Saturday, February 4, 2017


When I see the flower pix I have taken in the past I think how great spring renewal will be. The freshness of mother earth, ( with out art earth is eh) birds, and grasses and more new things to paint.

These flowers even in there imperfection are perfect. I like to see the old master paintings with bugs and water droplets and a brown leaf here and there. Sometimes when we paint we want perfection in our painting and yet nature is not that way.

As artist we need to study nature, and translate it on the canvas. To be faithful to what we see, not what we think we see.

Cezanne said of Monet, " He is all eye, but what an eye!"

Oh for to be that kind of eye, and to do so one must paint everyday and all day. Monet always had two or more paintings going at once.  Different times of day and different kinds of light, and weather, and atmosphere.

Come Spring, Lets go get these brushes wet and keep them in the paint!!!!

45 Days Till Spring

Friday, February 3, 2017

This is the oval painting with light leaf patterns I like better. Also I added a few light accents on the left side as well.

Sometimes when you paint others love it but you may go for a special effect and just can't reach it. It is so frustrating but as in all things keep reaching and you will get your  goal!

I will work on another painting yet this week, so much to paint and so little time.

If you have a chance to get a set of Bob Ross "Joy of Painting" do it and jump in you may just like it!
I hear people say that they are afraid to start but as someone said, "A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step."  What is your first step? The desire to do something?  If so go for it!

Well lets get our brushes wet!

Oval Finished - Better

Thursday, February 2, 2017

So... yesterday was chemo day so I didn't get to post. I thought I would give you two today. I may stick with this guy for a while because It didn't just go right.  Most of it is just fine. The leaves in the trees to the right were not what I wanted them to look like.

So lets do a postmortem, (play Taps)
The trees and bushes on the left look good they have dark and light, the path leads the eye into the painting. But the Right, well now those trees in the back I like, yet the tree in front is not showing enough contrast and the leaf pattern doesn't show the high lights to my liking.

I will take it back in the studio and rework those areas that need it. I will use my fan brush to bring out those highlights. I will take Indian yellow and yellow ocher for a mix with white and liquid white to do a lighter yellow and cream leaf pattern. look for the Repair tomorrow or look for smoke where this is burnt in disgrace.

Well I gotta get these brushes wet See ya! PUT THOSE MATCHES AWAY!!!!


Oval Painting or Happy Accident?

High hopes is how we start most paintings, I think its that new adventure into what could be.

This Painting is a 18 inch by 24 inch canvas with a 16 inch by 20 inch oval cut out out of contact paper and stuck on to help me stay in the lines.

The sky is pthalo blue and a touch of pink on the distant trees and clouds.  The brown in the foreground is the shadow and dark for the next layer of trees to come.

So far so good .... I am happy with the plan and Idea.  The shape is pleasing and the colors are working.

My brushes are working with me not against me - smile.

In the next post we will see what happens, do I pull it off another decent painting? Or will our hero battle the the forces of "Happy Accidents " ?  Will it all go bust? That and more to come.

Keep your Brushes wet, and your mouse pad clean!

Oval Beginnings - High Hopes

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

This is one of the sets we did for the Musical "In to the Woods."The story is, What happened to "happily ever after?"

This was a fun set to build and paint and my team was super the always came through for us.

The idea here is to paint impressionistic and yet keep the  truth of the scene. I love the large format, using the reds, yellows, golds, browns for a "woodsy" look.

I could do this kind of painting in that large scale as well as smaller paintings, in fact any painting is fun to me!!

you see all I want to do is "Keep them brushes wet with paint!"

Giant canvas, Giant scale

Monday, January 30, 2017


This is the finished painting from yesterdays post. I added an eye stopper, the far trees on the right and left. In the water I added rocks to bring you back into the picture and up the path.

The blue and Alizarin make the far trees shadowy and mysterious. It creates depth and interest.

These Black canvases are a lot of fun and you can make some cool effects. The river looks as if it has ice or some floaties moving down stream. Again adding more movement and interest.

Try this one you will find a fun painting and a great afternoon of relaxing. Blend the light and darks, learn to add highlights, and most of all build your confidence!

So keep your brushes wet and your canvases shiny.

Reflections continued

Sunday, January 29, 2017

I saw Bob Ross do these fantastic reflections and I thought," I can do that."

Is it exactly like Bob's ? no. It's like me and my hand. But it was a fun learning experience.

Just like any thing else in life if you want it bad enough and are will to work for it you can have it! Red Skeleton the old Comedian of my childhood was a great painter and even greater clown / comic actor. He was very poor growing up in Indiana and wanted to paint, he pulled hair from his head and made his own brushes. If there is a will there is a way.

Someone said,"Where do I start? "  Start where you are is my answer. grab something a go to it. Paint with a kids watercolor, or Tempera, or even crayons.

These Birch trees, (I love them) are white and gray gesso mirrored above and below. Then I added a thin coat of liquid clear (tm BRS co.) and painted Alizarin Crimson and Prussian Blue on the sides and middle.
When I do the reflections these colors will show up giving a glow to the painting.
This is going to be a two or three part post. Hopefully to inspire you to paint like crazy or maybe like me LOL.

Well get the liquid white and our palette knife we're going to get our brushes wet!






What do I want / Reflections?