Blog

It has always been important to me to be in tune with the seasons.

I certainly have by going out plein air painting, and paying attention to the weather, and changes in our surroundings. 

Today is the first day here in Arizona that really feels like fall. It is blustery with big clouds skittering across the sky. It is chilly!

"Mingus Cloudscape" pastel, 9x12

It is a really beautiful day, and makes me think of many falls spent in the Northeast. Here we have our own special beauty of the high desert.

I noticed that the rabbit brush is really coming out, particularly since we had some rain.

"Rabbit Brush", pastel 13x18

It is a bit too early here to see any major changes in the leaves, but other things take on a nice gold/yellow coloring.

"Rio Verde Autumn" , pastel 12x16. At this time , brilliant yellow blooms line the banks along a section of the Verde River.

They really put on a spectacular show!

This painting is in the exhibition "Visions of the Verde", at the Yavapai Clarkdale Campus, in the gallery. If you are local, and haven't seen the exhibit yet, it is a good one! The gallery is open Tuesday- Thursday from 10-3.

Another thing that I really enjoy are all of the smells, sounds, tastes and touches!

Of course, every year the coffee companies come out with pumpkin lattes, for example. Not my favorite, but I usually can't wait for my first bite of a new harvest apple. Other tastes are wonderful, and foods are a bit heartier, with touches of spice. And we all have enjoyed the accompanying smells.

Touch? I have always loved the fabrics of fall...corduroys, velvets, heavier cottons, and sweaters all feel wonderful.

Sound? we all know the crunch of leaves, and I have particularly enjoyed the insect drone that marks  this time.

My job, if you will, is to help celebrate the sights, colors, atmosphere, and feelings of the season in my paintings. Sometimes there is a deep sense of nostalgia. It is a bit sad to see some of the birds fly off, the lizards not as numerous, and some of the plants turning brown or grey . 

However, the fading afternoon light, results in very rich, rosy tones in the landscape. 

"Paprika Path", pastel, 24x24.

Wherever you are, I do hope that you'll take the time to enjoy the best of the season.

Recently, I started painting what will become a series of work inspired by a trip to Spain this past spring.

Several years ago, when I was visiting Italy frequently, I had painted streets and buildings often , and found it so enjoyable .It also helped that I had sold out a series, when they were shown in a gallery, with a travel theme. Great incentive!

"The Selection", pastel 24x20

This piece is one of the few I have from my Italy series.

When I was first painting and exhibiting my work, my paintings were devoid of any human presence. I was working in watercolor, and I would paint the occasional barn, however. I recall that a critic for the local paper reviewed a group show of watercolors, and rather snidely wrote, " Oh watercolor, I must paint a barn." For my next show with the group I wrote a response, hidden in the pattern of barn boards .

My first trip to Europe  really changed how I viewed our surroundings, and I began painting buildings in earnest.

I found that I really needed to think about, and learn how to paint buildings. Since I am an impressionist painter, inspired by my perceptions, I needed to paint them so that they look right.

"Main and Pinal"oil This is very near where I live, in Arizona.

One of the things that I learned is that everything goes along my own horizon line, or point of view ...and vanishing points are always along that. I rather like the idea that I am really creating my own world!

Whenever I have an architectural piece in progress, I also ask my husband Wayne if the elements are looking right. He was in the construction business for many years, and has a great eye.

That is not to say that I count bricks and windows, and use a ruler for my work. That would drive me nuts! I just want to be sure that things look right.

"White Mission", painted en plein air...very near my home.

When I'm outdoors painting buildings, I hold my brush or pencil along the edge of a line, hold it at the same angle, and use the same angle on my paper or canvas. This simple trick has really helped. I also like to use trees, and plantings to soften harsh edges. 

The other thing that I like about painting street scenes and architecture is that this genre surrounds us, and is a big part of modern living.

It is actually the BEST thing about it!  The impressionists knew this, and painted the surrounding streets, cafe's and the changes brought about by the industrial revolution. One associates this movement with mark making, and a bright palette, but I think that the practice of really looking around and painting the present , as we are living it is their greatest contribution.  I fully embrace this, and it is a great source of joy and inspiration to me to find beauty in our every day life. Even going to the grocery store is full of shapes, colors, light and life!

I am able to introduce contemporary elements which is also a source of delight. an example is that I am now painting an evening café scene, and the figures are absorbed in their phones, which is life. One is also wearing a beautiful color that is a hot one for the past couple of seasons. Fun!

During the process of painting my new piece, I have been posting the progress, which I don't usually do, but I had a really good start, so I am showing some of the steps. 

On instagram, I'm at https://www.instagram.com/christinedebroskyfineart/

and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CDebroskyart/ 

Check it out!

Painting streets and buildings need not be unpleasant. For me it is a delightful , very joyful change up from my straight landscapes.

Like many artists, I work in more than one media, and these days it is pastel and oil.

These past few weeks, I have been switching back and forth between the two, as I have been teaching classes in both. One day is oil,; the next pastel. fortunately, they are quite compatible, as the basic working method is similar...the work is done from dark to light,  for the most part.

Dappled Light oil demo

Dappled light pastel demo

Many artists these days only work in one media. I started out in oil, at a young age, and then worked in watercolor. It is the media in which I really started exhibiting my work, and I did become somewhat proficient. It enjoyed a great popularity in the 70's and 80's , and clubs and exhibitions sprung up all over. 

There are numerous artists that specialize, and only work  in watercolor,  and a few produce work that is exquisitely masterful. Keiko Tanabe, and Alvaro Castagnet come to mind.

After a time, I stopped working in watercolor, and pastel took over. Several years ago, I again added oil to the mix.

These days, there are many artists who only work in pastel, or oil....etc. Some pastel only  masters are Jacob Aguilar  and Bruce Gomez, to name just two.

This was not always the case...in fact I would say in the history of art, a specialization is fairly recent. If you think of Picasso in the last century, he worked in oil, watercolor, pen and ink, printmaking, sculpture, assemblage, collage, ceramic...I think you get the idea. Of course Picasso is one of the most famous, but throughout history, most artists were adept in more than one media.

I think that using a variety can help one's work in another media.

For example, if I have been working intensely and hard in pastel, it is nice to switch to oil for awhile. It is a reset button, so that I can come back to my pastel work refreshed, with a different perspective. At times the methods may give me ideas about an approach that I may not have considered, or a unique way of application, for example.

The reverse is true also, particularly for artists who are just starting out. Early one, one must learn the techniques that are unique to the particular means. 

And, I almost always think about which media a particular subject would work out the best in. For example, I like to paint architectural subjects in oil, and my pure landscapes in pastel. I do not always follow this, but for the most part.

This has been on my mind, as this past spring I  got out my watercolors, and took a small set on a trip to Spain. When I returned, I did a couple of small pieces, as well. This weekend, I got out my full set, and have been playing with my watercolors. Admittedly, I feel a little rusty, but it is fun. I am confident that with more work, it will all come back.

Woodland Garden, pastel, 18x24 available.

"Padre's Poppies", oil , 24x24 available.

So, I will continue to switch things up as I progress in my own work.

Do I have a favorite media?

My stock answer is that "It depends on what I am working in at the moment, and how well it is going."

Today there is a cool, refreshing breeze. I understand that we're in for a cooler spell all this week, along with some welcome rain.

I have always loved this time of year...even though at times I was sad to see the summer end. the changes were much more distinct when I lived in the Northeast. The colors of the greens would fade a bit, and become dull, in preparation for the blaze to come.

"Ochre Corner, pastel 11x14

There were always changes in the sounds , also, such as a loud insect drone that became softer as the weeks went on.

Here in Arizona, I have become attuned to the differences as the season shifts.

There are colorful butterflies that flit about in brilliant shades of yellow, and also a steady drone.

"Autumn Plumes"

Some of the grasses take on warmer shades from the summer greens. Admittedly, other years this has been so...this year we did not have a good monsoon season. It is also to be rainy this week, and we all hope to get the moisture that we need.

"Dry Autumn Vines" pastel, 11x14

It still feels and looks like summer for the most part...but there are little nudges here and there towards autumn...if you know where to look.

Quite often, I have to write in connection with my career as a visual artist.

There are things like class and workshop descriptions, (which I have just been working on), biographical information, artists ' statements,

press releases, and descriptions of paintings. There are sometimes articles for magazines, and of course, my blog, which I hope you are reading right now!

Fortunately, I do like to write, and perhaps it all comes a little easier to me than it may for many as I am such an avid reader.

One of my favorite things to write about are the stories behind the paintings.

"Left to Ripen" is a pastel of one of my favorite subjects...orchards.

Where I lived in the Hudson Valley is home to numerous apple orchards. Many of the plantings have been done with small, high yield trees, while others have been torn out for housing developments. These trees were left, with new homes built around them. They are part of an orchard that I remember as a kid.

These particular trees, are of course, not harvested. So, the fruit is left on the branches to ripen, fall, and feed the many creatures who wander...mostly the deer. As an artist, I loved the cheery globes that were illuminated by the late afternoon rays. This is a place that I will always feel nostalgia for. It is close to my heart and soul.

See? that is my story of this painting. Many artists say it is difficult, but I simply describe where I was, and what I felt. I am using the pictures conjured by descriptive words. It is simply another means of expression.This comes somewhat easily, perhaps because the subject is meaningful.

Admittedly, I find writing class enticements a bit harder, and of course, the articles are really hard work!

"Left to Ripen is 18x24, and is available on my web site, in the Gardens ,Orchards and Vineyards section.