Tuesday, March 29, 2016

East Side Landscapes

East Side Landscapes

Oil Paintings by Tom Gilbert

Ballweg Gallery - Goodman Community Center
April 1 through 29

As a Madison east-side resident I've painted many local scenes and this show includes a selection of these paintings from the past nine years.  I'm hoping viewers who live in this area can recognize some of these locations (artistic liberties were taken in many of them) and appreciate them.  I haven't set up a reception but hope some of our DCPAPA members will be able to stop by. - TG




Sunday, March 20, 2016

Late Winter Spring Painting ?

We're getting close to scheduling the first group outing but not quite yet.  On one of those nicer days earlier this month I also got out to Indian lake and did this painting.  It felt like a spring day so I was surprised when I got home, looked at it again, and noticed it looked like a fall painting.  So I checked the colors again from a photo I took and realized it really wasn't a spring scene (not a trace of green) but was a late winter scene. But still, my colors were off.  I suppose I could claim to be exaggerating colors for artistic purposes, but I really would have preferred to get closer to the actual colors.  The actual grass color (with the sun on it) was a whitish, washed out gray-beige of some sort.  I'll have to try for that color next time.


Saturday, March 19, 2016

Indian Lake and Pheasant Branch

Gouache in sketchbook at Indian Lake

A few weeks ago I got a new sketchbook from Dick Blick and took it out to Indian Lake on March 11th and to Pheasant Branch the next day.  It's a huge 11x14 Strathmore hardbound one with their excellent 500 series paper for mixed media.  A two page spread like this is 21 x 13 which for me is a pretty ambitious outdoor watercolor.  I recently started painting with gouache which is opaque watercolor that has a nice matte finish.  This is the best 90lb paper I have found for standing up to lots of water.  So far I have tried Schminke and M. Graham brands of artists' gouache and both are excellent.  I don't care for Designer Gouache esp. the Winsor Newton which I think smells really bad although I guess some people like the smell.  I find it much different than working with transparent watercolor and not any easier.  Guess there is no such thing as easy when it comes to painting.  But is was fun to be outdoors again with a brush in hand.

Frederick's Hill - Gouache in sketchbook at Pheasant Branch

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Opening reception 5-7pm Friday March 11th - Monroe Arts Center, Monroe Wi

A new show, Seasons of the Sugar River - Metamorphosis, opens this Friday.  Both Jan Norsetter and Jonathan Wilde will have work in this show along with other area landscape artists.  The opening is from 5 to 7 pm and a Gallery Talk will be given at 5:30 pm.   www.monroeartscenter.com
Monroe Arts Center

Gallery Night in Paoli April 15th: Jan Norsetter and Jonathan Wilde

John Ribble's current show at Artisan Gallery, Paoli
DCPAPA painters Jan Norsetter's and Jonathan Wilde's latest shows will  open on April 15th in Paoli.  Zazen and Artisan Galleries will both be participating in Gallery Night there and will have lots of great art on view.  Madison plein air artist John Ribble has a wonderful show at Artisan right now through April 10th.
Jonathan Wilde's Landscape in Oil