Daily Painting Practice

Daily Painting Practice - Painting an Island

2009-11-28T20:50:00.000-06:00

click on the painting to enlarge the image

Island

6"x12"

oil on masonite panel

Every now and then I paint for a week or two and end up with nothing much more than a few canvases full of false starts. Last week I had a few and I was headed that way again until the end of this week, then I managed to paint this small Northwoods scene in the nick of time.

Hopefully next week I will be back on schedule and have a painting worth showing.

Daily Painting Practice - Shells

2009-11-15T23:05:00.000-06:00

click on the painting to enlarge the image

Shells

8"x10"

oil on masonite

I started this a while ago and only finished it this past weekend. Originally I had a third shell in the middle, but I found it was too much of a distraction to the composition. Sometimes you have to make decisions that eliminate characters that don't get along with the others.

Daily Painting Practice - White Peony and shipping paintings

2009-11-09T20:45:00.000-06:00

I was recently asked via email about how I send paintings to galleries or shows. Perfect timing! I was just notified that my painting "Cowboy Dave" was just juried into the ( 2010 C.M. Russell Art Auction.) They also informed me that the painting needs to be shipped this week. This is a first for me to ship to a big art auction so I wanted to do it right.

The Auction suggested that we use a re-usable strong box for shipping. I decided on a lined strongbox by (Airfloat Systems Inc.)

Here's a picture of the box....and my helper.

The plastic liner on the box top is an extra protection against a puncture. It is very easy to size and pack the painting. The foam inset is perforated in 1 " increments.

You just outline the frame and rip out the foam. Then place the painting in the box ( it is a good idea to cover the painting with plastic or paper) And replace the top layer.

Clean simple and hassle free. Ready to tape and ship. I'll let you know how it does at the show in March.

click on the painting to enlarge the image

White Peony

8"x8"

oil on masonite

Before you go, here's the latest painting. This one is for a show at my N.J. gallery, ( the desChamps Gallery), in December. Finished it just in time.

Daily Painting Practice - Wicker Still life

2009-11-01T18:29:00.000-06:00

It has been a long week, lots happening out of the studio. I surprised myself in getting as far as I did on this one.

This painting has already had several incarnations. I originally started it on a larger horizontal canvas, with apples and the light coming from the left. It never made me feel like it should, so I let it sit for months. This square canvas already had a painting on it, (one of those things I wanted to forget I painted) So I covered it up with a thick coat of paint.

After playing with the composition in a square format I felt like it started to work. My composition editor/wife suggested changing from green apples to pears....(she's gets it right every now and then).

The hardest thing about this painting is the counting...counting the blue squares, counting the white squares, counting the rows of wicker cane. I was so tired of counting but it was the only way I could keep track of the detail. It was very hard not letting it get away from me.

I liked the way the light was hitting the basket. Wanting to keep the focus on that spot of the basket I tried keeping all of the other elements muted and soft.

I have all the pieces painted but now I need to make it work together.

click on the painting to enlarge the image

Wicker

20"x20"

oil on canvas

Almost ready to sign it. I'll need to let it rest and look at it with fresh eyes next week.

Daily Painting Practice - Can Artists Keep a Schedule? Part 2

2009-10-25T12:40:00.001-06:00

Last week I wrote about the new work schedule I developed with the goal of becoming more productive. After the second week of trying to work with this new routine I have to admit a few adjustments were in order. ( no surprise there!) I thought showing my process in picture form might help explain what it is I am after... Originally, I wanted to have a new painting completed each week by Sunday afternoon. I missed that goal the first week and realised it is not a realistic target for me .
However, my goal is still to work on each of the 4 stages of development daily. Devoting a scheduled amount of time each day to each stage in order to move forward towards the goal of completing one painting a week is great motivation and does yield results. ( my days of engineering haven't washed out of me yet , I guess).
Here are the 4 stages:

Stage 1 - Come up with an idea. The calendar sets the priority. In other words, what is the next deadline? ( Show, gallery pieces, competition, just for fun...)

Stage 2 - Complete a transfer and under painting. Develop the previous week's idea into a composition and transfer the drawing to canvas.

Stage 3 - Complete painting to 80%. (from last week's transfer).

Stage 4 - Complete the painting. (From the previous week's 80%).

Above you can see the four stages of development. I am cheating a bit here because the waterfall painting is still not complete.

Here is stage one completed. My new gallery in New Jersey ( the desChamps Gallery) wants five small paintings in November for a holiday show. This would be one of them.

This is the completed ( sort of ) Stage 2 Painting.

This is supposed to be Stage 3 - the 80% complete painting. Hard to say if I made 80%....maybe 59 1/2%.

This should be a Stage 4 - Completed Painting, but oops! Again, the painting I was going to have completed last week still needs work. I thought I would be discouraged after missing my self imposed deadline. But that isn't the case, because the result of my attempting to be more productive is that I am being more productive!

Last week I recieved a few emails and several comments with some helpful and some humorous suggestions regarding the topic of artists and schedules. Some of you mentioned the real goal is to be happy and not to let a schedule get in the way of the creativity. I agree 100% . One of my favorite emails included a quote which I will share. I don't know the author of the quote but it is my new favorite mantra to recite when I get down on myself for not producing enough.

"God left the songs unsung The pictures unpainted the flowers unplanted so that we might enjoy the world of creation"

Daily Painting Practice - Can artists keep schedules?

2009-10-18T20:58:00.000-06:00

I have started a new routine. Yes I know, how many new routines can one artist begin? It's a silly question, Obviously it takes as many as is needed until I find the one that works.

For years I have read about artists and their routines. They vary their approach to productivity as much as they do their style of painting. Some get up early and are at the easel painting by 6:00 AM each morning, like clock work. Others begin more slowly, they ease into the day, first doing a morning sketch routine to limber up. Others work late into the night needing the world to be quiet in order to be productive. Some approach art like a nine to five job.

I have always had a hard time with productivity. So recently my daughter helped me with a new method and work schedule that seems to be a good fit. For me coming up with a new routine is like shopping for new shoes. I know what I need but can only tell if I like it if I can see it and wear it for a while.

My main goal is produce one new painting each week. ( Completed by Sunday no matter what size!) I also needed to organize and prioritize my compositions. My approach needs to fit a purpose. I have deadlines and commitments, ... galleries, shows, competitions, works in a series, large works, small works. The business side of art demands focus..... Did I actually say that out loud?

click on image to enlarge the painting

Northwoods series Number ??

work in progress

24"x30"

oil on canvas

Well it's Sunday night and I was supposed to have this painting completed. I still have more to do to it, I'm getting close... but I missed my deadline. So here's my problem, I am sticking with my schedule and will complete next week's painting next Sunday, but I will need to make time to finish this one also.

One of the hardest things I am learning about being an artist is the self discipline needed to produce good work and to keep producing it. So it's one more cup of tea and back to the studio. So much art so little time!

Daily Painting Practice - Northwoods Series continues

2009-10-14T13:12:00.000-06:00

Our vacation to the Northwoods of Wisconsin at the end of the summer gave me a lot of reference photos and a few surprises. One of the surprises came on our first day out, this beautiful white deer. She sat there as if she was used to paparazzi snapping photos of her all day long. She was so unafraid I probably could have set up my paints and painted her on the spot.

Reference photos come in handy for the details needed in my paintings. Usually my eye for composition in the photos isn't very good. The best ones have a focal point and connect me to the environment right away, but I usually end up cropping and rearranging the scenes back in the studio.

Falls of Kaaterskill by Thomas Cole

I have been thinking lately a lot about what makes a good a focal point. What actually makes it work and how did the master landscape artists handle the surrounding area? Thomas Cole was one of those master artists I enjoy.

In this detail, I think the surrounding composition near the focal point still makes an interesting painting all by itself. So I started another Northwoods painting with that idea in my head.

Here's the beginning of the under painting for the entire composition. The water leads your eye slowly to the focal point, the sunlit bunch of swamp grass just under the dark shadows of the distant trees.

So here is my idea:

The focal point and surrounding area should stand alone as a painting within the painting. I should use this method from now on in my mental checklist when building a composition. I don't know if this helps any of you or is such a simple idea that everybody thinks of this all the time. But I believe, that for people like me who need help building good compositions, using this idea might be an indicator of when we are on the right track.

Happy trails!

Daily Painting Practice- Tips for newbie plein air painters - avoiding crowds

2009-10-07T09:45:00.002-06:00

When I paint plein air I enjoy having friends or fellow artists around me. I may not be able to walk and chew gum at the same time but I can talk and paint. However, this was not always the case. Like most artists when first venturing out to paint in public I was uncomfortable with people coming up behind me and watching. So here are a view tips I'll share with you plein air newbies.

Approach number 1:
Try concealing what you are doing. Don't give up your personal space. keep everything close to the vest... or chest in this case.

Pick a location that normal people( people other than artists) would find hard to get to. Be ever vigilant in the woods though, hikers like to sneak up on you.

If you are in the open try looking a little... how do I put this? deranged! People keep there distance if you look like a nut job. Squint constantly. Not only will this help you control the values in your painting but it makes people uneasy and helps to keep them at a safe distance. ( wearing weird shoes helps too)

Here's a neat trick. Set up an empty easel. Pretend you are in the process of cleaning up or just staring out at the horizon ...but actually you can be painting a small color study holding the canvas in your hand...( Artists must be creative in so many ways.)

Finally, stand in a place where they have no way to get behind you. Also dressing like a tourist and pretending to be lost while you are sketching is a good disguise.

I hope this helps any of you who are worried about getting out there and painting plein air. Of course you could just decide to enjoy the day and paint. One of the benefits of having people come over to check on you is....they might buy something.

Daily Painting Practice - Painting at night

2009-10-02T19:59:00.000-06:00

Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh -

at the Museum of Modern Art in NY.

As many of you know, one of my art heroes is Vincent Van Gogh. His vision of a star filled night is one of my favorite paintings of all time. However, after my experience of painting at night in the Northwoods of Wisconsin I know there is no way he painted that outdoors.

This is me attempting my first ever night time plein air painting. I had the crazy idea of trying to paint the moon over a marsh in Northern Wisconsin....at night! Our friends up North let me borrow a head lamp like the ones people who explore caves wear. It was the only light I had and it worked great. However, I would not be alive today if they had not dressed us in mosquito proof clothes including a hat with netting. I couldn't see with the netting so I sprayed myself with Mosquito repellent and painted like a crazy person as the hungry buggers flew in front of my face. I apologize for the fuzzy photos but my blog photographer /wife could not hold the camera still with the woman eating mosquitoes attacking her.

Oh, did I mention I was standing on a narrow board walk as I painted this. If I took a step back, it was going to be a mucky walk back to the cabin.

It took me about 10 minutes then I had to call it quits. I was so surprised, the night sky changes as much as daytime. The star on the right of the moon is actually a planet, I forgot which one though.

click on the picture to enlarge the image

Moon Rising

8"x10"

oil on canvas board

Daily Painting Practice- Beginning Northwoods No.3 and more progress on Summer Still Life

2009-09-23T20:57:00.002-06:00

Click on the painting to enlarge the image

Summer Still Life - Work in Progress

14"x18"

oil on canvas

Still working on the Summer Still Life though I think I am almost there. Good thing since summer is gone and Fall is here. I am currently in a state of confusion about whether I should put the designs on the table cloth or leave them off. I also think the background needs to be more blue and less purple.

Here's a sneak peak of my next Northwoods painting, Northwoods No.3. I am painting this with a much more impressionistic style. The scene reminded me of something John Singer Sargent or William Merritt Chase would paint.

Mrs Chase In Prospect Park by William Merritt Chase. This is at the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Manhattan, New York. Of course they always put women in their boats for some reason. Mrs. Chase looks a little bored with the idea of sitting there. I wonder what she was thinking?

Northwoods series No. 3 - Work in Progress

12"x16"

oil on masonite

I'm not sure how finished a painting this will be but it is starting out with that American Impressionistic style which is fun. I may have to put a woman with a long white dress in the boat to make it official though.

Daily Painting Practice - Beginning the underpainting Northwoods No.2

2009-09-17T08:58:00.001-06:00

Beginning the underpainting of Northwoods Painting No.2.

I thought it might be fun to share some of what goes on in my head as I begin a painting.
From the first idea and sketch I liked the composition, and never having done a waterfall before, I liked the challenge.
First, I am going larger on this one right from the start (24"x30") to avoid any comments from the gang of four. My progress at this point is merely transfering my drawing and washing in some Burnt Sienna for a nice warm undertone. As I begin, I am thinking more about the future of the painting than about anything being right or wrong. In other words, how well can I pull out the patterns of lights and darks? How dark should the darks be? How bright will the water be?... And how on earth do I make water look sparkly without looking frozen?... What have I gotten myself into???? ( Sorry, this last thought is what can happen when you think too much and forget about enjoying the process)

Next, I sit back and try to remember what it looked like standing there in the deep woods. What did it look like in the shadows? What did the sun light look like bounce off the water? This is where color studies come in handy, to trigger those memories.
I have stuck with only the Burt Sienna at this point. Going darker and searching for those interesting patterns. I also remind myself, when I begin, to start in the back and work forward. Then a very important point...

Step back from the painting and give it some thought.

The center of interest is the waterfall. This is the star of the show, so I need to make sure she gets all the attention. All the other elements should play a supportive role....Plus, being a little lazy and unsure of myself, I don't want to do a lot of work in the background if I can't be sure how effectively I can paint the water...( honestly, these thoughts pop in my head!)

So, here I have started using some Burnt Umber and some White to see if I can capture enough of the spirit of the water. This is one of the steps in the painting process I enjoy most, because this is where I engage that creative part of myself, the little boy part. I start using more imagination with the choices of brush strokes and tone. I pretend a lot about walking in the woods and seeing and hearing this waterfall. It really is just play! ...

Of course, I have to be careful to only allow myself to imagine the scene I am painting. Other wise I may drift off and start picturing myself in another scene.

Being an artist is all about focus!

Daily Painting Practice - Lake Superior Painting - But what size?

2009-09-12T15:28:00.004-06:00

click on the painting to enlarge the image

Lake Superior Shore Line
Northwoods Series No.1
12"X16"
oil on masonite

I finished the first painting of my new Northwoods Series.... or have I? Two of the Gang of Four have made the observation and comment that this painting would do better on a larger canvas.... Heavy sigh! While I like the intimate nature of smaller paintings I think I agree that this would also work well on a larger canvas, say 24" x30". I don't mind the idea of doing it again, it will give me a chance to play with the waves a little more and maybe add some clouds low on the horizon.... Of course next time I will follow procedure and get their input before I start. In the mean time I am still counting this as Northwoods Series Number 1.

Daily painting Practice - Lake Superior Plein Air Study

2009-09-10T08:40:00.007-06:00

I have a good reason for not posting the last few weeks. My plein air photographer/wife and I were invited by our good friends up North to enjoy a long week at their cabin in the North woods of Wisconsin. Not only did we have the best time hiking, boating, eating , talking, eating, fishing and eating, but I also had a great time gathering reference paintings and photos for a new series of work from the Northwoods.
Here I am painting on the shore Lake Superior. We traveled to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park which is located in Michigan’s Western Upper Peninsula. The park has 60,000 acres and the largest tract of old-growth timber in the Midwest.

This is what I was looking at.
I had to paint fast because the tide was coming in and my feet were about to get wet. As the waves got closer, the left leg of the easel kept sinking into the soft wet sand. It made for some interesting body positions as I tried to paint the horizon
I find the best part about painting plein air is when I have to work very fast. I don't have time to think or worry what the painting will look like. I do seem to enjoy the process more under that pressure. If I had a few hours to paint in this spot I would begin to think too much instead of just responding to the color and light.

click on the painting to enlarge the image

Lake Superior Shore Line- Plein Air Study
9"x12"
oil on canvas

I will use this study to begin the first of the new series.I have about 50 ideas for paintings lined up from the trip. I'll post more about the sites and the studies over the next few weeks.

Daily Painting Practice - Painting Fishing Boats and dealing with doubt

2009-08-26T08:46:00.007-06:00

click on the painting to enlarge the image

Retired
(title pending approval by the CTO
Chief Title Officer/wife)
18"x24"
oil on canvas

I almost named this Dream Boat because I like to dream that someday I will be able to live and paint in Nova Scotia or Maine, then be able to paint scenes like this every morning.

I will let this painting sit for about a week or two before officially declaring it finished. Also, my Council of Four must file their critiques before it is officially released. Every emerging artist should have an entourage he can depend on for critiques, titles, encouragement and suggestions because art can be a dangerous career choice.

Left alone to his own thoughts of what it means to be a successful artist, the artist in training can quickly become overwhelmed and discouraged and begin to slip into melancholy and despair.

So I thought it would be a good idea to post the warning signs of artistic depression for all those artist support people out there. Post these on the refrigerator at home . (That is the first place a depressed artist goes.)

There are four stages that lead to creative impotence that every artist- wanna- be should be aware of. Have your support team look for these signs and have an intervention plan ready.

The first warning sign is, not caring enough to clean the studio. This leads to using dirty brushes and getting lazy with putting out enough fresh paint. Also playing Barry Manilow over and over again in the studio is a dead give away something is wrong. Catching artistic depression early is the key to a quick recovery.

The second sign, the artist begins to take a lot of breaks. You'll begin to hear the excuses roll out " I need time to recharge my creative batteries", or "I need to take a step back", and the 911 call for help..." I'm working it out in my head"... At this point he may begin to drink an excessive amount of tea. This is usually followed by binge eating and weight gain, or compulsive shopping in art stores for " just one more brush".

Third, the self pity and self doubt stage. " I can't paint, I'll never be good enough..." this requires quick intervention and encouragement by the support team. However, they need to be very careful. Giving the artist reminders of how Aunt Martha still loves the painting he did in third grade, may do more harm than good.

Last, the artist stops showering, brushing his teeth, combing his hair. He makes statements like" I can make more money at McDonald's" Now is the time for emergency action , and a dose of reality.
The support person should sit the artist down someplace other than the studio, make a nice cup of herb tea to calm him down then repeat these words very gently.
" If you think making money and working at McDonald's or Walmart will make you happy... then I'll support you in that effort."

Don't be surprised if your artist's creative output for the next week is at a frantic pace. Fear, when applied by a trained artist support person can be a great motivator. Good luck!

Daily painting practice - Making progress on the still life

2009-08-20T16:25:00.002-06:00

click on the painting to enlarge the image

Summer Still Life - Work in Progress
14"x18"
oil on canvas

I finished teaching my oil painting class at the Joslyn Art Museum. By the last class you could really see the improvement everyone had made. ... ( And they still enjoy painting!). Since they have done so well I figure I should move along on my still life. Here is the latest stage. Still adding color but trying to control the values.

In my class I talked about picking the star of the composition and making sure everything else played a supporting role to the star. To me, the star of this show is the cantaloupe. Even though it sits behind the grapes ( and the grapes are trying hard to upstage the star) I feel the grapes offer the support of contrast as they go back into the rich color of the melon. The apple doesn't take away any of the spot light and the brass bowl does a good job as the backdrop. It works well as a neutral tone to help set off the orange.
Thinking of your composition as a Broadway stage play with stars ad supporting characters is a great way to check that your painting will still hold interest long after you are finished

Daily Painting Practice- Northwoods painting Completed

2009-08-13T07:40:00.011-06:00

Back in May (May 13,14 and 16) I posted a few progress shots of this painting. I decided to post them all together again to let you see the progression.
Some paintings sit for a while before I complete them. This is one of those paintings.

click on the photos to enlarge the image

Northern Woods ( still needs a title)
24"x30"
oil on canvas

I haven't come up with a title yet. Actually all painting titles go through another department... My CTO ( chief title officer)/wife runs that show. She my need to recruit our Wisconsin tour guides for some help.

I'm sure she would love to hear some suggestions.

Daily Painting Practice - Starts and Finishes

2009-08-08T06:39:00.006-06:00

I love Nova Scotia. I could paint there for several lifetimes. Living in Omaha, Nebraska is quite a world away from Nova Scotia, but I can go there anytime by sitting in my studio and painting.

Here is a new painting I am just beginning to work on.
When I start adding more color, the boats seem to take on their own personality. It's almost like painting people.

click on the painting to enlarge the image

Last Days at Rosenblatt Stadium
36"x48"
oil on canvas

Speaking of painting people... I finally finished my tribute to Rosenblatt Stadium. No wonder I needed to escape to Nova Scotia. This baseball painting may be the longest I have ever worked on a single painting.

My next adventure is to explore how to make prints of it.... Wait , that means I'm not done with it yet!!

Daily Painting Practice - Stage two of New Still Life - Adding Color

2009-08-04T21:00:00.002-06:00

click on the painting to enlarge the image

Still Life -Work in Progress
Stage Two - Adding Color

OK. I 'm slowly adding color now, not because the drawing was perfect, with every detail sketched out or because the values were all correct in the under painting. (definitely not the case with either item) No, I just want to get to the color because that's the fun part....at least for this painting.

I put a cool blue wash over the background making sure to include the same wash and color in the shadow side of the objects. Then I add small bits of color keeping the colors muted and the paint very thin at this point. Keeping the edges soft is always on my mind at this stage, I wish I had a good song with those words in the lyrics... I'd be humming it now.

" keep the edges soft and it will be alright, keep the edges soft and you can paint all night..."

Now if I add a Pickup truck, a dog and some prison time to those lyrics I may have me the start of a good country music song. Yee Haa!

Daily Painting Practice - Beginning a new still life

2009-07-28T21:42:00.008-06:00

click on the painting to enlarge the image

I have been teaching a daily painting class at the Joslyn Museum of Art here in Omaha, once a week for the past few weeks. I enjoy teaching, especially to people who are enthusiastic about trying to learn new methods. Since I am teaching a method that focuses on keeping the shadow areas thin and transparent and the light areas thicker and opaque, I thought I should do a painting following my own advice.

I started with a toned canvas. I toned it with the gesso and marble dust mixture I had leftover from my attempts to make panels for pastel painting. (see old post here) I had added some acrylic paint and it made this wonderful purple/grey/pink color. The marble dust gives the surface a smooth mat finish. I like it much better than the plastic feel of gesso alone.

After transferring my drawing, I started painting with a very dry brush using Burnt Umber. Keep the paint as thin as possible. Think of breathing on a mirror. You want your paint to be as thin as your breathe is when it fogs up the mirror. Keep it dry or only use turps to make very thin washes, like watercolor.

I am only using Burnt Umber and Naples Yellow.

click on the painting to enlarge the image

Step two, I go back in and punch up the darks. I keep talking to myself, "Keep the darks thin and transparent" I sound like a monk chanting in my basement.

click on the painting to enlarge the image

Here is a detail of the next stage where I start adding a small amount of color and the paint begins to get thicker....but only a little bit. I started using some Pthalo Blue and some Burnt Sienna and just a smidge of White added to the Naples Yellow for the edge of the plate.

click on the painting to enlarge the image

I like the idea of letting it dry over night at this point and checking it again tomorrow. I'll start refining the drawing in little increments. Keep an eye on all the edges. It is important to make sure all edges are soft at this point. No hard lines. Use thin muted colors, and no opaque paint in the shadows.

I think I am off to a pretty good start.

daily painting practice- Still working on the Rosenblatt Baseball Stadium

2009-07-17T23:04:00.004-06:00

Yep, still working on the Omaha Rosenblatt Stadium painting. The painting that keeps on going , going, going...

I have changed the foreground quite a bit since I last showed this to you. Go back (here) and you'll see how it use to be. I decided to use my artistic license and remove the fence that was in the foreground. I also changed the people in the front.

click on the picture to enlarge the image

Last Days at Rosenblatt - work in progress
36"x48"
oil on canvas

Here's a larger version. I still have about 10% more to go. Will I ever finish?

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits - Day 29 1/2

2009-07-13T22:41:00.005-06:00

I wanted to do something special and fun with the last painting in this series. I had this idea of including a few of my art heroes in the painting with me.

The first step was to get the thought transferred to paper. This sounds easy, but I always have a difficult time with this step. I get the idea in my head picture perfect ( at least I think it is) until I go to sketch.... then reality takes over and the sketches barely make sense to anyone but me. It's good practice to do these anyway because it helps you visualize problems with the idea.

click on the picture to enlarge the image

The Last Self Portrait and a Few Friends
Day 29 1/2
work in progress
11"x14"
oil on masonite

Quite an improvement from the sketches right? If you don't recognize the boys they are, from left to right, Rembrandt, Rockwell,Homer and Whistler. And of course me and the tea cup.

You really need to break down the process into small steps to get the idea to this point. Here's a few of the steps :
1. First, I start taking lots and lots of photos of just me in different poses. This triggers a few ideas for the composition and lighting.

2. Decide which artists to include from the dozens of favorites. Don't worry about hurting their feelings if they don't make the final four. A few I selected but ended up not using included Van Gogh, Edwin Tarbell, Andrew Wyeth and Cecilia Beaux. It would have been nice to include a woman artist. But time and effort and space knocked them all out of the picture.

3. I sketched myself and the studio pieces first on tracing paper then sketched each figure on separate pieces of tracing paper so I could move them around. It would be easier in Photoshop but I am not fluent in photo editing.

4.Once the figures are placed transfer them all to the final surface and start painting. I am starting with a burnt umber under painting.

I'll post the final stages at some later point. Now I'm ready to paint something other than me. I hoped you enjoyed the series.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits - Day 29

2009-07-11T21:21:00.002-06:00

Face the Music
Self Portrait Day 29
10"x10"
pencil on paper

It's almost over! Having only two more self portraits to do in this series, I thought, that I had not tried in the previous 28 attempts to do a profile. After completing this one I realized I might be wrong. Day 3 or 8 or day 16 could actually be considered profiles... But this one was the only one I did on purpose. I hope you like it.

I have one more self portrait left in me. After that, I don't think I will look in the mirror for a long time.

Daily Painting Practice - self portrait day 28

2009-07-07T22:14:00.007-06:00

This past fourth of July weekend we went on a mini vacation with my son and daughter-in-law to the wine country of Eastern Missouri. The landscape there is just beautiful. Since I was the designated driver, I hung outside the tasting rooms of the vineyards a lot and took photos or painted. Here's one scene I couldn't pass up. The bee hives caught my eye so I parked my self safely to the side ( or so I thought) and started painting.
These were very active hives and I was fine until.... You see that car approaching just over my shoulder? Bees don't like cars. Specifically the exhaust trail which lead them straight to me. Just after the car went by, out came a rather upset little bee who either was an art critic or was just angry because the car interrupted her fly way. Anyway, two seconds after this photo was taken Ms. Bee came after me and stung me right on the tip of my nose! Ouch!
I did the ritual get me out of here dance. High stepping and swinging my arms like a crazy person, trying to swat the darn thing away. I frantically threw everything into my backpack and jumped in the car. Luckily for me, my always be prepared for any situation/wife had her pair of tweezers and got the stinger out. She also happened to have baking soda ( don't ask) which takes the pain of the sting away.

This is as far as I got with the painting. You can still see the grass stuck in the paint.

Artist's Hands
Self portrait No.28
8"x10"
oil on canvas board

I received some great news just prior to the weekend. I have a new gallery representing my work. I am so happy to say that the( desChamps Gallery) in Lambertville , New Jersey is now showing my paintings. This is exciting because I grew up in N.J. and lived in Hunterdon County for a while as well.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits - Day 27

2009-06-30T21:12:00.003-06:00

click on the image to enlarge the painting

The Artist's Hands
Self Portrait - Day 27
8"x10"
oil on masonite

My director of new ideas/wife suggested I paint my hands as a self portrait. She says, and I agree, that a person's hands can tell as much about a person as their face.

Posing just the hands for a painting requires a bit of trial and error. The trick is to not make it look like the arms were chopped off the body like a piece of butchered meat. I wanted to experiment with the idea before actually doing a painting but as I played around , this composition stuck with me.

It is in a very rough stage. Not close to being finished. But I like the pose. I started on a dark pre-toned board. So I was painting the lights out of the darks. This was a lot of fun. I may explore this idea a lot more in the future.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits - Day 26

2009-06-29T20:00:00.003-06:00

The Emerging Artist at Work
Self Portrait Day 26
9"x14"
oil on gessoed cardboard

I have this wonderful chair in the back of my studio that I use to sit back and review the progress of my paintings. It is a magic chair. It has the power to cast a sleeping spell on me anytime night or day. Of course if the stereo is playing something sweet and the tea has just been made. I'm gone.