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!