Lesley Humphrey Writings

Last Thursday I was at the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation sponsor’s tent (at the Rolex Kentucky 3-Day event), doing a demonstration on behalf of the American Academy of Equine Art.  Here I am at the start with the Administrative Manager of the AAEA, the remarkable Frances Clay Conner.  The sun was in my eyes, but people started to come around and bring me lovely drinks and appetizers… so it wasn’t too bad at all. 

As the new Director of Education of the American Academy (based at the Horse Park), we were so grateful to Frances Dulaney and her colleagues at the Horse Park for inviting us to showcase equestrian art for their sponsors.

This is me at with the start/first 5 minutes of the demonstration.

I had assumed, since I was at the arena, that horses would be present and I could do my demonstration from life.  Just in case, I had selected a photograph I had taken over 14 years ago, whilst I was still eventing myself.  The photo had so much energy and excitement, and I thought it would be fun to paint for the eventing enthusiasts and World Equestrian Games sponsors present that day.  (I had randomly selected the photo from amongst the several thousands I had.)   A little more paint was applied… You can see the arena in the background.  (I was painting on David Davis lead-primed linen taped to a board, with oils.)

Pretty soon, people started to come out onto the patio and introduce themselves to Frances Clay, our President Lloyd Kelly, and myself.  I was delighted to see my friends there, W.E.G. sponsors John Paul and Judy Miller, Harold, Becky, and meeting Connie and Martha from out of state, but a remarkable, I think amazing, thing happened…. People came over who knew exactly who the rider was…. At least one lady had tears in her eyes, and several people were moved.  The rider was recognized as a beloved horseman of Kentucky, a Mr. Ralph Hill, who had suffered a terrible accident.  I was privileged to be introduced to the First Lady of Kentucky, Mrs. Jane Beshear and Mrs. Alston Kerr who asked if the painting could be used to raise funds for their friend to aid him in his plight.  Who could possibly refuse?

I am constantly humbled by the power of Art, and by the magic that happens when we put ourselves to its use.  Who could have imagined I would have selected that photo, on that day?  (Even the lady who owned the horse was present!) It is amazing to me that the very man whose image inspired my painting, will eventually be helped via the vehicle of Art.  

 I’ll keep you posted as to the result.  I’ll let you know what happens to the painting.

AS A SIDEBAR….HORSES FINALLY CAME OUT….When the demo was over!!!

… So I just grabbed some acrylic paper and sketched them romping around.  (Enjoy the sketch, Dunny!)

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?  

John Paul and Harold, remember we were having a giggle whilst I was demonstrating?  I wonder who this dashing cowboy, the dapper horse trainer in rust suit with turquoise accents, the beautiful, talented and extraordinary blonde and brunette ladies were?  Hmmmm..

People (and galleries) are asking me… "Why, Lesley, when equestrian paintings have brought you so much notoriety and prestige (not to mantion cash-ola) would you start painting more figures, when you don’t even have a market for them?"  The answer is not simple, but as I develop and mature, as a person and as an artist, I find I wish to be more expressive in my work.  I wish to weave something of the essence of the moment, or of the wonderful person sitting before me, into my work.  Why are figures affording me more of an opportunity to be expressive?  Well, for a start, I know a lot more about being a human than I know about being a horse.  (I know some people who have the opposite traits… please forgive me for saying so.)  Although, when I was a little girl I used to gallop, rather than simply walk or run around the countryside.  I even tried eating grass once or twice… Ugh. 

 Anyway, some wonderful artist friends and I (particularly Mike Stratton, Howie Doyle, Liz Hill and the Woodlands Saturday morning painters at Studio in the Woods) had a "Just Figures Art Crawl" the weekend of the 3, 4, 5.  My work was primarily at Lampros Gallery.  The content of the show all figures painted alla prima, from life.  These are some of mine….

HIJA DEL SOL Lesley Humphrey 2009 36 x 36 oil

LOOKING BACK 2009 16 x 12 oil by Lesley Humphrey

GIRL IN GREEN ABSTRACT 2009  16 x 12 oil by Lesley Humphrey

VINTAGE 2009 oil 28 x 22 by Lesley Humphrey

PENSIVE 12 X 12 acrylic 2009 by Lesley Humphrey

MANDALA 2009 oil 16 x 12 by Lesley Humphrey

The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts is a beautiful new museum in my area.  When they contacted me to request an artist presentation/demonstration, correlating with the current show "State Of Grace", I thought of how beautiful it would be to situate my daughter, Lauren in front of one of the beautiful paintings, and paint her in similar pose…..

The demo had to be done in two stages: I already knew that I would not be allowed to paint with oils, in reverence and protection of the beautiful collection, so I chose to demonstrate a grisaille technique, beginning with black and white acrylics on a grey-stained "Yes" canvas.  The size was 24 x 30 inches. The first session took 50 minutes to complete.

After 10 minutes with the hair dryer, I began glazing with a palette of three completely transparent acrylic paints. They were Golden Fluid Acrylics:  Quinacridone Gold, Quinacridone Crimson, and Turquoise.  I talked about how the old masters glazed (often over months) using a similar technique.  I started with the warmest colour first using Quinacridone Gold as my yellow….

Then I glazed red over those areas that represented the red robe, taking care to do it in thin glazes, rather than slapping on the crimson.  Note previously applied yellow gives a warmer red.  I added thin, transparent layers of red to the frame.  Notice how very transparent the Golden colours are, achieving a baroque-looking frame with just a few strokes!

Now I’m adding the turquoise and at the same time creating some cool tones in the white robe.  (Her cheeks look a little rosy don’t they!  I’ll have to fix that some other time.)

I have made some beautiful, rich and organic blacks to enhance my drawing and add the darks that I see.  I also added more whites to re-glaze and create more depth to folds, etc.

After a further 40 mins., the painting was completed to this point, and the demonstration over…

In the end, I was filled with gratitude… For the chance to paint and be inspired in such a beautiful museum with my subject being one of the people I love most in the world; For being so inspired and honored to be surrounded by the amazing masters in the exhibition and surrounding me on all four sides; For Rosemary Hickman and Tim Novack for having the faith in me to afford me such a special event; A special shout out to Jerry’s Artarama for sponsoring my supplies….and last but not least, to the wonderful crowd that came to share the experience with us.  Support your museum! Support the Arts!  Have a fabulous day!

My wonderful husband took me on the most luxurious experience of my life, a jazz cruise to Cayman Islands, Bahamas and Florida. Oh my goodness! Can you imagine being surrounded by such beauty, in a truly fabulous suite, wine, tremendous musicians, and sitting there with a bottle of wine and painting it all?  Well, that’s what I did.  To show my tremendous gratitude for my husband I made this wee little book and, with a make up bag full of my trusty Golden fluid acrylics, I painted something we did together each day….(then had his favorite artists sign the book)

This is the little book,(you can see my fingernail bottom right).  I would pre-prepare the pages with colour the night before, ready for the next day’s adventure to capture…

A beautiful boat sailed by in Key West.  This was a rapid little painting.  I abstracted the landscape I saw on the island beyond.

The artist on the left was the remarkable Nick Corlionne who was generous enough to give a guitar seminar in the cocktail lounge (hic… this was helped along by a nice rum and coke.  The one on the right was gin and tonic.)  I was inspired and touched by these amazing musicians and the way they shared their lives and their Art with us.  Their journeys were often tough… Nearly all were true masters of their craft. Sheer and unadulterated pleasure!

Marion Meadows… A most beautiful jazz saxaphonist (with the most adorable and beautiful wife, Maria.)  There was a spot in the main performance hall that had some lights shining down on the table.  How convenient!  So Larry and I would plant ourselves there sometimes whilst I painted, bottle of wine or champagne at the ready, just responding to the magic.  Just before our anniversary, I had all the artists sign my book and gave it to Larry that evening.  He was "dead chuffed", as they say where I grew up.  Now, all that is left are delicious memories that echo in my mind like a Larry Carlton solo.  

Thanks to my amazing husband who surprises me with enchanted, delicious adventures all the time (you’re amazing, and I love you)….Thanks to all the artists who touched me so:  Nick Corlionne, Norman Brown, Larry Carlton, Boney James, Miles and Accoustic Alchemy, Chieli Mannuci, Mindi Abair, Heather Hedley, Mr. Sandoval, and so many more… 

TRINITY 36×36 oil on gold canvas

My husband and I own DaVinci’s Gallery in our local downtown area, (that we used to operate but now lease to a co-operative) so we know the incredible pressures gallery owners and operators have in sucessfully marketing art.   I have been extremely well represented for my equine and sporting works by Sportsman’s Gallery Limited and Paderewski Fine Arts for over 18 years and cannot fault their business ethic in the slightest.  They know their market.  

    As I grow and change as a painter (it’s not for me to say I’m an artist - only time can tell that), I yearn to pour content and meaning into my work not necessarily having anything to do with the representative image; using the image as a sort of  icon for something more.  This painting is just such a piece.  I painted the canvas with Daniel Smith’s gold gesso before beginning (also symbolic for me) and poured out my deep intention, sometimes carving it into the background.  (I’ll leave you to guess at the meaning.)

    My main gallery did not feel this was something they could represent, probably not wanting to confuse my collectors.  I completely understand, yet the rejection hit a nerve as  I realized that my gallery was not representing me and my artistic journey, but a certain brand of image I may not forever be able to furnish.  (Probably a little deluded and narcissistic to think otherwise all these years, but there you are…) A a certain amount of soul-searching took place when I realized this truth.  I was reminded of a conversation I had with one of my teachers Alex Powers when he said "Drop your galleries and do Art".  I suppose I am at a crossroads; I suppose it’s time to choose…

    What does one do?  Lick my wounds for sure.  Buying an ice cream (oink) helped. 

    You may have experienced synchronistic events in your life, well I felt that I did on this day… I received an invitation to enter an international equestrian art competition called Ex Arte Equinus with my new pieces.  I decided to see if everyone felt the same way about new works and entered "Trinity" and other like pieces.  Trinity won first place in painting, and my Appleby Flasher won third in drawing.  Evidently I will receive some goodies, works published in a lovely book, but the real gift is the whisper from the Spirit of Art that says "Keep going….." 

You may view the competition Ex Arte Equinus at:

file:///Users/lesleyhumphrey/Desktop/http-::www.arthorsemagazine.com:art_competition.html.webloc    

Now I know this isn’t the masterpiece of the modern world (far, far from it…) but I felt something "shift" while I was doing this painting.  Like everything changed in an instant, possibly forever.  

As is often the case, when helping students, someone else understand painting, you learn so much yourself.  One of my students was having a miserable time with these constantly moving Norwejian Fjords (they must have been self-conscious of all the strange, oily-smelling predators lined up at the fence line).  I encouraged the student to relax, to paint literally ‘everything’ from the greyish hill behind, stubby trees, fence, two Fresians looking over the fence (yes….that’s what they are… Rubbish isn’t it?)  I remember saying "Yes, even the red and yellow plastic water bucket!"  And I did.  And I loved it… And I realized, from that moment on, something "clicked". 

I would never sell this little 5 min. painting.  In fact, I’ve glued it into my art sketchbook (so there).  All the funky, bright, contemporary-looking paintings that are showing up now have been because of this "shift" and the little painting journal I showed you before.  The following painting was the first on stretched canvas.  I think I did it the week I came back from Kentucky…

KINDLY OLD TEACHER.  18 x 14 acrylic on canvas.  November, 2008.

My beloved mentor, Dick Turner, in his studio smoking a cigarette.

Shawni. 16×12 acrylic.  November, 2008.  What do you do when you find yourself in a model group… They have posed the model, often in a position no human would ever sit in for 2 hours (and it often shows on their face and posture), and you’ve been there, (yawn) done that so many times before?  I have begun to find patterns in the environment just as relevant to a painting that creates a feeling within me, like this one, a two-hour sketch of a model called Shawni.  I love to feel totally connected with "All That Is" (at the risk of sounding biblical…)  when I paint and so, instead of struggling to get a likeness of the model, everything else that intrigues me becomes part of the painting.  Just in the moment, seeing everything; quite Zen really, I should imagine.  (And no… I’m not sitting cross-legged humming all day!)

HANNAH.  16×12 Oil on panel.  November, 2008

So…. I was in a model group and the model, lovely lady, was propped-up looking stunning (as usual), and my heart sank a little.  Meanwhile, whilst getting out my paints, drinking cups of tea trying to get motivated, I watched this wonderful woman called Hannah really "getting after it" across the room.  Hair and arms a-flailing, tongue poking through her cheek; her face expressing such a wide array of emotions I think she was painting a vampire one minute, and an angel the next, no vamipire… No angel.  Well… With such an interesting lady, it was no choice for me.  I was painting her, plus the doors and the air conditioning vent behind her, her bags below her, etc.  When she finally decided to walk around, about 2 (20 min.) sessions later, she walked behind me and said "Well I like that…. OH MY GOODNESS!  IT’S ME!!!"  Great for me is that she bought it, so everyone was happy.  Well worth my $5.00 model fee.

Fjord pony.  9×12 oil on canvas.  10 min. sketch 

Cold, (I mean, frigid…brrrr).  What was I thinking!  Scheduling an outdoor painting workshop on frosty mornings.  Not only were the poor students terrified (always are when painting loose horses from life), but they couldn’t concentrate with the cold.  Some just sat in my car and didn’t bother.  (You have to know, this was extremely difficult for me and my "need to please" also.)  Anyhoo…. They had to push past their fears.  The day we painted this little fellow was warmer.  By now,  I had given them so many exercises about how to get, not just a "good picture", but the gesture of the moment.  It’s always astonishing to me how afraid we are to explore and just be in the moment.  We’re so desperate to create an impressive image, yet Art is not "how the thing looked" as much as "How I felt when I was here… In this beautiful place with this magic little horse from Norway".  We can get photos of the Fjord, it’s YOU that we may never see again.  It’s YOU that we want to see all over the canvas… terrified or not!  This was done on "Yes" canvas taped to a board, with oils.  Boy, does that stuff dry fast outside!!!  Faster than acrylic… I really mean it!

I thought about how sturdy those little baby books were… You know, the ones that you read to your kids when they were 2 or 3?  Chipboard construction, I think it is… Anyway, I sanded the pages, gessoed them, and painted them with acrylics so that they would already have fun, exciting backgrounds.  This one is about 5×6".  Like miniature canvases…. So portable and sturdy.  All you need is this, three tubes of acrylic, plus white, one or two brushes, and you’re good to go…. As my kids will tell you, I have a thing for "mack" ladies…As in "mackintosh-wearing old ladies that trundle around the streets and shops of the northwest of England, usually with a shopping back, a sensible pair of shoes, a scarf and a plastic hood over the perm, if it’s raining.  (They get extra marks for a short-legged dog of unknown origin).  I will unashamedly pose one of my children close to them and take photos of them going about their business.  This is one of my daughter (on the left, looks a bit like a pole dancer in ski jacket) and winter shoppers on Lord Street, Southport.  

When you can find mack ladies sitting having a sandwich, like on Blackpool Pier, you can draw them from life if you’re discreet.  I have found that, when people are eating, they literally "zone out".  That’s why I do most of my figure drawing from life at Macaroni Grill, drawing on the table cloth with crayons!