CONCEPTION

Where it all begins. Visitors to Gallery 5 often ask where the paintings "are from", and I tell them some are from specific farms and fields that I have photographed, some from my head, and others a combinations of both. But they all share a common beginning, a small thumb nail sketch of an idea where I lay out composition and some very rough value guidelines. Here are a couple of these sketches with the resulting finished painting.


the farm pencil sketch aprox. 1x5"


the Farm acrylic 48x60"




Purple Majesty acrylic 12x48"...the architecture underwent some changes in this piece.

MIXED MEDIA MINIATURES

I love the sound, the alliteration of the title; the sound is pushed off the lips. Mixed media miniatures. OK, enough of that. These 2 5x5 pieces once were part of one creation. Over time I became less than enthusiastic about it and in the end decided they were destined to be what you see now, two small examples of a clay mono type enhanced with acrylic.


Dunes I clay mono type 5x5"


Dunes II clay mono type 5x5"

DISTANT MOUNTAINS

Distant Mountains watercolor 6x8"

Every time I paint a scene like this I place myself at risk. Seven years ago I promised my wife (actually I remember that I "told" her I would, not "promised". But she remembers it differently.) that I would paint a distant mountain scene above our kitchen sink. Of course I'm still working on it.

THE HIGH PLAINS

From Passenger window, somewhere in the high plains. wc 5x8

In this, as in several other of my watercolors, I've used pastel pencils to add some of the smaller highlights and details in the last stage of the painting.

HAVING FUN

and enjoying myself in the process. There is a very large watercolor - 16x60- about 80% completed, and 2 panels waiting for my attention sitting on easels, but I cannot tear myself away from these small watercolor landscapes. They are proving to be very helpful in getting me to loosen up in my approach to watercolors, something I have been very self critical of.

I try limiting myself to no more than 3 pigments, with an occasional 4th for highlights when needed. Here are the results of yesterdays efforts:


Cotton woods #1 wc 4x7"


Cotton woods #2 wc 5x7"

IT IS WHAT IT IS

Mixed media 12x12

Sometimes I need to move on to things entirely different, in this case, muted colors and texture.

WHATEVER

I cannot think of anything clever, or otherwise, to say about todays post. It's small.



Worley Rd Farm watecolor 3x9"

TWICE AS LARGE

as yesterday's painting, this measures 6x8 inches! If I keep this up I will be back to my mega canvases by the weekend....I don't think so.


Distant Barns watercolor 6x8"

SMALLER THAN SMALL

Early Morning watercolor 3x4"

I'm working my way down the ladder with this 3x4" painting.

LESS IS MORE

or so they say. I am doing my best to test that notion, and in the process having fun go back through some very old reference photos. The first is from pics I took some 12 plus years ago on a drive back from the whippet Nationals in San Diego. The other from a trip to New Mexico 3 years ago.


Late Autumn watercolor 5x8


New Mexico watercolor 5x7

LOOKING BACK

Returning to an early fascination of mine...the urban market, store fronts, and the corner stores, I painted this generic scene.


Produce watercolor 3x6"

I'M ADDICTED!!!

Roof Tops watercolor 3x9"


Farmscape watercolor 3x11

LIFE SAVERS

I seem to have lost all my enthusiasm for painting "epic" works on canvas, or just about anything else lately...EXCEPT...these tiny watercolors! They have been the only thing between me and utter frustration and mental chaos. (My wife might argue that point.) In any event, I plan to simply go with the flow, and when it is time to move on to something else, I'll know it.


Snow field watercolor 5x5"

MORE POTATO CHIPS

I may never stop...just keep on going until I'm covered with a pile of these small wc paintings. I tell myself they are all for our show next month of "Small Works", but I'm not sure I believe that. Whatever.....here are 2 recent efforts.


Warm Landscape wc 6x6"


More Tuscany ink-wc 5x8"

IN PRAISE OF AMERICAN ENTERPRISE

I posted some images of my shadow boxes 2 years ago...using less than optimum photos. Today, while going through a pile of old CDs I came across one with photos I had taken by a professional photographer.

This first one is proof that even a liberal like myself appreciates the spirit of free, creative enterprise. It is a homage to a great idea that just misses he mark.



The countries first, and only, 6-12 convenience store. They just didn't quite get the concept.

LET THERE BE SNOW

If you are a regular reader of this blog it should be obvious that I have avoided two elements in my art, large bodies of water and snow. I have decided to depart from routine and take on some snow. Several days ago I posted this painting:


Two on a Hill acrylic 24x24

Since then I have reproduced the subject, but in a different environment. Here is the piece in three stages.


WIP stage 1

stage 2 I thought I would need an underpainting for the snow field...I'm not sure I did

Two Barns in Snow field acrylic 24x24

THE EAST POINT LIGHTHOUSE

sits quietly tucked away on the eastern shore of the Delaware Bay, hidden from view from the land unless you turn off the less than beaten path to an unmarked still less beaten path deep in southern NJ. (Now THAT is a sentence!) I literally stumbled upon the LH some 25 plus years ago when I took the photo from which this was painted. I since learned that it was once a US navy structure which had long been abandoned.

I have painted this delightful LH in watercolor and pastel, and this is my first rendering in acrylic.


East Point Lighthouse acrylic 8x10

Below is the wc done some 20 plus years ago.


East Point LH watercolor aprox 16x20

If I can find the pics, I will post the pastel later

THERE IS MORE TO ME

than trees, barns and fences, and this little painting is proof of that. As always, I painted the sky, not knowing what would follow. This creature was happy to oblige me. Getting him into the studio was easy, getting him to lie down and pose was much more difficult.


Looking out acrylic 6x8"

THE SKY IS NOT RED-ORANGE

Leaving behind the deeply warm skies I love to paint, I turned to the dark stormy skies that I love to paint. OK, maybe I just love to paint skies, moody skies of any color. Often I will paint the sky and then decide on what will follow. That is what i did in this little painting using a theme I like so much, light falling against the dark background.


Summer Storm Coming acrylic 6x12

IT'S FINISHED

and the photo is better, with a more accurate depiction of the sky. But I still haven't named it.


Acrylic on panel 24x24

BARNS, BARNS, AND MORE BARNS

In the almost 2 weeks since my last post I've been busy making my own panels and saving considerable money doing so. I like painting on wood, and a 24x24 quarter inch birch panel at Lowes costs about $4.00. A simple frame or cradle can me made for about $6.00 from 1x2" poplar, and after several coats of gesso you have a great surface on which to paint. After making 3 24x24 and one 24x48 I began painting. The first piece can be seen below. The sky is actually a very pale yellow, obviously missed by the camera. I'll try shooting it again. And I just realized that I left the upper opening to the loft in the red barn unfinished! Oh well, sometimes the head doesn't connect with the rest of me.


no title yet


I'm almost embarrassed to show this 8x10...it is another warm sky - red barn - ochre foreground. Clearly I'm in a rut. But when inspiration is wanting, it is nice to have something to fall back on. I will have to do something about that.