Sunday, October 14, 2012

October 10 Demonstrator - Kim Weineck


Our originally scheduled demonstrator for October 10 meeting was Deb Friedman, color pencil artist.  Since the association did not have access to power point equipment, we were unable to accommodate Ms. Friedman’s power point based presentation.
Fortunately, our own Kim Morin Weineck was able step up at the last minute to provide an entertaining and educational presentation.  While possessing a talent for watercolors, when asked if she had a preferred medium Kim claimed oil paints and pastels.  Her humble admission of moving between the two mediums when she feels “stuck” got quite a few knowing chuckles. For our October meeting, Kim introduced us to the hybrid: using pastels on an oil underpainting.
Before she began, Kim recommended that the paper be pre-mounted on acid free foam core.  This step helps by not only providing a more stable “canvas” for the artist but also makes it an easier piece for the framer to manage.  Mrs. Weineck then demonstrated creating the oil underpainting from scratch.  As she painted, one association member asked if she always used a reference photo, or worked right out of her head.  Kim immediately waved her hands and replied, “Oh! I never do it out of my head!  I have such bad imagination!”  While this statement got quite a few laughs, it was surprising since her finished pieces show such beauty, talent and creativity.  The reference photo itself became another part of the night’s lesson. Kim, an artist as well as instructor, admitted it likely in the past that she’d recommend always using a high quality reference photo.  However, we all know rules were meant to be broken! For this demonstration Kim used a “lousy” reference photo with typical “errors” like poor lighting, low resolution, and cheap paper. She said she found that this actually helped her more, since it forced her “to be more creative, to take more risks”.
Mrs. Weineck provided numerous tips including diluting the oil paint with thinner.  This helps it to dry faster and can also create interesting effects as the paint runs and blends. However, we were reminded that the more thinner we use, the runnier –and therefore messier – the paint can become.  This technique could create wonderful results…or it can go horribly wrong!
 Kim finished her oil underpainting in time for intermission, allowing members to come up close to view and discuss.  After the break, Kim continued with pastel sticks on a “pre-baked” oil underpainting she had prepared ahead of time in order to have a dry base for the pastels.  Kim provided numerous helpful tips as she worked the various colors onto the painting in small, slashing, or broad strokes:
*Wearing disposable rubber gloves while working with pastels will keep hands clean.
*Using an alcohol based fixative helps keep the pastels from “dusting” or flaking
*While any alcohol will work, including vodka and gin, don’t waste “the good stuff” on fixative.
*Always test said fixative on scrap paper, not the work in progress, to see how it affects the color and consistency of the pastels.
A sincere thanks to Kim Weineck for her amusing, clever, and informative demonstration.  Her last minute save turned into quite a delight for us.  It is easy to see why her classes and art have such a loyal following! 
Kim Morin Weineck, artist and instructor, is the founder of Neponset Valley Artists.  Mrs. Weineck is a member of the Foxboro Art Association, the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod, and the Marion Art Center.  She is also a Juried Member of the Pastel Society of America. You can visit her website: http://kimmorinweineck.blogspot.com to find more information about Kim, including classes she offers and artwork for sale.

(Thanks to Meredith Whalen for this article.)

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