Leave Those Electronic Devices Behind.

Take A Vacation.

Yes... A vacation from your electronic devices.  We all love them, and sometimes hate them, but love 'em or hate 'em, they are a part of our lives.  Actually, I really like mine and use them with my work and for play, directions, entertainment...on and on.   But sometimes they are a bit too prevalent in our lives.  

So it was with wild-reckless-abandon that I left my iphone, the greatest tool, personal assistant, crazy little device, in my studio when I left town for a few days.  Would I be able to live without being connected?  It was only going to be four days.  I thought I could survive.

I packed my sketch book and a real honest to goodness paper paged book to read, then headed into Mexico for beach, ocean, friends, good food and a few lively libations.  I spent a great deal of time looking, just looking, mostly at the ocean, but also flowers, palm trees, cacti and other wonderful sights.  If you have read my book, See Where You Are, you know I encourage the ability to actually look and SEE what surrounds you.  (You can click HERE to see, preview and order the book.)

An interesting thing happened....my brain had to entertain itself........ I came up with a completely new and different body of art work to create.  Of course I will still continue to paint flowers, palms, cacti, rocks, and produce, but I am so very excited to begin experimentation with this new idea.  It can't happen soon enough.  All because I left the devices behind.  Another thing I noticed was that it was far more relaxing to be without connectivity.  So...that's it for this week and the blog.  Into the studio for me....music only, no connectivity, no electronic devices for the remainder of the day.  Try it.....step away for a few days.  You might surprise yourself.

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Daily Paintings.

While Working on a Larger Canvas.

You saw the beginning of this painting last week.  Spending many hours in front of the easel I was able to paint in the boulders above the water and begin the under water portion.

As well as working on the big piece, I entertain myself with small daily paintings too.  Using small canvas boards I can work out composition and palette.   I make myself work quickly with minimal brush strokes, or maybe the use of an unusual color, or use of one brush only.  The painting shown above is 48" x 48", so it requires more time than the little daily works.

Daily Painting

The Back Side

5x7

This daily painting of Caught Rock is actually a boulder formation off the Crystal Bay Point at Lake Tahoe.  In the past I have painted it from the lake looking towards shore.

Daily Painting

The Back Side

3x3

 For these little paintings I am taking the view from shore out towards the lake, and it has become what I call, The Back Side of Caught Rock.  So while working on Slabs, the bigger painting, I am playing with a composition for my next larger painting.  

I was able to complete Slabs just this morning.  A new, blank 48x48 canvas is moving into the studio so Back Side can begin while I wait for four custom canvases to be constructed.  

Did I tell you the installation of the floral painting went so well the customers said, "FABULOUS!" and commissioned four more canvases?  Those are the custom canvases on order.  So for now I am painting Lake Tahoe Boulders, but soon I will be painting cacti and palms again.  

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Final Post About The Floral Painting

It is Complete

Weaver's Birds and Biscus

18 x 62

Signed, sealed and delivery scheduled to take place tomorrow.  I made a very few highlight corrections in the leaves and Bird of Paradise plumes before signing and coating with an acrylic varnish.  Putting on that varnish is always a bit terrifying.  Why?  After all the hours of painting and perfecting the painting I find that application of varnish is tricky.  It is far too easy to end up with bubbles, lint or hairs, and uneven surfacing in and with the varnish.  But all went well.  I think switching to Golden's Acrylic Satin Varnish has made a huge difference.  It is a high quality material and much easier to work with.

Between varnish coats I have been drawing compositions for a new painting as you can see in these pages from my sketch book..

...and I settled on the drawing located bottom left for my newest project.  I am focusing on Lake Tahoe Rocks and water, large slabs of granite seen above and below the surface of the lake.  This is a tight group of boulders with huge amounts of light calling for a completely different palette and large brush strokes which will be a departure from the more refined brush work used in the floral painting.

During last week I was able to progress part way into the work.  It's a good start.  

Last week was also the La Quinta Arts Festival, so I took time to  walk the festival and visit with some of my favorite exhibitors.  Take a look at the web sites for Shelley Evans http://www.spiritkeepers.com/ and Andrew Madvin http://www.axiomglass.com/  They are both talented creators working in different mediums, Shelley with fibers;  Andrew with glass.   Shelley creates incredibly detailed figures she refers to as Spirit Keepers.  They are rich in texture and expression.  Andrew's work is bold and colorful, made up of vessels, wall decoration, and my favorite cairns.  

It was a great week filled with art and more art.  This week promises more of the same with painting time, an artist's lecture, painting installation, and delivery of small canvases for 99 Bucks.  You remember that event from the past few years?  If not, stick around, check back, for I will be talking about it soon.

To contact me click HERE

To visit my web site click HERE

Painting Completion

It is Almost Complete

This past week I began working on the blossom of the Bird of Paradise flowers which I refer to as the bird heads.  Using a slightly different hue of green, combined with Hansa Yellow and Buff Titanium the birds began to come to life.

To create additional depth in this painting, a couple of the bird heads peer over a petal of a hibiscus flower.

After the heads were added, it was time to paint the plumes which, as I mentioned last week, were designed to curl and twist even though the actual flower petals are more rigid in appearance.  This is in an effort to create fantasy and whimsy which is also created with the size and combination of these two very different flowers.

Due to the black under painting, the plumage needed more than one layer of pigment.  The photo above shows the first application.

After the third layer of pigment, using the Buff Titanium, Hansa yellow and Indo Orange Red which was blended and mixed on the canvas to create dimension, the plumes were done.  Raw Sienna and Violet were used to shadow.

After the birds on each side of the canvas came to life, it was time to step back, assess the progress and add shadows. This was accomplished with quick brush strokes of pale violet, used like a glaze.  A very thin application of the pigment.

The canvas has been moved off the easel so I can 'live' with it for a few days to decide if there are high lights or low lights to add.  The next step with be to sign the work, varnish, add the wire and identification on the stretcher bars on the back. Then it is off to its new home in La Quinta, CA.

I have already under painted another canvas to begin a new painting (48" x 48"), so check back to find out what the subject and composition will be.  In the next post I will share that information plus show you the completed Bird Of Paradise and Hibiscus painting.

To contact me click HERE

To visit my web site click HERE