gumball and spacey machines

This was the painting that was on my easel the first time I blogged. It is a fun juxtaposition of some spacey toys and a gumball machine. I glad to show a better image of it. If you want to see the subject in relation to the painting check out my first blog.

8" x 8" oil on board

I have been working on my floral series, a painting of Quince.

Painting an object more than once gives me the opportunity to explore the relationship of the subjects. It seems when I paint something repeatedly I am an often surprised by how a object appears differently in different surroundings. As with other things, it is the environment that has the greatest influence.

 both 8" x 8" oil on board

I started a new paint series today. I have a show at the end of next month and I am hoping to have a few new paintings to show. I am greatly influenced by my environment. I have been enjoying the spring weather and the trees blooming. I decided to paint some floral paintings.

float in a boat

This painting of a glass ball in an elongated dish was the painting I did just before I started this blog. I had not had time to take an photograph of recent work till this week. I do enjoy this one. A cast iron candle holder is holding a quartz sphere and the spirals of the table top complete this composition.  

8" x 8" oil on board

tossed aside

I often paint a subject more than once. I try to capture a likeness of a subject. It's always just an impression of a part of what I see. There are so many ways to represent what is in front of me. I An artist must choose what to show and what to leave out of a composition. There are endless possibilities. I can finish a painting and feel there is more I missed than I captured. Painting something more than once allows more to be expressed. I have found that objects I've painted many times loose there attraction once I felt I captured them to my satisfaction. 

14" x 11" oil on canvas

A True Classic

A denim jacket tossed aside on a modern chair. Symbols of style. The objects that combine to form a composition, tell a story, set a mood. Is there a story? Will a painting ever tell it all? The things we surround ourselves with probably tell more about who we are than any bio we might try to write up. I look at this image and I see the history of the objects. I know the owner of the jacket, I know he left wearing mine. The lamp that once fit in a suitcase was purchased in a place where colonial had value and mid-century has none. A small abstract figure painting on a block of wood that was left abandoned when a studio changed hand. The phone now disconnected because the ringer is ear-splitting. Things come together all around us, how we see them determines how the story is told to us.

It seams like I'm babbling, making up words instead of letting the image tell it's own story.

8" x 8" oil on board

cats eyes and pigtails

CATS EYES   24" x 18" oil on canvas

Again in this painting those precious earrings mentioned in my previous post appear. What else can you with them. I added them to a pin cushion holding a few pins, brooches actually. I've done quite a few paintings  that include pincushions. I like the absurd little figures that surround the cushion. I have managed to collect quite a few of them; different colors, different sizes, different number of little pigtailed figures, some old and some new.

pearl earings

Family Jewels 8" x 8" oil on board

It happened again. The color temperature switched when I attached this image. I liked the switched colors so I attached both versions. The top one with the cool shadows and warm pearls is correct. I had to take this image into photoshop and save it differently. I have no clue why this happens, this is the second image I had a problem with. There was no known difference to the way this originally was saved and the way all other images I posted except the fore mentioned other mutant. They all appear correct in all other aspects.

Anyway, about this image. The earrings that I painted here were once worn by a dear friend, Mary. Well as the story goes she wore them more than once. I saw Mary wearing them and I told her how good looking they were. She offered them to me. I turned her down. What am I going to do with earrings? Even if I had piercings these would not fit my personal style. Times go by I forgot all about these little danglers. I see Mary wearing them again. Again I tell her how nice they are. They are nice. Well she wants me to have them again, and I can not get away from her with out these earrings. Now I have them, so I paint them. I've done a few paintings with these gems included.

plastic icons

A lot of the fun of painting a still life is choosing a subject. On these two paintings I focused on some small plastic religious icons I came across. The plastic quality of the subjects is what attracted them to me. With both these paintings the use of color is a strong element within the compositions. Focusing on the transparent qualities of the plastic was a challenge. I always seek a challenge in my paintings. I paint to see what it will look like in a painting. I find something I want to paint and then look for something to paint it with. It important to me to choose objects of the proper scale and color to make the composition exciting. 

both of these paintings are 8" x 8" oil on board

clock on the wall

The first stage of this wall is completed. These scrolls are the background for grape vines with leaves and clusters of grapes. I like it as it is and probably would not take it any farther but, grapes just don't mean a lot to me. If I had actual grape vines to work with I would be all over this next stage. right now the vines are bare. 

painted finishes

Today, I have been working on doing a painted finish on a wall. This mocha colored wall has a 30" round clock that hangs on it. I am painting  some scroll shapes in iridescent colors to go behind it. 

I have done a lot of painted finishes in the past. I like what can be done on a wall or piece of furniture with paint. There was a time when I had quite a paint collection. I was a wall paint junky. If I saw a color I liked I would buy it. I would go to hardware or paint stores and buy the cans of mismatched colors. The paint was cheap and I could do so much with it. At one point (it could have been the point of no return) I realized I had hundreds of gallon paint cans and countless quart cans. I can only recall having paint mixed to order once unless I was going to paint a room, it was a quart a black-purple, and that was over 20 years ago for a particular piece of furniture.

I don't have that much paint now, though I do still have some paint from that stash as well as some that came my way more recently. Much of it has dried up by now, the worst part is finding a color when you want it and these cans take up a lot of space. I find it best to limit my pallet with these paints.

Working in oils I have a lot less demands on my space. 

plum blossoms

I working on some branches from my red leafed plum tree. I brought the branches in the house on Monday, Today Friday, so maybe it's very early Saturday already, the branches are about 50% open. The petals haven't started to fall yet. My first year living in this house I brought some almond branches in. As they started losing there petals, my house began to look like it snowed indoors. The look was spectacular, but it did require some intensive housecleaning afterwords.

This painting, 20" x 10" oil on board, is only getting started. I realise I want the paint to dry out a little before I continue. Besides I'm just tired, it's been a busy week. The white flowers require a little effort to maintain  a clean white color with the burnt orange behind it.

tonight's painting

I ended doing a painting of some Disney characters that were on the shelf in in the case. There was so much to chose from it was hard to focus on any one subject. The mice in dresses seamed strange standing there with Happy.

8" x 8" oil on board

Art Walk at Crow Trading

Tonight was the art walk in Modesto. These are some of the paintings I had on display at Crow Trading company. There were about 5 other paintings I had on display there tonight. It was a fun evening. I selected paintings that had a lot of stuff in them since this store has a lot of stuff in it. There were some fun people who came through. I realized how much I enjoy talking to people about painting. I got to share thoughts on painting techniques with other artist. It was an enjoyable evening.

blog drama

I'm having trouble attaching images today. I don;t have the patience for it right now. The colors have been reversed or they just won't attach.

I dropped of a stack of paints at Crow Trading company today for tomorrow's art walk. It is a fun place to hang out so it will be even better to paint there. It is always a lot of fun for me to paint on location. Having my paints is like having a security blanket or some other talisman that removes any social insecurities. When I'm painting I'm ruler of my world.

Anderson gallery

Last summer I had a showing of my work at Anderson Gallery in Modesto. I had 32 of my 8" square paintings in the show. There were larger pieces being shown but i wanted to share this photo of how one wall was hung.I like the small images placed together in a grid. It gives the impression of a story board, but there is no corresponding story.

I tried to add another image but the warm and cool was switched again.

money plant

This is more like it. I had to save the image as a gif file, I do not know why this image would not work as a jpeg. 

Money Plant 24" x 24" 

This view from my easel shows a couple of figure sculptures I did while I lived in San Francisco while working with sculptor Marilyn I. Rodriguez. Both sculptures were originally done in clay, the female is in it's original fired clay form the black piece is a bronze. I once tossed the stripe fabric aside after using it in a still life, it landed on the sculpture and I liked the turban look and that fabric has been there since. 

Ok I've been blogging for a week now, and I still pretty much clueless with this process. I don't know why or how things happen with this. I attached 2 images the top one seems to have gone through some transformation  in being placed. It not a negative of the image the white did not turn black but the warm colors turned cool and the cool warm. Interesting to look at but it's not right.

These two paintings are currently at Crow Trading Company, 1208 J Street, Modesto CA

I will be there this Thursday evening for the Third Thursday Art Walk, 5 to 9 pm. I will have a selection of paintings on display and will be painting there that evening. If you can make it please stop by. There will be other artist displaying their work at various locations in downtown Modesto most are within easy walking distance

The above paintings are different than anything else that I posted so far. These are not oil paintings. They are acrylic/mix media paintings. The painting process is different due to the quick drying nature of the water based media. I tend to mix a lot of my colors on the painting with oil paint, that would not work with these paintings. 

Both are 24" x 24" on board

Brass Lanterns, the bottom image, is a view of some vintage lamp parts. They once were hanging swag lamps, and who knows? maybe some day they may hang again. 

Gallo Gala

This pair of paintings was done in October of '07 in front of the Gallo Center of the Arts in Modesto California. The show was call 'An American in Paris" and they had continued the entertainment during intermission to the outside of the building these two nights. They had food from local restaurants, live music, plein air painters, wine & champagne and more in front of the Gallo. I was set up to paint there both nights. The top image is October 5th, bellow it is October 6th, There is about 20 feet difference from where I was set up those two nights. The second night people would start to linger hoping I could capture them in my composition. It was fun trying to capture likeness of people as they drifted by. I would see some one standing some where and would have to remember the pose as they moved on. some of the figures started out as one person and evolved to someone else as the night went on.

These are both 9.3" x 9.3" oil on a thick board

The second painting (Oct. 6th) is sold

I enjoy painting in public. I'm seldom disturbed by the crowds as long as I have enough space. My first public painting experience  happened over 25 years ago. I worked for a screen printed sportswear company that sold a horse themed product line. The name of the company, Horsen' Around seemed the perfect venue after leaving Boeing where I was an illustrator. I did not think it odd when asked at the job interview if I ever used an airbrush. I had, once. I painted a sign using stencils. I soon learned that was to paint portraits of horses on jackets and sweatshirts at a horse show in two weeks. I took my airbrush and 2 colors of paint out to a friends barn to try airbrushing freehand. It was great, I felt really good about this new medium. Went back the next day and could not do anything. Seems you really need to clean those things. If those two days were switched I would have never gone near an airbrush the second day. 

I had a Polaroid camera, and would take a picture of the horse to work from. I did not know anything about horses (still don't) but I would work to capture a likeness of what's on the Polaroid. I much prefer working from life rather than photographs. I like my oils better than the airbrush. I have a set up that is pretty portable. A pochade box on top a tripod, a bag with my paints and other supplies and I'm good to go.

My favorite memory of painting at horse shows was when I had to paint someones truck on the back of a Members Only jacket. He watched me painting it as his girlfriend was performing in the ring. 

Cambrina

These two paintings were both done last summer during a weekend trip to Cambrina, the little town just south of Hearst Castle. The bottom one is Moonstone beach  the top is off the deck of the house we stayed in. I set up to paint as the sun set, I did not get to start painting till close to midnight. I had to eat then play some games while my paints were set up and the moon was leaving the sky. Painting in the dark, or near dark is a bit of a challenge, You must know where the paints are on your pallet and still it is always a surprise to see the colors in the morning.

8" x 8" oil on board

I have a red bar across the top of the page that says ERROR, and the auto save function is failing I'm not sure this will post.

family

I  got 2 images to post but now the text is underlined.

Don't have a clue how or why.

Above are two paintings I did while visiting my family during the Christmas holidays. My brother was a decent model he held the pose so well that when he did move it was disturbing. He was watching the first three episodes of MAD MEN. I missed most of the show while painting and had to watch them again first chance I got. Great show full of some very cool lamps. My mother doing the crossword puzzles was not aware she was the subject of my painting and was not holding a pose. I can see where a little more editing of brush strokes would have been helpful. Her head appears wider in this painting then in life.

both:  8" x 8" oil on board

Green & Glass

Here is the painting I completed last night. I started it right after I finished with zombie ken. I had been thinking about the reasons I paint what I paint. The subjects I choose vary a bit. Ken was strange as was that ceramic piece he stood with. So I like strange, no surprise. I was thinking about what else attracts my eye. One subject of interest is color. Placing objects together for there color relationship is something I do. The painting on my easel was chosen because the yellow-green Bauer bowl and the pale green Poppytrail platter were setting on my dinning table, I had company last weekend and had not put the crockery away after it was washed. I liked the colors together, I was in the mood to paint with a cooler pallet after the warm tones that surrounded ken. For interest I added the blue glass, a cobalt blue sphere and a fluted turquoise bowl, there is also a quartz sphere sitting in the bowl. Of course the table top, a warm reddish brown, sets off the shades of blue, yellow and green.

a seasonal disorder

I had expected to paint with friends today. A group of local artist get together about 10 times a year and paint and socilize in someones studio or home. The combination of good friends and good food is a good working environment for me. This weekend's "Paint Day" at Gaye & Don's home was rained out. Their house is surrounded by orchards that is still more dormant than vibrant this week, in be a week or two blossoms will be everywhere.

INSIGHHT:

I probably would not be living in the central valley of California if not for the almonds. My first visit to the area must have been in March 2000. The almond orchards were in bloom. As a visual person I was enthralled. It cast light on the whole area that did not dim until after my stuff was here. I have often said the reason I'm here is because it is where my stuff is.

I peck away at these keys wishing the screen would be in focus without having to ware glasses. 

I have noticed for years a feeling of regret and sorrow when the orchids bloom. I begin to morn there loss before they leave. The two weeks or so when they look to be covered in what looks like snow even though the weather feels like spring is so mesmerising that I can not get enough. I feel I should be painting all the time, and even if that was possible it would not be enough.

happy S A D

Fleur-de-lis

8" x 8" oil on thick board

In this painting a small dish embellished with a blue fleur-de-lis and ring along the edge, with a few candy message hearts, sits on a Melamine (plastic dinnerware) saucer of that very early 70's orange color. It was painted a year ago as an valentine with someone in mind. The contemporary idea of valentine's day is something I do not identify with. Everything is red and pink. The cadmium red light of the dish is as close to a red as I wanted to get. This so called holliday is a marketing product that exploits peoples' feelings. It is all about "showing your love" by spending money or is it more about increasing the awareness of people who are not mated up. I think it would be a much better day if we handed out valentines like in grade school. If you don't have a oddly shaped card with a heart on it to hand out — a smile will do.

today is SAD

Singles Awareness Day

if you are single today, you know it.

I saw someone this afternoon wearing a green plastic bowler hat. Seams this holiday is over and the merchandising is in place for the next consumer holiday.

Zombie Ken & life's pattern

This painting made me wonder why I paint what I paint.

It sometimes surprises me the subjects I chose. I have noticed some patterns and themes even but I wonder "WTF"! I suppose the same can be said of what I chose to collect. Another pattern is forming, it brings to mind the patterns found on the floor to a casino, not all patterns are good. 

I like to paint what is in front of me. Working from life, even if it is still life is a is a challenge that intrigues me. When you are looking at something for the length of time it takes to do a painting, you realise that the perspective you are looking at your subject changes. At least for me. I do move around some, not much, but my head would need to be immobilized to keep my line of sight consistent. It is having the reference of the subject in front of me that allows me to study the relationships between areas of the composition.

Zombie Ken

8" x 8" oil on board

OK this subject is maybe not the most main stream. This Ken doll, it's an old one in it's original suit without a shirt. Ken is kind of stiff, a little dingy, seedy, looking and oh yea, there is a big hole on his right side of his head. Looks zombie to me. Here I paired Ken with a swoopy ceramic dish holding lucite grapes, a fun combination (to me anyway) but not a subject of mass appeal. For added challenge I added a small carved sandalwood urn. The urn smells like in incense. I suppose the challenge here is keeping unrelated objects looking like they have something in common. Maybe I'm painting the space between things. I don't know and don't have the time to think of this now.

Paperwhites & Pincushions

Paperwhites and Pincushions

8" x 8" oil on board

These colorful little pincushions with there tiny little people holding hands around them is another thing I seam to collect. Surprised? Here grouped with blue vases and a F-86 Sabre from north American Aviation, Inc.

I wish I could group images together in one entry. Maybe someday I will figure it out. I find that trying to group words together in an interesting and informative manner is a more difficult early in the morning. I'm trying to balance the desire of keeping up to speed with this blog. This is day three. Already I feel the pressure to perform.

Paperwhites

8" x 8" oil on board

One of the best reasons for living in CA is that you can often find flowers blooming even in January. 

These paperwhites in the blue pitcher are standing upright because I used a Floral frog to secure them. No big deal, that is what frogs do. Ececpt this is the first time I used a frog. I have collected them or years, I must have about fifty or more of them.

Blue Pitcher

8" x 8" oil on board

So far all of the eight inch square paintings have been recent going as far back as last month. Newer work has not been photographed as of yet. Most of these small paintings have been done in one sitting, only a few needed to be adjusted the next day.

This blue pitcher is about five inches round. I was attracted to it's color, simple shape, graceful handle. I knew that I would want it in many paintings. The table top that it is sitting on is one that shows up in many of my paintings. It is an old library table that I painted shortly after I moved to CA, probably in 1992. The top has 1/4" lines and spirals of colors inlayed in the paint. I went a bit over the top with this one, I timed how long it tool each layer of color in the spiral took, about an hour, each spiral has about 20 layers. The end result was spectacular but the time involved was overwhelming.

water pistol

Space Gun

8"x 8" oil on board

This water pistol with three rockets in graduating size and saturn embellishing it's handle also had the word  "S P A C E" spelled out on it. It is placed with a modern boomerang shaped ashtray, a few marbles and a blue plate.

I don't feel I captured the transparent quality of the water pistol in this painting. So I'm sure I'll be painting it again. I have noticed that in the past when I have trouble capturing the essence of a subject I will have to paint it again. There is a yellow green and grey vase that I have that painted many times before I felt I really captured it. It would show up in one out of four of my paintings there for a while. I seemed to lost interest in it once I got it. I haven't painted that vase in over a decade, but of course it has been packed away for the last eight years. 

Buck Rogers

Buck Rogers Sonic Ray

8"x8" oil on board

In this painting a toy gun (flash light actually) is sitting on a sketch book.

Who would have thought that I would end up with a gun collection. Not much of a collection yet but I've seen this kind of thing has happened before first there is one toy gun then before you know it there are more. I haven't painted all of them, yet.

I think I have some other Buck Rogers stuff somewhere. I have a costume that was purchased from the estate of Mary Pickford, if I remember the provenance correctly. I recall it being silver lamé with a lighting bolt across the chest. I don't know if Mary P. ever had a Buck Roger experience. It could have been from some other science fiction story. Maybe someday I'll pair up the dress with the gun in a painting. Don't hold your breath.

Tracy Art League

This painting of a pond with waterlilies  in Oakdale, CA is going to be on display in Tracy Art League's Expressions 2009 show.

info for show at:    tracyartleague.org

Artist Reception Feb. 13

show hours:   2/14 & 2/15   11am to 5pm      2/16 to 2/20  4pm to 8pm

Harlequin

Harlequin glass

I guess it's time to do this again

I wish I could add the picture after the copy, I'm writing this first and I expect the image will proceed this script.

I'm trying to include three pictures this time. So far nothing has showed up yet.

Harlequin glass  8" x 8" oil on board

This small juice glass with the pattern of red diamonds was a subject I was a little intimidated with. The scale of the alternating solid red and a halftone screen of the red was a bit tight, I was concerned that the detail would not translate clearly in a painting. I keep looking at this glass for weeks thinking I wanted to paint it, but I had low expectations of it as a painting. Until I saw light shining through it. The shadow gave me contrast and continuity, and I had to paint it right away. 

I collect

I wonder why I collect things. I first saw this glass sitting on a over crowded table top at an estate sale. It grabbed my attention, I pointed it out to Patrick (a dear friend and fellow collector of odd things). I did not want it, bringing something more home seemed like a bad idea. Patrick ended up getting it and giving it to me. Thanks, never have to much stuff...

I work hard not to consume, figure I have enough stuff already. Maybe it should be re-consume, since I rarely go out and buy something new, other than the obvious stuff: food, toothbrush, ect... 

Part of it is the limited availability of something second hand. Seldom do you find more than one of something, when I do it usually makes me want it even more. Price could be a factor, I always love a bargain. I did not believe those stories about starving artists while growing up but some things you gotta learn the hard way. As an artist it is not the pursuit of money that is the driving force in life, the creative drive changes a person's perspective. But back to the topic of mass accumulation of  things. Like the crow I'm attracted to shinny things. 

SIDEBAR:

This month I will be showing some of my work during the Third Thursday Art Walk in Modesto, CA At CROW TRADING CO. 1208 J Street, Modesto, CA  209.579.2173 There is a lot of really great treasure in this antique store. I will be painting on location during the art walk 5pm to 9pm.

I also find that the things I am most attracted to tend to be things that have a personal association to. Thing that speak of childhood memories or desires. My sister Gina said that Randy resembled a character from the early childhood reader, you know the one... something like "Fun with Dick and Jane"  (you know there is a hella good punch line that goes with this)

I'm very much attracted to Mid Century Modern objects or sixties MOD, maybe to many reruns of Perry Mason or I Dream of Jeannie has something to do with it. Things I thought were tacky as a child I now covet. They are still tacky and I got to have them.

still haven't been able to load an image

I did get the lawn mowed yesterday and the mower returned. My compost pile is 2 feet taller than a week ago. I lost count how many times I emptied the bag on the mower, well over 30 times.

I'm back

Just trying to get the hang of this

To often I will do something once on the computer and never figure out how to do it a second time.

PERSONAL CONFESSION:

Back in the day (this is like saying "once upon a time)

during the late 80's till June of 1991 when I moved to CA. I was working at Du Pont as a graphic Designer. There was an IT person; Dawn. She was who you called when you had computer issues. I now so much regret how I overlooked the role she played. I don't have an in house techie, to keep me current on the computer. I figure this is one of the main reasons people have kids, they can program the VCR, change the ring tones on the phone and all sort of other things to keep a person current in this high tech world. I don't have kids, so I'm very 'old school'

...miss you Dawn

Because I'm not so tech savvy doing everything on my computer all the time...

Hey I even use my phone to talk— Don't expect me to text you!

... I paint

I guess that is what this is all about. 

Me   Painting

I tried to place the image with the text, within the dialog of this blog but it seems to want to be at the very beginning. Tried to add a second image, I haven't seen that one appear. There may be limits I'm not aware of or maybe it's me. I might never know.

The above image: 'Randy'

8x8" oil on board, I have a lot of these this size.

I found this mannequin while in Pennsylvania  over the Christmas Holidays (maybe it is a boyequin) at a antique booth at the Kutztown farmers market. I was lucky that he fit in my suitcase for the flight back to CA. Alas he may be cute but he is not tech savvy.

He is wearing a scarf I made untold years ago from a scrap of vintage drape fabric when I was a student a Kutztown University (it was only a college then, it once was a normal school). Randy is next to a favorite lamp of mine (I tend to collect lamps, mid-century modern especially), behind him is a beautiful painting of a sky. It has about 1/2" of land bellow a yellow sky with cool blue grey clouds above that. I purchased this original (24x24") signed and framed painting from Good Will for $5, they were selling mass produced "indoor/outdoor" paintings of about the same size from Target in the same bin for four times as much. Below him you can see top of a painted cabinet. I have done a lot of painted furniture in the past, many of my small still lives show parts of furniture I have painted. Also in this painting is a orange glass poppy with clear glass leaves. (Ok, so I tend to collect glass flowers also)..

I should be mowing my lawn

After reviewing my first post of yesterday's painting of the gumball machine, I realized that the painting I did prior to it could almost line up with it. This is a view of the stuff that piles up in front the window, the burnt red-orange velvet drapes and the pattern of the light on it was a major inspiration for this.  14"x 11" oil on canvas

I question how I will do with this blog. 

It seems that it will be another demand on my time. 

I mowed most of my yard yesterday. If I can finish it today I will get to return the mower I borrowed this weekend. My mower died in the fall and the lawn needed mowing for months. Yesterday it was in the 60's, 48 is what the thermometer read a few minutes ago. My 1/3 of an acre needs a lot more attention then I have to give it. Keeping the lawn mowed has pretty much been the only concession to yard maintenance I have been able to handle. I'll need to weed gardens if I can't mow, they always look worse when the grass (I use this term as a general term, my lawn is mainly a variety of weeds that I try to keep short) is as shaggy as them.

not sure what I'm doing...

OK so here I go

not sure where this will go 

but I thought I have to start somewhere

I hope I can figure out how I got here so I can add to this later

The purpose of doing this is to showcase my art. 

I have been painting for years and it is time to show some of it.

I tend to collect stuff

It piles up around me

so I paint it

This gumball machine is mated  with Robert the Robot  and a Zig Zag Zoom, a battery operated pet toy from Sharper Image. 

oil on board 8"x8"