Blog/News
12/16/2020 2:40:53 PM
Rituals?
No pickle juice here.
One whiff of my homemade medium and I'm ready to paint.
When I’m having one of those off days, I sometimes find a rapid cure in tidying my workspace. It puts me in touch with what I have and need (water), what I need but don't have (Manganese Blue), what I don’t need but have (two tubes of Titanium Buff), and what I don’t need and don’t have (turpentine). The process organizes my mind and prepares me to paint. Maybe you don’t have off days, but if you do, do you have a similar ritual?
Sidney Oliver
Rather than the [...]
9/20/2020 6:57:21 AM
Why Small Paintings Now?
Just a sample of what I hope to have for sale for the 2020 RAAC Art Expo beginning on November 14 at 5 pm.
I'm not sure how to put this because it's an odd question, but I want to know how and why you choose to paint small paintings. Is it sometimes a response to a specific exhibit? Often just because you want to? More economical and easier to sell? Does today's virtual environment have anything to do with it? See, I told you it's an odd question.
Sidney Oliver
Sid, I've often stated that I began my painting career [...]
6/20/2020 11:17:53 AM
Is the Future of Viewing Art Going Virtual?
Before being interviewed for RAAC's virtual art exhibition.
This involved staging rather than showing the usual unattractive clutter of a working studio.
Articulate the main challenges--physical, intellectual, emotional- to you (the artist) faced in making this very difficult transition?
Of course the flip side is how the consumer/viewer is supposed to negotiate this virtual experience against a chorus about how there is no substitute for the real thing. For instance, texture. Or the beautiful sheen of certain surface treatments. The amazing sparkle in some Van Goghs only visible in front of the paintings. The intricacies of brush [...]
5/3/2020 7:30:26 AM
Painting During the Pandemic & Staying Focused in an Unfocused World
The Pandemic Line Up of Small Paintings
To give you an idea of the sizes involved, the largest is a 10X10" and the smallest is a 5X7." Close ups of each are shown in the post.
Another size comparison is to note the background is a 36X48" painting.
I will continue to paint other sizes, but I hope to paint a lot of these small "pandemic paintings" while we are in isolation.
In the post on Color Phases, I mentioned an urge to experiment with the primaries. That's how this post began, but it has [...]
4/5/2020 7:18:19 AM
You wrote about coming to a point in every painting when you ask, "Oh gee! What have I gotten myself into this time?" I have to accept your word on this because from where I sit, that doesn't square with the seamless mastery I see in your work. So can you give us a visual example of when that happened? At what point in the painting you select to discuss did this "Oh gee!" hit you? What was behind your resolution? [...]
3/30/2020 6:47:25 AM
Gaudy?
Snow & Light, 8X10," Oil on Panel
What do you do to keep a sunset painting from looking like a cheap paint-on-velvet horror? That's insulting as phrased. Sorry. What I'm trying to say is that some subjects in nature are very gaudy, and representing them can also be gaudy. What is done to keep that from happening? Is it the artist's skill? Is it technique?
Sidney Oliver
Sid, there might be a lot of variables, so let's explore a few ideas:
Your question reminded me of what painter Jim Gray used to say back in the sixties. "Fall is that time of year when [...]
3/28/2020 8:44:30 AM
Ideas?
Above is the reflection of a sunrise in my kitchen window. I ran outside with my camera to take the sunrise and, when I turned around, I saw this.
Ideas even come from beauty behind us...
and, no, I haven't painted this.
Ruthie, if I may ask, where do you get your ideas for paintings? Do you see a scene from, say, outdoors and see it whole, or do you see vignettes? What makes an idea viable?
Sidney Oliver
Sid, light matters. It matters a lot. Light is the entire reason for being a painter.
Yes, I do realize that I have begun to paint [...]
3/25/2020 7:07:55 AM
Color Phases?
During your life as a painter, have you gone through certain 'phases' with certain color preferences.....and any idea as to why?
Betsy Brantley
Note: In preparation for the postponed Creative to Creative actor Betsy Brantley and I were kicking around the type of questions we might ask each other. I nixed any question on this order because I felt the audience might find it too much in the weeds, however, it's quite perfect for a blog post, so here goes.
Betsy, there might be more than one answer as to why there might be phases and I am not sure any of [...]
3/19/2020 7:25:41 PM
Optical Illusion or Just a Lack of Comparison?
In the Light of Day, 10X10," Oil on Panel
Some paintings seem to have optical illusion properties, and I don't mean intentionally built-in techniques. One 10 x 10 inch painting can "read" as 30 x 30 inches , whereas a similar small painting "reads" as a small painting. What's with that?
Sidney Oliver
Without something to use for comparison, things are difficult to gauge, hence misreading occurs.
To get an accurate read, a comparison needs to take place.
The more we have to compare, the more accurate we will be.
Perhaps I need to take more shots of the [...]
3/16/2020 4:38:33 PM
Being Creative Amidst Chaos
The daffodils are in bloom and I intend to take full advantage of them.
Not to be pollyanna-ish, or to minimize other moods that contribute to it, it seems to me that disciplined artmaking requires a pretty open and giving state of mind. Our public context, by contrast, is increasingly tense, defensive, and closed. How does an artist maintain a creative, productive frame of mind in an ever-worrisome, increasingly besieged public environment?
Sidney Oliver
Sid, for those of us who work in isolation on a daily basis, this might not as difficult a time for us as it is for [...]
1/18/2020 3:57:25 PM
Designing a Scarf?
One thing I've I've wanted to pursue: Your beautiful scarves are a lot different from paintings, I would guess. What is your process? How do you design one, and what sorts of 'pilot tests' do you go through before you know you have your winner?
Sidney Oliver
Let me lead you through the process of the most recent scarf design.
This latest scarf evolved in an interesting way, but perhaps no different from any other project. I would never have thought of putting together a scarf featuring turnips if it hadn't been for a request from some women who attend the [...]
11/25/2019 11:15:11 AM
Affinity for Nature?
Almost Spring, 16X20," Oil on Panel
Spring might not look like this, but it sure does feel like this with those lacy trees and the switch from one season to another.
Do you have a particular affinity for nature? What moves you? How/why did you come to paint the fantastic nests (speaking as a beneficiary)?
Sidney Oliver
Sid, I wish I could say yes, but the shortest answer possible is no. At least, not initially.
Swiss Colors, Watercolor on Illustration Board
Most painters seem to be drawn to paint certain subjects and this can change as circumstances change. Early on in my painting career, [...]
11/5/2019 2:39:43 PM
How Does an Artist Get Ready for a Major Tour of a Studio?
Serious artists often participate in studio tours or host one by themselves. There must be any number of issues to anticipate when you're planning your set-up. What does it take to ready your studio for a tour?
Sidney Oliver
Sid, you are right, it takes a whole lot of effort to participate in a studio tour.
Since I live in Rappahannock County, VA, I am able to participate in an annual art tour comprised of visitors from at least a one hundred mile radius driving around the beautiful county stopping in [...]
10/7/2019 12:25:51 PM
Brushes Not Sold by the Fuller Brush Man, But You Wish They Were
Buying Brushes Today Is Akin to Buying a Pig in a Poke.
Tools of any trade are make-it-or-break-it investments. I'd like to know your thoughts about brushes, starting with your preferred brush maker, and proceeding through your favorite shape and bristle types.
Sidney Oliver
Mail-order is a wonderful invention if you know exactly what you want, but it's nothing but a crapshoot when it comes to buying art supplies and buying brushes online might be the biggest gamble of them all.
The quickest advice I can give is to go to the biggest, not [...]
9/29/2019 8:39:47 AM
Do Paintings Reflect the Painter's Personality?
Morning Rays, Oil on Panel, 16X20"
Do--or can--paintings somehow reflect their painter's personality? How? What are the clues?
Sidney Oliver
Sid, the safest answer would be that paintings certainly can tell you something about a painter's personality. I doubt if anyone can do a full psychological blueprint of a painter, but I bet certain traits can be discerned. Each painter has a different personality and that ought to be reflected in the work.
Authenticity is key to being a painter.
Don't, Don't, Don't copy someone else's painting style. The best copying can get you is a poor second.
Study the works [...]
9/22/2019 9:58:15 AM
Friends Don't Let Friends Fear Sketching
Above are the sketchbooks of Ruth Anna Stolk who has sketched and painted all over the world.
In the previous post discussing a painter who can't draw, Sidney Oliver posed this question: Ruthie, what would you say to a would-be painter who can't draw? I don't mean "can't paint." Say someone who paints realistically but uses someone else's photos for subjects because he or she never learned to draw and is a little bit afraid of trying. This post will zero in on the "little bit afraid of trying" aspect to show that sketching actually can be quite delightful [...]
9/13/2019 7:27:58 AM
A Painter Who Can't Draw
I am on the left and it's obvious I could neither draw nor paint. I think I've used this image on the blog before, but I use it to prove a point.
Drawing & painting take work and determination. Talent is a small portion of the equation.
Ruthie, what would you say to a would-be painter who can't draw? I don't mean "can't paint." Say someone who paints realistically but uses someone else's photos for subjects because he or she never learned to draw and is a little bit afraid of trying.
Sidney Oliver
Sid, I hesitate to say [...]
9/2/2019 5:25:53 AM
Allow Yourself to Feel
Awash in Obscurity, Oil on Panel, 30X40"
Everyone has a "feel" for something--an instinct born of experience that tells us whether something is on or off the mark. Does this play any role in your painting?
Sidney Oliver
A friend told me today that when she walked into my most recent show with her fellow art students, one of them pointed to the painting above and said, "What do you see in it?" My friend answered, "I don't see anything. I feel."
Just as in life, and perhaps more so in art, feeling with all of its meanings is paramount to experiencing [...]
8/28/2019 5:42:02 AM
From the Painter's Standpoint,
What Is Involved in Putting Together an Exhibition?
A well-done exhibition looks so simple: Hang ten paintings and bam, you're done. But I suspect a lot more goes into it than that. What's involved?
Sidney Oliver
Putting together an art exhibition involves an intense mental and physical process for the painter. An exhibition just opened of my work at the Gay Street Gallery in Washington, VA, which gives me a splendid opportunity to lead you through the process.
Gay Street Gallery, co-owned by Kevin Adams and Jay Brown, is situated in an 1836 building that "is believed to be one of [...]
8/17/2019 10:55:35 AM
What Type of Palette Do You Use?
From the looks of it, I use many palettes.
This was taken several years ago at the RAAC Fall Art Tour.
You can dispatch this one in a sentence, I guess, but I'm always in search of a palette pan. I notice from your studio pictures that one particular kind shows up. What make, and why do you like it?
Sidney Oliver
Sidney, I know you paint in watercolor, so I'll tackle that first. Man, you have really opened up a can of worms here.
For the oil painter out there, skip to the end if you aren't interested [...]
8/12/2019 8:07:49 AM
Difference Between Inspiration & Skill?
Early Turner vs. Later Turner
Ruthie, your post on copying made me wonder: What is the difference between inspiration and skill? A skilled artist can create an amazing work, but doesn’t inspiration bring us to tears?
Sidney Oliver
This painting by Degas of Mary Cassatt blew me away. I love the use of white/off white behind her head. Pure genius.
Recently I visited the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC and I saw plenty of well-executed pieces, however, the paintings that drew me in and made me want to rush to them were the paintings that were inspired such as the [...]
8/2/2019 8:19:13 PM
Copying Work?
Have other painters copied your work? At the risk of sounding stupid, how do you feel about that?
Sidney Oliver
Why?
I have never understood why a painter would want to copy someone else's work. Yes, I've heard the reasons why, but I still don't buy it.
Possessing the skill to paint like someone else is simply a skill sans creativity.
I've stated earlier in this blog that we all know creative people who aren't artistic. Inventors come to mind. Most people assume one is naturally creative if one is artistic and, I might be going against the grain here, but I disagree. A copyist [...]
7/20/2019 5:19:54 PM
Work Affected by Moods?
Just now I took the above photograph as an example of one of the things you can do to trick yourself into painting. See the bullet list below.
I assume that all people are affected, if not afflicted, by moods. How do your moods affect your work? Do you take note of them and resist or go with the flow? Can you discern any difference in your paintings according to your moods?
Sidney Oliver
I have no idea if there is a right or wrong answer to this question. Many professional painters think that the notion of being "in the mood to [...]
7/13/2019 7:35:48 AM
Does the Artist Have an Obligation to the Community?
I was just poking around your site and found, again, the scarves you did for a charity. It made me wonder whether gifted artists (like you) have an obligation to their communities?
Sidney Oliver
I don't know why a "gifted artist" would have an obligation to their community any more than someone who is not a "gifted artist." I feel we are all here to help each other along the way regardless of any obscure talent we might possess.
With that in mind, the obligation an artist has is to work as much as possible and [...]
7/9/2019 11:03:09 AM
Texture in Paintings
Lightly textured small section of a painting
Talk with us a little bit about texture. Impasto fascinates me, but then thin brushwork can be beguiling, too. Inquiring minds want to know what you think, see, and do.
Sidney Oliver
I want to emphasize the subjective quality of these discussions as we all see things differently especially when it comes to whether or not texture on a painting is appealing.
Since most viewers seem to prefer to look at a painting from afar rather than at all angles as an artist sees it, I'm peppering this post with some closeup sections of some [...]
6/18/2019 7:12:38 AM
Question & Answer Series #38
Can you pull out a few paintings and tell us which were most time-consuming and why? [...]
6/13/2019 8:25:04 PM
Question & Answer Series #37
Ruthie, as the proud owner of one of the nest series, I'd like to know everything about them. I suppose I could begin by asking how you began them. You must have run into somebody's little home and decided to capture it. Not surprising given your fascination with buildings! (I'm being only partly facetious.) I also want to know how and whether client and viewer feedback had any role in the series' evolution. And en fin, how on earth did you paint all those myriad straws and weeds? Boggling. [...]
6/12/2019 10:05:53 AM
Question & Answer Series #36
Have you ever done a series of paintings? If so, designed around what principle--subject, execution, season, species, and so on? I'm thinking of the nests. Do you agree? What else? [...]
6/8/2019 8:09:58 AM
Question & Answer Series #35
Does your happy sense of humor ever show up in your work?
[...]
5/13/2019 5:59:28 AM
Question & Answer Series #34
Ruthie, earlier [With Limited Time, a Sketchbook Is Handy], you describe sketching as something you do when you're bored or can't get to the studio to paint. I've thought of it as a trial run for the "big guy," or as a study, in the Da Vinci sense, preparing a detail for a complex painting. Although I know that no two artists are alike, I wonder whether you, too, sometimes use it for practice or as part of the process of creating a painting.
[...]
5/6/2019 8:58:56 AM
Question & Answer Series #34
Ruthie, do you have a working library of art books that you love, use, and recommend? I include art-making, artists, art, art technicalities, and techniques, etc.? [...]
5/2/2019 6:07:16 PM
Question & Answer Series #33
I think most people are socialized to think that ART is too sophisticated for us mere mortals to comprehend, and so are tongue-tied in the presence of a real artist. I know I am, face to face. So what can artists do to make themselves more accessible? [...]
4/30/2019 4:24:58 AM
Question & Answer Series #32
Was Turner a Romantic or an Impressionist? As a painter who acknowledges Turner as a major influence, what are you? (Please don't say you don't like "labels.") [...]
4/24/2019 5:20:28 AM
Question & Answer Series #31
Is it your experience that many people approach a painting expecting something like "authenticity," meaning "accuracy," and miss the artistry that it presents?
[...]
4/19/2019 5:51:25 AM
Question & Answer Series #30
Ruthie, where's the line between fine art and fine craft (e.g., American Craft Council )? When an artist creates in any medium, it's no longer a function of iron, wood, leather, wool or any other guild group. Does it even matter anymore? I know that it matters to craft creators who are fiercely proud of the craft designation. Who else cares and what's the difference? [...]
4/11/2019 7:02:30 AM
Question & Answer Series #29
In a way, this question gets us back to the topic of abstract painting. Has anyone ever looked at one of yours and said, "I could have done that"? I know how I'd respond but how about you?
[...]
4/7/2019 6:37:14 PM
Question & Answer Series #28
If you had grown up, say, in the southwest, would you be a different painter? I'm not asking whether your subjects would differ. I'm asking how your environment has influenced you. [...]
4/4/2019 7:03:21 AM
Question & Answer Series #27
What do you consider when you choose the size of a painting? I happen to have a small Ruthie painting of a red onion that I adore, but I wonder why you chose 6" x 8" or thereabouts, instead of 48" square, or thereabouts.
How did you decide what substrate to use in your paintings -- panel, canvas, paper, wood, etc.? What properties are you looking for? [...]
4/1/2019 10:37:58 AM
Question & Answer Series #26
People new to fine art often assume that art and technology and science aren't related. But we know that Leonardo was a magnificent scientist whose explorations directly influenced his art, and we know that painting en plein air couldn't have materialized until the invention of tube paint (see En Plein Air blog post). Do you know of other developments in science and technology--speaking broadly--that have influenced your painting? [...]
3/30/2019 7:38:54 AM
Question & Answer Series #25
Do you remember the evolution of any particular painting? [...]
