Back to Idyllwild

Returned to the scene of last year's artistic growth spurt in Idyllwild this week. Interesting oil workshop with Ray Roberts. One of those experiences where you learn unexpected lessons. Ray was tough, very tough. He was not your normal, kind workshop teacher building false confidence. He had a crazy "look" on his face of expecting that I would do better. . . . the old "you know better than that" look. A great painter and a true taskmaster. But the class was chock full of chatty ladies asking about which brand of varnish he uses or where he gets his canvas boards. Buzz Kill!!!!

Once again, outdoor painting became a giant hurdle where I had to learn to see. Took three days to get my art eyeballs functioning, but by then the workshop was over. But there were lessons . . . use paint, lots of paint. Don't fret over mixing, just make the damn color . . . find the right value. Use paint. Load the brush! Find the big shapes. Use paint . . .

Although amateurish, the first painting I did was a small victory.

The second day revealed the seminal moment. The mid afternoon doldrums are the enemy of outdoor painting, but perhaps my most important lesson came in 88 degree heat at about 2:05 pm. I was working on my second painting of the day when Ray dropped by my easel and seem mildly intrigued at the emerging composition. As he is wont to do, he picked up my brush and immediately went for the white to add values to my oxide red grisalle. With marked precision he carved out a section on a road I was fiddling with. Then he stopped and posed the big question. It was living proof of a very important Edgar Payne point made in his Composition book.

“David, is this worth painting” Ray queried, the sunlight has flattened all the values.”

He looked up from my chair that he had taken in the heat of the day. It was a genuine epiphany. Somewhere in my mind was the idea that any pleasing scene was worth painting. I was working on a little 9 x 12 with trees lining a forest path with the high mountains in the distance. But at mid day the shadows were hiding in difficult places. It was flat. I finally understood. Shadows Rule! Without good values composition sucks.

I grabbed a paper towel, drenched it with turpenoid and, while Ray say watching I performed my best feat of the workshop at that point. I wiped the canvas board clean.

“I think it was the best decision at this point,” Ray remarked. Come back in the morning. It will be great.