Jody Regan Paints

"Winter Garden" 12 x 12 oil

2012-02-27T21:07:00.000-05:00

Here is my finished painting from the Boston Public Garden the other day. Interestingly, you can see how much the painting changed in the studio from my block in outside (see last post). I wanted to keep the sense of an oasis in the city and was challenged by the mass of trees mid-ground. My goal was to keep them in the middle, with the silhouette of the steeple beyond along with a hint of city buildings.

I brought the painting home, did some reading, some research, and some thinking.. and pushed the church way back in value and color, diminishing its size as well; and built the tree masses with some very slight shifts in the sky holes closest to the branches to convey thinner branch masses. I added the warmer trunks to the left, a little closer, to convey more depth in the middle ground. Again, it was a great day... looking forward to the next sojourn.

"Winter Garden" in process 12 x 12 oil

2012-02-27T00:22:00.001-05:00

It has been an oddly mild winter here in New England. Last year, we were buried in snow repeatedly. This winter has been mild, with only one snow of any substance (so far). This week, school vacation, promised a couple of days in the 50's so I called my friend Nancy Sargent Howell and suggested painting in Boston. We headed in to Boston's Public Garden after detouring to the Science Museum to drop a carload of teens at the Science Museum. It was an interesting day, lovely purple grays, the promise of some sun peeking through. However, we are living in New England and the adage "If you don't like the weather in New England, just wait a minute" certainly applied. We set up, painted for about 1/2 hour. It got darker. Then darker. Then a flake or two mixed with rain. I stepped under the nearest tree, but realized, as the hail began, that there are no leaves! It's winter! The tree offered no cover, and the hail turned to torrents of rain. Nancy had already scurried under the bridge; I scooped my rig and ran after her. We stayed under the bridge 1/2 hour, hiding from the rain, meeting nice people, local and otherwise, and nibbling lunch. Shortly, the sun peeked through momentarily. We moved back into the light and began again. The wind picked up, temperatures dropped... it was a great day!

Here's the start of my painting, which I have finished in the studio and will post tomorrow. (Got caught up in the Oscars tonight and neglected to get a good photo). I'm checking my calendar and scheduling any free weekdays for painting in the city. We had a blast!

Gray Days

2012-02-26T00:30:00.001-05:00

We live close to a scenic waterway that meets the ocean. The North River is beautiful, broad, tidal, treacherous in parts, and alluring, even on its grayest of gray days. This is a study I painted with my class during a gray spring morning. I believe it rained eventually. Our lesson was to discern the highest chroma/highest intensity passage in the painting, understanding that it would be far down the scale of intensity. I suggested the students imagine a thermometer, visualizing the bottom third as the realm of color intensity for this subject. Place that note down early, if not first, in the painting. Every other mixture needs to be less intense than that note, easy to lose sight of when your eyes are wide open and you are hunting for slight distinctions in hue between similarly valued passages.

I am using this idea with the cityscape I began the other day in Boston Public Garden. The subject is much more complex, but I believe I am close to finished with my tweaking here in the studio. Gray day, gray and bare trees, gray buildings, gray sky... lovely, subtle variety of grays.. almost there.

Fairbanks House - then and now

2012-02-25T00:28:00.001-05:00

I surf the internet for images of paintings. I suppose we all do, or most of us. I look at artists, past and present, study their work, zoom in and out, isolate passages, ponder, wonder, revel. I begin most of my painting classes with a few minutes review of images that support the lesson, sometimes showing several side by side for comparison. My students take notes of artists' names and titles and I encourage them to compile their own collection of images for study.

Recently, while surfing through some painting images, this one caught my eye, not because of its wonderful light and design, brushwork, values, color harmony, but because the silhouette of the house resonated with a deep memory. That roof line struck a chord.

I thought I recognized the Fairbanks House in Dedham, MA. I grew up near Dedham, and have driven past what is thought to be the oldest standing timber frame house in North America countless times, because it was the back road home from college, or the route to the dentist's, or the best way to avoid traffic on the perpetually congested Route 1. As soon as my brain formulated the name "Fairbanks", I saw the title of Childe Hassam's wonderful painting, "The Old Fairbanks House". The connection across centuries was thrilling, similar to looking at Edward Hopper's paintings of Monhegan Island and recognizing individual rocks from my own visits these past eight summers.

Hassam completed "The Old Fairbanks House" in 1884 when the house was already close to a quarter millenium old. That is truly ancient history for New England. I visited the Fairbanks House once, as a child. I can't recall much of the inside, but its profile is etched in my brain. I will visit again this spring, and will try to see as Childe Hassam might have seen. I included an image of the house today. You can learn more at http://www.fairbankshouse.org/

"Scissors" 7" x 5" oil

2012-02-24T00:26:00.000-05:00

Here's another in a series of small paintings I have been doing. I'm enjoying the top down view, and these everyday colorful objects on top of rectangles of color. These are the scissors our daughter grew out of long ago. I held on to them, sweet, colorful tools.

Today I dropped a carload of teens at the Museum of Science then headed into the Boston Public Garden to paint with a good friend. It has been an atypical winter here, almost no snow, and almost no freezing temperatures. Predicted 50 degree temperatures with broken clouds seemed pretty irresistible... or so we thought.

Details tomorrow when I post the painting after I spend a little more time with it in my studio.

"Newbury at Night " in process 14 x 14 oil

2012-02-23T00:36:00.000-05:00

Next stage of "Newbury at Night". I have kept the glow, actually haven't touched the original wash in the sky. It's been interesting working with the cool of distant neon lights, against the glowing sky. I'm still moving around a few elements, have begun blocking in the pedestrians in the middle and foreground. I've moved people a few times, and may again. The light coming from an (unseen) store window on the left is greenish so I'm wrestling with the small amount of light on the walkers, don't want them to appear green, but want to keep them less warm than the distance, and the lights.

I'm happy with the indication of street lights on the upper right, gives a sense of the cross street, actually, Mass Ave, without any other indication. Stay tuned for the next iteration. Not much more to do in the painting, I'm proceeding very thoughtfully, not that I don't as a rule, but even more so, in unfamiliar territory... kind of an adventure. I like adventures.

Newbury at Night - start 14" x 14" oil on board

2012-01-29T21:02:00.001-05:00

I am experimenting with an idea for a nocturne from photo reference of Newbury Street at dusk. I love the backlit glow of the buildings and people and the exodus of cars from the city onto the Pike. They hit the ramp across Mass Ave and merge with a stream of taillights migrating west. Meanwhile, pedestrians meander the streets, moving to a variety of different destinations at different paces. The painting is about these contrasting energies. I have washed in light, shadow, silhouettes and am pushing around a few of the elements to make sure I convey the movement, which is the focus - in a very small piece of geography there are many stories, most unaware of the others in close proximity. Night. I'll keep you "posted".

Direct the Eye with Color

2012-01-20T07:01:00.000-05:00

I am beginning my new class session today. We're focusing on color for the next 7 weeks - a good choice for winter, when color outdoors is a little more elusive. This morning's class is about choosing your color notes as part of the overall design and leading the viewer's eye with those choices. The students will choose still life props from a selection of strongly colored choices. When there's a lot of vivid color (or neutral color) you adjust your choices to direct the eye to the center of interest. Of course, there's a lot more to directing the viewer's eye; but in one class, we'll concentrate on one component of the equation, and I'll reference the others more tangentially.

Look at the image here, which, by the way, belies the snowscape outside my window this morning. This shows my block in, and finished painting for "Breakfast Al Fresco", painted outside in our neighborhood during the local art festival one May day. You can see in the initial block in, that the strongest color notes lie in the bottom left, red shirt, yellow table, blue flowers. Those decisions were made at the start of the painting. My idea was to invite the viewer to the table in this lovely outdoor setting. I lay in those richest notes very early, and kept them throughout. The luscious greens, flowering plants, everything else are just slightly less in chroma. Of course, there are a lot of other elements drawing your eye down and to the table, but for today... chroma is key.

Colored Pencils oil 5 x 7

2012-01-16T00:20:00.000-05:00

I have been playing with color in my studio; trying out some new ideas for the next session of my painting class beginning later this week at North River Arts Society in Marshfield. I've been having a great time doing a series of small paintings; ideas I'll work on with my students.

I love color; juicy, bold, exciting, joyful color.

Whether high chroma; like "Colored Pencils", or more subtle, or a range of low to high chroma; I enjoy thinking about the color, its relationship to the other passages in the painting; the overall harmony - the entire process.

When I began to paint years ago in my mother's studio; I remember looking at a still life she had set up with lovely ironstone cups, a sugar bowl and some other neutrals. Where to begin? I looked at my limited palette; most of which I still use today - a cool and warm yellow, cool and warm red, cool blue, perhaps a warmer blue, cad orange, cool green and white. Much like a writer facing a blank page; you have to start somewhere. You have to do something... so I began mixing and discovered the sheer joy of creating the desired color from the paints on my palette. There's something about making color that activates the senses; it's obviously visual; but tactile as well. Very satisfying. Very.

End of Day oil 9 x 12

2012-01-01T11:12:00.000-05:00

We finalized our plans yesterday for this summer's sojourn to Monhegan Island. It has become an end-of-year ritual; dates are fixed on the calendar; and more than a few minutes are spent anticipating the reunion with friends, games, conversation, sights, smells, salt, and long, joyful hours at my easel.

Here's a painting from one of my favorite spots on the island, late in the afternoon sitting out on the jetty as the shadows creep down Manana. When I see this painting, I hear gulls, laughter of children on the beach, the crunch of boats pulled up on the sand, and the lap, lapping of the waves on the rocks below me.

May your new year be more joyful than not. Happy 2012.

"Snow Shadows"

2011-12-28T09:42:00.002-05:00

Enjoying a quiet week between the holidays before heading back to school in the new year. We haven't seen more than a token flake or two, happily, on Christmas Day, but it's coming.

I'm working on something larger in the studio; but thought I'd post the view out the front window from a winter past. There is so much warmth in the snowy landscape. I'll hold that good thought when snow is a reality here this year.

"Cool" vs "Cold"

2011-12-22T21:18:00.000-05:00

Temperature is a challenging concept for some students to grasp. Initially, or instinctively, warm is red or yellow or orange and cool is blue or green or purple. When you are painting the shadow side of a lemon, or the distant yellow hillside; this simplistic interpretation of warm and cool handcuffs you. The rest of the time, a lack of understanding of cool vs. cold limits your results and leaves your painting with a lack of sophistication and subtlety as the planes shift.

Take a look at this landscape by Edgar Payne. I saw it recently on FB posted by Brian Neher in his series of photos "Painters of the Past". The painting took my breath away. It is the epitome of "Cool vs. Cold". The landscape recedes beautifully; yet the range in temperature is very narrow. The entire painting could be considered warm; with a wonderful variety of "cooled warms". He cooled the distant hillside showing the atmospheric perspective; and the yellow on the near trees where they are in light and touched by sky is cooler than the yellow inside the same trees. Wow! The overall result is a shimmering, hot long view. Look at the detail above from the painting. In the larger painting it reads as the cool distance, but without the closer warms; this is a lovely, warm landscape in its own right. There are no "cold" cools; just cool warms. By the way, I love this type of puzzle.

One of the problems I pose my hard-working students is to paint a still-life composed of all yellow, or all red, or all blue elements. (See the yellow example to the right.) The exercise forces each student into exploring the cools and warms within one color family. False notes; or unsophisticated notes jump out. We have a conversation about the color wheel. When you begin with yellow - cool is everywhere you go. Sort of freeing, don't you think?

Cropping or "Breaking the Barrier"

2011-12-03T23:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's class was about cropping as part of your design. Cropping your subject can bring energy, dynamism, excitement to the painting. I advise my students, "Don't crop because something doesn't fit!". Use cropping, as you apply yourself to all other aspects of your painting, with intentionality; with deliberation. It's a matter of granularity. The design needs to be as considered and deliberate as does each stroke of the brush.

Back to cropping. Many new painters are reluctant to cross over the edge of the painting surface. That's natural; there is a boundary there. It can be intimidating. I use yesterday's exercise to crush that reluctance, by having the class fly across the edges with power and intention. We discuss rookie ways of approaching the edge of a painting. There's the tried and true squashed bottles, flowers hunching down below the top edge, or bending and bowing to the sides of a painting, the disproportionate rooftops and miniscule chimneys. It can become a bit like Marcel Marceau trapped in the invisible box of his own design. Most of us have been there at one time or another.

Next, there are the "edge kissers". Not deterred by the approaching border, these painters move fearlessly in that direction; then stop abruptly as the object touches the edge. The subject matter may still be clinging to the picture space, but the viewer's eye finds this alluring tangent irresistible and follows it faithfully to the edge and BEYOND, (pardon the Buzz Lightyear reference), leaving the painting with alacrity!

Yesterday's exercise was to design a painting which boldly crosses at least 1/3 of a horizontal edge, and 1/3 of a vertical edge. No bending, no squashing, no kissing. Several students use view finders to examine the subject. Some of those view finders had large openings, 4" x 5" for example, that didn't allow the artist to extend their arm far enough to really see the subject cropped. Make sure your viewfinder has a small opening, and make sure the opening is adjustable. Bring it close to your eye to see more; extend to see less. If you are unaccustomed to cropping your subject, you need to see LESS than you are used to.

The class drew thumbnail sketches; then I advised them to look at the sketches through the viewfinder. We had a few "Ah, Hah!" moments, and the result was some great design; and everyone breaking the surface tension that the edges can create. The result is that you bring the viewer into the middle of the painting. It's fascinating to see the shapes in the middle of a garden; or porch, or bouquet of flowers, or to bring your viewer into the middle of a still life. Dynamism. Burst across the edges of your painting surface. Break free; with intention.

Next post: Negative space.

Onions 'n Oil 8 x 8 oil

2011-11-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

I like onions. I like to paint onions. You might have started to notice. They are sensual, and strong, and shapely, and subtle, and lovely pieces of everyday life. They add elegance and some sophistication to almost anything you pick up and place nearby; here an oil bottle and a jar of spice.

This is a backlit study I painted with my class; cool up-facing planes, and juicy, warm shadows; and the hot glow of the oil bottle. Combine the three; and it's that wonderful cooking smell you love to come home to....

Did you ever see the movie "Always"? Richard Dreyfus, Holly Hunter, with cameo by Audrey Hepburn. It's a beautiful movie about love, grief, hope - wrapped up in a story about the men and women who fight fires from the air. Holly Hunter invites a romantic interest over for dinner. She buys a boatload of takeout; then saute's onions and oil, tosses the takeout into her own serving dishes... dinner date success. Okay, a bit of deceit; but my point is that onions and oil are a wonderful combo to cook... or to paint.

High School Debate sketches 9 x 12 pen & ink

2011-11-20T21:20:00.000-05:00

I spent most of yesterday with our high school debate team. It's wonderful to see hundreds of exuberant teens being teens for the day; wearing business attire, and competing intellectually. Lots of research, writing, and thinking on their feet. This month's topic:

"Direct popular vote should replace electoral vote in presidential elections."

Of course, the 2000 election and subsequent recount in Florida were a big part of the arguments. Loved hearing the kids argue about this event which dominated our news coverage yet the oldest of these students was in 2nd grade.

Teams prepare both pro and con positions and speeches; and it is determined via coin toss during each round which side they will argue.

Here are some continuous line contour drawings I made when our team was brand new and we observed some debate rounds. Captive audience, and thirty-three minutes to draw!

Shelf Life 6 x 8 oil

2011-11-18T17:58:00.001-05:00

I love my studio; compact, yet mine. It is filled with things I love to look at, to touch, and just to be around. I find it visually stimulating; some may find it visually exhausting. To each his own. I can rationalize any small purchase (see "compact" above) as a still life prop.

A few years ago; I had a milestone birthday and threw myself a party, ("no gifts, please") to which I invited about 65 people I love, and don't see often enough. Who can see that many people very often? Do the math....

During the weeks prior, I gathered things from around the house and wrapped them up as my gifts to my friends; sort of a grown up goody bag. Everyone took home something I'd loved for while; and chose to move along. Bottom line, I like things. Some, I keep; some I keep for a while.

"Shelf Life" is the first in a series of small paintings using vignettes of my things as subject matter. I have enjoyed these two small wooden blocks, sitting jauntily on my shelf, but never painted them. They are sort of nautical and nostalgic, and have that special patina and warmth that well-used items can have. The Norman Rockwell postcard, and blocks, and little architectural detail are sitting on the narrow chair rail in my studio. I love the contrast of movement amid stationary objects. My goal was to say as little as possible, while conveying the intimacy of a peacefully perched collection.

More to come.

Island Retreat, 12 x 9, oil

2011-11-11T16:53:00.000-05:00

For many years, I have been blessed to spend time painting on the coast of Maine. This is a study from South Bristol. This tiny island had a wooden causeway to the mainland near my location, perhaps 50 yds long. While I was painting, someone wheeled a garden cart full of groceries across the little bridge; and later, a lawnmower. Lawnmower? From my vantage point, nail scissors could have done the trick. Lovely day. I liked thinking how my life might change if I had a wooden footbridge rather than a driveway.

Come check out Island Retreat the North River Arts Society's Holiday sale this weekend. Saturday and Sunday 10 - 4; more details here:

http://www.northriverarts.org/events.html

Sunny Onions 12 x 9 oil

2011-11-08T06:58:00.001-05:00

It promises to be an unseasonably warm and sunny day for November in New England. I'll be teaching math today, but thought I'd post a demo I painted out in the sun on an unusually warm early spring day; well, maybe not-so-warm but that type of day you can't resist because the sun is bright, and the winter has been long, and maybe, just maybe, if you hunker down in a sheltered spot you'll feel more warmth than chill. Maybe.

We set up these glorious spanish onions on tables in the sunshine; to get the class accustomed to the rapid changes in shadow patterns outdoors. I loved the combination of reds, and the glowingly warm shadows; and the surprising Medusa-like quality of the design. Generally speaking, my goal is NOT to have surprises in the design of a painting; I discover those as I make thumbnail sketches, and eliminate the unintended. However, once in a while I get a surprise. My students got the point; watched the shadows move; learned to block in the patterns quickly; and had great results.

$150 plus $10 s&h

Reflections of Greatness

2011-11-04T22:41:00.001-04:00

Today we talked about reflections in paintings; how to ensure the reflected image reads as reflection. My students set up wonderful still life arrangements on and in front of mirrors. Very challenging.. some great successes. We looked at several painting images.

This detail from Rubens, to the left, was a great example of the center of interest found IN the reflection.

Below is Frank Benson's "Rainy Day". In this painting, the reflection is a design element which enhances the sense of space and piques my curiousity, as well as carrying my eye

through the painting.

The painting at left is a Stanhope Forbes. I love the use of the two, very different, mirrors, especially the rounded mirror in the foreground.

We had a great day. My students dug in, as usual.

Dolly and Pretty Boy 8 x 6 oil

2011-11-02T22:22:00.000-04:00

$125 plus $10 s&h

I surprised my painting class with a pair of live Solomon Island Eclectus parrots, and their owners, this week. Dolly and Pretty Boy were great models, perched on the back of a chair - they looked around, made a few interesting sounds, and sat under the spot light provided. I think our cavernous classroom was a bit cooler than they prefer, so they huddled, and puffed themselves up. After an hour, they took a 15-minute lunch break while my students strolled about and looked at the other easels. Then Dolly and Pretty Box got "back to work" for another hour; leaving us time for a critique at the end of the class. Each interpretation of the two lovely birds was fascinating.

Hoping Dolly and Pretty Boy can visit again soon.

Chicken and Garlic 8 x 6 oil

2011-10-23T21:12:00.001-04:00

This cast iron rooster is a favorite of mine. I picked a couple of garlic cloves with which to pose him. I like the juxtaposition of organic against man-made; though poultry isn't man-made, this miniature certainly is.

Autumn is cooling off. Great day for painting, lit the wood stove and cranked the music.

Thanks for looking.

Blue Brownie, 8 x 10 oil

2011-10-18T20:33:00.000-04:00

I have amassed a number of interesting props with which to teach the concepts of linear perspective, including this Brownie camera. I use wrapped gifts, cereal boxes; toy chairs and houses, spice boxes, and a host of interesting rectangular vases.
When I teach linear perspective; it can get a little "mathy" which is not a problem for me as that is my avocation. However, turns out my challenge is to discern the line (pun intended) between too mathy and just right when describing the process to my painting students.
When my teen-aged daughter has a day off which coincides with my painting class, she loves to accompany me; paint, and sometimes advise. Recently, she said to me after class, 'Mom, you had them all at "parallel", lost a couple at "perpendicular", but you have to draw the line at "orthogonal"! ' So, there's the virtual line... somewhere between parallel and perpendicular. See it? I do, now.

Pumpkin Cart, 8 x 8 oil

2011-10-13T00:06:00.010-04:00

$150 plus s&h

•Sold

Took my class painting to Donna Green's Farm in Marshfield. She runs the Magical Moon Foundation, providing wonderful support to children with cancer. The grounds were abuzz with thirty volunteers from EMD Serono, raking, cleaning, organizing, planting; while we painted. Fabulous day.

Rockwell Kent, Monhegan, "Quiet Bell" 10 x 8 oil

2011-10-09T23:13:00.002-04:00

While painting by the lighthouse on Monhegan one solitary, foggy morning this summer, I met an engaging twenty-something woman who had just hiked up that steep hill. I admired her Rockwell Kent T-shirt, Moby Dick, I think. We struck up a conversation and I learned that she was Rockwell Kent's great-granddaughter, on a day trip as part of her quest to follow in his footsteps. She spent a great day seeing the houses he built, and visiting the museum where they showed her the works in the archives donated by Kent himself. You meet the most interesting people painting! Adjacent is my painting from that morning.

Sun n Pines 12 x 12 oil

2011-10-05T22:10:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorites; from our great friend Natalie's yard in South Bristol Maine. I showed it to a group of 7th/8th grade students at our school today when I made a guest appearance as a drawing teacher to give them some pointers for their project journals. I did a demo, showing them contour drawing, gesture drawing, how to draw the negative space, and to use directional lines.. then split them into groups and had them rotate every 5 minutes. The kids were fantastic!! Great fun, and nice to wear a different hat than my math teacher one.

Green Tea 8 x 10 oil

2011-10-03T22:48:00.000-04:00

Used this painting last week with my students as an example of drawing with straight lines to show the planes, angles, and to build the curves of this soft, round, sensual tea pot.

North River Arts Society - Painting Students hard at work!

2011-10-02T22:11:00.003-04:00

My painting students work very hard. Part of their education includes learning how to frame, exhibit, and talk about their work. They have an exhibit at the Pembroke Public Library, (in MA); opening tomorrow night, October 3rd, at 7pm.

http://www.pembrokepubliclibrary.org/

Keeper's Cottage, Oil, 12 x 9

2011-10-02T21:57:00.000-04:00

The museum at Pemaquid is lovely just before the sun drops; actually, lovely most of the time. I enjoyed standing just above the gorgeous Pemaquid rocks and surf, listening while painting and racing against the descending sun. I hear and feel the surf when I look at this painting.