This Artist's Journey

Capt Joey of www.goodmorninggloucester.com recently sent me a questionnaire to fill out to be posted on his blog. I gladly obliged. One of the questions was: who is your favorite local artist. My immediate response was 'me'. The more that I thought about my response I realized that there are local painters that I have admired, that have informed and guided my journey as an artist. This post is about my first art teacher Ken Gore. His studio is where I began my long apprenticeship (17 years) to becoming a 'master' artist.

The first Cape Ann artist that I have always admired is landscape painter Ken Gore (1911-1990). Ken was a member of the Northshore Art Association and The Rockport Art Association. He had a studio and gallery on East Main Street across from the The Beacon Marine where he taught painting on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. My father, a student of Ken's, arranged for me to have lessons with Ken. My paintings were not very good, but Ken saw ability in my drawings and encouraged me to seriously pursue art. I was 13.

The photo is Ken's painting "The Willow" that was auctioned through Blackwood March Auctioneers of Essex, MA a few years ago. I chose this painting to accompany this post because of the sheep, as well as his trademark use of the palette knife. Ken told me that when he was first learning to paint he was given a 2" brush to paint and 3 colors: red, yellow, blue and white. The subject? sheep. He could paint them in his sleep. Ken said that anything one could do with a small brush, could be done with a big brush; but, a small brush cannot do the work of a big brush. This advice has guided me through 40 odd years of painting, My preferred brushes are 1-2" bristle chip brushes that can hold alot of paint.

btw: my first lesson was to draw a portrait of another student's husband, then to paint his portrait. the drawing was true to the man's age. the painting made him look so much younger that his wife bought it. i didn't get the money, it was paid to Ken for my very first lesson. In exchange for future lessons, I posed for Ken's classes.

best,

deb.

goodmorning gloucester

Deb Clarke represents!

the link above points to a post about me by my friend Paul, the Cape Ann Painter whose website is http://www.capeannpainter.blogspot.com.  Paul is the instigator of my regular postings to goodmorninggloucester.

check out Paul's blog and goodmorninggloucester for directions to finding Paul's "Art Rocks".  He regularly draws (with a Sharpie! marker) on the cobbled rocks of Cape Ann and leaves them for folk to find, along with info to contact him should they be found.  I've encouraged him to upload his pics of his sharpie art to the sharpie showcase that i am represented in.

best,
deb.

ps:  I'm still working on the portrait of Paul and I found out he lost his favorite hat.  I'm encouraging him to allow me to paint a fish on his new cap.  To illustrate the idea, i used the unfinished verre eglomise portrait to demonstrate an it.  Paul likes the fish on the cap (maybe not the one he will get to replace his lost cap) but he likes it in the painting, so i will incorporate the fish into the back panel of his portrait.

Paul's addendum to my dangerous coffee cup

http://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/
Goodmorninggloucester is one of the best community blogs around.  There's a lot of fun and local color going on over there.  and my friend Paul (capeannpainter) loves to 'horse' around.  Check it out and if it suits your fancy, follow.  I read it every day and sometimes several times a day.

best and happy Spring!
deb.

The wip (work-in-progress): Paul Frontiero continued. or how i got from there to here

Paul Frontiero, continued verre eglomise demo as seen on the goodmorninggloucester.com demonstration videos.  from top to bottom:  the canvas backing is overed in aluminum leaf that is adhered to the damp gesso.  2) the glass panel placed on top of the gilded canvas before the glass is scraped. 3 and 4 are details of the head with the aluminum leaf showing through.  5) toning the aluminum leaf with the darkest orange:  burnt sienna 6) the current state of this work in progress.  Today I will make some gelatin slurry and place some mirrored shapes.  pics to follow.  Paul is aka the Cape Ann Painter here's a link to his blog. http://www.frontierogallery.com/

 

Good Questions!

My friend Joey from the fabulous GoodMorningGloucester blog asks:

Is it the process of creating that gives you pleasure and satisfaction and leaves you craving more? That insatiable desire to continue to produce something that has meaning to you and if it has meaning to others all the better?

Yes and no.
I produce art out of a nagging, an inner tug that sets me pacing. Sometimes there is a vague inner image, usually there is just this tug, a restless state of something's desire to be brought into creation. I am just the humbled, trained vessel that the art comes through.

When I am working, there are the materials, the process, and an inner 'this, this, this...not this, not this, not this.' I work until there is no more 'not this' and there is only the silence of 'THIS'. Then I stop and move on.

I have been painting for over 42 years. A lot of my art comes out of the discipline of an 'art habit'. I rarely have 'great ideas' for art, but frequently I find that just by practicing my craft, getting out of the way so the art can come through, will result in a successful work of art.