30 paintings in 30 days, American Samoa, Day 12

Red Ginger Flower

Paige and Alei asked;

“Do you know the people in your paintings?”

Most of the time I paint people I know, but some of the paintings are from photographs that I’ve taken at events or on the street and I don’t know who they are. I chose the pictures for this series because they are familiar scenes in American Samoa. Mary (on the staff at the library) is friends with the cab driver in one of the paintings. She told him about it so he stopped by the library to see the result. It was fun to meet him and I’m sure glad he liked it since you just never know. Plus friends who are coming to visit might need a good cab driver, so I got his number for them.      

Tasi

   

30 paintings in 30 days, American Samoa, Day 11

Domestic Pig
It rains a lot in American Samoa, I've yet to see a pig without a muddy face. It doesn't seem to bother them much though.

Harriet who works at the library asked;
"How do you make them look so real?"

    It starts with getting in the habit of carrying a camera around. I’ve taken thousands of pictures in American Samoa over the years. I choose a photo then open it in Photoshop to remove stuff like telephone wires and trash. Then I use the dry brush filter that softens the detail and delineates the highlights and shadows more clearly. I enlarge the image with a digital projector and make a quick pencil drawing. Organizing the paint on the palette lessens the time spent looking for a color, but those are just the steps. It takes practice looking at things to see the colors in the shadows, the shapes of the highlights and everything in between. Learning how to mix colors and draw perspective is necessary to create a realistic painting. Architectural rendering classes teach how shadows fall and reflections in water are cast. But the best way to learn is to practice, a lot. It’s pretty obvious when it’s not working. And include details that give an image a sense of place, even if they are icky. 

30 paintings in 30 days, American Samoa, Day 10

Casamar employees packing fishing nets on the docks. It looks like chaos when everything is moving, but there is method to the madness. 

The last few days have been great, more people have found out about the painting project and have stopped by to check it out. The following are questions I've been asked while painting.
"How many kids do you have?"
"Will you paint me?"
"Where is your husband?" and
"Why are you doing this?" (I'll answer this one eventually and pass on the rest) 

One unexpected visitor cracked me up. Today Santa asked;
"Did you really do all these?"
 Before I could answer I had some questions of my own, like why was Santa cruising around the library? Turns out Joe is a DJ for the local radio station KSBS and will be appearing at events leading up to Christmas. I seriously admire anyone who can wear a furry suit in this climate. 
And yes, I did the paintings, 10 down, 20 to go. Painting every day is the best way to improve. American Samoa is a lively, colorful place, it's easy to find interesting subjects.  

Thanks to the Feleti Barstow Public Library and Sadie's Hotels for sponsoring this project.

30 paintings in 30 days, American Samoa, Day 9

Taxi Driver

I chose this image for the color, but didn't know the man in the picture. Mary, who is on the staff at the library, looked at the photo and said "Hey that's Tasi!"

 Alesana asked;

"What makes a painting so expensive?"

 

     This question was directed at the value of art and how prices are established. Paintings that sell for millions of dollars make the news, but most artists whose work sells for that kind of money are long dead. The price has little to do with what the artist thought about their painting. Da Vinci was never satisfied with the Mona Lisa. He worked on it for years before abandoning it as unfinished. A very small number of artists become famous in their lifetime and even those must have the bravado to say they are worth a fortune. Picasso had no problem. Some set prices by what the market will pay, determined by public reaction.

     The value of art is often set by galleries, auctions and art dealers. Museums can establish value for works of art with the amount they are insured for. That number can be passed on to collectors. Some salesmen are so good at the high end art game they sell things that leave people scratching their heads. The book “The 12 Million Dollar Stuffed Shark” has good examples of outrageous art sales that don’t necessarily give artists a good name. A well done piece of art is one of a kind, like the Hope diamond, but there is no absolute scale to determine the value of art.

30 paintings in 30 days, American Samoa, Day 8

Samoan cooking is a long day of hard work starting with climbing coconut trees and hauling wood for the umu fire. Traditionally men do the cooking (cool eh?). 

Lana asked:
How did you learn to paint?

      Our parents encouraged us from the time we were  young. They provided art supplies, classes and a room in the house where we could make a mess. My sister (mernie.com) is also a painter as were many of our relatives. I don't think talent is something you are born with. All kids love to draw and paint, but many quit as they grow older because they aren't encouraged. It's never too late to learn. I've taken classes, but the best advice is to practice. Don't get frustrated when they don't turn out the way you see them in your mind, eventually they will. There is always more to learn so it never gets boring.
      Doing these painting marathons make me learn a lot faster simply because I have to work four to six hours every day without stopping. It's like exercise, if you do it regularly you will see improvement.


These are the steps to creating this painting. I used a digital projector to enlarge the photograph onto the gesso board, then I drew the basic lines with a pencil. The first coat is roughed in quickly with a lot of loose color, then I spend the next 3 or 4 hours adding detail with smaller brushes.

Making palusami with luau leaves and coconut cream (the best!)

One tough chef!

 Many thanks to the Feleti Barstow Library and Sadie's Hotels for making this project possible!

30 paintings in 30 days, American Samoa, Day 7

Basket weaving isn't a lost art in the islands. This day artisans were selling their wares in front of the National Museum. Best place to currently find handcrafts and great local food is the public market in Pago Pago the first Friday of every month. 

Maria and Helen stopped by while I was painting today and asked a few questions.

"Are you painting on cardboard?" and "Did they dry already?"

     The paintings are on gesso board, which is made of Masonite and laminated with carbon fiber so they won't warp. They are quite thin and look a lot like cardboard. I chose them to paint on because the surface is smooth so the texture of canvas doesn't show when they are photographed. They are supposed to survive any climate and American Samoa will certainly test that. The paintings I've had hanging here (even in air-conditioning) have molded beyond salvation. Canvas doesn't stand up well in this climate.
     I paint with acrylics, which dry quickly and they allow me to finish in a day. In this humidity they dry a little slower. The paint sets in about 15 minutes and is completely dry overnight. Thanks Maria and Helen for stopping by!

30 paintings in 30 days, American Samoa, Day 6

I wanted to show how green the jungle landscape is near the equator. On the island of Ofu in American Samoa the roads are made with sand and the pace of life is about as relaxed as it gets. The airport is closed so visiting Ofu requires taking a ferry, if they are running, from Tau.

Setting up at the Goat Island Cafe at Sadie's by the Sea today gave me a chance to meet people who wandered in for lunch. I'll be back at the library tomorrow.

Starting a painting goes quickly to lay out the shadows, just as I was finishing the first coat Silva stopped by and asked;
"Is it  finished?"

 

     Sometimes I'm tempted to stop after the first hour since the colors are lively and spontaneous, but there are many more hours of detail to finish a painting. Most of this layer is covered up in the final version. I rarely use black as color in the shadows are what give a painting depth. And the people on the road give the dense jungle scale. Thanks Silvia, I wish I could finish a painting in an hour!