INDEPENDENCE REIGNS

A most important part of advanced art is to encourage students to experiment on their own. The classroom must expand beyond regulated class time and afford students the responsibility and discipline needed for self exploration and accomplishment. It is exciting to see the results and know all was done with enjoyment as well as effort.

The following studies show executions with tempera paint.

A smooth texture and low key intensities with gray added to most hues characterize this moderate toned painting. Mauve hair tints are subtly repeated in the wings. What kind of story would you tell for this winged creature?

Here a surrealistic premise begins with a train and railroad track that culminates in a prominent eye, simultaneously beholding the viewer and a integral part of the bird/rock body. Floating waters over gesso envelope all in quiet grays.

This mixed media painting combines a loose water color background and initial washes to define objects and plants, loosely applied tempera hues for some modest shape definitions and stronger strokes for more opaque painting.

Ease in paint application and shape and brush precision are some characteristics of tempera painting as seen in this example. Lots of patience in the numerous small shapes was required in this op art work from beginning to end.

I have never subscribed to the belief of Tempera paint being a low class or inferior media. Perhaps it's not as permanent as oils or acrylics, but as a stand-alone or mixed media element, its effective quality is really determined by the user.