Back from the cottage for a bit.

Working on ideas for the "Exposed: The Nude Self" show. Lots of ideas and images to work with.


Thinking of "Nurture or Nature" and "Self-Unemployed" as two titles.


Got some visual images in my head and now to tease them out.....

Yellow Bearded Iris. Stage Six

Think that this one is done. Time to let it sit and talk to me through out the day.

Hmmmmm time to start another one? Or should I be hanging lights in the new gallery space?

Yellow Bearded Iris - Stage 6 - 3 feet x 4 feet 5 inches 

Yellow Bearded Iris. Stage Five

Had to take my paintings in to the new show that will open next week. Also worked on the new adjunct gallery electric today. Still had time to paint. Current status on the Yellow Bearded Iris.

Yellow Bearded Iris - Stage 5 - 3 feet x 4 feet 5 inches 

Yellow Bearded Iris. Stage Four

Boo the Dog is asleep in his bed and I'm up painting.... Who is the smarter one?

Yellow Bearded Iris - Stage 4 - 3 feet x 4 feet 5 inches 

Yellow Bearded Iris. Stage one/two/three.

Starting on new painting of Yellow Bearded Iris.

I will try and finish this one in one day to loosen up.

Yellow Bearded Iris - Stage 1 - 3 feet x 4 feet 5 inches 
. 

Yellow Bearded Iris - Stage 2 - 3 feet x 4 feet 5 inches 

Yellow Bearded Iris - Stage 3 - 3 feet x 4 feet 5 inches 

Falling Venus posts disappearance

Due to a request, the pictures and posts of my latest painting "Falling Venus" have been removed.

Sorry about that.

Working on a new painting and will start posting later today.

Grace #1 Hope is Done

Finished this one off with a frame and clear coat and delivered to Caitlins Mom (my Sister In-Law).

Everyone very happy with it. Picture below is Caitlin's bother mugging with the painting. Yes it is that big!

Grace #1 Hope Done?

Think that I'm done here. Good day painting. Now a small glass of wine to celebrate! I will let it sit and see what it looks like in the daylight tomorrow morning.

Good night all! Where ever you are.

Grace #1 Hope - Stage 7 - 34 x 40 inches

Grace #1 Hope

Background done and now down to the detail work. Perhaps another 2 hours?

Grace #1 Hope - Stage 6 - 34 x 40 inches

 

Grace #1 Hope

Well I've been painting about an hour and here is where we are so far.

Grace #1 Hope - Stage 2 - 34 x 40 inches

Grace #1 Hope - Stage 3 - 34 x 40 inches

Grace #1 Hope - Stage 4 - 34 x 40 inches

Man the Acrylic paint is drying really fast. I have to scrape it off the pallet just to keep going. Must be 88 degrees in here!

Happy Canada Day and Independence Day!!

Starting on two paintings. This will be the one I will be working on over the weekend. Wonder how much I will get done between all the fun and parties. :-)

Using a new method to get my images squared up on the canvas. Got a Pico-projector that I can connect to my computer and then do a rough of my comp. Then I will use my photo from the monitor for all the detail work.

Some may say this is a form of cheating but.... I can draw and can prove it but it takes to long to get the paint up on the canvas. So rather than doing a grid and scaling up and sketching it out via a grid... this is quicker and I can work on the painting bit which takes the longest anyways.

Ref Photo

Grace #1 Stage 1

As you can see there is not much detail but just enough for me to mix skin tone and get to work.

More Joy Less Struggle.

OK, cant make this painting work. So rather than pushing a lot of paint uphill and having it roll downhill every night, I'm cutting my losses and I've re-gessoed it and will start over with a different subject. Much easier to paint with joy than with a huge struggle.

So bye bye and will see you later (maybe).

Antler Flower - 54 x 36 inches - Acrylic on Canvas Stage GONE

Hands are much better.

OK worked on my truck yesterday and replaced the ABS Tone rings. (don't ask) Found out something new for me, 220 Ft Lbs on a Torque Wrench is most of my body weight and half a big grunt. Truck will now pass inspection. :)




Hands felt really good yesterday while wrenching the truck so went to bed a little nervous but woke up with hands a little stiff but ready to rock and roll. Sitting around not drawing or painting has been driving me nuts, so today will be a day of art and relief.

Today, back to painting. Iced hands every hour and ibuprofen since Thursday and no more trigger finger and hands are much better. So... off we go

BTW have been invited to the Shoe Factory Art Co-op ( www.shoefactoryarts.com ) for a meeting tonight on joining as a Stakeholder for a new venture there. Beth Brown, Director, has found more space for a permanent gallery for local emerging artists. So we help pay rent, volunteer time, show off and sell our art. Best of all we get to have monthly meetings where artists will have a supportive network of other creative minded members to network, brainstorm, and help guide the policies and direction of the "House Artist" gallery. 


Love it!! So I'm in on this with both feet. Its hard sitting in the studio for months at a time with out some one to bounce ideas off of. Well my dog Boo has helped but he always agrees with me.


More later and everyone have a great day making stuff!

Hmmm Next painting?

I got Trigger Finger (Flexor Tendinitis)

Crap! Found out that I have trigger finger in both hands. Ring finger in each hand locks up during the night. So Ice, Ibuprofen and no painting for a while. Poop!

Hands are sore in the morning and feels like they are being squeezed in to a ball. So thanks to the we I have found out that I have Tendinitis of the hands. Hummm. Seems that I have to stop stretching my own canvas for a while.

Well I will have to take it easy here for a while.

If anyone has any suggestions on a fix, I will pay attention!

Thanks. 

Per a reqest Iris III

Per the request of my lovey wife -

Iris III - 12 x 12 - Stage 1

Iris III - 12 x 12 - Stage 2

All done! Let it dry, sign and gloss coat and off to the next one.

Iris III - 12 x 12 inches - Done

Small Iris Done!

Small Iris - 12x12 inches - Gallery canvas - Acrylic
Done!

Taking a Break from the Big Painting

Taking a break from the Big painting and working on this one as fast as I can. I need to clear my head on the big painting so I have found that working on a small one and banging it out in a day pumps me up to start on the big tasks.

Don't know what works for you but this always works for me when I get hung up with painters block. :-)

Small Iris - 12x12 inches - Gallery canvas - Acrylic

Here some more after walking the dog and having some lunch. All is not work you know.

But there is about 3 hours in to this one painting already.

Small Iris Stage 2 - 12x12 inches - Gallery canvas - Acrylic

Emily's B-Day Present

Did a quick 6x6 inch portrait of my niece Emily today. Her B-Day is tomorrow and this is what she is going to get!

Emily - 6x6 inch - acrylic on canvas on board

More Purple flower - Fri

Just some more wiggling around on this one.Define and find colors and shapes.

Antler Flower - 54 x 36 inches - Acrylic on Canvas Stage 4

Purple Flower - Mon-Tues-Wed

Wednesday - did some more work and here is where we half way through the day. More to follow.

Antler Flower - 54 x 36 inches - Acrylic on Canvas Stage 3

Tuesday - Working some more paint on the canvas and then grabbed the carpenters pencil and started to figure this one out for detail work.

Antler Flower - 54 x 36 inches - Acrylic on Canvas Stage 2

Monday - Starting a new flower painting today. Here is the photo that I took of a flower across the street. Wish I knew what it was. Looked on line and could not find anything like it.

Reference Photo

Antler Flower - 54 x 36 inches - Acrylic on Canvas