New Work: Red Borders, oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches

Red Borders
Oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches     $2150 unframed
Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM

It is always an interesting exercise to paint a piece with one predominant color. In this case, it's these red trees. My original idea was to make the trees fill the entire area, but as the painting moved forward, a different composition presented itself.

A bright stripe emerged and that became the lake or stream. From there, the composition began to move back into the space behind the trees, opening up the opportunity to try out more reds. The sky and blue hill in the far back helped to frame the red trees in the back and it made for a more interesting composition.

Funny how the painting will make demands on the artist and those background trees were very insistent on being more interesting than I had first intended. After 3-4 different experiments and variations, the far trees settled into place and from there, it is was a matter of bringing is more color and light where needed.

Funny how the background ended up taking much more time than the trees in front. The extra effort made for a far better oil with extra complexity and two more reds... it's like the cherry on top!

New Work: At the Creeks Edge, oil panel, 24 x 24 inches

At the Creeks Edge
Oil panel, 24 x 24 inches  $2150 unframed
Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM

This small group of trees in the meadow got my attention. The foreground had a small path running through it and the background was a large line of darker trees. Everything was green and from the start, I set out to create something more interesting.

The painting was ‘completed’ 4 or 5 times and after each try, I noticed an opportunity to make the oil even better. All of the changes might sound frustrating to some, but the chance for improvement is very appealing to me.

One of the early changes was to convert the path into a creek that made a reflective ribbon, dividing the grasses in the foreground.

The background went through many alterations with each change, more complexity and color intensity emerged. It is easy to overwork these pieces as the painting went forward, I took care to add intricate layers and interest to the trees, not diminishing their appeal.

Finally, everything was made brighter and the colors were enriched. It felt good to put my signature on this one.

New Works: Soft Summer Light and Summer Song, oils on panel 30 x 30 inches

SOFT SUMMER LIGHT
Oil on canvas, 30 X 30 inches $3700 unframed
Sorelle Gallery, New Canaan, CT

SUMMER SONG
Oil on canvas, 30 X 30 inches $3700 unframed
Sorelle Gallery, New Canaan, CT

Summers produce an abundance of green and considerably less color options than a colorful fall provides. The challenge set forth with these two oils was that they would have summer in the title and that they would have to be compelling works, despite the solid green summer fields and trees.

So, what’s the plan? 

When I was a newly-minted painter, I would use the few greens I had purchased and invariably, my works would be too green, too much the same and not very attractive. Greens are a trap for many landscape painters including myself back then, so to be a better painter, other strategies had to be developed as quickly as possible.

In this oil, a variety of greens in muted tones are put into play. The landscape can be awash in green but the overall effect is subdued. The colors are a bit more muted and the overall effect is softer and it allows the other interesting colors to share the space.

Summer just got a bit more interesting.

Workshop: Ken Elliott and Casey Klahn 4-day intensive Art Workshop, April 25-28, 2019

Ken Elliott Summer Sunset, oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches

Ken Elliott and Casey Klahn 4-day intensive Art Workshop

Castle Rock, CO (Denver metro)

Thurs-Sun, April 25-28, 2019
9:30 am - 4:30 pm daily

workshop flyer
Limited to 8 artists, $750 each, 2 spaces left
Contact Ken

Open to artists in all media. This is a two-instructor workshop for artists wanting to make advancements in their techniques and strategies.

Casey and Ken will have ample time to give very focused attention to individuals and offer a number of provoking ideas to the group and they will do demos in oil and pastel.

Also, Ken will present simple Photoshop techniques for taking your works to the next level and creating better pathways for finishing your artworks.

You will be given a Photoshop instruction guide and have access to Ken's personal photo file of over 1500 inspiring images by various artists.

These workshops typically sell out, so sign up soon!
Register with Pay Pal

From a recent Casey Klahn / Ken Elliott Workshop

Casey Klahn  Long Remembered, New Vision Pastel, 13 x 21 inches

Ken Elliott  Evening Light, oil on canvas, 60 x 60 inches

Casey Klahn  The Rain, the Light & the River, pastel, 11 3/4 x 18 1/4 inches

Ken Elliott  Gathering Light II  oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches

Making It Fine Art Workshop / Castle Rock, March 2019

Some of the results from the sold out class.  More photos below

We just finished up the latest Making it Fine Art Workshop: Moving to the Next Level class last weekend. It was a pleasure working with this wonderful group of artists and watching the breakthroughs emerge!

Thank you all for filling the class and I'm looking forward to seeing your progress!

Here's what's coming up next:

My next Workshop with be with Casey Klahn and me in Castle Rock, CO, Thurs-Sun, April 25-28 Complete info and registration workshop flyer
Limited to 8 artists, $750 each, 4 spaces left
Contact Ken

Open to artists in all media. This is a two-instructor workshop for artists wanting to make advancements in their techniques and strategies. Casey and Ken will have ample time to give very focused attention to individuals and offer a number of provoking ideas to the group.

More photos from the March, 2019 Workshop:

Ken Elliott Making it Fine Art Workshop: Moving to the Next Level / Castle Rock, CO / March 23 -24, 2019

Winters Morning  oil on canvas 36 x 48 inches

Ken Elliott Making it Fine Art Workshop: Moving to the Next Level

www.kenelliott.com

Denver Metro / Castle Rock, CO

Sat-Sun, March 23-24, 2019

2 1/2 days

Complete info and registration

Limited to 6 artists, $390 each   sold out

Open to artists in all media. Ken will discuss strategies for creating better artworks with a variety of common and creative tools.

The workshop will focus the strategies for making better artworks, going to new places in your work and how to make fine art. He will use informative videos and pass on strategies not the literature, but handed down from the very best teachers.

Also, Ken will present simple Photoshop techniques for taking your works to the next level and creating better pathways for finishing your artworks. You will be given a Photoshop instruction guide and have access to Ken's personal photo file of over 1500 inspiring images by various artists.

View the Fine Art Workshop Video

in the class

in the class / oil

in the class / pastel

New Work: Winter Contrast, pastel on paper, 15 1/4 x 19 inches

Winter Contrast  pastel on paper, 15 1/4 x 19 inches  $2250 framed
Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM

In this pastel I've revisited an idea from some years ago. The colors are accentuated except in the middle snow and the foreground trees.

Every part of this pastel has interesting notes and to get there, I kept working the different areas to bring them to life with rich color and soft overlays.

The pastel looks fairly bright but it really is how the richer colors are emerging from the grey tones. It was a bit of an adventure, although on a smaller scale to pull it all together and I can honestly say that it was years in the making. 

Article / Video: Cultivating Creativity

Here is an interactive article, Cultivating Creativity from the Washington Post, discussing the nature of creativity as used by improv artists, jazz musicians, and rappers. Exposure to creative pathways, whatever the source, is always helpful.

Can the experiences of these artists apply to wall art and sculpture?

Jasper Johns, Flag, encaustic and collage on canvas

In an article in the Wall Street Journal today, Jasper Johns is quoted on Sept 23: 

Mr. Johns, who turned 88 in May, has just finished an etching and is working on a painting. He finds ideas everywhere, saying, "I doubt that there is any limitation to what can act as a trigger.”

CULTIVATING CREATIVITY

from the Washington Post

Science has not fully mapped the neural network of creativity — that’s years, maybe decades, away. But brain studies suggest that creativity is a basic human function. It’s part of our biology, available to all of us. As improv artists show us, creativity can be cultivated by practice, which strengthens the neural pathways that lead to new possibilities.

Cultivating Creativity Credits:

REPORTING AND WRITING
Sarah L. Kaufman
VIDEO PRODUCTION AND EDITING
Jayne Orenstein
MOTION GRAPHICS
Sarah Hashemi
PHOTO EDITING
May-Ying Lam
PHOTOGRAPHY
Tim Coburn (Jason Moran) and Marvin Joseph (GoldLink, UCB)
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
Shelly Tan and Elizabeth Hart
EDITING
Alexa McMahon, Mitch Rubin, Suzette Moyer and Kaeti Hinck
COPY EDITING
Jim Webster and Jay Wang
VIDEOGRAPHY
Daniel Mich, Breanna Muir, Adriana Usero and Victoria Walker
MUSIC
Original composition by Jason Moran; Roy Beat by Tom Misch
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND FOOTAGE
Courtesy of Charles Limb, neuroscientist, surgeon and professor of otolaryngology at University of California at San Francisco
SPECIAL THANKS
Project filmed on location at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, the Kennedy Center and Studio Theatre