Back to it

Building Summer, 2008. oil on canvas 40 x 58 sold

We are finally back into our house. It's good to be home! We are still settling in and a few things still need to done but things seem to be getting back to normal ( at least a little bit). I think I might even get into my studio this week. ( a real shock, I know, it's been five or six weeks!) I'm ready...I have some work that I need to get started on for early next year.

In the meantime...

We had our reception for the miniature show at First Street last Friday. ( I organized the show for the gallery.) What a party! I think there was over two hundred people at the reception and sales were fairly strong. A grad time was has by all. It was great to see friends and meet new collectors. I'll write more soon...see ya then.

Oh, I guess I should mention this painting is another larger painting from my show. I kinda went old school on it...back to my classic style (can I even have a classic style?) of five or six years ago. Though I have to say I would have never painted the clouds the way I did in this painting six years ago...It was interesting to come back to some of the same color ideas again and see how I look at things differently now.

Working with it

Postlude, 2008
oil on panel

7 x 8

This is one of my smaller pieces in my show. I am still playing around with the whole purple/green combination. As I'm getting more comfortable with the color structure, I think I may try a larger piece soon with these same color cords. The sky color was the big surprise, I can remember mixing it on my palette and thinking, "this is never going to work, its too green!" but when it began working together with the other colors in the painting, it felt right. This is one great reason to work out problems on smaller paintings. The time and energy spent on a smaller painting is not near as much as I would spend on a large paintings. So I tend to take as many chances as I dare in my smaller works, I play around and see if something new will work. But in my larger works, I can't afford to spend a lot of time on something and then have to throw it away. I need to have a pretty good idea of what I am doing on a larger work before I start. That is not to say that I don't improvise on larger works. I do. Just because something works on a smaller scale doesn't mean that it will work in a larger scale, so I am still solving other painting problems. But, if I can work out some of issues of a new visual idea on a smaller panel, then I feel I can be more effective in my larger works.



At least that how I feel this month....

A remodel, a broken foot, and a broken arm

Even Later, 2008. oil on panel, 7 x 8

Sorry about the long silence, but I have been kinda occupied. In the last month I (with the great help from my good friend Lee) refinished all of our hardwood floors, about 1000 square feet. ( I really had no idea how much work it was going to be, but we sanded the floors for four days straight!) and then redid the linoleum tile in our bathroom. But then in the middle of all this sanding, in the course of two days, my lovely wife broke her big toe and my youngest broke his arm. So we had many visits to urgent care centers, doctors, and specialists. Which put us way behind. Did I mention we are living with my parents? I think the painting above is one of two small paintings that I finished in the last month. Didn't I use to paint for a living?

Life kind of kicks you in the butt sometimes...

We're almost done with everything at the house and will probably move back in this weekend, maybe life will get back to some kind of normal soon (or maybe not).

More Work

Big Turns, 2008. oil on canvas, 44 x 54

Here is another painting from my show. I wanted to see how painterly I could be in the orchards in this painting. I was surprised how little detail was needed and still have them feel like my orchards. I was excited by the outcome and I look forward to trying the same idea again on another painting soon.

Enjoy.

Another Way

Evening's Embrace, 2008. oil on canvas 40 x 40 sold

Here is a larger piece from my show. I did a whole series of these blue cloud/yellowish sky combo several years ago and just revisited it again for this show. My color sense has really evolved over the years, even using some of the same color ideas from the past has proven surprising. The color has become more subdued, less jarring at times. I can't really explain how or why this has happened and I don't really think it matters. I'm always seeing things, outside, in other artist's paintings that change how I look at the landscape. I am always being influenced by many different sources.

I enjoy seeing things in a new light of a different experiences, its one reason why I think I will always put paint to canvas.

Enjoy.

It's up and I'm Done

Ascending, 2008. oil on panel 12 x 15. sold

So my show is finally up. I finished varnishing things today (I know the show opened on Monday, things went up Monday unvarnished, what can I say?) You can see the show at First Street Gallery's website, if you don't live in the area. If you do why don't you stop by and see it yourself? The reception is tomorrow night from six to eight in the evening. It should be a fun party.

I'm really pleased with how everything turned out. The paintings are strong. ( at least that's how I feel about them right now, I still could be a little too close to them) I tried some new things in this show that I think will help improve my work over the long haul. I'll talk about more about that in future posts.

Right now I really just want to spend some time with my family and relax...cause I'm done.

Enjoy.

I'm not lost, I just don't know what day it is

Late Stormy Color, 2008. oil on panel, 8 x 7

I have been totally slammed by an upcoming show. Somehow I got behind on it, so now it's put up or shut up. I'm not sleeping well, so I just get up and ride over to my studio and go to work early in the morning. I tend to work well under pressure so I feel like I am doing some strong work. I have two weeks before the show opens, and I will be working to the bitter end. I haven't even had time to document any of my new paintings, but I will so new work is coming soon.

Stay tuned....