Happy New Year

I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year and thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and website.  I am grateful.

~ Cheers

"Leo"

5 x 5"

oil on panel
sold

This guy looked like a Leo to me.  Maybe he reminded me of Uncle Leo on Seinfeld.  Maybe a combination of several characters on Seinfeld.  Still, the best show on TV.

"Krystle"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

That sweet little blond tuft on her head reminded me of Krystle Carrington from Dynasty.  Another cow to make the afternoon fun.

"Violet"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

Hello to all - I trust you've enjoyed your holiday.  My aching back is healing nicely, thank you for your kind wishes.  I wanted to paint, I really did.  I squirted out my pizza pan palette of paint several times and nothing.  I don't know why.  My brain's been fried I guess.  To tell you the truth, it's nice to just chill in December for a change.  I spent most of my adult life as a picture framer and December was hell.   Now it's beautifully calm and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

My friend Neil Hollingsworth offered some photos of his to paint (thank you Neil) and I've been playing with cows.  Such great, natural sculptures - I'm in awe of them.  I'm doing more and I felt compelled to name each one, whatever comes to mind as I'm spending time with them.

This kicks off the first of many little studies I hope to get on with.  The juices are flowing again.  Yay.

"Green With Envy"

6 x 10"

oil on panel
sold

Included in my new show 'Met Life' - a woman viewing John White Alexander's 'Study in Black and Green' in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  

detail

Please click here for a larger view.

"Art Lovers"

8 x 8"

oil on panel

sold

The last time I was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art I obsessed over the higher-floor view of the lobby, what they call the Great Hall.   Floods of humanity moving in and out as the wooden benches are almost always occupied with tired tourists.   Below is a screen shot of the Great Hall from Google Maps.  By the way, you can tour the entire museum with Street View.  

With this new painting, I zoomed in a bit more on a couple taking a break from touring the museum, I found their interlocking hands so sweet and the main inspiration for this painting.  This piece will be included in my grouping 'Met Life', opening this Friday at the Morris & Whiteside Gallery.

detail

Please click here for a larger view.

Catching Up

Thanksgiving's a few days away and I'm psyched for the way the kitchen smells when the turkey's roasting and eating my weight in sweet potato casserole. 

I've spent the past weeks finishing up the new work for a dual show in December with Ken Auster - and I've put my paints away for a short while to simply enjoy the holiday week.  Before I get busy in the kitchen, I wanted to post the paintings I did at the recent workshop - a demo and sometimes two every day - which I try to include a variety of subjects.

Starting with Monday's demo, which I share the original reference photo and the students paint their versions the following day .....

10 x 8"

sold

Tuesday's demo...

 

 8 x 8"

sold

Wednesday morning's demo...

 

6 x 6"

sold

Wednesday afternoon's demo, starring our dog Joey...

7 x 5"

sold

Thursday's demo, from a police mugshot...

4 x 4"

sold

and Friday's demo.

8 x 8"

sold

My next workshop is in New York City, held at the National Academy on 5th Avenue - an amazing place to paint, a goldmine of imagery to capture.  The date is next May, the Tuesday after Memorial Day - and Sedona Arts Center is who you want to contact if you're interested in signing up.  The details are on the right-side column of this blog.

Another reminder that Brett has brand-new Tabletop Easels available as well as brand-new AlterEasels --- now there's a perfect gift for an artist if someone needs a hint.

And I'll be back to painting next weekend, meanwhile ~

 wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving

Live, Work & Play Time

My apologies for not posting during the past two weeks.  By the time we arrived in Hilton Head - after days of packing and go-go-go,  I just removed myself from the real world including my iPad, email, laptop, phone and took a long, deep breath and relaxed for a change.

 our little slice of heaven

 Our Beach Boys - Zac and Joey

A couple of days later our friends, Karen and Neil Hollingsworth, joined us for a much-needed break from the routine.

 Brett and Karen

 Brett, the dogs and Neil

After they left, the weather reports started coming in about Sandy, and for a while, we weren't sure if we were in the path of the storm - just glued to the ever-changing news and hoping for the best.  I was mainly concerned about my workshop students who were on their way - turned out everyone arrived safe and sound during the weekend which was a great relief.

 rougher seas

The workshop started last Monday, I was joined by my assistant, Kelli, from the Sedona Arts Center and twenty-one of the most warm, friendly, eager and talented women - five which came back for another round.  I knew after the first day how very lucky I was to have such a great group of broads and they made my week so enjoyable.  Thanks to all who spent the week with me, I am recharged and more motivated than ever.

 my gals hard at work

 an exercise painting mugshots

 immersed in our stuff, enjoying the paints

It needs to be said - being at the beach for two weeks, watching the sun rise right outside my window every morning and the moon rise every evening to wish us a good night's sleep - being in the company of strong, fabulous women who love to paint and talk about art - sharing my down-time with the guy and the pups I love so much - knowing the storm and that mighty sea we walked beside every day reeked havoc in many lives and destroyed those homes they've worked hard to build and nurture - it was humbling and a profound reminder of how grateful we are for being back home safe and sound and having each other.

Peace to All

Please donate to the Red Cross today and help all those affected by Sandy.

Working...

I'm on a painting marathon these days, working on new pieces for a dual show in early December with the artist Ken Auster - taking place at the Morris & Whiteside Gallery on Hilton Head Island. I'm very excited about it.  Hope to do a few small pieces in between.  See you soon.

"Foot Rest"

5 x 5"

oil on panel
sold

It is a happy painting day when I can balance the loose with the tight.   A woman resting her feet on a park bench around Charleston, South Carolina.

"Alongside Highway 30"

8 x 10"

oil on panel
sold

Occasionally, I finish a painting and don't quite like - so I rest it nearby my easel and obsess about it in between working on other pieces.   Then I continue to tinker with it from time to time.  This is one of those tinkered paintings.

The first time I 'completed' it, I was irritated with how tight it was - it looks too much like a photo and not really an oil painting.  I like more brushwork, I like moving oil paint around.  I must have tinkered over five different times during August and in the end, something you probably can't detect in the image above, is the texture - which I'm happy with.  A little palette knife action, dry-brushing on top of dry paint is what turned it into more of an oil painting and that's the ticket.

This scene was from middle America, alongside Hwy 30, the Lincoln Highway, in Brule, Nebraska.

"Bay Watch"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

A splendid day for a bird looking towards the Oakland Bay Bridge in San Francisco.

"Met Fatigue"

16 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

A special offering from my own collection, visitors resting in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

"Hip"

12 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

A special offering from my collection, a woman standing firm in front of Mark Rothko's 'No. 7', which hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

"Outer Sunset"

5 x 5"

oil on panel
sold

When I was in San Francisco this past spring, to teach a workshop, our home base was a rental in the Outer Sunset district - about 15 blocks from the Pacific Ocean.  I loved staying in that neighborhood.  This view was a drive down Judah Street, heading straight to the sea at dusk.  It is that squinty light that caused my photo to turn out somewhat monochromatic - which I loved, so I gave it a shot with paint, which I love.

I also wanted to remind folks that the opening reception for my show Here Comes The Sun is next Friday night, from 5-8 at the 16 Patton Gallery in Asheville.  I'll be there and would greatly appreciate you stopping by to say hello and look at my new work.  A fellow artist, Mark Henry, will have his new paintings showing the same night.

"Little Buddha"

5 x 5"

oil on panel
sold

Meet 'Little Buddha' - a pug we met on our visit to San Francisco.

"Cooling Her Heels"

4 x 12"

oil on masonite
sold

I'm noticeably having fun with the blues and turquoises of the ocean and painted this loose one today.  From the ocean at Hilton Head Island.

"Keeper of the Lures"

5 x 5"

oil on panel
sold

A loose, painterly study of a woman keeping watch over the tackle box - from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

"Figure 1"

5 x 7"

oil on panel
sold

I absolutely love figure drawing and miss going to sessions with models - it's been years.  There are a couple of websites that provide figures in multitudes of poses, with clothes and without - it's a great means to practicing painting or drawing the human body.   Charley Parker has a good article about this on Lines & Colors if you're interested.  This study was done from one of the poses on this site - which is free for artists and survives on donations.  It's good exercise, I'd highly recommend it.

I don't have a clever title, I thought I'd do more in the future, starting with this new piece. 

"Pro Tractor"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

What I was dazzled with out west was the expansive views - seeing forever - noticing how color and tones define distance.  It's a whole other learning curve for me.   I tell you, if I lived in California, I'd be taking long drives all the time - out to nowheresville and back with my camera.  It's inspiring.  

This new painting is from southern California where the berry farms make the landscape look like patterned fabric.  I felt a little Van Gogh-ish with the brush, lots of pleasure doing this piece.

"Happy Little Clouds in Iowa"

4 x 4"

oil on panel

sold

After a long day of painting something a bit tighter,  I took a cue from the beloved Bob Ross and painted happy, little clouds in Iowa.

And now, for your moment of Zen....

 

(it's not what you expect and don't forget to turn up the volume)

"Pigeon Point"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold 

I might have sworn never to paint a lighthouse, but it's silly to vow I'll never paint any subject because I'll eventually come around to it.  It does make for a sweet, little painting.

This is the Pigeon Point Lighthouse along Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, between Carmel and San Francisco, California.

"Wine Drive"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I'd say, with all the miles we drove across the country and back, tooling through the wine country was the most Zen driving we experienced.  It was mid-April, early in the growing season, still spectacular.  This was along California 29, between St. Helena and Napa.

"The Hot Seat"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I've been leaning towards nit-picky and needed to loosen up.  From a storefront, on a sunny day, in Charleston, South Carolina.

"200 Faces, No. 111"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

A strong, interesting face to paint - an addition to my ongoing series '100+ Faces BUST-ED'.

"Going Swimmingly"

6 x 3-7/8"

oil on panel
sold

You may think you know how to paint a figure until something like an elevated view or water distorts it - then you're truly forced to paint what you see and not what you know.  I love the wiggly form of her body under water, very challenging and fun to paint.  An ode to swimming pools that help me tolerate the summers in Georgia.  I think I'll go find one now.

The Last of the Hilton Head Gang

Now that I'm finished this fun project, I want to explain, one more time, what the Hilton Head Gang is.  I get emails that prove some are confused.  I taught a workshop in Hilton Head last fall and had 19 women join me as well as Vince Fazio, the arts director from Sedona Arts Center, who assists me and the students during the workshop.

One of our days included my demo painting of a police mugshot - afterwards my students painted one of their own, which always proves to be a good learning experience for all.   On the last day, someone came up with the idea of taking mugshots of each other and painting them when we returned home.  If you notice some had a sad, defensive look about them, that was the idea.  As if we just were arrested and booked.  Like my mug.  Some smiled.  So what.  This was for fun and for a continued exercise.

I've really enjoyed painting these - and especially proud that many have done the whole gang.  Check out our blog and look at the slideshows on the right column of each of us - you'll see a remarkable variety of styles.

Below, the redhead is Sheryl, very fun to paint - Sheryl doesn't have a blog yet.  Below her is Sherrie Hilliard, who does.

Also wanted to mention, this fall's workshop in Hilton Head is full, but putting yourself on a waiting list often does work, so don't hesitate to call Vince and do so.  Contact information is on the right column on this blog.

Now it's time for me to get busy with an upcoming show in September.   More soon....

4 x 4"

oil on panel

nfs

4 x 4"

oil on panel

nfs

Hilton Head Gang

4 x 4"

oil on panel

nfs

Fellow artist Dawn Hartigan...




4 x 4"

oil on panel

nfs

... and fellow artist NJ Darling from the Hilton Head Gang.

Two More Hilton Head Gangers

  4 x 4"

oil on panel

nfs

A true mugshot pose - fellow artist Kit Hefner

  4 x 4"

oil on panel

nfs

and Cathy Engberg.

On a Roll

4 x 4"

oil on panel

nfs

I'm on a mission to finish up these gals - the Hilton Head Gang.  It has been a well-timed exercise for me, I'm about to bear down and paint a grouping for a show coming up in September.  It's much like stretching and getting into shape before running a marathon.  Not that I'd know anything about that.

You can paint every day and occasionally lose the ability to 'see'.   Paintings become more mechanical, overworked.  I tend to see things in blocks of color, not so much the details - that comes as things progress.  That's what, I think, makes a successful painting in the end.  So these fast, painterly studies put my brain back in place.

Above is Terri Buchholz, below is Judy Elias.

4 x 4"

oil on panel

nfs