Some recent work for sale!

I'm sharing a selection some paintings that I have available through our studio, Salt Marsh Studio, on Whitemarsh Island, GA.  The honest truth for artists is that we paint so many paintings in a moth, year, over the years, that we inevitably have some paintings returned.  These are some of those pieces that have been sent to galleries on consignment, but for whatever reason, did not sell.  

We just recently held a Holiday Open House.  These pieces are a selection of what I have hanging for it.  If you're in the area of Savannah, GA be sure to drop us a note to make an appointment to stop in to view the work on hand, and to say 'Hi'.  You can email me at marc@marchansonart.com.

Thanks for taking a look...

SPRING ON THE MARSH - oil on board - 24x48 - $9500.00

This is a painting entirely painted on location with Dottie, near the Bull River, on the marsh between Wilmington Island and Tybee Island.  Gnats got us the second session, but we persisted and each painted a painting this size.  Something we want to do more often.  

ALONG THE FLAT RIVER - oil on canvas/board - 10x20 - $1900.00

I painted this while teaching a class in Michigan this past summer.  It was painted along a very shallow, narrow river called The Flat River. 

TOWARDS THE RIVER - oil on linen panel - 11x14 - $1450.00

This is a field painting, painted on a very warm but misty morning off of Battery Park, Tybee Island, GA.  Three studies were painted that morning. 

STRAWBERRY MOON DANCE - oil on canvas - 48x36 - $13,500.00

One of the many wonderful things I like about living on an island being on the beach at sunset or sunrise.  Watching full moons rising is always a unique experience.  This night that this one arose, the sky was clear except for a few pods of small clouds that seemed to be attracted to creating circle dances around the moonlight.  They were like little cloud faeries it seemed.  

CHANGE COMING - oil on canvas - 24x36 - $7,500.00

Dottie and I were doing some field painting at Battery Park, Tybee Island back in May of this year when this wall cloud came at us!  We very quickly threw everything into our paint bags and skedaddled back to the safety of my truck and then home.  We found out a short time later that this system produced a tornado that touched down on the next island west of us, Wilmington Island, and did some damage to businesses in the small commercial area there.  It's not good to mess with Mother Nature!!! 

BACK ROADS - oil on linen - 22x30 $5200.00

I have always loved the mood of the landscape when takes on other than a 'blue bird' day attitude.  Days like this, ones that are warm and hazy, might be some of my favorite to paint.  This one is painted on a piece of linen that you can't purchase anymore, a linen made by the company out of Russia called Yarka.  They made (make?) three styles, portrait smooth, rough and coarse.  It is sized with sturgeon skin glue and primed with a beautiful oil prime that takes paint beautifully.  It's always very sad when a product that you become used to, and LOVE to paint on, is no longer available.  The ensuing search for replacements begins and sometimes takes years to find, sometimes it never is.  This is one of those, another being that beautiful mouse gray Belgian Mist sanded pastel paper that was produced by Kitty Wallis... I'm still sobbing over that loss.

SOUTHERN LIGHT - oil on cradled panel - 30x40

When I began to come to the coast of Georgia to teach landscape painting I was immediately fascinated by the scrubby vegetation that lives along the coastal marshes and beaches.  Live oaks, palmettos and Spanish Moss, making up a large share of that growth.  One of those trips found us painting on Jekyll Island, near St. Simon's Island, GA, at the fishing pier on the north end of the island.  There is a bridge that crosses a tidal creek from there that carries you over to the east side of the island and the beaches there.  Since it faces the Atlantic, it takes a beating when the seas are up.  Consequently, the trees and other vegetation are always struggling to keep a foothold on solid ground.  I love that kind of landscape, both for viewing and for painting.  One morning I took walk all the way around the east beach when the light was low and warm and caught this scene on my phone. I didn't have time to paint it, so this is a result of realizing that image in the studio at a later time.  A side story, I sent it to a gallery I work with on St. Simon's, Anderson Fine Art Gallery, suing FedEx, and it was lost for weeks... not a clue as to where it went.  I has shipped it out of Tupelo, MS, where I lived at the time.  It was for a show at the gallery so I decided since it was a goner, I would paint another version of it.  At almost the same time this one arrived at the gallery, the other one showed up too!!!  Now I have two versions of this scene.  Would you like one?!?! 

SEA MOOD - acrylic on cradled panel - 23x48

This is the only Acrylic painting in this grouping.  I'd be happy to sell it, but I also love having it in my studio as a reminder of an idea realized in a way that I envisioned before starting, something that doesn't always happen.  Also, I painted it in a medium that I love, but have struggles with in every painting, every time that I use it, that keeps me from using it more often.  In this one however, those struggles dissolved, making it one that I look at frequently to remind me that it is possible to do that! 

March 20, 2014... Acrylic studio paintings.

Happy Spring!  It's greening up here, the gardeners showed up today to take inventory and begin the season.  The winds are up, something that I now know is a near constant this time of year, east of the Front Range in Colorado.  A person can almost tell the time of the day by the winds.  They nearly always kick in right at 12:00 noon.  Painter and friend, Dave Santillanes, a native of the area, told me that last week.  I've been paying attention and Dave is right, noon it is!

Why am I painting winter then?  I'm taking a little break from getting all of the paintings that I sold during February ready to ship.  I have all of these very fresh studies in the studio, and the memory of painting them, that I am still in the middle of churning through from last month.  The painting urge hasn't let up, I'm giving it it's needed fix.  There is nothing better than having fresh studies and the memory of the experience to paint from in the studio... except painting them outside!  This weekend is going to be devoted entirely to packing and shipping all of the art sold.  Thanks again to everyone who purchased a painting, or two, or three.  I'm grateful for that support.  

To further complicate my life, I've been painting with Golden Open acrylics in the studio.  I'm not  sure why, except that I like the solvent free aspect of them, the ability to stop and start at any time on a painting, not having to wait for it to dry or stay wet if need be.  I  think that I'm also overdosing a little bit on solvents and driers like Liquin.  

I'm not complaining, but I've noticed that when I'm using a lot of either of those type of ingredients in my oil painting, which I do often now so that I can better control the drying time, I have some issues with congestion, slight headaches and watery eyes.  My plan is to use the acrylics for awhile to see if that clears up.  So far, I'm already able to see an improvement.  If I don't go nuts trying to get a grip on the acrylic monster, I think it might be a good move.  

Working with them is more like what I like about working with pastels... I can lay down paint/pastel, and very quickly work over it.  Immediately with pastel, almost immediately with acrylics.  Glazes, scumbling, are all great  techniques that I like to use in oil painting too.  My patience is getting shorter though, it takes too long for the oils to be ready for me to do that like I want to.  If I had an area to 'rack up' paintings while they dry for these techniques with the oil paints, I could see working on a number of paintings in stages at a time.  I don't.  If I have 4 paintings done, it's crowded in here, and there's no where to add a rack.  

With the acrylics, the drying times of these newer 'Open' acrylics, work right along with me.  I paint pretty fast normally.  The acrylics are almost begging for the painter to do that with them.  So, they and I, seem to be working pretty well together.  Taming the monster that they are, is really getting used to a process of painting with them on their terms.  Once I do that, I love what they have to offer.  Stay tuned...

What I'm posting here are two paintings painted from the two studies I'm also posting.  That's not always a great idea, but for interest, that's what I'm doing.  Don't think that I am trying to exactly copy the studies, I'm not.  The studio paintings evolve from the studies, as you can see, and are usually more complex.  That's the case with both of these.  Field studies are the soul of the experience, the journal of your time, and are why I paint outside.  The studio painting is a further exploration of that memory and experience.  I like both.  Since the grass is greening up, and the snow is long gone, the only way to explore either of these ideas is to do it in the studio from the studies.  I didn't take any photographs in February of the locations I painted, with a couple of exceptions.  So if I'm going to paint up any of the February paintings, it will have to be done only using those paintings as reference, or the photos of them once they're out of my studio.  

Both of the larger paintings are painted on acrylic primed linen.  "Freeze in the Air" is painted on a Frederix linen called 'Antwerp'.  It's one that I've used a lot of over the years, but it's really pricey.   I mounted it on a cradled birch panel, after first putting down two coats of GAC 100 (A Golden Product) to seal the wood, preventing acid migration into the surface of the acrylic paint.  It's a problem with oils and acrylics, but more of a concern with acrylics.  The moisture in can leach out the impurities from the underlying wood as it dries, pulling them towards the wet paint.  That can cause discoloration in the paint film.  GAC 100 seals the wood, providing a barrier between it an the painting.  I glued down the Antwerp using Lamin-All glue.  

The other painting, "Frozen Hollow", was painted on a stretched Utrecht linen (Type 66J) that I've had for many years.  I used to make my own lead primed panels and stretched supports, with RSG and this linen.  For this painting, I stretched it on some heavy duty bars that I first sealed the edges of with the GAC 100, then sized it with one coat of GAC 400, followed by 2 coats of GAC 100.  The GAC 400 is for stiffening fabric, which is nice because without using rabbit skin glue (RSG), it's hard to get that drum tight stretch on linen.  The GAC 400 helps to replicate that somewhat.  Following a light sanding, I applied 4 coats of acrylic dispersion primer (mistakenly called acrylic gesso, it's not gesso), with light sanding in between coats.  

This was a test of sorts... I learned that I prefer the linen mounted on board, and will continue that way when painting with the acrylics.  It's nice to be able to 'lean into' the painting with p.knives and brushes when it's on the board. Can't do that with the stretched linen.  Plus, the whole process of stretching and prepping the linen from the raw state was time consuming and it didn't give me any particular advantage.  I didn't like painting on it as much as I did the glued down linen. I may continue to use the raw linen (hell of a lot less expensive than pre-primed even though it's acrylic priming) and prime it myself. I didn't notice much difference at all, painting on pre-primed vs my priming it.  I used Golden 'Gesso'.  That 's what they call it, it's acrylic primer. 

Thanks for looking in!

"Freezing Fog #2"

Oil - 8x10

"Frozen Hollow"

Acrylic - 20x24

©Marc R. Hanson 2014

"Freezing Fog #3"

Oil - 8x10

"Freeze in the Air"

Acrylic - 18x24

©Marc R. Hanson 2014

Coming soon... A Leap Into February... a painting marathon!

All of the paintings, 112 in total, will be published here on the blog.  If you'd like to see the daily activities and art, please follow my blog by signing up with the email link to the right of this post.
Details to follow in mid January...

Demos from my last Taylors Falls Workshop

I've just finished a great workshop, my last at my Minnesota studio, the 6th Annual.  Below are the full demos that I did for the class and a group shot of some wonderful people who came to study painting with me from 7 different states.  It was a great week, I'll miss holding classes at this location.  

"Tree-O" - pastel - 9x12 ©2012 Marc R. Hanson

I neglected to add this piece which was done as the last demo on Friday afternoon for about 7 of my students who wanted to see me do a pastel.  I hadn't had time, until we were finally done with the critique early.  Everyone was spent, including me, but we found some shade, they got some chairs, and I painted the trees up the hill behind me in the yard.  I enjoyed using the pastels after a long week of oil painting.

'Crex Sun' - oil - 16x20 ©2012 Marc R. Hanson

'A Brief Respite' - oil - 14x18 ©2012 Marc R. Hanson

'Croix Tones' - oil - 11x14 ©2012 Marc R. Hanson

The last class at my Minnesota studio in Taylors Falls.  Artists from 7 states, some who've been with me a number of times, some who I've just had the pleasure of meeting and painting with.  One and all, a wonderful bunch of people and artists.  Thank you all for the time you gave to learn and enjoy this love we share.  

August 2012

It's been so long since my last post that the entire system for posting on the blog has changed!  I've had a busy spring and summer, and the fall isn't looking any different.  I'm just coming off of teaching my 6th Annual Landscape Painting five day workshop up here in Taylors Falls, my last one at this location because I will be relocating to Colorado in September!  

My resolution is to revive my blog as a place for conversation about my happenings and about Art and all things related.  For now a couple of items to get things rolling again...

In July I took part in the Peninsula Art School's "Door County Plein Air Festival" in Fish Creek, WI.  It was a week of amazing weather, artist camaraderie, and painting.  This years' line up of artists and the work that they produced was the best ever without a doubt.  The staff at the Festival did an amazing job  of keeping everything running smooth and creating the environment for the artists that led to great painting which resulted in many sales on the weekend.  Once again, a big thank you to the Peninsula Art School's staff and volunteers.

I took a little different approach to my own painting at the Festival this year, my 4th year, and painted larger and fewer paintings.  I stretched up linen for them all, smallest size for the exhibition was 12"x16", and I used Floater Frames on them all.  I was very happy with my choices, I prefer to paint on stretched linen.  I think it gives my work a more sensitive and softer feel than painting on a harder board does.  Of course there are times and situations for both, but for now, I'm really enjoying painting this way.  

I was honored to have been awarded the 'Best of Show' for this painting 'Monday Morning', given to me by Steven Doherty, former editor of American Artist Magazine since 1979, now editor of Plein Air Magazine.  It was such a treat to have had Steve select my painting, I've collected American Artist Magazine for a long time and still have all of the issues beginning with January 1979! 

To top that, the Featured Artists at the Festival selected the same painting for the 'Artists' Choice Award'!!!  That one is very special, to be honored by your peers is the highest honor an artist and painting can be given.  It was a wonderful feeling to be in that place.

"Monday Morning" - oil - 16x20 - ©2012 Marc R. Hanson

"Rolled" - oil on linen - 16x20 - ©2012 Marc R. Hanson

'Ephraim to the South' - oil on linen - 12x16 - ©2012 Marc R. Hanson

"Sister Bay Mood" - oil on linen - 12x16 - ©2012 Marc R. Hanson

"Wall Flowers" - oil on linen - 12x16 - ©2012 Marc R. Hanson

I will be back in the Midwest in mid September to teach at the Madeline Island School of Art, a workshop on the beautiful northern Wisconsin Island that sits just off the shore near the Apostle Island National Seashore in Lake Superior.  There is still space available in this workshop... if you're looking for a beautiful location to come and paint some field studies that you then take into their art studios to enlarge, and see my process demonstrated, this would be the place and time for you to join us.

See you next from Colorado!!!  

September 15 Nocturnes... Here's the 'Method and Materials' scoop!

I'm sitting here wishing I felt well enough to go out to paint tonight... just kidding... severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, lightening and hail, tornado warnings near by! Never mind!

So while I'm sitting here, and instead of wasting time, I thought that I'd post some info about what I use to paint, and what my approach to painting nocturnes is in order to answer a number of questions that I'm getting about this.

The Methods and Materials are really just about the same as I use during the day. Painting is painting and painting a nocturne calls for the same sensibilities to Drawing, Value, Color, Composition... Edges, Temperature and most important... Concept!

Observation is key, and painting what you see... not what you know... is essential. This is certainly true during the daylight situations also. But at night you really don't have a choice because much of what you 'think' you know about an object or situation is no longer valid. The darkness obliterates details, artificial lights can obliterate form, and the combination will leave you wondering just what it is that you're looking at. Don't worry about it, you don't need to know, if you're paying attention to putting down the correct relationships of the shapes, values and colors (with the accompanying attention to edges and the qualities of the colors... hue, intensity, value and temperature) that are before you. If you do that with a Concept in mind, you'll have a great time at this.

There is something freeing about painting at night. I suppose that in part it's because you can't see everything that is happening in the subject, or on your painting. The lights I use are great, but they're still limited and this is not like painting in good studio or north light! Even with the 'better' illumination with the LED lights, they're not perfectly color balanced. Your color mixtures will look pretty good, but they will still surprise you a little when you take the paintings inside and view them under good studio light. Painting a nocturne is always an adventure into the unknown.

All of these obstacles make painting nocturnes both a challenge and a thrill to do. And once it's dark, the light doesn't change unless the neighbor, whose house you may be painting, turns off the lights and goes to bed!

I prefer smoother surfaced panels at night so that the glare from the darker colors isn't as bad. That glare makes them hard to photograph for one, but also hard to see the painting once it's varnished.

Usually I tone the panel first with either a warm tone or a dark neutral like some black with blue and a little red mixed in. It's best to let that dry a day or so before painting on it. More and more I prefer the gray vs the warm tone.

I don't switch up my palette, though I may not use as much of the lighter value colors as I would in daylight. I tend to use more of the darker value colors like Transparent Oxide Brown or Red, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue Deep and Viridian. I do add a few colors for catching the intensity of lights at night, like red, blue and green neon. I add some Pthalo colors... blue, green, turqouise. I also like a Quinacridone red or rose for the glowing pinks of some lights.

Here's the palette-
Titanium White
Cad Lemon Yellow
Cad Yellow Deep
Yellow Ochre light
Cad Orange
Cad Scarlet
Cad Red
Quinacridone Red or Rose
Alizarin Crimson
Transparent Oxide Brown or Red
Viridian
Ultramarine Blue
_______________
Night add ons-
Pthalo Blue, Green, Turquoise

I use the 10x12 EasyL box.

This is the Mighty Bright LED Book light.

That's the scoop! Thanks.

Link to the nocturnes on my website.

Click here to go to the 2010 September Nocturnes from Life collection on my website. If you prefer visuals without the writing and commentary this should do it. Thanks.

Taylors Falls Ten PM

Oil on canvas - 8x10 © Marc R. Hanson'10

This nocturne was painted from life in Taylors Falls last week during my workshop on our 'Nocturne Night'.

Also, this is a first for me, a trial run if you will. I have listed this painting as an auction item on 'ebay'. I have a lot of smaller paintings hanging around that are taking up my studio space and I need the room to work. :) I may be posting some of those in time.

If you are game, you can click on the link below the painting and go there to take a look.




Click here to bid on this painting

Some recent work from earlier this month.

This first group are field studies that were painted in early May in Sarasota, FL on a short weekend painting trip. We found that our cold northern blood is not so fond of the HOT midday of Gulf Coast Florida. So the painting was best in the morning or afternoon. The rest of the time we did a lot of looking and exploring. Including spending several hours at the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. The grounds there are spectacular to see and to paint.

The last painting is now in Charleston, SC at Coleman Fine Art. It is a studio painting of one of the bridges at The Magnolia Plantation in Charleston. Another spectacular preserved garden, like the Ringling grounds, that is a treat to see and paint.


'Botanical Gardens' oil, 10x8 © Marc R. Hanson 2010


'Pair of Paired Palms' oil, 8x10 © Marc R. Hanson 2010
Try saying that 20 times fast!!! This was painted in Myakka River State Park. Alligators...need I say more?


'Lido Beach Park Trees' oil, 10x8 © Marc R. Hanson 2010
There many racoons here. One was next to where we were painting and it was particularly bothersome. It kept coming down from it's palm tree and towards us. Very nasty looking critter.


'Springtime Walk' oil, 18x24 © Marc R. Hanson 2010
Just a pleasant spring light on the subject... wanted to paint it. Not to mention all of the gentle color and textures.

The sun did come out...briefly... today.

'November Coming' - gouache on paper - 4.5x6.5 © Marc R. Hanson '08

So I grabbed the gouache bag and truck and painted one little study. It became too dark to try for two, too bad. I used this medium because I am just not ready to put on the cold weather clothes just yet. Sitting in the truck with a radio, coffee and heat on the feet, is where I was today.
I started doing this in the car last winter and then didn't keep it up. It's a method of last resort, a way to keep painting when you don't feel like being in the elements. I need to remind myself to stay with this... because it's fun! ;)