He is now eating regular meals, has a comfortable Minnesota home to live in and loving owners who have changed his name to Flash.  He still has a ragtag look about him, tattered ears and two colored eyes that are disconcerting until you get to know him.  Once you do get to know Flash, you will find that he has the sweetest disposition and is a pleaser.

Roadside Inspiration

Immanuel Lutheran Church  12"x12" acrylic on hardboard

This is a landscape painting of a church in Copperas Cove, Texas.  I was visiting there a couple years ago and knew I would paint this eventually.  There is a large hill directly behind the church grounds where it is possible to get a high vantage point from where I took the photo the painting is based on.  I haven't painted many landscapes so I am not sure if I am finished or not.  I may change the shadow on the roof of the church and play with the trees on the right some.
I do like the depth created in the painting and the road disappearing in the distance.

Summertime...

Payton II Acrylic on hardboard  8"x8"

The weather is reaching 90 degrees this week.  The garden is full of green beans.  We are canning the first batch today of five quarts.  I have been eating fresh garden picked kohlrabi, fresh cucumbers, raspberries, zucchini, and beets. I am anticipating making my first batch of home made ice cream in my little ice cream maker.  Also, we have been going through the seedless watermelons like there is no tomorrow.

Summer festivals are everywhere.  Yesterday I played clarinet in Sigs band in Forest City, Iowa for their annual Puckerbrush parade. Forest City is home to the Winnebago Motorhome annual rally.  Afterwards I played in the Forest City Municipal Band in the city band shelter as the community ate their chicken dinner in the park. It was a perfect day and I couldn't help but get a little emotional as we played our final selection of Stars and Stripes Forever.   I couldn't help but appreciate such an exceptional day, with community hovering around enjoying our music and each other.

My painting I am highlighting today is a second painting of Payton. (see July 14)  I like the abstract negative spaces in red that surround her.  I also like how she fills up the picture frame.

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Unconditional Love

Howdy 8"x8" acrylic on hardboard

What is it when an animal looks at you with such unconditional love that you have to adore them.  This painting is from a photo that was sent to me by a friend of mine that is a member of my bookclub.  I had to paint it.  The meadow and the flowers with the dog in the center were the deciding factor in selecting this for subject matter, let alone the dogs attentive stare at his owner as she took the photograph.

Defiance

Defiant Turtle  12"x12" acrylic on canvas

Creativity and defiance can go hand in hand.  Taking a stand on something requires courage and the ability to hold your ground when others do not agree with your actions.   Occasionally it takes this mindset to move foreword with ideas and certain breakthrough artworks that might not be mainstream.
The painting, Defiant Turtle, was inspired from a photo I took.  I was going canoeing in a nearby lake and this turtle stood directly in my path.  I ended up painting two versions of this little guy.  I will post the second painting at a later time.  I was definitely on his turf and I was the intruder.

Eulogy for a Lucky Dog

Payton  8"x8" acrylic on hardboard

This painting was completed about a week ago.  Payton is no longer alive.  She died rather suddenly of liver failure, but not before having one litter of puppies.  Payton was 8 years old when she got sick.  Within a few days she was gone.  But during those eight years Payton got to live free on an Iowa farm.  She slept outside in an insulated doghouse on the front porch and kept watch over the landscape.  She was never locked up or tied up. Her owner attended to her and took care of her.  And amazingly this spring she became pregnant for the first time and had a litter of cute little puppies.  One, Zoe, stayed on the farm. So, the loss of Payton is not as sad as it would of been if Zoe wasn't there to carry on.  Payton was in fact, a very lucky dog.

Nine Lives

Stinker 6"x6" Acrylic on Hardboard

Stinker is a cat that lives in the country.  It arrived at it current owners starving and without much hope to live.  But it survived and has thrived.  Now it is a lazy, pampered fatcat. I enjoyed painting this kitty that used up most of its nine lives early on and now can live the life of leisure on a recliner basking in the sun.

Discovery...An Ongoing Adventure

Jazz Fest Lily 6"x6" acrylic on hardboard

For two weeks I have been writing and adding paintings to this blog.  During that time I have been thinking about the direction the blog might take and its purpose.  On the first entry I said my main purpose was "reflection, inspiration, and accountability toward my work in progress".   
I like having a record of my work as I complete the daily paintings.  Some, like todays Jazz Fest Lily did take just one day.  Some works have taken two or more depending on the problems I have had to solve to complete the work.  
So, what have I discovered in the last two weeks?
 • The technical aspects of painting, (loading the brush, combining a limited palette of colors, working with black gesso,) 
•Composition (viewing composition problems before I am too far into the painting to correct them easily)
•Setting up a blog, photographing artwork web ready and original, filing artwork, keeping a system for future reference on a spreadsheet.
•Organizing and prioritizing my life and schedule so that I have time to paint on a daily basis.  I am creating a habit of painting.  
•And finally I am continually viewing my world around me for inspiration.  As I sit here and type I look out directly below my window and I can see a small brown bunny nibbling at something near a hosta plant.  The sun is almost down. No shadows exist.  Not a breeze stirs the air.  If only I had a camera and I was closer I would take a photo ........ 

The painting I included today was done in one sitting.  It is a photograph I took of a daylily that was blooming over the 4th of July at the Iowa City Jazz Festival (therefore the name Jazz Fest Lily).  I like the movement of the leaves as if it is dancing.  

Creativity and Curiosity

Rondo With Attitude Acrylic on Canvas,  16"x20" 

Yesterday I caught a podcast from Public Radio Station from the program On Being.  It was an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert.  Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of Eat, Pray, Love which has now been in print for 10 years.

Elizabeth Gilbert also has her own podcast called Magic Lessons http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/magic-lessons/

Here is a quote from Elizabeth that I really can relate to from an article by Melissa Dahl:

I think discipline is a bit overrated in the creative field, and self-forgiveness is underrated. We all start our projects on day one with passion and excitement, and all of us look at what we did on day two and hate ourselves. The difference with people who return to work on day three and the people who don’t is the people who return to work forgave themselves, knowing you did the best you could with what you had at that moment.  Elizabeth Gilbert

So, I try to keep showing up.  Some days are better than others in the creative front.  Some days more productive, some more technically proficient, some more expressive...yet some days nothing really happens. But, forgiveness, curiosity and persistence makes for a slow progression of improvement.

Today I included a painting of Rondo, my three year old Shih Tzu, Bichon Frise mix.  I tried to use a big brush and few brush strokes letting the black gesso show through as much as possible.  Easier said than done.  Knowing when to stop is critical in this type of painting.

Book Review-The Drawing Lesson by Mark Crilley

If only I had a mentor like the lead character in the graphic novel The Drawing Lesson by Mark Crilley when I was in upper elementary, early middle school.  This book not only demonstrates the importance of mentors in helping kids learn to draw but gives some great fundamental concepts to practice and internalize to become an accurate draftsperson.

The graphic novel format is fun to read and the storyline is engaging between the mentor, Becky, and the young student, David, as they interact and David becomes a more accomplished drawer, gains self confidence and skills.

There are many ways and books to teach drawing.  The graphic novel format is a clever way to reach another audience.  The book is excellent for all ages even though it is mainly effective for a 10-12 year old wishing to learn more about drawing. However, with any skill, reading about the skills necessary to be good at something is not the same as working hard to develop the skills to accomplish them.  But the book definitely leads the reader to the basic drawing techniques necessary to become a good drawer.

By the way, Mark Crilley has many YouTube videos on drawing that are very detailed for those interested in realistic drawing or mastering Manga.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

And the Band Plays On

Arches near Picacho State Park in CA  8"x10" Acrylic on hardboard

Our small town has a annual celebration as all small towns do which includes a parade.  If you are not watching the parade you would be in the parade.  In my case I am in the parade playing the clarinet in a little band that performs marches, polkas and popular music called "Sig's Band".  Live music is on the decline in most parades.  It is difficult to find organized groups to perform let alone pay them for their service.  We work for a minimal fee and lunch.  Our band performs at several of these little town parades throughout the summer.  It is a great gig because everyone is in a good mood.

The painting I did yesterday is of an area that I took a hike to with my cousin in southern California last January, just north of Yuma. I have been interested in doing a landscape and I was wondering how I would solve the problem of the rocks and sandy ground.  The painting is basically monochromatic and I am somewhat satisfied with how it turned out.  It was definitely a moonlike landscape compared with the lushness of greenery and black dirt in Iowa.

Let There Be Light

Tosca  Acrylic Painting, 6"x6"

Due to the resent storm that destroyed our large shade tree in the backyard, today the tree removers came in and little by little took the branches down to where just the six foot trunk currently remains.  I am saddened by the loss of this one tree that has brought so much to me on a daily basis.  Not only did it shade the north deck with lacy shadows but it housed many songbirds and bird feeders.

So, now change is happening.  Light has entered an environment that has been in darkened moistness.  A hummingbird sits on the tip on a fallen branch. Time to adapt to what is now the new normal.

Today I included a painting of Tosca, a cat that came from Portland, Oregon to live in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  Tosca's new caretakers are kitty lovers from way back.

Unpredictable

Coffee Cup Acrylic 3'x2'

Last night we had a huge storm.  It came at 2:30 at night with straight line winds. Trees were twisted and torn, uprooted and tossed about.  In the morning the neighborhood looked like a war zone.  Luckily only minor damage was done to homes in the vicinity.  However, the destruction of the trees caused a sense of loss. Many in the neighborhood I had watch grow and change with the seasons.  Now they were the victim of chainsaws and dump trucks. You never know from one day to the next.  Life is certainly unpredictable.

I did paint today.  The painting I included today was not the result of my days efforts however.  My coffee mug was painted a couple weeks ago when I was just getting my feet wet in painting once more on a daily basis.  It is actually a rather large painting, 3'x2' done with acrylic on black gessoed paper.  It was an exercise used by my instructor, Kat Corrigan, at a workshop I was taking at Grand Marais, MN.

Demolition

Chihuahua What?  6"x6" Acrylic on hardboard

In order to create you have to tear down.

Today I observed the total destruction of the house across from our garden being torn down that has not been occupied for 15 years.  Bulldozers and other unnamed large machines came in and broke it up like a cardboard box and it ended up in a pile of dust. I regret not absconding with some of the perennials that were scattered around the foundation, now lost to the rubble.

Change happens.  The house had created a sort of private wall to our backyard.  Will there be builders on the lot?  Will it sit abandoned and simply a grassy area? Nothing stays static.

This creative path that I am working on has its own sort of demolition.  Old habits need to be redirected in order to make room for creative pursuits.  Time to paint, time to think about painting, and time to collect subject matter to paint.  It shakes up the complacency of life and forces new ideas to come forth.  New directions to emerge.

The painting today is from a photo of a little unnamed Chihuahua that was sent to me by a friend.  I used zinc oxide white instead of the usual titanium white in my color palette.  Zinc oxide is much more transparent than titanium and therefore the white texture. He looks alert at these little dogs usually do.  Nothings seems to get by them.

Solitude

Quieting the mind is essential to creative exploration.  The continual chatter of my "to do" list bounces around my head as I take care of this and that.  When I finally eek out a bit of time to enter my studio and paint I first put on the music, get out my supplies, fill up the water jar, and begin the ritual that slides me into the zone.  It always amazes me how once I start the ritual how lost I can become in the process of painting.  How calming the process becomes to my inner self.  

The painting I am posting today is called Solitude.  It is a 6"x6" acrylic on hardboard of Lake Superior North Shore in northern Minnesota.  The sun is low and the horizon is lost in the distance as water and sky meld together.

Reading for Inspiration

Life has got in the way as I have been trying to sort out the various parts of my new endeavor of painting, buying supplies, getting set up, photographing subject matter, reading, and looking how best to market my work.  I am of the concept that if I do it all at once I will somehow bring it all together in a single mass.
Couple of books that have been helpful lately have been Daily Painting:  Paint Small and Often to Become a More Creative, Productive, and Successful Artist by Carol Marine.  The other book that I have been reading has been The Painter's Keys:  A Seminar with Robert Genn by Robert Genn.  Both have been instrumental in  guiding me forward on this path I am on presently.
The painting I included today was done from a photograph I took in Clear Lake, Iowa on the bike path that goes for about a mile through a prairie.  I call the piece Prairie Life due to all the activity that was surrounding the butterfly and plants as I rode through this area.  this is an 8"x8" acrylic painting on hardwood board.