January, 2016 | Beverly Shipko, Artist

My January Personal Challenge Collage

January 31, 2016 by Beverly

To mark the closing of my own personal challenge, here’s a collage summarizing this month’s accomplishments.

Doing my own version of the 30 Painting in 30 Days Challenge gave me an opportunity to focus on compositions I had been thinking about painting, but hesitating doing.

In December, I had no idea how to approach January. I only knew it would be flexible with the goal of hunkering down to paint, without worrying about the quantity of paintings or blog posts.

In the end, I painted 27 of the 30 days, opting for larger, more detailed works. There were actually 11 paintings within paintings, taking about 2 days each. Here’s a photo to help you get a better sense of the relative scale of each composition.

I first discovered vending machines (see my first vending painting) with their iconically packaged products during the September Challenge, and decided to run with it here.

Why these particular products, you may ask? I think it’s partially because they are semi-autobiographical and there’s an emotional attachment. My husband Jay worked at Pepsi, the parent company of the Frito Lay, which manufactures of all the chips products from Doritos to Cheetos. As you may know, I worked on Twix from M&M Mars.

You can read more about the process in previous posts (America’s Favorite Chips, America’s Favorite Candies, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups)

The rest of January was spent chasing pantry moths, going to the dentist (had a string of bad luck), and taking in special New York City events like tidying guru Marie Kondo’s talk at Japan Society introducing her new Spark Joy book (feeling another blog coming on).

In the past week, I took time off to visit the Art and Antiques Show at the Park Avenue Armory, the Picasso Sculpture show at MOMA (Marie would not be happy with all the photos I took!), and yesterday’s Michigan vs. Penn State basketball game at Madison Square Garden (Michigan won – Go Blue!).

I wasn’t sure how I was going to end this post, except to say there are more vending paintings in my future. Then this morning I discovered a surprising and totally unexpected blog post on my site, called Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup: A Tribute, from my daughter, self-proclaimed Laura “Webmaster” Sloofman.

Laura wrote a very cute entry (read it twice already) with lots of photos showing how she and her friend Sarah spent Saturday night painting. The girls were inspired by my Reese’s painting, which they projected on a TV screen, a techie idea worthy of two researchers turned artists for the evening. They did a great job on their own paintings, which you can see here. (Maybe Laura and I have another career sponsoring paint nights?!$)

Reading Laura’s Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup: A Tribute post definitely sparked joy, which Marie Kondo would heartily approve. What a fitting close to this January, 2016 challenge – and a fitting beginning to a creative year

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup: A Tribute

January 31, 2016 by Laura

Hello Readers! Laura “Webmaster” Sloofman here. I’m popping in to honor our Artist in Residence, Beverly Shipko. Today, my friend Sarah and I had our first Still-Life Painting Night*. In need of a subject, we “drew” inspiration from Bev’s latest blog post and selected the composition Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Like our mentor, we painted our pictures using a 2-D image for inspiration. However, we worked from the television instead of a picture. Saturday Night [Painting] Live, if you will.

“Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup” by Beverly Shipko, Oil on cradled wood panel, on TV.

Sarah used acrylics, so at this point she just started painting. I chose gouache. Or rather, gouache chose me because it was the only paint I had on-hand thanks to a birthday present from Grandma Dot. Gouache is fun to work with because it feels like a hybrid between watercolor and acrylic. It’s relatively easy to create precise lines and flow-y colors.

After finishing my sketch, I couldn’t wait to start painting. Thankfully, I heeded Ms. Shipko’s advice and filled in the Reese’s logo first. She was right on all counts. I had to fight the temptation to outline first, but it was easier this way in the end. Had I started with the outline, the dark gouache would have bled into the center.

Before we knew it, after a night of painting and cooking along with Chef Erik, we had our finished work!

Sarah (L) and Laura (R)

The paintings up close

All three Reese’s Artists

Chef Erik. (Sarah and I helped, though!)

Thanks Mom for encouraging us to take a bite out of life!

* Chef Erik participated in our night of creativity by woodworking and then doing some painting of his own

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup

January 30, 2016 by Beverly

I just had to rip open this package and paint America’s iconic #1 candy, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

“Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup” painting by Beverly Shipko, Oil on cradled wood panel, 8 x 10 inches

That’s what happens after looking at unopened vending machine candy for a few weeks.

This painting marks my return to wood panels after working on canvas for a while, quite a change. Canvas moves while wood is rock solid, requiring a lighter touch. Paint glides on wood since it’s smooth. It also glides off at the slightest touch, sometimes a scary thought as you’re close to finishing.

My initial concept using a double Reese’s package didn’t work at the photography stage. Neither did a single pack with a bite taken out of the chocolate. I ended up with a single Reese’s, in tact, coming out of the wrapper, similar to a small Reese’s painting from the 2015 Challenge, but different in feeling and proportion.

After taking many photos with various light sources, I made a composite of two photos, which you can see here. I know, I know, I could have done this in Photoshop (one day…). In fact, it was much easier to just whip out a pair of scissors and tape the two images together.

You would have thought I would have learned from experience. First, I forgot to velcro the wood panel to the masonite so it would sit solidly on the easel.

Second, I knew the logo process would be easier by starting in the middle of the logo with the yellow, and working outward. But no, I decided to start with the logo outline. Why? Bad idea.

It’s funny how something just gets stuck in your brain. When I re-read my old blog post which describes my history with Reese’s, I did the same thing last time. Maybe I just wanted to see quick results.

This was supposed to be a relatively quick painting and take 2+ days. However, on the second day I was eating breakfast and broke a tooth. So much for painting. I ended up at the dentist for several hours while he made a temporary crown (my second in a month, not good).

The next day, I painted the chocolate disk, a very strong shape. I struggled with the shadows, which were rather blue during the early stages (and cost me an extra day) but more dramatic. Maybe I miss the drama a bit in the final version. Do you?

I like the painting, but can’t help wondering what it would look like in a square format with a rip right through the logo… As a former brand manger, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Next time.

After working on this painting, I ordered a few long horizontal wood panels online in atypical shapes so I can try a row of vending candy bars on wood.

In the meantime, I sketched some single vending bars on canvas using a vertical format. Quite a change. To be continued…

Icons of the Chip World

January 24, 2016 by Beverly

I’ll always remember the Blizzard of 2016 as the day I finished my first potato chip painting, America’s Favorite Chips: Vending Machine.

“America’s Favorite Chips: Vending Machine” by Beverly Shipko, Oil on canvas painting, 20 x 20 inches

This is my second full-size vending machine painting. While it took longer than expected, some things are worth the wait – and the patience.

Here’s the original photo. I started by cutting off the top row of healthy snacks!

Then I cut the photo in half and flipped the top and bottom rows to put the visually lighter bags on top (no Photoshop for me… yet) before doing this detailed drawing. I spent a lot of time on the structure, establishing the round shapes since there’s little room for error once painting begins.

I worked from the top down to avoid smearing the oil paint, which takes days to dry (sometimes weeks if I use titanium white). I tend to brace my hand on the canvas when doing precise logo work.

It was unexpectedly satisfying to complete the first chip bag, even though there was was a steep learning curve. If I had been doing a painting a day, this would have been the first of 6 different small paintings. But you know that old tagline, Bet you can’t eat just one? Well, I couldn’t paint just one.

The Mini-Tootsie Roll with Bag experience from the September Challenge helped prepare me for painting chip bags. Kit Kat and America’s Favorite Candy Bars also paved the way for this ambitious undertaking, pushing me out of my comfort zone.

I underestimated the complexity of each bag. The Cheetos bag was by far the most difficult with the Chester Cheetah character and strong reflections against all those floating Cheetos. It was challenging to find those subtle shades of orange and red.

I left the Doritos bags for last since the logos seemed pretty straightforward. However, that was not the case with its subtle nuances (little flame-like shapes) that only a logo designer would pay attention to. Being a marketing person, I can only image the tens of thousands (if not hundreds or millions!) of dollars spent on logo development.

It was so important to lay in the dark background early in the process since the colors resonant differently again light colors. I wanted to avoid repainting anything on this complex composition. At the halfway mark, I seriously considered the possibility that I was finished and should stop (see Done?)

But I powered on and started laying in the dark background around the bottom bags, still struggling with the nuances of different blacks and greys (which I ultimately rejected).

At this point, I had firmly decided to stick with the initial 6-bag concept.

Yesterday’s blizzard actually helped keep me focused so I could finish the little details.

I am happy with this painting, and can’t wait to see it framed next month.

Now I have to figure out my next painting. Stay tuned.

Done?

January 16, 2016 by Beverly

Here’re my newest vending machine painting, America’s Favorite Chips: Vending Machine.

“America’s Favorite Chips: Vending Machine”, Work-in-progress, by Beverly Shipko, Oil on canvas

Or so you thought… It’s only half of the painting!

At this point, this feels done to me. I wish I could just cut this off and call it a day. (Had the same thought with just the Ruffles bag).

However, I feel like I should see this through and finish the painting. I have a frame ready and waiting for it so I can hang it at my April Open Studio (coming up fast the weekend of April 16th & 17th).

What would you do now? Am I done? Thanks for the feedback.

A Storybook Ending: 45 Years At OK Harris

January 13, 2016 by Beverly

Last night I took time off from my personal challenge to go to a noteworthy book party in New York City. This impressive Save the Date announcement unexpectedly arrived a few weeks ago in the form of this special package.

Inside I found an amazing book, 45 Years At O.K. Harris, containing a history of the iconic SoHo gallery pedicured through a staggering compendium of art postcard announcements and exhibition lists from O.K. Harris Works of Art (1969 – 2014).

O.K. Harris, which showed my work for over a decade, was the first gallery to open in Soho and virtually the last. I blogged about this in O.K. Harris, the End of an Era.

Suzanne Kreps, manager and chief archivist at O.K. Harris since 1983 (among her many other talents), had the idea to put up the announcement cards by the closing date, April 19, 2014. The postcards went the length of this very large space, one city block long, from Wooster Street to West Broadway, that hosted 5 solo shows at any given time.

Photographs courtesy of John Halperin, “45 Years At OK Harris”, 2014

The book party celebration was a lively event at the Curator’s Gallery (23rd Street in Chelsea), packed full of O.K. Harris artists, the staff, and the Karp family, including Marilynn Karp, wife of Ivan Karp, founder extraordinaire who passed away in 2012. Also present were long time collectors, like Ann Moore, the retired Chairman and CEO of Time Inc., our hostess and now gallerist.

Everyone was connected to Ivan in some way – and therefore to each other – so conversation was lively (and loud!).

Jay and I spent some time with Rick Witter, here with a typical smile on his face. Rick deftly laid the chalkline to keep all those postcards straight – not an easy task but probably a piece of cake for him. Rick spent a big chunk of his life with Ivan at OK Harris deftly handling the back room and all installations. It was great to hear him reminisce about Ivan and the gallery.

Both the book and the party gave me the kind of closure I was looking for (but maybe didn’t know it). The closing of O.K. Harris, a true New York institution in the art world, left a gap in my artistic life. What I discovered last night was I’m in good company.

A huge thank you goes to Ron Weis, a longtime O.K. Harris artist, who had the idea for this elegant storybook properly honoring a legendary gallery in the art world. And Ron personally paid for the publication out of his own pocket, a generous offer by any standard.

With this precious momento in hand, it’s officially time for all of us to move on to happily ever after and truly make this a storybook ending.

Gingerbread & More at the Holiday Train Show

January 9, 2016 by Beverly

Speaking of iconic candy, Jay and I found these classic sweets in the new Gingerbread Cafe, located right outside of the Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Gardens (NYBG). That’s Jay – in heaven – holding himself back from attacking the dessert table just long enough for me to take this picture.

Of all the sugary items, these M&Ms Candied Apples spoke to me. It never ceases to amaze me how often M&Ms are used in confections. Maybe there’s a future painting here, and I’ll finally paint a cakestand.

Not that I’m eager to promote MasterCard, but this Gingerbread Cafe is a welcome addition to parents who bring their kids for a trek through the NYBG Holiday Train Show. What a great reward! And unlike most typical botanical garden and museum cafes, the food was reasonably priced so a family of four could actually afford a meal here.

Taking home leftovers is encouraged. Thank you MasterCard! Hope you come back next year.

Aside from the sugar rush at the end, the train show itself is gorgeous, especially if this is your first visit to this annual event. I felt like a tourist taking a live tour of New York architectural icons. Only you could never cover all these places in one day.

Instead of brick and mortar, we see 150 intricate small scale re-constructions using bark, leaves, twigs, seeds, flowers, and every other natural material imaginable – with miniature trains zipping all around.

The show starts with some of the biggest and most elaborate architectural displays, a change from previous years. This majestic domed mini-replica of the NYBG Conservatory, where the exhibit is actually displayed, greets you when you walk in. Next up are impressive natural reconstructions of Grand Central Station and Penn State, from where all trains (real and pretend) emanate.

Just to give you a few highlights, let’s start in the next room and take a trip down memory lane to old Yankee Stadium in the Bronx (and the largest crowds too!). Then head down to Midtown Mahattan to see the legendary skyscrapers, like the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings.

Stroll by the New York Public Library on 42nd Street and then up 5th Avenue to the incredibly detailed St. Patrick’s Cathedral with its rose window made out of petals.

Take a boat ride to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

Travel upstate to more exotic locales like Frederick Church’s Olana in the Catskills, with its Moorish inspired design replicated in twigs and seeds.

Finally, end with bang at the World’s Fair in Queens with this stunning display of light and sound in the main rotunda.

There’s still 9 days to go (last day is January 18th), so it’s not to late to take your kids and grandkids. There’s something here for everyone. And now you have the Gingerbread Cafe to further entice (aka bribe!) reluctant friends and family members.

Tickets are timed so online reservations may be a good idea this last week.

Enjoy!

Icons of the Candy World

January 8, 2016 by Beverly

I am proud to show you my first painting of 2016, America’s Favorite Candy Bars: Vending Machine.

It’s also the first painting of my own personal art challenge to kick off the new year (which you can read about here.) The idea was to push myself during the month of January, yet give myself the flexibility to spend as much (or as little) time as I need on each painting.

"Iconic Vending Candies" by Beverly Shipko, 10 x 20 inches, Oil on canvas

“America’s Favorite Candy Bars: Vending Machine” painting by Beverly Shipko, 10 x 20 inches, Oil on canvas

America’s Favorite Candy Bars: Vending Machine is a direct descendant of my first small 5 x 7 inch Vending Machine painting from the recent September 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. It’s also a nod to my former advertising days on the M&M Mars account at DMMB in Manhattan – and the countless competitive analyses I did on these 5 brands!

There are some major differences between the two works. At 10 x 20 inches, this is much larger and took a week (vs. one day) simply to apply the paint, not including sketch time. It’s more finely painted, mirroring the smoothness of the candy wrappers.

With longer proportions, the composition includes 5 candy bars (vs. 4). It’s painted on canvas rather than wood, a smooth surface that I missed when painting the sharp edged logos.

This is the original photo I took of the vending machine at the White Plains, NY train station.

Unexpectedly, I practically ran into it (literally) in my rush to catch a train to Grand Central Station in Manhattan. Having practiced my photo skills previously on many local vending machines, I quickly whipped out my camera (a Pavlovian response), took a bunch of shots, and still made my train.

I started with this detailed sketch to establish the structure of the painting and emphasize the rhymic quality of the rings.

Since there were so many colors and many “moving parts”, I tried a new approach. Here I am in the kitchen painting logos in water-based acrylic paint. My original intent was to let the acrylic paint show through the oil, but I wasn’t happy with the richness of the colors in comparison to oil.

Eventually I repainted everything in oil, which worked out well. It was much easier the second time around, and those annoying little white spots from the textured canvas were already covered and not poking through. Hurrah!

After playing with various permutations of yellow ochres for the Twix Bar, I went to A.I. Friedman to buy my first tube of metallic oil paint.

As a former Twix Cookie Bar Account Executive, I had to get the color right! Then I went back to painting numbers and prices, a time consuming endeavor requiring a lot of patience and soothing music.

One evening when Laura was home for the holidays, she took some photos for this post. When she told me not to laugh, this is what happened.

I was nearly finished. The next day I turned the painting on its side to make refinements to the logos and descriptions, a good idea that gave me much more control.

Perhaps I’m just a glutton for punishment, but I’m already working on another painting with more logos, hopefully as iconic as these.

Can you can guess the subject? Let me know what your first thought is. What is iconic to me may not be to you.

Thank you – and come back soon to see the next work in the series.

My Own Personal Challenge

January 7, 2016 by Beverly

The cold weather is back, which makes January a perfect time to hunker down and paint indoors.

I actually considered doing another 30 Painting in 30 Days Challenge – briefly. I realized that I never explored the exciting ideas coming out of the September Challenge paintings, such vending machines, macarons, and pomegranates, in larger formats.

In fact, I am rather haunted by this small wood panel painting, and can’t pass a vending machine without whipping out my camera. And my camera has a semi-permanent position next the stove when I make eggs, just in case there are some double yolks.

“Vending Machine” by Beverly Shipko, Oil sketch on wood panel, 5 x 7 inches

Besides, I already did two 30/30 Challenges in January and September, 2015, accounting for over 2 months out of 12 (probably closer to 3 if you include planning time). So I know I can do it.

My dilemma: At the end of each Challenge, I was truly inspired, confident, and painting far better than ever before, but was exhausted. I loved the structure of knowing my routine (which I miss) – drawing, painting, posting, getting feedback. The Challenge also pushed me to throw aside my mental constraints and experiment with new subjects, something I hadn’t done for a while.

However, painting and blogging at the end of every day isn’t compatible with two of my New Years resolutions: to go to bed earlier and get more sleep. And then real life intervened with such events like a pantry moth infestation and a cracked tooth requiring a crown, eating up my preparation time at the end of December.

My desk and dining room table are piled high with pantry items rather than my photos, like they were in 2015. Instead of using my large dining room table, I’m temporarily reduced to working with this small chair.

In short, I came back down to earth, and starting thinking differently (hello Steve Jobs!).

Eventially, I came up with the idea of doing my own version of the Challenge, a much more relaxed and less intense challenge.

Here’s the bottom line to my own personal January Challenge: I am not committing to do a painting a day. I am committing here to focus on art the entire month of January, and to get into the studio every day during the month of January and paint.

While I considered setting a goal of painting one larger work a week, I am leaving myself the flexibility to do some small paintings too.

I may work larger, or I may work smaller.

I may blog every day, or I may not.

Two things I definitely know are: I will be doing a lot of painting and will definitely get more sleep!