John Schisler - Fine Art Oil Painting

Who is losing their marbles?

johnschisler — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:41:09 +0000

I’ve thought about the composition with the jars and marbles for a while but the setting was a last minute idea. Recently I had taken some pictures of a rock wall and some larger rocks to use as a prop so this seemed to be as good a time to use it as any. The setting of outdoors, in the woods, on a rock just added to the idea of lost marbles. There was no intended meaning behind the painting but as I posted the various stages of completion on Facebook, I receivedcomments suggesting I was losing my marbles. That got me thinking about the painting. One jar had all of its marbles with a lid tightly secured and the other was nearly empty and was losing its marbles. Could this represent me and my wife? She is an accountant and I’m an artist so guess who marbles are bouncing down the rocks.

Enlighten

johnschisler — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:08:55 +0000

The painting, Enlighten, was not planned out but rather evolved. I had the basic idea for the composition using some old tattered books I purchased at an auction awhile back but nothing else. I began painting with only the books, the curtain, a small pumpkin where the apple now sits, and my light source on the outside creating a dramatic shadow from the curtain. The cognac was something I wanted in the painting for the color but I still wasn’t sure how it would fit. The pumpkin was sitting in my studio from a previous painting so I sat it on top of the book. It didn’t really fit and I didn’t want to make the painting seasonal. I continued working on the books while looking for ideas.
The ideas started coming together after looking through a book I recently purchased on understanding symbols in the paintings of the old masters. The open books represent learning or the sharing of knowledge. Now I had a theme to from which I could build. The apple also represents knowledge so it replaced the pumpkin. Instead of a table top, I made an elaborate chest with a lock and key. The intricate details of the chest suggest it holds something very valuable and important. I still needed to work the cognac into the painting but alcohol can represent foolishness. Therefore, the only thing between the key and the lock is the alcohol. I changed the source of the light to come from behind the curtain. This adds a bit of mystery. Is the light the answer, the teacher, or something else? Perhaps gaining knowledge would allow the viewer to ‘see the light’ or become Enlightened.

Painting Cider & Mums

johnschisler — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:16:45 +0000

I recently joined the Mispillion Art League in Milford, DE and wanted to do another fall themed painting for their October show. The painting was going to be of pumpkins but it must have been a little too early in the season because I couldn’t find any. When I saw the yellow mums I thought of the possibilities and the bright yellows that could be mixed.
I considered a dark (black) background to contrast with the yellow mums making them pop out but decided on using cool colors instead. The background is a cool gray November sky. I felt the painting needed a vertical element that reached the top so I extended the green blanket. The edge of the blanket frames and centers the mums with the right edge reinforcing the mums as the focal point. I made two slight changes right at the end. I glazed the vertical portion of the blanket to push it backwards and changed the color of the concrete surface because it was too similar to the color of the sliced apple. The final painting has the feeling of a cool fall day with the warmth of the blanket and apple cider close by.

Zinnias and Shells

johnschisler — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:44:55 +0000

With the end of summer in sight, I wanted to paint something that was still blooming and found our zinnias still looking good. I played around with the composition until I got the idea of a book shelf. The shells were a request from my three-year old niece. She brought them back from the beach to be painted. I muted the colors of the books and background so the color of the flowers would stand out.

The Steps to Complete Hydrangeas in Silver Vase

johnschisler — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:51:17 +0000

I don’t normally work on a painting without some idea of what the finished work will be but that’s exactly how Hydrangeas in a Silver Vase was completed.
We have some early blooming Quickfire Hydrangeas in the yard that I decided would look nice in a painting. I started them without knowing if they would go in a vase, a jar, or something else. Once completed, I needed to decide what to add. I noticed my neighbors Big Leaf Hydrangeas and got permission to cut a couple of blooms. I prefer the blue to the pink but these were more of a combination that made a fuschia . I quickly added these before they could wilt.

I like to do flowers in one sitting to keep them looking light and delicate. Too many layers and glazing will make them look thick and heavy. Now I had a painting of hydrangeas with no leaves or anything else. They were still going to need a little work including stems but the background would need to be completed first and I had no clue were I was going. I sat the painting on another easel and got to work on other paintings until I figured out what was next. I was thinking that something silver would work and not compete with the flowers but I didn’t have anything.

There’s a local auction where I like to find miscellaneous items to use. My parents were in town so we went to the auction together. This could have been a mistake knowing my parents will buy almost any piece of junk that could possibly contain a hidden signed copy of the Declaration of Independence. We were browsing the tables of old tools and old books went I heard my mom say “Oh my God, what is your father bidding on?!” Emerging victoriously from the crowd was my proud father carrying two boxes of what appeared to be garbage. Beneath the clutter and smells we found a silver pitcher. Perfect!

The next morning I was ready to get started on the hydrangeas again. Although I still had no plans for what the vase would be sitting on or what else would be in the painting, it was starting to come together. A few days later my wife brought home some peaches that she picked from Bennett Orchards including some stems and leaves for me. The colors would complement the flowers perfectly. I was now beginning to see the finished painting. In the shadow box, I set up the composition including sea shells. After completing the underpainting of the peaches, I briefly considered making them plums to keep a purple theme but decided against it. As the painting was coming together, I decided to leave out the shells as to not have the table top look cluttered. I like to have some life in the paintings so the butterfly was added to complete the painting.

The large fuschia hydrangea becomes the focal point not only because of the color and location but because the visual lines that pull your eye to it. The tall white flower on the right side along with the butterfly on the left are the tops of a line that form a V that converge at the focal point. Around the focal point are the large leaves that mimic the doily beneath the vase. I try to create a focal point to draw the viewer in and then have other visual interests that keep the viewer exploring. I this case I left out the shells but the butterfly works well.

Blueberries and Figs

johnschisler — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 13:00:17 +0000

I finished two 5×7 paintings in the past few days with very specific composition goals in mind. I wanted to highlight (or spotlight) the Fig that’s cut in half and bring out the variations in color of all the figs. The contrast between the light color of the half fig and dark background and other figs draws the immediately to the focal point of the cut fig.
We have two blueberry bushes that are heavy with berries. After many blueberry pancakes and blueberry coffee cakes I decided it was time to paint The Blueberries. The composition was set up to draw your eye to the bunch of blueberries by using directional lines. The branches, stems, and leaves all point toward the berries. After your eyes takes in the berries, they wander over to the damaged leaf and finally to the grasshopper.

St. Peter’s 45th Annual Art Show

johnschisler — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:02:18 +0000

Show was great as always. Sold three originals. “All Marble” 4×5, “Copper & Oranges” 16×12, and after the show a client who saw “Morning Hunt-Blue Heron” 20×16 came to the studio to purchase it.

New Studio, New Classes

johnschisler — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:39:01 +0000

I built some easels for the classes that will begin this week.

First Painting in the New Studio

johnschisler — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 21:53:59 +0000

The studio is finally finished. Who knew I could run electric, hang drywall, and install flooring with out doing any damage to the rest of the house. I took a few photos to show the layers I applied to complete this painting. It’s an 8×10 oil on panal.

Half way through 1st sitting

Applied half-paste to add color

Glazed, sharpened some features, changed the background, added stronger highlights

Oil Painting Classes

johnschisler — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:37:04 +0000

I just finished teaching a 10 week oil painting class using Maroger Medium at the Art Institute & Gallery in Salisbury, Md. If you missed this one you can still join the next session that will begin on April 28th. If you’re closer to Rehoboth, I will also be teaching evening classes beginning May 4th at the Rehoboth Art League.