Personal Art Blog

Sharing the lessons I teach at the Artist Guild and the personal discoveries in my art.

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Why I Like To Fracture Plus A Still Life.

Summer Still Life
8"x6" oil on linen panel $150.
Purchase HERE

Artist Note
After my Fracturing Workshop
I took a few days off to paint
with a friend who is a regular
plein air painter...and 
due to the extreme heat
(thank heavens)
we set up a still life.

I have been asked why 
I like to fracture

The following is a piece 
I did in my workshop
showing everyone
the premise of why I use the
fracturing technique.
It is all about keeping the
viewers eye's interested.

Below is the type of surface
I would get when I 
used a brush in a smooth, flat way.
One glance and you have grasped it


Then here is the same square fractured.


The idea is 
there is more
to entertain the eye!
Hope this helps explains it, Susie.


30 comments:

  1. EVERYONE is happy you like fracturing, Julie!! All of your paintings are so unique and a feast for the eyes!! This still life is no exception.

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    1. Thanks Chris - you are sweet to say so.
      Bummer about your house deal but you still managed to turn out the two lovely deco ladies.

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  2. Julie, it's a fascinating process and one that you do so well. I've yet to try it. Maybe today is the day.

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    1. It does keep me fascinated and I like that.
      I love the turkey photos you posted and wondering about how to fracture turkey feathers!

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  3. I saw the above piece yesterday and liked that swing of fruit at the bottom along with the stripe of the bowl. The whole setup looks very cohesive without being fused together, if that makes sense.

    Seems like the fracturing is a very efficient way to scatter the colors about without overthinking things with a brush. and then you get the results and, voila!

    Way too hot to be outside. Agreed!
    Libby

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    1. When i was developing the technique I read up about the Scattering in the field of Optics. Totally fascinating and it helped me a lot.
      Love the mono print collage you made. It really has the WOW factor.
      .

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  4. It always amazes me that you pack so much into a small 6x8 canvas. They always read as much larger pieces. You know what they say about "small Packages"....never truer!

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    1. Thanks, Carol. I try to make it look like a larger one so I am happy that comes across.
      I enjoyed seeing your lovely painting inspired by the Blue Ridge area. I know it well and you really captured the essence of the area.

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  5. Perfect example of how the eye enjoys variety!

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    1. I think so too. The eye does like to be entertained. There has been many studies done on it. Hope you are painting more along thr lines of the Inner City Blues. Fabulous painting!

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  6. Love your still life. It has such depth. It's on my to do list this summer. I can always look at your paintings for a long time.

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    1. Thanks, Sharon. You will be a whiz at it. Everything you do you do well. Especially teaching the young ones. I love what Blair did using your methods and tools.

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  7. I love your fracturing method, sometimes I just watch the video to see what I've missed the first few hundred times. Always pick up something. thanks Julie.

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    1. It has been quite a few years since I made the video and every once in a while I check on it myself! Thanks for being so supportive...such a good friend.

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  8. No question Julie that the fracturing technique is so lovely. I know my eye gets much more excited when I see your method versus the smooth one. Love your beautiful still life too. So very lovely and of course eye catching. Hugs!

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    1. Hello, dearest Debbie. Always so encouraging and supportive. I do appreciate you and the beauty your blog brings to my life.

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  9. I echo all the other comments, Julie! What always astonishes me is how you manage to retain definition of form, and depth of field in spite of the rich juicy textures you get from fracturing. Such a visual feast.

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    1. How nice that you can "see" it. The whole point is to retain the form but not in exactly the same way. I still want to bring it back after fracturing it to an impressionist viewpoint.
      Variation within form!
      Hope you are still painting up a storm for the gallery.

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  10. You put forth a good rationale for fracturing, Julie! Your little square with this method comes to life with more movement, color, texture and shape. You make it work so well within a scene. Because I haven't practiced as I should have my problem arises once I've made the slices (fractures.) At that point I'm unsure what to do. I want the scene to be cohesive and certainly one that a viewer can recognize as something, but I seem to "drift" in my thinking as my results don't contribute to the whole...rather they become disjointed. As you said the other day it takes practice. Fracturing isn't to be mastered in a one-day or one-time lesson. I need to get down to practicing over and over. It's really on me to do the work and get better results. Hopefully.

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    1. I sent you an email with some suggestions that hopefully will help. Understanding how to achieve the goal of how you want it to look is important. I love warm and cool... texture and smooth areas.
      But nudging the shapes back together is key.

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  11. This really does explain it perfectly! It is a wonderful technique which is not easy to master, even in the little square. Then your still life is gorgeous! I love the way the blue vase pulls together all the surrounded objects. I hope you stay cool, we are having terrible heat too.

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    1. Happy you like the still life, thank you, Celia.
      Cool today - rain also so it is really lovely after the heat.
      The cellist you just posted is fabulous - love the way you cropped him.

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  12. A wonderful still life, such vivid and lovely colors and every item is perfectly clear .

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    1. Thanks, Jane. The colors are rather bright aren't they!
      Hope you enjoy your summer vacation but have to say I really like both the paintings of gulls you did.

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  13. Maybe 'object' is a more accurate word ?

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  14. great still life :)

    the fracturing grabs my eyes more then the basic style, seems more energetic/alive :)

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  15. This still life is beautiful. Your method gives the eye so much more to look at with the texture and shapes in the area of color. I know you use this for oils but can it be used in any other mediums? It doesn't seem like it would work with watercolors, but it maybe could be adapted to gouache.

    In answer to your question about the numbers on my boat painting. Uniball Signo makes gel pens that cover even black. I have them in white, gold, and silver. They come in other colors too, but I haven't used any of them. They come in handy for numbers and letters in situations like this. I've used them in a painting where there is writing on a blackboard menu too.

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  16. This is a beautiful painting Julie! Your fracturing technique is amazing!

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    1. I appreciate every encouraging word you give, Hilda.
      Very thankful to hear your daughter is doing well.

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  17. That is why your works are a feast to our eyes! You so simply showed us the difference and made a point!

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I love that you are taking the time to comment and thank you for it. I am sure other readers will enjoy them too. If you cannot comment through this format then email me at juliefordoliver@gmail.com
Cheers,
Julie