So, how did you get started in landscapes?
Barbara
Ackerman: I first started creating landscapes in pastel as a
challenge to
myself. I admired work done by other artists but had never worked in
pastel or
created landscapes. I decided to give it a try.
Judith
Kniffin: I began in watercolor, making a series of water
studies—ponds,
streams, bays, marsh water. Water is reflective, distorting,
multi-layered and ever changing—much like our thinking process, in
fact.
My other fascination is with trees, because they break up space and
color in
expressive, abstract, and tactile ways. I’ve carried these
explorations
into my oil painting.
How do you
select a scene to depict?
Judith
Kniffin: First I look for the color relationships, the
shapes, textures,
and good compositional points of the landscape in view. I take my
subject
directly from nature, rather than from my imagination, making changes
as needed
for compositional balance.
Barbara
Ackerman: My landscape painting has coincided with my
interest in running.
So over the years I have alternated between running and painting. My
running
informs my painting and painting keeps me running. Most scenes are
spots that I
found on back roads as I was jogging by. I have a couple of favorite
spots that
I continue to return to. Sometimes it's just colors and shapes that
gets my
attention.
What are the
techniques you use?
Judith
Kniffin: In oils, first I cover the entire canvas with a deep
earth tone.
Then, quickly and loosely, I paint in the large areas to establish
overall
composition. Of course, the devil is always in the details, which
consume
me and take a disproportionate amount of time!
Barbara
Ackerman: My solutions tend to be graphic. I play with positive
and
negative space, sometimes using the color of the paper as part of my
palette. Sometimes it's less about the product and more about the
process
-- a meditation really. Setting up on the side of the road or hiding in
the
middle of weeds in a field and just looking and drawing, watching the
light change and listening to the universe.
How do you
choose the colors?
Judith
Kniffin: First I focus on the largest compositional areas, which
determine the
painting’s overall color “skin” and the complementary colors that will
work
with it. The balance involves light and dark areas (value) and
warm and
cool colors (hue). If a hue does not work with its neighboring
colors, it
virtually shouts “FIX me NOW!”
Barbara Ackerman: Typically, I'll
experiment with several color combinations in
sketch form before doing a final drawing. I like my color to create an
emotional response to the piece.
Do you
have a favorite piece in the gallery?
Barbara
Ackerman: My favorite piece is on a wall in my living room but I
am
particularly fond of the pod and milkweed series I produced. Several
from that series
are available at the Bennington Arts Guild Gallery: "Pink and Yellow
Milkweed" and "Red Pods."
Judith
Kniffin: If it is still hanging there, one favorite is the
fairly abstract
watercolor, “Embankment Reflections II.”
How does
being a member of the Guild inspire you?
Judith
Kniffin: Being a member of the Guild keeps me in balance,
because making art is
often in isolation. BAG members are my support group, my soul
mates, and
a great source of ideas and useful information. And the
innovative work
other members do nudges me to try new directions also.
Barbara Ackerman: I am delighted
to finally become a member of the guild. Being part of a network of
fine
artists and artisans reminds me of the joys of the creative process and
the benefits of being part of a community with shared
interests.
