Studio SMK

Number 28 - Cardinal

2011-11-19T21:00:00.001-06:00

Cardinal, 10x8, Oil on Hardboard

I've always been fascinated by birds. I think it's something my mother gifted me with as she's always enjoyed watching birds and building bird feeders so that she can watch them all the time. One of her favorite birds is the cardinal. She also likes bluejays, robins, wrens, finches, and hummingbirds. But I decided this painting was going to be a cardinal.

I experimented with the background and environment surrounding the main subject in this one. I wanted to give a sense of 'planes' and distance. You'll notice that the closer twigs and branches are more clearly defined than the background branches, which are softer and bring out the cardinal more, making it pop. It turned out to be an effect that I like and will probably continue using in future paintings.

Thank you for stopping by and looking at the Cardinal. I hope you've enjoyed looking at it as much as I enjoyed painting it!

Number 29 - Well, Hello There!

2011-11-19T20:38:00.001-06:00

Well Hello There, 10x8, Oil on Hardboard

I've really enjoyed painting the kittens and dogs, so I decided to broaden my horizons and try something new. Here is a beautiful Mute Swan taking a drink and seemingly reflecting on its reflection. I've been exploring water and water effects for a little while and really enjoyed painting this one with all the colors that popped out at me.

One thing that this painting reminded me of was that throughout the process of painting my first 100 paintings, I've been seeing something new each time I look at anything. It seems that in the process of painting I've unlocked the gift of observation. I don't just see what my mind is telling me is there, but a whole world more! I see colors in things that I've never noticed, the way light plays with EVERYTHING, and how something can look totally different depending on your perspective at any specific moment.

I wonder if this swan has seen its reflection before but just hasn't noticed it for what it is...

Thank you for stopping by and looking at 'Well, Hello There'.

Enjoy!!!

Number 30 - Kitten

2011-11-19T20:22:00.001-06:00

Kitten, 8x6, Oil on Hardboard

I enjoyed painting the last kitten so much that I thought I'd take a shot at another! I really liked the coolish colors of this one - the blue and the whites and light colors work very well with each other and make everything come together.

I appreciate you stopping by and taking a look at the Kitten! Enjoy!

Number 31 - Paradise

2011-11-19T20:14:00.001-06:00

Paradise, 8x10, Oil on Hardboard

Painted this one from a reference photo of our trip to the beautiful country of Jamaica. As I'm posting this, it's 23 degrees, windy, and there's a thin but dangerous layer of ice covering everything! Winter's back and I sure wish I was back in Jamaica!

Thanks for stopping by to look at Paradise!

Number 32 - My Pumpkin

2011-10-30T21:57:00.001-05:00

My Pumpkin, 8x8, Oil on Hardboard

Well, I couldn't really do a dog and not a cat, now could I? When Jen challenged me to paint animals, I just had to paint a cat, too!

And what a coincidence, the Daily Paintworks weekly challenge was Paint Your Pumpkin! So, I got to put a kitten with a pumpkin, prove to Jen that I can really paint animals, AND I got another Halloween painting in! What a weekend!

Thanks for stopping by and looking at My Pumpkin!

Enjoy!!!

Number 33 - Bailey

2011-10-30T21:48:00.001-05:00

Bailey, 8x8, Oil on Hardboard

This is a 'critter portrait' of one of our dogs, Bailey. She's only ten months old and gets in her fair share of predicaments, mostly of the trouble variety, but she's just so loveable and curious! This is her 'whatcha doin'?' look.

Jen challenged me to do an animal painting, so here it is!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at Bailey. Enjoy!!

Number 34 - Puppy Power

2011-10-30T21:41:00.001-05:00

Puppy Power, 6x6, Graphite on Hardboard

Sometimes the power of a dog's love can move mountains - not to mention me. I did this little piece to try something new. Well, it started out with the intention of actually putting paint to the surface, but I didn't really get that far. It just looked right the way it is...

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

Enjoy Puppy Power!

Number 35 - Pink Tail

2011-10-30T21:35:00.001-05:00

Pink Tail, 8x8, Oil on Hardboard

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and I work for one of the world's largest airlines that supports this great cause, I decided to paint this one.

By the way, I can't really say which airline I work for. But I'm sure you can figure it out... ;-)

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at the Pink Tail. Enjoy!

Number 36 - Jamaican Clouds

2011-10-30T21:28:00.001-05:00

Jamaican Clouds, 6x8, Oil on Hardboard

I did this little painting from some pictures that Jen and I took while on vacation in Jamaica. I really like how the clouds in that part of the world just pop up in little 'towers' and keep going straight up.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out the Jamaican Clouds!

Enjoy!

Number 39 - A Wedding Toast

2011-10-09T12:36:00.001-05:00

A Wedding Toast, 10x8, Oil on Gessoboard

OK, it's now ready for prime time! I kept this one hush-hush because I painted it as a gift for a very dear friend that got married yesterday, October 8th, and didn't want her to see it beforehand.

If you think it looks familiar, well, Cuvee Rouge and a Rose was painted as a reference for this one!

Congratulations, Helen and Kirk! I wish you the best in your life together and many happy memories to you both!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look! I hope you enjoy my Wedding Toast.

Number 37 - Ocean Waves

2011-10-02T20:38:00.000-05:00

Ocean Waves, 6x8, Oil on Gessoboard

So, like I said in my last post, Jen's been wanting me to do more water. Apparently she didn't think I could do it, but I think this one is a winning water painting!

The inspiration was a winner, too! This reference shot was taken from a beach in Jamaica during our last little weekend getaway in Montego Bay.

I can still hear the waves crashing on the shore and the birds as they hunt for little sand crabs...

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at the Ocean Waves!

Enjoy!!!

Number 38 - Cloudy Ocean Sunset

2011-10-02T20:24:00.000-05:00

Cloudy Ocean Sunset, 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

I wanted to do something colorful in honor of autumn without doing leaves or pumpkins, at least not yet. Jen's been wanting me to do something with water, too, so I took to the photo references and found this little prize.

It IS colorful, hehe!

Enjoy the cloudy ocean sunset and thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

Number 39 - TBA

2011-10-02T20:16:00.002-05:00

Not yet ready for prime time...

Stay tuned... ;-)

SMKelley.com

2011-09-27T06:45:00.000-05:00

My apologies for not posting anything for a while. I've been working on a couple of paintings, but have spent the last few days focusing on the marketing and sales side. And with that...

I have a new web site - http://www.smkelley.com!

SMKelley.com is going to be my online gallery where anybody can go to get a detailed look at any one of my paintings, make a purchase, or check out my sketchbook to see a couple of paintings as they were works in progress (not quite done yet).

I'll also be posting upcoming events there, as I find upcoming events to post. ;-)

So, stop in and check it out!

I'll be posting another couple of paintings here (and there!) shortly.

Thanks for stopping by!

Number 40 - Guiding Light

2011-09-13T20:00:00.000-05:00

Guiding Light, 5x7, Oil on Gessoboard

Painting the fog effect is fun! Here's another foggy scene with the steeple of a church at daybreak. Take a close look at the top of the steeple and you'll know how I came up with the name for this little painting - a glint of sunlight at the very top of the point.

Many thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the Guiding Light.

Number 41 - Cuvee Rouge and a Rose

2011-09-12T22:11:00.000-05:00

Cuvee Rouge and a Rose, 10x8, Oil on Gessoboard

So, it's been a while (yet again!) since I've posted anything, let alone painted anything. I couldn't decide whether to do a flower, a boat, bottles, or glasses. I compromised and did glasses and a flower.

For those of you that aren't familiar with a cuvee rouge, the one I'm referring to is darker than a rose and almost the color of a Pinot Noir with the aroma of strawberries and raspberries. It has a decadent flavor that reminds me of chocolate covered cherries. And whenever I would go to Thornton Winery in Temecula, California, the cuvee rouge is all I would drink. It was an addictive little bubbly especially enjoyed during a summer night at one of the many jazz concerts the winery hosts.

Sadly, I don't think they produce my favorite anymore... Oh, the memories!

Anyway, I thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy Cuvee Rouge and a Rose!

Number 42 - Foggy Farm Sunrise

2011-09-04T13:37:00.000-05:00

Foggy Farm Sunrise, 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

Today I decided to try my hand at fog. It's really quite an elusive effect, but given the fact that there were a couple of days this past week that had very foggy mornings, I had some first-hand experience with this wonderful effect!

I just thought of it simply as atmospheric perspective scrunched down quite a bit. All you landscape painters out there know what I'm talking about, right? This piece was a little tricky in that there's a lot of warm light in the foreground and a little cooler, but still warm light on the barn with cool silhouettes of the trees just a little farther back in the distance. Just soft, subtle hints in the background...

Then there was the tall, uncut grass in the foreground. I just couldn't make it look right until I thought of my new friend, the palette knife. What a difference it made!

This one was a lot of fun to do and I look forward to tackling fog again soon - perhaps a sailing theme... ;-)

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look! Enjoy the foggy farm sunrise!

Number 43 - Olive Oil

2011-08-30T19:15:00.000-05:00

Olive Oil, 10x8, Oil on Gessoboard

After painting the galvanized steel water can and the sunflowers, I decided to tackle glass. I really liked this little exercise for all the colors and lines and reflections. I tried to put everything in this one - hard edges, soft edges, a little warm, a little cool, and even an attempt at marble (or at least a representation of marble, LOL!!!). I went quickly and lost a little (OK, a lot) of the realism, but I think it turned out pretty well.

I really like the look and feel of this one and I hope you do, too!

Thanks for stopping by and looking. Enjoy!

Number 44 - Sunflowers in a Water Can

2011-08-30T18:32:00.000-05:00

Sunflowers in a Water Can, 8x6, Oil on Gessoboard

It's been a while again since I've painted. I've been traveling, but I had the opportunity to visit not one but two art museums! I stopped at the San Diego Museum of Art to see the exhibition of Spanish art. Wow! Folks aren't kidding when they say they are mesmerized by the works of Sorolla. Absolutely amazing and most beautiful! They also had a couple of works by Monet on display in their permanent collection. Then, I flew down to Atlanta and visited the High Museum of Art and finally got to see my first Sargent! I do have to say that the painters in the late 19th century and earlier had VERY dark palettes. It seems as if everything was dark...

Anyway, this past weekend I decided to paint something a little more colorful. When I got home I found that the sunflowers are blooming, so they became my subject. I've also been looking at a lot of works with metal and glass in them. So, here it is - Sunflowers in a Water Can.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look! Enjoy!

Number 45 - Morning

2011-08-07T12:36:00.001-05:00

Morning, 7x5, Oil on Canvas Board

This little gem is a 'happy little accident' that resulted from a lot of overnight frustrations. It started out as something else, scraped away, then something else again, scraped away. I began to notice that when I scraped away the paint from the canvas there were a lot of different hints of color that seemed to be playing with each other and calling me to join them. Perhaps that was just a lack of sleep getting in my head, but it caused me to deviate from my norm and go WAY outside my comfort zone.

I scraped in the land mass with the palette knife I use to mix with. Then, as I was playing around I decided to add some foreground water by mirroring the land mass and making the darks lighter and putting in the water's edges. I didn't know what to do with the sky until I stepped outside and saw the predawn light. I knew I had to add it!

I'll be doing a lot more with my palette knives as they create a very free feeling, impressionistic effect that I've been looking for. And they're easier to clean!!!

Thanks for taking the time to look!

Enjoy the Morning!

Number 46 - Mug Shot

2011-08-07T12:14:00.001-05:00

Mug Shot, 7x5, Oil on Canvas Panel

This is my mug. There is no other mug like it. Others may drink their concoctions from their mugs, but this mug is mine. It is special.

OK, this is my entry for the Daily Paintworks challenge for this week, the Paint Your Mug Challenge. If you haven't checked out the site, you should. A good number of very talented painters hang out and post their works. The weekly challenges are open to all, but the other areas are for members to post - and DPW has some wicked good daily painting members!! Perhaps one day soon I'll be one of them...

Thanks for stopping by and looking at Mug Shot!

Enjoy!

Number 47: Thistle Study

2011-07-27T08:34:00.000-05:00

Thistle, 8x6, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

The weed that is everywhere you don't want it to be is my subject for the day.

I usually look at these things with disgust before I cut them down and dig up their tap root, but today I looked at this one with the eyes of an 'artist'. All of the different greens, the way the light plays with the tiny petals of the bloom, the multitudes of little spikes covering the seed pod, and the pointy thorns all the way up the stem.

I hope I captured it all with this little study.

Enjoy!

Number 48: Cherry Exercise

2011-07-25T07:22:00.000-05:00

Lone Cherry, 5x7, Oil on Canvas Board

I learned from this one not to take the picture when it is wet. Well, this one is fresh, right off the easel! I'll take another pic for comparison after it dries.

I like these little cherries. They make great little models and they each have their own individual personalities. I'm hooked, so watch out for more of these little guys!

Enjoy!

Number 49: Challenge Inspiration - Daisies

2011-07-24T19:10:00.000-05:00

Daisies, 8x6, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

Here's one that was inspired by this week's challenge at dailypaintworks.com.

The challenge:Choose some flowers on the ground and stand from one to six feet away from them. Use only these colors: Ultra Blue, Cad Yellow Med (or Lt), Cad Rd Lt and white. Limit your painting time to one hour (don't cheat!). Using only three brush sizes (large, med and small) start with a large brush and cover the canvas with thin paint (not runny), getting most of the large, dark areas blocked in. Then work dark to light, thin to thick. Have a focal point with darker darks, lighter lights, more intense color, thicker paint and fewer sharper edges. The rest of the painting should support that area with less visual energy (softer edges, less intense colors, less contrast). Use the smallest brush only at the end and in the focal area only (last 15 minutes). Use a value scale of at least 8 to 2 (dark to light). And try not to use white to lighten unless it is a cool color (blue or purple).

Since I only use the primaries anyway, this one was REALLY easy! I even finished in about 45 minutes. Unfortunately, I'm not a member of the site yet, so this was just a good practice. I'll be joining soon, though!

Enjoy!

Number 50: Little Project (Completed)

2011-07-23T13:06:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is! I'm halfway through my first 100 and beginning to get the knack of things and how everything works and comes together. I may even be developing my own style, but the evolution continues. I keep thinking of a caterpiller in a cocoon developing into a beautiful butterfly. And, even though I took a year off, I feel as if the development continued in my mind as I never had a moment when I wasn't thinking about color, composition, mixing, lines, edges, etc...

For this big milestone I thought it appropriate to do a little something special. I took on a little project, a request from my best half for her sister and brother-in-law for their first anniversary. I already posted the study I did for this project here.

I started out by penciling in a drawing to get an idea of where things should go.

While I tried to figure out where to start, I painted in the sky.

I was really interested in seeing how the values of the 'crow's nest' would work with the sky color, so I started with the roof area.

I got into a groove and just kept moving down the canvas. I like how it's all coming together at this point, but there's still a lot that can go wrong, er, still a lot to do.

I changed colors for a while, the whites and blues were getting a bit monotonous, and I need to see what the other main areas of color would do to the composition. I'm really liking how this is looking at this point.

Got the stairs, walkway, and driveway in and looking good. I spent quite a bit of time on the curb, but it turned out looking really nice.

This is the part that really had me worried. All the work done so far and something so small as stair railings could ruin the whole thing. Well, I didn't have to worry very long. I did a little swipe with a couple of Qtips and laid down the paint. Nice little trick I learned from Richard Schmid! Finished up with the railing shadows and some water run off stains on the steps and voila!

Pilot House, 16x12, Oil on Canvas on Hardboard

Here it is! This photo was taken in warm light from an incandescent light and still looks pretty good to me. This is the largest project I've done to date and I learned quite a bit about mixing colors and using medium, values and edges, and most importantly patience. There were so many times I thought things didn't look right, the colors were off, the values were off, and the whole thing wouldn't really fit on the canvas. But in the end, it's all good. I'm happy to have done this project and look forward to doing more 'big' paintings in the near future.

I hope Kelly and Anthony love their first anniversary present as much as I loved painting it!

Number 51: Parrot (Macaw)

2011-07-23T12:10:00.001-05:00

Parrot, 7x5, Oil on Canvas Panel

I decided to spread my wings a little for this one. Forgive the pun!

Enjoy!

Number 52: Old Oaks

2011-07-17T07:40:00.000-05:00

Old Oaks, 6x8, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

This one is just a quickie of a couple of oak trees that I spotted on my daily drive to and from work. They've stuck out to me because they look so old and they're the only trees on their respective hills. A lot like the old farms around here...

Enjoy!

Number 53: The Homestead

2011-07-17T07:32:00.000-05:00

The Homestead, 6x8, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

I got the hankerin', that's Midwest lingo for 'I really wanted', to go out and paint something en plein air. OK. Bugs, not a problem. Wind, not a problem. But the HEAT!!! And the SUN!!! I don't think that the 'Red Badge of Courage' is about blood. It's about the lobster red color of my pasty, white Irish skin when it's exposed to the sun. Cover up, you say? In THIS heat?

Anyway, here's a farm that I've been admiring and have thought about painting for a while. There's just something about white farm buildings from across a corn field that is just inspiring and attention-getting.

I really like how the corn turned out in this one. The farm didn't turn out so bad either!

Enjoy!

Number 54: Another Portrait

2011-07-17T07:08:00.000-05:00

Portrait, 10x8, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

OK, so I've been reading all the books and watching all the painting demos that I've accumulated in my self study of oil painting and I ran across Jeff Watts' Gesture Portraits - again! And, again, I said to myself that he REALLY makes it look easy. I can do that!

Well, here's another portrait. I don't think I did TOO badly, but, no! It's really NOT that easy...

Enjoy!

Number 55: Jen's Sunset

2011-07-17T06:57:00.000-05:00

Jen's Sunset, 8x10, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

You may remember a post where I mentioned my first date with the love of my life, Jen. Go here to refresh your memory if it's as bad as mine, LOL!

Well, I promised a painting way back then and I finally got to it! Enjoy!!!

Oh! And Jen, I still love the shoes! ;-)

Number 56: The Pilot House Restaurant

2011-07-17T06:42:00.000-05:00

Pilot House, 8x6, Gessoed Hardboard

Early last year Jen and I flew to Philadelphia and drove to New Jersey to attend the engagement party of her sister, Kelly, to a super great guy, Anthony. The dinner party was at a restaurant called the Pilot House located in Brick Township. Besides loving art, I am also a foodie, and the Pilot House did it up right!

Anyway, this is a little color study from that day done in preparation for a 'little' project I've started which you will see here within the next week or so.

Enjoy!

Number 57: Rise & Shine

2011-07-17T06:23:00.000-05:00

Rise & Shine, 8x6, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

As my last post indicated, I'm back!

I couldn't think of a better way to get rid of the spider webs from the studio in my mind than to do a quick little nautical.

Since I enjoy sunrises, and this little piece represents my comeback, enjoy 'Rise & Shine'!

Back in the Saddle!!!

2011-07-14T11:48:00.000-05:00

Life and work have gotten in the way long enough!
I'm back and will be painting a lot more! As a matter of fact, I'll be posting six little studies that I've done over the past week - some plein air, some portraiture, some from reference photos.

So stay tuned and I'll have them posted shortly!

Number 58: First Portrait!

2010-05-06T22:01:00.000-05:00

First Portrait - 6x8, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

I've been watching portrait videos by Jeff Watts and Morgan Weistling and thought to myself, "That doesn't look too hard!" So, I set out to see if I could actually paint a likeness of a human being and make it look somewhat like the human being I used as my subject.

I'm pretty happy with this little study! There are some details that I'm thinking "Hmmmm..." about, but all in all not a bad first portrait, if I do say so myself.

I also discovered that I really enjoy painting the human head, particularly the face and eyes.

Maybe I have a future in portraiture! Perhaps in the future, hehe! I have a lot of work to do!

Enjoy!

Number 59: En Plein Air - The Chicken Coop!

2010-04-21T18:29:00.000-05:00

I had so much fun yesterday painting outside that I decided to do it again today!

There's an old chicken coop on the farm that was used by the previous owner to raise calves. I spent the last weekend clearing out all the tall grass and weeds from the fenced-in area as well as around it, not to mention fighting with snakes and a well that stopped working for a while! Anyway, I thought to myself that the results of my labor would be a good subject for a quick little painting.

My chosen subject. Pretty, huh?

Composition and layout...

In the Country - Chicken Coop, 6x8, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

Yes, there are HUGE FOOTBALLS growing in my background tree! And I could have softened the hill top a little! But my main objective with this one was just getting the shadows and lights as well as the warm and cool foreground and background right. I don't think I did too terribly bad with either, so next time I'll work on edges too!

Number 60: En Plein Air, Round 2!

2010-04-21T18:00:00.000-05:00

I got a wild hare, actually Jen (Thank you, Honey!), and went outside yesterday. It was absolutely GORGEOUS out!

I was a little hesitant, given my last bout with painting en plein air. But out in the country there are no people to watch, oggle, ridicule, laugh at you, talk to you, so I wasn't distracted at all - and I think it shows!

I picked out an old, short, unused grain silo with a farm gas tank next to it. I think that the bluishness of the silo and the bright orange of the gas tank caught my eye.

This one was SO MUCH FUN!!

My Subjects...

Set up and composition.

Yes, another new Open Box M!! I love them both!! They are so enjoyable to work with. I've put a piece of glass in the bottom and I can't believe how EASY it is to clean them now! Just a glass cleaning razor blade is all it takes!

In the Country - Silo and Tank, 6x8, Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

I really like how this one turned out. Yes, I could have opened up the trees a bit and worked a cloud or two in the sky, but I was so happy to be outside again that I just didn't want to muddle this one up!

BONUS!! Jen got some new photos of me painting outside, so I'll be updating my profile picture with something that makes me look a little more approachable, instead of Mr. Grumpy, hehe!

Number 61: Still Life - Mango

2010-04-21T17:41:00.000-05:00

So, I haven't been keeping up with my painting like I should. Life has a tendency to zig when you want to zag. But things are settling down again, and I'm back to painting!

My Set Up - The Mango

And here is the first painting I've done since January - my 39th!!

Still Life - Mango, 6x8 Oil on Gessoed Hardboard

Number 62: Going Nautical!

2010-01-27T14:59:00.000-06:00

Sunset Cruise, 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

Since I seem to be on a roll with the nautical theme, I thought I'd do one from a trip I took to Key West a couple of years ago. This is actually a composite of two different reference photos that I took of a bunch of boats out cruising the South Florida Keys sunset.

I really like this one, too! The sky and the water were fun, particularly combining them from two different photos.

Enjoy!

Number 63: Sailboats...

2010-01-27T14:54:00.000-06:00

Remember the sketch I did last year while sailing? Well, here it is to refresh your memory! ;-)

Here's the painting that I did from the sketch and my memory.

Rounding the Marker, 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

It's amazing what you can remember when you've drawn something like this! While painting it, I was drawn back to that day with the warmish wind blowing through the sails, skimming along the water to the first win for the boat I was on!

I REALLY like how this one turned out! Next up is a larger, stretched canvas version! Stay tuned!

Number 64: The Tree II...

2010-01-27T14:46:00.000-06:00

OK, let's try this again - from scratch!

The Tree II, 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

Looking better, but still not what I'd like to see... This is going to be a subject that I'm going to be focusing on A LOT in the coming days!

Number 66: The Tree (Revisited!!)

2010-01-27T14:41:00.000-06:00

I had just finished The Tree, took pictures, and decided that I was really going to include it in this blog when I read Stapleton Kearns. He did a post on TREES!! Almost as if he were reading my mind!!

Well, I revisited The Tree and made a couple of 'fixes'.

The Tree, 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

I added some snow on the branches and thinned their appearance down a bit. It's simply a fix, but it DOES make it look better!

Number 65: A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose...

2010-01-27T14:36:00.000-06:00

Closeup of a Rose, 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

OK, I got tired of looking at tree pictures and paintings so I decided to paint this rose. It's a close-up that I took when I was into close-up photography a while back. Another product of the close-up photography is the bird of paradise I did last year - you may remember that one!

Anyway, I've already gotten a little critique on this one - it looks very Van Gogh! Not what I was going for, but a tremendous complement nonetheless!

Number 66: The Tree...

2010-01-27T14:29:00.000-06:00

Still cold and snowy here in the frozen heartland!!

I haven't had access to the internet to upload all that I've been painting, but I've worked around that problem by finally making it into town!

I've been passing by this tree on my way to work for a while now and it's always called to me to paint it.

So, I made my first attempt. There will undoubtedly be future attempts as I learned from this project that I have to learn how to paint trees in the winter with no leaves!! LOL!! The branches and twigs get me every time!!

The Tree, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Panel

I like the sky, the fence line, the distant trees, and the snowy hill. The tree, however, is needing a little work!

Number 67: Belize Dinghy...

2010-01-15T13:59:00.000-06:00

This one is from a reference photo that I took this past year on a small island off the coast of Belize. I enjoyed the appearance of solitude that the dinghy portrayed at the time.

Dinghy, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Panel

Since the weather here has been so cold, I've been dreaming of warmer places. This one helped me get over the chilly situation I'm currently stuck in.

I've been working on my clouds and I am very happy with the clouds in this one. I still need to work on my water, though.

Enjoy!

Number 68: It's a Start!!

2010-01-15T13:52:00.000-06:00

This one was/is a collaberation between me and Jen. She's learning to paint and wanted to paint from a reference photo of a canyon in Hawaii. The jist of the story is it's a blind leading the blind scenario - I'm telling her the things that I'm learning as I go. All in all, I think that this one is a really good start.

Hawaiian Canyon, 9x12 Oil on Canvas Panel

We're going to park it somewhere and revisit it later to add detail and make it more finished.

Let us know what YOU think!

Happy New Year, and an Anniversary...

2010-01-05T14:43:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, everyone!! Wow! I can't believe that 2009 flew by like it did! Here's to 2010 and the health and prosperity I hope it will bring!!

Well, it's been a whole year since I started painting! It sure did go fast! I've had a couple of friends ask me to post some of the 'early' works - my Bob Ross pieces, hehe!! Well, here you go!

Mountains and Trees, 16x20 Oil on Canvas Panel

This is my very first painting using the Bob Ross painting style. This is what got me into painting with oils! I really liked the style and the results, but I developed a fascination for painting from life as opposed to painting a 'happy world'...

Crashing Wave, 16x20 Oil on Canvas Panel

Another of my Bob Ross-ish paintings. This one looks like the background of a Japanese movie poster, haha!! As with all of my painting experiences, this was one that I learned a lot from...

Hunting Cabin, 16x20 Oil on Canvas Panel

Still using the Bob Ross technique, but this one was from a reference photo. One could say that I was expanding my horizons. You might recognize this one from one of the last ones I just did on 5x7. I used the same references...

January Sky, 16x20 Oil on Canvas Panel

Finally, this one is my first true plein aire. I didn't know what plein air was at the time, but the sky was just so amazing during this sunset last January I just had to take my 'easel' out on the back deck and try to capture it!

I've come so far in the last year and I just want to thank everyone that contributed to my growth during this very short beginning! I've learned so very much from all of you and I hope I learn much more in the coming years!

And a special thank you to all of you that check in to this blog from time to time. It's nice to know that there are folks 'looking in the windows', so to speak. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll take a moment and leave a comment or two in the coming year. It really does help to have feedback - both good and bad - it's all a learning experience.

Thanks again, and have a Happy New Year!!

Number 69: Frozen Fruit...

2009-12-31T07:45:00.000-06:00

A southern exposure, melting snow, and a freezing wind do this to berries in a tree!

Frozen Fruit, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Panel

Enjoy! And have a very Happy and Safe New Year!! It'll be a GREAT 2010!!

Number 70: The Hunting Cabin...

2009-12-29T13:49:00.000-06:00

Finally, I painted an old hunting cabin that I had a couple of photographs of...

The Hunting Cabin, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Panel

Number 71: An Apple A Day...

2009-12-29T13:47:00.000-06:00

The day after Christmas we were still snowed in, so I painted an apple. I used Ultramarine Blue instead of French Ultramarine Blue, and there's obviously a difference, hehe!! Yes, my shadows are blue!

An Apple A Day, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Panel

Number 72: Oh, Christmas Tree...

2009-12-29T13:43:00.000-06:00

On Christmas morning, I set out to do something a little more "Christmasy"...

My setup next to the ol' Christmas tree...

And here is the final product...

Oh, Christmas Tree, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Panel

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and that Santa was good to you all!

Number 73: Christmas Eve Candles...

2009-12-29T13:27:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm finally back online after the storm of the century! Wow, there was a lot of snow and it took a while to get dug out! Anyway, I've been doing a few little paintings while in the warmth of the house! This is the first one I did on Christmas Eve...

Christmas Eve Candles, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Panel

Number 74 - 'Poo Collection - Progress Sequence

2009-11-28T21:33:00.000-06:00

'Poo Collection - 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

Have you ever traveled, stayed at a bunch of hotels and ended up with a collection of little shampoo bottles from each hotel you've stayed at? My job takes me to a lot of different places and to a lot of different hotels. Today's project - a small sampling of my ever-growing shampoo bottle collection!! I even took some progress shots for your entertainment!

The Subjects

My Start...

For my starts, I like to sketch in where everything should go to see if it fits. And since I'm working towards my holy grail of plein air, I put the shadows in during my start as well. (Just getting into the habit!!) I also color the base and the background to get an idea of the value ranges I'm going to work with.

First Object

Next, I paint the object that stands out the most. In this case, it's the little gold shampoo bottle with the burgundy cap. Not only does this one stand out, it's probably going to be the easiest to paint using a limited palette. I'm currently using French Ultramarine, Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Permanent Red Medium, and Titanium White.

I usually only hint at the lettering on something I'm painting, but in this case the lettering was big enough that it warranted real letters. Not the case with the rest of the bottles as you'll see next.

Next, More Difficult Colors

I tackle the more difficult colors next. In this group, I was really eyeing the caps of the two left bottles as they are kind of a hint of brownish-gray neutral. It's always fun trying to mix colors to match odd colors from life! I think I pretty much nailed this one, though! The green shampoo, er, mouthwash bottle on the left could be a little brighter and deeper green, but this was as far as my limited palette would take it...

The Grand Finale!

Finally, I knock out the blue bottle on the right, touch on the shadows and highlights a bit, smooth out edges, and color up the base and background for a little added visual effect. Voila! All finished!

Notice that just the hint of writing or lettering on these bottles is enough. Your mind 'sees' the letters that are supposed to be there. Just don't try to read them!!

Enjoy!

Number 75 - Gettin' Dark at Bacon Creek Lake...

2009-11-24T19:51:00.000-06:00

Gettin' Dark at Bacon Creek Lake

5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

I took my newly organized kit out to a local park for a test drive late this afternoon. It's been overcast and misting all day, so my expectations weren't very high. But at the very end of the day, as the sun set, there was light!! And it ended up on my canvas... This one was done VERY quickly and I was worried that the colors were SO off, but the values at the end seemed to work so I went with it. Enjoy!

And after returning from the park I snapped this shot of my newly organized kit. This is my 12x16 Open Box M, six most used brushes - 4s and 6s in brights, filberts, and rounds, along with paints, roll of additional brushes, and a paper towel roll. Not shown are my tripod bag and garbage sack. All together, it's extremely light considering how much equipment there is!

Number 76 - Backyard Pine Tree...

2009-11-18T12:06:00.000-06:00

Backyard Pine Tree - 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

"What would you like me to paint?", I asked Jen who would like to see me paint one from beginning to end. "Paint that tree. I would like to know how to paint a tree.", she replied pointing to a pine tree in the back yard.

So, this one is a study of how to put the supporting cast in after you paint the main character - I painted the tree first and then put everything else around it. As I was starting the background all I could think of was 'all roads lead to Rome'! I made a conscious effort to make most of the lines intersect or point to the pine tree. It worked! This is one of the best plein air pieces that I've done!

Number 77 - Me, Lazy? A Pine Cone Revisited

2009-11-12T11:09:00.000-06:00

A Pine Cone Revisited

5x7, Oil on Canvas Board

So, after posting First Impression (see previous post - Number 78) I got an e-mail wondering why I got so lazy with that one. Well, I didn't think that I got lazy with it - I was simply experimenting with being painterly and laying down the fewest strokes for an impressionistic representation of a pine cone. I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't the happiest with the result, but it was what I set out to do.

I really do appreciate the feedback, though, and I didn't know that I had established a style of my own that is recognizable. After revisiting the pine cone, though, I've noticed that I HAVE developed somewhat of a style of my own! I'll try to stick closer to this style and not deviate so dramatically next time I try something new.

But I DO intend to improve on this new-found style! Continuing on...

Just for the record, I do like Revisited MUCH better than First Impression! ;-)

Number 78 - First Impression, A Pine Cone...

2009-11-11T10:57:00.000-06:00

First Impression, A Pine Cone

5x7, Oil on Canvas Board

Believe it or not, I was going for an impressionistic feel for this quick painting of a pine cone from my back yard. Being a detail-oriented person, this was extremely difficult for me to do without killing the whole thing by making mud. But, standing back and taking a couple of quick glances at it, I think I accomplished what I was aiming for - an impressionistic pine cone!

Number 79 - Fiery Guardian of the Garden Gate...

2009-11-01T18:38:00.000-06:00

Fiery Guardian of the Garden Gate

5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

I spent this afternoon cleaning out the garden - cutting down and pulling out, piling up and mulching. After the garden was cleared out I had time to do a quickie painting of the thorny bush outside the garden gate. The colors are just amazing autumn reds and yellows contrasting with the still green grass. It reminded me of a sentinel or guard of sorts. I kinda cheated on the sticks and twigs - Bob Ross style!! Hehe!! Oh well, it achieved the desired effect!

Starting with the Pumpkin Trio this morning, I began using a different group of paints - Utrecht French Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Titanium White, and Rembrandt Permanent Red Medium. All are much creamier that the paints that I've been using in the past and mix much easier and quicker! These colors also seem to create a more unified feeling - more like they belong together instead of fighting with each other for attention. I like this group so far!!

I've also noticed with today's two exercises that what I've read in Kevin Macpherson's books is definitely noticeable and a very welcome change to my painting. It's amazing what a different way of looking at a process can do for the end result!!

21 down, learning and improving!!

Number 80 - Pumpkin Trio...

2009-11-01T09:39:00.000-06:00

Pumpkin Trio - 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

I would be completely remiss if I didn't do something 'Halloweenish'!! Even though they weren't metamorphed into Jack-o-lanterns, they still do the job of 'screaming' Halloween!!

I'm Back - In More Ways Than One!!

2009-11-01T07:23:00.000-06:00

I'm back from the beautiful country of Singapore! I had a wonderful time and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone there for their hospitality and generosity. It was greatly appreciated and I look forward to visiting again.

I would have been back here to the blog sooner, but life kept me on my toes as it doesn't stop when you take a trip half way around the world! And I could have done without the jet lag in such a major way!! It just saps every ounce of energy from you!

I'm back to painting this weekend, but I just wanted to share some photos from my trip first - since it's still dark outside (daylight savings time!!) and I have a few minutes...

Swissotel - Merchand Road

I stayed at the Swissotel, Merchant Road, which is right on the Singapore River and the riverwalk. The riverwalk is just a beautiful walkway with color and activity everywhere!

One of the many bridges over the Singapore River

The Lotus Grill Restaurant - On the River!

Amazing as it may seem, almost everything is within walking distance in Singapore. I walked everywhere including Chinatown, Little India, and countless eating establishments. I even made it down to the harbor for the shot that everyone who visits Singapore has to have...

The Merlion - Singapore Harbor

Many, MANY times I wished I had brought my painting gear along - there were just so many things that I would like to have painted! I could have spent the entire time just along the riverwalk!! But I got a lot of great reference shots and I even got some sketch time in! And I read two awesome books by Kevin MacPherson, Fill Your Oil Paintings with Light & Color and Landscape Painting Inside & Out, which are most likely two of the best guides to plein air painting - at least I think so!! Look for some of the influence from these books in my future works!!

Well, the sun's finally coming up so I'm off to paint!!

Just Arrived in Singapore...

2009-10-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to let you all know that my job has taken me to Singapore for the next couple of weeks, so I won't be posting any works. I'll DEFINITELY be gathering ideas and snapshots for future paintings, though!!
My return is scheduled for the 23rd of October, so look for me after that!

-- SK

Number 81 - My First Nocturne...

2009-10-04T23:34:00.000-05:00

Wow!! A lot more difficult than I anticipated. Light and no light - Argh!! Light on the canvas, dark all around me... I'm gonna have to work on this nocturne thing!! But, here's my first attempt.

Backyard Nocturne - 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

It's DEFINITELY darker in person, and on the canvas. Enjoy!!

Number 82 - Feathers in Blue

2009-10-04T21:17:00.000-05:00

Feathers seem to be a subject that I still don't see other painters painting in still life. That's OK! I'll just make it my subject of choice... Maybe I've found my niche - feathers!!

Anyway, since my last foray into the subject of feathers seemed to go so well I decided to do another...

Notice that I put my models on the handy extension tray of my new Open Box M, lower left of this picture...

And, the finished painting...

Feathers in Blue - 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

Number 83 - The Last of the Roses...

2009-10-04T21:02:00.000-05:00

This is the last of the roses for the 2009 season...

As sad as that might sound, I'm eager for the seasons to continue - I've been scouting out all the locations that I would like to paint in the future! There are SO MANY!!

But for now, these roses were cut and put in a vase anticipating a frost which didn't come.

I REALLY like painting on my new Open Box M!! It fits almost every canvas panel that I paint on. But I found that after painting this one, 5" is awfully close to the absolute minimums... When I finished I went to take the canvas panel out and simply grabbed it and it released from the holders and slid down to the bottom of the lid. That's OK, though!! I'm almost to the point of moving up to 6x8!!

Anyway, here's the finished painting...

The Last of the '09 Roses - 5x7, Oil on Panel

Number 84: Still A Lot of Green...

2009-09-28T05:39:00.000-05:00

Out Standing in a Field, 5x7 - Oil on Canvas Panel

I just went out walking in one of the fields out behind my house for this one. I wanted to take my brand-spankin' new Open Box M out for a plein air spin and find some autumn color. Although the trees around here have been changing, and the leaves have been dropping, it seems that the main colors I'm seeing are still green.

I trudged up to the top of a hill and saw this little masterpiece as I looked down. Orange-reds of cedars cut down in the spring along with some autumn yellows of an old elm tree just standing by itself in a grazing field.

My primary goal in the composition of this one was to balance the lights with the darks and highlight the contrast between the two. There is a lot of light colored loess soil in the The Loess Hills of western Iowa which changes dramatically depending on the direction of the light. There are also a multitude of grasses ranging from the lighter tall grasses to the darker and greener short grasses.

All in all, this is probably one of the more difficult paintings I've done considering the many different green values and their close proximity to one another. But, standing back, I'm happy with the end result - for now!

Number 85: A Day Well Spent!

2009-09-27T20:15:00.000-05:00

I've been busily painting this weekend, but wanted to post a couple that were done yesterday.

I had the privilege of spending time with three adorable ladies scouting out painting sites. I met up with them to visit a local nature center where we learned about the local fauna and flora. We hiked the trails and then went and painted. I painted mine fairly quickly as I needed to throw dinner together. So food was my inspiration...

And here's my rendition...

Coulda Been Salsa, 5x7 - Oil on Canvas Panel

I guess that subconsiously I like onions and jalapenos more than I like tomatoes - I made them bigger! I didn't notice that when I was painting. Anyway, there was no salsa involved, just a great salad!

The other two submissions are from my awesome painting buddies, and budding artists, Kelly and Alexis!

Kelly's First Published Artwork!!

5x7, Watercolor on Canvas Panel

Alexis's First Published Artwork!!

5x7, Watercolor on Canvas Panel

It was truly a pleasure spending the day and painting with these wonderful young ladies! It's so amazing to see things through fresh, young eyes!! I hope to do it again soon!!

Number 86: Loving Life!!

2009-09-21T04:16:00.000-05:00

I'm doing a tribute painting this week.

I had a 'first date' with the most wonderful person I've ever had the privilege of meeting! She is a total sweetheart and we spent the entire evening sitting by a small lake talking and drinking wine, or drinking wine and talking - it depends on who's telling the story.

I've known this person for about a year, but have never had the... Well, you know how it goes sometimes...

Now, that's all well and good, but there's a back story...

I know what we're going to be doing and where we're going for this 'first date', but I don't know what kind of wine she likes. So when she tells me, I think, 'yeah, that should be easy!' only to find out NOT so easy...

Three stores later, and wine in hand, this story begins...

And here's where I am...

at the beginning...

I've got a good start... And then I get a text message from her. Do I, or don't I? I send her a photo that she watched me take while we were talking - and one that I'm thinking of putting to canvas... in addition to my 'start' above...

Our First Sunset... (Painting to come...)

She says she loves both! So, I know that I'm on the right track with the painting and I'm alright with a camera!

Well, she's only seen the beginning - of the painting - so here's the final...

Impossible Find - 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

(Not for sale...)

The name says it all!! And not only the wine, hehe!!

Needless to say, I've had the best weekend I've had in a LONG, LONG time!!

And, Jen, I REALLY do love your new shoes!! (Just for the record!!)

Never in a Million Years...

2009-09-13T01:28:00.000-05:00

WOW!! SOLD!!

I never had the intention of selling any of my first 100, didn't even think of it! But, apparently someone likes feathers or bananas, or both, 'cuz I had an e-mail request to purchase 'Gone Bananas' and 'Feathers of a Bird'!! Talk about the ultimate critique! I'm on cloud nine!!

#007 Feathers of a Bird - 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

WOW!! SOLD!!

#009 Gone Bananas!! - 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

WOW!! SOLD!!

Thank you, so VERY much, to the purchaser!!

I'm off to paint some more!!

Beer Can Racin' - Not Slackin'... And Firsts All Around!!

2009-09-12T19:59:00.000-05:00

I LOVE sailing!! And every chance I get to go sailing with friends, whether it's in San Diego CA, down to Belize, or all the way up to Alaska, I take it! Sailing seems to be different everywhere I go - it's a weather strategy, water reading, wind reading, boat sliding and skipping, sail popping or luffing thing... I'm just happy to be on the boat!! Ballast, that's me!

In between official races there are unofficial, unsanctioned races called beer can races. Every yacht club has them, and they are good to test new theories or equipment before a 'real' race. This is where I find myself this week - ballast on a sailboat in a beer can race!

While not a great venue for plein air PAINTING, I took my sketch pad along with some colored pencils and tagged this action SKETCHING! Look for a painting in the near future as I LOVED this experience and I want to capture this excitement and use it for later works!

After turning around at the halfway mark, I started my sketching...

Notice that I captured the two boats on the left still raising their spinnakers, not quite to the top!! Oh, so cool!! It's always good to be in the boat at the front of the pack, hehe!!

This drawing only took me about seven minutes, which made the other 'ballast beer/wine drinking members' ask me how I learned to draw so fast. I briefly explained that what I did as a 'painter', mixing colors from the three primary colors and putting those colors on a canvas in the shortest amount of time possible, made me able to sketch things with pencil much, much faster.

Then I broke out my colored pencils... As quickly as I could, I captured the colors of the spinnaker sails and the reflections in the water...

The entire crew, with the boat I was on being as far ahead as it was, checked out what I was doing - including the boat's captain and owner. He and his wife offered to purchase the drawing for a substantial sum, as this was the first time their boat had won a race. I'll also be painting a handful of canvasses of this event, one for each crew member, courtesy of the owners - my first paid commission!!

Firsts all around - first time this boat had won a race, and the first time I'd been offered actual money for something I've created...

And I've received invitations to sail with a lot of other boats! I guess everyone needs ballast, hehe!

Good times, and a GREAT day!!!

Number 87: Green and Yellow Peppers

2009-09-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

I gave these two a little more room to breath! Painting peppers is extremely interesting as you get a look, put down some paint, look up again and if you've moved even the slightest bit the reflections and shadows change! I was getting a little frustrated until I realized what was happening...

I had a lot of fun with these two and learned a lot, too! Like how may different values of green are in a green pepper. ;-) I hope you enjoy!

Yellow and Green Peppers - 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

Number 88: Smashing Peppers...

2009-09-07T09:41:00.000-05:00

Today I'm painting the pepper clan. And since today marks the 'unofficial' end of summer and the beginning of autumn, I chose each of the pepper colors to transition into the fall-like color schemes.

It kinda looks as if I smashed these poor peppers together to get them to fit on the canvas!

Smashing Peppers - 5x7 Canvas on Board

Number 89: Spicing it Up...

2009-09-06T21:55:00.000-05:00

Painted a couple of Jalapenos practicing with the palette knives. The background was done with a brush, though.

Spicing it Up - 5x7 Oil on Board

Takin' a Break for a Q&A...

2009-09-06T03:29:00.000-05:00

I've noticed that there have been a lot of repeat questions, not only from this blog, but from all the places I frequent. In an effort to answer them all I'm going to post this Q&A with the most frequently asked questions so that everyone will find the same information from the same place.

First, if you haven't visited my blog before, welcome! I'm glad you took the time to stop by. This is where I 'hold court' so to speak - in other words, this is where I spend most of my time posting my latest efforts and answering questions about those efforts. Feel free to peruse the entries and make comments and/or criticisms on any or all of them. I'm here to learn and part of that is to take your input and incorporate that into my learning process. I can't make any promises, though. I may be on a track that's taking me to where I think I should be. But the occasional reminder as to why I shouldn't be where I am is always welcome! ;-)

Now, on to the answers to the questions...

Q: What is your palette?
A: The last few paintings I've been using tubes from my initial foray into oil painting at the beginning of the year, those being Bob Ross Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Yellow, Prussian Blue and Titanium White. I'm also planning on using Bright Red when I do tomatoes. Yes, that's Bob Ross paints from Weber and the answer to that question is coming up... Within the last month I've been playing around with different manufacturers' paints, like Utrecht, Rembrandt, M. Graham, Gamblin, The Art Store, and Grumbacher just to name a few. I haven't painted anything with them, just mixing different combinations to see what works and whatnot. I've also been watching out for results of painting with Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red, a Black, and Titanium White, too. So, if you have any experience with that palette let me know what works.

Q: Is that really you in the picture?
A: ;-) Yes, it is. There are so few photos of me that I had to use one that my very good friend Judy took of me in August while I was in San Diego. Here's what she sent me:

And that's what I've had to work with. I look intimidating and MEAN in both, as if I'm waiting for hell to freeze over or something, but I liked the greenery in the background. When I get any with me behind an easel, I'll change it. ;-) And, no, I'm not mean and I'm not waiting for hell to freeze over.

Q: Your profile says that you are an Airline Trainer. Which airline do you work for?

A: I used to work for an airline that was based out of Minneapolis, MN, USA. Since the merger I now work for the world's largest airline based out of Atlanta, GA, USA. I'd mention names, but I don't want to wrangle with the legal department. They have enough to do right now.

Q: How did you get involved in oil painting?

A: Eating lunch. You might think that I'm kidding, but I'm not. While eating lunch one day almost a year ago, I turned on the TV. Now, mind you, I've only got five channels on a good day. One of them just happens to be PBS. I saw Bob Ross for the first time and he just happened to be on whenever I had lunch. So, as it goes, I was after-Christmas shopping and saw a Bob Ross painting kit. I bought it and the rest is history... I've been hooked ever since and cannot get enough!

Q: Your first painting en plein air appears to be done using a Soltek easel. All the others appear to be done using a Guerilla box. Which do you prefer?

A: Wow! Quite observant! Yes, I use both a Soltek easel and a 9x12 Guerilla Box with a tripod. And I've just ordered a 12x16 Open Box M which I should receive in a couple of weeks. And if you're REALLY observant you've noticed that I've been working with 5x7 panels exclusively and have had to improvise, adapt, and overcome based on that size. Notice the panel holders in the Soltek and the panel in the Guerilla box that I 'screw' my panels into. (Thank you, Thomas Kincaid for the 'screw it in 'til you're done' method) Now that I've mentioned it, TK is going to E-Mail me a 'Huh?'

Anyway, I love, LOVE, each one of my easels. But each has it's own time and place. Metal heats up quicker in inexcusable heat like you find in the Southwest USA during the summertime messing with the consistency of oil paint. And I imagine that it has the exact opposite effect, yet the same messing with the consistency of oil paint effect, in sub-zero weather, although I have yet to test that theory. That would apply to the Soltek easel. Wood, on the other hand, can stay loaded and ready to go in the car or truck - except in the most EXTREME cases, which, no matter which easel you're using, will probably make you question whether to go out or not.

As much as I LOVE each of my current easels, the Soltek AND the Guerilla Box, I've got the inside scoop working for an airline and all - if you travel A LOT like I do... the Open Box M is about the size of a laptop and doesn't make the red lights start flashing going through the x-ray machine - unless you forgot to put your 3.2 oz or less tubes of paint in a 1 qt. clear plastic bag, one bag per passenger - like the Soltek always seems to do. Whenever I travel on a weekend trip with my Soltek, I always feel like Vince, the Sham-WoW guy, showing off the Soltek easel to the new group of TSA agents. Did you get that, Camera Guy? ;-) Don't get me wrong, I love to show off my Soltek, just not to people that don't appreciate it for what it's used for.

As a side note, I am NOT compensated in any way, shape, or form by any particular easel manufacturer for what I'm saying here. Not that I'd be adverse to being compensated, but I believe in being trustworthy. And with that said, I should be officially off the radar of any other legal folks that might be looking to wrangle, except for those representing Vince and Sham-Wow. FREE ADVERTISING - Twice!! Enough said...

Q: Do you prefer still life or en plein air?

A: I don't do this very often, but I'm going to assume that you mean still life in studio or en plein air. My choice at this point would be hold the wind, hold the rain, hold the cold, stop the sun, with extra color en plein air. But until I'm fast enough mixing and laying down color, I'm going to keep TRYING en plein air. And as long as I need to keep practicing a new technique, which seems to be always at this point, I'll do it in studio, which ironically enough means 'in study'.

That'll do it for the Q&A today. If I get any more questions that need to be addressed, I'll initiate another Q&A session. I enjoy these sessions because this is how we ALL learn!! Keep the questions coming!

Number 90: Passing Through...

2009-09-05T21:47:00.000-05:00

While taking a break after going bananas I took my camera out to the garden to get some shots of the latest blooming flowers for later works. As soon as I got down to the garden, I knew that something out of the ordinary was up. It turns out that migration season has started for the monarch butterfly. It started with a handful when I took a couple of pics and beat feet to get my pochade box. When I got back there were monarchs EVERYWHERE!! I took a pic of the one I decided to try to paint - and I'm glad I did. It just kept flexing it's wings. Up and down, up and down. I tried to paint everything as fast as I could, all at once - alla quick! But not quick enough. It flew away...

But I got enough done to get the general colors down, which took a whole fifteen minutes. I then went inside and hooked up the camera to the computer to see if there was anything that I missed. Not with the monarch or the sunflower, but I did have to add the stem and the leaf.

Looking at the painting now it appears darker than it did outside. I'm going to have to watch that in the future...

Anyway, here's the progress... Notice my sketch of wings spread, wings folded, wings spread... ;-)

And here's the final. Not much work done but notice how much darker, and maybe warmer, the painting is than the photo... I think this is why they say to not paint from photographs - at least not the colors.

Passing Through - 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

Number 91: Gone Bananas!!

2009-09-05T16:33:00.000-05:00

Another long weekend and I'm planning on painting my way through every minute.

Stopped by the grocery store on my way home from work and picked up some likely candidates to practice on. I decided to open with the bananas...

I plopped, or should I say propped, my trio into my setup and got my Guerilla Box set up with a canvas board. You'll probably notice that the board is toned a little dark. I heard about toning canvas and tried using both regular gesso and coloring regular gesso with acrylic. Well, this is the last canvas board that I went a little overboard with the acrylic, hehe!

Introducing Burnt Sienna - in a major way!! Well, you won't see much of the undertone as this time I made an attempt to lay it on thick.

Anyway, I've also come across a nice little tool made by Easyl that I've been using for keeping to my original composition. That's the gadget tacked to the upper left of my painting board. I've been kinda cheating with my composition by using the corner of my background setup to focus on the star of the show. I did it with the onions too. And I'm going to keep using that 'cheat' until I get some sense of how to do it naturally!

So, I get everything blocked in and I keep going - paying attention to the lightest light and the darkest dark. I get the background all in and then the lights and the shadows. Then I start thinking edges. I try to add the 'blemishes' of the bananas with my brush. Not what I wanted. Not crisp and clear enough. I tried a bright bristle brush thinking that the sharp edge might be the trick. Nope! Step back and have an 'Um, duh!!' moment. Why not use a palette knife? Voila!!

See? No more burnt sienna!! And the palette knife did the trick! Actually, the palette knife strokes went very well with and complimented the brush strokes from the bright bristle brush. Everything comes together in the end!

Gone Bananas - 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

WOW!! SOLD!!

And, as a bonus, something to eat while I set up my next project!

Number 92: Onions...

2009-09-03T09:56:00.000-05:00

I intended to get outside today to attempt another plein air painting, but the weather isn't going to cooperate today. It's raining pretty good and I didn't have a particular spot picked out. Since I don't want to get drenched when I don't really have to, I decided on plan B. Onions!

I parked a couple of onions trying out a new still life setup instead of my black shadow box. I originally liked the idea of the contrast between the white and the red onion, and since everyone seems to have done at least one onion still life I thought "why not". Then, as I was laying in the composition, I started noticing the difference in shadow and highlights in each onion. Then I picked up the differences in the background. At this point I started getting excited. I think I'm starting to see like an artist! And I even finished this one within an hour! Yes, it's a simple still life. But I'm still just a beginner!

Onions - 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

Number 93: Feathers of a Bird...

2009-09-02T01:23:00.000-05:00

This one brings me up to speed with what I've painted so far - Feathers of a Bird. Or should it be birds of a feather? Anyway, I have white pigeons and occasionally they drop some pretty fine looking feathers. I picked a couple up earlier in the day with the intention of maybe painting them when I didn't have anything else to do. But I came home from work late that same night and decided it was time to take the 'white challenge'.

This one is my favorite so far. I haven't seen too many paintings of feathers out there that didn't include the whole bird that usually goes with them. The different shades of white, the shadows, and the way the light plays off the quills made this one quite an interesting challenge.

Feathers of a Bird - 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

WOW!! SOLD!!

Number 94: Sunflowers and Black-Eyed Susans in Vase

2009-09-02T01:05:00.000-05:00

I don't know if this qualifies as a plein air still life or not. I decided that since it was nice outside and I had a couple of minutes between mowing the lawn and other chores around the house that I'd take this nice little arrangement out on my back porch and move some paint around a canvas. Yes, the tomato harvest has been good this year, as has the cucumbers...

And presto! My main focus was on the light playing through the vase and the somewhat complementary colors of reds and greens with a splash of yellow. I still have a hard time believing that a limited four color palette can create such an awesome mix of colors!

Sunflowers and Black-Eyed Susans in Green Vase

5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

Number 95: A Brush with Paradise

2009-09-01T03:23:00.000-05:00

I was in San Diego, California. I took a picture. And another one. And then a closeup. I came home.
While looking through all the photographs from my trip, I saw this one and had a thought. So I blurred it using Photoshop...

And then I painted it as if I were squinting at it in real life - all the while looking at it on my computer screen.

And now, I'm beginning to see shapes of color and detail! This was a wonderful experience painting this piece as I am extremely enamored by the Bird of Paradise. I simply love the colors - oranges, yellows, blues, greens, and crimson. It is by far my most favorite flower and I hope to paint more during this first 100.

Bird of Paradise - 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

Number 96: Baseball is in the Air...

2009-09-01T03:00:00.000-05:00

Ah, Spring! The smell of the leather baseball glove and the pop of the baseball hitting the pocket as you play catch with your best friend after school. The memories came flooding back as I watched the first game of the year on TV and heard the first crack of the bat...

Inspiration hit me like that ball lost in the sun, missing the glove, and WHAM!! Right in the head!! I set it up in my newly built shadow box and this is what happened.

I'm enjoying this painting thing more and more the more I do it!! Here's how the final picture turned out...

Baseball - 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

Even though there are some compositional issues that need to be resolved, all in all I think that this one didn't turn out so bad for a beginner!

Number 97: The Light Goes On!

2009-09-01T02:41:00.000-05:00

Well, here I experienced an epiphany of sorts. I came across a video put out by an amazing still life artist named Mark Carder. His main points were that you need to 'learn to see', and to use a limited palette. It was at this point that I was introduced to painting what you see and mixing any color you need from the primaries plus white and brown. Although I didn't follow his example to the letter, I learned a heck of a lot by just gleaning the jist of his method. I built a shadow box, set up a still life, and started pushing some paint around...

It's amazing exactly how LITTLE paint it took to push around to get the effect that I was looking for with this one!

And, the finished product. I'm feeling as if I've moved forward by leaps and bounds compared to what I've been doing...

Light bulb - 5x7 Oil on Canvas Panel

Number 98: The Next Step - Cityscape Plein Air!

2009-09-01T02:12:00.000-05:00

Talk about kicking it up a notch or two! All I remember thinking at the time was, "I have to paint downtown!" Well, being the brave soul that I am, and without a second thought, I packed my gear and headed downtown. I found the perfect spot and settled in for a small painting session. This is where I was introduced to curious people and suspicious police officers. The building on the right is city hall and one of the buildings on the left is the police station. The colors are all there, but there's still a lot of work to be done. I think I'll call this a color study! Oh! And I think I should start painting out of sight for a while. Criticism and the fact that I don't have a clue what I'm doing yet just don't seem to go together...

City Square - 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

Number 99: En Plein Air - Part Two!

2009-09-01T01:58:00.000-05:00

I liked painting outside so much that my second attempt was painted just a few feet away, albeit on another day.

This was the object of my attention - a trellis with some greenery growing up it as well as a rock and some daffodils in bloom.

Trellis and Daffodils - 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

Well, the original looks somewhat like the painting - or should that be the other way around? Needless to say, at this point I determined that I have so much work to do to improve. Perhaps I'll paint this one again next spring just to see who wins, reality or painting. Where'd the swing go?

Number 100: The First Plein Air...

2009-09-01T01:44:00.000-05:00

As my first official outing, and to commemorate the beginning of my new found passion, this painting represents the first of 100 paintings. It's a 5x7, canvas on board, of the pine tree trunks and bird house in my back yard. Notice all the tubes on the easel, hehe! This little painting was a fun one and I will always remember it not only as my first painting, but also my first plein air painting!

The Journey Begins

2009-08-31T12:37:00.000-05:00

I've gathered all the painting exploits that I've accomplished since I started oil painting in January. It's truly amazing what one can see by looking at a progression from beginning to current time. Even with my dabbling, I can tell that I've made progress and have improved!

I've started this blog to track that progression, to hopefully get some feedback and/or criticism, to improve my techniques, and to give me that much-needed impetus to do a painting or two on a regular basis.

Like all newbie painters, I've accumulated quite the number of small paint tubes. I've got lot's of colors, but learned that yes, it is SO true, all you really need is four colors - ultramarine blue, cad red or alizarin crimson, a cad yellow, and titanium white - to mix any color you might need. And being a newbie fresh out of the gate, I can tell anyone out there that is just starting that it is so liberating to use only a limited palette in painting! Four colors and four questions - warmer or cooler, lighter or darker... That is perhaps the biggest lesson I've learned so far. I'll share these tidbits of wisdom that should NOT be ignored in future posts, but my point is that since I've so many tubes and colors that I'm going to have to do something to use them all up. I have a plan for this that I haven't seen in any of the areas that I've been stalking - so stay tuned!!

So, where are the 'paintings', you're asking. Well, I have photos of most but not all. I'm going to get photos of the remaining that I need and I'll get them up for all to peruse. I just got a small camera that I've been using to scout out subjects and painting spots. It works REALLY well and since I can't for the life of me figure out how to get a wet canvas or panel scanned on a scanner without ruining both the scanner and the painting, well you get the idea! I've decided that the way I'm going to label them will not be from 1 to 100 but from 100 to 1 so that what I believe to be the worst of the bunch will not be the one considered 'No. 1'! It'll also provide what I like to think of as a countdown to bigger and better things!

Well, for a man of few words I think I've exceeded my quota for now. I simply wanted to get this first post out of the way and set the expectations for this blog.

Photographs to come soon!!