Still Life Composition: A Demonstration

Strong, incisive compositions have the capacity to entice, involve, provoke and inspire. Build your paintings on such a foundation and you'll set the stage for portraits of life and expressions of the soul. 

Some time back, The Artist's Magazine asked me to do an article demonstrating how I designed my award-winning painting, "Cheers!" For a link to Artist's Network, which highlights all the steps involved in setting up this composition along with insight into my choice of props, placement and intent, click on the link below.

Here I have included two photos from that series. One is of my original set up; the other is the resulting painting. Note how I took some artistic license with the finished piece. Despite having designed what I thought was a pleasing and moving composition as my inspiration, once I began massing in the shapes,  I realized  that if I  tweaked  a few things, (the height of the silver vase, the viewer's eye level and placement on the canvas, for example)  my painting would be much stronger. I hope you agree!

TWEAKING the COMPOSITION:

As the saying goes: "The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement!"

"CHEERS!" Oil on Linen 11 x 14. Private Collection

Set up for "Cheers!"
Note the differences in my painting and  set up

I enjoy the entire creative process, from concept to completion. Still life let's me do just that. And given the freedom to arrange elements what visually speak to and for me in an interesting relationship to one another, it allows  experimentation with lighting, mood, storyline and other key facets of individual taste.

http://www.artistsnetwork.com/articles/art-demos-techniques/still-life-composition-demonstration-louise-hafesh
Tips for Creating Moving Still life

1.      When setting up, create a sense of unity & harmony by overlapping a few objects.

2.      Start out loosely at the block-in stage. Paint large masses, then work toward finer details. Be careful not to lock yourself into a tightly rendered drawing, which often leads to filling in the lines.

 3.      Learn to look at your subject with fresh eyes, as if for the first time. Relish in its form, color, inadequacies, uniqueness, and paint what you see.

 4.      When painting under natural light, it’s a good idea to take reference photos for backup in case the light begins to change.

 5.      Always photograph setups that include perishables such as fruit and flowers.

 6.      Use an assortment of compatible shapes that are varied in size and texture. If your props are too similar, they will vie for viewer attention.

 7.      Fruit is always a good subject because of its beautiful, natural shapes, rich colors and interesting textures.

 8.      Put some distance between yourself and the canvas. Take breaks. Stand back to view your work from a fresh perspective. If you find yourself mired down with details or losing enthusiasm, set the canvas aside for a few days. Work on something else. When you return, it will be easier to spot errors or areas that need adjustment and get motivated again.

 9.      Include various levels of interest by leading the viewer into your canvas toward your focal point, and from there around and through your composition.

 10.      “Instantly paint what you see. When you've got it, you've got it. When you haven't, you begin again.” Edouard Manet

Art from the Heart

"BRANCHING OUT." 24 x 24. Oil on Linen.  Louise B. Hafesh
One of 10 florals  on exhibit through March 7, 2012 in Wyckoff,  NJ

Valentine's Day fast approaches! In keeping with that hearts and flowers theme, my friend Paul at Mane on Madison suggested that I exhibit some of my florals in his salon.  I have chosen 10 paintings for this display, which will be on view through March 7, 2012 at: Mane on Madison. 238 Madison Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 201/848-6969. 

Happy to note that a portion of all work sold from this exhibit will be donated to the Make a Wish Foundation of New Jersey. 

Master Class...

 Douglas Flynt goes in for a close up.

This past summer, I had the pleasure of attending a Douglas Flynt workshop at Grand Central Art Academy (GCA) in NYC and along with 13 other participants, explored classical techniques for painting still lifes.  

 Using a hand-held palette, Flynt showed
students how to mix color strings

A fellow student works on her still life

Flynt, whose  style is greatly influenced by the principles of order, structural clarity and plasticity, breaks down his process into manageable, defined stages that include: blocking in;  utilizing an oil transfer; creating a monochromatic underpainting and an Ébauche and premixing color strings, to name a few.

Set up and work in progress by Cynthia Farris, workshop participant 

For a step-by-step demo of the artist's technique and an in-depth overview of his workshop, check out my article, "Slow & Steady" in  The Artist's Magazine (March 2012.) Flynt's next GCA workshop is July 30 - August 10, 2012). Info:grandcentralacademy.classicist.org. 

Two other paintings from my recent exhibit "For Love of Venice" at Village Artworks, Lahaska, PA.

Powerful & Poignant Exhibits Commemorate 9/11

September 11, 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the unthinkable terrorist attacks that took place at the Twin Towers, NYC, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and in the woods over Pennsylvania.  With great sadness, we will long remember that fateful morning, recalling in clear detail where we were and what we were doing.


Art can often express what words can’t. Tapping into that visual connection, I have chosen to highlight a few powerful and poignant exhibits that commemorate this national tragedy.

Graydon Parrish's  proposal sketch for 
"The Cycle of Terror and Tragedy, September 11, 2001"

Detail of Parrish's allegorical mural

THE CYCLE of TERROR and TRAGEDY… In 2002, Douglas Hyland, the executive director of the New Britain Museum of American Art, commissioned Classical-Realist artist, Graydon Parrish to undertake an monumental allegorical mural to memorialize the events surrounding 9-11. Hyland, who had great respect for the artist’s work, including his powerful allegorical painting about the early AIDS epidemic, considered no other artist. The resulting 8-by-18 foot long dramatic work of art, The Cycle of Terror and Tragedy, September 11, 2001, occupies a single wall in the museum’s Chase Family Building. Arguably one of the largest and most important of recent realist American paintings, its creator, Graydon Parrish, is a modern master and leading figure in classical art revival.

PAYING TRIBUTE to the PAST and a PLACE of HOPE …

Visitors to the 2007 September 11th
Commemorative Ceremony
gather around the "Flight 93 Flag"
and share their experience
of September 11. (Photo by Chuck Wagner)

This year, two major 9-11 memorials will be opening for the first time: The National 9-11 Memorial at WTC New York City lists the names of every person who died in the 2001 and 1993 attacks, a powerful reminder of the largest loss of life resulting from a foreign attack on American soil and the greatest single loss of rescue personnel in American history; and the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA will honor the courage and sacrifice of the 40 heroes who fought back.A TRIBUTE  to the FORTITUDE of NYC… Now through October 16, The Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntingron, NY presents New York, New York, which pays tribute to the fortitude of New York City and the courage of her people. Museum admission is free to all visitors on Sunday, September 11, 2011

9/11 PEACE STORY QUILT… The 9/11 Peace Story Quilt designed by the artist Faith Ringgold and created in collaboration with New York City students’ ages 8 to 19, will be exhibited at The Metropolitan Museum of Art from August 30, 2011 through January 22, 2012. The Quilt is comprised of three 72-by-50 inch panels, each with 12 squares on the theme of peace.

FOR LOVE of VENICE

For the past few months I have been painting Venice scenes and still lifes for a show entitled, "For Love of Venice: Paintings by Louise B Hafesh and Chris Willett," which will be on view at Village Artworks, 42 Peddler's Village, Lahaska, Pennsylvania from June 11 - 18, 2011. Here is a sample from my collection.

George Inness in Italy... a must-see for me!

"Twilight on the Campagna"

George Inness in Italy (through May 15, 2011), now at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, features ten oil  paintings that survey Inness’s Italian subjects dating from 1850 to 1879. A canonical figure in American painting,  Inness (1825–1894) is widely admired as the pioneer of Tonalism, which is notable for its soft focus and translucent layers of paint.

Twilight on the Campagna, Inness's first major work completed in italy, was recently conserved and has not been on view at the museum since 1952. I have long admired his landscapes, especially as the artist settled  in my home state of New Jersey and painted many familiar scenes in and around Monclair (The Montclair Art Museum houses an impressive collection of his work). Looking forward to viewing this latest exhibit.

Understanding Hue, Value and Chroma

If you weren't familiar with Graydon Parrish’s prominent body of work 

Graydon illustrates a point

before attending his annual summer color workshop at Grand Central Academy of Art, (GCA)

New York City, 

you wouldn't know it any better upon completion. That’s because Parrish, a realist painter in the classical tradition, is one of those rare instructors intent on helping students understand the principles of his subject, not demonstrating how talented he is, or using the teaching forum to promote his work. 

"White Roses"  by Graydon Parrish

Mind you, Parrish is an extraordinary artist, as evidenced by the body of work on his website (http://graydonparrish.com) and the attached painting of his (a favorite of mine) “White Roses.” 

Taking a break from color mixing!

 Munsell tools of the trade

In the forefront of adapting the 

color theories of Albert Munsell for use in traditional painting methods, Parrish introduced 15 eager workshop participants (myself included) to the functional use of Munsell's unique, numeric system for accurately describing every color that exists.  Heady stuff, to say the least, but under Parrish's competent guidance, each student completed a complex series of color-mixing  and painting exercises and came away with an arsenal  of workable solutions for identifying color by its dimensions of Hue,  Value and Chroma. 

For an in-depth overview of Graydon's color workshop, check out the April issue of The Artist's Magazine and my article entitled "Rational Color."

NEW WORKSHOP: Painting Moving Still Life

DATES: May 21 and 22, 2011

TIME: 10AM to 4PM Daily

COST:  $275

WHERE:  Art Ctr of Northern NJ-250 Center St., New Milford

INFO: 201/599-2992

Do you have a passion for painting still life? 
Join us  as we focus  on new interpretations of traditional artistic principles. Students will have an opportunity to experiment while working from life at their own pace. (all skill levels welcome).  Space is limited. For more info or to reserve, please contact:  Ruth Miller @ http://artcenter-nnj.org, or call 201/599-2992. 

THROUGH the EYES of an ARTIST... Counting my Blessings!

Spellbound, I watched in awe as a master created a magnificent work of art. Using a prismatic palette of glowing Cadmiums, rich purples and soothing blues ranging from Cerulean to Indigo, in the artist’s hands, splashes of golden orange and pink morphed into bands of Azure blue in a glorious Acapulco sunset.

Privy to God’s beautiful handiwork on this enchanting Christmas Eve, it gave me pause to reflect on the many gifts we artists are handed.

Unique vision, imagination, individual ability to express that which comes from the soul and the freedom and joy of working in a field that we love, are but a few endowments we are privileged to share. And while creativity is an enigma that can easily be taken for granted, especially on those magical days when it just flows from within through the brushes and onto the canvas, or from the chisel to the heart of the stone, reality keeps us grounded every time we struggle to find the muse or worse, get bogged down in the mire of overworked details.

Grappling with process aside, surely we are a privileged lot! In the words of Camille Pissarro: “Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.” Give yourself a gift in 2011. Resolve to be true to your calling; embrace that vibrant inner vision.

Here’s wishing you a peaceful New Year overflowing with fulfilled hopes, blessings and pleasant surprises. 

Color your world,

Louise

P.S. Every year I highlight New Year tips and goals for artists. Please leave a comment or share one of your trade secrets for inclusion.

Memories of Mom

"Nanny's Pansies" 12 x 12, Oil on Linen

Every November for the past five years, I have paid tribute to my late mother during her birth month by  exhibiting my work in a celebration of life and the art of giving. This year's exhibition, "Holiday Treasures: Art for a good Cause"  is held once again in the stylish, lovingly restored 3-story home turned full service salon, Mane on Madison (MOM) Salon at 238 Madison Avenue,  Wyckoff. 


Tucked away on a quiet street near town center, and exquisitely decorated by owners Paul and Rose, Mane on Madison is the ideal venue to showcase 18 of my recent paintings, including: Nanny's Pansies, so titled after the  affectionate name given my Brit mom by her grandchildren. 

Mom was a talented pianist and performer, who never let cancer dim her joy for living life to its fullest. That included giving concerts "To cheer the old folk" at a senior residence up until one week before her passing at age eighty-two. 


Proud to have served in the Royal Air Force, where she met my father, a yank in the American Air Force, mom was a pioneer in every sense of the word, and after her tour of duty in WWII, she went on to become a successful entrepreneur at a time when women rarely ventured into that male-dominated world. In honor of her verve and spirit, this year's exhibit will be a fundraiser for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists who are fighting to end breast cancer forever.  A portion of proceeds from all paintings sold will be donated to this fine cause. 


Should you be in the area, do stop in. Coffee is always brewing, browsing is encouraged, and the staff is amazingly talented and welcoming. And in the spirit of the giving season, perhaps you could find it in your heart to make a small donation to my signature charity, Susan G. Komen.

Holiday Treasures: Art for a good Cause, runs through January 30, 2011. 

Technicolor Tranquility

David Rothermel succumbed to the Southwest’s magnetic pull in 1987 after tackling a pivotal and dramatic landscape, “Silent Crescendo.”  “With that painting,” he says, “I knew I’d arrived at my own voice, and it happened so easily, it came out like butter.”

That decisive, 7-by-5-foot oil would go on to become the poster that celebrated New Mexico’s 75th anniversary of statehood.  And for Rothermel, having tackled some major personal conflicts and thus temporarily abandoned his fine art career to paint billboards, the creative floodgates were reopened.

Today, the onetime student of minimalist Brice Marden  paints in stages, mainly in studio, with mixed media. In my feature article (October, 2010 issue of the Artist's Magazine), he demonstrates his use of fluid watermedia, textures derived from pastels, and vivid color to produce landscapes that strike a balance between the intense and serene. Magical!

TONY BENNETT: Coloring our World with Music and Art!

Recently I had the opportunity to interview Tony Bennett, the music man who has sustained a stellar recording and performing career for over 60 years. While music has always been in the forefront for this mega-star (Tony has garnered Emmys, Grammys and sold over 50 million records worldwide), a lifelong passion for art  has also been a mainstay.

As a teen growing up in Queens, NY,  Bennett studied at the School of Industrial Arts and since then,  despite the rigors of the music business and demands of being on the road, has painted or drawn every day. Says Bennett: "The World is Full of Beautiful Things," from the film Dr. Doolittle is one of my favorite songs and it is quite meaningful to me. I have seen many of those wondrous things and  joyously reproduced them on canvas."

Behind that trademark,  mega-watt smile and infectious charm, is a warm,  witty,  totally unassuming man--a generous humanitarian who is forging opportunities for budding artists through his founding and support of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in his hometown Astoria. 
For the full story, check out the September issue of  The Artist's Magazine.  Hits the newsstands mid-August. 

Velazquez at the National Gallery

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