In this Issue:
Jan's Demo: "Toucan Fly "
I'm busy working on paintings in my "Habitat Series", which I'll exhibit with my son, Jay - in Seattle in September. (more about that below). In the series, I'm painting habitats with both plants and animals. Often I don't want the animal to stand out as the focus - but to be hiding in its habitat - as animals do. From Costa Rica, I brought several photos of toucans in and around one of their favorite trees, the Corcopia (I think). Then I assembled about 6 photos for reference and began (1) with the idea of a toucan high in a tree nearby nearly hidden under the leaves. Then, the distant Costa Rican landscape and another tree with a toucan - farther back. I also had the idea of a circle in the design - and I began with a design/value study using a black prismacolor pencil in my sketchbook, as usual. I dated the sketch and gave it a working name so I would keep in mind - my overall intention - as I painted.
- Jan's Demo - Toucans in Corcopia trees in Costa Rica
- Quote of the Season by George Baselitz
- News with Jan & Carol and critters at the Ranchito and beyond
- In Jan's Studio - Current works
- On the Horizon - Upcoming Workshops and Events in and around New Mexico, the Northwest- and abroad to Costa Rica
- A Letter from Española
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"What is real is not the external form, but the essence of things . . . it is impossible for anyone to express anything essentially real by imitating its exterior surface."
George Baselitz
(2) When I finished the study in prismacolor pencil, I felt I needed more - and decided to do a color study, too - to try to understand how I could portray the toucan in the distance as well as foreground and of light at the top of the tree and shade below that I saw in C.R. This design and the many colors would prove to be quite complex. I did a quick watercolor color study in the same sketchbook. The color sketch helped me to understand that in order to "hide" the close toucan I would need to use similar shapes and colors in the leaves. Now, where do begin? Because the leaves were against the light, lots of yellows and oranges were visible at the top. (3) I drew the sketch onto paper fairly roughly and decided to start with a all over wash of yellow (Aureolin) at the top and lavender (Rose Madder Gen. mixed with Cobalt blue) at the bottom. Then - I just began at the top, painting leaves first with yellows or oranges and adding the reflected sky blues as I painted . I found myself immediately in experimental mode and decided that was okay, though it is scary. I began to work leaf by leaf, shape by shape and color by color - wetting a leaf first with yellow and then adding in other colors - like Quin. Sienna, Cobalt blue, Quin. Gold..... Later - much later I would come back with some greens.
I believe the above is true. I know that, as a teacher, I encourage my beginning students to observe the exterior surfaces closely and then to put in watercolor what they see. But very soon I encourage them to get away from the photo and begin to suggest mood, feeling, or other ideas. So how does the artist express the essence? A question I've pondered for years How does the artist express the essence of the subject? I'm not sure, but these are some ideas. Truly, the proof is in the impression of the viewer.
- Approach the painting with an idea or concept greater than the subject - i.e. Georgia O'Keeffe - the earth is alive.
- Hold in your mind and heart your larger concept as you sketch, as you paint.
- Name your painting before you paint it.
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News with Jan & Carol & critters....
Horse Hunting. When we returned from Costa Rica last February, Carol was obsessed with the memory of her horseback ride on the Costa Rican beach - and yearned for Jitana or a similar horse. She yearned so much that it didn't surprise me when she was given just what she wanted - a 2 year old Foundation Appaloosa mare that instantly loved her back - the only problem being that Sky had never been ridden or trained. So....Carol began. She had trained another in her youth - and what's 40 years?
So - it was time to finish it up. I asked my students and fellow painters for another critique and agreed with several observations. I added more darks at the bottom - which helps to balance the dark feathers near the top and also reinforced some of the circular reference. The other things I did are very subtle - breaking the distant mountain edge against the sky to create a very subtle "path of light" down to the distant toucan, etc. One final thing that I did was to apply an all over pale cobalt blue wash over the yellow sky. This seemed to soften the atmosphere and accentuate the yellows! This painting was exceedingly complex and required more attention to color relationships than any of my prior paintings. In the end - my finishing touches went back to the original ideas - the circular reference, the idea of sunlight at the top, shade at the bottom and accentuating the bird's disquise in habitat. Now that I'm finished, I love it. Moral. Don't stop when you don't like it. That is just "Adolescence".
And before two weeks had passed, she had a saddle and halter on Sky and the "just couldn't resist" and was astride in the saddle - gently and happily.
Creative Catalyst Newsletter. I just received this Newsletter via email - and think that you might be interested. The Newsletter contains access to videos by artists, Artists' Tips, Reviews and one of the best ideas I've seen lately concerning construction of a light weight foam core tabletop easel - to take along easily in your luggage to workshops. Check out the Creative Catalyst Newsletter here and you can download the directions for the light weight table top easel.
I watched jealously while my most recent back & disc ailment kept me in recovery mode with one weak and numb leg and a cane. Suddenly, with my doctor's encouragement - I'm looking for a very gentle, very slow and very short horse with 4 good legs to compensate for my lack of. Carol and I can almost picture our first outing and picnic!
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The Ranchito San Pedro Cabins..... The cabins are doing great - and so are the wonderful people that come. Recently I changed the heading in some of my advertising to "Best Location in New Mexico" - and I believe it is just that for everyone who wants to explore northern New Mexico. We are right in the middle of it all, between Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Taos! And - to date - everyone has enjoyed their experience here except one - and I don't think that person was in the mood. All the dogs that have visited have loved their fenced yard! The outside of Cabin 2 , with its oudoor patio area - and Livvie playing with two guest dogs. That is Livvie in the middle! She still has never met a dog she didn't like - and knows well how to be a Beta Dog to any Alpha guest. For all the details, click here. |
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In Jan's Studio, Summer @ Ranchito San Pedro. .
Having finished my regular class schedule here - I like to open my studio to my students on the regular class days and evenings to come paint and critique and enjoy each others' company. It works well for us all! Students get to stay with a regular schedule for painting - and I get their company in the studio!- I've discovered that after doing demos for the past 20+ years, I can't paint unless others are around. I'm busy painting to get ready for a show with my son in September in Seattle and we both need to finish 14 paintings. If you are in the area or staying in one of the cabins on a Wednesday evening, Thurs. morning or Thursday eve - come join us! There it no charge!
The painting to the right is called "Heading Upstream" and if you look very carefully you can find a solitary brown trout heading upwards -upstream. All the planning and thinking I did in the Toucan painting I did not do for this one. It was intentional and emotional. The inspiration was twofold. I was in the process of recuperation from a painful disk problem and in class we were studying John Singer Sargent's way of painting water. Both conspired and inspired me to approach this layered painting of a Montana river from a bridge above. I just painted and played - no masking fluid, but definitely Buff Titanium, Quinacridone Sienna and all the blues in my palette - including Ultramarine Turquoise. What a thrill just to plunge in! (No pun intended). Understanding Sargent's beautiful brushstrokes for water made such an impact! This one will be in the show and I don't yet know if I can let it go!
Critters Galore @ the Wildlife Center in Española!
The bigger baby in the back is the fostered chick. Both are doing very well.
Carol is working 3 days a week in the ICU at the Wildlife Center putting in an intensive 12 - 14 hours each day - as one of the techs for the Intensive Care unit! It is the height of birthing season for New Mexico's wildlife - and the Center receives critters from all over the state - including hurt animals as well as babies that have lost their parents. Dr. Ramsay, the Center's Veterinarian, founded the center and operates on those that can be helped while Carol and 2 colleagues and volunteers care for all the ones that can't care for themselves. This includes babies - rabbits, all kinds of birds, cougars, a turtle, and even a baby bear! This year my pigeons have been able to foster some of the baby pigeons brought in and are doing very well. One nearly weaned baby is so smart that he (or she) adopted a friend who was "hanging out" on the floor of the loft. All went well until the next morning when the new pigeon found out the friend was already weaned and eating pigeon food. I watched the new baby fly up to a nearby nesting box to stay with another baby that would soon be getting food from its parents. The parents arrived and fed both babies. Afterwards, the new pigeon flew back down to be with the floor friend. After all are weaned they'll be released at Carol's house where she'll continue to feed them as they fly free..
http://www.vkn.com/kilmer/community/wildlife.html
This foster mom pigeon had two younger babies of her own and now is fostering the larger baby you can see in front. Her own are farther under her. Somehow she and her mate have managed to feed all three equally without preference or any signs of neglect. Pigeons are such gentle creatures.
A caring person brought in a hummingbird nest on the branch he unknowingly cut down. Inside the nest were two babies - needing to be fed every 15 min during the first day. They are now weaned to a hummingbird feeder in the Wildlife Center and doing well.
If you would like to know more about the New Mexico Wildlife Center, please click on the link at the bottom or click here.
On the Horizon - Upcoming workshops and events
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"Cloud Light", Jonathan Owens |
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"Mourning Glory", Jan Hart |
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:Roadrunner Rest Stop", Jan Hart |
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"Echo Amphitheater", For a Demo of this painting, please select Archives at top. |
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"Autumn Thunder", Jan Hart For a Demo of this painting, please select Archives |
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Jan Hart's 2nd Annual Exotic Painting Adventure in Costa Rica! 14 days - $2600 U.S. & $2000 U.S. (non painters) Jan Hart, Instructor & Leslie Anderson, Tour Guide - and Wilson, our driver
We have 6 spaces left for painters and 2 for non-painters. . Please email Jan for more information or to register. |
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"Pizotes", Jan Hart |
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Join Jan & Leslie for this "once in a lifetime" opportunity - to paint, to learn, to explore, to play in beautiful Costa Rica. Just like complementary colors, we will be immersing ourselves into the complementary locales of Costa Rica - the north Pacific coast and the south Pacific coast. The north offers the dry, warm trade winds from the Caribbean and Costa Rica's famous beaches - and we'll be staying at a special seaside hotel with our own, private beach and pool. The south offers the coastal rainforest and jungles teeming with wildlife - and more private beaches at Drake Bay and nearby Cano Island. And lots of painting and plenty of other things to do, too. Max. students - 12. Check out the day to day itinerary on Jan's Website, http://www.janhart.com/ or click here.
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| By the Way.....Have you tasted Costa Rican coffee? As one of my best memories from last year I searched the net for coffee after I returned home - and found the best company is Britt Coffee. Now I order it, 8, 12 oz bags at a time, whole bean or ground for $58 - no tax, no shipping cost. That is $7.25/bag of the best coffee - and your choice of Dark or Light Roast, Espresso (my personal favorite), Shade Grown Organic, Terrazu Montecielo or Tres Rios Valdivia. Plus they have lots of other items like candies, macadamia nuts, coffee recipes, etc. from Costa Rica. Click here and check it out. It is a great site! | ||||||||
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a reprint of one of my early letters after moving to Española from Seattle 12 years ago....this one, a Christmas letter, 1994
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Happy Holidays, 1994! Last year I witnessed my very first New Mexico Christmas - with farolitos (candles flickering inside brown paper bags), colored lights and the Matachines dances at the pueblos! I was exhilarated and charmed. But this year I'm seeing and feeling a lot more. As I re read my letters and think about 1994, I smile..... Now I am a part of New Mexico or, more accurately - New Mexico, with its rich, colorful and strongly contrasting landscapes and cultures is now a significant part of me. And one of the most important lessons I've learned over the past 15 months is that there is hidden opportunity in every purposeful act. Or - just do it and later find out why. Through my teaching I have become the ardent student. A wonderful resource for Espanola is Northern New Mexico Community College with its varied curriculum providing access to the Fine Arts as well as Traditional Arts of New Mexico such as weaving, micaceous pottery, traditional dance, flamenco guitar, Mariachi. In order to offer a course, a teacher must bring in the number of students required. In September I managed once again to attract the appropriate number. I thought that my purpose for teaching was to earn a little money and to contribute to the community. But as the semester progressed and I taught watercolor painting, these 10 students - all Native American or Hispanic, mostly men and ranging in age from 20 to 60 taught me about New Mexico. They shared their music, their food, their wonderful stories and their hearts. And in the process I fell deeply in love with the people and the cultures of New Mexico. Our final evening together was a pot luck here at my house. Fernando brought his wonderful green chili stew, Joe contributed the beans and Roberto graced the table with the best posole and red chili I've tasted! Cipriano Vigil's Folkloristas played on the stereo! And we were joined this time by a Bed & Breakfast guest, Vanessa. I am embarrassed that I was the only one who spoke only one language fluently. I plan to improve my Spanish in '95. Moving to a new place brings unforeseen new perspectives. When in June I moved out of my first home, Gloria's house in Guachupangue, I moved into an incredibly wonderful house in La Villita, just north of Espanola and Alcalde on the Taos Highway. My original purpose for the move to this large house was to share it with a house mate. When that didn't work out, I devised an idea to offer the downstairs bedroom and bath as a B & B. I wondered if anyone would come. They did - and since August, at least half of my rent has been furnished through my guests. And though I thought that this venture was foremost a financially practical idea, I again came to realize that the hidden opportunities were in the people that came. My guests have enriched my life in significant ways. What a variety - a woman artist from Argentina, a couple from Seattle, an appraiser from Texas, a man from Mexico via Chicago, people on spiritual quests as well as sight seers, artists and vacationers. Each has given me much more than money. Many have become my friends. Through new eyes I see freshly the incomparable landscape that lies below the New Mexican sky. In addition, I have found - to my complete surprise, as well as the surprise of my sons - that I like being a hostess. I love having a house where guests, family and friends can comfortably visit. I try to be sure ahead of time that my guests understand that La Villita is not Santa Fe with its chic restaurants and trendy shops. In La Villita one becomes accustomed to hearing the coyotes and wild dogs yelping at night with the not too unusual sound of an occasional gun shot. And during the day one becomes accustomed to the ubiquitous and eclectic mix of mobile homes, abandoned artifacts and crumbling, old adobes lying alongside beautiful new casitas with coyote fences and stone paths. New Mexico, with variety and contrasts - in people, cultures as well as structures. And what of my painting? My purpose to move here was to paint. And through my painting I have come to really see the rhythms, the colors and the spirit in the landscape that surrounds me. Financially, not much is happening during the holidays, but my paintings are now exhibited at Brazos Fine Art Gallery in Taos and The Gallery On Canyon Road in Santa Fe. And it doesn't surprise me a bit that every time I start to think that my livelihood for the next month will come from painting sales, nothing sells. And my paintings instead start another unforeseeable chain of events - like the arrival of Vanessa, my current house mate - a Canadian woman who drove to Taos from Quebec on a spiritual quest - and while in Taos visited one gallery which happened to be Brazos - and when inside was attracted to my work about which she inquired - which brought her to Alcalde and to Roger, the postman who drew her a map to my place in La Villita..... I wonder if my paintings are smiling in Brazos. I know I smile a lot here. And here's hoping that you too are smiling a lot wherever you are in this life!!
Love, Jan |
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