Afternoon

24x18

oil on 2" cradled panel

Ask Gardner Colby Galleries about this painting

I am so clever with titles. Not. Anyway - this is a larger bird's eye scene than I have ever done before. I love to paint these scenes as they are so simple and almost abstract. Its always fun to play with shadows. I think though that they have taught me how to fill in large empty spaces in interesting ways. With subtle shifts in temperature and color and by varying brushwork, the empty fields are not boring. Its also taught me to make interesting greys.

This week is spring break in central Texas and I sure wish I was able to visit Naples, FL for the opening this week. If you are in the area, go and tell me how this show is. I'd love to see all these artists work in person, and see their subjects. Would be very inspirational.

Anything But Pedestrian

Anything But Pedestrian
12x18 oil on panel
PURCHASE

I've been doing some reading about Pinterest. I know some of my friends love it and I know a lot of artists are very annoyed with the lack of accreditation for shared images and copyright infringement. I don't use it. I figure its just one more thing to keep up with and keep me from painting.

I haven't had copyright issues. I am sure it would suck if I find out that someone has stolen my creative efforts to make a profit for themselves. Frankly, I guess I don't believe my work is good marketing material and I don't think I am "there" yet to copy. But I looked up my blog on Pinterest today and saw a few paintings had been shared. And then they were shared again. And to be honest, I was rather flattered to see that my work was counted as favorites among some of my most favorites artists - Dan McCaw, Sargent, Johannah Harmon, Matisse...Whistler! They did have some beautiful art grouped! But me in there? Really? That is amazing to me. No, I wasn't credited in all the pins. But clicking the image takes you to my blog it seems so that is cool.

I did however drop in a "no pin" meta code on this blog... the only one I can control. But the daily painting galleries my work appears in allows the pins and I will leave that for now. When you are putting your artwork up in a public showcase, there is every chance for it to meander off and be shared, posted, blogged, tweeted, pinned, fav'd, and lose its way. We can't control who prints it at home and makes a poster of it for their wall. I am not one to believe everyone has malicious intent and am flattered that people like my work enough to share it. And who knows when one of those shares might lead to a buyer finding me and my work.

There are ways to safeguard your images and prevent them from being copied and sold, of course. Posting small or low resolution images, including a copyright name on the image, watermarks, etc. But again, that takes more time than I want to spend. There are just too many ways in which artists could spend their days working electronically rather than painting. Between the online galleries, forums, auction sites, email and social network/marketing, it makes my head spin!

Speaking of sales sites, I posted this painting and another larger one in my ETSY shop. If you aren't a member or don't want to sign up to purchase there, email me and I can invoice you directly.

South Street Bridge

16x20 oil on linen

I'm heading for New York and New Jersey this weekend. I'll be attending the closing reception of the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club show and be present to accept my award. very fun.
The timing worked out very well as I have a wedding reception painting event Saturday night in Red Bank, New Jersey. It will be a lot of traveling about - but I will call that sightseeing. I'm anxious to see NY in the fall. Will Central Park be all decked out in color? Wish me luck as I go it all alone in the big city.

You might remember the study I did of this scene (below). I really liked the warm color scheme but I am not liking the buildings in the back. I think I've put too much "detail" in them. Also, the photo of the larger image doesn't capture the yellows at all... the ground and sky are much warmer than appear here.

South Street

I decided today to not go to the gym. Best Decision! I've just been running around so much that I am not getting the extended time in my studio that I've craved. I had the best day painting. I haven't had this kind of surge in a couple of weeks so I am really glad I decided to focus on ONE thing for once. PAINTING!

Among some horses, figures in the city and a museum patron or two, I worked on these "vignettes" as an exercise. The subject was a rather nicely composed scene of South Street near the Brooklyn Bridge. This photo really lent itself to breaking it up into big blocks of values. This first one I intended to be a vignette, but it turned out rather mundane and typical. I got into too many details and lost focus. Imagine that.


6x8 oil on panel

So I did the scene again in just 4 values using mars black.


6x8 oil on panel

I liked that so well, I thought I'd lighten up and do it in a "high key" and really liked that. It taught me so much about cityscapes. Street scenes are so busy and colorful that it can be hard to avoid details and making a patchwork quilt (see above!) By reducing my values to large masses I was able to leave out all non-essentials and create an impression that conveys the mood of the city without belaboring it with tons of signage and competing facades.


6x8 oil on panel


le image

Note to self: Start looser from the beginning!

Stormy Commute

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + $11 s/h

This morning I had to head out early to take my doggie for her haircut and caught sight of 183 South backed up on a rise with the clearing storm clouds giving way to sunshine.
I sketched it while I was stopped at a traffic light and tried to commit it to memory. I liked being able to witness something and then come home and interpret it from memory. Its really good practice. And it was definitely practice in being loose and suggestive.

Taxi Traffic

5x7 oil on panel
sold

I've wanted to paint a NY cab for a while - such a quintessential part of life in the Big Apple. It might be the only place where cabbies drive around looking for riders and you can step off a curb, throw up your hand and they spot you from a block or more away.
I really got into that.

NOW. Whether this painting is successful I am not sure. Turns out cars are hard to paint. I sure worked and worked on it. I hope someone likes it.