Atelier Luteiventris - Montgomery J Nelson: August 2021

Monday, August 30, 2021

Skull and Bowl

Watercolor and pencil on board, 8X10.

The two themes I was reflecting on with this painting are death and renewal. On my mind as I drew and painted it: Momento mori and Mono No Aware. That is, remember that that you will die; and that we need to stay aware of our impermanence. My further intent was to counter momento mori / mono no aware with a spirit of mottaini and mushin with the kintsugi-repaired bowl and and the gold tooth.

This painting also reflects my love and appreciation of the Japanese aesthetic philosophy of Wabi-Sabi.

Leonard Koren wrote a lovely book on Wabi-Sabi, I believe it to be required reading for every artist.

Do buy a copy. https://kirikomade.com/products/wabi-sabi-for-artists-designers-poets-philosphers

In honor of the late Dr. Kathy Taylor, may a make a note on terminology? She was a delightful stickler on such things. The skull refers to all the bones of the head, including the facial bones (which of course includes the mandible). Cranium refers to the cranial bones that protect your brain.

Saturday, August 28, 2021

Watercolor Stuff

I love watercolor and gouache because they produce a beautiful mark- and what lovely colors! They really are easy media to use; you can start and stop a painting session without a lot of fuss. I guess if oils are the Queen of painting, then watercolor is the really hot courtier that The Queen is fucking.

I like to paint on board best of all. I’m smitten with Ampersand’s Aquabord. When you’re done you just the sign the darling and give it several coats of Krylon UV Archival spray. I favor the matte finish. Shake well, and then shake that can some more!

The Arches paper in blocks is lovely. I probably put down the most paint on the Arches. I now use the cold press as I seem to be more invested in presenting an easier, more painterly appearance.

As mentioned in a previous post, in the last year I’ve been trying Fredrix watercolor canvas. So far, so good. The advice Fredrix gives to wipe down the canvas prior to painting is very necessary (unless you’re going for a specific effect).

For watercolor paint I’m still using Schmincke and Daniel Smith. Daniel Smith offers some rather singular and wonderful color choices. For gouache I use Schmincke, Winsor & Newton and M. Graham & Co.

If you’ve never met Gouache, think of it as thick, opaque watercolor with a cool name.

Thank you Daniel Smith for your cool colors! I understand that they are closing their retail store in Seattle, and I will be sad to see them go. I shall have to buy my Daniel Smith paint from Blick. The only art supply stockist of any import left in Seattle will be the Blick store on Capital Hill. I hate to go there without a curbside order fulfillment in hand because I generally leave there with my shopping list only partially complete.

Pans! Pans are lovely for painting “quickies” and for all small work really. For large passages of paint I do prefer tube paint in dishes, but for much of my painting I just stick with my always-ready-to-go pan boxes.

Brushes are weird. No matter the quality (price), it’s all an evil lottery with brushes. Especially fucking rounds.

Some are good (or ocassionally gooder), most are ok, and some are apparently meant to dust knickknacks at Farmor’s house.

If you find a brush that works, you order more and hope that some will be good. Disappointing and infuriating brushes should always be set aside for other uses, including small guests in the studio.

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Chap Stick

Watercolor and ink, page from Moleskine watercolor sketch book.

It would be fun to get a commission to do this on board or canvas for some brave and naughty soul.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Painting a Demon

A demon appeared in my Filofax notebook and I thought to paint him in watercolor, first on paper and now in watercolor and gouache on canvas.

Pencil and white ink on Filofax A5 notebook paper. I’ve gone back to Filofax https://www.filofax.com/ after having used Moleskine notebooks/diaries for several years. The paper wasn’t quite right for me with the Moleskine books. I continue to use and love my Moleskine watercolor sketch books. https://www.dickblick.com/products/moleskine-watercolor-notebooks/

Watercolor on Arches watercolor paper, 8X10”. For painting on paper my favorite support is Arches watercolor blocks. I buy the heaviest paper weight I can get in cold press. I keep some hot press blocks around for any ink work I might like to do. https://www.dickblick.com/products/arches-watercolor-blocks/

Unfinished painting, watercolor and gouache on Fredrix watercolor canvas, 24X36”. I’ve been painting on Ampersand’s Aquabord panels for some time, and thought I would give canvas a go. So far, I am enjoying it very much.

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Atelier Luteiventris: More Recent Work and Work in Progress

I’ve been calling this big oil on canvas the Wabi-sabi skull. I like the browns and grays, and I’m trying to keep the shapes soft.

Bjorn and I are crafting this dragon out of plaster. Bjorn named him Fury.

Snap and Sabine are ever vigilant in the presence of a dragon.

I made this from a Red Alder scrap. I suppose every studio needs protection from every dang thang.

My friend Forensic Anthropologist Dr Kathy Taylor died recently. I did this 8X10 portrait in watercolor on Aquabord last year.

I thought I would try doing something abstract and I challenged myself to use yellow. Acrylic on Gessobord.

Monday, August 23, 2021

Atelier Luteiventris: Recent Work and Work in Progress

To catch you up, here are some recent projects.

Red cedar wood sculptures. This wood was scavenged from a building site that was being cleared. Not the best wood, but these carving were good fun. Left to right: Cursed Troll, Serpent / Strength, Warrior Bird-Man. The middle carving is 37” tall. They are painted with linseed oil paint. The red is real Ottoson Falu Red from Sweden and I adore it!

I’m working on a version of my Maggot King of TARF in oil on canvas.

This unfinished painting is oil on canvas.

Two watercolor and gouache paintings in progress. The painting on the left is on canvas and is maybe a musing on Brancusi and death. The right is on a watercolor block and is definitely an homage to Brian Applegate of The Punk Group.

This scary / scared dude in progress is watercolor and gouache on Aquabord. I started this during the heat dome of a few weeks ago; I suppose that says all you need to know about the meaning of this painting?

Spoons and Such

As ever, I love to carve. This spring and summer I did spoons in both Basswood and Alder. Even though I live in Cascadia, carving Red Alder was new to me. Fresh cut Red Alder was very easy to rough-out with my Kestrel adzes. Kestrel is an amazing little company on Lopez Island in Washington’s San Juan Islands. His designs are based on indigenous tools, and once you try them you’ll wonder why you bother with “modern” European adze designs.

http://www.kestreltool.com/ As with most tool makers in the current economy, there’s a bit of a wait to get tools from Kestrel, but these are worth waiting for.

Ja. Fer geez. That’s the Penis Spoon. It’s pink and carved from Basswood.

I am an American Nordman raised in the company of feral Minnesota Swedes, and I paint spoons with linseed oil paint after the Swedish tradition. The entertaining genius Surolle’s https://www.surolle.se/en/ book is highly recommended if you’re interested in the Swedish slojd tradition. https://lostartpress.com/

Lost Art Press is a gift. They published green woodworker Drew Langsner’s lessons-learned book Country Woodcraft: Then and Now. I don’t know how many times I checked out the original edition from the Missoula library, but it was a bunch. Langsner’s honest accounting of his evolving methods “then and now” is invaluable.

Tools and Swedes. I’ve been a Morakniv https://morakniv.se/en/ user forever, and still use their sloyd knives. The model 106 and 120 knives are my constant companions. Most will find their spoon knives wanting I’m afraid. This year I started using several of Svante Djärv’s tools, and they are excellent! https://djarv.se/en/ The Svante Djärv spoon knives and chip carving knife are game-changers. The handles are the best design I’ve encountered. I’ve got several more of their tools on my wish list.

Sunday, August 22, 2021

A Long Blogger Hiatus Ends

IOS and Blogger had not been playing well, so I took a break. I’ll give it another try.

Guests in the Atelier are always appreciated.

Shiva Artist’s Paintstiks on paper.

Sculpting with Blick air dry clay. We use the drums to make lots of good noise and get our brains and hands tuned-up before we start our creative sessions.