Oct 7 - Fun with the Model, Drawing and Painting

Last night a great group of artists came to the studio and painted/drew this model. I'm enjoying sharing with you the three (worthy!) images that came off my Conte crayons and acrylics last night. I'm seriously rusty on the 3-minute poses (the drawings) but didn't do too badly on the 15 minutes acrylic. In these drawings, I used black and sepia Conte and allowed the white of the paper to be the lights.

It was quite enjoyable to have a man smile and laugh with me, as I know this fellow from another "lifetime". And I'll be seeing other good friends this week, too. My art is so connected to what's going on in my life, and sometimes I have to realize that what I am is not determined by others, but only by my own self--and continue to do what I know best--make art that speaks both to me, and hopefully to others.

Here's the second three-minute pose. Looser, less shapes and more line. I do like that my drawing ability is still available to me when I need it.

And the third, the acrylic, was done with little regard to temperature (the Color System) as it was done in less than 15 minutes.


“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Character is everything.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The wonderful, enriching friendships I have with so many people across the globe reinforces this quote, and I am honored to have you enjoy my art and musings.

You can see my entire blog HERE.
My November workshop schedule for 2009 (some spaces still left) is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Oct 5 - Getting the Masses in on the Commission

Those interested in the upcoming DVD on misty/twilight paintings will enjoy how this one is unfolding. I have a misty background working against a patch of sunlight which will illuminate the light palomino Tennessee Walking Horse in the composition. At this stage I'm only concerned with the separate areas of warm vs. cool and not at all with the anatomy or look of the big gelding. The sky will go in, and the bigger shapes in the background before I tackle the details. It is coming along.

On the home front, tomorrow night I open my studio for some artist friends to come and draw and paint from a live model. It's been in the works for a while, and I'm just tickled that they are coming over and it is all working out for us. It will be a great social evening with peers (I've missed those!) and camaraderie.

And renewing a friendship from years ago will be joyful as well--an artist of extraordinary talent, we have let too much time go by between laughter and art. His site is here. The scope of his work and the phenominal art glass he designs are awe inspiring and may take my own art in new directions.

The music rolls on, both on my piano and my head. I think I've played my piano more in the past few months than in all the last half decade! Gutsy ... joyful, poignant.

You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2009 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Oct 3 - Organizing the House and a New Commission

I've started on the 11 x 14 oil of the Tennessee Walker commission here. Just the quick layin of the placement of the horse, and the division of space to show you that design begins from the first brush mark. The gift giver wants the full body and a relaxed pose in a pasture, so I am working from the long history of equine portraiture and moving it into a contemporary setting. Unfortunately, the source material isn't the greatest, and many artists would not have taken this one on. But the back-story on this horse and its relationship with its owner moved me so much... I'll unfold the story in the days to come.

This one will also have the changing values to focus your eyes on the horse, with the landscape being secondary. I've toned the canvas with the warm value to contrast nicely with the cool box colors that will make up the majority of the background.

On the home front, I'm having a bit of a "spring cleaning" time, moving things about and changing the uses of various parts of the house. It has been most enlightening, with new discovery of things unknown and finding things long forgotten. Now that the proverbial "dust" is settling, the new feeling in these rooms is very satisfying, and the two cats have found new places to sun themselves. Not exactly fung shui, but the results give me a "wicked good" grin. I guess spring cleaning doesn't have to happen in spring, eh?

The November workshop is shaping up to be the best one yet, with new lectures in the theater, and I'm looking forward to meeting new people interested in working with the Color System. And the cameras are pointing at the easel, with the painting after this one being featured in the first half of the new DVD on "Misty Light and Twilight" paintings. Camera, ACTION!!

You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2009 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.