2011 Plein Air Weekend

Video and article on the Plein Air Weekend in Anchorage Alaska

Above link will take you to the Article and TV Broadcast on Channel 11 KTVA in Anchorage Alaska of our Plein Air Weekend Art Show and Find Raiser for Clare House.

Knik River - A Begining

Started a New Painting on Sunday - Sunday as I watched the football games in my studio I sketched out 5 paintings onto panels for painting.  Took most of the day to get them right.  I knew I wanted to start one and get a wash of color onto the panel.  Was a hard decision which one to start I like all the compositions.   But I decided since it was a Sunday and the image I was using was from a picture I tool Last Sunday. I would go ahead and work on this peaceful scene.  The view is towards the Chugach Mountains and Knik River in the distance.  this big flood plane area is a favorite for 4 wheelers, motocross bikes.  It was a nice hot fall day, I loved all the colors and how green the little pond was in the foreground.  The calm water shows the reflected colors of the trees so well.   I included the picture for you to see where I am taking the scene from.  This is just the start of the painting.  I just wanted to get a wash in for a reminder for me of the colors.  I intend to get the other paintings started also with washes then will work them up.  Not sure which will capture my desire as the artist, sometimes you are surprised which ones you can't leave alone.  Feels great to be painting again!!!

It's not Age .... It's the Mileage!

This is a milestone month for me.   I have been working at Medical Park Family Care Inc. in Anchorage Alaska now for 30 years!   Where has all the time disappeared to.   Painting is my passion and second vocation.  Like most artists my "real" job pays the bills.

I can honestly say I find it hard to believe it has been this long at MPFC.   I have managed the Radiology Dept. since 1980.   I still enjoy my job; which is a blessing.   This is a compliment to who I work for, who I work with and to the patients we serve.   Some of the patients I have watched grow up from children to now bringing their own children to our clinic.   Three of the doctors who originally hired me at MPFC have  retired and one of the doctors sons is now a doctor practicing at our clinic.   Only one of the original Physicians is still working, Matt and I are the "Old Dogs" here now.   We have been through lean and tough times and good times at MPFC, through it all, I have come to love the people I work for and with.   The "Family" part of our name is truly accurate, we are a family and it has been like most families, some struggles, and some arguments but through all of that we have always had respect for each other professionally and personally.   I have learned so much about life from my peers at work and from our patients.

One of the gifts of working in Medicine is that you are reminded constantly just how good your life is when you have your health.   your health is so important.   Money and all the material aspects of life mean nothing without your health.   The other major gift of working in Medicine is that you learn how strong and wonderful some people truly are.  I have learned more about personal strength from patients that have faced some incredible hardships in life and how their attitude has helped them through.   Some have battles that they lost, but they never gave up fighting and realizing how lucky they were to have another day of life.   I have always tried to remind myself of these lessons when life's little hardships come my way.  Most of the time I succeed and take the curve balls with a grain of salt.   Sometimes I let them get me down, but usually not for to long.   As my body ages I can't do all of the things physically I could as a young man, and that is okay.  I have learned to enjoy life more as I get older and value family and friends as the true reward in life.   So the mileage has taught me good things.

In art I have a saying about learning to paint.   "It is not always talent that makes a good painter .... it is brush miles that make a good painter."   What I mean is talent will only take you so far, but it you are willing to paint, paint and paint you will become a good artist.   Practice and practice is what can teach you how to become better at all things, not matter at what age you are.

Remember "It's not the Age .... It's the mileage!"

Oil Painters Are Interesting People

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Most of my Artist Friends are very interesting people. Most know how to enjoy life, look for the beauty in life.   As we paint we know the light changes and every thing will look different in 2 hours.  This helps you see the world as a constantly changing and amazing thing.  One of the most pleasurable things is I look and think how that looks now, and what might it look like when the light changes how will the shadows change what will the composition appear like.  In other words sometimes we see the world through a child's eyes, everything is new and exciting.  Or maybe it's just the fumes from the paint thinner?

Below is a painting I have on the easel, It is about half way finished.  No detail work is done yet.  I have the lower half to work up and add more stuff to.  I am thinking about possibly cutting the top quarter of the painting off totally.  What do you think?   Give me your thoughts please.

 

Sales down the drain - sort of

LIFE HAS A WAY OF KEEPING YOU HUMBLE - Last Sunday Stephans Fine Art Gallery called and told me they had sold all my Marine paintings I had there. Great news, money coming in. And as of Monday money going out -- our drain in our laundry room is blocked all the water backed up and flooded the basement and soaked everything. As my daughter said when she heard about it " Your sales from the paintings just went down the drain"! Alas oh so true. But at least I had some money to take care of the Plumbers. Thank you collector that bought the paintings you have no idea how helpful those sales were.

Change Is One Constant In Your Life

The world and life keeps changing and I have to keep trying to catch up....Argh!

I am in my late 50's and technology has changed so much in my lifetime. Personal computers have changed how we interact in life and how we do business (good and bad). As an Artist we used to create our work, head to the galleries and attempt to get representation and hope they actually sell our creations. Do the local art show circut. Now a lot of the galleries have gone out of business and it is a online world ( not that this is bad ). I have my website ( www.kurtjacobson.com ) and my blog. Whether or not anyone goes to either is the question of merit. Also on Facebook and Twitter. Most artists are semi reclusive, so the online world has forced us to become more communicative with our collectors ( good thing ), and to start to take a more active roll in marketing our wares. In other words we have to consider the marketing just another continuation of the creative process. Now that is taking this "old fart" out of his comfort zone and making me expand in ways that are new to me. Now having said all that my dad is 90 and online also, so if he can do it I should be able to; right?

One part of the online world is awesome is the ability to stay in contact with all of our children and their lives. We are grandparents now ( baby Joseph Newton Rose ), and with Skype we can video call and see the family while we talk on the Internet. Shades of Startrek! Smart Phones have changed how we live also. When I grew up we had rotary phones, then the touchtone phones they were the coolest. Then the first massive cell phones, batteries lasted maybe 30 minutes, but you drove around in your car and it was cool and unique. Now everyone has a cell, you can't survive without them in the business world, my galleries can contact me with questions whether I am home or out painting or fishing. Frustrating sometimes but a good thing for business. I can upload pictures, videos, search the Internet, send texts etc all from my phone anytime anywhere.

My how life has changed.

The one thing that has not changed is we still need a break once and a while. To take time for ourselves and family. Recharge our batteries so to speak. For me that is when I paint or am out in the woods, camping, fishing or hunting. For Donna and I that is our time alone. We go out to dinner at least once a week our 'Date" we hold hands, sit next to each other in the restaurant, not across from each other and court each other. A wonderful feeling.

2 Paintings In Progress

2 Paintings In Progress - Raven Moon 8x6 Oil & Portrait Study From a Portraiture Class -

On Friday I was fighting off a head cold. And it reflected my mood in the this little Night Raven piece. Not really sure where the idea came from. But it is different then what I usually paint thats for sure.

The second painting is a from a portraiture class I am taking from Linda Infante Lyons at the Anchorage Museum. I have been struggling with this one. Will take it to class for critique.

ADDENDUM: I got some wonderful suggestions from my class teacher. I made some dramatic changes to the portrait. Will finish it this weekend, and post a picture for you to compare with this one I took before my class.

Evening With My Wife

Sunset At Beluga Point - 14x18 Oil - Last May on the First Really nice Spring day, my wife Donna and I drove down the Seward Highway to Beluga Point to have a late dinner and watch the Sunset. The Tide was a very low tide, was able to walk around on the mudflats with my dog and enjoy the incredible evening. Donna and I really enjoyed the peace, beauty and scenery. We were not the only ones, quite a few people were there also, including our son Ryan. This painting captures the "emotions" of the scene that evening.

Painting Process Step 2

Step 2 Painting Process - The Undercoat Layer
I use a thin wash of Alkyd Paint ( a fast drying paint - dries in 12 hours ) to wash in the compostion over the pencil sketch. Then using a thicker layer of Alkyd paint I begin to block in the painting, just keeping lights and darks in mind. I am not trying to define the painting at all, just want it to be very loose and blocky. I will let this sit for a day, go back and evaluate the compostion, color, lights and darks, and figure out where I want my central point of interest. This is the stage where I can make major changes, and add or delete items in the painting. Alkyds have a very Matt apperance when they dry, when I add the oils the glossy appearance I like will take over. I will next start the begining of laying in Traditional Oils over top of the undercoat.

The Progress Of Creating A Painting

Drafted Some paintings today - Thought I would post the progress from the photo's I took to sketching them out on the Canvas Panels.
I sketched out 6 paintings I have 4 here to demonstrate my process. I will be using oils to create these paintings.

FIRST FRIDAY ART SHOWING STEPHAN FINE ARTS GALLERY

FIRST FRIDAY ART SHOW - AUGUST 7TH 5:30-8pm Captain Cook Hotel Stephan Fine Arts Gallery. -- I am very excited about this show, I have some really nice little small paintings of Alaska and the colors that the artists sees. Colors evoke emotions, and when I paint Alaskan Scenery I am trying to capture the emotions of the moment that I see. I hope you can come to the show, see my new works and say "Hi".

Flat Top Mountain painting progression

Chugach Park Flat Top Mountaing 20x30 Oil on Canvas - Well finally got back to working on this painting.  As you can see from the last post 2 weeks ago, I first blocked in the base colors, they worked up the mountain and its detail, then added the blocked in trees in the midground and foreground.  Went back and finished off the trees in the midground.  Then the trees in the foreground and added brush and shadows.   Finally went back to the midground area and added a lighter highlight to the snow.  Will let this sit for 2 weeks before I decide if I am done or not.  All comments are appreciated.

Art Lives In Homer

Support of Artists is strong in Homer Alaska

I opened a month show in the Fireweed Gallery in Homer Alaska last Friday. Homer is a small Port town at the end of the road (as the saying goes). One of the beautiful spots in Alaska. Homer is one of the places I escape to from the "big city" of Anchorage. It is a fishing and tourist destination, but also a Art Community. Lots of really talented artists live in Homer and the surrounding area. More important to me is that the community really strongly supports the arts. This was a First Friday opening, and there was a lot of the gallerys having shows, since this was my first show in Homer, was not to sure how much of a turn out we would have, boy was I thrilled to see the response that the show recieved. We were busy the whole time of the show. Sold some paintings and was able to talk with customers that came to see the opening. Talking with another artist who had a opening also in one of the other galleries, there attendance was good also. The community routinely turns out for all the openings, it is a social event and they support the artists by coming, purchasing and appreciating the art. My prior shows have mainly been in Anchorage the "big city", the difference that I experienced was the genuine appreciation that the Homer citizens expressed about artists coming to their community and exhibiting their artwork. They were not near as reserved, they all were willing to talk and ask questions. I want to thank Fireweed Gallery for giving me the opportunity to show my work in Homer, and to thank all the folks who came to the show and made me feel so welcome. I look forward to doing another show in Homer in the future.

Energized and Excited

Golden Crown - Oil 8x10 on Canvas Panel - Available for Sale -  For the last 2 days I attended the Alaska Arts & Cultural Conference in Anchorage Alaska.   I can sum it up in one word "Awesome".   I do not know the attendance figures, but I do know it was standing room only.  The energy level was incredibly high, everyone was excited and thrilled to be there, speakers and attendee's were feeding off each others emotions and energy.   The conference covered information for Artists, Educators in Art and Art Organizations.   The conference sessions were very well thought out, there was information for all the different groups.   The willingness of the speakers to share their knowledge with us was incredible.   One aspect of the conference that I was thrilled to see, was that we had attendees from all over the State of Alaska, from the major cities to the smaller rural areas.   No one left early at the end of the conference, we all did not want it to end, but as all good things do it must.   The rally cry at the end was "Lets not wait another 10 years for another conference."   I came home energized, excited and thrilled to be apart of the art world in Alaska, what a great group. 

When I got home I wanted to jump in the studio and paint, but realities of life, I had to snowplow away the 18" of snow we had the day before out of the driveway and off the roof of the house.   But today even though the Super Bowl is on, I hear the Studio whispering in my ear, so..............................

First Friday Miniture Painting Show

First Friday in December Miniture Art Show - The Alaska Plein Air Painters is having a miniture Painting Show Friday Night 5PM to 8PM at the Artic Rose Art Gallery in Anchorage Alaska.

Should be a interesting show, I have included 3 of the 10 paintings I am submitting for the show. The show is limiting the sizes to no greater then a 8x10 painting, my largest is a 6x9. Should make some excellent Christmas Presents.

Sleeping Lady

Sleeping Lady - Mt Susitna - What a wonderful morning this was to paint. The view of Mt Susitna (The Sleeping Lady) is from Westend of Anchorage at Point Worzonoff. The legend of the Sleeping Lady says a Indian Maiden laid down to wait for her Warrior Husband to come back from a war, and waits for him to this day.

One of my favorite things to do is to Plein Air paint with the Alaska Plein Air painters every Friday morning. We all meet and paint together, weather permitting. In the winter months we meet indoor and paint from projected slides. It is a great group of friends and artists. We all really enjoy one another. Couldn't ask for a better group to associate with.

Art Or The Art of A Con-Man

Is It Art or the Art of a Con?

Sotheby’s breaks its sales record for an auction of works of a single artist. The prior record was $20 Million for 88 works by Pablo Picasso in 1993. So who broke the record?

It was British artist Damian Hirst. The sales were of Pickled Sharks (Yes pickled), Butterfly paintings and a Cow in Formaldehyde. The Shark titled:” The Kingdom”, was a Tiger Shark, preserved in formaldehyde, it sold for $17 million, Monday evening. “The Golden Calf” an embalmed calf with golden hoofs and horns sold for $18.5 million.
His total sales for the show was $198 million. Mr. Hirst is one of the so-called “Young British Artists” who have come into vogue in the 1990’s. He is famous for works of death and decay – pickled animals, rotting cow’s heads, diamond –encrusted skulls, and works of that style.

So my question is: “Is this art? Or the art of a good con-man?” And who would spend that kind of money on (in my view) crap like a rotting cows head. How does his “art work” benefit and enhance mankind.

The definition of art is broad I agree, but I as an artist feel he is bringing the field of art to a new low. It bothers me as an artist that he is putting his “art” out there and probably laughing all the way to his bank the next day. I really feel he is doing harm to the art field in general; he is just putting the most outrageous stuff out there he can and making money off of it. I have to say I am baffled why anyone would ever consider buying his pickled animals and consider them art.

Each day I sit at my easel and attempt to create a painting that will add beauty to the world, I know they will sell, but I do not worry about making millions or even a fraction of the money he does. It is more important to me that the collector looks at my works on their walls and is thrilled by what they see, that it adds something to their lives.

Art is in the eye of the beholder? I don’t always agree with this statement. And in Mr. Hirst’s work, I do not feel it is art at all. Now has he mastered the Art of a Con-Man? You tell me.

Nature's Cycle

Nature's Cycle - 11 x 14 Oil on Canvas - This painting is available at Stephan Fine Art Gallery

Walking my dog this evening it is blowing out tonight and I was watching the yellow leaves starting to fall from the trees. We had the 3rd coldest summer on record this year. Seems like somehow summer slipped by us unseen and unheard somehow.
I have all these paintings in my head that I want to paint, and somehow time slips by and some of them never are brought to life. No matter how often I paint and how many paintings come to life, there will always be paintings that never get the chance to come alive and have their beauty grace the world. I am always thrilled with each new painting I do, but also I know that there are so many that I want to do that I don't get time to do, it is a mixed bag of emotions.
People always comment to me "It must be so relaxing to paint." I smile and tell them I love it, and I do. But "relaxing" no, some paintings are a battle, some create so much inner turmoil and anguish when painting them. And a very few that just flow out and are "relaxing". To be honest the old saying "good things don't come easy" is very true. Some of my best paintings, have come from moments of trial and stress. In 1995 I shattered my wrist, I had to have it rebuilt and still have a metal T-plate in my wrist to this day. It was a really bad injury, I thought being totally right handed, that I might have lost ability to draw and paint forever. It took me 18 months to fully get my wrist back. The first painting I did afterwards, when I decided it was time to see what I could do, was a Nude pastel painting. I can not tell you the emotions and fear that was inside me as I created this painting. As it turned out, it is one of the best I have ever done, and it hangs in my home. I will never sell this painting, it means to much to me. It also serves as a reminder, of what I came close to loosing, my ability to paint. I love to paint, I love the feel of the paintbrush in my fingers, the smell of the paint. I don't just paint because I want to -- I paint because I have to. There is a inner drive that I will always have that forces me to paint. I get "edgy" if I have not painted for a few days, ask my wife. Which reminds me, "Donna, you are a incredible wife! I know how difficult it is being a artist's spouse, the sacrifices you make for me to spend the hours alone in my studio. And I really am fortunate to have a wife who will live the Artist's Life with me."