Maple Leaf No. 4

Maple Leaf No.4
oil on canvas
6'' x 6"

I had enough red paint left on my pallette to do another maple leaf, so I figured why not. They are one of my "prettier" subjects, and I enjoy painting them. I love the crispness of the highlighted leaves contrasted by the less focused red leaves in the background. The seed pods in the foreground really give the painting a sense of depth. This was a fun one.

I was victorious with my first ebay auction this afternoon. A great looking vintage toaster. Hope my luck holds with my upcoming auctions. There's a specific mixer, and another toaster I really want to get my hands on.

Anyone wishing to participate in the auction of the Mape Leaf can bid by clicking here.

PB&J No. 8

PB & J No.8
oil on canvas
6'' x 6"

Before I got to work finishing up tonights painting, I spent a little time on ebay searching for some new subject matter. Back to the kitchens of old. Came across some great looking toasters, and a couple of vintage mixers. I'm pretty excited. Just hope I come out victorious in the bidding. I think these new finds could make for some great compositions.

I'll be putting up a new group of five six by sixers each night this week, then I've got a new large canvas drawn out for a painting destined for Stricoff. One of my current classic mixers. The composition is a little different than the previous versions of this subject, but I think it looks pretty cool. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

For those of you who may be interested in bidding on the painting above, you can link to the auction by clicking here.

Hamilton Beach No. 3

Hamilton Beach No.3
oil on canvas
24'' x 36"

My site has been a bit stagnent for a while I know. I've been working on a new milkshake mixer for Stricoff Fine Art, Ltd., and it's taken nearly all of that time to complete. This is similar to the last incarnation, but I wanted to paint the mixing blades. I just though they looked cool. I'll be shipping this up to them in a week or so.

In the mean time I've begun a new group of ebay paintings. I've got four underpaintings done, and hopefully I'll get number five done today. If all goes well number one will be listed on monday night.



Karen and I will be going out tonight to attend the opening night reception of our friend Leslie Cohen. She's having a one man show at the Heaven Blue Rose Gallery in Roswell. The image above doesn't do her work justice. She utilizes a technique which replicates hand etching, and it is equisitely beautiful. You need to see her paintings in person to fully appreciate them. Leslie and her husband Jeff have also recently been taken on by the Wynne/Falconer gallery on Cape Cod. They will be having a two-man show there on September 6th.

Eight Ball No. 2

Eight Ball No.2
oil on plywood panel
6'' x 6"

I wanted to get a fifth painting up for my "week" of ebay paintings. I could only manage to get four up last week. The portrait didn't survive, so I replaced it with this eight ball. I really enjoy painting pool balls, but there is something special about the black one. It's a challenge working only in blacks, blues and shades of grey. This is another subject I'd like to try large one day.

The third commissioned piece is on temporary hold while I paint a third Hamilton Beach milkshake mixer for Stricoff Fine Art, Ltd. I recently got the word that they had sold the last one, and would love to have another. The affordable art fair is coming up soon in New York, and I thought it would be a good idea to have it up there in time for that. I'll get back to the commission when the mixer is complete.

If anyone is interested in bidding on this piece you can access the auction by clicking here.

Bread Bag No. 6

Bread Bag No.6
oil on plywood panel
6'' x 6"

I'm not positive, but I think this is the sixth incarnation of this particular theme. Karen is always encouraging me to, "do more bread", so here is more bread. Not complaining. I really enjoy painting bread. And plastic too.

I spent the day working on the first pass of a portrait. A 6 x 6 intended for ebay, but I'm not sure what I think of it yet. I had been jonesing to paint a face for sometime, but I'm pretty rusty, and it may never make it to the blog. I'll have to wait, and see how the subsequent layers turn out.

Anyone interested in bidding on the Bread Bag, can access the auction by clicking here.

Cherry Can No. 3

Cherry Can No.3
oil on plywood panel
6'' x 6"

"It is very likely, that in the future, there will be a few more paintings similar to this one".

And here it is. This is yet another composition of the the Cherry Can I painted for the winter show at Twinhouse. I took a lot of photographs of this subject, and always intended to utilize more of the many images resulting from that shoot.

Work on the third full sized commission painting should begin in a couple of days. When I think about it today, I think it will probably be the coffee bag. I'll know friday morning when I set down at my easel.

Anyone interested in bidding on the Cherry Can can link to the auction by clicking here.

Coffee Master No. 2

Coffee Master No.2
oil on plywood panel
6'' x 6"

It's been a little while since I had done something "shiny", so I went back to my favorite percolator. I inherited this Coffee Master from my folks who had received it as a wedding gift in 1951. They knew that I had coveted it since childhood, so they let me have it when they moved into their current apartment. It's still in great shape, and I suppose it would make a good cup of coffee if I gave it a chance. The percolator comes in two parts, and has such a wonderful shape. It distorts its' surroundings beautifully. A great subject for painting!

It you'd like to bid on this painting, you can access the auction by clicking here.

Maple Leaf No. 3

Maple Leaf No.3
oil on plywood panel
6'' x 6"

Last year I painted a couple of maple leaf compositions, and really enjoyed doing them. They received a of attention, and resulted in a commission to do another as the logo for a new wine offered by the Maple Vineyards in California. So, I figured I paint another. Create an opportunity to use some red paint.

I still haven't decided on which of the corporate pieces I'll do next. I may have to flip a coin. That can wait until I complete this group of ebay paintings. Which ever of these compositions gets the nod, it should be started by the end of this week.

Those of you who may be interested in bidding on the painting above, can link to the auction by clicking here.

Corporate Commission No. 2: Bread Bag

Commissioned Painting No.2: Bread Bag
oil on canvas
30'' x 30"

Here is the second of five commissioned paintings for the Printpack Corporation. Number three may be the strawberry bag. I'm sort of on a roll with the plastic wrap, and was thinking it would be a good idea to use that momentum, and continue with that theme. The response to the study on ebay was encouraging, but I am torn because of the fact that I'm really itching to paint the coffee bag, and hershey bar.

In the mean time I've been working on a new group of ebay paintings for next week. At the moment I have two underpaintings done, and three drawings. It feels like a good group. The first of these will show up on ebay monday night at nine. Anyone interested in bidding on any of my current offerings can access my listings page by clicking here.

Pool Bowl No. 5

Pool Bowl No.5
oil on plywood panel
6'' x 6"

I've returned once again to one of my favorite subjects. I don't know what more I can say about this particular theme, other than I get a huge amount of pleasure from painting these colorful spheres. Plus, there's something very appealing about composing them in a glass bowl. At least for me that is. I especially love the distortion imparted by the ridges in the bowl.

Even though it's a small painting, and please excuse my enthusiasm for my own work, but I think this could be one of my favorite incarnations of this theme. I'm very happy with it. I spent an unacceptable amount of time on it, hence the inflated reserve price I've placed on it for ebay, but it seemed to be going in a good direction, so I just went with it.


Paper Doll by Jeanie Tomanek
oil / collage
36'' x 48"

Karen and I are heading into town this evening to attend the opening night reception at Mason Murer Gallery promoting our friend, and awsome artist Jeanie Tomanek. It's a group show which includes Jeanie, and two other artists. One of the other artists is James McLaughlin Way. A man Karen and I bow down to in most humble admiration. His huge landscape paintings, literally leave me speechless.


Anvil No. 9 by James McLaughlin Way
oil on canvas
84'' x 72"

That's it for now. If I have enough time I may be able to complete the under painting of the second commissioned piece today. We will have to quit early today to make the show, so it may not be completed until tomorrow. In any case it's currently looking as though I may be able to finish it within seven days. My original goal for each of these large paintings. Anyone who is interested in bidding on Pool Bowl No. 5 can link to the auction by clicking here.

Cherry Can No.2

Cherry Can No.2
oil on plywood panel
6'' x 6"

This is an alternate crop of the the Cherry Can I painted for the winter show at Twinhouse. I took a lot of photographs of this subject, and always intended to utilize more of the many images resulting from that shoot. It is very likely, that in the future, there will be a few more paintings similar to this one.

Work on the second full sized commission painting is coming along. It's slow going. If all goes well it should be completed in about five days.

Anyone interested in bidding on the Cherry Can can link to the auction by clicking here.

PB&J

PB&J
oil on plywood panel
6'' x 6"

I love painting this little Smuckers jelly jar, so here it is once again. I think I will probably do it on a large scale one of these days. Really get into the embossing of the name into the glass, and recreate the label on the front. I like this idea a lot.

Anyone interested in bidding on this piece can access the auction by clicking here.

Olive Oil

Olive Oil
oil on plywood panel
6'' x 6"

A little bottle of olive oil for tonights ebay listing. I've been hanging on to this bottle for some time, but never got around painting it until now. I love the thick glass, and its' square shape. I picked up a pair of these at an out of the way restaurant supply store on a trip to Savannah. Ever since I completed the Fritos bag, I've been thinking big. I was wondering how this may look huge. Now I wonder how everything may look huge.

Anyone interested in bidding on this painting can access the auction by clicking here.

Study for Commission: Strawberry Bag

Study for corporate commission: Strawberry Bag
oil on plywood panel
6'' x 6"

When the painting of the TAZO Tea box got nixed, I needed to start thinking of another subject to take its' place. Since Printpack creates generic plastic packaging, I thought I'd do some fruit in one of those simple translucent bags. I found these giant strawberries at COSTCO, and determined that they'd do nicely. As with the first five studies, this is only a portion of the full composition. I haven't officially decided on this composition as yet, but at the moment it ranks up there pretty high. I think it could look pretty cool at 30 x 30.

In addition to this piece I've completed four more six inch squares to be listed on ebay this week. A new painting each night. Tomorrow morning I'll begin my second commissioned piece. I decided to do the bread next rather than the coffee. Get my chops up on painting a clear plastic bag. If I choose the strawberries, that practice should come in handy.

Anyone who may be interested in bidding on this painting can link to the auction page by clicking here. See you tomorrow night.

Corporate Commission No. 1: Fritos

Commissioned Painting No.1: Fritos
oil on gallery wrapped canvas
30'' x 30"

Here is the first of the five commissioned paintings I'm doing for Printpack Inc. here in Atlanta. It's 99% finished, but it's been such a long time since I've placed a post on my blog that I decided to go ahead and put it up now. It won't look that much different when it's finished.

Gallery sales of my work are presently very slow, so based upon the success of my ebay paintings of the "studies", I've decided to return to my roots, and get back to ebay once again. My plan at the moment is to do one commissioned painting, followed by five ebay pieces, and so on. I currently have five drawn out, and two underpaintings completed. I should begin listing the auction paintings in the next few days. Then back to the next commission. I can't decide which one to do next. I'd like to do the more complex pieces first, and save the less complicated paintings until the end. Which is the most complex? The coffee bag I think. It's the one that worries me the most anyway.

Study for Commission: Coffee Bag

Study for Community Coffee
oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

This is the last of five small studies I'm painting for a corporate commission. I may be doing another study soon though, because I was recently informed that the TAZO Tea painting is not representational of a Printpack product. It had been on display at the headquarters along with numerous other products, so I just assumed it was in the mix somewhere. Never assume. Glad I found out now, and not after the painting was complete.

Today was day two on the full size Fritos piece. It was spent laying in a portion of the labeling. There is a good bit of red in the logo, and I love using red. I think that's why I had such a good time working on this bag of Community Coffee. I'm really gonna get my red "fix" when I start on that one.

Each of these studies is being offered for sale on ebay. Those of you who would like to take part in the auction for this painting, can do so be clicking here. I have to say that it's been a treat working on these small pieces, and then consigning them for auction. It's been about six months since my last ebay auction, and I've really missed it. I plan to spend more time painting for ebay in the very near future. Working them in between these commissioned pieces, and getting paintings ready for Wynne/Falconer for the summer.

Study for Commission: Bread Bag

Study for Bagged Bread
oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

Here is the fourth of five small studies I'm painting for a corporate commission. I spent the entirety of my painting day yesterday just laying in background and foreground colors. For me it was a lot of acreage. I'll start the first pass on the actual bag today. I'm a real miser when it comes to dispensing colors on my palette, but now there are huge piles of color which is a little disturbing. It feels so indulgent, and expensive. Plus the size of the brushes I'm using seem so clumsy, as opposed to the small brights I'm familiar with.

I know everyone is probably sick of hearing about how "strange" this new world of large painting is for me, but it's where I am right now, and is foremost in my thoughts. Maybe by the completion of the fifth piece it will be old hat, and I can stop whining.

Each of these studies is being offered for sale on ebay. Those of you who would like to take part in the auction for this painting, can do so be clicking here. The last study will be listed tomorrow evening.

Study for Commission: TAZO Tea

Study for Tea Bag
oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

This is the third of five small studies I'm doing for a corporate commission. I'm actually beginning the first full-size painting today. I was a little worried at first about the larger versions of these paintings, but the studies have been a real benefit to easing my fears. Fritos will be number one. I'm looking forward to diving in.

Each of these studies is being offered for sale on ebay. Those of you who would like to take part in the auction for this painting, can do so be clicking here. The final two will be listed on tuesday and wednesday.

Study for Commission: Hershey

Study for Hershey
oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

This is the second of five small studies for a corporate commission I'll be starting in the next day or so. The company I'm working for creates plastic packaging for hundreds of products, and I've chosen a few that are familiar. It was a little disappointing when I was informed that they don't do the Hershey wrapping that includes that - wonderful - foil beneath the label. They only do the full plastic wrapped version. It would have been fun to include that foil. Having said that here is a snippet of the full sized painting I've got planned. Karen provided the bite. I'll wait, and put up the rest of the paintings, the first of next week. This is to prevent the auctions from ending on a saturday or sunday. If anyone would like to participate in the ebay auction for this painting, they can do so be clicking here.

Study for Commission: Fritos

Study for Fritos
oil on hardboard panel
5.5'' x 5.5"

I wound up spending all of last week working on photography, and as yet haven't started the actual paintings for the commission. As I selected the images for each of the paintings, I decided to do some studies prior to beginning the actual project. Work out some of the details, colors and techinques for these large paintings. I want to get this right, and felt a few small studies couldn't hurt.

I've also been really missing ebay lately, so I also decided to put each of these studies up for auction. This cropped version of a Fritos bag will be the first. I have four more completed studies at this point. One for each of the subjects I've chosen. Reserving the option of doing more if I feel I need additional practice. These studies are select portions of the full compositions. I don't know how much these small paintings will assist me in the production of the actual paintings, but they have helped me to get my head around this commission. To say that my confidence level has increased as a result of creating these small studies. I should have the second piece up tomorrow evening. Anyone interested in bidding on this painting can do so by clicking here.