Diana K. Gibson

There is always so much enjoyment visiting a museum and gazing into the works of masters.  How often I have looked into the paintings, peering in trying to decipher the colors, application of pigments, techniques and approaches that the artist employed.  And each time I am filled with great inspiration and long to understand much more about the paintings.  Recently I was afforded an opportunity to do more than just glimpse at genius, instead I had the chance to immerse myself into a masterwork by Sorolla. I had always wanted to paint at a museum and copy a master work, but something seemed to just get in the way. Perhaps it was just timing issues or conflicts of one sort or another.  Poor excuses really. Thanks to a friend,  my procrastination was replaced with action. She was very kind to bring me to the museum and she showed me just how simple it was to step through the door into another realm. An epiphany occurred the moment I walked into a large room and wa...

Just recently I had the pleasure to sit for a portrait painting class. Sitting for the class reminded me of my beginnings in the art field. Before I began painting I was a portrait model. The transition from portrait model to art student to artist seemed only natural. This transition ultimately changed my life and enriched it beyond measure. Here are some pictures taken after the portrait painting class. The garb that I am wearing is a dress that was picked up by a relative who was on a business trip in Sinai, Egypt. I was told that the dress was made by one woman who constructed the dress and embroidered it by hand. The estimated time frame to complete such a dress was approximately two weeks. The dress is rare and is over 20 years old. The jewelry pieces are antiques from the Sinai and India.

Some quick tips that I offer to my students in regard to creating further distance in their landscape paintings are as follows: COMPOSITION: *Look for the ellipses in the landscape and translate them upon the canvas. The ellipses help to create movement and draws the viewers' eye through the picture. *Be aware of scale and perspective. Contrast and compare the shape and scale of the objects. Things get smaller as they recede into the distance. Think about how much of the sky will appear in the picture. By merely raising or lowering the horizon line, one can shift the perspective creating more or less depth within the painting. *Be cognizant of any kind of repetition that maybe occurring within the painting. We may sometimes be unaware of the consistent repetitive shapes or equally spaced out items we are creating. Shapes and spacing are quite varied in nature and are not as systematic as we sometimes unconsciously portray them. Constantly observe, compare your work to the ...

Above are pictures depicting mixing colors. These colors were pre-mixed with the intent to paint a sunrise. The palette was prepared the night before and a dark toned panel was selected. My gear was readied and awaited the morning. The start to my day went a little differently than planned. At 4:30 AM the house woke to two cats hissing and growling outside in the yard below. Being up earlier than planned afforded time to watch the very early dawn of the day. The sky was still dark but there were tell tale signs that the sun was soon to rise. Quick preparations and a short walk down the road, my gear was set up and I stood waiting for the magical moment for when the sun would break over the horizon. Knowing speed is critical for painting a sunrise, the land masses were massed in and I anticipated the sky to burst into color. I glanced over my shoulder to track the progress of the sun in the sky when I noticed a cloud bank moving up towards the sun. In the distance a large bank ...

Getting outside to paint en plein aire this summer has really been a challenge since the majority of this summer has been subject to much heavy rainfall. This piece was actually started on a misty rainy day and was worked on over a period of a few days. In the past my plein aire work was completed in one session however lately I have taken a different approach and have started to work on the same piece over a span of a few days. That means I start a picture and then return to the same site at the same time of day under the same lighting conditions until I consider the painting finished. This new approach has been beneficial for me because I have learned considerably more through intensive direct observation. I have also taken a new approach in modifying my palette in hopes to create more saturated naturalistic vibrant colors.

This still life is currently in progress and it is my first endeavor to truly break away and do something quite different from my past work. Instead of pounding away at a piece and trying to finish it alla prima, I have slowed down considerably on this one and have taken much more time to analyze the subject and painting. The finished painting turned out pretty well if I may say so myself. :)