Approaching Winter finished today,  60H x 40W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas. More contemporary than my usual work, thought I’d try a new approach to painting…with more attention to editing rather than overworking. Shown in two detail images above, and full view shown in right thumbnail. Large paintings don’t show as well on computer screen, so there are two detail images that were sharpened 2X to reveal the actual texture as it is close up. Post-dated note: on exhibit at Oxide Gallery in Denton TX until February 28th, 2009.

Dec. 6th: Colors mixed with matte medium: Ultramarine, Pthalos Blue, Prussian Blue, Cobalt Blue, Pthalos Green, Sap Green, Unbleached Titatium, Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Red Deep, Mars Black (rarely use black). This morning I scrubbed and washed away a lot of paint in areas then reapplied more. Trying to stay with the less is more principle. Hope to wrap this one up by the end of the weekend if not before.

Dec. 5th: Stage 1, first coat of Ultramarine Blue and matte medium, very watered down, then applied thick in places. Inspired by photos taken by my good friend Ray Muskego in my home town, Cold Lake, Alberta during sunrise December 4th as misty fog drifted off the lake.

The brush swishing against the taut canvas makes a music of its own.. gentle drumming sounds. Priming the canvas is a soothing task. It’s purely a sight thing, straightforward, doesn’t need study or thought. There are so many small efforts toward the creation of a painting. The process of defining a scene on the front is probably 40% of the entire amount of work considered.

We’re result-oriented, but details matter: the materials underneath the paint, the quality of paint, to frame or not to frame, tidiness, cleanliness back and front, hanging apparatus…these are just a few of the details behind my scenes.

Four pieces will show December 2nd, 2008 through February 28th, 2009 alongside other artists’ work at the Oxide Gallery, 501 West Hickory Street, Denton, TX.
Showing are Calgary In September, Gold In The Mountains 02, Mayan Bowl Replica Chair, and Zen Garden 08. Join us at the Show Opening for music, refreshments, and 10% off purchases on December 2nd, 2008, 6 – 9 p.m.

Nov. 15th above the largest thumbnail of the painting are 6 details of Sun Shower 04, 45H x 84W x 3D inches masking medium, acrylics, and matte glaze on canvas, wrapped sides painted. Last few days worth of layering glazes, work in progress. Started May 3rd.

November 10th – Left and right details, continuing to define leaves, not too much though and layering colors of rain and light. Low-light situation today, so the colors shown here are not as vibrant as they actually are.

November 7th – Mask medium has all been peeled off and now layers of matte glazing medium/acrylics color washes gradually bring things to life and into focus.

November 5th – Sun Shower 04 after 2nd application of masking medium, but before peeling it off, and a days worth of painting over top of that, changing the species to Oak..

 November 3rd – Since Shadows Of Summer (recent, started after this one) is of a Maple tree, and similar ideas of looking up at the canopy will be much more suitable for paintings of the Giant Redwoods and Sequoia, and there will be no duplicates of tree species portrayed for The Majesty of Trees collection, the subject is being changed from Maple to Oak. Above left, Sun Shower #4 before 2nd application of masking medium (usually used for watercolors on paper). This painting started off as a full canvas of Maple Leaves, then changed to looking up at the canopy, and is now being changed again to the original inspiration, the Red Oak in our front yard during a sun shower. Paintings change until they’re done. What will not change here is the principle idea: rain and leaves in rays of light.

Masking medium is being reapplied with a toothpick on top of the first version of this painting..has already had a layer of masking medium removed from earlier stages. When most of the contrasts are taken care of the medium will be removed, revealing raindrops of all the colors underneath.

Work on Sun Shower 04 posted earlier this year: * first entitled Maple Leaves  May 3rd   * May 8th   * May 9th   * May 17th  * May 23rd is when the name changed and I decided to experiment with the masking medium.  * June 17th

 Googly-eyed Grandpa by Evelyn Drury, colored pencils and googly eyes from the $1 store. Says Grandpa: “Even my socks are looking back at me now!”

Evelyn has inherited the relentless Artist’s gene. Hooray, this world can use all the creative people it can get. There are so many choices available for her future as an Artist should she choose to make it her career. Creative minds are appreciated as an asset wherever a person chooses to work. Even though she’s only 4 1/2 years old, if I have any influence it will be to help guide my neice to #1 have fun learning. Her attention is so sharp, she is capable being an engineer or architect, or she may wish to start her own business. Wherever it leads you, Evelyn, sweetie, I’m there for ya!

 
I think that a painting is more than the sum of its parts, but it’s the parts that have more to teach.
Some of the details in this painting are kind of groundbreaking for me, and new things I tried will be applied to future paintings, but with an honest and unbiased eye toward it, from a distance it looks like just another landscape. That seems to be the general opinion about most landscapes; being the most popular genre of painting, they are so common they need a second glance and closer study in order to be fully appreciated. Anyway, with this one I’m now pleased with the efforts, but when I started painting this one I had no intentions of posting it, mainly because it’s my interpretation of a postcard, commissioned by a neighbor.

The neighbors thoughtfully collect our mail and water the garden whenever we’re away, even when not asked, so when they requested a painting to be copied from a postcard of his home town in France I cringed (you know, about the copying thing), but then agreed. With no deadline demanded there was plenty of time to wrap my head around this project, and I took it. I still wanted to do a good job despite my strong convictions about copying, and waited for a time when I felt ready to do my best – because the first few strokes are as important as the last.

There are decent arguments for and against a “right time” for things, and if a job needs doing immediately I have no problem doing it immediately, but I was thankful to have a little more time without the pressure to visualize this one.
I came to terms with the thing by finally just starting it, and the rest of this blog entry explains how that taught me more than my last five paintings all together.

Once I let go of all the over-thinking about ethics and integrity, while resolving to make it my own I got lost in the most important part of anything you create: the work; that zone – we all want to get lost in The Zone! It turned into a really interesting, fun learning opportunity.

There are a lot of slogans, terms, traditions, quotes and art-myths passed along through generations of artists. We absorb them over the years and they gradually play a part in forming our opinions and our work habits to some extent. Impulsively we set up walls that can get in the way of seeing and discovery.

We need assignments like this that challenge us to break free from rules, if only temporarily…rules that may be fine for others but may prevent us from exploring the avenues that lead to our own personal best.

There’s a lot of competition in the Art Biz, a surplus of advice, group lessons, suggestions, and strong opinions about what art is and isn’t, what you should and shouldn’t do, and even a kind of unspoken underground rating system that some people have, pinpointing what style or motivational source is better than another.
The point here is: whatever the initial source is that gets you painting or creating something, then use it. If it feels right for you then it is right for you. There are things in each painting, successful or not, that bridge all our efforts into the next. The act of working is valuable above all, whatever it is or however it’s done. The value you hold for yourself translates into your work that, if successful, may also become valuable to someone else.

“Your eyes are like plastic pearls”

“I bet you say that to all the inanimate objects”

The romance began last year.

The Fourth of July, 36H x 48W x 2D inches, acrylics on canvas, wrapped sides painted. Sold.

The Oxide Gallery in Denton had an open call today for Artists to bring in three paintings that best represented current work, to be judged for upcoming space openings.  Even though I didn’t think The Fourth of July was finished, I brought it in because it has the cheerful colors and bold marks that I’d like to inject more into future work. Usually there are lots of colors used, but they get layered over each other on the canvas and can become muted. The gallery owners informed me that it is finished! OK, great, I’ll take their advice. I’m quite happy to move on to another painting.

Especially toward the final stages when so much time and study has been invested, we can be so involved in the work we don’t see it with a fresh perspective the way others do. Other people’s eyes and opinions are so valuable.

Merit Award winning Adam, 11H x 14W inches graphite on paper, 21 x 25 inches framed will be on exhibit as part of VAST Connections, running from October 3rd through November 1st. Sponsored by the Visual Arts Society of Texas and the Visual Arts Coalition of Dallas, the exhibition will be held at the VACD Gallery in the Thompson Fine Arts, Inc. Building, 2902 Maple Avenue, Suite A , Dallas, TX. Gallery hours: Fri, Sat: 11a.m. – 5 p.m.

This photo was taken just outside of Nashville where we stopped to take photos of the trees draped with vines, naturally occurring topiary, amazing – looking like animals and people turned into forest.  Those were cool enough, and the tire skid marks were an extra unexpected find. The photo has been turned into a black and white, then a colored portion from the bottom was superimposed on top of that…my favorite digital trick. Now one last trip for this year, driving to California and the Giant Redwoods – back on the 13th.