Continuing Education :: My 2nd Workshop with Deb Quinn-Munson

The Foxboro Art Association hosted a workshop with Deb Quinn-Munson Saturday, April 6, 2013 at Studio East, Walpole. 

Deb Quinn-Munson begins with an oil underpainting on
Wallis (or UART -- can't remember which) paper

Having attended last year's workshop, I was excited that Deb was invited back to lead a class focusing specifically on techniques for painting water.

Deb had great information to share about water like this quote by Don Demers: " Study the water until you understand what it looks like, then paint how it feels." It's fun to think about things like that.

Deb develops her watercolor underpainting
This was a new thing for me. I had no idea you could use watercolor
paper for a pastel painting. The heavy paper  grabs the pastel well,
even without a sanded ground. Learn something new every day!

Deb also discussed her "80/20 Guide" with us, asking us to consider this 80/20 ratio when making decisions regarding composition, shape, value, color, line, texture, and rhythm.

We have so much to think of when making good paintings. Often this is done intuitively, but Deb's insight encourages artists to slow down and consider the options for deliberate choices -- a smart thing to do, and one I certainly don't do enough.

The painting with the introduction of pastel shows lovely sparkle.

A few things Deb said have that continue to sit in my head:

*What will make someone walk across a room to see the painting? Of course you should choose the options that would do that!

*Think about elements in your painting playing specific roles. What is the lead? What is supporting the lead? Have these firmly decided and make marks/decisions that assist the roles.

Pastel painting by Deb Quinn-Munson -- what shimmer! 

As important as composition is, Deb mentioned that composition doesn't get credit for its role in good paintings. No one really says, "Wow! What composition in that painting!" The glory usually goes to color.

Workshop in full swing with everyone painting!

She encouraged us to be deliberate with our marks and to make bold, decisive paintings:
"You only get to hit it once -- maybe twice. That's it."

Here's the start to my painting. I was trying to be
deliberate and ended up a bit tortured at this stage. 

Right now my painting is leaning on my dining room chair rail so I can take it in at odd times of the day. I want to sit with it a bit more. When I'm content with it, I'll post it here on this blog.

Deb Quinn-Munson and I at the end of a great day

The day ended all too soon with creative juices flowing! Perhaps Deb will be invited yet again to instruct another aspect of pastel painting. I know I'd be signing up for it.

Thanks for reading! ~kmw

Award and a demonstration

Hurray! I'm excited and delighted to say that my painting, SUMMER SKY, has be awarded 2nd place Pastel at the recent FAA members show. It's an honor and so encouraging. 

©2012 Kim Morin Weineck
SUMMER SKY
original pastel, 7x7"

Sometimes when painting a piece just seems to come from your fingertips - as if through inspired intervention. Summer Sky was one of those pieces. The colors I needed were all available. The contrasts and values were spot on when I tried them out. The stars were all aligned. Funny how others can feel that, too. 

Finishing touches on my pastel demonstration 

for the Foxboro Art Association

Last week I was the demonstrator for the Foxboro Art Association filling in for a last-minute withdrawal. The crowd was responsive to my instruction for making a pastel painting on top of an oil underpainting. 

I worked on a scene inspired by Stony Brook in Norfolk, MA. If you're local to Norfolk, check out this treasured spot. Paintings are EVERYWHERE! 

Thanks for reading! ~kmw

Continuing education :: pastel workshop with Deb Quinn-Munson

Last weekend I took a workshop organized by the Foxboro Art Association which featured Deb Quinn-Munson. The focus was on underpainting options for pastels and Deb demonstrated with an oil underpainting - something I had never tried and now just LOVE to do!

My new pastel box filled with all my pastels.
Can you tell I'm a landscape painter?
Look at all the blues and greens!

Deb's workshop and this jolt of warm weather was just the shot in the arm I needed to get my creative house in order. 

Here Deb Quinn-Munson is demonstrating underpainting with oils. Gorgeous effects!

For my birthday, I decided this Heilman backpack box was just the thing I needed to organize all my pastel sticks. It came in yesterday and was filled immediately. Today I can't wait to use it!

You can tell I like my pastels all organized like this.
Here they are in the dining room just so I could look at them. 

Here is the pastel I completed during the workshop. There are particular passages I thought were successful. 

My pastel from the workshop.
My first pastel (and not my last) with an oil underpainting!

Throughout the workshop, Deb offered numerous adages about painting. My favorite, by far, was this:

Color gets all the glory. Value does all the work. My artist friends will attest that it's so true. 

Thanks for reading!
~kmw

Two entries two ribbons!

At the Foxboro Art Association Spring Show I am delighted that I won two (!) ribbons.

AUTUMN STROLL
original pastel by Kim Morin Weineck
6x6" (c) 2012

Both were Honorable Mention and in a field as strong as this show was, all I can say is: Whooo hoooo!

TWILIGHT
original oil by Kim Morin Weineck
8x8" (c) 2012

My entries to this show were small paintings, one in oil and one in pastel. Small paintings are such fun to do.

I'm not sure who took this photo of the FAA reception, but
Tim and I are having a great time before running off
to get changed for the next reception and dinner!

Later this busy night of two art openings, Tim and I went to see the Norfolk Cultural Council show. Silly me didn't take photos of the show, but I did ask a friend, Ann Gorbett (she took 2nd place oils in the FAA show!), to take a photo of us.

Tim and I all dressed up, albeit a bit stiff looking. 

Tim and I were all dressed up for a night out in town to celebrate my birthday. We had such fun - and it's lovely to feel pretty every once in a while.

Thanks for reading!
~kmw

Art Demonstration Feb 13, 2012

The Taunton Art Association has asked me to again come to their monthly meeting and perform a demonstration for them. It's always such fun for me to share some insight about how I create my artwork, and I have been excited for this demo since they asked me months ago!

Kim Morin Weineck, BRANT POINT ROSES, original pastel (c) 2011
created by direct painting on Sennelier Pastel Card

In October I demonstrated for the Foxboro Art Association and really stretched myself doing four quick studies in 2 hours on four different pastel surfaces. Each behaves so differently, and I wanted to showcase the pros and cons of each. After the four sketches I was exhausted but in the best possible way!

For the Taunton demo I'm going to paint the same picture two times using direct painting on Sennelier Pastel Card and with and underpainting using mounted UArt sanded paper. I think the techniques showcase the most dramatic differences and the end results will excite the artists in attendance.

If you're local to Taunton, do try to come. 7-9pm. It'll be fun, I promise.

Pastel surfaces demonstration

Pastel painting surfaces are myriad, and it's quite important to select the right one for how you work and what you'd like the final outcome to look like. This precise topic was the subject of my demonstration two night's back for the Foxboro Art Association. 

The nearly two-hour demo concentrated on four different surfaces and somehow I quickly was able to sketch four (!) paintings to show just how varied these surfaces can be.

Sennelier's Pastel Card is my favorite and so it was my opener. I created this landscape with two hay bales on dry-mounted charcoal colored Pastel Card. I find the paper, with its cork tooth, grabs color vibrantly. This is a work-in-progress, but I stopped at this point because it demonstrates the point.

©2011 Kim Morin Weineck
WORK IN PROGRESS: Hay Bales
original pastel, 12x16"
Sennelier Pastel Card

The next surface was Canson Mi-Teintes paper, which has two distinct sides. The 'right' side (with the Canson watermark) offers a zillion small circular 'nubbies' on it which I am constantly feeling the need to overcome. I have a hard time with this paper on the 'right' side.

I created this sketch on this paper, again selecting paper in a charcoal tone for continuity to the above sketch. A member made the observation that this piece looked like it had a netting over the entire surface - the exact 'nubbies' I'm describing! Yes, it does look just like that!

©2011 Kim Morin Weineck
WORK IN PROGRESS: Marsh Light
original pastel, 12x16"
Canson Mi-Teintes paper, RIGHT side

If you turn this Canson Mi-Teintes paper over to the 'wrong side, an entirely different effect is achieved. No 'nubbies' are there. It's smoother and, for my way of working, I am not fighting the paper the entire time I'm painting. The pastel pigment sits nicely on the paper, I find. 

©2011 Kim Morin Weineck
WORK IN PROGRESS: Hay Bales
original pastel, 12x16"
Canson Mi-Teintes paper, WRONG side

To finish up, I painted this incredibly dull start of a pastel which needs so much work I nearly didn't post it here. For the purposes of the demonstration, though, I'm including it. 

PastelMat by Clairefontaine is a relatively new surface which is so mind-boggling in its ability to accept more and more pastel and yet confounds because it has no tooth or grit to grab the pigment. The paper I had was white, and a lot is still showing through. More work to be done, but those in attendance got to see how one works on the surface. 

©2011 Kim Morin Weineck
WORK IN PROGRESS: Marsh Stream
original pastel, 12x16"
PastelMat

My goal is to finish up what I can on these and post when they're completed. I hope I can keep on this positive flow of energy since the demonstration this week and get to them soon! Please cut me some slack on these studies. They were done in great haste and aren't refined yet.

People asked me some wonderful, pertinent questions about materials. Keep in mind that this is my opinion. Please experiment and enjoy your own process of discovery! I'm reluctant to use the word 'best' here, but in my opinion, that's what they are!

The plein air set

The best go-to set of pastels for plein-air:
Sennelier's 80 half-stick set for Plein Air

The best paper for plein-air:
Sennelier's Pastel Card pad in either size available

The best fixative to protect your pastel and not have too much dulling of color:
Lascaux fixatif

The pastels I used for the demonstration:
Sennelier (so beautiful with Sennelier Pastel Card), Unison (loved these with the PastelMat surface), Terry Ludwig, Nupastel, and Girault.

The best sources for on-line ordering of pastel supplies:
Dakota Art Pastels
Dick Blick
Jerry's Art A Rama
Terry Ludwig

Please find me online at kimmorinweineck.blogspot.com and follow my blog, should you like.
I'm also at Gallery9 at Custom Art Framing as the Gallery Director. I'd be delighted to see you there.

What a wonderful experience it was to test myself for this demo. The crowd was wonderful with amazingly on-point questions and such encouraging comments.

Thank you to Foxboro Art Association for having me!

Surfaces for pastel

Tonight I'm doing a demonstration for the Foxboro Art Association.

©2011 Kim Morin Weineck
BRANT POINT ROSES
original pastel, 5x5" Sold

I have to say that I love doing demonstrations. Standing up in front of a group and discussing your talent is a sure-fire way to solidify how you work.

I'm taking the girls with me to Jerry's Art-A-Rama this morning for a fun materials buying spree. A little art supply fix also is a sure-fire way to get inspired about your medium!

©2011 Kim Morin WeineckSCONSET PATH
original pastel, 5x5" Sold

The focus of tonight's demonstration is about pastels and contrasting the various surfaces available.
There are so many but my time will concentrate on Sennelier's Pastel Card, Clairefontaine's Pastel Mat, UArt paper, Wallis paper, and perhaps Canson Mi-Teintes paper (I never know how to pronounce that last one.)

©2011 Kim Morin Weineck
PASTEL MARSH
original pastel, 5x5" Sold

More information on supplies I use in making pastel paintings as well as sources for everything can be found here on my blog.

I enjoy making pastel paintings thoroughly. It's my hope that tonight's demo will impart this joy to other artists. What a wonderful opportunity!