The Color Police

Here's a picture of Mike Rooney getting a citation from the color police for using too much brown and grey. This is home of Hensche.

Actually Mike had a nice painting going on with color, and the gentile man complained about Mike being too close to his fence. This sort of thing rarely happens in Provincetown. Most folks come out and greet the artist's with refreshments.

I always ask if I might paint from some ones property. They usually say yes and offer refreshments and their restroom. We all know how hard it is to find a restroom  when your working on location Mike was well on public property but was just having an experience with someone suffering with August itus

The Next two pictures are of Camille's painting today in the westend I love the trees and the road, also I find her color choices interesting. Camille thought it was more about the road, than the tree. Well, whichever it is, it is a lovely painting. 

My Plein Air Bike

My Plein Air Bike has been around a longtime and it's ready for retirement. The paint stays on my pallet while I ride up and down streets bring my easel and supplies along. The baskets hold my supplies and I use big clamps to clip my pallet on the back of my bike.

Camille Prezwodek

Camille in my studio

Camille's painting of Cottage street she called this the quintessential l John Clayton scene

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Camille Prezwodek, is teaching a workshop this week at the Cape School of Art. I had a wonderful afternoon showing Camille around Provincetown and then showing her the home of Henry Hensche, next to my studio.
Camille stopped over my studio and looked at my paintings and then showed me some of the scenes she has been painting  here in Provincetown.
It was a great chance to hear some of her thoughts and criticisms  about my work.
It's very difficult to grow as an artist when you are your only audience.
I found her critique very helpful and at the sometime encouraging.

Painting in Wellfleet with Mike Rooney

This week I met up with Mike Rooney and painted in Wellfleet, on Cape Cod. Wellfleet is a very beautiful town, two towns down from Provincetown. I always feel like I'm in the country when I'm there. It's known for it's oysters "the best in the country", boast the Wellfletians.

It's great to get out of the crazy congested Provincetown for the day and paint some of these beautiful marshes.
After painting a marsh scene, and taking a swim at high tied, we headed to the Wellfleet harbor. There we painted until the sunset.
Not sure if I got a good painting out but Mike was quick to point out how lucky we are to be doing what we love and giving ourselves permission to take advantage of the last stolen days of summer.

Margaret McWethy Workshop

Margaret McWethy's Sill

John Clayton's Still life

Last week I was able to attend Margaret McWethy's still life class at the Cape School in Provincetown. Margaret is a terrific still life painter and she also shows at the Egeli gallery with me.

Margaret started her painting off by painting a warm underpainting, establishing the big darks and then rubbing out the lights with terp. After a short demonstration of painting grapes and a bottle we began painting in a similar way. We painted in the big shapes with a warm underpainting and  then she had us  paint the color within the masses. It was wonderful to work with Margret again.

We painted still life or fruit  objects that we had difficulty painting. For me I wanted to learn to paint grapes. Part of the process of setting up the still life was addressed. It always amazes me how  McWethy is able to get a great composition and arrangement of the still life. She sets up such great color harmonies.

My little yorkie  Sophie also came to class and took a nap while we painted. Sophie loves Margaret and sat in her lap while Margaret gave a little critique.

Sophie waits for the class to be over

my messy pallet 

Margaret works with a student

Cloudy Day Beach Forest

Challenged by the weather and heat we had one of the most interesting worshops I ever taught. There were very accomplished artists in my workshop that challenged us all.

It was great to see everyone learn from one another and work on a few plein air ideas and principles.
These pictures are taken at Beach Forest. I did a small demo to explain the masses demystifying the  lilly pads that are part of the big masses.
The artists set up and painted this cloudy day water scene. At the end of the class, we looked at each others paintings to see what can be gained by working together and seeing how each one expressed the cloudy day.

Rooftops

People who see me painting on location always want to know how long it takes me to finish a painting. Usually the answer is "four hours and twenty years". That's not exactly the truth.
My paintings are developed by working on them at the same time of day in the same light conditions.  I always have many paintings in the works.
I return to these scenes of rooftops again and again. Not so much because I sell so many of them, (that would be nice)  I return to them so I can learn their light key. They are my haystacks.

  Another question student's always want to know is when is the painting finished.
I think finishing a painting is different for every artist. Most of my paintings develop over a number of days. I  suggest a few details at the end when all the masses of color are working.
Now a days there are so many plein air artist's working with so many ideas. Painting is a journey.
Most Plein air artist's paint their paintings in one sitting, very popular but it seems a little splash dash for me.  I like to return to my painting, and study them, I think this is the only way to learn the light key of nature.