Completed my WATER Series

I completed the third 30"x40" oil painting in my series about WATER. You may notice that I slightly changed the composition of the second painting. It was pointed out to me (and I agreed) that the starfish was a distraction to the overall composition. Thanks for that advice, Barry.

The third painting is my take on the view one has while paddling out to catch waves. The composition shows a close-to-the-surface perspective as the white water of a small breaking wave approaches.

So far, I have tentatively titled these paintings, Water #1, #2, and #3. If you have a suggestion for more appropriate and creative names for these 3 paintings, please leave your suggestions in the comments section of this post.

Water #1

 

Water #2

 

 

Water #3

 

 

Have a great weekend!

Appying Finishing Touches to Water #2

I am in the latter stages of the second in a series of paintings about WATER; warm, crystal clear tropical beach water. As a member of Ocean Futures Society, an organization founded by Jean-Michel Cousteau, missioned to preserve the cleanliness of our oceans, I wanted to bring attention to the beauty and fragility of our oceans.

I have been a water person for my entire life -- riding waves first with a blow-up raft when I was little, then transitioning to a surf board, and now, since the knees are a bit beat up, to a boogie board. And, every trip to the Caribbean includes great snorkeling adventures.

Consider joining me in support of future generations having cleaner ocean water than we have now.

This second 30"x40" in my series, using a large amount of glazing technique, is almost complete. I still need to even out the glossiness with a varnish once it cures, so I guess I'll begin painting #3.

Have a great week!



Water #2 by Alan Zawacki -- in progress



 

Water #2 by Alan Zawacki -- close up detail

Glazing My Way Through a Seascape

I am currently working on several 40”x30” canvases for an upcoming solo show in December at the Players Theater in Sarasota, Fl. In addition to my existing paintings, I am creating a series of water paintings using a glazing technique.

Although I had created paintings that incorporated some glazing in the past, these will be painted primarily through glazing many layers of blues and greens to try to achieve a translucent feel to the water.

The following are several progress photos of the first painting using this technique. I began with a grisaille (monotone under-painting) and then layered a glaze of color each day, letting it dry overnight. After six layers of various glazes, I am now in the later stages of adding highlights and modifying areas that still need some adjusting.

Grisaille

 

After 2nd glaze

 

After 4th glaze

 

After 6th glaze

 

After 2nd application of highlights

 

 

It's a very challenging way for me to approach a painting since I have to force myself to be patient with the day-to-day process. I still have some work to do on this yet but I can now see it coming together in these final stages. Then, on to the next.

 

Have a great week everyone.

Finished Oil over Acrylic Painting

I told everyone in my last post that I would let you know when I finished the Chapel and Flowers painting - a 24"x24" oil over acrylic on canvas. So, here it is.

 

 

 

This is an actual hillside chapel in St. Thomas, USVI, on the property where we usually stay. This painting was originally done in acrylic and I have over-painted the original with oils. Since I had the chance to slightly modify the composition, I made the painting a bit truer to the real-life scene. I'm enjoying the added brilliance and vibrant colors that I get with over-painting in oil. A photo of the original acrylic is on my previous blog post.

Have a great week!

Evolving and Experimenting with Oil Over Acrylic

Let's face it. An artist evolves. As a matter of fact, everyone in every line of work evolves in their knowledge and skill level. I look at this evolution with great excitement and anticipation. It's darn fun!

So, I've taken on an experiment to see what I can create. I have pulled out some of my older acrylic paintings; ones that, for one reason or another, I didn't feel were up to par with what I intended to create. Using these paintings as an elaborate "under-painting," I have revised the compositions and colors by over-painting it with oil colors. As I learned quite a while ago, one can paint with oils over acrylic but not acrylic over oils. The difference is in the drying characteristics of each. Oil dries much more slowly so it can dry properly on top of acrylic but not underneath.

Using oil over acrylic is a common practice for some artists but this was new to me. The results are very pleasing to me -- and based on comments of others, pleasing to them as well. I am finding that the acrylic under-painting provides a platform for more brilliance and reflectiveness of the oil paints.

Here are two paintings using this method. The first is completed and now drying, Late Afternoon Sun - 12"x36" oil over acrylic on stretched canvas.




The second painting using this method is still in progress but here is a photo of the original version in acrylic and then the "almost completed" oil version.

Acrylic version

 

 

 

Oil over Acrylic

I have more work yet to do on this painting but I already like the brilliance in the colors over the original.

I'll let you know when it's finished.

Have a great week!

My New Online Etsy Shop

Over the past few months, I have been doing quite a bit of plein air paintings. For those who may not be familiar with this term, “En plein air” is a French expression which means "in the open air," and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors or "from life." I am therefore, rapidly creating an inventory of smaller canvases and canvas wrapped boards. Many artists have large studios or sufficient storage space. I have neither – maybe one day.

Following the example of a well-known artist, I have set up an online Etsy Shop as a way to make available my small plein air studies rather than letting them accumulate too quickly.

In some cases these are studies for larger paintings.  Others were created in the field as a way to quickly capture that special moment in time and place. You will also find small to medium-size studio paintings that I created in a one-day session to satisfy a moment of inspiration. These are mostly unframed canvases; however, some may be on gallery wrap (no frame needed) or have been framed to be able to exhibit in shows.

These field studies and studio paintings are smaller original paintings, painted in either oil or acrylic and are being made available at very affordable prices. Most of these paintings are for sale unframed unless otherwise noted. This allows the customer to frame the painting to fit their specific home decor.

The name of my Etsy Shop is Alan Zawacki Fine Art on Etsy.

Here are a few of the pieces that I just recently posted on the Etsy site... to see more information about them, please click on my Etsy Shop link:  Alan Zawacki Fine Art on Etsy

 

 

 

Until my next post, have a great couple of weeks.

Never Stop Learning

My motivation and inspiration for painting not only includes the joy of sharing my art with others but also the experience of personal growth in my skills as an artist. Last week I participated in five intensive days of group instruction with internationally renowned plein air artist, Morgan Samuel Price.

The week included daily demos and lessons by Morgan during the mornings. The group then applied the lessons-learned in the afternoons by painting at various Sarasota locations. I have to say that the week was both exhilarating and exhausting. What a week!

Before transitioning to become a fulltime artist, my primary career for the past 30 years revolved around corporate employee training and adult education. I guess once an educator always an educator, since I continue to be fascinated by the human learning process.  Last week, I experienced a perfect demonstration of a teaching and learning process that I used many times during my adult education career. It’s called, “behavior modeling.”

In a very simplistic nutshell, the behavior modeling process consists of:

1. An Explanation or Overview - The instructor discusses the objective and importance of the skill module and the specific behavior or critical steps of the activity to be learned.

2. A Demonstration - The instructor effectively utilizes the skill as the trainee observes.

3. Practice - The trainee practices the skill as the instructor observes.

4. Skill practice feedback - After the practice session, the trainee receives feedback from observers and the instructor that emphasizes things done correctly. Where the behavior or skill could have been more effective, alternative positive behaviors or skills are suggested.

When conducted well, this teaching and learning process is a very comfortable and effective fit for both the teacher and the student. My challenge now is to take the mound of information and skills that I picked up during that concentrated week and begin to apply it to my new works. As I continue to do that, I hopefully will experience something called "skill transfer" or in other words, personal growth.

Below, I've included one of my “almost completed” plein air studies of a garden sculpture that I painted on the grounds of the Ringling Museum last week. Since I usually spot a few things that I’d like to change once it’s back in my studio, I’ll be touching it up just a bit before it’s available for sale.

 

 

Have a great week, everyone, and keep on learning!