Newsletter August, 2004 A Free Newsletter for Those Who Love to Paint

I apologize for not publishing a newsletter these past 3 months. My father, Joseph Stacharowski passed away on March 8, 2004. His death has affected me more than I expected and I have had a hard time concentrating, especially on writing. He always supported me in my endeavors even when he did not agree or understand why they were important to me. He was always there to do anything to help me from hanging shelves in my studio to setting up my booth at art fairs and keeping me company there. I miss him.

Color of the Month

Alizarin Crimson

This cool red has a reputation for fading quickly. Thanks to modern chemistry and materials, some manufacturers have been able to offer a more permanent version. It is very, very transparent. If not being used as a glaze, it usually needs a some help from another color to give it some body. I normally add some titanium white. It is normally a strong pigment, so a little goes a long way. It is a great sky color - try it in sunrises and sunsets, to me it seems more natural there than cadmium red. Mixed with white it gives a cool pink for flowers, a soft blush for a cheek or a smooth pink for a ribbon. Mixed with ultramarine blue, it gives a wonderful violet. Mixed equally with ultramarine blue and a green it will help create a wonder dark black. Read the label carefully, choose wisely and add a wonderful cool red to your palette.

Tool of the Month

Magazine Boxes

The cardboard containers that hold floppy magazines on a shelf. They come plain or fancy. They not only do a good job at holding magazines, but I also use them in other ways. I use one to keep all of my catalogues together so it is easy to find them and toss out the old ones.

Lay them flat with the opening to the front, stack two and you have three ‘shelves’ to use . I stack a couple on their sides and have a way to organize my tablets, papers and pads. Use a couple to hold the small books that won’t stand too well on their own. They can be used to organize notes, sketches and even supplies for projects. So pick up a couple and your studio may just be a little less cluttered.

Nobody is Perfect

Nobody is perfect, not even you. The thing to remember is that there is a difference between perfection and excellence. Your paintings will never be perfect. They will seldom, if ever, turn out exactly how you imaged. But that’s OK!

Change your philosophy about painting. The process of creating the painting should be fun. Relish the experience. This journey is just as important as the outcome.

Make a real effort to get your paintings to excellence, but if they don’t get to perfection don’t worry too much about it. As with most things, the more you do it the better you get at it. Keep painting as much as you can. Continue to learn, never stop exploring or trying new things.

Try to keep in mind that the goal you want to achieve is an excellent painting. If it doesn’t match your vision exactly, but is still a good painting - enjoy it, celebrate it. Then if you are not satisfied, try again.

I recently read a quote,

“No painting is ever finished, you just need to find a good place to stop.”

Stop when the painting is excellent, or as close as you can get. Do not try for perfection, you will never get there and you may become too frustrated to continue and that won’t be any fun.

So embrace the process, strive for a goal, enjoy the experience, celebrate the outcome and continue on your journey.

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