Saturday, November 20, 2010

Cowboy

$175.00 plus shipping

If interested, contact me at ken.barclay@yahoo.com
Cowboy  14x24  Oils on canvas panel

I liked the thought of doing a cowboy and I have done painting of a cowboys on horses but I wanted to do a "portrait" of a cowboy.

SO, I came up with this cropped "portrait" of a rootin' tootin' cowboy. No attempt at a time period. It could be now or in two centuries ago.  Who knows?  Who cares?  :-)

Friday, November 19, 2010

Lady in Yellow scarf 2

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Lady in Yellow scarf 2   9x12  Oils on masonite

I posted this once before (I thought) in February 2009. Now I can't find it!  It seems that some of my posts and pictures have been seen so often that they've worn out!  :-)  NOT!

This is the other attempt to make this painting. The other is posted separately.

Being a person of the male gender, I understand that the fabric on this lady's head is probably not called a "scarf", but . . . .  Scheeeesh!

Lady in Yellow scarf 1

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Lady in Yellow scarf 1   9x12  Oils on masonite

I posted this once before (I thought) in February 2009. Now I can't find it!  It seems that some of my posts and pictures have been seen so often that they've worn out!  :-)  NOT!

This is one of two attempts to make this painting. The other is posted separately.

Being a person of the male gender, I understand that the fabric on this lady's head is probably not called a "scarf", but . . . .  Scheeeesh!

104 Pearl Street

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104 Pearl Street  11x14  Oils on masonite

This building is in my neighborshood. I recently noticed (duh) that the address is 104 Rose Street!

I think that this was once a church but is now a cabinet shop.  I added the people. :-)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Jake Carter

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Jake Carter  9x12   Oils on masonite

Jake is a purely fictional person that I made up after seeing the hat in another photo.  The hat is worn well and lovingly.

This photo was posted a year or so ago but it seems to have been lost? :-)

Some of the photos in some of my posts are "empty", also.  What the heck!  Do posts get old and disappear?

Alain

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Alain  9x12  Oils on canvas panel

This is a fellow featured in one of Jilly Bennett's posts in her Menton Daily Photo blog.

He is part of a street band (orchestra) that was preparing a meal, making music and being playful with the audience.  I'll try to find the post but . . . .

This was painted in February of 2010 and I'm just now posting it!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

QuietlyThinking

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Quietly Thinking  12x16  Oils on canvas panel

Several titles went through my mind but "quietly thinking" resonated and fit the mood of this young lady.  Her gaze is steady, not troubled, not elated. Just thinking.  Ask a youngster what they're doing or thinking about and they'll tell you "NOTHING".  At least that's what my parents heard most of the time.  And what I heard as a father of two girls. Who grew up to be nice people to know, by the way.

I suppose that I could paint a cell phone into her right (our left) hand but that would be too much of a cliche.

This young lady isn't a child and she isn't yet an adult by definition. Young folks today have more to think about as teenagers than I had to think about when I was in my teens. The fact is, I didn't do too much serious thinking when I was a teenager, I guess.  :-)

I apologize for the photo of this painting. I've taken several dozen photos and either the glare is strong or the photo is blurry. The colors in the painting aren't represented very well.  I'll keep trying, though. My camera is sometimes surly and won't cooperate with me.  :-)

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Invisible Diner

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The Invisible Diner  16x20  Oils on canvas panel

I don't know the story about this lady. But most of us choose not to "see" the homeless people and pass them by without looking at them or even acknowledging that they are there.

This lady has a lot of baggage  (physical and psychological) to carry with her. And don't we all?  I've heard that most Americans are one or two paychecks (if they're lucky enough to have a job!) away from living on the street or in their car.

Maybe we could spend less on fighting and more on feeding . . . . . ?  Who knows?

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Man On The Subway

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Man On The Subway  16x20  Oils on panel

11/14/2010 - updated photo

This fellow is trying to use his cell phone but seems to be hesitating while he decides which button to push with that poised forefinger.  All the while he's listening to his MP3 playing Aerosmith's Greates Hits.  The music volume is turned up enough so that the other passengers have moved away.  Or does he need a bath? hmmmmm

He has a courier pouch in his lap and a backpack on his back. Taking some work home or . . . . . ?

Surprisingly I completed this painting to this point in about five hours! I don't know what happened, my brushes worked well today. They've been "inoperative" lately. Couldn't make a painting worth a hoot no matter how I fussed at it.  Good grief.I'm going to stare at this one for a while something in it is bugging me - I don't know what yet. Do you?   :-)

Friday, October 29, 2010

An Owl

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An Owl  7 3/4 x 12   Oils on canvas panel

I wanted a "little" different owl's face so I put a photo of an owl into my Corel Paintshop Photo Pro X3 (say that five times!) and did some cropping some "effects" and came up with something that looked almost like this painting.  I added more yellows and greens. A "normal" owl is a bit boring as far as plumage goes I think.

The actual painting is much more colorful than this photo, by the way! Halloween is this weekend, maybe I'll dress up as an owl high on LSD.

Invited For Dinner

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Invited For Dinner  10x16  Oils on canvas panel

I was watching a Modern Marvels program about EGGS on the History Channel on TV and (duh) they showed many chickens in the program (DUH).

I got a bit cutesy with the title. I remember one of the Hannibal Lecter (SP?) movies Silence of The Lambs where Hannibal told someone that he had invited a person to his home for dinner. Hannibal, of course, literally ate the person - Hannibal The Cannibal? Get it?

So this chicken has been invited to our house for dinner anytime it's convenient for her!  :-)

A Boy And His Grandmother

S O L D
A Boy And His Grandmother  2 Paintings - Oils on canvas panel
The Boy painting size is 8x12
The Grandmother painting size is 7 3/4 x 12

These paintings are preliminary or studies to a portrait where the boy will be sitting with his grandmother. The grandmother passed away in 2007 before the grandson was born. There aren't many reference photos of the grandmother and I had to "wing it" when I created her hair. Many apologies!

The final "portrait" size will probably be 16x20 and this is my first commission - if the parents approve.

Girl In A Red Coat

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Girl In A Red Coat  12x16  Oils on canvas panel

I saw an image much like this somewhere on TV or the internet but seriously, I don't remember which or where.

For some reason I had a hard time making this photo with my camera so the colors are only "close" to what the painting looks like.

I don't know if the young girl is looking AT something in the distance or looking FOR something. But she appears a little timid or apprehensive about walking from the tree line into the open area.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Rogers Art Guild 2010 Fall Exhibition


Tuesday October 19th  through Friday October 29th

Rogers Public Library
711 S. Dixieland Rd, Rogers, AR
Telephone (479) 621-1152

The Art Exhibition hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday, October 19th through October 29th. A portion of all proceeds from the art sale and all cash donations go to the Rogers Art Guild High School Scholarship fund.

Two donated member paintings will be raffled at this Exhibition to raise funds for two scholarships; one for a Rogers High School graduating senior and one for a Heritage High School graduating senior. The Rogers Art Guild is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization and all donations are eligible for Federal Income Tax deductions.

The public is invited to the Guild Art Exhibition Open House Reception “Meet the Artists” Sunday October 24th from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

There are NO admission fees.


My entries are pictured here.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

A Waiter Making Change

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A Waiter Making Change   9x12  Oils on canvas panel

This subject is suggested by another of Jilly Bennett's posts in her wonderful blog Menton-daily-photo.blogspot.com. Naturally I can't find her post right now, but I'll make a link here when I find it.  You'd think that by now I would know to make notes! But that requires a brain and I'm working on that.

UPDATE: 10/21/2010 - I couldn't find the reference page in Jilly's Menton Daily Photo blog because it's in her Monte Carlo Daily Photo blog!  DUHHHHHH!  Paying attention isn't one of my strong points, obviously!

I made a few changes from Jilly's photo but it's substantially what you see is what you get! :-)

I'm wondering if the waiter is making change for his customer taking his time hoping for a tip.  In Jilly's photo he appears to be perspiring quite a bit - probably working very hard.  I worked a few summers in retail when I was a teenager and vowed then to never again be on the cash register side of a counter NO WAY, NO HOW!  I never have and I appreciate very much those folks that can do it. Especially waiters and the like.

Black Cat

PRIVATE COLLECTION
Black Cat  8x10  Oils on canvas panel

This is NOT an accurate portrait of a kitty cat and it is NOT intended to be!  I've played with colors a "bit" - having a little fun.  I think that I'd like to make a larger version - maybe 9"x16".  Maybe, maybe not.

Sure enough, this image does not represent the painting very well. Something gets lost in the transition from the painting into my digital camera into my computer then into Corel Paintshop Photo Pro X3.  Anybody that follows my blog knows (or should know) that my camera and I have a love-hate relationship going.

My automatic digital camera is sometimes surly and pretends that it can't focus. I on the other hand am absolutely clueless about photographing paintings. Or anything else for that matter.  Point, click = photo.  DUH!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Sunflower from our home garden

PRIVATE COLLECTION
Sunflower from our home garden  8x12  Oils on canvas panel

We have a small vegetable garden in our back yard where we (attempt) grow tomatoes, potatoes, purple hull peas and sweet peppers.  I'll plant seeds for almost any vegetable and wait to see what happens.  Our cucumbers started out really well then - decided to not do really well.  Our Brussel sprouts aren't brusseling but our dill is looking good.

Enough horticulture.  This painting came from me seeing the sun shining from the back of the sunflower blossom and I tried to capture that bright yellow against a dark background. I continue to battle GLARE in photos of my paintings. I'll be that I couldn't get the glare if I were to TRY to make a photo of the glare.

Squirrels and I plant sunflowers among the veggies. I buy my sunflower seeds from the store, the squirrels get theirs from our bird feeders.  When the sunflower seeds are ripe, I put the seeds into the bird feeders and the squirrels plant some of them.  A form of recycling I suppose!  :-)

Fly Fishing No. 3

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Fly Fishing No. 3  16x20  Oils on canvas panel

I should probably be more imaginative with naming my paintings, but this happens to be the third fly fishing painting that I have finished lately. So. . . . number three!

This guy has rafted down the river and will have to row upstream after he has caught his limit or the end of his fishing day. I'm not sure but I think that he has a companion that has wandered a little farther downstream and isn't in this painting.  Maybe he/she will be in painting Number Four? hmmmmmmm

Fly Fishing No. 2

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Fly Fishing No. 2  16x20  Oils on canvas panel

This is the second of three (so far) fly fishing paintings I have done. I have never tried fly fishing so I'm not sure why it fascinates me. I have done much fishing from the bank of a lake or river and have fished from boats.  Whatever.

This fellow is wading in a creek enjoying the warmth of an early morning in summer and really isn't interested in having to catch a fish. People that fish will understand that.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Girl in the Monaco Flower Market

$150.00 plus shipping

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Girl in the Monaco Flower Market  16x20  Oils on canvas panel

Another painting inspired by a Jilly Bennett blog. This time it's her Monte Carlo Daily Photo blog. What a rich resource her blogs are! AND they're INTERESTING to read as well as to view!

Anywayyyyy - I took some liberties in making the painting from Jilly's photo. So what's new? 

I had done a painting a while ago of a vendor in a Flea Market Flower Stand and had fun trying to paint things that looked like flowers. I struggle with plant life-forms for some reason. Trees, shrubs, flowers and etc. make my palms sweaty. Some research into some "how to paint green things" seems in order! :-)