Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Tutorial Tuesday: Oil Painting Master Class #2

photo of: "Art is either plagiarism or revolution."  quote

TUTORIAL TUESDAY!! You're gonna LUV this one!

Welcome to tips-on-TUESDAY. Here is my second 'master class' of the season. Welcome to Edgewood Orchard Galleries and the work of Tom Nachreiner: from start to finish. This is a glorious opportunity and I am most blessed to have the good fortune to take advantage of such insight and amazing talent. I hope that you can learn along with me as I share my observations. 

Preparation of the empty canvas. Under-painting done in about 2.5 minutes (including explanation to audience.) The under-painting literally 'warms' the canvas to the subsequent layers of paint that will be added. 

photo of: Master Class on Oil Painting: Preparing Canvas with under painting

While we were outdoors (under a canopied tent, being served our choice of wine on a sunny afternoon) Tom is not painting Plein Air as much as he is giving a 'master class'. He had chosen his subject matter of a couple of boats he'd seen in Eagle Harbor -- tied up last winter rather than painting a scene in the gallery. He would be working from his photographed reference material for the afternoon. So he proceeded with dividing his prepared canvas with a graph.

photo of: Master Class Painting: Grid to Begin

Tom had the boats positioned both effortlessly and in record time. While I don't wear a watch up here in Door County, I would estimate that both boats were 'outlined' in under five minutes time. Tom is a brilliant teacher and able to paint and have an ongoing conversation about his choices and decisions as he works. 

Next comes the blocking in of the forms and the laying down of the shapes that will become the darkening sky. 

photo of: Master Class Oil Painting: Laying in forms and Shapes

Tom is obviously a gifted artist, but he is equally capable at the 'teaching' aspect of his work. He is able to discuss his decisions and process while in the midst of making choices. He engaged the 'audience' on several occasions asking for impressions from those further removed from the process. 

Periodically through out the afternoon, he would back up quite a distance to see how the piece was coming together. He wants it to work well from 'across a room' and then draw you in to the brush strokes and color. The photos taken without his brush in the frame are no doubt when he is backed away and taking in the progress from a distance. 


photo of: Master Class: Oil Painting with Tom Nachreiner

photo of: Master Class: Oil Painting with Tom Nachreiner

photo of: Master Class: Oil Painting with Tom Nachreiner

FACTOID: Tom 'signs' his paintings while the oil paints are still very 'wet' and uses a pencil to scratch his name INTO the paint itself. If you look very closely you can see that his name is now etched into paint -- in the eighth picture in this collage set below. 

photo of: Master Class: Oil Painting with Tom Nachreiner

photo of: Master Class: Oil Painting with Tom Nachreiner

Here's the work all finished in one afternoon..... just waiting for a frame. 

photo of: Master Class Oil Paining with Tom Nachreiner, finished painting

By all means please visit his website to see many more pieces and get a glimpse of his schedule. I am fortunate to see him in action later this month for our Door County Plein Air Festival. 

10 comments:

  1. Amazing ! I see how an oil painting come to being for the first time . So great !

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    1. It is a real joy to watch someone so capable. He is truly gifted at the teaching portion of the day. My hope by sharing my observations is to offer inspiration to others. Tom is an amazing teacher.

      Debbie

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    2. Thanks so much for this honor, Debbie, The demo was fun to do, and everyone seemed to enjoy it, or was it the wine? You did a great job of catching the essence of how I work, and I didn't even see you or hear you at all. I'm looking forward to seeing you at the Door County Plein Air Festival, in less than two weeks. Tom Nachreiner

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    3. Tom I am so grateful for having had this opportunity. In sharing your work with the wider world audience I hope to bring you one more ripple of attention. So glad to have had your permission. Watching your blog emerge is such a thrill! Fun to have a back-stage pass.

      d.

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  2. I was there. It was amazing to see Tom's creative energy at work. The finished painting was beautiful.

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    1. Randy!! So happy to be able to 'share' our experience with the wider world. It was indeed amazing to participate in Tom's creative energy. Please feel free to share this link with others.

      Debbie

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  3. Debbie we love Tom's work over at ArtMail too! :-) Small world.

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    1. Cue: "It's a Small World After All" -- don't ya just LUV when this sort of overlap emerges. Makes me smile thinking how pleased the angels are that their orchestration has been noted. Zina, I have my fingers crossed that we can meet IRL. That would put the "cherry" on top!

      Debbie

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  4. That is SO useful. Too often in so-called internet classes, one gets to see but three or four pictures and, as a nephyte painter, you need as more imagination than the master artist had himself to try and guess what went in between.
    I'm an English woman in South Africa migrating from pastel and watercolour to acrylics ... or oils, if I cannot get the hang of that medium - and such blogs are worth their weight in gold.
    I cannot thank you enough for sharing.
    Best wishes, Noni

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    1. Noni-from-South-Africa!!!! It is absolutely glorious that you have 'found' this article on Tom's brilliant work. He was such a gem to allow me to capture his day with us and share it with the WIDER world. I will email him and let him know the service he has provided to you -- all the way around the world!!!

      I know he will be touched that you took the time to let 'us' know.

      Thanks so much. I'm glad that you've been inspired. I'm so happy to have been able to share his talent and expertise with you.

      Debbie

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