Greetings!
Odysseus, in Homer's Odyssey, is ten years
getting back to Ithaca from the Trojan Wars. All kinds of crap and corruption
take place while he's gone, including interference with his wife Penelope. Our
odysseys need not be so traumatic, and regular little ones can invigorate.
I recommend three- and four-hour car-sorties. In
our family we call it "mosey driving." Unlike your regular trip to
Costco, you move around so you can look and see and perhaps record. Your mind
needs to slow down and drop into a visually aware trance so you can access your
latent "appreciation mode." A lot of good stuff can probably be found
just blocks from your home. Because of the "click and go" habit, a
camera can be counter-productive. You need a journaling pad or sketchbook. I
often use small stretched canvases hooked over the steering wheel. We've put
some photos of my system at the top of the current clickback.
To mosey in foreign lands, with no particular
itinerary, is my idea of artist's heaven.
Starting this September, my friend Don Getz of
Peninsula, Ohio, is planning a year-long coast-to-coast US odyssey of
watercolour journaling. Don has chosen to be in selected small towns and
villages on certain dates, and he's giving two- and three-day workshops in many
of them. A lifetime of commercial art and obsessive sketching make Don the
"King of the Journaling Instructors," and anyone who has seen his work
will know why. We've put Don's work and info at the top of the current clickback.
Don's system is to draw the perimeter first,
then, without benefit of pencil, using a permanent laundry marker called
Identi-pen, he commits his lines in ink. "Ink gives confidence and a
deadly eye," says Don. After the drawing is more or less the way he wants
it, he comes in with watercolour washes. The idea is to keep the work
understated, fresh and lively. Don's journals are not pretentious; they are the
passing stations of a lifelong odyssey.
Best regards,
Robert
PS: "With journal sketching a great deal of
work can be accomplished in a rather short period of time. Speed is key, and
speed comes from practice." (Don Getz)
Esoterica: I was in a narrow Breton lane moving
slowly beside a decaying church. Passing a stone wall with an open gate, I
glimpsed several artists at their easels. Entering quietly on foot, I saw the
object of their attention was a tall, auburn-haired and naked young woman with
skin like ivory. She was posing on an old fountain that burped an intermittent
stream around her delicate feet. Flashing my sketchbook to a young man, I tried
to imply the camaraderie of a fellow traveller. "S'il vous plaît monsieur,
pas de photos," he quietly warned in a gesture of welcome before a quick
return to his painting. I could be wrong, but even in France blessings like
this never happen up on the National Autoroute.
The Art Show Calendar: If you or your group has a
show coming up, put an illustrated announcement on The Painter's Keys site. The
longer it's up, the more people will see it. Your announcement will be shown
until the last day of your show.
The Workshop Calendar: Here is a selection of
workshops and seminars laid out in chronological order that will stimulate, teach,
mentor, take you to foreign lands or just down the street. Many of these
workshops are recommended by Robert and friends. Incidentally, if you are
planning a workshop and have photos of happy people working, feel free to send them to us and we'll include a
selection in the workshops feature at no extra charge.
The Painter's Post: Every day new material is
going into this feature. Links to art info, ideas, inspiration and all kinds of
creative fun can be found in this online arts aggregator.
If a friend is trying to subscribe to the
Twice-Weekly Letter via Constant Contact, please let her or him know that
confirmation is required and to reply to Constant Contact's confirmation email.
You can also follow Robert's valuable insights
and see further feedback on Facebook and Twitter
Featured Responses:
Alternative to the instant Live Comments, Featured Responses are illustrated
and edited for content. If you would like to submit your own for possible
inclusion, please do so. Just click 'reply' on this letter or write to rgenn@saraphina.com
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