Cracker Bowl

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

Karen has been suggesting for the longest time that I paint some saltine crackers, so I finally broke down, and gave them a try. Since I've been a glass mode lately, I decided to place them in a glass bowl. I really enjoy painting that thick rim on this particular bowl. It would be great if this subject proves to have more life to it, because it was fun to paint. If you'd like to place a bid on this painting, you can access the auction, by clicking here.

Half Perc No.4

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

During my last search for vintage appliances on ebay, I came across this Cory electric percolator. I was struck by its elegance, but it was that ribbed handle that cinched the deal for me. I have to admit the complexity of that handle increased the time it took to paint, but I think it was worth the effort. If you'd like to bid on this piece, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Wild Turkey

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

In addition to participating in holiday festivities this past week, I've also been busy working on five new ebay paintings. I think it's a pretty good group. The first piece, is a blast from the past. I've done a number of these "bourbon" paintings, and was in the mood to do one again. I'm not really a connoisseur of liquor, but I do love a shot of Wild Turkey from time to time.

In addition to the ebay pieces, I've got a couple of larger paintings going as well. I'm courting my wife's gallery in Houston, and as soon as these two are complete I'll be sending them out to Dean Day Gallery, in hopes that they'll take me on.

If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

A Glorious Dawn

Karen and I spent the evening with Jeff and Leslie Cohen for our annual cookie making Christmas eve. During our visit Jeff took me back to his studio/office to show me this video. Being a long time fan of Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking, it bowled me over.

It was created by John Boswell. John's states of his project (The Symphony of Science), "was designed to deliver scientific knowledge, and philosophy in musical form". His website, The Symphony of Science, has more songs, and links for anyone interested in science. The song is also available for download from iTunes.

Blocks No.5

18 x 18 oil on hardboard

When Jeff at Stricoff Fine Art, and I talked about new paintings for his gallery, he expressed an interest in the blocks, so I was happy to oblige. We communicated recently, and he was glad to have this, and Place Setting (see Dec. 10th post) as well. I'm always a little nervous when I send images to galleries for approval, so it was a relief when he reacted so enthusiastically to these two paintings. There was also some discussion about sending these to the L. A. ArtShow in January. I'm not sure why I'm so excited at the thought of having my work in Los Angeles. Whatever the reason, I hope they make it there.

Seasons Greetings from CBS

One of my fondest televised recollections of Christmas, was this sixty second holiday greeting aired on CBS in the 6o's. It was such a poignant little animation, I was always surprised that it wasn't resurrected each year. Kudos to CBS at that time, for allotting a minute of airtime just to say "Seasons Greetings". I did a Google search, and found the video on YouTube. I wanted to post it here as my holiday greeting for 2009. For those of you who remember it, I hope it sparks happy memories, and for those who are seeing it for the first time, enjoy. Happy Holidays!

Place Setting

16 x 20 oil on hardboard

I finally finished "Place Setting". I think it turned out pretty good. I hadn't painted glass in a long time, and it was fun to get back to it. Now I'm onto the next piece to be offered to Stricoff Fine Art, Ltd. It's another set of blocks. They have been getting a lot of positive response, they're a treat to paint, so it was a logical choice.

Karen's Solo Show at Dean Day

Karen and I headed out early Friday morning for Houston to attend the opening night reception of her show at Dean Day Gallery. As we dropped through the clouds into William P. Hobby Airport, we were greeted by the second great snow storm to hit Houston in the last ten years. Our drive from the airport to the hotel took place in nearly blizzard conditions. Karen had been working on her show for months, and it was a big decision to make the trip at all. Now it looked as though the whole thing could be a bust because of the weather.

We drove over to the gallery around midday, then spent the better part of the afternoon getting acquainted with the owner Cathy Albright (above left). It was a really nice visit. Later that evening Cathy took us out to a wonderful restaurant for dinner, providing a satisfying end to what could have been a pretty bad day.

By Saturday morning the front had completely moved through, and weather wise it was turning out to be a beautiful day. As tourists, the one thing we both wanted to do while we were there was visit the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. It's a great museum. If you ever find yourself in Houston, we highly recommend you add it to your list of must sees'.

After the museum we returned to the hotel to relax, and get cleaned up for the reception. We headed over to the gallery a little before six, and people had already begun to arrive. By six thirty the place was packed. It was a terrific turn out. Karen was a little overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection for her, and her paintings. By the time they closed the doors she had met a lot of nice people, and sold four paintings. The kind of show we all hope for.

To top off the night our Houston friends, and devoted collectors Lory Quist, and Judy Vandagriff along with their better halves Greg and Ross took us out to another amazing restaurant for dinner. These are four wonderful, and exceedingly generous people. It was a joy to spend time with them.

For me, I had the added benefit of spending time with Greg Quist, and talking aviation. If you've read the bio on my website, you know that I've had a long time interest in flying. Greg's a senior captain with Southwest Airlines, who prior to that was a Navy fighter pilot. F-14's, and aircraft carriers. Very, very cool!

When we got back to the hotel I checked our email on my phone, and to add a final cherry to the top a very successful show, there was a message from Kelly at Mason Murer Gallery saying that she had sold another of Karen's paintings that afternoon. How great is that?

We flew back to Atlanta early the next morning, and both agreed that it had been a wonderful trip. Karen and I would also like to thank Cathy at Dean Day, and Lory, Judy, Greg and Ross again for showing us such a great time. Thanks.

As for me, I've been working on a painting for a little over a week now, which should be complete in the next day or so. This one, and a second that's ready to start, will be offered to Stricoff Fine Art. If I'm lucky, they'll be accepted, then sent to the L.A. Art Show in January.

Flatware

6 x 12 oil on hardboard

The last few weeks had me occupied with a complete master bath remodel. We "hired" it done, but there were still enough peripheral chores to keep me out of the studio, and in construction mode. I did manage to squeeze in three small paintings during what little free time I could find. Anne Irwin asked if I could provide a few paintings for her upcoming Small Works show in December. I was pretty excited about the photography I had done of the silverware Karen's parents had brought over, so decided to try a triptych. Now I'm back at work painting for Stricoff Fine Art. I'm hoping they will like what I'm doing enough to send them out to the west coast for the Los Angeles Art Show in January.

Black Grapes

black grapes

oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

It's funny how one of the most common themes in still life paintings, down through the ages, has been the grape, and yet I have never painted them. I'm not sure why. Plenty of other fruits, and lots of cherries, but no grapes. When I recently came across these beautiful black grapes at COSTCO, I knew I would have to give them a try. Those wonderful frosty blues, and hints of alizarin crimson were irresistible. Can't wait to do another. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can participate in the auction by clicking here.

Crackers and Milk

crackers and milk

oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

One of the new subjects explored in my recent photography sessions, was saltine crackers. In and out of their translucent wrappers. I paired them here with a glass of milk. Back in the old days when I still consumed white flour, I loved to eat saltines, and wash them down with a glass of milk. Now that's a faded memory, but I still think they go together pretty well in a painting. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

Flatware No. 2

flatware no. 2

oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

One day during my recent week of photography, Karen's parents came by, and brought a box filled with old silverware. Thought we may like to have it. I spilled the box out on the kitchen table, then sorted them out to find the most photogenic pieces. I was looking for a new spoon to go with a coffee cup composition. When I saw the pieces laying there, I really liked how they looked all lined up, so I started taking pictures of them in various configurations. This is the first of hopefully many of these paintings. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

Blocks No.4

blocks no.4

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

Another day of remodeling. It's kind of strange having other craftsmen working on our home other than me. I spent most of my free time during the first eight years we lived here doing all the remodeling myself. A leak in our master bath was the impetuous for this remodel, and with both of us painting full time, it was necessary to go to a contractor for this job. I have to say, it's wonderful experience watching people at work who really know their job. The tile guys came today, and it's been a joy to watch these artisans practice their craft. They began at nine this morning, and are still at it as I write this post (8:00 p.m.), and the room looks so good. Karen is really happy to finally have the bath she's waited for for so long. Getting back to some art of my own, tonight it's blocks. I've gotten so much positive response from this subject that I've decided to do another. Which is fine with me, because they are fun to paint. If you'd like to take part in the auction of this painting you bid by clicking here.

Autumn

autumn

oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

I've been going in ten different directions for the last week or so. Karen and I are remodeling our bathroom, so we've been dealing with contractors, craftsmen, and its' subsequent disruption of our daily routine. Plus I've been helping Karen get ready for her December show at Dean Day Gallery in Houston. In the small breaks peppered through all of this, I've also been working to get some new paintings out there. The maple leaves above will be the first of five ebay paintings scheduled to be listed this week. I've also been working on three new paintings for Anne Irwin's "Small Works" show, also scheduled for the first week of December. Once all of these are complete, I'll be getting back to some larger pieces planned for Stricoff Fine Art. They send work to the L.A. Art Show each year, and they mentioned that they would like to send a couple of pieces from me, so I really need to get going. If you'd like to bid on the painting above, you can access the auction by clicking here.

p.s. I joined FaceBook this week, and I have to say that it's been a very warm experience, and a great place to find, and network with other artists.

Friends, Heroes and Strangers: Nigel Cox at GX

Nigel Cox is an artist living in London, and who is represented there by GX Gallery. We correspond from time to time. Lately we've been comparing notes on the progress leading up to our respective October openings. Nigel's show opened on Friday the 23rd, and was by all accounts a huge success. Attendance was, "full to capacity", and by the end of the evening he had sold nine paintings. All of the paintings shown in the image above. Karen and I are big fans of his paintings, and if you're not familiar with his work you should check out his blog and website. Congratulations Nigel on your well deserved success!

As for me, I've spent the entirety of the last eight days doing nothing but photography, and I'll probably spend a day or two more before I get back to painting. I have to say that I'm really itching to get back to the easel. It doesn't take more than a few days before that "need" to paint reaches the urgent state. I imagine I'll start with a group of ebay pieces, then get back to work for the galleries.

My Interview with Jim Thalassoudis

Jim Thalassoudis an accomplished, and extremely talented landscape painter from Australia contacted me a few days ago to see if I would be interested in participating in an interview for his art blog, In the Real Art World. He wanted to spotlight the work from my current show at Anne Irwin Fine Art, and flesh out the post with an interview. I was more than happy to oblige. If you'd like to read the interview you can access the post by clicking here. Thanks Jim!

Anne Irwin Debut

some of the paintings from the show at Anne Irwin Fine Art

The debut show of my work at Anne Irwin Fine Art was friday night. Anne, Tiffany and Sybil had done a beautiful job hanging the paintings. My loyal cadre of intrepid friends, and family braved a rather cold drizzly night to attend, and show their support. They were augmented by a modest, but extremely warm, and friendly band of gallery goers. Each of them eager to let me know how much they admired my work. They were all very sweet, and it was great to hear so many favorable critiques. Listening to these positive comments really helps to substantiate ones hope that what you do is working. A constant question in the back of my mind. It's also wonderful to hear that your work affects people in such a positive way. It doesn't get much better than observing an art patron walk up to one of your paintings, and react with a smile.

p.s. I also sold a painting that night. The Half Perc.

Coke Crate No.2

coke crate no.2

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

. . . and finally this week, the other half of a coke crate I painted a couple of years ago. The crate was sitting on top of a weathered metal cooler embossed with the coca cola logo, just outside a "chuck wagon" style fast food vendor in Seaside Florida. I always liked the first version I painted of this composition, and knew that one day I'd revisit it. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

Cherry Plate

cherry plate

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

Cherries. There is something special about this succulent little fruit. It's beautiful, tastes really great, and it's one of my favorite things to paint. If you'd like to bid on this painting, click here to take part in the auction.

Couple

couple

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

Back to the commission themes once again. His shoe, her shoe. If you'd like to bid on this painting, click here to participate in the auction.

Blocks No.3

blocks no. 3

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

I thought I'd try the blocks on an ebay auction, and see if anyone bites. I really like this particular subject, and this would give me another reason to paint them. If you'd like to bid on this painting, click here to take part in the bidding.

PB&J No. 12

pb&j no. 12

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

I've got a new batch of ebay paintings coming up this week. Starting off tonight with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I'm very happy with the use of the negative space on this one, borrowing the idea from the half perc below. I love funky crops. Once these five are all up, I'll be getting to work on new paintings for Stricoff Fine Art. The corporate commissions early in the year, and preparing for the show at Anne Irwin Fine Art forced me to set them on the back burner. So the next few months will spent getting them some new work. If you'd like to bid on the painting above, you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

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.

Pool Bowl No.7

Pool Bowl No.7

oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

. . . and last but not least a bowl of pool balls. This completes the weeks ebay offerings. I recently did a tally of all my pool ball paintings, and this will be number 26. It's been a joyful run, and I think a subject that still has some life left in it. I'll be shipping the large pool balls up to Wynne/Falconer on monday, where I hope a collector will give it a good home. I'm also nearly done with the first pass on my next gallery piece for Anne Irwin Fine Art. I should mention that I am delighted with the surface of the Dick Blick pre-primed panel I'm using for that piece. It's wonderful. If you get the urge to bid on the painting above, you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

Half Loaf

Half Loaf

oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

Karen has made it clear to me that I should have a bread painting in the works at all times. She's a fan of my bread paintings, so I've done a small one for this weeks auction offerings. I cropped this one tight, diving right into the heart of the loaf. It's an unusual composition, but I believe it really works. In fact I'm thinking of doing it again down the line in a larger format. If you'd like to bid on this painting you can access the auction by clicking here.

Milk Jug

Milk Jug

oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

This little milk jug pops up from time to time. It's been a while since I painted it, but thought it was time to visit it once more. There is something about the convoluted top of this glass bottle that really excites me. The patterns of light, and color produced by the shape of the glass is so beautiful. Bidding for this painting can be accessed by clicking here.

My Shoe

My Shoe

oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

Next up this week is a spin off of one of my commissioned paintings. I liked a lot of the photography I did for those, and planned at the time to eventually incorporate some of those images in future gallery and ebay paintings. One of my favorite themes were the shoes, and so I've come back to those. I love painting them, and I'm hoping they prove to be popular, so I can do more. You can access this auction by clicking here.

PB&J No.11

PB&J No.11

oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

In between passes on my current cherry bowl painting I've been working on five new pieces for auction on ebay. Up first this week is the eleventh in a series of peanut butter and jelly sandwich paintings. A favorite theme of mine, "borrowed" years ago from a piece I saw painted by Duane Keiser. Hopefully, by the time these are all listed I'll have completed a version of the cherry painting I'm happy with. This one, for some reason, has been really kicking my butt. I've also begun a new painting slated for the October show at Anne Irwin Fine Art. I'm using a 16 x 16 pre-made panel from Dick Blick for that one. I'm curious to see how this surface takes the paint. If you'd like to bid on the painting above, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Pool Balls No.6

Pool Balls No.6

oil on gallery wrap canvas
24'' x 24"

I finished up the big pool balls a couple of days ago, and I think the painting turned out pretty nice. It was encouraging to complete an over-scale painting, and be pleased with the results. I haven't decided exactly where it will be going just yet, but it will probably wind up at Wynne/Falconer. The cherries painting is still a work in progress, and I'm wading into my next five ebay paintings. I should begin listing them next monday evening.

Chevrolet

Chevrolet

oil on gallery wrap canvas
16'' x 20"

And last, but not least, this vintage automobile, I titled simply Chevrolet. The painting has made the rounds, and still not found a home. If fate deems that I wind up keeping it, that's okay, because I really like it. A lot.

The pool balls are finished, and I'll post the completed image tomorrow. I think it turned out pretty cool. Painting that large was definitely a new experience. In the scheme of things, 24 x 24 isn't really all that big, but it was a leap for me. I couldn't help but wonder, "how much larger could I go with something like this"? I suppose I should wait, and see how it's received before I jump in with both feet.

Today I'll be working on the Cherries, followed by either group of ebay paintings, or the reflective piece for Wynne/Falconer. If you'd like to take part in the auction for the painting above, you can place a bid by clicking here.

Tomato on the Edge

Tomato on the Edge

oil on gallery wrap canvas
10'' x 10"

The second of my three returns is another "item on a sunlit mantle", and I'll toot my own horn a little here by saying I think it's one of my best tomatoes. In other news, I'm getting close to the completion of the really big pool ball painting. It should be done in the next day or so. I'm also about halfway through a new bowl of cherries painting slated for the fall show at Anne Irwin Fine Art. Karen and I went to an opening there last Thursday to see a show of emerging artists. Our friend Leslie Cohen had her work on display. It was a fun night. The gallery was packed. Literally elbow to elbow. A bunch of other galleries in the area were also open that night, and we hit most of them before the night was over. I'll be getting started on a reflective piece for Wynne/Falconer as soon as the cherries are done. If you would like to bid on the painting above, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Small Kettle

Small Kettle

oil on gallery wrap canvas
10'' x 10"

My next three posts may evoke feelings of déjà vu for some of you who have followed my blog for a while. Each has been here before. In the course of my brief career as an artist, a few of my paintings, have for what ever reason, proven to be "red headed stepchildren". Years ago I began to refer to these unfortunate, and unsold paintings, hanging on the wall of my studio, as "the gallery of shame". I still, jokingly, use this phrase today when I speak of my unsold paintings. The paradoxical aspect of this situation is that many, if not most, of these paintings were in fact, some of my favorites. Happily, over the course of time, these paintings did sell. Small Kettle, and the paintings in the next two posts, will highlight my current family of orphans, seeking a home. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Some Really Big Pool Balls: in Progress

Pool Balls

oil on canvas
24'' x 24"

I'm inching my way up the large scale ladder. I've been dancing around the idea of doing a big pool ball painting for a while now, and at 24 x 24, I believe this one fits the bill. I get requests, on occasion, to include some in progress images of a painting. Since this particular piece will probably take some time, I thought it would be a good one to use for that purpose. The image above shows the painting at the completion of the first pass. I'll post more images as I conclude successive passes.