Quick Sketches

This quick charcoal sketch on newsprint is from a reference photo by jocelynsart from the Wet Canvas RIL. This sketch isn't great except that it loosens the hand, arm and brain to begin thinking in terms of space, shape, form, etc.

Then I went to Pose Manaics and quickly did a couple of line drawing sketches of a male figure. While there I also tried contour drawing and those poses I won't share with you although they were a good exercise in training the eye to see the shape/contour of the figure. When contour drawing, one never takes the eyes off of the figure, drawing the contour of the figure. It is amazing what the results can be. The drawings, as anything does, becomes better with practice.

A Day Away

Every week I take a set of meds that leave me feeling nauseous, etc., so I have had a day away from painting. My thoughts though are full of what I would like to paint next. As my mind conjures up these visions, it also brings with it fear. The fear that I don't know enough to paint the subject; the fear that it will end up being one of the worst things I've ever painted; the real fear being a lack of knowledge or skill to even draw what I envision.

I'm learning to call these fears my thorns. Thorns to spur me on to try, to keep learning and while going through all the processes, enjoying each one. So yes, I shake a little with fear and maybe that is the wiggly line on the paper. I know that if I keep going, the wiggly line will become smoother and I will become so involved in the process that the fear will be forgotten, until the next time.

Addictions, Drugs

An update on this painting. I lengthened the syringe changed the perspective a bit on the bottles. Today I am buying a small level as I think the tray on my easel slants a bit and I can't tell if it is level. Hence, wonky perspective or slanted lines. My excuse for the day, lol.

A friend of mine told me she found this painting quite disturbing. I think in some part, all of us will. To me it brings imaginings of living a crippling, wasted lives bounded by the next fix. On the other hand, I think of my diabetic sister and how life saving drugs can be. Whatever ones thoughts are on this painting, to me it is at the least, thought provoking.

Addictions 2, Drugs

Addictions 2, Drugs

Oils

6"x6"

Ampersand Gessobord

I think this is finished. I will look at it over the next couple of days to see if there is anything that catches my attention that needs to be fixed.

Addictions 2, Drugs Next Stage

This is the next stage of the painting, refining shapes and values with much left to refine. I placed a syringe copped from my sister that is diabetic in the setup, along with a small baggy of what I hope looks like methamphetamine (researched on the web.) I am finding this painting quite disturbing as I keep thinking how beneficial medicines are when ill, yet are so harmful when abused.

Addictions 2, Drugs WIP

Addictions 2, Drugs

Oils

6" x 6"

Ampersand Gessobord

Roughly blocking in shapes and placement. This one is going to be challenging, painting tiny areas and getting the values. My mantra is going to be, squint and do one small area at a time. As you can see by the glare the paint is very wet.

Addictions 1

Addictions 1

6" x 6"

Ampersand Gessobord

$75

I think this is done and my signature has been muted a bit more as well. Photo was taken under fluorescent lighting. This painting is available for purchase.

Addictions WIP 1

Addictions WIP 1

Oils

6" x 6"

Ampersand Gessobord

Continuing on with artwork painted from still life setups, I have started blocking in shapes and values with Raw Umber, Ultramarine Blue and Titanium White, on the Transparent Red Iron Oxide toned panel. The premise for this painting is that we all have addictions that we would like to overcome. I have ideas for a few more paintings along this line and will begin blocking those in as soon as I locate the items.

Dad's Shaving Mug & Brush

Dad's Shaving Mug & Brush

6" x 6"

Oils on Gessobord

I thought this mug and brush belonged to my step-father but in talking with my mother and brother, they informed me it belonged to my dad. That makes these at least 54 years old as he passed away when I was eight. Though chipped and cracked these will be passed on to future generations in our family.

Shaving Mug

This is almost to completion. The base on the viewer's left needs to be reshaped and more lights and highlights added. This photo was taken under fluorescent lighting so will take a daylight photo tomorrow.

The next step was to shape the mass using values. The values will be adjusted as this is painted. One of the things I wanted to try this time was use of shapes for a more abstract background

Shaving Mug & Brush

6" x 6"

Gessobord

First, the Gessobord was toned with Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide, then blocked in mass shapes with Transparent Red Iron Oxide

Shaving Mug Sketch

Shaving Mug Sketch

Newsprint

Took a few minutes to do this quick charcoal sketch of an old shaving mug that belonged to my step-father. The light is coming from overhead just to the right, behind the mug.

Reading Blogs

I subscribe to a few different art blogs and this morning I was reading the update from Greg Kapka's blog. On his recent trip to London he viewed Sargent's work which has to be thrilling.

Another art group I belong to is the Cowdisley group on Yahoo. I lurk and enjoy reading the many topics. In the update I received this morning from the group, Mark Daly's name was mentioned so I clicked the link. Beautiful work. One of the pages I read on Mark Daly's website was the ALSD notes about still life paintings and composing the abstracts first then finding objects to fit the abstract shapes. Kurt Schwitter's name was mentioned so I Googled him to view his collage work.

This is a great way to energize the mind, pondering other artist's methods while viewing some great artwork too.

Orange Slices & Yo Yo Finished

Orange Slices
6" x 6"
Gessoed Unstretched Canvas

I woke up at 1:00 a.m. with the urge to paint so I set up this still life of oranges. Once it dries it will be mounted on hardboard. Hope you enjoy it.

I'm calling this one finished even though there are areas with which I am not especially pleased.

Yo Yo Update & Sketch

I worked on this quickly this morning. I struggled with the brush strokes in small areas but enjoyed this anyway.

Worked on this a bit Saturday and did a quick charcoal sketch of some silk flowers before the stomach flu bug got me. I can still see some of the canvas peeking through in areas and that will all be covered. Hope to work on this more today. The second canvas has been toned and should be dry enough to work on now.

Worked on this a bit Saturday and did a quick charcoal sketch of some silk flowers before the stomach flu bug got me. I can still see some of the canvas peeking through in areas and that will all be covered. Hope to work on this more today. The second canvas has been toned and should be dry enough to work on now.

Yo-Yo Block In

Yesterday I mentioned how I procrastinate between paintings and that I had gessoed two unstretched canvas pieces. I taped the two canvas pieces to a board and began blocking in a yo-yo and a Hot Wheels car that is sitting on a dresser. The paint is still wet this morning as I didn't use a drying medium with it.

Before painting more on the yo-yo, I am going to block in another painting that fits the square format of the canvas. With that one I plan to begin with a grasaille (gray value underpainting) before adding color. Each painting area is approximately 6" x 6".

These small studies are practice pieces, studying brush strokes, color and values. They may get trashed or they may become useful for a larger painting. Either way, the main object will be achieved, which is to learn and appreciate more what goes into a painting.

In Between

I'm coming to the realization that when a painting ends, I procrastinate beginning another. My eyes skim objects looking for that something that invites me to paint it, or I browse photos and look at other artists' work. Last night I gessoed a canvas and a couple of pieces of unstretched canvas, so that I can have more than one painting going at one time. I'm hoping to break this habit of piddling time away before beginning another painting.

This doesn't look much like a yo-yo but was practicing a different way of holding the pencil to sketch. It felt very awkard and uncontrolled. The pencil was a little short too but I will keep practicing. I know I held it with a death grip rather than lightly. Plus, I will hold the pencil closer to the blunt end and try to use my whole arm rather than just the hand.

Oklahoma U. Football

I took this photo outside early this morning just as it was getting light so it has a lot of blue in it. Last night I added a bit of light to the helmuts, the face guard and worked on the Washington player's shirt, adding thicker paint.

Oklahoma U. Football
10" x 10" stretched canvas
Oils

I think this is pretty close to finished as I signed it. I hope this gift for Donna will be a treasured addition to her OU football souvenirs. Many thanks to Billy_A at Flickr for permission to use his photograph.

Football Update, Background

Today's update shows more the background completed and more work on the foreground figures. I am still working on the left player's arm to get it shaped better as well as that players pants. My apologies for the misspelling, getting tired and time to quit for today.

NE Oklahoma is expecting thunderstorms tonight and we are under a tornado watch. I hope it isn't as bad as it sounds.

Football Update

Finally got to work in my studio a bit this evening. Working more paint into the helmut and shirt of the central figure and the background figures near him. The foreground players determine the values and muted colors needed in the background as I want the center figure to be predominant or the focal point. To me, the contrasts, shapes and values of the light and shadows are intriguing as they are what creates the form. One of the biggest hurdles has been getting the paint fluid enough for fine lines. I am using linseed oil and M. Graham Alkyd resin medium with no turps. Another thing, is the conscious effort I am making to not "pat, pat" the paint which can lead to mud and too blended areas.

Football Block In

Oklahoma University vs. Washington

10" x 10" stretched canvas

Oils

Blocking 1n the background using greens and orangy-red as underpainting. I don't do a lot of underpainting with contrasting or complementary colors so this time I am experimenting. I used an orangy red where there will be the grass or turf in the foreground. In the background I used a green because of the fan's red shirts. Where there are white shirts I used a pale orangy tint because of the bluish white overpainting of the shirts. It will be interesting to see how this proceeds.

Still blocking in colors using ultramarine blue, caput mortuum, cadmium red, cadminum red light, payne's gray, titanium white, in the shirts. The grass has ultramarine blue, pthalo blue, terra verte, indian yellow, naples yellow.