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By Peggy Stermer-Cox, 368 contributed posts
View all Peggy Stermer-Cox's posts. About the author: I begin my watercolor paintings with an idea and a drawing. I build the painting layer by layer, drawing lines and shapes, looking for rhythm and feeling. My color sense is a reflection of my childhood in New Mexico fused with colors of my home in the Northwest. My goal is to go beyond the surface to find joy, wonder and a bit of mystery. I have shown my works in galleries, juried, group and solo shows in Washington, Oregon, Montana and New Mexico. My paintings are in private collections in the west, New York and Norway.
To view examples of Peggy's work or to make contact with the artist, please visit her listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource.
What Is Your Approach?
One of my nieces recently asked me the following question (and I paraphrase): “Do you draw the subject first or rather, do you paint first?” The question was addressing how one approaches watercolor painting in particular.
Easy Answer, Or Is It?
My immediate answer was that my approach is to draw first. And, that is what I usually do because it suits my way of working with watercolor.
An example of drawing first.
It Is About How You Solve Composition Problems.
To clarify, what we are talking about here is drawing out the composition on your watercolor paper, then painting over top of the drawing. Or, the other option, painting first and working out the composition as you go.
And, to reiterate, it is generally my practice to draw out major portions of my design before I start painting.
Trying A Different Start Can Enhance Skills.
However, that doesn’t mean that I am against the “just go for it” approach. That is, painting without an under-drawing or plan. Besides being fun and challenging, you see, sometimes one needs to do things differently. Painting first and composing as you go can stretch your skills. For one thing, you might have to focus intently on what you’re doing in order for the composition to work.
So, from time to time, I have experimented with the more intuitive, un-planned approach to watercolor painting.
Risk Of Failure.
However, I discovered that I have to be prepared for the “failures”. That is, the paintings that I can not resolve and therefore never finish. And that is because transparent watercolor paint offers few options for corrections. So, at least for me, a successful intuitive painting is a challenge. To put it another way, the difference between the sublime success and stunning not-so-good painting can be a small mis-judgement.
Example Of Artist Who Paints First.
I once took a workshop with the artist and experimental watercolor painter Barbara Nechis. To explain, I was and still am intrigued by her paintings. Her approach seems intuitive and natural. But, and this is the big point for me, she has had years of experience. And, it was she who helped me understand that you need to be prepared for the failures.
Example of a “just go for it” watercolor painting.
“Bad Paintings” Are Part Of Learning.
On the other hand, one could state that failures are how we learn and a regular part of painting. As such, I like to remind myself that one has to get through the “bad” ones to get to the successful paintings. And, that is true for those of us who pre-plan and draw as well as for those of us who just go for it with the paint.
The Answer? Yes.
So, back to the original question, how ought one start a watercolor painting? Should one draw first (preplan) or paint first? Hmmm, the more I think about it, the more my answer is, “Yes!” And “if you want to and it depends on you”. Also, why not try both approaches?
About the Paintings.
I selected to watercolor paintings that I created in the same year: 2007. “Rocket Flowers” I pre-planned and drew the layout of the painting first. Then, I continued with the watercolor paint. However, the approach for “November Chapel” was done without a preplanning or an underdrawing.
By Brooke Nuckles, 409 contributed posts
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Ashland Gallery Association
2020 A Taste of Ashland Poster Art Competition
The Ashland Gallery Association is seeking artwork for its 2020 A TASTE OF ASHLAND event. All southern Oregon artists are encouraged to submit images of their work. AGA Gallery, Associate, and Neighboring Arts Organization members may also submit images for artists they represent. Artists are not required to be AGA Members to submit artwork.
The winner will be publicized in the 2020 Ashland Gallery Guide, the ‘Taste’ Event Guide, on the AGA website, and on ‘Taste’ promotional materials including the poster, postcard, and social media. The Ashland Gallery Guide is distributed to about10,000 patrons of the arts each year. The Event Guide is distributed to about 1,000.
The winning poster artist will receive 2 weekend tickets to 2020 A Taste of Ashland.
Submission deadline: December 5, 2019. The poster art will be selected at the December 10, 2019 AGA General Membership meeting at Ashland Art Center. The meeting will begin at 6:30 and members will vote on the submissions. Winners will be notified shortly after this meeting.
Submission address: Routing: send by email to AGA Administrator, Kim Olson:[email protected]
Important: The ATOA committee is seeking strong, colorful and broadly appealing images – ones that convey a feeling of joy and fun with friends, and the feelingof “Come to Ashland for great food, wine and art”. The submissions don’t have to be literal depictions of food and wine, although they can!
· Submit by email in one of the following files types: JPG (preferred), GIF, TIFF, or PDF (Files not in one of these formats will not be guaranteed to be part of the selection)
· Submissions must be medium-to-high resolution, and must include the artist’s name, phone number, mailing address, and email address.
· Images should be in color and no more than 10MB in size (anything larger will be rejected by the mail server).
· Artwork may be existing or created specifically for the “Taste”.
· Any art medium that can be photographed and printed is eligible.
· The winning artist will be responsible for providing a high-quality image for the printer.
· Any artist who has already been honored becomes eligible to submit again after an interval of five years.
The winning poster artist grants the AGA the right to reproduce his/her artwork for the poster and for publicity of A Taste of Ashland. All proceeds from the promotional use of the image will benefit A Taste of Ashland. The Artist will be credited, where possible, on promotional materials using his/her image.
Thanks so much for submitting your work. A Taste of Ashland is the Ashland Gallery Association’s annual fundraising effort and a themed image is important for marketing the event.
By Peggy Stermer-Cox, 368 contributed posts
View all Peggy Stermer-Cox's posts. About the author: I begin my watercolor paintings with an idea and a drawing. I build the painting layer by layer, drawing lines and shapes, looking for rhythm and feeling. My color sense is a reflection of my childhood in New Mexico fused with colors of my home in the Northwest. My goal is to go beyond the surface to find joy, wonder and a bit of mystery. I have shown my works in galleries, juried, group and solo shows in Washington, Oregon, Montana and New Mexico. My paintings are in private collections in the west, New York and Norway.
To view examples of Peggy's work or to make contact with the artist, please visit her listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource.
Yes, do you remember me?
Remember Me.
As I logged into my website in preparation to write this blog post, I noticed the small remark at the bottom of the page. It read “Remember Me”. Though the statement was about my password, it made me wonder, will you remember me?
Blog Slow Down.
This past year has not been one of my better blogging years. As I remember, things were slow to begin with and, then, I practically stopped writing for the month of August and September. Not surprising, these two months coincide with our move. That is to say, my husband and I have left Talent, OR and moved to Ilwaco, WA.
Hard Getting Started Again.
I thought that when we moved into our new place, it would be easy to pick up the keyboard and start blogging again. Silly me; there is a lot of work to setting up a household. And, my studio space, for example, is only about a third of the way unpacked. I do have my drawing table unpacked. Pencil and paper are always at the ready, so things are looking up.
All that being said, I have wanted to start writing again. Here we go then and, I do hope that you remember me.
Farewell Talent, Oregon.
So, I’d like to say a fond farewell to Talent, OR. I thoroughly enjoyed our seven years there. And, while there, I did some sketches of some of the places around town. I have included a few just for fun.
Rail Depot.
One of my favorite buildings in town is the old rail depot. I did a few sketches and here is my favorite watercolor and ink version. The forward part of the building as space for a cafe. Currently, it is the home of “Sweet Beet Station”.
“Funky Fashions”.
The old building that used to be the home of “Funky Fashions” is also a favorite. “Funky Fashions” was owned by our neighbor when we moved in to Talent back in 2012. Since then it has changed businesses a couple of times. Now, it’s the home of “Biscuits and Vinyl”.
“Downtowne Coffee”
One business that did not change while we were there was “Downtowne Coffee”. It is situated in what was once a gasoline station. I recommend the espresso at “Downtowne Coffee”; it tastes so good!
Gas Station.
Come to think of it, I did do a sketch of one of the gas stations that is still a gas station. The employees were nice and this is one of my favorites.
Fond Memories.
I will remember Talent and the people who live there with fondness.
By Brooke Nuckles, 409 contributed posts
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Hello artistic students and friends,
I’m excited to let you know about a new weekly class that will be starting next week (see below for all the details).
Plus, the Rogue Gallery is hosting my plein air workshop taking place this Saturday at the lovely Alpaca Ranch in Eagle Point!
Besides all that, I’ve been taking great pleasure in plein air painting out and about in this wonderful weather! Thanks to a couple of new students, I have discovered a few more gorgeous locations. Let me know if your interested in joining us. These excursions are not pre-planned, but more or less are decided within a few days of meeting. *attached are some recent works
Looking forward to seeing you soon,
silvia
Title: ” Artistic Direction “
Location: Artist Attic /Scrappy Craft
Phoenix, OR
Description:
A class for all painting and drawing media; all skill levels welcome!
With a focus on support and evaluation to build your artistic skills, you will also be directed in developing your own personal style.
Individual instruction and attention will be provided by artist Silvia Trujillo.
Fee: $30 drop in or $100 / 4 class series
Time: Wednesday’s: 1-3pm (starting Sept 11)
Contact: Silvia to reserve your space or for more information
Roni Marsh and Cheryl Magellen join together once again to bring you a new one-day workshop guaranteed to keep you excited about creating art!
With an emphasis on design and composition, participants will learn to create unique surfaces using numerous textures and painting techniques. Work in pastel, oil, acrylic, watercolor, charcoal, graphite, or all of the above. Whether you have painted before or are an accomplished artist, this workshop will keep you inspired to produce more and more art!
By Brooke Nuckles, 409 contributed posts
View all Brooke Nuckles's posts. About the author:
Southern Oregon Society of Artists August 26, 2019 Meeting
The SOSA , Southern Oregon Society of Artists, August 26 meeting will be held August 26 at the Medford Public Library at 7 P.M. Debbie Orr, Botanical Artist will be the guest Artist. She will be demonstrating Botanical Art done in Gouache. Everyone is welcome. Library doors close at 7 so arrive 10-15 minutes early to grab a cookie and say ‘Hi to fellow artists.
Any questions call Judy Grillo at 541-625-3285 or BJ Mahtis at 541-414-4993.Call and leave message and we’ll call you back!
Debbie Orr Bio:
Having lived in NY, I am very familiar with many museums and galleries and major artist.
I Studied art at the Art Students League, and I have a degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Not only did I study the technology of how textiles are made and printed, but I studied art history, design, color theory, various painting techniques and styles that included the use of oil paint, watercolor, gouache, chalk, pencil, screen printing, etc. My two majors were weaving and screen printing.
I deeply appreciate all periods and styles of art and what color and imagination can manifest. Currently, my focus is on botanical illustration. I am a member of the American Society of Botanical Artist.
Part of the new series of fundamental art classes: Elements of Art
Lines! What starts as a simple mark becomes the basis of art.
• How does a line move through an artwork, lead the eye, and interact? Is it bold or passive? Precise or irregular? What type of line is it?
• Using art history, we will explore powerful examples of lines in art.
• We will create a sample project to keep as a reference.
• Plus, we will try out different approaches to drawing. A great class for the beginner, the art appreciator, and the more advance student who is looking to have a traditional fundamentals education.
$30/Members,
$35/Non-Members.
All materials provided.
Elements of Art – Color
with Kristen O’Neill
Saturday, August 3
1 – 4 pm
Part of the series of fundamental art classes: Elements of Art
Color! Color can be one of the most dominate elements.
· Learn about hues, value, and intensity.
· Explore the historical changes of color use, warm vs. cool palettes.
· Create your own color wheel for reference.
· Learn, with simple projects, how to set a mood with color in your artwork.
Class will be taught in acrylic – but the knowledge works for all mediums. A great class for the beginner, the art appreciator, and the more advance student who is looking to have a traditional fundamentals education.
$30/Members,
$35/Non-Members.
All materials provided.
Zentangle Books
with Cindy Hernandez
Saturday, August 17
1 – 4 pm
Create two books the perfect size for small Zentangle drawings. Taught by a certified Zentangle instructor. All materials are provided. Fun, pocket-sized books that you can easily carry with you!
Class time includes taking a break for lunch (on your own – you are welcome to bring a lunch into the museum).
$40/Members
$45/Non-members
All supplies included.
Elements of Art – Value
with Kristen O’Neill
Saturday, August 3
1 – 4 pm
Part of the series of fundamental art classes: Elements of Art
Values & Contrast do a lot of the work that color gets the credit for.
• Learn about values, & contrast
• How to use them to control how the eye goes through an artwork
• Low-key vs high-key lighting
• How to use values with colors
• How to set up value changes in your composition
• We will make value charts and color value charts for your future reference
• Learn how to translate a colorful world into a monochromatic drawing
$30/Members
$35/Non-Members
All supplies included
All class sign ups are considered final and refunds are not given. The Museum will give a full refund in the case of a class being cancelled.
Unsure if your membership is active? Check in with the Museum staff by calling 541-479-3290, or email [email protected].
By Peggy Stermer-Cox, 368 contributed posts
View all Peggy Stermer-Cox's posts. About the author: I begin my watercolor paintings with an idea and a drawing. I build the painting layer by layer, drawing lines and shapes, looking for rhythm and feeling. My color sense is a reflection of my childhood in New Mexico fused with colors of my home in the Northwest. My goal is to go beyond the surface to find joy, wonder and a bit of mystery. I have shown my works in galleries, juried, group and solo shows in Washington, Oregon, Montana and New Mexico. My paintings are in private collections in the west, New York and Norway.
To view examples of Peggy's work or to make contact with the artist, please visit her listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource.
Greetings! I’m pleased to say that my watercolor painting Hang Up & Read Me A Story was juried into the Rogue Valley Biennial Art Exhibit!
Details About the Exhibit.
The exhibition is hosted by the Rogue Gallery and Art Center in Medford OR. It opened Friday, June 28th and runs through to August 2nd, 2019. There will be an artist’s reception on Friday, July 19th from 5:30 – 8:30 pm. The art center is located at 40 South Bartlett St. in Medford.
The artworks are hung in the Main Gallery of the art center. The exhibition is free to the public and all are invited to come view the works during gallery business hours. Hours are as follows:
10am to 5pm Tuesday thru Friday
11am to 3pm Saturdays
5pm to 8pm Third Fridays
Show Statement for “A Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Art”
Per the Gallery, “this biennial exhibit features juried artwork from local and regional artists in various media. These new works present innovative, insightful and thoughtful expressions of current events, art movements or political issues”.
The Painting and Current Culture.
This painting is one of a series of paintings our cell phone culture. I attempt to make a gentle statement about how pervasive the cell phones are. So much so, that we forget to do without the constant companion on the other end of the phone. It’s like an extra person is invited to so many of our personal encounters.
As such, this particular painting was inspired by a conversation I had with one of my second cousins, Anne Shelton. She happens to be a librarian. Anne mentioned the distractions caused by the mobile phones in the libraries. And, thus, an idea was born. Within a short time, I had a concept drawing.
On Experimentation.
For me, creating a painting it is a process of experimentation from start to finish. And, the start point is the concept drawing. This is one of two drawings I created using this idea of cell phones in the library.
In any case, the value of starting out with a concept drawing is that I start to realize my idea. That being said, though, I give myself room to change.
As I start to build the painting, layer by layer, I allow myself to change the design. This may be a risky approach. However, I find that a small 5×7 inch drawing is quite a bit different from a 14×21 inch watercolor painting. That is, what looks good in graphite might not work just right for me in watercolor. Also, I like how the act of painting itself generates ideas.
I did say “risky approach”, though, you might notice. Such practices can go so wrong. But, it’s just a piece of paper with some paint on it. At least, that is what I tell myself when I am creating the artworks!
So, to reiterate then, I see my approach as being “experimental” in that I allow myself to explore or experiment the “what if” ideas that pop into my head.
Invitation To See The Exhibition!
To summarize, then, I am pleased to announce that I have been included in the Rogue Valley Biennial Art Exhibit this summer. If you are in the area, please do stop by and see the wonderful art works by my fellow local and regional artists!
By Peggy Stermer-Cox, 368 contributed posts
View all Peggy Stermer-Cox's posts. About the author: I begin my watercolor paintings with an idea and a drawing. I build the painting layer by layer, drawing lines and shapes, looking for rhythm and feeling. My color sense is a reflection of my childhood in New Mexico fused with colors of my home in the Northwest. My goal is to go beyond the surface to find joy, wonder and a bit of mystery. I have shown my works in galleries, juried, group and solo shows in Washington, Oregon, Montana and New Mexico. My paintings are in private collections in the west, New York and Norway.
To view examples of Peggy's work or to make contact with the artist, please visit her listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource.
Making pictures, as in to form, shape, bring about or create a picture.
Though, truthfully, I am working on a medium size watercolor painting in my “Three Minute Egg” series. However it is taking a while. And, when it is drying between layers, I work on other things.
Back to the small studies. I can get so much enjoyment out of doing the small studies. Plus, although it may not look it, I do feel as though I’m getting somewhere. Put a different way, I am making progress on my drawing skills and how I like to compose and think about my art.
And, you might notice, I am using different media: ink on paper; colored pencil on toned paper; and Procreate App with my iPadPro.
The Beauty Of Making Something.
I was recently reminded that when you ask four year olds see things differently. To explain, when you ask them what they’re doing when they are drawing or painting, more than likely they’ll say they are making something.
And, a child making a picture will probably not be worrying about whether or not their painting will get into a juried show, or sell, or be in a museum, or the myriad of other things grown up artists worry about.
Making Or Creating.
I think the distinction between “making something” and “creating art” is interesting and revealing. Think about it. Sometimes it is just nice to make a picture rather than worry about painting a piece of art. “Art”, at least to me, is loaded with expectations of creativity, skill and meaning. Oddly enough, it can be an onerous challenge.
Just making a picture of a broken seashell is more liberating. I can investigate, play and stop when I want to. It can come out good or terrible; who cares? The time spent making the picture is a worthwhile and enjoyable endeavor.
Patience And Practice.
Recently, I also remembered that getting good at making something takes practice and patience. So, these small studies are my way of learning and practicing my craft.
In any case, I hope you enjoy my broken seashells.
By Brooke Nuckles, 409 contributed posts
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Art du Jour student art show entry…
Art du Jour Gallery, 213 E. Main Street in Medford eagerly anticipates a return of Charity Hubbard’s student art exhibit in June, which became a major downtown event for our small gallery last year. Due to the popular nature of this exhibit we will hold back from providing musical entertainment for our June Third Friday celebration, primarily for space and noise considerations.
The “People’s Choice” photography contest has gone off as planned and a big thanks to all who stopped by our gallery during Art in Bloom to vote on their favorite artwork. The exhibit remains on display and the results will be announced at the end of May and posted on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ArtduJourGallery).
Featured Guest Artist Charity Hubbard in Salon June and July
Frequently painting from life on location “en plein air” and people from life is important to Charity Hubbard. She feels that the regular exercise of painting from life enables her to better capture life, light and a truer sense of atmosphere, even when painting from life is not possible.
“It is a joy to find inspiration in the challenge of capturing life as it happens, attempting to be true to the mood and nature of what is in front of me.” Charity states on her website. “Each moment is a gift and a place in time that will never happen again, it’s a privilege to persevere in portraying the spirit of a moment in visual expression to the best of my ability.”
With a background in commercial art for Pixel Productions Inc., a commercial art and design company, she is trained in perspective and drafting, has illustrated by commission for architects and builders, rendering technical yet artistic architectural illustrations in a variety of mediums. Her enjoyment of architectural elements is reflected in many of her paintings as well. Current art pursuits gravitate towards fine art oil paintings of people, landscape and architecture and teaching. She is also a member of Southern Oregon Society of Artists.
This is Charity’s 11th year of offering small classes that take a classical approach to art. She has taught in conference workshops and currently offers classes to youth ages 10 and up, teens and adults, rotating in subjects of study. Her classes are small, 6-10 students each, taught with the aid of an intern assistant, allowing for much individual instruction from Charity. She also offers a more intensive program where student interns can study with her for 16-18 hours a week and earn a certificate with completion of the program.
Art du Jour student art show entry…
Last years’ student art show on Third Friday was the largest turnout AdJ has seen, with all indications that the reception this year could be just as popular. We invite the community to stop by on June 21st for the event, or throughout the month during regular gallery hours to see what these gifted students are producing.
Art du Jour student art show entry…
Calling All Rogue Valley Artists!!!
Art du Jour is still actively seeking new artists living in the Rogue Valley region who would like to join our co-operative and display their work to the Medford community. Membership includes an active role in the Art in Bloom festival in May, as well as our monthly Third Friday event.Media to be juried for membership includes pottery, sculpture, photography and jewelry. Contact the gallery by email at [email protected], or log into our website (www.artdujourgallery.com) for full membership information.
