When life gives you lemons, draw them, 11 x 14 inches dry pastels, graphite on paper

"When life gives you lemons, draw them." (Nikki)

"Color! What a deep and mysterious language." (Paul Gauguin)

work in progress

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Sumac Bushes director’s chair started

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009


 

Back, 47H x 22W x 16D inches acrylics on canvas, refurbished tall wood director's chair, work in progress

Seat, 47H x 22W x 16D inches acrylics on canvas refurbished tall wood director's chair, work in progress

Sumac Bushes director’s chair started. Back and seat of 47H x 22W x 16D inches acrylics on canvas, will be varnished. Up-cycled tall wood director’s chair, work in progress, functional art. The wood will be painted a cherry color.

New chair started: Salish Wooden Whorl

Sunday, December 14th, 2008


 

1960's plastic lawn chair, woven canvas strips, glue, plaster

Salish Spindle Whorl replica started, layers of woven canvas and plaster, dried and cured, then 1st graphite design outline

This functional replica of a Salish Carved Wood Whorl re-utilizes a 1960’s plastic lawn chair, 29H x 29W x 29D inches that was considered Art in its own day. The refurbished chair has woven canvas strips and white glue applied paper-mache style over the entire plastic top and bottom. Multiple layers of wall plaster are sanded in between coats. The design is sketched with graphite then painted with acrylics, and drawing is continually adjusted as layering of materials continues.This is the second chair of four in the historic Art-themed series. The other two chairs are in the earlier stages of progress.

First coats of Acrylics paint and texturizing with varnish Layering more plaster then redrawing and adjusting the design

Sun Shower out again (04 that is)

Saturday, November 15th, 2008


 

Sun Shower #4, top left, each detail approximately 36 x 24 inches Sun Shower #4, top central, each detail approximately 36 x 24 inches Sun Shower #4, top right, each detail approximately 36 x 24 inches

Sun Shower #4, bottom left, each detail approximately 36 x 24 inches Sun Shower #4, bottom central, each detail approximately 36 x 24 inches Sun Shower #4, bottom right, each detail approximately 36 x 24 inches

 Sun Shower #4, 45L x 85W x 3D inches, work in progress layering matte glaze and acrylic color washes, wrapped canvas

Nov. 15th above the largest thumbnail of the painting are 6 details of Sun Shower 04, 45H x 84W x 3D inches masking medium, acrylics, and matte glaze on canvas, wrapped sides painted. Last few days worth of layering glazes, work in progress. Started May 3rd.

Sun Shower #4, left area detail after mask medium peeled off, layering color November 10th – Left and right details, continuing to define leaves, not too much though and layering colors of rain and light. Low-light situation today, so the colors shown here are not as vibrant as they actually are.Sun Shower #4, right area detail after mask medium peeled off, layering color washes in progress

November 7th – Mask medium has all been peeled off and now layers of matte glazing medium/acrylics color washes gradually bring things to life and into focus.

Sun Shower #4, 49 x 84 x 3 inches, Acrylics on wrapped canvas, custom built stratcher frame, work in progressNovember 5th – Sun Shower 04 after 2nd application of masking medium, but before peeling it off, and a days worth of painting over top of that, changing the species to Oak..

 November 3rd – Sun Shower #4, 49 x 84 x 3 inches, Acrylics on wrapped canvas. About to undergo some noticable changes.Since Shadows Of Summer (recent, started after this one) is of a Maple tree, and similar ideas of looking up at the canopy will be much more suitable for paintings of the Giant Redwoods and Sequoia, and there will be no duplicates of tree species portrayed for The Majesty of Trees collection, the subject is being changed from Maple to Oak. Above left, Sun Shower #4 before 2nd application of masking medium (usually used for watercolors on paper). This painting started off as a full canvas of Maple Leaves, then changed to looking up at the canopy, and is now being changed again to the original inspiration, the Red Oak in our front yard during a sun shower. Paintings change until they’re done. What will not change here is the principle idea: rain and leaves in rays of light.

  Applying masking medium with a toothpick over first layers of color. Total canvas size 45L x 85W x 3D inches, here about 8 x 8 Masking medium details over first stages of painting.

Masking medium is being reapplied with a toothpick on top of the first version of this painting..has already had a layer of masking medium removed from earlier stages. When most of the contrasts are taken care of the medium will be removed, revealing raindrops of all the colors underneath.

Work on Sun Shower 04 posted earlier this year: * first entitled Maple Leaves  May 3rd   * May 8th   * May 9th   * May 17th  * May 23rd is when the name changed and I decided to experiment with the masking medium.  * June 17th

Details

Monday, September 29th, 2008


 

The Fourth Of July, left lower central detail The Fourth Of July, right lower central detail

The Fourth of July, past the point of no return. Making one small change affects the whole piece. Rather than post another image of the painting as a whole, because there are already enough pictures of it, here are some details of changes made in the past few days from the lower central portion of the painting. To be continued…

The Fourth Of July finished

Saturday, September 27th, 2008


 

The Fourth of July, central detail

The Fourth of July, central detail of 36H x 48W x 2D inches acrylics on canvas

Yesterday as I added a few final brushstrokes a blue streak showed up unintentionally from some color left in the center of the brush. It was one of those rare details that happen accidentally to change the course of the entire painting. There are similar angular strokes that were starting to build up from color washes, but that tiny spark of blue brought all the others to attention, so today I added a few more in different colors. It was exactly what I was searching for. Over the course of time I may see areas where more tiny streaks need to be added to balance out the composition, but it’s otherwise finished. I am so excited about the sparks of color idea!

 

The Fourth of July work in progress

Thursday, September 25th, 2008


 

The Fourth of July work in progress, phase 01 36H x 48W x 2D inches acrylics on canvas, custom built stretcher frame, wrapped sides painted

The Fourth of July - June 24, 2008 - in progress - 36 x 48 x 2 inches acrylics on canvas The Fourth of July - Sept 23, 2008 - in progress - 36 x 48 x 2 inches acrylics on canvas The Fourth of July - in progress - 36 x 48 x 2 inches acrylics on canvas, custom built stretcher frame. The Fourth of July - in progress - 36 x 48 x 2 inches acrylics on canvas, custom built stretcher frame.

The Fourth of July work in progress, 36H x 48W x 2D inches acrylics on canvas, custom built stretcher frame, wrapped sides painted.

June 22, 23, Sept 23, 24: Adding mid-tones. The addition of a blue-white haze gel wash lightens areas that need to be rebuilt with brighter colors; in attempts to create contrasts, many areas have become too dark. Paintings always swing back and forth from too light to too dark or too defined to not defined enough, and just like a pendulum eventually come to rest between the two. I hope to bring the painting back toward the energy and explosive colors that it had after only one hour of work. Only the foreground flowers will have some detail; the rest will remain impressionistic in style.

Shadows – work today

Tuesday, September 16th, 2008


 

Shadows of Summer - Phase 3 of work in progress 60H x 40W x 3D inches acrylics on canvasShadows of Summer  work in progress, 60H x 40W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas, custom built stretcher frame. Since these photos were taken I’ve added a gel-wash of Ultramarine. The trunk colors need more contrast and background leaves need more depth.

 

 

 

 

Shadows of Summer – work in progress

Monday, September 15th, 2008


 

Shadows of Summer - Phase 2 of work in progress, top detail 60H x 40W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas  Shadows of Summer - Phase 2 of work in progress, lower detail 60H x 40W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas

Thumbnails: Shadows of Summer, 60H x 40W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas Phase 2, top and lower detail

Shadows of Summer Phase 1 of work in progress, 60H x 40W x 3D inches acrylics on canvasLeft: Shadows of Summer Phase 1 in progress.

Tomorrow: plans are to create more flow and less of a hard line between background leaves and the trunk, plus add more reds and make this an early Autumn scene. Also I’d like this one to be less representational, so now that it’s mapped out will change to imply leaves and space more abstractly and play with subtle changes in planes.

 

 

 

Magic Hour, progress

Sunday, August 3rd, 2008


 

Magic Hour, top detail, 60H x 40W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas. Phase 5, work in progress

Magic Hour detail image, top half of 60H x 40W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas, sturdy home-built core stretcher frame, wrapped sides painted, work in progress. I decided not to lighten the background after all — am leaving the background as-is with loose brushwork in contrast to the totem pole which will be much clearer. To achieve the weathered look I’m using a dish-washing scratch pad to remove some of the paint.

Design Inspiration

Sunday, July 27th, 2008


 

14 inch long Flamboyant Tree seed pods from Chapala, Mexico

Flamboyant Tree seed pods, pencil sketch then detailed with digital pen        Flamboyant Tree seed pods, pencil sketch then digital effects        Flamboyant Tree seed pods, pencil sketch then digital effects


 
Wind in the Maples, Kingston, ON, Canada

Wind in the Maples original design sketch, pencil on paper        Maple Keys design, pencil on paper        Maple Keys, scanned design sketch then digital play

My Dad recently gave me a few Art books of his. I remember browsing through them when I was younger. He always left his books out laying around on the tables, intending to plant the “drawing seed” in me, and it worked. One of the books Is about the art of  M. C. Escher. What a mind! You can’t help but flip through pages of art like that and not be inspired.

Eastern Cottonwood, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaThis week I was also organizing my photos of leaves, seeds, and bark that I took specifically because of their outstanding design. Looking through the books plus my photos compelled me draw a few designs I’ve had in mind for a couple of years. I may paint some large one-of-a-kind cushion covers using a few of the best.
American Elm Seeds/Keys, early Spring, Coppell, TexasThere is no substitute for a good old fashioned pencil, but it’s sure fun to play with the Paint Shop Pro effects, cut and paste, repeat patterns. The drawing combined with computer play have me appreciating Escher’s work so much more. He did not use computers at all.

 

Eastern Cottonwood leaves, pencil sketch then detailed with digital pen        Eastern Cottonwood leaves, pencil sketch then digital effects        Eastern Cottonwood leaves, pencil sketch then digital effects

American Elm Seeds/Keys, original pencil design        American Elm Seeds/Keys, pencil sketch then digital effects        American Elm Seeds/Keys, pencil sketch then digital effects

 

Pecan nuts, Dallas, Texas   Pecans, preliminary design, pencil on paper  Raindrops and Leaves, pencil on paper, scanned, digital play Early Spring rain, Coppell, Texas

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