Happy Events

"Happy Event"
Graphite, Watercolor and Acrylics on Mixed Media paper.

Speaking of happy events, one very happy event that occurred in the studio was that my blog was featured this past Tuesday on my local television station, WBRE! I was most honored to be featured on their show PA LIVE! If you are curious you can catch the episode here:

WBRE's PA LIVE!

(Thank you to Harold Jenkins for suggesting my blog be featured for the segment.)

Fortune Cookies

"Fortune 3"
Graphite, Watercolor and
Decoupaged paper on archival bristol

I'm craving Chinese fortune cookies now! Not because I want a cookie but because I want more fortunes to play around with. This idea has been great fun. I may have to search out a bag of fortune cookies somewhere just so I have a fresh and new supply of sayings for my mice to play around with. These two just won't stop scampering about in my head.

Little Lonestar (grulla) getting oil glazes

Indian Silver Paint Correction

Beginning stages he's orange

I thought putting all the photos of the paint repair on Indian Silver together might be helpful. When you see the transformation happening in steps and all together it sometimes bring better understanding to the process. Again, the transformation that took place happened slowly and with several layers of oil glaze. If you add color slowly you can control the color.

Layering in oils with a silk pad



Layering....


Layering....


Layering....


"Fly!"
Graphite and Watercolor on archival bristol.

"Flying without feathers is not easy; my wings have no feathers." ~Titus Maccius Plautus

Indian Silver Tutorial (Cont.)

Third layer on the Indian Silver.
Applied just like the first two...slowly.

After the Indian Silver had a full day to dry we revisit him and apply one more oil layer. This layer is applied the exact same way as the previous layers. The color used is just slightly darker than what was already placed on the piece. It is blended in using the silk sponge. After the horse is layered it is allowed to dry once again for a full day.

Certain areas that will naturally
be darker can be pushed a bit at this stage

Oil painted quickly added
to the top line. It doesn't have to be neat before blending.

Chestnut is the *HARDEST* color (IMO) to
photograph but you can see how
the color has changed already with the glazing.

"Dinner Is Served"
Graphite, Acrylic and Watercolor on archival bristol

‘If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.’ ~Henry David Thoreau

Dream...

"Taken"
Graphite and watercolor on archival bristol.

"Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do."

The Mountain

Finishing touches being added to the
canvas painting using digital reference.
(This is about as clean as this section gets.)

The mountain painting is complete. This was an absolutely wonderful exploration in light, form and color. I'm fairly pleased with the way it all turned out and I'm very excited to take my bucket, paints and new canvases back out in the field soon. (If you missed the first part of this painting you can see it here.) As I was finishing up this piece, using reference photos I took that day, I had to stop and wonder what the spot looked like on a beautiful sunny day. I've made a point to see and paint it up and compare.

"The Mountain"
Acrylic on linen

"Tackle and Tumble"
Graphite and Watercolor on archival bristol

"Tackle and Tumble II"
Graphite and Watercolor on archival bristol


"Keep close to Nature's heart....and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean."
~John Muir

Have Canvas Will Travel

The tree wanted me to mention
that he practiced all morning for this shot.
He did good for his first photoshoot I think.

I've come to learn that those who are ambidextrous (which I am) probably have some sort of brain damage. Well, that really doesn't surprise me. Neither does the urge to drop everything in the office/studio and pack up a plastic container full of art supplies, including my canvases, and drive onto the backroads till I found the perfect painting spot and set up shop.

Yeah.....I set up a painting station right in my Chrysler on the side of a road in the middle of...I have no idea what country road. Street names and directions hold no weight here. It's about composition, shape, line and color when searching for landscape fodder. I just keep driving till I find the perfect spot that inspires. The cup holders, the arm rest and the passenger seat all proved to be perfect for the session once I found the perfect landscape painting spot and the huge bin I threw everything in was choice. It held everything neatly and cleanly and offered a buffer for spilling paint from the palette.

The entire session took about three hours. Only one person stopped to help the "damsel in distress" and they seemed disappointed I wasn't in need. Sorry dude....move along!

I documented the painting process of this landscape painting done in acrylics. It has approx three more hours until finish which will be completed in my studio using photos taken on site. I've mentally cataloged the entire scene and will use the photos only as back up should I need a bit of reference, in particular with the trees in the foreground.

Huge plastic bin containing
everything I'll need for the adventure.

Cup holders and arm rest
come in hand during the session.

Laying down gesso. Its sorta like
primer for walls and preps the canvas







Then is started to rain
which greatly changed all the colors



After hour three with
three more hours left till finish

"Rain"
Graphite and watercolor on archival bristol

"Rain II"
Graphite and watercolor on arrival brisol.

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, It's about dancing in the rain."

Season Plates

Four plates together

This weekend I worked on laying out the last three illustrations for The Four Season plates. I love the way they all came out. I'm letting my eyes rest a bit before I start adding paint. Once I start adding paint things really start to change. I should scan each one properly in case I mess up something in the painting stage (like I did with Clytie's hands a few weeks ago). Once I paint over the drawing I'm lost for a spell.

Winter

Summer

Spring