Walkabout

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + s/h - sold

Its hard to paint a busy scene small. And a figure no bigger than a bobby pin? whew!
But I pushed through it. Again, its a scene that needs to be larger. Or I need to crop in closer and paint just the figure (and her little dog too! - said in the voice of the Wicked Witch).

I've had an up and down day today and almost didn't paint. The up is that we are prepping to go to Cozumel for a family vacation and I am super excited about that. The downer was being rejected again for an art competition.

While I painted I pouted. But then I began to wonder why do I WANT to be accepted? I suppose it would be nice to win an award or see my name out there. But mostly I enter and hope to be accepted as part of best 'business practices'. Shouldn't I be trying to promote myself? Building my resume? Reaching a bigger audience and increasing the value of my paintings? Maybe in some way too I want to feel part of the larger world... that what I am doing in my studio is acceptable out there in the world. One can get tunnel vision or be isolated in this profession. And though the work was rejected, I still look at it and am reallllly pleased and wouldn't change a thing about my results. And ultimately, that is the best feeling.

There are so many possible avenues to consider WHY a painting isn't accepted to show, and I don't want to go into that here. But in sharing, maybe I can just let my friends know that rejection sucks, but it doesn't really mean much. Just keep painting.

#283

7x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h - sold

I wasn't sure I liked this one until I stepped back. Just one of the thousands of beautiful townhomes lining the streets in NYC. At one, a guy doing some renovations made us an offer to purchase. Sure wish I had a big pile of cash laying around.

This one would be cool much bigger. Then I could better depict the man entering the doorway and better describe the building's lovely stonework. Definitely going to go big on this.

What Looks Good to You?

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + s/h - sold

Saturday brunch at the Bus Stop Cafe in the Village.

Colorful Corner

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + s/h - sold

This flower vendor certainly brightens up her corner, as well as people's homes, I'm sure.

Slurpee

7x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h - sold

I've decided that I am going to go through my 900+ NYC photos, in order, and paint the scenes as they strike me. I often spend so much time looking through images, deciding on several to paint, wishing they were better or combining pictures, editing and cropping, etc. that I don't actually get to paint or lose focus because of too much eye candy.

If I practice responding to my first instinct, paint it immediately and move on, perhaps I will get better at making these decisions for larger paintings. Also, if I do these scenes first smaller scale, I can revisit them for larger, more developed works for my galleries. And the small works will be like a visual diary of my time in NYC.

Up first, a man sitting in Abingdon Park Saturday morning enjoying a refreshing drink and his book. We headed over to this area of the West Village first so we could get some fresh peaches and other breakfast items at the weekly farmer's market. I enjoyed trying to capture that dappled light.

Moses Botkin Monthly Challenge

Back from NY and right to work! Barely got this done. I could plan ahead of course, but that would just not be me. Below are some really nice paintings on the challenging subject of eyes. I couldn't focus on this challenge, which probably was good for me.
I find that the less I focus, the better I paint. ;-)
My daughter's reaction to posing, rolling those big brown eyes. And to seeing it painted, "freaky."


My Daughter's Eyes
5x7 oil on panel - nfs




Just Thinking About You
4x4 oil on canvas board
©2011 Ruth Andre

Eye of the Storm

5x3.5 oil on hardboard

©2011 Diana Moses Botkin

Helen's Eyes
12x12 oil on canvas
©2011 Suzanne Berry




Lashing Out
5x5 oil on board
©2011 Sharman Owings




Brothers
8x10 each oil on canvas
©2011 Vicki Ross

City Paintings

The only success I had with oil painting in the city. I was fairly pleased with this little scene. And we had a nice spot to work too without a lot of traffic. I think we painted on different ends of Bank Street for two days - though we hauled our stuff all over looking for an ideal spot. I think I was intimidated and didn't want to be seen. My friend Mike Rooney just gave me a good idea - put up a tip jar and then people would hurry on by and ignore us! LOL



I wiped this one off.


And this one was a goner too. It had potential perhaps, but one must remember that its about the journey, not the destination. :)

And we journeyed all over Central Park, the Met (ahhhh), Chinatown, Little Italy, Broadway, Hudson River Park, the villages, and I spent a couple hours perusing art in the galleries in Chelsea. And there was still not enough time to see as much as we wanted. But I took 912 photos and should have a lot of fun putting those to use in my upcoming studio paintings. I can't wait. Its such an inspiring city.

Central Park Sketch

I thought I wrote something about this when I sent it from my iPhone in Central Park. Its a little weird emailing a blog post. Apparently there were some glitches. I ended up not painting in the streets again. We kept busy exploring all day on Monday - walking and biking around the city, exploring Chinatown and Little Italy, enjoying Hudson River Park, and then had a great dinner with Phil Levine and Nancy Myers back in the West Village. I still can't believe I biked down Broadway midday!

Morning painting West Village

Found a good spot to work this morning and had some success. My little study is on the wall. There are great scenes everywhere, just not so many convenient places to "pull over".

Toque Party

14x11 oil on linen

Available at one of my galleries soon.

Ok - one last post before I go. I painted this last week. Based on a smaller painting I did last fall. This was from a restaurant in NY. Where I am going tomorrow. And I can't wait. We're staying a funky old place in the west village. So I'll be toolin' around there Friday night soaking up all the atmosphere and getting inspired.

Wave Rider

5x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h - sold

I think this is the last one for a few days. I am packing to go to NYC now! I am going with another artist/friend, Tess Traylor Walls and I can't wait. We are going to paint and sketch around the city. Spend a little time in the Met and try to visit the Hispanic Society of America where they have a collection of Sorolla paintings. This time I will get down to Chinatown and Little Italy. I better get another memory card for my camera.

Smooth Surfin'

5x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h - sold

Here is an example of my brain function, I couldn't really remember WHERE I'd seen these surfers. Turns out (according to my diary) that we were in Siesta Key last year (just a year ago!?), and these were taken at Turtle Beach. Its just south of Siesta Key beach but quite different. The shore was a steep drop down to the crystal clear green water and the sand was dark, deep and fine. I think it was that sharp drop that made the waves good for these guys to surf on these short boards.

Once I read the little entry in my 5 year diary, it all came back to me, but until then... a total blank. I find this a little worrisome.

Easy Rider

5x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h
PURCHASE

Now we go into the water and leave the long boarders for some skim boarders in action. I am not an expert actually in what boards they had, but I did like the movement of these guys playing in slightly rougher breakers on Amelia Island, Florida.

I'm enjoying my virtual trip to the beach and am making friends with Phtalo green! But Friday I leave for NYC!!

Boarder 4

5x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h
PURCHASE

And another. I'm really quite enjoying these small panels! Its a good exercise in seeing and committing and not getting caught up in details. They are also good to work on while I'm sitting at my kitchen table while my daughter is playing with her friends.

Boarder 3

5x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h
PURCHASE

I'm not the best at clever names! But this is what it is. Enjoy!

Boarder 2

5x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h
PURCHASE

Today I'm rejoining Daily Painter's Gallery. I dropped off for about a year while I focused on establishing myself with new galleries and working on larger paintings. I missed the community and the exposure to be honest. I look forward to being part of the gallery again. I looked into other such groups as well (and there are quite a few) but I still think this is the best. It was among the first, its done a lot to promote the artists, and they have high quality and varied art available! I suspect they must have a huge audience too. So I better keep my hand in these smaller works!

If you are anywhere near the beach and going to see fireworks over the ocean, I am jealous.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!