I‘m pleased to report that the experiment to vacuum seal Gamblin mediums proved successful. At least partially so. I used the Vacu Vin Wine Saver to easily seal the 16 ounce Gamblin bottle and it worked perfectly. However the stopper is too small for the 32 ounce bottle and too big for the 8 ounce bottle. So I’m still using rubber stoppers for those sizes.
This model of vacuum stopper makes a small click when a vacuum is achieved and I was surprised how much pumping I did to extract the air. But once you know how long it takes (just a few seconds, really) it’s a snap to seal. I recommend getting the model with the extra stoppers (see link below).
Thanks to fellow painters Dave Casey and Robert P. Britton, Jr. for this terrific idea! I’m sure it will save hundreds of dollars of medium over the years.
I‘ve been working on illustrations for a book entitled The Philosophy of Thick Paint. It’s a collection of essays I gleaned from my upcoming book The Secrets of Thick Paint. I decided to keep all of the philosophical and introspective writings in one volume illustrated with black-and-white pen drawings of my life as an artist. It will be a book for artists to enjoy on rainy days when they can’t get out painting or need some encouragement. Conversely The Secrets of Thick Paint will be illustrated in full-color as a how-to book delving deeply into the technical aspects of painting with thick paint. What follows is a video I made as I sketched with the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen. Which if you haven’t tried, it’s awesome! I highly recommend it. Below are some links where you can buy this Pen for a cheap price. I actually paid double at a local store but it was still worth it! Let me know what you think. I use the Tombow pen for my thumbnail sketch because it has a thicker brush. The blunt tip makes it harder to get an extremely thin line which is perfect for the preliminary sketch where I don’t want to get bogged down in detail. And since it’s not waterproof I can’t go back and fiddle with white paint to make changes, all of which helps to focus on basic shapes of white, gray, and black. Working in black and white is a great way to learn to deal with values and has direct application to color work. Brad Teare 2013
I had quite a few requests to do another acrylic video showing all the steps beginning with the sketch. This video is part one of a three part series. The third video will be how to lubricate the canvas with retarding gel and paint into the wet surface. I wasn’t entirely pleased with how the distant hills ended up and I think repainting it along with the tops of the trees might be advisable. Uncharacteristically I’m using Liquitex Basics which is a student grade acrylic paint. But it is great to use as an underpainting because it dries very thin. It also has a matte surface, from additives, which makes it easy to paint over. Normally I use Golden Acrylics which have a thick full-bodied texture. If you add chalk to it you can get some really great textures. As always let me know if you have any questions. Brad Teare November 2013
Here’s the second part of the three part series about painting with acrylics. Those familiar with my methods will not be surprised that I painted into a lot of wet paint. Notice in this final shot that I changed the sky and the distant hills yet again to give more diversity to the composition. The video below was exported as HD. Let me know if this is a good thing or a nuisance. It took longer to upload and had a format that really wasn’t that conducive to easel painting so I may not do HD in the future unless I get positive feedback. I hope you enjoy the video and as always let me know if you have questions. Brad Teare December 2013
For reasons unknown many creative people suffer from uncontrollable anxiety. Three months ago after an exceptionally anxiety ridden week I woke up and said to myself, “if you don’t cure your anxiety your career is over”. It was a radical thought–one that came out of the blue–but I knew it was true.
But I didn’t know how to find a cure. I’m reasonably well versed in the tenants of psychology. I reviewed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which I studied years ago as an effective cure for depression. Unfortunately it had no effect on my anxiety. I tried meditation–a practice I abandoned years ago as anxiety overwhelmed all attempts to relax. It still didn’t work. I could only assume a meditative pose while anxiety played my nervous system like a bass fiddle.
A week later I attended a Christmas Bazaar and a physical therapist named Sharik Peck was giving complimentary massages. As I received my massage I told him about my anxiety. He said he had developed a new therapy that proved successful for many of his patients. I made an appointment and days later experienced the therapy. It was simple–I liked that part of it–but I suspected it might be too simple. During my first session I only had a moderately positive response. Sharik told me to do the exercise every day. The first week was bad as I had additional stress from worry about the therapy not working (you have to have anxiety disorder to fully understand such absurd logic). But I stuck with it and within a couple of days I had the most amazing experience–no stress. I mean zero. It was incredible. I realized I had suffered from acute stress for decades. A profound peace enveloped me. My wife and daughter could see the difference in my face. I had found the silver bullet to vanquish anxiety.
After the anxiety dissipated I had a keen awareness how stress had disrupted every aspect of my life. It affected my relationships with friends, coworkers, and family. I saw how my condition had distanced people who might otherwise have helped me. It was humbling. On the other hand I was proud of myself for having lived on a volcano yet managed a semblance of normal life. No one knew–nor will ever know–how much discipline I exerted to hold it all together. Now I could use my emotional energy in more productive ways.
I’ve waited a month before sharing this process. It was possible the therapy invoked a placebo effect, a phenomenon that artists, with our vivid imaginations, are highly susceptible to. I’ve had many unfavorable experiences with the placebo effect and have no desire to share disappointment. I am sure this is a legitimate cure. I’m equally sure it won’t work with everyone. But for me it is as close to a miracle cure as I can imagine.
It is a simple therapy and if you live in Northern Utah I highly recommend making an appointment with Sharik Peck. If you live elsewhere drop him an email and he may have advice he can share with you. In time I suspect he may even have a video or other resources available online.
For me the foundation for banishing anxiety was Sherik Peck’s therapy but I felt it prudent to supplement my success by reading a few books on the subject (see below). From reading these two books I have resumed meditation, re-embraced elements of cognitive therapy, and am taking a high quality fish oil supplement (there is compelling evidence that fish oil helps with anxiety). If you know other resources let me know.
We are all unique. It is unlikely that what worked for me will work for everyone. But it might work for some. I wish you success in your search to be the best and happiest person you can be. Update: I added a regimen of EMDR therapy to shore up my recovery. I use an inexpensive audio recording as well as doing some EMDR therapy with Linda Martin. EMDR therapy is explained in detail in the book The Instinct to Heal listed below. A related condition called High Sensitivity worsens stress. Read about it here).
I was walking in downtown Salt Lake City one cold evening when hunger ambushed me and I realized I could use nourishment. I remembered a deli ahead and walked with renewed determination toward what I knew would be a warm and satisfying meal. It was a slow night at the deli and there was only me and a solitary attendant behind the counter. I surveyed the menu and chose a large Italian sandwich. The attendant, a young man of about twenty or so, asked me if I was ready to order. I nodded yes and told him what I wanted. He repeated back what he thought was my order. But he got it wrong and I corrected him. A shadow of frustration must have crossed my face because he blurted out, “I’m sorry I’m lame, I can’t hear very well.” In the dim light I noticed behind his ears two large hearing aids. Ashamed at the possibility he had detected my impatience I said, “No, please! Not at all. I’m a mumbler” (which is often true). I made myself understood, the attendant prepared my sandwich, and I left the restaurant. I enjoyed the warmth of the sandwich as much as the sandwich itself as I walked back to the studio. The cold but pleasant evening gave me time to reflect on my interaction with the young man who had labeled himself lame. I imagined the difficult moments he would have faced in his short life, especially at a time of life when it is important to be like one’s peers. I thought of how my impatience had been detected and how unimportant it was that I had been misunderstood for the briefest of moments. I have since reflected on that young man’s humility and how he helped me see my weakness of impatience. We are all lame, maimed by one experience or another. Some of our disabilities are visible. Others are not and because they are not seen are perhaps even more debilitating. I have added subtitles to several of my videos (links below). If you know of a student of painting who is hearing impaired I hope you will forward these videos. I have started with what I think are the most important topics but in time hope to add subtitles to all of them. It may take some time but I hope it will be of some use. I hope you enjoy a beautiful Christmas Season! Brad Teare December 2013
According to the German philosopher Georg Hegel the intellectual process involves thesis (an original idea), antithesis (an opposing idea), and synthesis (a fusion of ideas). Other thinkers have applied this method to a wide variety of creative activities. Making this intuitive process a conscious one frees an artist to abandon older techniques in the search of a newer, more compatible synthesis. As I mentioned a few entries back I will soon begin painting a large commissioned piece. Due to the theme of the commission it seems logical to explore more academic techniques that use a variety of processes. The technique of Rembrandt immediately came to mind. As I studied his technique I became even more intrigued with his methods. In short I will be fusing my thick paint approach with a wider variety of artistic techniques. For some time I have thought I needed a variety of textures throughout my painting and that a uniform amount of thick paint was a flaw. I currently feel it best to use a wide variety of techniques in the pursuit of the maximum effects. I’m excited to embark on this new chapter of my painting process. I fully intend to pursue painting thickly, especially with my abstracts, but supplemented with a more realistic and less impressionistic mode of painting. I hope you enjoy following along. Brad Teare December 2013
I DISCOVERED the paintings of Rick Stevens on Twitter several months ago. The first image I saw was a work entitled The Universe Surrenders to a Still Mind (pastel, 20” x 40”). I was impressed by the saturated yet harmonious color energized by robust texture within a complex and satisfying composition. I went to his web site and discovered more paintings vibrating with color and texture. In a time when it’s difficult to distinguish one’s individuality Rick Stevens has incontrovertibly created his own unique visual world. I emailed Stevens and asked if he would consent to an interview for the readers of Thick Paint. He very generously agreed.
BRAD TEARE One of the many things I admire about your work is the ability to create a sense of pattern while simultaneously erasing borders. Such an approach maintains structure while preserving an organic flow. How much of your compositions are intuitive and how much are the result of an intellectual process? Do you follow a compositional method or methods?
RICK STEVENS The use of patterns in my compositions have been very useful to provide shapes, or structure, that are very permeable. It’s very important to me to maintain an organic flow in my work. I think of nature, or the material world, as very permeable. Organisms are not as clearly defined and separate from one another as we tend to think.
I learned early on to give more authority to my intuition than my intellectual process. I can be very analytical, and it’s good to have that tool sharp and efficient, but I try to keep tuned in to a more holistic way of seeing.
I think it’s natural to seek a dependable method of working, but it’s also necessary to keep pushing the boundaries of that method, to keep it alive and fresh. I like to try things from many angles, even if it seems to arrive at the same place.
BRAD I guessed that George Inness and Gustave Klimt might have been influences, which you confirmed in your bio, yet I had trouble defining the exact aspects of that influence. Can you elaborate on how these two artists inspired you?
RICK Klimt has a combination of the sensual and spiritual that I respond to. His landscapes are heightened with vibrating patterns of colors that are simultaneously decorative and descriptive. I think that he was greatly influenced by eastern art. His compositions are so interesting. Degas, also influenced by Japanese prints and eastern art, influenced me a lot with his compositions and use of pastels. Bonnard, Vuillard and Redon I could say similar things about.
George Inness’ late work has a mystical, dreamy quality with subdued lighting that is palpable. It is not commonly known that he apprenticed under Tiffany as a young artist, but comparing his Tonalist landsapes with the smoky, iridescent Favrille glass used in Tiffany’s lamps, it makes sense. He used the techniques of the Hudson River School painters that included glazing, his work became much more suggestive after 1880. I was never taught glazing techniques but experimented with it because of his work.
BRADI noticed that you make small graphite or charcoal thumbnail preliminaries for some of your paintings. It obviously works for you. Are there additional ways you prepare for a painting? How do you organize and remember your color ideas as you move forward with a painting?
RICK I have always kept sketchbooks. They provide a ‘note-taking’ outlet to work out ideas, compositions and image vocabulary. I can sketch while sitting as a little meditation, or out on a hike, or preparation for a painting. Those little studies are very personal, although what I’m trying to tap into and express is universal. I don’t usuallyhave pre-meditated color schemes. I let the color relationships evolve through layers, adjusting and building up, and scraping away, as needed.
BRAD Your work in the 80s was primarily representational. Representation seemed to reach its maturity around the turn of the century with each succeeding year’s work becoming more abstract. Was that evolution a conscious decision?
RICK STEVENS My evolution to abstraction was not that linear. I have bounced back and forth between more representational work and abstraction (sometimes both simultaneously) since the beginning of my career. I did make a conscious decision to focus on a more representational direction in the late 90’s to early 2000’s for a while before getting into the direction which I am still on now. I continued to do plein air, and some studio landscapes until around 2008, when I moved to Santa Fe. It will sound ironic to some that I stopped doing plein air around when I moved to this haven for plein air painters. I will probably do it again, but there are plenty of good landscape painters who are covering that genre.
BRAD Your representational work shows a strong abstract undercurrent. Is representational painting an ongoing interest or do you see yourself phasing out that aspect of your painting project?
RICK My work is a combination of being self referential and alluding to something else. By self referential I mean that there’s an emphasis on the materials,the paint being, in large part, the subject matter. But there are also allusions to the landscape; the spatial relationships, textures, patterns, color combinations in nature.
I have always allowed myself the freedom to do either or both, although I may focus on one direction for a period of time. I’m sure I will do more representational work in the future.
BRAD How have your collectors and galleries reacted to your evolution and intermingling of representational and abstract art?
RICK I have been fortunate that both my more representational work and abstractions have sold equally well as I have evolved. Most galleries have been willing to try both, but some have a niche which supports one style over the other. I have left galleries before when switching directions, but it was time to move on anyway.
BRAD From your videos it looks like you start with an oil underpainting. Can you tell us more about how you prepare your surface? Paper or canvas? Do you ever use texturing mediums? Do you mix oil sticks with your pastels?
RICK For the oils the canvases get an acrylic tone, actually two layers of color after 2 coats of gesso. For pastels the paper also gets a tone to begin with, after a layer of vine charcoal. The color is from powdered pigments rubbed into the paper. My assistant prepares them. I let him choose the colors.
I use textures in my oil paintings. Cold wax and gel mediums for body, and sometimes I apply a gauze with the wax for added texture. I often use gold leaf in selected areas in the oils too.
I don’t mix oil sticks with pastels. They are completely separate mediums. I will use colored pencils with pastels however.
BRAD Some of your paintings are very large–larger than most pastels. How do you prepare them for galleries? Do you frame them under glass?
RICK The oils have greater potential to go large than the pastels. I frame the pastels under glass. I frame the oils in a contemporary gold leaf floater frame.
BRADI’m impressed by how many layers of color you use and how willingly you cover layers in pursuit of an improved harmony. Do you have trouble fixing that many layers of pastels?
RICK The use of fixatives is a very important part of my process with pastel. I can keep going with many layers. Sometimes I will use a heavy duty fixative (not normally recommended for pastel) when I want to rebuild. It also affects the texture, or appearance of texture. I often scrape off layers with a knife too. Usually it’s very selective scraping.
BRADI love the names of your paintings. On your website I ran across the phrase Landscapes of the Mind which I think is very evocative. Having trouble naming a painting often signals that I probably don’t know what the painting was actually about. Intent is an important aspect of art for me. Do you think of your names first or do they come to you later?
RICK I come up with titles when they are completed. I may try to use words in the title that are evocative, but not too definitive. They are, like the work, open ended. I don’t deliberate about what each painting is about. I may reflect on my intent in general towards my work, but since I am oriented more as a painter than a writer, I am inclined to dig into matters that way initially and then occasionally make attempts at verbalizing it later.
BRADThe name The Universe Surrenders to a Still Mind and the visual content harmonize perfectly. When I paint an abstract I have to be totally relaxed and focused. I don’t think most people understand that aspect of the abstract painting process. Was finding inner peace an important part of your artistic journey? Is it something that you struggled with?
RICK You use past tense in phrasing that question. I think that finding inner peace is a moment by moment process. I use the process of making art as a spiritual practice to help me arrive at inner peace. When my scattered mind becomes focused I am getting there. Whatever mode I am painting in I find that to be true. I usually start my morning with Tai Chi before I begin painting, which helps to get me in a good space, but if I waited until I was completely at peace before working I would never get to painting.
BRADIn your videos you occasionally use a brayer to apply your underpainting–do you have experience as a printmaker in an earlier phase of your career?
RICK I use a brayer to roll on oil/wax mixtures that I mix on the palette. It can be applied at any point in the painting. I actually first saw it used in another artist’s video, Rebecca Crowell, who teaches cold wax workshops, and gave me some tips as I was starting in cold wax. I have a pretty modest experience in printmaking, mostly going way back to college days.
BRADI love your work and appreciate you taking time from painting to share your ideas and methods with the readers of Thick Paint. Many thanks! Brad Teare January 2014
In this video I show the basic set-up for encaustic painting. In the next video I will demonstrate how to add chalk and paint with thick textures using this unique medium. Encaustics is an ancient art invented by the Greeks and perfected by the Egyptians. Initially I was intimidated by the arcane aspects of this increasingly common medium. But after I got into it I found it to be lot of fun. If you need something to shake up your thinking and get you out of a rut encaustics just might be the medium.
I use a lot of new materials and tools and most are listed below. Some of these are not typically used for encaustics (like the cast iron tea cups) so you avoid the premium we often pay for art supplies. The tea cups keep the pigment hot while you hold the cup in your non-dominant hand and paint with the other. The cups keep the pigment fluid for a long time and you can add a lot of pigment fast to the panel using this method:
In this second video I add chalk to the encaustic pigments. Not only does it make a very usable impasto application it also strengthens the paint film. The image at left is a close-up of the texture (click image to see larger view). In the larger view you can see how I scraped into the paint to give added texture. I thought the chalk might impart a matt finish but the impasto sections buffed up nicely just like regular encaustic. The only real problem was that adding chalk changed the melting point. When I went to melt and fuse the various layers of pigment the layers of paint that didn’t have the chalk melted first. It wasn’t a huge problem and there are various solutions. Overall I think the increased impasto was worth the complications of multiple melting points. Below is a link to the cheapest source of chalk I have found. Since encaustics are so expensive it is nice to have a reasonably priced additive. If you give it a try let me know if you had comparable results. Brad Teare January 2014
Below is a video showing how I adjusted the underpainting I painted last time on Concert Window. Changes were very minor–it took less that 15 minutes– but necessary in order to assure a proper outcome. When you’re painting with thick paint you want most of your thinking about composition and value to be already done. That makes it possible to focus on getting rich combinations of vibrant color with each brushstroke. Brad Teare February 2014
This painting was painted entirely with palette knives from a plein air sketch I did several years ago. Many people assume I use palette knives when I’m actually loading the brush and using a bristle flat almost like a palette knife. I hold the brush nearly parallel to the canvas. The look is very similar except that brushes impart the texture of the bristles.
So I thought why not just use palette knives since they are easy to clean and easy to transport. I think using knives is an especially good idea when working in the field. It gives a fresh, clean look and it’s easy to maintain basic shapes with crisp lines.
I’m pleased to report that I’ve been invited to the Door County Plein Air Festival again this year. The accompanying image is a field sketch I painted of Cove Point—a picturesque rock outcropping on the East shore of the peninsula. It’s an adequate painting but I feel my outdoor work has improved since 2010. In light of such improvement I’m super excited to once again paint the beautiful landscapes of the peninsula.
In the upcoming months I’ll be preparing for the event by sharing improved painting techniques I’ve developed since the last festival. Painting outside is one of the most daunting tasks any painter can attempt. I hope my ideas will be helpful.
In the video below I repaint an old painting that was done in a thinner style — almost a Hudson River School style. In the original painting I did some scumbling and glazing over the dry paint to get the ultimate effects.
The new one is painted with warmer colors and with more robust brushstrokes – using more broken color.
Overall I feel the revisions are effective although the far distance could have used more broken color.
Many artists have been plagued by high sensitivity including Vincent Van Gogh and Leonardo Da Vinci. As mentioned in a previous blog I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder several months ago. I’ve had the disorder as long as I can remember and I’m improving by following a strict regimen. But sound sensitivity has gotten worse as the years have passed. Lately it has gotten so bad that my weekends–when neighbor’s are using a variety of outdoor vehicles and tools–has been almost impossible to tolerate. But thankfully I found a solution that helps me control my environment. Like many I own an Apple iPhone. I downloaded the Amazon Cloud Player and use a variety of meditation MP3s to help me sleep. My favorite is by Mark Grant, an Aussie who combines EMDR therapy with guided meditation on his audio recordings. If you follow that link note that the two audio tracks can be downloaded for $1 each in the download section toward the bottom of the page. Be sure to listen to the audio with headphones as the stereo EMDR effect is lost otherwise. When I’m trying to relax and someone stokes up their motocross bike or snowmobile I can put in the earphones and play an audio recording. The earphones I use are from Tylt and are more akin to earplugs and block nearly all the noise even without audio. I also use a Tylt battery pack which allows me to listen to the iPhone in my pocket while painting in the studio or in the field for long sessions. This may seem like extreme measures to those who aren’t Highly Sensitive People. If you have the condition you may want to try these methods. Brad Teare March 2014
Lately I’ve been feeling I need to get more variety of texture in my work. I’ve felt that by loading the brush I get a beautiful yet uniform painting texture. One way to direct the eye is to use a hierarchy of textures. For example getting too much texture in the sky directs and retains the eyes in the sky area—which is not usually what you want.
Generally speaking it is best to paint most active texture at the focal point of the painting. Between the less active areas and the focal point will be a spectrum of varying texture.
In the following video I demonstrate how to use a variety of palette knives as well as finishing up with a variety of bristle brushes to give the proper hierarchy to the various areas of the painting. The idea is to leave areas for the eye to rest and slowly move across the canvas—as well as more active areas—where the eye moves swiftly through the composition.
I‘m pleased to report that the experiment to vacuum seal Gamblin mediums proved successful. At least partially so. I used the Vacu Vin Wine Saver to easily seal the 16 ounce Gamblin bottle and it worked perfectly. However the stopper is too small for the 32 ounce bottle and too big for the 8 ounce bottle. So I’m still using rubber stoppers for those sizes.
