Painting in pairs



Last week at the studio I decided to have some fun and just attack the panel with rich expressive colors. I found myself thinking about my favorite elements....... mountains, water, and a fast moving sky. The top image was actually my favorite and happened to be the second one of the pair, the bottom being the first painting of the pair. I didn’t necessarily plan to paint a pair that day but the first painting just seamed to explode onto my panel and still having ample time and plenty of paint on the palette I went for the second one. I find most often that the second painting not only happens even faster then the first but displays a more expressive quality. Hard to put into words but it’s like some one else was painting and I was just observing. Strange as that sounds, it best describes how I feel about it especially now sitting here typing out this blog. So my reason for this blog is to share ideas with anyone reading not just other painters but anyone involved with the creative process. In a world with such seemingly difficult stresses let us not forget the importance of the creative mind. We mustn’t get so self absorbed in how much a gallon of gas costs that we forget who we are. We are all part of the creative mind and as such it is our birth right to create from our thoughts to see and express each in our own way what a beautiful place the world is.

Happy creating,

Len Sodenkamp
Original art, art prints and cards at www.len-sodenkamp.artistwebsites.com

Chocolate Drop Mountain, Alaska

Photo by Terry Reed, Alaska

Oil on panel 16 x 24 inches by Len Sodenkamp, Idaho

Last week on Face Book I seen some great photography by Terry Reed, through this amazing communication tool I was able to connect with a fellow artist that otherwise would be unknown to me. She granted me permission to attempt to transmit her digital message onto my panel with brush and oil. The question I often ask myself is why? The image Terry made was more then enough to beautifully address this amazing place. Then why must I paint it; ego perhaps. Did I think I could do better? I believe it is for none of these reasons. When I paint from an image like Terry’s I want to feel that place; be there in my mind and experience that frozen moment in time for myself. I may never stand in that spot breathing in that place but thanks to her work I now have a more profound feeling about its magnificent latitude and longitude.

Intrested persons in Terry Reeds work or my work please feel free to contact me at the following sites 

http://www.len-sodenkamp.artistwebsites.com/ or http://www.sodenkampart.com/

Love Earth,

Len

PUSHING THE COLOR

Studio painting south rim Grand Canyon 24 x 48 oil on panel (titled ham and cheese)

Pushing the color,

Last week I was inspired to paint a view taken from around Moab Utah. This week I decided I would remain in the south west and revisit the Grand Canyon. As I scanned through fifty or more images I was drawn to this one. I remember setting up on that cold clear spring morning waiting in the dark for that glorious moment when the sun would crest over the rim. My camera was set ready to capture shots as I fumbled with stiff oil on a glass pallet already forming ice on its edges. A tour bus pulled up and a large group of tourists poured out to snap photos and then off they went. I have posted my photo as well as the study from that morning. I usually don’t title my work but this one I did because I was thinking at the time that looks like a block of cheese and a smoked ham. Maybe I was just hungry? Any way as you can see I really pushed the color envelope.  This is especially obvious when looking at the photo and that’s why I went more with the study pallet. There is a fleeting moment however when these colors are present and you have to seek them out with your minds eye. I find it fitting that this place be rendered using lots of color because it is imposable to capture it with pigment; so I say push the color to make up for it. Also it is obvious that I picked only a tiny section of the image to work on. It is amazing how much information remained and I still felt overwhelmed wile attempting to capture this micro speck of the Grand Canyon.

Happy painting,

Len Sodenkamp

Prints and cards available at the following link www.len-sodenkamp.artistwebsites.com

                                                  8 x 10 plein air oil on panel

The time question?

Moab Utah, 24 x 48 oil on panel by Len Sodenkamp

The time question?

I get asked the time question a lot, how long did it take you to paint that? My reply varies but usually I respond with its more important for me as an artist to know when a painting is finished then how long it took to paint it. But that’s not what they want to hear so I tell them the truth and usually it’s not what they expect. Some how time has much to do with perceived value. Perhaps this is why many successful painters are dead; they simply ran out of valuable time.

Yesterday as I was straitening up my studio a well dressed middle aged professional looking gentleman stopped in and kindly commented on a painting I had just finished (Moab Utah 24 x 48 oil on panel)

He then asked the time question, four hours I said, including several coffee breaks and a sandwich. He was silent for a moment and asked what does a painting like that cost. $1200.00 at this size and his response was WOW that’s $300.00 per hour I'm an attorney and I don’t make that. I said 45 years to learn what I know; make me an offer! As he began to back peddle I made mention of the forty other paintings pointing to the closet in the corner and I can’t remember how many more I have in storage.

My point being that in a perfect world I would sell every painting every day and be doing what I love. But that’s not how it works, especially these days. I went on to make the statement that I would be elated to sell  thirty or fourty paintings per year but like many artists these days I work a part time job.  I am very grateful that I can work part time because it still allows me quality time every week to paint.  If I couldn’t paint I would just as soon not be breathing. Shocking as that sounds its true and if you put a hundred artists in a room the majority would agree with my statement.

I paint because it’s my oxygen,

So I will continue to breath life into my paintings until my time runs out, sold or not.

Happy painting,

Len Sodenkamp
www.sodenkampart.com and www.len-sodenkamp.artistwebsites.com