ELEVATE YOUR ART
Quarterly Magazine Featuring Photoshop Artists featuring VICKIE BOLDUC
WINTER 2023
Members of the review team are integral to the success of hundreds of Photoshop artists. Highly trained, they provide over 15,000 video reviews a year for members of Beyond the Brushes.
Video feedback is the key to success for many who are new to Photoshop painting!
Cath Smith cathsmithartist.com
This simple still life came about after Cath noticed the reflections in the bowl from the yellow napkin. She grabbed a photograph and set to painting, wanting to play with the color and edges to create something simple but pleasing.
Featured
Reviewer
WELCOME...
If you’ve ever worked as a photographer, I’m sure you’ve had this experience… You photograph a portrait session, and when the client leaves, you open the images on your computer. While there might be one or two you like, primarily, it’s a feeling of “blah.” Sound familiar?
Have you ever gone back to a session like that months later? I have and let me tell you, it was an eye-opening experience! Fresh eyes totally changed my perspective on what images I should have presented to the client!
Paintings also often look better with fresh eyes, and that is the topic of this quarter’s edition of Elevate Your Art Magazine.
COVER IMAGE BY
Bekkie’s friend sent a picture of her incredibly cute granddaughter, and who could resist the sweet face of Daisy? Not Bekkie! The gift overwhelmed the family’s eyes and hearts, especially Daisy’s grandmother. Bekkie just enjoyed making a cherished gift (and the opportunity to use Brushy Goodness some more.)
Screen capturing artwork from the magazine for your own use - whether personal or commercial use - is a violation of the artists’ copyright which is punishable by Federal fines of up to $150,000 per image.
Please be respectful of the copyright of the artists. Thank you.
Michelle
Magazine © Michelle Parsley, M. Photog., M. Artist, Cr., CPP Student images © remain with each individual as noted.
Bekkie Harper
CONTENTS
p1 Featured Reviewer: Cath Smith
p2 Welcome from Michelle
p7 The Power of Time
p14 Artist Feature: Vickie Bolduc
p28 Rufus is a LIAR!
Deb snapped a shot of her daughter-in-law and her first grandchild. She wanted the focus to be on the new love of a mother and her baby, so the emphasis is on the mother’s loving face. Brushy Goodness was her go-to for this painting.
MASTHEAD & CONTRIBUTORS
MICHELLE PARSLEY PUBLISHER
HANNAH PARSLEY COPYWRITER
CATH SMITH
EDITOR
ARTICLES:
VICKIE BOLDUC
IMAGES:
BEKKIE HARPER
CATH SMITH
DEB RICE
RHONDA HARLEY
SUE ANDERSON
SHELLY ELLIS
JANA HOFFMAN
VICKIE BOLDUC
TANYA GRIFFIOEN
ANN LAUWERS
RUSSELL KINERSON
LESA CLARKE
ESTHER BYRT
KATHRIN NEWMAN
KIMBERLY GUARDIPEE
JANICE BATTERBEE
AUTUMN CALVERT
KRYSTAL HISE
Artist: Deb Rice
Artist: Rhonda Harley harleysfineart.com
Rhonda fell in love with this dog while visiting her family in Georgia. Looking for an image to paint, she knew she had to paint this precious dog for her cousin. She experimented with different brushes and learned from the reviewers about how colors within the image affect the mood of the viewer.
THE POWER OF TIME
Paint, post, paint, post, paint, post…
This is the pattern we see in Beyond the Brushes for most members. I get it. Painting is exciting! I really, truly LOVE how excited our members are to paint! However, this fast and feverish paint/post pace is hampering a very important part of artistic development. Retrospect.
In some ways, this is a failure of the media we as Photoshop Artisans use. We don’t have to wait for paint to dry. We can fully express our initial thoughts about a piece without the paint slowing us down. It satisfies the “gotta have it now” part of our brains that our modern society cultivates.
However, working slowly has its perks. An unintended benefit of working in oil is that it forces artists to slow down. Truly exceptional artists don’t paint in a single sitting and immediately put the artwork out to the world as complete. The simple act of working slower unwittingly teaches the art of
retrospect and this is a skill that should be coveted!
“Listen to the paint.”
I say it all the time to students. However, it’s difficult to hear what the paint is saying when you are painting at a feverish pace. When you slow down the creative process, that is very often where the magic happens.
A recent example of this in my own work is the charcoal style image you see above with our farm dog, Frost and our most recent litter of piglets.
If you’re a member of Beyond the Brushes, you may have been watching live on Zoom as I began this painting… in color. Because I have practiced the art of retrospect for
many years, I could feel that something wasn’t quite right in the initial painting. I ended the live demonstration by saying I didn’t think the painting was complete and I’d come back to it at a later date.
I put the painting away for a month — something almost unheard of in the Photoshop painting world.
After a month’s break, viewing the painting with fresh eyes, I could see clearly what I needed to do. The media was all wrong. I should have created this piece in charcoal! As any instructor worth their salt will do, I admitted my error and allowed members to watch me live on Zoom as I pivoted the work to the final piece you see above.
Had I chose to work at the feverish paint/post
pace that has become the norm with Photoshop artists, this final outcome would never have happened. I would never have given myself the time to see it with fresh eyes. The time away from the piece made all the difference in the world!
How can you add the practice of retrospect to your own work?
It is a skill that should be yearned for and refined to make you the best artist you can possibly be!
Artist: Sue Anderson
https://fineartphotography18.mypixieset.com/fine-art/
Sue’s friend had a horse trainer working with one of her Kiger horses, and Sue fell in love with her composite of a stock image and her friend’s picture. It was a no-brainer to take it to the next level, and the trainer’s surprise and excitement made it all the more worth it.
Artist: Shelly Ellis sellisphotography.com
Shelly was doing the turps lessons and wanted additional practice. In lieu of copying an old master, she was inspired by a contemporary artist. Taking a picture of two vaqueros, she combined her inspiration with her striving to elevate her own photography and to continue evolving in style.
Jana got out in -20ºC weather on a polar night in Finnish Lapland to photograph this reindeer. Even if it wasn’t true, her mind remembered it looking like its head was tilted back smiling toward the moon. Thanks to Beyond the Brushes, she felt capable of turning it into what she always envisioned.
Artist: Jana Hoffmann janahoffmann.eu
Artist: Vickie Bolduc
VICKIE BOLDUC
THE JOY SHE SHARES
VICKIE DABBLED IN A COUPLE OF GROUP PAINT SESSIONS, BUT NONE OF THEM HAD INSTRUCTION. THE DESIRE TO ELEVATE HER AND HER HUSBAND’S STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY IS WHAT BROUGHT HER TO BEYOND THE BRUSHES IN SEPTEMBER 2019.
ARTIST FEATURE
After several attempts to find instruction on how to paint in Photoshop, Vickie couldn’t find what she had in mind. Then, she stumbled across the Elevate Your Art in-person workshops. Unfortunately, none of those were ever at a convenient time for her, so she kept searching but to no avail. When she saw that a perpetual online course was going to start, Vickie immediately signed up. For Vickie, there has been no turning back, and she finds continuous joy and amazement with how far she has come.
Her inspiration for this series came from several directions, but the seasons of the year and of life were Vickie’s biggest source. In anticipation of newness in life during spring, flowers blossomed. On the sunny and windy days of summer, times reminiscent of blowing
dandelions and the wind blowing through her dress swept through her mind. They brought with them memories of youthfulness, being outdoors, and enjoying life. Vickie remembered the days of having her horse, Tootsie, on her granddad’s farm.
At the end of the summer, Vickie’s life took a sudden turn with a great loss. The fall ended up being a blur. As the cold weather crept in, Vickie went out on a limb and bought new Christmas ornaments with words of inspiration. From the doldrums of winter, a chickadee painting brought joy. A true testament to Vickie’s character can be heard in this simple yet beautiful statement, “Although it has been a hard season, among all of the hardships, there is still joy to be found, joy to be seen, joy to be shared, and joy to be painted!”
Artist: Vickie Bolduc
And the joys of this series? They were abundant. Vickie had a model come in, and knowing Vickie wanted to paint something with a long flowing dress, the model knew just how to pose to match what Vickie had in mind. For the chickadee, Vickie gratified herself by working freehand to do the greenery. Throughout all of the paintings, she was elated to find she was able to use her favorite brush, Brushy Goodness. The variety it offers helped bring the best parts into view.
The best part of all though was reaching the finish. Vickie wanted all of them to have soft and simple palettes to lend to the subjects she had in mind. Being able to say “complete” and add the perfect frame made each one truly a finished piece of artwork. Even though there is nothing like the sense of satisfaction and
fulfillment of finished art, sometimes getting started is the hardest part. That was the case for Vickie because she struggles with putting too much pressure on getting it right. She has been working on getting past herself and her self-doubt to take the plunge on seeing how things turn out in the end.
So the greatest piece of advice Vickie can give? Step away! She said, “When I am feeling frustrated or questioning a decision about a painting, the best thing for me to do is step away, get a different perspective, and then come back to it later. I find this is so beneficial in so many areas of life, not just painting. It truly does help to get your eyes and mind off of the painting and then return to it with fresh thinking and clear eyes.”
Artist: Vickie Bolduc
Artist: Vickie Bolduc
WHETHER SHE’S PAINTING TO THE WORDS OF WORSHIP OR THE BEAT OF 70S ROCK, VICKIE IS AN EAGER BEAVER TO LEARN. SHARING HER PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART WITH HER HUSBAND MAKES THE ADVENTURE ALL THE SWEETER.
HTTPS://WWW.BOLDUCFINEART.COM
Artist: Vickie Bolduc
CongratulationsKRYSTAL HISE
WINNER OF THE...
Krystal’s friend, Malena DeMartini, is a California dog trainer with a lot of heart. When Malena wanted to surprise her sister with a painting of her pups, Gigi and Mia, Krystal helped her pick the best reference photo. Sharpening edges, adding highlights/shadows, creating texture, and reconstructing features were just a few of the challenges. In the end, gratitude for the gorgeous portrait flooded Krystal’s inbox.
Tanya’s daughter rescued a newborn baby fawn, and her baby was born 3 weeks later. Tanya captured this gentle interaction and knew right then that she would be painting it. Though the fawn was released when it was old enough, her family now has a memory and story to tell.
Artist Tanya Griffioen
Artist: Ann Lauwers
www.anartistview.net/
Ann was inspired by Hurricane Ian. She wanted to paint something that took all the movement and twisted it into something gleeful rather than grim. Hurricane Harry came into existence with her flying dirt, wind-swept hair, undone ribbon, and slobber to enhance the speed of the lovable dog.
Artist: Russell Kinerson
Russell wanted to apply techniques from the warm/cool lessons to some of his favorite subject matter. This bull elk was photographed at sunrise on a ridge in Kansas one January morning. Russell used the brushes Brushy Goodness, Opaque Highlights, and Translucent Shadows to bring it to life.
RUFUS IS A Liar
“Paint. Paint fast. The more you paint, the better you’ll be. Don’t ever go back. Keep moving forward. Faster. FASTER!” ~ Rufus
If you want to be a really great artist, you should paint a lot. Paint as fast as you can, as much as you can. Start a new project every day. Never look back. Always look forward.
Every single statement in the above paragraph is a half-truth.
^^^ Read that again.
A half-truth is a whole lie. Telling half-truths is yet another one of Rufus’s tricky tactics to stifle your development as an artist. You have to learn to see his half-truths so you can keep him from his ultimate goal of turning you into a quitter.
Yes, if you want to be a really great artist, you should paint a lot. I one hundred percent agree with Rufus on that. Painting daily, even if only for five minutes is a really great idea. However, saying that you should paint a lot is not equal to painting fast and recklessly. Painting for five minutes with a deliberate practice goal in mind is a lot different than just painting for five minutes. Five minutes of deliberate practice will be far more beneficial than painting in quantity, which brings us to Rufus’s next lie…
Starting a new project every day isn’t always the best plan. It would be much more beneficial to paint the same subject ten times, finally getting it just right, than to paint ten subjects quick and dirty with no thought to
deliberate practice and improving technique. The latter doesn’t really build skills. It just creates a body of mediocre work. The former may feel monotonous and like a waste of time, but I can assure you it’s not.
Deliberate practice also dispels Rufus’s lie that you should never look back and always look forward. Saying an artist should never look back implies that one should never repaint anything they’ve already painted. Hogwash! Artists throughout history have painted the same subject many times in small studies before tackling the final, wall-sized (sometimes life-sized!) painting. Sometimes, you have to look back in order to do better going forward. Looking back is a good thing to do as an artist!
Paint as fast as you can… more lies! Painting fast doesn’t leave any time for retrospection. This crucial phase of the creative process, when skipped, will often leave an artist’s work either feeling amateur or incomplete. Don’t let Rufus convince you not to live with a painting for a minimum of a few days before putting it “out there.” Those few days will give you fresh eyes to see the work in a different way. Those crucial few days of retrospect can make the difference between a good painting and a great one!
If Rufus were honest, he’d say, “ Paint. Take your time. The more you implement deliberate practice, the better you’ll be. Always learn from your mistakes. Never give up. Slowing down is a skill. Retrospect is crucial. ”
Lesa found inspiration right at home. Well, outside of her home and in the garden to be exact. She has a family of hedgehogs living there, and they’ve always seemed like magical little animals to her and have brought her much joy pottering around her garden.
Artist Lesa Clarke instagram.com/lesaclarke
www.estherbyrt.ca
Esther originally was attracted to this image because of the movement in the model’s hair. That alone enticed Esther to use her in a painting. However, it was the poignant yet dramatic pose that helped to bring a story to life within her artwork.
Artist: Esther Byrt
www.kathrinnewman.com
Kathrin started this painting with two objectives. First off, she wanted to bear a resemblance to the style of Vladimir Volegov, which inspired her. Second, she wanted to create a painting with some backlighting. Looks like the boxes have been checked off!
Artist: Kathrin Newman
www.guardipeephotography.com
Kimberly changed things up a bit for this painting. She wanted to create an image with a bright back-lit highlight. To accomplish this, she used the flying leaves and the turps brushes. What a cool (and successful) project!
Artist:Kimberly Guardipee
Artist: Janice Batterbee
instagram.com/janicebatterbee1695
Janice purchased a stock image from The Colby Files and thought — what joy to paint a model that has such grace and serenity. Choosing warm colors aided with enhancing the model, and Janice reveled in adding painterly touches with Brushy Goodness.
Autumn’s family member has a hard time seeing muted colors, which limits his ability to enjoy art. When she came across the vivid colors in this picture, she immediately thought of him. It didn’t hurt that she was also wanting to try out some new techniques. It was a win-win!
ELEVATEYOURART.COM
Artist Autumn Calvert www.autumncalvert.com
