Thursday, January 31, 2008

Blog great love

The novelist Willa Cather once wrote, where there is great love there are always miracles.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Schiele Man 18x19 charcoal on paper


I was going through my art books and I was reminded of Egon Schiele, so I threw this together, near the end of the drawing , I noticed the hands seemed to be in an impossible position. Schiele was one the more unique artist to have lived, so the hands in this charcoal can stay.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Restless Blog

As I lie in bed I know its time for sleep but my mind keeps crawling...back through the day, the week, the life. So it looks like this will be another restless night. I'm getting up, that painting needs more color, the etching plate needs the edges polished, maybe a quick look online for some frames. Then I will sleep...perhaps.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Blog Bengali song

Whatever appears to leave us.
Actually doesn't leave.
Whatever appears to stay with us
Actually does not stay
Nothing remains
Everything is a mystery
of constant gain and loss

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Notes from my kind

As fast as we perceive a paintings value we feel its color. It might be a neutral grey or it may be a cool blue and perhaps a warm overall red. Color can set a mood.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Posedown 10x22 pastel on paper


Four students posing at different times but I put painted them on the
same paper ,I enjoyed doing this task today. At times I paint because
its a nuisance not to.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Notes from my kind

We can make a pattern of highlights on our paintings to help to create movement. The eye moves with the pattern from small to big or big to small depending on a value change or change in color temperature. A strong painting always has movement.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Lady 8x11 in. pastel

When I was 17 (a long time ago) I painted this portrait, I believe
my perceived success of this picture was a turning point for me.
From then on I wanted to become a serious artist. NFS

Friday, January 11, 2008

Blog,The artist and the patron

With the advent of the Internet, artists have a greater access to the patron. Patrons have the ability to choose from a wide variety of styles and prices along with their varying degrees of tastes and needs. They now process a quick ability to browse through art work from all over the world. The history of this relationship (artist and patron) has changed. In the Renaissance, the artist was often told what to paint. Later, in the 18th century, there was a system ruled by the fee driven gallery. Today the artist has the art show, the gallery, the open studio, the group show and even the co-op. None of these (even combined) can reach the number of possible patrons as does the Internet. The Internet has, without a doubt , innovated the industry.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Pot of Day Lilies 8x 7 oil on board


Started a large painting today, I'm always excited and maybe a little hopeful when I work on something experimental as will be the new large painting...nothing experimental in this little still life.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Mother and Child charcoal 20x20 in.


Sometimes its hard to decide if a work is finished, this charcoal
seemed just fine and now as I'm loading it to my blog, I can see a
couple of needed corrections ...that's a good task for tomorrow.

Friday, January 4, 2008

On being an artist

As far back as I can remember, I wanted to be an artist. The books I read for book reports were biographies and I spent endless hours thumbing through art magazines studying the reproductions. In college I majored in Printmaking and I liked the Sciences. To me the artist and scientist have something in common; they both are seeking the truth. Art needs to say something to someone to be of value. It's a way of connecting...having the artwork speak to people. We all are attracted to certain works of art for different reasons, sometimes it's the subject matter or the style, the brushwork, the lighting or the maybe it's the colors ...and then there is the art we love. Great paintings exist and have spoken to millions of people for a long, long time. As an artist, I have found that if I paint the truth, I will connect to the ones who will know it.