Applying a Final Varnish to an Arcylic Painting

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View today's video on my YouTube Channel

I really love a varnished painting! For me varnish improves the look of a painting a thousand percent. It brings up the color and sheen of the paint and adds beautiful depth and luminosity. On my acrylic paintings I seal the paintings with three isolation coats and then three coats of varnish. Painting on linen and then using a good final varnish gives my acrylic painitngs the look of an oil painting.

Of course not everyone likes the look of a varnished painting, some people prefer a matte finish instead. The impressionist painters actually squeezed their paints out on to brown paper so the oil would leech out.  Many of them left explicit instructions that their paintings not be varnished, ever.

Fortunately, varnishes are available in gloss, satin and matte so your paintiong can be proctected from dirt, UV rays and other airborne contaminants.

Hudson River Marsh - Reference Materials & Color Block In

Starting a new painting is always exciting! I'm continuing my series of 20 landscapes focusing on the enduring strength of the land, focusing on large, simplified shapes and dark values.

 You can also view today's video on my YouTube Channel while you're there you can subscribe to my channel and receive an automatic email alert whenever I post a new video.

In this video I show you my reference photo and the quick watercolor sketch I did to flesh out the possibilities of the scene. The thing that really grabbed my attention in the photo was the way the waterways carved up the marsh in to large interesting shapes.

View more paintings on my website www.janblencowe.com

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Figure Study Using a Limited Palette & Upcoming Show Announcement

Figure Study

copyright 2010, Jan Blencowe

acrylic on board

It's always good to challenge yourself. Push into something that you don't feel comfortable or confident with yet. It could be a new medium, a new size or a new subject.

I don't have very much experience with the figure and practically none with portraiture (something I have avoided like the plague, unless the subject was a canine!). This winter I found an open studio with a model and for a very reasonable fee I can show up and sketch and paint for three hours on Sunday afternoons.

At first I stuck to vine charcoal and some pastels. The I began working with GraphiTint pencils which you can use a wet brush with to create washes and  once I began doing that I knew I would switch to painting.

I was a little nervous about the switch, wondering if I would be able to manage the drawing aspects along with value and color. But I find it much easier than drawing!

One thing I did do to make the daunting challenge of painting the figure more managable is use a limited palette. For this painitng I used Buff Titanium (which has a warmer cast to it than regular titanium white), raw sienna dark, prussian blue and transparent red oxide. This simple palette provided everthing I needed to render the figure in soft believeable tones.

Another thing I did was lay in a modulating background using all 3 colors plus the buff titanium before the class. That way I had a toned background to work out of and could focus my full concentration on the figure.

I am far from an expert when it comes to figure work but I'm finding that stretching a little is very satisfying and a great way to pass the winter months until it's warm enough (and interesting enough) to paint outdoors again.

UPCOMING SHOW

I have 8 paintings in the Pre-Spring Show at The Gallery on Main, 990 Main Street, East Hartford. The opening is Thursday, Feb. 18th, 2010 6-8pm

If you are in the neighborhood I would be delighted if you would stop in and say Hi!

How and Why to Add an Isolation Coat to an Acrylic Painting

Overlook, 20x30, acrylic on linen

copyright 2010, Jan Blencowe, Connecticut, USA

View more painitngs on my website http://www.janblencowe.com/

Need to contact me? jan.blencowe@comcast.net

Today I had a perefect artrist's renewal day. I went with an artist friend to Jerry's Artarama and bought all kinds of fun new supplies. If that wasn't heavenly enough, we went to Hartford had a super delicious lunch and then to the Wadsworth Atheneum to see the exhibit of the Hudson River School paintings. Check out this great article in the Wall Street Journal about the Wadsworth's Collection of Hudson River School paintings. Of course I bought the beautiful hardcover catalog that documents the collection and can't wait to begin reading the essays that accompany the gorgeous full color plates.

In honor of our pilgrimage to the Hudson River School exhibit I'm posting my recent painting, Overlook, which gives a vigorous nod to the style and techniques of the Hudson River School Painters.

Since this painting in now thoroughly cured it was time to seal it with several isolation coats. Below is a short video that explains why I do this and how to do it. Just remember this is an ACRYLIC painitng, you wouldn't use an acrylic isolation coat over an OIL painting.

Isolation coast have several purposes for an acrylic painting. During the painting process isolation coats can be used to toughen up a layer of paint so that you can vigorously apply, scumble or scrub another paint layer over it without disturbing what's already there. If you are adding collage elements to your work you may want to cover that area with an isolation coat if you intend to layer more paint over any part of the collage material.

Once the painting is done and thoroughly dry (in the case of conventional acrylics) or cured ( in the case of the new slower drying acrylics like Chroma or Golden Open) sealing the entire surface with several isolation coats ensures that the paint surface stays in tact including any areas that have indergone scraping, scratching, or rubbing and any added textural materials or mixed media elements stay put permanently. The isolatiion coat will also bring up the sheen of the colors to a more uniform gloss. It also seals and protects the painting surface getting it ready for a final varnish.

To make an isolation coat I use Golden Soft Gel with a gloss finish. The recipe ois on the front of the container, 2 parts soft gel to 1 part water, mix thoroughly. I like to apply 3 isolation coats letting each one dry thoroughly before applying the next.  The isolation coats allow the final varnish to sit on top and you get a luminous, glossy surface that adds a good deal of depth to the painting surface.

Finding Your Authentic Visual Voice

Autumn's Mystery, 24x30, acrylic on linen

copyright 2010, Jan Blencowe, Connecticut, USA

View more paintings on my website www.janblencowe.com

Need to contact me? jan.blencowe@comcast.net

I'm furiously getting some super materials ready for my upcoming workshop series, Coaching & Critque for Artists...Create the Success You've Always Wanted

The first session is on Saturday, Feb. 13th and focuses on Finding your Authentic Visual voice and unique style.

I'm really looking forward to this series and if you are in CT or MA you are more than welcome, encouraged even, to join me!

Here's the full scoop...

Coaching & Critique for Artists…Create the Success You’ve Always Wanted

Join Jan Blencowe for a three session program designed to get your art career moving forward towards success!

Session One will focus on finding your authentic visual voice and developing your own unique style that will set you apart from the rest.

Session Two encompasses a critique for growth. This is not your typical “art school” critique. This session is designed to teach you how to evaluate your own work with an eye towards refining your artistic vision and strengthen your work each time you paint. Paint like you, only better!

Session Three is an intensive class that will show you how to get your work on line and in front of a global audience. Learn to develop a solid web presence that allows collectors, galleries, museums and others to easily find your work. You’ll leave with a step by step plan to set up a blog, linked to a website, and tools to promote both using social media like Facebook and Twitter.

Session One, Saturday February 13, 1-4pm

Session Two, Saturday March 13, 1-4pm

Session Three Saturday April 10, 1-4pm

Cost: Take all three sessions for $150. or register for individual classes

All Classes held at The Gallery on Main, 990 Main Street, East Hartford, CT www.thegalleryonmain.org

Contact Jan to register jan.blencowe@comcast.net Pay by check or credit card through paypal.

Finding your unique visual voice is the pursuit of a life time and I apply it to my own creative journey as you will see in the video below. Thie video can also be viewed on my YouTube Channel

How Art is Helping Heal Haiti & Homeless Pets

Afternoon Color, 24x24, acrylic on linen

copyright 2010 Jan Blencowe

SOLD during the 140Hours Haitian Relief Auction on 1/29/10

It's been amazing to see how artists, galleries and collectors have come together to help the Haitian people after the recent earthquake disaster.

Tragedies of epic proportions such as happened in Haiti often catch us off guard. Our day to day lives so hurried and full we often forget how fragile life is and how quickly it can be taken from us.

The heartbreaking images on the news can often leave us feeling powerless to help where such enormous need is present.

But art at it's core is about beauty and beauty is born of hope. The subject of a painting need not be beautiful in the cliched sense of the word, rather it's the artist's expression, the passion and power in brushwork, color and design that creates beauty in the piece itself as a work of art. And where there is authentic human expression I believe there is hope, the hope of communication, of being heard, of being understood, of making a connection, of touching a heart or mind.

It is with both great joy and great humility that I participated in two different auctions to benefit the relief efforts in Haiti.

The fist was the innovative on line auction organized by 140Hours.com. This innovative group uses Twitter, facebook and a website to promote and run a real time live auction. Their Haitian Relief Auction saw 30 works of art sold and nearly $4000 raised for Haiti. Check out their facebook fan page for all the details.

The second event I participated in was heART for Haiti at Rockwell Gallery in Fairfield, CT. Rockwell has 5 gallery locations in southwestern CT and along with another gallery they ran concurrent openings last Friday night to benefit Haiti.

Below are some pictures of the opening...

My painting Far Away displayed on the easel

Another event I have donated paintings to recently is the Fur Ball the annual fundraiser for Protectors of Animals I am such a dog lover, of all animals really and I am blessed with a wonderful rescue dog and would always adopt a rescue when getting a new pet.

Below are two of the three paintings I sent them this year, the other is of a Black Lab which you can see here

Artists get asked A LOT to donate paintings to charity auctions. Of course we can't say yes to everyone. Many artists are trying hard to make a living, many are the sole supporters of their families and have spouses and children. Even those who have another means of income still need to purchase the materials they work with. I'm selective about who I will give my paintings to but when a cause touches my heart I will always contribute to the cause.

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." 2Corinthians 9:7

Mixing Colors with a Limited Palette

Today's video can also be viewed on my YouTube Channel

It's really amazing how many colors you can mix from just the three primaries (red, yellow, blue) or a variation of them like transparent red oxide, yellow ochre, and ultramarine blue.

Working with a limited palette has two main benefits. First, you will learn a lot about color, how colors react with one another and how to mix colors of various hues, intensities and temperatures. Second, you are guaranteed to have harmonious color in your painting. Something else you can also achiebe by using a triad of colors based on the primaries is mood or emotional content, this will be driven by the characteristics of the colors in your triad.

Here are just a few of the colors I mixed from my palette:

There are a variety of earthy terracotta reds, a number of olive-y greens a russet/orange and a midnight blue/purple.  These are mostly transparent mixes. I haven't added any white to these mixes. When I introduce white and begin making tints many, many more possibilities open up.

If you're interested in this way of working let me redcommend to you this excellent article by Nita Leland Painting with Three Colors I am certain you will learn a lot and get inspired to try this way of working.

New Landscape Painting Color Block In with a Limited Palette

Work in Progress, Color Block in

Today's video can also be viewed on my YouTube Channel

Here's the next painting in the new series.I'm still working 24x30, in Chroma Interactive Acrylics on stretched linen. I started this one without first doing an under painting, going directly to the color block in instead.

I'm working with a very specific limited palette comprised of an earthy version of the three primaries, they are yellow ochre, transparent red oxide, and ultramarine blue.  For the initial block in of the sky and water I used warm white and mars black to make a warm gray with brown undertones.

This palette of colors sometimes substitutes a black for the ultramarine blue and burnt sienna instead of transparent red oxide. You might hear this called the Velazquez palette or possibly the Anders Zorn palette which is similar but often has vermillion in adddition to the other colors. This palette of colors may be even older than these artists.  Pliny the Elder describes the Greek painter Apelles (c.370 BCE) using a palette consisting only of "white from Milos, Attic yellow, red from Sinope and the black called atramentum" — that is, lead white, yellow ochre, red ochre and carbon black.. The Altamira cave paintings of 15,000 years ago are rendered in carbon black and red ochre on yellow limestone walls. It's a very compelling mix of smokey, earth colors. I find that it's best to hold off adding white to any of your mixes for as long as possible when you begin a painting and let the earth pigments react with one another particularly if you're using transparent red oxide. That way you'll gain the benefit of light shining through the paints transparency.


It's always great to try something new and with a limited palette you can hardly go wrong. You'll learn a lot about mixing colors, create color harmony, and set a mood with ease. Why not give it a try!


View more paintings on my website http://www.janblencowe.com/
Need to contact me? jan.blencowe@comcast.net

Short Video on How to Use a Value Finder/Value Scale

Today there's short video explaining how to use a value finder/scale to train your eye to recognize a color's value without your eye being fooled by chroma (intensity) or hue. Also how to evaluate the value structure in your paintings.


View on YouTube

Visit my website for more paintings www.janblencowe.com

Need to contact me? jan.blencowe@comcast.net

Second in the New Landscape Series

This is the underpainting for the second painting in my new series of landscapes focusing on the enduring strength of the land.

This is the color block in and the beginnings of creating atmosphere using a scumbling technique in the sky.

The video below demonstrated how I go about creating atmospheric clouds using a scumble. Both videos can also be viewed on my youTube Channel www.youtube.com/janblencowe

The second video shows the finished painting and how various techniques like sgraffito and compositional elements like large simplified shapes work together to achieve a balanced painting that supports my theme of a strong, enduring landscape.

Finally, here is the finished painting...

Morning Stillness, 24x30, acrylic on linen

copyright 2010, Jan Blencowe

View more paintings on my website www.janblencowe.com

Need to contact me? jan.blencowe@comcast.net