A bit more on this work-in-progress

work-in-progress, oil on canvas, 20x20 in.

Color mapped in, palette = burnt sienna, burnt umber, cobalt, alizarin, yellow ochre and titanium white. Going to focus on keeping this very loose, will move back into the darks next followed by more opaque layers on the medium values and finally the brightest colors and higlights. Blues and oranges will predominate, this complements the painting I just finished of the Jefferson Market Building very well.

New Urban Landscape Work-in-Progress

work-in-progress, urban landscape of 10th St. NYC, oil on canvas 20x20 in.

A new one I started today, will post pics of this as it is completed. This layer is burnt sienna + turpenoid, 1″ soft bright used throughout. Am excited about this one, I love this stage of the painting process. I like to keep as much of the roughness and mere suggestion of what is to come for as long as I can. I’m hoping to get these latest ones to be even looser than my usual approach. Blurred edges and lots of motion to be implied, along with warm, glowing light.

I should note that although this starts will a photographic reference, I barely use the photo beyond this stage. The color and lighting from here on in will come from my head, this is the case whether I work from life or start from a photo (ALWAYS my own photos, all are random and not staged or highly composed). The painting is always something new, not a copy of life or a photo. For the first two years of my re-entry into painting, I only painted still lifes from life. This provided a solid understanding of color and lighting which helps when I can’t be on site.  My philosophy is that if logistics and schedule permit me to paint something from life I do, if they don’t and it is something I want to paint, I will start with a photo and use it purely as a departure point to create something entirely new.

Jefferson Market Building

Jefferson Market Building, 6th Ave. & 9th St., oil on canvas, 16x20

I’ve finally finished this painting of the Jefferson Market Building (6th Ave. & 9th St.). I will include it in the small solo exhibit I am having at the Salmagundi Club in August. The exhibit runs in conjunction with the Expressive Drawing workshop I am having at the Club. For more information on the workshop, please visit the Workshops & Classes page.

I have also decided to offer this painting and a few of my other urban landscapes for sale in my online store at Zatista.com. Please visit the store and book mark it as I will update the inventory with new work on a regular basis.

Experimenting with Acrylics – workshop on July 18 at NJ Visual Arts Center

Magic Brew, collage and acrylic on canvas, 12x12 - both abstract and representational techniques will be explored in this one-day intensive workshop

Acrylics are a highly versatile and expressive medium. In this workshop, students will gain a basic overview and working knowledge of acrylic painting techniques on both paper and canvas. A variety of methods will be demonstrated with emphasis on value, color and composition. Students may work from a still life set up by the instructor or from their own reference materials. All levels and styles welcome, representational, abstract and collage will be discussed and demonstrated. Register as soon as possible by calling the art center at 908-273-9121. For details, click here: http://artcenternj.org/adultworkshops.php

Note: I will have samples of Chroma Interactive Acrlyics for students to try in this workshop! Bring a palette with a lid suitable for acrylics and you can take some home with you!

To NYC and Beyond…

Brooklyn Art Project Homepage / Profile

I’ve realized for some time now that I have 2 parallel careers, I am primarily an instructor in New Jersey and an artist in NYC. It’s about time those 2 paths crossed and it’s about to happen with my upcoming “Expressive Drawing” intensive in NYC which kicks off the Salmagundi Club’s new workshop series this August. (For more information on the workshop, visit the Workshops & Classes page.)

As a result, I’ve decided it would be a good idea for me to get my name out there beyond Manhattan, so I’m starting my venture into the 5 boroughs with Brooklyn. Why Brooklyn? Well, for starters it’s prime territory for some cutting edge arts programs: there is the Brooklyn Museum, Pratt Institute and the Brooklyn Art Project.

No matter where you live, you can join Brooklyn Art Project (BAP) as an artist or art enthusiast and connect with a growing collective of 3000+ inspired minds from around the world. Membership is free and includes unlimited online gallery space, personal blogs, widgets to share and promote your work, forums, groups, and exclusive member only competitions and international shows.

I thought BAP would be a good place to start getting exposure for both my work and classes that I’m beginning to offer in NYC. Although I have gallery representation in NYC and exhibit regularly as a member of the Salmagundi Club, it would probably be a good idea for me to venture outside the “box” I’ve historically show my work in–the eastside from SoHo up to Gramercy Park, between 5th Avenue and Broadway. BAP has regularly monthly get togethers and exhibits featuring the work of its members. It’s a great way to meet other artists and curators who may be interested in either taking my workshops or exhibiting my paintings.

Why not just exhibit in New Jersey?

A lot of people ask me why I don’t exhibit in New Jersey since I live there. The simple truth is, I cannot find a suitable venue for my work. Since I paint so many urban landscapes of NYC, the city was just a natural fit. Also, there are not very many venues available to artists who don’t paint highly traditional subjects here in the Garden State. So, as I mentioned earlier, I’ve become an instructor in NJ and an artist in NY. It doesn’t really bother me, although the commute is not something I want to do on a daily or even weekly basis, going in for exhibits I am in or to do workshops is great. So I plan to be spending more time there in the future, look for more classes and workshops and hopefully additional exhibits beyond my usual boundaries.

JAG Fine Art Opening Reception

Raindance, oil on canvas, 18x24

JAG Fine Art will be having their Grand Opening a their new location in Philadelphia at 1538 Pine Street, on Wed., July 8 from 6 to 10 p.m. There will be live music by Gregg Cagno and Jessica Paris. The exhibit will feature several of my paintings as well as photography by John Andrulis and abstract paintings of Jacob Kabinoff.

Discount Extended through August 1 – Save $25!

Expressive Drawing Workshop, Aug. 15 & 16 at the Salmagundi Club of NYC

Would you like to put more expression and spontaneity into your drawings and paintings? A drawing produced with a confident and natural hand is elegant, loose and expressive. This 2-day intensive workshop will focus on value, form and perspective in a manner that encourages individual style development and expression.

Day 1: Working in charcoal from a simple still life, students will learn the basics of form and value, how lighting defines the mass and form of an object, and how to translate those concepts on paper and canvas. We will begin with solid objects and simple forms, covering issues such as symmetry, depicting turned form and imparting gesture. We’ll move into more complex visual challenges such as glass and reflective surfaces on Day 2.

Day 2: Students may continue to work in charcoal or they may try working with black acrylic on paper using a wash technique that will be demonstrated by the instructor. Focus will be on complex visual challenges such as depicting reflective surfaces, water, drapery folds and metal.

On both days, emphasis will be placed on practicing in a way that will ultimately build confidence and produce stronger drawings and paintings. Great for students who are intimidated by perspective, shading, drapery, reflections and other challenging concepts and subject matter.

Register Today and SAVE!! The registration fee for this workshop is $300 for Salmagundi members and $325 for non-members, if you sign up by August 1, you will receive a $25 discount.  Class held August 15 & 16, 2009 from 10 am to 4 pm both days. Call the Club at 212-255-7740 to register.

In conjunction with this workshop, a special exhibit of drawings & paintings by Anne Kullaf will be on display in the Patron’s Gallery from August 11 – 21, 2009.

Taxi!

"Banner Day" oil on canvas, 12x12

 Based on everyone’s input, “Banner Day” (also known as “taxi”) is the painting I should put into the International Guild of Realism’s 2010 juried exhibition in Palm Springs. Now that everyone has shared their opinion,  here are my thoughts:

The main reason I asked for input was because I’m really unsure if I should even be entering this show at all. I’ve been a member of the realism guild now for about 3 or 4 years, and their exhibits are wonderful, I’ve participated in 2 of their juried shows and have 2 pieces in their traveling museum exhibit, I met one of the galleries that now represents me as a result of being in one of these shows. But my own work has evolved so much in the time since I became a member that I don’t even consider it realism anymore. I have a feeling it has a good chance of being rejected–which is fine, if the show is limited to pure realism then my work clearly doesn’t belong there.  However, if by chance it does get included, it will stand out from the other work as different, this has happened in past shows as I’ve always been looser than the other artists in the realism guild shows. This is the upside I am hoping for.

As for choosing between the two, I would say “taxi” is a just a touch more realistic than “wine”. Again, the process of evolution at work here, I painted “taxi” last fall, “wine” is still on my easel. Even in that short period of time, my work has become more abstract. Once the momentum of change builds, it progresses rapidly and I’ve always just gone with it. So in that sense, “taxi” might be a better choice for this show.

However, there is the geographic factor to consider. My paintings of NYC do well on the east coast, but I’m not so sure about Palm Springs. If it were LA or San Francisco, it would matter less I think. I had a painting of NY in the rain in a show at Scottsdale Fine Art a few years ago, no interest in it at all. Yet all of the pieces I’ve sold in Florida have been of NY in the rain (but all to people who have lived in NY or other major cities).

It was also interesting for me to see who picked what, I always enjoy spontaneous reactions to the work, because that is how most people will look at a painting. Many times artists over analyze their work, I try not to do that–it either works or it doesn’t, that’s why I try to focus on what is interesting to me to paint rather than techniques and rules.

Thanks everyone for your input, it was very helpful and I appreciate your taking the time to help me out!

Just for fun…

Choose which image you think I should put in the exhibit

I need your help, which of the images above would you choose to submit for an upcoming exhibit? The show will be held in Palm Springs in 2010 and features the work of members of the International Guild of Realism.

If you have a Facebook account, please click on this link to make your choice as I’ve already started collecting input there (larger images are there as well, just click on the small ones on Facebook to enlarge them):

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anne-Kullaf-Original-Paintings/91898306043

If you don’t have a Facebook account, then just pick the one you would choose with a one-word comment in response to this post. Just type “wine” or “taxi”, don’t explain why for now, that way no one will sway anyone else’s opinion. Thanks for your input!!! I will post my choice here in day or so.

Thank You NJ Society of Plein Air Painters

plein air demo for the NJ Society of Plein Air Painters

I’m so glad the weather held out yesterday for the demo in Clinton. Thank you NJ Society of Plein Air Painters for inviting me to demo Chroma Interactive Acrylics for your group. If anyone has any questions about the products or techniques I used in my demo yesterday, please post them here.

Thanks also to the Hunterdon Museum of Art for allowing me to do the demo in your courtyard!