Added Feb 21, 2020
What on the Easel, November 2019
What’s On The Easel, November 2019, Vol. I, No. 8
A monthly newsletter from Jim Fischer
In the words of a famous man…
… It is finished! This is the largest and most ambitious portrait I have done to date. Yes, Steph and Natalie are standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Big Sur. But don’t be fooled, they were placed there by me (and the famous bridge, while nearby, is not that close to the ocean). Artist’s license.
And from big things come little surprises …
The large portrait has also generated twelve (and counting) smaller paintings. There are three methods I am using to ‘paint’ these works. The first, as demonstrated by the top row, involves creatively cutting up the wiping rags used during painting (they are, from left to right, Prometheus, Vesuvius and Icarus).
The second method, shown with the three works center right) involves arranging the dried paint scrapings from cleaning the pallete (they are, from the left, Gheishas, Samurai and Shinto Priest). The third method, the bottom row, makes use of the remaining wet paint on the palette (I always seem to squeeze more than is actually needed) as scraped up and laid down on board with a palette knife (they are, from left to right, Moby Dick, Hiroshima I and Hiroshima II). Waste not, want not, eh.
Fifteen minutes of fame…
… For Io. His portrait sunning himself (and showing no pride) has been accepted into the holiday exhibit, Petopia, of the Monmouth County Museum. Go Io!
In Other News…
What to do with all those small pieces of glass left over when a leaded glass project is done? Well, I figured out how to cut them into 3/8 inch square pieces which had been, up to now, sitting in containers waiting. For many (about 1,000 pieces) the waiting is over. With the completion of the rebuilding of the front stairs we had the porch skimmed with concrete. Sooooooo, I had the contractor leave a 14 inch circle about 1/8 inch deep in the center that I filled with this:
AVAILABLE NOW! With the helpful advice by my friend, Jan Lorenc, I was able to create a catalog of the Whistler’s Venice Pastel exhibit. The full pdf of the book is too large for this newsletter (60mb) but if you are interested, and your inbox can handle the size, I’d gladly send it to you. Now, if you are interested in the hardcover publication (with dust jacket) I can get you one for $65. Just let me know.
That’s all for now. Drop me a note if you like. I’d love to hear from you.
Everyone be well.
Jim