The PainterA painting newsletter from Christopher Leeper

J a n - F e b 2 0 1 5

The PainterJ a n u a r y - F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 5

2

Happy New YearSeems like a long time since I did my last newslet-

ter. It has been. My schedule has made it really hard to create it on a monthly basis. I will keep trying.

Lately, teaching has dominated my schedule with a steady stream of classes between the studio and Youngstown State University.

I have a few spring workshops coming. I hope you can join me for one of those.

Happy painting!Chris

WorkshopsMarch 10-13, Watercolor WorkshopPiqua, OHContact: Jordan Knepperjordan@piquaartscouncil.org

April 18-19, Watercolor WorkshopMVWS, Youngstown, OHContact: elizbeth fordford-elizabeth@sbcglobal.net

May 2-3, Watercolor WorkshopAmherst, OHContact: Janine Beleski jab44089@gmail.com

May 14-16, Watercolor WorkshopSoutheastern Indiana Art GuildAurora, INContact: Joan Abdonjoanabdon@yahoo.com

September 19-20, Watercolor WorkshopDecorative Arts Center of OhioLancaster, OHContact: Trisha Clifford-Sprouse clifford@decartsohio.org

ExhibitionsJanuary 26-March 2, 2015 Medina County Highland Library4160 Ridge Rd, Medina, OH

May 2015Charlotte Fine Arts GalleryCharlotte, NCwww.charlottefineart.com

November 2015Artworks Around TownWheeling, WV

Work featured in Plein Air MagazineI was happy to see my painting Along the Edges featured in an article on flowers as painting subjects in the March/April issue of PleinAir Magazine.

3

Weekly Classes in the Studio

WAtercolor Thursday: 10 am - 1 pm: (fee - $35 per student/per class) Max of 5 students This will be an ongoing class.

oIl Tuesday: 10 am - 1 pm: (fee - $35 per student/per class) Max of 5 students This will be an ongoing class. These two classes are on a first-come basis. Please contact me ahead to reserve your spot in class. these classes are usually full but sometimes there are openings. classes must be confirmed by an email or a phone call.

PrIvAte clASSeS (ANy MedIuM) - Tuesday - 1:30 - 3:30 pm - Thursday - 1:30 - 3:30 pm evening classes can be scheduled 6:30-8:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My family schedule will determine availability. Fee: 2 hour class: $50These can be scheduled individually. They are not ongoing. Whatever fits a students schedule and budget.

To schedule, contact me at: leepart@zoominternet.net

or 330-793-5470

A nighttime shot of my messy studio after a long day of classes.

New Work

yesterday’s return

4

Because I spend so much time teaching, lately, my paintings have been done in a series of short sessions. This makes it really hard to create momentum with an individual painting.

This painting began on a Saturday night in the house and not in the studio. My sons had their friend over and my wife was away. As the boys tore the house apart, I kept an eye on them and did my block-in.

I didn’t get a chance to work on it again until the following Friday. During this session, I firmly established the light and shadow effect. I painted it bit by bit over the next week. Usually a session would last about an hour or so between or after classes. I had a clear sense of what I wanted to capture and even though things moved slowly, I was able to complete it without too many changes.

The subject is Volant, PA. It is an area not too far from where I grew up. I worked from a photo I had taken during a holiday drive to PA to visit family.

Yesterday’s Returnoil on linen on board,18x24

5

Frozen Sunriseoil on board, 16x20

End of Seasonoil on linen on board

24x30

New Work

Frozen Sunrise

This painting was the complete opposite of Yesterday’s Return. I was doubting the concept almost from the start. My photo refer-ence was a daytime (cloudy day) shot of the farm. I wanted to create a painting of contrast that played a warm sky off of the cool snow. I had a blurry cell phone pic of a sunset sky that I took while I was shoveling the driveway. I used that as my sky reference.

I combined the references and did a simple block-in. The next day I felt the silo was too dominant. I painted it out and changed the angle of the barn. As the painting proceeded off and on for the next week, I changed the sky; added and subtracted trees, cows and fences.

The final painting is a sunrise and not a sunset. I kind of like the overall cool and muted color scheme. However, with any painting that goes through so many changes I feel a bit ambivalent about its success or failure.

Block-in (As I look at this on the page, I’m not sure why I had such a change of heart from this initial version.)

As I write these synopsis of each painting, I sometimes get a sense of trends and themes in my thinking. This painting is another low-key evening/morning scene.

I started with a nighttime reference shot in Can-field. I liked the shapes, overall design and reflec-tions. What I didn’t like was the township municipal parking lot. I knew right away that I would change the background and eliminate the business on the far left.

I began using acrylics. When I saw the rather mel-ancholy block-in, I got excited. It made me think of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska album. That album is a poignant and stark reflection of mid western small town America. I’m not a big Springsteen fan but I love that album.

I switched over to oils and continued to build the shapes and forms. After a couple sessions in oil I re-ally had my doubts. The painting felt flat and lifeless. The old house in the background seemed to create tension with the brick building on the left middle ground.

My first big change was to kill the house. I had been driving the evening before and noticed a lit bill-board. I liked the idea of a light rectangle to play off of the brick building. I painted it in and then quit for the night. The next day I looked at it and it seemed obvious the billboard was too light and distracting.

I painted it out and replaced it with a simple brick structure. The next and biggest change was the re-paint of the sky. It takes up almost 50% of the painting and it needed more presence. Probably influenced by a lovely sunset during the week, I added color and contrast. Suddenly, everything fell into place. The influence of the sky allowed my to bring more color and warmth to the middle and foreground.

The fog was an accident of working color into the background. I liked the soft/hard contrast and decided to go in that direction.

Final details like the poles and wires were done after the painting was sufficiently dry using masking tape. The last detail was a cell phone tower. It just seemed appropriate for the scene. They are everywhere.

The title was a feeling of being on the edge of a small town and heading into the rural countryside. This is ex-actly what the route depicted does as it leaves the village of Canfield. I was also reminded of another Springsteen title, Darkness on the Edge of Town.

6

New Work

leaving town

Above is the early stage after the acrylic and first oil block-in and the reference photo.

Leaving Town, acrylic/oil on linen, 24x36

7

New Work

Morning Blush

Morning Blushoil on linen on board, 12x24

8

Field Pattern, Oil on linen on board, 18x24

This farm is about a half-mile from my house. As I was driving home after dropping my son off at school, I saw this great light effect. I hurriedly grabbed my cell phone and shot a blurry photo.

I started the painting as a class demo and completed it after several short sessions.

After staring at it for a week, I decided that it needed a bit more light on the left. I also felt the brushwork in the back-ground was too fussy.

I’m satisfied with the final painting.

New Work

Sunset Moonrise

As is the theme of my latest paintings, I went through a big change with this painting. I had the idea of a moonrise at sunset. My photo was from the early afternoon so I had to create the effect.

My initial effort was way off. I got excited with the moon and dark sky. After I painted it, I wit-nessed a moonrise/sunset

and observed that if the sun is still far enough above the horizon to create color on the trees then the sky around the moon would be much lighter. I also geeked out on the tree detail-way too much.

The painting was an oil on board which is a slick surface to work on. Once the surface gets wet, subsequent brushwork can be difficult. For this reason, I had to work in several short sessions which fit my schedule per-fectly.

The band of light across the hill was the key element to pull things together. I also deleted many trees. They seemed unnecessary.

I have a confession. This road is in Lisbon, OH and I travel it very often visiting family. Recently, I observed a similar light effect and the sun would be more to the right which would shift my shadow angles. It will be our secret.

Sunset Moonriseoil on board, 12x24

9

New WorkJanuary evening

10

This painting represents a first for a couple reasons. It is the first painting done from an image captured with my cell phone. I got a Samsung Galaxy 5 which has a great camera. I’m amazed at the quality of the photos. It also is the first painting done with new paint from Michael Harding and Old Holland. These are expensive brands but the pigment load and working properties are great.

The subject is Mill Creek and fairly typical of the light and shadow that I enjoy painting.

Shimmer and Shadow, Oil on linen on board, 18x24

Sometimes I just feel like doing a big watercolor. You get to use big brushes and big washes. It is plenty of fun.

The reference is a photo shot in Columbiana County, OH. Of course, I was attracted to the sky but I was also taken with the reflected light on the snow.

The procedure was very straight forward. Large wet into wet washes were used for the sky and field. Once everything was dry the background was painted. Finally the buildings, trees and grasses were painted.

January Eveningwatercolor on Waterford, 260 lb.

cold-pressed paper, 26x40

Demos

11

watercolor on Arches, 300 lb. cold-pressed paper

Studio demowatercolor on Arches, 140 lb. cold-pressed paper

Demo done for the Ohio Watercolor Society in conjunction with the Watercolor Ohio 2014 Travel Exhibition, Medina Library, Medina, OH.

I’m not sure why I ended up doing these two paintings. The painting (below left) was a studio painting done as my students worked. I wanted to replicate the energy and looseness of a small study while doing a full-sheet painting. The results were OK but not great. After my class left, I evaluated the painting. It seemed so drab and lifeless. I decided to try something different. I grabbed my acrylics and a 1 inch brush and worked over all the forms with simple flat brushwork. As I painted, the color interactions became more and more interesting. The final painting is a departure from my usual work but I was satisfied with the result.

12

New Workreviving dead Watercolors

A couple days later I tried the same technique on an old autumn watercolor. I added snow and rocks and the light effect. It wasn’t as daring as the previous painting but was enjoyable to paint.

13

Songs from the Wood30x40, acrylic over watercolor

This is not the first time I have worked over watercolors with acrylics. Here are some older paintings using the same technique.

Tranquility30x40, acrylic over watercolor

Stream of Myth and Legend30x40, acrylic over watercolor

Workshops in my studio

Workshops for six people or less. Topics can include oils, acrylics, watercolor or drawing. They can be scheduled in 2 or 3 day sessions, 9-5 each day. Classes must be scheduled well in advance.

These workshops include demos, handouts and lots of one-on-one attention. I try to provide plenty of information in a short amount of time. I can shape the workshop to the group’s needs. You can bring your own reference or we can work together on the same subject. The workshop can also be focused to learn a specific technique or concept. Weather-permitting, these ses-sions can include plein air painting.

There is a new Hampton Inn just five miles from the studio and many nearby restau-rants and shopping venues. Your workshop can also be combined with a visit to the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio and/or a visit to beautiful Mill Creek Park.

Call or email me if you have any questions or to schedule a workshopChristopher Leeper Studio

4411 Mellinger Road / Canfield, OH 44406330-793-5470 leepart@zoominternet.net www.christopherleeper.com

Fees: 1-2 students: 2 day class: $400 per student / 3-day class: $600 per student 3 students 2-day class: $275 per student / 3-day class: $400 per student 4 students: 2-day class: $200 per student / 3-day class: $300 per student 5-6 students: 2-day class: $150 per student / 3-day class: $250 per student

I have taken many workshops over the years and you have been the most helpful. I learned more in three days than I have in the past 20 years. Plus, it was so much fun!

“”