The article requires a subscriber's password to magazine.However . . . It can be seen here, below, on Brenda's Site. |
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| Prior to the Article | The Announcement | |||||||||
| The Brenda Ferguson Article | ||||||||||
| Paintings with the Article | Online Gallery | |||||||||
Back to the top Announced in the June issue of American Artist  Click pear to see the entire announcement back page of the June issue. |
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| To the magazine's site magazine July 2004 |
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| Methods & Materials: Overcoming Challenges by Christopher Willard |
 Bare, 2003, pastel, 11 x 9 Collection Suzanne Smith. |
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Since then, her children have reached school-age, and two years ago she gave up working full time as a speech therapist to devote her time to art. She now starts each day by heading into the nursery she and her husband converted to a studio. With this new direction in her life, Ferguson has realized that achieving artistic mastery is a process, and things don't always go smoothly. Besides the challenges in learning techniques, the obstacle of self-doubt is a constant. Lately Ferguson has come to identify certain areas of knowledge or technique that require special attention, and she has discovered the rewards of working through them. The Intimate View Ferguson is attracted to still lifes. "The simpler the better," she says. "Georgia O'Keeffe originally inspired me because she focused on single objects. Like her, I also prefer the close-up view. I appreciate the profound simplicity and quality in the curve of a pear—it's breathtaking to me." The simple composition of a few objects also allows Ferguson to realize layers of color that can transform the peeled skin of a tangelo into a glowing gem. She admits, however, that the beauty of the Maine outdoors is hard to ignore. "I certainly live in one of the most beautiful states, and people up here really like landscapes," she remarks. "I'm slowly heading in that direction, although I tend to paint only a tiny section of the landscape. Yet, when I want to paint something 'right now,' I choose a seemingly simple still life or floral." Developing a Technique Ferguson doesn't see a lack of formal art training as hindering her growth as an artist. She takes pride in knowing she mastered pastels solely through constant hard work. "I learned by trying out every type of pastel on the market and reading everything about pastels and art that I could get my hands on," she explains. "Much of what I read was a series of dos and don'ts. I believe the creative process is much more than that. It's also about following instincts and paying attention to my preferences for color and contrast. I don't follow a prescribed formula." Ferguson starts with a sheet of Wallis sanded pastel paper in either white or the off-white Belgian mist. "I always choose paper that will be larger than my image," she notes. "For example, if the size of my finished pastel will be 18" x 20", I use a full 24"-x-36" sheet of paper and tape off the smaller rectangle with masking tape. I use the extra paper at the borders to test my colors as I work." The artist methodically builds up her layers by applying soft pastels over harder pastels. "I begin my initial sketch with the hard Nupastels in a color that is local to the painting. So if I'm painting green pears, I might do my sketch in a light green. I'm very loose at this point, and I usually end up using the sides of the pastel to block in tones. There is not necessarily an outline that I later fill in." Ferguson moves on to Holbein and Rembrandt pastels for the middle stages. "I do as many layers as I can at this point with these slightly softer pastels," she explains. "I've read that I should work from the top to the bottom, but I tend to work everywhere at once, building it all up. Often, I apply so many layers of pastels that the painting becomes literally three-dimensional." The artist prefers not to use fixative because of its dulling effect. However, she recognizes a thick buildup can shed flakes of pastel when the works are framed. For the final stages of the painting, Ferguson switches to Sennelier and Schmincke pastels. She uses this stage to clean up edges or give the work a final punch of contrast. The artist maintains control over the many brands of pastels she uses by arranging them according to color and hardness in ArtBin storage boxes. "At the start of the paintings, I hide my softer pastels in the closet," she says with a smile. "This way I won't succumb to the temptation to use them, thus filling the tooth of the paper with pigment too early in the process." Ferguson does not use a standard palette and instead tests each pastel on the paper before applying it to the piece, discovering colors that fit her idea as she develops the painting. "It's amazing how often I pick up a color, try it out, and find out it's just what I need for the shadows or to get the glow I wanted." Facing Challenges Ferguson approaches each painting with a clear direction, and the early stages often develop smoothly. "Then there comes a point where everything begins to look like a mess. I call this the muddy middle," she says. "It's one of my persistent challenges. I look at the work and ask myself what I'm doing. I begin to question my capabilities, and I even wonder if the painting is worth continuing." Ferguson believes the best way to overcome any challenge is to confront it directly. "I remind myself the muddy middle has happened many times before, and I've always gotten through it. I know that if I keep working, I'll come out on the other side." The simple process of redefining an edge or heightening the contrast often allows Ferguson to rediscover the excitement that originally inspired her. "It's like a carrot leading me to a new visual energy. At that point it's easy to complete the painting," she says. When the muddy middle arises at the end of the painting day, Ferguson finds it tougher to confront. "I don't look forward to entering my studio in the morning and having to deal with it, so I tend to procrastinate," she says. "I water the plants and do other small chores. Eventually I will recall how much effort and energy I have already put into the painting, and that will motivate me to get back into the studio." The single greatest challenge Ferguson says she ever faces is overworking a painting. "I can always pinpoint an overworked area because it loses energy," she says. "To prevent overworking, I first try to establish a different mind-set. I consciously think about how every line can either enhance or ruin a painting. Therefore, I try to trust every line and stroke rather than repeat strokes within an area." Another method Ferguson has learned over time is to avoid overworking by applying the pastels with a lighter touch. "This allows the paper to tolerate more layers of pastel before the tooth of the paper clogs with pigment. The work stays fresher and brighter this way," she explains. Recently, Ferguson transcended another challenge when she was asked to take on a project outside her normal style. "I was given the unique opportunity to illustrate a children's book focused on simple concepts of colors and counting. Each object needed to be one color. This was a particular challenge for me because I tend to see complex color everywhere. For example, I recently completed a painting, Bare, which is a bare tree in an expanse of white snow, and I did the entire scene in blues and peaches. There was no white at all. My challenge for this book was to figure out a way to keep the colors simple. Green pears had to be green, not the range of colors I normally use. I redid these drawings many, many times." Rewards One of the most poignant events in Ferguson's artistic career came about when she was invited to show her works in the CancerCare ward at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. "The response was overwhelming," she recalls. "Here were people confronting serious challenges in their lives who told me how meaningful it was for them to spend time with my art." For more of Ferguson's art, including photographs of her studio and step-by-step shots of pastels in progress, visit www.brenda ferguson.com. Christopher Willard is a painter, color theorist, and freelance writer who has contributed to American Artist for more than seven years. Article © copyright 2004 American Artist magazine Contact American Artist magazine for use and permisssions |
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Yellow Branch, 2003, pastel, 11 x 14. Collection the artist. Web only! |
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| The Backyard, 2004, pastel, 7 1/2 x 5. Collection the artist. Web only! |
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Pear in Green, 2003, pastel, 8 x 6. Collection Beatrice Kaskin. |
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| Pink Snow, 2003, pastel, 12 x 16. Collection the artist. |
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Plain and Simple, 2003, pastel, 10 x 8. Collection Dr. Paula Tingley. |
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See a gallery of Brenda Ferguson's images, online until the August 2004 issue, along with her commentary at the magazine site. However, this will continue to be online at www.brendaferguson.com here. |
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| Featured in the July 2004 issue of American Artist magazine. |
Brenda's Art featured in magazine To the magazine's site Plus, the magazine features additional works of Brenda's art in their online edition during that month. |
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| Brenda was interviewed on December 8, 2003. Her remarks and art were to appear only as part of a Spring column. However, the magazine then decided to feature Brenda's work in an entire article to be authored by their writer, Christopher Willard. Mr Willard interviewed Brenda again on February 24, 2004 and also requested Brenda to provide the magazine with more art. | ||||||||||
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Preparing for the magazine's visuals. The art was photographed for the magazine at Bruce McMillan's home-studio in Maine. |
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 Brenda Ferguson readies her art. |
 Bruce McMillan photographs it. |
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