J a n H a r t 's
Volume 04, Issue 2
S p r i n g, 2004
Welcome to HartNews, Volume 04, Issue 2 - and Happy Spring!
So...What is HartNews? HartNews
is my attempt to write about life and watercolor from where I see it.
As a teacher, I enjoy passing on some of the things I think about or do
in watercolor. As a fellow human, I wish to pass on some of the things
that inspire me - or make me laugh!. I've included you in this issue -
you who are painters, friends, former guests and/or family - some of you
without your expressed permission. So…please reply and ask to be
removed from this mailing list if you'd rather not get HartNews editions
- or just delete me! Originally, I intended to make HartNews a monthly
event. Now, more realistically, I see it as a quarterly or bi-annual event.
If you have something you'd like add or say, just email me! and please
feel free to pass this on to your friends.... If you'd like to see the
back issues - just check the Archives
above - more demos, etc.
In Jan's Studio
It isn't finished yet - but I'm close. Years ago I came across this old truck in a junkyard, surrounded by cacti - and I found it beautiful, hense its working title, "Junkyard Beauty"
Please click where you'd like to go...
- In Jan's Studio. Current works by Jan & others, etc.
- Quote of the Month, "To Live Content" by William Channing
- Some Thoughts ..What about Green?
- The Green Exercise
- Jan's Favorite Greens
- Jan's Demo, Painting a Dark Cumulus Cloud & "God Light
- News with Jan at the Ranchito
- On the Horizon - Upcoming Workshops with Jan
- Letters from Española - -a reprint of my first letter back to the Northwest from Española, 1993
Quote of the Month - To Live Content
Sent to me by email from a dear, old friend who I haven't seen since 3rd grade.
To live content
with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement
rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich;
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars
and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to
bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never.
In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through
the common.
This is to be my symphony.
William Channing
Some Thoughts...
Oh, green. I find I've had a long standing love/hate, on again, off again relationship with this mixture of blue and yellow/orange. Living here in New Mexico, the greens that are starting to sprout in my garden and on the cottonwood trees are wonderfully lively harbingers of spring! Right now I love them - but it won't last. Soon, greens will permeate the landscape and I'll grow tired of them - just like last year..
When I lived in the Northwest,
over 10 years ago, I finally grew to hate green. I felt smothered by it
- finding it everywhere and in all seasons. I have heard that Georgia
O'Keeffe said the same about her home in New York. Yet when I uttered
the comment, "I overdosed on green in Seattle," I offended some
Seattleites and other northerners who cling fondly to their predominant
hue. In fact some folks have even declared green as a synonym for "beautiful".
"It is so beautiful and green in the northwest." "It is
so lush and green in ……" Well, I'll admit that green is
a very useful color and that I truly cannot imagine life without it -
but in my opinion it is still a combination of blue and yellow - and it
ought to remember that.
So, I mix my greens. When asked which green pigment I like best - I respond, "None." Every spring I remind my students about the Green Exercise and urge them to find the spectacular array of greens in there own palettes. Mixed greens are lively and varied as the pigments often mix with some surprising results! You might enjoy doing the Green Exercise, too!
(DS) Daniel Smith paint
Top: Yellows (left to right)- Aureolin, Cad. Yellow, Indian Yellow, Quin. Gold, Nickel Azo (DS), Burnt Sienna
Right:: Blues - (top to bottom) Thalo Blue, Cerulean Blue, Manganese Blue, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Ultramarine Turquoise (D.S.), Thalo Green
Directions.
- Divide up a piece of watercolor paper into squares with enough spaces along the top for all the yellows and oranges in your palette and enough spaces along the right for all the blues and blue-greens.
- Label all your colors along each axis.
- Beginning with your first yellow, apply it to the square below and immediately apply the corresponding blue on top of it, letting the two pigments flow together to form their particular green.
- Keep going until you fill all the squares.
Painting a Dark Cumulus Cloud & "GodLight"
My favorite Green Mixes? here are some........
- Ultramarine Turquoise (D.S.) & Burnt Sienna or Quinacridone Gold = rich, dark evergreen
- Cobalt Blue & Nickel Azo Yellow (D.S.)= a lively "sap green" alternative
- Cerulean Blue & Cad Yellow or Nickel Azo =- spring green
There it was - the rising cumulus thunderhead, the sun behind - and the tracings of radiating sun rays. Wow. I snapped a quick picture in the parking lot while thinking about how I would paint it later.
The pigments I'll be using are - in order of appearance:
- Cobalt Blue
- Cerulean Blue
- Burnt Sienna
- Ultramarine Blue
- Cobalt Violet
- Napthamide Maroon (D.S.)
- Ultramarine Turquoise (D.S.)
Hint: (Napthamide Maroon & Ultramarine Turquoise mix to make a great black)
Now, because the foregound is darker, I can use subdued colors to lay in the hill and suggest the vegetation. I add a bit of burnt sienna & Napthamide Maroon to give the earth a bit of warmth while using my favorite dark dark green mix - Ultramarine Turquoise and Burnt Sienna. I think that the next time I paint this, I'll use the transparent non-staining pigments for softer grays.... The last thing I do is a bit more lifting of the sun rays.
The Cabins. Spring is here and Carol has been busy busy pruning trees and tidying up the Cabin area and garden. Spring Cleaning. We're planning to put in a paved patio area and some landscaping for privacy screens between the cabins, which are getting booking inquiries nearly daily now. I really love the cabins and hope you'll bring your paints and come for a visit! Check here to see them and the vacancies at the bottom of the page
In the Studio. Color and pigments were the subjects for the Spring Workshop in the Ranchito San Pedro studio May 20 and 21. We worked on color wheels, experimented with new color mixes and color schemes producing some exciting results among the 8 students!
students busy at work
Upcoming Workshops with Jan
Coconino Community College, Flagstaff, Arizona
Click here for more information. Call Eva Jones at Coconino Community College to register at. 928-526-7644..
We'll understand all the basics about Light, Shade, Shadow and Reflected Light and then how to use our information for more dramatic, light filled and stronger paintings. The workshops begin with an informal session Friday evening, 6 - 8:30 p.m. with introductions and syllabus review. Saturday 9 - 4; Sunday 9 - 2. I will demonstrate both days and work one on one with participants. Positive critique each day.
Understanding Color and Color Relationships begins with the color wheel! We'll learn how to use it to produce paintings with better color harmony and choices. The workshop will include watercolor pigments, which are varied and often confusing. The workshop will definitely also include information I wrote about in my Daniel Smith article. The workshop begins with an informal session Friday evening, 6 - 8:30 p.m.with introductions and syllabus review. Saturday 9 - 4, Sunday 9 - 2. I will demonstrate both days and work one on one with participants.
Note. I'll be back in Flagstaff to teach a weekend workshop in July - Painting the Landscape in Watercolor - offered two weekends in July. See my website for more information.
Workshops in Flagstaff, Arizona - 2 weekends in April
1 Light, Shade, Shadow and Reflected Light - Understanding and Painting It
-
April 23,24,25
2 Color, Color Relationships and Pigments in Watercolor Understainding and Using it
-
April 30, May 1,2
"On the Trail of O'Keeffe @ Ghost Ranch"
Spring Session, May 21 - 28
(2 places available)
Fall Session, September 17 - 24
(6 places available)
Ghost Ranch Conference Center, Abiquiu, New Mexico
Join Jan & Carol in this very popular week long workshop and watercolor adventure at Ghost Ranch, beloved first home of Georgia O'Keeffe in New Mexico. This high desert land of piñon, sage and multicolored cliffs with sky above blue and crystal clear remains much as it was in the 30's, when Georgia O'Keeffe first explored the landscape. We'll discover the trail she walked each morning to the dry waterfall and we'll listen each night to the chorus of coyotes serenading the ranch. Prepare to immerse yourself into watercolor and the magic that is Ghost Ranch. Minimum number of participants 6; Maximum 14. Your space is reserved with a deposit of $200. 2003 Fall session sold out by April - so register early to reserve your spot
$995 plus tax, includes 6 days of watercolor instruction, 7 nights in a double occupancy rustic cabin on the mesa, all your meals at the ranch plus a tour of O'Keeffe's Abiquiu home, if possible.
- For more information and pictures, click here
- To hear what students say about their Ghost Ranch Workshop experiences, click
"Painting the Amazing Colors of Fall"
October 29, 30, 31, plus optional November 1, 2004
Ranchito San Pedro, Española, New Mexico
3 or 4 Day - Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 29, 30 & 31 plus, optional Monday, Nov. 1....
Join Jan for this very popular 3 or 4 day workshop in the height of New Mexico's cottonwood colors. We'll explore some special sites along the Chama river and around Ghost Ranch. We'll take in the autumn air and photograph the colors so that we can express our visions in the studio. Some special pigments are included so that we can master the cottonwood in full color. Three days of workshop, only (no accommodations) = $265 plus tax.
$395/person
plus tax.
Includes 4 nights cabin accommodations at Ranchito San Pedro (arrive Thurs.,
Oct. 28), all instruction, continental
breakfasts, some materials, workbook, and open use of Jan's teaching studio
and library. Each cabin accommodates 3 people comfortably. $75 deposit
insures your place on a first come basis.
Note:
Optional additional full day in the studio with extra night, Monday, April
1 for $75.00 plus tax. Includes late afternoon critique/consultation with
Jan. Optional day without accommodation = $35.
Click here to see the cabin accommodations.
I decided to reprint some of my letters back to the Northwest from my new home in Española, New Mexico, 1993. Recently, my son, Jay has moved from Santa Fe back to the Northwest - Portland, Oregon and is experiencing the ups and downs of life in a new place, of starting over. These letters are dedicated to Jay and all of us with our new adventures in Life, whatever they are..
Route 1, Box 482
Espanola, New Mexico 87532
(505) 753-4454
September 23, 1993
Dear Friends & Family,
I have suddenly had an uncontrollable urge to sit down and write friends and family. Unfortunately, if I tried to do them one by one I knew it wouldn't happen. So, please forgive me for writing a generic letter. I promise not to do it at Christmas.
Review - Tim and I left Seattle on the morning of September 10, with
a very willing Sydney (cockatiel) and a very unwilling Farlie (cat).
We also carried my computer parts, an ice chest and assorted belongings.
We took the "back" route through Salt Lake City to Jackpot,
Nev. (for Tim's delight) and then on down through Canyonlands (where
we tried out the 4-wheel drive on the Suburu - it works!), through Durango,
Colo. and then into New Mexico, where we arrived in the midst a very
heavy rainstorm. The irony of that was that we left Seattle on the hottest
day of the year. So much for initial confusion.
My new home is the back two rooms of a large 20 year old adobe house,
traditionally built from the adjacent clay soil and located in the southwest
area of Española right adjacent to the Santa Clara Pueblo Indian
reservation. My neighbors are all hispanic and native american. When
we visited the local grocery store the first time, Tim remarked that
I really am a minority here. I find that my reception from business
people here is generally quite amiable, but I do notice that I get a
lot of sidelong glances as a negotiate my discovery process in my new
community. My housemate is Gloria Garcia, a wonderful and very agile
64 year old woman with a free spirit and a good sense of humor. She
cooks daily and takes her assortment of salads, sandwiches, desserts
and biscochitos (New Mexico's state cookie) to people all over Española
and Santa Fe. She also is a partner with our landlady, Teresa in the
operation of a gallery which offers for sale Santa Clara pottery and
other assorted gift items. The gallery is an interesting room in the
front of the house which wraps around a huge traditional kiva fireplace.
But Gloria's kitchen is the real heart of this house. Every morning
I wander out to have coffee with her before she leaves for her rounds.
And every evening we sit on the portal to watch the dogs play in the
field grass and the sun go down. (Gloria has a beautiful but shy 3/4
wolf dog and has been adopted by one of the neighbors' neglected dogs,
Barney. The current dilemma Gloria faces is the disappearance of all
of her bowls and large pans she uses to feed Stormy. One or more of
the local dogs carries them off. Sometimes a neighbor finds one and
brings it back. But this morning, Gloria put tabasco sauce on the rim
of her remaining bowl. So far that has worked.) There is no question
that I'm still in shock about being here. This is such a very different
place from the northwest!!! But I do believe that this is the right
place for me now. Gloria has put me on the "in-house meal plan"
- for $10 -12 a week I get one large and well-balanced meal a day. So
far this has included chicken and chile enchiladas, Mexican salads,
etc.!! Those of you who know how I feel about cooking understand when
I say that I am in heaven.
Tim and I unloaded
the moving van which arrived two days before he left. Since then I have
been slowly unpacking and trying to figure out how these two rooms will
best work. The closest room to Gloria's area is a large rectangular room
with a kiva fireplace in one corner, a shower and toilet area at the other
end and only one window. Being adobe, there is a lot of dust everywhere.
The straw that was used in the making of the adobe is apparent all over
the walls. The ceiling is traditionally built of hand carved vigas (beams)
and decking. The floor is brick and in great need of some surface cleaning
and polishing. I have made this room my multi--purpose room - living,
sleeping, some eating and office. Farlie has yet to spend more than a
few hours out from under the futon. Sydney loves the high ceilings and
flying room. The back room is a huge (40 x 15) semi-circular room with
radiating vigas, two windows and another kiva fireplace that Farlie thinks
is a specially designed litter box. This room has really never been inhabited
through winter as the roof has leaked badly and the room is too far away
from the forced air heating system to achieve temperatures above 45 degrees.
I have assurances that the roof is fixed and promises of a new gas heater
to be installed soon. I am in the process of making this room my studio
and teaching area. Teresa has installed fluorescent lighting which was
badly needed in order to see. Now the electrician is having to add a new
circuit and he'll for certain be here "mañana". I could
go on and on - and probably will at various times, but I at least wanted
to describe some of my culture shock and circumstances.
Since I have been here the days have generally been around 75 to 80 with
cooler nights. The distant thunder storms are so far a pleasure and I
have spent one afternoon out doing a color study up in Abiquiu, my very
favorite place - 19 miles northwest. I will soon be applying for various
possible part time positions with community colleges in the area - Espanola,
El Rito, Los Alamos, Santa Fe. And I will be reaching out to the various
names I have been given by you and others. In the meanwhile, I am undergoing
a sort of metamorphosis. My skin now craves moisturizers, my hair must
be willing to be windblown, and I am reaquainting myself with all of the
critters I remember from my youth in California - black widow spiders,
stink bugs, grasshoppers, gopher snakes and tarantulas (I haven't actually
seen one here yet). I hear there are no scorpions around. And as my eyes
become familiar with the incredible light of this land and the intensity
of the blue blue sky, I am finding myself undergoing little subtle changes,
too. So far it feels good. What doesn't feel so good is the ache in my
heart from missing my family and friends. And I yearn, also for students.
It will all come to pass in time, I'm sure. Life is an adventure, which
means that the outcome cannot be known. It helps when I remember this.
Well - I think I will close now and get back to the unpacking. And if
you don't mind passing on this letter to anyone who's interested, I'd
appreciate it.
Love, Jan in Española