Welcome to HartNews, Issue 4!

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 monthly (hopefully) HartNews editions - or just delete me! And - if you have something you'd like add or say, just email me! and please feel free to pass this on to your friends.... And - if you'd like to see the back issues - just check the Archives above..

In this Issue:

•Quote of the Month
•Jan's Demo,
•News with Jan at the Ranchito
•Websites to check out
•On the Horizon - Workshops, Etc.
•3nd Installment - "1500 Miles in a '38 Plymouth" - a true road-trip journey

Quote of the Month

One of my great students at Ghost Ranch last month, Terry Painter-Moore, shared this wonderful poem by Lisel Mueller with the class. I wish to share it with you.

Monet Refuses the Operation

Doctor, you say there are no haloes around the street lights of Paris and what I see is an aberration caused by old age, an affliction.

I tell you it has taken me all my life to arrive at the vision of gas lamps as angels, to soften and blur and finally banish the edges you regret I don't see; to learn that the line I called the horizon does not exist and sky and water, so long apart, are the same state of being.

Fifty-four years before I could see - Rouen Cathedral is built of parallel shafts of sun, and now you want to restore my youthful errors: fixed notions of top and bottom, the illusion of three dimensional space, wisteria separate from the bridge it covers.

What can I say to convince you the Houses of Parliament dissolve night after night to become the fluid dream of the Thames?

I will not return to a universe of objects that don't know each other, as if islands were not the lost children of one great continent.

The world is flux, and light becomes what it touches, becomes water, lilies on water, above and below water, becomes lilac and mauve and cerulean lamps, small fists passing sunlight so quickly to one another that it would take long streaming hair inside my brush to catch it.
To paint the speed of light!

Our weighted shapes, these verticals, burn to mix with air and change our bones, skin, clothes to gases.
Doctor, if only you could see how heaven pulls earth into its arms and how infinitely the heart expands to claim this world, blue vapor without end.

Lisel Mueller

Some examples of Claude Monet's enduring works

Monet's Houses of Parliament Paintings; Web Museum, Paris "The Houses of Parliament dissolve night after night to become the fluid dream of the Thames?"

"The Japanese Bridge", Claude Monet -" the illusion of three dimensional space, wisteria separate from the bridge it covers"

Sue Noel, one of my favorite regular students, brought this painting to class. She muttered a comment - familiar to us all - "There are parts I like and parts I don't and I'm not sure where next to go. How do I finish this painting?

We put it up for review. I asked Sue and the others around my usual first question.

Q - What's working in this painting?
A - Various comments. "The bird". "The colors in the sunflower." "The contrast in values." "The colors!"

Q - Okay. Now - what isn't working?
A - Various specific thoughts. "The parts of the painting don't seem to work together as a whole." "My eye tends to jump around and not want to explore any part except maybe the sunflower." "It bothers me that there is no continuity of color behind the bird. Green jumps to pale blue, blue to violet, etc." "The negative shapes are not really interesting - triangles in the corners, shapes that tend to be separate, not integrated."
Okay - now we've got something to go on!

To Connect the parts of the painting for Unity. I first defined the leaf more, negative painting around some veins - to fill in that deadly area right in the middle between two "repelling" curves (the bird's breast and the stem of the sunflower). I felt this would help connect the two. I used the established leaf crease to hopefully "tie" the upper left triangle to the lower left triangle. Then - I extended the lower triangle behind the sunflower to (1) pull the sunflower forward and (2) to make a more deliberate and interesting shape. I extended the yellow behind the bird and noted it again just above the bill, for color continuity. I used a technique I call "connecting the darks" to

• Connect the bird to the dark triangle upper left. I did this by connecting the bird at its breast to a vein that points to the upper left. It suggests a connection.
• I suggested feet on the bird and extended the dark feet shapes directionally to the lower left dark. Now the eye can move gracefully through the entire painting while exploring various patches of dark along the way.
  

To increase interest in various parts of the painting. I added subtle but deliberate shapes to those areas that seemed indecisive and "unfinished". Often almost any shape will do - as long as it is decisive! I suggested some more detail - veining ' in the leaf. I suggested scales or petioles on the underside of the sunflower.

To increase continuity in color, I made sure that colors around the bird continued from one side to the other. I extended a wash of yellow up into the leaf.

To make the negative shapes more interesting I added a graceful transition shape to the upper left equilateral triangle - to help the eye move from the dark triangle into the lighter leaf. I already explained that I extended the lower left triangle behind the sunflower - and then I repeated some triangle shapes in the darks on the underside of the sunflower.

So - Given this scientific explanation, it follows that an eclipsed sun would project eclipsed sun pictures. Right?

RIGHT! Here in New Mexico we witnessed a partial eclipse on June 11, 2002. At 7:30 p.m. I ran outside with my digital camera and looked! There on my west facing adobe wall - eclipsed sun pictures. Eclipsed Dapplied Light!

Here's the photo proof. My west facing wall with suns - all with the bite of the eclipse showing!. The picture contains less contrast than the same photo (above) one night later simply due to the lower light level during the eclipse. Science contains every bit as much magic as Art!

Now - How Do I Paint Dappled Light?

When you have occasion to paint foliage shadows on the ground - remember the sun pictures. It only takes a few to remind the viewer of what we already know. Just make sure that they are ovals, not rounds. Why? A round sun picture would only occur if the sun was absolutely perpendicular to the surface. It almost never is. Because the shadows are caused when the sun is low in the sky, not directly above - the resulting sun pictures are ovals. See the diagram above. An example in a painting, "Rabbit Waiting"

News with Jan at the Ranchito...

Artist Cabins set to begin construction in a few days. Sabino, my builder, is ready to begin, Joe, my former Landlord-present tenant is moving out, Carol and I are collecting things to move in and I'm excited to start! I'll keep you up to date! If you want to know more about the Artist Cabins, check Vol. 2 or my website. I hope to have one unit ready for rental in September - a perfect time to visit New Mexico ! Introductory rate = $1000 for the entire month of September! That's just a little over $30/day! It'll be fully furnished, everything you need - ready for you!!! 2 twins or king sized bed, kitchen, living area, full bath and studio!

Back from the Northwest! After 2 weeks in the moisture laden atmosphere of Port Townsend and Seattle, we're back to dry skin! Carol and I drove the 1600 miles so we could enjoy some of the great scenery along the way - and we did. Other than an alternator and battery replacement just outside of Moab, we did just fine. Thanks so much, Seattle Co-Arts and Daniel Smith!!

On the Horizon - Workshops, Etc.
Summer is in full swing - with "Summer Drop In" hours at the studio - Wednesday eves and Thursday mornings. During the summer I encourage my students to take on a subject or an idea that they'd like to pursue for the eight weeks. I meet them in the studio and help as they progress through their own series of paintings.

• 
  "Creating a Powerful Landscape Painting in Watercolor" July 26 - 28 Coconino Community College and Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona Call Connie Taylor for more information (928) 523-0499. connie.taylor@nau.edu

• "On the Trail of O'Keeffe at Ghost Ranch" Fall session, Sept. 13 - 20. The workshop is full but I am starting a waiting list to fill any cancellations.
• 
  "Painting the Colors of Fall", October 18 - 21, Ranchito San Pedro in Española. Come for 1 - 4 days - $80/day or $465 for 5 nights/4 days, double occupancy. 10 people max. Some materials included.. There's still room!

Carol, once again under the hood - with dappled light spilling over her and the car.

"1500 Miles in a '38 Plymouth"

A road trip that Carol and I made two years ago - from Grants Pass, Oregon to Española, New Mexico in 6+ memorable days........
Please see HartNews Vol. 2 for Days 1-4 in Archives (above)-

Day 5 June 29, Thursday (Klamath Falls to Winnemucca to Battle Mountain, Nevada) 250 miles

We woke in Klamath Falls - to a beautiful day with a little breeze. No continental breakfast. No coffee. Oh well. At least we were moving!!! We stopped at an automotive supply store on our way out of town to pick up a headlight tester. While I drove, Carol tested. She finally got the headlights to work by wiggling the wires around. I probably would have kicked it. Now we knew we'd be ready in case we had to drive in the dark.
We trudged along and looked ahead. Mountain passes. Our first climb would show us what we were up against. We braced ourselves, leaned forward (as if it would help), and silently encouraged the heavy blue car up, up, up and over Dougherty Rim! At 6240 ft. elevation, we celebrated! We had climbed the highest peak so far - and were still moving! The temperature gauge had reached a hair short of 212 degrees but we made it! Wally had admonished, "Easy does it" – so we kept the 45 mph max. rule in force. I relaxed my heavy foot. We knew it would be a long day ahead, but were eager and excited to have a full day on the road inside the car instead of beside or under it.
Somewhere on a remote straightaway, with white salt flats surrounding us, Elizabeth began a hesitancy followed by a remembered lurching and slowing. A familiar sound. The engine wasn’t getting fuel. Carol suspected the fuel line was clogged and said we needed to get off the road so she could check. The two lane highway stretched endlessly ahead. There were no side roads or shoulder other than an impossible slope on both sides bridging to the calcium carbonate covered desert below. Where could we pull off? The car slowed and gasped again. Down to 10 mph we desperately looked for any negotiable turn out – and spotted it! A scrub covered dirt road 30 feet ahead! Gratefully we coasted over and down to a stop, off the highway. Carol climbed under the rear of the car to the fuel line leading from the gas tank to the fuel pump. Now to clear the line. She had only her breath with which to blow – so she did. The gas reversed and shot back into her face and mouth!!! She spit and choked and then cleaned and replaced the fuel filter, which was again filled with gunk. I am always so impressed watching Carol with a mechanical problem. She just dives in and gets it done! She reasoned that because the gas level was getting low, the gunk that usually settled lowest in the tank was able to get into the line, plugging up the filter and not allowing gas to get to the engine. We unpacked the two plastic gas containers and poured 5 gallons into the tank, hoping to keep the gas level high at the intake and above the sedimentary crud. It worked! The car managed to take hold and off we went again. Carol was covered in grease, gasoline and calcium carbonate!! Tar and feathers couldn’t have been worse. As we chugged along I kept an uneasy eye on her. I could see that she didn't feel well. No wonder, having sucked in and showered with gasoline! She dozed a bit and drank water - and we pulled off at Battle Mountain, Nevada for the evening and night.

Day 6 June 30, Friday Battle Mountain, Nev – Salt Lake City, Utah – Orem, Utah. 500 miles)
When we got up we knew that we would have a long day ahead. headed for Elko, Nevada to Salt Lake City on Hwy 80 East, thinking that this is the best way to stay out of mountains and heat. Elizabeth is happy now – with a full radiator, gas, and oil. We were a quart low on oil, too. We had a great night at the Best Motel in Battle Mountain and a good meal at the restaurant/casino lounge next door with a nice waitress that says she has never left Battle Mountain! She planned to go to school in Arizona when she could get enough money together. She was great, sending us off to bed with an extra iced tea and a good luck. We were overdressed even with Carol’s grease soaked shirt and pants! We found that you could not be underdressed in this town – a big bonus for us. It’s a cloudy day, but warm. First we’re heading for the BPW thrift shop on Second Street. For the first time ever the temperature in the car is below 160 degrees.
All day I drove while Carol rested. She was still feeling the effects of the gasoline in her face the day before. Her lymph nodes were swollen and she felt nauseated - but didn't think it would do any good to stop.
We rolled endlessly past mountains to the south, having chosen the interstate in order to cut through the peaks instead of over them. The day was overcast with some evidence of rain ahead. It looked like virga - the southwestern phenomenon in which the rain evaporates before it reaches the ground. We kept the speedometer at 40 – 45, allowing every car and truck on the interstate to pass and stare - usually with a honk or thumbs up. I watched the red, white and blue banner that we'd tied to the front - frayed ends flapped frantically in the wind over the radiator. It began to look like it was alive. Desert mirages….
Along the seemingly endless straightaway, we experimented with ways to make ourselves more comfortable while driving. With the vent and windows wide open, we found plenty of fresh air available. And then we discovered the joy of wind wings! These triangular operable windows were standards of yesteryear and allowed the ample fresh air coming in the open window to be directed wherever needed in the car, away from faces. Simultaneously, the open vent scooped up fresh air from above the hood and supplied it to our feet! Suddenly we had an idea! Using a plastic spray bottle filled with water we could enjoy manual air conditioning. Whoever was not driving could occasionally spray water into the stream of dry air at the floor - evaporative cooling! Pretty impressive! We wondered if Elizabeth held any more rudiments of modern day driving conveniences. Oh yes - cruise control! The simple knob for the hand throttle, when pulled out, enabled us to set our speed for cruise - 45 mph, steady.
The straightaways were one thing, grades were another. Seeing a climb ahead signalled attention and some concern. We hit the climb at full speed - 50 mph - and started up Emigrant Summit, 6000+ feet. 3rd gear, wide open! Then we found ourselves stuck behind a big truck hauling heavy equipment and had to slow to 2nd gear. Urging Elizabeth on, we watched the temperature gauge climb up to 180, 200. Then, we cheered Elizabeth up to the top of the pass and over! Going down the other side we coasted so that the engine wasn't doing any work at all. The temperature gauge said it all - 150 and falling! It felt great to speed up, though a little out of control! Imagine feeling out of control at 60 mph!
Entering Utah from Nevada, we proceeded along at our usual 45 mph creep. We were surpristed that we were getting very used to it and enjoying being able to actually see and identify plants along the way. Off to our right we watched a heavy downpour of rain. We knew that if it was raining on the climb ahead, we'd have to wait it out or not use the windshield wipers. Somehow, the wind shield wipers work on a vacuum system that prevents them from doing their job if the engine is straining. Their speed coincides with rpms to my mind. The smell of the wet sage permeated the air. If we had to wait out the rain, we'd enjoy the aroma of sage! Looking ahead we knew that once we got to Wendover, we’d be on the edge of about 100 miles of the Great Salt Lake Desert
After stopping at a restaurant to get a bite to eat and relax a bit, we returned to the car and noticed one of the tires was low. Luckily there was a gas station just across the way. The attendant looked over the tire and discovered that the tire valve was leaking. And then, while looking into that, he noticed that the inner tube was excessively and dangerously patched. That was my Dad's way, all right. An inner tube would be patched until there was no more available rubber on which to place a patch before it was discarded. The attendant gave us directions to a tire garage close by where we were able to purchase a new inner tube and a lug wrench. By then it was 4:30 p.m. - and we still hadn't begun the desert trek. I wished I'd thought ahead to apply RainX to the windshield. No time. We just climbed back into the car and started out across the Great Salt Lake Desert.
Along the 100 miles of straightaway with no services available, we experienced some of the joys of driving in the rain! The wipers! An all out war seemed to be waged between the right and left blades! Each had its own individual and unsynchronized speed – so occasionally they hit each other. Not often, just occasionally. The driver could play with acceleration and deceleration in order to alter the wiper speed during the heaviest rain but could not really control it. I never did figure out why occasionally one would stop altogether. Then we noticed some drama with the wind wing. There was a hole where the rubber seal didn't quite reach to the bottom edge of the glass. Water began shooting out onto Carol's shoulder. We guessed that it was another evaporative cooling mechanism. Carol remarked that we'd need some gum for the hole! It was something one needed to be prepared for, I guess. Just like bailing wire, gum should be part of the mandatory equipment for a long drive in an old car
Finally we drove into Salt Lake City, where we hit heavy traffic and more rain. No problem. We'd become accustomed to maneuvering the wipers and decided to look for another Best Hotel. We had a coupon. We found one near the University. On a Friday night it was noisy, busy and too crowded - much too crowded for two very tired women needing a good night's sleep. We set out to find another place. Suddenly we noticed how dark it was. I pulled the light knob and found to my dismay that we could only use the low beams, which provided insufficient light. We reasoned that we'd be able to be seen but we couldn't see well in the constant rain. Since there were no other hotels close by, we decided to go back where we'd seen them. Back onto the freeway. Hugging the right lane, we crept slowly along. It was just too scary to be there at night in the rain, with fast traffic swooshing by. At the next exit we got off and chugged up a road. Carol drove. She had the best night vision. But truthfully, neither of us could see well. Finally, and luckily, we found La Quinta!! We feared that it would be too expensive, but were willing to pay. To our delight - it was just right, very nice and exceedingly comfortable. Thank you, La Quinta!!! As we lugged in our bags we noticed the right back tire was low. We'd deal with it in the morning.

Next Issue - will we actually get to Española?
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HartNews will be continued next month. I plan to do a step by step painting from my workshop coming up on the 20th and 21st. Please ask to be deleted if you'd rather not receive it.