Paintings in Oil

Heavy Duty

2012-01-31T17:22:00.004-05:00

Heavy Duty | 18 x 18 | oil on panel

I went with my gut, and decided to go ahead, and paint the big drill. It may turn out to be a flop, but I had a blast working on it. Most fun I've had on a painting in while. Big knobbly, heavy duty, mechanically, steel tools are just so cool. I need to keep my eye out for more like this. Now on to what ever comes next. I think, maybe it's time for a percolator.

Bowl O Blocks

2012-01-19T10:18:00.005-05:00

Bowl O Blocks | 16 x 16 | oil on panel

I've been putting things in bowls for sometime now, but the objects have all been round and shiny, so I thought I'd try something new and use wooden blocks for a change. I think they worked.

Now my problem is determining what to paint next. I've got a composition that I've been saving for a while now, but I'm not sure how it would be received. It's an image of this really beefy electric drill I borrowed from my buddy Jeff Cohen. It's very cool looking, but there's not much color in the image, and I fear it may have limited appeal to collectors. I think I may just do it anyway.

3 Alarm

2012-01-09T13:52:00.003-05:00

3 Alarm | 24 x 36 | oil on canvas

I was very generous to myself over the holidays, and I gave me permission to paint nothing until the first of the year. I really needed to recharge my batteries, and "tried" not to even think about art for a couple of weeks. It was great just to spend time with family, eat decadent food, go to the movies, read, etc. Now it's time to get back to work.

I found this toy Fire Engine on ebay, and paired it up with an old Zippo cigarette lighter I've had for years for my first painting of 2012. Onward to number two . . .

Happy Holidays 2011

2011-12-18T08:56:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to say Happy Holidays to everyone, and thank you all for visiting my blog and FaceBook page, and for leaving such wonderful comments throughout the year. I hope everyone has a great holiday season, and a terrific 2012.

See you all again next year!

View-Master

2011-12-09T10:13:00.010-05:00

View-Master | 18 x 18 | oil on canvas

I've really been out of the loop for quite a while now. With the Thanksgiving holiday, and family in from out of town, my attention was diverted from my career. Which was a good thing, because Karen and I really needed to get out of the "work all of the time mode", and chill a little bit.

My brother Doug was here from New York, and he convinced us to get a Christmas tree this year. We don't have much space in our house, so we usually just decorate the mantle of our fireplace, but with some creative rearrangement of our furniture it worked perfectly. We had a great time decorating the tree, and it looks great. Thanks bro!

With the first round of holidays over, I've been working on some new stuff, the first of which is this GAF View-Master. These devices used to blow my mind when I was a kid, and I thought it would be fun to paint one. Now I'm deciding on the dimensions of my next piece. I'm thinking of going overscale with it, but haven't made up my mind just yet. I think it could look really cool big. I hoping to make a decision today.

I've had some good sales in the last few weeks. I shipped two paintings to Tree's Place Gallery which were marked for the Boston International Fine Art Show. One sold as it was being unpacked at the gallery, and the second sold at the show. Mason Murer Fine Art sold two of my large paintings. Mule No.2 sold a couple of weeks ago, and they sold my B-25 at the Miami Red Dot Art Fair over the weekend. Karen should have a nice Christmas this year.

Speaking of gifts, I'm thinking of asking Karen for a new ball head for my tripod for Christmas. If there are any photographers out their with a favorite model or brand, I'd appreciate your suggestions/testimonials.

Finger Joints

2011-11-18T18:12:00.006-05:00

Finger Joints | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

The final painting of the week is a mug, and wooden box. The box contains a small microscope given to me by my brother. I love the finger joints, and the little latch which holds the door. If you'd like to bid on this painting you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

Seltzer Bottle

2011-11-17T18:37:00.005-05:00

Seltzer Bottle | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

One of my new acquisitions from ebay. A seltzer bottle made of an exquisite amber colored glass. It's really cool. If you'd like to participate in the bidding, you can access the auction by clicking here.

A Single Spoon

2011-11-16T18:18:00.004-05:00

Single Spoon | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

My third painting for auction this week is a single tarnished spoon. I thought it looked really good just on its' own. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

PB&Jelly

2011-11-15T17:37:00.002-05:00

PB&Jelly | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

Spent most of the day back in my old workshop (the garage) using my woodworking tools once more. It wasn't to create a piece of furniture, but rather to build a big wooden crate to ship a large commissioned painting of Karen's to Australia. I spent a ridiculous amount of time on it, but it was really fun to cut some wood again. Tonight's ebay offering is a new pb&j. If you'd like to participate in the auction, click here.

7RBird

2011-11-14T18:53:00.005-05:00

7RBird | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

I've been out of the loop for quite a while now. I had been doing some new photography, with moderate success. I'll be doing more in the near future. Karen and I also took a few days off, and went up to Hilton Head Island to spend some time with Karin Jurick, her boyfriend Brett, and their two new puppies Zac and Joey. They had rented an amazing house, thirty feet from the beach to stay in while Karin taught one of her wildly successful workshops. We all had a great time together. It was nice to get away, and not think about painting for a little while. As soon as we returned to Atlanta, I got busy working on five new paintings to be auctioned on ebay. 7RBird is the first. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

the 16 Patton Show in Asheville

2011-10-24T10:18:00.009-04:00

Patron checking out Forgotten Dreams

This past Saturday evening we attended the opening night reception for Karen's group show at the 16 Patton Gallery in Asheville, NC. Her work was presented along with that of Karin Jurick and Suzy Schultz. We headed up mid-morning which, entirely by chance, coincided with the departure of Karin Jurick, and we wound up playing an impromptu game of tag as we passed each other periodically on the drive up.

Standing by Stand Off

The weather was absolutely perfect that day, and the city was saturated with tourists. We were all staying in the Haywood Park Hotel in the center of town, and arrived there simultaneously. Our room wasn't quite ready, so we dumped our bags in Karin's room, and headed out to find a place for lunch. Our first two choices had long waits, which was fortuitous because we discovered a wonderful mediterranean restaurant called Jerusalem Garden Cafe. We lingered there as long as we could, but the show was to begin at 5 pm, and we needed to return to the hotel and prepare for the show.

Karen talking with Douglas Hoover

Receptions usually take a little while to heat up, and there were only a few visitors present when we arrived. One of the first people to walk in was Douglas Hoover, an artist and graphic designer from North Carolina. Doug was a really nice guy, and we all had great time talking with him. As the evening progressed the gallery began to fill, and soon it was buzzing. Suzy was in Los Angeles, but the two Kare(i)n's were busy most of the night discussing their work with enthusiastic patrons, while I recorded the event on film.

Gallery goer admiring a portion of Karin Jurick's wall

Early the next morning we shared a wonderful breakfast with Karin at Restaurant Solace, then packed up and headed back to Atlanta. The weather was great, the mountains were beautiful and we had a collection of Richard Matheson short stories playing on the iPod. It made for a delightful ride home.

Jaguar XKE

2011-10-14T12:10:00.011-04:00

Jaguar XKE | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

Not too long ago there was a British Car Show in town, and I went to check it out. My first car was a MGB-GT, so I have a soft spot in my heart for British sports cars. It was a really good show, and I got a lot of photos. A bunch of candid shots and potential painting reference material. I'd like to use some of that photography one day for a large painting, but for now I'll indulge myself with a small one. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can participate in the auction by clicking here.

4 Up 3 Down

2011-10-13T16:36:00.010-04:00

4 Up 3 Down | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

I just can't seem to get enough of this old tarnished silverware, but it may be time to add in some knives and forks. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can participate in the auction by clicking here.

Gumby Mug

2011-10-12T19:12:00.007-04:00

Gumby Mug | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

A couple of years ago the Center for Puppetry Arts here in Atlanta had a special exhibit of Gumby related artifacts. It was a really good show. The gift shop, not surprisingly, had a multitude of Gumby items for sale, and I bought this mug before we left. It's a great little mug, and thought that maybe I should do a painting of it to go along with all the other mugs done over the years. You can access the auction for this painting by clicking here.

Six Blocks

2011-10-11T15:48:00.007-04:00

Six Blocks | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

Some childrens' blocks enlarged with a magnifying glass. To bid on this piece click here.

Charleston Doorway

2011-10-10T19:54:00.006-04:00

Charleston Doorway | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

On a recent trip to Charleston Karen and I were walking around the town when we came upon this open doorway. I couldn't resist stepping inside to get a shot. The entryway was showing its' age, but that terrific door, and the weathered wainscoting were inspiring. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Thank You Steve

2011-10-06T07:37:00.004-04:00

Steve Jobs | 1955-2011

You made my life more productive, and much more fun. Thank you.

I'm interviewed by ArtBookGuy

2011-10-05T08:01:00.006-04:00

I was recently contacted by Michael K. Corbin to do an interview for his website ArtBookGuy. Michael is a writer specializing in books about art. In his own words, "Ultimately, ArtBookGuy is a brand ... a campaign and movement backed by my slogan, "Art For All People." Spreading art appreciation by turning folks on to emerging artists. No fear or snobbery. It teaches that art has unique power to unite us and change lives and the world. Human".

Michael is a great guy, and we had a good time discussing . . . me. So, if you have any interest in what I may have to say about my own paintings you can read the interview here. Karen was interviewed a few weeks earlier by Michael, and you can read her interview here.

I've got a few more paintings ready for the ebay auction block, and I'll begin listing them next Monday. As those auctions run in the background, I'll be doing some photography. I've picked up some new items as subject matter for paintings, and I'm excited to see how they are going to work.

Milkshake Mixer

2011-09-30T21:40:00.002-04:00

Milkshake | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

Another nostalgic offering this week is this old Hamilton Beach milkshake mixer. To participate in the auction click here.

Dumbo Too

2011-09-29T21:28:00.002-04:00

Dumbo Too | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

This carnival ride is such a treat to paint. First off it has that terrific shiny surface, and secondly it has that wonderful happy face. I'm already looking forward to painting it again in the future. To participate in the auction click here.

2 Up 2 Down

2011-09-28T08:38:00.002-04:00

2 Up 2 Down | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

Four tarnished silver spoons. Nuff said. To participate in the auction click here.

Heinz 57

2011-09-27T08:05:00.004-04:00

Heinz 57 | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

There's something about glass, and the color red. They really go well together. To participate in the auction click here.

Olive Goblet

2011-09-26T14:17:00.006-04:00

Olive Goblet | 6 x 6 | oil on panel

I'm back on ebay this week with five new paintings. I used to paint this little silver goblet a lot, but got away from it for a while, so I thought I'd bring it back. I don't know how the olives wound up there, but they really work. If you'd like to bid on this piece, you can access the auction by clicking here.

the Coca Cola Show at Mason Murer

2011-09-18T10:56:00.009-04:00

Otto Lange checking out my contribution

The (first) opening for the Coca Cola show was on Friday night. Mason Murer Fine Art organized the show for a meeting of Coca Cola's top 200 shareholders to be held later in October, but incorporated the Coke paintings into a larger show entitled Real Things which fills the bulk of the gallery.

Gathered around Teresa Fischer's work.

The exhibition was particularly exciting for me because I was able to suggest a number of names to the gallery owner for inclusion in the show, and nearly all of them were able to contribute paintings. My intent wasn't completely altruistic, because I knew it would give me an opportunity to see, in person, the paintings of artists I admire. It's great viewing art on the internet, but it doesn't compare to seeing it in the flesh.

Coca Cola by David Malan

I don't mean to play favorites, because truly all of the paintings were wonderful, but I have to say that the painting Coca Cola by illustrator/artist David Malan was my pick for best of show. I've been a huge fan of his for years, and it was a real treat to finally see one of his pieces up close.

Otto Lange's crushed Coke can

Another artist I've admired for a long time, and one who was able to make it to the opening, is Otto Lange. His crushed Coke can was spectacular. It was really nice to have the chance to meet him, and talk shop for a good part of the evening. I have to say I've been very lucky in the last couple of months to have the opportunity to meet two of my favorite artists. First I meet Teresa Fischer (who has two paintings in the Coke show) in Cape Cod, and now Otto.

Other artist/colleague's, with an internet presence, that took part in the Coke show are: Alvin Richard, Vic Vicini, Chris Stott, Todd Ford, Sally Tharp and Jelaine Faunce.

Mike Kasper

And last, but not least, two terrific paintings by one of my oldest, and best friends Mike Kasper. Mike is one of those people who seem to be able to do just about anything. A short list of titles I could apply to him would be; artist, sculptor, woodworker, engineer, welder, graphic designer . . .

Elliot Fouts Gallery Realism Invitational

2011-09-14T12:04:00.007-04:00

Tractor - 36 x 36 - oil on canvas

I can't believe it's almost been a year, but it's time again for the Elliot Fouts Gallery Realism Invitational in Sacramento. My plan, when I was first approached, was to do multiple paintings, but time got away from me, and I was only able to complete one. But . . . I think it's a good one.

I found this 1950's riding toy tractor at a local antiques store that allows me to rent items. It was sitting out in front of the shop, and I knew I had to paint it. That fantastic red, and those graphics were too much to resist. On a canvas size of 36 inches I think it is nearing 1:1 scale, close to life size.

There are a whole bunch of great realist painters represented this year, so if you're in the Sacramento area the evening of October 8th you should stop by and check out the show.

A Commission | A Re-list | and A Group Show

2011-09-08T14:43:00.006-04:00

Pitcher with Ice No. 2 - 12 x 16 - oil on panel

I've been busy working on a commission these last couple of weeks, and it's finally finished. I've received more comments on a painting I did years ago called Pitcher with Ice than anything else I've ever done, and the client who commissioned this piece said they wanted something very similar to it. I've emailed them the image of the completed painting, and they are very happy. Whew, it's always a relief to hear that a client is happy with their painting.

Clementines - 6 x 6 - oil on panel

These Clementines on the other hand met another fate. The winner of the auction decided they didn't want the painting after all, so I'm re-listing it once more on ebay. If you'd like to bid, you can access the auction by clicking here.

And finally, I'm working frantically to complete a larger painting (36 x 36) for a group show put on by the Elliot Fouts Gallery in Sacramento. It's an invitational realism show scheduled to open October 1st. They've got a long list of terrific realist painters participating, and I'm proud to be included with them. The only problem is that I have to get them the painting by the 23rd of September. Yikes! Back to work.

Spread the Word

2011-09-06T06:59:00.003-04:00

This is a shout out to help our good friend Carol Marine. Carol, her husband David and their son lost their home on Sunday when a fire swept through their subdivision near Bastrop Texas. According to reports, nearly 300 homes were destroyed. The good news is that they are safe.

Jennifer, a close family friend, has organized a fund to assist them immediately.

Please click here for details, and give what you can to help Carol, and her family get back on their feet.

Spinning Top

2011-08-26T09:47:00.006-04:00

Spinning Top - 6 x 6 - oil on panel

To finish off the week, my vintage Spinning Top. I first painted this toy for a corporate commission I did some years ago, and I think it's a great subject. The colors, shape and illustrated surface, it's just too cool. I love painting this thing. If you'd like to take part in the auction click here.

End Loaf

2011-08-25T20:06:00.003-04:00

End Loaf - 6 x 6 - oil on panel

Tonight it's the front end of a loaf of bread, wrapped in a cellophane bag. I love how many colors you can find in a simple loaf of white bread. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Government Issue

2011-08-24T13:45:00.004-04:00

Government Issue - 6 x 6 - oil on panel

I've used these shoes as the subject in a number of paintings. They're my only dress shoes. I was issued these in 1972 on my first day of basic training, and they've been my wedding, funeral and job interview shoes ever since. You can surmise from this that I'm not a slave to fashion. I love their, "been around the block look", and that tan interior is terrific. If you'd like a painting of my shoes, you can bid on it by clicking here.

Coke Carton

2011-08-23T16:53:00.005-04:00

Coke Carton - 6 x 6 - oil on panel

When I finished up the Coke painting, I still had a bunch of "Coke" colors left on my palette, so I thought I'd take advantage of them, and do a small Coca Cola painting for auction on ebay. If you'd like to bid on this piece you can access the auction by clicking here.

Citrus

2011-08-22T13:18:00.005-04:00

Citrus - 6 x 6 - oil on panel

After I completed the Coke carton for Mason Murer Fine Art, I decided to do another five small paintings for ebay before I got to work on a much larger painting I'm planning to send to the Elliot Fouts Gallery for his October group show. Up first this week is a ceramic bowl filled with Clementines. If you'd like to participate in the bidding you can access my auction by clicking here.

Coke Carton

2011-08-11T13:43:00.007-04:00

Coke Carton - 24 x 24 - oil on panel

Well, I've spent two solid weeks working on this painting, but I think it's finally done. I find myself wanting to hang onto it a little longer, but I don't think I can get much more out of it. Mark Karelson at Mason Murer Fine Art is hosting an "event" for some of the top brass at Coca Cola in October, and invited a number of artists to fill his space with Coke related art. I painted a "half" version of this composition a while back for Stricoff Fine Art, and always wanted to revisit it so I could take full advantage of all that type on the carton. I thought this show would be a good opportunity to try it again. There are a couple of other group shows this fall I want to participate in as well, so this may be my only contribution to the Coke show. If I can get those other projects done quickly, I'll try and squeeze in another piece. I'm really looking forward to seeing what all the other artists come up with. I think it's going to be a great show.

Cream & Sugar

2011-07-22T18:58:00.003-04:00

Cream & Sugar - 6 x 6 oil on panel

The final painting going up for auction this week is a little silver piece. Karen and I inherited a silver set from her parents when they were cleaning house. They thought we'd like it, and I do. I've done quite a few paintings from the set. This is a sugar bowl and creamer. I know it's corny, but I kind of liked how the two handles created a heart when placed back to back. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

study for Condiments No.2

2011-07-21T08:38:00.012-04:00

study for Condiments No.2: 5.5 x 5.5 - oil on panel

I was pondering the idea of doing another "Condiments" painting, so I did this little study at 5.5 x 5.5. This is only the top portion of the final composition, but I thought it worked pretty well on its' own. The full version will provide an opportunity to paint all the labeling. If you'd like to bid on this painting, click here.

study for Mule No.3

2011-07-20T14:28:00.004-04:00

study for Mule No.3: 6 x 6 - oil on panel

I've been thinking of painting another Mule, so I did a small "study" of the head to get into the groove. I'm not sure if I'll do the mule's entire body, or just its' head. I'll just have to wait and see how I feel when the time comes. If you'd like to bid on this painting, click here.

Cherries

2011-07-19T08:04:00.003-04:00

Cherries: 5.5 x 5.5 - oil on panel

Tonight's it's a bowl of cherries, and the bag they came in on. If you'd like to bid on this painting click here.

Pool Bowl No.21

2011-07-18T14:40:00.004-04:00

Pool Bowl No.21: 6 x 6 - oil on panel

I'm currently working on paintings for a number of group shows coming up in the fall, but I thought before I really got rolling on those I'd put up some 6 x 6's for auction on ebay. It's been a long times since my last ebay listing, and I've been really missing the auction experience. I'll be posting five new paintings this week, one each night at 9 pm. Tonight's listing is my 21st Pool Bowl piece. I never tire of painting these colorful spheres. If you'd like to bid on this painting click here.

the Tree's Place Show

2011-07-12T13:32:00.047-04:00

Camden Maine: day one

Karen and I returned from out trip to New England yesterday afternoon, and I have to say it was a wonderful four days. We caught our plane early Thursday morning to Boston, where we rented a car, and headed up to Camden Maine. I've wanted to visit the Olson House in Cushing for years, and this seemed to be a perfect time to fulfill that dream. My mother introduced me to the paintings of Andrew Wyeth when I was young, but I became a full fledged fan when I attended an exhibition of his work at the de Young Museum in San Francisco in 1973 while I was stationed at Travis Air Force Base. I went back to see that show multiple times before it moved on.

the Olson House

Having spent so much of my life admiring the paintings he had done at the Olson House, I had to take advantage of being this close, and include a visit the location. My first reaction, as the house came into view, was visceral. As I got out of the car, I felt as though I was treading on sacred ground. Maybe that's a little extreme, but after nearly forty years of memorizing his paintings of this place, not too far off the bat. Christina's World, on display at the MOMA, is the most famous painting set in this location, but my favorite is Weather Side.

Weather Side and Christina's World

The weather was perfect that day, so Karen and I did a lot of photography. We probably spent the better part of two hours going over every square inch of the house, inside and out. Each room evoked a memory. It was as though I had returned to a house where I once lived. A very strange, yet wonderful feeling.

I used to live in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, and I have a lot of happy memories of both. I think that's one reason Wyeth's paintings are so powerful for me, since most of them are representative of Pennsylvania and New England.

the Olson House

When we felt we had extracted all we could from the house, Karen and I went down to the Olson family graveyard. We were surprised to discover that Andrew Wyeth was buried there near Christina and Alvaro. The family cemetery is located in a wooded area on the bay a short walk from the house. You can just see the water through the trees. A beautiful, and very peaceful spot of land.

Andrew Wyeth's Headstone

I left there fulfilled, ready to move into our digs for the night, and get something to eat. It was a short drive from Cushing to Camden, and our lodgings at the Whitehall Inn. The inn was originally a sea captain's home, but was purchased in 1901, and was gradually transformed into an inn. We had a wonderful room on the top floor with a view of the water. After unpacking, we drove into the town center, and had dinner on the dock. A perfect end to a perfect day.

Goodbye to Maine and onward to Cape Cod

Early the next morning we went down to the water a couple of blocks from the inn, and watched the sunrise. After that we returned to the Whitehall for breakfast. Fueled and ready to go, we drove into Rockland to visit the Farnsworth Museum. They actually own the Olson House, and operate two other facilities as well. The Farnsworth Museun and the Wyeth Center. The Wyeth Center was having a special exhibition of paintings and drawings, most of them on loan from the Marunuma Art Park collection in Asaka, Japan. The exhibition is titled: Andrew Wyeth, Christina's World & the Olson House. A terrific compliment to our visit there the day before. Once we'd finished up there, we plugged in a book on tape, and began the drive into Orleans, on Cape Cod.

Tree's Place Gallery Orleans MA

Our plan was to get to the gallery before closing on Friday, but we spent more time in Rockland than expected, and had vastly underestimated the traffic heading out of Boston to the Cape on a Friday. Vastly underestimated! So we called Julie Bangert, the director of Tree's Place Gallery, and let her know that we wouldn't be in until well after closing, and we'd see her in the morning. That evening we checked into our motel, then ran out long enough for some Thai food before we came "home" and crashed.

Gallery Director Julie Bangert with staff members Katrina Hayes & Kelsey Whitaker

The gallery didn't open until 10, so we went out early to the beach, and after a short walk, tracked down a spot in town for a late breakfast. We lingered with out coffee until it was nearly 10, then headed to the gallery. The space looked beautiful. Julie, Katrina Hayes and Kelsey Whitaker (sorry about the blurry picture), had done a wonderful job of hanging the paintings, and staging the gallery.

Critiquing Coke Classic

After we all had gotten to know one another, and had a good chat, Karen and I drove up to Provincetown for the day. It's one of Karen's favorite places, and there are a lot of art galleries to check out. Saturday was another perfect day, weatherwise, and we had a lot of fun walking up and down Commercial Street. There wasn't a lot of time to linger in any one place since we had to be back at the gallery at 5, so as our time there came to a close Karen grabbed a sandwich at Karoo Kafe, and we drove back to Orleans for the reception. (That sandwich will play a part in our next days adventure.)

Steve and Sue Zafarana (background) and their friends in discussion

We walked into the gallery right at 5, and the parking lot was already nearly full. When I saw those cars I breathed a huge sigh of relief, "people did show up!", I thought to myself. Julie, Katrina and Kelsey were all very upbeat, and excited about the show, and it wasn't long until visitors began to come up, and compliment me on the work. One of the first guests to approach me was Steve Zafarana and his wife Sue. They are type designers, and are part of a group called BluHead Studio, LLC. I liked them immediately. We had a great time discussing our years in graphic design. At one point in our conversation I happened to mention that I used to live in Norwood MA, then very quickly, and in unison they both said, "we live in Norwood!". Steve and Sue, if you read this, thank you for coming in to see the show. It was wonderful meeting you both.

Teresa Fischer and I taking art.

A little later I felt a hand on my shoulder, and as I turned I was greeted by Teresa Fischer. Teresa is one of my favorite artists, and her husband Scott is an awesome illustrator. I was shocked to find out that Teresa had driven three hours to get to the gallery. She was so nice, Karen and I fell in love with her immediately. After talking with her for five minutes, it felt as though we had known her for years. My one regret was that I didn't have near enough time to visit with her. When your the one having the show, you spend a lot of time talking with a lot of different people, and not enough time with any of them. Thank you again Teresa for coming, it was really great to meet you.

My entire evening was spent talking with wonderful people, all very complimentary of my work. I had a fantastic time to say the least. On a commercial note, combining pre-show sales, with paintings sold during the show, I had, by the time the doors closed, sold five paintings. There is also talk of a number of commissions, so I am calling this a successful show.

Thank you again Julie, and to your staff, for the positive energy, and hard work you all put into preparing this show. I was overwhelmed by your generosity, and kindness.

Checking out Seven Spoons

That night after the show Julie took us into Wellfleet to a have dinner at a wonderful restaurant called the Wicked Oyster. Before we ate Julie drove us around Wellfleet, a delightful town on the Cape, filled with shops, restaurants and galleries. Our dinner was delicious, and it was really nice getting to know Julie, who is lovely in all its' definitions, a little better. A great capper to a great day.

Our plans for Sunday changed entirely when I made a significant error in my planning to visit Nantucket for the day. I got some times completely wrong, and we missed the ferry. Karen was great about it, and said she'd just as soon go back to Provincetown, so we did. We had a much more leisurely visit than the day before, and got to see some places we'd missed on Saturday, like the Provincetown Museum of Art, and the beach. I was really excited about coming back because I had had only one bite of Karen's sandwich from Karoo Kafe the day before, and couldn't get that flavor out of my mind. I wanted one of my own, so we ate there for lunch, then on the way out, stopped in again to pick up two more sandwiches for dinner that night, back in our room.

Monday we left early for the airport even though our plane didn't leave until noon. I'm glad we did because we hit that horrific Boston traffic once more on the way in. The flight was on time, smooth, and on the drive home we missed Atlanta rush hour traffic. All and all it was a splendid trip.

Panchito: B-25 No.2

2011-06-16T17:08:00.009-04:00

Panchito - 40 x 40 - oil on canvas

This is my final painting for the Tree's Place Gallery show July 9th on Cape Cod. The majority of my paintings were of a modest size, topping out at 18 x 24, so the gallery requested one large painting to act as a centerpiece. I chose to do another B-25. I had a lot of crops of this subject that I liked, and this was one of my favorites. It was indulgent to go this route again so soon I know, but I was dying to do (at least) one more version of this old Warbird.

Panchito is the face of the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) at air shows around the United States. They fly in to acknowledge the service these men and women provided to their country, inform the public about disabled veteran's unique needs, and help raise funds to provide support.

American Art Collector

2011-06-11T10:11:00.002-04:00

Karin Jurick gets a monthly online copy of American Art Collector magazine, and was kind enough to send me a couple of screen shots of my two pages in the July issue. Last time I checked it hadn't reached the news stands, so it was nice to see how they had put it together. Joshua Rose did a good job of translating our interview. I can't wait to get a hard copy in my hands.

The B-25 for the Tree's Place Show is still in the first pass phase. I'm hoping to have that first layer done in the next two to three days, then start in on the final pass. When that's dry, some varnish, a big box, and the last group of paintings will be on their way up to Cape Cod.

Tin Top

2011-06-04T08:56:00.009-04:00

Tin Top - 16 x 20 - oil on panel

The last of the small paintings is complete, and now I'm fully devoted to the one large painting for the Tree's Place show. Its' dimensions are 40 x 40, so it's not really big, but by comparison it will definitely stand out. The process has begun, as it does with all my paintings, with the nagging voice in the back of my head, "can I do this?". So far I've got the right wing tip started, and today I'll get going on the engine nacelle. My drop dead, you have to stop painting, this is it, date it has to be done is June 17. That gives me two weeks, so I should have plenty of time. Once it's finished, then I'll relax.

White Bread

2011-05-30T09:41:00.004-04:00

White Bread - 10 x 30 - oil on canvas

I've got my final paintings for Tree's Place in rotation. The large B-25 has a lot of sky in it, which means a vast gradation of blues. It's in the drying stage prior to adding in the plane. Another painting is drawn out and ready to begin, and while all that was going on I did this loaf of bread. Karen is a real fan of my bread paintings, and she insisted that I had to have a full loaf, wrapped in plastic, for this show. I wasn't sure I wanted to go in that direction, but she was persistent, and now that it's complete I'm glad I did.

Discovery No.2

2011-05-21T12:19:00.003-04:00

Discovery No.2 - 16 x 20 - oil on panel

I painted a composition similar to this for a corporate commission a couple of years ago, and really wanted to visit it again. I've got over a hundred photos of these items in various configurations, and it seemed a waste to only use one, so here's another. This will be joining Coke Classic at the Tree's Place show in July.

I talked with Julie at Tree's Place a little while back, and she said that they will be doing an article and full-page ad in the July issue of American Art Collector magazine. Very generous of them, and very cool. Karen and I shared an article in AAC back in 2007 when we had a joint show at Wynne/Falconer Gallery, also on Cape Cod. I have to admit, I'm very excited about this!

The canvas is prepped and ready to go for the one large piece I'll be sending to the show. An alternate version of the B-25 I did for Mason Murer Fine Art. It's an interesting crop, and I'm looking forward to getting started on it. If it works out time wise, I'll put up an in progress shot.

Coke Classic

2011-05-19T10:51:00.007-04:00

Coke Classic - 18 x 24 - oil on panel

I had intended to post an in progress image of this painting, but Blogger went down for a couple of days right around the time I reached the end of the first pass, so I went ahead and and waited until it was done to post. This piece, as with practically everything else I've painted this year, will be shipped up to Cape Cod for a solo show at Tree's Place Gallery opening July 9th.

This is the first time I've dedicated this much time to a single gallery for a show, and I have to admit it has been an endeavor filled with more than an little anxiety, but it felt like this was the right time, and this was the right gallery to give it a try. Keeping my fingers crossed that it goes well.

My next painting is currently at the halfway point, and I should have an image of it ready to post in the next couple of days. I've got three more paintings to do once its done, and four weeks to do them in. One of them needs to be a large "centerpiece". I predict it's going to be a busy month.

Two More for Tree's Place

2011-05-11T06:38:00.006-04:00

PB&J No. 14 - 10 x 30 - oil on canvas

I've been working for the last week and a half on these two horizontal's for the Tree's Place show. I had already started another painting on this particular canvas, but hated it, so I sanded it off, and reworked it into a pb&j. I'm partial to these off center compositions, and use them frequently. Maybe over frequently it, I don't know. With this 10 x 30 I was able to push the subject significantly off to the left, and I like it a lot. I think it gives the subject a greater sense of its position in space.

Pool Bowl No. 20 - 12 x 24 - oil on canvas

What would a collection of my paintings be without at least one painting of some pool balls? The size of the balls in the composition are a little over scale, but not so much as to make them freakishly large. They're just big enough to incorporate some serious detail into their surface. One of my favorite parts of these paintings that utilize a mixing bowl, is that thick rim at the top of the bowl. I love the distortion it creates of the contents, and how it imparts that glassy sense of glass.

I've got another Coke painting going now. It's large enough that I may post some in progress images of it. It's getting close to the deadline, and I've still got a number of paintings to go if I'm to meet my quota. Hope I can do it.

Cory Electric

2011-05-02T10:09:00.005-04:00

18 x 24 oil on panel

Every once in a while I work on a painting that is just snakebit. The process goes wrong from the very beginning. This has proved to be one of those paintings. Most often, by it's completion, the painting has been salvaged, but there are occasions when the canvas will get the rag. I won't go into the full litany of problems I've encountered with this piece, but suffice it to say it's been fighting me every inch of the way. Part of the problem was the surface and the panels' construction, another, to be honest, was me, and most recently an incorrect use of a medium. I never use a medium, but thought with this painting it was a good idea. I'm currently waiting to see if I made the right decision. I went ahead and posted the image today because even though there are still problems to be solved, I think it's a good painting, and believe it can be saved.

Dinner with Friends

2011-04-30T06:53:00.005-04:00

Carol Marine

Way back when I finally summoned up the courage to quit my day job to paint full-time I also began an intensive search online for other artists. I wanted to see who was out there, what were they painting, and how were they doing it. One of my search methods was to browse the art auctions on ebay. I would sift through hundreds of auction thumbnails in hopes of finding a jewel. It wasn't hard to spot talent. As I scrolled through the listings the gifted artists work stood out like a neon sign.

Crossed Brushes

One of my first discoveries, and still honored in my personal Hall of Fame, was Carol Marine. Her elegant chiseled method of painting blew me away. I'm a huge fan, and was very fortunate this week to have the opportunity to meet her for the first time. She was in Atlanta to teach one of her immensely popular workshops.

Karin Jurick

Karin Jurick, artistic genius, close friend and another ebay find, wrote me an email to say Carol would be in town and we should all get together. So, we all met up at the OK Cafe, one of our favorite places to eat. Karin was accompanied by her better half Brett, a framer, motorcycle enthusiast, designer and builder of "The Paint On" table top easel, and all around great guy. My Karen was up in Asheville with friends so I came alone. It's too bad to, because she would have loved meeting Carol.

Leanto

I had a terrefic time. Carol was wonderful, and it was so nice to finally meet her after communicating for years via email. Working as an artist is an isolated profession, and so it was a real treat to sit and talk art with other artists over a great meal. The only problem with the evening was that it ended way too soon.

I'll have an image of my next Tree's Place painting in a day or so. This one, for some reason, was a real bear.

Half Loaf No.4

2011-04-21T09:18:00.007-04:00

12 x 12 oil on panel

I've done three of these "half loaf" paintings in the six by six format for auction on ebay, but wanted to work in more texture and detail with this subject, so I scaled it up to 12 x 12. It worked great. I was able to really get into the bread and also enhance the look of the plastic bag as well. A fun painting. This will be headed up to Cape Cod for the July show at Tree's Place Gallery.

I ignored my easel yesterday and spent the day making arrangements for our trip up to the Cape. I thought it would be a good idea to get an early start since accommodations in that area fill up quickly in the summer months. Karen and I were last there in 2007 when we shared a two person show at Wynne/Falconer Gallery. It was a great trip and we had a wonderful time. While we were there we stopped by Tree's Place on our way up to Provincetown, and were very impressed with the quality of work they had on display. It's hard to believe that now I'm returning four years later to attend a show of my own.

Black Grapes No. 4

2011-04-19T08:15:00.009-04:00

16 x 16 oil on panel

I shipped off the first five paintings for the Tree's Place show in July yesterday. Hopefully they will be well received by the local collectors on Cape Cod. Maybe get a little early buzz going for the show. The Black Grapes were completed Sunday evening and will be heading up there along with Seven Spoons in the next shipment.

Karen and I are planning to attend the show, and are currently working out the logistics. There are two places we'd like to visit while we're in the region. Karen wants to go to Martha's Vineyard and I really want to veer northward to see the Olson House in Maine. I've been enamored of Andrew Wyeth since I first discovered his work in a show at the de Young Museum in San Francisco July of 1973. I was twenty one and knew of Christina's World, but when I saw his paintings in person I was hooked for life. I went back a half a dozen times before the show moved on. I still have the dog eared catalog for that show. In 1979 I drove up to Chadds Ford to visit the Brandywine Muesum, and while I was there I was able to track down the location of the Kuerner House. The home was still occupied at the time, so you couldn't go inside, but Anna Kuerner was on her porch as I drove by. Unreal! Anyway, to actually visit the Olson House and walk around inside would be like a pilgrimage. Hope we can make it happen.

Back in 2006 I did a small painting of a Maple Leaf to auction off on ebay. Not too long after that I received an email from Tina Maple, co-owner of Maple Vineyards in Sonoma county California. She wrote that they were about to produce their first vintage and wondered if I would be interested in doing another maple leaf painting that they would use for the label. It took about two seconds to say yes. We worked out the details, I sent them the painting, then never heard anything about the wine. About a week ago I got another email from Tina stating they made wine for only two years, but decided it was too much and had come to the conclusion that they would rather just grow the grapes. She then offered to send me a few bottles of their 2007 Zinfandel. It arrived a couple of days ago, and it was fun to see my little painting on the bottle. We haven't tried the wine yet, but we're looking forward to it.

Thanks Tina!

Seven Spoons

2011-04-15T09:49:00.003-04:00

12 x 12 oil on panel

Enough with the books and iPad apps for now, it's time to paint. Julie at Tree's Place mentioned she liked the Flatware paintings, so I'm planning on a few for the summer show. Seven Spoons is the first. I've also got three more pieces working in rotation, painting on one while the other two dry between passes. I'll post those starting early next week.

A New Book: Six by Six

2011-04-13T10:35:00.004-04:00

I've got one more commercial venture to announce before I get back to posting new work for the Tree's Place Gallery show in July. When I got back the proof copy of my first book Paintings In Oil and saw the high quality of the printing done at blurb.com, I was excited about the idea of producing a second.

Back in 2006 Karin Jurick convinced me to take part in a new art movement that was gaining popularity called A Painting A Day. It was an exercise developed by Duane Keiser, and the idea was, you complete a painting each day for some pre-determined length of time. Many artists decided upon a year, others chose a shorter amount of time, and some never stopped. I knew I was too anal to keep something like this going for any length of time, since for me it was all about the detail. I settled on a time frame of one month. I thought, if nothing else, this may help me to loosen up a bit. A quality I thought I needed in my work.

Thirty days later I had finished thirty paintings. It was a fun, though exhausting, challenge, and afterward I was ready to get back to my more "completed" style of painting. I did however retain the six inch by six inch format I had chosen to use during the exercise for paintings I would create for auction on ebay. Since that month, five years ago, I've done hundreds of these little paintings, and I thought they would be a good subject for another book. Six by Six is produced in a 7" x 7" format so the images are virtually the same size as the originals. The book contains 100 paintings culled from nearly 400 done over the years, and is available in a softcover or a hardback version with a dust jacket. If you'd like to preview the entire book and make a purchase click here to be directed to the blurb website.

my iPad app

2011-04-11T07:37:00.007-04:00

iPad App Home Screen

When I saw that Jeff Cohen had his own iPad App, I knew that I would have to put together one of my own. It was just too cool of an idea to pass up. Plus I just got an iPad for Christmas and thought it could be a good way to present my work to friends, collectors and galleries. Technically I had no idea of how to actually build the app, fortunately Spencer Cohen (computer prodigy and son of the afore mentioned Jeff and Leslie Cohen) was there to provide those skills.

iPad App Standard Page View

I did the easy part, picking out the images I wanted to present. I sent those pages with layout instructions and the brief amount of text I included to Spencer and he did the real work. The app went live yesterday evening, and I'm have to say I'm very happy with it. The paintings really pop on that beautiful hi res screen.

iPad App Full-Screen View

The app presents 58 paintings done over the last ten years. Some of my favorites. It's very easy to navigate. You swipe right to left to advance to the next painting, and swipe left to right to return to the previous image. You can pinch/zoom within the picture window to examine the details, or double tap the image to see the painting in full-screen mode. There is also a scroll bar along the bottom to quickly move to a specific painting.

If you'd like a copy, you can get it for $1.99 at the App Store on iTunes. You can either search the for the title at the App Store: Art of James Neil Hollingsworth, or click here. If you do purchase a copy, and like it, I'd be grateful if you would leave a positive comment about it on the app's page on iTunes.

Realism: Remembered

2011-04-09T09:49:00.010-04:00

visitor checking out Teresa Fischer's paintings

Before I get started I have to report that when I downloaded my images from the show last night, half of them had been corrupted, so a lot of the artists I wanted to spotlight got lost in a digital wasteland. If it's any consolation, this includes myself. None of the photos of my wall were salvageable. The photo above shows one of the visitors checking out Teresa Fischer's work, and if you look through the doorway you can see one of Paul Cadden's amazing pencil drawings.

taking home a copy of one of Jelaine Faunce's paintings

Mark, Kelly and Andrea did a great job putting this show together. The weather was perfect, the turnout was huge and for a few lucky artists profitable. Abby Ryan, Teresa Fischer, Sally Tharp, Marc Chatov and Karen all had red dots by the end of the evening. Congratulations!

admiring the work of Jeff Hayes

It was great talking to the visitors. Everyone was very nice and complimentary of my contributions to the show. It's great to hear that people appreciate what you do. I have to say, for me, the best aspect of the evening was having the chance to get reacquainted with old friends I haven't seen in a while. Lots of friends made the effort to drive in and for me that made the night. Thank you all for coming!

he spent a lot of time viewing the work of Alvin Richard

The show will run through the first week in May, and hopefully somewhere during that time a red dot will show up on one of my paintings. If I can get one on the Mule or the B-25 I will view that as a sign that it's okay to paint another, and I really want to paint another.

stopping to view the work of Michael Naples and Abby Ryan

Now I'm back to work full-time painting for the show at Tree's Place in July. I've got a number of pieces complete, but still have a way to go. I've got three in rotation on the easel right now and will post and image of the first one done in a day or so.

Realism at Mason Murer Fine Art

2011-04-06T07:31:00.003-04:00

Friday evening is the opening reception of the Realism Show at Mason Murer Fine Art. Karen and I delivered our paintings yesterday, and did a walk around to see what had already been hung. There are a lot of beautiful paintings on those walls! The weather for that night looks to be perfect, so hopefully there will be a good turn out. I'll be bringing my little point and shoot camera. If I get some good pix I'll post some of them in the days following the reception. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by.

B-25: Complete

2011-03-24T11:06:00.008-04:00

24 x 72 oil on canvas

The B-25 is complete. I can't believe I was able to finish it in time for the Realism Show at Mason Murer. Opening night reception is April 8th, and this should give me enough time for the painting to dry and maybe get a coat of varnish on it as well.

detail: nose section

This is by far the largest and most complex painting I've ever done, and I have to say, I've developed a taste for large and complex. I really hope there's a market out there for something like this because I'd love an opportunity to paint this subject much more often.

detail: left engine nacelle and prop

Even though my career as an aircraft mechanic only lasted a few years, I could easily imagine myself in the presence of this plane as I was painting it. All the sights, sounds and smells of working on the flight line came back . . . and it was great. I still kind of miss it.

Now it's time to reduce the scale and get back to work for the July show at Tree's Place on Cape Cod. I'll be shipping them the first five paintings within the week, and should have an image of their sixth painting ready to post in the next few days.

Karen's First Book: WindowScapes

2011-03-17T10:21:00.002-04:00

Karen and I have been working together to assemble a collection of her WindowScapes paintings into a book. We used blurb, an online book creation/publication website that I used for my first book, Paintings in Oil. Her "proof" copy arrived a few days ago, and it's top notch. I don't know how blurb does it so much better than other book creation sites, but the images are a spot on match to the originals. It's a 12 x 12 inch hardback book with a dust jacket and contains 39 of Karen's favorite windowscapes paintings. If you'd like to preview the entire book and make a purchase click here.

B-25 in Progress: Days Six, Seven and Eight

2011-03-16T09:04:00.004-04:00

24 x 72 oil on canvas

Finished up the underpainting of the fuselage last night, which completes the first pass. Eight days in so far. I'm really working hard on this one trying to stay ahead of the deadline. Not sure at this point if I'll make or not, but doing what I can. One possible scenario, it may have to go to the gallery wet and unvarnished. Worse case scenario, it's not done. Back to work on the sky today, and if I'm lucky I'll be able to spend some time on the right wing as well. This may be the last of the in progress shots. I don't think the changes will be pronounced enough to justify further posts. I'll probably hold off and post a high quality jpeg of the final painting when it's complete.

B-25 in Progress: Days Four & Five

2011-03-13T11:59:00.002-04:00

24 x 72 oil on canvas

Days four and five on the B-25. One day each on the underpainting for the engine nacelle's. Today I'll start work on the fuselage. When I've got that done, I'll probably do the second pass on the sky, then return to the wings for their next pass.

B-25 in Progress: Day Three

2011-03-10T09:46:00.002-05:00

24 x 72 oil on canvas

Day three on the B-25. Finished up the underpainting on the wings. Now it's on to the engine nacelle's and props, then the fuselage.

B-25 In Progress: Day One

2011-03-08T09:52:00.002-05:00

24 x 72 oil on canvas

For people who regularly paint large this wouldn't appear all that impressive, but for me gazing upon a canvas that requires two easels to support is a pretty daunting scene. This piece also comes with the added pressure of a deadline. It has to be completed in three weeks if it's to be ready for the Realism show at Mason Murer on April 8th. Suffice it to say, I'm freaking out. On the other hand, this is a subject I've wanted to paint for ever. It combines my love of flying and vintage aircraft with my love of painting.

One more side note about the Realism show, my nephew called the other night to tell me that he saw my Mule No.2 in an ad in Atlanta magazine promoting the show at Mason Murer. Karen and I went out the next day and picked up a copy. Andrea at the gallery creates all their ads and she did a great job. She's got a great eye for design and the use of type. It's wonderful seeing my paintings in print. I still can't believe that I get to do this for a living. It took fifty years and three previous career moves, but it was worth the wait.

Ketchup No.2: Complete

2011-03-05T10:55:00.004-05:00

16 x 20 oil on hardboard panel

I am really tempted to continue on and work this one to death, but Karen says, "it's done, move on". If I didn't have a deadline on the next painting, I'd probably override her suggestion and keep refining it. I'm sure she's right. The added work I'd put into this one would probably be lost on everyone else in the world. I had some trouble getting a good photo of this one. It's a bit darker than in person, but it's close. Now it's onto the next piece. Hopefully I'll have an in progress shot in the next few days.

Stacked Blocks: Complete

2011-03-02T07:14:00.003-05:00

5 7/8 x 24 oil on hardboard panel

On some occasions the first pass of a painting comes very close to a completed piece. At least it appears that way in the image I post here on my blog. In the flesh, they do look more distinct. Stacked Blocks is a good example of this. The in progress image and the jpeg of the completed painting look very similar on the computer monitor, but the finished painting is, in actuality, much more developed. I've been working on the second Ketchup Bottle for the last few days and I'm facing that same situation with it. Any in progress post at this point would be very hard to discern from it's predecessor, so I'm holding off until it's complete to show the final pass. My next painting will be a very large and complex one and I think it will work better as an in progress piece. If it takes as long as I think it will, you may all be pretty sick of seeing it by the time it's done.

My First Book and Prints for Sale

2011-02-24T11:20:00.008-05:00

Inspired by the years of successful sales Karen has had with her prints, and also by Karin Jurick and her new book 100 Faces BUST-ED, I've decided to venture into the realm of both. Utilizing Gallery Street, the same production company Karen uses for her fine art giclée prints, I've selected a few of my favorite paintings to offer as prints. The quality of the work produced at Gallery Street is outstanding and I'm very happy with the first set of proof prints. These will be offered on canvas, in multiple sizes, stretched or un-stretched and on paper as well. I will be adding to the list of paintings offered as prints in the future. I have also included an option to request a print of any painting from my site, the only stipulation being I may not have an image of adequate quality of every painting to produce a satisfactory print. I will have to do a search of my archive for an image of the requested painting, then have a proof print done. Hopefully this will result in a high quality print, but this may not always be the case.

I've also decided to put together a book. I had created a couple of books in the past using various online production companies, but was never completely satisfied with the results. Karin told me that she has just produced 100 Faces using blurb and was very happy with her book, so I took a few days and put together a collection of 39 images painted over the last few years. I have to say when my copy arrived I was extremely happy with the quality of the printing and the construction. The images of the paintings were spot on. If this book proves to be even a modest success, I'll definitely put together a second volume. I have a large (13 x 11 inch) hardback coffee table version with a dust jacket and a smaller (10 x 8) softcover version as well. If you click on the links they will redirect you to the blurb site where you can preview the entire book, and if you choose, make a purchase.

I'll be finishing up the final pass on the Stack of Blocks today. I'll post an image tomorrow of the completed painting, then it's back to the large Ketchup Bottle.

Stacked Blocks in Progress: Day Two

2011-02-23T13:02:00.005-05:00

5 7/8 x 24 oil on hardboard panel

It's no secret that I'm very fond of the Dick Blick cradled hardboard panels, but there are some gaps in the sizes they offer. One of my favorite sizes is the 12 x 24, which falls into that category. So, I took one of their 18 x 24's and cut it down. The larger section was used for the first Ketchup Bottle, and I worked out the composition above for the long skinny remaining piece. It is a very odd size, but I think it works. The first pass represents two days work. I think I'll offer it to Tree's Place for my show in July. Hopefully they'll like it.

Condiments in Progress: First Pass

2011-02-22T09:52:00.002-05:00

16 x 20 oil on hardboard panel

I've got another couple of paintings in the works at the moment. One is the new Ketchup Bottle above and the second is another Blocks piece. The under-painting on the Ketchup took three days and the first pass on the Blocks will be completed today. I'll post an image of it tomorrow. When these two are finished I'll begin a new large painting for Mason Murer Fine Art. It may be the most intensive painting I've tried to do yet but if it works out the way I hope, could wind up being one of my favorites. I really enjoy painting cars and airplanes, and this new piece will be an aircraft I shot at a recent airshow. It's going to be a challenge, and I readily admit I'm pretty apprehensive about its' size and complexity. If I take my time, it could pleasurable as well. I just need to get my head in the right place and have fun with it.

Orange Bowl: Complete

2011-02-19T10:36:00.003-05:00

12 x 12 oil on hardboard panel

The oranges (actually Clementines) took more time to finish up than I anticipated, but the variation between each days progress was so subtle that there wasn't much point in putting up an interim blog post. Figured I'd hold off, then post the completed painting. The image here doesn't show it very well, but I believe I got a little closer, in this piece, to achieving the elusive goal I have set for myself of painting porcelain "correctly". The translucentyness of that surface is really tough for me, but one of these days I'm going to get it right.

I've got another ketchup bottle in the works. I'll put up some "in progress" images in the next day or so. It's a little bigger than the previous piece at 16 x 20. This one has a pair of salt and pepper shakers incorporated into the composition. Glass and shiny metal . . . nuff said.

Blocks with Spyglass: Complete

2011-02-14T13:37:00.005-05:00

12 x 16 oil on hardboard panel

I switched up the order a little and decided to work on the Blocks first rather than the Orange Bowl. I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. Makes me want to incorporate the magnifying glass into more compositions.

I'm currently working out the details for a show in July at my new gallery in Orleans Massachusetts. The gallery is called Tree's Place. I was contacted by them a few weeks ago about coming on board and possibly having a one man show. If all goes as planned, it will be held there July 8th. This, the Ketchup Bottle and the Orange Bowl will be the first paintings slated for the show.

I've wanted to show at Tree's Place for sometime. Karen and I were in Cape Cod for a show a few years ago, and in our travels around the cape we stumbled upon their gallery. Coincidentally the gallery and we were both featured in separate articles in that months issue of American Art Collector and when we introduced ourselves they knew who we were. They were all very nice and we had a great visit that day.

I'll be mixing up the destinations of the next couple of paintings. I've got compositions ready to paint for Stricoff Fine Art and Mason Murer Fine Art. When those are done I'll get back to producing more work for the Tree's Place show. Now . . . back to the oranges.

Ketchup Complete

2011-02-10T17:04:00.007-05:00

12 x 24 oil on hardboard panel

I've been slogging away at the second pass on this piece for about a week now and I feel it's (nearly) complete. There's just a couple of dabs here and there I think it still needs, but all in all, I thought it was close enough to go ahead and post the image and call it done. The final disposition of this painting is yet to be determined. I should know in a couple of days if it's going where I hope it's going. I'll confirm it, most likely, in my next post.

Now it's back to the Oranges. I've commented a number of times in previous posts that related to paintings of porcelain that I have struggled to achieve the wonderful translucent creamieness of that surface. Duane Keiser does it beautifully. The bowl containing the oranges puts me back at that place once more. I've never really recreated that surface to my satisfaction and hope with this piece I can get a little closer. Karen showed me a technique that I used on the Ketchup Bottle that may get me there. We'll see.

Blocks with Spyglass in Progress: Day Two

2011-02-01T16:06:00.004-05:00

12 x 16 oil on hardboard panel

I got sidetracked yesterday on other matters and didn't have time to finish up the underpainting on the blocks, but I got an early start today and was able to complete the first pass. I don't think the second pass on this one will be too difficult. I love doing these blocks, especially with the magnifying glass as part of the composition. Tomorrow I'll return to the Ketchup Bottle. I'm excited and fearful simultaneously with that one. I just need to reject any notion of finishing it quickly and just take my time. I tend, on occasion, to get wrapped up in the desire to complete a painting in a hurry, rather than just allow whatever time is needed and enjoy the process. My goal tomorrow is to chill out and embrace that philosophy.

Blocks with Spyglass in Progress: Day One

2011-01-31T11:26:00.005-05:00

12 x 16 oil on hardboard panel

While the Ketchup Bottle and the Oranges are drying I began a third piece to put into the rotation. I did a version of the Blocks with spyglass once before and wanted to revisit it. I reached this point on the first day, and I'm hoping that I can finish up the first pass today. If I can do that, I'll be able to return to the Ketchup tomorrow. That one is going to be a challenge. Working with the labels and all that type is worrisome. Hope I can get it right.

I also wanted to put in a plug for Karin Juricks' new easel. It was designed and built by her boyfriend Brett. She's been painting on the original version for seven years now, loves it, and they've decided to market them. So far it's been very successful. The first two runs each sold out in a matter of days. They're currently busy building more.

To take a more in-depth look, including additional images and a description of it's features, click here. If you're in the market for a table top easel check this one out. If you decide to buy one they are being sold through Karin's ebay store.

Orange Bowl in Progress: Day One

2011-01-27T11:33:00.002-05:00

12 x 12 oil on hardboard panel

While the Ketchup Bottle is drying I started work on a second painting. The first pass on it went a little faster than I anticipated, so now I'm beginning a third painting to work on until these two dry for their second pass. I'm still trying to figure out which of my current images will be number three. I should have an "in progress" post on that in the next day or so.

Ketchup in Progress: Day Two

2011-01-26T12:08:00.002-05:00

12 x 24 oil on hardboard panel

Day Two. Just blocking in the reds and beginning to define the bottle. Long way to go yet. I'll be setting this one aside for a couple of days until the red dries, then I'll start in on the second pass.

Ketchup In Progress: Day One

2011-01-25T12:53:00.003-05:00

12 x 24 oil on hardboard panel

It's been so long since I actually painted that I feel a bit like Rip Van Winkle just awakened and it may take a little while to get my sea legs back. The last few weeks have been filled with the holidays, unexpected dental work, snow and lots of photography, so it's definitely not been a vacation. It does feel really good to have a brush in my hand again, and I'm looking forward to working on some of my new images.

I've been a fan of Ralph Goings since forever and I always loved his paintings of diners and particularly his still life paintings of condiments on the counter. These nearly always included bottles of Heinz Ketchup . . . so, I wanted to try one myself as a sort of homage. The problem is you can't buy Heinz Ketchup in those bottles any longer, so finding one presented a problem. Fortunately a local diner, The OK Cafe (one of our favorite places to eat) still has them on the tables, and the staff there was kind enough to give me two empty bottles (cleaned up nicely) at no charge. All I had to do was fill them up again. Above is the first day's work, and I'll continue to put up a series of images as the piece progress's.

Karen: Cover & Article The Laurel of Asheville

2011-01-07T14:20:00.009-05:00

Karen has her work on the cover and a feature article in the January 2011 issue of The Laurel of Asheville Magazine. The article is accompanied by three of her paintings and there is a fourth on the table of contents page.

Paul Howey wrote the article and did a really nice job of piecing together Karen's responses to his questions. Karen and I were astonished at the quality of the printing. We've both been in magazines before, and usually the reproductions of the paintings is very poor. Whoever printed these did a great job.

I'm still doing a lot of photography, and searching out new objects for future paintings. I have to say I'm really itching to get back to the easel and do some painting. Tonight we're going to the Marietta Square to attend the opening night reception at DK Gallery of our friend Jeanie Tomanek. She's such an amazing person, and great painter. If we had more money our house would be filled with Jeanie's paintings.

Spinning Straw - 60x48 - oil on canvas

Addendum: We had a great time at Jeanie's show last night. Attendance was high and her work looked great. Donna, Amber and the rest of the team at DK Gallery did a terrific job of hanging the show and working the crowd. Before we left, Spinning Straw (above) had a red dot. Congrats, Jeanie.

After the show ended Karen and I were invited over to Jeanie's house, along with a small group of her oldest friends, to hang out and take part in a tasting of a variety of Italian standards prepared by Jeanie's husband Dennis. A true renaissance man, phenomenal chef and all round great guy. It was a wonderful evening.

First Post of 2011

2011-01-01T15:47:00.011-05:00

A couple of newsworthy items to start the new year.

First off, Karen was invited to have her work shown in Gallery ArteLibre's fifth annual volume, Arte y Libertad V. It's a very impressive 200+ page hardback book showing the work of over 100 realist painters. She was very excited about having her work shown along with artists such as Pedro Campos, Steve Mills, Alysa Monks, Cesar Santander and Randy Ford.

Karen got her copy yesterday and was very pleased with the quality of the printing. I'm not too proud to say that I'm more than a little envious, and would love to find my work in a future volume one day.

If you think you may want to have a copy for yourself, you can purchase it online direct from the gallery by clicking here. All the text is in Spanish, but it's not too difficult to figure out how to secure a copy. It'll run you 40 euros (just under $55) plus shipping. If you're a fan of realism in painting, I think you'll enjoy this book.

Hands of Time - 8 x 11

I wasn't able to pull off a win in Katherine Tyrell's, "Best Picture of the Year on an Art Blog", but I did come in first in the Still Life category. In the overall, I was only able to secure a third place (tie) with Jeanette Johnson - who got my vote for the Natural World category with her painting Tangle of Capelin II. I love that painting.

The honor this year went to close friend and genius, Karin Jurick, for her painting Hands of Time. This is the second year in a row that she has won the title. There's no shame in losing to her, in fact it's an honor just to be chosen to participate in a competition with an artist of her calibre. Congratulations Karin, you earned it!

I've been taking it a little slower the last week or so. With the holidays I thought I'd take a bit of a break. I have been doing some photography and a little trawling for new props, but gave myself permission, for the most part, to be a little lazy. Monday it's back to work.

In the meantime I'll be playing with my new iPad, which I loooooove! (Thank you Karen) I'm really looking forward to finding ways of integrating it into my art career.

Making A Mark - Award 2010

2010-12-28T17:28:00.003-05:00

6 x 6 oil on hardboard panel

I thought I'd made my last post for the year, but I was talking with Karin Jurick today, and she informed me that one of my paintings was in the running for the, "Best Artwork on A Blog" Award. This award is the brainchild of Katherine Tyrrell, creator of Marking A Mark, one, if not the, best art blogs out there.

Anyone can vote, and there are four categories of genre to chose from. My piece is in the "still life" category, and Karin's is in the "portrait/figures" category. The deadline for voting is coming up quick. Thursday at 6 p.m. (Greenwich Mean Time), so don't delay. I know this is a shameless request for votes, but what can I say.

I'd also like to thank the tireless, tenacious and talented, Belinda Del Pesco for nominating my painting for this award. If you'd like to vote you can visit Katherine's blog by clicking here.

Thanks in advance!

Happy Holidays 2010

2010-12-20T07:35:00.006-05:00

It's time to wrap up another year, but before go I wanted to thank everyone who visited my blog and FaceBook page in 2010. Many of you were kind enough to take the time to leave some wonderful comments and personal impressions of my work. I have to tell you those responses mean a great deal to me, and even though I'm bad about replying to all of the comments, I appreciate each of them very much. I hope you all have a great holiday season, and a terrific 2011.

Wild Turkey

2010-12-17T17:01:00.004-05:00

6 x 6 oil on hardboard panel

I broke a tooth the other day. Fortunately I have a nephew who is an incredibly skilled dentist. If that wasn't enough, he allows me to pay with art. How can you beat that. He did a beautiful job putting my tooth back together. You'd never know it was ever damaged. So, as payment I did this little whiskey piece. I was in the mood to do some glass, and the wonderful amber color of the liquor is a joy to paint. When it's dry I'll varnish it then send it off. Hope he likes it.

Mule: Complete

2010-12-09T16:41:00.008-05:00

20 x 60 oil on canvas

I finished up the Mule yesterday, and I think it turned out pretty good. This one was a pleasure from start to finish. I really had fun with it. All the rigging in the harness was a joy to paint. I hope this proves to be a popular subject because I'd love to paint a few more. When it's dry and varnished, I'll be delivering it to my hometown gallery Mason Murer Fine Art. I've already emailed them a jpeg, and they seem very happy to get it.

detail

Now . . . what to do next? I'm not really sure. There's an event coming up next summer that I could get started on (more on that later), but what I should do is get some new work to my other galleries first. The last couple of years have been lean ones to say the least, but in the last few weeks I've seen a resurgence of sales through my galleries. I'll probably get going on some work for them first, then dive into that other "project".

Elizabeth Edwards

2010-12-09T11:37:00.008-05:00

I wanted to take a moment to leave a personal comment on the passing of Elizabeth Edwards, and remark on the impact she had on the early art careers of Karen and myself. When Karen and I were just beginning to sell our paintings on ebay, the ID "heelsfan" began to show up frequently in our auction listings. It wasn't long after that the Elizabeth wrote to let us know that she was heelsfan, and she was the wife of senator John Edwards. Her letters were very sweet and complimentary, and we both were impressed that she took the time to let us know how much she enjoyed our paintings. It was also very exciting to think that our work would be hanging in the home of a senator. Elizabeth never seemed to be too busy to respond to a letter from us. Even when she was on the campaign trail, she would reply to an email from her laptop.

We also just loved the fact that she purchased so much of her art from artists on ebay. Many of our friends, such as Karin Jurick, Jeff and Leslie Cohen and Chris Stott were among those whose paintings she collected. She was an amazing human being, whom I thought would have made an awesome first lady. When her husband was running for the VP slot with John Kerry, the New York Times Sunday magazine section ran an article on the families of the candidates. In the article about the Edwards family the photo of them in their living room showed one of Karen's paintings hanging on the wall in the background. Elizabeth wrote Karen just to let her know that her painting could be seen in the picture. It was the little things like that, that showed her warmth. She was wonderful and will be greatly missed.

Mule in Progress: First Pass

2010-11-30T17:32:00.005-05:00

20 x 60 oil on canvas

The first pass on the mule is complete, with the exception of the background. I still haven't decided on how to deal with that aspect just yet. I like where this is going, and have been having a good time with it. Now it's on to the second (and most likely, "final") pass. I'm looking forward to getting into the details of this painting, and there is a lot of detail in this composition. It's my favorite part of the process. I will probably hold off, and wait until the painting is done before I post another image.

Mule in Progress: A few days later

2010-11-23T10:23:00.006-05:00

20 x 60 oil on canvas

I have been slowly making my way through the first pass of the Mule. The rigging of the harness is almost done, then it's onto the body. I'll work on it a little more today, then we've got to get ready for the holiday. My brother Doug is coming in from New York, and will be with us until Sunday evening, so the remainder of the week will be spent with family and friends. Really looking forward to it. I'm also really looking forward to getting into the second pass of this painting. I love the second pass. The image above has been cropped in order to show more of the detail. I haven't decided about the background as yet. Dark or light, not sure. I should have another "in progress" pic sometime mid-week. If I buckle down, maybe the completed first pass. Hope you all have a nice Thanksgiving.

Mule in Progress: Day One

2010-11-16T18:04:00.005-05:00

20 x 60 oil on canvas

I was finally able to compose myself enough to get back to the easel today. I've been occupying my time these last few days with mindless busy work. I had been vacillating back and forth between painting an aircraft I shot at an airshow a few weeks ago, and this mule. The loss of our pet put me in the mood to do an animal. I photographed this mule on our recent trip to Charleston, as it was pulling a large number of, not so athletic tourists. This is the first days work, and as with the Murray Grey, I plan to post images of each days work. If I don't make significant progress on some days, I'll combine multiple days effort into a single post. I'd also like to thank all of you who left comments here on my blog, and on FaceBook concerning the death of our kittie Scout. They were very comforting, and helped ease the pain of our loss.

Scout

2010-11-13T10:45:00.005-05:00

Karen and I lost our kittie Scout on Thursday. She had been running and playing all day as she always did, then came in for her regular afternoon nap. The weather that day was so nice we decided to take a walk at our local park. When we returned about an hour later, we found her asleep in one of her favorite spots, but when we petted her, she didn't respond. Scout was still relatively young and the personification of health. It has been a completely unexpected and devastating blow. Our only consolation was the belief that she passed peacefully in her sleep.

The next day, after we had pulled ourselves together somewhat, we began to make a list of her wonderful qualities. It went on for five pages. One of my favorites, other than the fact that she was the happiest and most loving of kitties, was how she was always bringing us things. It began when she was very young, and she would bring us acorns. She would search for us with the acorn in her mouth, meowing earnestly, then drop it near us with a look that seemed to say, "this is for you". Eventually she moved up to pine cones. Without exaggeration, over the years, it numbered well over a thousand. Sometimes eight to ten a day. It was so cute to see her emerging from the trees with a pine cone in her tiny mouth. Occasionally she would add something new that she had discovered in some distant part of her territory; a styrofoam cup, a little plastic toy hand grenade, a badminton birdie, and once a little American flag. In the last few years, she began to raid our stash of plastic grocery bags I had tied into knots to line the trash. If we forgot to close the pantry door, you could hear her, usually in the evening, going through the big bag of bags, searching for that perfect one, then the meow as she made her way upstairs, followed by a soft crunch as she dropped it gently onto the floor at the foot of our bed. What I wouldn't give to hear that sound just one more time.

Scout was a sweet, sweet kittie . . . .

Charleston

2010-11-08T10:25:00.013-05:00

Karen talking with Diane Feissel

Karen and I just returned from another of our quick regional trips. This time we were off to Charleston South Carolina to hook up with our friend Karin Jurick. The first weekend in November is the time for the annual Fine Art Weekend, and Painting in the Park, sponsored by the Charleston Fine Art Dealers Association (CDFA). Karin was going to be participating in the Painting in the Park event, which culminates in an auction that evening. The proceeds from the auction will be used to support high school fine arts programs. The CDFA has donated over $150,000 since the event began back in 2006.

The event began bright and early Saturday morning, and the first artist we came across, painting just outside the gates of Washington Park, was Diane Feissel. Diane was very sweet and unassuming, and we had a wonderful time talking with her. At the conclusion of the event, and having seen all the artwork produced that morning, Karen and I (and Karin Jurick as well) agreed that in our opinion, she had created the most beautiful painting of the day.

Karin Jurick at work

It was a perfect day for an outdoor event, albeit quite cool in the early hours of the morning. Karin was sharing a model with another artist, and the poor girl was frozen by the end of the session. Fortunately the sponsors had provided hot coffee and muffins which helped take the edge off the chill, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. It was wonderful being surrounded by so many people supportive of school art programs.

Karin's piece taking shape

Logistically, Karin had secured a really nice condo in the heart of town that we all shared, and it was a great base of operations. The space had high, high ceilings with huge windows providing a wonderful view, and a rooftop deck for coffee and conversation. It was a terrific place to stay, and located only about a half a block from the hotel holding the auction.

Karen Larson Turner

When things wrapped up in the park, Karin had some loose ends to tie up, so Karen and I headed out into the streets of Charleston. What a great city. A great "walking" city. We spent the majority of the day visiting the wealth of art galleries there. Karen Larson Turner (above) was having a show at Wells Gallery, and she also painted a wonderful little still life in the park on Saturday for the auction. Mostly we wanted to see a new show at Robert Lange Studios. Robert, and his wife Megan, had put together a show titled, "Women Painting Women", and it was spectacular.

The gallery was nearly overwhelmed with patrons the night of the show. It was virtually impossible to move around, and the number of red dots almost matched the number of the visitors. It was nice to hit the gallery again the next day after the crowds had died down, and really get lost in those amazing paintings. Karen had actually been invited to participate in the show, but at the time she was asked her schedule didn't allow any time to get the work done. She was kicking herself as we walked through the gallery, that she had missed the opportunity.

Childhood . . .

All in all, it was a great trip. Perfect weather, good food, and really nice people. Karen and I were even recognized by a couple of fans of our work. That was very cool. Plus just getting to spend some quality time with Karin Jurick was priceless. I hope this was just the first of many trips to Charleston.

p.s. On a side note, I sold the Murray Grey before it even reached the gallery. In actuality, it's not even really finished. I still have to varnish, edge, sign and wire it. Thanks to all of you wonderful people at Mason Murer Fine Art.

I shot a bunch of new mule pix in Charleston, so maybe I'll paint another big quadruped.

Coke Crate No.5

2010-11-03T19:07:00.003-04:00

6 x 6 oil on hardboard panel

I know, I know . . . but there are still some people out there that would like to have a Coke Crate, and personally I like really like painting them. It's hard to beat that satisfying relationship between the colors red and green. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

Transparent No.2

2010-11-02T18:48:00.004-04:00

6 x 6 oil on hardboard panel

Last weeks "transparent" piece didn't satisfy my periodic need to paint glass, so I did another this week. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

Five Spoons

2010-11-01T19:02:00.010-04:00

6 x 6 oil on hardboard panel

Before I get back to a larger gallery painting (whatever that turns out to be) I've got a few ebay pieces going up for auction this week. First off, one of my tarnished spoons. Love doing these flatware paintings. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

I sent an image of the Murray Grey to Mason Murer Fine Art, and everyone at the gallery seemed to like it a lot. They've even decided to use it in a full page ad to be published in Atlanta Magazine, which I thought was very nice. Andrea sent me an image of the ad she had put together, and it looks great. She's got a great eye for design. Can't wait to see it in print. Mark also let me know that it, along with a number of my other paintings, will be included with pieces by many of his other artists in a trip to Miami for the Red Dot Art Fair in early December. Fingers crossed in the hope that many, if not all, will find themselves paired with red dots.

The Mouse Project

2010-10-29T14:09:00.010-04:00

Some months ago, Steve Worthington contacted me to ask if I would be interested in participating in a project he was putting together to raise money to support animal shelters. Steve is a sculptor, working in bronze, and creates the most amazing animals. If you haven't been to his site, it's well worth a visit. I happily accepted his invitation along with 21 other artists. The task was to choose one of his mice, which Steve would then send to us, and we were to use it as the focus of a painting. These paintings would then be collected into a book, which would be sold, and the profits distributed to animal shelters. The project is now complete, the book is ready, but I'll let Steve describe the project in his own words.

The Mouse Project

I never planned to call it that, people just started saying it, and so it stuck.

The mice in question are Sprightly, Nosey and Chubby: Three of the many bronze critters I've made. They've developed lives of their own, traveling across America, to Antarctica, Australia and populating plenty of places in between.

Not wanting the fun to end there, I decided to see if the best painters I could find online might be coaxed into painting them so I could curate a book and donate the profits to animal shelters. I thought I'd start by asking only the best, not really sure what kind of response to expect. To my utter delight and disbelief the answers came back with a resounding, "YES"!

Paul Coventry-Brown

Top notch painter after top notch painter wanted in. So I dispatched a small army of mice to get their portraits painted! A PDF and a book are the end result. In the free PDF you’ll only find 22 lower resolution images (one per painter).

There are over 60 high resolution images of 47 original paintings by 22 painters in the actual book. Hopefully it will sell like hot cakes and make a bunch of money for animal shelters.

In the PDF there are links for you to be transported to the artists websites or blogs.

Jeffery Hayes

That’s why, in the real book, I recommend downloading the PDF as a companion. So you can treat yourself by visiting their web pages one click at a time.

Should you go to Lulu.com and then buy the real book, congratulations - and thanks! You're in for a treat, and you’ll be helping an animal shelter.

I really can't express my gratitude to everyone involved enough. They went all out, as you can see. Way beyond what I expected.

Jelaine Faunce

The images I've chosen above are a very small sampling of the total number of paintings in the book. I could have included many more, but didn't want to spoil the surprise. The book is 79 pages with more than 60 images, and sells for $49.45 with the profits going to support animal shelters. It was a fun project, for a great cause, and I was honored to be invited to participate. So, if you've got 50 bucks burning a hole in your pocket, picking up a copy (or two) of the Mouse Project would be money well spent.

Murray Grey: Complete

2010-10-25T18:04:00.009-04:00

Murray Grey: Oil on canvas - 48 x 60

One of the many benefits of being married to an artist, is having someone in the house who can help you decide when a painting is finished. I've been working on this painting for a number of weeks now, had completed the third full pass, and was contemplating a fourth when Karen convinced me that the painting was done. It's hard to really see something that's so close, and after she worked on me for a while, I finally came to the realization that she was right, and I hung it on the wall to dry.

Murray Grey: Detail

When it has dried I'll be delivering it to Mason Murer Fine Art along with a another recent cow painting by Karen. It was a real challenge for me to work this large, but I think it helped get me past a self imposed size limit I'd adhered to for a long time. Now that I've done it, I don't think it will be so daunting to attempt another in the future. I was thinking of doing a painting of one of the aircraft I photographed at a recent airshow in a larger format. That could be very cool.

Air Show 2010

2010-10-21T09:58:00.010-04:00

Gary Rower in his Stearman

Atlanta's biennial airshow was held this past weekend, and I got to Dobbins Air Force Base bright and early. My intent was to spend the entire day there, and that is exactly what I did. I've loved airplanes since I was a kid, and have spent time in and out of aviation throughout my adult life. In recent years, it's been time spent mostly out, so when the airshow comes to town, it's a welcome event.

B-25

My goal wasn't to just be an observer, but also to shoot some stock photography for potential paintings in the future. I've done a few paintings of aircraft in the past, and really have a hunger to try another. I was hoping there would be some bare metal planes on static display, because I love the shiny surface. I wasn't disappointed. There was a really nice B-25 on display, along with a beautiful DC-3, and a Twin Beech.

Stearman

Two years ago the promoters of the event drastically underestimated the number of people that would be attending the airshow, and they were basically overwhelmed. It was a mess, but this year they learned their lesson, and I have to say they handled the 200k that came beautifully.

DC-3

The weather could have not been more perfect. A mild 76 degrees and "severe clear" skies. It was a great day. I haven't been at the controls of an aircraft since 1987 (man has it been that long), and it felt really good to be surrounded by so many planes and aviation enthusiasts.

The Canadian Snowbirds

The Blue Angels were the headliners of the day, but I have to say, I was most excited about seeing the Canadian Snowbirds. I had never seen them before, and they put on a great performance. I know this doesn't have anything to do with art, but I just wanted to post about a wonderful day devoted to flight.

p.s. Still working on the cow. Just beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

Jeanie Tomanek

2010-10-15T09:42:00.003-04:00

Perched: 18 x 18 oil on gallery wrapped canvas

I wanted to give my good friend Jeanie Tomanek a little promotional push, as she has just entered into the world of online art auctions. Jeanie's going to be auctioning some of her smaller works ebay, and "Perched" is her initial offering. Her etherial paintings with a feminine theme are engaging, and absolutely beautiful. Karen and I have been huge fans for years, and are fortunate to own a number of her works. If you'd like to bid on the painting above you can access her auction by clicking here. If you like what you see here, you should visit her website as well. If you're into social networkering, you can also follow her on FaceBook.

Murray Grey in Progress - 2nd Pass

2010-10-12T13:10:00.007-04:00

36 x 48 oil on canvas

I've got four more days into the Murray Grey. Sloooooow going. Still refining the structure and gradually adding in some color. I'm going to go ahead and call this the completion of the second pass. This piece will probably require at least four passes, and possibly five. I'll probably squeeze in another short round of ebay paintings before I begin the final pass. When I complete another significant portion of this painting, I'll post another image.

I also just received a brief email from Elliot Fouts regarding Saturday night's opening of The Still Life Show at his gallery in Sacramento. He was kind enough to let me know that PB&J No.10 had created a buzz, and that Dumbo had been put on layaway. Good news from my first exposure on the west coast. If you're reading this Elliot, I really appreciate your invitation to participate in a show with so many talented artists.

Black Grapes No.3

2010-10-04T17:48:00.004-04:00

6 x 6 oil on hardboard panel

. . . and to complete the week, some grapes. These black grapes are great fun to paint, and even more so when you add some water droplets. Now it's back to the big bovine. A daunting task I must admit, but if I can pull if off, maybe a cool painting. The next couple of week will tell. If you'd like to bid on the painting above, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Scooters

2010-10-04T17:24:00.007-04:00

6 x 6 oil on hardboard panel

I don't usually choose favorites, but this may be my favorite painting going up this week. An absurd amount of time was spent working on it, but I really wanted to get it right, so I just kept going until it was "done". I had all of my tiniest brushes out for this one. I love the colors, and am already planning another version on a larger scale. Try to get even more detail out of the composition. If you'd like to bid on this painting you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

Deco Perc

2010-10-01T17:49:00.004-04:00

6 x 6 oil on hardboard panel

It wouldn't be a week of favorite themes without a percolator and coffee cup. If you'd like to bid on this painting you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

1953

2010-09-30T20:09:00.003-04:00

6 x 6 oil on hardboard panel

I came across this particular vehicle in front of the Savannah Police Department, as Karen and I walked around the city on our recent one day "vacation" there. Needless to say, I was floored. The front of this car was a wish come true. I fired off a dozen shots, and this is the first of what I hope are many paintings of this automobile. I gave myself a lot of extra time with this one, hence it's higher reserve price, and it was a dream to paint. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can participate in the auction by clicking here.

Transparent

2010-09-29T11:43:00.005-04:00

6 x 6 oil on hardboard panel

Something transparent for tonight. I'd been holding onto this image for a long time, and it "felt" like a good time to paint it. I really enjoy painting clear. If you'd like to bid on this painting you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

PB&J with Milk No.2

2010-09-28T19:37:00.006-04:00

6 x 6 oil on hardboard panel

The ebay paintings presented this week are all drawn from my repertoire of common themes. When I work up the photography for these paintings, I take hundreds of shots of my set-ups, cull out my favorites, and crop them into what (I think) are pleasing compositions. This creates a huge bank of photographs, so it's hard not to return to the well. I come back essentially for two reasons: First, to offer collectors who have missed out on previous auctions of this particular subject another chance to obtain a painting, and secondly, I have a lot of unused images which I like, and still want to paint. This may read like I'm apologizing for the repetition of my subject matter, but in actuality I'm just describing my M.O. Having said that, I do have a couple of less familiar subjects going up this week. If you'd like to bid on the painting above, you can access the auction by clicking here.