Tag Archives: Elin Pendleton

July 8 - Update and the Mosaic Project

July 8th, 2008 | By Elin Pendleton

Le Cadeau du Cheval mural mosaic panel, copyright Elin Pendleton

I’ve been busy and quiet lately! Having fun painting a couple of horses for the Mural Project for Le Cheval (”the horse”). Here is the first of two I’ve sent off to them, both are acrylics. The panels measure approximately 18″ on a side, and the artist must follow the guidelines for value and color to achieve the finished work. Mine was a challenge, but no more so than the others you can see here. Mine are not in place yet… numbers 136 and 216. Perhaps when you get this, the folks in charge will have put it up.
I know that I could not follow the Color System, or pull out the stops to make this painting my own, but I enjoyed the diversion from the other things I’ve been doing.

One of those things is to radically respond to the gas prices. I bought a smaller transportation vehicle–here’s an image of it, complete with the two Teddy Roosevelt terriers, Onslow and Sparky.Elin Pendleton and her new scooter.

Getting 70 mpg is great! This was taken in our driveway.

And the other news is that I’m much thinner than what you see there–dropped 18 pounds, and still going. (Hey, that IS a helmet in my lap!!) I highly recommend the book, “Dr. Gundry’s Diet Evolution” to take the weight off and keep it off. He presents a logical reason why our genetic code makes us unhealthy and chubby as we age. I’m winning, and I hope you will too!

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©Copyright 2008 by Elin Pendleton. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Elin Pendleton’s website.

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June 12 - June 12 - Rowdy’s Memorial Service, Later This Afternoon

June 12th, 2008 | By Elin Pendleton

She may be gone from her friends and from this earth, but I know in my heart that she will be close for those who knew her and see this portrait. I’m through with it now, and it was as though in painting her, I was releasing my connection to my loss. That sounds selfish to say, but please know that to me, letting go is one of the most powerful and freeing events one can have. It’s a closure.

You can see from the finished portrait that I did nothing to erase the life she lived, and it is fairly easy to see her approximate age. This was intentional–Rowdy made no bones about her life and character, and my mission as an artist is to not gussie up the people I paint by doing the “cosmetic surgery” thing with my brushes. I painted her strength, and yet I think I also captured her gentle spirit.

I’m chuckling, though, because Rowdy would have hated to be painted and I have to say I thought I could hear her yelling at me while I was doing it! This painting will be publicly displayed only once, this afternoon, at March Field Air Museum, where her memorial will be held. She worked there as a volunteer coordinator and loved the planes!

A 20 x 18″ acrylic on canvas, it will be in the loving hands of Ruth and Ace Atkinson in their new home in Tijeras, New Mexico, next month.

For those of you who have lost loved ones, I offer a small book by Ted Menten, “Gentle Closings, How to Say Goodbye to Someone You Love” as a way to get through the hard times. It has helped me immensely in the loss of both parents, and allows me to gently understand what we feel when we’ve be left.

In talking about this portrait, the finishing layers of paint show best in the white garb of her “gi”, and in the layers that are in her hair. There truly isn’t a better way to see how I paint in acrylics if you’ll spend time seeing those layers that end up looking like hair and fabric.

Today I start the mural mosaic process for my two panels. I hope I can share the procedure with you, but I’ve heard through the grapevine that they are asking artists not to share early images. I’ll have to ask about that.

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©Copyright 2008 by Elin Pendleton. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Elin Pendleton’s website.

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June 11 - Rowdy’s Posthumous Portrait Continues

June 11th, 2008 | By Elin Pendleton

Well, she is coming along now… I’m building the facial planes with the correct values and colors, and starting to tighten down the smile she’d get just before starting an art on the mats.

She loved her sword, and showed it to us once, and that love of the martial arts of aikido comes through in this pose. As I build this composition, I also love the subtle changes I need to make to correct something that isn’t working right. The beauty of acrylics is that we have many opportunities for change by overpainting! I’ve corrected her sleeves, her hand positions, and especially her stance, yet there are just as many more to come.

For example, although her expression/essence is in her face, she still doesn’t have her nose and eyes “right”. And her white top doesn’t show the underlying form well. That’s coming with additional layers and glazes.

I have to laugh, knowing that my model for the fabric is Alberto, and the model for the hands on her sword was another black belt–but she was wearing rings and bracelets!! Of course, no jewelry is allowed on the mats, so I paint it out….(grin)

In a design sense, I’ve lightened the area on the lower quarter so that the shape of the stance she’s in will be stronger with the contrast between the dark hakama (skirt) and the lighter background.

Here’s an image of the March Air Museum and our mats. These four are the others with whom I train, Ron, Alberto, our sensei (teacher) Ace, and Steve. They all knew Rowdy well.

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©Copyright 2008 by Elin Pendleton. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Elin Pendleton’s website.

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June 10 - Laying in the large shapes, Rowdy Portrait

June 10th, 2008 | By Elin Pendleton

Portrait of Rowdy in progress - Elin Pendleton

Here’s the painting completely in the “Uglies”. The features are not correct, the hair’s too yellow, the hands and sword aren’t realistic-looking yet.

All of this painting has been done with layers in acrylics, and it is mostly done with the cools in the cool box. The background, however, crosses over from the cools of ultramarine blue and burnt umber with the addition of thalo blue to give it some “oomph”.

I will continue to layer and make corrections, fixing the attributes of the face and start to tighten down the look of her humorous half-smile. She now has on the white “gi” and the black “hakama” of the aikido practitioner, and her hands are roughly in the position for drawing the sword.

I found it interesting that at this stage, Rowdy’s face seems to share the sadness of not being here–perhaps I’m painting her with my own sadness. This will evolve….

On another note, today we had triplets born to Uke, the young goat I shared with you last year. She’s now a momma, and with her first kidding, triplets are amazing! And what’s more amazing is how they are the spitting image of their grandmother, whom I still have. Got kids? Looks like I’ll be bottle feeding them, as first freshener goats don’t always have enough milk. So cute…

goat triplets born
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©Copyright 2008 by Elin Pendleton. See original post here.
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June 9 - Beginning the Portrait of Rowdy, acrylic 24 x 18

June 9th, 2008 | By Elin Pendleton

Portrait in progress of Rowdy Arrington Twomey by Elin Pendleton

The aikido community lost a profoundly accomplished and funny woman on May 25, and I have offered to do a portrait for her memorial service and to give as a gift. Rowdy Arrington Twomey was a second level black belt in aikido, and has been involved in martial arts since she was seven and living in Japan.

This is the first lay-in, and is a tough painting to start–not only for the connection I have in painting someone who was a joy to learn with and whom I considered a friend. But also because she was intensely camera shy. The photos I have for reference are…well, blooming awful. And I want to put her in the traditional garb of aikido, and of course there are no images available for that.

I’ve asked friends to pose to get the hands right (they’ll be on her sword), and to pose her in the position of just drawing the weapon.

This is a 24 x 18 inch acrylic, and I’ll share its progress in the next few days. Her memorial service will be on the 12th.

After that, I’ll be working on the two mural panels for the Cheval mural mosaic.

Congratulations to Randy Smith on his acquiring the Amicalola River painting!

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©Copyright 2008 by Elin Pendleton. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Elin Pendleton’s website.

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May 28 - Continuing the Acrylic

May 30th, 2008 | By Elin Pendleton

Painting in progress by Elin Pendleton

Here is where some of the subtle magic starts! With the additional layers of acrylic brushwork, the painting starts to get a feeling of three dimensions, much like the way we actually focus our eyes when looking at nature.

The layers of brush work over the water area are now horizontal, indicating the flow of the surface. You’ll remember that first I laid down the vertical strokes to indicate the reflections on the smooth surface–now I put in the actual movement of that water with the horizontals.

Still no details… Remember, the painting has to be interesting at every stage (except for the “Uglies” when a painting has a large focal point awaiting an appearance!). This painting never had an “Uglies” stage, because there is no really strong focal point to create confusion.

On other news, I’ve decided to not do the June workshop here at my studio–I’m finding I need some more time to adjust to schedules and demands… I am working on a painting of a recently departed aikidoist and friend, as a gift for my teacher. I am also working on TWO panels for the Mural Mosaic project, in Canada. You can view the panels that have already been submitted for the Horse mural by visiting their site. It is fun and I’ll post the project as it unfolds. I’m working on General Lee’s horse Traveler as my subject. I visited his grave in Virginia a couple years ago, and really liked that horse.

And then there’s the 24 x 36 waiting to be started!!

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©Copyright 2008 by Elin Pendleton. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Elin Pendleton’s website.

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May 28 - Plein Air Demonstration Continues

May 28th, 2008 | By Elin Pendleton

Here’s the next step in the painting on location of the rocks in the Amicalola River in Dawson National Forest. In the upper tree area, I am scumbling the paint onto the dry layers to give me reference for the details that follow. I like to make large shapes and then drive them down into the smaller shapes when I use acrylics. Heck, I like to do that with oils, too! Acrylics’ ability to separate the layers does create a good deal of excitement in the textures that show up as one layer goes over another. I don’t like to completely obliterate what has happened in those lower layers.

The energy of the brushwork is still quite alive and well at this stage. I have not done any glazing yet. Glazing (using paint thinned with medium) will bind and unify the composition, and also tie together areas of the painting that might not be unified without it.

Notice how my brushwork direction makes pathways for your eyes to follow. Mark-making is how we as artists give the viewer much more than a source photograph.

Congratulations to new collector Fran Carson of Grand Island, Nebraska on her purchase of “The Kind Eye” (Clydesdale).

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©Copyright 2008 by Elin Pendleton. See original post here.

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May 24 - Lesson Painting in Acrylics - Beginning

May 24th, 2008 | By Elin Pendleton

How important is the surface on which you paint? Does it have to start out white? I think the surface preparation is very important–equivalent to a foundation on a house. The energy conveyed in the earliest brush marks target the forms that will come later. This canvas was started on location at the Amicalola River a week or so ago, while I was teaching the workshop at Fay’s farm near Dawsonville, and I painted it in one standing (vs. “sitting”, which I don’t do much). It is a 12 x 9 acrylic, and this first pass puts down the masses of the abstract structure of the painting. I’ll add many layers of paint to bring it to a finish, coming in three lessons (I think–forgot how many pictures I took!) I’m quite pleased with the painting, sitting right by my computer here. There is a great deal of energy in it. Those brush marks from the get-go have that same energy!

Here is the source material–morning light on the river, with spring leaves on the forest trees. North Georgia is surely beautiful!

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©Copyright 2008 by Elin Pendleton. See original post here.

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May 21 - Another from the Workshops - Mini Lesson

May 21st, 2008 | By Elin Pendleton

The soft evening light of Georgia plays across one of the many flower beds on Fay’s farm becomes the subject of this plein air 7 x 5 acrylic. Using the layering that makes acrylic painting so wonderful allowed me to set up and complete this work with no additional touch-ups later in the workshop.

First placing the large dark shapes of shadows and deep shrub coloration, it was an easy matter to add additional layers, keeping the values close until the final accents were added in the iris blooms and sunlit rock wall.

I used filbert brushes to paint the entire subject. Those brushes allow such flexibility in marks to make the trunks, the broad brushwork on the foreground, and the calligraphic marks of the fence posts. They are Ruby Satins by Silver Brushes, and I really do love them!

This painting is already in the collection of Sam Gullo of Cleveland, Ohio.

Here’s another view of the lovely area of the North Georgia Mountains… beautiful! Right before haying season, the fields are lush with new growth. That’s one of the farm’s hay storage sheds in the distance.

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©Copyright 2008 by Elin Pendleton. See original post here.

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May 20 - Back and Coming to Center Again

May 20th, 2008 | By Elin Pendleton

Back in California again, and after a couple of days of untangling knots and watering, petting the critters who didn’t get to go along, I’m ready to bring out the work that was done in the workshops in Georgia last week and earlier.

As a demonstration of both back light and morning light, I painted this 12 x 9 oil in a 40 minute demonstration to share how the Color System works to depict these attributes in a canvas that’s both flat and without luminosity.

It’s hard to compete with Nature, when Nature brings us such beauty! While on Fay’s workshop farm, several of us would go out at 7 a.m. and walk the fields and woods, bringing back beautiful source material such as the image below. Those morning walks set the stage for the long hours to follow, filling our eyes with beauty and brightness we would later transfer to canvas.

Having such a gorgeous area for a workshop is one of the reasons I’m so grateful to Fay for opening her heart and farm to the “Boot Campers”, many of whom actually staying on the farm for the duration. They would paint well into the night–working hard to settle in the guidelines of the Color System before their five short days were over.

This painting is in the hands of new collector Beth Haislip from South Carolina.

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©Copyright 2008 by Elin Pendleton. See original post here.

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Mar 7 - One More for Norco’s Show, Pack Mule

March 7th, 2008 | By Elin Pendleton

This is one more oil painting that is currently hanging in the Norco Western Art Show on my premier artist wall–a demonstration for the workshop in February, which turned into noon light without any help from me a bit later on! (Note the blue shadows!)

It is an 8 x 10 oil, and is called “In Line”. The background is noticeably softer in feel, and the trees flanking both edges present structure for the viewer that perhaps is not obvious until pointed out.

The color scheme is definitely analogous, following the well-worn path of Hal Reed’s color wheel (based upon Munsell’s).

All of these paintings will be up on the dailypaintings.com site later next week, and then they’ll have prices on them as original works. Next week is the March workshop Mini Color Boot Camp here in my studio!

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©Copyright 2008 by Elin Pendleton. See original post here.

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Mar 5 - 5 x 7 Oil of Clouds and Cows

March 6th, 2008 | By Elin Pendleton

Finished painting of cattle, cowboys, and clouds, by Elin Pendlton, from a recent workshop.

This little 5 x 7 oil was started in the February Riverside workshop on the third day, demonstrating how skies can come together with the “magic three” plus white–how all skies can easily be done with this limited triad plus an occasional oddball color. In this case I added the cool yellow in various places.

I was specifically addressing the values in the sky during the lecture that accompanied the demonstration–emphasizing that the shadows on clouds are always lighter than any shadow on the ground, which makes for a believable “up there” in one’s composition. Yes, there can be dramatic skies, but keeping those dark shadow clouds a skosh lighter than the shadows on the ground makes it readable for the viewer. And it always has to READ RIGHT.

Here’s the version as the attendees at the workshop saw it–I didn’t finish it until later on, and it is now on display, framed up at the Norco Western Art Show, which opens tomorrow with the Sponsors/Buyers Reception and Dinner.
Painting in progress by Elin Pendleton - cattle, cowboys, and clouds.

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©Copyright 2008 by Elin Pendleton. See original post here.

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Mar 2 - How Times Flies!

March 2nd, 2008 | By Elin Pendleton

Painting by Elin Pendleton for the Norco Western Art Show

I didn’t realize how much time has gone by–but then again, February is a short month. Here’s one of the paintings that was in process during the workshop, sitting on my easel awaiting time to finish it before delivery to the Norco Western Art Show next weekend. This is a 24 x 30 acrylic, and is loosely taken from the area behind us up on Box Springs Mountain.

It is done with many, many layers of acrylic paint, applied thinly and semi-transparently, and this digital image cannot show the depth and richness of all of those layers. I’m almost pleased with it.

There are five horses coming down from the hillside, and they are so much a part of the landscape that one notes them only secondarily after the pathway contrasts and colorful autumn foliage, yet they will hold your attention long after your eye wanders the landscape.

This and eight other paintings will be delivered tomorrow to Norco, where I’m honored to be a Premier artist for this weekend show. Lots of fun and western art and artists whose company I always enjoy!

The workshop was, according to the attendees, a roaring success. The survivors of “Color Boot Camp” are shown here on my studio steps with one of the many paintings they did during the concentrated weekend. I am so pleased that every artist came away with important knowledge they can use immediately! The Yahoo group “Color System” is a-buzz with their new painting journeys! In two weeks, the second workshop will be taking off!

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©Copyright 2008 by Elin Pendleton. See original post here.

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