JUST ONE TREE,

or is it two? Whatever it is, it is the last in this never ending series of small water media paintings. I will be part of a 3 man show this fall featuring small scale paitings, but I think the real reason I'm on this kick now is because it is fun, with a capital F. And, I am learning from them.


Single Tree watercolor - acrylic 7x9

ROB FROM THE BIG-GIVE TO THE SMALL

Wired Down, 48x60" posted earlier this month


Unwired acrylic 5x5"

MORE FROM THE PLAINS

8x10 watercolor with acrylic detail on 300lb rough arches

I'm pleased with the harmony of the color in this piece, the result of limiting myself to the use of 3 warm, transparent pigments for everything but the trees.

STILL EXPLORING...

watercolors and mixed media. Trying to create a more harmonious palette/painting by limiting myself to three basic transparent pigments, using others for details. In this piece the foreground is a series of washes using a mixture of Aerulean yellow and rose madder. The darker grass was done with burnt sienna and the barn with cadmium red and the 3 main trees with acrylic titanium white.


the Plains... water media 8x10"

Here is this scene as painted several years ago in pastel.



High Plains Hills 28x40" pastel

SMALL IS THE NEW BIG

Here are a few more 4x6s. I think I am ready to move up to 8x10s!!


Watercolor...Just had to have at least one red barn in this series.


Pastel pencil


colored pencil

THE OPPOSITE OF BIG

is small, and that is how I've been working lately. After spending several weeks on the large - 48x60"- canvases I decided to work small, small being aproximately 4x6".
The sketchs are done on an assorted stock of board and paper retrieved from the scrap box with watercolor, pastel pencils, colored pencils, and gouache.


watercolor


watercolor


pastel pencil


colored pencil

VALENTINES DAY PASTA

This Valentines Day we treated ourselves to a dinner of fresh homemade pasta. Joined by daughter Amy and young William, we set out on our first endeavor to make our own pasta.
Earlier I prepared the gravy (sauce) made with San Marzano tomatoes and sausage.

Using a basic recipe of unbleached flour and eggs and the results of extensive research in 2 cookbooks, we began the epic task. These pics will tell the rest of the story.


Ready


Set


Go


Disaster strikes, and the eggs escape from their nest.


Amy and William recover!


Affection prevails.


Waiting their turn


Patience (photographer in chief) to the rescue.


Cutting the pasta on the "guitar", (actual name...chitarri)


The proud ones


Enjoying the fruits of their labor.

IN THE END

I decided another element was needed to complete the composition.


Wired Down acrylic on canvas 48x60"

I have really enjoyed the process of creating this, as well as the previous painting. I plan on taking a few days off to enjoy the weekend with my daughter and grandson who are visiting from Chicago. On the agenda today is making pasta, the old fashion way, and of course, relishing the fruits of our labor at dinner.

NOW WHAT?

This is what I have to show for my efforts of the past week. I've reached the stage where I need to spend some time just looking at this. My original idea was for another element (a large gnarled fence post with dangling barbed wire) to be added to the right of the barn, looming close in the foreground. But now I''m not so sure. At this stage I don't want to add or do anything that does not significantly improve or enhance the painting.


detail of barn

I'M MOVING

along on this painting. Yesterday I advanced the barn a bit and established the foreground. There is more to do on both. I plan on an orange-yellow glaze on the foreground to create a harmonious "glow" over the entire piece. At least that is my goal, how successful I am remains to be seen.

BARN IN PROGRESS

Yes, I know. Another barn, and a red one at that. I can't help myself. I love these
structures; they provide the reason and the storyline for the places I try to create.
I hope to add a new element to the overall composition of this piece, but it will be in the last stage of work.

Today I will try to finish the barn, and make a start on the foreground.

THE BIG SKY

The first step has been taken, and the next decision to make is whether or not it needs some tweaking in the lower parts near the horizon, especially on the left where it appears a bit too yellow. I'm still mulling over my choice of subject matter and hope to have that resolved today.

STARTING OVER

All about color acrylic on canvas 48x60"

I did this painting in September of 2007. Even then I knew it was less than my best, and for most of the time it has been sitting in the storage rack collecting dust. In keeping with my intentions of reducing expenditures I pulled it out of storage determined to reclaim the canvas and start anew.

At this point all I know is that it will be a landscape with a big sky (surprise!?) and that the sky will be red-orange-yellow. I have yet to decide on the "subject", either another farmscape or barn, or perhaps an urban skyline. In either event, the painting begins with an under painting of contrasting color and value, which I accomplished yesterday.


Work in Progress

Today the sky, tomorrow the world!

FARMSCAPE STILL IN PROGRESS

In this latest version the shady sides of the buildings have been given a warm glaze. I've posted two detailed pics because I'm not sure the larger photo has captured the nuanced colors.

This will be the last time I impose this painting on you.

TAG, TAGGED, TAGGING

It never ends. My dear wife just tagged me with the following:

Now for the challenge from Sweden!
My friend Henrik, of the famous Play A While Whippets at http://henrikharling.blogspot.com/ said:
"Jag blev utmanad att publicera en bild under Mina Bilder på datorn och här kommer den bild som blev resultatet av det."
Or, in English, "I was challenged to publish a photo from my computer by taking the sixth photo in the sixth folder on my computer and above you can see the result." (You'll need to go to Henrik's blog to see his fun photo.) He challenged me to do the same.

Here is the sixth from the sixth:


Somewhere acrylic on canvas 48x60 $4500

FARMSCAPE

has moved thru 2 more stages since last posted on 1-27.


the foreground is completed.


Farmscape acrylic on canvas 48x60"

At this point I am inclined to avoid any further architectural details (windows, etc.) and consider it finished. I will add a warm glaze to highlight the high keys in the foreground.

BLACK PAINTING...LA FAMIGLIA

La Famiglia acrylic on panel 24x24"


Initially entitled the black paintings, I later renamed them "Recession Paintings". This seemed much more appropriate. They were completed at the end of 2008 and all but this one were posted on the blog. La Famiglia was completed as part of a collaborative show focusing on the theme of communication and community, with each artist working off the painting on another.