Catching up on my reading

I've been so busy with my own book that I've fallen behind in writing reviews for books I've read. So I'm in "review mode." I posted two reviews this morning, but I'm up to seven now, so scroll down to see what's new.

In Emotional Content: How to Create Paintings That Communicate Gerald Brommer discusses the differences between classic, intellectual and romantic approaches to painting. The key question is "What do you feel?" for the artist who wishes to paint more expressively. Select and edit your subject, making mini-thumbnails to record your impressions. Brommer emphasizes the importance of sketching to explore the subject, using color and temperature dominance and tonal values and textures. Watercolor collage is used in demonstrations. A sense of place, mood, weather and season can all contribute to the emotional content of your work. Brommer's books are always filled with useful tips and techniques.

Seeing the Light: An Artist's Guide. by Betty Carr shows you how to create depth, form and atmospheric light in watercolor and oil paints. Carr is adept at both, as you can see from this beautifully illustrated book. Supply lists are detailed for both watercolors and oils, including advice on plein air necessities. In both media there are exercises and step-by-step demos that are clear and easy to follow. Carr advises you to learn to think in three dimensions, to observe light on form and to use value sketches to help you see light and shadow on a subject. She recommends simplification of shapes and value patterns. This is a good book withi lots of information and helpful tips.

Carol Cooper's book, Watercolor: No Experience Required, is an easy guide to getting started in watercolor. The supply list is basic and very good, except that it allows cheap pan colors, which I don't think is a good idea, even for beginners. Also, the beginner doesn't need so many colors; a maximum of seven should do the job, if they're the right colors. A workspace layout is shown that could be helpful to the beginner. There are numerous well-done illustrations, including hands-on photos. Demos are simple and doable. Subject matter includes landscape, flowers, still life and textures. Composition is given very little attention, but the section on color, though brief, is clear. This is a good basic book that doesn't confuse beginners with fancy techniques and tricks.

Watercolor Secrets by Charles Reid is the work of a master painter. The book is filled with many sidebars of tips and tricks for Reid's spontaneous style of painting and is lavishly illustrated with sketches from his watercolor sketchbooks. His distinctive, personal approach is clear throughout in subjects of all kinds, both indoor and plein air. His supply list is brief, but more than adequate. This beautiful book is not for the beginner in watercolor technique, but it's a joy to behold.

Painting Crystal and Flowers in Watercolor by Susanna Spann is filled with her stunning artwork and many mini-demos throughout. The book includes a detailed list of supplies, but it's clear from the beginning that this book is not for the spontaneous watercolor painter. The primary subject is special effects in still life using watercolor. Design and color are touched upon, along with painting from photographs, marketing and exhibiting. The strongest point in Spann's book, in my opinion, aside from her magnificent artwork, is her emphasis on doing thumbnail sketches to plan paintings.

John Lovett's The Art of Designing Watercolors is subtitled "All you need to know to create more powerful paintings." The book contains demos and many illustrations throughout with an emphasis on design. From the "hows and whys of design" to tools of design (the elements and principles) and design tools in action, Lovett covers the essentials very well. Only one page is designated for supplies, so beginners need to look elsewhere to understand the basics. However, this book is a good one for an artist who needs to understand how to incorporate structure into pictures for more effective expression.

Work Small, Learn Big!: Sketching with Pen & Watercolor is an International Artist Publishers' collection of preparatory studies by seventeen artists from around the world. The book is a compilation of sketches backed up by photographs and slides, emphasizing the importance of these preliminary works to the execution of fine artwork. There are numerous illustrations and step-by-step demos. Each artist has distinctive choices of materials and media. Styles range from loose and spontaneous to highly detailed with many notes. Selling tips and artists' bios are included. One of the most important messages in the book is that "Mistakes don't Matter" in the sketchbook.

Thanks to George Bussinger at McCallister's Art Store for making these books available for review.

Artists sharing themselves

This was an amazing afternoon. Last week I was invited to a luncheon to be held today. I was told to bring a painting to show to the other artists attending. I had no idea who would be there, except that several of my watercolor students mentioned they would be coming. There were around twenty artists, nearly half of whom were my students. Some I had never met before, others I knew only slightly. The site was a lovely historic home filled with wonderful antiques and authentic historical artwork. Even the luncheon had its historic roots--pumpkin soup for starters. Fire in the fireplace, the house filled with conversation and laughter.

After coffee we were asked to show our artwork and say a few words about ourselves. Skill levels ranged from relatively new painters to highly skilled professionals in different media, but each artist was warmly received and accepted by the group. There was no sense of competition or one-up-manship. We felt comfortable and "safe" with each other. We asked questions, shared techniques, told stories on ourselves like old friends. We talked about how we started to paint and what inspires us. It was awesome. Some came as strangers and departed as friends. I've always felt that art has a unifying power but I've never seen it displayed in quite this way. It was an amazing afternoon.

Make art that says something.

In 1972 Edgar A. Whitney, the peripatetic dean of American watercolor, spoke at a meeting of a local art group in Dayton, Ohio. I quote Whitney often in my classes because what he said that evening made so much sense. I remind myself of these important points every time I paint: First of all, "Art is communication." You may not agree, but this is my belief.

If you do accept this first premise, ask yourself two important questions before you begin. First, "What do I want to say?" Second, "What's the best way to say it?"

If you don't answer the first question, you are, in effect, admitting that you have nothing to say or you don't care whether you say anything. If you are indifferent, why should a viewer be interested in your artwork?

If you do have something to say, think carefully about how to say it, so you can make a strong statement. Use color that resonates with your subject, an effective format, a design emphasis that makes your point. Don't settle for a random assembly of marks or bland color.

About art as communication: I think it matters that we show our "mudpies" to others to elicit a response. If you maintain that you're painting for yourself, then you are, in effect, confining yourself to a padded room, talking to yourself.

Art lives between the known and the unknown, communicating what it discovers in this ambiguous territory. --Duane Preble, Professor Emeritus of Art