I started this still life a few weeks ago but haven’t had much time to work on it until today. (I’m teaching this semester, so I’m busier.) This afternoon I sneaked in a couple hours on it, sketching in three new items. It may still need an object on the right, for balance. My original plan was to highlight the tall kettle/pitcher, but we’ll see.
Geoff Watson, “Odds and Ends,” oil on linen, 14” x 18,” 2018.
I’ve had a miserable cold that’s bothering me a lot more than the cold weather. Today was the first day I’ve felt up to painting all week. I chose a subject close to my heart — or, more accurately, close to my throat.
Geoff Watson, “Cough drops,” oil on panel, 6” x 6,” 2018.
I spent two afternoons at the Met Museum in New York so that I could fully absorb the current exhibition of works by Michelangelo. What a spectacular show! My favorite bit was the room with studies for the paintings on the ceiling of the Cistine Chapel. There was a study of the Lord’s torso, and another of His fingers in a couple different poses. This may be heresy, but in some cases I preferred the study to the finished painting.
On my second visit I also took in the exhibit on David Hockney. I enjoyed it more than I expected I would. All the lush color was a welcome change from the earth tones of Michelangelo’s drawings.
If you’re in New York this month, don’t miss these shows!
https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2017/michelangelo
Yesterday I did a few more quick watercolor sketches at the Art Students League. This timy portrait took 25 minutes. Not a bad likeness!
Geoff Watson, “Portrait sketch of Monica,” watercolor and graphite on paper, 3” x 5,” 2017.
These were 5-minute poses. Not a lot of time!
Geoff Watson, “Monica sitting,” watercolor and graphite sketch on paper, 3” x 5,” 2017.
Geoff Watson, “Monica extended,” watercolor and graphite sketch on paper, 3” x 5,” 2017.
Geoff Watson, “Sketch of Monica standing,“ watercolor and graphite on paper, 3” x 5,” 2017.
Today I brought a miniature watercolor set to the Art Students League in New York. Short poses are always a challenge, but especially in watercolor! Here is a 15-minute aketch.
Geoff Watson, “Monica,” watercolor sketch on paper, about 5” x 7,” 2017.
And here are a couple 5-minute poses.
Geoff Watson, “Monica reclining,” watercolor sketch on paper, 5” x 7,” 2017.
Geoff Watson, “Monica sketch,” watercolor on paper, about 4” x 6,” 2017.
Today my family and I visited the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History & Culture in Washington, DC. It was a great experience! I thought the historical portion of the museum was particularly well done. The highlight for me was the casket of Emmett Till, which people lined up to view, as if at a funeral service. It was extraordinary.
The museum also features a fascinating set of exhibits on African-American culture, including a wing devoted to fine art. I was especially impressed by two landscapes by Robert S. Duncanson (1821-72), an African-American painter influenced by the Hudson River School of grand, romantic vistas. One is "Robbing the Eagle's Nest," which you can see here: https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2009.13ab . The other, "Garden of Eden," apparently reflects Duncanson's hope for a more just America. You can see it here: https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2014.299?destination=explore/collection/search%3Fedan_q%3Deden%26edan_local%3D1%26op%3DSearch . (I'm not sure whether the images are in the public domain, and the museum didn't permit photography of the fine art, so I'm just providing links.)
There is a ton to see in this awesome museum! Here's one more example: Chuck Berry's Cadillac. How cool is that?
It’s been almost a week since I felt well enough to dig into my oil paints, but today I finally felt better. I added a pitcher and pot to my ongoing still life. Still lots to be done, but it sure feels great to be painting again.
Geoff Watson, “Pot and pitcher,” work in progress, oil on panel, 18” x 24,” 2017.
I’ve had a stomach flu for the past couple days. Today I felt well enough to sketch something and do a quick watercolor. I chose an object that has been getting a lot of my attention!
Geoff Watson, “Tylenol,” watercolor sketch on paper, 6” x 6,” 2017.
I haven't had much time to paint this week, but today I managed to put in an hour on the still life I started last week. I focused on the rearmost object, the candle. I like the irregular shapes around the wick. I tentatively plan to add a little statute of a king on a drum; that's his cast shadow on the candle.
Geoff Watson, "Old coffee pot and friends," detail, in progress, oil on linen, 18" x 24," 2017.
Here's the whole piece; the rest is still just a sketch. I hope to fix that in the coming days!
Geoff Watson, "Old Coffee Pot and Friends," in progress, oil on linen, 18" x 24," 2017.
Today we put up our Christmas tree — a handsome Douglas Fir. There’s snow on the ground outside, so it was a good day to trim the tree and sit by the fire. I played a few carols on the piano, and then I painted this little watercolor sketch.
Geoff Watson, “Christmas Tree,” watercolor sketch on paper, about 4” x 6,” 2017.
I’m excited about my new project, a still life painting of shiny and not-so-shiny objects. Here is a photo of my setup and some early sketching.
Geoff Watson, “Shiny and not-so-shiny,” charcoal on paper, 9” x 12,”2017.
Geoff Watson, “Shiny and Not-so-Shiny,” oil on linen, in progress, 14” x 18,” 2017.
I started this still life in summer, when I was studying with Walt Bartman, Jr. He set up all these colorful buoys, and I drew and painted them from various angles, but I didnt have time to finish. I still haven’t finished! But today I did put in some work on the piece. It’s fun!
Geoff Watson, “Buoys,” in progress, oil on panel, 18” x 24,” 2017.
Again it was warm enough to paint outside, so I grabbed my big wide 12x24 linen canvas and drove around looking for a spot to paint. I stumbled on these woods, off Bradley Boulevard, near Potomac, Maryland. I loved the warm afternoon light flooding the scene, so I set up and went to work.
This is only the second time I’ve painted with a large-ish canvas outdoors, and I think it suits me well. The large support forces me to use large brushes — size 10 and 12 flats and filberts. And I made myself use them for just about the entire 2-1/2 hour session. The result is a less literal, more painterly first draft. I’m pleased with it. I’m tempted to sign it and call it a day, but I’ll probably go back tomorrow to refine things and add detail.
Geoff Watson, “Cabin John Woods,” oil on linen, 12” x 24,” work in profress, 2017.
Just for fun, here’s a photo of an earlier stage of the painting on the easel.
Mon Ami Gabi is a lovely French bistro in restaurant row in Bethesda, Maryland. It's very popular at holiday time, with its festive lights and cheery interior. As I was painting, a waiter reported for work in his white top and black pants and shoes, and I just had to add him to the picture. I'd been planning to add a passerby, but the waiter was a gift!
I tried to paint a bit more loosely here. I made myself use mostly big brushes -- size 12 and 10 flats, for you art geeks out there. Big brushes force you to focus on big shapes at first instead of getting caught up in detail. Detail is great, but if you don't get the big shapes right first, the details will inevitably wind up in the wrong place. Also, big brushes speed things along. My grand plan is to paint larger works outdoors, and to do that, I need to cover the surface faster.
Also, it's a treat to paint plein air in December! Here's hoping for more good weather. But this year I'm also determined to get outside more even when it's cold and snowy. Please remind me about that when I start wimping out.
Geoff Watson, "Mon Ami Gabi," oil on panel, 9" x 12," 2017.
I had 45 minutes free before a dentist’s appointment today, so I parked my car and painted this sketch of a bright yellow house overlooking MacArthur Boulevard, in northwest D.C. It’s obviously rough, but it has some energy.
I hope to continue painting plein air in the winter months, at least occasionally. Cold I can manage; cold and wind is tougher! I’ve also resolved to swim (indoors) throughout the winter. We’ll see how these resolutions are holding up when the dog days of February arrive! (Or are they cat days?)
Geoff Watson, “House on MacArthur Boulevard,” oil on canvas panel, 8” x 10,” 2017.
About a month ago, I did a plein air study at this spot, at the intersection of Elm Street and Arlington Boulevard in Bethesda, Maryland. I was interested in the stripes of light and shadow on the street, as well as the perpetual negotiation between car and pedestrian. Plus I liked the phtalo-green traffic light!
So now I’m doing a larger studio version. I intend to add crosswalk markings and a yellow centerline for the street. I may also add more pedestrians and cars, but I don’t want to take too much attention from the foreground car, patiently waiting for the jaywalkers.
Geoff Watson, “Green light,” oil on linen, 24” x 36,” 2017 (in progress).
I had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends today. Before the feast, I had an hour or so to do a quick oil sketch of this quaint farmhouse. It was only 45 degrees outside, but the bright sunshine -- and the lack of wind -- made it feel much warmer.
I was most interested in the intense light falling on the left side of the house and the roof. I didn't have time to finish the picture -- I didn't even paint the whole surface of the panel, and my vertical lines are wobbly. But I do think I managed to catch some of that afternoon light.
Geoff Watson, "Thanksgiving at the farm," oil on panel, 11" x 14," 2017.
With the colder weather, I've been drawing indoors more. This is a chair from my living room. I know nothing about furniture, but I think it's a pretty chair, so I had to draw it.
Geoff Watson, "Living-room chair," graphite on paper, 9" x 12," 2017.
Wayne was a last-minute substitute model in today's life-painting session; the scheduled model failed to show. Wayne turned out to be great! He showed up with ropes and posed with them. We started with a couple 10-monute poses. Here's one.
Geoff Watson, "Hauling," carbon pencil on paper, 9" x 12," 2017.
Then it was the main event -- a long pose of about 90 minutes. This is not a great photo, but it does show my main focus -- the intense light on Wayne's left shoulder.
Geoff Watson, "Wayne," oil on panel, 11" x 14," 2017.
Over the summer I painted an 8" x 10" plein air study of Herring Point at Cape Henlopen Park in Delaware. This week I've been trying to develop that study into a larger studio work. I always find this translation process challenging: how does one preserve the charm of the study while incorporating enough new information to enlarge the work?
One approach is to supplement the study with photo references, but I often find it more helpful to work off the study and to fill in gaps with my memory. In this case, I remember thinking I didn't have enough time to record all the human activity on the beach. I've added more beachgoers in this version.
Geoff Watson, "Herring Point," oil on canvas, work in progress, 16" x 20," 2017.