New Work: Air through the Forest, oil on canvas, 40 x 40 inches

Air through the Forest, oil on canvas, 40 x 40 inches $6650 framed

For this painting I developed it in a different way, putting in the foliage first and with a lot of paint on the brush. The leaves set up a delicate, lacy effect and added movement.

The vertical trunk patterns create the horizontal and vertical aspects of this painting. As the tree trunks recede, they are surrounded by the yellow tones and it gives off the illusion of atmosphere. The placement of the tree trunks from left to right complete the composition, filling the space, adding more movement and interest.

The atmospheric effects weren't something I was striving for, but once I saw what the yellow tones were doing, I let the painting develop that way, continuing with thick strokes, layer after layer and it was fascinating to use so much paint and still give the illusion of tinted air. 

Newsletter, May 2020

BLUE WISH
Oil on canvas, 36 X 36 inches $5100 unframed
Sorelle Gallery, New Canaan, CT
More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color

May News:

I like what the great American painter, Robert Motherwell said, "Art is much less important than life, but what a poor life without it." Life continues but for too short a time, so let's endeavor to make it a beautiful and meaningful one.

My essentially living in the art studio has its advantages because nine new oils are in progress. There are no creative limits and it does keep things interesting here!

Thankfully, I will be delivering a 5 foot oil commission this week for a Florida hospital and other commissions are currently in the works. Thank you all for engaging me for your public and private spaces.

Keep in mind that galleries are just now reopening and have also stepped up their services for clients online and by phone. Feel free to browse either way and of course, you can contact me directly.

Due to virus concerns, I have cancelled the Denver Metro workshop for now. It may be that I will host another group workshop later this year but it depends on how safe it will be. I'll make announcements in this newsletter and on my website.

Meanwhile, artists are signing up for my private, in-person lessons and the online, 4-month Art Mentoring Sessions. There are a limited number of dates available each month, so please join in soon. Feel free to contact me and start a conversation about the possibilities.

Take your work to new heights. These workshops and private sessions will focus on strategies for making better paintings, colorist tools, going to new places in your work and making fine art. We will be going deeper into making better and more appealing artworks with a variety of strategies and in some sessions, Photoshop insights made easy. all workshop info


Here's a video about what happens in the Group and Private Workshops

My best wishes for your health, comfort and a life well-lived.
Ken

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New Works:


SACCADE XII
Oil on canvas, 48 x 60   $10950 framed
Saks Galleries, Denver, CO
More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color



BLUE WISH
Oil on canvas, 36 X 36 inches     $5100 unframed
Sorelle Gallery, New Canaan, CT
More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color



THE LIGHT IN THE WORLD II
Oil on canvas, 40  40   $6650 framed
More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color


Grateful Notices:


THE LIGHT IN THE WORLD I
Oil on Panel, 24 X 24   Private collection, CO
More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color


In the Galleries:


SUMMER PATTERNS
Oil on canvas, 40 X 60      $9500 framed
Saks Galleries, Denver
More about this on Ken's blog, For the Color



SUMMER SONG
Oil on canvas, 30 X 30 inches     $3700 unframed
Sorelle Gallery, New Canaan, CT
More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color



YELLOWS ON A STILL LAKE
Oil on canvas, 36 X 60      $8450 framed
In the studio
More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color



SUN BEHIND THE FOOTHILLS
Oil on canvas, 36 X 60      $7500 unframed
Sorelle Gallery, New Canaan, CT
More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color

Ken Elliott American Landscapes coffee table book:

This large coffee table book reprises 25 years of my works in oil, pastel, monotype, etching and collage. Large, coffee table hardback version, 11 x 13 inches, 94 color pages with essays. Book and a signed giclee print of the cover image: $150 or just order the book for $115.

Also available as an iBook / download on Apple devices for $9.99. You can preview the complete book and how to order your electronic or hardback versions from my website.

My Blog, For the Color

Want to follow along in my studio?
Come across some interesting art bits and intriguing posts from elsewhere? Check out my artist's blog: For the Color and on the right of the blog under Followers, click Join this Site. Right now you can view vintage videos of Renoir, Degas, a Piet Mondrian video montage, comments about my works and observations about museum artworks from some recent trips.

View my newest artworks:
This monthly newsletter is the best way to stay up to date with my new works and events. You can also follow me on Facebook and go more in depth with my blog, For the Color. To view the total of my works in all media and in all my galleries, go to www.kenelliott.comThank you,
Ken

New Work: Saccade XII, oil on canvas, 48 x 60 inches

Saccade XII, oil on canvas, 48 x 60 inches $10950 framed
Saks Galleries, Denver, CO

It's good to have a number of paintings going in the studio to work with. In this 12th Saccade, a very textural painting developed because I worked over another oil from 4-5 years ago. The heavy impasto that resulted took me back to those Monet works. It was a joy to create a forest with all of that ready-made texture.

The purpose of the Saccades is to create a painting without a singular point of interest. Doing so presents a number of problems, first being that all the areas on the canvas are equally interesting. This is a good practice for most paintings anyway, so this oil puts that idea to task.

There is the additional game in play here and that is depth. The viewer gets the impression of being in the darker part of the forest looking out. The light is there, but nothing much is revealed. 

There is a considerable forest pattern effect across the 4 x 5 foot space. It has an abundance of complexity and just enough depth to be an intriguing presence on the wall.

About the Saccades Series shown here:
"Since the late 19th century, researchers have been aware of the phenomenon of saccades, the rapid movement of the eye as we shift our attention from one thing to another. As a result, vision itself is discontinuous. We construct a “map of reality” from saccades much as a film editor puts together a scene from individual camera takes." From an article by the film maker Errol Morris, NY Times

New Work: Forest Placido, oil on canvas, 48 x 36 inches

Forest Placido
oil on canvas, 48 x 36 inches
Saks Galleries, Denver, CO   $6750 framed
 

As this painting progressed, more atmosphere seemed to circulate in this forest scene. I really didn't notice right away because I was more focused on working out a variety of aquas and blues. The color changes not only added more interest - more to see, but it also created the effect of diffused light coming in from the side and the top.

This is a complicated work and it's interesting that all the while, I was striving for more simplicity! 

For this oil, I began with a lot more detail and then began subtracting between the tree trunks by adding those background colors. 

The entire color palette is a bit subdued with very few spots of full-strength color. There is so much of the 'back and forth' to create this - brush to paint, paint to canvas and repeat, look, brush to paint again. It's a very calming routine despite having a lot of problems to solve along the way. 

As it often happens, this painting went through a lot of changes. In fact, it's painted over the top of a previous oil with a Lot of Problems. It felt really good to cover it up.

In the last painting session, the oil was not quite right so I used purple-blues to paint over most of the existing bright green grass at the bottom. It changed the feel of the entire oil, creating a calming, unifying effect, leading to the Italian title, Placido. In classical music, it is an instruction to play the passage in a peaceful, calming way.

I miss working on it already, but it's back to the studio tomorrow where more experiences await.

New Work: Blue Wish, oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches

Ken Elliott Blue Wish oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches  $5100 framed

This is truly an oil that painted itself. Last week I was out in a Colorado park with friends and I got a number of useful photos. This image is a pure fantasy, a tiny fragment from a larger photo of the sun setting over the ridge that day.

There isn't a single color or shape that is native to the photo and just as well. Once I began laying out the basic design, I kept to 2-3 blues and purples. Next, the faint, setting sun had to go in and that's when things really got interesting. 

Up to that point, this was a monochromatic winter scene but when the warmer tones of the sun appeared, it prompted the use of pinks, rust and grey-green. Everything began to fall into place from there. It was very tempting to continue to 'polish' it up a bit, but I was very happy with the rougher look and open brushwork.

New work: Sunset Chroma, Purple and Yellow, oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches

Sunset Chroma, Purple and Yellow  Oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches  $2450 framed

There are so many sunsets to see and paint. Lately, I've been thinking about applying a soft, pastel-like palette to a good cloud composition and I finally made one happen. So much of this oil came about it a non-lineal way and that's a bonus.

Rather than trying to represent a scene accurately, different color combinations were being tried out. During that discovery process, the moment the aquas and the pale greens combined above the clouds, the oil immediately became much more interesting. I didn't plan on it - I had some aqua setting out from a previous painting session and I gave it a go. A lot of white was added - I figured too much, but it worked out beautifully and led me to use the other pale colors that followed.  

The mauve cloud mass in the center anchors the piece and provides 'shade' and a way to transition to the darker foreground. The entire scene is nicely lit but not too much. After all of the back and forth and sorting through endless options, a soft sunset emerged. 

I'm enjoying this view!

Grateful Notices: Light in the Forest, oil on canvas 40 x 30 inches

Light in the Forest, oil on canvas 40 x 30 inches
Private collection
Exhibited:  Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM

My sincere thanks to the artist that purchased this work for her collection and  Dominique Boisjoli for putting it all together!

About this oil:

I went through a couple of permutations with this oil, including a discarded version. Starting on a new canvas the second time, the focus became the color red with an eye toward simplicity.

This composition is essentially 3 bands of color with a lot of moves to keep things interesting. About a third of the way into the creation of this oil, the yellows in the center began to take on a life of their own. It would be simple and perhaps even more dramatic to increase the amount of yellow in the background, but the painting seems to project something mysterious with the unnatural, yellow glow emerging from the forest. 

The leaf colors are saturated, unusual hues intentionally placed to add a random pattern and to further accelerate the effect of the reds.

The painting has a nice presence and it contains an interesting mystery unsolved.

New Work: Just After the Sun Has Set, oil on canvas 36 x 36 inches

Just After the Sun Has Set
Oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches $5100 framed
Saks Galleries, Denver

This is a scene from Castle Rock, CO near where I lived until recently. There were so many good sunsets looking west and I painted a good number of them. For this oil, the focus was split between the sky and land forms below.

Rather than focusing all of the color in the sky, I saturated the bottom half of the painting with the purples, reds, mauves and greens. The dark trees on the right set up a soft contrast as well as a border between the foreground and all that happens beyond,

It has a soft richness that I like. The water on the left was added last to create even more light effects, an improvement over the actual highway there.

New Work: Last Sun over the Snow Fields, oil on canvas, 40 x 40 inches

Last Sun over the Snow Fields, oil on canvas, 40 x 40 inches
Saks Galleries, Denver    $6650 framed

The last light is setting up a very subtle, but colorful effect. When we really examine it, snow on the ground is much more than just white. Besides, there are so many ways to represent a scene like this.

How about a Delft blue in the line of trees and why not create a predominately purple sky with touches of pinks, greens and pale cobalt?

Once it was done, the piece comes off looking simple but that was not the case with this one. Sometimes it's the austere compositions that challenge me further to try out new ideas. The simple composition is very responsive to small or large changes on the canvas and it dares you to keep pushing things around.

After all of the work and the parade of changes, the gentle calm still comes through.

Newsletter: August 2019

Ken Elliott's Fine Art Newsletter August 2019 View this email in your browser August News: An exhibit of my new works continues at the Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art Gallery in Santa Fe through August 31. Here's a part of the exhibition: Exhibit at the Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art Gallery, Santa Fe Recently, I was honored to have been included into an esteemed, private collection. My many thanks to the couple that purchased this work and for the opportunity to spend time with them. Light Coming from the Back Oil on canvas, 36 X 36     Private collection During my August studio time I completed 4 small smaller works on wood panels, started a few larger oils and released a new, limited edition giclee print - photos follow below. All my available works are fully listed on my website. Feel free to contact me or my galleries with any questions you may have regarding the the artworks or my art classes. My best wishes to you for a continuing and joyful summer! Ken New works: RED BORDERS Oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches     $2150 unframed More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM AT THE CREEKS EDGE Oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches     $2150 unframed Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color SUMMER SONG Oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches     $2150 unframed Sorelle Gallery, New Canaan, CT More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color SOFT SUMMER LIGHT Oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches     $2150 unframed Sorelle Gallery, New Canaan, CT More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color New giclee: BRIGHTLY LIT WOODS 7 1/2 x 11 1/4 inches $300.  14 5/8 x 22  $575.  18 3/8 x 27 5/8, $790. Total edition of 195, plus 15 artist proofs. Giclee print on William Turner paper Also available on canvas and larger sizes on request Grateful Notices: LIGHT COMING FROM THE BACK Oil on canvas, 36 X 36     Private collection Exhibited:: Gallery 89, Steamboat Springs, CO EDGE OF THE FOREST Oil on canvas, 36 X 36      Private collection Exhibited: Saks Galleries, Denver More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color WINTERS MORNING III Oil on canvas, 40 X 40      Private collection Exhibited: Renjeau Gallery, Natick, MA In the Galleries:  GREEN CURTAIN 21 1/4 x 30 14  $1350 unframed Arden's Gallery, Houston GOLDEN MOMENT AGAINST THE REDS Oil on canvas, 48 x 48    $8950. framed Gallery 89, Steamboat Springs, CO SACCADE XII oil on canvas, 48 x 60 inches  $10950 framed Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM Workshops / Private Sessions /Studio Visits: Here's a video about what happens in the Group and Private Workshops Contact Ken to arrange a studio visit or Workshop. It is always a pleasure to meet you. Take your work to new heights. These workshops and private sessions will focus on strategies for making better paintings, colorist tools, going to new places in your work and making fine art. We will be going deeper into making better and more appealing artworks with a variety of strategies including Photoshop insights made easy. all workshop info Publications: A Survey of Paintings and Prints at the PACE Center with works in oils, pastels and monotypes. This exhibition catalog can be purchased online here. 30 color pages and text by the artist. $10 plus $4 postage. Ken Elliott American Landscapes coffee table book: This large coffee table book reprises 25 years of my works in oil, pastel, monotype, etching and collage.Large, coffee table hardback version, 11 x 13 inches, 94 color pages with essays. Book and a signed giclee print of the cover image: $150 or just order the book for $115. Also available as an iBook / download on Apple devices for $9.99. You can preview the complete book and how to order your electronic or hardback versions from my website. My Blog, For the Color Want to follow along in my studio? Come across some interesting art bits and intriguing posts from elsewhere? Check out my artist's blog: For the Color and on the right of the blog under Followers, click Join this Site. Right now you can view vintage videos of Renoir, Degas, a Piet Mondrian video montage, comments about my works and observations about museum artworks from some recent trips. View my newest artworks: This monthly newsletter is the best way to stay up to date with my new works and events. You can also follow me on Facebook and go more in depth with my blog, For the Color. To view the total of my works in all media and in all my galleries, go to www.kenelliott.com Thank you, Ken Contact Ken 303-995-1611 email website Sign up for my Art Blog: For the Color Sign up for this newsletter Image top, cropped: SUMMER SONG Oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches     $2150 unframed Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color American Art Collector Magazine: "Elliott's canvases display the strikingly vivid modern hues in which he chooses to render his contemporary landscapes."  Southwest Art Magazine: Although his paintings loosely reference photographs and plein-air sketches, they refuse to exist within the confines of already-prescribed images. Rather, they stand independent of any specific place or time, the fulfilled pursuits of the artist’s visual and intellectual explorations. Elliott wields color boldly, creating sizzling, vibrant shapes that are at once kinetic and placid, grounded in unifying illumination, and focused compositions. He has a fascination with line structure as well, believing that “edges empower colors.”  Private Lessons and studio visits: I have really enjoyed giving private lessons individually or with groups over the years. It is casual, focused and fun. It is always a pleasure welcoming collectors into my studio, please email me a call to arrange a time. The workshops are very stimulating and you will see a big result in your approach to making fine art and clarity on your career strategies. Let's discuss what works best for you. Transportation can be provided for the Castle Rock Workshops. What they are saying: "I had a clue what might be in store for my friends, but it went WAY beyond. You have a real gift. What a FANTASTIC couple of days!!!’ L. "Your painting demonstrations and the information you gave us  was invaluable- no wonder your paintings are so moving. I so enjoyed meeting you. Thank you for coming to Virginia." S. "Thank you so much for the wonderful, thought compelling workshop. You rekindled my love for making art. Your enthusiasm is contagious and felt throughout the room. You set up a stimulating environment that provided continuous visual images and your generosity in sharing those photos was much appreciated. I found you to be humorous, supportive and kind. I would recommend you as an instructor to anyone who would like to take their art to the next level." "I can't thank you enough for coming to Boulder! Thank you for your clear eye, your hard work, your beautiful color and your careful feedback. I'm now a different Painter...maybe a different person? I loved the weekend. And I can't wait until we get to soak up your love for the work, for Wolf Kahn, for COLOR -- yet again (note that I'm greedy). You are an amazing addition to our lives." M. "Thank you so much for lighting up our lives and our paintings at this past weekend’s workshop! I loved hearing about your time with Wolf Kahn, your thoughts on painting, the beautiful demo, and of course the great feedback you provided us on our own paintings." "You really reignited my desire to paint freely. Thanks also for your generosity in sharing the numerous links." "I hope to spend another weekend painting with you sometime soon." B.H. "Thank you for the workshop! It was a great two days. You are an amazing host and instructor, (two things that don’t always work together). "You pulled something from each of us and it was wonderful to be a part of it. Thanks to the moon and back," V. "Thank you Ken. It was a wonderment! I learned so much." Kathy "I so enjoyed meeting you and being part of the workshop. You got me on fire!!!!!" Ed "Wow! My weekend of private lessons was fabulous! While I was there I stepped into a whole new world that my soul was calling for." "Wonderful conversations, a beautiful time with great art everywhere and artistic success!" K. "It was a fabulous workshop! I know we all had a lot of fun and really enjoyed having you here. We would love to have you come back again next year!" D. "Just wanted to thank you again for a very inspiring, informative, and fun workshop. I worked LARGE today!" M. "Thank you for all your inspiration!" D. "Thanks SO VERY MUCH, Ken, for such a fun, informative, and energetic workshop. Your enthusiasm is contagious. What a wonderful weekend!!" C. "When I signed up for a painting workshop, who knew that it would be so much more.Thank you Ken. For your kindness, generosity of spirit, and sharing your knowledge and skill of painting with us." "Thank you to everyone for making our time together a magical weekend which will be cherished. Fortunately the universe provided me with what I needed, whether I knew it or not." L. "Love the class, you are a great teacher!" B. "I feel so enriched and on fire to paint big and glowing colors. If you ever get a chance to study with Ken Elliott, I highly recommend him. If you need help getting to his workshops just read his book Manifesting 123" F. Website Facebook Twitter Pinterest SHARE THIS EMAIL

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