Oil Painting Master Class with Tom Nachreiner

Oil Painting Master Class with Tom Nachreiner

Have you ever wondered how the finished paintings in galleries emerge? Where does the artist begin? How do they work? Do you have aspirations to be more creative? To paint? Have you ever wanted to take an oil painting master class? Welcome. The veil is about to be pulled back.

For the last several summers I have had the opportunity of watching Tom Nachreiner in the act of painting amazing work in 'plein air.' (Out in the field. Making observational paintings of the world around us, capturing a moment in time.) This is the second summer that I have had the opportunity to attend -- and document -- Tom presenting a 'master class' to a packed house. Last year Tom painted sail boats to our amazement. This summer: swans in repose.

Tom comes to his master class at the Edgewood Orchard Gallery with prepared material for subject matter, as the cobblestone courtyard does not offer a grandiose view, in accommodating the dozens and dozens of onlookers jockeying for a spot. 

Tom brings a photo that he's taken of three swans preening along the shore. 

Tom has 'orchestrated' his photo in photoshop, complete with working grid. 

You will see in the MANY photos ahead that Tom holds the reference material as he works. 

He continually consults the photo and makes reference to it as he paints. 

The class is to be two hours in length and has a planned interruption early on

so that Tom can present a finished lighthouse painting that he is donating to raise funds for lighthouse upkeep.

I'll conclude with the lighthouse in the footnotes. 

Now let's get started. 

I don't wear a watch up here in our haven-on-earth, but if I were to guess I would say that at this point Tom has been working for about 20 to 25 minutes. THEN! He does the most unexpected thing. He abruptly turned his canvas UPSIDE down on the easel!! After a brief explanation he continues to paint UPSIDE DOWN. For a VERY long time. 

BEHOLD THE PAINTING PROGRESSING UPSIDE DOWN.  

I asked Tom if he would share his 'upside down' rationale. 

Here is his response via subsequent email. 

In his own words: 

            "Here is the reason I work upside down from photo reference - although it's not easy to explain: I personally have not witnessed any other artist do this, but I'm sure there must be others out there. Keep in mind I paint outdoors with no photo reference the majority of time. I think too much photo rendering does not set me free to express myself in an individual way. "I can say more with less detail".

            So, before I start painting from a photo, I sometimes combine several photos and add and subtract elements to make for a stronger composition. In this case I added rocks and inland trapped water from another photo I took on the beach of Rockport MA last fall. I also moved the far left swan over more to the left to strengthen the circular movement of shapes. Usually I start painting upside down right away, but in this case I concluded my preliminary drawing with red line and some washes first, to make a point of this important phase of drawing to the students and onlookers.

             The reason for upside down then, for me, is that there is a detachment in my brain from the subject matter during this process. I don't see rocks or swans or feathers or beaks or feet, but just shapes, values and color. Because I don't see subject matter, this frees up my senses and brain to go into a more relaxed state where there's not as much pressure, not as much to think about, so I can paint faster, more expressively, and without the worries of realism. I have trained myself to see only shapes, based on circles, squares and triangles. I'm more free to duplicate just the accuracy of color, especially warm and cool temperature of colors, and the accuracy of shapes / am drawing.  I teach these principles in my studio workshops.

            - - When painting outdoors from life, I of course can't paint upside down, but I can go into that same relaxed state, where I start to see only shapes, because of this mind training I do with the intermittent painting from photos, in this fashion, in my studio, when I can't paint outdoors. I prefer to paint outdoors and there I have developed a way of abstracting the overwhelming amount of detailed information I get from all of that subject matter, by "squinting". When I "squint" it simplifies and manages too much information. When "squinting" as I paint, I see only shapes and I see the subject in a much simpler way that helps me capture just the essence of the light and shadow on the subject without actually thinking so much about the subject in a literal way, with all that fussy detail. All of this training of "how to see" helps me have more fun and makes painting more of a fantasy and is faster.

            Don't get me wrong,  although I am able to operate in this fantasy world during most of my painting, near the end of each painting, I then go into a different gear, and use all my knowledge to check the painting for convincing lighting, proper proportion and perspective, believability of form, proper values and correct any errors I see. I also work on making sure the center of interest/focal point stands out, and that ones eye moves smoothly around and throughout the painting. I step back and make all my determinations and calculations from a distance during this process."        Tom Nachreiner - American Impressionist

            

THE BEAK GETS ADDED!

Yes. We are still 'upside' down. 

Tom continues to work on an inverted canvas. 

We're now approaching one hour 'upside' down in orientation! 

Next Tom uses a palette knife to apply ample paint 

(which you will see gets 'moved around' the painting.)

At this point of the work, Tom moves seamlessly between palette knife, 

paint brush and his gloved finger to apply the paint. 

Now Tom adds 'scrunched' paper towel to the mix of tools he uses to move the paint. 

Yes. We are still upside down, as you can see. 

This next image of the swan-solo, is the final photo -- JUST prior to Tom's returning the canvas to 'rightside-up' orientation. Yes. We were all holding our breath for WELL over an hour at this point. All of those assembled were waiting on the edges of our chairs to see what we had been watching unfold returned to its proper orientation. Drumroll please...................

Here's what the painting looks like at about an hour and a half into the presentation. 

Returned to its "right-side up" orientation. 

The audience goes WILD as Tom restores it on the easel to this direction!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Tom Signs his Signature in the Masterpiece with a "Personalized Tool" 

At this point our time together is concluding and Tom is thanking everyone for their continued support. He begins by thanking the Edgewood Orchard gallery and then his family and finally concludes with thanking all of his patrons in the audience and those who have supported him over the years. He tips his hat to the upcoming Peninsula Plein Air Festival in a couple of weeks. For the seventh year (that would be EVERY year of its existence) Tom has been an invited artist to the Festival. 

At that point I asked Tom if he would 'pose' with his work's progress at this point. He had shared that he typically takes his piece home to the studio for further refinement and closure. This is how our two hours together concluded. 

The final step of the day is 'cleaning up' his palette. 

He gathers unused paint together to create his own special brands of gray, 

which will be applied in his next piece. 

And as promised. 

Here's a  couple of glimpses of the painting that Tom donated to the 

Cana Lighthouse restoration project. 

You'll see the first photo shows a little bit more of our palatial courtyard surrounding. 

Here's a closer look at the painting itself. 

Now that I have culled through the 278 photos that I took of our two hours together, this tribute is photographically complete. I will attempt to return here tonight and express my appreciation in words for the genius and insight of this man. I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to listen in on his creative process from year-to-year. I offer this overview above of his work as an expression of my gratitude. 

P.S. Here is the completed painting, after Tom took it home and finished it -- without the staring fan eyes, our unrelenting questions and the buzzing insects. It is entitled "Swan Song." Please be certain to visit his website for his schedule and recent works. 

-- Debbie --