This & That ...

Sounds like one of those dishes you get at your sister-in-law's home during the Holidays. You can't really figure out what's in it. But it's covered with white chocolate, so it has to be good. "Hmmm ... this "This & That" is quite tasty!" ...

Loveland Winter Art Show

The conclusion of the Loveland WInter Art Show was Saturday, Dec. 14 and I had the good fortune of being named winner of the "People's Choice Award" for the second straight year!

There was a very nice turnout for this year's show, thanks in large part to the horse-drawn carriage rides that bought visitors from the downtown area to the Loveland Artists Studios.

People's Choice Award Winner

I want to especially thank Ed Aufdemkampe for pulling together all the many submissions and then spending untold hours hanging them through the gallery area.

Ed also shot this photograph for me along with the award tag. That was much appreciated!

Website Dreams

Been spending the last week or so working to develop a web site. Figure it's about time to get in to the 21st Century. While I am providing the fodder for the product, the real brains behind this project is my good friend, Stephen Schauer of Bluegrass Computers. While people can actually go online to see the site, it's really not ready for public consumption yet. (Hence the reason I am holding off on posting the website address).

I'm hoping we can pull this all together before the end of the year, though the holidays are fast approaching. Plus, I have to allow evening spare time for Stephen to study his fantasy baseball stats as he prepares to pound my teams in to a pulp again next season.

R.I.P. Blue Dog :(

George Rodrigue and Blue Dog

On a sad note as we come to the end of the year, one of my personal favorite modern day artists, George Rodrigue, passed away on Sunday at the age of 69 after a long battle with cancer.

A legend in New Orleans, Rodrigue was a world-renown artist because of what started out as a simple tribute to his deceased dog, Tiffany. But, like all great artists, there was more to it than the iconic "blue dog." Much of his work draws upon his Cajun upbringing and the lore and stories behind that culture.

Blue Dog, a blue spaniel-terrier mix, was a more family friendly version of the Cajun legend of the "loup-garou," the werewolf or ghost dog that hid in the sugar cane fields and haunted mischievous children.

His unique work will be sorely missed.

  

Year end note

I wish I had produced more work this year, but it was one of those years for various reasons. Maybe next year will be a more productive art year, though from an awards/shows point of view, I was very pleased with the year. Next year will be better!

Meanwhile, I most sincerely extend my best wishes to all of you who follow this blog for a very Merry and Joyous Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year!!

I will be back shortly after the first of the year -- hopefully with a website at last!!!

Rounding third and heading for home ...

Those of us who live in Greater Cincinnati or grew up listening to Cincinnati Reds' baseball can't help but remember that memorable line from Joe Nuxhall just before he ended his evening's broadcast.

I'm kind of like that with my painting, Opening Night, which, ironically, has a baseball-like quality to its title. I'm at the "rounding third and heading for home ... " stage of this painting. Last night, I finally added the lighting from the overhead lamps and it did change more aspects of the painting than I had thought. But in order to keep the light source consistent, other parts of the painting had to be adjusted. (There's that pushing-pulling adjustment thing I always talk about).

Opening Night

In adding the lighting, I had to change the coloring of the grass in front of the cars to show the reflection. It also required highlights to the pavement around the cars as well.

Hopefully, the addition of the lighting gives a better understanding of what that spot of light is in the lower right corner. It's an "off-canvas" light source. But, like a bad joke, if I have to explain it, then it doesn't work.

There's still work that needs to be done. So I'm still "rounding third" on this painting. Still not real crazy about the transitionals on the dogs. The one on the far left needs to be a tad darker on the left side; the other two need smoother transition.

That is the one thing I find about working with acrylics that is still frustrating. The blending isn't quite as easy/smooth as it is with oil paints. You can see that below with American Eagle, which I finished this past week.

I find as an artist -- in any medium -- that there's always something that makes you say, "Oooo, this is good!" I remember a sports writer friend of mine who used to say he could write an entire column around one good sentence. And I can remember some memorable lines I wrote in short stories that I would sit there and wonder if that really came from me. It was that good! Well, maybe they weren't that good, but I kind of liked them. (A recent line I wrote in a book that probably will never get finished that I particularly liked: "We are losing our past as we chase the future while we live uncomfortably in the present.")

The point I am trying to get at is that there are a couple of things about this painting that I particularly liked and wondered how the world I did that: 

For example, the license plate on the Lexus:

Detailed breakout

I wanted to make an Illinois license plate. Illinois' plate is in script and I actually pulled off that tiny writing with a brush. I amaze myself sometimes. (Of course, we come right back and make the #1 crooked, but I hope I can fix that!)

American Eagle

Managed to finish American Eagle, but the water-soulable oils won't be dry in time for the opening of the Loveland Arts Council Winter Art Show which begins on Thursday.

Hopefully,  I will be able to get it framed and ready to go in time for the Second Saturday show.

More details below!

Loveland Winter Art Show Begins Thursday!

The Loveland Arts Council Winter Art Show begins on Thursday from 6-9 p.m. at the Loveland Art Studios. If you have never been there before, the easiest way to find the studios is to "Google/Map Quest" the Loveland Post Office. The studios are right across the street in the old school building.

The show, which will feature refreshments and entertainment, runs from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday. A second Artists' Reception will be held on Second Saturday, December 14, and that will run from 6-10 p.m. That, too, will feature entertainment, food and adult beverages.

Last year, I won People's Choice Award at this show. I have two paintings entered this year, which, if you have followed the blog, you have seen ad nauseum -- Sailboat on the Pointe and 324. If you haven't seen them, then scroll down the blog site and catch up with one of the 25 different versions I have posted.

Hopefully, I will see you there and remember -- vote early and vote often!
 

 

Sometimes it doesn't work ...

Just to make the disclaimer first -- I am just as guilty as everyone else!

Okay. That's out of the way.

I admit it. I have some opportunities to look at other artists' blogs and I am somewhat amused that I never see an artist post a bad effort. AND -- see the first sentence of this week's blog. Yes, I'm as guilty as everyone else.

We, as artists, are read by many, many folks. I, myself, have a following of at least 1 million readers. Well, maybe one reader, BUT, he/she is ever faithful!

We, as artists, make art look easy. It's not. We post our successes. We rarely post our mis-steps. Fortunately for you, today's blog is a chance to see what I regard as a dismal performance.

Ray Hassard at work

Last weekend, I had the great fortune of taking a pastel workshop from one of America's finest pastel artists -- Ray Hassard (who lives in Greater Cincinnati area, by the way). I had been so looking forward to this.

The focus of the workshop was "Making a Public Scene." Ray has the uncanny ability to make beautiful artwork out of what most of us regard as every day life. And, among the things I learned this weekend, is to view my every day surroundings with a more artistic eye. 

In any case, after a demonstration by Ray we had the option of choosing to work from one of the hundreds of photos that Ray graciously allowed us to use, or we were free to use one of our own. I decided to do one of my own photos, one I had taken several years ago while in Oberlin, Ohio. I had filed it away as a future painting and now was the time to take advantage of one of the many I took up there.

Bad art in progress

The photo depicts one lone person walking in front of an equally lonely movie theatre that was featuring the movie -- Social Network. Oh, the irony was just too good to pass up.

After an initial sketch and some cropping, Ray and I agreed to move the person away from the black movie facade and put him in front of one of the windows. My intention was to give this painting an Edward Hopper feel.

Armed with my many boxes of pastels, including my three-drawer box given to me by a dear friend to store my many colors, I had all the best intentions. Indeed, for a while it looked like it would come together. It achieved the mood that I wanted as most everyone who came back to look at it said how depressing it was. 

A different focus

But as the weekend progressed, me and my artwork regressed. Everything I tried didn't work. I was fighting the colors and the lighting. It wasn't vibrant enough to further emphasize the irony of the story of the painting. By the time Sunday afternoon had come to a close (not quickly enough), I had overworked this painting to death. It was flat and blah and, well, as you can tell, I just wasn't happy with it.

These things happen. Happen more often than artists acknowledge to the viewing public. All the drive home from Rising Sun, IN, I kept asking myself what I should have done differently. And, that, is what artists do. We are constantly pushing and pulling and adjusting and fixing and sometimes, the painting works! 

For one, if I want to do this scene the way I wound up painting it, I need to do it on a larger surface than the 11 x 14 I was working on. Two, if I want to keep it to the size I was working with, then I think I will have to crop this photo a LOT more. It may have worked better with a close up image of the man walking in front of the movie theatre with the poster of the movie title behind glass.

I did like the shadow transition from the sidewalk to the street. All is not lost!!

Works in progress

Just to keep you updated on Opening Night, it continues to progress fairly well. I am fighting with the gray car on the left side. 

Opening Night

The glare on the right side of the painting is from the lighting when I took the photo of the painting. It has, however, given me some pause for consideration to add some lighting "glare" under the far light post on the right side. 

The dogs work now I think. I had to add moe coloring on the first one on the left. He was looking too much like Calliope in the center.


Finally, now that I am back in to painting instead of color-pencilling (I am allowed to make up my own words), I am doing several paintings at the same time. 

I've included one of the 4 x 6 efforts. It's not quite done yet, but It's tentatively called American Eagle. I am painting this with water-soluble oil paint.

American Eagle

The art of negative thinking

In between working on Opening Night (see progress below), I started and finished a scratchboard project that I was planning on doing later this year.

Originally, I had hoped to give the piece to my mother as a Christmas gift, but with her eyesight failing, this was something I wanted to make sure she could see. The previous two Christmases, I had given her a scratchboard piece of myself and one of my sister. This one below is my brother. His was easiest of all since he was dressed mostly in dark colors.

Scratchboard has been a style of artwork that I thought I wouldn't like, but have come to enjoy it thoroughly. It's very tedious, but it's also quite relaxing. I was amused the other day when I got it framed because the person who did it also does scratchboard. He said, "It's one of those mediums where you can sit down and work on it and it's six hours later and you don't even know it!"

That's so true.

For those unfamiliar with scratchboard, the surface is white clayboard affixed to what is essentially masonite board. The white surface is then inked, usually with black ink. The product, completely inked and ready-to-go can be purchased at almost any place that sells art supplies. The pre-inked biggest board I have found, however, is 11 x 14. There are other boards made that are larger in size, but those have to be inked by the artist and that can be a more difficult process than the actual scratching itself. 

Once you have the board and your final photo/sketch ready to go, you need to transfer it to the scratchboard. I overlay the surface with white transfer paper, then I put a copy of my photograph/sketch on top of that. From there, it's simply a matter of tracing the top image on to the surface of the scratchboard.

At that point, the real work begins. You are scratching away the black ink to reveal the white clayboard beneath the surface. I use several different tools, but the most precise and the one I use most often is an Exacto knife.

The other key thing in scratchboard is to think "negative." As an artist, you generally proceed from your darkest darks to your lightest lights. The old artist adage -- "Dark to light; Loose to Tight" doesn't apply in scratchboard. You want to find your LIGHTEST lights first, and work backward from there. Thus you are "negative" thinking or thinking in reverse, if you prefer.


Getting back to the piece of my brother, there's a couple of things I wanted to show about the process. The original is a photograph my mother had taken many years ago.

On the left, is the photograph
that I was working from.

As you can see, it's a
black & white. I probably
could have work on his
pants a lot more than
I eventually did, but I 
thought that it would 
detract from the overall
final product.

The piece on the right is the final piece, but you can see
where I circled some corrections I had to make on the board.

There's some thought from people who do not do scratchboard of "Eeeek! You really can't make a mistake with this!" That's not true. In fact, I accidentally spilled some rubbing alcohol in the upper left corner while doing this. In the course of wiping it off, I kind of liked the effect that it left on the surface. So, I tried recreating it in the lower right corner. It didn't work as well, and I knew I had to fix both sides. Very simple -- just re-ink the board where you need to make your fixes. Yes, you can see where the corrections are made, but that can be fixed as well.

You fix the corrections only after you are completely finished with the piece. And it's a very simple fix because you HAVE to do this anyway with any scratchboard piece that you do.

You have to seal it with a glaze of some sort. I prefer a product called Crystal Clear, made by Krylon. You simply spray that over the surface between 6-to-9 times. I vary the direction each time. The other thing I do is to make sure to appy an extra dose or two to the areas where the corrections have been made. As you can see from the final piece, the "errors" have been completely eliminated.

I plan to do a more thorough step-by-step demo of how to do scratchboard down the road, but a good majority of it was covered here!

Opening Night's WIP

I started this acrylic painting in earnest about three-to-four weeks ago now. If you recall from the previous post, I spent the first two weeks painting the image on to illustration board so I could see what colors to use and where and how to put the lighting in the painting.

There's been some changes made from the original

concept and there will be a few more before it is 
completed, but the essence of the work remains intact. 

The lighting in the lower right corner of the painting is just that. Light from a source that is "off painting." I hope that it will be more visually understandable once the final lighting gets put in from the main pole in front of the white Volkswagen. 

Added a couple more cars and they need to be more out-of-focus. The dogs in the front need to get cooler or darker on the left side -- away from the light. The background needs more blending. The front parking lot area between the dogs and the kissing couple may change in shading as well. Still much work to be done and its progress will be duly noted here. (I'm still not sold on my idea of the lighting in the lower right ... )

Love and Romance: Calliope returns

I've been wanting to do this blog's featured painting for a while now, but with the colored pencil show and the pointillism painting, my summer just blew past me like the leaves outside my window this evening.

A series of paintings or artwork around a central theme has been something I've felt the urge to do for most of this year. And the theme's been staring me in the face all the while. I needed to sit back and think about the paintings I wanted to put in the series. I hinted at it a few blogs back when I featured the painting entitled Romance. It's a painting that gets a lot of reaction. It's a theme that strikes a chord with everyone -- love and romance.

I've sketched out between 10-to-12 ideas, including the first one, Romance. I'm not sure I will do all of them. And, this past week, I came up with an idea for another one. So the final total will constantly be in flux. I hope that all eventually tell a story. One that touches everyone in their own way. (I will address that in more detail in a moment.)


In any case, I've actually been working on this painting -- Opening Night -- for about three weeks now. The first two weeks' work, however, has been more than a normal artist's sketch. I actually drew this painting to size (22 x 28) on Bristol board because I needed to get my composition correct. 

When I took it to my Monday evening class, however, I realized that if this was to be my "reference photo," then I better have an idea of what colors I wanted to use as well. Hence I spent the first two weeks of class painting my reference photo.

Opening Night - Reference

I can't say I plan to do all my paintings like this in the future, but it really helped in several ways. First, I had to establish my light source and how it affects my main characters. Second, it helped me to realize I had to adjust my proportions. The cars were entirely too small and I didn't like the tiered look from left to right. Also, the lines between the cars in the parking lot were too straight. Those needed to be angled more to enhance the perspective.

Third, the horizon line is too abrupt. A softer transition, I think, is better. Fourth, I lowered the curb line where the three dogs are. (Calliope is the dog in the middle, by the way). 

I also needed to do some color tweaking. The foreground pavement, I think, needs to be lighter than the background pavement. 

All paintings -- regardless of the medium -- are a matter of pushing and shoving and making adjustments. I can guarantee there will be changes made as I go along developing this painting. Last Monday, I transitioned the drawing from board to canvas and started the actual painting. What you see next is part of what I worked on in class (I started with a blank canvas) and what I have been working on this past week.

Opening Night - Phase 1

I'm still not sure if the cars are big enough, though I am certain the SUV on the left is. Also, I know that the VW in the middle and the red Ford on the right should be the roughly the same height. 

The three little white spots in the center are out-of-focus cars in the background. They may move. More will be added. I think a truck or a bus may go in the background along with some trees, too. 

The main image, however will not change and that's the man and the woman kissing each other in the parking lot as the three dogs look on. Well, two of them are watching. The third, on the far right, is part of my whimsy.

As an artist, you really want to get your viewer to relate to your artwork on a personal level. And the value of working on a piece in a class with other artists can't be overestimated. This painting touches everyone who has seen it so far.

It reinforced to me that I have touched upon a subject that everyone can truly relate to in some way. The reactions have been interesting to hear, especially when most of the artists in the class are women.

One said she liked the painting, but didn't like what it said. I asked why. "I have daughters that age." My response was, "Why does the couple have to be young?" She paused a moment and looked at the painting again and said, "You have a point." The artist comes to any painting with his or her point of view. The viewer, however, sees the image in their own personal way. Interpretation.

My favorite reaction was when one of the ladies looked at the piece for quite a while, then sighed and said, "Oh, to be in love again ..." 

The painting is not done. There's much execution yet to be done. A lot of pushing and shoving to go. But the "job" of an artist -- my purpose -- has already been accomplished. Touching my viewer in their own personal way. How do you relate to this painting? What does it mean to you? In what way does the story touch you?

By the way ... Calliope, whose owner is the male character, isn't quite sure what to make of this development.

Of Contests Part II

Just a brief posting this week ...

This past weekend, my painting -- Sailboat on the Pointe -- was named as the Greater Loveland Historical Museum Award winner. It is always an honor to be selected for any award in an art show, especially in the Greater Cincinnati area where there are so many talented artists living and producing in this community. This was a very nice honor, especially in light of the fact that I had won previously. As an artist, you always hope that your work has an impact on its viewer or viewers -- that it moves them, intrigues them, motivates or amuses them. A good friend, Monica Achberger, won Best of Show,


I spent most of this past week catching up on some business work (bills still have to be paid!). Though I did manage to resume attending one of the two weekly live sketch group sessions offered by the Cincinnati Art Club to its members. I cringe every time I see my final product, but I know that it's better than the first time I tried it. Progress comes in baby steps.

Calliope returns

 

For those of you who are familiar with the dog, Calliope, that I have featured in a previous painting, you will be happy to know that he is making his return in the next several weeks! So stay tuned. The sketch for the painting is done and there have been some tweeks here and there. I still need to attend to a couple of details such as spending much of the last couple of nights working out "light" issues. 

When I'm satisfied with the progress of the painting, I will begin to post it as it develops.

Contests and such ...

I was more than a little bit surprised to learn that I took second place in this year's Colored Pencil District Chapter 119 show! What an honor! Especially considering that I finished behind one of the people I most admire in colored pencil, John Smolko, who is also a member of our local chapter.

If you have been following my blog over the last few months, then you probably recognize the piece -- 324 --that took the award.

The show will continue throughout the month at "The Barn" in Mariemont, OH ... also the home of the Cincinnati Women's Art Club. The show runs from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept 22 and Fridays from 5-8 p.m.

324

More to the Point-illism ... 

As promised, below is the finished product of the pointillism painting -- Sailboat On the Pointe --  that I have also been working on over the last 6-7 weeks. I entered it in to the Greater Loveland Historical Society Museum show. If I failed to note this before, the acrylic painting is a pretty big piece at 30 x 40 inches, unframed. The Awards reception will be this coming Saturday (September 14) from 2-4 p.m. at the Museum on 201 Riverside Dr. in Loveland, OH. 

Sailboat On The Pointe

I entered and won this show three years ago and the winning piece of award featured below was purchased by the Museum and is on permanent display there.

That piece was done in scratchboard, which, while I don't do it very often, is one of my favorite forms of artwork. 

Stolen: Porridge Made from Scratch

Detailed close-up

As you can tell from the detailed breakout, this is another one of those tedious projects that I often find myself doing. But, much like the pointillism painting, I find doing scratchboard to be very relaxing.

This year's show will run on Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 14 through October 6 from 1-4 p.m. at the Museum center in Loveland.

A grand afternoon

After dropping off my colored pencil artwork this morning for final entry in to the Cincinnati CPSA chapter show (more on that later) ... I spent the afternoon doing what I do every year when my grandchildren "invade". We paint!

For five-year-old Tabitha, this was her third painting endeavor and we decided it was time to actually attempt a painting of something more than just having fun with paint on a canvas. For three-year-old Zoe, however, the painting was all about getting "violet" on canvas. (I said nothing about my penchant for violet-purple shading!!!).

Fortunately for me (and her mother, my daughter, Marisa) we split this year's painting project in to shifts. Zoe, being the youngest went first.

(Left) Zoe selects her favorite weapons from among my arsenal of acrylic paint brushes.  

(Right) Art is serious business.








But then there is that moment when everything comes together and -- IT'S MAGICAL!!

And, finally, there's a masterpiece! For a thing of beauty is a joy forever. (Grandfather was particularly impressed with the bold strokes and the fearless impasto work).





After a quick clean-up, it was Tabitha's turn. As noted earlier, we decided to embark on a painting of her choice. Since she wanted to paint her favorite animal -- a zebra -- it was quickly changed to her choice of fruit. An apple or a pear. The apple won out. I had her actually draw an apple on the canvas board just as she would a normal painting. Then the painting began after she selected what colors she wanted for her background.

(Left) Obviously, grandfather was absorbed in the process that Tabitha employed.

(Right) Of course, getting paint on your hands is a source of much consternatiion.






(Right) Grampy explains 
the importance of light.






The final result showed Tabitha's grasp of light source AND her first signed artwork!

All and all, a grand afternoon!!

CPSA Show on Friday

The Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Colored Pencil Society of America (Chapter 119) will hosts its annual chapter show at the "The Barn" -- home of the Cincinnati Women's Art Club on Cambridge Avenue in Mariemont.

This year's show chairman, Katherine Thomas (see link to her enjoyable blog) deserves "props" for the great preparation she has done for this year's show. The opening night ceremony runs from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6 and well worth attending.

Pointillism ...

Finally ... I think I have finished my pointillism painting and will feature it in a blog later this week or early next week. I just need to put my signature on this piece and I'm still debating whether to do it in pointillistic style or just straight script. Any votes for one style or another will be graciously appreciated!
 

 

 


 
 

Into the frying pan with Georges Seurat?

For the last several months I have been alternately bemoaning/lamenting the tediousness of colored pencil. I finally finished both the pieces I have been working on since the first of the year and I am -- at last -- able to put a brush in my hand.

So what do I do? . . . For that, I turn to this week's art history lesson and introduce Georges Seurat. The French painter born to a rather well-to-do family grew up in the late 1800s. And though his life was tragically brief -- he died at the age of 31 -- he is acknowledged in the art world for having two major impacts. First, Seurat, along with close friend Paul Signac, are regarded as the founders of the Neo-Impressionistic movement. Seurat, moreover, is acknowledged as the founder of the style of painting known as pointillism. (Some art historians lump Neo-Impressionism and Pointillism as one development).

Pointillism, or as Seurat preferred to call it -- divisionism, is pretty much what it sounds like. A pattern of points or dots on a canvas arranged to form the colors. Seurat used whole colors in dot patterns so that when you stood back from his work, the colors would blend visually. He did not mix his colors on the palette, but let the colors "mix" themselves on the canvas. He generally worked on large canvases and, coupled with the fact he did not live long, his body of work is small in comparison with many of the painters working in Europe during the same time.

His most famous work is A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, which I have posted here:

I must admit the style intrigues me and, if you think about it, Seurat was way way ahead of his time. For what he did back in the late 1800s is not unlike what we do today with pixels. Afterall, the color we see on this computer screen is nothing more than a gazillion pixels lined up next to each other to produce the image.

I am getting long winded (again ... sorry), but the point (pun intended), is that the first painting that I have started that I know I will finish is being done in pointillistic style. So, after all this time of noting how tedious colored pencil work is, I am now doing point after point after point on a big canvas (30 x 40).

But, believe it or not, I have found it to have gone much more quickly than I thought it would; and, secondly, the process has been very calming -- almost Zen-like. I understand why Seurat tended toward larger canvases. The bigger canvas is necessary in order to provide the viewer's eyes a greater opportunity to blend colors.

With that in mind, the following is the progression I have made with the pointillism painting I have been working on. This is being done with acrylic paint. (The fact that this is lengthy is primarily because I can't get the blog to cooperate in lining up the images three in a row. And if someone can explain to me how to do this more efficiently I will be in your debt forever).

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4

Image 5

Image 6 - As of 8/27/13

Since the painting has to be turned in for a contest by Sept. 10, then it will be done by then! And, quite frankly, at the rate it is progressing, I should be able to finish it with time to spare for more noodling, tinkering ... and adding a few dots here and there.

I will explain more about the contest for the Loveland Historical Museum in my next blog posting, which -- hopefully -- will be next week.

Is it finished yet?

As an artist, that's always the million dollar question. When is a painting done? 

Some artists say that a painting is done when they are sick and tired of working on a piece and that's that!

Some artists are never done. I remember taking a visit to the Frank Frazetta museum in 
East Stroudsburg, PA back in 2007. This was like going to Valhalla for me. Frank Frazetta was my idol when I was growing up and, still to this day, if i could draw an iota as well as he did, then I would say I've accomplished something as an artist. He was the best.

Guardian at gateway to Frazetta Museum

In any case, Frank Frazetta was in his home that day I visited, but was not taking visitors as he was still dealing with the effects of a stroke. His wife, Ellie, was tending to the museum that day and since we were the only visitors, we got to spend nearly two hours talking with her and discussing her husband's artwork.

Frank Frazetta Museum

At one point, she said she didn't allow Frank to come in to the museum alone anymore because he would see something in one of his pieces of artwork and take it down off the wall and start re-working it! Some of his paintings then were valued at more than a million dollars. Hence, an artist really is never done with his work. There's always something more that can be done.





That being said, I'm not sure my two colored pencil works are finished yet to enter in to the September DC Chapter 119 show. 

Marin

I continue to work on Marin, though I have to admit I'm pretty close to finishing her up. There's some details and things that still have to be done, such as adding some cool tones around the corners of her mouth. I also need to consider making the left side of her face a mite bit darker in order to have her hair pop out a bit more. There's some darkening, too, under her jaw line. Her hair that comes out in the upper left, I think I need to make the background a bit darker as well so the hair comes out a little more.

It's all about light and making sure the contrast brings the drama to the image. 

It's also called, by some, more noodling. Most people I've shown this to already think it's done and finished.

324

The same holds true for the power boxes, which in my last blog episode was "Untitled." It now has a title -- 324.

This one, though I signed it so I could see where I wanted to put my signature, needs more work. The shadows on the wall bother me and I will definitely need to make them darker. Also, I have to make the pipes look more rounded. Some of the boxes need to get darker or warmer. Others need to get cooler.

Again, people who have seen photos of 324, have really liked it. In fact, a colleague of mine at work has already expressed interest in purchasing the piece. (Keeping my fingers crossed on that one).

So, to answer my question at the start of this blog, I will answer without an answer. It's done when I think it's done. And it's a good thing it's not "when I want it done." I was ready to end Marin about four weeks ago. But the extra work has really enhanced the piece.

When they are done (finally done), I will feature them one last time.