Monday, April 30, 2012

Outdoor Painting in Early Spring in the White Mountains

Here are some paintings I made outside during those 85 degree days in March. No need for bug spray!

Erik Koeppel "Mt. Madison from the Peabody River" 10 x 16 inches, Oil on canvas 2012

Erik Koeppel, "Jackson Falls" 11x14 inches, Oil on panel

Erik Koeppel, "Thorn Mt., Jackson, NH" 7x14 inches, Oil on panel
Notice that I was excited for Spring and added the leaves into the bottom two paintings. In the Thorn Mt. I also added the fallen log, and apple tree, for a more dynamic foreground. I try not to let what I'm seeing stop me from making the painting that I envision.

Thank you!

Upcoming Instructional DVD:
www.hudsonriverdvd.com

Upcoming Workshops:
July 5th to July 8th, 2012: Traditional Oil Painting at the Wentworth Hotel: elegant wine, food, and accommodations alongside a weekend of painting in the White Mts. Click here for details

July 16th to 26th, 2012: Through the Grand Central Academy of Art: Paint with us in the White Mountains alongside the Hudson River Fellowship for 10 days. Click here for details

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Grisaille Painting Finished (Part 2)

A while ago, I posted some images of a painting as I pushed it from Grisaille to color in 3 hours. I recently finished the painting, and thought I would share. To see the original post click here

Erik Koeppel, "By the River" 10 x16 inches, Oil on canvas
Here is the final image from the 3 hour session months ago:

The same painting on it's first day in color

The difference isn't a 'final pass' of opaque color picking away at each of the details as is sometimes thought. The above picture was achieved by many many layers of glazing and refining; selecting and balancing light and color, and unifying the composition. Rather than think of painting as the execution of a method, I prefer to think of it as an intellectual process of problem-solving that leads to a higher understanding of what the picture means.

Here's another painting that was made using a grisaille underpainting:

Erik Koeppel, "Poet at the Temple of Venus" 32 x 40 Inches, Oil on Canvas 

 That's an entirely invented Arcadian scene.

If you're interested in learning more about my methods and philosophy toward art please consider the following:

Upcoming DVD:
www.hudsonriverdvd.com

Upcoming Workshops:
July 5th to July 8th, 2012: Traditional Oil Painting at the Wentworth Hotel: elegant wine, food, and accommodations alongside a weekend of painting in the White Mts. Click here for details

July 16th to 26th, 2012: Through the Grand Central Academy of Art: Paint with us in the White Mountains alongside the Hudson River Fellowship for 10 days. Click here for details

Thank you for reading! 

Friday, April 20, 2012

Plein Air Convention in Red Rock Canyon, NV

  
Erik Koeppel, "Evening Light at Red Rock Canyon" 10 x 16 inches. Oil on Canvas

Erik Koeppel, "Red Rock Canyon" 10 x 16 inches Oil on panel

Erik Koeppel "View from Bonnie Springs" 5 x 12 inches Oil on panel

Erik Koeppel "View from Spring Valley Ranch" 10 x 16 inches Oil on panel
These were some of the painting demos I made at the Plein Air Convention last week. I was sharing some of the outdoor painting techniques that will be in my DVD coming out in early June on the Techniques of the Hudson River School. For these western paintings I was trying to recall beautiful red rock studies by Thomas Moran. He had an amazing way of handling the light and color of this kind of climate.

To sign up for more information on the DVD visit www.hudsonriverdvd.com

Painting a demo at the Convention

After the Convention we went on to Northern Arizona to paint the Grand Canyon, and some interesting spots near Kingman, Rt. 66. I should be posting those paintings soon.

Upcoming Workshops:

July 5th to July 8th, 2012: Traditional Oil Painting at the Wentworth Hotel: elegant wine, food, and accommodations alongside a weekend of painting in the White Mts. Click here for details

July 16th to 26th, 2012: Through the Grand Central Academy of Art: Paint with us in the White Mountains alongside the Hudson River Fellowship for 10 days. Click here for details

Thanks for reading! 

Monday, April 9, 2012

Museum of White Mountain Art at Jackson


Erik Koeppel "Maple Knoll" 12 x 24 inches, Oil on Canvas, Collection of the Museum of White Mountain Art at Jackson



I did this painting as a commission for the new Museum of White Mountain Art which is being created by the Jackson Historical Society in Jackson, NH. The Museum's first exhibition will be this fall, "On the Road to Jackson" which will feature works by 19th Century Hudson River School and White Mountain Artists who painted on their way to Jackson. Cole, Bierstadt, Durand, Gifford, and most landscape artists of the 19th century painted in this area, and this show will showcase various routes artists took through/to Jackson. Some of the many subjects of interest will be Mt. Washington, Mt. Chocorua, Crawford Notch, Pinkham Notch, and the Presidential Range.

The above commissioned painting is of the 19th Century home of artist, Frank Henry Shapleigh still standing in Jackson, NH. He painted all the sites in and around Jackson, and is celebrated by collectors of White Mountain Art, and historians alike. The house was designed by Ralph Waldo Emerson's brother and architect, William Emerson..

Here are some paintings of Jackson by F.H. Shapleigh:

Frank Henry Shapleigh, Jackson Village

Frank Henry Shapleigh, Moat Mt. from Jackson

Frank Henry Shapleigh, Mt. Washington from Jackson

Frank Henry Shapleigh, Carter Notch (In Jackson) (This view is near my house).

The Museum has some great shows planned, and I'm honored to be a part of their collection.

Thanks for reading.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

2 Shows in 1 week. Road trip

at McColl Fine Art in Charlotte, NC
at the New Hampshire Antiques Coop in Milford, NH


More pictures...

with William R. Davis' paintings, and a Hudson River School work

with Lauren Sansaricq's paintings

Nick and Andrea at the McColl Fine Art show

This was a road trip, so we also stopped at the Natural Bridge in VA on the way home and did a little drawing:

Erik Koeppel, Natural Bridge Sketch
We also saw this Thomas Cole painting at the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, CT on the way home (probably inspired by the Natural Bridge):

Thomas Cole's "Evening in Arcady" 

More Natural Bridge:

Frederic Church

David Johnson