John F. Kensett

I have been following a great PBS series called Landscapes Through Time with David Dunlop. see: http://www.landscapesthroughtime.com/

The most resent installment covered John F. Kensett (1816 - 1872) 

See: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/kens/hd_kens.htm

 

Kensett was referred to as an Illuminist. His work reflected this idea with obvious vigor. To capture light on canvas in the way that he did was I should think  be the intimate goal of the landscape painter. David points out something that I should tattoo on the back of my hand "Less paint more light." The more paint the further away from the light you get. To watch a great painter emulate one of the masters wile simultaneously sharing theories of the thinking process is just amazing. David does this so beautifully. I highly recommend checking out his web page and your local listings on the PPS Create channel: for David Dunlop's Landscapes Through Time.

Often Kensett's pallet would be (Oil) iron oxide red or (burnt sienna) raw sienna, ultra marine blue, yellow, bright red, and white. He also often used a 2 to 1 ratio format. The entire canvas would be tinted with burnt sienna and then a mixture of ultramarine blue and white painted directly into that. Immediately you can begin to see the steel blue water and sky emerge.

Len Sodenkamp
www.sodenkampart.com

 

 



 

 

John F. Kensett

 

Yesterday I used the Kensett palette and format to paint this oil on panel 24 x 48 inches of the Idaho Snake River Country; a work still in progress. Eventually oil glazes and washes will be added. 

 

Len Sodenkamp

Black and white then color









Black allows the painter to study value shifting. The gray scale from 1 to 10 pure white to pure black and the graduated values in between can be an amazing self teaching tool.

 

Also converting images of a color painting to black and white in the computer provides the artist with lighting fast truth. If it doesn't work well in black and white you may need to reassess your value shifts. With out realizing, one can become dependent on color to do this critical work. Painting in the gray scale will sharpen your minds eye to see opportunity. Monochromatic; any (1) color and white is another great way to develop strong artistic language.

 

Below is a new Cosmic Light Series painting 48 inches x 48 inches recently completed in the studio using just black and white acrylic. The other two images were developed from that same painting adding color by means of colored lighting not pigment.

 

Black is perhaps the most misunderstood pigment. Why not experiment?



 

 



 



to see more Cosmic Light go to http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/cosmic+light/all