TINY, preview of new series, choosing where to paint
the beginnings of a new collaborative series, how I choose a painting spot
As we slide into the chaos that the end of the year inevitably brings, it’s time for my favorite annual exhibition: TINY at Studio Gallery.
This month, I will give you insight into some of the pieces I’ve contributed to Studio Gallery’s TINY exhibition, share the beginnings of a new series with you, and discuss how I choose where to go to make my plein air paintings. At the end I will gift you a new picture of my cat, Ruby, as thanks for reading all the way to the bottom!
My painting, Saloon (available), in last year’s TINY
TINY of years past is how I discovered most of my favorite Bay Area artists, and how some of you have found me! It’s such a “who’s who” that my friend Mila Kirillova and I like to stand back from the grid, so that we can’t see the labels, and name as many of the artists as we can.
I am delighted to have several paintings in the show this year. Collectors are able to purchase pieces right off the wall for this one, so not all of them will be up right away. The exhibit is constantly changing, so it’s worth going back every week or so to see all the new work up! Here’s the insider tip: the drawers in the gallery are full of paintings as well, and you can open them. You could also ask Jen to see what she has on hand from a particular artist.
Though art is always best viewed in person, they also have the much of the show available on their website. I’d like to highlight a couple of paintings that I’ve put in:
Clayton Trellis
This was painted near the Panhandle, with my friend and fellow painter Mila painting just on the other of this trellis structure. I love the way the houses come out from behind the greenery, with the trees of the park just visible in the background.
Twin Peaks
This one is from my first ever visit up to Twin Peaks! I took the bus and climbed the stairs with all of my painting gear, and the view took my breath away. Or maybe it was the climb. I was too intimidated by the idea of painting the vast view of the city on that day, so I turned around and painted the twin peaks themselves, with the roads that hug them. I found it to be an exciting composition, and a totally new perspective on something I’ve painted many times from further away.
The 50|50 exhibition at Sanchez Art Center is over, and I got the remaining paintings back and have had a little time to reflect on the whole experience. Nineteen of the paintings found their homes, which is absolutely amazing. One of them was a trade with another artist, Stacey Nussbaum, so I am now lucky enough to have one of her pieces in my collection! Make sure to check out her fantastic series about light.
My series connected with people in a way I never expected, and brought me new collectors and friends. I even went back and painted one of the avenues again! Some of the remaining paintings will be re-appearing in TINY, including the framed piece, 17th Ave:
I’ve been thinking about the power of series, of doing art with specific constraints and through that digging deeper into the possibilities. I have hinted a little about a new, collaborative series that I’m working on, and this month I wanted to give my newsletter readers a preview.
Mila Kirillova, Maura Carta, and I paint together regularly. We decided to do our own series of 49 paintings, each at 7 inches by 7 inches, because San Francisco is 7x7 miles, and 7x7 is 49. In Mila’s workshop we made our own custom panels, and the three of us are going painting together at the same locations. We are visiting our favorite painting spots all over the city. It’s exciting to see how different each one turns out, even starting with the same surface and standing in nearly the same spot. At some locations we do completely different subjects, and at some we all look at the same thing. We have a long way to go, but I can’t wait to see them all together. Here’s a preview of some of the paintings I’ve done for this series:
Golden Boy Pizza is a classic North Beach location, and new spot for me to paint! Naturally I had to get a slice when we were done.
Remember my twin peaks painting from earlier? On a still day we returned to the viewpoint, and this time I didn’t shy away from the city view. I surprised myself with this one, I just love it.
This is home turf for me, I have painted in Alamo Square many times. This was my first time doing this exact perspective, and the tree shadow was a new and exciting approach for me.
Keep an eye out as we continue to work on the series, and make sure you check out Mila and Maura’s work as well!
I’m going to try out a new section in the newsletter in which I discuss some aspect of my painting process. It may not appear every month, but my hope is that it could be helpful to those of you who are painters and interesting for those of you who are not. This month, I’m going to share some insights about how I choose a location for plein air painting.
The first consideration is of course subject matter- does it have something I want to paint? I don’t have a car, so I get around the city on the bus, with my bike, or on foot. I enjoy getting to see and appreciate the city as I’m traveling around. I tend to go all around the city, and I am always keeping an eye out for views that I want to paint. So my first tip is to explore the city on a human scale, since to paint someplace you have to be able to stand there.
When I see something I might want to paint, I take a photo of the view and I mark it on the map in my phone so that I don’t forget. Incidentally, this is how I end up with the photo references that I use with participants when I teach my classes. Next come the more practical considerations. Is there enough space for me to set up my easel and stand there without being run over or blocking the sidewalk? Is there a restroom nearby that I can access? Is there shade? Not every location has all of these things, but the more it does have, the better. Parks are often the best places. Especially if you are somewhat new to plein air, make sure you have these things to take as much of the struggle away as possible.
Once all of these things have come together, then I can plan a paint out and go. Part of what makes plein air paintings so special is how many elements have to coalesce in order for the painting to be made. You end up creating something that could only be done there and then, by you.
One of my favorite ways to discover new painting locations that I would have never otherwise found is also my reading recommendation for the month: Stairway Walks in San Francisco. This gem of a book contains numerous guided stairway hikes from different neighborhoods of the city. These hikes have shown me hidden corners and stunning vistas, and they also have historical tidbits and fun facts about the city. It’s a truly special way to appreciate San Francisco, the most stair-filled city in America.
As for events this month, The Spooky Haus is doing another market! This time we will be right next door from the last one at Gilman Brewing and hosting a holiday market. It’s a great opportunity to support local, queer makers and stick it to the big box stores and online retailers.
Finally, this month’s Crooners is “Food for the Soul”. Shows this month are at 7:00pm and 9:00pm. Grab your tickets here, and we will see you there!
Thank you for joining me for another month! While you await the next newsletter, you can check out my website to see my portfolio of plein air paintings, still lifes, block prints, figure drawings, tiny scale model houses, murals, and you can also find information on commissions! Please feel welcome to email me and ask about any ideas you have that aren’t covered on my commission page, I’m always willing to discuss.
Stay tuned for next month, and let me know what you’d like to hear about in the newsletter in the future.
Lastly, as always, here's Ruby! This time with me involved, because Ruby insisted on helping me with my current model commission…
Thank you!
-Nathaniel J. Bice
he/him