Visual Language Vol 1 No 8 CFAI.co by Visual Language

International Voices

VISUAL LANGUAGE

CFAI.co October 2012 Volume 1 No. 8

contemporary fine art

Cover Artist Hall Groat www.cfai.co/hallgroat

http://www.cfai.co/art-challenge-july-2012-freedom/

Patsy Walton

www.cfai.co/patsywalton

Art Challenge August 2012 “Laughter” Follow us on FACEBOOK Contemporary-Fine-Art-International

August 2012 Vol 1 No 8 © cfai.co

www.cfai.co/hallgroat

Hall Groat II

In 2004 he was included in an exhibition at the Roberson Museum Center, entitled Cosmos and Chaos: A Cultural Paradox, with artists Lucian Freud, Eric Fischl, Jerome Witkin and several others. Groat is included in private and public collections internationally, including Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta Jones, Clear Channel Communications, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cellular One, Sheraton Hotel Corporation, Binghamton University, Everson Museum of Art, Munson-Williams Proctor Institute of Art, The State University of New York system, Roberson Museum and Science Center and Washington Jefferson College.

CFAI.co Cover Artist

Hall Groat II is a Professor at Broome Community College in New York where he teaches foundation courses in Fine Arts. He earned his Master of Fine Arts Degree at Brooklyn College in 1992, studying classical oil painting with Lennart Anderson and Lois Dodd. Groat has had solo exhibitions at Roberson Museum of Art, Everson Museum of Art, Washington and Jefferson College, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Finger Lakes Community College, Cazenovia College, Lemoyne College, and many other institutions.

Features this month New Artists

Pages 5-6

Painterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Keys - Robert Genn Page 8

Art Challenge

Pages 15-20

Best of Show Carol Peterson

Colors on My Palette Pages 21-28 Featuring Texas Artists Debra Hurd and David Forks

in Visual Language Hall Groat II Art Review Pages 37-38

Featuring Texas Artist Donna Bland

Blog Review Arkansas Pages 39-46

Features include Debra Sissons, Ann Powers, Leslie Newman and Beth Lenderman.

Daily Painters

Pages 59-60

Collection Starters under $200

Pages 61-70 Featuring

ART TELLS THE STORY

Dottie Martz

Signature Member United States, Virginia www.cfai.co/dottiemartz

Suzy Pal Powell

Signature Member United States, Texas www.cfai.co/suzypalpowell

Amy Whitehouse

Signature Member United States, Arizona www.cfai.co/amywhitehouse

Mary Ann Brooks

United States, Texas www.cfai.co/maryannbrooks

NEW ARTISTS ON CFAI.co

Olga Wagner

Debra Latham

United States, www.cfai.co/olgawagner

Professional Member United States, Texas www.cfai.co/debralatham

Marie Williams

United States, Texas www.cfai.co/mariewilliams

CFAI.co Masthead

Visual Language Magazine Staff Editorial Editor -in-Chief Laurie Pace Executive Editor Diane Whitehead Managing Editor Nancy Medina Deputy Editor Debbie Lincoln Feature Editor Art Reviews Hall Groat II Feature Contributor Robert Genn Blog Editor Kimberly Conrad Associate Editor Lisa Kreymborg Advertising Contact Kimberly Conrad

CFAI.co Newsletter Editor -in-Chief Diane Whitehead Executive Editor Laurie Pace Managing Editor Kimberly Conrad Deputy Editor Debbie Lincoln Feature Editor Art Reviews Hall Groat II Associate Editor Lisa Kreymborg Feature Contributor Clint Watson FASO Feature Contributor Robert Genn Painterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Keys Membership Director Kimberly Conrad Associate Director Lisa Kreymborg

Website Web Design Scott Ellis, VSellis.com Quality Assurance Lisa Kreymborg Daily Collectors Feed Lisa Kreymborg Juried Shows Diane Whitehead Art Challenge Laurie Pace Workshops Lisa Kreymborg Colors on My Palette Diane Whitehead In the News Laurie Pace Membership Kimberly Conrad

Marketing and Development Director Laurie Pace Senior Director Diane Whitehead Senior Director Kimberly Conrad Junior Director Lisa Kreymborg

International Blogs Editor Kimberly Conrad Junior Editor Lisa Kreymborg

Board of Directors Kimberly Conrad Laurie Pace, Diane Whitehead Debbie Lincoln, Mary Jo Zorad

Finance Director Andy Whitehead Senior Director Diane Whitehead Junior Director Kimberly Conrad

All Artwork is Copyrighted by the Individual Artists. Visual Language Vol 1 No 7

Painter’s Keys with Robert Genn

Robert Genn’s Studio Book

Handling edges

Dear Artist, A weak email signal wafts intermittently to Cortes Island on Canada’s west coast. Paul Bennett of Jasper, Alberta writes, “I wonder if you might consider giving some advice about edge treatments. I paint in acrylics but I’m sure the problem exists in most media. Getting a soft edge, for example, can be difficult, especially in the summer in dry climates.” Thanks, Paul. Here at Hollyhock in an uncommon heat wave our workshoppers are asking the same question. Sara and I are showing a lot of folks the three main types of edges. The most common and least desirable is where the edge of one colour comes up to and directly stops at the edge of another--a habit that seems hard-wired in the human psyche. After a certain age, kids tend to do it. Many adults never free themselves from it. A second type of edgemanship is where one colour comes over another wet-into-wet, often picking up the softer transition that many painters desire. “Overshooting” and “cutting in” give opportunities to hold both soft and hard edges with the valuable device of negative shapes. A third and often overlooked type of edgemanship is where one passage falls short of the area it approaches, leaving a space of whatever underpainting happens to lie below. These “edge-holidays” can be calculated to range from 5 neutral toned to brightly coloured lapses of beguiling visual strength and interest. 5

Painter’s Keys - Robert Genn

August 21, 2012

Oversize brushes can give you a leg up in the blending department. Choose a brush that’s larger than you originally thought might be used. Wet-into-wet, big soft brushes give big soft edges. No matter how you need to get your edges, a slippery imprimatura or ground coat is valuable. It may seem like a mere trifle, but any pre-lubed ground is more pleasant and potentially more expressive to work on. Many painters find dry and absorbent surfaces to be as odious as fingernails on blackboards. For acrylic painters, the use of slow-drying colours, the spritzing of palettes, and drying retarder help with the soft touch. Volume of paint counts too--small amounts of paint from miserly palettes, when thinly spread, tend to dry quickly and make soft edging difficult. Here at Hollyhock, under the moving dapple of summer beachside sun and shadow, we learn to plan ahead. Great plein air paintings may include sunlight but are made in the shade. Best regards, Robert PS: “Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.” (Michelangelo Buonarroti)

VisualLanguageCFAI.blogspot.com

RICK HECK www.cfai.co/rickheck

Submit your portfolio to join Contemporary Fine Art International. www.cfai.co/register

DAV I D www.cfai.co/davidforks

Still Standing The 6th of 7 children Mr. Forks, was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1957 to a military family. He began a successful career in commercial art shortly after graduating high school. He initially worked and learned production art at River City Studio, owned and operated by San Antonio art legends George Hughey and now notable painter and signature member of PAPA, George Strickland. After River City Studio, he worked as co producer of Southwest Airlines magazine and as illustrator for Concept Enterprises, (the original Koozie company) before venturing off to open his own illustration and design firm.

FORKS

Outside La Grange After 20 years self employed, and the revolution of the digital age, Mr. Forks went to work in the printing industry where he continues today. None of these positions however, fulfilled his real desire to paint. He shelved those aspirations for 30 years while he raised a family of 4 boys finding little to no time to paint along the way. The untimely passing of an older brother to cancer in late 2006 opened his eyes to the fleeting of time and realization that it was time to make his dream a reality. He now paints on a daily basis in oil and acrylics. His style is ever evolving and varies from very loose and fast to tightly worked pieces. Mainly a landscape painter, he finds inspiration in Gods creations everywhere. Mr. Forks currently resides in Spring, Texas north of Houston. Read Davidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Interview with CFAI Colors on Your Palette on pages 25-28.

DAVID FORKS www.cfai.co/davidforks

Desert View

Green Pasture

My life long dream has been to paint for a living. It is my vocation and my life blood. Now that my children have grown and I have become a grandfather, the time to make that dream a reality is here. My favorite subjects are scenes of the Texas Trans-Pecos including the Big Bend region and the Texas Hill Country.

Late Afternoon

Mountain View

DavidForks.com 14

ART CHALLENGE

Art Challenge Best of Show C

Winning Painting Hailey

http://www.cfai.co/art-challenge-august-2012-laughter/

e August 2012 Carol Peterson

http://www.cfai.co/carolpeterson

ART CHALLENGE

Second Painting Entered Delighted

First Place Ann Rogers

ART CHALLENGE

Patty Cake

http://www.cfai.co/art-challenge-august-2012-laughter/

ART CHALLENGE

Second Place

Jimmy Longacre Early Encounter

http://www.cfai.co/art-challenge-august-2012-laughter/

Third Place

ART CHALLENGE

Patsy Walton

Mumbo Jumbo

http://www.cfai.co/art-challenge-august-2012-laughter/

Honorable Mention

Dianne Fritzler

Suzy Pal Powell

ART CHALLENGE

Anne Bevan

Sunny Kay Marler

http://www.cfai.co/art-challenge-august-2012-laughter/

Debra Hurd

COLORS ON MY PALETTE

www.cfai.co/debrahurd http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/debra-hurd/

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;an artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;? When I was in grade school, I loved to draw, paint, and create 3 dimensional pieces. I knew I wanted to be an artist for a living when I was in college Who has been the greatest influence from your past to mentor you to this career? I would have to say my art teacher in high school teach Mrs. Ballou, my college art teach, Malcolm Childers, and the teachers at Ringling School of Art and Design Who is your mentor today, or another artist you admire and why? Susie Pryor because of her use of color and design. I love her large relaxed style and everything she paints. Cheri Christensen. I am in love with her style and use of colors. The are very deep and moving. Pam Ingalls. Her brush work and use of color are breathtaking. She paints many interiors. Her palette is very warm. Scott Burdick and his wife Susan Lyon. They are very traditional and do very realistic paintings of people, places, and things from their travels. They have their pieces in many galleries. I love the thick brush work Scott does. Laurie Pace. Her use of color and the relaxed manor of each painting is wonderful. Many of her works seem like representational abstract. I love that. What is your favorite surface to paint on? Describe it if you make it yourself. Canvas What brand of paints do you use? Windsor & Newton and Rembrandt oils Do you have a favorite color palette? Well, I have some I like better at different times. I like violet blue with golds, reds and magenta along with some white for sparkle.

COLORS ON MY PALETTE

Debra Hurd

COLORS ON MY PALETTE

www.cfai.co/debrahurd http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/debra-hurd/

COLORS ON MY PALETTE

www.cfai.co/debrahurd http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/debra-hurd/

COLORS ON MY PALETTE

David Forks

www.cfai.co/davidforks http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/david-forks/

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be ‘an artist’? I think I have loved art pretty much my entire life. As young as I can remember I enjoyed drawing. I was accused by my teacher of tracing a lion I drew in 3rd grade. That was actually a great compliment. Who has been the greatest influence from your past to mentor you to this career? George Strickland signature member and former president of P A P A.. I worked as a graphic artist for George in San Antonio right out of high school. Over the years, I have seen him hone his skills and become an elite and highly respected landscapist and plein air painter. Who is your mentor today, or another artist you admire and why? Has to be George again. I took his Art in the Aspens workshop last summer. I can’t tell you how much I got out of the few days spent under his tutelage. What is your favorite surface to paint on? Describe it if you make it yourself. I paint on clear acrylic Plexiglas mainly for the smooth surface which allows my paint to flow freely with time to manipulate it before it dries. The clear Plexiglas also allows light to pass through which I have come to love -especially with my more recent abstract works. What brand of paints do you use? I use Lukas 1862 most frequently but also use some grumbacher and holbein as well. Do you have a favorite color palette? Cad yellow, cad orange, cad red, alizarin crimson, french ultramarine blue, thalo blue, then I have earth colors I add for specific paintings including raw sienna, burnt sienna, sap green and cobalt violet. I always use titanium white and rarely use black.

COLORS ON MY PALETTE

David Forks

www.cfai.co/davidforks http://www.cfai.co/colors-on-my-palette/david-forks/

NATHALI

E KELLEY www.cfai.co/nathkelley

NathalieKelleyArt.com

TINA BOHLMAN www.cfai.co/tinabohlman

TinaBohlman.com

TINA BOHLMAN www.cfai.co/tinabohlman

http://www.cfai.co/melodycleary/

MELINDA

Bistro and Bar

Eat at Joâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

http://www.cfai.co/melindapatrick

PATRICK

The Traveler

MelindaPatrick.com

Contemporary F

Hall Groat II NY Critic Review

by NY Art Criti

A Review of Texas Artist Donna Bland’s Work Austin-based artist, Donna Bland, paints with gusto in oil, exploring the classical landscape, figure and still life genres. One of my favorites is entitled “Mule Trail, Big Bend”, which is a simple impression of the southwestern rocky dessert. The tones are in perfect harmony with all of the geometric, puzzle-like shapes. If you were to mix the work of Paul Cézanne with Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot perhaps this would be the result: a soft atmospheric space with bold geometry. Although, both Corot and Cezanne would have done something clever do break the edge along the top of the rocks, along the horizon line. It’s a bit static! Perhaps the introduction of shared value or even the subtle suggestion of the rock geometry into the sky would help.

www.cfai.co/donnabland

Mule Trail, Big Bend by Donna Bland | Oil on Canvas | 11 in. x 14 in.

Rocks at Civita Castellana - Camille Corot. Artist: Camille Corot

Fine Art Review

ic Hall Groat II

Hall Graot II NY Critic Review

www.NYArtGuide.net/groatii/index.html

Paul Cézanne, Landscape in Gold, Oil on Canvas

www.cfai.co/donnabland

Undoubtedly Ms. Bland is a very competent and solid painter; however, just like my criticism of Judy Crowe’s work in last month’s review, I’d like to see Donna take some chances with exploring more innovative subject matter and compositions. She owes it to herself! “My Favorite Antique” is my favorite composition of hers. This classic Imperial automobile is cropped in a pretty clever way, and there’s even a suggestion of several European-like red stucco rooftops hidden within the trees in the background, similar to what you may fine in a Camille Pissarro. I like these subtle postmodern art historical allusions, and my hunch is that they were inadvertent, which is why they look so natural and uncontrived.

My Favorite Antique by Donna Bland 11”x14”, Oil on canvas

Painter Hall Groat II, professor of fine and media arts at Broome Community College, teaches foundation courses in painting, drawing, color theory, and computer graphics. Groat earned a master of fine arts degree in painting and drawing from City University of New York at Brooklyn, a bachelor of arts in art history, minoring in studio art at Binghamton University, and attended graduate and certificate programs at Buffalo State College, Syracuse University, and Savannah College of Art and Design. He also attended summer sessions at Chautauqua School of Art, Chautauqua, NY, and Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vt.

Blog Review

Debra Sisson Leslie Newman

Beth Lenderman

Debra Sisson

DailyPaintersofArkansas.blogspot.com

Cathyann Burgess Ann Powers

Leslie Newman

Arkansas Artist Spotlight

Debra Sisson

http://www.cfai.co/debrasisson

Arkansas Artist Spotlight

Leslie Newman www.cfai.co/leslienewman

Arkansas Artist Spotlight

Ann Powers

http://annpowersart.fineartstudioonline.com/

Beth Lenderman www.cfai.co/bethlenderman

Arkansas Artist Spotlight Florida Artist Spotlight

www.cfai.co/kamelapeart

Kamela Peart www.cfai.co/kamelapeart

Kamela Peart was born and raised in the vibrant mission dist places that dotted her childhood. From the Spanish-fueled co maican family that constantly surrounded her, Kamela had n translated over the years into a rich portfolio of work which d After taking a brief hiatus from painting to start a family, Kam beauty, her newest collection aims to depict women from cou beauty she may also break down those stereotypes that accom

www.cfai.co/debrahurd

trict of foggy San Francisco. The child of a multi-cultural family, Kamela found inspiration in the colorful people and ommunity in which she was raised, to the bright murals lining many of her neighborhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s streets, to the eccentric Jano shortage of inspiring individuals and places from which to choose to paint. Her roots in this type of environment has displays a masterful use of color and a passion for depicting her closest family and friends. mela has returned to her craft and is currently creating a watercolor series entitled, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Woman.â&#x20AC;? Focusing on worldly untries around the world in both traditional and modern attire, in the hopes that by portraying different standards of mpany them.

www.cfai.co/debrahurd

LAURIE PACE at Mi http://www.cfai.co/lauriepace

Watering Hole

irada Fine Art Denver MiradaFineArt.com

24 x 36 Oil on Canvas

Oil Painting DVDs Professor Hall Groat II

OilPaintingDVD.com Step by Step Demonstrations hrgroat1@stny.rr.com

LINDA McCOY

www.cfai.co/lindamccoy http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/linda-mccoy-1806

D E L I LAH

www.cfai.co/delilahsmith 55

H SMITH

www.cfai.co/delilahsmith

PaintingoftheDay.blogspot.com

D E L I LAH www.cfai.co/delilahsmith

H SMITH

www.cfai.co/delilahsmith

PaintingoftheDay.blogspot.com 58

DAILY PAINTERS

aily Painters.comDaily

Anne Zoutsos

J P Walter

Linda Apple

Laurie Pace

Carol Marine

Karen Margullis

Jeff Mahoney

Theresa Paden

DailyPainters.com

Cathleen Rehfield

Carol Carmichael

Kim Roberti

Paul Wolber

Christ

Dreama Tolle Perry

Jelaine Faunce

DailyPainters.com

tina DelSol

Connie Chadwell

Julie Ford Oliver

Lisa Daria Kennedy

Qiang Huang

Delilah Smith

Kay Smith

Kay Wyne

Debbie Grayson Lincoln

Oriana Kacicek

Jacqueline Gnott

Nel Jansen

Mark Schwartz

Ria Hills

Mary Maxam

Nancy Spelman

Collection Starters under $200 61