Have Easel, Will Travel

I Completed This In One Day

2011-03-01T21:35:00.003-05:00

I started this landscape today and I finished it today. Hooray!! When I do these landscapes I really have to walk away from them often. Sometimes they don't look right and I end up over working them. I kind of over worked the cabin a bit. I hadn't created a cabin in awhile. Its not great but its getting there.

I really like the bushes in the background. The technique used to create them was really easy, but I think the bush in the front is so much better. Especially the way I did the highlights. I really got it going there. I really love this painting.

I Finally Painted A Nice Mountain

2011-02-27T15:11:00.004-05:00

I just finished this new painting using the Bob Ross method. I'm still having issues with the fan brush, but I will conquer it. My pine trees will look better soon. I've finally created some good mountains. There aren't any high peaks this time, but next time there will be.

I feel really good about this painting. Its different just working with limited brushes and palette. I'm used to a variety of sizes. I'm not giving up though. I saw this little 10 year old boy painting a landscape using the same method. His picture was great. If he can learn how to do it, so can I. I've always painted portraits and I'm pretty good at it; but now is the time to show my love of landscapes. I will keep painting until I succeed.

Still Life- Apple

2011-01-12T20:45:00.006-05:00

Well, this is my first colored pencil drawing in some years. I was really nervous about this because I haven't picked up my colored pencils in a very long time. The thing about colored pencils is you have to layer the colors on top of each other. This is not a quick process. It takes time but its time worth taking. 10-15 pencils were to create this piece. I guess I could have used less but it just wouldn't have given me the best look. And I really do think the piece looks good to sell.

Nude Male

2010-12-31T19:40:00.004-05:00

I really like this pastel portrait. I used cool and warm colors for the skin. For the shadows, I used a dark plum pastel and shades of black and brown. For the highlights, I used different shades of yellows and orange. I struggled somewhat with the lips because there is hints of purple. Its amazing when you look really close at someone's skin you see so many different colors emerging through the skin. That is what I wanted to show. If I saw shades of orange or plum, then I put it in. What I saw is what I painted. Feedback is welcome.

Alora- Black/White Charcoal on Lime Green Background

2010-12-19T11:11:00.006-05:00

I just finished this second portrait of my niece Alora and I must say, "Its HOT!!!" I originally started this in white charcoal. I added the black charcoal when I realized the shading of the face was too ghost like. The background color wasn't dark enough. For this portrait, I just had my niece stand against a wall and look at me. She just had this expression of uncertainty on her. Maybe I captured it, maybe I didn't. Anyway, I love it. All feedback is welcome.

Alora- White Charcoal on Dark Blue Background

2010-12-03T15:55:00.006-05:00

This is my first time using white charcoal and I LOVE IT!!! The portrait is of my niece and I must say she looks good. Or my picture looks good. Anyway, I really had to think through this piece because of the white charcoal. I wanted to keep the whites white. So anything that was black or shades of brown I had to find the correct value range and it was not easy. This was a challenge but I conquered it. This piece will definitely be entered in an art contest. Feedback is welcome.

On Holiday

2010-11-23T15:12:00.001-05:00

Yes, I'm on holiday. So nothing will be posted for awhile. Happy Thanksgiving.

Nature's Splender

2010-11-15T23:15:00.005-05:00

This is another Bob Ross demo. I really think I'm getting better and though my perspective is off. The trees on the left side should be alittle lower in the foreground. If they were I think the picture would be balanced better. I had difficulty with the knife again. Tomorrow I will be practicing my knife and tree work. I'm really not feeling the fan brush for trees. Anyway I'm almost finished a pastel portrait that I started about a week or two ago. It should be up soon.

Warm Sunset with Trees and Brook

2010-11-08T21:39:00.008-05:00

This is my 5th Bob Ross painting demo. As with my previous other paintings, I'm using student grade oils. This gives me a chance to work out all the kinks without wasting a lot of money. And with professional oils I just can't mess about. Anyway, I'm really liking this painting. I had alittle difficulties but I got through. I feel my palette knife handling is getting better. I also think my handling of the fan brush is coming along well. Its not perfect but it could get better. I first need to get a stiffer fan brush. I think that would really help.

My Building Piece

2010-11-01T20:51:00.002-04:00

Today I worked on a building that I started 2 months ago but never finished. I stopped working on it because it started to frustrate me. But as of today I am almost finished. I can't believe how much I did. Tomorrow I will try to finish the building and upload it. The piece is from my time in Prague. It was so beautiful there.

Still Life- Odd One Out Pt. 2

2010-10-31T22:32:00.005-04:00

So this new still life was done in pastel. I decided to position the pears as if there in a clique and the apple is excluded. Painting the apple was really tough this time. I would have thought it would easier this time but it wasn't. I actually had to stop the work on the apple and start the pears. Once I finished the pears I went back to the apple and got it the way I like it. In this piece and in other still lifes I trying to use various colors to achieve shadow and light. I don't want to rely on using black and white for those effects. Anyway, the image size is 6.93 x 15.75. Its a really nice horizontal picture.

Just Finished 2 More

2010-10-28T13:44:00.007-04:00

These are my two new finished pieces. The first piece was done with pastels. I love pastels but their so messy. Creating the reflections in the water was not easy. I layer and layer and layer. I really like this piece. When I took the picture at Hyde Park I was so excited. I actually took many pictures at H.P. so we'll see what I come up with next.

As for the landscape, I'm still practicing with the student grade oil paint. I can see where I still need work. I think I'm getting better with the palette knife but its still a work in progress. I love the sky and the background bushes. The evergreens need help. One thing that I will do on the next painting is use more paint thinner. I think it will help with the layering. Again feedback is welcome.

Still Life- Odd One Out

2010-10-26T19:47:00.007-04:00

Just finished this pastel piece. I have to say painting these apples was much harder then painting the last ones; particularly the red one. It drove me almost crazy. I like it but I may add a little bit more. For now I'll leave it and start something new. Feedback is welcome.

Landscape Oil Painting

2010-10-19T21:16:00.012-04:00

So this is my 3rd attempt at landscape oil painting. With this piece I'm using Bob Ross's Wet On Wet technique and I like it. I used four very old paints and one was student grade. This is what I would call a practice piece. I have professional paints but I won't use them until I master Bob's technique. Anyway, this piece isn't great but it isn't bad either. I really need practice with the painting knife because its effecting my cabins. One thing I will do is have my cabin facing the other way since I'm left handed. Its really hard for me to paint right handed and that's what I've been doing with the knife. I also will work on my creating those trees. I have one fan brush but maybe I need a bigger one to make thicker trees. Tomorrow I'll get a 1" or 1/2" Round brush to create bushels and trees and then create a new oil landscape. By next week I should be using the professional paints. I'M SO EXCITED!!!

New Pastel Work

2010-10-17T21:50:00.021-04:00

So here is my latest work. The landscapes were my first attempts. I've always wanted to create landscapes. I've seen some really beautiful landscapes and I want to be able to master the technique. So this is where I'm starting at. Oh, I just completed two still life in the last three days. I really like the studies that I did of the apples. Watching them decay is very interesting. Hopefully I'll have more completed pieces of that subject soon. Next on my agenda is portraiture. I feel I'm really good at portraits but since I haven't done one in awhile it will be interesting. Anyway, feel free to comment. I love feedback.

Long Time

2010-03-14T09:19:00.008-04:00

I know its been a long time. I'm sorry. I won't let it happen again. I finally have my art supplies. When I went home for the holidays I got my pastels, colored pencils, paper and anything else I can use to create. I have someone whose going to pose for me. So now I'm ready to create. Heres just abit of my past work. Everything I create now will be soo much better.

Last Year's Work

2008-03-11T19:25:00.001-04:00

Last year, I completed two pieces with colored pencil. The first one entitled Appletini didn't take long to do. The second one which is untitled took forever. Not only did I keep loosing the reference, but I also couldn't get one of the heads right. I wish I could have created more but I just didn't have enough time to devote to my art. Thats why I put my notice in on Tuesday (3/4). Its time I focus on my art.

So, every new piece I create will be posted. I'm kind of a perfectionist, so it may take some time for the 1st piece. Anyway, I look forward to your critiques.