My Book- "The Art of Seeing & Doing" by Larry Seiler

My book, "Landscape Painting- The Art of Seeing & Doing" has
been out since 2004 and has sold worldwide from Siberia, to
Australia, the UK...New Zealand, Canada and the United States
and much is due the advent of the internet of course. Until now,
I have just had a link on my website, some promotion on a number
of artist sites, but I decided to share portions, small clips of it in
a video format so you can get a better idea what this book is
about.

Enjoy...

To order this book, or consider my video on painting
a waterfalls visit my artist's website

Oneida Cty Courthouse...9"x 12" Plein Air

Well...strange deal today...I had an appointment with my eye doctor, the expressed purpose to check my eyes right after I fatigued them painting a couple plein airs. One of those dang things gettin' older, the iris muscles tire eventually of changing the size of the pupil which regulates the amount of light taken in and ability for the eye to focus. What I wanted was a pair of "eyes screwed up" glasses...which he thought funny. So, when my eyes reach that point, THEN I reach for secret weapon, operation "keep on painting" glasses.

As the appointment went following two plein airs, my eyes were indeed sufficiently messed up for him to test and determine what I would need. About five to seven business days now to get 'em.

I went downtown Rhinelander, Wisconsin to the Oneida County Courthouse...built in 1921, had this wonderful copper dome, which turns green...and green stained glass. Was quite nice...and, I had a couple suits stop by to take a look...

9"x 12" oil...

Armstrong Creek 11"x 14" oil on canvas...

One of those nights again, where you drive and
commit to painting and find out you left half your
stuff back home!

Tonight...I got to my destination only to discover
I had no medium, no medium/turps cup, and my good
brushes were taken out to use in my half-box last
time painted and not returned. Eeegads!

Still...wasn't going to go home with my tail tucked
between my legs and without trying..

11"x 14" oil on canvas...



















Not using medium means you use a heck of a lot
more paint, and with a painterly painting approach
the brushwork and color can be intruging as it builds
on the canvas...here is a closeup-

Cedarburg Plein Air Event 2009 oil paintings

Here are the five pieces I painted this week, two chosen to
submit for the competition/exhibition end of this, and one
the quick paint entree. It was a brutally hot week to paint,
a couple 100 degree days...

9"x 12" Cedar Creek...on pumice panel, stood literally in
the water to paint this one...


















This piece is available for $650...but (see below)

If you contact me and let me know what you like about
this work in artistic terms (artist terms would not be..."because
its pretty! In other words really look at it and think), I will give
you just over 35% off...or for $425 !!!
- - - -



11"x 14" oil on canvas... Pleasant Valley Rural Scene..
100 degrees and humid...but, what a lovely view the heat
causes with haze out on agricultural fields..


















This piece is available for $850...but (see below)

If you contact me and let me know what you like about
this work in artistic terms (artist terms would not be..."because
its pretty! In other words really look at it and think), I will give
you just over 40% off...or for $500...

- - - - - -


Cedar Creek Park provided a very lovely creek for residents
and visitors, a dam on the far end, series of falls, and the
comedic play of mallards swimming about, standing on
various rocks...and so, this next one...9"x 12" oil...


















To my shagrin, very obvious to anyone awake, with a
pulse in my place set up painting these ducks, someone
came over with a loaf of bread and began throwing chunks
of bread out to the ducks. Duh...like they aren't going to
move then? HELLO!!!! Thanks a lot buddy! And as it turns
out, a sign about 20 yards from me warns visitors NOT to
feed the ducks or animals, wanting to keep a natural
separation and healthy environment for the wildlife.

So...I had to finish this pair of mallards from the
impression left on my mind.
- - - -

Next...I painted this scene of an old church looking across
the river in the park, between trees...starting one night,
and finishing the next morning...12"x 16" oil on pumice
panel-


















This piece is available for $1150...but (see below)

If you contact me and let me know what you like about
this work in artistic terms (artist terms would not be..."because
its pretty! In other words really look at it and think), I will give
you just over 35% off...or for $750...

- - - -

Last day, was a quick paint...2-1/2 hours, during
Cedarburg's annual Strawberry Festival. The town has a
population of about 10,000 people...so imagine about
100,000 people suddenly invading the town! So...about 1/2
hour is just framing the work up and then trying to navigate
thru the crowd with the wet oil to get to the location to turn
the work in. That was crazy in itself, and got there with three
minutes to spare. My largest effort... 14"x 18" oil on pumice
panel...saving my largest painting for the week for this quick
paint event...



















Unfortunately my efforts did not catch the eye of jurors
this year, missing out on honorable mentions and various
awards...but, there is next year, and I took plenty of
pictures of the area to give some thought to where I may
well paint.

Well, as you can see...I've made a few of these available for
purchase, but also gave opportunity for a decent percent
off well, in a unique way. As an artist that writes about art,
that teaches art, workshops...I am of course very hopeful
that people will learn to really look at paintings. So much
so, that from time to time I will offer a discount to encourage
such. After so many years of painting, sale are nice...but
more importantly an artist imagines folks looking hard at
what appeals to the eye to see where an artist matures, is
different...etc., Call it, Art Appreciation 101...

Proof of the power of adjacent color to empower another Color!

I have had quite a few discussions answer the critics of the limited palette, my belief being there is limitless possibilities.

For one...when an artist has that option to simply buy another tube of color, they may well have missed exploring the full depth and range of the fewer colors they could get away with. Oft..I have suggested if you don't have the red you think you need (red being one example), you can influence that red to appear to take on another nature by the colors you mix up and surround it with. Johanne Itten did those color experiments with smaller gray squares inside a larger square of color. A small gray square inside a large box of red takes on the complement and appears greenish. Inside an orange square, appears bluish...and so forth.

Well take a look at this color illusion...

























The color green and the color blue are both one in the same color. If you have photoshop and sample the two colors, you will see this to be true. Amazing is it not? To read up on this in more depth go to this blog post- the blue and green to read more.

I'm rather insistent in my teaching that a good limited palette becomes a powerful empowerment for the painter, as the artist develops an intimate knowledge of its possibilities. Cadmium lemon yellow is a cool yellow, and my yellow of choice...but in how one uses it it neither has to appear cool, nor as lemon yellow. Thus its use is limited only in one's lack of understanding.

Larry

Cedarburg Plein Air

I've been gone the past week, painting with many other fine artists and enduring brutal 100 degree temp days down in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Over as of last night, coming home with ideas for future possible events on how I might push myself to paint.

A thank you to the jurors and staff of the Cedarburg Arts Guild and Cultural Center for putting on a fine event.

Will post my painting efforts when I return home...as I have been staying at my son and daughter-in-law's home down here.

Larry

Well...finally home, tired...but filled with unique
experiences and memories. This was my home for
seven days, and perhaps it was sailing that proved
to be my favorite part. Bringing back a good many
memories from my tour in the US Navy...

I remember my father, (having served 13 years in
the navy) saying how blue the Caribbean waters
were...(as I served in the Med), and he was quite
right. The water struck me as though having color
you'd expect of a jewel or gem-


















I was on this trip as a class advisor, responsible for 17
graduated high school seniors and nine adult/chaperones.

The upper decks is where daily most hung-out...


















and here, over looking the "Lido" deck...

















Interestingly, I had kids complaining by near week's end,
that there was nothing to do. Heck, I was content just to
look out over the Atlantic/Caribbean waters from deck
three where I went often to get away from the crowds, as
those that know me would not be surprised I'd do-


















But...let's see, nothing to do they said, hhmmm...there was
a caged/netted in area on the 12th deck for basketball and
volleyball, a running track, an 18 hole mini golf course,
ping-pong, a half-dozen swimming pools, and about that
many hot whirlpools, a spa, sunbathing decks, Las Vegas
style shows in the palace theater, night clubs, discos, a half-
dozen five star type restaurants, 24 grill and all nighter
pizzaria, a mini-mall of high end stores to shop, bands and
music performers daily and nightly throughout all the ship,
television in your state rooms, oh...and a casino.

So...yep, I guess I can see how boredom and frustration
would set in!!!

At our first Port of call, Nassau, Bahamas...I got away
from what I knew years ago as the "Hey Joe" tourism
areas to find this old church of Scotland, and set down
to paint. Propositioned several times along my merry
ole way if I were interested in buying drugs or dope.

I guess I must have that look....

I didn't bother trying to bring oils to get thru the
TSA airline checks...so brought my Cotman watercolor
field kit and a few small tubes of watercolor in my
checked bag. Had a pad of paper...and also, did not
have the convenience of time in-between shopping and
excursions with the others to travel about freely or
paint as long as I would like. These then amount to
watercolor sketches.

I laid in the values with Wolff carbon pencils first,
going over with a brush and water to bleed and
render the subject. Then I applied watercolor over
the top...something like working over a grissalle or
verdaccio...

This is 9"x 12"... St. Andrew Presbyterian Church of
Scotland...Nassau, Bahamas


















Next was St. Thomas...and as others went about their
shopping part of the excursion, I found an obscure alley
way and sat down...this one, 9"x 12"

















...following this watercolor, we hopped back onto our
open taxi having one heck of a fun ride, 35mph in 10mph
roads with no shoulders and sharp curves...and went to
Magen's Bay beach...rated one of the top ten in the world-

















Then it was off to my favorite island, that called St. Maarten
divided in half...one side the Dutch, and the other French.
Very much enjoyed kayaking in the seas leading in and
out of lagoons and wonderful beaches.

After a fine swim on one of the beaches we landed our
kayaks, it was off back to the ship on our 120 person
capacity catamarran. Then, I walked around and found
a bronze dedicated to Pieter Stuyvesant, the islands first
governor in 1643...and did this watercolor study, 12"x 9"























I was approached by folks interested in buying
my studies, but let them know I was creating
what would amount to souvenirs of my
experience for myself. Each time I do trips
abroad however, I get the feeling were I to be
so inclined, I could probably recover my travel
expenses simply by painting. Such as was my
experience in Alaska...and so want to go back
there!

On board ship...well, what other subjects are
there but people themselves. Not my choice of
ideal subjects...but when you have the itch to
paint whatelse do you do? So, I did the little
paint and don't let folks know what you're doing
thing.

These were in a sketchbook, and again just
simple little quick sketches...nothing special,
but an exercise...































Nice to be home...but what a pleasant experience to have
had...(all other responsibilities aside...)

Gone for a week...cruise to Virgin Islands

Taking a group on Carnival Cruise to Nassau, Bahamas,
St. Thomas and St. Maarten Virgin Islands. Taking my
watercolor field kit with...so...until my return in about a
week... cheers and bon voyage...

Barry John Raybould...a painter to check out!

Over the past few years, I've had my share of painters I've

been a fan of...those whose paintings when I see them unfold
some of the joys and mysteries of painting. They just call to
be studied...the artists, to be learned from. From Edgar Payne
and Emile Gruppe, to Scott Christensen...Matt Smith, Bato
Dugarzhapov, Marc Hanson....and a good many listed on my
blog here.

New to my listing and artist to watch is Barry John Raybould..
check out his blog and his his website

and Raybould's his 'Ning Plein Air page!

wonderful expressive brushwork, sense of color, brevity of
statement...mood...here a few of his works...check him out!

Last Hour Light...study in glare 5"x 7" oil

Drove around a bit, anxious to paint tonight...and
came back to a familiar subject for me, our local
Mill Pond. Setting up, was literally the last hour
of light and became a study in glare and sun haze..

5"x 7" oil on pumice panel...

Rat River Plein Air...by Camp 5

9"x 12" oil on pumice board
I was in the finishing stages of this plein air tonight when
my son Jason called from Chicago, and I told him I must
have used a bit more pumice in the ground on this one as
the paint was tacking up quite fast...in some regards it
was like I was painting with pastel or something.

Not a complaint, just a different drag to the paint.

I also set my palette up with a split-complementary palette,
blue-green my dominant, orange plus red...and white.

Was a lovely night to be painting, and try to restore some
self-dignity after not the best day strikin' balls on the links.

Afternoon at the Mill Pond...two plein air Oil Paintings

9"x 12" oil on pumice panel...



















Was a gorgeous sun-filled afternoon today, and of course the beckoning to paint was there. Went to one of our local lakes, a river...emptying into the mill pond...and first did a study of shore grasses. You can see a bit of duck weed vegetation coming to some life with the warmth...

This piece above, "Spring Shores of the Mill Pond" 9"x 12" is
available for purchase for $650...but (see below)

If you contact me and let me know what you like about
this work in artistic terms (artist terms would not be..."because
its pretty! In other words really look at it and think), I will give
you just over 40% off...or for $395 !!!

- - -
...and with left over paint, I scraped to the side into
a neutral gray mud...and used it to do a quick 5"x 7"
study of a backlit shore...

My Very Talented Artist/Son's Caricature of.... ME, who else?

Just had to share this...it is absolutely marvelous,
my favorite of Jason's caricatures he's done of me
to date!

Click on the image to see large, funny stuff done
so SO well!!!

Also...check out Jason's blog It's Funny Because
It's True!"

Marsh Grasses Plein Air...wintry slush..Plein Air Oil Painting

9"x 12" oil...on pumice/gesso panel

This piece is available to purchase at $650...but (see below)

If you contact me and let me know what you like about
this work in artistic terms (artist terms would not be..."because
its pretty! In other words really look at it and think), I will give
you just over 40% off...or for $395 !!!




















Last week, it was golf in short sleeves, tonight
it was long underwear, a thermal waterfowler's coat,
wool fingerless gloves, two hats, and my winter
boots!!! We got nailed with 6-9 inches of the white
stuff overnight...and one-half hour north of us they
got a foot!!! Yikes. Here you see my truck parked,
and I walked across to paint the same area of marsh
reeds I painted last week...


















there was a slushy surface to the water, offering
some nice color of neutrals...hints of greens,
some violets...very lovely...


















Here you see my set up, and I'm near finished
at this point. Just to give you an idea of the
moment..

















On the palette above you see the beauty of oils allowing
work in quite inclement weather. Note the beaded up
water on the palette...as it was a drizzle/sleet for much of
the time painting!

I had to end before I wanted to...as the water was building
up making it a bit more difficult to maneuver about. I'll
look it over and perhaps will take just a bit of small work
on the reeds and then sign it...

As always, clicking on the images brings them up larger.
Enjoy...

Two Plein air Oils Today...Fumee Falls and Piers Gorge

Beautiful and interesting day. See, the thing about a
waterfalls is that everyone connects to them. The power
of reflection and muse, a very spiritual time...but as I
would discover today....a falls also makes for a very
interesting backdrop for high school prom pictures!!!!

I was set up down nearer to the main falls, about half
done perhaps when teens dressed up began to show
up...and then more, and still more. Soon parents and
grandparents...uncles, and ...er, well you get it!









































I pulled my paintbox set up back thinkin' these
photo ops would sure be weird with some guy at the
base of the falls painting! Here, I'm just about
done when this group of girls gather in front for
some pics...



















Here's the result of my painting anyway, and had
chance to meet and talk with some nice folks. One
turned out to be a painter as well, and referred to
what I was doing as "plein air!"

8"x 10" Fumee Falls...


















To finish off the day, I drove past the Piers Gorge, which
is an exciting part of the Menomonee River that divides
northern Wisconsin from Upper Michigan...and painted
this 10"x 8" oil...























This last work, "Glare Light Point- Piers Gorge"
10"x 8" oil is available to purchase for $450
but...(see below)

If you contact me and let me know what you like about
this work in artistic terms (artist terms would not be...
"because its pretty! In other words really look at it and
think), I will give you just over 40% off...or for $250 !!!

7"x 5" plein air oil...study, Spring Marsh Grasses

Last day of spring break, back to teaching art
tomorrow. Not exactly an inspiring spring day
with its overcast cool breezy weather, but a
small study like this is always possible and one
is without excuse to avoid painting. Just needed
to get out regardless...and I rather enjoyed the
subtle values and color the overcast day provided.

This was what I was seeing sitting on a five gallon pail,
(must be getting lazy)...

















Began with a simple toning of the panel, some
indications of some darks...and you can see very easily
imitated is the light reflection in water that allows using
the negative space concept to suggest the reflections of
the marsh reeds....
























One thing that really irritates me is when jerks (that
I would probably lump into that REDneck category) have
absolutely no pride in the area they live in, no decency
to pick up after themselves. I tend to bring a garbage
bag along with me to pick up an area I'm painting. Today
I only had my five gallon pail...

Study in Patterns and Texture...plein air oil painting

Had the itch...to get about, off and alone, set up
and paint. Still a bit chilly here in northern
Wisconsin...but compared to painting outdoors in
winter it was quite lovely.

Stopped to check out a river passing over a forest
area bridge...and thought I'd lose myself studying
water movement...patterns, and textures of the
grasses. I believe I could do a half-dozen paintings
set up on the same place, same subject and it would
be insightful for me to vary a different approach,
palette strategy with each one. Nature surrenders
a bit of intimacy and understanding doing such, and
one's sense of painting directions builds the gut
hunch.

Below you see a reference picture I took on location,
and then I toned my board a reddish-orange, then began
by putting down some marks of the dark reflections and
deep water bottom...

As always, clicking on an image brings up a larger picture
to view.

more progress...Rough Water Buffleheads...oil painting

A bit more work today...on water, rocks...and so forth...
nearly finished I think...and my palette of color premixed
to work here...

12"x 24" oil...Rough Water Buffleheads oil painting

12"x 24" oil on board...

worked on adding several ducks tonight following my
teaching day...decided on buffleheads, or what we
waterfowlers affectionately call "butterballs"...

Here is a closeup...keeping them in a painterly mode to
be consistent with the painting scenery...and feel perhaps
more like flying and how one would see them. Often in
wildlife art, the norm for representing ducks has been more
detail upon detail...however if one is seeking realism, then
it is not realism to see such. One may get an impression of
some color, some sense of primaries and feathering...but
these ducks are flying along near 60mph...and darting about
constantly-
















Here is the background which I began with first...then
several days later worked on adding the ducks. The work
as seen above is not finished yet...as I need work on the
water, rocks...and perhaps yet a dab or two on the ducks
themselves.





























And my reference which should give you an idea just
how much liberty I took to make my own painting from
it...not a slave to it...