Fine Art Registry's Featured Artist of the Month

Hello all!! I have the distinct honor and pleasure of being Fine Art Registry's Artist of the Month--you can read the article they did about me and my work at:

www.fineartregistry.com


I'm very flattered that they chose me, and I look forward to producing more artwork for sale and for print release, for my collectors.

New Painting, same roadblocks!

Hi all...well, I finished my new painting, and the photography of it is giving me fits. I bought a book, etc. But, still no improvement. So, now it's time to call in the pros--I'm going to have a professional start shooting the photos--it's well worth the investment, both in terms of posterity, and frustration!

In the meantime, you can look at the painting with my bad photography, lol. The photograph is a bit washed out (the colors), and it will be interesting to post the professional picture versus my amateurish attempts.

So, here it is:

"Summer friends" Oil on Canvas 18" by 24"

Here is the creative idea behind it...since we are coming into the end of summer, I was intrigued by the colors and senses that summer brings, and how it passes away pleasantly yet somewhat bittersweetly into autumn. There is usually a surge of excitement, almost a relief, that follows the random cool breezes that begin to blow through the end of August and early September, signalling the change about to take place. Your senses all seem to sharpen, the air becomes clean and fragrant with a definite crispness...The oppressive heat of the summer begins to fall away...and although it WAS oppressive, there is still a small place inside of you that will miss that heat and the stifling warmth...because although it could be uncomfortable or inconvenient, it still had its moments of pleasing sensation and accompanying connections.
Most of the time, my world manifests itself in a sort of hyperrealism...the colors are magnified, the sounds and sensations are larger than real. The smell of a freshly split watermelon...the burn of a red hot aji pepper that can literally last for days...the fleeting delicacy of luscious, fullbodied summer rose with it's untaintedly sweet perfume...they all represented different faces of summer. So, I moved to capture them before I got caught up in the excitement of the new sensory experiences the fall will bring, and I forget what intrigue the summer had shown....

New Link

New Painting

"Lilies and Wood" Oil on Canvas, 12" by 16".

This painting was done in studio from a pink lily I picked from my garden. I am enchanted by the array of colors and sensory pleasure that flowers give...I arranged this mature bloom on an old work bench, since the contrast of textures was interesting to me--the stark simplicity of the wood, and the velvet softness of the lily. I perched the flower in an antique porcelain vase for a neutral yet elegant vehicle to showcase the two opposing elements. I utilized a limited palette of only burnt sienna, french ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow, cadmium red, alizarin crimson and white, thinned by a mixture of 1/2 and 1/2linseed and turpentine to create this painting.

Time to work on my next summer flower--the sunflower...also, will be posting my Maine paintings within the next couple of days--that's all for now, folks!

Fine Art America--check it out!

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Tornado Time

We have a tornado alert in effect for the next hour...it's kind of laughable, since we live in Schulykill, PA.

Aside from having my power knocked out several times today, still no sight of it! Anyhoo...above is my latest painting--it's called "The Secret" and here's the tidbit behind it: I was doing yardwork and I started to get divebombed by a crazy robin, and I know birds don't generally carry rabies ;-) so I figured I'd find out what I did to irritate it so badly...upon some perfunctory inspection of the area gutters, and a large hedge, I found the "secret." Her nest--she was defending her nursery! It was better than an Easter egg hunt! I quickly left the area so she could go back to attending her nest and not abandon them altogether...

I've had a dickens of a time photographing this last painting, maybe since it's a high contrast painting...the darks and lights don't come through balanced like they do in the actually painting...it's a reflection issue, even though I'm not using flash.

Anyway--I've done the best I can in terms of photographing it, so now it's time to post it to eBay, Etsy, and all the other sites---going up very low, with no reserve price, so now's the time to go bid!

Take care and ttfn!

Head full of cotton

Day five without a cigarette...doing ok--I haven't really missed them too badly until I take my afternoon lunch break while I'm painting...then it does get pretty bad. I start feeling fidgety and crappy and long for a cigarette, but I know it'll lessen in time.

I've been working on several projects at the same time, and trying to juggle the finishing touches on the bedrooms for AAA--getting into their travel guide will be a big bonus, so I'm trying to get the rooms completed.

I'm working on painting number four in the Seashore series; I may only do one more instead of three, since the "fog" theme is starting to bring me down, and I'm yearning to do some light-hearted, sun-filled landscapes...not to mention start working on a few portraits. I'm also going to do a formal figure study in Conte...I just have an urge to. Must be the gorgeous Ingres paper that just arrived!

Anyway, thunder storms today...I spent late yesterday afternoon lolling about at the Bungalow...just floating in the pool, staring at the sky...needed a day like that! Tomorrow, I'll have to go purchase some more curtain rods, hit the gym, get a yoga session in, and finish up the painting...start a pastel as well...going to try to hit the hay by midnight, and be up by 7 am. I have business appointments to go over early, plus chores, and kids to shuttle in the inbetween. Running a household and two businesses is pretty crazy...but, whatever...as long as I get to sleep, I can hold everything together quite nicely. I've found a good trick--no internet after 9pm, so this is it for tonight!

Slo Mo Confusion

The rain has been relentless...it lulls you into a sort of aimless mindset...a lethargy that becomes deeper with each passing raindrop...it's hard to get motivated when every day is soggier than the next.

I've gotten alot done, considering the fact I'm working two businesses, and taking care of kids that are home for the summer! Not too shabby...

I finished up my third painting in the series of seven last night--so now we have:

"Sea birds on a gray day" (SEE PAINTING ABOVE)
"Immortal beloved (flowers for the dead)"
"Lone fisherman on the jetty"

Starting painting number four hopefully tomorrow--I have a figure drawing session tonight, and also a very good high school friend coming in tonight to stay with us for the next two days, and also a wedding party coming in this weekend, plus we need to get the new drapes up in several guestrooms, not to mention installing a few new antiques...so I'm spread a little thin now--we'll see how it goes...

Untitled

I've had a lingering sickness for the last two weeks...it's in my throat now, but I hope it's on it's way out...

I've also had a lingering sickness in my mind...I feel all out of sorts...anxious, a bit depressed, as if something is waiting to happen...I can't pinpoint it, and I hate being distressed over something vague.

I guess I'll just out to my studio and start another piece...It's cool and clammy out, and I kind of like that...matches my mood.

My Dad came for a visit yesterday with Dale and Tom in tow...it was good to see him out and about, be he looked old and frail, and I was afraid to hug him and get him sick all over again. We all had a nice chat...discussing art, Silver Screen Hollywood, of course, Clint and his movies, Gran Torino, we went on to discourse about Henry Miller, reading some passages from "Black Spring" and as usual the state of the economy and political turmoil...drank some herbal tea...which was good because my nerves were fried with an ocular migraine triggered by an overdose of Chambourcin the night before...I gotta cut out the BS...that shit is going to be the end of me if I don't watch it.

Well, another cup of coffee, and I should be ready to head outside...