Sunday, December 19, 2010

Thursday, December 2, 2010

His Majesty


Here it is Finished I will have it hanging in the FRESH gallery for the December First Friday Art Walk.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

African Lions


I have not posted for a while but I have been busy painting. Here is the start of my latest African wildlife painting. I’m using photos that I took last week for the main characters, yes we have lions at the Springfield Dickerson Park Zoo, and if you have all day they will eventually pose for you. Using Photo-Paint (the Corel version of Photo Shop) I combined 3 images to compose this scene. I used it for reference and sketched it onto the canvas then using Raw Umber thinned I painted the under painting. The canvas size is 24" x 36"

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Using a 3D model to get an accurate perspective


Here is how I applied the banjo case model to the sketch that I had already started on my 16” x 20” canvas. This view was cropped. I could have worked it out with projection lines, but this approach was a learning experience. It is all about the spatial relationship of objects.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Making Art


Here are some preliminary studies for the painting I am working on today. In the lower right corner is a paper model of a banjo case I made in order to get the perspective just right.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Friday, July 16, 2010

VBS Backdrop


It’s time again for VBS at HBC. This is the backdrop for this year. I just finished it tonight. I love painting these same panels year after year, this it the tenth time now.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Monday, June 14, 2010

It's Good To Go


This is the first finished from the group of three paintings below. The size is 8” x 10” oil on canvas panel.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

New Works For Next Art Walk at FRESH Gallery


I was busy getting my art In the FRESH gallery for the June Art Walk, so I have not posted anything for a while. It was a good night lots of people got a chance to see my work on display. Now I’m working on paintings for next month. Here are the under paintings of some of the work I will have on display next time.

Monday, May 10, 2010

More Zebras


I continue to refine my 4 step process of drawing, under painting, color block in, and then the final adjustments. Today’s painting started with a drawing having less detail this time. I wanted the painting process to remain loose because I think that works best for Zebra stripes.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Step Two: The Under Painting


Having an accurate drawing before I start the under painting allows me to concentrate more on the values rather than both the composition and drawing plus the values like I use to. I had stated on an earlier post that I could skip the process of drawing on the canvas first. At that time I was using vine charcoal and the drawing was not that good, so I would have to spend time correcting the drawing. I know now that accuracy is the key for this process.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Step One: The Drawing "Butting Heads"


Here is the start of my next painting. It is hard to see but if you click the image you can see a larger view. This canvas is a 16” x 20” the lines represent the division using the Golden Ratio. The right eye of the facing Springbok is located at one of the Golden Means of this rectangle.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Plein Aire


Today a watercolor at Bambino’s painted on 140 lb 5.5”x 8.5”.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Plein Aire


Today’s painting a 5” x 7” was done at the Japanese Gardens at Nathaniel Green Park.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Painting In The Background


I’m still working with a limited palette, but here I have replaced the Burnt Umber with Cadmium Orange. The orange when tinted with white brings out the yellow and from that I can mix up a green using the Ultramarine Blue. Because I’m using complementary colors they look good together and with mixing I can get a full range of colors with harmony.

Monday, April 5, 2010

The Underpainting


The composition was scaled up from the sketch, by drawing on the canvas with a graphite (HB) pencil. I’m using a medium texture double primed canvas, and it is like drawing on course sandpaper. However the drawing is not for detail, but only to place the elements in the composition. The underpainting allows me to add some detail and values to strengthen to painting.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Making Art


This is a section of a sketch for my next painting. It was scaled down to be one third the size of the 24” x 36” canvas I will be painting on. The section lines I used here for the composition will be the same on the canvas making it easy to scale up the drawing, and allow me to make some adjustments to the original sketch.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Opening Day SPA


I always like to get out and paint, and today was the first gathering of the SPA (Springfield Plein Aire) painters. About 30 artists made it out to paint, talk about art, eat, and show off the work we did over the winter, good stuff. The elephant painting was well received and I won the wildlife category, but the little 5" X 7" painting I did of the clown salt and pepper shakers I was told, topped it.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Back In The Studio Again


Finished at last, I started this painting January 15. I was moving through the process at a pretty good clip, when it just got to cold to work in my studio. In a previous post you can see the start of this painting and the glow of my only heat source. This has been a cold Winter, but Spring is here and I’m back in the studio again praise GOD!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Still Life


I have gone from one extreme to the other this canvas is only 5” X 7”. As with the last painting, I am starting to use a more scientific approach to Design. I’m using the golden ratio for division and the intersecting lines on the 24” X 36” canvas, and here with a dynamic rectangle, I’m using symphonic composition to add points of interest and rhythm to the design.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Foreground and Background


Today I got a late start I focused on the zebras in the background painting loosely and going for an out of focused hazy look, then I painted the male springbuck in the foreground with more detail to make it pop out in front leading the viewer back into the painting.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Elephants


Here is the first painting or color block in for the elephants. I will be painting them a little darker than the photo I’m using for reference.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Back in the studio


It is good to be back in the studio painting after a couple of very cold weeks. I’m working on a larger scale this time my canvas is 24” x 36”. I started by drawing the elephants with charcoal and then using burnt umber thinned I painted the under painting you see here.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Verdict


For now I will not give a narrative as to the massage of this painting allowing the viewer to draw their own conclusion, but I will say this.

Painting is a spiritual experience for me, sometimes more spiritual than others. Here I wanted a painting with a heart theme that would transmit a massage of love, and the only concept I had when I started was my hands forming a heart. As I started painting the thought of God’s ultimate love was overwhelming.