"From the Sideboard" 10"x20" Oil on Linen

Been playing around with this still life in my studio. I wanted to do something on an exaggerated horizontal format. Still thinking value and temperature but I'm going to have to stop as those poor onions have started to rot and smell. (added the tarnished pot and onion skins to emphasis the horizontal)

Blog problem

I lost my favorite blog links somehow. One moment I thought I was adding a new link and the next moment, "poof" everything was gone. I really think I'm lacking that computer gene. So once again I will have to build up my links.

Value & Temperature Studies

Thought I'd post a few recent studies I've been working on inspired by taking a four evening workshop with Clayton Beck at the Palette and Chisel.

Clayton challenges us to pick just one issue to tackle instead of going through our mental list of many art elements which we might personally feel necessary for a good painting. Also, finishing is not important or even on "the list" which is great since the workshop meets for only 3 hours and includes his excellent mini demos as well as lots and lots of information.

For this portrait study of a man I chose to sit on his lit side. The values here were compressed to basically one value. So in order to describe form, I needed to focus on temperature changes but keep the values the same, or very close. Clayton recommended that I find the middle temperature and work out from there. I found this thought processes really exciting and so fun. So of course the hours flew by much to quickly.

This young gal gave me more trouble than the man. I should have just dealt with just value and the temperature issues would have developed naturally. From now on I'll know just to pick one issue to deal with when in open studio. This should have been a value study and not, value and temperature study.

Both head studies are slightly smaller than life size.

If you're visiting Chicago, take the time to stop by the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts and Galleries. It is one of our nations oldest, (if not the oldest) not for profit art organizations. Besides have over 60 hours a week of live model open studio time, which is free to members, it also has a main floor gallery, low cost studios, sculpture house and studios, and workshops all housed in a three story Italianate mansion purchased by members in 1921.

City Art Gallery, Greenville, North Carolina

"From Coast to Coast and in Between"
Opening January 15th.

As I said in my last post, I'm in a show which opens on Friday. So I'm continuing with a few more oil paintings from this exhibition. City Art Gallery will be highlighting over twelve of my paintings. I'll be showing with artists Tjasa Owen from San Francisco, Tim Kennedy of Indiana, and Sallie Benton from New York.
http://www.cityartgreenville.com/

"Shimmering Lights"
30"x24" oil on linen
$1900










"Suspended Animation"
24"x13" Oil $1200.

"Buddies"

12"x12" Oil $845.

City Art Gallery Greenville presents "Coast to Coast and in Between"

Opening January 15, 2010 is my first exhibition of 2010, http://www.cityartgreenville.com/. If you are near Greenville, I hope you'll pop in and take a look. Tell Peg and Torrey I sent you. They're fantastic ladies and have enthusiastically been representing my paintings.

The next couple blogs will highlight a few of the paintings in the exhibition. Some have been on the blog before.

"Corner Stop" and Lottie's are both 17"x15" framed oil paintings and yes, they are for sale. Both pubs are in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago. I'm particularly charmed by these neighborhood watering-holes and shops which help create a sense of community. The outside of the first building doesn't even post a name. Originally it was call "Riches First One of the Day" or something close to that but now the new owner doesn't even hang a sign. Everyone knows where to head for a break away and a nice chat.

p.s. Part of my New Year's resolution is about to come true. I'm heading to Sedona and area to plein air paint for a week!!!!!!

"Cascading Lights"

goofing around in the studio with this one from a painting I did at a quick sketch session. Not so fun or interesting to work without a model especially this gal. She's so passionate about dance and has this lively personality. Anyways, my point was to capture the light falling on her.

Sun Catcher

Normally I don't make New Year's resolutions but this year my hope/resolution is to take a plein air trip to some place like the Grand Tetons. Along with that I hope I can continue to study with David Leffel, and two other landscape and figure artists. Ralph Oberg has been recommended as a great plein air teacher and I love his paintings so I may try to study with him. Maybe putting this in writing will help me to make these goals actually experiences. As my wise friend said, "eventually is a myth, just do it." I think that is my mantra for 2010.

This little painting was started from a quick sketch during open studio. I've been tweaking it in my studio by trying to keep with the originally idea of large masses of simple shapes and value. The lighting was wild. There was natural and spot lights which washed out most of her back and side.

8"x6" Oil on Linen