PSEC portrait challenge 2013 results

The results are in but I am a bit late on reporting it. Sorry. All usual I was nervous as a leaf shaking. The surprise model was George Dedoyard, a superb artist from Laval. I had only met him during the plein air in Tremblant. Denis had asked him to be the model and it was a very good choice. Here are pictures of the portraits we did.

left to right: Denis Jacques, Ann Rochefort, George Dedoyard, me and Juan Cristobal.

by Denis Jacques

by Juan Cristobal

by Ann Rochefort

by me

PSEC portrait challenge 2013

I was invited again this year to participate in the PSEC portrait challenge. This is year has the same line up. Master pastelliste Denis Jacques, master pastelliste Juan Cristobal, last year's grand prize winner Ann Rochefort and me. I feel tiny among giants...hehe. Butterflies are coming back...Oh! its this Friday November 1st at Ogilvy's (5th floor) in Montreal. Pastels starts flyin' at 4pm and finishes at 6pm. Then its the PSEC exhibition opening or vernissage at 7pm. Oh I cannot wait! For details...pastelsec.com

I wonder who is our next victim?

life drawing session long pose 26 Oct 2013

Couple of oil sketches from life.

figure drawing (painting) sessions

These are about 2 hour long poses. Both are done in oil on paper.

A Saturday in Tremblant

I had a chance to go paint with several artists in Tremblant. It was fun and we had perfect weather. Here are some pictures of that beautiful Saturday.

 Helmut and Michel

 Anne Letourneau

 Georges Dedoyard

 Monique Gosselin

 devil's river

 bridge near Brebeuf

canola fields

25e Festival de Peinture a Mascouche

It was fun to be in the 25th edition of Festival de Peinture a Mascouche. Making new friends and seeing old friends again. This year the invited artist Jacques Leveillee did a retropective of his works. Wow!

 Jacques Leveillee giving a lecture.

 Me and Monique Dupuis with my oil sketch of her.

Monique Oil 12x18

Bois des Filion symposium + festival de peinture a Mascouche

The past weekend I participated at the 15th edition of Bois des Filion art symposium. Got beautiful weather but not much crowd though. :(  I had a bit of time to paint which was awesome! I did a couple of landscapes and a portrait inspired by Vermeer and the film a girl with a pearl earring starring Scarlett Johannson. Hopefully I can continue working on her at the Festival de peinture a Mascouche this coming long weekend Aug 30 - Sept 2. This year it will be celebrating the 25th year! Come visit and see great art and artists at work! Hope to see you there.

Ile de Bonaventure, Gaspesie, oil 9x12

Ogunquit shore, oil 9x12

Scarlett Johannson oil 14x18

Rawdon 2013 plein air

Plein air day at Rawdon, Dorwin falls.

Underpaintings: Words of Wisdom: Vlaho Bukovac

from Underpaintings: Words of Wisdom: Vlaho Bukovac: 

"First learn how to look  – the hand will do its part of the work obediently." 

"Drawing is the ground of everything..."

"For you, the drawing is what the pattern is to the tailor: if the pattern is no good, all the work done later will come to nothing."

"With poor drawings, there is no form; there is nothing but blotches."

"The drawing is the skeleton of your picture, whatever it is you paint. If you have the bone, the flesh and the skin and the clothing will sit on it. If you have no bones, what is going to bear all that weight?"

"You don't need a hundred colours to express yourself. Nature didn't need so many."

"In nature, the sky is the lightest thing of all. Even the face, if we draw it against the sky, and if it isn't directly lit by the sun, is always dark."

When he saw a scene done from a great distance with little figures in it, he would always laugh and say, "Those are just flies in milk. When a figure on the canvas becomes as tiny as an insect in nature, then away with it! Better it wasn't there."

"White shines against a dark background, but on white canvas it loses its whiteness."

"Better. . . is an enemy of good."

"If you are uncertain, then be economical. The harm from prodigality is always greater than that from prudence."

"However difficult it is to start a picture, it is still more difficult to stop at the right time."

"Art does not tolerate any ready-made recipes. It is free, and all possible makings and techniques are welcome, only if they lead to the right end."

"When you think you have achieved something, that you are swelling with pride and satisfaction, then look up, of an evening, into the sky, and the sky will tell you how big you really are."

Pastel demo PSEC 2012

This is a pastel demo done at Ogilvy's in Montreal. About over an hour of work. Model is PSEC president Reine Goodrow. Denis jacques, Ann Rochefort and Juan Cristobal also did a version.

portrait of Reine Goodrow

Juan Cristobal's work (left) and Ann Rochefort (right)

Denis Jacques (left) and myself (right)

Practice and Process by Armand Cabrera

I remember writing the quote from Bouguereau in my sketch book after reading it in the museum catalog of Bouguereau exhibit in Montreal, 1984. Oh I wish I was in Montreal when that exhibit was on! There is a Bouguereau on display 'seated nude' in the exhibit Once upon a time...Impressionism in the Montreal Museum of Fine Art.

Practice and Process

By

Armand Cabrera

  

"Theory has no place in an artist's basic education. It is the eye and the hand that should be exercised during the impressionable years of youth. It is always possible to later acquire the accessory knowledge involved in the production of a work of art, but never -- and I want to stress that point -- never can the will, perseverance, and tenacity of a mature man make up for insufficient practice. And can there be such anguish compared to that felt by the artist who sees the realization of his dream compromised by weak execution?"

William Adolphe Bouguereau

People are always trying to come up with new ways of learning how to draw and paint. Mostly to sell a book or some other block of information to put money in the authors pocket.  This produces an endless stream of media garbage about drawing and painting in two weeks or how to draw trees or horses or smiley faces. It is usually a scheme to remove the long hours of practice from the equation.

Students spend their time seeking the magical pencil or brush that their favorite artist uses. They are looking for that one brand of paint or canvas to solve their problem. They believe that with the right materials they will be freed from the drudgery of miles of repetitive work needed to succeed.  

The real process of drawing and painting is learning to see in a way that strips away preconceived notions and symbols we accept as truth but are not. It is also learning control of a chosen medium, hand eye coordination and a keen observation of the world and people around us. It is part memorization and construction of known quantities of visual information we have collected.

 Representational art has been around for about two thousand years or more in its current iterations and the best systems of training encourage lots of practice combined with curiosity and experimentation. Practice focusing on small tasks and problem solving leads to a synthesis of ideas and craft toward the formulation of the abilities needed to create a work of art. It is a balance of construction, observation and imagination. Too much reliance on any one part or the exclusion of any one produces inferior work in my opinion. In my thinking, art is the synthesis of fact and symbol, each artist mixes those ingredients in their own measure to arrive at a recognizable truth for the viewer of their work.

I remind people of this because lately I see a lot of younger people interested in art get caught up in measuring. They measure their ability, they measure their aptitude, and they measure their perceived talent. They worry their process is not like someone else’s or their work is or isn't (fill in the blank). All this navel gazing is counterproductive in my opinion and just delays the important work needed to be completed to achieve a level of professionalism as an artist.  I think it is better to just work as hard as you can. Keep your heroes and villains and think about how you will accomplish your goals but stay focused on practice and let process develop naturally.

Les Pastellistes 2012

I will be participating once again this year on the annual exhibit of the Pastel Society of Eastern Canada (PSEC). I will be doing a live demo together with master pastelliste Denis Jacques and Ann Rochefort just before the vernissage on Friday November 2, around 4 pm. And my portrait of Andrée was chosen for the poster this year! How cool is that!? Anyways, the exhibit is at Olgilvy's (top floor) from Nov 2nd to 18th. Hope to see you there!

Delivery

I finally dropped off Tex Lecor's portrait at his studio. He was very happy to have it and said he will put it in his dining room. I also met a couple who purchased a work from Tex. They kind enough to take a picture of Tex and myself. In return I took a picture of them together with Tex.

How to Draw the Head from Any Angle

Really cool tutorials by Stan Prokopenko. Check out his blog.

Portrait demo wip cont'd

Continued a bit with the ears and contour.

FPM 2012 cont'd 2



with Lynda Schneider Granatstein, this year's honorary invited artist

Tex Lecor in person!

with  Tex Lecor and Martin Blanchet

with Martin Blanchet and Chantal Beauchamp

This is a portrait demo I gave this morning using a limited palette. (T. white, yellow ochre, alizarin, raw umber and burnt umber)

FPM 2012 cont'd

This is my spot at the symposium. I  won an honorable mention with the female nude pastel (3rd column from right).

We had a visit from PQ leader Pauline Marois this afternoon.

Life drawings FPM 2012

Yesterday's LDs from the parc. What a nice day!


one of the model's poses



Festival de Peinture à Mascouche

24e Rendez-vous du Festival de Peinture à Mascouche
Sept 1, 2, 3, 2012 au parc du Grand-Coteau, Mascouche.
www.festivalpeinturemascouche.com
Hope to see you there...

Hands studies

8x10 oil