I'm so excited!!!!

Wow! My rowdy brother, Billy Joe Bob Lobenberg twisted a few arms of the pansys that run the Turlock Museum of Modern Art, and they have hung one of my large watercolor paintings in their "Hall of Modern Masters"! Like I said, don't mess with ma brother! Thank you Myrna Wacknov for the link to: Dumpr.net

I Hated The Mexican Hat Dance!

Remember folk dancing in early grade school? Do they still do that? One of the dances was "The Mexican Hat Dance"...great piece of music, but you had to dance with A GIRL...and...your dancing sucked (still does!). NOT FUN! This weekend I went to a charity event, and they had some Mexican folk dancers. They were great, and I bet they loved dancing as children as I loved to paint and draw. Viva "The Mexican Hat Dance"!! This is my fifth of six full sheet watercolors that will go into the booths at The Three Sisters Restaurant here in beautiful Sacramento.

Bah, Humbug!

As a child, I went trickertreating on Halloween, and my daughter did the same, but you know what?...I think the holiday is a tad cheezy and sleazy (am I getting crotchety in my old age?). South of the border and coming up this Nov. 2 is a somewhat similar holiday that I believe is more relevant in our lives...Dia De Los Muertos...Day Of The Dead. It reminds us of our mortality so we can appreciate the moment and the lives of those around us. It honors those who came before us and on whose shoulders we stand. And. like the Gringo's Halloween, it too has sweets and fabulous decorations and costumes. Viva Dia De Los Muertos!

My Baby Sister

I'm working on the last three water color paintings for The Three Sisters Restaurant. This is my little sister Rosaretta Hildago Consuella Cinco De Mayo Lobenberg. She is a member of the Turlock Folklorica California Mexicana Dance Group. I'm quite proud of her! In fact, so is her other older brother, Billy Joe Bob Lobenberg. I started with her head first, because if I failed there and had to start a new painting, I wouldn't have any time invested in the rest of it (i.e. the complicated dress!) The goddess of art fortunately smiled down on me and guided my hand into painting a successful likeness of Rosaretta. I then proceeded to render her dress and complete the painting. Like the other three paintings, this one is on a full sheet of 140lb cold press Fabriano Artistico water color paper.

He's hog wild...oink, oink.

On Oct. 8, I started another portrait of my brother Billy Joe Bob Lobenberg as a demo. for a local art club here in Sactown (Sacramento). This good ole boy from Turlock sure ain't no high falooten city boy...he was born at a party in a barn, and that ain't no lie! So my challenge was to capture the raw essence of the man. Acrylic on canvas.

Tres Hermanas

First off, I don't speak Spanish so this headline could be mangled big time. It is suppose to be translated into English as Three Sisters. This is the first three of six full sheet watercolors I'm painting for the Three Sisters Restaurant here in Sacramento. This is a mucho favorite Mexican restaurant that my wife and I like to dine and get take out from. I went in one afternoon about a month and a half ago and proposed to one of the sisters that I do a watercolor for each of their booths. I went in armed with samples of my work so they could see what type of hombre (gringo) they were dealing with. We swung a deal on a handshake. Half to be paid in U.S. dollars and half in dining credit. Here are the first tres on 140lb cold press h2o paper. The next tres may be Mexican cuisine related. Getting hungry?

Yall itchin fer a fight?!

I maybe goin out on a limb on this here blog but I ain't afraid! I'm about ta commence a acrylic paintin of ma brother Billy Joe Bob Lobenberg. He's a cat fishin, bagel-eatin -son- of- a- bitch, good old boy from Turlock, California who don't cotton ta mean spirited words about his older brother's artistic efforts if ya catch ma drift. I'll be a postin his portrait in this here spot in a week or two. Think twice about any negatory comments! IT'S NOW A WEEK LATER AND MA BROTHER'S PORTRAIT AIN'T DONE YET, so don't you go a thinkin that it is or yer goin rile him! I gotta give a little talk and demo at a local art club on Oct. 8, so it ain't gonna be done until shortly thereafter. This is ma blocking in stage using an acrylic color palette of Acra Crimson, Cad. Red Light, Cad. Red Medium, Cad. Yellow Medium, Ultramarine Blue, and Titanium White. I'm startin ta work ma colors, values, and shapes. Next up is "polishin"...getting in the finished colors, values, shapes, and any final blending that I may want ta do. I don't know why I'm writing in this stupid faux southern accent and this here ain't ma brother, but sometimes I need a hit of Dixie in ma life. Yer ain't gonna give me no lip on this is ya?!