Having Studio Fun And Learning

With new ink and pens sitting waiting for some time for me... I toot a few days for doing fun things with them. One work done was a 9 1/2 x 9 1/2" sketch of my granddaughter Jackie. If she lived closer, I would love to have her as a model more often. But this was done from a photo and that had to do. It is a work closer to works what I did years ago when I lived in Italy. It is fun and loose. I need to do these more often. I promised myself that I would!

Then when I was looking through old photos for inspiration for new paintings , I came across a scene I wanted to sketch. It was a photo of a statue that had intrigued me on one of our trips to Saratoga Springs, NY ,  where I had work with Equidae Gallery. I loved the statue's up held arm with the fingers bend and one finger missing. I loved the flowers clutched to her breast. So another  pen and ink came to life.

It was enlightening to get back into pen and ink...and it has me exciting about some new ideas I have for future works.....

But now ......back to painting!

Two Small Casein Portraits

Max and His Pumpkin casein 8 x 5 1/2"

Two small quick caseins of our grandsons are ready to go to my son and daughter-in-law. The boys are growing so fast it is hard to paint fast enough to capture them...but I think I did this time!
These are just to depict a great day last fall, when the sun was shining and snow was nowhere to be found. Today the snow is all around, and though the sun is brilliant, the air is very cold and nipping one's nose. Fall days like depicted in these two paintings are a thing of the past! But those days will be remembered now with these small portraits.
On the up side though ...it is now only a little over 40 days until spring! I am so looking forward to that!

"Logan, The Pumpkin King" casein 6 x 8"

Now onto some bigger works that I am doing.....and I will be taking out my watercolors for these.
My afternoon will be spent in the studio, winter sun shining in, and Les Miserable 's wonderful music entertaining my muse!

Into My 'Self "

Our resident hunter was off for a few days of recreation with our sons, hunting the great white-tail. I had my days to myself, to pursue my own entertainment. Of course my day had to be scheduled around the walking of the dogs and caring for the horses...but other than that I was free!!

I have been working on a few paintings for shows that are coming up, but I felt like playing in my paints for a bit...doing something different... and decided to entertain the idea of doing a self-portrait. I hadn't done one in a while and I have always felt that one way to grow and explore as an artist, is to explore and paint one's self.

So I struck this pose in front of our bedroom mirror and Voila' ....a self-portrait arose! It is small, as I don't want to be taken for a self absorbed dilettante,...it is a 6 x 6" casein. Of course to be able to see what I was painting I had to have my posh glasses on! I feel they added to the 'feel' of the painting.

So here it is...'an artist as seen by an artist!' For what it is worth?!!

A Moment In Time

I do like doing commissions, but I have to admit some grab your heart more than others. The above casein commissioned portrait [ 18 x 18"] of a young woman and her beautiful American Saddlebred horse was one of those commissions where I was really inspired by the beauty of both the owner and her "Tiffany". The work was commissioned by the husband without his wife's knowing about it. He provided me with a portfolio of photographs, none of them really showing the scene that he wanted painted. But he did provide me with enough images to work from, so I could construct the "Moment In Time " that he envisioned....and as he explained what he wanted, I immediately saw the image in my mind's eye. There was so much movement in the walking horse and the way I was able to play the light through the background trees and onto the horse and owner....the painting came together the way I wanted it to!

I have held off posting this until the painting present was presented on the wife's birthday. The painting now hangs in their home in Ohio.

This year I am accepting only a few commissions and focusing more on original works. I have a very busy year ahead...but as Martha says "That is a good thing!"

44N 69W:Radius Belfast

I havn't really been doing much showing in the local scene, but I did take one of my new mixed media family painting to the Belfast show “44N 69 W: Radius Belfast” yesterday.
That will hang at the Aarhus Gallery in Belfast through March 29, 2009. The opening reception is March 6th, 5 – 8 pm. I plan to be there…would love to see you all there!!!
This is the painting that I submitted…”How Ya Going To Keep Them Down On The Farm”…you know the song that asks… that after they see Paris?? [PAREE?] You have to see this one to believe it! And it is a small painting..only 8 x 6". But it is framed BIG! [ Not really!]

AND GUESS WHAT…. it’snowing OUT! Our weekly snowstorm promising 6 to 12 inches!