The Emerald Tree Boas is out in one work-area, the recently started Maple Leaves in another, and in the afternoon when I feel less like thinking but still want to keep the hands busy, have started painting Pebbles - Zen Garden #8. See April 27 post where the 24 x 24 inch stretcher was woven with ironed canvas strips.

	Inspired Splatter by Chris Bolmeier - 16 x 20 inches Oils on wrapped canvas, $600.
Framed $600.00

In her Wed. April 30th blog post, my friend Chris Bolmeier writes about an older painting she revitalized. In any Artist’s home/studio there are at least ten or so paintings hanging around or put away in unfinished states. This supports what I said in yesterday’s post. If it isn’t sold, chances are it will continue to change and receive new life until we know for sure it’s cohesive and truly finished.

Chris is trying new marketing strategies, and offering anyone who sells her work a 20% cut. A little out of the ordinary to show and offer another Artist’s work for sale on my own website, and I hope mine sells first, but Best of Luck, Chris. Purchase Inspired Splatter here, or if you purchase from her and saw it here first, please mention that.

A couple of years ago when this painting was in a more painterly state - rougher lines, lots of brushstrokes visible - I entered it in an art competition and was told by a juror that paintings of animals and creatures are not considered as Fine Art. That’s a matter of personal opinion, but it made me ask the question for the first time, “What is Fine Art?”. Is in finer? Is Fine Art limited to certain subjects? I never thought so,  but this person is probably more technical judge than a painter; creating work and judging it are very different points of view. We do need to be able to judge our own work though of course, because it passes through stages of painting then sitting back to study before continuing again. Entering work in competitions is valuable experience because each piece, and your work in general, can be seen more objectively. I see Art under one roof of creativity and find it hard to compartmentalize, so learning how others perceive it urges me to dig deeper and try new things that might improve it.

That’s the case with this painting: the subject of the Emerald Tree Boas demands more details. The skin colors and patterns are incredible, so it’s the perfect painting to continue working on, attempting more Realism than I usually care for in paintings, going for accurate representation but not Photo-Realism. Compared to the main subject, the background has actually taken more effort in order to appear effortless, and that’s where most of the attention is going now.

From start to finish the process of painting is so much like music, where there are periods of painting and not painting that contribute to the whole. Some paintings take one day and some take a few years before they’re fully realized. Every painting reaches stages where we need to decide to leave it alone or proceed…where just placing one more mark can mean the entire painting has to change and be brought up to par around it. If in doubt it’s sometimes best to leave it, study it and start another, or finish off one started previously.

                   

Maple Leaves, details after a few more hours working today - 48 x 84 x 3 inches Acrylics on stretched canvas. Changes may be subtle from here on; time to set it against a wall and study for a while before adding more. It’s a good time to start another painting.

                  

Maple Leaves - 48 x 84 x 3 inches Acrylics on stretched canvas. Work in progress.

On paintings with such large surfaces I start out using Acrylics like watercolors, gradually building thin layers. Soon after this stage as I become more familiar with the subject and confident, paint is applied with thicker strokes.

Green Thumb - photography.

A volunteer Sunflower, must be from last year’s seed, is already 5 feet tall with very large leaves.

…a close look at the skin and overall design of an Armadillo who met misfortune near the Texas Motor Speedway.

This morning I started painting Maple Leaves on one of the large frames we made last week, trying to think of a catchier title as I work. 48 x 84 x 3 inches Acrylics on stretched canvas. It will include all colors, but be a good study of the color green.

… sneaking in yet another photo of one of the Anoles running around in the back yard this morning - I love watching these little guys!

                  

Artini, 24 x 24 inches Acrylics on canvas. Rubbing white with a damp cloth over the textured surface, I can apply this technique to the next painting. This is serious play! The painting Artini and another recent one, Myrtle At The Zoo illustrate that: whether seasoned or just beginning, an Artist needs to stay open all the time to media-exploration and self-discovery. Even if it’s been tried many times before, there are a lot of little tricks that are easier to try out on less serious paintings, enabling more confidence when trying them out on work with higher cost of materials and time-investment. Experimenting and exploration result in knowledge and experience of the properties of various media; learning about yours and the media’s potential and limitations.

I started covering the new stretcher-frames we built last week. Leftover canvas was cut and ironed into strips about 1″ wide, then woven across a 24 x 24 inch stretcher. I have a few ideas, and will start painting this one when Artini is finished.

                   

Left: detail of Artini - I Like My Art Shaken Not Stirred - 24 x 24 inches Acrylics on stretched canvas. Work in progress. The cream-colored background here is not part of the painting - the square canvas is hung sideways as a diamond shape on the wall.

I see more little green feet in our future…

Single eggs, .25 inches small, are laid every two weeks between March - October and abandoned, hatching after 5-7 weeks.

Caring. It’s that simple.

For facts about Green Anoles and other reptile care and conservation: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Facts/FactSheets/Anole.cfm

Bearded Iris - painted plein air - 44 x 18 inches Acrylics on stretched canvas.

Plein air, progression of Bearded Iris. 

I could no longer avoid the subject of Iris - have always thought the subject to be too cliche - but they are blooming crazily in our garden this week, and I have taken far too many photos of them that don’t quite satisfy me. This variety actually blooms an unprecidented 3 times a year here! Some of the flower stalks grow well over three feet tall, with six or seven large five and a half inch blooms.

I started with a moody dark against light high-contrast painting in mind, but noticed after the 3rd stage (see above) how restricted I started feeling, and likewise, it showed as pretentious in the work. I realized there are a lot of limitations I impose subconsciously and consciously, (like do paint this, don’t paint that), preventing me from having a really great time painting.

My hopes are that the Anoles will expand their family here, and that they eat fire ants!

Portulaca: low-maintenance, sun-thriving, cheerful colors.

Homemade garden sculpture of a heron, which I replenish the shape continually throughout the year with branches, vines, and grasses. This morning: a sparrow borrows some material for its’ nest.

                 

White Pine Bows, 20 x 34 x 1.5 inches Acrylics on stretched canvas. This was started and finished today; sensing I need to quit while I’m ahead.

Here are some beautiful but omenous clouds in front of a major storm that just hit Mineral Wells, west of Fort Worth, with baseball-sized hail. 

Above: Rocky Mountain Vista detail images, each portion approx 14 x 24 inches

Left: Complete, 48 x 24 inches, Acrylics on stretched canvas. Paintings that are proportionately longer than wider don’t photograph well or show impressively on screen, so I split Rocky Mountain Vista into four seperate detail images.

                                            

Rocky Mountain Vista 48 x 24 inches Acrylics on stretched canvas after one more day of work, still in progress and almost finished.

The little Anoles come out on the warmest days now, sporting their finest green skins! I watched this male do courtship ritual posturing, and hoped to capture him fanning out the red flap of skin under its’ chin (dewlap), but I guess I wasn’t pretty enough for him!

Started last night, work in progress: Rocky Mountain Vista 48 x 24 inches Acrylics on stretched canvas.

Quaking Aspen, 24 x 36 inches Acrylics on stretched canvas, finished this morning.

                

Northern Delights - Quaking Aspen - 24 x 36 inches Acrylics on stretched canvas, started this morning (left) - work in progress - above: after a few more hours. Will keep brushstrokes and colors fresh and uncomplicated in this one.

To view more photography and tree-specific Art please visit The Majesty of Trees.

It’s mostly overcast today, but the Iris is a bright spot in the garden.

It’s Bluebonnet Season again! The Abstract below is not typical of my work, but when studying any subject it’s enlightening to see it from different perspectives and try many styles; it’s very liberating for an Illustrator to paint Abstracts, or an Abstract Artist to try illustrating once in a while…switch it up!

	Bluebonnets - 24 x 36 inches Acrylics with "box-frame"; painting extended out 2" onto frame * see 'First Snow' for an example of a box-frame.
$550.00

Above: this morning’s emerging Myrtle leaves, an addition to the Heart Shapes in Nature series.

Upcoming exhibitions:

1. Polypore Fungi is on exhibit at the VAST 40th Annual Spring Exhibition in Denton, Texas April 10 through May 29, 2008. Opening Reception Thursday, April 10th 6:00 - 8:p.m. at the Meadows Gallery 400 E. Hickory, Denton.

	Polypore Fungi - 58 x 41 x 2 inches Acrylics and modeling paste on stretched canvas.
$1,500.00 Framed

2. Firewheels, 18 x 24 x 2 inches Acrylics - Texas and Neighbors Regional Art Exhibition at the Irving Arts Center, 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving, Texas April 26 through May 24th, 2008. Opening Reception Sunday, April 27th 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

	Firewheels - 18 x 24 x 2 inches, Acrylics on stretched canvas. Painting extends out onto narrow frame.
Framed $550.00

Adding to the whimsical garden sculptures of root systems, here are The Twins.