Painting 42

Still a vegetable theme. Trying to paint from life. Seems like a pale pepper, but I'm guessing I didn't get the colors quite right. Overall an ugly little painting. 

Not feeling very artistic lately. Perhaps after the holidays I'll become inspired. I'll paint tonight and perhaps it'll get my juices flowing, but forget about seeing bell peppers again.

Painting 41

I think I write too much on my blog. Sometimes there's not much to say about a painting, but then I stretch it out and I end up with paragraphs of text when the focus of the blog is merely to show my painting progress. From 1 to 100 and what happens in between. I really don't like to write and I'm not remotely good at it, but I do like to reflect on my paintings. Since I'm months, if not a year behind in my blog, the paintings I show now are old to me, and the amount of time in between allows me to see things differently. The gift of time allows me to be a bit more detached and therefore I can be critical and see  more than if I were writing about something that was just completed. So I continue on, already more wordy than I intended. Philosophizing and psycho-babbling, throw in an art critic and that sums up my blog.

So let’s talk about the tomatoes, another Alla Prima, finished in one sitting. They were purchased from the convenient Farmer's market, or they were found in the refrigerator, I don't recall. Trite composition, still a little too flat with the shadow too vibrant a hue, I believe there's glare on the photo which is causing some of my concern with the tones, but Carol Marine said this in her work shop I attended after painting this, she said "beginning artist always make the highlights too big" or something to that affect. I certainly agree with her here. I like the visible brushwork and there's no mistaking them for tomatoes. That's the positive. I didn't like the background, so I did repaint it a turquoise-ish blue a few months later, but it didn't seem to help much. In the end, not something I would attach a buy now button to.

I don't paint that great a lot of times, just like I don't write that great. Perhaps you may think I'm too hard on myself, but I find comfort in being critical because I feel I've learned something when I spot the errors now. My wish is to be able to see even more things wrong when I view this again. So being critical makes me happy because I am present to the fact that I’m learning and I growing which is, to quote Martha Stewart, a very good thing. Unfortunately for the 2 people who follow this blog, writing is also a part of that process.

Painting 40

Daily paintings—great concept, people make good money, great warm up, and you learn quickly. So why not paint everyday? I'm sure many artists ask themselves that same question. I would say it's because I have a full-time job, but then there's Qiang Huang who is a master at it and he works as an engineer and he doesn’t let that stop him. I admire him greatly. Another Daily Painter is Carol Marine. She doesn't have to work another job and she has a studio at her home, so she has it made. Both artists live in Austin, my birthplace, and I think that's just cool. When I discovered Carol on the Internet, I was so excited to share her with my studio mates, who were only too quick to remind me that they had been talking about her for years—so much for listening while painting. We discussed hosting a workshop for her, but we were going to have to wait a year to do so and then a workshop in Salado Texas came open and we all signed up. No excuses now, daily paintings are in my future.

 I purchased some melamine cups on Ebay because my grandparent used these at their lake house when I was a tot and I'm a nostalgic guy. I fondly remember being with my grandparent, especially my grandmother who was so sweet, even if she said I was messy behind my back. I was, and still am. The dishes were just a way to hang onto those memories a little longer. Anyway, cups, impending workshop, daily painting. That's how this little 5x7 painting came to be. Painted it from life, and the results were okay, as my quick paintings usually have been, but good practice. (I always say that when a painting doesn’t turn out well. It was good practice!) I never have liked the background color and another issue is the rendering of the inside of the top cup. I just didn't achieve a good result with getting the nice round interior, but it’s never been worth my time to make corrections. I guess because it would no longer be a daily painting. The point is to learn to get it right the first time. 

So begins the daily painting for a while; although, for me, it painting Alla Prima. I’ll never do them daily, but they are finished in one sitting, and I can live up to that expectation. I'll let these other artist pick up my slack.

Painting 39

Not sure why I stopped blogging because I was doing good for awhile. Must keep going! This painting was another painting I donated to a cause. Why do I keep donating paintings? The setting in Roaton, Honduras, circa 1990 or somewhere around that time. I was visiting my friend in the Peace Corp and we took a little getaway to the most beautiful island. That trip inspired Painting 20, and it inspired this painting as well. This little church along the beach was so charming and quaint, much like the entire island. The place was just paradise at that time and it was a lazy wonderful few days that have remained clear in my mind as though I just returned a few days ago. As I look at this painting, I'm pleased overall. I had a lesson from Donna in shadows, with cast shadow, and the difference with things in shadows, and warms and cools and I can't even begin to explain it. I tried my best with what I learned, but it's difficult when you paint from an old photo and not real life. Those subtle color differences just aren't apparent. The color differences in the shadows do add nice dimension and interest, and as I look at the palm trees, I wish I had added some variety to those as well. Perhaps the ones in the background should have been lighter and less vibrant. It's too much the same across the horizon and doesn't offer much for the perspective and depth. I would love to step inside the painting and enter that church and say a little prayer and maybe meditate as I gaze across the water. Then stumbling a few feet to the bar and down a few Margaritas. Ahhh! I wish every day was a day in paradise!

Painting 38

 

I love the Hibiscus flower and the one I had for years died one winter when I was too lazy to drag it into the house. Served it right for getting so big. I hated losing that plant, but I have another one growing and the blossoms are yellow, which I like better than the red. This particular flower was growing in Port Aransas in a park at the marina. I was vacationing in a travel trailer with mom and dad. It was cozy, but we had a great time as we always do. The bush was huge and full of blooms and the sky was a wonderful shade of blue. It was a hot, bright day and these flowers were spectacular. The painting was done for a fundraiser, so I gave it away. I promised I'd give something and I had to paint it fast. I went to the fundraiser and was surprised and dismayed to see it hanging sideways. It just seemed obvious how it should be hung, but I guess it's my fault since I didn't place a hanger on it nor did I sign it. I don't have any clue as to how much it sold for and I doubt I want to know. They tend to practically give these things away at these silent auctions, so it's best not to ask. It's for a good cause, so I have to check my ego at the door. This was a gesso board, not a canvas and once again I loved the feel of the brush on the surface. It had a nice deep wooden edge to it, so no need for framing. Notice that it's another close-up detail of the subject matter. Seems that's my running theme, at least until the next painting. I wonder who purchased this and what they did with it. I hope it wasn't kindling!

Painting 37

Another Painting from my trip to Merida. Markets in Mexico are always fun and full of interesting sights and smells. You can't think of Mexico without thinking about spicy foods, and the market is where it all happens. 

I liked the repetitive nature of the painting and, of course, the lettering. This time the signs were handwritten, so I didn't have to be very exact. The palette is somewhat limited which I like about this painting and the colors somewhat muted. Perhaps the peppers could have spots of brigher colors. I tried to be loose with the colors and not be so exact. The painting is 16" x 20" so it's not very big. I think this type of painting would look better on a larger scale, or maybe that's just me liking large paintings. Or tiny, that works for me too. 16" x 20" is so standard, even 18" x 20" is better to me. I rarely go for the standard size anymore. Squares are great and seem modern. 

I enjoyed Merida immensely for it's traditional architecture and the laid back atmosphere of the town. I have a ton of photos for paintings. With this trip and my trip to Alaska, I could paint for years without running out of subject matter. I keep thinking about this one old car I photographed. One day you may see it. Maybe  my 100th painting. I bet I hit my 100th on my 50th year. That would be interesting, but since I'm 46, I hope it doesn't take that long. 

I have a new rating feature, so feel free to rate this or any of the others. As an Art Director, I'm used to people dogging my work, but the harshest you can grade me is undecided. I suppose if that's not severe enough for your taste, you can always rip it apart in a comment. 

Painting 36

Nun of Your Business. That's what I named the painting, and it actually helped sell it which is a good little marketing lesson. These nuns were a sight to behold. I was in Merida, Mexico searching for photo opportunities and these nuns appeared on the street. My traveling companion, Bob, and I were drawn to them and couldn't help but follow, trying to get a good photo. Not sure if the were late, or just trying to loose us, but these little women were fast! We were running to catch up with them, and it was well worth the effort. I never saw any faces, but the traditional attire next to the rustic Mexican architecture was too great not to capture on canvas. Bob ended up with the photo I used as my reference. He's much better at the camera than I am, so even though I had my own photos of the nuns, his was the one I needed to paint. I enjoyed painting the white of the outfits and the rustic areas on the wall and door, attempting to capture the wonderful textures and the flow of the fabric. I'm very pleased with the painting, I would love to see it in a rustic ornate frame, but I donated the painting to The Children's Advocacy Center of Dallas for their annual fundraiser. I'm not sure what it sold for, but I was informed that a well-known society columnist purchased it, and my studio mates were so thrilled for me. I'd never heard of the guy, but I wrote to thank him for taking an interest and he let me know that while he doesn't normally collect traditional type paintings, he and his wife were drawn to the subject matter for personal reasons and his wife decided they needed it when she read the title and laughed out loud. I hated giving away the painting because you never know if these charities are just going to slash the prices just to get rid of it, treating the art like it's a tag sale item in the suburbs. However, when I heard from the buyer and his story, I was pleased that I had touched them with my work, and it was for a good cause. Since he said his house is full of contemporary art, I seriously doubt my painting is hung in their home, but I hope they at least gave it a proper home somewhere. BTW, this is my sister's favorite painting! The only one she's wanted of mine. I guess the one I painted for her (painting 22) isn't that swell, but that's all she's getting from me now, thank you very much! I'm going to start charging her like I did my mother. No more freebies for you! Artist are so sensitive!!!