Book Report-Frederick Waugh

Frederick J. Waugh-American Marine Painter by George R. Havens, University of Maine Press, 1969

 To paint the sea you must love it, and to love it, you must know the sea. -F.Waugh

Today was my expedition up the coast to stock up on supplies and sundries. It rained and hailed but I made it through just fine. Tomorrow we are supposed to get a nice winter storm and I will be snug in the studio painting.
Tonight I thought I would post a brief book report on Frederick J. Waugh-American Marine Painter. I have read other's comments on the book and it seems to me that most seem to not think much of the content and style of writing. I would be interested to know why. The book was written in 1969 and based on interviews of the son and daughter of Waugh as well as written and anecdotal information from friends and associates. The language and tone of the book is from a more formal era than that of books we read today. I rather liked it. It seemed to be in keeping with what apparently was Waugh's character.
Most of the book mainly focuses on his marine painting career which basically began when he was first married and had moved with his bride to the Isle of Sark. The book also discusses his childhood and artistic training. Frederick Waugh apparently wasn't a temperamental or "colorful" artist instead he was a well trained, hard working, and enthusiastic artist. He and his family are portrayed as loving and supportive.

I found the biography interesting and informative. It gives a pretty good idea about what it takes to be an artist of that caliber. I was surprised to see how some of the economic and political challenges he faced are similar to what many artists face today.

In between all the biographical information would be the occasional quote or observation on his working methods. The final chapter before the conclusion also contains a summary of his unpublished manuscript on his methods of painting the sea. Oh how I wish someone would unearth them if possible and print them up (preferably in an e-book!).

It sounds like he had a fantastic life and well-earned recognition during his lifetime. Here is a quote from one of my favorite passages describing his methods:

 Hour after hour, Waugh studied the complex movement of waves and foam. He learned how to concentrate his view, how to master one single detail at a time-the sudden curl of a wave, the flash of brilliant green of air-filled water where the light shines through, the rushing, variegated pattern of white spume near shore, the angry mass of surf flung high above the black rocks.*

I was also amused to find that painting the sea is still as challenging today as it was then:

 The tides rise with fearful suddenness in this region, sometimes as much as thirty or forty feet in all. Forgetting this in his absorption-or not yet having learned it perhaps in his newness to the island-Waugh was once nearly caught in his dangerous post of observation by the on-rushing water. Just in time, he managed to  scramble back hastily to the top, leaving his paint-box behind.*

The tides in my area can rise above 9 feet, which is bad enough. However, the sneaker waves here travel 50 yards quite suddenly. Have to watch for those. Thankfully I haven't had to leave my paintbox behind, yet, and hopefully never!
Frederick Waugh lived a long and productive life. I wish there was more about him as he is definitely under-appreciated. I had to return the book, which I got from the library on an inter-library loan. I would love to have this book in my collection to read and re-read for inspiration.  Alas, it is quite pricey being out of print and all. The copy I had was marked "discard". Someone had scored a good bargain and then donated it to the college library, for which I am thankful.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in painting the sea, art history, or even for just an interesting biography.
I will finish the post with a picture of the Central Oregon Coast taken as morning broke on our December drive to California. This rest stop is fantastic and the waves and swells there huge. They slosh around and make the most amazingly awesome sounds.

©2013 R.L. Delight, Rest stop on the Central Oregon Coast as morning breaks.

Oh, and need I say that the Isle of Sark is high up on my list of places to visit and paint?

 *Frederick J. Waugh, American Marine Painter, George R. Havens University of Maine Studies. No. 89., pg. 53.

A Sketchy Day

One of the things I determined after evaluating my art working methods following the 30 in 30 challenge, was that I really need to take at least one day a week just to observe and sketch the ocean. The weather today was transitional and therefore it would be sunshine one minute, rain the next, and a constant wind. Not a great day to paint. The weekend is supposed to be nice though so looking forward to getting out to paint then. Sketching in such weather is a lot easier. Not as much gear, just a pack with sketchbook, pencils, and a few things to make oneself comfy such as a towel to sit on, plastic bags for any found treasures, binoculars, water, etc..
The tide was going out this afternoon when I hiked up the beach. I left from my front door on foot today as I felt like a good walk as well. When I got to my usual spot the waves were quite disappointing and fairly far out. The wave surges keep me at a distance. I picked a likely rock to sit on but had to move when one of the sneaker waves came in.
Here is what my office looked like:

Sketch site

As you can see, it was one of those flat gray moments in the day. This is not a black and white picture!

Here is what my sketchbook looked like:

Sketchy day. Elements of waves and rocks study. Water soluble graphite on paper.

I like to use water soluble graphite pencils and a Niji water brush pen. I use HB and 4B pencils. I am thinking of trying a bit of white gouache paint to get a better representation. This is not a composed drawing. It is just several elements put down on paper at random.
I have done this type of sketching of the sea before but, after reading the section in the book on Frederick Waugh, featured in yesterday's post, about his time living on the Isle of Sark, I really got inspired! He spent his time there studying the sea for all he was worth. He would spend hours doing sketches of each element, often putting himself in risky situations. Risky situations are a challenge even for me. It is so easy to lose track of awareness of time and then be caught off guard by the tides. There are areas that are dangerous to be when the tide is coming in. It is one of the reasons I set an alarm on my phone. One of the advantages of modern tech!
Needless to say, I have added the Isle of Sark to my "must see and visit" list. I am also thoroughly enjoying the book. I just have to resist the urge to call a day off and curl up and read all day.
I will think about putting a book report on one of my posts when I am finished with it.
Tomorrow depending on the weather, I will either be painting in the studio or on the beach. I am still trying to catch up in the studio getting it cleaned up and making fixes for some of my gear. I haven't had a chance to get back to my Webinarts classes today either. I can see there is still room for improvement in my organization skills. Well, it is time to get ready to turn in for the day. We shall see what the morrow shall bring...

Another Waugh Book!

I was thrilled to find that my interlibrary loan request for the book, Frederick J. Waugh, American Marine Painter, by George Havens, had arrived today. I had gone to the library because I hadn't heard so much as a peep that my request had been received let alone processed. This book is out of print and there isn't a lot of them floating around. The asking price online is a lot more than I can justify. I just want the information! The book was published in 1969. I was seven years old then.
Here is the book:

Almost all of it is text with some black and white plates in the back and some very beautiful color plates. The color plates look like they were lithographed rather than being like the color reproductions in the book I showed yesterday.
The plates are challenging to photograph without hurting the book but here are two beauties that I somewhat managed to get. Glare is a problem too:

Open Sea, by Frederick J. Waugh, 36"x48", 1930? *

Tropic Seas, by Frederick J. Waugh, 48"x72", 1934 *

I am posting in haste this afternoon as tomorrow is a work day and I am trying to get as much done as possible. Tonight is band rehearsal too.
I will be adding snippets of interesting quotes and tidbits as I read through the book to my blog posts. I cannot renew the book so I will be dropping all my reading and focusing on getting this one read and studied.
Back to painting tomorrow!

* - Plates from Frederick J. Waugh, American Marine Painter, George R. Havens, University of Maine Press, 1969.

Updated Website and eBay Score

I have been busy getting my art marketing organized and updated. My website has been spiffed up and it is a lot easier to buy the small paintings I have for sale. The blog is next! If you would like to take a look at my website click here or on the link on the blog.

In the precious few moments between during the challenge and working on my website, I also did a bit of art studies. I had mentioned Frederick Judd Waugh on a recent post and posted one of his beautiful seascapes. I have been digging deeper to find more information about this artist. I came across a mention of a Walter Foster book published in 1969. I went on a search and found a copy on eBay for $4.95! No buy now button so I patiently waited out the week and put a bid on it the last hour or so and now the book is mine. The book contains 60 full color reproductions of his work from the Ulrich collection, which I believe, has since been dismantled and sold here and there. Knowing that color printing processes in 1969 were no where near to what they are today, I didn't have tremendous expectations but, they aren't too bad. Not all of these paintings are online. I thought I would show some of the paintings I like now and then so here are a couple, starting with the front of the book.

Front cover of book

I don't intend to share all 60 of the paintings. They appear to be from the entire span of his career as some look like they were painted earlier in his career. I like his later paintings. They have stunning detail and color and they inspire me tremendously. Here are two paintings from the book that I liked.

Evening, by Frederick J. Waugh, 25"x30"

Great Sea to Headland, by Frederick J. Waugh, 31"x31"

You have to remember that these are photos of printed color reproductions from 1969. I know that much of the subtle color in these paintings are lost. One day I will have to go on a pilgrimage and visit every Frederick Waugh seascape available for viewing.
It would be nice if some current art historian could pull together a proper book on his works.
For some reason they decided to print the photos of these paintings showing their frames. It isn't an effect I like.
I was thrilled when this arrived in yesterday's mail. It will be a wonderful resource and source of inspiration.

I am hoping that tomorrow I will be starting in on revamping my blog. I want to make it so that a person can purchase a painting from here too if they find something they love.

Please do check out my website. I am adding a painting for sale every day this week. If you wish to leave any feedback, feel free to leave a comment on this post.

30 in 30 Challenge: Day 15!

© 2013 R.L. Delight, Wave Study #20, 6"x8", oil on canvas

This is going to be a longer post than usual so grab your favorite warm beverage and make yourself comfortable. I have a couple of milestones, an overdue announcement, and interesting tidbits on a historical seascape artist.
First today's plein air wave study. The cold sunshine continues, in fact will be hanging around for a few days due to a stalled system/inversion layer. No winds! That is both good and not so good.
I had a difficult time in wanting to get out and paint today. I think I am just very tired. The events of the past month have piled up and I need a bit of a rest. That said, I also really want to complete this 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. I will do what I can even if it means taking a day of rest and painting two on another day. I was painting a wave study and a finished painting in one day when I first started the challenge so it is doable.
The sun is out but the waves are very small and to me, not very exciting. One of the reasons why I started my wave studies this fall is the waves are more interesting during the stormy seasons. I decided to minimize the waves, which were minimal already and paint the more interesting part of the sand. There are several storm runoff drains that empty onto the beach. Some of the streams are natural and some are human made. These can get fairly deep and treacherous this time of the year with the far-reaching tides. At the moment, they are quite small as we haven't had rain lately. They have their own beauty and I liked the reflections of this natural seepage meeting the sea. I will need to practice painting them more to get a better likeness.
So here are the milestones: Day 15, half way through the challenge! This is also my twentieth wave study which means I take another picture of them all together. Five more and I will be a quarter of the way through my goal of 100!
Ahem, a while ago, before the New Year, I promised to make an announcement at the first of the year. Of course, the end of the old year and beginning of the new ended up being rather strenuous and distressing and, then this challenge started. I put off making the announcement until I had a chance to think a bit clearer.  Of course, some of you have probably already guessed it and the rest will certainly have seen it coming.
Three years ago I entered studies at the Ashland Academy of Art with the intention of being there for four years. I would have been well into my fourth and final year if things had worked out. Life being what it is it didn't and we ended up in this beautiful rugged spot on the Northern Oregon Coast. I resolved to continue my studies on my own, and I have. I have always had a pretty good picture of where I wanted to go with my art but unbeknownst to me, there was one critical piece that needed to fall into place at the right time and space. Actually two pieces, the wild beauty of this area which re-awakened my passionate love of nature, in particular my love for the ocean, and painting en plein air. Suddenly the light came on and my life; past, present, and future, realigned. 
I am now dedicating the bulk of my art career to being a marine painter. I still will continue to build my figure and portrait painting/drawing skills but my heart, and my art, is in painting the coast of the wild Pacific Northwest (and other points around the world!).
I have a lot to learn still. At the moment, I am self taught in both oil painting and plein air painting (my year at school was spent learning the critically important skill of drawing). By self-taught I mean I have studied and learned from books, DVD's, and the wonderful information online in addition to just plain picking up the brush and painting. I plan to take a workshop or two once I can afford the cost. I would love to take a workshop from Don Demers for example. I have a short list of artists I would like to learn in person from.
Today, in one of those synchronistic moments, an artist friend that I have come to know and admire through Facebook, sent me a message with a great tip about using more colors in painting. She also mentioned one of the greatest American Seascape Painters, Frederick Waugh. I know who he is and I have seen pictures of his work, which is beyond stunning. Her mention sent me back looking at Frederick Waugh in more depth. I couldn't believe what I read! Here is a picture of one of my favorite paintings of his:

Fortissimo by Frederick J. Waugh, 22"x29.9",  oil on panel.

This particular photo and the following information was excerpted from Armand Cabrera's Art and Influence Blog.  The link will take you directly to his article. I won't quote the entire article series but here are two quotes from Waugh that resonated with me.

"I both paint from the sea and watch it carefully, and the later way of studying I am sure is invaluable."

And,

"Waugh always painted from direct observation, but these studies were not for sale. Instead, Waugh used the studies, along with his memory of the experience to create finished paintings in the studio"

Of course all of it was of importance to me but most of the quotes pertained to painting method. The blog is definitely worth reading if you are interested. There are three posts which are nicely categorized under Fredrick Waugh's name.

These two quotes make sense to me because this is what I have instinctively done. I truly believe there is no substitute for learning and painting from life. This is what I believe for me personally. I know others use photo references as I have, twice, in my work. I have nothing against photo references and know that sometimes they are necessary. I just resonate with painting from life.
The second quote made me smile because this is exactly what I am doing. Nice to know I am following in the footsteps of such a great painter.  I could go on and on but I will spare you all. Needless to say, I want to grow up to be the next Fredrick Waugh! Of course, there are already some pretty incredible contemporary seascape artists out there but this is the exact style of realism in seascapes I am aiming for.
One final point I would like to mention. The artist who sent me the great tip and encouragement today is Renee Lammers. I have mentioned her and her wonderful paintings on copper on this blog before. Her website is well worth checking out. Not only would I like to meet her in person and paint with her in Maine some day, but I am saving up to buy one of her paintings. Not to make you blush Renee, but you are generous and hard working and I am happy I found you on Facebook!
Phew! This is a long post but a lot needed to be said. Tomorrow's post won't be so long. To my wonderful friends who read this blog and to those who also comment on my blog posts, every single one of you, thank you! I appreciate the comments and will be commenting more on your blogs when this challenge is finished!