Judith Freeman Clark, paintings

Today, I thought I'd share a few paintings alongside the reference photos that inspired them.  I've posted these images, and their corresponding reference photos, to introduce a (testy) commentary on an issue that just doesn't quit...  "A Sunflower for Jane" SOLD Reference photo, 6/2013 Reference photo, 12/2012 "Winter Day Dinner" Available for purchase http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/judith-freeman-clark-4409/artwork Reference photo, 8/2012 "White Hibiscus" SOLD Reference photo, 9/2012 "Patience I" SOLD When I attend local art shows and exhibits, particularly those showing non-juried work, I'm sometimes surprised to see 'knock-offs' of paintings by other artists. Traditionally, art students have been encouraged to refine their skills and techniques by copying "Old Masters" (why don't we refer to artists like Judith Leyster, Berthe Morisot, or Rosa Bonheur as...

Reference photo, 3/2012 Sometimes I get in a rut with a painting. For several months, I've been working on a scene based on some photos I took in Puerto Rico last year. I did a small study first, then decided I'd work on a larger version (22" x 15"). Everything was going well, but then I had to set the painting aside and devote my attention elsewhere. When I finally returned to it, my enthusiasm, or my focus, or something was out of whack.  In particular, wasn't happy with the effect of shadows on the white plaster. I set the painting aside for a few days, hoping for inspiration the next time I went into my studio. When I did, I decided to work more loosely and allow the paint and water to mingle freely on the paper. The finished painting measures 13" x 18", and is available via my DPW auction .

Reference photo, 5/2010 Sometimes I like to paint in a realistic style. This photo I took, of a Cub Scout marching in a Memorial Day parade, challenged me in several ways. I wanted to render the figure carefully, and also be faithful to the areas of skin-tone, sunlight and shadow. Doing close-up work was another aspect of this challenge. Adding hair, and the stitches on the fabric, meant using a very small brush and painting by 'suggestion' rather than an emphatic statement. After determining which details to keep (e.g. the little boys in the background) and which to eliminate (e.g. the brick paving, because it distracted from the red stripes in the flag), I penciled in basic shapes. I used a photo-copy overlay with graphite paper underneath to trace the large shapes and maintain their general proportion and positioning. I then began to add color –– a mix of indigo and cobalt –– working from top to bottom. (Sometimes I work from right to left, because I'm left-ha...

"Like Life"   sold Two years ago, I was on a sabbatical leave from my position as a parish priest. My goal during that leave was to devote more time to creative pursuits.  I came across this entry from a blog that I kept during my sabbatical, and thought it would be of interest if I posted it here, since it shows the way one of my paintings took shape.   "First Week of June, 2011" My painting is going well... the bright, sunny days definitely make a difference for me, as I can see light and shadows in ways that  translate to the process of putting paint on paper. Yesterday I resumed work on a painting I'd sketched out more than a year ago. It's from a photo I took in 2009, when Robin and I vacationed at Maryland's Eastern Shore, in a cottage on the Chesapeake Bay. Work-in-progress:  "Like Life" Many images that appeal to me are of places, people, or objects I've photographed some time ago. It seems tha...

Alstadt - Salzburg, Austria  SOLD A few summers ago my husband and I spent time traveling by train and car through Germany and Austria. Driving through a portion of the Alps was not as hair-raising as I'd worried it would be (I'm not fond of heights!)... and our destination, Salzburg, was one of the most beautiful cities I've ever visited. We were there during the Festival -- music was EVERYWHERE. This painting is from a photo I took as we walked to an afternoon performance of Mozart quintets. While it may look a bit more structured than some of my other 'loose' paintings, I did this without any preliminary drawing or pencil guidelines. I find that it helps to have a good brush that has a nice, responsive 'spring' to it.

Stargazer   SOLD There is such a temptation to over-work a watercolor painting. The inclination to make it 'perfect,' or to work towards something approaching photo-realism, is difficult for me to resist.  I've tried everything to break these habits -- including holding my brush in the 'other' hand (for me, a lefty, that would be my right hand...) -- but I still find that I drift unwittingly in the direction of too much control. I have always liked to draw, and yet I find that attempting to render, realistically, with watercolor, is a perhaps one reason my work can look over-done and stiff. One solution is to stop drawing and simply paint -- no pencilled-in guidelines, just water and lot's of juicy color. In the case of this floral painting, I gave free reign to the pinks and yellows, hoping they would mingle on the paper and create interesting depth and shadows. Boston Winter   SOLD I sometimes carry a tiny travel box of watercolors with me when ...

Reference photo, 8/2013 In recent months, I've been experimenting with watercolor portraits and thought I'd show several stages in the development of a study I painted of my brother, Scott. I worked from a few digital photos I had taken this summer. Although they basically outdoor snapshots, not done with special lighting, etc., they provided a good jumping-off point for this watercolor sketch.  Step 1 One of my goals was to keep the painting style loose. So, I purposely avoided using masking fluid or penciled-in guidelines. I think that because my brother's face is relatively familiar, it was easier for me to work quickly, without a preliminary drawing. To approximate the color of his face (which is deeply sun-tanned), I started off (Step 1) with a very pale wash of burnt sienna, using some Winsor violet to tone it down a bit in places where darker shadow would later be laid on. I used a slightly less dilute combination of Winsor violet and burnt sienna in th...