Claude Monet, Ross King, and his Recent Book "Mad Enchantment"...

Before reading about Claude Monet's water lily paintings, I am teaching a terrific plein air workshop in Sicily this fall. Italy is now open so we can eat some great pasta, drink some good wine, and paint some beautiful sun-drenched pictures!  

For more information, download my pdf brochure below...

October, 17th - 24th, 2021

Click to read my detailed  22 page brochure about this painting adventure!

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Ross King and his Wonderful Talk on Claude Monet for Oil Painters Of America...

Here is a special treat from the folks at Oil Painters of America. 

They invited celebrated author and art historian, Ross King, to talk about Claude Monet and his large waterlily paintings which now hang in the Musée de l'Orangerie, in Paris. The paintings are the subject of his recent book, Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies, a book which presents a fascinating tour of Monet's late life, and his final obsession. 

This lecture is well worth the 90 minutes it takes to watch, and remains accessible on the Oil Painters Of America's website. It is free to watch here at www.OilPaintersofAmerica.com. 

Or use this direct link: https://tinyurl.com/MadEnchantment

And if you are a representational painter, consider joining Oil Painters of America. It is a great association filled with all levels of artists from all over the world.

And finally, Ross King is also the author of many other books on Art & Culture, among which is one of my personal favorites, The Judgement of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade That Gave The World Impressionism – all of which may be found here: www.rosskingbooks.com

Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies

Pub: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Length:416 Pages

TJK

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Here is a short trailer I created to entice you... enjoy!

Sorolla and the Concept of Color Temperature...

First, let me begin by saying that Color Temperature is one of the worst explained aspects of painting....

Too often a teacher either doesn’t understand it himself, or she makes it sound more complicated than it is. This leaves a student struggling with trying to see what is being talked about before giving up frustration. Or worse, the student comes to believe color temperature is not a real thing. Which is unfortunate, because seeing, understanding, and learning how to accentuate color temperature can transform your work – indoors or out.

I think of color temperature the same way I think about cooking. Until recently, food scientists firmly believed there were only four flavors the human tongue could taste: Sweet, Sour, Bitter, and Salt. But now, most culinary experts agree there is a fifth flavor – Umami – the flavor of meat. It is a concentrated sensation found in grilled meat, mushrooms, and many fermented foods as well. A taste we all love...

Color temperature is similar to Umami in the sense that once you know it exists you start seeing it everywhere. And when you do, you never stop seeing it again. 

So okay, how do you start seeing color temperature?

First, it is important to understand that color temperature has nothing to do with a single color or hue. A yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, or greens by itself is not inherently warm or cool. Color temperature is defined by the relationship between two or more hues! The relationship between a green and a blue (top left). Between an orange and a purple (middle). And even a red and a slightly different red (bottom left). In all cases, one hue will appear to be warmer or cooler than the other. To what degree they will appear to be warmer or cooler depends upon where each hue sits on the color wheel. Or, to be more precise, how close a hue is positioned to the color yellow or purple. The French Impressionists discovered this principle while painting snow outdoors: the hue closest to yellow is the warmer of the two. The hue that sits closest to purple is cooler. It’s really that simple.

Okay, so why does this matter?

Landscape and figurative painters, such as Sorolla, understood that on a sunny day, the areas of light will appear warmer if the shadows in close proximity are being influenced by the cooler light bouncing in from the sky. Thus, on a sunny day the temperature relationship between a color lit by the sun, and the same color that passes into a shadow, will be warm and cool. For example, if you set out to paint a white shirt going from light into shadow you can see the white in the light contains more yellow; and the white in the shadow is not just darker, it is also a little cooler. The shadow has a bluish/purplish cast (see lower right image). If you maintain this relationship of warm lights/cool shadows consistently throughout the painting you will end up with color harmony – a unified color of light.

When you examine Sorolla’s outdoor work you discover he often pushed his colors in the sunlight more towards the yellow than they actually were. And you also learn he pushed the colors in his shadows towards the blue or purple. This warm/cool temperature shift, or ‘push’, forced a greater separation between the light and shadow masses and also created an optical vibration within the eye. This color vibration was a well understood physiological effect called “Simultaneous Contrast in Hue” and it was first exploited to its fullest extent by painters of Sorolla's generation. In fact, Simultaneous Contrast in Hue was one of the principles that launched Impressionism.

However, as you continue to examine at Sorolla’s work for this effect you find exceptions to the principle of warm lights/cool shadows. (Nothing is art is ever simple, right?) Yet when you find them they turn out to be logical exceptions, easily explained.

Not all light that bounces into a shadow comes from the sky. Some light may be reflecting in from another direction all together. And that light may be of a different color. In Sorolla’s paintings on the left, the sunlight is bouncing up off a beach below onto the underside of the woman's arm. In the middle image, the light can be seen bouncing off the inside of a straw basket that is held tightly against a boy's torso. And on the right, the light is bouncing off the face of a cliff outside the painting, AND bouncing up from the bottom under the water. (Fantastic, yes?) In these three examples the reflected light is so strong it overwhelms the weaker, cooler skylight coming in from above. So exceptions to the warm light/cool shadow principle is limited to specific situations where the color within the shadows are being pushed toward a warmer hue than the sunlight shining down from above. As a result, in comparison, the color of sunlight may appear cooler.

Tricky, yes? Well, not really, once you start looking for such exceptions in real life. And, once you do, you begin to see all kinds of colored light bouncing around in the shadows. And of course, when you include such temperature shifts into your own work it will imbue  a quality of light everyone will love.

My Sorolla video is extensive and filled with a lot of information about color and temperature. In truth, I’ve been working on it over the past five years when I began traveling to view his his masterworks and the places he painted. This demo is a stroke-by-stroke presentation and it runs just over 15 hours from start to finish. It includes detailed explanations of what I am about to do, and explanations while I do it. I talk about the Why, as well as the How because both are critical to fully understand what is happening. Nothing is left out or held back. Nothing is dumbed down. And topics beyond color temperature are explored in detail. I talk about how Sorolla applied his paint. How he altered, edited, and simplified his subjects. How he used his brush at the beginning of a painting, and how he used it at the end. And much, much, more...

So if you are a painter like me, who is in awe of the genius of Sorolla – or if Sorolla is a new artist to you – you can learn a lot about how he worked from this video. Click the link below to receive a time limited special pre-release price. But don't wait. This discount will end the day after its official release, Monday, April 16. 

You can pre-order your copy of my Sorolla demonstration here... 

In this video you will learn how to see, understand, and use color temperature to add vibrancy and life to your own work, just like Sorolla…

   – TJK

Announcing My First DVD Video Release! Sorolla: Painting the Color of Light...

Hey there Everyone:

It's been a while since I posted to the blog and my wife has been bugging me to get back to it because you readers have changed my life and attitudes about art over the past decade. And so, I shall...

Much has happened within the past few years that pulled me away from this blog. There is only so much time in a day, right? But I am going to commit to offering more tips on painting – and art in general – right here in the near future. 

But first, I want to share the biggest news about me in a long time.

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My Sorolla DVD Set Will be Released April 16th, 2018 through Streamline Premium Art Video!

Click to order now...

You can pre-order your own copy right now and receive a pre-release discount – or you can wait to hear about it at the Plein Air Convention & Expo in a few weeks. Or hopefully, you can hear about it from your friends...

This video demonstration focuses on how Sorolla painted. With much attention given to how he used value and color temperature to convey a sense of intense natural sunlight.

While I put a lot of effort into explaining things clearly, nothing has been "dumbed down" or held back during this demo. Having said that, I made sure it includes substantial instruction for both the novice and the advanced painter. In fact, while I do talk about Sorolla's methods and materials at the beginning, this demonstration is more about how Sorolla used color to achieve his astounding effects, how he simplified and composed his subject matter, and how he physically applied and pushed his paint around. You know, the things with move you forward as a painter...

Click here to pre-order your own copy at a special pre-release discount from Streamline Premium Art Video......

In 'da house', the Museo Sorolla, Madrid...

This three-DVD set contains a complete stroke-by-stroke, start-to-finish demo, with a total run-time of over 15 hours. It also contains many extras, such as a brief overview of Sorolla's life, an explanation of the color theories he incorporated into his work, and an in-depth interview with me hosted by Eric Rhoads, owner and publisher of PleinAir and FineArt Connoisseur Magazines. We talk about how and why I became a painter, what my current artistic interests and influences are, and there is also a select gallery of my artwork that spans the last two decades. So, for those of you who've been asking me for a DVD at my workshops, well – this is the one to get. (In fact, it is the only one to get...ha!)

"How did you do it?... How?"

I started working on this project five years ago when I began traveling to Madrid, Granada, Toledo, New York City, and San Diego to study original Sorolla paintings first-hand, and to visit the places he painted. All of which has been a dream come true for a Sorolla-nut like me.

Now, I am thrilled to offer it to you with the assistance of Streamline Premium Art Video – in HD format, with high production standards, edited for your convenience. I hope you will find this video demonstration a valuable addition to your art library.

And oh yes, please let me know what you think of the demo in the comment section below!...

Thomas

On Writing and Painting...

If you have ever met me in person then you know I am all about the cross-disciplinary approach to making art. Filmmaking, photography and design can inform the painter, as well as music, theater, and dance, plus the sciences, mathematics, and philosophy – and even individual or team sports, to mention a few.

And then there is writing. Both fiction and non-fiction. In the end it all comes down to creating interesting associations within the mind of your audience, and maintaining a semblance of clarity as you do so.

In that spirit here is some terrific advice on writing from William Zinsser's book, "On Writing Well." 

Wait...okay, so what does this have to do with painting? Well, if you simply substitute the word painting for the word writing, and are willing to make a few other metaphorical leaps from the pen to the brush, then what Zinsser has to say turns into sound advice for the young artist as well. 

Because when teaching writing, Zinsser valued simplicity, efficiency, and enthusiasm. All of which are essential to the painter as well. Here is his checklist:

1. Don’t make lazy word choices: “You’ll never make your mark as a writer unless you develop a respect for words and a curiosity about their shades of meaning that is almost obsessive. The English language is rich in strong and supple words. Take the time to root around and find the ones you want.” 

2. On the other hand, avoid jargon and big words: “Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can’t exist without the other. It’s impossible for a muddy thinker to write good English.” 

3. Writing is hard work: “A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing is hard, it’s because it is hard.” 

4. Write in the first person: “Writing is an intimate transaction between two people, conducted on paper, and it will go well to the extent that it retains its humanity.” 

5. And the more you keep in first person and true to yourself, the sooner you will find your style: “Sell yourself, and your subject will exert its own appeal. Believe in your own identity and your own opinions. Writing is an act of ego, and you might as well admit it.” 

6. Don’t ask who your audience is…you are the audience: “You are writing primarily to please yourself, and if you go about it with enjoyment you will also entertain the readers who are worth writing for.” 

7. Study the masters but also your contemporaries: “Writing is learned by imitation. If anyone asked me how I learned to write, I’d say I learned by reading the men and women who were doing the kind of writing I wanted to do and trying to figure out how they did it.” 

8. Yes, the thesaurus is your friend: “The Thesaurus is to the writer what a rhyming dictionary is to the songwriter–a reminder of all the choices–and you should use it with gratitude. If, having found the scalawag and the scapegrace, you want to know how they differ, then go to the dictionary.” 

9. Read everything you write out loud for rhythm and sound: “Good writers of prose must be part poet, always listening to what they write.” 

10. And don’t ever believe you are going to write anything definitive: “Decide what corner of your subject you’re going to bite off, and be content to cover it well and stop.”

In my mind, after reading this it would be a mistake to think one artistic pursuit is inherently more unique than any other.

Advice on Painting from John Singer Sargent...

Well folks, it's finally ready to share with you all – a labor of love. Enjoy!... TJK

Advice on Painting from John Singer Sargent

(This link will take you to a 4.9 M pdf file stored on GoogleDrive. You can download the book to your computer or tablet from there...)

Free 46 page digital PDF file, suitable for viewing on tablet and computers, illustrated with full color paintings and close up details | This booklet contains two second-hand accounts of Sargent's teaching and painting methods, as recounted by the Honorable Evan Charteris, K.C. in his 1927 biographical book, "Sargent" (now out of print). Sourced and annotated by me, with a brief essay on Sargent, plus selected paintings by Sargent used to illustrate the text. 

If you are a painter I hope you find this useful...


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Would you like to improve your outdoor painting skills in Italy this September? If so, click here to learn about my Plein air Tuscany! workshop.

Or send me an email and request a FAQ Sheet and Trip Itinerary. They will detail where we will stay, what we will do, what we will learn, and of course, what it costs. But wow, the US dollar is now stronger than the Euro so there may never be a better time to go than in 2015. 

Registration is open and folks are signing up!... (Now just six spots left.)

More info on "Painting the Light"...

Some folks have inquired how large the images are in my book, "Painting the Light".

Here I am holding a book against my chest so you can get a sense of scale. 

(click to zoom in...)

To those who purchased books over the holiday weekend, thank you. I am grateful. It is exciting to see this volume so immediately well-received.

To order a copy for yourself, or to give to a friend as a gift click

TJK

Friends, I am Please to Announce the Publication of My First Major Book...

Painting the Light | Volume 1 

This beautifully designed 110 page book conveniently brings together 100 of my paintings drawn from a time span of thirty years, with a kind and thoughtful foreword by Jean Stern, Art Historian and Executive Director of the California Irvine Museum. 

For those who are curious about my early days of painting en plein air – which began in back 1984 before anyone knew what to call it – you will find some examples here. And there is a lot of work between then and now.

Here is a preview of the book. Please allow it time to load.

I invite you to flip through the first 21 pages of the book.
Click the 'expand' icon to experience a high definition, full-screen preview. To purchase a copy, click the shopping cart or the blue button at the bottom of this post.

Facebookers, click here to see the preview.

Putting this book together was a labor of love. And a lesson on how to look back at thirty years of pushing paint around while on the move. Over that time I have taken countless side trips into (often) conflicting painting territories; from Cézanne to Sargent, to the Hudson River School, the American Impressionists, the Russian Itinerants, to Velasquez, Sorolla, and Zorn; and lately, the original California Impressionists. And that's just to name a few. But throughout it all there has been one thread that has connected every digression. From art school on, painting and drawing from life has remained crucial. Because direct observation is the touchstone I use to identify what is precious to me. 

I've wanted to share the history of my work for a long time. I intend to produce two more volumes over the next couple of years so this one won't be the end of it. But for now I hope Painting the Light will help inspire those who follow or collect my work – old or new alike.

8.25 x 10 inches,110 pages, with 100 beautiful full-color paintings.

Currently in hardcover. Soon in eBook format.

$65.00 US + shipping

Oh, and yes, of course this book would make a great holiday gift to yourself or your art-loving friends! Hint: Buy your own copy, wrap it up, and stick it under your tree. Then act surprised in front of your family. (ha!)

For US delivery by December 24th, be sure to order by:

Standard Ground: December 13th

Priority: December 17th

Express: December 19th