Ken Auster Workshop

On the way home from Key West I was able to attend a Ken Auster workshop in Fort Lauderdale. The Brush Strokes is a working artist studio for local artist's which hosted the workshop.
Ken Auster is a great teacher who who works with a  limited pallet and is one who practices tonal methods of painting rather than impressionist painting.
Working outside my comfort zone, was interesting and helpful.

Ken started the workshop giving us a summery of his personal philosophy on painting. Intellect and passion, was key, to Auster's painting.
There was a demonstration on perspective and organizing the masses in a logical way and some of the pitfalls painters fall into when designing landscapes.

Ken's Demonstration of a California coast scene.

The first afternoon Ken Demonstrated a typical florida water scene and then we painted the same scene using Ken's method.

The Second day Ken demonstrated a San Francisco Street Scene and then we painted the same scene.

San Francisco Street Scene by Ken Auster

Close up of Auster's painting.

One of the most interesting things for me was his handling of people in the landscape and how he simplified them.

We ended the workshop watching and painting one of Auster's famous Chef paintings.

Ken's start of the chef 

It was a great opportunity for me to get out of my comfort zone and learn something different. Auster was at the opposite end of the painting spectrum in terms of the cape school teaching. I am a little confused, but I'm excited about all I have learned and want to apply many of these concepts. There is more freedom for me in  having the information to develop my own truth.

Key West Update

 The Old Town in Key West is the most beautiful and paintable part of town. I love the architecture and plant life that create this city that seems to emerge out of a garden.
Parking your car is a bit of a problem and getting around with my art supplies on foot has been difficult.
I rented this Bicycle called adult Trike. It significantly adds to my painting time and quickly gets me to the painting spots.
This Trike has a basket in the back and carries all my art supplies, It's better than anything I have found for getting around with art supplies and painting in small places.
Below is my painting of the Key West Marina. I painted this one morning and used my  brushes.

Poorhouse Lane

The painting on Poorhouse lane was a demonstration for a student on  how I start a painting using a knife.

I wasn't sure if there was even a painting or not, but when I took this painting home I realized it would be good to work on this piece. Some of the colors are similar and that can happen when you are developing a painting. The next morning the sun comes out I will work those color notes out.

Sunny Morning Lane

Here is a painting I recently finished in Key West. This is a quiet lane with fences and flowers. The lane reminded me so much of Provincetown. I painted this painting with a knife only.

Key West Old Wharf

I started painting in Key West last week and over the next few days I'll share some of my paintings around town. Here I painted a cloudy day of the wharf. On gray days I enjoy painting marine scenes.

Last night was an opening for Jane Washburn at the Gingerbread Square Gallery in Key West. I was pleasantly surprised to see a couple of my paintings hanging as well. Of course I brought my dog Sophie with me. Sophie's a big hit with her bangs and Key West is a dog friendly place.

View Across the Lake

I have been doing some small landscape studies around Ft Myers. It's been unusually rainy here getting back to the same lighting conditions are impossible, for now.

Study in Sunlight

i am discovering that simple head studies in outdoor light is as effective as the block studies that have been painted.
The Cape School has a long tradition of studying colored blocks in natural light. This is a long traditional practice for seeing light, shade and reflections.
Hawthorne had his Cape Cod School of Art students paint simple portraits of children on the beach known as "mud heads".
Using myself as a model I quickly block in the form, with patterns of light and shade. Without destroying  the patterns I begin to get more specific with the color I'm seeing within the form.
It's not so important to make your studies a true likeness. I found that perhaps a little attention to drawing is required in contrast with the colored blocks.
I will be teaching a Mud Head Class in Falmouth this summer.