Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Doing the trip.

This is the assembled group taken this afternoon.
back row- right to left
Ignat Ignatov, Jerome Green, Stapleton Kearns, Jeremy Lipking, Frank Gardner, Daniel Corey,
front row-
Rick Casali, Paul Schulenburg, Eric Merrell, Ian Factor, Ernesto Nemesio, Jeff Bonasia, Logan Hagege, James Coe.

Another day of rain today. When you go on painting trips you often get days when you aren't able to work outside because of the rain or snow. It is part of it. I have spent lots of days cooking up seascapes in some motel room waiting for the weather to change. But on this trip we have a great new model every day and room to set up 14 easels.We painted a different and equally fabulous model again today. I guess tomorrow is more of the same. I already have my location for the next outdoor painting all staked out, and it looks really good, but the rain has to stop first.

I wiped both of today's efforts out. Some of these guys paint figures every day. They do one shot small oils about 9 by 12. They are pretty good at it. I am amazed at their little figure paintings. I would love to take a year or so off and paint nothing but figures. I felt like a total amateur.

I guess tonight I will write about "doing the trip". Here is a phrase from the old hippie days which has passed from usage,, what the dictionary would call archaic. But I hope to revive it's use. Back in my hippie days if you and I were out playing our bongos in the park and you said,"I gotta go do the trip" that meant you had to go to work at the Octopus Car Wash. It was a job or a responsibility you had. It was what was required of you. Not optional. It wasn't necessarily an unpleasant task or something you dreaded, but you had to do it. For instance if you were cheating on your wife, and your friends knew about it, when she threw you out and put your record collection on the street, we would have said, "He didn't do the trip!" You didn't do what was required of you.

For me, landscape painting is "doing the trip". When I say to my wife that I am going out painting, I will usually say "Ive got to go and do the trip". Now I am waiting for the rain to stop so I can.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snowcamp is filled. That took almost all week. Maybe I need to do a second session.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

this and the previous post had me totally absorbed...

MCG said...

That Lipking fellah's pretty wicked good at the figah'. Stand directly behind him, do what he does ;]
Seriously, hope the rain let's up for you so you can do the trip you do.

Philip Koch said...

Clearly these guys have much to learn from mighty Stape- including choice of hair stylists!

Your description of days of rain wiping out eagerly anticipated landscape painting excursions made me smile. Sometimes the art gods turn against us. Years ago I had a string of bad luck with successive Maine Coast trips. In more recent years I've been having a string of good luck, enough so that I'm overdue for another deluge. I think we all know what kind of day it was when they came up with the Noah's Ark story.

Rae O'Shea said...

Sounds like fun, in spite of the rain. We're all excited about Snow Camp- and we have our BIG BOOTS ready!!

mariandioguardi.com said...

Well, the way you feel now about the figure is how I feel when I am trying to do landscape painting. Awkward and without a voice..like trying to sing a new music. It's humbling.

Why is that? One would think that if one knows how to paint one can paint anything but it doesn't always work that way does it? Anyway, I don't give up easily so I'll be back at snow camp tackling the elements and the landscape. Maybe it's just a matter of practice, practice practice......and then more practice.

Woodward Simons said...

Hope the weather changes for the better, so you can show 'em your stuff. They could learn a few things from you when it comes to landscape.

After all, I paint with Schmid himself, and I learned new stuff at your recent workshop. Congrats on the filling of snow camp!

Mary Bullock said...

How come there are only men there? Was it a men only retreat? Just curious - not trying to make a statement.

billspaintingmn said...

I agree Stape! It's got to stop raining if you you want to do the trip.
I have shirts, hats, and facial hair just like you guys in the picture, but my painting is not even close.
(I was able to check out some of these artists work)
I think you're already in the history books.

barbara b. land of boz said...

Oh to be a fly on the wall! You guys look to be having the time of your life.
Here's to the Sun God to smile on you... In the mean time You can just "Keep on Keeping on"!!

Karla said...

This is the first front on picture of you I have seen. Quite different without the wig and cigar.

Unknown said...

Nice china balls in the photo. Have you tried lighting the model with them? We use them in video a lot to get a nice, soft, warm light. Of course, they look a little all over the place in the photo, so I am guessing they are for lighting the room. Still, a nice omni-directional way to light a large space.

alotter said...

First of all, right to left means from the viewer's perspective, and that sure didn't look like you third from right on top row! Second, it looks as if facial hair may be linked to artistic prowess and that's why only men. And third--an awful lot of them looked awfully young. What's up with that?

willek said...

You put that great big easel up in that little tiny room?

You gotta get one of those 10 x 10 white canopy tents. Marian and I have got some nice stuff done on wet days. Sometimes 3 or 4 can fit if the wind's not blowing too hard. Great on a hot sunny day too.

Unknown said...

Stape, compared to you guys, I AM a total amateur. Must be frustrating to wait on the weather so you can really shine... I hope it happens tomorrow for you!

Kevin Menck said...

I know what you mean about being a landscape guy and trying to paint figures. It's hard to make that transition if you haven't had a lot of experience with it. I try it from time to time but man it's frustrating.

Stapleton Kearns said...

rahina:
Thanks. I hope to have a lot more to report when the sun comes out.
.....................Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

MCG:
Yes,he is very good.He did a very nice one yesterday.
..............Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Philip;
I think the art Gods have been appeased. The sky is clear!
..................Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Rae:
Good, Make sure to but a big pat of butter in each one.
.........Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Marian;
I was sorting it out today. I am exhibiting a rapid growth curve as unpracticed skills from long ago come back on line.
.............Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Woodward Simmons;
Thanks.We shall see what vhapopens tomorrow, but I am ready to rock and roll.
............Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Mary: Actually it wasn't only men. We had a model.
.................Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

bill:
You know, it does feel historical.
......................Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

barbara:
The moon god has appeared, soon the sun god will show up.
............Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Kartla;
The wig and cigar is what I look like from the back.
............Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Jeremy;
They are paper though, are they still China balls?
........................Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

alotter:
A lot of them are young, this is the hotshot California figure painters convention.I am a special guest geezer
..................Stape.

Stapleton Kearns said...

willek;
It was a pretty big space actually.
No problem with the big easel.
..........Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Deb;
Tomorrow is the sun.
............Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Kevin;
I did a lot of it long ago. It is starting to come back.
..............Stape

Brad said...

This is an epic meeting of painters! For the love of all that is holy please sneak some more pics of everyones work! Please.