Characters, Color and Whimsy

Have you ever asked yourself how artists come up with their ideas, or the images they represent in their art? Ever wondered why they choose the colors they choose? Or why they place things in certain areas? Believe it or not there is a method to the madness as it were. (Or at least there should be) It is quite a cerebral undertaking and when done thoroughly, leads to wonderful results.

The process of creating a visual representation of a fantasy story or theme was the topic of a class Eva taught this past weekend at the Everson Museum of Art. Telling a story through artwork can be a very enjoyable process, once one masters a few steps. With that said the students in the class got to work and rolled up their sleeves to begin the practices being taught.

Any guesses as to what they were being shown? Well, since the class was about creating a fantasy story painting using a narrative approach; character development would be an important step to understand. An exercise to practice this skill is to borrow from caricature artists. Take some time to think about the level of exaggeration you can manipulate to achieve an interesting character. Or maybe you can morph parts from one type of animal for example onto an unexpected creature. When you allow yourself time to play with this concept and sketch your ideas you will soon see your very own unique characters coming to light.
Another practice used to help develop their ideas was to answer in pictures, who, what, when, where, why and how are all these ideas relating to one another in their painting.

Understanding color and how to use them is a class that is usually a whole semester or two of college. Trying to understand it all in a weekend class or workshop is unrealistic. We delved into the basics and came away with a place to start.

Did someone say, “Whimsy”? Why, yes that was me; Eva, I LIKE whimsy and it’s important to include a bit of whimsy so as not to take ourselves so seriously. I mean, isn’t there enough of that already? Adding some whimsy and joy into your art will help spread the joy and we need more of that these days.

In a nutshell that’s a little bit about how artists get to work on creating their painted stories. It really is up to the individual artist to use the practices that work best for them. As your skills develop over time, you’ll see improvement in your art. Get a sketchbook and draw every day, take notes, find resource images, save them, daydream, play and enjoy the process.

Secret Passage is part of the Happy Little Treehouse Series

Taking an art class can help in so many ways. Not only do we learn from what the instructor is sharing, but we learn from the other students in our class. Maybe you’re a little nervous about taking a class with a group of other artists. It happens. We compare our work to others and worry we’re not good enough. I’m going to tell you to stop right there and give yourself a break. Don’t compare your art to other art. It’s not fair to yourself and prevents you from moving forward. Consider starting with a private lesson. You’ll get Eva’s undivided attention and a lesson designed specifically for you. When teaching a new skill or technique, she will give you a demonstration and guide you through the process. Each stroke of the paintbrush is a step towards improving your technique and skill. She’s also pretty nice and very supportive.

If you’re interested in learning how to create your own fantasy painting Eva is offering a studio workshop on Thursday, Aug 15th, from 5:30-8:30pm. Pre-registration is required. Register here

Additional upcoming classes being offered in Eva’s Art Studio include Palette Knife Technique Aug 14 and/or Aug 16 Register Here Pastel Painting Class Aug 19 and/or Aug 21 Register Here Small Group Watercolor Classes July 29, Aug 8, Aug 12 Register Here

Textural Abstract Acrylic Master Class Saturday August 24, 10:30-2:30 Eva is teaching this class at The Art Store Register Here all materials provided for the Art Store classes. See details pertaining to each class offered in Eva’s Art Studio regarding supplies and materials. Most are included in your lesson.

Psst, here’s an insider scoop! Eva will be offering a watercolor class based on painting like Frida Kahlo! Save the date Sat. Sept 28th, 11am-3pm. It will be offered via the Art Store. Stay tuned for a link next time! …..aaannd upcoming to the studio will be classes offered in Cold Wax & Oil paintings! Woo-hoo!

Where've I been? Good Question...

Yep, I know, I know; I did it again. Missed a month to post my blog. August came and went in a whirlwind of activity, and it was impossible to get to the keyboard. My apologies, really. I do appreciate you taking the time to read my posts and I know you look forward to them. Thank you for your indulgence. So, what’s kept me away? Plenty………………….

In July we traveled to Georgia to celebrate our grandson Leon’s first birthday. He’s such a cutie pie and you will most likely see him in a painting of mine before too long! We spent about a week or so there and although we loved spending time with family the blazing sun and high temperatures were a bit oppressive. After a few days rest back home, we packed up and flew to visit more family in Colorado.

Happy Birthday Leon! (Told yah he was a cutie pie!)

As you may recall, Colorado is one of my most favorite places on the planet. Tons of artistic inspiration!! Hikes are like eating eye candy for me! The western landscape with its reds and golds are absolutely stunning. Yes, I did some painting while there. Did a bunch of studies to use in studio as reference materials and worked up a few more detailed paintings. They’re not quite finished yet though, so you’ll have to stay tuned. Returned home in the middle of August and took a nap (LOL)

August was spent prepping materials for a fresh new batch of my funky bohemian style bowties. The whole process takes about two weeks and since I was sold out during Art Mart last holiday season, I wanted to get going on them. Before I can hand marble each tie, they need to be scrubbed and prepped with a mordant. While they dry, I whip up a couple 5-gallon buckets of goo (that’s what I call it anyways) the goo lets the colors float on the surface. I clean out my 7-foot marbling trough and poor in about 2-inches of goo. Once it settles, the fun can start! I add the colors one at a time, and manipulate, twirl and create designs into the paints. Then I carefully place the tie over top, picking up the design first on one side and then flip it to catch the design onto the reverse side. A quick rinse to remove most of the goo, and then they dry and cure for a minimum of 10 days. This is to ensure good adhesion of the designs. Then I wash them in a mild soap and add fabric softener, another dry on the line, a quick ironing and finally they’re ready! Once I take their pictures both tied and un-tied versions, I post them to my website.

I’m STILL taking pictures of this current batch. Not only did I do 36 new ties, but I also added 12 pocket squares and 12 lapel pins to the mix! Can I just say, they look gorgeous!

August is also the time when I hand paint glass bulb ornaments. These were also wiped-out last holiday season for which I am grateful. I really enjoy painting these and was happy to have the chance to refill my stock. If this is something you are interested in learning how to do, I offer classes both in my studio and at the Art Store.

So, now we’re into September and I’m still working on getting all those tie photos done, sealing ornaments and carding my jewelry. Oh, yeah, I forgot to add I’ve been making new jewelry too! Earrings, necklaces and bracelets, oh my!

September is also the time when my returning students resume their private lessons, and when I schedule new group classes outside my studio. SO, here’s your insider scoop on where you can catch me teaching

1. Alcohol Ink Painting Class on Sat. Sept 17, 2-4:00 at the Art Store, Erie Blvd. Call 315-474-1000 to register ($25 all materials included)

2. Pan Pastel Painting, a four-week seminar for beginner and experienced art enthusiasts, Begins Sat Oct 8th 10:30am-12:30pm, runs Oct 22, 29 and Nov 5th Classes held at the Art Store (See #1 for info) All materials provided, fee is $25 per session

3. Alcohol Ink Ornaments Sat Nov 19 Session 1 from 11am-1pm, Session 2 from 2-4pm all materials provided fee is $25, held at the Art Store

So, thanks for hanging in there with me, I had a lot of catching up to do. I appreciate you very much! Have a wonderful day!! Stay healthy and enjoy the rest of our nice weather before that white stuff starts falling!

Why'd You Paint That?

Have you ever wondered why artist’s paint what they paint? Why does one artist choose one subject over others? Or why does an artist paint in a certain style? After perusing my website for the first time, a visitor commented, “What is behind your concentration on spiders? I have a fear of spiders, so I noticed right away.”

“Good question and thanks for visiting my website. I hope the spiders didn’t scare you away; please visit again”.

I thought the answer would make a good blog post, so here it goes…

The imagination of an artist is both a curse and a gift. It provides a plethora of ideas and inspiration for creating art. Compositional suggestions, random snippets of real and imagined characters and landscapes provides us with the ability to see the world differently from non-artistic folks. I paint what my imagination throws at me, I enjoy the assortment of styles this forces on me. It keeps skills sharp and is more fun. The colorful chaos that swirls in the depths of mine is a constant source of inspiration for creating art. Until it isn’t.

It was during one of those painful moments of artistic block, that the search for something to create turned my eye towards our scary, hairy little friends. Inspiration sort of jumped out at me from within the darkness of a closet. In other words; a big ole spider surprised me. Seeing it jump in response to my shrieking got me to wondering, what’s it like to be the spider that is suddenly surprised by a big ole hairy human? So, while wiping up the spider goo, the ideas started taking shape. (I’m sorry to all you spider lovers. It scared the crap outa me, and c’mon the closet had an assortment of shoes ready to protect me!)

Recording my thoughts and sketching answers to all the questions that my mind was conjuring up helped develop the theme beginning to take shape. Or was it just nightmare fodder? Maybe a little bit. Researching spider images kept me awake for many a night. Fortunately the sleepless nights helped fill the sketchbook and added more fuel to the series of paintings that were now caught up in the chaos stream.

Painting spiders to express shock and surprise required help from a creepy model; so I used a porcelain doll. Using duct tape to position her in a variety of poses added to the creep factor. (I didn’t add the tape in any of the finished pieces. To see that, you’d have to look through the sketchbook) These paintings were also influenced by my research into other artist’s (Francis Bacon and Max Beckmann for example) Prior to any creepy, spider artwork my paintings had been fairly bucolic in nature. Thus the need for research. This is common practice in my work as an artist.

After completing my first spider themed painting, it was time to give it a title. This can sometimes be a difficult task; sometimes the mind has nothing to offer. Other times it offers a gift. Deciding to title the first piece, “Meeting Miss Muffet” led to the series being titled along the altered lines of the Little Miss Muffet nursery rhyme.

And so my friends that’s why I painted spiders. The series as it currently stands is as follows:

“Meeting Miss Muffet”

“Along Came A Spider”

“And Sat Down Beside Her”

“Eating Their Curds Away”

“And Frightened Us All Away”

Yes, I know the series is missing “Sat On Her Tuffet” I’m working on it; stay tuned!

Hey What's Been Going On?!

Gallery Wall inside Eva Hunter Art Studio

Recently a friend asked me what I’ve been up to lately in my studio. It’s been awhile since my last blog, so I thought it’d make a good subject to share with you.
First and foremost is the big news of the day; I’m a new Grandma (or rather Nonna)!! Baby Leon was born on July 6th and he is cute as can be. If you follow me on Facebook you will have seen his video debut this morning! If you don’t follow me on Facebook here’s the link https://www.facebook.com/groups/evahunterartstudio
Now let’s go back a bit in time. Waaaaay back in Jan of 2021 we decided to renovate our two car garage into my art studio. Our family room, which I had been using was to become space for my daughter. Not being very handy or knowledgeable in the home renovation game my husband and I hired a contractor. Our game plan was as follows:

1. Pack up/box everything in studio. Hold in studio until work is complete. This will be agonizing!

2. Clean out crap in garage. No really, throw it all away! Ok, we can save that…put it in a box. Fill the dumpster from the contractor (this was a HUGE blessing!)

3. Shop around for a shed. Look at too many, get overwhelmed, go back to the first one we saw and buy it. It’s now Feb so we start praying the ground stays frozen and it doesn’t snow. Our shed will be delivered in a week or so. Oh and we have to have a stone pad installed and leveled off before the shed is delivered. Our shed guy, “knows a guy”. He says trust him, he won’t wreck our lawn, he delivers sheds in all kinds of weather.

4. Hire “the guy” to install a stone pad for the shed. Works out well, no snow for awhile in Syracuse, made it easy. He’ll be back to remove our fence post on shed delivery day so the truck can get into our backyard. Oh and he had to pull out our grapevine and a rose bush to make room for the truck. That’s ok, I don’t like wine or roses (said NO ONE EVER!)

5. Shed delivery day dawns on a thawing Syracuse ie: the lawn is muddy. Guy says trust him. Watch as the hydraulic truck makes ruts in our lawn and the ramp sticks with our shed halfway down the ramp. Really, I wish I was making this stuff up. Shed is finally laid to rest nicely on our stone pad. Truck frees itself from our lawn. Fence post is replaced. Shed guy is proud of himself, claims we have the best looking shed in the neighborhood and goes happily on his way. As his backside is seen disappearing from our sight, I give my stressed out husband a big glass of wine and we make plans to call our landscape guy in the spring.

6. Move all the stuff we just have to keep from the garage into the new shed. Being careful not to twist an ankle in the ruts left by the truck. This process will take a lot longer than expected, the ground fluctuates between mushy and icee. My husband is a saint and moves it all by himself. I am a saint and stay out of his way.

7. Decide we want/need to replace our home furnace and upgrade it to an HVAC system. Also discover that the new studio space will need a mini split to heat and cool it. Uh huh. So, new home HVAC system is installed. During the install for the MiniSplit we’re told we need to run a new 220 line into our home, and that we need to call our energy provider, blah blah blah. Um, nope. We just happen to have a 220 line that we’re not using. Hah! So, use that Mr. HVAC man.

8. Contractors arrive and begin what will be a two and a half week process of installing insulation to all the walls, overhead door, and ceiling, hanging new drywall, mudding, installing additional outlets, new lighting (my studio is very well lit now!), topping off the pony wall with a finished ledge, molding, install gallery hang system, paint the walls, ceiling, clean, seal and paint the floors. If you’re ever in need of a local handyman I got a guy you can call! Just ask me and I’ll share his contact info with you.

9. Joyfully move all my studio stuff into the new space! Dance with happiness and kiss that wonderful husband of mine. Follow the carefully measured placement map to arrange my equipment in it’s new location. A few tweaks will be made due to the fact that I have to share floor space with the snowblower for a little while. Sigh. We forgot about that part. Hubby doesn’t want to have to pull the darn snowblower out of the shed every time he has to clean the snow from the driveway. This would involve snowplowing his way through the backyard, over the ruts, through the gate and onto the driveway. What a whiner. You know I’m kidding.

And that my friends is how I came to have the best art studio I could ever wish for. It’s close to home, private, warm and cozy in the winter and cool and comfy in the heat of summer. I spend about 7-8 hours a day in here creating my art. I’ve been able to offer private art lessons, and divide my time between all the things involved with running a business.

The landscape guys have come and gone, the ruts have been filled in and grass refuses to grow there. Why does my husband have the worst time of trying to grow grass? I mean really, he’s so careful to water it, puts straw over it, shoos the birds away, stands guard over it…..not a single blade.

Having this space has helped improve my production as I now have enough space to work on several projects at once. For example currently on my easel is a large oil painting in progress, on my workbench I have three pieces to mat and package, on another table I have my marble vat set up so I can marble some ties this week, I have an acrylic painting in process and one of my students will be here tomorrow for her lesson. This space also has room for a little retail nook which showcases my jewelry, scarves and ties. The longest wall has a gallery hanging system where I hang my art, there are also two more wall with hanging systems showing my art.

Life is good. My art is selling, private lessons are a blast, classes are on the calendar again (I’ll be teaching at The Art Store in August and The Everson in Oct.) If you’re local or visiting Syracuse and would like to stop into my studio give me a call (315-699-3077) I’d love to show you around!