Meet Kelly Medford

Meet Kelly Medford (www.kellymedford.com) my friend, Italian hostess, teacher, critic, co-adventure-lover....oh, did I say:  ARTIST.  Before you get to know her through my eyes, go to this site and watch this professionally made,  very short video about her:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8LrX-9C8wWU. 

 

Sounds like a dedicated artist, eh? Here's Kelly (above) painting on the rooftop of our apartment in Procida.  Yep, she's just the kind that looks out the window during wine time, sees the soft yellow light of sunset, grabs her paints and runs to catch the glow.  I followed but gingerly carried my wine and camera up to catch her catching it!  Kelly came to Florence, Italy to study art about 10 years ago.  She soon realized she could learn more painting daily on the streets than copying the classical busts that were protocol at the academy.  The rest is history....

After several years she moved to Rome to live and work.  In addition to her daily plein air discipline she conducts "Sketch Rome" tours, teaches and collaborates on myriad other art projects.

We didn't paint 24/7 however, because breakfast coffee was a must no matter where we found ourselves....above is our favorite coffee setting overlooking the fisherman's harbour from a hotel we stayed at in Procida.  Of course we discussed the light.....but look at those rooftops and colors and lines and arial perspective......oh my!

Kelly loves her work and is happiest when painting but she is a fine teacher as well.  I have great appreciation that she recognizes we all have our own style and approach, "I'm not trying to teach you to paint exactly like I do," she begins, "I am here to help you apply some basic formulas to your own work." Nothing "basic" however about the depth of knowledge she shares.  Everything from mixing all the colors you"ll ever need from 3 tubes of paint to the principals of perspective. 

Kelly engaged us in a number of exercises which I greatly enjoyed.  Many of us lack the discipline to do the daily work that really advances us, so this rang my chimes. Here she is moderating a critique of our work....mine on the hot seat here!  I'm not thin skinned but I will always be grateful that she commented on how most of my work, even the timed exercises, seemed to offer a story in them....something I have tried to do since the day I picked up a brush.  Of course her noting this, unprompted, makes her brilliant in my mind!!

We later crawled around Rome sketching in the various parks and looking for new angles to paint.

Kelly has made me want to work on my watercolor sketching more, it is a different ballgame than oil but has such portability that I will enjoy honing my skills.  If I need inspiration I only need look at the photo above done in a park before we indulged in a birthday lunch and bottle of wine.  Further nudges will come from the jewel below.  A tiny little sketch I loved and then found in my card as a precious gift from a sweet friend, a valued teacher and a fine plein air painter.  Lots of grand memories!

P.S.  I would be remiss to let you think this piece is as blue as it appears....blame my camera and my lack of technology on an iPad.  You can see more of her work and sign up to get notices of new work at her website, www.kellymedford.com.  I know Kelly would love to hear from you.  If you are in love with Italy keep in mind that she does commissions and visits the U.S. in the winter.  

Ciao Italy and ciao Kelly!

Sketch crawl and coffee

My adventure is winding down...but you can bet I've packed in enough sketches, paintings, photos and memories to last me months of delicious review.  

Kelly met me in the corner bar yesterday for coffee before we headed off (2 buses, 1 tram and a short walk) to her new studio space. On the third floor of a school ( middle-ish) she shares a large room with two other artists. A huge wall of north windows sheds gorgeous light over the areas where they have each established their own spaces. 

I'm being silly here but this great organization happened because I convinced her that shelf assembly was one of my fortes and together we made this IKEA piece come together. Now she is one huge step closer to working en situ! 

We headed out to sketch the city...since it was the most gorgeous day ever we headed to a park to lunch and draw. 

Rome is filled with my favorite tree ever; umbrella pines. They are the source of the versatile pine nut and are so graceful and personality-filled. I have painted them often and could draw them forever. This is a quick sketch before I pulled out the Watercolors. 

We hopped all over tackling some challenging areas (I'll post Kelly's work seperately).  I decided to work on some perspective and got part way into this fence before we decided it was wine o'clock. 

While I used to freeze in fear while drawing in public, it doesn't phase me now. It's rather fun to see what happens, no final pieces, all studies and it is interesting to see people's curiosity. One "brava" can make your day. 

The sun was casting a golden hue to everything as we left the park. My forest of umbrella pines looked magical with all the shadows. That's me on the bench raising my  arms in joy and sending up prayers for a return trip. 

Ciao,

Cindy

Believable Scenes or Hokey Poses

When is REAL LIFE Trite??

Many times I have gasped at a sunset only to remark to a cohort "if we painted it as it is no one would believe it."  Sad but true.  Sometimes the amazing color that nature presents us is so fleeting that to put it down on paper would feel unreal or unnatural.  Sigh.

The same thing happens in figurative work.  Sometimes the scene on the street is so touching that it feels hokey when painted.  How many more silhouetted handholders can I take with an ocean sunset backdrop?  How many more child hands painted in large calloused ones? I know, I know, people love this stuff....but in the pursuit for new some of these scenes have been painted just one too many times.

So it is with trepidation that I even show you a painting I am working on currently.  Probably trite, probably hokey, and most likely poorly executed.  But....there I was in Rome painting (for real) and my companion, Kelly Medford, and I ducked into a little church, mostly for the shade it offered but there was something she wanted me to see.  As we were walking down the aisle I turned around and caught a glance of a mother and a young boy.  They were perfectly framed by the light coming from the main window above the front altar.  My instincts were to turn back around, I felt I was invading their "moment."  

But the artist got the better part of me and as I glanced back to see the scene I knew it was a composition I would want to remember.  I quietly got out my phone and turned once again to get a photo trying all the while NOT to appear I was taking a photo.  No time to even see if I got a good one.  Kelly and I resumed our tour and left the nave by a side door.  I don't even remember if I shared the photo with Kelly. 

 It felt like a very private moment.

Several years later I was going through my photo files and came upon the scene again.  This time I wanted to try to paint it and lo and behold I noticed a third figure in the background where she was standing in a posture of adulation.

This piece is nearly impossible for an amateur to photograph as it is done on a very smooth and very shiny clayboard.  It would usually frustrate me because it has no tooth to grab the paint but I wanted to glaze in layers for the depth keeping the surface relatively smooth.  In the painting the background is much darker but my camera wants to justify everything and I cant seem to adjust for that.

It is almost finished and if I can ever manage to get a decent photo I will post it.  But in the category of eating my words I wanted you to know that THIS is, was, a real scene, not a posed one, and for me was a powerful one with a lot of meat to it.  It is never as fab as the one in my mind....but maybe with a tad more work I can do it justice.

So the next time you see a hot pink sunset with orange stripes don't assume the painter is color-crazy - he may have really been there.  Just feel free to ask!

Always Amazed,

Cindy

Three for the Show

There is art that is completed in one sitting (often referred to as 'alla prima') and there is art that takes much, much longer.  Sometimes the artist makes changes and tweaks to an original idea and needs time to make the magic happen.  Other times the process is slowed because oil is one of the longest drying media and painting wet on top of wet isn't always the effect desired.  When I get into a large oil painting I enjoy layering color on top of color, building up texture and a more mottled (as opposed to blended) effect.  

This is why I tend to have many piece in process for weeks at a time and then all of a sudden, bam! there appears many finished paintings.  Right now there are three large half baked paintings in my studio.  And while I had very little to show for several weeks, ta-da!  I was able to put 3 good sized efforts into frames just yesterday.

Here's a few that are now "show ready:"

Travel with me if you will.....

to Mexico.

Plaza de San Fransisco,  12 x 9, oil on board, framed

$200

Finished!  After much work to get the stucco walls of the plaza interior to reflect the age and color they really are, I decided I really like the illusion of lines in this piece.  Forget where it is or what it is and just let your eyes bounce around to all the curves and lines and shapes formed by the sun and shadow.  Not a soul in sight I like to wander through this scene and wonder just how far down the street I can imagine seeing.  The black frame really made this piece pop.

Rooftop Dance, San Miquel, 24 x 18, oil on canvas,  framed

$400

Still in Mexico this is a rooftop scene I showed earlier while it was in progress.  It took several weeks simply because I wanted to use a "glazing" technique on the sky and the background buildings.  This is where you use just a tiny hint of color and a lot of medium that suspends the color and makes it almost like a thin sheet of glass on top of the piece.  I added about 16 "thin sheets of glass" (which each took a day to dry) in an effort to build up the see-through feeling of the sky and to also push the buildings back while letting the laundry and fence come forward.

Lasting Impression, Rome, 20 x 16, oil on canvas, framed

$300

Finally, we return to Rome.  I have tried to paint the coliseum many times.  It became very difficult because my mind told me one thing, the reality of the city hub presented another, and the actual truth of the pieces and parts that jigged and jagged together presented another.   The coliseum has old sections supported by new reinforcements, there is even a huge portion covered in scaffolding and drapes as it gets "restored."  So I had to settle for an "impression" of sorts that combines bits of all of the realities.  Yep, I left out the city traffic but the sky and the tree are real.  Nope, didn't paint the tourists and school children winding their way past the building and down the street.  I painted "my" coliseum....and it may well serve as your impression as well!

I will be putting these up on my website shortly but if you have any questions or interest you may contact me at art@cindymichaud.com for a quick reply.

AND P.S.  I received many excellent ideas last week on how to share (code for divest) myself of art that no longer fits our needs.  I am ponder all of the avenue and will share something this fall when we make the final decisions on what goes and how it leaves.  Stay tuned!  But thanks to everyone for offering their many creative ideas...I'm inspired.

ArtFULLY yours,

Cindy

Colorful History

The Umbrella Pines

oil    8" x 24"

Painting in Rome and Venice was an experience I will always recall fondly.  Plein Air work is a totally different sport than studio work.  Here are some of the pieces I have worked on since I returned.  Come visit me and most of this work next weekend, Nov. 23 and 24, 10 - 5 pm, at ArtWorks Fine Arts Festival on Highland Avenue in Eau Gallie. Click here for a map and directions.  

 Ponte di Rialto, Venice

oil    8" x 10"

Roman Colosseum 2013 AD

oil     9" x 10"

 The Appian Way

oil    5" x 7"

St. Peters Basilica from Villa Borghese

6" x 12"

See you at the art festival!  My space is #114 on the western side of Highland Avenue.  Cindy

Back to the Future

Rome is known for its art, especially the work of some of the oldest of the masters who worked under incredible conditions and with very raw materials to create the world's most famous work.  Few artisans opt for working as they did, mixing pigments, creating dye, choosing raw marble in the quarry or mixing and shaping glass for mosaics.  So it was incredibly refreshing to meet Megan Mahan, ex-pat from the Boston area, in Rome and learn about her love for not only restoring art and mosaics but for creating new pieces in methods not traditionally used today.

Here's Megan in her studio with husband Jon Paulo and their son Luca. 

During college Megan decided to become an art conservator (one who restores old or damaged pieces) and thus headed to Italy for further study.  Deep into her studies she fell in love...with an Italian named Jon Paulo and with the field of mosaics.  (and not necessarily in that order!)  You may read more on her website about the elderly craftsman she apprenticed under as well as her restoration work.  But I want to share her work with "micro mosaics."

Like the first mosaic photograph this is tiny, maybe 3x3 inches.  The little pieces on the wood next to the hand are the pieces she uses to fill in the color.  These tiny glass "rods" are in shapes of square sides, rectangular or roundish.  She then nips off a length and embeds it into a mastic (adhesive) that will eventually be covered by with pieces of the rods and left to dry.  (Megan fabricates her mastic with an ancient formula which must "cure" for over a year before being re-oiled to soften and use.)

Here are some trays of glass rods that make up a portion of her color palette.  What if she needs a rosy pink for cheeks and just can't find the color in her stash?  She has to blend it, fabricating a new glass rod.

To make a new color Megan will take pieces of the colors she wants to mix and heat them over the flame of a torch in this "skillet" spoon.  As the glass melts she begins to blend them together until she has a hot gooey glob of well mixed glass which she beats into a square shape maybe 1/2" x 1/2".  This goes back to the blow torch until it is hot enough to pull like taffy so she can stretch it out into long narrow rods. They cool instantly and these rods are then moved to the palette so she can cut them and insert into the rosy cheeks as needed.  Whew! Impressive, no?

 

I was utterly fascinated by the exacting process and admit I now have higher appreciation for the finished product...and a new respect for the artisans left doing this work.

 Megan also does larger mosaics using marble.  This piece is almost nine feet in length and was commissioned by a church in Jerusalem.  Notice how the top of it, farthest from us, looks painted?  Much of the church art in Rome is mosaic but appears to be painted until you get very close.  Just amazing to think of how tedious and detailed the process is.

Megan was a joy to meet, her calm and cool demeanor giving a clue as to why she has mastered this so beautifully.  Please visit her website and see the variety of ways mosaic art can be used.


ARTfully yours,
Cindy









Plenty of Plein Air

Kelly Medford on Plein Air painting…..                          email recipients can: (comment here)

Today’s guest is Kelly Medford, a new friend and a “plein air” painter who currently bikes around Rome capturing the landscape and nuance of Italy.  Seven years ago she spent a year at the Florence Academy of Art while a student at the University of TN, Chattanooga.  (See her work at: http://www.kellymedford.com). Realizing that all her time had been in the studio Kelly vowed to get outside and paint the countryside….

Just what is “plein air painting?”

Kelly:  It’s taking your easel and all other painting “gear” outside, setting up and painting the scene.  I spend hours walking or riding my bike around looking for the right composition or the right light and then, bam! there’s a painting just waiting to be captured. It’s about being inspired by real life in the blink of an eye.  I have my easel in a backpack and saddlebags on my bike.  It’s a real challenge.

This sounds a little….hazardous?

Well, it’s not dangerous (if you have your gear system down pat) but you need to be mentally agile.  For example, I usually wear sandals and once in FL I noticed way too late that I was standing in a fire ant bed; my feet swelled to the size of melons.  You have to put up with the elements: wind, sun, cold, the annoying person who tells me I’ve painted it all wrong or the one who parks their car in front of my perfect composition.

But?

But I like it.  I was attracted by the level of spontaneity, unpredictability.  I like being outdoors (farming didn’t work for me).  I like the strong light and I love how people are surprised by someone out on the street painting.

Do they interrupt you?

Constantly, it’s part of the adventure.  If you don’t like being friendly I suggest you wear oversized earphones and act like you are listening to music.  But I enjoy sharing my work; sometimes they ask to buy the piece or want to see more on-line.  Italians are a lot nosier than Americans.  In the US people spoke to tell me I was trespassing…in Italy they tell me stories, they want to know why I picked a scene, they tell me they paint better, I’ve even been serenaded while painting on a bridge.

People are amazing, wonderful creatures and always have something fascinating to tell me.  I can’t imagine painting in the studio every day; it would be so boring and lifeless without these odd interactions.  People ultimately make me appreciate what I do.

So, you do not paint from photographs?

I’ve only used them if I need to finish up something and usually I toss them as memory and imagination better serve me.  Without judging those who do, let me share my philosophy: I could take a photograph (which is also an art form) but copying it somehow lacks imagination.  If I do a little sketch with a pencil, the lines will say everything about the place, the moment and how I feel about it right then.  I’m an artist, I create something from nothing.  I want to paint life in that moment…not make an accurate record of a static situation.  You can enjoy my recent series of scenes in Rome "When in Rome" by clicking on the title.

Kelly, you have a challenging but exciting job; it’s obvious that you totally love what you do.

I do love it.  I enjoy that every day is so unexpected: I have no idea what I will paint or who I will meet.  It’s a lot like the weather: you can try to predict it but ultimately you have to experience it as it happens…and always dress accordingly!

For more of Kelly’s adventures visit her blog “Adventures in Painting” at http://www.kellymedford.blogspot.com, or contact Kelly at paintings@kellymedford.com).