Friday, June 25, 2010

They didn't listen to me!

When I found out a few months ago that Southwest Art Magazine was going to print one of my paintings that I have in the Elliout Fouts Gallery here in Sacramento, I told them that if they ran it on the FRONT COVER, the magazine's subscription level would most likely double. Did they listen to me? NO!! Instead, they printed my painting on an inside page! (the current July issue). :-) By the way, this acrylic on canvas is of a bridge that rotates to let tall boats or boats with tall masts exit or enter the slough. . You are seeing the Sacramento river in the foreground with the slough off beyond the bridge in the background.

Friday, June 18, 2010

American Art Buyer Magazine

My acrylic painting titled "Drive By" has been published in the July issue of American Art Collector Magazine, and is one of several paintings by fellow Sacramento artists who will be part of a group show at the Elliott Fouts Gallery here in Sacramento in July. The show's title is "Where We Live" I'll post some pictures of the opening next month.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Another happy painting of another happy place

Gunther's Ice Cream was built in 1947, the year I was born. On a hot, hot summer's night here in Sacramento, the joint rocks! This is a watercolor painting is on 140 cold press arches watercolor paper. Its about 20"X 30". I NEVER stretch my paper, and when I paint, I purposely "miss" areas or, in other words, I do not cover every square millimeter with paint. The small missed areas are called "holidays", an old maritime word from the age of sail. These holidays provide the painting with an energetic sparkle along with my splattering. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

THANK YOU fellow artist bloggers!

Wow! Did I get some great comments and advice for my Lawnman acrylic portrait. I thank each and everyone of you for weighing in. Ain't the internet blogisphere (spelling????) grand?! I've absorbed all the advice you gave me and am now doing more work on the painting.I'll post the result in a few weeks.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Portrait of Bernie

This is a wonderful gentleman in Sacramento who owns a large landscaping company called "Lawnman". He hasn't seen this portrait of him yet, because I'm not sure about it. You know how it gets when you work hard on a painting. You either go "blind" or self delusional as to its artistic efficacy. Got feedback?

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Koi Joy!

From my watercolor archive. 22"X30", 140lb. cold press. Painted wet- on- dry and wet-on-wet with smooth assured strokes. Water color painting is not for the bashful and timid. You need to get tight and break loose. Practice, fail, practice, fail a little less, practice and begin to succeed...not always but most of the time. Study Asian brush painting. What a medium! Look for some future watercolor posts. I'm practicing for a workshop gig next year in Reno, Nevada.