tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40961421833123117382024-02-07T13:22:16.092-05:00Maine-ly PaintingKevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-80355433278138852262015-04-22T16:39:00.000-04:002015-04-23T15:31:34.730-04:00Red Buds In The Sunlight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ24f2r689BebbeFgh-llrc_WVjl_7obVsFq1yyAQ-b35fCfu-LeYbM5hU9FD-kQ6TqtO4Vclq-hm3WvmG6qXBplTZn-rubSw6bjVpjIB_l4Puo7pt0oqcu-2DAQYJzPKrgiiR9dsUdnQ/s1600/Copy+(2)%2Bof%2B01-Sugar%2BMaple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ24f2r689BebbeFgh-llrc_WVjl_7obVsFq1yyAQ-b35fCfu-LeYbM5hU9FD-kQ6TqtO4Vclq-hm3WvmG6qXBplTZn-rubSw6bjVpjIB_l4Puo7pt0oqcu-2DAQYJzPKrgiiR9dsUdnQ/s1600/Copy+(2)%2Bof%2B01-Sugar%2BMaple.jpg" height="306" width="400" /></a></div>
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I did the above painting a little while ago. I wanted to show a very common sight around these parts: sap buckets hanging from lovely maple trees. I painted the buds of the tree a nice happy red-- not because I saw them that way, but because my lovely Ellen told me that maple buds are red. I've actually never observed red buds because I'm color blind.<br />
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Regular readers of <i>Maine-ly Painting</i> (and you know who you are, and yeah we get together to make fun of you who don't) know that I have never kept secret the little matter of my being color-blind. I never really give it much thought, either. Oh sure, sometimes I might wonder what it would be like to have full color vision, but I also wonder on occasion what it might be like to be taller, or maybe have some talent... So it's never really seemed like that big a deal to me. However, recently I have been stumbling upon some news items about some possible cures or treatments for color-blindness.<br />
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I read one that is touted as a cure for color-blindness is to have DNA, genes and what-have-you surgically inserted into the eye using a large, long and extremely sharp needle.<br />
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I think I'll pass...<br />
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The next day I read James Gurney's <a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2015/03/high-tech-glasses-may-help-remedy-color.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> about sun-glasses that help the color-blind. I have to say, that one intrigued me. I did a lot of reading about them and how they work, but I will leave it up to the manufacturer, <a href="http://enchroma.com/" target="_blank">EnChroma</a> to explain. I recently got a pair. Of sunglasses, that is.<br />
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First off though, let me talk a bit about being color blind.<br />
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Yes, I can see color. But what color I see is usually a different shade than what you may see. As we all know, white light is a combination of three colors: Blue, Red and Yellow. Our eyes take white light and using things called cones, receptors, catalytic converters and nerve endings, (it's complicated...) break that white light into those primary colors. Our brains then take those colors and transform them into objects. ("I could tell that was Macaroni and cheese by its orange color!") As a By-The-Way, what color an object is comes as the result of what color, or colors of light it doesn't absorb. For instance, the molecules and elements that comprise our atmosphere absorb a lot of red and yellow, so what shines into our eyes is blue light. Grass will absorb a lot of red, so blue and yellow come through and combine to make green. The paint used on STOP signs absorb blue and yellow, therefore we see red. And on and on for everything under the sun.<br />
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The cones in my eye over-emphasize the blue spectrum of light. A couple of reasons I know this are because when I step out from a very dark place into an extremely bright sunny one all I see for about ten to twenty seconds is blue. Blue grass, blue trees, blue dirt-- it's very disconcerting, to say the least. Eventually, color will start to seep in as my eyes become accustomed to the light. Another way I know about red being missing from my sight is when I have trouble mixing a color, I noticed that if I add a touch of red-- even when I don't see it in the color I'm trying to paint-- it will work. So, as I said, I see color, but if you lower the red quotient a skosh, and up the blue a tad, you will get an idea of what I see.<br />
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How does this affect the way I paint? And how can I paint at all, you ask? Well, I get around the color thing in a couple of ways.<br />
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When people are kind enough to compliment me on my painting, I often am told that I "paint light so well!" Thank you! What I think they really mean is that my values appear to be true enough to make one think I've depicted a bright sunny day. And make no mistake, I work very hard on getting my values as accurate as I can. It goes with my painting philosophy that Values and Color Temperature are more important than just color. If I can get those values and temperatures right, then usually I can get away with using some wonky color. Folks will think I meant to do that-- Artistic Principle and all...<br />
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Another way of working around my color vision is a bit more problematic. I call it Paint-By-Theory. If I know what the local color of an object is, even if I don't exactly see it that way, (Oh, that's pink and not grey?) then I can theorize what color the shadows and highlights may be. You know-- warm light, cool shadows kind of thing. The problem is that I'm using guess work and not observation to determine color. Which leads me back to my maple tree painting.<br />
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Since I have never observed red buds on a tree, if Ellen hadn't told me, I would have used some indeterminate dark color to paint them-- because that's what I see. Yeah, the values would be right, but the color would be boring. So after learning about those color-blind sunglasses and reading up on how effective they may be, I thought I'd try them.<br />
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The first morning I had them I went outside and looked around. In short order I noticed how <i>vibrant</i> the colors are. Yeah, I knew the towel we use to dry off our dogs is pink, but now I could see how <i>pink</i> it really is. Before, it had a decidedly grey cast to it. I wandered some more around the house looking at this and that. Unfortunately we are having a late spring so everything has a boring late March muddiness look to it. I sauntered over to my studio, turned around and looked at the big maple that looms over our back yard. My first thought was, "Ellen was right!"<br />
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For the first time in my life I saw the bright red buds of a maple tree.<br />
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Now, will being able to see color a little better make me a better painter? Hard to say, because a good painting is more than just pretty color. There's drawing, and edges, and brushstrokes and a million other things that don't involve color at all. So for now, let's just call it one more tool in the painter's tool box.<br />
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But I can't say I've ever had a tool that gave me new eyes. And showed me what red buds really look like.<br />
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<br />Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-70806447035878170992015-04-17T12:45:00.001-04:002015-04-17T12:45:36.688-04:00Think Spring! And Other Thoughts<div>
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Regular readers of <i>Maine-ly Painting </i>(which number as many people as are now watching new Colbert Report episodes, I'm proud to say!) are aware that winter is not my favorite season. In truth, I eagerly await our week of summer here in Maine. Herewith are some thoughts pertaining to Maine's longest season and the picture I just finished.</div>
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I dreamed up a painting sometime last summer. As always, I thought it would be great fun to paint nearly twenty figures in a street scene from back in the day in a painting four feet long. I was all kinds of exited to do a full size charcoal study for it, and color sketches and what have you. (And as always, when I was several weeks into the project I was wondering what the hell was I thinking?) Knowing it would take up a large chunk of time, I thought I'd make it my winter project. You know, something I could sink my teeth into while I waited for spring. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTUVE0lM7CNJ4xyVcJelsZ7QFbsH8UxGLllixv8jrg5-N4kHMF5hw2BFOqkXHphr5SlH-2_w3fgIdxJLPE-VclRn-fpTESRyDoTwW1JagT1y-eRpxG7Y0_DL5pQEGFZ1zSbIofog4q5I/s1600/IMG_9377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTUVE0lM7CNJ4xyVcJelsZ7QFbsH8UxGLllixv8jrg5-N4kHMF5hw2BFOqkXHphr5SlH-2_w3fgIdxJLPE-VclRn-fpTESRyDoTwW1JagT1y-eRpxG7Y0_DL5pQEGFZ1zSbIofog4q5I/s1600/IMG_9377.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I started the long involved process in early December of 2014. I signed it on April 10th, 2015. In between those dates we had the nastiest winter we had seen in ages. The April day I signed the lower right hand corner was a cold, miserable day with at least a foot of snow still on the ground. Since then we have had delightfully sunny and warm weather, and the snow is completely gone!</div>
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I should have signed it a lot sooner...</div>
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Don't get me wrong, I love painting these imaginative types of pictures. It is a challenge to bring the past come to life, to say the least. Let me show you the street these guys were marching down:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMGZWfneb5tZ88iN6ZpVAkHHPzjkaww2TEBHJXAaW2H5vXlKySH5k3IDF7zmMcvSv2LK2c2JmCa1d2U6dzx4KKFahPwzhOHRCGhHcKu-HVZz_0sKeNqY67B7EuO5tq7rfVVBM068vR5o/s1600/IMG_9277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMGZWfneb5tZ88iN6ZpVAkHHPzjkaww2TEBHJXAaW2H5vXlKySH5k3IDF7zmMcvSv2LK2c2JmCa1d2U6dzx4KKFahPwzhOHRCGhHcKu-HVZz_0sKeNqY67B7EuO5tq7rfVVBM068vR5o/s1600/IMG_9277.jpg" height="248" width="400" /></a></div>
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Lovely, isn't it? Can't you just picture a parade coming down this street? The difficulty is really of my own doing. For instance, look at the yellow house on the right in the painting. First off, what color was this house back then? I made it yellow just to put a spot of color on that side. But what shade yellow should I use? What color will it look like on the shadow side? What color are the shutters? What will they look like in the sun? Or the shadow? Multiply that by every element in this painting, and you'll get an idea why it took so long. Good thing I don't have hair anymore, or I would have pulled it all out!</div>
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Here in New England, as I just mentioned, we have had to endure a brutal winter. Maybe you recall that Boston had their worst winter in its history. We've had more snow in the past, but this year it was the <i>cold</i>. You see, we know winter is going to be cold-- no surprise there. Usually a winter will give us a few nights when the temperature drops below zero. This year below zero was the norm night after brutal night. We had several mornings when I awoke to see the thermometer had fallen to twenty degrees below zero. I lie. The coldest was twenty-four degrees below zero. Twenty-Four Freaking Degrees Below ZERO. That's not wind chill, people. They don't call it "Wind Chill" any more, but rather "Feels Like". Do you know what twenty-four degrees below zero "Feels Like"?</div>
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The frozen grip of Death.</div>
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One of <strike>my excuses</strike> the reason my painting took too long was the constant interruptions. Namely, snow blowing. In years past, we had a guy plow our driveway. At thirty bucks a pop. This guy would come and plow an inch of snow before it melted so he could charge me. I will admit that he was useful after big snows, but I still had to shovel a lot of snow to clear out the piles he pushed into the wrong spot. Year after year. Even after I told him not to. You may be wondering why I continued to use him if he caused me that much aggravation. It's simple. Everybody else charged $40.</div>
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So this year we bought a snow-blower in a "Damn it, I'll do it myself!" frame of mind. I was thinking that using it once a week or two (the average time between snow storms) wouldn't be too tough, and hey-- after a few years it'll pay for itself. </div>
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After this winters two storms a week, I think it's paid off now...</div>
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This was a shot of my poor, buried studio. As I looked at this sight day after day, I was reminded of a lovely day last year when my studio presented a far different look:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkityhjkexP6qw2BY-P8OE29TeF_lBtN97-VFZ-inMJlMht3Y7PIPMr95a9SJ6GiiX5WoIAV4iW917kjmUehBOX4LN1anX7e9jDoY98k0eLYZpbRpYuaDYNfAZn6mbc6xp3XR-KVT-EHA/s1600/067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkityhjkexP6qw2BY-P8OE29TeF_lBtN97-VFZ-inMJlMht3Y7PIPMr95a9SJ6GiiX5WoIAV4iW917kjmUehBOX4LN1anX7e9jDoY98k0eLYZpbRpYuaDYNfAZn6mbc6xp3XR-KVT-EHA/s1600/067.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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That my friends, is spring! And it's all I thought of...</div>
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Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-53214354017724538252015-02-02T21:11:00.000-05:002015-02-04T11:23:45.837-05:00It's All Relative<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs62ME52El6yJOwqpglN8Hk-FtHdu9VxmW3Uub2o-G0nefqsqFDQXqx-JTYFoekRmfe51h38JABwOvcQLoLmJuZwKdnvns97Tcf7KwRiLo8iE3pZxySHP1ObpORf4uQAdD6LVtSEOGqvI/s1600/breaking-home-ties-by-norman-rockwell%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs62ME52El6yJOwqpglN8Hk-FtHdu9VxmW3Uub2o-G0nefqsqFDQXqx-JTYFoekRmfe51h38JABwOvcQLoLmJuZwKdnvns97Tcf7KwRiLo8iE3pZxySHP1ObpORf4uQAdD6LVtSEOGqvI/s1600/breaking-home-ties-by-norman-rockwell%5B1%5D.jpg" height="400" width="392" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">People who say the Beatles weren't all that great-- and I'm speaking to you, you Millenials-- are of course misguided in their notion, because they lack objectivity. Sure, they've heard Beatles songs, but they don't quite grasp as to why everybody says they are so darn good. What is missing for those young punks is context. You see, back in say 1965, were you to turn the knob on your transistor radio you would have heard songs by Sam The Sham and The Pharaohs (Wooly Bully), Sonny and Cher (I Got You Babe), Tom Jones (What's New Pussycat), and then from the one-watt speaker, like an alien space-craft come to blow your mind, would come a masterpiece like Yesterday by the Beatles. So yeah, the Beatles were great, but what is essentially forgotten these days was how much better they were over their contemporaries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Far-out, man...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">February 3rd is the anniversary of Norman Rockwell's birth in 1894. Constant readers of <em>Maine-ly Painting</em> (which if you count individual eye-balls numbers near a dozen!) know that I have a long standing love of Rockwell's art. I may have even written a </span><a href="http://kmizner.blogspot.com/2012/02/happy-birthday-norman.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">post</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> or </span><a href="http://kmizner.blogspot.com/2013/11/norman-they-hardly-know-ye.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">two</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">, or </span><a href="http://kmizner.blogspot.com/2014/01/lets-take-closer-look-shall-we.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">three</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> about him. But still, some people-- and I'm talking to you Millenials again-- have come to realize that no, he didn't really suck, but still can't quite grasp as to why he was and still is considered so great. Again, a little context is needed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When Norman first started painting covers for the premier weekly magazine of America called <em>The Saturday Evening</em> Post in 1916, he was just one among many cover artists. There was JC Leyendecker and NC Wyeth to name a couple. Sure, while Norm was talented enough to be a cover artist, there were still a good many covers done better than his. Gradually over time though, he started to mature in his style and vision of the America that the <em>Post</em> wanted all their artists to portray. His people were more convincing, the humor more appealing. The art itself was more attractive. By the 1930's more copies were being sold that had his paintings on the cover than any other cover artist. Rockwell was becoming quite well known if not down right famous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So what made his work stand out? Why was Rockwell considered the King Of Illustrators? Well, because he was great, for starters, but also because-- like the Beatles-- he was head and shoulders above his contemporaries. To prove me right, let's put him in context, shall we?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here is a run-down of typical <em>Saturday Evening Post</em> covers through the 40's and 50's. The artists were all top flight, no doubt. But to see the difference I'll throw in the occasional Rockwell. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHKrI3pjuR__fM-B3NZJ2IUaSwfOkg5IQAYYXe8bZF8j5mFfbvoSX0c3bmRM3E8Rwym8emTCU_Dz2MOQVmbgrj6NJHDyYfiN3og1QaH1snUgkol3IXJ457XBh2O8EJ2KS1DogGQZD3cQ/s1600/1428-1%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHKrI3pjuR__fM-B3NZJ2IUaSwfOkg5IQAYYXe8bZF8j5mFfbvoSX0c3bmRM3E8Rwym8emTCU_Dz2MOQVmbgrj6NJHDyYfiN3og1QaH1snUgkol3IXJ457XBh2O8EJ2KS1DogGQZD3cQ/s1600/1428-1%5B1%5D.jpg" height="640" width="494" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stevan Dohanos</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZp-oSFt5iDrhlTV-DFQtQlh61dHMLOqWnkfaxa8Yg28N2rGcmxOHdXXiW0NXtex-Ncrdg-8SPhSEeR1nK1mTXjiD0oUDPbjpFIlK7CtilnsN9cJ8e7M_W_4vgXYsAU8xRz9rBBYW7lQ/s1600/9450127%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZp-oSFt5iDrhlTV-DFQtQlh61dHMLOqWnkfaxa8Yg28N2rGcmxOHdXXiW0NXtex-Ncrdg-8SPhSEeR1nK1mTXjiD0oUDPbjpFIlK7CtilnsN9cJ8e7M_W_4vgXYsAU8xRz9rBBYW7lQ/s1600/9450127%5B1%5D.jpg" height="640" width="498" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Howard Scott</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXpWVd9ZT1eWBy_muiRETPzX9r3o9irsLZcZ4PBPG4jHEmqRSyL9CZyxKwDw-ELhUcBAaG41NVR5iXovfWvQV9X3JsgaDkt82isgorixW9M68TMpuzGkFXdP4UdFVml-uSxUVSAbgNVs/s1600/p1187%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXpWVd9ZT1eWBy_muiRETPzX9r3o9irsLZcZ4PBPG4jHEmqRSyL9CZyxKwDw-ELhUcBAaG41NVR5iXovfWvQV9X3JsgaDkt82isgorixW9M68TMpuzGkFXdP4UdFVml-uSxUVSAbgNVs/s1600/p1187%5B1%5D.jpg" height="640" width="488" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Norman Rockwell</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQjeLLqJ4kaoUJRRxDraPQ8YtZR9Si-VPd7ufbm4mA4gv5yORFrLf-rU0KRMczE5Jh0I5oZ6q6uuLPyFCWRt3ci1DhtX8PCPI5mMuvmZ9HHTfN-8pQTr7zRycPobDu1o66_oBCzCo_J0/s1600/crockwell_p4apr42%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQjeLLqJ4kaoUJRRxDraPQ8YtZR9Si-VPd7ufbm4mA4gv5yORFrLf-rU0KRMczE5Jh0I5oZ6q6uuLPyFCWRt3ci1DhtX8PCPI5mMuvmZ9HHTfN-8pQTr7zRycPobDu1o66_oBCzCo_J0/s1600/crockwell_p4apr42%5B1%5D.jpg" height="640" width="516" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Douglas Crockwell</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mead Schaeffer</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HkR32LOamLnpK1a83FVHcRwCFDUXNoJh-4Uqm7O2T1tXJQMB2lwBnUb_Gtw0pIXJIARlDgQSTFYEtKcz557fDWM6sZM_7q-z3UFcGryZf_FFMPBR_oG81uZOfAS5OQhaq9B0yak37gk/s1600/shuffleton-s-barbershop-1950%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HkR32LOamLnpK1a83FVHcRwCFDUXNoJh-4Uqm7O2T1tXJQMB2lwBnUb_Gtw0pIXJIARlDgQSTFYEtKcz557fDWM6sZM_7q-z3UFcGryZf_FFMPBR_oG81uZOfAS5OQhaq9B0yak37gk/s1600/shuffleton-s-barbershop-1950%5B1%5D.jpg" height="640" width="560" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Norman, again</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbWdGHzq6hUh0reWEEy9j55qWMQPJj-Yz8lUq6GM_81CkUKmLvc0L-Wi91uOE5b8U8pofTpmh7RDaVGjLvFWi_aJJ8TP2LaYJNUNXidYxskCLfw8dku8UmgxkVvozKidk3qG5EmjLyIM/s1600/george-hughes-traffic-cop-saturday-evening-post-cover-september-3-1949%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbWdGHzq6hUh0reWEEy9j55qWMQPJj-Yz8lUq6GM_81CkUKmLvc0L-Wi91uOE5b8U8pofTpmh7RDaVGjLvFWi_aJJ8TP2LaYJNUNXidYxskCLfw8dku8UmgxkVvozKidk3qG5EmjLyIM/s1600/george-hughes-traffic-cop-saturday-evening-post-cover-september-3-1949%5B1%5D.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">George Hughes</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8VdcZhNIXgaTk3A_CAaudUiPNr3OLVvKjj8Jgq0JZ2O8NsJRQcSgVzEkBL5j7v-V7m9OGZY7R8yJEEwGpMx1ZvAdQPhw6N29muOdMTnOLvtJTyU7q0MdFKTNnBJpbyKcPKoNkPbxYAQ/s1600/cover_9520426%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8VdcZhNIXgaTk3A_CAaudUiPNr3OLVvKjj8Jgq0JZ2O8NsJRQcSgVzEkBL5j7v-V7m9OGZY7R8yJEEwGpMx1ZvAdQPhw6N29muOdMTnOLvtJTyU7q0MdFKTNnBJpbyKcPKoNkPbxYAQ/s1600/cover_9520426%5B1%5D.jpg" height="640" width="494" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">John Falter</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fR9a9CDbUsdngVCgK_8jhBtl5n41dRWctRftDYP9-7lN6nqBsiuLUZmD4ZzI3WRHLzRbKLOM5LvtnIpAFdmnyEJK5-OsKd9U8wiXQEO0PD3t7QeIFbKToMStcnSnBGzA3viDIToa-wI/s1600/rockwell_mirror%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fR9a9CDbUsdngVCgK_8jhBtl5n41dRWctRftDYP9-7lN6nqBsiuLUZmD4ZzI3WRHLzRbKLOM5LvtnIpAFdmnyEJK5-OsKd9U8wiXQEO0PD3t7QeIFbKToMStcnSnBGzA3viDIToa-wI/s1600/rockwell_mirror%5B1%5D.jpg" height="640" width="600" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yep, it's Norm</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeszl6FbSUbeK4S9DBjZ1Zm34CK6lUK0NB-CCfPglSU3bj5vJQCdcfKrhpGJ4W4yKY18hRewbW3HTLyemUkRwoSDlHBoOD7P63ZgEhecxxnwGCXSFzsTdh5dIcUcomC3Jp-jSyztIyJGo/s1600/albert-w-hampson-st-paddy-cake-for-policemen-saturday-evening-post-cover-march-16-1940%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeszl6FbSUbeK4S9DBjZ1Zm34CK6lUK0NB-CCfPglSU3bj5vJQCdcfKrhpGJ4W4yKY18hRewbW3HTLyemUkRwoSDlHBoOD7P63ZgEhecxxnwGCXSFzsTdh5dIcUcomC3Jp-jSyztIyJGo/s1600/albert-w-hampson-st-paddy-cake-for-policemen-saturday-evening-post-cover-march-16-1940%5B1%5D.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Amos Sewell</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">John Atherton</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Really? You need to look at this caption? </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Do you get where I'm coming from? Week after week the Post had nice, pleasant covers and then-- like an alien space-craft come to blow your mind-- comes a Norman Rockwell cover.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's what made him so great!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, Happy Birthday again, Norman. You'll always be the King in my book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-59871268321738434162014-12-24T12:02:00.000-05:002014-12-24T12:02:20.716-05:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR19njhO1siWn1m2fqcpUDHP_A4gB-aOStXapXNSDGWacMkUz4ATY784X4VAtjn71SWtvFkVG2E72G0a1Apxeb2VwCRYJYjnyZtnkpYt1mBVsYmSCRed0ie8KsJBbqCmTlkCiEk03l-0M/s1600/Santa+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR19njhO1siWn1m2fqcpUDHP_A4gB-aOStXapXNSDGWacMkUz4ATY784X4VAtjn71SWtvFkVG2E72G0a1Apxeb2VwCRYJYjnyZtnkpYt1mBVsYmSCRed0ie8KsJBbqCmTlkCiEk03l-0M/s1600/Santa+14.jpg" height="400" width="307" /></a></div>
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I wish you all the merriest of Christmases, and the brightest New Year!<br />
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<br />Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-32490960282165977932014-12-15T18:10:00.000-05:002014-12-15T18:10:11.929-05:00Dear Kris K.<br />
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My Dearest Santa,<br />
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My, my-- can you believe another year has gone by? The last I knew I was wondering if I should make a New Year's Resolution, and now here it is time to disregard another one! Where does the time go?<br />
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How are you and Mrs K.? Please give her my warmest regards. I swear the woman must have the patience of Job. What with the elves hammering and clanging and singing non-stop, and all that reindeer poop to take care of. Is it true that that's what Chia Pets are made from? Anyway, don't forget to say "hey" to the elves for me, as well. Let them know I appreciate what they cooked up for me last year. I know I asked for heat for the Winter, and that lump of coal came in handy, I'll tell you! I used it to light my living room couch on fire so I could stay warm for one night. Thanks.<br />
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Santa, I know this year has been an exceptionally trying one for all of us here below the North Pole. What, with frightening disease, mass starvation, riots, war and over-all nastiness the whole World over. And Santa, I just want to remind you of one thing:<br />
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None of it was my fault.<br />
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That should get me some bonus points! Am I right? Heck yeah!<br />
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So with all that in mind, here Santa is what I think I deserve for Christmas this year. Mostly, it's the intangibles as opposed to specific items. Like my first choice is Serenity.<br />
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Serenity comes with peace of mind. And to an Artist, what can soothe ones mind and make the brush flow smoother than a whole lot of crisp, green serenity? The kind with dead Founding Fathers on it! Let's have some Franklins, Hamiltons, a few Chase's, then throw in some dead presidents-- Jackson, Lincoln, Grant, McKinley. To coin a phrase; For this Christmas, Serenity now!<br />
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I know it's important to support the arts, and one way of doing that is by buying work from other artists. Since, I can't afford that, next on my Christmas list are sculptures by Jeff Koons.<br />
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Look, everybody knows he's playing rich people for chumps by calling his banal, worthless crap "art " So if I had one of his bright, stupid looking sculptures, like a Chia Pet covered in mirrors, or something I could sell it for millions of dollars to people who don't have a clue they are being laughed at! Hey, a fool and his money, right? What could be more Christmas-ee than that?<br />
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Keeping with my spirit of giving, Santa I want to help all those struggling galleries out there. It's obvious they are having a hard time selling quality artwork. So if quality doesn't cut it, they should sell mine instead!<br />
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This Christmas, while you're dropping by delivering all my goodies, pick up some of my paintings and drop them off to galleries around the world. Hey, they can't do any worse, right? Plus, it'll ease up some of the work-load for the elves! You're welcome, Santa.<br />
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Well, that should do it Santa. It's a short list and imminently do-able if I say so myself. Have a safe and happy flight. I hope Blitzen doesn't have the same intestinal problems he had last year. Or maybe you can just re-position him so he's not right in front of you... <br />
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'Til I see you on Christmas Eve, Peace on Earth etc., etc.,<br />
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KevKevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-24408011844091580012014-12-12T12:49:00.000-05:002014-12-12T12:49:37.448-05:00Taking The Plunge<br />
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Let me ask you; Are you the type that goes charging head-long into every venture? You know, "Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead!" Or are you the more methodical, take-it-one-step at a time, no need to hurry type?<br />
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Here's a scenario: Say you're at the beach on a hot summer day. Do you creep up on the water, dipping one toe in a a time, slowly acclimating each body part to the chilly water? Or do you just go plunging in without a thought-- just get 'er done? Me? I'm both.<br />
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Now first off a disclaimer-- The Atlantic Ocean here in Maine is not known for it's warmth. We're not talking Miami Beach here. In fact, we do our "Polar Plunge" on July 4th! And have you ever noticed that the warmer the days, the colder the water gets? There's a scientific reason for that, but this is <i>Maine-ly Painting</i> after all, not <i>Maine-ly Oceanography</i>. But I digress... Anyway, I will sneak up to the water, checking the temperature one toe at a time, gauging to see how cold it is and what shock to the system is involved by plunging in. Then, I turn and high step it in, back arched, my shoulders pinned to my ears, water splashing until I dive in head-first. Followed by my bursting out of the water, emitting a shriek reminiscent of a steam whistle. Or a six year old girl...<br />
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I'm also that way when it comes to a new painting. I pussy-foot around, taking a moment here and there doing little thumbnail scribbles on scrap pieces of paper-- no big deal, I may do this painting, maybe not, who knows? Then comes the occasional glances at potential reference material, whether from my files or the interweb. Still, no sweat, no commitment. What I'm doing is trying to figure out what it will take for this painting to come to life. How much of a shock to the system will it cause, as it were. But also at this stage, the idea of how great the painting <i>could </i>be is still greater than the reality of the painting itself. While it's still a dream it's the best piece I've ever done. My Masterpiece! All that changes as soon as I start to work on it in earnest.<br />
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But really, if I'm being honest the prime reason for my procrastination is because when I do high-step it and jump in feet first it will consume me for however long it takes to finish. For that length of time I will live and breathe this picture. It will follow me from my studio up to my house every night where I will spend evenings with one eye on the TV and the other eye on the painting as I analyze it incessantly. I will spend hours each night lying in bed wide awake as I think of what the next step will be on the painting, what colors will work best, what method of applying paint will be more effective. There will be no off days. Every day for the duration will be spent in the studio.<br />
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There will also be the emotional roller-coaster, for sure. The fire of inspiration, the enthusiasm of what can be. The thrill of seeing my idea start to take form. It will be followed by the inevitable "I've messed this all up" stage that usually is the half-way mark. Then comes the drudgery. The small, endless little detail work that I thought was going to be so much fun is now just a pain-in-the-ass, "what-was-I-thinking?" And "This doesn't look right at all!" Maybe somewhere in there- if I'm lucky- will be a joyous, "Wow! That passage came out great!" But probably not...<br />
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At the end of it all will be a finished painting. Maybe I'll be proud of it, maybe not. But it will be done, and I will be emotionally drained. So really, can you blame me if I beat around the bush a little before I do it all again? It's kinda funny though, usually before the painting is done I've made a few thumbnail scribbles of a new idea. I've glanced at some reference material. In short-- I'm tip-toeing along the waters edge, nerving myself up for another plunge. And maybe this time it will be different--<br />
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Maybe this time I won't come up shrieking like a six-year old girl...<br />
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.Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-35201041998011157852014-11-26T08:07:00.000-05:002014-11-26T08:07:15.877-05:00J.C. Was God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the first part of the Twentieth Century there was an artist whose work could be seen everywhere. He graced multiple magazine covers, book illustrations, advertisements. He was the highest paid illustrator of his time. His skills were held in awe by fellow artists and his style was aped by many.<br />
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No, it wasn't Norman Rockwell, but Joseph Christian Leyendecker-- known as J.C. Leyendecker.<br />
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He was born in 1874 and lived until 1951. If you want more biographical stuff head on over to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._C._Leyendecker" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>. This is <i>Maine-ly Painting</i>, not <i>Maine-ly Biographies</i> after all. What I want to show are some of his beautiful paintings.<br />
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Last year I took a trip to a Newport, Rhode Island to visit a museum called the <a href="http://www.americanillustration.org/museum.html" target="_blank">National Museum Of American Illustration</a>. They have work from Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, many Maxfield Parrish's, several Rockwells but it was a painting by Leyendecker (and they have many of his) that made my jaw drop. I knew of his work, but seeing his colors, design and mastery of technique in person was an almost religious experience.<br />
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Leyendecker did not use photographs. He painted from models only. He made countless preparatory sketches and full-size studies before he tackled the painting. He was not at all above trashing a painting and starting all over if he felt his first (second or third) attempt wasn't up to snuff. That habit drove his art editors nuts, but they lightened up when they saw the finished work. Work like this:<br />
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Take a closer look at that horse:<br />
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No one else did it like Joe!<br />
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No muddy colors on that one! Every brushstroke was loaded with just the right color, chroma and value. <br />
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Do yourself a favor and click on these to see how he incorporated his underpainting with the final color application. You can see how he danced and played his local colors on top and around the umber color lay-in, then finished with perfectly tasteful highlights. It looks super easy-- it is not.<br />
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I mentioned his countless studies a moment ago. Here are a couple that show his thought process not only of the painting, but the best way to approach the subject.<br />
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I love this one-- The guy inadvertently looking like a Roman Emperor as he hails a cab. Look how Leyendecker noticed he didn't have Caesar's right hand positioned correctly to hold the umbrella, so he painted a correct note there on the right of the canvas. Above that you can see him working out the most effective way to have the guy's finger point to sell the joke. Leyendecker always gridded these oil sketches so he could transfer them accurately onto another canvas.<br />
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Here's another stunning sketch showing his decision making:<br />
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Hhmmm... what works better? The peeling knife pointed up?, at an angle? What about the thumb position-- would that work better? Should I show the peelings falling into the bowl? It's this amount of prep work that he did that bought him fame and the mansion on the hill that was the envy of the other illustrators.<br />
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Along with many others, Norman Rockwell idolized Leyendecker. But unlike most, Rockwell developed a friendship with the great master. In his delightful book <i>My Adventures As An Illustrator</i>, he tells of his years knowing both J.C. and his illustrator brother Frank when they all lived in New Rochelle, New York in the 1930's.<br />
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There's more to Leyendecker's fascinating story; How his paintings became synonymous with the Arrow Shirt Man, his homosexuality, his dysfunctional relationships. But I'll leave that for you to find out. Eventually, it was Leyendecker's iconic style that brought about his own down-fall. By the mid 1930's advertisers wanted something fresher and more realistic-- not associated with the Naughts and Roaring Twenties. You know, more Rockwell-like. Leyendecker got fewer and fewer commissions as a result and died penniless, alone and forgotten in 1951. A sad end to a proud and extremely talented man.<br />
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Or is it? Recently with the upswing in interest of paintings from the Golden Age of illustration, his work is fast becoming more and more desirable. Studies like the ones I've shown here could have been yours for a couple of hundred bucks just ten years ago. Now they fetch tens of thousands, and his finished paintings done for the Saturday Evening Post go for much more. There is a whole new appreciation for the Artist that once upon a time everyone thought was the greatest of them all.<br />
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J.C. Leyendecker<br />
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<br />Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-45278567775605506982014-11-20T11:40:00.001-05:002014-11-20T11:40:57.284-05:00Whoa Nellie!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgIZzj-_tJ-W2iGszJ8hYyClOReEMj1c5g0Oo-r5XGAM0huH3hP-FgV4ryYRm-LfJgnJla7bgF5p19WkT603e-T_P97aGwOGd0YPvc-EyHbxQ_yxKJ5aU6ruDSFUBP8ytK_I3PRjtmHU/s1600/Racing+The+Load.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgIZzj-_tJ-W2iGszJ8hYyClOReEMj1c5g0Oo-r5XGAM0huH3hP-FgV4ryYRm-LfJgnJla7bgF5p19WkT603e-T_P97aGwOGd0YPvc-EyHbxQ_yxKJ5aU6ruDSFUBP8ytK_I3PRjtmHU/s1600/Racing+The+Load.jpg" height="395" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Racing The Load</td></tr>
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I've never really been sure if indecision was such a bad thing. I had spent a number of weeks rounding up props, models and various ephemera for my next painting. I had taken photos and had worked out a pretty complex preliminary drawing and everything.<br />
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And then a completely different idea popped into my head. It's the painting I'm showing here, <i>Racing The Load. </i>I had no idea where it came from, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.<br />
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One hundred or more years ago logging was a Winter activity. Before large trucks and heavy equipment came on the scene to easily strip thousands of acres of trees off the land, it was done by man and beast. Winter was considered the best time to do it for a couple of reasons. One was that it was easier to get man-power at that time of year. Many of the lumbermen did this as their Winter job, and spent Summers working as hired hands on farms. The second reason was that snow and ice was easier to move the logs over than mud. Spring, when the snowmelt swelled the rivers and streams, was used to float the logs down-stream to the mills. So logging camps were set up in the forests, and the men went at it until the Winter broke into Spring. Nowadays, we tend to romanticize those times. You know, camping out in the woods, working in the clean mountain air. Coming back to camp and having a nice meal and camaraderie around the fire. Ahhh... that was the life!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nwKhXqpm47G7cE3-JsQhjQziKT-BaQuGrRXrXFnqxVAt4LcAY-q4aRfXQ8BhnBSAxfUaJx3RWNm_FCpodaWLQoLSxo7j2pxi9D90J9c_MNsv9zwH8EaQRODWeqvo2oIDHl6pAAbHQAs/s1600/hs4475%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nwKhXqpm47G7cE3-JsQhjQziKT-BaQuGrRXrXFnqxVAt4LcAY-q4aRfXQ8BhnBSAxfUaJx3RWNm_FCpodaWLQoLSxo7j2pxi9D90J9c_MNsv9zwH8EaQRODWeqvo2oIDHl6pAAbHQAs/s1600/hs4475%5B1%5D.jpg" height="295" width="400" /></a></div>
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In truth, it was brutally hard work in severe and often frigid conditions. It was also decidedly less than sanitary-- to put it mildly. Imagine a few dozen or more sweaty, stinking men who hadn't had a bath in weeks or months jammed together in small poorly ventilated log huts; You could smell a logging camp long before you saw it...<br />
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And the wood had to get down the hills to the rivers. That's what this painting is about. Quite often, an unlucky team of horses got run over when the load they were pulling down an icy hill came down faster than they could run. The logs would roll over the poor beasts like a bowling ball, sending the teamster flying off into the woods, battering and breaking bones of all involved. They could patch up the teamster if he lived. No Veterinarians helped the horse.<br />
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I wanted to show that frantic, frenetic motion of a team running for their lives-- crashing through the snow, darting through the shadows of the remaining trees, plummeting down toward the dark bottom of the hill like an avalanche. To do that, I tried a couple different tactics.<br />
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First off was my point-of-view. Where are you (the viewer) positioned to see this scene swirl past you? Up in a tree? The next hill over? Don't know, do you? This is a nod to the "All omnipotent" point of view that the illustrators of the 30's and 40's used. For instance, check out this illustration of Houdini by Tom Lovell:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5Y7oaAjLYpf_h8v_rccGkp_gm7yR7VDcrydPVkKzb2NJLhyphenhyphenwAZ5xfp9h3cU44o2HFEA-5aC9uDOg0gQnbbNBJQtyHM98eokhcPLO6a-jAvO8TcMq7kiZjZlges4rD59E9VsqREGcOwg/s1600/IMG_9154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5Y7oaAjLYpf_h8v_rccGkp_gm7yR7VDcrydPVkKzb2NJLhyphenhyphenwAZ5xfp9h3cU44o2HFEA-5aC9uDOg0gQnbbNBJQtyHM98eokhcPLO6a-jAvO8TcMq7kiZjZlges4rD59E9VsqREGcOwg/s1600/IMG_9154.jpg" height="400" width="395" /></a></div>
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Yup, there he is, leaping off a bridge-- but where are <i>you</i>? Look again. <i>You</i> are suspended in mid-air over the river to view this scene. Yikes! So it is with my horses; You are a part of my scene as a viewer, but you're not quite sure <i>where</i> you are.<br />
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Another way I tried to impart a sense of <i>e</i>motion along with motion in my picture is through the brush-work. I will be the first to admit that I am a lover of well refined detail. But if I had lovingly painted every rock, twig and log in my usual tight, crisp splendor it would have stifled the flow. So in this case, to keep things in suspense, I went with loaded brush and knife to swirl and splatter the paint in thick impasto. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgngALNEolHY7SG2QF5AJZhE_h4IwT9l6mcRrctV7jpUpoJXLr6oguo7zjCufMugatkHVCj9sCem8dltM8ImhiAf5tqnpThlcNgTlOPtwRzH-CnvuBVp6ueAGTfg4UVaI09EuZaKdKvo/s1600/Down+The+Mtn+24X24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgngALNEolHY7SG2QF5AJZhE_h4IwT9l6mcRrctV7jpUpoJXLr6oguo7zjCufMugatkHVCj9sCem8dltM8ImhiAf5tqnpThlcNgTlOPtwRzH-CnvuBVp6ueAGTfg4UVaI09EuZaKdKvo/s1600/Down+The+Mtn+24X24.jpg" height="343" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nFd5cMrvOMaawKNQvame-xahsdZeNd-BVnjCe5QWuU8Nmk4b-6Gm4hnDeyVkNwu9tyZSg5UCXq0k20L5T5TJowXKrWjMlMVzGFcaHcTcTmzD1tXq7vwP9JvsK-SI6f_TW1ckk_GcnRA/s1600/Copy+(2)%2Bof%2BDown%2BThe%2BMtn%2B24X24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nFd5cMrvOMaawKNQvame-xahsdZeNd-BVnjCe5QWuU8Nmk4b-6Gm4hnDeyVkNwu9tyZSg5UCXq0k20L5T5TJowXKrWjMlMVzGFcaHcTcTmzD1tXq7vwP9JvsK-SI6f_TW1ckk_GcnRA/s1600/Copy+(2)%2Bof%2BDown%2BThe%2BMtn%2B24X24.jpg" height="355" width="400" /></a></div>
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One last thing about this painting. No photographs were harmed in the making of it. That's right-- this is purely from my imagination. Lord only knows how many years it's been since I did something that didn't have me sweating over a photo, trying to copy every last detail... But it's been awhile!<br />
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So there you have it, another Americana painting in the books. I think this makes about a dozen, and one thing I know--<br />
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I'm not reining them in!<br />
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<br />Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-7989196684709309572014-10-20T17:59:00.001-04:002014-10-20T17:59:25.981-04:00Where'd You Get That Idea?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0lPka14Fh7epu8IbqKPDmUrEsI-fELkYKV-lqu5BYIUUr3qe12SMMO0LsNe0Ig1CGwMvDUIeYu_n73e_vFtUw1hqXJFinfUf1QXIedbxEEBLOea6M1GShlv07n0HMQS1pJFuESFCiJU/s1600/IMG_8045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0lPka14Fh7epu8IbqKPDmUrEsI-fELkYKV-lqu5BYIUUr3qe12SMMO0LsNe0Ig1CGwMvDUIeYu_n73e_vFtUw1hqXJFinfUf1QXIedbxEEBLOea6M1GShlv07n0HMQS1pJFuESFCiJU/s1600/IMG_8045.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Ever since I started this whole Americana painting series, I've been besieged by people asking where I get my ideas for scenes. Well, I'm not saying hundreds of people ask me. In truth it might even be less than a dozen. Okay, maybe one person asked.<br />
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Apparently, I have a low thresh-hold when it comes to besiegers...<br />
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Anyway, since I keep no "Official Artist Secrets" I thought it would be fun to chat about that aspect of painting.<br />
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Doing figurative, and even narrative scenes does require a tad more thought than zipping around the country side looking for places to paint, if I say so myself. After all, the Americana paintings involve depicting scenes of 100 years ago. But whether a painting is a landscape or Americana, first the inspiration has to hit me.<br />
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I have a pretty good collection of books pertaining to the 19th Century, and I'm always hunting for more. I keep some of them in my studio where I love to kick back and go through them in search of ideas. It isn't the photos that usually get me, but some description of an event. If it's written well, a mental image pops up that might inspire me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJn9hwLDFB0hphHQZ4mG2dXhyEJCsYFNdk30qEJejcYJhvbndtJv00joDCLF0zM_Aph_g6EwGgJhd747VQELz3WfWaQZGV6KrvaHmWZaJw2p4Ign_LC5ldM8DErcIeaJVlK76jp4v30yE/s1600/IMG_9002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJn9hwLDFB0hphHQZ4mG2dXhyEJCsYFNdk30qEJejcYJhvbndtJv00joDCLF0zM_Aph_g6EwGgJhd747VQELz3WfWaQZGV6KrvaHmWZaJw2p4Ign_LC5ldM8DErcIeaJVlK76jp4v30yE/s1600/IMG_9002.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Take <i><a href="http://www.bayviewgallery.com/Image_150_7930.html" target="_blank">Day Dreamer</a></i>, for instance. I got the idea from a diary entry written by a young girl at the turn of the Twentieth century. (It was in the dark blue book above, next to <i>Hometown U.S.A.</i>) In it, she talked about her chore twice a week of trimming the wicks and cleaning the soot from the chimneys of oil lamps. I thought that might make an interesting little slice-of-life scene, so I noodled the small thumbnail sketch I show at the top of this page. But there it sat for months until I stumbled upon an authentic dress from that time period at an antique store. I knew my grand-daughter Paige would make an excellent model for the girl-- and in truth I wanted to use her in some kind of picture all along. So after a posing session with her wearing the dress, and sitting at a table with some old oil lamps, <i>Voila!</i> There it was.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUeUVwebNFVS4AkqlLnRWSuj9kXiA29Fsq7D3MIPXhg3njVhGI5qSAtjYrrU0je8f9vrJxO2tcDct17LhjJdSxnNC9sbAb6k8jya4iZAI-RFC5e4EQzm49RhzrY5sjhum0s2TqmF8WKY/s1600/IMG_8130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUeUVwebNFVS4AkqlLnRWSuj9kXiA29Fsq7D3MIPXhg3njVhGI5qSAtjYrrU0je8f9vrJxO2tcDct17LhjJdSxnNC9sbAb6k8jya4iZAI-RFC5e4EQzm49RhzrY5sjhum0s2TqmF8WKY/s1600/IMG_8130.jpg" height="314" width="320" /></a></div>
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The painting <i>Daily Commute</i> was a different animal entirely.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-wSVgCgTWmXfP9v1QZf5D4YBbitnP5bb2xAWb019XuOdUz2N2OrpOnwVTdMtdM14bbcMO9Lj4utTpSmLZY2PF_nPje5V_j25p9q5eKgerLpCoXbU-5JMvkH3QtEyo63dnCRExsNj5lw/s1600/DailyCommute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-wSVgCgTWmXfP9v1QZf5D4YBbitnP5bb2xAWb019XuOdUz2N2OrpOnwVTdMtdM14bbcMO9Lj4utTpSmLZY2PF_nPje5V_j25p9q5eKgerLpCoXbU-5JMvkH3QtEyo63dnCRExsNj5lw/s1600/DailyCommute.jpg" height="318" width="400" /></a></div>
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That one started as a simple car trip through Bowdoinham, Maine on a glorious summer day. I was passing over the Cathance River and saw a train trestle that is actually still in use. In my minds eye, I saw a group of kids playing and swimming in the water near the stone trestle as a train chugs by. I thought it was a marvelous idea. In fact, it was so good Thomas Eakins almost did it for me...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQSxByHxuBaPds6khXwcdc9fclBXTIh6mx4w39UaxQSrIMWhRrKOsxIiPljqhjbB4dNDx4nXuu5FbDW3ktnaWcw2KV-j7hRJV2znzRPzNaj7fMdd37xSkr524aqyZNQDMeb9mPC6qeQw/s1600/Swimming%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQSxByHxuBaPds6khXwcdc9fclBXTIh6mx4w39UaxQSrIMWhRrKOsxIiPljqhjbB4dNDx4nXuu5FbDW3ktnaWcw2KV-j7hRJV2znzRPzNaj7fMdd37xSkr524aqyZNQDMeb9mPC6qeQw/s1600/Swimming%5B1%5D.jpg" height="302" width="400" /></a></div>
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Okay, I thought, what else could be going on in the river? For some reason, a river ferry came to mind. Why, I don't know-- I hadn't been reading or looking at any photos of one. But hey-- why not? So, a ferry traversing the river while a train goes by. Oh, and wouldn't it be cool if I showed someone- maybe in a horse and buggy- waiting on the shore? And that's really the skinny on how I do it; I just start thinking up scenarios as I go along. After my brain-storming session, I started in with the thumbnails:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6MYeRklaKDqJ5qGdo-quOQK_gT0CsvvVhgkWTQ7KVQKSB4AbUjkst8FzY5GQGI8RyL1W_MC2ESmCE9puwKXxCy8NLAQ56W6DKb-HNuwG5BzbZlNAke__1t3ddQGmcyN8NkaL_ek8kDQ/s1600/IMG_9005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6MYeRklaKDqJ5qGdo-quOQK_gT0CsvvVhgkWTQ7KVQKSB4AbUjkst8FzY5GQGI8RyL1W_MC2ESmCE9puwKXxCy8NLAQ56W6DKb-HNuwG5BzbZlNAke__1t3ddQGmcyN8NkaL_ek8kDQ/s1600/IMG_9005.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Basically, these are just short-hand to get my thoughts on paper. I finally settled on this one:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9n3KreealSyYuZYXFFluhNj4hutT1wsiJdI1rq-aLrDG2tmbCOOKdXAPiKz5MufEqIll4OLRtL8h-PMriCTOaAOKXU7MYbtMpJMfwj0eVHeBjhe-MOSfFMiDD4bTiXfKC855zZ_OxVg/s1600/IMG_9004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9n3KreealSyYuZYXFFluhNj4hutT1wsiJdI1rq-aLrDG2tmbCOOKdXAPiKz5MufEqIll4OLRtL8h-PMriCTOaAOKXU7MYbtMpJMfwj0eVHeBjhe-MOSfFMiDD4bTiXfKC855zZ_OxVg/s1600/IMG_9004.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I don't know about you, but I really try very hard to make as compelling an over-all design as I can. I might have one idea or vantage point when I first come up with an idea, but I'll try several thumbnails to work out any possible alternative. You may not like the one I chose, but it wasn't because I didn't think of anything else. <br />
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Now, all of those were done without any reference material. So the next step was to find locations, research old photos, you name it, anything I could find to look at in order to make this idea come to life.<br />
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Here's a screen shot of my reference file for this painting:<br />
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And I still had plenty more. You can see that I have a mixture of here and now, and way back then. The here-and-now shots are of places up to fifty miles from my home. But also notice-- I didn't copy <i>any</i> of these in the painting!<br />
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I use photo reference material for one reason: To show me how something looks so that I can make an informed depiction of it. I can imagine a tree, or a river or a plank fence. But seeing the real thing gives me those little details that I probably would not have thought of otherwise. So while the scene is imaginary, all of the elements in it are based on real things, just reverted back to my imagination to fit in with the scene. Don't be afraid-- It makes sense to me...<br />
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After all of that comes the painting part. See? Nothing to it!<br />
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So now you know how it all comes about. Currently, I'm in-between paintings. But not to worry-- I think I may be coming up with an idea!<br />
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And so the process begins anew...<br />
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<em></em><br />Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-72672127331103011652014-09-25T10:56:00.000-04:002014-09-25T12:08:16.117-04:00Mine Doesn't Look Like That<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back before the dawn of time, you know-- when I was starting to paint-- finding contemporary art to look at wasn't that easy. By "Contemporary" I mean stuff done by living artists, not necessarily a style. ( Of course, the interweb didn't exist-- heck, TV only had four channels. And no remote!) In search of art, one had to view art magazines like American Artist, or try to find art books in the library. Going to art galleries was out of the question for a kid growing up out in the sticks like me, and museums weren't exactly located just down the road from me, either. But when I did manage to look at art, one thought kept occurring to me:<br />
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<i>My stuff doesn't look like that!</i><br />
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What I was seeing was work done by more modernist types, or if they showed realism, it was by artists at the top of their craft. As a fledgling artist wannabee, it gave me pause, but also a conviction to get better.<br />
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Nowadays, of course, not only is it far easier to see art, it's almost inescapable. Web sites, social media, along with tried and true print methods mean I can spend hours and hours looking at what's out there in art land. What do I notice the most?<br />
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<i>My stuff doesn't look like that!</i><br />
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To be perfectly honest, there are times when that thought keeps me up at night. Usually when I've spent time looking at art gallery web sites. Like you, I check out galleries for a couple of reasons. One, to view some good art and gauge how I stand with my stuff. Second, to see if my work might fit in for future representation by that gallery. What I see is almost always depressing. Not that the work I see is so good, and mine is so bad (Although unfortunately, that's not all that rare...) But mine is... different. So I question if the gallery would be interested in my depiction of things.<br />
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Then again, there are times when I view my style and voice as a good thing. After all, aren't we <i>trying</i> to be different? Aren't we supposed to try and stand out from the crowd? I remind me of the kid who shaves half his head, and dyes the other half ultra-violet, has a fire-breathing dragon tattoo scrawled on his neck, then has assorted pins and chains dangling from his eye-brow, nose and lip-- and complains when people <i>look</i> at him. It isn't lost on me that my choice of subjects done in a realistic manner has been done to death. So, isn't using my own voice in trying a different slant on the tried and true a sign of maturity as an artist? So yeah, there are times when I inwardly puff my chest out and say to myself with pride:<br />
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<i>My stuff doesn't look like that!</i> <br />
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Then, with renewed confidence in myself, I go back to looking at gallery websites. And begin the cycle all over again...<br />
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Because isn't it a double edge sword? If you paint like the crowd, why would any gallery notice you? After all-- they already have what you do. If you are going to paint scenes like everyone else, you better be tons better than the average artist. And that, I am not. But then again, human nature being what it is, some galleries want the tried and true. Why risk it- especially in this economy? So, they probably won't look at anything new either.<br />
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Now, I will say right here that I am blessed to be with the galleries I am currently in. They have exhibited a willingness to try something new by taking me on, and for that I am truly grateful. And truth be told, I'm usually too busy painting my latest, or coming up with ideas for my next to stop and care about where I stand in the grand scheme of art.<br />
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So, what's one to do? Put the blinders on and paint with the conviction that I am doing what I believe in. And for those occasions when that nagging bit of doubt creeps in to make me stop and say, "My stuff doesn't look like that!" I guess what I should do is smile and remind myself, "Yeah--<br />
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<i>My stuff doesn't look like that!"</i><br />
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<br />Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-72353038006773799352014-07-24T08:43:00.001-04:002014-07-24T08:43:44.495-04:00Aint No Rockefeller, And Other Thoughts...<br />
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I remember well years ago when I was working on a portrait and struggling mightily. I couldn't for the life of me see what was wrong with the face, but yet it still didn't look quite right. Anyone who has ever tried to draw a recognizable human face will know what I'm talking about. So I was huffing, and puffing and frustrated when a person (who will remain nameless) said to me, "Well, you know-- you're no Rockefeller." I blinked my eyes a few times then said, "Rockwell. I'm no Rockwell."<br />
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Ah... ex-wives...<br />
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I then tweaked a portion of the jaw-line 1/32nd of an inch, and the whole face snapped right into place.<br />
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I mention this portrait story because the project I'm currently working on involves a young girls face. I don't have to make it look just like her, (because, after all, nobody knows her) but I do have to make her look pleasant. The painting also involves a little landscape and still life. I was zipping along feeling all kinds of pleased with myself, "Ooh-- that lamp is awesome!" and "Wow, I <em>nailed </em>that table edge!" You know, stuff like that-- when I came to do her face. Then it dawned on me:<br />
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The whole point of the painting rests on the young girls expression. No one will give a royal rat's ass how well I painted wood grain, or glass or any other part of the picture if I screw that face up. I can't stiffen up on it, I can't over-work it, I have to use just the exact right colors. In short-- it has to be <em>perfect</em>.<br />
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No pressure...<br />
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Which leads me to the question of whether it's a good or bad thing to put too much pressure on ourselves when we paint. After all, shouldn't one paint for the joy of it? Doesn't pressuring oneself to create a masterpiece suck all the joy out of the process? Do results matter when no matter what you put out there it can still be called "Art"?<br />
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Hhmmm... let me think about it...<br />
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Would anyone advise a Major League baseball player to step up to the plate and just swing the bat without caring if he hit the ball or not? "Just swing for the joy of it!" Wouldn't be a Big-Leaguer for very long if he did.<br />
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Would anyone give advice to a carpenter to just cut some boards and hammer some nails-- maybe it'll look like a house? "It's the thrill of the wood that matters!"<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Why is it OK to tell a painter to just slap paint without caring how it will look?</span> <br />
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Is our poor Artists psyche's really that fragile? Is painting so stressful that we'll collapse in a fetal position, sucking our thumb in the corner if we try too hard? Look-- if you don't care about the result, then find something else to do that you <em>will</em> care about.<br />
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When I'm working on a painting I am trying my damndest to make it the very best I can possibly make it. I don't want a painting of mine to end up in a garage sale when it longer matches the couch. I know it may sound far-fetched if not a bit grandiose; Believe it or not, I'm trying to make an heirloom that will be cherished for generations.<br />
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In summation: I think it's important to care.<br />
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Speaking of caring; I've become one of<em> those</em> painters. You know what I mean-- I now take up to a month to complete a painting. I used to pride myself on the speed with which I could knock out a picture. It was a skill acquired from only having a few spare moments at a time to paint in between working a couple of jobs and raising two kids. Then when I started painting full time, I slowed down to completing a painting in about three days. But over time the complexity of my subjects, along with the technique I use to paint them has meant it takes longer to do them. I don't mind. It usually means a better finished product in the end, after all. What chaps my butt is taking all that time and the painting turns out to be a dud.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pMIxnAibi-iD4H79NUXo0kLTIWOXLRPRFQEH7rl-zENopBfyvu3ZF6QCk4Fm5jCaS1Dj9a3PwR4KS_HjiGskKQg6ej-cQs5_mKzoX8Xb9iZ9Cl7-29ZCSsT8d9hjxCwHtTu3UtNRzdY/s1600/ShipIce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pMIxnAibi-iD4H79NUXo0kLTIWOXLRPRFQEH7rl-zENopBfyvu3ZF6QCk4Fm5jCaS1Dj9a3PwR4KS_HjiGskKQg6ej-cQs5_mKzoX8Xb9iZ9Cl7-29ZCSsT8d9hjxCwHtTu3UtNRzdY/s1600/ShipIce.jpg" height="297" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've been doing paintings based on a theme of life in 19th Century I call Americana. Once I come up with an idea, I spend a lot of time researching to get the details right. I recently finished the painting <em>Clearing A New Field</em> which shows a team of oxen pulling a large rock. I live in farming country so I figured finding oxen to look at wouldn't be too tough. I was wrong. After asking around some, I got a lead for an ox and horse farm about forty minutes away from me. I was told a nice woman runs the place and was sure to accommodate me.<br />
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They were wrong.<br />
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I sent her an email explaining what I was looking for and headed there. I could tell when I met said woman that this wasn't going to go well. "What do you want to use my oxen for? Why don't you use cows-- they look like cows. I get people bugging me all the time to take pictures of my oxen. Are you going to take photo's? What do you do with them? Do you sell them? What kind of painting? What are you going to do with it?" And on, and on... She told me she only works them twice a week and would let me know when she planned to have them out again. I thanked her and left. All that was in early June, and I've yet to hear back from her.<br />
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So I used cows instead...<br />
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I like it better when I have a little more control over my set up and props. And if I'm going to do an old fashioned scene, having authentic clothes and props goes a long way. I had an idea for a painting that I'd been carrying around in my head for awhile, but I couldn't really do anything with it until I bought an old dress in an antique shop. Setting up a scene and drawing it from life is super fun.<br />
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It also beats having to talk to grumpy oxen owners. I was lucky that the dress didn't cost very much, because after all--<br />
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I'm no Rockefeller. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-16010223283054925282014-06-12T10:40:00.000-04:002014-06-12T17:24:27.182-04:00Americana<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO854WNH3ppbim9gKsV8vQwNUib3CM4vEidp6sdGGkf4Uyss6lX9o-N4BH34mFZvecb4A8CnBkTjo8Sv0txTIPoxJZs9aye4GoF_mWjUMjyVwy_BkwEjZ-ZO0bXqDr7AlkG2eqcgR40-w/s1600/12+West+Side+12x16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO854WNH3ppbim9gKsV8vQwNUib3CM4vEidp6sdGGkf4Uyss6lX9o-N4BH34mFZvecb4A8CnBkTjo8Sv0txTIPoxJZs9aye4GoF_mWjUMjyVwy_BkwEjZ-ZO0bXqDr7AlkG2eqcgR40-w/s1600/12+West+Side+12x16.jpg" height="295" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Side</td></tr>
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It seems to me that folks just love to know what makes an artist tick. They want to learn where the artist gets his or her ideas, or what motivates them. When asking me where I get my inspiration, the question is usually framed, "What the hell are you thinking?" Believe it or not, I get that question a lot. Even when I'm not doing anything artistic. People just want to know, I guess...<br />
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So, to settle your curiosity, I thought I'd tell you about a series of paintings I'm doing called "Americana". And when I say a series, I really have no idea how many I will do. It's kinda like a Hollywood TV series; They have no idea how long the show will go on either. Sure, they want their show to be a huge hit like <em>M*A*S*H</em> or <em>Gunsmoke</em>-- long running, highly revered series. What they don't want is <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manimal" target="_blank">Manimal</a></em>. But, unlike a Hollywood television series, I guess I'm going to keep doing them as long as I want regardless of the "ratings".<br />
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So anyways, Americana stems from my love of American history. Ever since I was a wee tyke I have long felt I was born a century too late. Maybe it was because when I was about 5 or 6 years old, my family moved into an old, beat-up house in Maine. Nothing had been thrown out of that house for decades. Aside from the truck loads of garbage that were in every room, it was also chocked full of antiques; Horse-hair parlor furniture, brass beds, old books-- you name it. Something inside me clicked, and to this day, I have a love of antiques that makes me want to learn about the world those things occupied.<br />
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My affinity for days gone by shows in my art as well. When I was a kid, while my friends were drawing '69 Chevy Nova's or spaceships, I was drawing Civil War soldiers! (Yeah, I was a geek). As I grew older, I hid my inner geek and started painting more conventional landscapes and such. But in my mind, a sight like <em>December Field</em> or <em>Farm Lane</em> could have been seen a century ago. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5B2dEZ4V_V6FCtxorkiAZ89gpx_I1giQWPy72hRqwXgtzmdtXXK59eEhW7UsECbjOQcXb3xYytMLhLuE6uwhtvwc_B26vCbMSADz6qsPIN2_DMSAzfP9H-_u2Lw2NSLMA8j3M0bsaV14/s1600/December+Field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5B2dEZ4V_V6FCtxorkiAZ89gpx_I1giQWPy72hRqwXgtzmdtXXK59eEhW7UsECbjOQcXb3xYytMLhLuE6uwhtvwc_B26vCbMSADz6qsPIN2_DMSAzfP9H-_u2Lw2NSLMA8j3M0bsaV14/s1600/December+Field.jpg" height="196" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">December Field</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02rV5Ete4Bwi82WqWm4jCM4p7e6McuVTeuH9Yzt80Gkb3S9BhjJVfmb4bkIB_AWiMf-eOeRq_XXHuy_2v0ce5xuKKenutnhzhntuW1wz9K3lz_9gSqDMGK1mwETZZsMAiB5viwtbxMLU/s1600/Farm+Lane+18X24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02rV5Ete4Bwi82WqWm4jCM4p7e6McuVTeuH9Yzt80Gkb3S9BhjJVfmb4bkIB_AWiMf-eOeRq_XXHuy_2v0ce5xuKKenutnhzhntuW1wz9K3lz_9gSqDMGK1mwETZZsMAiB5viwtbxMLU/s1600/Farm+Lane+18X24.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farm Lane</td></tr>
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Recently, I thought it would be fun to challenge myself and do an old-fashioned scene straight from my imagination, but with costumes and props to bring about a sense of authenticity to the scene. I chronicled the making of <em>Morning Chores</em> <a href="http://kmizner.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-reality-of-imagination.html" target="_blank">here</a>. With that painting, I let my Americana flag fly.<br />
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I followed it up with <em>The Scyther</em>:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXvGOLr-_KC3iVSxP-nXRnME8LPzeo7t4BlLE2itP9KlaVlRt6UbEjHP8Yj-yZg_Y926KCA5VDwyayxtHxz7y47UYklcsUENw5_3kMzr10l_LqEKqnX1LUlNoAQBJ2VK5jN42uGf9cNk/s1600/The+Scyther.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXvGOLr-_KC3iVSxP-nXRnME8LPzeo7t4BlLE2itP9KlaVlRt6UbEjHP8Yj-yZg_Y926KCA5VDwyayxtHxz7y47UYklcsUENw5_3kMzr10l_LqEKqnX1LUlNoAQBJ2VK5jN42uGf9cNk/s1600/The+Scyther.jpg" height="397" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Scyther</td></tr>
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Then came <em>Sugar Maple Season</em>:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar Maple Season<br />
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Followed by <em>Ice Harvest</em>:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice Harvest</td></tr>
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Each picture gave me a chance to research and explore the past-- and re-live it a little too. The best part is that they are a boat-load of fun to do!<br />
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As I was getting more involved in these pictures, I started to look around the art world to see who else was doing stuff like this. To my surprise, I didn't really find anybody. Oh sure, Western themed art is huge right now. Scenes of Cowboys and Indians and rustlers on the range are doing quite well. There are also plenty of painters who do period genre pictures as well. Those artists hang out at living history reenactment gatherings, take some photos and paint cute kids in bonnets or grizzled frontiersmen (who are really accountants in their day jobs). Those paintings look pretty much like scenes straight out of <em>Little House On The Prairie</em>. But what I want to show is the act of <em>living</em> in those times, not just how it looked. If you think about it, the pictorial possibilities are endless.<br />
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As I came up with my Americana theme, I wanted to keep certain parameters in mind:<br />
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First off, like I just mentioned; show common people-- men and women-- of the late 19th century working or doing everyday activities that were part of their lives but are forgotten by us these days.<br />
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Be as authentic as possible. <br />
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Come up with my own scene-- I will not just colorize an old black and white photo.<br />
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Speaking of photos- Do not use a photographers viewpoint whenever possible. What I mean is this: In today's world, we all use photos to help us paint. Most of the pictures we take are from cameras held up to our faces, giving us a view point of about five and a half feet off the ground. Even if we eschew photos and paint from life, the view point is the same. I don't want that. My viewer could be looking up from the ground, or high overhead looking down from the ceiling. It's an old illustrators trick, and one I really like. So I'm <strike>stealing</strike> utilizing it.<br />
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As I was doing these paintings I had no earthly idea what I was going to do with them. I was painting them for the number one reason to paint: Because I wanted to. Luckily, the folks at <a href="http://www.bayviewgallery.com/artist_150.html" target="_blank">Bayview Gallery</a> in Brunswick, Maine saw them and asked to represent them. So, I guess if you do what you love good things will follow. Yeah-- who knew?<br />
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Our hope is that this will be a long-running series. After all, the world doesn't need another <em>Manimal</em>.<br />
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.Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-85782315892549099332014-05-05T19:37:00.000-04:002014-05-05T19:37:13.013-04:00So, What The Heck Happened?<br />
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Although I've been painting for almost forty years, it wasn't until 2007 that I decided to shuck off the mortal coils of the 9 to 5 life and try to make a living as an artist. I had a very good track record of sales doing art part time, and I thought that if I devoted 100% of my time to my art I could only improve and better my chances of selling even more. Of course, I didn't blindly just quit my job and jump off the cliff of faith-- I mean, you gotta be crazy to do something like that...<br />
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OK, maybe I did.<br />
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But I had no idea the economy was going to fall to pieces in just a few months after I made my decision. I was looking at the past to portend the future. Usually, studying past tendencies is a good way to try to assess future behavior. In a perfect world we always assume that what was will just continue to be. (Somebody wake me up when we arrive at a perfect world). Ah, but we live in strange and mysterious times. I didn't see the perfect storm looming on the horizon. What I saw was that in the last quarter of the 20th century, art sales actually did quite well (mine included). Now the reason of course, was because there was money to be spent. But more importantly was the feeling of stability. Stability in our jobs, our lives and the natural order of things. But things were changing, and dynamics shifting. As in so many areas of the second half of the 20th century, the Baby Boom generation played a large part. <br />
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When the Boomers were done tuning in, turning on and dropping out they entered the work place their parents had built. After the global devastation of WWII, America was the only country left standing that could manufacture and supply the world with what it needed to rebuild. Manufacturing plants were still humming in the late 1960's. Corporations were still head-quartered in the U.S. Jobs with good paying salaries could still be had. Oh sure, it wasn't total Shan-gri-la; Inflation was rampant, we had gas shortages, there was still plenty of unemployment. But if you landed a job back then, the chances of you staying in it until you retired were pretty good. <br />
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So the Boomers went to work and rose through the ranks to mid-management, supervisors and eventually business owners. Houses were bought and walls needed to be adorned. Art started to be bought. By the time of the 1980's, corporation mergers created even more wealth, and conspicuous consumption was not thought of as a bad thing. In the '90's the Dot Com industry sprang up, creating millionaires over-night. Individual art collectors were amassing private collections as investments. Many businesses and corporations bought art for their board rooms. All was going well for the arts.<br />
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Case in point: Here in Maine a large bank specializing in credit cards came in and built beautiful call center "campuses" in several coastal towns, giving much-needed work to thousands of people. The bank owner loved maritime art. The walls were covered with top-notch artwork done by local artists. They bought those pieces from art galleries that were in those towns. The owner of a gallery I'm in still waxes rhapsodic about the good old days when artists couldn't paint fast enough to keep up with the demand, and she couldn't keep paintings on the walls.<br />
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So, what the heck happened?<br />
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You don't need me to tell you that over time the businesses that the Baby Boom generation inherited relocated overseas for higher profits, the Dot Com bubble burst and "Down Sizing" entered our collective vocabulary. After 9/11 the economy shuddered for the first time in decades, only to grind to a halt a few years later. Housing prices collapsed. Stocks sank. You know the story. And that's when the storm really set in; Art wasn't needed for houses in foreclosure. Businesses went under, and those that remained didn't need to adorn their walls with art for the small work force that remained. Then the Baby Boomers decided about then that it would be a perfect time to retire and simplify their lives. They moved into smaller condos, they started to sell off their possessions-- they stopped acquiring art. <br />
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The sons and daughters of the Boomers who are left to pick up the pieces don't have the feeling of job stability their parents once enjoyed. Even if they still have a full-time job, they feel that the chances of it being a temporary gig is high. They continue to worry about having a job next year. So why buy art for a house when you'll probably be moving soon? Wages have stagnated, with earning power far below what their parents enjoyed. For a lot of people, discretionary income isn't "Do we buy a painting, or not?" It's "Do we buy food, or heating oil?" <br />
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That bank I told you about that had all those beautiful works of art was sold. The new owners moved the operations to a different state, leaving the vast majority of the buildings either vacant or half filled by some smaller start-up companies renting the space. The art is gone. The galleries that once couldn't keep up with the demand are out of business, or just barely hanging on. In today's business world buying art doesn't increase the bottom line. Some businesses still like art though, so what they do nowadays is ask for artists to hang their work for free for a month or so. To them, it's a win-win. They get free art, and the artist gets "exposure". Except the remaining employees are so paranoid that they are afraid to lift their eyes over their cubicles, and the artist rarely makes a dime because in today's lock-down world, no one else is allowed in to see it.<br />
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So, do I regret taking a leap of faith just as the world lurched sideways? Not for a moment. But still- things could've been a tad bit better... <br />
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But what can be done? Is there a way to bring the good times back? Well, Golden-Ages never last, that's why we cherish them. But believe it or not, there is still a ton of money out there. Some economists say even more than thirty years ago. The world- and mankind- does have a long history of destruction and rebirth. The storm may finally be lifting, but the landscape has been irrevocably altered. We know that the forces that brought the late, great golden age cannot happen again. (And personally, I'd rather not have the world destroyed by WWIII just so we can have a thriving art economy thirty years later). Even though history does have a habit of repeating itself, this time we have to chart a different course.<br />
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What is that course going to look like? What path- or paths- do we have to blaze to reach a new height? I have no solid answer. But I know one thing: Art right now is pretty low on the totem pole of the necessities of life. We need to make it a part of living again. If art stays out of sight, it stays out of mind. Budget cuts have eliminated many school arts programs. That is a nearsighted shame. Art needs to be taught in schools again so our children can have it for the rest of their lives. Today's child will be tomorrow's business owner. If he or she is brought up with art, maybe they'll want it in their workplace. Art needs to be in more public spaces for all to see and enjoy. As artists, we need to be out there doing our thing; Give public demonstrations on painting, sculpting- whatever. Let people see what they are missing; Make them say, "I want that!" <br />
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I know these are baby steps for the future, and won't help you or I out today. Art cannot ensure job stability, it won't bring more money into the hands of more people. Those things are beyond our control. But if we use today to create the need for tomorrow, future artists may thank us. I can think of no greater legacy than being part of the generation that set the course for another Golden Age.<br />
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<br />Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-6247593349057462822014-03-24T17:43:00.001-04:002014-03-24T17:43:36.046-04:00Ain't It The Truth?It's March. Late March to be precise. The sun is shining brightly, yet it's 24 degrees outside my studio this afternoon, with a wind chill that makes it feel like zero. Snow and ice blanket the surrounding countryside as deeply as a mid-January day.<br />
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Aahhh.... Spring!<br />
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Now, I will grant you that most of the country views March as the first month of Spring, but in Maine it's the last month of Winter. Actually, our seasons go like this: Spring is April, May and June. Summer is July 10-18. August, September and October are Fall, and November through March is Winter. <br />
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This snow and cold has been helpful with one thing, though: My current painting. It's a Winter scene, and I've been using this extended Winter to step outside and study light, shadow and snow effects to make my picture more truthful. And that's where I'm going completely wrong...<br />
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Don't get me wrong-- I like the picture. Or rather, I like the potential it still holds. But I'm having my usual fight between Truth <em>vs</em> Art. I've written about this ongoing battle <a href="http://kmizner.blogspot.com/2013/06/to-real-or-not-too-real.html" target="_blank">before</a>, as astute readers of my blog (and you know who you are) will attest. (No, not you. The one in the back over there. Yeah-- you.) It seems the paintings I admire most are beautiful combinations of reality, but within the framework of great Art. For instance, take a peek at one of my favorite Andrew Wyeth Paintings:<br />
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Most folks think of this painting as a realistic, truthful depiction of a Maine house. But in reality, this isn't what Andy saw at all. Well, kinda, but not in the strictest sense. The Olsen house here does look like this, and he painted it very recognizably. But what's important is that he painted it the way he <em>felt</em> about it. So he took out any distracting trees or useless details that have nothing to do with his emotions about the place. He simplified subordinate passages and used detailed precision on the important ones. He used his signature color scheme of greys and ochres to tie all the elements together. So yeah, it's what he saw, but more importantly-- he made it look like Art.<br />
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And that's the problem I'm having with my little painting. It's the court stenographers transcription of a trial as opposed to the newspapers story as opposed to the novel about the trial. Know what I mean? It's Linus mirthlessly plinking Jingle. Bells. Jingle. Bells. on his toy piano as opposed to<em> Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way</em>... So yeah, my painting looks like a truthful depiction of a scene set during a Winter's afternoon. But it ain't <em>Art</em>. Not yet. But it will be.<br />
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Maybe to keep myself from being tempted to overly "truth" it up, I should wait to finish it until after Spring arrives. <br />
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And the way things feel outside, that won't be anytime soon. After all, it's still Winter...<br />
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Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-2124701147110174032014-03-12T16:59:00.000-04:002014-03-12T18:51:21.033-04:00If It's All The Same To You...<em></em><br />
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<em>All aboard for a ride on a twisting train of thought...</em><br />
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After a couple of weeks of research, sketching and doing color studies for a painting I'm starting, I got the thought that I have evolved into a slow, methodical painter. Not that I want to be, mind you. My slowness is just the result of a combination of my current painting technique and my tendency to over-think <em>everything</em>. In reality I have the attention span of a gnat coupled with the patience of a two-year old. So on occasion I will cast an envious glance at those painters who can seemingly bang out a complex painting in just a few hours.<br />
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There are a couple of different ways one can acquire speed in painting, I guess. One is to have a complete and total mastery over every element of color and paint application possible. The other is to do things the same way every time. It's a lot easier to paint a landscape, say, when one paints trees and skies with the same colors and in the same way in every painting, changing only the composition. It doesn't make any difference whether the tree is on the right or the left of the picture when you've painted it the same way before. Same thing with seascapes; When an artist uses the same ocean, rocks and sand in every painting, all that has to be done is re-arrange them from picture to picture. If you do it that way, you can bang those bad boys <em>out</em>!<br />
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Cranking out pictures in this way isn't anything new, by the way, it's actually a tried and true manner of painting that artists have done for centuries. Take Thomas Buttersworth for example. <br />
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I recently read a delightful book called <em>Caveat Emptor</em> by Ken Perenyi. (It's available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Caveat-Emptor-Secret-American-Forger/dp/1605985023/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394624605&sr=1-1&keywords=caveat+emptor+by+ken+perenyi" target="_blank">Amazon</a> Books). Perenyi was an art forger who made a handsome living passing off paintings done in the style of 19th century painters. He didn't copy known paintings by these people, ("Hey look! I found another DaVinci version of the Mona Lisa!") but by painting pictures in the style of those artists, he was able to claim he found them tucked up in an attic somewhere. If you want to know how he fooled all the experts with his fakes, you have to read the book-- and I recommend it.<br />
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Anyway, Perenyi noticed that painters like Buttersworth and others used repeated elements in their paintings. With Buttersworth, the skies were almost always painted the same way, along with the ocean and backgrounds. He even re-used the yachts many times. Just as Buttersworth did, all Perenyi had to do was apply those motifs in different configurations and <em>voila</em>! A new Buttersworth has been found! Now, Buttersworth and all the other painters who did this didn't care that their paintings carried redundancies because who was ever going to see twenty of them lined up on a wall? In those days most people never went to fancy art galleries, and heck, back then even the interweb was still a gleam in Al Gore's eye! And that got me thinking about artists of today.<br />
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There's a current artist out there (among many) whose works I admire whenever I see them pop up in social media. Well, Facebook really, because that's where my social media knowledge begins and ends. Anyhow, I went to that artists web site to check out more paintings. What I saw astounded me.<br />
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Like many web sites, this artist had about twenty thumbnails on the page, my computer screen making them little more than a postage stamp in size, and each one at that small scale was indistinguishable from the other! The colors, the subjects, the orientation of the paintings-- all looked identical. It wasn't until you enlarged them that you could see the (very subtle) differences between each painting. Look-- it's one thing to have a <em>style</em> that's identifiable, I get that, but having each <em>painting</em> look the same is to me the kiss of death. Buttersworth could pull it off back in his day, but in today's Google Image, instant world? Not so much. <br />
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Yeah, I know all about that "Paint what sells" philosophy, (and I'm still trying to catch that elusive snipe myself) but I would think that having your paintings be of the same subjects done in the same manner would have to make it awfully hard to sell, wouldn't it? Think about it: Why would a collector keep coming back to purchase the same painting? I mean, if you've seen one, you've seen them all, am I right? I would assume that you'd have to keep finding new buyers, but I am on the painting side of the ledger, not the client's side. So what do I know? Still, I have a hard time believing that a gallery would ring up an artist and say, "Hey-- people love your painting of ______! No, no-- don't change a thing! Keep painting them exactly the same!"<br />
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But look at artists whose style is iconic. Andrew Wyeth painted in browns and grays in an abstract/hyper realistic way-- if you get what I mean. Sure, he revisited themes; The Olsen's of Cushing Maine, The Kuerner's of Chadd's Ford, Helga-- but he didn't paint twenty different versions of <em>Christina's World. </em>You know<em>,</em> with Christina in the left corner of this one, and in the upper right corner of that one, and in this one she's in the middle of the field-- No, one was enough. But that's kind of like the impression I got when I looked at that afore-mentioned artists web site; (and many others) Twenty different versions of the same thing. So with Wyeth, while his <em>style</em> remained the same, every painting he did was unique. (Oh, sure-- others have utilized the Wyeth look in their paintings, and do you know what those artists are called? Painter's in the <em>school of</em>... Or, painters in the <em>manner of</em>... Or, <em>Copy Cats</em>. But that's a different subject.)<br />
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If you've studied enough art, you should be able to spot an artist by their style first, and subject second. In a room full of South Western paintings, a Maynard Dixon should jump off the wall. On a web page of Impressionists, the difference between a Monet landscape and a landscape by William Merritt Chase should be as obvious as the nose on your face. It's not the subjects of the paintings that identify them, but in there manner of treatment.<br />
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I'm not writing all this just to pick on one poor artist; Just that I've seen this trait before. So to be clear-- I'm not saying that person, or all artists should change their style and subject with every painting. Oh no, on the contrary; Find your own style, and it should be as unique as your thumb print, just maybe you shouldn't do the same painting over and over. I know it's a fine line between being known as a "Painter of ______" and a "One-Trick Pony". But doesn't it stand to reason that if you always paint the same things the same way- <br />
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It's just all the same?<br />
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Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-6573783011613184612014-02-11T19:03:00.000-05:002014-02-11T19:03:02.953-05:00A Scythe Of Relief<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsd_8Fj09ghyphenhyphenzaxLCTpsBXqvg2Nd9nM7fIh-lWAON4JQlbSH7SndfbyQTflL8WAFB_-Xl_AvSLMrj71goc56o6tnUUnM9NIVz28Wczzu7W-SUC6wCreJkbLt38wXc0NPsMyA0F35HwqI/s1600/The+Scyther.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsd_8Fj09ghyphenhyphenzaxLCTpsBXqvg2Nd9nM7fIh-lWAON4JQlbSH7SndfbyQTflL8WAFB_-Xl_AvSLMrj71goc56o6tnUUnM9NIVz28Wczzu7W-SUC6wCreJkbLt38wXc0NPsMyA0F35HwqI/s1600/The+Scyther.jpg" height="396" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Scyther</td></tr>
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Remember when I was talking about doing this painting of a guy haying in a field? And I said how much I like to plan stuff? Remember? And I went how much fun it was to think up stuff, like, out of my head? Remember? And now here it, I mean he, no-- this painting is done. Remember when I <a href="http://kmizner.blogspot.com/2014/01/falling-in-love-with-love.html" target="_blank">talked about it</a>?<br />
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Well, here it is: <em>The Scyther</em>, oil on canvas 24X24 inches. I was gonna call it <em>The Scythist</em>, but I thought it would sound a bit pretentious...<br />
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I had a blast with this one, I must admit. I really got the whole idea for a composition when I saw an old photo of clouds I had taken on a lovely summer's afternoon. I imagined my farmer silhouetted against those clouds as he swung his scythe through the weeds (which look remarkably like the ones in my field...). <br />
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Speaking of clouds, they are a perfect opportunity to loosen up and go abstract. If you think about it, clouds are just water vapor, and as such they can reflect and refract all kinds of light and color. Really, you can put all the colors of the rainbow in your clouds, and no one is the wiser. I tried to keep that in mind when I did my sky.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJw2nzZOuFlcBZMFCyXtNCIKXfJ2PN5d_d8G8efEW_MCzRZbmPnt5zbSnAMLUVU18mcVYdbbEJCMfJo-TjXZyQkFV4RAFltiETqJbqdD5l6WmlGq_ncEpHhD_B80EjoxR8FPYylgjgCYM/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJw2nzZOuFlcBZMFCyXtNCIKXfJ2PN5d_d8G8efEW_MCzRZbmPnt5zbSnAMLUVU18mcVYdbbEJCMfJo-TjXZyQkFV4RAFltiETqJbqdD5l6WmlGq_ncEpHhD_B80EjoxR8FPYylgjgCYM/s1600/012.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also wanted to stay loose and have some fun with my farmers shirt. Since he is kind of leaning over with his back to the sun, it gave me a good chance to reflect the sky and the ground into his shirt. I did the same thing with his pants and boots<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1w1JTTbs1rM-MfyrToqzjawlPhkWFiZxZyk7MQFmMRzkbfSCU2y5itZPOsEKf7yaUqb0e8kXLCua0v8s52U63VFHbci63RMncnzUo0D9IdawT6S9MKsNf9gjmG48NTXBE9EM7aBcj31k/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1w1JTTbs1rM-MfyrToqzjawlPhkWFiZxZyk7MQFmMRzkbfSCU2y5itZPOsEKf7yaUqb0e8kXLCua0v8s52U63VFHbci63RMncnzUo0D9IdawT6S9MKsNf9gjmG48NTXBE9EM7aBcj31k/s1600/013.JPG" height="297" width="320" /></a></div>
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I do have a couple antique scythes kicking around that I used for props in this painting. And again, I wanted to keep things loose, but accurate. But it was my lovely Ellen that reminded me that I needed to put a bolt in the bottom of the handle. Can you see it in the picture below?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUOXWqs0xcHdGffcmwuYDYHV-E_z5czyzB7KGeu5XL1M9PGiJvui4pngTV1yMnVEjm3Q-ffU94VVPLW6sIF9kvnn9u2Gn93i5bdl5RNGT1DMMJQC5ldt9AkMFIdSfSPvihm7xxuW9DIw/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUOXWqs0xcHdGffcmwuYDYHV-E_z5czyzB7KGeu5XL1M9PGiJvui4pngTV1yMnVEjm3Q-ffU94VVPLW6sIF9kvnn9u2Gn93i5bdl5RNGT1DMMJQC5ldt9AkMFIdSfSPvihm7xxuW9DIw/s1600/014.JPG" height="321" width="400" /></a></div>
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Keeping it real for Ellen!<br />
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Anyway, I always breathe a <strike>scythe </strike> sigh of relief whenever I'm done a painting, but I'm also a little sad that I had to end the good times. So because I had so much fun with this one, I'm doing another old-time scene. It's getting to be maple sugar season soon.<br />
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Stay tuned...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvG1sK7X4wX5jsOAB192NWowRGWIuVZuqKnMlej7ccd5eVm1FTovmbbdGJLrEeeDeVqiJlXj69MFJY10Rjf9QmV8kBsYtxrOBSXrCbLj40YwL-_8-7fpxNM57hcnYWmWdDTymRmTeMl8/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvG1sK7X4wX5jsOAB192NWowRGWIuVZuqKnMlej7ccd5eVm1FTovmbbdGJLrEeeDeVqiJlXj69MFJY10Rjf9QmV8kBsYtxrOBSXrCbLj40YwL-_8-7fpxNM57hcnYWmWdDTymRmTeMl8/s1600/011.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-2902925608533108962014-01-31T17:39:00.000-05:002014-12-29T11:19:04.273-05:00Let's Take A Closer Look, Shall We?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPn8qNYbF3tz2wg7l0NYKmEKCfR2QMs5AMjhvl8BU7ahyqm58Djw-mF8iwGzcjhqlPVsidLhEECcP81YPWaywW2gqSNw3Tjp15XA9VKhYDANmIZsRW79WBHlWwwAv_2uz1H6tsoCpmGA/s1600/$T2eC16R,!)oFIeH4IZ32BSInOQDZvQ~~60_57%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPn8qNYbF3tz2wg7l0NYKmEKCfR2QMs5AMjhvl8BU7ahyqm58Djw-mF8iwGzcjhqlPVsidLhEECcP81YPWaywW2gqSNw3Tjp15XA9VKhYDANmIZsRW79WBHlWwwAv_2uz1H6tsoCpmGA/s1600/$T2eC16R,!)oFIeH4IZ32BSInOQDZvQ~~60_57%5B1%5D.jpg" height="400" width="297" /></a></div>
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I know what you're thinking. You're saying, "Gosh Kev, it's been<em> days</em> since you last <a href="http://kmizner.blogspot.com/2014/01/look-at-fish.html" target="_blank">posted</a> an insightful and eloquent commentary about Norman Rockwell. What took so long?"<br />
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Well, first off-- you're welcome. And secondly, February 3rd marks the one hundred twentieth anniversary of his birth in 1894. Since he's been in the news recently with the selling of one of his <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/05/arts/design/rockwell-painting-sells-for-46-million.html?_r=0" target="_blank">masterpieces</a> for 46 million dollars, and had a bad book written about him, I thought I'd take a moment to show why I like the guy:<br />
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Say what you will about his impact on American Art, he was a <em>great painter</em>. Don't believe me? C'mere, I'll show you.<br />
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The above advertisement was for a little mom-and-pop telephone company named AT&T. In 1949 they commissioned him to portray a lineman in the act of stringing wires. Back then, telephones were connected by wires. How archaic! Anyway, it was a simple enough project; One lone guy against a nondescript back-drop. Just a typical, run of the mill assignment for any illustrator. The painting looks like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbdmHJT_O79WpB6HqiZPwY8hD7x9BdsMSG_cJriG5zs53ND01ha-9IT4fymTozrJSUY3p2pBqa9fOTkZa783QhEqh520PHzD5MYJk4PoTK4Lr-3QHXcA9au-VRdUgeXHcPsPOjUjSRgE/s1600/the-lineman-1949.jpg!Blog%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbdmHJT_O79WpB6HqiZPwY8hD7x9BdsMSG_cJriG5zs53ND01ha-9IT4fymTozrJSUY3p2pBqa9fOTkZa783QhEqh520PHzD5MYJk4PoTK4Lr-3QHXcA9au-VRdUgeXHcPsPOjUjSRgE/s1600/the-lineman-1949.jpg!Blog%5B1%5D.jpg" height="400" width="346" /></a></div>
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You can already see the differences between the poor reproduction of the ad against the painting. Illustrators got paid for the ad, but not for the size of the painting. Most of them would probably have used cheap illustration board for this ad and made it relatively small, say 24X36 inches or even smaller. After all, the image was only going to be seen in newspapers and magazines. Rockwell, though, painted this (as he did almost all of his work) on premium Belgian linen. And he made it huge. The actual painting is five feet by three and a half feet. It was common practice by most illustrators to ship off their finished pieces to the client unframed. Again, it's not going to a gallery or anything, so what's the point? Not Norman. He always had his paintings framed before he sent them off. He felt it made a greater visual impact to the art editor, and thus would get him more work in the future.<br />
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Apparently, it worked...<br />
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To get this scene, AT&T set up a telephone pole, and supplied the worker. Rockwell's photographer set up below and took photos at Rockwell's direction. The first posing session was in early spring. Norman came up with a design for the painting, but apparently either he or AT&T wasn't happy enough, so that summer they did it all over again. That meant all the work he did earlier was out the door, and he had to start from scratch once again.<br />
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Next came the painting. If you are ever in New England, take a trip to the beautiful Berkshire area of western Massachusetts and visit the <a href="http://www.rockwell-center.org/" target="_blank">Norman Rockwell Museum</a>. Not only is this painting there, but even better-- they let you take photos! Recently I visited there and took full advantage of that policy. (Don't forget to click on these up-coming photos for an even larger view.)<br />
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One of the knocks on Rockwell was that he used photos in his work. The feeling was that all he did was copy them. In truth those photos were not only in black and white, but they were rarely the entire scene. He pieced them all together from the collection of specific shots; an arm, then a leg, then a foot, etc. Rockwell then added his brilliant sense of color. Take a look at this segment of the painting:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAac9vLvLKGd9gpazdM4Tdw9HHNMq3JDLhpJbr4jHRXkmgkk9TDpNX6YV2y4CUW2HW8tljyTcnTiNgEvXM5E-DPUzoMdlHOdqUgquemeRho82TPLRgEUPB30Xj9jvWdkFC7XCPZ7HjwIo/s1600/Copy+(1)+of+Copy+(1)+of+Copy+(1)+of+068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAac9vLvLKGd9gpazdM4Tdw9HHNMq3JDLhpJbr4jHRXkmgkk9TDpNX6YV2y4CUW2HW8tljyTcnTiNgEvXM5E-DPUzoMdlHOdqUgquemeRho82TPLRgEUPB30Xj9jvWdkFC7XCPZ7HjwIo/s1600/Copy+(1)+of+Copy+(1)+of+Copy+(1)+of+068.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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See how the man's face is seemingly a monotone shadow? Let's look closer:<br />
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He didn't get those colors from a black and white photo! It is a bit blurred, and that's not because of my photography, but because he didn't want a lot of detail in this face. But rest assured that if he had wanted detail, he would have had his photographer do a close-up. At that point in his career Rockwell <em>never</em> did "Good enough..."</div>
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Now, when we look at that ordinary plaid coat the lineman is wearing, it would seem rather a simple thing to paint, wouldn't it? I mean black and red. How tough is that? Here's how Rockwell treated that coat:</div>
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A technique that he used very effectively almost all of his life is called Variegated Color. It isn't just slapping all kinds of different colors around, but breaking up the main color with various harmonies and compliments. Here he used thick, juicy impasto paint with every shade of red, orange, pink, brown, black and blue you can think of. Absolutely marvelous!<br />
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Have you ever stood beside a telephone pole? Its bland weathered grey wood seems rather featureless. How would you paint it? Here's how Norman handled it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiiB2PfxodNgrcENhV3h_d1W1u4xDrlCCJlJQ-up8T5DKkkF0_nMFbzNl_aER9z7F8Rl5pbxUQLDVNR28GOKVLE34CqiitoDdtn_W6pPPyiHjYOjLS6wvY9T7NLnvlUmHAqcLaq0ZOIA/s1600/069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiiB2PfxodNgrcENhV3h_d1W1u4xDrlCCJlJQ-up8T5DKkkF0_nMFbzNl_aER9z7F8Rl5pbxUQLDVNR28GOKVLE34CqiitoDdtn_W6pPPyiHjYOjLS6wvY9T7NLnvlUmHAqcLaq0ZOIA/s1600/069.JPG" height="400" width="358" /></a></div>
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Can you see the thick clumps of color applied with a trowel? This is another example of Rockwell using variegated colors. Here a grey telephone pole is a wild array of ochres, greys, browns, reds and blues. Did he need to do this? No, not for an advertisement-- but yes to make it Art.<br />
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Speaking of variegating colors, check out how he treated the lineman's simple brown leather belt:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQ3otkIBZKmMYdTrm8_vNokylTtJv4NmG-begptuj5UtDEG250hrGg0OG19HJoJcMkIrCcRT4wurmaYUA-_cz-HQsbLw_KMgDqCrY9MX7zD-K4Dbel1bT3OBmJwLo6KzbP6Fm0JksCWI/s1600/Copy+(1)+of+Copy+(1)+of+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQ3otkIBZKmMYdTrm8_vNokylTtJv4NmG-begptuj5UtDEG250hrGg0OG19HJoJcMkIrCcRT4wurmaYUA-_cz-HQsbLw_KMgDqCrY9MX7zD-K4Dbel1bT3OBmJwLo6KzbP6Fm0JksCWI/s1600/Copy+(1)+of+Copy+(1)+of+069.JPG" height="310" width="400" /></a></div>
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My word-- are you seeing this? From a distance (and scaled down to a photograph) it seems brown enough. But this belt is anything <em>but</em> brown. Since brown is a tertiary color, Rockwell broke apart the colors that combined make brown. That, my friend, is how you bring a dull little detail to life. Oh, and don't forget that bolt sticking through the pole; it too is filled not only with detail, but <em>life</em>.<br />
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Now, the object of this commission was to show some fancy, high tech gadget that AT&T was trotting out. They were very persnickety for him to show it in beautiful, but exacting detail:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJOtdNcnoFsfLl3uBlOzXZjM9DkzMMwsV-tRQk0ntRC1KzEq_FmXzeryDqpQQJnVik3kW-r2b0Bv5hGU1zeBGcsXqcC6tEs8AQ7xIIpm7sAv6xFVvXikS9hy8WgKI3x5S94RNoxtAS6I/s1600/Copy+(1)+of+Copy+(1)+of+068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJOtdNcnoFsfLl3uBlOzXZjM9DkzMMwsV-tRQk0ntRC1KzEq_FmXzeryDqpQQJnVik3kW-r2b0Bv5hGU1zeBGcsXqcC6tEs8AQ7xIIpm7sAv6xFVvXikS9hy8WgKI3x5S94RNoxtAS6I/s1600/Copy+(1)+of+Copy+(1)+of+068.JPG" height="228" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'd say another job well done. (And I didn't even mention that spectacular apple tree he painted! It's as good as any branch that Andy Wyeth drew). All in all, there were eleven changes that AT&T had Rockwell make before they were satisfied. Of course, that doesn't count how many changes Norman made until <em>he</em> was satisfied-- all the while knowing that most of the nuance he imparted would be lost in the printing.<br />
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It's this seemingly simple painting for an ordinary advertisement that makes me want to bow down in front of it and say, "I'm not worthy... I'm not worthy!" The amount of effort and attention to detail-- while still making a beautiful piece of art-- is breath-taking. <br />
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THAT'S why I am a fan of Norman Rockwell.<br />
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So happy birthday Norm! The good may die young, but the greats like you will live on forever.<br />
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.Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-62269335524808439192014-01-21T18:26:00.000-05:002014-01-21T18:26:31.193-05:00Falling In Love With Love<br />
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Everybody knows a "Debi". She was engaged to be married to Doug, who was a real nice guy. But the concept of a lifetime of marriage and devotion never entered into Debi's head. We all knew what she was more in love with:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>The Wedding</em></span>.<br />
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Every topic of conversation was a kick-start for her to bring up <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>The Wedding</em></span>. "Gee, I hope it's not raining like this on <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>The Wedding</em></span>!" Or, "Oh, I hope it's a beautiful day like this for <em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The</span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Wedding</span></em>!" She talked non-stop about the planning of <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>The Wedding</em></span>; What napkins to order, the flowers the bridesmaids would use, the invitations, the booze at the reception-- it was all about <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>The Wedding.</em></span><br />
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Forty-eight months after <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>The Wedding</em></span> came the inevitable <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Divorce</strong></span>.<br />
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I will admit that when it comes to planning paintings, I am Debi times ten. I thoroughly enjoy doing prep sketches. I relish dwelling over the design. I delight in thinking about how great I can make my idea. It's not the <em>marriage</em> that's exciting, it's <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>The Wedding</em></span>! Anyway, it's OK to snap a photo of a nice scene and make a painting from it, but I have to say my passion is to try and make a realistic painting from my imagination. It's not easy, and it takes a ton of planning and preparation, but that's why I love it. Take the picture I'm working on now, for instance.<br />
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I love history. The vast majority of my landscapes might be scenes from today, but I hardly ever put modern elements in them. I'm the old barn, rock wall and open field kind of guy. Could it be today, or one hundred years ago? Every once in a while I get the itch to do a straight-up historical picture. I've wanted to paint a farmer haying a field for quite some time. I would look longingly at my antique hay scythe and try to drum up an idea, but no luck. Last week as I was finishing up a painting, the idea came to me. I set up a mirror, grabbed my scythe and did this:<br />
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In case you don't know what this is, it's a guy haying a field with a scythe. My idea was to have a semi-worms eye view of this guy coming at you silhouetted by the clouds of a hot summer day. This sketch grabbed my attention. I then went to the interweb to view videos of people scything hay so I could be sure I got the posture correct. </div>
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Yes, <em>everythin</em>g is on the web!</div>
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Realizing that my mirror image had put my man in the wrong direction, I just reversed the photo to this because a right-handed hayer will throw the hay over to his left:</div>
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OK, now I needed someone to pose for me so I could get the proper view. Often, I will take a photo of me posing, but I knew the camera perspective wasn't going to be as accurate as I needed it to be. So I used my buddy Jim:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjTFxQe-BGpUHmMDQgwf9PnnyZCFnXlJTFgcCE2EbXsHM1LlvMF-4cs6MIDO3o8ZmPW_GgZRmMfulsA0LBt_fHX8zQA5T6ojqtAPmTOriKdKrjHVk5clVb0-C-ecFbiADMt44VRLZjAQ/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjTFxQe-BGpUHmMDQgwf9PnnyZCFnXlJTFgcCE2EbXsHM1LlvMF-4cs6MIDO3o8ZmPW_GgZRmMfulsA0LBt_fHX8zQA5T6ojqtAPmTOriKdKrjHVk5clVb0-C-ecFbiADMt44VRLZjAQ/s1600/015.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I did use photos (obviously) for wrinkles and such, because Jim's old, arthritic back wasn't up for long poses. I did do a thorough drawing of him, though. He thinks I made him look fat, but I reminded him that charcoal adds twenty pounds... So anyway, putting all the info together, I drew up a 12X12 inch preparatory drawing:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8_qIu3CfiotRfezyOJpAtWCqDol0r9IxporFpYoZvWmxrh6J82El6ALoQf2MYL4KNGQTM589m5yfKK4dEp0UPp4qKwOURzONzkdBNcXm2R1qqDcW0Fvyrv2X95nr5WQv7swqdHWHbBM/s1600/Drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8_qIu3CfiotRfezyOJpAtWCqDol0r9IxporFpYoZvWmxrh6J82El6ALoQf2MYL4KNGQTM589m5yfKK4dEp0UPp4qKwOURzONzkdBNcXm2R1qqDcW0Fvyrv2X95nr5WQv7swqdHWHbBM/s1600/Drawing.jpg" height="400" width="393" /></a></div>
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I used all that planning and design stuff on this. I want the clouds to kind of swoop down to the blade in the lower right corner. I intend to give the blade a sparkling sun-glint, so I put a far off stand of dark trees behind it to make it more obvious. I love doing these drawings because I can monkey with them to my hearts content. If the whole thing blows up in my face, all I've lost is a piece of paper and cheap charcoal. <br />
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The painting will measure 24X24inches. So I needed to size the drawing up to get it on the canvas. Lucky for me, I have a large screen HDTV in my studio I use as a monitor for my computer. It has a 37inch screen, so I took a photo of my drawing, then blew it up on the screen to 24inches. From there, I took some tracing paper and copied the drawing.<br />
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After that was done, I smeared soft charcoal all over the back of the tracing, then re-copied the whole thing onto the canvas.<br />
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I gridded the whole thing so my reference points would line up correctly. Taking a break from all that, I also took a moment to do a quick color sketch.<br />
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Sure, it may not look like much, but it gave me a good idea of how I want to approach my color scheme. <br />
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Now that I had the drawing lightly traced onto the canvas, I went back over it and redefined the entire thing. I tweaked a leg here, I changed the scythe a scosh, and I noodled the sky a tad bit. Now the canvas looks like this all ready for paint!<br />
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Now that the planning is just about done, the next thing is the walking down the aisle. I know everything is going to be perfect and just like I always dreamed!<br />
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Just like Debi's <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>Wedding</em></span>...<br />
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.Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-7205872996069619832014-01-16T19:09:00.002-05:002014-12-29T09:10:50.155-05:00Look At The Fish!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Louis Agassiz was the most renowned scientist of the 19th Century. One of his favorite maxims was the best way to learn was from observation. He was so well respected and famous that students from all over the world made pilgrimages to study under him. One student recalled that Agassiz put him in a room alone with a smelly dead cod and said simply, "Look at the fish." After several hours Agassiz came back in and asked the student to tell him about the fish. <br />
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"Well, it has scales, and some fins..." stammered the student, but Agassiz cut him off.<br />
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"You are telling me what<em> </em>you<em> think</em> you know about it. <em>Look at the fish</em>!" Agassiz exclaimed, then left the student alone with the fish for several more hours. When the great scientist returned, the student was able to go into far greater detail about the fish once he had laid aside his pre-conceived ideas about what he thought he would see.<br />
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What on Earth does that story have to do with the Norman Rockwell <em>Saturday Evening Post</em> cover from World War One? A lot.<br />
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If you are going to read only one book about Norman Rockwell, do yourself a favor and <em><strong>do not</strong></em> make it <em>American Mirror</em> by Deborah Solomon. Her<strike> agenda </strike>thesis behind her writing this is to show how Rockwell was a closet homosexual leaning toward pedophilia. She asserts that his repressed impulses are hidden in his art. <br />
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Yeah... <em>What?</em><br />
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The author is an art critic who has spent the vast majority of her life telling us what to think in regards to the unintelligible drips and splatters that comprise late 20th Century art. And it's a good gig; Who's gonna say you're wrong if you write some mumbo-jumbo about some smeared paint on canvas? But the more one does that, the more one can fall into the intellectual vacuum of inserting one's own emotions instead of the artists. It's a Rorshach Test approach to critiquing.<br />
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( "I see butterflies kissing!" "I see an angry Mommy coming to beat her child over spilt milk...")<br />
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The problem starts when you try the same mumbo-jumbo on paintings that are meant to be painfully obvious. So, in Ms Solomon's interpretation, almost every painting Rockwell did holds some clue as to his repressed homosexuality, because that's what she intended to see in them to begin with.<br />
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Let's be honest; That an artist could be gay should come as no shock. (Paging Mr. Michelangelo...) And to imply that one is gay should be met with the Seinfeld Defense: "Not that there's anything wrong with that!" But it's the author's claiming that Rockwell was attracted to little boys because of his gay leanings speaks more about her mindset about homosexuality than anything Rockwell painted. To her, if one is Gay, then one is naturally a pedophile. Don't they go hand-in-hand? Her "proof" behind her brilliant theory? <br />
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He painted little boys a lot. And he did it <em>really </em>well...<br />
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Yeah... <em>What?</em> <br />
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I mentioned in an earlier<a href="http://kmizner.blogspot.com/2013/11/norman-they-hardly-know-ye.html" target="_blank"> post</a> about how Rockwell was beholden to his clients, advertisers and magazines editors for their input. It was they who dictated what Rockwell painted. Even when he was given free reign as to his depiction of a subject, the idea almost always came from them first, and he still had parameters within which he had to work. Remember, Rockwell was an <em>Illustrator</em>, not a Fine Art Artist. <br />
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Needless to say, Rockwell's family-- who cooperated with her for this book-- are very unhappy. Fellow Rockwell fans and scholars are calling Bullshit on her bat-shit crazy idea. Personally, I'm not going to go deeply into refuting charge after ridiculous charge. I'll give you two paths to follow if you are so inclined. One is this excellent <a href="http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2013/12/false-portrait-on-deborah-solomons-norman-rockwell" target="_blank">article</a>, and this one is a<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-toner/was-norman-rockwell-a-hac_b_4604281.html" target="_blank"> follow</a> up.<br />
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I'm going to talk about the fish. <br />
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Look at this painting again:<br />
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In Solomon's world here's proof of Rockwell's homoerotic tendencies. What do we have here? Two Navy guys-- and really, aren't all Navy guys gay? I mean it goes without saying. What are they doing? Obviously fondling each other. One is evidently going to be the "Pitcher" and the other one will definitely be the "catcher". You can tell this by the loving caress the gay sailor on the right (the one with the pretty bow) is giving the gay bloke on the left. Good Lord, how obvious does Rockwell have to make it?<br />
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No. <em>Look at the fish!</em><br />
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The sailor on the right got a letter from his girl back home. See the envelope and picture he's holding? You can tell she's a girlfriend (or wife) -but not just a friend- from the lipstick kiss next to her picture. The sailor is so lost in his reverie about how much he misses her, and all the fun they had, that he forgets where he's at and who he's with as he gently touches his friend's knee-- as if he were his lady love. His friend is a big, tough, lantern-jawed old salt whose twice the size of his little friend. His machismo is evident in his tattoos and his pipe smoking. He looks down at his friend whose hand is on his knee with a "Dude, you better get your hand off my knee quick!" attitude.<br />
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That's the joke! And that's all it is. <br />
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Maybe Rockwell didn't quite have the chops this early in his career to pull off the perfect facial expressions to drive his point home. But he did give the picture enough clues to let us know what is going on. All we have to do is look.<br />
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Deborah Solomon could have stood a lesson from Louis Agassiz.<br />
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.Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-1499483524190818882014-01-15T09:50:00.000-05:002014-01-15T21:40:01.773-05:00Modernism<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTAl275xta164vDetv1ps97b9XcYCNKzDVJnGh7Jamzhu275glru_EJojgyb7QQyW6LwD8DSBEv0iP5uQrCdFqg5qrfOhO6gevQMuP2CE1KkjTPCgtiMoJb96jGWd4mla5tCwNFGalQU/s1600/another+ice+storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTAl275xta164vDetv1ps97b9XcYCNKzDVJnGh7Jamzhu275glru_EJojgyb7QQyW6LwD8DSBEv0iP5uQrCdFqg5qrfOhO6gevQMuP2CE1KkjTPCgtiMoJb96jGWd4mla5tCwNFGalQU/s400/another+ice+storm.jpg" height="318" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice Storm</td></tr>
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I have never let it be a secret of my disdain for Winter. It is bone chilling, nose freezing, eye watering, feet freezing cold. Yeah, you can keep your muffs, mittens, skis and Ski-Doo's and leave me my golf clubs and a freshly manicured park of green grass to hit and chase a golf ball anytime! <br />
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But I will also readily admit that Winter has it's moments of beauty. I do enjoy a pristine field of un-marred new fallen snow. Or the tender pastel colors that play upon it as the sun rises. I am arrested by the sight of sunlight glistening and shimmering like a million prisms through ice coated branches. But eventually the field becomes broken up by snowmobiles and dog tracks. The roads become lined with dirty brown ice-sludge. The ice on the trees melts away, leaving the stiff grey branches silhouetted against the cold blue sky like a hand reaching out from the grave... <br />
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So what I have tried to show in my latest painting is the Beauty and the Beast, shall we say, of Winter. That lovely blanket of pristine snow, the beautiful colors of the ice; all about to be swept away as a plow comes rumbling through the scene. My beautiful partner Ellen mentioned to me that this is the first time I have ever put a telephone pole and wires into a painting. It's also the first non-horse conveyance I've painted, too. <br />
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I guess it's my nod that life has progressed beyond the 19th Century.<br />
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Another thing about this painting is the technical part. Yes, I saw this scene (without the plow) and took several photos, but I actually planned out each element. Here's the concept drawing:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXHtuc2_Mk8c5jfzO8WPKrIhG-YDBL1QOCVp4VBPzwWRpmsVEhZtvFF4z9Y4KdMZL6XtuxkhpsRJZngx1dN35yaoMFrxOK_k8Ys3hfFqlkqVLKFeKf_hyphenhyphencXram6mAheM8GH3vuB5Y_xE/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXHtuc2_Mk8c5jfzO8WPKrIhG-YDBL1QOCVp4VBPzwWRpmsVEhZtvFF4z9Y4KdMZL6XtuxkhpsRJZngx1dN35yaoMFrxOK_k8Ys3hfFqlkqVLKFeKf_hyphenhyphencXram6mAheM8GH3vuB5Y_xE/s400/011.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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After that came the color study, etc... Notice however that I don't have a plow in this drawing? I noticed early in the actual painting process that I had fallen upon an old bad habit: I lead your eye to... nothing. <br />
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I did a <a href="http://kmizner.blogspot.com/2014/01/hitting-books.html" target="_blank">post recently</a> about studying design and all that, and one of the things that slapped me like an open hand on my forehead was the necessity of leading your masses to the point of interest. Now, that sounds like a no-brainer, doesn't it? But I really only had the "lead your eye" part down. I'm pretty good at arranging a painting to keep the viewers eye inside the frame, but I was inconsistent at leading them to a specific spot. That's where the snow plow came in. All the lines and angles in this piece keep you inside the frame and bring you to the center-- but I had nothing there! So, I put in the plow. And in doing so, <em>Voila!</em> Now I had a reason for the painting instead of just another pretty, but innocuous scene.<br />
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Could it have been a sleigh, or a cross-country skier? Yeah, but then it would have looked old-fashioned, and I'm all about the modern...<br />
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.Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-11534306676018144342014-01-08T08:26:00.000-05:002014-01-08T08:26:27.173-05:00Hitting The Books<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoPJxuuUk2FGnBcLKozDKpRwLyfFTSESgVSJTn99ARbqpwrjX3Nfho1AhijPbueF0tWd4SBTR3G923spPCeNZs0lRW4lr7I1o87-dq_uWVQTo0qRV-IwrsnPyqPmpLZ2lDPX1T6h4tfk/s1600/2190%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoPJxuuUk2FGnBcLKozDKpRwLyfFTSESgVSJTn99ARbqpwrjX3Nfho1AhijPbueF0tWd4SBTR3G923spPCeNZs0lRW4lr7I1o87-dq_uWVQTo0qRV-IwrsnPyqPmpLZ2lDPX1T6h4tfk/s1600/2190%5B1%5D.jpg" height="400" width="384" /></a></div>
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I remember well when I was just a wee laddy in school. To say I was a poor student would be like saying the Pyramids are a pile of rocks in the desert; Accurate, but woefully understated. I thought that diagramming a sentence was just like deciphering hieroglyphics. Math was like Greek to me, and science like Latin. (Which most of it actually <em>is</em>, but you get my point). I'll never forget my favorite teacher, Mr. Jones-- or maybe it was Mrs. Palmer, whatever-- sat me down and said words that have stuck with me all my life:<br />
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"<em>Maybe this whole book learning thing isn't for you. Have you thought about taking up art</em>?"<br />
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Since then, I have been on my journey to teach myself a thing or two about painting pictures.<br />
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Now, I've mentioned more than once about my being self-taught and all, but I don't recall saying how I go about it. It's kind of like the way I taught myself to play the piano: Keep hitting notes until you figure out where the right ones are. Same way with painting. I set out to teach myself painting by mixing paint and slapping it on until it started to look like something. It's the sledgehammer at a concrete wall approach, because God forbid I actually looked for instruction on how to do it. <br />
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Nowadays there is lots of instruction out there; Art School and Ateliers. DVD's. How-To books and magazines by the score. Personal instruction and workshop's from proven Pro's. Or, the way I do it: Study Art and Artists I admire and try to learn from their work. <br />
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Over time I have noticed three commonalities in the really good artists. One is great drawing ability. The other is beautiful color sense, and the third is impeccable design in their paintings. (The unspoken fourth is Talent, of course. But you gotta be born with that. Thankfully you can learn the first three). Anyway, I figured there must be some kind of principle to follow to make a great painting. I learned enough by studying those artists to recognize and try to incorporate effective design and good color in my paintings. But alas, knowing a principle exists is not the same as knowing precisely how to do it. If I am being honest, I have to admit that when a painting of mine exhibited the attributes I just stated, it was because I was lucky enough to combine those elements, as opposed to purposely imparting them into the picture. <br />
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I knew I needed to learn a lot more, and looking at pictures or slapping paint wasn't going to be enough. I mean there's only so much dubbing around you can do. I have always disliked How-To books because I've always been interested in the <em>Why</em> as well as the How. Somewhere, there must be something I could read that would explain those principles. Luck was on my side.<br />
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A few months ago, while browsing in a used book store, I came upon this book:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPFSqeNO55A8ZNjvzm2KjihTOdFQ5GCvj5excdLBVzcIZx80QMq7FBWYgjIg5Xosw_MOkFybL99_2ZKoM8Wt46CVmQV-z6VvEozdBwNwdzJCROK1CJbZdCK7ow_Dr0trbUZ0HCHP8BXw/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPFSqeNO55A8ZNjvzm2KjihTOdFQ5GCvj5excdLBVzcIZx80QMq7FBWYgjIg5Xosw_MOkFybL99_2ZKoM8Wt46CVmQV-z6VvEozdBwNwdzJCROK1CJbZdCK7ow_Dr0trbUZ0HCHP8BXw/s1600/001.JPG" height="400" width="312" /></a></div>
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It's not a How-To book by any means, but an in-depth examination on Design principles and Color Theory. In other words, it was exactly what I needed! It was published in 1951 for art school students, and while it may be a school book, it reads fairly well. Most importantly, it showed me that effective design can actually be done without guesswork. Yeah, who knew?<br />
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The other half of the book covers Color Theory. Now, I'm color-blind and I'm not ashamed to admit it. However, it goes without saying that I can struggle mightily with my "See the color, Paint the color" approach to painting. This book shows how to approach color in a more selective and harmonious manner. What that means is that I can use a color scheme that I choose instead of being a slave to what lies in front of me. It's a good work-around for my lack of true color vision.<br />
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If you are interested in this book, (and really, you should be) here's a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_27?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+art+of+color+and+design+graves&sprefix=the+art+of+color+and+design%2Cstripbooks%2C339" target="_blank">link</a>. It is out-of-print, and some copies can be somewhat pricey. Oh, I got mine for $2.50. No lie.<br />
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While I was on my education binge, I decided to pick up another great book on the same subject of Design and Color Theory. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Illustration-Andrew-Loomis/dp/1845769287/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389136122&sr=1-1&keywords=creative+illustration" target="_blank">Andrew Loomis' Creative Illustration</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGU0CsIMKnyQ2o-W7q2CRD7agIeHHGTr7qiKUMGo-AHxaweUgLHAHM1AZYuJ7kI6GylfFqWT-V0mE1w8tAjijCTymQRoSid0c-dxIQQ074PZs4vdIFQ2lnYYJvXtreTeaiKCRY5rqcokA/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGU0CsIMKnyQ2o-W7q2CRD7agIeHHGTr7qiKUMGo-AHxaweUgLHAHM1AZYuJ7kI6GylfFqWT-V0mE1w8tAjijCTymQRoSid0c-dxIQQ074PZs4vdIFQ2lnYYJvXtreTeaiKCRY5rqcokA/s1600/002.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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I've mentioned countless times of my great respect and admiration for the great Illustrators of the 20th Century. Why I love them is because they were great Artists. And what makes a great Artist in my book? Great drawing, great color sense and superb designs. Loomis was a Master in all three phases.<br />
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"But wait a minute, Kev," I can hear you say. "You paint little landscapes and such, not illustrations." To that, I say: "It doesn't matter WHAT the picture is, an illustration, or a quiet landscape, it's how the painting was <em>planned</em> that is important!" In this book, Loomis goes into great and very readable detail on how to make an effective, dynamic painting. Maybe, like me, you're not all that interested when he elaborates about the difficulties in magazine illustration as opposed to bill-board adds, but his explanation of design and color makes it all worthwhile. Luckily for us, this book has been reissued. Go get it.<br />
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One last thought on all this new-fangled knowledge I've unearthed. After immersing myself in these books, I was able to look at my own work with new eyes. Instead of wondering where I went wrong, I could see and understand where my problems were. I could even understand where I went right. Hopefully, I can get it right a lot more in the future.<br />
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Who knew hitting the books could be so informative?<br />
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<br />Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-49304820831355915262014-01-04T13:51:00.000-05:002014-01-04T13:51:01.840-05:00The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of 2013<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDCf29XU_Jqq92TmnYeMjt0D0mX0bk7stJgY7x-H2bBWW1d21TGgoz3YUJBJ8D4puhjOpsj72gS4POpr1578zJvHQThCY4ikUl4Dcd86zQaZ7Lq5FwjNKwBGe8ZI-2CN77Q9lPbUD1r4/s1600/Down+To+The+Water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDCf29XU_Jqq92TmnYeMjt0D0mX0bk7stJgY7x-H2bBWW1d21TGgoz3YUJBJ8D4puhjOpsj72gS4POpr1578zJvHQThCY4ikUl4Dcd86zQaZ7Lq5FwjNKwBGe8ZI-2CN77Q9lPbUD1r4/s400/Down+To+The+Water.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Down To The Water</em>. My last painting of 2013.</td></tr>
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You know, we tend to think that most years are memorable in some way. The year of a special occasion; Births, deaths, weddings, divorces, promotions and new jobs. We remember those years as important mile-markers on our journey on the road of life. But in reality, most years are uneventful and unremarkable paving stones on that long road. 2013 (pronounced Twenty-Thirteen) was like that for me. Nothing spectacular, just a ho-hum kinda year. Nothing wrong with that.<br />
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As I look back on the art side of 2013, (pronounced Twenty-Thirteen) I notice that my production of paintings was down somewhat. I still go to my studio and paint every day, but instead of cranking out a painting every other day, I was taking a couple of weeks or so to complete a picture. There are several reasons for my slowing down, but I think the biggest reason was that I was going for quality over quantity. Fat load of good <em>that</em> did me!<br />
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So allow me, faithful reader, to show some of the paintings I produced in 2013 (pronounced Twenty-Thirteen):<br />
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The year didn't start out horribly. I think I did a couple of nice pieces.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGT5B_x1sz0dEwdnMgZZd3LDfg7ZPzb-2VqDou1_rIhl5k7mRtsecFSDrh-w_iLn86Ihp324tIqJrXFfN9C0tRg-uS4LDZJybDGtn4_wViaJzlGPf4aWnDOrak59mGHznZ0W8jge1S4GA/s1600/Fresh+Snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGT5B_x1sz0dEwdnMgZZd3LDfg7ZPzb-2VqDou1_rIhl5k7mRtsecFSDrh-w_iLn86Ihp324tIqJrXFfN9C0tRg-uS4LDZJybDGtn4_wViaJzlGPf4aWnDOrak59mGHznZ0W8jge1S4GA/s400/Fresh+Snow.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>First Light, Fresh Snow</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_3UOrL6hOvIBh-YlmM157z7Rh_OAJ2PWCxlhWEjevzzI5yq689NosJK_YOfewChKbrXxSCqvFKkDDnJ7GD1fQY0u4kPx7iAt0wUX3Af2OEQ36yLXpInxul5ib2Jzp0kn6zxbMdmRpZY/s1600/River's+Edge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_3UOrL6hOvIBh-YlmM157z7Rh_OAJ2PWCxlhWEjevzzI5yq689NosJK_YOfewChKbrXxSCqvFKkDDnJ7GD1fQY0u4kPx7iAt0wUX3Af2OEQ36yLXpInxul5ib2Jzp0kn6zxbMdmRpZY/s400/River's+Edge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>River's Edge</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgY9uj4hV1R0Esi0yMtrvOouFmGGVuv1sscLERuSCJF30KOQHovmfGMVhrSEoyqNwpVVKta7WmDprW6tCb__BhOO8zImS8i41qCpMVr39MhdfaaJdTkwX5WYoUN8CYhtUMxuUHmwuBOVA/s1600/After+The+Storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgY9uj4hV1R0Esi0yMtrvOouFmGGVuv1sscLERuSCJF30KOQHovmfGMVhrSEoyqNwpVVKta7WmDprW6tCb__BhOO8zImS8i41qCpMVr39MhdfaaJdTkwX5WYoUN8CYhtUMxuUHmwuBOVA/s400/After+The+Storm.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>After The Storm</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCfS7aD-DChUOU11jx4QAmrjkxr_wZicr6NiRpOVFIfQsagD7QzPSR3QzD6BeTwMx2GPspEuONB46i-kc2Y_gUVLY_bGh6y5bQE0lQq1QxZDTWGit9WhH88JIhaf_uOKVT4YdpmKlZeU/s1600/OffSeason.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCfS7aD-DChUOU11jx4QAmrjkxr_wZicr6NiRpOVFIfQsagD7QzPSR3QzD6BeTwMx2GPspEuONB46i-kc2Y_gUVLY_bGh6y5bQE0lQq1QxZDTWGit9WhH88JIhaf_uOKVT4YdpmKlZeU/s400/OffSeason.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Pemaquid Porch</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10CkGdwGhxbs_ZF-LSJ9eEcUCMs6zBzWMKr856nPIJ5DFz8zOUmK7L2ycDfwpbk6f_SBYS33fl-SlwGNdE_5VeGZrRxM76sVpyg9PKa62f5nZ3loe8mRL45CD_k3H6UJyMrIv93L_Kiw/s1600/Hugging+The+Shore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10CkGdwGhxbs_ZF-LSJ9eEcUCMs6zBzWMKr856nPIJ5DFz8zOUmK7L2ycDfwpbk6f_SBYS33fl-SlwGNdE_5VeGZrRxM76sVpyg9PKa62f5nZ3loe8mRL45CD_k3H6UJyMrIv93L_Kiw/s400/Hugging+The+Shore.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Hugging The Shore</em></td></tr>
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Then I had a bit of a dry spell. I painted some God-awful dogs that shall never see the light of day.</div>
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Like these:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Harbor Moon</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Morning Haul</em></td></tr>
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Then, I think I righted the ship as the year started to slip away:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Hanging Around On Fish Beach, Monhegan</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Greener Pastures</em></td></tr>
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And then there was this one...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>In The Woodshed</em></td></tr>
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Oh, there were more, but I think these are indicative enough of the past years efforts. The best thing about a year like last one is that there's so much more to look forward to in the next year! <br />
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I hope your 2013 (pronounced Twenty-Thirteen) was a happy one, and I wish all of us in the happy <em>Maine-ly Painting</em> family to have an awesome 2014!<br />
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Say it any way you like.<br />
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Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-22539428706722570972013-12-13T21:00:00.000-05:002013-12-14T09:29:34.207-05:00How The Grinch Designed Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I will admit I am a big kid when it comes to Christmas. As a matter of fact, my beautiful Ellen will frequently say, "When are you going to grow up?" Even when it's not Christmas! Strange...<br />
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Anyway, one of the things I like about the Yuletide Season is sitting around the TV, mug of nog in hand and watching the Christmas Specials. Not necessarily the singing and dancing ones, (Although I'd love to see a repeat of an old Andy Williams Christmas Special) but the cartoons; Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Rudolph. And of course Chuck Jones' masterpiece, Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas.<br />
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Jones was a Loony Tunes animator from way back. He brought Bugs Bunny to life in some of the funniest cartoons ever made, but he was really the man behind Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. If you didn't know that before now, go back and watch the Grinch again and see the similarities. Jones once admitted that at it's heart-- especially in the scenes with the Grinch's dog Max-- it's a Loony Tunes cartoon.<br />
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The other night while I was watching the Grinch, I noticed one thing I hadn't paid attention to for all these years until now: Every scene that had a static shot (you know, the ones where the camera is not moving along) was designed as if it were a painting.<br />
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One more reason for me to love the Grinch!<br />
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The design used over and over again was what I call "One Third". I do not have a doubt there is an official Art Name for it, but it goes like this:<br />
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Divide your composition into three unequal parts with one part being the dominant large shape, another part being one third the size of the big shape, and the last piece being one third the size of the second. Get it?<br />
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Here's a couple of examples:<br />
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In the one above, Max is leaning against the house which is the dominant shape, while the snow is secondary and the sky is third.<br />
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Below, The sky is the dominant shape, the Grinch second and the rock he's drumming his fingers on is third.<br />
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One thing to keep in mind was that Jones didn't use the biggest shape as his Point of Interest, but rather to draw attention to the Point of Interest. Look at the two examples above: The house envelopes Max at the window, and in the other the sky is larger than the Grinch.<br />
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Another thing that Jones's artists did was incorporate a value pattern into these designs. Jones went with a basic four value scheme: A Dark, a Dark Mid-Tone, a Light Mid-Tone and a Light. I guess I could use up a ton of precious internet space trying to put into words the concept I'm thinking of, but Andrew Loomis in his awesome book <em>Creative Illustration</em> diagrams it best. Check out these basic value patterns, because Jones used them in the Grinch:<br />
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There are more combinations possible than what Loomis showed, but he beautifully gives the idea of how to make a Value Plan. Now look and see how Jones used a value plan for these scenes:<br />
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In keeping with the "One Third" look, he was very careful to mass his values and not break them up willy-nilly, making a cohesive and engaging look. But whether he used a Light surrounded by Mid-Tones, or a Dark surrounded by Light and Mid-tones-- whatever the Value Plan and Composition being used for a scene, have no doubt that it was carefully thought-out first.<br />
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Do you think of these things in your paintings?<br />
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I mention all of this not so that we all can make a better cartoon, but to show how basic compositional and design elements can effectively be used in any painting. Be they cartoons, or my own work! <br />
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So thank you Chuck Jones and thank you, Mr. Grinch for giving me a lovely lesson for Christmas--<br />
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I think my heart just grew three sizes...<br />
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.Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-91581614833535628562013-12-05T17:57:00.000-05:002013-12-05T17:57:47.096-05:00Hey, Hey Santa!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe next year, if you don't mind...</td></tr>
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Yo, Santa! Guess what time of year it is? Yeah, it's when all us good little boys and girls compile our list of demands to keep us happy on Christmas Day! So, leaving no stone unturned regarding my own happiness and well-being, I thought I'd drop you a quick line again this year.<br />
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First off, though-- How are you and the little lady doing up there in the North Pole? I bet that with all this global warming thing going on, you've got more beach front property these days. Hey, mark my words, the re-sale value is going to be great! Everybody loves a home on the beach. Am I right? And you know, I'm not blaming him or anything, but have you checked the thermal emissions from Rudolph's nose? I bet that thing is an incandescent, and you know how hot they get. Just sayin'.<br />
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And how's the elves? Hey, don't tell them about those WalMart and Fast-Food workers going on strike and all. We all know the elves love what they do, and would do it for free if they had to.<br />
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Oh- They <em>do</em>? Nevermind...<br />
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Anyway, this year I thought I'd change things up a tad-- and not because I never get what I ask for, either-- and go with more manageable gifts for me. Along with peace on earth and all that blah, blah, the first thing I'd like for Christmas is a better Eye.<br />
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You know-- an artists Eye like the one Richard Schmid uses. I like the way he observes color and light, and I could stand to do that too in my paintings. I mean, it seems like everyone else has got a good Eye, so I want one. Dicky (all his close personal friends call him that) seems to see just what is needed and unerringly applies just the right touch. This one has to be easy for the elves to make, and it'll fit nicely in my stocking.<br />
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OK, another thing I want is Taste. No, not for food but in seeing what looks the most ascetically pleasing in my compositions. And don't leave out the Design part from that. Leaving out design is like "Battery's Not Included" and we all know what a pain-in-the-tush that is on Christmas morn! Jacob Collins seems to have Taste in spades, so he doesn't need anymore this year. So, Taste and Design would look awesome under the tree! And of course in my paintings too.<br />
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Lastly, (Because I don't want much-- which should rocket me to the top of the "Good Boy" list!) I have been using Ability for years and it's starting to wear thin, so this year I want Talent. I read somewhere that Ability works best with Talent. Who knew? Everywhere I look I see enough Talent to make me want to puke. Do the elves make that stuff in their spare time, or what? Give me some!<br />
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So, in closing I wish you and the reindeer a safe flight. I won't leave the fire going in the fireplace this year if that'll help. And I don't want to brag, but I also have the world's best cookies. So stop on by and try them! And if you can't swing by Pittston Village, just send a drone, after all-- Amazon is going to.<br />
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Merry Christmas!<br />
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Most sincerely-- and I mean that--<br />
<br />
Kevin.<br />
.Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096142183312311738.post-71026147819449274902013-11-14T20:09:00.000-05:002013-11-21T12:29:35.881-05:00Oh, What A Tangled Web We Weave...<br />
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As many of us are aware, this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination. (If you are not aware, then come on out from under that rock-- it's a lovely day out here!) What happened on that day shocked and horrified the nation, so I find it strange that nobody younger than fifty can remember where they were when it happened. I know I for one can sure recall the event like it was yesterday: I was just about to take my noon-time nap after finishing my lunch bottle (a habit I've retained to this day) when my Mom burst into my room to tell me what had happened. She turned on the TV in time to see Walter Cronkite tell us the sad news. I was so upset, I filled my diaper.<br />
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To this day, whenever I see that old clip of Walter breaking down, I have to clench...<br />
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In the ensuing decades-- five at last count-- it seems that many Americans are just not buying what the "Government" is telling us about the "Lone Gunman". Who are they trying to fool? What are they trying to hide? Everybody knows that one guy with a gun can't cause that amount of upheaval on society. Unless he uses it in a school, or a movie theater or something. Poll after poll shows we Americans believe that there must have been some kind of conspiracy and cover-up involved, no matter how many times "Scientists" use "Evidence" to prove otherwise. It's a God-given right that if Americans don't want to believe something, then it's not true. It's in the Constitution.<br />
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And really-- If we don't believe the Government, who can blame us? Think about it; One guy with a cheap mail-order rifle fires three shots all by himself? It's too incredulous to believe. I, for one, don't. We all know the bigger the crime, the bigger the conspiracy.<br />
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I firmly believe that the Mafia did it. Follow me with this; It's so simple, a child could understand. You see, the Mafia was mad at JFK because they knew that his brother Bobby, The Attorney General, was coming after them. So they knew JFK must go. So they went to Dallas and found this dweeb Oswald to put the hit on Kennedy, but just in case, mafia hit-men were also positioned on the grassy knoll along the motorcade. The mafia guys timed their shots perfectly with Oswald's to make sure Kennedy was killed, and to confuse all the by-standers as to where the shots were coming from, then the mafia guys got away scot-free, because mafia hit-men don't dawdle at crime scenes. Oswald was left to fend for himself, because he was just a patsy whose use was done. Unfortunately, the mafia had forgotten that Oswald still had a functioning mouth, so when he got arrested, the mafia was afraid he might spill the beans on them, so they sent Jack Ruby into the jail to kill Oswald and silence him forever. The mafia also knew that Ruby would go to his grave claiming he acted alone, and would never implicate them because Ruby was a stand-up guy like that. And for all those mafia types and hit-men who knew about the crime? That just shows how powerful the mafia code of silence is. It's common knowledge that no mafia man would ever rat on a fellow member. Just ask <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gotti" target="_blank">John Gotti Jr</a>. or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitey_Bulger" target="_blank">Whitey Bulger</a>.<br />
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Now of course the Government couldn't let on that they knew the mafia was behind the assassination. So LBJ commissioned some dim-witted members of Congress, plus a Supreme Court Justice-- all of whom were masters in forensic and criminal science to investigate the case. I'm kidding! Actually, each member of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Commission" target="_blank">The Warren Commission</a> had a staff of around twenty FBI types who <em>were</em> experts in ballistics, fingerprinting, forensics, etc. But they had to throw the evidence toward Oswald acting alone, because they knew that the mafia had incriminating proof of J Edgar Hoover's-- shall we say <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuPaul" target="_blank">RuPaul</a>-ish-- lifestyle. So the investigating team had to cover for J Edgar, because if they incriminated the mafia in the assassination, then all that stuff about J Edgar being a sweet transvestite would come out, and he would lose his job. Of course FBI Agents work for the Government, and therefore shouldn't be considered as real Americans. That's why none of the dozens and dozens of them who worked on the case have ever come forward with a death-bed confession, or with certifiable proof of the mafia's involvement because fealty to the Government overrides any patriotic, or human impulse to right a wrong. I mean, it's just common sense.<br />
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So there you have it. As Sherlock Holmes would say, "It's elementary." Can I get an "Amen!" to that? Now, I'm not entirely wedded to the mafia conspiracy. (Even though it's more logical). Put a few beers in me, and I could see your point that maybe Castro was involved, or maybe even LBJ and the CIA had a hand in it. My point is that it is easier to comprehend having hundreds, if not thousands of people involved (If you consider wives, girlfriends, and all else who might also know) in JFK's assassination than just Oswald acting alone. A mountain of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reclaiming_History" target="_blank">"Evidence"</a> to the contrary be damned! A multi-faceted, sinister conspiracy and monumental Government cover-up is the only scenario that works.<br />
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C'mon-- One lone young, messed-up guy all by himself firing three shots from a cheap mail-order rifle, singlehandedly changing the course of history?<br />
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You gotta be crazy to believe that.<br />
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.Kevin Miznerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07365547679276432694noreply@blogger.com2