Jeff Legg In Joplin...

The "Supposedly Unfinished" Canvas
By Jeff Legg 16x20




As promised here is the visual of Jeff's workshop. I will begin by explaining his basic setup and composition and then progress to the paint color and paint quality.
Several years ago Jeff and I were both invited to a show in Joplin Mo. (his hometown) He was rather surprised that I painted so well for a beginner....the paintings for the majority were painted from life. He told me later that if I would paint from life, take my time if I needed to and put miles on the brush I would become the painter I was meant to be.
Those three things are pretty much his standard for painting. He often tells his students to just stop and really look at what they are painting and figure out how to paint it. I have told my students and myself the same thing..lol!
He starts with a smooth linen panel (16x20) in the demo....toned with raw umber...sometimes mixed with Ultramarine Deep or Ivory Black. The undertone is rather dark but necessary for the drama of this style of painting. The paint is applied with a loose feel that lends itself to the atmosphere of the setup.
The composition is of itself a beautiful thing to see.....with the rhythm of music...staccato notes and adagios and passages of sotto voce and legato all translated in paint to canvas. He may take days to arrange a still life (I completely understand this myself) and the effort is well worth it as you can see be the photos.
He will then begin massing in large shapes PLUS their shadow shapes with raw umber and a little black mixed with his preferred medium. Maroger is what he has used for years but since switching part time to alkyd paints he also uses Liquin.
Here is where I get sold..haha! I never used Maroger with much success nor did I use Ivory Black or Raw Umber or Prussian Blue...all of which Jeff uses. I discovered I wasn't handling them quite right and am now quite happy to use them. Some of this color usage has to do with whether you paint like the Old Masters or the Impressionists....I am still open to anything that will work for me.....but I must say I have been getting some nice effects with using them.
After massing in the large abstract shapes into a pleasing design on the canvas....he then "Goes for the jugular" as he likes to say. Mixing up a puddle of paint the color and brilliance of the melon he applies a deft stroke in the exact shape of the small wedge to the canvas...this is the focal point. Over the next 2 hours or so we watched a painting come to life and appear to be almost done. Jeff stated that he would refine the painting a few more times before it was finished.
If you have any questions feel free to ask I will answer what I can.
Until tomorrow,
Theresa