Pool Bowl No. 16

10 x 10 oil on hardboard panel

The entirety of last week was spent working on a commissioned Pool Bowl painting for Elliot Fouts owner of Elliot Fouts Gallery in Sacramento, California. Two of my online colleagues, Christopher Stott, and Vic Vicini are represented there. I've been fortunate to receive a number of requests for commissions in the last few weeks, and will begin my most recent commission today. Something completely different, for a long time friend, as a gift for his brother.

Mason Murer Fine Art, here in Atlanta, has proven that they are definitely a more conducive space for my work. I got a call this weekend from Mark that two more of my paintings had sold. To add a cherry on top of that good news, about twenty minutes after the call from Mark, I received a call from Cathy at Dean Day Gallery in Houston, calling to tell me that she had just sold one of my paintings. This is a trend that I hope will continue.

In a previous post I mentioned that I was considering the idea of doing a "big" painting. I received a number of "go for it" responses about that plan, so I'm going to give it a try. I think this recent burst of sales has given me the financial breathing room to spend some serious time on a larger painting. Unfortunately commercially produced cradled panels aren't available in a size I need to do this painting. I could use canvas, but I've become addicted to working on a hard surface, so I'll need to build one. Before I started to paint full-time I used to spend my time building furiture, and remodeling our house.

The bed, pictured above, was the last piece of furniture I built before I began my new career as an artist. I also put in the floors, created the wainscoting, and the beamed ceiling. I have to admit, I still mourn the loss of time to build furniture, and re-model the house. Building the surface for this new painting will be a good excuse to head back out into the shop, and create a little sawdust. I'll keep you all posted on how this new project goes.

Commission No. 2

6 x 6 each oil on hardboard

After I completed my portion of an ongoing project I'm doing with a group other artists (more on that later) I got to work on these two commissioned paintings. The collector had purchased a painting of PB&J bottles from me a little while back, and requested these two compositions to go along with it as a kind of triptych. These will probably be shipped in the next few days, and in the meantime, I've begun a third commission for a larger Pool Bowl piece. I'll post that as soon as it's complete.

In other news, my relationship with Mason Murer Fine Art has already begun to pay off. I received word from Kelly that one of the paintings sold the day after my collection was hung. That's pretty cool.

Sugar Bowl

6 x 6 oil on hardboard

This sugar bowl was part of a collection of silver items given to us by Karen's parents a while back. The gift consisted of some flatware, sugar bowl, creamer and a water pitcher. I love the symmetry of this little silver bowl, with the pineapple finial on top. A really great shape, and the mirrored finish provides a wonderfully distorted view of the surrounding room. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

A Gallery Shift

I moved to a new Atlanta gallery yesterday. It was sad saying goodbye to Anne, Tiffany and Sybil at Anne Irwin Fine Art. I just felt my style of painting didn't mesh very well with that of the gallery's other artists. My new space, here in town, will be Mason Murer Fine Art. Their gallery has a much more varied collection of artists, and styles, and I believe it will be a better fit for me. Mark, Kelly and Andrea are wonderful people, who appeared delighted at the opportunity to show my paintings. The gallery space is huge, impressive, and includes my favorite Atlanta artist (other than Karen), James McLaughlin Way. I'm really looking forward to working with all of them. Hopefully for a long, long time.

Twist Tie No.2

6 x 6 oil on hardboard

I've got two ebay paintings planned for this week. I completed this one yesterday, and the second will hopefully be ready in the next few days. After that, I've got to get going on a new commission. There's a good possibility I may have another commission to follow. Still working out the details on that one. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

The Mason Murer Show & One More Thing

Karen checking out her space as the evening begins

Karen's show went great friday night at Mason Murer Fine Art. There was a huge crowd of art patrons and well wisher's. The paintings were hung beautifully, and looked really great.

The gallery begins to fill

One of the nice things about being part of a gallery show, is that you get to see a lot of people that you don't get to see as frequently as you'd like. A number of our friends attended the reception that night, and it was really great to have a chance to visit. Really great.

Karen's parents admiring their daughter's work

Jeanie Tomanek and Virginia Parker, who were showing that night along with Karen, also had a lot of fun. I think the consensus was that it was a successful show.

Karen and I had one other adventure this past week. The Atlanta Fine Arts League was having a juried show of work by their members, and invited us to be the judges for that event. Following our initial disorientation at having been chosen to do this, we both agreed. Honestly, it was not an easy task, because there were so many beautiful paintings to filter down to first, second and third place. There were so many worthy paintings in fact, that we convinced the organizers to add three Honorable Mentions to the winners. The paintings were on display at the Cobb/Marietta Museum of Art, and awards were given out on Saturday evening. We attended the awards ceremony, which was organized very nicely, and the winners were very happy to have their work recognized.

I completed my part of the "small project" I've been working on, but will wait to post about it until the entire thing is complete. I also picked up another commission, and have a couple of new ebay paintings in the works as well. I'll have images of those as soon as they are finished.

Karen and Karin: Two Shows on Friday

My wife Karen, and our friend Karin Jurick will both be having shows at their respective galleries this friday night. My better half will be showing ten beautiful paintings at Mason Murer Fine Art here in Atlanta. Our friend Jeanie Tomanek will be showing her amazing work that night as well, along with five other artists. It's going to be a fun evening, I'm looking forward to it.

Abstract Thought: 6 x 14

Karin Jurick will be on Hilton Head Island at the Morris & Whiteside Gallery showing 22 new paintings, many of which have already been acquired through pre-show sales. I think this is some of best work to date, but every thing she does is great. She's a genius.

Espresso

6 x 6 oil on hardboard

As my current paintings were drying between passes I decided to work in an ebay painting for this week. Cups with spoons is one of my more common themes, and the recent mug and book piece made me hungry to do another. This little espresso cup hadn't been utilized in a while, so I thought it would make a good subject for this week. These compositions tend to be monochromatic, but I'm drawn to them their simplicity. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

Coke

6 x 6 oil on hardboard

This carton of coke bottles will probably be showing up repeatedly for a while yet. There is something about that green glass, and the red carton that kills me. Especially when the red shows through the glass. Man! I've got this idea in the back of my mind to try one of these bottles really big. Something like 36 x 36, or 24 x 48. I think it could be really cool. Many of my favorite contemporary realists like Pedro Campos, and Steve Mills commonly work in this size. I wonder if I could do it? Maybe 2010 is the year to go BIG. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Recent Commission: Pool Balls

6 x 6 each oil on hardboard

I was busy working on one of two commissions this past week, in addition to a couple of new ebay paintings. The commission for the first client was for pool balls, and the second client will be receiving a loaf of bread and a pb&j. Also in the 6 x 6 format. It had been a while since I painted pool balls in a glass bowl, and it was nice to visit them again. I hope to have the next ebay piece ready to go up on thursday, and the second commission paintings should be ready to be posted sometime next week. I also have another small project coming up in the next few weeks, more about that later.

Morning Mug

6 x 6 oil on hardboard

My plan for this week was to work up another five ebay paintings, but I landed a couple of small commissions just as I was getting started, and this is the only piece I had time to complete. This image was created on a trip to Inlet Beach Florida a year or so ago, and it's been in the back of my mind to paint ever since. My original intent was to do it as a 12 x 12, but I figured I'd try it out on ebay first, and see what kind of response it gets first. The complete photo reference includes all of the books, and a pair of glasses as well, but I thought this told most of the story. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Grapes No.2

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

Every once and a while, I get into a kind of Zen mode as I paint. During that usually very brief span of time, the act of painting seems effortless. It's nothing I can control or predict, it just occurs out of the blue. The next day it's gone, and the struggle to paint returns. These grapes were the end result of one of those fleeting moments. I'm not claiming this is an exceptional work of art, it's more about that marvelous, and ephemeral experience of painting without thinking. I wish it came around more often. If you'd like to bid on this painting, click here.

EverReady

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

This little painting falls into the category of the "study". I found a few of these vintage flashlights on ebay, and have done quite a bit of photography with them. The version here represents the top portion of a more involved piece I plan to do later. I wanted to get a feel for the grooves and embossing on the all metal case, before I attempted it in the larger painting. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can take part in the auction by clicking here.

PB&J No. 15

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

I never seem to tire of painting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It's fun to find new ways of composing them. Delving into my most recent batch of photography I really liked this wedge shape of the split sandwich on the plate. If you'd like to participate in the auction you can bid by clicking here.

Bob's Kettle No.2

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

Before our good friends Bob Deyber, and Robert Graham moved back to Connecticut, they let me borrow one of their silver pieces to photograph. This great tea kettle had such a delightful shape, and highly reflective surface I knew I had to get some images of it before it was gone. I painted a larger version of it for Wynne/Falconer Gallery some time ago, but wanted to use it again for the wonderfully distorted view of the surroundings it creates. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Embroidery Scissors

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

Scissors have been part of my repertoire in the past, and I felt it was time to re-visit that subject once more. I found these little embroidery scissors in the shape of a stork on ebay, and thought they'd be fun to paint. As I was setting up one of the compositions, I decided to incorporate another pair of scissors as a kind of surrogate parent, feeding it's young. It may be a bit "cutesy", but I think it works. If you'd like to bid on this piece, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Karen: the cover Art Galleries & Artists of the South

Karen has one of her paintings on the cover of Art Galleries & Artists of the South this month. The publisher emailed her a little while back to say that they had an image of hers they really liked, and wanted permission to use it for the cover. It took about a second to respond with a "yes". They did a very good job with the printing, the reproduction was a spot on match to the original.

I've been working on a new group of ebay paintings, the first of which should be posted tomorrow evening. It's a good batch, I think. Once they're all up, I'm heading back to the Coke bottles. I want to paint more of that terrific glass.

Return for Deposit

16 x 20 oil on hardboard

After two weeks, I've finally completed the full version of the Coca Cola bottles. I knew when I did the study I would attempt the composition larger in order to delve more deeply into that wonderful Coke colored glass. It didn't fully satisfy that urge, and I'm anxious to begin another variation of this subject. I picked up another of those terrific Dick Blick studio mounted hardboard panels this weekend for just that purpose. Before I return to that, I've got to get busy on another line up of ebay paintings for next week. As soon as those are done I'm back to those bottles. I haven't made up my mind as to where I'm going to send this as yet. I may just hang onto it for a while before I make that decision.

Update: Stricoff Fine Art, Ltd. called today, and requested that I send this piece to them. Michel and I had a nice talk, and I will be shipping this to them sometime early next week.

Half Loaf No.2

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

. . . and a loaf of bread to finish off the week. I really enjoy painting bread, and Karen has made it clear to me that I, "should always have a bread painting in the works". This half loaf composition with the plastic bag is a favorite of mine. I love that serpentine line that runs the length of the loaf. It's not clearly evident in this image, but there are a lot of subtle colors, and textures in this piece. I'm attempting to work more color into my paintings. In my pre-oil days, when I worked in watercolor and colored pencil, there was much more color in my work. For some reason, when I switched to oil my palette became more muted. Now I'm trying to bring back that variety of color. It's a glacially slow process, but I'm getting there. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Study: Return for Deposit

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

I mentioned in an earlier post this week that I use two methods of cropping photographs as source material for paintings. This piece represents the second technique. I used a small portion of the image I was considering for a larger painting. The full composition contains the entire 8 pack of Coke. I commonly offer these studies for ebay, then based on the popularity of the auction, make the final decision to go on and paint a more elaborate rendition. I jumped the gun a little on this one. I liked this completed "study" enough to go ahead, and begin the larger painting. It's a chancy move, but it's going pretty well, and I'm very happy with it so far. If you'd like to take part in the auction you can bid by clicking here.

Blocks No.7

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

"Again with the blocks". I know, but I just like painting them so much. The Rabbit in particular. There is something very appealing about these toys which aren't made of plastic, don't require batteries, light up or make a sound. What can I say, I'm fond of the blocks. If you'd like to bid on this painting click here.

PB&J No. 14

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

This is another example of the crop "down" method for ebay. I think working for over a decade as a graphic designer helped me develop an eye for cropping images. It was a task employed on a daily basis. I'm not saying that my particular take on composition appeals to everyone, just saying that I like them. I used to state that I was searching for the heart of the larger image, but I realized very quickly that the large composition has many hearts. If you look close enough, each photograph provides a rich source from which to extract many small paintings. Each substantial, and unique on their own. This snippet comes from a painting I just shipped to Dean Day Gallery in Houston. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Glass & Silverware

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

When I'm working with my photography I usually go in one of two directions. I either crop out a key portion of a larger composition specifically to be used as an ebay painting, or I will cull out a tightly cropped piece of a composition I intend to paint larger, and do it as a study for the larger more involved version. See what kind of response it gets. The first painting to be auctioned this week is an example of the former method. I liked the painting I did recently for Stricoff of the glass jar filled with silverware, so I focused in on the top of that glass. A second painting to be auctioned later this week will be an example of the second method. The "study". If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can take part in the bidding by clicking here.

Blocks No.6

16 x 20 oil on hardboard

I finally completed the second painting bound for my new gallery in Houston. It's called Dean Day, and Karen has done very well there. I talked with Cathy Albright, the owner, when we were in town for Karen's show back in December, and she was very enthusiastic about showing my work as well. We agreed to "date" for a while, and see how it works out. I've emailed Cathy images of these two paintings, and she was very pleased with both of them. They are still too wet to ship, but should be on their walls within the next couple of weeks. With a little luck, my paintings will find an audience in Texas.

PB&J No. 13

18 x 18 oil on hardboard

Had some major problems with my internet connection this past week. After going back and forth with Earthlink for a few days with no success, the problem turned out to actually be with AT&T. It took the technicians about a week to figure things out. I have to say they were really good about keeping us up to date on their progress. Now we're back on line, and I'm able to post my latest painting. This is one of two paintings I'll be offering Dean Day Gallery in Houston. Karen has been very successful there, and Cathy Albright, the owner, has asked me to come on board. With a little luck, I'll find an audience for my work there as well.

Coca Cola

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

The final ebay painting for this week is a couple of empty coke bottles. I've had it in my mind to paint this subject for sometime now, but never got around to it. That old coke bottle shape, and color is so familiar, and nostalgic. I searched my favorite place for subject matter (ebay), and as usual found plenty of bottles to choose from. I'll try this again in a larger format in the future as a gallery piece. Just how large, I'm not sure. Big enough to really get into that glass. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can take part in the bidding by clicking here.

Silver Creamer

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

I decided to hold off for the holidays, and list my final two ebay pix starting tonight. This creamer was part of a collection of vintage silver given to us by Karen's parents. There's also a sugar bowl, and a water pitcher that go along with this creamer. They have a great shape for reflecting the contents of a room, and these wonderfully curly handles. If you'd like to partake in the bidding for this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Cracker Bowl

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

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

Half Perc No.4

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

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

Wild Turkey

5.5 x 5.5 oil on hardboard

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

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

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

A Glorious Dawn

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

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

Blocks No.5

18 x 18 oil on hardboard

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

Seasons Greetings from CBS

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

Place Setting

16 x 20 oil on hardboard

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

Karen's Solo Show at Dean Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Flatware

6 x 12 oil on hardboard

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

Black Grapes

black grapes

oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

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

Crackers and Milk

crackers and milk

oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

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

Flatware No. 2

flatware no. 2

oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

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

Blocks No.4

blocks no.4

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

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

Autumn

autumn

oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

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

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

Friends, Heroes and Strangers: Nigel Cox at GX

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

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

My Interview with Jim Thalassoudis

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