Lisa Hannick Fine Art

The Art Bulletin

Trials and Tribulations

Recently, I began displaying my work on Instagram which can also be linked to Facebook. Every time I finish a painting, I post it. The response has been phenomenal And my sales have soared. I try to take all of this in stride as I remember that not too long ago, it was far from this.

My studies began at the Art Student’s League in Manhattan. As my confidence grew so did the size of my canvases. I built a wooden frame 54”x30”, stretched the canvas over it, and dragged it onto the NYC subway and then to school. I worked on my painting every day for weeks. It was at this point that my teacher came over to critique it. He was an old, crotchety, irascible fellow. He pointed to one tiny area (something that was the size of a quarter) and said “this is the only thing worthwhile in your entire painting”. Without so much as a mere touch, I was cut into tiny pieces. I was shattered.

When I got home, I proceeded to throw all my pastels, oil paints and brushes into the garbage. Every drawing pad, canvas, plus all other artist’s supplies was thrown out. What was I thinking? - to leave my profession and pursue art? Who did I think I was – certainly not Michelangelo. I was truly destroyed.

When I’m upset, I clean. For the next two weeks, I cleaned. I washed windows, scrubbed floors, and polished all the woodwork. I scoured the grout with a toothbrush. Sponged down the walls. Took apart the pantry and wiped clean every can, box and even the spice tins. I was full of both angst and emptiness. I was reduced to nothingness...

Several weeks prior to this, my class was to exhibit their work. There were over 50 people in the class and there was no limit to the amount of work to be displayed. Hundreds of paintings were hung. An independent judge was hired. Only two prizes were to be awarded. First and second place.

I forced myself to return to school in order to collect my belongings. Upon entering my fellow classmates swarmed around me. They were asking where I’d been and congratulating me at the same time. Congratulating me – for what?

Out of hundreds and hundreds of paintings, I was awarded second place.

Never give up your dream, no matter how downtrodden you may feel.

HAPPY PAINTING, EVERYONE!

Just a little side bar. I have begun an Instagram account. To see my latest paintings please go to https://instagram.com/lisahannick or download the app (it’s free) and “search” for lisahannick. Don’t forget to follow me. Thank you.

For any comments on this post please e-mail me at
lisa@hannickfineart.com

The Art Bulletin

Haunts

“The End Is In Sight should read “The End Is Insight” by David Leffel

For artists, no truer words were ever spoken. In my classes, I emphasize this concept, explaining that before you start a painting, know in your mind’s eye what you want the end product to look like. And never lose sight of that.

That’s the most difficult part – never losing sight of what you want your end product (your painting) to look like.

Often, I am haunted by visions. Fleeting visions of my next painting (or usually my next 20 paintings). They bombard my mind, tempting me and teasing me. They hang out in my dreams or at the periphery of my sight. I reach for them but they elude me, evaporating before my mind can get a solid grasp. They are ephemeral, like phantoms in the night.

At these times, I lie awake in bed trying to get a solid picture of what my day’s work will be. I visualize flowers blooming in my garden, in various vases. I try to picture color themes. Should I put the pale celadon doily with the pastel pink peonies? Should I make the background dark and have the flowers illuminated by contrast? Or should I keep the background neutral like a Fantin-LaTour painting. Will the painting need props? Let me add some grapes – red? Green? Black? So many choices. Perhaps a smaller vase or demi-tasse and saucer will work. If I use a porcelain vase then another one of similar material or shape won’t do. How about brass or copper? No, that would not compliment the flowers. A plethora of decisions have to be made before I even get out of bed!

Eventually, I get a good idea of what I want the painting to look like. I rush out, cut my flowers, find the vase – ooh! Where did I put that vase?! Do I have any grapes in the frig? Rats! But a lemon will work nicely. Set up my arrangement – and paint. Oh no, not just yet. The flowers will not behave. I want them to cascade down the side of the vase. And what do they do? Sit up looking oh so perky! So many adjustments. Should the lemon slice go here or there? Oh, a half inch to the left is better. Should the doily fall gently off the table? How should the lighting go? Calm down I tell myself. Focus. Breathe. What was in my mind’s eye? Oh yes – that’s the way. Now I can relax, exhale and begin the delicious process of painting.

HAPPY PAINTING, EVERYONE!

Just a little side bar. I have begun an Instagram account. To see my latest paintings please go to https://instagram.com/lisahannick or download the app (it’s free) and “search” for lisahannick. Don’t forget to follow me. Thank you.

The Art Bulletin

Cole

I’ve always been reluctant to do a commissioned painting. One of the reasons is because what the client wants is very difficult for the artist to interpret. They have an idea, perhaps even an image in their mind’s eye of what they hope the finished painting will look like. The artist, on the other hand, has no clue as to what that might be. Unless, of course, the client is so articulate that his ideas are easily transposed to the artist.

Another reason that I’m hesitant to accept a commission is because I don’t feel any inspiration. It’s the client’s excitement and inspiration, and although very nice, it is never quite infectious for me. Not having that creative spark leaves me flat. Now the painting becomes a chore and I find I’m dragging myself to the studio. At times it can be quite tortuous.

Until I was asked to paint a portrait of Cole. My source of reference was a bunch of old photos, where Cole was one year old. He’s now 11. His sweet, bubbly personality spoke to me thru these photos and I found myself enjoying the entire process.

What also helped was that the painting was to be executed in pastel. I used to paint exclusively in pastel until I received gallery representation. Pastels are not the medium of choice for most galleries. They come with a few stigmas. Since their inception, they were considered a drawing medium as opposed to painting. Therefore when introduced in the 1500’s, they were used for sketching. Another reason that galleries do not prefer them, is that they are very delicate and do not transport well. It is very easy to jostle the pastel loose and if not framed correctly, the dust and loose particles will fall onto the mat. If they are not framed under glass, the chance for smearing them is inevitable. Given the aforementioned reasons, I found it easier and more lucrative to walk away from my first love.

There are so many reasons why I love pastels. I love the buttery feel of the sticks between my fingers, the immediacy of the painting, and most of all, the literally hands on application. The vibrancy of pastels is beyond any other medium. It is the most purest form of pigment on the market. All pigments are mixed with a binder in order to make them flow. For example, pigments that are mixed with linseed oil become oil paints. If they are mixed with water, they become watercolors. The same pure pigment is used regardless of the binder. Pastel’s binder is a gum arabic, which allows them to be molded into sticks. They are not diluted with any kind of liquid which makes them have the highest concentration of pure pigment. Hence their luminosity and vibrancy.

Painting Cole’s portrait awakened in me the love I had lost. It reminded me of the first time I ever touched a pastel and the way it shimmered. I can’t wait to do my next commissioned portrait!

If you have a photo of someone you love and would like immortalized into a pastel painting please contact me at one of the addresses below.

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL AND HERE’S TO A HOPEFULLY GLORIOUS SPRING

Just a little side bar. I have begun an Instagram account. To see my latest paintings please go to https://instagram.com/lisahannick or download the app (it’s free) and “search” for lisahannick. Don’t forget to follow me. Thank you.

“Cole” 14x11 Pastel on Prepared Board

The Art Bulletin

New Beginnings

January. A time to start fresh and begin again. A time for new promises,  resolutions, a clean slate. A time to leave the past behind.

I was never one for New Year’s resolutions. I would scoff at the idea saying that by Jan. 2, my resolutions would be broken. But a few years ago, I didn’t like the way my attitude was heading. So I decided to make a New Year’s resolution. I promised to be nicer and more tolerant to people that I had found irksome. I asked for the Lord’s help on this because I knew I couldn’t do it alone. And guess what? It worked! I found that by being more pleasant, people weren’t on their guard around me. And some very nice friendships ensued.

This past January, I decided to do it again. Only this time my promise to myself is to give my all to my art. To not be satisfied with “good enough” and to let go of some paintings that I feel are mediocre. I hope to become extremely critical but also honest in how I see my work. This is a tremendous challenge. As an artist, every creation stems from yourself. It’s a part of you, like your child. To say that one doesn’t live up to your standards takes courage. Just like letting your child go on his own.

Several days ago, I had an idea for a still life. I set up the arrangement and went to choose a prepared canvas. Lo and behold, everything that was prepared was not the right size or format. To prepare a canvas takes days and weeks before it dries and is ready to be used. By then the grapes in the arrangement would become raisins. And I felt so inspired that I didn’t want to lose it. So I dug out some old paintings that were started years ago and never finished. One landscape, in particular, was done at a location that I knew I would never get back to. I thought I would finish it in the studio but I lost my enthusiasm. And it was the perfect size.

I decided to be daring and paint over it. I began with my usual sense of abandon and blocked in the still life over the landscape. The next day when I walked into my studio, I couldn’t believe what I saw. The landscape had seeped thru the subsequent layer of paint, ever so demurely. The effect was apparitional. I loved it! I loved it so much that I decided to keep it and proceeded to finish the painting.

This was my new beginning. And it was the painting’s new beginning. But not really, not entirely. For although the past (initial painting) became entombed in new paint, it re-emerged again. Just like our own past. We can never truly escape because it will forever be a part of us.

The Art Bulletin

On Being Thankful

Thanksgiving, for me, is a very special holiday. I think back to its origins during pre-colonial times, and I am encouraged that two very diverse cultures could come together. They came to help each other and to celebrate. Celebrate finding the new world and finding new friends. This unity instills in me a sense of hope and caring.

I love Thanksgiving. It is a time like no other. There’s no mad dash to the malls. No tackling hordes of shoppers. You don’t have to rack your brain looking for the perfect gift. You don’t even have to decorate, if you don’t want. There are no religious traditions involved, nor heart-shaped boxes of candy. No patriotic flags waving, nor wild mid-night parties.

 Thanksgiving is a peaceful time. A time to be reflective. A time for heartfelt blessings.

What am I thankful for? I’m thankful for my God-given talent, my health, and my very crazy family. I’m thankful for all my pets, those that are here with me now and those that have passed on. I’m thankful for my memories. Memories that make me smile and feel warm and sometimes sad. I’m thankful for the memories of those who have crossed into heaven; thankful that I got to know them, love them, and share with them many wonderful Thanksgivings.

I am thankful for the stars that glitter at night and the moon the leads me home. For gentle summer rains and the soft beauty of falling snow.

But most of all I am thankful for my life, my very simple life. And for God and his Angels for always being by my side every step of the way.

As I wrap up this special edition of my newsletter, I want to wish each and every one of you a most peaceful, loving and blessed day.

Happy Thanksgiving

The Art Bulletin

I Hear a Symphony

Starting a painting can sometimes be overwhelming. Before you, stands a huge blank space. It can be stark white or toned or a kaleidoscope of color but either way, it’s a big empty canvas.

When I’m faced with this daunting task, I compare it to the prelude of a symphony. A prelude is an introduction – a little tease of what’s to come. Similarly, I view a blank canvas as my introduction. It beckons to me, lures me over. Entices me to begin my symphony.

A composer starts with a little melody in his head – a simple string of notes. An artist starts with an idea. It can be sparked by a scene, a pose, an artifact, or even the most mundane object. A symphony is an extended piece of music of sophisticated structure. Similarly, a painting demands a solid foundation which is the sophisticated structure of composition.

A musical piece is made up of base notes and treble. In a painting, I think of the darks or shadows as the base. And the light as the treble. In a painting, the darks act as the anchor. In realism especially, they keep objects from floating in space. In all fine art, they provide a place of rest. Just like in music, the base notes act as an anchor. They afford an underlying rhythm to the melody.

The light is what the human eye is naturally attracted to and will zero in on first. Just like in music, we hear the treble notes over the base.

The chords are the harmony and in art, color is the harmony. Color is what unifies  (or not) a painting. It makes it consistent and concordant. Think of the chords in a musical number. They provide unity and make the piece more melodious.

How a symphony is played depends on the conductor. How a painting is viewed depends on the artist. Here, you are the orchestrator. You will determine whether your painting is peaceful and serene or wild and chaotic. Will the light dance and sparkle throughout the canvas like a trickle of gaily played notes? Or will it be a burst of brightness? Will the painting be somber and moody or will it be playful like various movements in a symphony? Will the viewer’s eye bounce randomly from one place to another or will there be an orchestrated flow throughout the painting? Will it tell a story – will it be a refuge, a place to escape to. Will it end in a crescendo of light? Or a soft and demure diminuendo.

All these questions and more are to be answered by you – the conductor of your masterpiece.

The Art Bulletin

No Short-Cuts

Having workshops allows me to meet all sorts of people from all walks of life. Art is the common bond. It’s what links us together. Each person loves art. Each person enters the studio with different backgrounds, different learning experiences and different expectations.

In my last workshop, there were a few gentlemen that had taken classes elsewhere and had learned the wet-on-wet technique. This approach has been popularized on TV by many instructors. And there is nothing wrong with it. As a matter of fact, it has brought art into many living rooms that otherwise would have never reached. It has allowed many people that cannot or have not visited a museum, the chance to enjoy and appreciate the art of painting. But it is not my approach.

I teach the tonal approach. This has been used by many Old Masters such as Sargent, Velasquez, Sorolla, Whistler & Chase, to name but a few. It is a very direct painting approach. There is no preliminary drawing in charcoal on the canvas. Instead the artist quickly sketches in the composition using oil paint which has been diluted with turpenoid. The beauty of going about it in this way is that the sketch can be manipulated easily. It is very flexible and any corrections can be done immediately without a struggle.

Unfortunately, many beginners want to come home with a finished masterpiece that was produced in less than three hours. And that is what the wet-on-wet technique promises. Again, this has its pros which I’ve stated above, but it will not yield a spectacular painting.

It must be stated that there are no short-cuts in fine art. No gimmicks. No sleight-of-hand. Just hard work. Years and years of observation, long hours, dedication to art and practice. Lots and lots of practice!

Each part of the painting process deserves the artist’s full devotion and undivided attention. I had a student once that said “the nose is so hard to do” when she was painting the model. She was looking for an easy approach. I responded that “everything in art is difficult. By saying that only the nose is hard, you are negating the difficulties of everything else.”

If short-cuts are taken, the viewer will see that something is amiss. They might not be able to put their finger on it, but they will know that something is wrong and bypass the painting.

The art of painting can have no short-cuts. The artist must be passionate with what it is that he is painting. The artist must love what he is doing. He must take the time to develop and nurture his painting. Each work of art must be a masterpiece in his eyes. He cannot afford to take any short-cuts and compromise the integrity of his work. The painter must be true to what he believes in. Then and only then will he be a fine artist.

The Art Bulletin

In Memory

A very dear friend of mine once told me how much she loved my paintings. Her husband wasn't on board. He couldn't appreciate a painting versus a print. But she persisted and eventually bought from me her first oil painting. Through the years that followed, she bought another and eventually acquired quite a few.

Two years ago she was diagnosed with advanced stage cancer. Before her life was cut short, I would visit bringing with me homemade nutritious meals. During one of my visits she whispered something that justified my entire life. Not only my life but especially my art.

She said "when I look at your paintings all my troubles disappear. All my pain melts away and I can forget that I am dying. Your paintings have given me so much pleasure and so much peace. I lie here and imagine walking into the scene. One day I'm hiking in the woods, another I'm prancing through a field. I only hope that when I die heaven will be as beautiful".

With all the pain in the world, I always felt that being an artist was self-serving and had no purpose. But no matter how hard I tried, I could never ignore the creative juices inside. Karen made me realize my purpose and I am forever grateful to her for doing so.

On a lighter note, there is much to report. Since my last newsletter, I picked up three commissions; one floral and two portraits. Thank you Peter and Dawn.

Summer is always a busy time. I try to capture flowers when in bloom. It's always a race against time since their life cycle is so short. I also like to get outside and paint as much as possible. Especially since it is such a brief summer where I live.

Thrown into the mix are shows. Everyone loves to frequent an art gallery during the nice weather. Going to opening receptions is exciting especially when there is great art and the wine is flowing. Speaking of which, at right are my summer venues for 2019.

The Art Bulletin

Winter's Retreat

The winter months are fading and I am anxious for spring. But while I hunkered down through the subzero and single digit temperatures, I worked on my still life subjects. Where I live, it is slim pickins’ – especially when there is 2’ of snow everywhere. There is also no easy access to a florist (which is all the time) and there are times when I can’t even get to the local grocery store. When I do go, their flower selection is limited. It’s much too cold to paint outside, so it’s still life painting for me!

            I produced a lovely painting after I taught a workshop in my studio. What made it so challenging was that I had to visually change the direction of the pitcher. The beautifully painted pattern was not the same on both sides. The back of the pitcher was much simpler and plainer. This vessel was definitely made for a right-handed person!

            But I wanted the spout to face the interior of the painting not the exterior. So I had to switch it around in my mind’s eye. I could have arranged it so that the simple side of the pitcher faced the viewer, but I wanted my students to have a challenge. I wanted them to push the envelope but not to the point where it would have become discouraging. I also could have arranged the set-up with the pitcher on the right side of the painting. But I wanted to break away from the classical arrangement. By doing so, I challenged the customary composition and still had a successful painting.