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On October 15th, 2024 I was joined by 35 fellow artists, friends, and art lovers for an evening chat as I demonstrated how I paint in oils. These were my techniques for painting water, rocks, and foliage of the Lake Superior landscape.

This was part of the Lake Superior Art Association’s series of art programming.

While I painted, I discussed the materials I use, and the methods I’ve learned and developed. I reflected on my sources of inspiration and love of the Lake Superior Region, touching on the geography and history of the region. The audience seemed especially impressed with my “shortcut” for painting a rock beach.

Right: The finished painting: “Sun Streaked Cove”
Click here or on the photo to see the product page!

There was absolutely no time to finish this painting in one presentation, so I finished it in my studio.

Someday, I’d like to do a class or demo over the course of four of five days!

I would like to thank the LSAA, its board members, and especially the wonderful people who turned out for this art talk!

For anyone interested, below are the notes I used for the presentation, with clarifications.

Art Talk Notes, October 15th

1. Introduction
   1. About me
   2. Education & experience [self guided, some college]

2. Subject matter,
   1. reference photo (see above)
   2. Underpainting (see video)
   3. Colors for underpainting, (mostly Blue Ridge Oil Colors, some Gamblin)
      1. Thalo blue red shade (PB15:1)
      2. Yellow Ochre (PY42)
      3. Permanent crimson (PR 264 + PB 29 + PV 19)
         1. Alizarin Crimson, PR83 is fugitive)
      4. Hanza Yellow or Cad yellow light HUE (PY74)
      5. Titanium White

3. Materials
   1. Canvas
   2. Paint
      1. Brands (mostly Blue Ridge Oil Colors, some Gamblin)
      2. Pigments ( when switching brands of paint, pay attention to the pigments. different companies may use different pigments for the same color, which will affect mixing)
   3. Brushes
   4. Solvents (I use odorless mineral spirits. Odorless doesn’t mean ‘fumeless’. You still need ventilation)

4. Sky
   1. Ultramarine blue
   2. Thalo blue green shade(PB15:3, close to Cyan)

5. Painting the Lake (dark color for the wave peaks. Lighter sky color for the valleys)

6. Black Rocks
   1. Geology
      1. Peridotite, intrusive magma
      2. 1.4 billion years old (see Alexis Dahl YouTube)

7. Lake Superior
   1. Basic formation (mid cont rift, glacial gouging)

8. Painting the foliage
   1. Your Greens are probably too green! (greens need to be neutralized a little with some red, otherwise they’re too bright)
   2. Varying brushes and strokes (using the same brush to make your foliage will look amateurish, unnatural, and cheap)

9. Painting the rock beach
   1. Shadows (Out line the shapes of several rocks, heaviest in the part away from the sun)
   2. Midlights (a random mix of ultramarine blue with crimson and/or yellow ochre, lighter in value than the shadows)
   3. Blend the shadows and mids
   4. highlights

10. A word about Lichens
    1.  Symbiotic partnership of two separate organisms, an algae and one or more fungi. The algae cells are enveloped with in fungus cells. Algae cannot survive out of water without the fungus to protect it. The fungus cannot survive on a rock, etc. without the algae feeding it through photosynthesis!