Diana's companioin - DSFDF Challenge

This is my version of Karin Jurick's latest challenge in her blog "Different Strokes From Different Folks" (DSFDF). Every two weeks or so, Karin posts a photograph for interested artists to use to make some art - painting, drawing and etc. We send a photo of our art to Karin & she posts our photos in the blog. Cool!


Diana's Companion. 8x10 oil on masonite.

I've found it easier to begin a painting when the masonite or canvas isn't stark white.

This painting is done with Gamblin' Torrit Grey, Winsor & Newton's Zinc White and Gamblin's Ultramarine Blue. The story behind the Torrit Grey is really interesting (at least I think so!) - read about it at Gamblin's Torrit Grey Web Page.

This masonite panel is tinted a light blue but I do tint with other colors. I pour some white gesso into a container and add some acrylic paint until I have a color that I like. I usually give the masonite or canvas a couple of coats of this colored gesso mix depending on how well it covers or I'm happy with how the tinting looks.

Karin's challenge photo can be seen here.

My first "real" art show

Today I entered five paintings in the Rogers (Arkansas) Art Guild Art Show and Sale. It's my first "real" art show - one where somebody might actually choose to buy one of my paintings. Whew! Choosing (ONLY) five paintings from my "pile" of paintings was not at all unlike choosing a favorite child.

I made my choice by putting about ten at a time in my studio-room floor and chose two that I liked the most. After grimacing, groaning and sighing and all the back-and-forth picking up, putting down and etc. I went to the art show with fourteen (14) "favorites" - at the time. I've changed my mind now that I'm home but that's another story. Anyway, I chose the five to hang in the show by reaching into the bag with my eyes closed and picked them at random. Nothing like doing it scientifically, I guess.

The "chosen" five are shown as they will be seen. They're detailed elsewhere in this blog so I'll shut up now. :-)

YES, I know the picture of the house was crooked. It isn't now - I hope!

Mother With Her Son

$150.00 plus shipping

Mother With Her Son 12"x24" Oil on masonite.

This is from an old black & white family photo from the 1940's. I liked the composition but had no idea what the colors might be so I just winged it.

Watching The Tide Come In

Watching The Tide Come In 12"x12" - diptych. Oil on masonite.

A little change of pace. Hardly any green in this (these) diptych. I was going to do a 7"x15" (another scrap of masonite not wasted) but that seemed a bit boring. So . . . . this diptych.

By the way, the horizon is FLAT in the painting - the camera chose to bend it for me! The camera and I fight an honorable battle. The camera usually prevails. :-)

Pigeon

Pigeon 5"x7" Oil on masonite.

A really fast study to see if I could paint something that looked like a pigeon. I have one or two pieces representing people in parks. Most parks have pigeons - especially when people are sitting on a park bench. I thought that I'd put some pigeons hanging around hoping for a handout.

An Arkansas River View

An Arkansas River View 8"x16" Oil on masonite.

This is my attempt at a landscape. I don't particularly enjoy landscape (or still life) - maybe this shows that thought?

After looking at photos of Arkansas river valleys I conjured up this image. I think that I'd do better if I went outside and did some plein air work - when the weather warms up. It's in the 30's again. BAH, HUMBUG!

I seem to be using a lot of GREEN lately.

Burning The Midnight Oil

Burning The Midnight Oil 12"x16" Oil on masonite.

Another photo from the internet, this time from the National Archives. The photo was taken in the 1940's but it's still relevant today. Back then she was probably contributing to the war effort. Maybe today she's trying to not be laid off.

Again I'm undecided about a title. "Burning The Midnight Oil" came to me as I was posting. I'd been calling it "Working Late".

The photo was black & white. I'm not sure that I'm done with this - I feel like I'm fussing with it and not making it better. I guess that's the signal that it's DONE?

Woman In A Doorway

Woman In A Doorway 12"x16" Oil on masonite

I saw this photo on the internet and liked her happy face and colorful clothing.

I'm open to suggestions for a better title by the way!! Please!?

Friends On A Park Bench

Friends On A Park Bench 8"x10" Oil on masonite.

This is a study for a larger - 16"x20" - painting. I'm uncomfortable painting trees and greenery that remotely resemble trees and greenery. I usually am (I think) to tight and I try to "loosen up". So this is a warm-up painting to get me comfortable with greenery.

I got really loose doing this after studying some work done by artists whose landscapes I admire. Isn't the internet great? I can sit in my room and browse through art from around the world.

Tangerines

Tangerines. 5"x7" Oil on masonite

I've seen other bloggers' tangerines and decided that I must be missing something. It was more difficult than I first thought (DUH) but I think that I can show this to the world.

There were originally four tangerines, but the dogs must have eaten one. These three disappeared shortly after I was done with the painting. Another mystery! :-)

Last Bus To Zurich

Last Bus To Zurich 11"x14" Oil on masonite.

A few years ago, my wife was on a business trip to Switzerland and brought back some beautiful photos of the country, the buildings and etc. For some reason this photo of a guy getting on the bus to Zurich grabbed my attention.

Morning Coffee II

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Morning Coffee II 5"x7" Oil on Masonite.

As I tried to wake up a few mornings ago I took a photo of the shadows created by my coffee cup on the kitchen table. See Morning Coffee I - below.

This time I made a yellow, round table.instead of the brown straight table.

Now back to what I'm should to be working on . . . SIGH mumble, mumble, mumble, mumble, mumble, mumble!

Two In A Canoe

Two In A Canoe 12"x16" Oil on masonite.

I was browsing photographs the other day and saw a picture like this. It looked tranquil and quiet and really, really green. But it seemed like a decent composition and subject. I'm going to say that these two are a father and a son spending some quiet time together, although the son doesn't have his oar in the water. (Take that any way you wish!)

I'm still wavering about the title - "Two In A Canoe" is BLAH but I struggle when giving a painting a" title".

I had this really white piece of gessoed masonite that was giving me a hard time so I covered up the white!

Morning Coffee I

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Morning Coffee I. 6"x8". Oil on masonite.

As I tried to wake up this morning the bright sunlight was coming in our dining room window making these (I think) really neat triangle shadows. Luckily, I was awake enough to grab my digital camera and get a digital photo so that I wouldn't lose the image.

I have some larger (16x20, 11x14 etc) pictures that I should be working on, but that blank "canvas" is staring back at me. . . . . . I even tinted them and they're still mighty blank!

Just another Manic Monday.

Southern Belle

Southern Belle 12"x12". Oil on masonite.

I really like the "attitude" this lady is showing. I guarantee that the expression wasn't planned! :-)

But I'm pleased that sometimes things just happen.

Beautiful - COLD - morning

7:00 AM Sunday morning. It's 32 degrees , the skies are totally clear, not a cloud anywhere and the sun is just rising. Three more pictres from our backyard.


The snow blew from the North leaving a "snow shadow" on the pergola frame.














My studio. There's ice under the white stuff on the deck. Slippery footing!















Snow "stuck" to the top part of the fence but not the other vertical fence parts.

So, how's YOUR spring?

It's March 28th and it's been snowing all day. We were awakened early this morning with sleet/hail hitting the windows and side of the house. The snow began falling after that and has been falling all day. Not much accumulation - just snowing, snowing, snowing big fluffy flakes. These pictures were taken around 6 PM.


Our backyard and my studio (looking East).















From our backyard (looking North)















Across the street (looking Southeast)

Quiet Time

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Quiet Time 12"x18" Oil on masonite.

 

This is the finished painting. I added some shadows under the tree and did some glazing on the background hills.

I posted this as a work in progress on March 22nd in case you want to take a look.

List of 25 things

I decided to do a "List of 25" after I read Jessie's May 19th post of her list of 25 at The Cloud Factory
It seemed to be a good idea at the time.

1. I want to travel for a week (or more) with my wife, Melissa, and not worry about our dogs being in a kennel.
2. I hate the phrase "I hate . . . ." I'd prefer that people use "dislike very much"
3. Why do airlines advertise one-way fares when you MUST buy a round trip ticket?
4. It grinds on me like chewing aluminum foil when broadcasters say "Mr Jones, he . . . ."
   
5. I'd like to read more, but I can't seem to get interested in a book.
6. I like to listen to music when I paint. Any kind except "songs" that I can't whistle.
7. I'd rather be making a painting than doing anything else that I do by myself.
   
8. I want to finish my art studio. Putting up drywall and painting is about all that remains to be done.
9. I really, really, really, really dislike "gardening". I DO like to look at a nicely kept garden, though.
10. I'd prefer not to be in a small room with many people unless I'm near a door.
11. I like going to a sport event (game) especially a baseball game.
12. I'd rather go to a dentist than watch basketball on TV. A bunch of tall skinny people with squeaky shoes makes me nuts.
13. I'm abxolutely puzzled by the money people will spend on basketball (tennis) shoes - or any article of clothing for that matter.
14. What difference does it make what the weather forecast is?
15. I don't wear a watch, but I check my phone time, or the computer time, or the time on the stove. What does that say about me?
16. It bugs me when people use "actually" when they're describing something that happened or that they did. i.e. "I actually did this or that." Well, DUH, are you surprised??? OF COURSE YOU ACTUALLY DID!
17. I'm afraid that I'm becoming an "OLD FART". Oh NO! I'll know when I am when I wear black socks with my tenny-runners and shorts.
18. Don't tell me about your sex life.
19. Where do people find those funny things that are emailed with a lengthy list of email addresses?
20. How do my friends know so many people's email address?
21. Why do TV programs and movies show so much "blood & guts" and killing?
22. Why do people worry so much about violence?
23. Does anybody really care who "Survives" or do they really care about the people in the "reality" TV programs?
24. How troubled are people that they would talk about their personal problems on national TV? i.e. Dr Phil, Oprah, and etc?
25. I AM an old fart. Where are those black socks? They cost HOW MUCH?
    

Quiet Time

Quiet Time 12" x 18" Oil on masonite.

A couple enjoying some quiet time by the bay. Maybe they're dating, maybe they're just friends, maybe . . . .

Beach Family

Beach Family 8"x10" Oil on masonite.

This is my version of Karin Jurick's Week 27-28 challenge on her Different Strokes From Different Folks blog. Check out the other artists' paintings. It's really neat how different artists make such different paintings from the same photograph.

The challenge photograph is shown below. I moved the family members around a bit - mainly, I grouped them closer together.

The family has probably been on the beach too long, they're a bit red from the sun. :-) Dad was wise enough, of course, to put that white stuff on his nose so that his nose wouldn't burn. I guess he didn't think about his arms or legs!













Karin's photograph for the challenge.

From The Fairway - final version - SOLD

S O L D

From The Fairway 24 x 30 Oil on canvas.

This painting was done for one of my friends in the Pacific Northwest. He saw a photograph of a golfer playing at or near Banff National Park in Canada and asked me to make a painting with the same "flavor."

I made three smaller "sketches" so that we could work out what he was looking for. Being 2,000 miles apart made consulting a bit challenging. We changed the format from square to rectangular.

Now I need to let it dry then package it for shipment.

Sushi - Week 25-26 DSFDF Challenge

"Sushi" - 12x12 Oil on canvas panel

This is my attempt to render the Different Strokes From Different Folks (DSFDF) challenge. They're supposed to be "california rolls" with some sushi ginger and some wasabi on the plate.

Take a look at what others have done. It's really interesting how we all have a different take on the painting, but most are really the same only different! :-)

New look for my blog

I'm trying a new template for this blog. Please let me know if you have an opinion about the new look.

Is anybody there? :-)

Four Works In Progress

These are four unfinished paintings that I'm working on. I move to another painting when I get "bored" with the one I'm working on at the moment. When I'm not working on these, I'm working on Karin Jurick's Different Strokes From Different Folks biweekly challenge. The most recent challenge is SUSHI. The previous challenge was WIGS - see my wig effort below. Good grief!


"Kitchen Bouquet" 11x14 Oil on masonite

Melissa put this little bouquet on our kitchen table one day. After looking at it for a day or two it struck me that this might be a painting. I'm not a big fan of flowers especially still life flowers. Maybe it shows in this piece? DUH!!













"Man Playing Guitar" 11x14 Oil on masonite.

This is me pretending to play the guitar. I was in the Air Force in Bogota Colombia in the 60's and at the time going out after dark wasn't a very good idea. So my room mates and I would try to occupy our time without being destructive to ourselves.














"Dad Fishing With Chet" 11x14 Oil on masonite.

My brother and I were born in Central America in the early 40's and were there when WWII broke out. We couldn't get back to the states so we often went fishing for a diversion and (I suppose) to supplement our diet.















"104 Pearl Street" 11x14 Oil on masointe.

This is a building in Avoca, AR on Pearl Street that we pass every time we drive into town. I don't know much about the building, but I think it's interesting. The people are from pictures that I took at a local 4H event. I've never seen more than one or two people at 104 Pearl St.

WIGS - DSFDF Week 23-24 Challenge

WIGS - DSFDF Week 23-24 Challenge. 11x14 Oil on canvas panel.

This is my response to Karin Jurick's "Different Strokes From Different Folks" biweekly challenge. The challenge(s) and others' paintings can be found here.

The real storefront (not a wig shop) is located in downtown Rogers, AR.









This is the photograph posted in DSFDF.

Daisy BB Gun Museum in Rogers, AR

Daisy BB Gun Museum in Rogers, AR. 11x14 oil on canvas panel

This is a painting of the Daisy BB Gun Museum in downtown Rogers, AR. The Daisy factory is a short drive on the street to the right.

I make my canvas panels by glueing canvas to masonite. It's a little work, but I think that it's fun. I'm not sure that I like the texture of canvas (rough) compared to just gessoed masonite (smooth).

Night Life

Night Life. 5 5/8" x 12". Oil on masonite.

This is a composite of several photos I've seen while browsing the "Google image world".

I have a little more work to do and I think that I'd like to make a larger painting similar to this.

From The Fairway #3. 12"x12" Oil on masonite.

From The Fairway #3. 12"x12" Oil on canvas over masonite.

This is yet another version of my earlier "guy playing golf" painting. I reinvented the mountain(s), chopped down the tree on the right side and changed the guy's clothes. I also shortened the guy just a bit.

See the postings from February 11 for #2 and February 7 for #1.

I continue to struggle with a @#$%^ digital camera, glare and getting the colors to be close to true. I tried Melissa's camera and it isn't the camera, it's me.

Rough sketches for upcoming Art Guild Art show

These are two "sketches" to try to see what colors work. I'm not completely happy with these sketches, but I'll work up another one or two of each. It's good practice and I need all the practice I can get! :-)

The pictures are taken from two of our family scrapbook photos. I'm the young boy with my mother on a fishing trip. My brother is with my dad. We lived in Central America during WWII and one of the diversions was fishing. That there isn't any resemblance to how we actually looked isn't on purpose. I'm simply unable to render a good likeness but I'm working on improving that.

"Lady fishing with a young boy". The painting is a "sketch" to see how my mother and I would look like in paint. The "sketch" is 6"x8" while the finished painting will be 11 5/8" x 24" . Another masonite scrap put to good use!























"Man fishing with a young boy". The painting is a "sketch" to see how my father and my brother would look like in paint. The "sketch" is 6"x8" while the finished painting will be 11" x 14" .






















I've "tinted" the gesso on the panels with dark mix of acrylic paints. The left side of both line drawings are washed out from glare. I work up my sketches on newsprint paper then when I have a pencil drawing that I like, I transfer the image to the masonite using Saral Wax Free Transfer Paper. The lines don't smudge like pencil or graphite do and the transfer paper can be used many times. Look for it at Dick Blick Art Materials.

Random musings - or is it gas?

I've been experimenting with putting canvas on masonite/hardboard. I've done it in the past by using rabbit skin glue but this time I'm trying some "carpenters" glue. Things worked pretty well until I put waxed paper on the glued canvas so that I could put weight on the canvas-board to keep it flat and to make sure the canvas would stick to the glue. Only problem is that the canvas shrank a bit (DUH) and wrinkled the waxed paper. So the result is that the surface of the canvas has a "texture" - putting it mildly. I was able to minimize the "texture" by wiping it down with a wet cloth. I made several 12x12, 9x12 and 11x14 grounds. I'll gesso them tomorrow and I'll have some painting to do when the gesso dries.

The Rogers (Arkansas) Art Guild is having an art show in April. I'm going to use my new grounds to make some paintings to enter. I usually paint on gessoed or canvas masonite/hardboard and make my own frames for here at home. I guess that I'll have to go to the picture-frame store and buy frames! I don't know about any kind of alternative to masonite/hardboard i.e. "gallery wrap".

I had a wooden palette that was difficult (to say the least) to clean up after a day of painting. And if I wanted to leave the paint overnight, the oil paint formed crusty crud on the wood that resisted scraping without damage. I was in Walmart and found a 16x20 glass cutting board for $9.95! One side is ripply the other side is smooth. I put the glass into a discard picture frame and now I can leave my oils out overnight, then use a razor scraper to clean up at the end of the second day. I find that 2 days is about all I want to try to keep mixed gobs of oil paint. The glass palette is really wonderful!

Redtail Hawk

Redtail Hawk. 8"x10" Oil on masonite.

I THINK that this is a Redtail Hawk. I don't know birds but I'm told that it is a Redtail Hawk.

I've seen at least three hawks at the same time - this one landed close by and I was able to snap off a photo. After admiring the photo I decided to do a really quick (3 hours) painting.

Three Golfers

Three Golfers. 11"x14" Oil on masonite.

I'm still looking at this one. I suppose it's done when I don't know what more I could do to it!

Melissa's Gourd Art Featured in Rogers Newspaper column!

Melissa's display at the Rogers, AR Public Library was the focus of a column in The Morning News, Rogers edition today. You can see the column at HERE. See Melissa's web site HERE for more examples of her gourd art.

Both of us are working on pieces to be shown in the Rogers Art Guild's April Art Show. The show is scheduled to run from April 15th through April 24th at the Rogers Public Library. All works in the show will be for sale.

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From The Fairway #2

From The Fairway #2. 12"x12" Oil on masonite.

This is another version of my earlier "guy playing golf" painting. I melted the snow, grew a tree on the right side and changed the guy's clothes. I also shortened the guy just a bit. The first version is shown below.

I think that I like this version mo bettah! :-)

See original post below - Feb 7th.

Two paintings for an Art Show (?)

I'm considering entering these two paintings in an art show. I'd like someone/anyone to help by critiquing these paintings before I go any farther working on them. They are both "almost" finished but I'm not sure that they would be adequate for an art competition.

What do you think? Leave a comment, or send me an email. I sure would appreciate it!. :-)

Lady With Orange Head Scarf. 8"x12" oil on masonite.

The scarf started out to be yellow but turned out orange. I had done one very similar earlier it was 9"x12" and I wasn't real happy with it.

The "finishing" would include some pattern in the scarf (busy work in my opinion) and adding a necklace. Those large red earrings need the necklace. Right? Wrong?














Man With Yellow Sunglasses. 12"x12" oil on masonite.

Not much needs to be done here - I think. I'll add some highlights on the lenses when the paint dries some more. Maybe tone down the teeth? And just generally clean things up.

From The Fairway #1 - 2nd in Golf series

From The Fairway - 12x12 oils on masonite

Working up ideas for a larger (30x30) painting. Might need a tree on the right to "frame" the mountain & golfer.

This an idealized picture of a golfer. It isn't often that you can (or even want to) play by yourself.

For the curious, the ball landed in the water. :-) Cuz I say so! It isn't a lake, it's a ball magnet.

Approaching The Hole

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In The Hole 9x12 0il on masonite.

Funny thing happened. This was in my stack of things "to do" when a good friend asked if I could make him a "golf painting". Weird.

I like doing golf paintings because the challenge is (for me) to work with that much GREEN. I don't know about the rest of the paint artists, but when I use much green in a painting everything I touch gets green paint on it. Even the bristles of my brushes seem to take on a green stain.

We're doing research now for my "commission".

:-)

Thee Shoppers At A Flea-Market

Thee Shoppers At A Flea-Market. 12"x16" Oils on masonite.

This is a work in progress. For some reason it isn't happening - I'm struggling with it for some reason. Some paintings just seem to flow out of my brush while others resist me. Go figger. Maybe it isn't a good idea.

I especially struggled with the shopper on the left - in the blue top. See below. I'm struggling with her face profile. So I grabbed up some really small scraps (5"x5") and practiced.





Shopper #1 - Lady in the blue top. 5"x5" Oils on masonite.

This is one of five 5x5x that I did quickly to try to get the lady's face in profile worked out. Of course they all seemed to flow. Maybe I just need to lighten / loosen up, do the big painting quickly & move on.

Street Cars on Hotel Street - - + some home photos

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Street Cars on Hotel Street 5 5/8" x 12" oil on masonite.

This is the third in my series of using scrap pieces of masonite. I don't know if the name of the street is really "hotel street" but since there's a sign that says "HOTEL", well, DUH.

Stairway From The Courtyard

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Stairway From The Courtyard. 5.5" x 12" oil on masonite.

The second of my 5.5" x 12" paintings. I have several of these "usable" scraps from cutting "regular" size (8x10, 9x12, 11x14 and etc) panels.