In the Mind's Eye....

Prior to visiting a hog farm or two in Iowa, my image of the "perfect pig" was captured in the animated version of Charlotte's Web.  Wilbur was created as a round, pink, perky, happy little pig that was eager to build a barnyard team of diverse collaborators.

As with all of the recent sketches, pig #2 was intended to quickly capture a "Wilburized" perfect pig and move on.  In the first image, I really like the way the tan Strathmore paper shows through and works to facilitate dimension.  This series also became the "perfect" example of going way too far...i.e. Not knowing when to stop....I should have added some eyes on the first pig AND stopped.  As you will see with the last drawing, I went through many steps to basically return to where I began....with the addition of some background color.   I am continue to learn from it all.......

6B pencil, white China marker, and watercolor paint on tan Strathmore 400 series paper. 

I jumped in with background color right away....could have stopped here!

Next, I added some black India ink with the Pentel Pocket pen - too harsh.  Should have either selected a different medium or stopped before this!

Try as I might, I had to break out the gouche paints to soften the black, particularly in the ears.....getting better....

There is still a lot of the paper showing through, which works well with the Strathmore tan.  I continued to work with the gouche to get the ears back to a dimensional look.....luckily the gouche is opaque - watercolor just wouldn't do it.   Time to STOP a quick-sketch (well quick....not really...try again!)

...to Market???

What is the first animal barn you head to at the fair.  I have one friend who always starts with the pigs. 

6B pencil, white China marker and watercolor paints on Strathmore 400 series tan paper.

The first time I really understood the role of pigs in the agri-industry was when we lived in Iowa.  My first year in teaching, we made the annual field trip tour to the various farms in the community:  beef, hog, and chicken.  It was quite an eye-opener.  It was much clearer to my why people became animal-rights activists and vegetarians.  I won't go into the gory details here, however.

Stories like Charlotte's Web and Babe brought the pig to a new place in the lives of young children and helped reveal their intelligence and organization.  For example, contrary to popular myth, pigs define a dining location and a bathroom location within their pen - they are distinctly separated.  Babe displays his talents as both a communicator and a herder while Wilbur receives full credit for the collective talents of the rat and the spider in selecting a descriptor and for Charlotte, the web spinner.  Babe is the celeb who elevated to species.

The fair is the place to see hogs and pigs at their best.  The 4H babies there have been socialized, pampered and cleaned to reveal the best of the best.  The animal barns are the best place to see time shine.

Pig quick sketch with black-line addition using a black .5 Micron pen.  Click on image to enlarge.

I have decided that the best way to improve my quick-sketch skills is to be persistent in sketching daily.  The end results are hit and miss, to me, and I still have a strong tendency to go too far - so....also working on knowing when to STOP.

Quick sketch with addition of background color.

 I quickly added a little background wash and like the result - this is the time to STOP!!! 

Poultry where????

Although poultry is banned at the Minnesota State Fair, I recently paid a short visit to a petting zoo in the heart of Amish farming land.  They had three absolutely beautiful chickens (as chickens go,) that many tried to coax out of the coop.  It was a particularly cool and blustery day, and the chickens made it clear, they were staying put.

6B pencil on tan Strathmore 400 series paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

This lovely hen was the only bird I could get a clear view of.....well, at least the top half of her.  She appeared to be very annoyed by all of the children and their parents trying to lure her to the doorway, and made this wide, one-eyed glare from her perch inside the coop.

Amish hen with color on tan Strathmore 400 paper.   Black India ink using Pentel pocket pen, white China marker, and watercolor paints.  Click on image to enlarge.

This sketch, with color, was intended to be a "quick sketch."  I have not worked much or often with watercolor paints, but like the quickness of laying in a suggestion of color and moving on. Of course, I had trouble doing that "quick" part, and returned several times to "tweak" the image; so much for the "moving on" part.

Tweak #2 in Amish hen. 

The second time I returned to "tweak," I remembered why I so seldom use watercolor paints or depend on them to capture an image; they always reactivate when wet.  Even though you lay down a color and have it the way you want it, a drop of water, and you are back to square one.  I knew there was a reason I used the black India ink (non-water soluble,) and the white China marker (water resistant!) i.e. - they BOTH stay put!

Tweak #3 - Amish hen

By tweak #3, I had discovered that not only did I need to think about how to make my colors more dense, I also had to think about what other colors I could add to create depth and volume.  Notice, for example, that I have added purple to the comb and waddle (red stuff above and below the beak.)  Also, a little purple under the eye and black, not gray, into the body. I am convinced I like that white China marker and black India ink!

Tweak #4 - Amish hen.  (I think I would have made the background even darker if there would have been a tweak #5....there wasn't)

During my quick visit near the coop, the hen continued her scowl and remained in the coop.  Perhaps she has heard about the bird flu and is being a "wise old bird!"  We won't be seeing her at the Minnesota State Fair' that's for sure!

What, No Poultry??????

The bird flu has exacted another casualty - no birds at the fair!  The 'powers that be' determined early that it was too risky to bring birds from all over the state to a single location during the bird flu epidemic.

Initial hen sketch.  Pencil, white china marker, and water color paint on brown Strathmore 400 series paper. 

Hen sketch with background added.  Pencil, white china marker, and water color paint on brown Strathmore 400 series paper. 

I think it is very interesting to note that there are attributes of this hen that look very different than the initial sketch, and yet the only difference is the background color.  Note to self:  background matters!

Hen sketch with the addition of India ink.  Pencil sketch, with white china marker, and water color paint on brown Strathmore 400 series paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

In this third image, the only addition is the black India ink using the Pentel Pocket pen.  The image goes from looking artistic to looking cartoonish.  By changing the line of the bottom beak, the hen even conveys the message that she is sad about not being able to convene with friends at the 2015 fair.  What, no tears???

After studying the progression of the hen images, I decided that I just couldn't stop (even though this was intended to be a QUICK sketch,) with the black India ink swiped in, as seen in image three.  I broke open the gouache tubes of paint (had to find them first,) and continued to enhance the hen to get her to a visual place I liked better.

Hen sketch using B6 pencil, watercolor paint,  black India ink applied with a Pentel Pocket pen, AND the addition of gouache to refine and add more intense color.  Click on image to enlarge.

This fourth hen image was the result of adding gouache in some places.  I tried to stay true to my first intent, and keep the work quick and gestural.   I would call this "chick" better but not  best!  Another hour and I think I would be happy with her..........NOT going to happen!

Opening Day: Minnesota State Fair

Today is the big day - Opening Day - at the Minnesota State Fair.  The news has been filled with the wide range of "food on a stick" options available to those with cash in hand.  Look at what candied apples and Popsicle's started!

Goose #2 - quick sketch - 6B pencil, white China marker, black .5 micron pen and watercolor on tan Strathmore 400 series paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

The white China marker is an interesting way to quickly suggest feathers and go back in later with a water color wash, to create more depth.  I have never experimented much with watercolor before and am surprised by the things you can do.  I don't think this would be the medium for me, but fun for some quick "get into the fair spirit" sketches.   The wax resist effect of the China marker makes the addition of depth very easy provided the China marker isn't dense, like the area around the eye of the goose.  The front of the neck is the perfect combination of pencil, spaces between the China marker and the paper below.....lucky sketching, but will be deliberate about trying for that effect in the future.  In fact, I think the same type of end result might be possible using a non-water soluable pen, like the India ink in a Pentel pocket pen OR even any size tip of a micron fine-point.....worth a try. 

Slight wash added to create depth.

I added a very diluted wash just below the head, to try and create some volume and depth.  The color seeps around the waxiness of the white marker very nicely.  I wonder how may colors these China sticks come in, or if crayons are the best choice to add waxy color???

6B pencil, white China marker, black .5 micron pen, and watercolor paint on tan Strathmore 400 series paper.  Click on image to enlarge.

It's Almost "Minnesota State Fair" Time......

Many dedicated fair goers have been warming up their sketching skills for days, possibly even weeks, in preparation to hit the animal barns with tools in hand.  The lists of needed tools have bounced around the internet, and include the basics, like a pad of well-chosen paper and a pencil.  For some, the list is much more extensive, however, and may include one or two sets of paints, one or more ink-filled brush pens, colored pencils, two or more bottles of water, a protein-filled snack, money to purchase fair-only cuisine (cheese curds, chocolate-coated bacon, anything on a stick, etc.), and a chair for lengthy "captures."

Paper:  Not only is the type of paper a hot topic, but the shape of the paper is equally "hot."  Some only use a stitch-bound journal no smaller than 11" x 14".  Another prefers water color paper, cut into individual 5" x 7" cards.  Another will be using the new Strathmore 500 series printing stock, cut into 8" x 8" cards.  Some custom make a portable gouche set, others pack primary and secondary colors only of their favorite water-soluable pencils, still others include a white or light gray grease pencil or China markerish tool to quickly grab highlighted areas tandem with some form of permanent black ink.

I love reading everyone's fair plans and "what to pack" lists, but am just not sure I will be attending the fair.  My issue is always the parking.  When traveling to fairs in my youth, families and neighbors would pack into a car and, in true clown-car fashion, and travel to unload at the gate.  Once inside, the entire band would disperse, usually in sets of two, to devour the events, foods, and culture of the midway.  Later in the afternoon, the animal barns were appealing, and the stage shows kept thousands there until late into the evening.....it just seemed more user-friendly.

Quick-sketch to get into the fair spirit.  Pencil , white China marker, and water color paint on tan Strathmore 400 ser4ies paper. 

As a salute to those dedicate fair sketchers, I have begun a quick sketch or two to get into the fair spirit.  Who knows, this might be the year I get there.  For those interested, the great Minnesota State Fair Sketch-Out, it is September 1st.  Interested sketchers are directed to meet at  base of the sky ride at 4:30 PM.  If you are using the official State Fair map, it is at the U26/27 location.  Don't forget to get your button and wear it proudly!

Further enhancement of the quick-sketch, adding black India ink with a Pentel Pocket pen.  

Quick-sketch with addition of background water color to create a little depth.  Pencil, white China marker, water color, India ink on tan Strathmore 400 series paper.  Click on image to enlarge. 

Color Choices

The Butterfly Catchers, 1900-1908, Theodore Wendel, American 1859-1932, oil on canvas.  Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Another painting at the Institute revealing wonderful, vibrant color choices.  Notice the use of complimentary colors to create interest and depth.   This painting contains a large field of colorful flowers like the last painting by Metzinger, but the techniques used by the artist are different.  Wendel makes color work to lead the eye and create an edge in the distance on several plains.  His placement of rows directs the viewed on a zigzag path through the painting, demanding more attention than the Metzinger work.

Wendel also includes images of his children in the painting to add interest.  They are not laborers in the field, and appear to be running, interacting with the wind, and catching butterfiles, as the title suggests.

From what I have read, this image was not contrived by Wendel, but selected.  This brings up the question of how each artist selects images to paint and to what extent the cognitive tools of each artists contributes to the addition of elements not in the actual image.   The work of Tissot, for example, is so photographic, that is would seem little artistic license has been applies to to substance of the image.  But how much artistic license was included to determine intensity of color and light, shadows and facial expressions.

How do you determine what you will paint, or sketch or sculpt or render? 

Perspective

Fields of Flowers in Bloom, Near Caen, 1904, by Jean Metzinger, French, 1883-1956.  Oil on canvas.  Minneapolis Institutes of Arts.

Aren't the colors in this painting energizing.  The use of contrasts and overlap is very interesting to study and even more beneficial when looking at the actual painting in the museum.

As with other Neo-Impressionists, Metzinger also used the fragmentation of light to render landscape images.  Notice that is not the shade of the colors used as much as the use of perspective and size to create distance.  As the pink flowers move further back into the distance, the blossom heads get smaller and smaller.  The curvature of the rows recede into a single-point perspective and lead the eye of the viewer back to the small, purple trees.  The mountains in the background are a paler shade of purple, and is the most obvious place where shade impacts depth.

Interesting to note that this painting was created when Metzinger was 20 or 21 years old. 

Monet, the Influencer

Grainstack, Sun in the Mist, 1891, Claude Monet, French 1840-1926, oil on canvas.  Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

The interpretive rendering of light, atmosphere and weather through the use of color, application, and fragmentation, was particularly interesting to Signac.  In one of twenty-five paintings of the Grainstack, Monet painted many different canvases of the same image at various times of day, from the end of the summer in 1890 through the spring of 1891, and in different lighting to capture many different interpretations of the same subject matter.   It is the task of the viewer to coalesce the colors, often resulting in shimmering movement and reflections.  The involvement of the viewer in the interpretation of the painting is what first drew Signac to the work of Monet and influenced all of his work from their first encounter.

While Signac traveled extensively, particularly when he could sail, Monet painted the majority of his subject matter within three miles of his home.  In fact, the grainstacks were right outside his door - literally.

This brings up the very important matter of selecting a subject for a painting.  What causes one artist to travel miles away from home to capture just the right image, while the other just makes a ten degree turn and begins the next painting.  Or the artist who paints passionately in the morning and returns to the exact same location in the evening to paint the sunset (think Van Gogh.)  Does it matter if the focus of the painting is the image or the light, or the reflection of light, or the contrast of light and dark????

What is the focus of the majority of your work?  Is it the subject matter, the colors, the contrasts, the line, the texture???  What part of an image must to be present to be selected and your topic?  What part of an image are you always willing to add "artistic license?"  Art historians seem to think they know a lot about the answers to these types of questions - I wonder if they are right?

Representating Light and Color: Neo-Impressionism

Blessing of the Tuna Fleet at Groix, 1923 by Paul Signac, French, 1863-1935; oil on canvas. 
Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  Click on image to enlarge.

While visiting the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, I always try to stop by the "fleet" to see Signac's painting in  person.  We have a fairly decent copy of this painting in the entryway in our home.  The texture and movement, the thick brush strokes and depth of  paint could never be captured in a two-dimensional copy, however, no matter how good the print.  I am even intrigued by the flaws in the weaving of the cloth on this particular canvas; it's as if the artist incorporated the flaw into the composition and movement of the clouds.  I don't think he was financially struggling, and yet he chose to use a flawed canvas to dedicate hours of precise and detailed work - very interesting.  Would many painters today make such a choice......good question!  Would you?

Signac is considered a Neo-Impressionist.  He was initially influenced by Monet and the fragmentation of light.  His technique became more and more about rendering patterns of light and allowing the viewer to put the colors together rather than mixing the colors himself prior to brushing them on the canvas.   He sometimes met with other artists practicing the same style of painting, including Seurat and Van Gogh.

Many of his images involve water and sailing, both of which were of great interest to him.  Although he began as an architect, he broadened his work to oil on canvas, pen and ink, watercolor, etching and lithographs - many using dots to create depth, contours, and shadows.  Politically, many of his closest friends were anarchists, which some say is reflected in his artistic style. 

Which Fluid Has the Most Influence???

As the daisies at the entrance by our front door bounce and sway in the breeze, I was struck by the similarities between the movement of these flowers and the undersea grasses we've seen in aquariums.  Since air and water both function as fluids, what is the difference in the motion and appearance of plants growing in our front yard and those growing on the ocean floor? 

I decided to look at a few quick-sketches I have made to compare and contrast. 

Mote aquarium grasses.  Black Micron .05 pen on Strathmore 500 Mixed Media paper.

Mote aquarium grasses.  Black Micron .05 pen on Strathmore 500 Mixed Media paper.

Mote aquarium grasses.  Black Micron .05 pen on Strathmore 500 Mixed Media paper.

The texture of these plants more fragile than the daisies.   They also grew taller, but revealed a wider range of heights in each grouping.  I suspect these characteristic differences were not about the environment, but about the species. 

Mote aquarium grasses.  Black Micron .05 pen on Strathmore 500 Mixed Media paper.

Mote aquarium grasses. 6 HB pencil on Strathmore 500 Mixed Media paper.

These sturdier plants are probably a better comparison to the tall daisies in the garden.  It is interesting to note that these plants did not have leaves to capture light or facilitate respiration like the daisies.  It would take a little research to better understanding how these plants process nutrients and light.  If I were adding many of these types of plants to paintings, I would want to know that information so that the attributes of the plants would match the environment I place them in......unless, of course, it is all about artistic license and NOT about some level of authentic representation.........

Daisies - continues

While the more detailed daisy from yesterday could have been a stand-alone flower, I added a few others and some color to continue the picture.....probably one of those times when I went to far.  The flower below, one of the additions, would have worked as a stand-alone quick sketch.

Micron pen on 500 series Strathmore mixed media paper.  Color added with FM acrylic ink.  Click on image to enlarge. 

Below is a daisy from an earlier sketchbook that shares some of the same attributes as the daisy above.  Because both the pen and paper are different than in the image above, the technique, and end results, have a different look.  The daisy below appears much less controlled and "looser."  

I have really learned a lot from trying to sketch with a dip pen, and have the greatest respect for our ancestors, who had to depend on dip pens and quill pens as their primary writing and drawing tools. I encourage everyone to give a dip pen a try.  Because it has a different feel and end result, there is nothing else quite like it.  It may just be for you.......

Dip pen and black India ink on 500 series Strathmore printing paper, white.  Click on image to enlarge.

More Daisy Sketches

Today I had a little more time to work with the details of each sketch.  I am still working with just pen and ink, so each is still a line drawing.  The first one includes some negative space work, but was completed very quickly.

Micron pen on 300 series Strathmore mixed media paper, white.

The imperfection of this daisy was very interesting to me, so I took more time to sketch in some of the details. The spaces between the petals are as important as the veins in each of the petals, to give the entire sketch balance and visual interest.   Although a different application of negative space, one that can be equally valuable in the right situation.

Micron pen on 500 series Strathmore mixed media paper, white.  Click on image to enlarge.

Practicing Definition with Negative Space

Using this simple image, this is a good time work with defining the flower in negative space. 

Micron pen on 500 series Strathmore mixed media paper.  Click on image to enlarge. 

The shapes of the petals in the sketch above are defined by the crosshatching around them.  I enjoy creating these types of images and will need to be deliberate if I am going to incorporate this type of negative space into a full scale work. 

Below is a close up sketch, and not only uses negative space but the idea of a window frame restricting a portion of the view.  The entire sketch is just two petals; this is not a cropped sketch.

Micron pen on 500 series Strathmore mixed media paper, white.  Click on image to enlarge. 

The Daisies Have Arrived!

What fun it has been to watch the arrival of the garden daisies and the bird and insect population that has followed their arrival.  For quick studies, I have decided to try a variety of daisy sketches. 

Micron pen on Strathmore 500 series mixed media paper, white.

Micron pen on Strathmore 500 series mixed media paper, white. Click on image to enlarge.

 I like the density of this image.  It better represents the actual garden, particularly the section with the tallest flowers.  These images are so general, however, that they could represent almost any emerging blossoms.  The sketch below is much more specific to Shasta daisies. 

Micron pen on Strathmore 500 series mixed media paper, white.  Color added with FW acrylic ink, brushed.  Click on image to enlarge.

Artist's Decisions (with a question at the end)

Reading through some information about Tissot again reminded me of the choices artists must make time and time again.  In addition to composition, color, "when is it really done..," etc, there is the ongoing question of actual content and technique.  History spends volumes of time and text informing us about the "game changers" throughout time; those people who were anarchists, or joined forces with other "out of the box" thinkers, within their own culture, to shift the status quo.  Tissot is the perfect example of a very competent and financially successful artist who is not well referenced in historical documents for his style, subject matter, technique, color choices, etc.

During the nineteenth century, notable artists in France knew one another and gathered together to discuss "art stuff,"  renderings, techniques, genre, etc.  The evolution of one of these groups, which came to be known as the Impressionists, is well known.  Tissot not only lived during the rise of this group, but was friends with the artists that we know today as Impressionists.  In fact, Degas painted a portrait of him early in the Impressionistic movement.  In 1874 (after Tissot's moved to England,) Degas asked Tissot to "join them in the first exhibition organized by the artists who became known as the Impressionists, but Tissot refused." Wikipedia   He did maintain his friendships with the artists in the group, however, all of his life.

So what was it that helped Tissot hold his ground in his artistic style when many of those who were his friends were focused on light, pointalism and heavy oil washes?  For one thing, he was very financially successful.  As he moved more and more towards realism, his work became very popular with wealthy patrons.  Here is the artistic dilemma:  did he paint to the wishes of the patrons, his personal philosophies, his historical grounding in textiles and fashion, anarchy to the Impressionistic movement, or.....some other driving force?  Every artist who is selling work must make the decision of what to paint and how to do it with every canvas.  The painting style seen in On the Thames, A Heron and like those seen below, made him a very wealthy man.  Yet in a era where the tides of history celebrate the rebels, the artisan is not deemed significant for his artistic techniques or style.

Young Lady in a Boat, 1870 by James Tissot, oil on canvas.  Click on image to enlarge. Wikipedia

Young Lady in a Boat, completed two years prior to "...Heron..." in the MN Institute of Arts, has many similarities to the MN painting.  The textiles in this painting are very typical of much of his work and was highly sough after by wealthy industrialist patrons.  Notice the differences in the water in this painting and the one two years later, however.  It would suggest that the Impressionists did have some influence on the later piece.  Also, the location of the second image in this painting, the dog, and the second image in the MIA painting, the heron indicate a Japanese influence.  Clearly, Tissot is very success at blending influences from multiple sources and making them his own.  These constant adaptations would suggest that he was painting to please others (and his bank account,) as much or more than to declare a personal philosophy - ongoing decision for all artists who sell their work.

Bad News 1872, by James Tissot, oil on canvas.  Click on image to enlarge.  Wikipedia

Bad News was completed the year Tissot left France and moved to England.  Initially, the belief was that he left during the Franco-Prussian war as a political statement of conviction.  Addition research suggests, however, that he left to protect his paintings and materials.  It is clear what historian value as they convey events, but for the artist (or anyone for that matter,) is self preservation a less noble reason to relocate than political declaration?  Clearly, historians favor the anarchist over the pragmatist. 

In his later life, Tissot's work shifted to Bible themes, and appeared to be a reconnection with the teaching of his youth, primarily by his mother.  It is interesting to note that although he is not touted as a founding father, or even a participating member of the Impressionists, his work has provided a strong foundation for films like Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Age of Innocence.   His subject matter and imagery is valued over his technique.  The painting below is more typical of his later years.

The Ark Passes Over the Jordan, 1896 - 1902.  James Tissot. Click on image to enlarge.  Wikipedia

So, if you are an artist who always, sometimes, or occasionally sells your work, what influences your image choices and to what degree? 

Tissot's Water

The fourth painting at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts that features a lot of water is "On the Thames, A Heron," by James Tissot.  Tissot  was a french painter who lived from 1836-1902.  During the Franco-Prussian war he became a political refugee, fleeing to England from France.  While the French preferred sentimental narratives, the English market wanted images depicting Victorian charm.  This painting, completed between 1871 and 1872, shortly after his arrival in England, is one of his first English works.  Influences reflecting the demands of both markets are apparent.

On the Thames, A Heron, c. 1871-1872, James Tissot, French, 1836 - 1902; oil on canvas. Click on image to enlarge.  Minneapolis Institute of Arts collection.

In addition to mixing the market demands of both French and English clients, he has also incorporated the "aesthetics of Japanese design in his use of a high vantage point and the juxtaposition of two separate pictorial elements in compressed space."  MIA informational display plate.

Of course in this visit to the Institute,  what caught my eye for further investigation, was the water and reflected light.  Did you see the heron right away?  If the clue "heron" wasn't in the title of the painting, I certainly would not have approached the canvas looking for a bird.

Again, from a distance, the water appears very photographic.  It does not show the impressionistic techniques displayed in the work of the three previous painters who worked only ten to twenty years later.
Notice in the image below, on closer inspection, that the realism of the water breaks down in much the same way the work of Zorn does on close inspection.

On the Thames, A Heron - cropped, by James Tissot, c. 1871-1872.  Oil on canvas.  Click on image to enlarge.  Minneapolis Institute of Arts collection.

I thought it was interesting that the body of the lace shawl, the gloves, and the boards making up the sides of the boat do not deconstruct in the same way as the water in front of the boat.

On the Thames, A Heron - cropped, by James Tissot, c 1871 - 1872.  Oil on canvas.  Click on image to enlarge.  Minneapolis Institute of Arts collection. 

The heron in the foreground provides a stark contrast to the precision and details of the water.  Part of this may be deliberate, to make the bird more important as the second "feature" in the painting.  Another factor may be the overlapping of the bird on the water, created by the point-of-view of the viewer from above rather than to the side, as if on a river bank.  Also note the reflection in the water, which is much more apparent when the painting is cropped and the object of the reflection is not visible.

I spent quite a bit of time studying this painting.  It seems like a composite of many different techniques and composition ideas.  I would like to research this artist further to learn more about him and his other works. 

Knight's Water

Daniel Ridgway Knight's painting of a Flanders girl in native working clothing, doing "non-industrialized" work provided another opportunity to study water in an oil painting. 

Cropped:  Girl by a Stream, Flanders, c. 1890, by Daniel Ridgway Knight, American, 1839-1924, oil on canvas.  Click on image to enlarge.

Knight's sky and background reflections on the calm waters also appeared differently up close and across the gallery.  In fact, that is true for all of this painting, and is most noticable in the reedy plants along the waterside,and the flowers to the left of the girl, on the grassland. 

Across the gallery, the images have a photo-like quality and appear very precise.  Up close, the light bounces around the water, blades of grass, flowers, the collection bag,and the girl, as well.  Study the full image below, clicking for a closer view, to see the differences in the shimmering water created by Knight's painting technique. 

Daniel Ridgway Knight, American, 1839 - 1924, Girl by a Stream, Flanders, c. 1890, oil on canvas.  Click on image to enlarge.  Painting on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. 

Thaulow's Water

The painting is still on exhibit in the Impressionists collection, and is called "The Mills at Montreuil-sur-Mer, Normandy," by Fritz Thaulow. 

The Mills at Montreuil-sur-Mer, Normandy by Fritz Thaulow, Norwegian, 1847 - 1906.  oil on canvas.  Painting on display at the Mineapolis Institute of Arts.

Although not as impacted by the move to industrialization as Zorn, Thaulow has also worked to preserve cultural values by depicting the mill.  I have always been intrigued by the way in which Thaulow has captured the intense light reflecting off of this water.  Check out the image below without the distraction of the heavy, garish frame, which seems like a disconnect for this particular painting.

The Mills at Montreuil-sur-Mer, Normandy, by Fritz Thaulow, 1981; oil on canvas.  Click on image to enlarge. 

Notice how Thaulow has depicted the ripples and the undercurrent in this relatively still water....fascinating.  It is unfortunate that the mid-section of the water has deteriorated somewhat, and up close the cracks and fracture lines in the painting are distracting.

I wonder what we can to to further preserve this painting, AND all of the works that are currently being created?