“After the Storm Opus 1”

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After the storm last night, a fresh veil of snow blanketed our side of the mountain again. I was born in South Lake Tahoe and I thought I had seen snow. But I have never seen so many different kinds of snow than I have experienced this month here at Mt Shasta.

“After the Storm Opus 1” is a view from the back of the Grand View ranch house. Equally as stunning as Mt. Shasta, the Eddies are sometimes dwarfed by the size and scale of Shasta. These magical mountains constantly change with clouds and light. I was captivated by the patterns of the sunlight on the foreground snow.

Painting involves skills that can be learned. It is not a magical gift bestowed by the gods to some people and not to others. It’s true that Mozart had unique talents. But talent is trumped by perseverance, tenacity and hours of hard work. And even with his talent, it would be a boring world if Mozart was the only one to render human experiences and emotions.

To create art you must learn to hear your own voice because your voice is what makes your art distinctive and your own. These qualities can be nurtured and coached by others. Even Tiger Woods and Celine Dion have coaches who offer direction and encouragement. My advice is to find a good coach and listen to what they offer. Then apply that to your own heart and paint your voice.

The ears of the world are waiting to hear what you have to say.

Let me know what you think Stefan_Baumann@yahoo.com

Winter Color

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Let me first start off by saying that I am completely grateful and overwhelmed by your response to this daily forum. I never thought that so many artists would respond with so many compliments, support and gratitude. Thank you for this opportunity. Together we will explore and discover the secrets of creating art. I am inspired!

Today I thought you might like to enjoy a little color. My studio is always set up with little things that I can paint at a moments notice. What also helps to paint still life quickly is to have a “still life” stage which you can make from a box cut in half, the inside back painted a dark color, and a light on a stand near by that functions as your light source. Whenever you are inspired to paint live from your studio, you are ready to go.

Making art is not difficult, but it can be frustrating. Often the work we have not done seems more real in our minds than the pieces we have completed. Most artists live with doubt and uncertainty, worrying whether there is an audience or reward. The result is the artist does not having a secure grounding before beginning to create. You must set aside your doubts and fears and push though YOUR own negative beliefs. Then YOU will be able to create the art you want and nourish yourself within that art.
Great art is not the product of genius or produced by people with greater talent. It is what you see and how you see it that makes great art great.

Let me know what you think Stefan_Baumann@yahoo.com

Grand View Ranch House

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After a night of snow and rain, the morning was still cold and wet. I was inspired to paint our ranch house so that I can share it with you. As you can see for your self, this is a great place to live. I have included a demo on this painting on my Blog if you want to see me paint this painting step by step.

Being an artist begins with doing art. Art begins with getting into the now and enjoying your life. Make time to be with yourself. Or take a walk and spend sometime looking at nature. Take off your shoes and feel the earth.

Find out what moves and inspires you; what you truly understand about life, who you are, and what this great experience of being alive means to you. If you have problems creating, find inspiration in gratitude. Be grateful for the extraordinary privilege of being an artist, and then put that on canvas.

Artists often feel that if they take time to paint they are being selfish. NOT SO! Artists who don’t paint every day are being selfish with the world by not sharing their vision and passion with us.

Being an artist is the greatest gift from God that you can be given. When we really do what we are meant to do, we get a life that is filled with abundance.

Seven steps to a great painting

Step 1.

The first 10 minutes is the most important part of any painting. You must have The complete concept in your head before starting. Start with a neutral color and lay in your sketch.

Step 2.

Establish your light source and lay in your value chunks (no more than 4 to 5 values). A large value area should have lots of gradations.

Step 3.

Soften your edges as you go. It is important that you keep your work loose and flowing

Step 4.

Begin painting in the central focal point. In this painting it is the house. Keep it simple and avoid detail at this point.

Step 5.

Start your light story. Remember it is the effect of light on the object that is more important than the thing itself.

Step 6.

Bring in more light and complete more of the detail all over the picture and not in just one place.

Step 7.

Complete the painting making sure that it has a central focal point and soft edges, but do not soften the edges in the central focal point area. Then sign the painting.

Winter Dogwood Opus 1

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I woke up this morning to a foot of new show and was completely fascinated by the dogwood outside my studio. I thought what a great subject to paint and share with you. I began with on overall sketch with oil paint and then painted as fast as I could.

As I was painting I became aware of the phrase “Als ik Kan”. It comes from a quote by Flemish painter Jan Van Eyck and it means “to the best of my ability”. If I am to paint even a sketch for my blog, it should be painted to the best of my ability. In fact this should be applied to everything that you do. Next time you create something whether it be cooking, cleaning or painting try “Als ik Kan”. I plan to use this as my motto and sign the back of my paintings with it from now on.

Just as I laid the final strokes down on my painting, the snow turned to rain and the dogwood branches gave up the frozen gift, and all the snow from the night before became slush.

Excuse me now, I have to put on my winter coat and start shoveling.

Mt Shasta Nocturne Opus 2 2008

January 25, 2008

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Mt. Shasta Nocturne Opus 2 2008As I mentioned in my last Blog, yesterday the weather was too dark and stormy to paint outdoors and so I painted an orange from my studio. At about ten o’clock in the evening, I went out to get some wood for my fireplace and all of a sudden, I realized the storm had ended. The sky had cleared and the wind was still though cold, and the light from the moon lit my hillside with an intense bright light. The light was so bright that it felt like daylight. You could see every detail. Inspired by the moonlight, I quickly drew a sketch to capture this painting called “Shasta in Moonlight opus 2”.In my workshops this spring I hope to include one night where the students paint outdoors by moonlight.

By sharing our thoughts and secrets in our art, we shed light on the shadows in ourselves and others. We must learn that when our art reveals a secret of the human soul, those observing may try to judge us. At these times, we must be firm with ourselves and trust our own thoughts. Remember that we do not long remember those artists who followed the rules more diligently than anyone else. We remember those who made art from which the “RULES “are not followed.

January 22, 2008

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"Winter Orange" Jan 22,2008

It is my goal with this Blog to touch, move and inspire both artists and collectors with the beauty that surrounds us every day. I also wish to offer daily insights on painting and observations that add value to you and the art world.

Today, on our side of the mountain, we experienced very cold conditions that made me concentrate on painting indoors from a still life. Whenever you are confronted with difficult compositions or subjects it is often good to paint something simple,

This painting from my studio is painted from life. Whether painting landscape or still life, I always exercise “PMII”- Put More Into It. The world does not need to see yet another painting of an orange, but the world needs to see the way you see an orange. Many artist worry that they have nothing to contribute to the art world, but they do. It’s the way that you see your subject that makes your art original.

I value your input; you can email me at Stefan_Baumann@yahoo.com

January 21, 2008

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"Morning Snow" January 21, 2008

This morning I woke up to a winter delight. Our weather has been quiet and still for a few days but over the course of the night the winds began and I knew that our weather was changing. Dawn arrived and so did the snow. The snowflakes were big and falling softly and slowly. The world seemed to slow down and got real still. Not one sound could be heard from our side of the mountain. The morning sun, hidden by the clouds, was trying to break through providing a gray glow that gave us an indication that this magic would not last. But for now I watch in wonder at the soft slow rhythm of nature and capture this moment on canvas forever.

For More information on The Grand View Ranch, my artwork and workshops, go to The Grand View or visit Outdoor Painting

January 20, 2008

Dear Friends,

This is my view from my new painting studio window. Mount Shasta -January, 2008

Let me introduce myself, my name is Stefan Baumann I'm an artist and host of a PBS television series The Grand View. I also do articles for Outdoor Painting .com. If you are an artist you must get there newsletter.

With this "Daily Painting Blog" I hope to share with you my insights and observations on nature and art. I also hope to touch, move and inspire non artist with observations on nature so that I can bring some insight on living a passionate life.

This is a painting that I painted today from my studio at The Grand View Ranch. Its a view of Mt Shasta with the first snow of the season lightly gracing its summit. After spending the last week digging out from a major storm where we had 5 feet of snow dump on us, I finally got some time to paint. The last few morning have been breathtaking and I was hoping that I would have some time before the next storm where I can make some time to paint.

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I was inspired by the new snow and the morning light on Mt Shasta.

This is the first painting I have done for my Daily Painting Blog, I hope that I can keep my commitment to paint a painting a day. Every painting will be a personal journey as I discover the many secrets this place has.

Every day this place inspires me, I have traveled to some of the most beautiful places hosting The Grand View TV show, but no place truly is quiet like this place. Evey moment the light reveals a story, a vision of spectacular beauty. It is my goal that I can share with you daily paintings that will inspire your life . I invite you will be part of this journey that I'm on currently on.

Sincerely,

Stefan Baumann

The Grand View Ranch is a place that I invested last year after living in San Francisco for 25 years. Here It is my goal to build an "Artist Refuge in the Mountains” located on 10 acres of protected mountainside land, close to the quaint and scenic town of Mt. Shasta City. This special ranch inspires an ongoing commitment for the care and preservation of mountain flora and fauna – enabling our guests to truly enjoy the natural surroundings of this tranquil retreat. Ecologically diverse, The Grand View Ranch is a mix of California: dogwood, pine, fur, cypress, and oak forest, along with stunning views of Mount Shasta and the Eddies, all to create our tranquil landscape.