Loose ends

Never enough time to do all that I want. I suppose that's good in a way as I am never looking for an idea hiding under some Illustration Board.

So this blog edition will be a hodge-podge of what I've been doing, what I am doing and where I might be going. And probably too long-winded ...

What I've been doing ... I am nearing the conclusion of Flowers for Katie. One of these days I will learn to shoot my artwork correctly (that line at the bottom -- where the flower pot is resting -- is really straight!).

Flowers for Katie (oil painting)

Hopefully there never comes a time in my arting journey that I haven't learned something or two or three ... 

There's a couple of insights that this painting has provided. First and foremost is that this is the first larger scale painting I've "finished" using water-soluble oils. That, in itself, was an experience. The positive so far has been that the paint blends so much more easily, at least for me, than acrylic paints. The clean-up is fast. Just soap and water and you're good to go. The negative has been that it does seem to take a long time for the paint to dry. Much longer than oil paint. There almost seems to be a "tacky" feeling to the paint and I'm not sure what is causing that. Any insight would be appreciated!

Close-up of door

The second thing I discovered near the conclusion of this work was trying to make the door recede a bit. At one point in the previous blog you might notice the door seemed flush with the wall/frame. There was one simple little thing that I did that made it work ... and it really looks better in person than in this image. 

I simply added some lighter streaks of paint along the edges. The lighter paint against the dark streak pushed the dark end of the doorway further back.  .... Still a few things need to be done to this before I'm as satisfied as any artist can be with their work. I want to work the daffodil in the upper right a bit more, punch in a few more lights. Tweak the little yellow flowers in the front of the flowers. Make the lower right petal on the middle daffodil slight larger, so it forces the blue rose out in front more (sort of a reverse on the door edge). The panel insets on the door still bug me a bit and that needs a tweak or two.

Roger (oil painting)

Finished up another of the smaller water-soluable oil bird paintings. This one is varnished. An egret. For lack of a better title, it's being called Roger.

Oil Landscape (Untitled)

Then there's my Wednesday night painting sessions with my good friend, Todd Price. He has helped me immensely with my oil painting (oil oil, not water-oil ... hehe)

The painting on the right is about 16 x 20 or so. The top image is actually the reference photo. My painting is below it. I am guessing it will likely take another two or three weeks before it's done. But I'm liking how it is coming along. I have picked up a few techniques in how to put in the mountains and paint rocks, as well as painting trees.

You might noticed the brownish strip along the bottom of my painting. That will provide the shadow for the grasses that are to go in this week. If you look closely at the bottom of the ref photo, you can see the straw-colored grass. There will likely be an elk or deer put in this scene as well to lend more perspective to the entire piece.

I can see myself moving more and more in the direction of oil painting. The blending and just the vibrancy of color really can't be reproduced in any other medium I have tried thus far.

Colored Pencil and ... Who knows what?

The annual CPSA DC Chapter #119 annual show is coming up in September and I have to begin work on what I hope will be two pieces that I hope I can find time to finish. The one below is in the very very infant stages. It's an corrugated metal shed with old tools that are hanging on a dried out wood board. 

Old Tools Shed (Colored Pencil)

This image is based upon a photograph I took while I was in San Antonio last fall. The light at the time of day when I took this photo was outstanding. There will be a lot of rust and a lot of shadow and ... sigh ... a lot more work to go. 

It's a lot more detailed and intricate than the image shows.The chains are convoluted and they cast shadows on the corrugated metal wall. Never let it be said I settle for the simple things.


Finally, I have been playing around with the "mixed media" notion that I first did in a workshop in Rising Sun that I took a couple years ago. In that workshop, I was using newspapers and rice paper and paint and this and that and who knows what because I can't remember what all went in to the final product.  I remember the weekend well, however.

Red Sails in the Sunset (acrylic/glitter)

In any case, I finally decided to work with a color component -- glitter. I am not sure how it is going to work, if it will work at all, but I won't know if I don't try. I have done some experimental paintings with what I'm tentatively calling the "glitter technique" and, surprisingly, it met with a positive response from a few of my artist friends.


One of the drawbacks to the "glitter technique" is that is really doesn't translate on an image/screen. It was and is my idea to use the glitter not as a crutch or a gimmick, but actually incorporate it in to the artwork itself. Thus, a little glitter goes a long way. Will it work? I really don't know. I know I will have to spray-varnish Red Sails so that the glitter doesn't fall off. I will get it framed, but I'm not sure whether I need to put the painting under glass now or not. Lot of questions still need answers.

If you have made it this far ... I leave you with a outstanding quote from a dear friend and fellow artist, Paul Sensbach, "Life is too short. Go for the dessert first."