Newest Dvd Release

Jerry's Artarama has just released the second of several Oil Painting Dvd's, which I filmed for them last Spring.
"LAKESIDE BIRCHES" is now available through the Jerry's website ( www.jerrysartarama.com ), as well as my own site, www.wilsonbickford.com
More video lessons will be forthcoming, so check these sites for updates.

"EVENING PARADISE"

One of the art instructor sites that I'm affiliated with has a monthly project, which is meant to be fun and to see the different interpretations that each of us submit. The theme for March is a tropical sunset scene.
It's no secret that sunsets are a favorite subject of mine, so I had to jump on this one!
This was done in about 3 hours on an 11"x14" panel. I used Cadmium Yellow Pale Hue, Cadmium Red Light Hue, Cobalt Violet, Ivory Black and Titanium White.
It'll be interesting to see the other unique variations of all the other participants.
That is the most wonderful aspect of art. Each and everyone of us is an individual and that fact will show through in our work, whether it's painting, music, writing, whatever.
Art literally knows no bounds. It can only be stifled by our lack of imagination, so it's important to keep those creative juices flowing!

"SUNLIT STREAM" ( 12" x 12" Gallery Wrap canvas )

I love to paint the deep woods. There is mystery in the dark depth of the shadows. And the way the light filters through the trees is absolutely majestic! ( at least to me ) What appeals to me above all, is the strong light and dark contrast, which is the entire basis of a good painting.
So many times, I see beginning painters who possess good intentions, but also ignorance of the importance of a strong light/dark balance in their work. It's been said that, "without the dark, there is no light". That is absolutely true!! The darks are what make the lights "pop" and without enough contrast, the end result will be bland.
This principle does not pertain only to wooded landscapes, but EVERY artistic theme and subject. Still life, florals, portraits, whatever the subject,.......all will benefit from a good balance of contrasts.
When thinking about the lights and darks in your next painting, also consider the color "temperatures". Although it's certainly not always the case, a good rule of thumb to keep in mind is to use cooler colors in the shadows, warmer tones in the highlight areas. This will add a huge "kick" to your painting and yield a more refined, professional result.

"Moonlit Sea"

Since most landscapes tend to be "daytime" scenes, I like to throw in a "nightscape" once in a while. This is one I did in a class very recently. Because night scenes are rather monochromatic in the colors, the values are the important factor. The key is in getting the overall mid-tones established so that the lights and darks can be balanced with them. Although there are still strong light and dark contrasts in this piece, the majority of of it is mid-values and the subtle increments between those.

This was a simple color palette comprised of Ultramarine Blue, Dioxazine Purple, Ivory Black, Titanium White and just a touch of Cadmium Yellow Pale ( which yielded the green for the eye of the wave when mixed with the blue )

If you want to try something different and give yourself a challenge at the same time, try a night scene!

Some Recent Work

Here are a couple of paintings that I've done over the past couple of days. Both utilized some Acrylic underpainting, but are essentially "Oil paintings".

The sunflowers were started yesterday and finished today. I had added Alkyd medium to the Oils to speed the drying, so that it was virtually dry over-night. That made it easy to glaze and brighten the final highlights this morning.

The barn was tackled in the same way, Acrylics underneath with Oils over the top. The difference is that I was able to get the amount of detail I desired without having to wait for it to dry, so it was all done in one sitting.

I use this approach quite often, (more and more, it seems ) and it is one of my favorite ways to work. It eliminates a lot of the drying time associated with Oils and literally cuts the "working time" in half.

Acrylics, Alkyds and Oils,....................... is that mixed-media? And does that matter? Not to me. It's still predominantly 90+% Oils, so I still call it an Oil painting.

All I know is that it works great for my style and work pace.

My New Blog at Jerry's Artarama

Jerry's Artarama has asked me to post a weekly topic on their new blogazine, "SPLATTER".
For the most part, it will be different entries than what I post here on my personal blog, but there may be a few times when there'll be a "re-run", if it seems like a deserving topic to both sites.
There are a few other artists sharing their thoughts, as well, so check it out!
www.jerrysartarama.com/blog

"POLAR BEAR"

This is a painting from a couple of days ago. Although it's in Oils, it started with a toned canvas using a blue-gray Acrylic gesso. ( like my previous post, "WINTER STREAM" )

Being an animal-lover, I can always find an excuse for rendering a magnificent creature such as this.

The challenge here was getting enough contrast and definition because essentially it's a white subject on a white background. The blue-gray snow shadows and the "off-whites" of the bear were all adjusted until the bear popped out from the background. There are not a lot of darks in this painting and it is what's referred to as a "high key" painting.

Every painting presents it's own set of challenges and the artist has to study, analyze, tweak and adjust it until evertything falls into place.