The Creative Life - Barbara Trovillo

Learning to "see".    Everywhere I go, I am composing. Unconsciously, I will catch myself thinking, "how would I mix that color?" or "how would I frame that scene?"   I take many photos wherever I am. Lots of photos. Even as I snap the picture, I am thinking, "how would I paint that?"   Sometimes, I am drawn to views that can be considered "weird". They are certainly unconventional.   Recently, while visiting the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, I was drawn to the dappled light on the water in the Reflecting Pool. I took many pictures of the water and of the views around the pool. I [...]

I have painted for many years, almost 30, actually. For the first 20, I painted in my free time around my "real" job.   Even though, I had a natural talent for drawing and I loved working with paint, I was very uptight. Most of the work I did was extremely realistic. I never stopped painting, but I did feel stuck. I wanted to do something more painterly but could not seem to break out of the pattern I was in.   I observed a friend, also an artist, being very playful in her creations. She worked with collage, clay, pastels, and paint very creatively. [...]

Happy February!   I have been thinking about making a change for awhile now. When I first started painting, I signed with my whole name. The work was incredibly naive and so was the signature. In the last 20 years or so, I have used the last name only. It looks like this:         I have seen work done by artists I admire signed with a monogram or mark. It seems professional and interesting. I am considering using a symbol like this:     I think my style is recognizable. I don't think it would be too confusing. Eventually, people would understand that it was my "mark", right?     What [...]

In my painting practice, I am always learning. This year, I have been trying to create better composition and value variation.    As always, I feel the best way to improve is to work. Paint, paint, paint. Don't expect them all to be masterpieces. I still believe this emphatically. The more you paint, the better the work.   I am studying again though. Recently, I listened to a talk by Kevin MacPherson and also, one by Colley Whisson. Both were incredibly helpful and inspiring.    This led me to the idea of doing a series of small paintings, using a big brush, palette knives and thick paint. [...]

I haven't posted since July! I'm sorry. I was mourning my puppy but I am back to work now.   I wanted to talk a bit about loosening up. You would think it would be easy to let go.  Just .... let go.     It is hard to let go of old patterns. I began my adventures in art carefully replicating whatever it was I was looking at, exactly as I saw it. The artwork that excited me most, though, was that which was done by the Impressionists. Dabs of color making suggestions. I found this way of working liberating, creating gestural marks that allow [...]

How is your eyesight? Mine used to be FABULOUS! When I was younger, I had better than normal vision.    I don't know if that had anything to do with it but when I began painting in my late 30's, I was a super realistic painter. I was a very naive artist. I had the privilege of watching a genius painter work for years. He made it look soooo easy. I started with watercolor (not knowing that many consider it the hardest medium to manipulate!) doing very intricate botanical renderings.          Eventually, I started experimenting with oil paint, still painting exactly what was in front [...]

Let me begin by saying, your canvas or board must be primed before painting. This is necessary to protect them from rot and preserves your work. I buy my surfaces already primed, but you can also prime them yourself using gesso.    Toning is a completely different subject. It is not imperative to Tone canvas or board before beginning, but there are advantages to doing it. I prefer to paint on a surface that has been toned. In my case, I often use orange, or yellow, or some combination of the two. In the past I have used red to tone. Some people [...]

"Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave."   Mary Tyler Moore     Recently, I found myself at a painting impasse. I was standing in front of a painting in progress, unsure which to reach for, a brush or a palette knife?  The problem was a conflict of style: What am I trying to achieve?   I started painting many years ago as a watercolorist. Upon the suggestion of a collector, I began working with oil. I loved the texture and vibrancy of the paint. For the next decade, I vacillated between the [...]

  “A variation of edges, along with the proper value, allows the artist to draw attention to or away from different areas of the painting” ~ Kenn Backhaus, American Painter These days as I paint, I think a lot about edges.      As an early painter, I painted everything as I saw it. I put in all the edges as I replicated what was before me. Now, as an impressionist painter, I paint loosely, making suggestions, leaving room for the imagination.   Varying the edges in a painting is a way to move the viewer's eye through the work. Sharp edges demand attention. Hard edges are when you [...]

This could just as easily been called:  Allowing for Growth.   While out walking this morning, I came upon an interesting scene. I live in the mountains of central Virginia in a very rural area. I have walked this same country road for decades off and on. It is always pretty, and always different in some way, changing with the seasons.     The day was cold and windy with a very blue sky. There was lots of sunshine but also very heavy clouds. Here is the scene I chose.                                     [...]

Two weeks before Thanksgiving, I saw a posting by an artist I follow named Sergio Gomez about an exhibition he was curating featuring Self Portraits.  You should check him out on Instagram. He does very interesting large abstract figurative work. I like his paintings very much. He is also a mentor of folks coming up in the art field.    My curiosity was peaked. Even though I had never painted a self portrait, I decided to enter the competition. Unfortunately, the deadline was just 7 days away! There was no time to waste.    I chose to paint into an existing background. It was a [...]

Ciao Amici,   I am finally finished this "grandissimo" (4' x 8') commissioned painting! It is done in oil on canvas with the addition of cold wax here and there. This was quite a learning experience for me. I did my best work at this moment in time. I am pleased and certainly hope the collector who commissioned the piece will be too.   I wanted to share my thoughts about the process up to this point:   First, I had no idea where one gets a canvas that BIG! I found a local frame company who builds custom canvases. It was expensive...$850! I am not completely [...]

Ciao amici, how are you?   Many of you know, I am doing a LARGE commissioned painting for a client. It is an oil painting done on canvas,   4' x 8'.   Eight Feet!    For many years, I did decorative painting in homes: murals and faux finishes. I painted some large compositions on walls but this is the biggest canvas I have worked on. It is really challenging.   The client admired a smaller painting I did a few months ago. She asked for an Italian landscape in the same dreamy pastel colors. I am a HUGH Italy fan so the subject matter is very gratifying to me.   It [...]

I remember the moment things began to change. For many years, I said to myself and other Painter Friends, "I want to do something different but can't seem to break away from what I know!"   I was painting part time then. I had another business that was my primary source of income. I always said, "When the kids are grown, I can afford to be a Full time Artist".  Somehow, the security of the established business kept holding me in place.   Then, the pandemic happened. Suddenly, I could no longer maintain my other business.   Joyfully, I began to paint every day.  Every Day! I have heard it over [...]

Hi Friends,  I hope you are well. It's been a busy week here on Pleasant Hill Farm. So much so, I was actually in the studio painting at 5 a. m. one morning! I will paint one way or another, that's for certain. Today, I thought it might be interesting to talk a bit about the tools of the trade. Over the years, I have learned a few things about cool tools with which to make marks. When I began painting with oil paints, I used brushes exclusively. Remember, I am primarily self taught. I started out painting with watercolor. Someone, I no [...]

“A light exists in SpringNot present in the yearat any other periodWhen March is scarcely here.”Emily Dickinson   No, it is not March yet, and so, obviously, not Spring, either, but it is a day with brilliant sunshine and bitter cold wind. The sun is brighter than the winter sun and the wind has the feel of Spring, even though it has a bite to it. I am staying inside!   The last time I wrote, I showed you two paintings done from the same reference but with different mediums. I tried that again recently with good results. It is an interesting process. I had [...]

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and talk; Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." Winston Churchill   Today I would like to talk about a pivotal experience I had recently.   Going through my studio, I decided to discard some paintings I felt just did not measure up. No need to waste the canvases. Instead of disposing of the works, I decided to paint out the previous work and begin again. I did not cover up all the under painting. At the end of the session, I had a painting with which I was quite pleased. It was [...]

The Rule of Thirds was first written down in John Thomas Smith's illustrated book, Remarks on Rural Scenery published in 1797.   The rule of thirds is a tool used in design and composition. It says that if you divide any canvas or paper into thirds, vertically and horizontally, and then place the key elements of your image along these lines or at the junctions of them, the composition will be more interesting and dynamic.    I am intrigued by this and also the "Golden Ratio" which I cannot even begin to talk about! (I will give it a shot when I understand it better, though! [...]

A few weeks ago, I did a post about abstract painting. I showed a painting done in the past and another that I was just starting. This painting has evolved into something closer akin to abstract realism.   I have had limited access to my studio in the last two months due to tenants living in the house where it is located. I have used the time to concentrate on watercolor (at my diningroom table!) I really wanted to get back into my oils but I was in a bit of a funk. So, I just started laying down color with a palette [...]

Isn't the light glorious in the autumn?   October is one of my favorite months. I am not a fan of the cold weather or the shortened hours of daylight that come with winter but the vibrant colors and gorgeous light of fall thrill me.    I have had something of a renaissance in my painting life this year. With the coming of the pandemic, I was given the opportunity to paint every day. My business of 26 years had to essentially close. I also began to study painting techniques and theory in earnest online. Consequently, my work began to change. I started implementing the [...]

I have worked mostly with oil in the last five years. My cousin, Terry, reminded me recently of the paintings I did in the beginning with watercolor. They were fresh and crisp. Now when I go back to the watercolor paints, I have to remind myself of how to use them. Oil is Dark to Light. Watercolor is Light to Dark. The reason being, with oil, you can paint over areas but not so with water medium. The difference in the two medium is akin to the difference in making bread versus making piecrust. Those of you who bake will totally get that! Both mediums have their merits. I will continue to use them both. [...]

I started the painting by putting down colors that appealed to me. Then I dripped and threw paint. Loosely experimenting as I went along. I added some circles of color and some shading here and there.It was very freeing. The images that emerged were two battered hearts merging together. I love the concept. We definitely have experienced healing as we have merged our lives and loved each other. I think it is aesthetically pleasing as well [...]