Blue skies

Searching for Serenity 16x20 oil on panel, copyright 2012

After a series of failed pastel paintings, I decided it was time to switch it up a bit.  Oils have been neglected for the past nine months or so while I worked on my pastel technique but recently I've been feeling a bit burnt out on the landscapes.  I won't abandon pastels altogether but instead will take the opportunity to explore a few alternatives.  

One of my favorite past times as a kid was to stare up at the sky, watching the ever changing clouds and shifting blues.   We lived near the airport, so contrails would some times crisscross the view, and I often wondered about the people on the planes, where they were going and what they were thinking.  In fact, my first sky painting was titled Where Are They Going?  I played with a few more paintings, but none came out quite as well as the first and the idea was ignored for quite awhile.  But it's always been in the back of my mind to paint a whole series of skies and I find myself rather compulsively photographing sunrises and sunsets, clouds and storms.

A few weeks ago a decided to paint a little acrylic as a get well gift for a friend, which worked out  quite well for both of us.  It really got me contemplating sky paintings again, and a few days later I painted two in oil, one right after the other, over the course of several hours.  It had been a frustrating, stressful day and the work became an almost meditative exercise, and a very satisfying one.   I think I'll have to keep a stack of panels on hand, ready to be used when needed.  I'll post the second one once it dries a bit more.

Don't forget, the art auction to raise funds for the Red Cross is still going on; you have through Friday to bid on my brownstone!

A judgement call

Brownstone with Geraniums 8x10 oil, copyright 2010

SOLD!

Don't forget, the Red Cross fundraiser is still on.  So far I have three bids for my New York City Brownstone painting, let's see if we can keep it going!  You have until November 8 to help out this great cause.

Morning Drive 9x12 pastel, copyright 2012

Just how subjective is art?  After a few touch ups, last month I entered this pastel in two different shows - and was rejected from one and received a Special Recognition award in the other.  Go figure.

The first was the Richmond Art Museum.  This is a very competitive regional exhibit that I have tried and failed to get into before.  They have an open judging that I went to for the first time, a truly hand wringing experience.  There were at least 300 pieces being judged, many of them by well established artists, so the competition was quite stiff.  I managed to get through the first round but was then rejected in the second.  That was frustrating but at least the other artists were both supportive and sympathetic.  

The second was Light Space Time, a well established online gallery with monthly, international exhibits.  This time there were about 450 pieces and although I didn't win a top award I was part of a group that received special recognition and ended up on page 33 of the online catalogue.  I still feel like this is one of my better pieces so I will try for a few more shows - there is a local landscape show this spring that I might finally get into.

Bid on a brownstone

I've been to New York twice in my life.  The first time was to visit with a college friend, a native of Queens.  The second time was with a group of friends from all over the map, meeting up for a holiday. Both were very intense but enjoyable experiences.  It's a very different world than I am used to, one that I don't think I would be comfortable living in, though I certainly love visiting from time to time.  The last time I was there, in 2010, my friends and I stayed in the Upper East Side for a few days, soaking in the culture and the Park, before switching to Mid Town for a few more days.  I fell in love with the architecture of the UWS and felt like I could have spent several more days wandering among the brownstones.

Like the rest of the country, I intently watched Superstorm Sandy as it rolled over the East Coast, worried for those in its path.  The brownstones remained intact, but I haven't heard yet from my Queens friend, who now lives on Long Island.  Hopefully he and his family are suffering through nothing more than a power outage.  Other friends in the area have made it through, their lives seriously disrupted but intact.  Many others were not so lucky.

To help raise funds for relief effort, the art web site Daily Paintworks is hosting an art auction, with the proceeds all being donated to the charity of the artist's choice.  I've decided to donate my oil painting Brownstone with Geraniums to the cause, with the funds raised going to the Red Cross.  The auction lasts one week, ending on November 9, and the starting bid is just $25.  I'd like to make a big donation, so please consider bidding.  The money goes to a great cause and you get one of my original paintings for your collection - it's win-win!

Brownstone with Geraniums 8x10 oil, copyright 2010

SOLD!

Virtual Paintout

Break Time, 8x10 oil, copyright 2010

I think I mentioned some time ago a blog that has a virtual paintout challenge every month utilizing Google Street View.  The basic concept is that the blogger choses an area anywhere in the world and challenges artists to paint based on an image from Google Street View.  This month's choice:  Manhattan.  I couldn't pass it up, so I took a "walk" around the Upper West Side and found another brownstone that caught my eye.

The little painting above is based on this image on 76th.  Street View photos aren't the highest quality and aren't taken with the artist in mind, which means you take what you get as far as angles and lighting conditions.  It makes the whole thing more challenging, but I feel like I had a bit of an advantage in that I had been in that neighborhood only two months ago.  The biggest problem I has was in when to stop messing with it, in particular with the figures.   They are only about three inches high, so details had to be limited.  It wasn't easy, but I think it worked.

I also found an image of the brownstone I painted earlier this summer, but I like my photo much better!

A bit of the Upper West Side

Brownstone with Geraniums 8x10 oil, copyright 2010
SOLD!

The first couple of days in New York City my friends and I stayed on the Upper West Side, not too far from Central Park.  It's a pleasant neighborhood, and from what I experienced, it seems a little more laid back than areas closer to downtown.  The architecture of the buildings fascinated me - I'd love to take an architectural history tour of the area.  The steps of this particular brownstone caught my eye on the way back to the hotel after a picnic in the Park.

This one was an interesting challenge, as I had to spend a good bit of time sketching it in before I could begin painting.  The trick was to not get too detailed, especially since it is a rather small piece.  The nearly monochromatic palette added to the difficulty of trying to sort out those details.  In reality, the pots were the same brown as the building, but I thought making them pop a bit would add interest.  They also gave me an excuse for a little of that blue I love.