Rosemary Brushes and masking tape and Swans

Masked off

Opps, almost forgot the top part

All sprayed

My hat is off to John Salminen, the masking genius.  I used a whole role of masking tape and lots of newspaper to mask off this large painting, see yard stick on first picture.  Well, it is definitely a challenge to get the effect I'm looking for with this painting.  It's a garden at the Stevens Coolege Estate in No. Andover.
Next--I got my order of Rosemary Brushes today!  How sweet it is.
Next again--I started one of the 8x8's for the Newburyport 8x8 cubed show in August.  I have a wonderful photo of the new baby swans on my Back River and will do one painting of them.  I'm doing 2 in total, so I don't know what the second one will be yet.
I'm also making a paint carrier to bring with me when I leave Sunday for NY.

Getting ready for NY

I've been painting, just not posting.  Shame on me.
I painted a portrait last Saturday.
I'm working on the "Fran" portrait for the September show at Newburyport.
I volunteered at North Shore last week and really enjoyed it.
I've been working on a large acrylic 30x40" of Stevens Cooledge's garden area.
I've been working on a 10x20" oil of my view out back during the early winter.
I've been reading a lot of art stuff.
See, I've been busy.
Tomorrow I'll experiment with a very limited palette for Lori Putnum's workshop in NY.
Oh, and yes, I've spent a considerable amount of money on new supplies, panels, paint, and ROSEMARY BRUSHES!

Paint Inventory Day

How does anyone end up with 156 tubes of paint?

I guess the short answer is that they don't use it.  While looking for some particular colors I realized that my tubes were stored here, there, and everywhere.  There are probably a few more stashed somewhere I didn't come across yet.  That lead me to organize and inventory them.  I got these nice boxes for $.97 each.  I set up a laptop on that chair to the right and sat on a milk crate and did the inventory.  I have to say it feels good.  Now I know what I have and where it is.

Progression Pics of WeRun

Progression photos of We Run, 30x40 acrylic

Recently I worked on the Portrait "Fran" for the Newburyport Portrait Show in September, it has a ways to go yet.  Then I've started another 30x40" acrylic that I like because of the geometric patterning of the rows of plantings in a garden at Steven Coolidge Place in No. Andover.  Today I should be painting at Cox Reservation with David Curtis' group and I'll head over there about 1 p.m. and then attend a reception at The Nook in Rockport at 5.  Spring arrived very late here in New England and I still haven't done my yard work.  I know that if I don't get out there soon, the weeds will get out of control.  The People Painting People Project for Merrimac MA for the month of August is still gaining ground, and tomorrow morning I take down my solo show at the Rhythm Cafe.  I had a very good show there with lots of nice comments and many sales.  I'm going to buy Rosemary Brushes with the proceeds and supplies for the Lori Putnum workshop in June.

We Run

We Run, 30x40", acrylic on canvas

This painting that I finished yesterday is titled "We Run" (Together) which comes from the billboard sign on the right edge of the painting.  It is a view down Berkeley at the corner of Boylston.
I've been painting since I moved into this house in my studio upstairs (14 years ago) and while working on this painting (in acrylic) I made more mess in a few days than I did in oil in 14 years.  Boy, I have to get a little better organized to work with acrylics.
I'm planning to tone down the building on the left that is a little bit too yellow and fix a tire on a car.  A painter's work in never done.
I took this picture on the way home from an art show at Cyclorama in March in late afternoon on a rainy day while driving.
I did it for the DPW challenge to paint a busy city street scene which came up just recently and motivated me to do this painting, and the Merrimac Public Library offered me a show in August and for that I thought I'd do about 4 large acrylic paintings.

I did take photos while in process and will post them tomorrow.

Sold two more at Rhythm Cafe!

What fun, I had to bring yet more paintings down to the Rhythm Cafe to fill in the blanks.  I'm running out of work that will make for a cohesive display.  I brought one down that I never had on display before.  It is mostly a knife painting, large (20x30) vertical, of trees with lots of color.  Also a little more abstracted than usual.  I don't know for sure that they will hang it since I also brought two smaller ones and gave them a choice.

Portrait this morning - Bradford Church

Today's model was Rachael

In 2 hours I got the best likeness yet with a good degree of finish (for me) and a better sense of color temperature/values.  The nose was better, Mark said so.  Another portrait on Thursday morning also went well, but it started out really funny.  My subject is smiling and I hadn't painted teeth before.  At first it looked like a clown.  We were discussing how much it cost for each tooth to be painted (joke).

Portrait Project is gaining momentum

I have 8 people who will sit, 23 to go!

Today at the portrait group in Bradford I mentioned it to several artists who paint portraits and they are interested.  One important comment, be sure to mention to the older sitters that it could be hard to stay awake.

There is now a Facebook page for the project:  People Painting People.  Please like it so that it will show up more easily in the listings.  People Painting People - The Merrimacians

People Painting People, The Merrimacians

I've been working on an idea for the month of August to ask local people to sit for portraits and anyone who likes to paint portraits can come and paint them.  I'm not sure if I should expand the sitters to the general area residents or just my town.  Naturally, the artists can be from anywhere.  I'd like to somehow make this a fundraiser for our Senior Center, but can't figure out how to do that yet.  The Merrimac Library will host a show of these portraits later this year, should it become a reality.

Why do this?  

Well, I'd love to have the opportunity to paint more portraits.  Like anything, practice helps.  An artist that I admire greatly, Rose Frantzen, has done a similar thing in her community herself and you can see the portraits she painted and the presentation of them here:

 See Rose Frantzen's Project Here

I'm making up a few flyers to post at local places asking for volunteers/sitters during the month of August this year, and based on how many people reply and schedule a sitting, I can take it from there.

1. Get people to sit.

2. Find places to paint

3. Get artists to join in 

4. How to make it a fundraier

5. Make a facebook page to keep everyone up-to-date on the progress and schedule.

6.  Make the portable platform and get lighting, fan, clock, whatever is needed.

Your comments, suggestions are welcome!  I just made a facebook page for this community event, so check it out from time to time or leave your comments there. Facebook People Painting People page

I Love You Rose, sold

Perhaps this was a Mother's Day Gift, who knows?  

It would be a very good idea, however, to purchase a small painting for your mother this year!

Spring Fever

Thankfully, Spring has arrived, but now I feel like a lazy person and want to take a little time off to enjoy the weather without the pressure of painting (painting guilt).  I have tons of paintings to do and I really feel the pressure, so I need to relax.  I'll do a little yard work, and who knows, maybe I'll paint later.
I've been sketching this week, getting geared up to do a Boston City Scene for Carol's latest challenge to paint a busy city scene.  I took this photo a few weeks ago, and I like it, but the drawback for me is that it's not colorful.  I have to do something else with it to make it interesting or exciting.  It was taken on a rainy day.  I have some ideas about how to start it in a new way using acrylic underpainting in an abstract way.  I won't be able to spend a lot of time on it because I'm so excited about spring and pretty colors and getting ready for a workshop I'm taking in upper state NY next month with Lori Putnum.  I'm making a new glass palette just for plein air colors, and in particular, her suggested palette.
Yesterday I spent hours with Carol Pike going over our plans for our Italy painting trip in September and the itinerary for the last few days where we are leaving the group and going to Sorrento and Capri.

Country Tree, 2 for 1

Bid now on auction, click here!

This painting is on foamboard and starts at $20.  There is another

painting on the back, see it above, the tomatoes and beans

on a black and white dishcloth.  

Maudsley and European Arches may be finished

I say maybe because I'm done for now but who knows how I'll feel later on.  I'd like to do something more with the Maudsley painting, but it was such a dreary day anyway, and I did capture that!  I just like more colorful paintings, probably because I've been in my flower painting mode for a while now.
The picture doesn't even do it justice, it's safe to say that I will probably do something more with it.

Maudsley Park, blue flowers and daffodils, new leaves starting on trees, forest beyond, 10x12"

Here are the progression pictures of the European Arches painting.  It was LOTS of perspective!

--and many shades of warm colors.

European Arches, 9x12' oil on board

I do love warm colors.  :)

Lately...

I'm painting, just not finishing.  Saturday morning at the Cox Reservation, windy again so I took photos and listened to David.

Tuesday morning painted at Maudsley, here is my effort.  It needs some corrections, but so far all painted plein air.

What's the difference?  One photo was taken indoors and the other with natural light. 

Today I painted on the progression painting of European Arches.  Maybe one more day to finish it.
Here is it so far.

I sketched things in somewhat, then more or less started at the bottom right and worked my way around clockwise and have yet to work on the area at 3 o'clock.  Funny how one never attacks a painting the same way twice. 

Still Life Today

Still life in the style of David Laffel

Today I wanted to get started on the portrait for the September show in Newburyport, but I couldn't find the photo.  I guess I'll have to make a trip to the library and hopefully there will be one there.  So I randomly chose this from my pile of things to paint and got a start on it.

Picked AGAIN!

I'm so happy to be picked again!  This was for the Canadian Marsh painting.

European Painting

I haven't really painted anything that reflects the great european trips I have taken over the past five years.  While I was working with my art student today, I got started on a outdoor cafe scene with arches and umbrellas that has nice bright colors of yellows, oranges.  I hope I can remember to take photos as I paint it so that I can show the progression from beginning to end.
I bought some plastic containers to house my palettes.  I need to keep separate palettes for plain air, studio, landscape colors, still life, etc.  I'll be preparing soon for the Lori Putnum workshop in NY and getting the palette together and experimenting with it.

Canadian Marsh and more

Canadian Marsh on a Rainy Day 8x10" oil on gessoed masonte

After a couple of years, I took this painting out to paint over it and brought it to a group painting event.  People liked it and said, "Work on it some more, don't paint over it."  So I did.  I added the tree and made the flood bigger.  It does capture the weather conditions and has a sense of solitude.  I was painting under an umbrella at first but then moved to one of those shelter buildings they have on park properties.

Pond Painting with ripples added.

You may remember this from about a week ago, I added the ripples I guess I'm in my lively attitude lately, brightening everything up, maybe because Spring has finally arrived.

John Greenlief Whittier Birthplace

I brought this painting to the Rhythm Cafe yesterday to replace a painting that was sold.

View for Two with Two Birds

View for Two with Two Birds (I like that the birds are there but not very prominent.)

I've been touching this painting up, or maybe I should say liven it up, and plan to put it in the upcoming Northshore Art Association of Gloucester, MA show along with this other one

famous McCurdy's Smokehouse in Lubec Me.

I think I sold another little gem today, The Swing, from the Bear Hill Road series I painted a year ago for my first Rhythm Cafe solo show in December of 2012.  Boy, how time flies.  I'm currently showing there again but we are now in 2014.  Doesn't seem like 16 months ago!

Ripples on water

Today I put ripples on the water of a painting I have already put up on DPW's site, but guess what, I can go in and exchange the old one for the new one.  This is good to know because sometimes I'm almost finished and miss a day of posting because I don't put one up.  It's a good idea to only put one up per day, so this is a good solution.

Today I also worked on and almost finished a foggy marsh painting started on a rainy day in Canada.

I've been asked to be the Artist of the Month for August at the Merrimac Library, and I had an idea to do a project while I'm there, but it has to pass approval, and it may not, so I won't tell you what it is. :>)

Tonight I'm going to a friend's art reception and WINE TASTING.  That sounds like fun!

Saturday is portrait day and I want to work on a 12x12" format to see if I like it.

Two Sunflowers and two birds

My Two Sunflowers painting, 10x20 oil on canvas, sold yesterday at Rhythm Cafe.

I finished my Two Birds with Grape and Pear painting yesterday.  See it on Daily Paintworks tomorrow or on my store page today.

I received frames this morning from King of Frame.  Everytime I get a frame from them and open the box I say, "wow, that's beautiful".  This frame is for the entry for the regional show to be delivered on Saturday this week.  Saturday will be a busy day for me as I paint with the portrait group in the morning and then I have the reception at the Rhythm Cafe for my current solo show, then deliver this painting (Red Lily) to Newburyport.

I'll be working on finishing my newest lily pond painting this afternoon.

Second day in the field

2nd day of this field painting--TOO WINDY

I could only work for an hour today because it was like painting in a hurricane!  It was cold, in the mid-40s but the wind made it feel much colder and it took me a long time to get set up to paint.  It was a good experience, setting up in this high wind, I finally got everything anchored so I could paint.  Then I still had to hold the canvas with one hand and paint with the other.  I couldn't even let go to change brushes. I covered everything with a coat of paint, but getting into detail was out of the question.  I wanted to do it, but mother nature had other ideas so she finally got her way and I left.  I didn't realize how cold it was until I got back to the car.  I might have painted elsewhere but wasn't prepared with another canvas in tow.
It wouldn't have been so bad if the canvas was smaller.

I'm a DPW pic!

Another rung up the ladder--today I got this:

Newman Marsh Sold

I love to hear stories from people who purchase my paintings.  Thursday someone bought my Newman Road painting on the auction on Daily Paintworks.  I'm hoping to hear the story of why the person connected with this painting.  This is what I hear from people when they see something that they buy, that they have a connection.  I know what that means as far as I'm concerned, that's when I buy a painting.  AND when I don't buy it, I always regret it, but sometimes I can't afford it.  The big one that got away was by Jeff Weaver:

Jeff at work.  This is a photo of him, not his painting. :)

Look at Google Images so see some of his wonderful work.  He has a show coming up nearby in a month or so and I'm looking forward to going to the reception.

Shipping and Painting

I sold two paintings Thursday.  That's what I call a good day.

Painting was cancelled today on the Greenbelt, and we will go tomorrow instead.  That's good for me as I was going to drive the 100 miles tomorrow anyway, so one trip is way better than two.  So I'll paint for the second day on the Cox Field Painting in the morning and go to the reception at 2, then I teach a skating lesson at 4.

I should show it to you now before I continue, a little progression painting--well, not little--20x24".

Today, after I got one painting packed and shipped, I worked on two paintings that will go into the North Shore Arts Association (Gloucester MA) upcoming show. I had finished them a while ago, but there is always something else you can do on them.  You know how that goes, once you start, you get carried away.  Now just one of them is finished and the other one will need, yet, more paint!

I have two other little paintings that are almost done, the grapes and birds painting 5x5", and the other is a lily pond painting 5x7".  I'll work on these two on Monday morning.

Quite the assembly line I have going here!