Half Perc

Half Perc

oil on hardboard panel
12'' x 12"

My plan was to complete two more paintings for the October show at Anne Irwin Fine Art, but alas, "the best laid schemes o' mice and men, gang aft agley". Time just ran out, so this will be the final piece. Eleven paintings is not too bad actually, considering the brief amount of time I had to get ready. I've done this "half perc" before for ebay in a much smaller format. It was nice this time to paint it larger, and include the wonderful deco engraving on the front. Now, I'll get busy on some new ebay paintings, and once those are all on the auction block I'll be working on photography. I've been actively procuring new items from ebay for future paintings, and I'm looking forward to some fresh compositions, and a few new subjects.

Espresso Cup

Espresso Cup

oil on hardboard panel
12'' x 12"

I've been painting coffee cups like this for years now. I've been on a quest to capture that elusive translucent quality of the ceramic surface. I feel I get a little closer with each new attempt, and one of these days I'm going to nail it.

This piece gave me a lot of trouble when it came to photographing the finished painting. I'm still not happy with the final image, but after nearly an hour of phutsing with it in Photoshop, I felt it was acceptable. Photographing the final painting, and producing an accurate likeness is a real challenge. I've been modifying my technique over the years, and have yet to come up with a foolproof method. As with the technique for painting ceramic, I hope to, one of these days, develop a system that consistently results in a faithful reproduction.

Pool Bowl No.10

Pool Bowl No.10

oil on hardboard panel
12'' x 12"

I don't think I could put together a group of paintings for a show, and not include at least one painting of my ubiquitous pool balls. Pool Bowl No.10 will be that one for the October 16th show at Anne Irwin Fine Art. At this point there are still a couple of weeks before I run out of time to add more work. I've got one on the easel now, and I'm going to attempt to squeeze in one more. This will be my first show since the demise of Twinhouse, and I have to admit I'm a little nervous. I think I've put together a pretty good group of paintings, just hope people show up opening night.

Red Shoes

Red Shoes

oil on hardboard panel
12'' x 12"

As with the painting of the blocks below, this portrait of a woman's red shoes, also comes from a batch of photos I created for a recent corporate commission. I shot hundreds of images for that job, but only used four. That left me with a surplus of really good compositions, that I still wanted to paint. Red Shoes, as well as an earlier painting titled My Right Foot, will represent shoes in the October show at Anne Irwin Fine Art. If they prove to be a popular subject, I'll be happy to return to them again. If they don't, I'll shelve those images in hopes of returning to them at a later date. Now I'm onto another 12 x 12 also planned for the fall show. In fact most, if not all, of what I'll be working on during the month of September, will be headed to Anne Irwin. Opening night is scheduled for the 16th of October, so I've still got a little time to flesh it out.

Blocks

Blocks

oil on hardboard panel
18'' x 18"

I knew when I created many of the images I used for the Chicago commission I would be returning to them for gallery work. I'm not sure how they will be received by the art going public, but I'm very fond of many of those compositions. These blocks in particular are one of my favorites. It's headed to Anne Irwin Fine Art for the October show along with the cherries below. The Dick Blick panel I painted this on was wonderful. I only wish they came in larger sizes. I think if I could find all of the sizes I need, I wouldn't use anything else. Ampersand makes a pre-primed panel called "gessoboard" that does come in a wider variety of sizes, so I'm going to give them a try, and see how it takes paint.

The first pass on the ladies red shoes is done, and while it's drying I need to get going on my next painting. One of the most difficult aspects of this career, for me, is deciding on which composition to do next. Occasionally it's necessary to bring in an outside source to break a tie. Karen and I usually provide that service for one another.

Cherry Bowl No.6

Cherry Bowl No.6

oil on gallery wrap canvas
12'' x 12"

I finally finished the cherry bowl, along with a second, larger painting, which I'll post an image of tomorrow. These will be part of an October show I'll be sharing with another artist at Anne Irwin Fine Art here in Atlanta. I'm currently working on a pair of ladies shoes, and have drawings done for a number of other paintings to be included in that show. The opening is scheduled for October 16th, and I'm working quickly to get as many pieces done as I can prior to that date.