Category: Art Blog

April 12, 2021

A Written Art Lesson: Part Five – The Mountains

Susan E. Hanna / 0 Comments / Art Blog / written art lesson /

A Written Art Lesson: Part Five - The Mountains

Today we will paint in our horizon line. You may catch up with past lessons by visiting the Blog page on my website.

You were working on a landscape and had just painted the sky. The landscape includes mountains with a tree in a field in the foreground. You should paint in the horizon line and the silhouettes of the mountains while the paint in the sky is still wet.

You don’t want the mountain tops or the base of them (your horizon line) to be halfway down the painting. Remember our composition requires placing the major elements at the third marks. The mountain tops and the horizon should be closer to a third of the way up or a third of the way down your canvas.

I recommend using a small to medium-sized flat brush (perhaps your #5). Just grab a small amount of Cobalt Blue on the tip of your brush using the Grab and Go method. Then drag your brush right through that wet, light blue sky to paint the very tops of your mountain range. Then do the same and make a line all the way across the canvas beneath the mountains where the field begins. That horizon line can be straight or gently curved. It’s your choice.

Now grab some more Cobalt Blue, hold that brush with your Statue of Liberty grip and place the tip at the peak of one of your mountains. Slowly use the wider flat side of the brush to pull down and apply paint to the mountain. Continue to paint your mountains this way. Begin your strokes at the peaks and take them all the way down to your horizon line. Angle the brush stroke to follow the curve of your mountain down into the valleys. Decide which mountains will be in front of the others. The left side of a mountain might be in front of the one next to it. But you could have the right side of the same mountain be behind the one to the right of it. This would give the impression that some mountains are closer and other are farther back.

Decide which direction the sun is coming from. Make that side of the mountains lighter and the shady side darker. Decide whether a taller mountain blocks the sun from reaching the one next to it.

You may also play with colors of course. Add some French Ultramarine Blue to darken the mountains. Like purple? Mix the French Ultramarine Blue with Permanent Alizaron Crimson to make a nice dark purple. Too dark? Add a little Titanium White.

When you like your mountains, drag your brush through that horizon line again where the field meets the mountains. It’s good to get your tree marked in while the mountains are wet. We will work on this foreground during your next “Written Art Lesson”!

April 7, 2021

My Inspiration

Susan E. Hanna / 0 Comments / Art Blog /

My Inspiration

Visitors often ask me, “Do you paint from pictures?” Yes, I often do use photographs as references for my paintings. And I almost always use photos I’ve taken myself.

However, inspiration comes in many forms.

When I’m the passenger in a vehicle, I’ll study the way light and shadows interact with the scenery I’m passing. I look at the way the sun catches trees and pine needles. I’ll note the time of day and the quality of light. Does the sun make everything look warm and golden or do things look crisp and bright? What is the season? Is there snow and ice adding another dimension to forms?

I recall one moonlit ride many years ago. I was fascinated by the full moon’s glow on the snow and giant icicles hanging from the huge rock outcroppings along the highway. I would look at a spot ahead of us and follow it by swiveling my head until it wasn’t visible behind us. My husband finally had to ask what the heck was I looking at!

Although I had no photos from that evening, I later painted the scene from memory and added footprints in the snow.

When I do use a photo, I consider it inspiration and not something to be copied. After all, I already have the photograph!

Sometimes, I see a photo by another photographer that inspires me. Usually, such images linger in my mind. When I find that I can’t stop thinking about them, I will request permission to use the photo as an inspiration.

This happened with my newest painting, “Launched.” My friend and fabulous wildlife photographer, Wendy Wetherbee, allowed me to use her bluebird photo. She told me that it “wasn’t a great photo.” But the sense of movement made it perfect for me. (See Wendy’s art here. )

The blur of blue wings spoke to me on an early spring day.

I was inspired.

March 30, 2021

A Written Art Lesson: Part Four

Susan E. Hanna / 0 Comments / Art Blog / brushwork, painting tips, tips and techniques, written art lesson /

In our last lesson, we discussed the supplies you will need to complete your painting. Before that, we talked about paint colors and basic composition. You can access the previous Lessons on my website Blog if you need to catch up.

Now let’s get some paint on that canvas!

Remember that we were working on a landscape. The sky is the furthest thing away from us. So, let’s paint it. Make sure that your canvas is secured on your easel. And squeeze your paint colors out in the proper order on your palette paper as we discussed in A Written Art Lesson: Part Two.

Use your palette knife to put some Titanium White beneath the pile of Cobalt Blue. After wiping the knife with a paper towel or rag, just barely touch the tip into the Cobalt Blue and gently mix it into the White. Don’t “mix it dead”! Just mix until it looks marbleized. Remember: It’s always easier to add more color than to try to take it out. Add a little more blue paint to the white if you want a deeper colored sky. When you like your sky color, wipe the knife and set it aside.

Next choose your paint brush. I like to use a larger, stiffer brush when covering large areas like a sky. I recommend the #16 Bright we discussed in A Written Art Lesson: Part Three.

Apply the paint to the upper portion of your canvas using Grab & Go and The X Stroke. Hold the brush in an overhand grip I call The Statue of Liberty grip. Imagine yourself holding the brush overhead like the torch. I recommend using this brush grip instead of a pencil grip. Then put your elbow in the air and grab a blob of paint on the tip of your brush. We paint with the brush tip, not the side. Then apply the paint blob directly to your canvas with a stroke that makes X marks on your canvas. Make a mark first with your thumb facing down; then with your thumb facing up. Move your entire arm like you are conducting an orchestra. Don’t make “smiles”! We chose a bigger brush so that we could use the width to cover the canvas. I want to see nice, fat “X”s. Ava demonstrates these techniques here.

Make sure that you paint down to just below where your landscape will be painted. You will paint the hills and tree on top of the blue paint later.

When you’ve covered the top of the canvas, wipe the excess paint from your brush with a paper towel and place the brush handle-side down in a can or jar.

Next choose a large, soft brush to gently pull the paint across your sky. Start on one edge and pull it all the way across. Then do the next stroke lower starting from the edge where you ended. Don’t start or end your strokes in the middle of your sky. Those flat brush marks will be there forever once the paint dries. Always begin and end at an edge. If you like, you may even make these strokes at a slight diagonal. This will give the sky a sense of movement.

Remember that your brush work is important because the strokes will become a permanent part of your painting.

While the sky paint is still wet, you should paint in your horizon line. We’ll cover that in the next edition of “A Written Art Lesson.”

If you’d like to browse some of the items I’m discussing, visit my Teacher Supply List at Jerry’s Artarama.

Please subscribe to my new Channel on YouTube for short video clip demonstrations that will help you as we progress.

March 23, 2021

Resiliency

Susan E. Hanna / 0 Comments / Art Blog / art during Covid 19, bouncing back, pandemic choices /

Last year I wrote about being in somewhat of a “pause.” Now I think of myself as “resilient.” ‘

I created some beautiful paintings while working in my home studio from March to May 2020.

Thankfully, I am back in the studio again full-time.

However, I’ve focused on private and semi-private lessons since we continue to deal with the restrictions surrounding the pandemic.

I continue to produce larger oil paintings during the hours when I am not teaching. I keep regular business hours. But I sure miss the visitors!

The good news is that although last year wasn’t a record-breaker, my methods allowed me to lose less than many other businesses.

As the slow spin back to “normal” occurs, I’m going to change things up.

I will be fully vaccinated (two shots plus the two weeks) after March 29^th. At that time, I will offer mask-optional private lessons for those who are also fully vaccinated.

I’d also like to re-commence small group lessons for the fully vaccinated. What subject would you like to paint? Would you feel comfortable with 2 or 3 other fully vaccinated students?

I’d also like to reintroduce some type of monthly “art walk” here in my studio. I even have a live musician ready to roll! But with continued social distancing requirements, I worry that visitors will flood in and be frustrated when I limit in-studio capacity.

I’m considering a Saturday from 5 to 7 pm. What do you think?

If it feels right for you, won’t you come visit me? I keep studio hours updated on Google and on my website.

If you’re staying closing to home, I’d also love it if you would check out my newly re-vamped e-commerce website. You may now purchase my art directly from the site with shipping or pick up options. Please look the site over and send me feedback. I’m still (will always be) tweaking how it works and looks. SEHstudios.com/Store

So, be well my friends. Let me know how you are doing.

March 8, 2021

Creating “Under The Mill”

Susan E. Hanna / 0 Comments / Art Blog, art demonstration / oil painting, painting demonstration /

March 2, 2021

A Written Art Lesson: Part Three

Susan E. Hanna / 0 Comments / Art Blog / art lesson, art supplies /

A Written Art Lesson: Part Three

In our last lesson, we discussed preparing our palette with paint. During this installment of a Written Art Lesson, let’s begin to discuss the supplies you will need to complete your painting.

You need something to paint on. Artists call this a “substrate.” I use both fabric and metal substrates. Most beginners choose to paint on canvas. You can buy canvas glued to wooden or cardboard to make a flat substrate. These are easy to transport, store, and harder to damage. Many also choose canvas that has been stretched around wooden supports. These bounce a little while you apply the paint. They must be moved and stored with caution to avoid puncturing the canvas. If the wooden “bars” are thick and the canvas wraps all the way to the back, then we describe this as a “gallery-wrapped” canvas. It doesn’t need a frame. Obtain at least 11 x 14-inch substrates. Beginners have an easier time with larger substrates. You may also want to consider purchasing substrates that will fit into standard frame sizes to avoid the cost of custom frames.

Once you decide on your substrate, of course you need brushes. I recommend synthetic hog hair, long-handled brushes. I like the synthetic hog brushes found at Hobby Lobby. Their Master’s Touch line is durable and a good value. Flats or brights (not filberts) are the best for our purposes. However, any synthetic hog will do. Please don’t purchase sable or real hog bristle brushes. Sable is too soft, and real hog will shed bristles. For beginners, I recommend Master’s Touch Synthetic Hog long-handled “flats” #2, #5, and #8, and “Brights” #4, #10, #12, and #16. Long-handled brushes allow you to stand back from your painting while working. They are also best for painting outdoors and providing the opportunity to flex and move your hand and arm while creating your brushstrokes.

I recommend Winton Oil Colours for beginners. Learners usually waste a lot of paint. It’s a good quality product at a reasonable price. You will only need the seven colors we discussed in A Written Art Lesson: Part Two

You will also need a trowel type palette knife. You will use this to move and mix your paint on the palette. You may also use it to apply paint to the substrate if you like. You may purchase inexpensive plastic knives until you are sure you wish to continue painting in the long term. But the metal knives are easier to use in my opinion.

My students use disposable palette paper in classes. It comes in pads of two different sizes. I find students need more room; so, buy the 12 x 16-inch size. It will also fit nicely into a paint storage box. The easiest box to find is by Masterson.

If you’d like to browse some of the items I’m discussing, visit my teacher’s page at Jerry’s Artarama Supply List.

After you paint, you need to clean up. I’ll continue this discussion in the next installment of A Written Art Lesson.

You may enjoy subscribing to my new channel SEH Studios Art on YouTube for short video clip demonstrations that will help you as we move on to the actual application of paint to the substrate.

As always, I’d be delighted if you shared this newsletter or any of my social media posts. Word of mouth is still the best way to grow a business.

February 17, 2021

Detachment

Susan E. Hanna / 0 Comments / Art Blog / medical conditions /

Detachment

(First published by me as a newsletter on 12/19/2019. Recent conversations informed me that many adults continue to be unaware of this medical issue.)

So, what do you do when you’ve devoted the last two years of your life to building a business based upon the visual arts and, suddenly, you cannot see?

This was one of the primary thoughts I had the evening before Thanksgiving this year.

The day ended like many others. I cleaned my brushes, tidied the studio, and headed out into the early dark of a late winter afternoon.

“Oh, it’s snowing,” I thought. “I didn’t know it was supposed to snow!” I could see snow falling in the glow of the streetlights out of the corner of my eye. But, oddly, I couldn’t see flakes falling anywhere else. I focused on crossing the busy street and trudging up the hill to where I’d parked my car.

Now, I was in a darker area. And I could still see snowflakes glowing out of the corner of my right eye.

Uh-oh.

I drove home, slowly becoming more concerned as it even appeared to be snowing IN my car. Upon arrival, I splashed water in my eyes and inspected my face for signs of glitter from Christmas decorations. I used lubricating eyedrops. I asked my husband whether he could see anything in or on my eye. All to no avail.

Suddenly, I recalled associates who had experienced retinal detachment and sudden blindness.

Now I was frightened.

So, I Googled, “What does it mean when I see flashes of light out of the corner of my eye?” The results described retinal detachment and vitreous detachment. I’d never heard of the latter. The search results urged me to be “seen as soon as possible by a medical provider.”

Did I mention that I was frightened?

I was exhausted. It was the night before Thanksgiving. It was dark and I didn’t want to spend hours in an Emergency Room. So, I looked up local eye doctors and filled out an appointment request for one. I listed my symptoms as requested in the online appointment form. I figured that it was a holiday weekend and that I might get an appointment for Monday or Tuesday if they found it urgent.

An hour later, on the night before Thanksgiving, their Office Manager emailed me back and told me to go to the Emergency Room because I should be seen “as soon as possible.”

I didn’t go. Instead, I tossed all night in bed with a plan to go at first light. And that’s what I did Thanksgiving morning.

An EKG, blood tests, an ultrasound of the eye, and a CAT scan later, the emergency room physician told me it looked like Vitreous Detachment of the right eye. I even saw an Ophthalmologist in her office on Thanksgiving morning!

I now know that EVERY SINGLE PERSON experiences Vitreous Detachment as his or her eyes age. I had no previous knowledge of this. Why had nobody warned me? I guess because they want you to be seen “as soon as possible” because it could have been a stroke, retinal detachment, or another medical crisis.

I now feel stupid for not going immediately to the Emergency Room. But had I known that every human being experiences this detachment, I might have been less panicked.

My purpose today is to let you know that this will happen to you if it hasn’t already. Not everyone experiences symptoms. So, look it up to understand for yourself.

I also feel extremely grateful that I can continue working as I’ve been without any serious consequences.

Happy Holidays to you all, however you celebrate. I hope that any setbacks in the coming year are inconsequential. Be well.

February 9, 2021

Finally, An Artist

Susan E. Hanna / 0 Comments / Art Blog / artist, career choices /

Finally, An Artist

“Have you always been an artist?” Visitors often ask me this. My answer is “Well, yes…and no.”

I remember my mother laying on the floor with me and showing me how to color within the lines using my set of 64 Crayola crayons. To this day, I recall how Mom colored in little circles while I preferred to color back and forth in straight lines.

Kindergarten and grade school introduced me to crafts and drawing turkeys by outlining my hand. Even then, I enjoyed the “big picture”. I colored landscapes depicting sunny skies with clouds, fields, trees, and flowers. Mom arranged for my fifth-grade art teacher to provide drawing lessons before home room in the morning.

At the age of ten, I was introduced to oil paints. My mother took me to the local “Y” for eight early Saturday mornings where a teacher taught a small group of youngsters like me. I painted from a photo torn from National Geographic depicting a Panda bear sitting in a green field. I also painted from a calendar photo showing a beautiful monastery in Southern California.

At that point, I began to receive art supplies as birthday and holiday gifts. Mom would leave me in the art department when we went shopping. I’d read all the labels and touch everything, wondering how it should be used. I experimented with knives, brushes, colors, and mediums. I had no clue other than what knowledge the teacher at the “Y” had shared.

But I had been painting on my own at home. And I took every opportunity to observe the artists we all used to see painting and drawing in the middle of the malls. I was that annoying child who asked, “Where do you start to draw a face? Why do you start there?” For years, I believed that they must have been so relieved when Mom returned from shopping and herded me away.

(Now, I wonder about that because I am the teacher. I appreciate and enjoy the pleasure and excitement of my students. I understand their angst when learning a new technique or trying to make something look like SOMETHING.)

In middle and high school, I was able to choose art as an elective class. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school when I had the opportunity to again receive instruction in oils. It was only one semester of a studio-type class. We all worked independently with the teacher doing his best to offer time to all of us. Other classmates were much more advanced than I. So, I didn’t get a lot of attention.

After high school I was expected and encouraged to attend college – but not for art study. I never took another art course.

I graduated from college, married, had kids, followed a typical path.

We moved often and I still had art supplies purchased as a ten-year old. When my own children were in grade and middle school, I began to paint again with oils. In 2000, I created a verdant landscape depicting a scene in Vermont. “Vermont Summer” later became what I describe as my “heart piece”. I was and remain quite pleased with the result. I use the image on my business cards and other marketing tools. And I hope that one of my children will hang it in their home when I am gone from this world.

I went to grad school, but not for art.

It wasn’t until 2011 that I first showed my paintings publicly. I started to participate in outdoor art shows and indoor exhibits. I joined other artists to paint outdoors during group trips to the White Mountains and other scenic areas. I became a member in a couple of local art associations. I volunteered with the town art committee.

But I still didn’t consider myself an artist. After all, I had a “real” job in an office.

In 2014, the company where I was working declared bankruptcy and would close its doors.

I began to plot my course. The time had arrived. The business doors closed, and a new door opened to my artistic dream. I packed my car full of art supplies and spent the next three weeks in a beach condo painting whenever and for as long as I liked.

Upon returning, I offered my new creations at a street art fair in Ogunquit, Maine. After selling about 80% of my inventory that day, I felt validated…and maybe a little like an artist.

I worked at art galleries and painted and painted. I began to teach young students in my home. I have a talent for organization. I began to manage art shows.

My Dad passed suddenly in 2015. I spent that entire summer helping my mother acclimate to her new way of life. But I continued to paint.

I moved to Dover, New Hampshire in 2017 and for the first time began to pay rent for studio space.

In 2018, I opened SEH Studios in its current location. I have a large, airy, well-lit studio on the first floor of a beautiful mill building. I paint, teach, and exhibit there.

So, am I finally an artist?

I believe I was one all along.

What do you think? Please comment or reply with your opinion or experiences.

February 7, 2021

YOU the Artist

Susan E. Hanna / 0 Comments / Art Blog / art lesson, learn to paint /

YOU the Artist

Let’s chat about YOU being the artist.

Many people prefer to create their own art here in our studio.

Parents bring young children to me to develop a hobby or to offer creative expression in a learning environment. Often the art created becomes gifts to family and friends.

Teenagers often receive lessons as gifts. But more often, teens ask to take lessons because they have an interest or aptitude which is not addressed in her or his school curriculum.

Adults come to us for more widely varying reasons. We see pretty equal numbers of men and women coming to learn oil painting here.

Current adult students include:

Working people who want to relax and socialize.

Working people who want to explore and develop long-denied artistic tendencies.

Adults who want to create gifts for others or for home decoration.

Semi-retired folks who plan to paint for pleasure or income (or both) during retirement.

Friends who want to share a common interest while spending time together.

Couples who want to share an activity together.

Retired folks who have found a new passion for painting.

Developing artists who want a place to practice and ask questions.

I’m sure that I’ve forgotten some. But my point is that YOU can be an artist for any number of reasons. Our website offers much information about lessons and the ability to book online. Or reach out to another local teaching artist.

We are here to help.

February 7, 2021

Paintings on Copper

Susan E. Hanna / 0 Comments / Art Blog / artistic process, oil painting /

Paintings on copper are more difficult to produce.

Paintings On Copper

People tell me that they are fascinated by my oil paintings on copper. So, I thought I’d share a little about what’s involved with my creative process.

These paintings are more difficult to produce for several reasons: Obtaining the panels; painting on them, and preservation of the painting.

I paint on copper-clad panels. They are made of thin copper sheets extruded onto a fiberglass-type panel. I buy both single- and double-sided panels from a metal fabricator. The sizes aren’t precise; each panel demands a custom-made frame. But laminated panels are more stable than a solid copper panel would be. Solid copper would expand and contract with the temperature. Over time, it could cause the oil paint to crack.

The panels arrive wrapped in plastic. I store them in plastic and avoid touching them with bare hands to avoid corrosion.

I always paint the raw side of the single-sided panels with a complementary color of paint. Just before I begin creating, I wipe the copper side carefully and mount them in special carriers. Any oil from my hands left on the panels would bleed through the paint and show in the finished art. The paint wouldn’t stick properly to the copper.

Contrary to what you might think, the paint drags when I try to apply it to the copper. So, I need to use a special liquid called a “medium” which helps the paint to glide better and dry a little faster.

Because the paint dries quickly on copper, I need to paint fast or make sure that I’m at a good stopping point at the end of each painting session. Otherwise I’ll wind up with bumps or seams where I don’t want them to appear. I like to say I have to “paint with authority” when working on copper. I need to know what I’m doing from the start. Painting on smaller sizes helps. Constant reworking of the painting will wind up with all the glints of copper covered. This is a reason I won’t teach oil on copper to most of my students. It could be frustrating without a high level of confidence.

When the painting is complete it must be varnished after it is completely dried. Think of the varnish like the clear coat on your car paint. Not only does the varnish preserve the copper against corrosion and discoloring, it also protects the paint from being accidentally chipped. That’s not something I need to worry about painting on linen or canvas.

Thanks for reading. I hope that you enjoy the details of art painted on copper with fresh eyes!

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