OLDIES BUT GOODIES

What began as an attempt to create some storage space for recent paintings soon turned into a major task of re-organizing not one shelf, but the entire storage unit.  In the process I uncovered several paintings that had "slipped from my mind" over the years. (that sounds so much better than "forgot".)

Intensely Orange  Oil pastel on clay print 14x30"

Storm Clouds  pastel  13x25"

Brilliant Trees  mixed media  13x25"

All 3 of these paintings are available - price on request.

 

The daily dose of art TUSCANY ON CLAY

The iconic Tuscan landscape is almost impossible to forget, and even more difficult to stop painting it after visiting the region.  I found this out first hand, after spending  week in Tuscany in 2008.  Seven years later and I'm still at it.

The following paintings were all done on "scraps" of clay prints with pastel:

Only in Tuscany

Tuscan Countryside

Tuscany in clay

 Tuscan Country side id approximately 12x36" and is available, un-matted and unframed.  Contact me for price and details.

The daily dose of art FORGET ABOUT THE GRIME

Enough already with the grime - it time for some cleaner air and blue skies.

 Morning Marsh

Reflections

 

Ebb Tide

The daily dose of art WINDOWS TO THE WORLD

Perhaps windows to the trees would be a more accurate description of this series of paintings.  Several years ago I had fun with this concept and ending up painting at least 23 canvases and panels before I finished.  They ranged in size from 12x12 to 48x36 inches.

Windows #15 24x24"

Windows #20  24x30"

Windows #12  36x48"

The daily dose of art THE JOY OF OIL PASTELS

Several years ago I came across a box of oil pastels I purchased from the estate of a Wilmington illustrator some 30 years earlier.  On a whim, I decided to see what I could do with them, and the result was a series of paintings done on previously abandoned clay mono types.  For some reason, as pleased as I was with the results, I've never gone back to them.  Maybe some day.....

Purple on Purple

                          

 Distant Light  30x15

SW Series #2  12x12"

The daily dose of art WEST KENTUCKY BARNS

For the past several years I have been slowly creating a portfolio of the barns in Western Kentucky.  Sadly most of them appear to be abandoned, remaining intact only out of sheer will and pride.  Most of the paintings are watercolor, and the remaining pastel and/or pen and ink.  Tucked away in the back of my mind is the notion that I will get them into a book form..some day.

Here are a few on the most recent additions:

By 121 & 1104

By 339 & 1213

By 121 & 1104

The daily dose of art WORKING SMALL

I will show restraint and refrain from using the tired cliche - Good things come in small packages.  I can be more creative than that.  So today we see that size doesn't matter as we look at several mini paintings.

Cottonwoods  watercolor  4x7"

Early Morning Light  watercolor   3x4"

High Plains  acrylic  4x4"

The daily dose of art CONSTRUCTIONS OR COLLAGE?

When we moved to Paducah I had to dismantle a rather extensive model RR layout that I spent years creating.  It came down in a day.  After packing up all the trains I was left with assorted tools and supplies, including a lot of scale lumber and other building materials.which I quickly put to use creating a series of architectural collages or constructions.  I'm not sure which is the more apt name to give them.  They are fun to create, using a variety of mediums in the process: acrylics, pastel, ink, and of course the scale lumber and metal siding.

pCopper Landscape  approximately 14x16"

Over the Top   18x12"

Waiting  25x26"

The Daily Dose of Art....Oil Pastels

Several years ago I dusted off several boxes of oil pastels I purchased from an artist's estate over 30 years ago.  I thought it was time to give them a try.  After a few unsuccessful attempts on a variety of supports, I decided to try working on some discarded clay mono types that were printed on Reemay, an industrial material that is an excellent support for the clay prints.

I was delighted with the results; so much so that I went on to create a large body of work which was eventually exhibited in my gallery.  Because so much pressure is needed in applying the pigment, superficial fibers from the support are disrupted in the process, creating a please texture, as seen in these two paintings.

Dark Skies  Oil pastel on clay mono type  12x12"

Sad  Oil pastel on clay mono type  15x30"

TWO WEST KY BARNS

It's time for a change of pace, at least for today, and a return to the countryside.  West Kentucky is awash with aging, little used barns that all seem to take on the same appearance - rusty tin roofs and faded unpainted siding.  In spite of this, they still retain an air of dignity that age and neglect cannot destroy.

Here are two such barns in Graves County, rendered in watercolor and measuring 11x14".

UMBER

The name itself suggests something from the earth, and the pigments, Raw Umber,  Burnt Umber, along with Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, and Yellow Ochre  are referred to as the earth colors.  I have used all of these extensively in my paintings.

Recently I have decided to create a series of paintings using primarily earth colors to establish the mood and overall tone of the paintings.

In this first painting the sky is a mixture of Raw and Burnt Umber with a touch of Burnt Sienna, and the darker foreground is Raw Umber and black.  Touches of primary colors were used to create the trees.

Umber series #1  acrylic  24x30

 I wanted a darker mood in this second piece, and used more Raw Umber and black.   I have mixed feelings about the tobacco barn – not sure it adds to the painting.  I’ll look at for a while to see if I want to take it out.

Umber series #2   acrylic  24x30

                                 

A third painting is in progress.

Winter's wonderland

The current cold front coming through and driving out the unseasonably warm temperatures has prompted me to search for paintings of mine with winter themes, particularly snow.  It turns out I've done more of them than I remembered, but still not very many.  Going way back into the 1980's  I've posted several of them here today.

Snow Fall...acrylic...6x6' 2009

Moore's Farm...acrylic...4x4"    2009

Red Barn in snow...pastel...15x20"   about 1998-9

Snow Field...watercolor...7x9"   2010

Snow on Broom st....watercolor...20x30"   1992

I'll post several more tomorrow, because I know you can't wait to see them.

Last of the new

The last 2 pieces that complete the new exhibit at Gallery 5...five years of imagining landscapes.  The exhibit is now available for viewing, and the opening reception scheduled for the Second Saturday in December from 5 to 8 P.M.

Do-over II...acrylic, ink...16x49

Untitled...acrylic, ink...12x24

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DEGREES

One hundred and eighty degrees is what separates two of my favorite approaches to creating art.

The tightly controlled – ok…anal – architectural watercolors:

and the loosey goosey free-wheeling landscapes.

 

 They feed off one another.

I'm still working on the barns, preparing for a Gallery 5 show at the end of March.  Most of the work will be small, ranging from 4x4 inches to 11x14, with an occasional larger piece in the mix.  I'm using a variety of media which keeps the work interesting and fresh.  My two latest pieces are:

 Pastel on paper toned with acrylic inks and mounted on hardboard...11x14"

 Pastel sketch on colored paper...4x4"

At the same time I'm still working on the Paducah drawings, planning to show the work later this year.

Whitehaven...pastel, ink, and markers on gray paper...approximately 8x10"

DOING MY BEST TO...

loosen up! Leaving behind the urban streetscapes, I've turned to these rural landscapes using a limited palette and working wet in wet. My hope is that I will eventually be able to take a similar approach with architectural and urban scenes.


East of Paducah wc 5x8

This painting was done with varying mixtures of Cobalt blue, Raw Sienna, and Alizarin Crimson. At the very end a small amount of Cadmium Yellow was touched to the edge of the horizon.


Summer Day wc 4x6

Viridian Green, Ultramarine Blue, and Raw Sienna were the only colors used in Summer Day.

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"

THE VERSATILITY OF THE CLAY MONO TYPE

Following is a brief description of the clay mono type process as developed by Mitch Lyons some 25 or more years ago.

The clay monotype is a variation of the traditional monotype technique. A slab of stoneware clay 3/4 to 1 inch thick is pressed into a firm framed base mounted on a solid support table or bench. The surface is smoothed and leveled with the edges of the frame and is allowed to dry overnight to a “leather hard” consistency. There is no “correct” size: it can be small and portable or permanently situated in the studio. This clay base will act as the “plate” in the creation of the monotype. My current clay plate is 30x40” and is almost 6 years old. By keeping it covered with wet paper and plastic drapes it will last indefinitely.

Liquid clay-slip-is produced by mixing water and kaolin powder in a blender to a light pancake batter consistency and several coats are then brushed onto the clay slab. This slip also becomes the paint by the addition of pure pigments, dry or liquid, and is used to create the image by its application to the clay slab. The final result is a flat slab of clay in which the image is imbedded.

A moistened support, fabric or paper, is placed on top of the clay and pressure is applied using a roller or brayer. The support becomes impregnated with a thin layer of the clay resulting in a transfer of the image.

All the materials used in this process are archival and the pigments share the same light fastness as other tradition pigments.

The resulting one of kind images have characteristics unlike those produced by any other method. The variety of techniques that can be used in this process is limited only by the imagination and curiosity of the artist.

Here are several examples of how these prints can be enhanced and/or manipulated to create a variety of images,



Here the clay mono type (cmt) landscape was enhanced by adding the buildings and trees with acrlyic paint.


Prairie grain elevators...cmt enhanced with soft pastels


Architectural drawing...ink and pastel pencil on a cmt printed on paper


From an oil pastel series...oil pastel applied to a cmt on fabric with the borders still visible.