Back with some new paintings Cocktails and Mustard and Pyrex!

New work to share!

Cocktails and Mustard, 13 x 10 acrylic on paper framed 

History of Pyrex 13 x 10 acrylic on paper framed.

I am back!  I know it has been sometime now.  I have said before that I want to awaken my blog again and make it a place for sharing my art, life and useful information.  I think I have figured out how I can make that happen.  I hope to update at least once a month.  This should be doable with my busy schedule.

These are two of my newest pieces.  I am really enjoying still life work.  Anything is fodder for the artistic mill.  I already have other set-ups in mind using some of my fun personal things.  I love retro and reflections - the two r's!  I will still do other subjects for my collectors and so I keep myself challenged and excited about the subjects I paint, but I will throw in still life work as well.

For History of Pyrex I set up some of my personal pieces that I use all the time.   The orange bowl and brown casserole were wedding shower gifts many moons ago!  Cocktails and Mustard was born when I noticed the sun shining on some liquor bottles on my china cabinet.  I quickly added  the cordial glass and antique mustard tin for color and interest and grabbed my camera!

How about a tip!

  I think it is really important to under paint your image to eliminate the stark white underneath.   This helps if you miss a spot which is easy to do on textured support like canvas.  You won't have the bright white showing through.  There are different approaches to this.  I was taught to tone for light and shadow underneath - ultramarine blue watered down for shadow and raw sienna watered down for light.  Another approach is to under paint with a compliment.  For example, if you are doing a landscape that is mostly green - under paint with red to make the greens sing!   Give it a try and see what works for you.  I know one artist that always under paints with magenta so it all depends on your style and preference.

Thanks for reading and see you soon!

When is it Done?? How to know when your painting is resolved!

When is it done???

Something that artists struggle with is how to know when the painting is finished.  You don’t want to overwork a piece, yet you want it to be the best it can be.  I actually prefer the word resolved rather than done.  So how can you tell if it is resolved?  There are some tricks to help you see things that need fixing.

Trick #1 – Hold the painting up to a mirror and study the reflection.  You would be surprised what that will reveal. 

Trick #2 – Snap a photo of the painting and study it on a computer monitor.   This helps you look at it with fresh eyes.

Trick #3 – Just let the piece hang around on your easel for a few days and look at it periodically.

Trick #4 – It always helps to have a second opinion.  Have an artist friend take a look at it if you can.

All of these tricks can help you see something that needs tweaking.    I use them often and they help me see an area that is drawing my eye away from the focal point of the painting.    They also help identify perspective problems as well as other issues.

I used the mirror trick to identify what was bothering me about this painting.  I saw that the background was a bit too bright and tried to come forward and fight with the foreground.  Since the background has a goldish orange hue, I glazed it with a blue compliment to dull it a bit.  Voila, now the painting was resolved!! 

Life is a Carnival Glass, acrylic on paper 10 x 13

Choosing when to stop altering a piece is a personal choice.  You, the artist, need to be happy with it and that is what matters.

Please share any tricks you use to get it done!!!

The painting is complete! Life is a Carnival Glass!!!

My last post was a Work in Progress for this piece.  I still had lots to do and I saved the tough stuff for last as I always do :)  I am so please with how this piece turned out.  I have found that reflections are not as hard as they may seem.  What I do is under paint what is behind the reflection first and then dry brush the reflection over the top.  Works well for me!

I was first thinking to call it 'Top Shelf China', but that didn't really do it for me.  Then I thought of the song by the Band - Life is a Carnival, so why not 'Life is a Carnival Glass'.  That worked!!!

I had a frame all ready for this and have it hanging next to my china cabinet so you can see the still life and the painting together.  Typically, everything I do is for sale.  My mentor thinks I should keep this one for myself.  I do have it for sale right now though on Daily Paintworks.  Thank so much for looking!  Prints are also available on Fine Art America here:  Buy Print!

Some Favorite things for a Still Life painting

I received an email from the ArtistsNetwork posing an interesting question.  

If you were to set up a still life in homage to someone, who would it be, and what would you include?  I know there are many people I would love to pay homage to.  I gave this some thought and my Grandfather gave me some of my most prize possessions as a child.  You can see a couple of them in the pic above.  This is by no means a still life arrangement, but these are two of my favorite things.

 

My grandfather worked at a Grand Union in upstate New York.  He was a produce manager and let me play in the employees only areas and that made me feel special.  He got some of the coolest things from the store. He would bring me home displays and and big letters that spelled Grand Union.  One of a kind stuff!

 

Do any of you remember the old 60's Sci Fi show Lost in Space.  They actually sold the robot toy from that show at the store.  Grandpa got me one of these toys made by Remco and it is very collectible today.  Mine is still in good shape, but does not move forward like it used to.  I have thought about selling it, but I just can't seem to let go.

My grandfather also brought home a set of the original Schultz and Dooley steins made for Utica Club Beer.  Once I got older in high school he gave the steins to me, because he know I really liked them.  The original 5,000 sets of Schultz & Dooley steins were marked, respectively, as follows, both under the handle and on the base.© THE WEST END BREWING CO.UTICA, N.Y. 59-CSM      Mine are from that original batch. I treasure them as well.

I thank my grandfather for all the great memories.  Now it is your turn.  If you were to set up a still life in homage to someone, who would it be, and what would you include?

                 

 

New painting - Sunflowers and light, acrylic on paper

First, I want to say that I just took this pic quick with my camera so the colors aren't exactly right.  The flowers are much more vibrant with glowing oranges and yellows.  I still have to get it scanned for a more accurate photo.

I have been working on this one for awhile.  Between the holidays, snow removal and life in general - it took me a long time.  Now it is complete!    I must confess I redid the shadows on the table a couple times.  The first attempt I used the acrylic paint as opaque.  Just did not get the effect that I was looking for.  Then I gessoed it out and tried it watering the paint down for a more watercolor transparent look - much better.  It doesn't really show in the photo, but it really does glow with light! 

Surprisingly the glass didn't give me grief at all.  I just turned the painting and reference upside down and painted the shapes!  It turned out pretty well!

Thanks so much for looking!  Once I get it scanned I will be offering prints on Fine Art America!

Art Show at the Oriskany Library

Everyone is invited to my solo show during the month of May at the Oriskany Library in Oriskany, NY. I am busily having things framed, writing up labels, doing a price list and other such stuff. This is my first show of this magnitude. The library manager is planning lots of promotion. She is great!

The reception is Thursday May 7, from 6-8 pm. I will provide some goodies to munch on. I plan to post some photos after I set up on 4/28 since I know most of you are not from around these parts.

Here is a new painting I did for show. It is a watercolor on 140 lb. paper. My Christmas cactus has always bloomed whenever it pleased - Easter time this year. I can't complain because even I can't kill the darn thing. I definitely do NOT have a green thumb.