Phil Starke Studio Newsletter - June 2021
Phil Starke is a professional fine artist with prestigious gallery representation, participates in national museum exhibitions, and teaches workshops and online fine art courses.
PHIL STARKE STUDIO NEWSLETTER
June 2021
Earlier this month I ventured out to Colorado. I stayed a few days at the Historic Cabins at Columbine, Colorado, a little north of Steamboat. I was with about 10 other artists. We got together to talk about our faith in Christ, how that affects our work. We painted for a few days in a very beautiful area. The cabins were rustic, but very nice. It's a good place to stay in Northern Colorado.
I enjoyed painting in the area. Below are some of the small color sketches. I am looking forward to working with these in the studio.
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The California Art Club Gold Medal Show starts July 10 to August 14 at the Hilbert Museum, Chapman University in Orange, California. If you're in the area, stop in, it's always a very good show. My piece is an 18 x 30 oil, "Cottonwoods in Autumn."
I have an upcoming workshop at the Heartland Art Club in Kirkwood MO. It’s a 3 day workshop, August 12, 13, 14. and the focus is “Understanding the Painting Process from Start to Finish''. We will study the process of creating a painting, touching on all the fundamentals. If you're interested in attending this workshop, you can find get all the information at this link: https://heartlandartclub.org/workshops-classes/p/understanding-the-painting-process-from-concept-to-finish-with-phil-starke
ARTIST AT A GLANCE
David Farquharson (1839 - 1907)
Farquharson was a Scottish landscape painter. He was born in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, and lived there until he moved to Edinburgh about 1872. He was, to a great extent, a self-taught artist. He exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy for the first time in 1868, and in 1882 was elected an associate, but in 1886 he settled in London until 1894.
He removed to Sennen Cove, Cornwall, but often revisited Scotland. His landscapes attracted considerable attention and he exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1877 to 1904. This led to his election as Associate in 1905 at the age of 66. He painted the Highland hills and moors and peat mosses, river valleys and views in England and Holland, in all sorts of atmospheric conditions, in a tonal palette reminiscent of early Corot.
On July 12, 1907, he died at Balmore.
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ARTIST TIP
“Don't Feel Tied To The Color In Your Reference”
Too often, when we work from photos, we feel this obligation to copy the color exactly as we see it. This can become a real problem. We mistakenly feel we should always match the color in the photo.
But we have to remember what our goal is in painting. For me it's capturing the light; what the light is doing to the form, the depth and the atmosphere. To do this I have to focus more on the VALUE and COLOR TEMPERATURE, not the local or exact color I see.
In the photo below I have a summer scene, lots of greens. Nothing wrong with painting green landscapes, I paint them a lot especially here in Georgia. But right now I’m sick of green, so I want to alter the color to show an early autumn scene. My focus is on the values, getting the right value relationship between the planes and the big shapes. The color I choose is just a choice, the value and the color temperature is what makes it work. The color temperature is the difference in the coolness or the warmth of a color to put it into shadow or sunlight.
When I turn a green tree into a yellow, yellow orange tree, I do have to keep in mind that yellow is a light color, lighter than yellow green.
This color study is a 9x12, usually they are smaller 5x7 or 4x6, just quick ideas for color changes while keeping the values correct. It’s always better to work out these changes before starting a larger painting.
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Thank you, Phil. I love being a member of Easel Insight and the wonderful teaching and insights you provide. You are a great teacher and easy to understand. I had studied oil painting for many years, but you were the first instructor I came across who talked about our goal not being to just copy the photo or match the colors in the photo (or even in nature, ala Plein Air). That and the idea of interpreting what we are seeing and using color to do so was a radical concept for me and really helped me. I feel that my oil painting abilities have greatly progressed under your instruction. Thank you for your generous nature and for speaking about your faith in Christ. I too am a follower of Christ and feel that my painting is a spiritual venture as a natural extension of my relationship with the Lord. Ultimately, “we paint who we are…” Again, thank you, and God bless you and yours.
PHIL I APPRECIATE YOU FREE INFO AND LESSONS. I TOOK SOME COLOR TIPS FROM
THAT RUSSIAN PAINTER THAT TAUGHT THE HOLLYWOOD CROWD,
HE TALKED ABOUT WARM AND COOL PILES AND STRINGS OF COLOR.
I ENJOY PAINTING BUT IT TAKES A LOT OF TRIES TO BRING IT UP TO FINISH.
I LIKE LESSONS BUT I DON’T WANT ANOTHER PAINTERS STYLE. IM NOT SLICK AND
A AQUIRED TASTE BUT SINCERE. WHEN ONE STARTS PAINTING IT JUST GOES
EVERYWHERE IN THOUGHT. I’M NOT ORGANIZED MENTALLY BUT STILL TRUNDLE ON.
I LIKE GEORGE INNESS AND SAW SOME OF HIS ORIGINALS IN HOUSTON IN THE 60S
I LIKE THE RUSSIAN PAINTERS. THANKS FOR HELPING US MIDDLE OF THE ROADERS.
I LIKE RICHARD SCHMIDT BUT HE WAS GIFTED AT 12. C’EST LA VIE
MIGUEL
Thanks Phil. Seeing your painting alongside the reference photo communicated your artist tip very powerfully.
Thank you for your blog, tips, and introducing us to the Scottish painter! Wow!