The Paintings and Musings of Trent Gudmundsen

2011-12-02T16:42:00.001-08:00

Across the Valley. 8"x20". Oil on linen (mounted to board).
Contact me for price and availability.

Hello!

It seems that each time a season gives way to the next, the variety in both color and patterns is increased tenfold!...summer turns to autumn in the above painting, with greens interspersed with oranges, tans, and pinks. And in the 3 paintings below, the snow allows me to put those beautiful light blues and purples against the oranges and warm browns of the other elements. The dramatic changes that come with the changes of seasons always excite me...I feel I can't work fast enough, but each year I manage to capture something of importance about each seasonal change, so eventually I should have quite a collection under my belt.

Please enjoy! -Trent

Iced-Over Canal. 10"x8". Oil on linen (mounted to board)
Contact me for price and availability.

Old Park City, Winter. 12"x16". Oil on panel.
Contact me for price and availability.


Park City Alley. 8"x10". Oil on linen (mounted to board) Contact me for price and availability.

Contact me via email at : trent@trentgudmundsen.com or call me at (435) 752-3316

Visit my website: www.trentgudmundsen.com

Painting Clouds That Look Like Clouds

2011-11-30T08:26:00.001-08:00

An artist friend just asked a great question. She says,

"I've been working on a landscape and having a terrible time with a couple little clouds I'm trying to paint. Do you use a special brush when you paint clouds? I'm wondering if I just need to wait awhile and let the darker shades dry so the lighter areas don't end up muddy. I can't figure out how to get a fluffy airy look".

Clouds really can be hard, and it seems sometimes that the more you work on them, the worse they get. Luckily, there are indeed some things to do that will help, including a trick or two. But let me first break down the question into parts.

Do you use a special brush when you paint clouds? It sounds like it would make sense to use a soft brush when painting soft clouds, but that can actually (sometimes) work against you. Contrary to what you may think, soft brushes are oftentimes best reserved for sharp lines and detail work, while the stiff bristle brushes can be great for soft, wispy edges. In general, I just use my large bristle brush (same one I use in the rest of the landscape), and have found that one to work better than anything.

I'm wondering if I just need to wait awhile and let the darker shades dry so the lighter areas don't end up muddy. This can sometimes seem like the right thing to do, but I personally prefer to paint cloud/sky areas wet into wet...it helps with the softer edges that you'll want. No, I think the best thing to do is scrape down any paint that's gotten too thick, then repaint the clouds the way you want them, remembering that clouds are 3-dimensional structures with a light side and a shadow side.

I can't figure out how to get a fluffy airy look. In my experience, clouds usually begin to look too "heavy" for one of two reasons: first, the sky is painted too dark in comparison to the clouds (or the contrast within the clouds is too great); and second, the edges are simply too hard/sharp (which can sometimes be because the paint is too thick). Without seeing my friend's painting, I'm going by what problems I've run into.

Now, a couple tricks that may help:

Paint the clouds first, then the sky. If you're like me and enjoy an impressionistic or painterly look, this is practically a rule. I can't tell you how often I've been surprised by how well this simple trick works. (If you've already painted the sky, that's fine...repaint the clouds the way you want them, then go back in with the sky color and paint around them). Then you can soften an edge here and there, mixing the sky and the cloud tones together a bit to create half-tones.
Look carefully at the shadows within the clouds. Except for dark storm clouds, the shadows within the clouds are usually going to be lighter than the sky around them.
To see how soft or hard the edges are, try to blur your vision a little and see how soft the clouds are compared with the land and other elements in the landscape you're painting. With big thunderclouds it's easy to think they have hard edges...well, they kind of do, that is, until you see how soft they look compared with the edges of the trees and grass (which are also soft elements, but not nearly as much as the clouds above).
When you need to soften the edge of a cloud, I would suggest not "feathering" the edges. I've seen it done well this way, but it's sometimes easier to preserve the form and mass of the cloud if you paint the obvious shape of it, only using those half-tones I mentioned (mixtures of the sky color and the cloud color...and here it's easiest to drag from cloud to sky, or from sky to cloud).

(Notice here that the shadows are far lighter than the sky).

(Very wispy clouds can be very difficult to paint. Just remember that they still have form and shape).

As for a step-by-step order, although I suggest finding your own way that works in each painting, here are some steps that may help:

First, paint the clouds white (or rather, the correct color-corrected version of white...meaning that you warm it up or otherwise color it a bit according to what you see)...just worry about the outline shapes first, kind of in construction paper fashion, .
Without cleaning your brush first, mix an ever-so-slightly-darker shade for your cloud shadows, making sure again to look at your subject and make it the right temperature (usually warmer than you might think, and always warmer--and usually lighter--than the sky around it).
Wash your brush thoroughly and paint in the sky color around your clouds...like magic, it will all come together.
Finally, soften your edges, paying close attention to preserving the shape and form of the clouds...don't overdo it.

Hope this helps. If you need extra help, ask away. :)
-Trent

Click here to go to my website and see some more examples.

Some notes from my visit with a master landscape painter!

2010-11-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

You've probably never heard of VaLoy Eaton, but he's probably one of the greatest landscape painters alive in the world today. Of course, this is my own opinion, but to back up my claim, VaLoy won (among others) 3 Silver Medal Awards at the National Academy of Western Art (now Prix de West) annual shows, and is pretty much the go-to-guy for many large corporate landscape art needs, (especially in Utah, which is his home and therefore his chosen subject most of the time).

And why haven't you heard of him?...well, as he puts it, it's really easy to become famous, but it's a lot tougher to stay famous. More to his credit, he also admits that he doesn't "need" to be famous anymore (he's paid off his house, studio, vehicles, etc., and is doing as well as ever with his art sales....so there you go; I would tend to agree with him).

Anyway, why do I bring up his name? Well, because VaLoy Eaton is one of those little-known (except to his many eager collectors) masters of fine art who has a treasure trove of wisdom and experience to impart to those who are lucky enough to be the recipients, and I'd like to ensure here that his wisdom is not forgotten....

But first a little background story. I was lucky enough to meet VaLoy when I was only 12 or so, when I was able to go to his studio for occasional critiques, pointers, and general inspiration and encouragement for the next 8-10 years. I don't know if I realized at the time how lucky I was.

To make a long story short, much of my artistic philosophies and habits are a direct result of the things he told me over the years. To make the story even shorter, I had the wonderful opportunity a few weeks ago to visit with him again at his new studio (it's been about 10 years since our last meeting). Not only was this a happy reunion of old friends, but it was a familiar reminder of tried-and-true methods and wisdom (things I had heard from him years ago, but had either forgotten or misunderstood).

OK, now on to some of the things he taught me (in "note" format, and in no particular order):

1) Regarding composition, don't follow any rules, charts, or graphics (including one book that tends to be seen as a "bible" of composition)...instead, just make sure you create interesting SHAPES, COLORS, LIGHT, AND SPACE.

2) Don't follow any "rule of 3rds" or any other such rule. Just make sure that your painting has one subject, and one "story" to tell. If you tell that story, then it's a success.

3) ...and in case you didn't see the pattern in the first two points: No rules at all...forget them ALL! The "rules" were made up by non-artists to explain what the artists did.

4) Push color when you can, but keep it honest. In other words, see if you can pick out colors that you didn't notice at first. Also push atmospheric perspective as much as you can (which is when things get progressively lighter and (usually) bluer as they recede into the distance)...this one is "hard to overdo" as VaLoy put it.

5) Make sure your value shifts from light to dark aren't too great...create much of the change with temperature shifts instead of value differences.

6) Make sure everything has a color (temperature) to it, instead of being just gray. Likewise, make sure your temperatures are correct and consistent in your lights vs. shadows.

7) If your painting could be cut into two good paintings, maybe it should be. (This goes back to number 2 on this list, regarding only telling one story with one main subject in each painting).

8) Be picky when putting your work online or in galleries. Don't be too eager to get work out there.

9) "Not every painting can be a "10", but you shouldn't let anything below an "8" be seen by anyone". Be sure that you've not let any sub-par paintings out of your studio...they will continue to haunt you for years.

10) Look at masterpieces as often as you can (many great works of art can be found online and can be printed out for easy perusing in the morning or before bed). This is the single most important thing you can do as an artist. This practice will fine-tune your good taste, and your eye for what is good. (If I could interject, I might suggest John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn, Joaquin Sorolla, Alfred Munnings, Isaac Levitan, Ilya Repin, John William Waterhouse and Nicholai Fechin as some good masters with whom to start).

11) Please yourself (and your creator) first. Don't listen too much to what others are saying about your work, unless you happen to already agree.

12) DO YOUR SUBJECT JUSTICE. Don't let any subject wish it hadn't been painted. Spend the time necessary to make it right (regardless of your style, each painting should properly capture your subject's personality)...(I could expound more on this one for a long time, but I'll instead let you just ponder its' meaning for awhile...it's worth writing on your easel just so it sinks in over time).

13) This one may be obvious, but much harder to do than to say: Never knowingly leave anything wrong with your painting. (Kind of goes hand in hand with "doing it justice").

May I wrap up this little list with another quote, by Velasquez: "Imitate nothing or nobody; paint all people and things as you see them."

I believe there's a lifetime of knowledge here (even though this list is in no way exhaustive). But as we know, with great (ahem) knowledge comes great responsibility (where have I heard that before?)...so, use it well to create better art! :)

By the way, VaLoy's website is: www.valoyeaton.com ...be sure to check it out!

Happy painting.
-Trent

You may be interested in seeing a few of my own landscape paintings on my website: www.trentgudmundsen.com ...(they're not as good as VaLoy's, I would venture, but I believe I've done the subjects justice and implemented a few of the things I've mentioned here).

Here is one small example (a plein air piece, finished up in the studio).

"Soft Light" ... 20"x16" ... oil on linen

2010-01-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

Brother's Keeper, 36"x24", oil on linen.

2010-01-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited about this, my newest painting. The subjects are my daughter and my newest son...I can't help but be excited about a picture of my kids, but I think it's also kind of a groundbreaking painting for me.

Peer critiques

2009-11-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the fun opportunity to join a few of my peers for a group critique session (actually, all three of them are substantially further along in their careers, which made it even more important for me). The group met at Mike Malm's amazing new studio. It was quite helpful to get the group's consensus on problems I was facing in my own paintings (it was equally helpful to hear why they felt other paintings worked well). Also helpful to me was to hear and offer critiques on the works of the others involved. Needless to say, it was a fun and very valuable experience, and I look forward to next time.

Small outdoor paintings

2009-09-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

I've been having a great time painting outdoors for the past few months...it's a habit I've forgone for far too long. When I've done it, I've always found plein-air (outdoor, on location) painting to be the most rewarding type for me. Here's an example of a finished plein-air painting below (this one measure 8"x10")...this was painted on a relatively warm morning just a few weeks ago, in late August. It depicts the Blacksmith Fork River in Cache Valley, Utah as it runs near my home.

Please view my new paintings, including these small ones, on my website's "paintings" page:
www.trentgudmundsen.com/paintings.html

P.S.-

These small paintings are currently available direct from the studio.
8x10's are $900.00,
9x12's are $1,100.00, and
11x14's are $1,270.00...feel free to ask about other sizes.

A wonderful home to come home to!

2009-04-04T11:07:00.001-07:00

This morning I got up early to go paint with a local figure painting group...nobody was there.
Then I drove up to the University to see if there was a group up there...no such luck.
I then went to a ballet studio where I've photographed in the past...classes were canceled today.
The Opera company was closed, the restaurants I usually paint weren't open yet, and even the landscape was too gray to really enjoy painting.

So I came back home, slightly defeated. But when I opened the door, I was overjoyed to find that my wonderful wife and kids were all awake and happy...The happy cries of "Daddy's home!" made up for any amount of defeat I may have felt. What a nice morning it turned out to be! :)

Moving up...to linen!

2009-04-04T10:48:00.001-07:00

About 7 or 8 years ago, after getting paid for a small residential mural, I bought a roll of Claessen's oil primed linen. It was so expensive that I never could justify using it...until a couple weeks ago, when I finally decided it was time to move up to the highest quality materials money could buy. The carefully prepared hardboard panels I've been using are great, but now I'm going to be adhering (using archival acid-free PVA adhesive) oil-primed linen to the masonite panels. I've already made several, which turned out beautiful (nice and flat, with no wrinkles or peeling corners). I also asked the advice of another artist, who has been doing the same thing for years...I was glad to hear that I was already doing it the right way.

I've also been experimenting with different brands of paint. I've come to the conclusion that for the sake of smell, I'd probably go with Schmincke Mussinni oil paints...I know that sounds strange...they're made with a little bit of damar resin in the paint, which makes them smell great! (That smell reminds me of VaLoy Eaton's studio; VaLoy was the first professional artist I had ever met [when I was 14], and who is still a major influence and a valued friend). But back to the paint: I think I'll go with Windsor & Newton (which I'm already using a bit...I really like the buttery consistency and strong colors), and Rembrandt. A friend of mine uses Permalba for his white...I'll have to try that out.

Oil Painters of America: National Show

2009-02-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

I got a painting accepted into the Oil Painters of America National Show in Santa Fe, NM. The show will hang during the entire month of May. It will be a few weeks before the awards are given, but only about 200 paintings out of 1,500 artists (and 2,400 entries) were chosen to hang, so I consider it an honor.

Actually, I'm really, REALLY excited! This is one of my favorite paintings...there's just a certain freshness to it. The old "less is more" adage applies here, I think.

The painting is called Bistro Waitress, 24"x18"

You can see more interior paintings on the following page of my website: www.trentgudmundsen.com/interiors.html

Honorable Mention Award!

2009-02-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

I just found out that I won an award at a cool invitational show in southern Utah! It was at the Dixie State Invitational Art Show at Dixie State College in St. George. I wasn't able to attend the awards ceremony, but next time I'll have to try harder. (We were really busy fixing up our house for some potential buyers). The painting is called "Spinning Wool" (20"x16"). It can be found in the "figures" section of my website.

Painting accepted in Salon International Show

2009-02-04T15:52:00.000-08:00

I was excited to find out today that I got a painting accepted into the Salon International Show at Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio (click here for the list of accepted entries). It's always fun to know that I've gotten into the same show as some other great artists whose work I really admire.

I was taking photos of restaurants in downtown Fort Collins, Colorado, when I happened to pass this girl on the sidewalk. I immediately turned around and asked for her permission to take her picture. (I was drawn to the fact that she was wearing clothing that echoed the background nicely, and that she also happened to be very photogenic). She was nice enough to even let me "pose" her a little until I got a photo I was happy with.. and here's the result!

My painting is entitled "Red and Yellow Purse", (24"x12").

As always, you can visit my website, www.trentgudmundsen.com, for more.

-Trent

Giant mural just completed!

2009-02-03T10:57:00.000-08:00

I just finished the mural at the American West Heritage Center. It measures 10 feet tall and 72 feet wide. In all, I actually only painted about 450 square feet (there are several large cut-outs to allow for dioramas and displays)...but that's still pretty big; usually I just deal in square inches instead of feet.

Here is the autumn panel of the mural (this particular panel measures about 10 feet by 5 1/2 feet). I refer to them as "panels," but they are all actually connected...there's a 2-foot high strip of painted area at the top of the cut-outs between each panel.

Go to my website to view the other panels and some progress photos from last month. www.trentgudmundsen.com ...go to the bottom of the homepage, and click on the photo of me painting the mural.

Here is the summer/fall panel (about 10x12 feet)

-As a matter of interest, right now I'm working on four smaller paintings that will echo the feeling of the mural. The first one will depict the Shoshone tribe in their winter camp near Preston, Idaho (at the site where they were later massacred by the U.S. army).

At least I've been updating my website regularly...

2008-12-19T12:32:00.000-08:00

Hmmm...well, I suppose I've neglected my blog for long enough. This past summer and autumn were eventful for a lot of reasons, including artistic ones.

First, I was invited to participate in the prestigious Texas Art Auction in Dallas, TX. I sold three paintings there, and got good prices on two of them (the third is also a great painting, and someone got a steal of a deal...I'm happy for them).

Next, I was accepted into the Dixie Invitational art show at Dixie State University in Southern Utah. As far as Utah shows go, this is probably second only to the Springville Museum's Spring Salon. I'm excited to finally be a part of it. I'm currently working on some possible paintings for it, and haven't decided which ones to send.

Also, I've been commissioned to paint a 10-foot by 72-foot mural for a local "living history farm" where workers and volunteers dress in 1800-1920 period clothing. They work the land with horse and ox teams, raise chickens and goats, etc.. This mural will be part of the new museum area where there will be dioramas depicting the different peoples who have inhabited this valley during the past 200 years. The mural will essentially be a landscape of the entire Cache Valley here in northern Utah, and will include details like Shoshone tipis and pioneer dugouts. My designs have been approved, and I will be starting the mural any day now. I will keep everyone updated on my progress as it moves along.

I've included more information on my website: www.trentgudmundsen.com

Red: The Great Moderator (or, "The Importance of Harmony")

2008-04-23T15:22:00.000-07:00

Winter Memories, 24"x18" Oil on panel

It has been said that "red" is the color that is most effective at moderating the other colors in a painting. In other words, red can essentially be added to any (and all) other colors in varying degrees in order to create harmony. Harmony is the sense that everything in a picture "belongs there", that it appears to be part of a larger whole--that it doesn't feel foreign to the area.

Although someone may not notice this fact right away (and that was certainly the intent), there is a small amount of red throughout the green foliage of the trees in the background of the above painting, as well as in the snow and other places. The bright red of the girl's jacket (and the ribbons on the trees) is balanced by the amount of red included in the other parts of the painting. The green foliage still appears green, and the snow still appears cold and generally blue, but nothing stands out as not belonging there because everything has a bit of that red in it.

Sometimes people take for granted that the reason a given location in nature is harmonious is because the same type--or color--of light is falling upon everything in the area, and that things are usually similar in color. Even in a location that includes more than one light source (a building interior with a window to the outdoors, for example), the light mixes and bounces around until everything has a bit of everything else reflected in it to some extent. The only reason a painting might not appear harmonious is when we forget that everything is affected by everything else, both in nature and in paintings, and thereby forget to include the colors of the surrounding objects in the subject we're painting.

I always enjoy trying to see the natural harmony in any subject I paint. When you really look hard, you'll find yourself seeing colors you didn't see at first. It's quite fun to find ways to harmonize a painting.

-Trent

The new stuff

2008-03-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

You are among the first to see this, my newest painting! This one measures 24"x12". The subject is my 3 year old daughter, Lizzy. (I paid her in candy for modeling for me).

I will be sending this and several other new paintings to Loch Vale Fine Art (see link in side bar), in preparation for the upcoming season in Colorado. This particular painting will be reproduced into a (very) limited edition giclee print on canvas (which will measure around 16"x8").

I really enjoy painting my own family. I will have to do it more often. Also, I've been slowing my pace a little bit, as part of my goal to create higher-quality work. I find that I get more satisfaction in working this way.

Please visit my website for a list of shows I'm currently juried into, and for a full biography page.