Terry Strickland Art

New from Matter Deep Publishing

2012-02-29T20:53:00.001-06:00

There's so much going on today with our family publishing company!

The Expedition and Beyond Catalog is online and ready for purchase,

The Expedition and Beyond

By Matter Deep Publishing

58 pages, published 1 MAR 2012

The Expedition and Beyond- Work by 13 artists, introduced through the Women Painting Women phenomenon of 2010, who continue to be challenged and inspired by each other. They come together once again in a show at Principle Gallery, Alexandria, Va, April 2012.

and my daughter-in-law, Amy Strickland's novella Kissing Corpses is free for today, Happy Leap Year. This is Amy reading the first chunk of her book.

Never fear if you missed the freebie for Happy Leap Year Day, it's only .99 the rest of the time.

Here's more about The Expedition and Beyond. Here's Amy's website so you can see what all she's getting into. Here's my daughter, Carly Strickland's website, she's our designer.

Painting a Head Study, Part 3

2012-02-28T02:00:00.000-06:00

This was the third session with my oil painting class working on this head study. If you're just now joining in, here is Part 1, and here is Part 2.

Before I began painting I did an oil out using a bit of Res-N-Gel, odorless mineral and linseed oil. This is a couching layer to restore the color to it's wet look and help the previous layer accept the new paint. I only oiled out the area previously painted.

It seems to be going slowly but I'm spending only about an hour demoing. Then the class has time to paint and I go from easel to easel answering questions.

As I work I try to see in planes, modifying the color subtly as I go. I only worked on the section I thought I would get to that day, the forehead, hairline and eye.

Lyndsey, original reference

For the kind of work I do, I find working from photos is necessary. It has positive points and negative points.

On the positive side:
~The model doesn't move, the artist isn't shifting around so the view doesn't change
~The image is already flattened so there is no translation from 3-D to 2-D
~One can capture a momentary expression that a model cannot hold for hours.
~Model fees are less expensive

On the negative side:
~Because the image is already flattened the painting could look flat.
~If the original photography or print is inferior, there won't be good or accurate information to work from and the painting could be lacking.
~Working from a photo puts more distant between the artist and the model which some artists find less fulfilling. (Let's face it staring at a print or a computer monitor is not as fun as having a model to interact with)

However, there are things one can do to counteract the few negative aspects of working from photographs.

~Work from life as much as possible. It will help fill in the blanks so to speak when a photo is lacking. That life experience will come out in the paintings.

~Have long and fun photo shoots with the models. I find myself remembering our time together while I'm working on a painting. It's much like remembering an experience you've had when you hear a song or smell a certain scent. Enjoy those sessions and pay your models well as you will most likely get several paintings from each one.

~Paint people you know, then you can stare at them over dinner to figure out that extra little something that's missing in the photos. (My kids and husband love it when I do this)

~Watch people closely and pay attention to how light affects the color of skin, shines through ears and penetrates irises. (People might think you're a creeper but it really pays off in the studio)

~Have models come back in to model a part that needs clarification. (Or use another model, my husband has modeled the hands on several paintings including The Ascent)

~Invest in a good camera and learn how to take the best pictures possible.

~Use a software program like photoshop to help get the most out of the reference pictures.

Enjoy, see you for Part 4.

My New Black Velvet Matador Painting

2012-02-27T14:46:00.000-06:00

I had an entirely different post planned for this morning but just had to share with you the awesome present my family pitched in on for my birthday.

"Gold Cap #106", 3'x5', Vintage Black Velvet, 1960's-70's

I am strangely fascinated by Vintage black velvet paintings.

I mean look at that sgraffito! (A technique where a top layer of color is scratched to reveal a color beneath. The term comes from the Italian word sgraffire meaning "to scratch"), and yes that is glitter.

How about that free and loose brush work? His back leg is so minimal.

The abstract expressionist and minimalist painters in America during this same time couldn't have painted a crowd scene better.

This is the signature, I especially love that the top of the R is a palette and brushes! I wish I could decipher the signature.

On the back it says, hecho en mexico, Gold Cap #106. Which brings us to the Gold Cap, in the lower right hand corner, what the heck is going on with that?

My family and I have had great fun trying to figure this one out. Is it a mistake they were trying to cover up?

Was there an assembly line where one artist painted the bull, another painted the matador and then someone else was supposed to paint a hat that had been thrown in the arena?

Maybe this was the new guy's job?

Below is the first one I bought. I think two in my collection will be enough unless of course I find a true vintage Elvis. Then it must come home with me.

17"x14", Vintage Black Velvet Painting, 1960's-70's

Is it strange that a fine artist is attracted to this kind of kitsch art or campy art?

Yes, it was mass produced, but the hand of the artist is evident in the making and they look brilliant next to the more serious art pieces in our collection.

I consider The Incognito Project to have an element of camp and truly believe that in playing with the concept of camp it is possible to get to something poignant. Not to say the bullfighter pieces have anything deep going on but they are really fun.

Evidently taste (?, a sense of humor?) runs in the family because my daughter has this 3'x4' piece hanging over her studio desk at the moment. This one is probably from the late 70's or early 80's when owls were in their heyday.

This is a similar process to a modern day Thomas Kinkade, basically a screen print with highlighting done in real paint. That makes me wonder if in 40 or 50 years his work will be collected by fine artists... naw... probably not.

For an interesting read about kitsch art and how it relates to fine art history Wiki is a good read that will distract you for far too long from something you probably should be doing. Enjoy.

Painting a Head Study, Part 2

2012-02-21T07:37:00.000-06:00

In the second session with my oil painting class, I demonstrated premixing a palette that we'd be using for the flesh tones, the background and the hair. If you missed it, here's Part 1.

I'm a firm believer in premixing strings of color, it takes a little patience, but I think it pays off when you get into it.

I started with the background and worked forward, and in adjacent areas so that I could have good control of the edges.

I store my paint in a Masterson plastic palette with a cover. It's then wrapped in a trash bag and stored in the freezer. The paint will still be usable at our next class so all the mixing time and paint will not be wasted.

My understanding is that a home freezer doesn't get cold enough to actually freeze the paint but slows down the oxidation process which is what actually dries oil paint.

There is debate among artists about this but it makes sense to me. What everyone agrees with is never freeze your brushes or a painting! The cold will adversely affect your painting surface, the wood in the brushes, etc.

Be prepared to have your family complain about losing freezer space, a mini turf war of sorts. Especially when you have multiple palettes in there. (I'm up to three). The war generally fades to a rumble if you have your defense prepared. Go on long enough about saving time and money and you shall prevail!

Voice of the Tiger, Step-by-Step Oil Painting Video

2012-02-19T02:00:00.000-06:00

I recently reworked a video of my in-progress slide show of Voice of the Tiger. It now has a voice-over with thoughts about my painting process. Enjoy!

The Expedition and Beyond at Principle Gallery Video

2012-02-17T18:30:00.000-06:00

This week was (between painting sessions) about putting the finishing touches on a preview video for the Women Painting Women, The Expedition and Beyond Exhibition at Principle Gallery, which opens April 13, 2012 and runs through May 15.

Catalogs for the show are coming, you may sign up to receive a notification on this Matter Deep Publishing link.

Here's a complete list of artists that will be in the April show at Principle Gallery:
Mia Bergeron,
Linda Tracey Brandon,
Rachel Constantine,
Alia El-Bermani,
Diane Feissel,
Catherine Prescott,
Cindy Procious,
Shannon Runquist,
Kate Stone,
Terry Strickland,
Stefani Tewes,
Alexandra Tyng,
Sadie Valeri

Hope you enjoy and share away!

Painting a Head Sudy, Part 1

2012-02-13T13:27:00.000-06:00

I've started a new project with my Tuesday class. We are doing a head study working from a photo. This is the first time I've done this project with them, so it's kind of an experiment.

We are all working from the same photo, one of mine. I chose a mostly full front view of the face. It is classic Rembrandt lighting, in which there is a triangular patch of light on the shadowed side of the face.

I printed an 8x10 grid on a transparency to lay over the image. The grid dissects the image into thirds. This helps with the drawing, placement of the head on the canvas and of the features on the head. I think it is also helpful in learning to draw.

It helps to start to see things flattened and in relationship to each other. Drawing the individual shapes within one square helps to see it primarily as shapes. This shift in the way of looking at something is very crucial in learning to draw.

We first drew the image in a graphite pencil.

Next we redrew it with a Faber Castell permanent sepia pen.

I noticed (after it was drawn in the pen) that I had the right side of her face too wide, but that's okay. Oil paint is very forgiving and the marks will be covered eventually with paint.

The important thing, listen up here my students, is to make the correction as soon as you see it! It's much better to have caught and corrected it at this stage than later after I had perfectly rendered the ear.

Next I did a rub out using Burnt Umber thinned a bit with linseed oil, mineral spirits and res-n-gel (to speed the drying). I painted in a few of the darkest areas.

My intention was for everyone to get to this stage in the first of four 3 hour classes dedicated to this project. None of the students got to this point. I spent about two hours additional after class, getting this far. Most of them had their drawings well along. Next time I will know to leave two class sessions for this stage of the project.

You may recognize this model from another painting. I'm excited to be painting her again.

"Cardea", 16x16, oil on canvas over panel.

She was part of my Elements series.

Here is a post I did about under painting with Gamblin Fastmatte,
And another about this under painting technique, "Aye, There's the Rub".

Would That Art Could Heal the World

2012-02-03T13:24:00.003-06:00

I'm deeply saddened by the murders of five young African American men here in Birmingham, AL last weekend. I'm utterly heartbroken for the three African American teenagers arrested for the murders.

Like ripples in a pond, the devastation of economic inequality moves through our world. I wish that art could heal.

I post this in dedication to those 8 beautiful young men and their families.

Home, Building a Life Series, 24x24, oil on canvas over panel, 2007

All About the HeART

2012-02-02T12:52:00.000-06:00

Current exhibit up at Peterson-Cody Gallery in Santa Fe, NM. It is all on a Valentine's Day theme and the color red, My favorite!

The show is up Feb 1-29, 2012.

Here are a couple of mine in the show.

Fast Lane

Oil 32" x 47"

The Bribe

Oil 11" x 14"

Here is sampling of a few others.

Christina Goodman

Tree Necklace, Mixed media 1" x 1",
Tree Necklace in black, arabesque frame, with emerald garlands and moss agate drop

Darlis Lamb

Sweet Red Pepper

Bronze 1" x 3" x 2"
Edition of 50, New casting, 4.25" high on black marble base (included)

David P Knowlton

County Road F

Oil 21" x 35" x 10"

Jane Jones

Brandy Rose

Oil 26" x 28"

Randy Pijoan

And I Will Hold On

Oil 11" x 14"

Enjoy!

David Kassan Workshop

2012-01-27T00:31:00.000-06:00

I was lucky enough to go to a three day David Kassan Drawing Workshop in early December 2011 at the Townsend Atelier in Chattanooga TN.

The weekend started with a free public drawing demo by David at the Hunter Museum of Art on Thursday night.

Artist Mia Bergeron helping David set up.

David with his initial block in using pan pastels.

David uses binoculars for seeing detail and true shapes. I've seen demos of his using them before on line and I always thought they would be used at the end for details but they are actually used early on, to see areas of dark and light more accurately.

Here he is using a mahl stick with a hook on the end that can rest on the top of the drawing when he isn't using it.

Alia El-Bermani and Cindy Procious enjoying the demo.

David's finished drawing from the demo which was about three hours long. You could tell he really wanted to work on it longer. He called it "cursory," but of course we were all impressed.

Early Friday morning at the Atelier, David spent a bit of time setting up the model, experimenting with a dark or light background and adjusting the light. The class was structured around him demonstrating for three hours in the morning and then after a lunch break the class drew for four hours.

In this close-up you can see how he outlines shadow shapes to define them and hatches in layers, building up the values.

There were 14 people in the class, David arranged the easels so that everyone had good view of the model and then we drew numbers, with the lower numbers choosing their easels first. I was number 13 but still had an interesting view, although not one I might have chosen if I'd gotten a smaller number- a straight profile.

From my spot, you can see the light set up and my first clunky block in with the pan pastels. We were working on a heavy, smooth, medium gray card stock paper.

The pan pastels are scrubbed into the paper with a paper towel, so we were building up layer upon layer of black charcoal pencils of varying hardness and white charcoal pencil. Using very sharp pencils, "Sharp pencils make sharp drawings".

In this one you can see the eraser marks, where an eraser is used as a drawing implement. Even though we were working on toned paper every inch of the paper is covered in charcoal. Some schools of thought leave the toned paper as a mid-value but David actually mixes the white and black charcoal to create a full range of gray scale.

My finished drawing. About 11 or 12 hours total.

Here are a couple close-ups. It is a very subtle cross hatching technique. I could never have seen this kind of detail with out the binoculars. I did have a tough time with them the first day but kind of adjusted to them by the second day.

One of the best parts of the weekend was reuniting with a few of my WPW friends! We worked hard, ate well, socialized plenty and slept little. A perfect storm.

Me, Cindy Procious, David, Mia Bergeron, Alia El-Bermani

Alia with her gorgeous finished drawing.

Mia with her fabulous finished drawing.

The Townsend Atelier was a great place to have a workshop like this. Stan and Peggy Townsend were very organized and did everything possible to make us feel welcome. They have a busy class schedule, painting, drawing and sculpture, and an interesting assortment of fine art materials, check it out!

You can sign-up to receive Townsend Atelier emails on this page. Talks are in the works... looks like I will be teaching a two-day painting workshop later this year. I will keep you posted.

I highly recommend David Kassan's workshops. He has a DVD of his drawing method so if you don't get as lucky as we were to have him in driving distance check it out. David is a generous teacher and freely answered questions about his work. I learned a lot about his method with charcoal and about capturing one area with absolute accuracy, using that area as a map legend to base the rest of the drawing on.

The Three Fates - Completed

2012-01-19T13:50:00.000-06:00

The Three Fates, 30x40, oil on panel

This painting is for Principle Gallery's April 2012 show, "The Expedition and Beyond"

Work by 13 artists, introduced through the Women Painting Women phenomenon of 2010, who continue to be challenged and inspired by each other.

We were introduced through the Women Painting Women Blog, the Robert Lange Studios Invitational Show of Nov. 2010 and really got to know each other during the Expedition, a painting retreat on Sullivan's Island SC.

This allegorical painting of Diane Feissel, Sadie Valeri and Alia El-Bermani as The Three Fates is my tribute to them and the generosity of spirit I find in this group of 14 artists.

The Three Fates are Greek goddesses who spin, measure and cut the thread of life. Together they each represent a part or portion of the whole.

Rather than spinning, I've changed Diane's job to rolling out the canvas, Alia is measuring it and Sadie is cutting it.

I wanted to have them doing something, building a canvas, that would show them as being the supporters of women painters and the art community that they are. I chose traditionally masculine tools for them to be using.

I've also included items for each of them that is personal to their work. The personal items are not necessarily feminine things, wax paper, weeds or animals but in the incarnation in which I've chosen to use them they become feminine, jewelry, clothing or hair adornment.

As women artists we work and compete in a man's world without losing touch with who we are as women.

Notice Alia is wearing flowering weeds in her hair, a shout out to her recently completed series of paintings honoring southern weeds. Sadie is wearing a ruff made of wax paper to represent her beautiful wax paper still-life paintings. Diane is wearing a bracelet of a cat cameo in tribute to her Fabrication series about animals.

I frequently use symbols in my work, as in this current body at Peterson-Cody Gallery. I include things if they make sense to me and not worry too much if other people will get them and usually it works out okay. It seems if you are talking about universal human themes, since we all have those in common, most people will relate to the work.

The Three Fates - In Progress

Here's a complete list of artists that will be in the April show at Principle Gallery:
Mia Bergeron,
Linda Tracey Brandon,
Rachel Constantine,
Alia El-Bermani,
Diane Feissel,
Catherine Prescott,
Cindy Procious,
Shannon Runquist,
Kate Stone,
Terry Strickland,
Stefani Tewes,
Alexandra Tyng,
Sadie Valeri

A Cup of Kindness and Blogging in the New Year

2012-01-16T11:34:00.001-06:00

A couple of bloggers have written about my work at the start of this New Year. I had an interview with artist Tricia Ratliff from Agile Arts Journal. Tricia captures useful and inspiring reference materials for art lovers on her blog.

She is particularly taken with The Incognito Project and my Awakening Series, which she ties together in an interesting way.

Tricia's own work is beautiful and her posts are informative, touching on many aspects of art: process, shows, work, history and interviews with other artists.


Cedrus Amplexu by Tricia Cherrington Ratliff, 16x20, oil on linen

My daughter-in-law, writer Amy Leigh Strickland included me in her list of 11 People Who had a Great 2011.

Amy is an author, an education grad student, roleplayer, actress and derby girl. She had quite a year for herself, starting grad school and publishing her first book, Olympia Heights.

She also helped start our family publishing company, Matter Deep Publishing, and wrote a second book, the novella- Kissing Corpses, soon to be published.

Happy New Year, here's to an awesome 2012 and to dear friends everywhere!
For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

The Three Fates - In Progress

2012-01-06T00:05:00.000-06:00

My current obsession is a painting I'm working on for Principle Gallery's April 2012 show, "The Expedition and Beyond"

Work by 14 artists, introduced through the Women Painting Women phenomenon of 2010, who continue to be challenged and inspired by each other.

The Three Fates, 30x40, oil on panel, (in progress)

This is an allegorical painting of Diane Feissel, Sadie Valeri and Alia El-Bermani as The Three Fates. In real life these models are artists and the Women Painting Women bloggers. The painting doesn't even have one complete pass of color yet so I still have many days left go on it.

I've included items for each of them that is personal to their work.

Alia is wearing flowering weeds in her hair, a shout out to her recently completed series of paintings honoring southern weeds. Sadie is wearing a ruff made of wax paper to represent her beautiful wax paper still-life paintings. Diane is wearing a bracelet of a cat cameo in tribute to her Fabrication series about animals.

Diane, Sadie, Me and Alia after the Robert Lange Studios Women Painting Women Invitational, November, 2011.

It's making me very happy to be working on this painting! I met all these women through the Women Painting Women experience, and since have become good friends. I'm so grateful to them for modeling.

The four of us, along with 10 others will be showing work that we did on a painting retreat in Charleston, SC in the fall of 2010, and work that was inspired by our trip. (a complete list with links to all the artists in my next post about the finished painting and show)

Here's the set up in my studio, where I work from a monitor and from prints. I set my palette up on a French easel to ease the strain on neck and shoulders. An added benefit is that the light on the palette is the same as the painting when it's set up this way.

This is a close-up of my palette. I generally pre-mix at least 4 strings of flesh colors, working back and forth between the strings to get small nuance of color.

Here's a reflection on how the WPW reminded me of my senior show "I've Gone Full Circle".

Here's a post about the Expedition.

WPW and the 2010 invitational in the press.

More pictures when its complete.

Time Person of the Year, 2011, The Protester

2012-01-01T16:11:00.000-06:00

Call it Zeitgeist, which according to Wiki is "the spirit of the times" or "the spirit of the age."

Zeitgeist is the general cultural , intellectual, ethical , spiritual or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance , morals , sociocultural direction, and mood associated with an era.

The term is a loanword from German Zeit – "time" (English "tide" and "time") and Geist – "spirit" (English "ghost")

I've been watching the protests all over the world this year and thought this was a brilliant choice for the person of the year.

I also thought it was interesting because of the painting I did earlier this year, "The Activist, The Incognito Project". Did my model and I tap into this Zeitgeist?

The Activist, The Incognito Project, 24x18, oil on panel

The Incognito Project is a collaborative effort between myself and my models where they choose to share their alter-egos or secret selves.

This model choose to be stripped of everything except those things most important to her.

My model is not getting tear gassed or pepper sprayed but in her own quiet way has shared her concerns with the world.

Here are a few other works from the contemporary art world, and about social concerns that I find thought provoking.

Graydon Parrish - The Cycle of Terror and Tragedy: September 11, 2001 - 8 X 18 ft., oil on canvas

Carl Dobsky, The Lotos Eater, Oil on Linen, 24 x 60 inches, 2009

Banksy

War Protester Sign

Max Ginsburg, Torture Abu Ghraib, 46x32, oil on canvas, 2009

Check out this photo essay portfolio of protesters from around the world by photographer Peter Hapak done for Time Magazine.

You can see a post with close-ups of The Activist, here.

And other posts about The Incognito Project here.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-12-26T19:32:00.004-06:00

from the Strickland Clan!

We have long history of doing silly face pictures. It started as a bargaining chip.

Parental Unit to the kids, "Do one nice smiling face and then we'll take a silly face picture."

Little did we know that these pictures would quickly become our favorites.

Who knew children were so wise?

Happy Holidays! December Newsletter

2011-12-20T20:30:00.000-06:00

December Newsletter

Paintings, a magazine feature and a free story at Terry Strickland Art.

Is this email not displaying correctly?
View it in your browser.

Happy Holidays!
December 2011 Issue
Thanks for signing up to receive my monthly newsletter. Here's a bit of news from our corner of the art world.

My work is featured in this month's
Poets and Artists Magazine, Issue #30!

Poets and Artists is a gorgeous and very cool print-on-demand and digital publication, self described as Publishing as an Art Form. The print version will be available only until the next issue is out in Jan, the digital version will remain available indefinitely.

I'm thrilled to have my work shown alongside some very awesome artists and poets. This magazine is an exciting example of the current dynamic changes in the world of publishing.

You can see more about it on a blog post I did featuring the work of some of the other artists featured this month.

A Holiday Sale - Oil Sketches From the Studio

Amy Reading, 12x9, oil on linen, $450

I'm offering small alla prima oil sketches for the first time this holiday season. These paintings are priced $400-$450, framed and shipped, sales tax will be applied within the state of Alabama, US.

Magnolia Gardens-Charleston, 8x10, oil on panel, $400

See all 11 oil sketches with information about prices and sizes here.

Holiday Small Works Show at Principle Gallery

I have two paintings in this Holiday Show at Principle Gallery, this one is Fire Dance. The show opened Dec. 4 and runs through the end of the month in Alexandria, VA.

Holiday Show at Peterson-Cody Gallery

The Bribe, 11x14, oil on panel

Check out the gallery's small works show if you're in Santa Fe, NM or on-line.

In Cincinnati, OH, see my work at Miller Gallery

See you in the New Year!

Forward to a Friend

Teaching Spotlight

AVOID WHITE AND BLACK LIKE IT’S THE PLAGUE!

Well not really, but I do use white and black as a last resort. Try this for more luminous and less chalky oil paintings.

Start with your most transparent paints and mix up a BIG puddle of mid to dark tones. Take part of that puddle of pure color and modify it lighter.

Instead of adding white, try this:

1. Add a lighter color from the same color family. Add an orange, for instance, if you want to mix a lighter red.
2. Add a lighter color from a different color family. Ask yourself “Is the color I’m after also warmer?” if so then add an opaque yellow like Yellow Ochre or Cad Yellow, “Is the color I’m after also cooler?” in that case use Cerulean or Chromium Oxide Green.

Once you do that NEVER try to get the color back to the original color. The color is forever polluted by the white and will result in chalky mid-tones and shadows.

INSTEAD go back to your original puddle, take part of that puddle and modify it darker.

Instead of adding black, try this:

1. Add a darker color from the same color family. Need a darker blue? add a Thalo blue. Something darker red? add Alizarin or Red Madder Deep
2. Add a darker color from a different color family. Need a darker red that also needs to be less intense add a Thalo Green.
3. Add a dark brown earth tone such as Burnt Umber.

This keeps your painting’s shadows and mid-tones more transparent which results in more luminous paintings.

Here's a blog post about my Inspiration Quotient for a recent painting.

Feel free to email me with topics you’d like to read about here!

Ongoing Oil Painting Class at Forstall Art Center

Birmingham, AL, Tuesdays, 9:30-12:30, to register email terrystr@terrystricklandart.com
Class size limited to 10 students.

Strickland Family Biz News

A Creative and Independent Company

The Stricklands at Matter Deep Publishing invite you to enjoy a FREE story on us for the holidays. Kyle's story about working retail at Christmas will make you smile for sure, so take a moment for yourself and enjoy Smile and Greet the Customer in ePub, Kindle or PDF formats.

Sunshine's Night Out is on SALE through Amazon for $9.35 (down from $12.99) and free shipping with a $25 purchase. And here's another great Sunshine review and giveaway.

Contact Terry

Email

(205) 664-5331

Website

Blog

forward to a friend
Copyright © \|CURRENT_YEAR\|* \|LIST:COMPANY\|, All rights reserved.* \|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE\| \|LIST:DESCRIPTION\| Our mailing address is: \|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML\|\|END:IF\|	\|IF:REWARDS\| \|HTML:REWARDS\| \|END:IF\|
unsubscribe from this list \| update subscription preferences

Poets and Artists Magazine

2011-12-17T22:53:00.000-06:00

I'm thrilled to announce that my work is featured in this month's Poets and Artists Magazine, Issue #30, Dec 2011!

Open publication - Free publishing - More art. poetry

Poets and Artists is a print-on-demand and digital publication published through hp MagCloud, by Didi Menendez. The magazine will be available in print ($22) until the next magazine comes out in January and available in digital form ($5) indefinitely. You can preview the entire magazine and read it on line.

This magazine is an exciting example of the dynamic changes in the current world of publishing. A beautiful full-color magazine that is produced and printed on demand, how exciting! That was unimaginable even a few years ago.

Here are a couple screen shots of my work as they appear in the magazine.

One of the other artists in this issue is Aron Wiesenfeld who's work I adore. It's beautiful and strangely disturbing. Aron shows at Arcadia Gallery in NYC.

Aron Wiesenfeld, Train Tunnel, 30x32, 2009

Fatima Ronquillo, who's work is gorgeous and equally surreal.

Fatima Ronquillo, Lady With Honey Thief

There's also an interview with Victoria Selbach and images of her larger than life acrylic nudes. Her use of light and shadows on the form creates interest abstraction.


Victoria Selbach, Mary 1, 32x30, Acrylic, 2011

Another magical painter in the magazine is Chris Sedgwick.

Chris Sedgwick, three Mythographers, 29x48, oil on canvas, 2011

There is also really cool work by Daniel Maidman, and Aunia Kahn, as well as a slew of poets: Ron Androla, David Krump. Pris Campbell, Joann Balingit, Joshua Gray and Michael Parker to name a few.

A few links for you of posts about my work that's in the magazine:
"Bram's Lullaby, The Incognito Project"
"The Lion Tamer, The Incognito Project"
"The Bribe", which is currently showing at the Peterson-Cody Gallery's Holiday Show in Santa Fe, NM.

How to Reuse Oil Painting Panels or Canvases

2011-12-03T20:15:00.000-06:00

Those experimental or failed oil sketches just seem to stack up. And while we rejoice in them and understand that they are stepping stones to where we want to be artistically...

Seems a shame to throw them out BUT we really must get rid of them ourselves because our grandchildren won't be able part with them. Who knows they might end up in a museum years from now, yikes!

I reuse them, who knows, the next sketch might be successful?

First, I hand sanded the panels (consider wearing a mask), then applied Gamblin Oil Painting Ground with a window squeegee. If the oil ground is too thick you can thin it with a few drops of OMS. This resulted in an almost slick surface.

I recently read about rolling the still wet surface with a white, house painting roller that has a low nap to get a slight texture. I will try that next time just to experiment.

A word of caution, I've been asked by students if they can simply use acrylic gesso to paint over their old oil paintings. The answer is no, gesso is water base which should never be used over oil based paint. It might seem like it's sticking but could eventually peel off and of course that will be on the very panel you've done your Mona Lisa on.

Here are a few alla prima sketches and plein air paintings that survived the cut...for now.

Here's a link to a video of painter and Gamblin technical support representative Scott Gellatly, demonstrating applying their oil ground product to panels and canvases.

Have you found a great way to resurface your little stepping stone oil sketches? I'd love to hear your solutions.

Principle Gallery, Geoffrey Johnson, Martin Poole and Holiday Small Works Show

2011-12-01T17:53:00.001-06:00

Opening Saturday, December 3, 2011, 1:00-4:00pm
I'm happy to have couple pieces in this show!

“Veni, Vidi, Vici”, 14x11, oil on panel


“Fire Dance”, 8x10, oil on panel

Veni, Vidi, Vici was a really fun painting to do. I love it when I smile through the process!

Fire Dance is a bit of a trek to our darker side but I enjoy going there too.

Geoffrey Johnson

From the Principle Gallery website, Geoffrey's Artist Statement:

A native of North Carolina, Geoffrey Johnson received his classical training at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Since his time there, he has established himself as a true innovator, successfully capturing the alluring space between abstraction and realism. A fascination with both the human figure and the powerful architecture of a modern city play a large role in his oils. Through a feeling of anonymity, figures become suggestive shapes and the skyline of New York materializes mysteriously in the background. The paintings embody the mood of each urban experience.

Martin Poole

I enjoy both these artist's work very much. They are spectacular in person. Here are links to the gallery's page for Martin Poole, and Geoffrey Johnson.

Here are some of my other posts about shows at Principle Gallery. It's located in Old Towne, at 208 King Street, Alexandria VA. Here's a link to the gallery's home page.

Behind the Scenes : Write and Illustrate a Children's Picture Book

2011-11-21T21:38:00.000-06:00

My kids, Kyle and Carly, recent graduates of Savannah College of Art and Design, have just published their first book together. It's a children's picture book about a Chinese hamster they owned when they were roomies in college.

Since I'm the mom I've been privy to each step along the way. It's been entertaining for me, seeing it come to fruition, so I thought I'd share.

Continue reading below the break for the step by step.

Carly started the book in her children's book illustration class her senior year. I remember when she emailed the thumbnails to me so we could talk about them. I was on a trip delivering art work somewhere or another, at a hotel in the middle of nowhere and we spent most of the evening on the phone talking composition and design.

This was a very regular occurrence with her away in art school at SCAD. Turns out, we love to brainstorm together and she is my best critic. My paintings are never done until Carly gives the approval, she has a great eye.

Kyle holding the real Sunshine, enjoying her favorite snack, a walnut.

But first came the original script, which her brother Kyle dictated over the phone. He graduated in 2008 with a BFA in professional writing.

Then thumbnails.

Next came a more fully developed drawing, where details and composition are worked out. Here is a progression for a two page spread.

You can see she experimented with media. At this point she was not sure of her style. For the class assignment she did watercolor but then over the course of her senior year she fell in love with vector illustrations. She found her voice.

Here's another series of two page spreads as they progressed from sketch to final form. The book was originally designed as an 8x10 inch book but changed to 8 1/2 x 81/2 in it's eventual form.

Since we are a family of artists, writers and illustrators we have started a family publishing company, Matter Deep Publishing.
Independent publishing is easier than ever now. It has been a lot of work getting the whole thing going and learning about the details of print on demand and eBook publishing.

We are publishing through Createspace, which makes the books available through Amazon. The next step we are working on is getting them published on iPad and Kindle Fire.

Marketing is the biggest challenge for independent publishers. Carly and my daughter-in-law Amy are working on that and Sunshine has already had three reviews. They are doing a giveaway contest in which three plushies that Carly made will be given away, along with adorable tote-bags and the book. (giveaway ends Nov. 23, 2011)

In addition to that there is a page on the company's website where one can download free coloring book pages of illustrations from Sunshine's Night Out. I thought that was a great thinking outside-the-box idea.

So here's a bunch of links for you. Carly's blog, where you can find all the info about the reviews, the giveaway and the plushies.

You can buy Sunshine's Night Out at Amazon or at Createspace.

This is a video where you can preview the entire book set to music, video made by Amy.

In addition to Sunshine, Matter Deep Publishing has also published a young adult novel, Olympia Height's by Amy Strickland, and multiple digital short stories by Kyle.

How to Keep Paintings From Sliding in the Frame

2011-11-19T12:50:00.001-06:00

Here's a simple solution to prevent your paintings from sliding around in a frame that doesn't have a tight fit. It's always annoying when a painting shifts around during shipping and scratches the surface of the paint.

Back Side of The Certainty of Youth and The Complexity of Wisdom

I cut a few pieces of black foam core and use them as spacers between the edge of the painted panel and the edge of the frame.

In this instance the thickness of the foam core was the correct thickness to keep the painting snug. If it needs to be smaller the foam core can squish together, its kind of springy and that works too. If you have a bigger space you can use the foam core flat rather than on the side.

I find the best solution is to do a floating frame but depending on the design of the piece that is not always viable.

The gessoed panel or canvas is secured in the frame with a Fletcher's Framer's Point Driver. It's the best thing since sliced bread.

Another indispensable tool is the Fletcher PullMate, for removing the points.

Front Side of The Certainty of Youth and The Complexity of Wisdom

This painting is at Peterson-Cody Gallery in Santa Fe, NM., and here are a couple posts I did about the making of the work:

Black and White Or Shades of Gray?

The Inspiration Quotient or Mr. Coffee

I'm working on my November newsletter introducing plein air and alla prima oil sketches I've done over the past year.

To get the 7 tips for Plein Air painting that I learned the hard way, sign up to receive my monthly newsletter here.

On Reading "The Help" and Growing Up Southern

2011-11-13T11:47:00.001-06:00

With my painting Agape at the Embracing Our Differences art installation, 2009, Sarasota, Florida.

Embracing Our Differences is an international art competition where paintings are turned into billboards and school children from the area are brought to tour the exhibit. Teaching materials are available to help teachers in their dialog about this subject.

I'm reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It's a great book and I can see why it's been wildly popular and made into a movie. I love books about growing up in the south, a few favorite authors are Pat Conroy, Mark Childress and Rick Bragg. However the idea of having a maid or an African American nanny is not in the realm of my family's experience.

It has been interesting to contrast and compare the south of The Help with my own growing up in the south experience. I was raised on the space coast of Florida in the sixties and seventies and have always been proud of being southern, but sometimes I wonder if I really know what that means. Moving to Alabama in 1994 has given me a different perspective, maybe what they say about Florida not really being The South is true.

Agape, detail

My grandparents and great-grandparents were very poor laborers, share croppers and tenant farmers. They lived in tobacco sheds and roamed north Florida and south Georgia looking for work during the depression and in the couple of decades after. My great grandfather was an immigrant from Ireland and had six daughters, not a blessing for a man that makes his living cutting railroad ties.

My father joined the air force before I was born and that gave my nuclear family the boost it needed to latch on to the middle class American dream. He was the first in our family to get an education, going to community college as an adult on the GI Bill.

I missed the civil rights movement being too young to know what was going on but I do remember tension in the schools and hearing my parents talk about the black panther movement and the protests against the Vietnam War. My dad spent my 1st grade year in Vietnam.

Whenever I have encountered racism I'm always shocked and never know how to respond. When we first moved to Alabama I was surprised to find that there were NO public swimming pools. There were expensive private swim clubs you could join and that's what my neighbors did.

I just assumed that the taxes are so low in Alabama that there isn't funding for luxuries like recreation parks with swimming pools. A few years later the Birmingham News ran an article about how the Birmingham area dealt with forced integration in the 60's and 70's and one of the things was that when public pools were forced to integrate they were all filled in.

It was one of those times I was sad to be a southerner, but it gave me a great conversation starter with my kids.

There was a time when I was helping my daughter study Martin Luther King, Jr's I Have a Dream Speech. I got choked up. She didn't understand what all the fuss was about because she'd been raised with the gospel according to poet/writer Shel Silverstein.

“No Difference"

Small as a peanut,
Big as a giant,
We're all the same size
When we turn off the light.

Rich as a sultan,
Poor as a mite,
We're all worth the same
When we turn off the light.

Red, black or orange,
Yellow or white,
We all look the same
When we turn off the light.

So maybe the way,
To make everything right
Is for god to just reach out
And turn off the light!”

I have done a couple paintings where I've attempted to talk about the issue of racism. My way to present it, is to paint it the way it should be, the way I see things.

Agape, 30x48, oil on canvas over panel, 2006

Harmony Works, 28x30, oil on canvas over panel

If so many things about the south bother me, why do I still have a warm spot in my heart for being southern?

Here's a short list, the good things about the South I love...

There's always room at the table for one more dinner guest.

We're not afraid of hard work, I think of my grandmother working at a canning plant to feed six children.

Our philosophy is why go with a handshake when a hug feels so much better?

You can't get better story tellers than Southerners, wish you could have heard my dad spinning yarns!

Southerners listen - that's what makes them such good story tellers.

Even though I'm officially the first artist in the family don't believe it, my grandfather's colorful pantry full of canned goods from his garden was a work of art.

And a couple more details from the paintings.

Agape, detail


Harmony Works, detail

Embracing Ours Differences is still going strong and you can enter the show and find out more about the program here.

Extraterrestrials in Santa Fe?

2011-11-11T18:44:00.001-06:00

I was only there for a couple days for my show opening at Peterson-Cody Gallery, which will be up through the end of November, 2011. I explored the downtown area and poked my head in a few galleries as well as the New Mexico Museum of Art.

It all seemed exotic and alien to my southern eyes, you'll see what I mean.

Crop circles, crops in a circle, twentieth century art?

Being a southern gardener, when I see a plant I immediately name it, couldn't do it there, they were like alien plants.

Coolest art EVER by Rik Allen at the Blue Rain Gallery, blown glass and steel. Inside the glass capsule is a tiny red chair. Love, love, love the retro sci-fi stuff, his show was titled Adrift.

Then there were the actual aliens, street art aliens that is.

More street art. I love discovering this stuff. If anyone can identify the artists let me know. This one might be documenting the alien crash sight.

Artist, Martin Spei defying gravity with his Meteorite Man at gf Contemporary.

Karen Lamonte, cast glass, at the New Mexico Museum of Art. (possibly an abduction, only the kimono remains). Seriously, I've seen Karen's work many times and it never fails to amaze and mesmerize me.

Awesome Judy Chicago from 2000, also at the museum. Cast glass and paint with a light behind it. Kyrptonite?


Jacob Pfeiffer's work is entirely other worldly, so delicate, the colors glow! This one is Bulbous, 8x10, oil on panel, at Meyer East Gallery.

Think about actually going cross country in that thing. This was at my hotel, The Old Santa Fe Inn, a nice place to stay, right downtown and very reasonable. Starbucks 'round the clock in the lobby, and a free hot burrito breakfast bar, free wi-fi that works, yes!

Adobe construction is so bizarre and beautiful. It's everywhere, no brick or siding in sight. I was very curious about the construction.

Then I met a couple guys in the process of repairing a building. The were nice enough to answer my crazy tourist questions.

They showed me this section where the adobe bricks are visible. Also it turns out the color is a tinted lime wash and not really paint.

Evidence of extraterrestrials in New Mexico-you decide? I'm just here to ask the tough questions.

Where No Man Has Gone Before

Veni, Vidi, Veci

More later about other art and the fabulous food!

More info for those inquiring minds:

My and Forrest Solis' show installed at Peterson-Cody.

Below is a video, with commentary about the work in the show.

Karen LaMonte's work

The New Mexico Museum of Art

The Meyer East Gallery

The gf Contemporary

Blue Rain Gallery
Terry Strickland Art YouTube Channel

Opening Night in Santa Fe

2011-11-10T11:17:00.001-06:00

with Martine-Bertin Peterson, gallery owner/director

LA artist Shanna Galloway and her husband Jim came into town for the show and a weekend of exploring Santa Fe.

Forrest Solis' paintings, Ben Hammonds sculptures

It was a beautiful opening, the gallery looked great. It was wonderful to see the other artists work that Peterson-Cody Gallery represents. Here are just a few.

Jane Jones

Darlis Lamb sculpture, Annie Dover paintings,

Dennis Wojtkiewicz

Josh Moulton, Gordon Inyard

I'll do a post later about the rest of the weekend which included a freak snow storm that left the entire downtown without power for half a day. Santa Fe is an adventure.

"Story Within" at Peterson-Cody Gallery

2011-11-04T02:00:00.000-05:00

The day is finally here!

"Story Within" Peterson-Cody Gallery Opening Tonight.

I'm very excited to be in Santa Fe attending the opening tonight of "Story Within" at Peterson-Cody Gallery. Stop by if you are in town and say hi.

Peterson-Cody Gallery
130 West Palace Avenue
505-820-0010

The Magazine

Here are images of the work in the show and links to posts about them.

Our Dancing Days, 30x40, oil on panel

The Bribe, 11x14, oil on panel

Ripe Was the Drowsy Hour, 18x24, oil on panel

The Certainty of Youth and the Complexity of Wisdom, 43x49, oil on panel

Ode to Melancholy, 24x36, oil on panel

Power Struggle, 30x40, oil on panel

The above is a screen shot of the Santa Fe Gallery Association coverage of the show. You can read the article on the SFGA Web Site.

The Inspiration Quotient or Mr. Coffee

2011-11-03T02:00:00.000-05:00

Count Down to "Story Within"- 1 day to go!

Today I wanted to write about The Inspiration Quotient or How Ideas Evolve.

X+Y = the Final Product - W Magazine uses this kind of equation to explain their fashion photo shoots and it makes sense to me. Sometimes there is a linear progression of thought for a piece.

Mr. Coffee - In truth it's really much more complicated than that because there's no way to factor in years of life experience and emotions for example. Sometimes an artist doesn't know why they make the connections they do, it's more like percolating water flowing over ground up coffee beans and picking up a little something along its way into the pot.

"The Certainty of Youth and the Complexity of Wisdom", Diptych frame size 43x49, each panel 29x18, oil on panel

So this is how all the following ideas added up to my painting.

Common Saying - "seeing things in black and white or in shades of gray". I think that is true and the older I get, the more I understand about certain situations, the less clear cut the issue is.

Billy Joel - A few years ago I heard his song Shades of Grey, for the umpteenth time and it dawned on me that there was truth to what he'd written. I frequently find wisdom in the lyrics of singer-song writers, they are indeed the poets of our day. (lyrics to the song are at the bottom of this post)

Make it so #1 - I sent my mind out looking for ways to visually present this very intangible idea. It literally took a couple of years for something to bubble to the top.

Rocks? - I'm not sure when the rocks occurred to me so that will have to be a blank in the equation.

Awesome Models - A young model and a mature model to capture the idea that wisdom comes with age (hopefully). Both models are fellow Birmingham, AL artists. I decided that they should be depicted separately to allow for the possibility that it could be the same man at a different ages, for that reason they couldn't exist in the same pictorial space, hence the diptych.

Costumes - I wanted the younger model to be wearing a crisp white shirt and my mature model to be wearing a more relaxed shirt. Turns out my younger model didn't own a dress shirt, so he bought one on the way to my studio. When we took it out of the package it still had the fold creases, PERFECT, I thought for the black and white character. My older model is a sculptor so he lives in denim shirts anyway. This is an example of how models contribute to the painting in important ways besides how they look.

Renaissance Altarpieces and Portraits - These things say "This is of import" and I couldn't resist having an elaborate frame, like the one below, built to house my diptych.

Piero dell Francesca, Diptych Portrait: Battista Sforza & Federico da Montefeltro, 1472-3

my painting

Maybe that gives some insight into the creative process, it was a fun exercise for me anyway...

Here's another post about The Certainty of Youth and the Complexity of Wisdom that has many close-ups and other paintings that feature these models.

And only one day to go till my show in Santa Fe, NM at Peterson-Cody Gallery!

Lyrics to Shades Of Grey: by Billy Joel
Some things were perfectly clear, seen with the vision of youth
No doubts and nothing to fear, I claimed the corner on truth
These days it's harder to say I know what I'm fighting for
My faith is falling away
I'm not that sure anymore

Shades of grey wherever I go
The more I find out the less that I know
Black and white is how it should be
But shades of grey are the colors I see

Once there were trenches and walls and one point of every view
Fight 'til the other man falls
Kill him before he kills you
These days the edges are blurred, I'm old and tired of war
I hear the other man's words
I'm not that sure anymore

Shades of grey are all that I find
When I come to the enemy line
Black and white was so easy for me
But shades of grey are the colors I see

Now with the wisdom of years I try to reason things out
And the only people I fear are those who never have doubts
Save us all from arrogant men, and all the causes they're for
I won't be righteous again
I'm not that sure anymore

Shades of grey wherever I go
The more I find out the less that I know
Ain't no rainbows shining on me
Shades of grey are the colors I see

Serial Artist

2011-11-02T02:00:00.000-05:00

Count Down to "Story Within"- 2 days to go!

How do you know when a series is exhausted? If the subject still has appeal for me I'm willing to continue exploring it.

Our Dancing Days, 30x40, oil on panel, is a large piece created for this show "Story Within".

Here's a post I did about Our Dancing Days. I realize I've done three other paintings at this point that were initially inspired by the clearing in the woods near my house. The models are my son, my daughter and my daughter-in-law. I think each painting has a different feel, at sometimes being playful, sensual or mysterious.

"If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On", oil on canvas over panel, 32x39

"The Clearing", 24x18, oil on panel


"Ripe Was the Drowsy Hour", 18x24, oil on panel

How do you work in a series? Some artists work on one series at a time, designing them all as a cohesive group. I seem to have several series going at the same time and work on them for years.

I did The Clearing and If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On in 2009, and just finished Our Dancing Days and Ripe Was the Drowsy Hour this summer 2011, with many paintings in between.

Why even work in a series? For me it is hard to say everything I want to say about a particular subject in one painting. It takes the pressure off knowing that it doesn't have to all be said within the borders one piece, especially if it's a complex subject.

The Changing Series. Interestingly enough sometimes the series fizzles out and I know I'm done with it, but other times a series get a crazy spin off series, kind of like Torchwood from Dr. Who? or Pinky and the Brain from Animaniacs... Anyway you get the idea!

For example the Incognito Series of paintings that I've been working on since 2005, spawned The Incognito Project in 2010. It's a very specific Event and Show.

I'm still working on that project, having completed 15 paintings with 14 more in the works. The collection will be shown here in Birmingham, AL, at a date TBA. The work is also being documented for a book.

But in the mean time come see me in Santa Fe at the Peterson-Cody Gallery for my opening on Nov, 4, 2011 with Forrest Solis, I'll be in town.

I am interested in the hows and whys you do serial work, so let me hear from you. Until tomorrow!

Triangle Power

2011-11-01T07:51:00.000-05:00

Count Down to "Story Within"- 3 days to go!

One of the large piece created for this show, "Story Within", at Peterson-Cody Gallery in Santa Fe, NM, opening Nov, 4, 2011 is Power Struggle, 30x40, oil on panel.

This is a composition of triangles considered the most stable of design devices. The triangle also has symbolic roots in ancient culture.

In Egypt the triangle was a symbolic representation of a triad related to man, woman and offspring, think pyramids. In Greece a triangle was the door of life; for Pythagoreans a symbol of the goddess of wisdom Athena; in Buddhism a triangle symbolized pure flame and three treasures of Buddha. In Christianity equilateral triangle signifies the consummation, closure, accomplishment, completion, Trinity.

Just a few trivia tid-bits there. I'm not sure all that had anything to do with the initial design since it's impossible to arm wrestle and not get a few triangles, however when analyzing why a composition works or doesn't, it's an interesting thing to think about.

Here's a previous post I did about Power Struggle where I used pre-varnish images. This piece was very difficult to get a good picture of and I'm still not sure the color is right.

Here are a couple posts about the tricky business of photographing oil paintings, Part 1 and Part 2.

See you tomorrow!

Golden Apples and Blues Eyes

2011-10-31T09:43:00.000-05:00

Count Down to "Story Within"- 4 days to go!

The last piece I did for the show and one I have not posted on the blog yet is The Bribe, 11x14, oil on panel.

My model is holding a golden apple. She appears to be a modern girl, but could she be Athena, the witch from Cinderella or temptation in another form? You choose your own poison.

This is a new model for me and great to work with. It's been awhile since I painted a blond, I had to really think twice about it.

Another challenge was that I wanted the model's face to be in very soft focus and the apple and hands very clear.

My daughter-in-law, Amy Strickland, found this model to be the Athena character on the cover for the second book (in progress) in her Olympia Heights Series of young adult, supernatural books.

We worked on the photography for her cover together, inspired by her Greek mythology golden apple I was compelled to do this piece about temptation.

Here's the Peterson-Cody November Newsletter with more info about "Story Within", my two-person with Forrest Solis, opening Nov. 4, 2011.

Here is my October Newsletter. See you tomorrow!

Count Down to "Story Within" - 5 days to go!

2011-10-30T02:00:00.000-05:00

My show with Forrest Solis is fast approaching so I'm counting down the days by doing a post each day, featuring different work from the show till the opening.

Both sides of the tri-fold brochure invitation for the show.

Story Within is a reference to the popular literary device of a story within a story. It can be found across cultures and media in many works of fiction; a few examples are the Arabian Nights, ancient Indian literature, Homer’s Odyssey, Shakespeare's Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the films Moulin Rouge and Inception.

This idea appeals to me because it allows for layers of meaning and use of symbolic imagery. In this body of work I'm playing with objects such as masks, rocks, golden apples, light and shadow.

Ripe Was the Drowsy Hour, 18x24, oil on panel

Yes, they are narrative paintings but there is room for the viewer to bring their own ideas and emotions to the painting. Several pieces in the show have multiple figures, automatically giving the viewer choices, who in the scene do you identify with? What is going on between the figures in the painting?

The story within a story idea fits this show because Forrest and I both use these types of narratives in our work.

Forrest Solis, Good Sleeping Habits, 36x36, mixed media

Ripe Was the Drowsy Hour is a continuation of my Gypsy pieces. There is a clearing on a walk near my house and I envision a band of nomadic, carefree travelers stopping there. This work touches on the sensual romantic idea and mythological idea of the Roma.

I borrowed the title from a John Keats poem Ode on Indolence, here's one verse:
How is it, Shadows! that I knew ye not?
How came ye muffled in so hush a masque?
Was it a silent deep-disguised plot
To steal away, and leave without a task
My idle days? Ripe was the drowsy hour;
The blissful cloud of summer-indolence
Benumb'd my eyes; my pulse grew less and less;
Pain had no sting, and pleasure's wreath no flower:
O, why did ye not melt, and leave my sense
Unhaunted quite of all but---nothingness?

Interesting that I found this poem after these paintings were done while I was looking for a title. He wrote about the same mystery and languor I've been painting about in this work.

And a few details of the painting...

Here's a video of all 6 of the pieces in the show with commentary.
See you tomorrow!

Oops! The Boxed Painting Won't Fit in the Car!

2011-10-29T02:00:00.000-05:00

The Certainty of Youth and the Complexity of Wisdom, including the frame size is 49x43 and too big to fit in any of the StrongBoxes I had on hand, first problem encountered!

Backing up a moment - When shipping work first I wrap my paintings in Dartek, a plastic I've had great luck with. It is an archival museum product made by University Products. I find that it works great to keep foam and dust from getting on the work. I would caution that it's best to experiment with your particular varnish. I always try to varnish at least a week before the work is shipped so it's not green.

Then they are put in Airfloat System StrongBoxes, which have a puncture resistant liner and foam so the work doesn't move at all. They are expensive but reusable and I've had great luck shipping with them. They are lighter weight for shipping than a plywood crate so you will save in the end on shipping costs.

Meanwhile back to the problem at hand - we opened up one end of my largest StrongBox and made the box bigger by canibalizing other boxes we had on hand. Ok, this is gonna work.

Then...As we are building the box we realize IT'S too big to fit in my Mazda CX 7. At this point I have already delivered four boxes to FedEx and paid for a shipping label for this fifth box and time is of the essence. FedEx had given me a deal on shipping the five boxes as a multi-piece shipment.

It seemed too complicated to try to arrange a pick up of the work so we took all the parts down to FedEx and assembled the package there.

EXTREME amounts of Extreme packing tape and many FRAGILE stickers later I finally said goodbye to my diptych.

Now I know my absolute width size limit if I'm going to haul the work to FedEx myself. Wondering, will these years be known as the Mazda years? Someone in this family really needs to buy a truck.

I'm happy to say all the work arrived safely in Santa Fe at the Peterson-Cody Gallery for my show which will open next Friday, Nov, 4, 2011.

Here are few links you might find helpful: Dartek Film,
Airfloat StrongBox

Here's a previous post I did about The Certainty of Youth and the Complexity of Wisdom.

Here are a couple others about shipping art work. Good luck!

How to Photograph Oil Paintings, Part 2

2011-10-26T20:50:00.001-05:00

I have previously shared my method for photographing oil paintings, always a challenge and now I'm adding an addendum.

This week I've been photographing six paintings for my upcoming Peterson-Cody Show, two of which have a very dark background. I was having difficulty getting good pictures because the walls of my studio, the legs of the tripod and the silver on the camera, even my pale mug were reflected in the dark areas of the painting.

This is what I was finally able to get after much fumbling around and experimenting.

For you the short version - here's what worked.

I wrapped a piece of black fabric around the tripod and camera, I wore a long sleeved back T shirt and I stepped to the side so my face wasn't reflected and used a cable release to take the picture. A cable release is always a good idea.

I also draped a piece of the fabric over a frame made of 1x4's that was clamped to a sawhorse and stood it behind the tripod so that it was reflected in the painting rather than the light colored wall. (luckily the frame was still in the studio from a photo shoot I'd done this weekend, the orange fabric you see is from that shoot).

I suppose I could have covered the wall with a big black sheet. Maybe I should paint that wall a dark color?

Another thing I've added is a Kodak, Q-14 Color Separation Guide. Magazines and printers use these to color correct for publication purposes. I've never used one before but thought it was time to start.

Here's the previous post about my method for photographing oil paintings.


Ode to Melancholy, 24x36, oil on panel

This is a video about the body of work I was documenting and shipping off to Peterson-Cody Gallery this week. (more about the shipping drama and solutions in a couple days!)

The opening is November 4, 130 West Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, NM. If you're in town stop in and say hi, I'll be in town.

Women Painting Women Artist on "Work of Art - The Next Great Artist"

2011-10-19T10:23:00.000-05:00

I've never watched this Bravo reality TV show before this week, but one of my students recommended it to me. I'm not a fan of reality TV but I have to say this was entertaining.

The first show of the 2nd season aired last week. I was delighted to see Jazz-Minh Moore as one of the contestants.

I've shown with Jazz-Minh last fall, November 2010, at the Women Painting Women Invitational that was at Robert Lange Studios in Charleston, SC. and I loved her paintings! They are acrylic on birch panel, and she incorporates the wood grain in an interesting way. They are finished off with a think layer of resin so they have a depth that is beautiful.

Here's a link for the show which airs every Wed 9/8c. Work of Art-The Next Great Artist .

You can see Jazz-Minh's work here.

Here are a couple of my posts about the WPW Show, here and here. Press about the WPW show here.

And finally a link to the Women Painting Women blog that inspired the show at Robert Lange Studios.

Fortunate To Be At Robert Lange Studios

2011-10-13T08:11:00.000-05:00

Chinese proverbs found in the tradition of fortune cookies inspired the premise of this group show in Charleston, SC. The show is built around "Brilliant" work, Jonathan Brilliant that is, and his Field of Good Fortune Series.

One of Jonathan's large metal sculptures will be in the center of the gallery and Robert Lange Studios' artist's and invited guest artists work, based on the theme, will hang around it on the walls.

Framed beside each work of art will be the tiny fortune cookie proverb that is linked to the piece. I thrilled to be showing again with the wonderful artists at RLS!

Oracle, 30x22, charcoal and pastel on paper

Oracle's fortune cookie proverb

Oracle appeared in American Artist's Drawing Magazine in it's Winter 2011 issue in an article entitled Forming the Figure by Ken Proctor.

Shipping a drawing that is already framed and under glass is always tricky, but she made the journey just fine. The glass was taped and she was wrapped in multiple layers of foam and bubble wrap. Thank you Fed Ex! Here's another post I did about shipping art.

I'm working on my second newsletter, and if you haven't signed up and would like to you can subscribe here.

Value Study With a Twist

2011-10-08T23:45:00.001-05:00

I'm moving my students from value studies to full color.

Day 1- This is my demo piece of an under painting using an open grisaille method. Grisaille is painting in monochrome and open meaning that the white of the canvas is allowed to show through the paint for the lighter areas of the painting, much like a watercolor technique. If we were painting in the whites with white paint it would be a closed grisaille.

This is a very similar effect as the rub out painting I had them do a few weeks ago. We thinned the paint, Burnt Umber, with a 60/40 mixture of linseed oil and odorless mineral spirits and painted using an additive method rather than a subtractive method like the rub out. I like doing this type of under painting because it is a value study that you build on rather than do and discard.

I introduced color by adding one piece of fruit to each of the mug and egg still-lifes they'd been working on. Different set-ups had a green apple, a lemon or a red apple.

Day 2- I demonstrated pre-mixing color for the areas to be painted that day. Working from the background to the foreground and painting adjacent forms simultaneously I laid in the forms and simple colors of the lemon and the area around the lemon. (sorry no picture :(

Day 3- I demonstrated bringing one area of the painting to a more finished level. I started by oiling out, rubbing a mixture of medium (60/40 linseed oil and OMS) and a bit of Res N Gel over the sunk in area where I was going to be painting that day. Sinking in is when the oil is drying and the pigments on the surface look chalky or dry.

The couching layer of the oiling out helps the new layer adhere and also helps you see the colors you'd previously painted. Colors can get hard to judge as they dry and this basically brings them back to full saturation.

As I painted I emphasized keeping edges soft, especially in the reflections in the mug and cast shadows. I encouraged them to really look at the objects and challenge themselves to paint by observation.

Only by this intense observation would one notice the way the silver mug throws blue onto the side of the lemon nearest it, or how red the shadow on the under side of the lemon is.

All the students came up with great little paintings. Next up for the class is an all blue still-life and the challenge of differentiating and mixing all those different subtle colors.

It's fun to dream up ways to torture them in a good way!

"Story Within" New Painting Video

2011-09-29T09:11:00.000-05:00

Here's a new body of work created for Peterson-Cody Gallery, for my upcoming show opening Nov 4, 2011, Santa Fe, NM.

"Story Within"

It's a two person show with Forrest Solis.

My daughter Carly, a recent graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, has opinions. It was her idea to do the voice over rather than music on this video.

I have to admit I experienced a little stage fright. I have no problem talking with my friends, family and students about art but I was nervous about recording my thoughts and hearing my own voice recorded.

Thanks to Carly's awesome editing you can't even tell I'm a slow southern talker, woo hoo for garage band!

I welcome comments and constructive criticism since I'm planning on doing more videos. I have a few other videos on my YouTube Channel.

Miller Gallery - CONTEMPORARY REALISM: Invitational

2011-09-24T10:37:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to have been invited to participate in this show! Cincinnati, OH. Shaping up to be a great looking exhibit.

These images are from the gallery's facebook fan page.
Opening Friday, September 30, 2011, 6-8 pm

The gallery is located at:
2715 Erie Avenue - Hyde Park Square
Cincinnati, Ohio 45208
phone-(513) 871-4420
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 10-5:30 / Thursday-Friday 10-8 / Saturday 10-5:30 / Sunday 10-2
Miller Gallery

I have a monthly newsletter of show info, workshops, art tips. Interested in signing up for my email newsletter? You may Subscribe Here

Veni, Vidi, Vici

2011-09-21T20:19:00.000-05:00

"Veni, Vidi, Vici", 14x11, oil on panel

Fresh off the easel and curing for the small works 2011 Holiday Show at Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA. Here are a few details.

Reportedly uttered by Julius Caesar 47 BC as a comment on his short war with Pharnaces II of Pontus in the city of Zela. "I came, I saw, I conquered."

This painting is unapologetically campy and was much too fun to paint, although it was a challenge to paint the figure blurry enough when they are normally the focal point of my paintings.
Interested in signing up for my email newsletter? Subscribe Here

Fire Dance

2011-09-18T18:54:00.000-05:00

"Fire Dance", 8x10, oil on panel

detail

Thinking of titles is a tricky venture and sometimes I go blank. In my last post I asked for ideas for a title for this little painting. I received some interesting ideas but my favorite came from LA artist Shanna Galloway, "Fire Dance". Here are some of her thoughts about the painting:

"...The moths don't seem to me to be near their end but are hovering around, circling the fire... which is a purification... the moths will no doubt be transformed... the matches speak of the duality of death and life..."

Another reader suggested "Torch Dance" which is beautiful as well.

A big thanks to all of you that played along taking the time to share your ideas about my work. I couldn't have said it better myself!

Here is link to other still life paintings I've done. This one is called "A Cautionary Tale", 9.5x10, oil on panel, but as they say, that's another story...

Interested in signing up for my email newsletter? Subscribe Here

Like a Moth to a Flame

2011-09-15T08:23:00.002-05:00

This is a new painting, actually I'm still not sure of a title. Any suggestions?

It's 8x10, oil on panel, it's curing for the small works 2011 Holiday Show at Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA.

When researching ideas for a title I found this interesting... interesting but not surprising, once again Shakespeare.

Origin
The phrase is a simple allusion to the well-known attraction that moths have to bright lights. The word moth was used the the 17th century to mean someone who was apt to be tempted by something that would lead to their downfall. This is referred to by Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice, 1596:

"Thus hath the candle singd the moath."

Flames and matches have shown up a couple times before in my work. It's interesting to me when a certain imagery surfaces over time and I'm not really conscious of doing it. Painting is cheaper than therapy and way more fun but sometimes I'd like to know why.

In this instance I've used this idea before but always wanted to do a painting focusing just on the moths and the flame.

"#!%*&#$@", oil on canvas over panel, 37x24. This piece was done in 2006. My son was the model.

I had so much fun designing this. I did a lengthy photoshoot of my son wearing the Hulk hands, rummaged through the rubble of a torn down house to gather material for the still-life, photographed the flame from a blow torch and photoshopped in the lightning.

In the course of designing it I wondered if the lightning was over the top but finally decided It was a dark and stormy night... was a fitting background and just campy enough. And seriously once you've gone with Hulk Smash hands is there such a thing as "over the top?"

I think this is an example of a painting where humor and a campy attitude can still reveal truth. Channeling human drama, pop culture, emotions and irresistible attractions I just let it flow on this one, free associating imagery.

This piece is one we have added to our collection and it still makes me smile.

Interested in signing up for my email newsletter? Subscribe Here

Hear Ye, Read All About It

2011-09-10T19:27:00.001-05:00

The thrill of change, new galleries, new publishing company, new adventure's in the air at Terry Strickland Art.

Interested in keeping collectors, students, friends and family up to date, I'm creating a newsletter, first edition Sept. 15, 2011.

The newsletter will be monthly, not too long but chock full of news about upcoming shows, workshops and new paintings fresh off the easel. It will include a teaching spotlight, art world musings and of course lots of pretty pictures.

I'm using Mail Chimp, a "newsletter publishing platform". I settled on this service because several art friends have used it and been pleased.

Wow, there's so much to learn! They have many video tutorials but it does take time to sort through it all.

The trickiest thing is creating a recipient list. I don't want to risk getting reported as spam, plus it's not cool to jam up the in boxes of people who don't really care about Terry Strickland Art, so I'm starting from scratch on a brand new email list.

Even though this had been a good deal of work setting everything up I know it the long run it will help me safely keep in touch with the people that really care about my work.

Sneak peek at the first issue...

A new painting, "The Bribe"... is that Athena, Eve or Wall Street?

Incognito Project Update

New Gallery Representation

A New Strickland Family Business

"The Lion Tamer" in the Spotlight

2011-09-04T11:27:00.000-05:00

Well almost the spotlight...

I'm happy to announce that my painting "The Lion Tamer, The Incognito Project" has been named a finalist in The Artist's Magazine's 28th Annual Competition, figure and portrait category.

They say that the model is half the success of a figure painting and I think Peggy proves that true. She was willing to play along and share her fierce side with me, a side that not many people see. She also has a great energy that was a joy to try and capture.

Here are a couple more posts about this painting, they include details of the painting and a painting I did of this model 8 years ago.

Here's the first Incognito Project announcement, a portrait series I've been working on since June 2010.

Here are all the posts about this Project.

You may see the paintings that are finished thus far on my website's Incognito Project Gallery.

Also...I'm launching a new email Terry Strickland Art Newsletter using mail chimp, if you didn't notice it on the sidebar you can subscribe here. The newsletter will be monthly, not too long but chock full of news about up-coming shows, new paintings in the works or fresh off the easel, workshops, possible teaching tips, art world musings and lots of pretty pictures :D

"Our Dancing Days"

2011-08-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

"Our Dancing Days", 30x40, oil on panel

A hall, a hall, give room! And foot it, girls!

More light, you knaves, and turn the tables up;

And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.

Ah, sirrah, this unlook'd-for sport comes well.

Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet,

For you and I are past our dancing days.

How long is't now since last yourself and I

Were in a mask?

Romeo and Juliet

As with most of my paintings the title comes well after the painting is underway. I have a vision in mind as I'm designing the painting and working on it, then brainstorm during the process and after it's done to come up with an appropriate title.

In this case Shakespeare won out again. Dancing and masks are hallmarks of mystery, enchantment and dream-like experiences, romance is in the air.

The mythology of the Roma was on my mind as well as an idea of the Halcyon Days, happy and carefree times.

I could site many song lyrics and am surprised how often the word Gypsy came up in music I regularly listen to. The romantic appeal of that nomadic life style is strong, and while not many of us have the actual desire to chuck it all and join a band of merry mysterious travelers, it's mesmerizing to fantasize about for a short while.

I've done a couple other paintings on this theme, The Clearing, and If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On.

Our Dancing Days will be in my two person show with Forrest Solis opening November 4, 2011 at Peterson-Cody Gallery in Santa Fe, NM.

"Ay, There's the Rub"

2011-08-25T08:39:00.000-05:00

I could not resist this title for my post about this week's oil painting class, and my quick demo using a rub-out underpainting technique.

The phrase is Shakespeare’s. It comes from Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy:

To die — to sleep.
To sleep — perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub!
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause.

By rub, Hamlet means a difficulty, obstacle or objection.

How fitting a reference for this task we have chosen for ourselves. mastering the craft of painting, living the life of an artist. It can be the stuff of dreams or nightmares, it's the dream times that keeps us coming back for more.

When things are going well in the studio we seem to float on the current, lose track of time in a deep focus, it does seem rather dream like; yet when we are struggling against the current, reaching for the next level for our work, we are still learning, we will come out the other side (unlike Hamlet) and our work will be stronger for it.

I consistently remind my students struggle is learning, each new failure is a stepping stone to the next, better, painting.

All that said my students did great with this exercise and seemed to enjoy it! Using only Burnt Umber they covered the canvas with paint thinned only a bit with a mixture of linseed oil and OMS.

Then rubbed out the lighter values and highlights, using value to create volume.

This is the third in a value series I've had my students working on. You can see those and other teaching posts here.

Shakespeare continues to inspire, here is a link to a few of my paintings exploring some of his themes in a contemporary way.

Value of Practice

2011-08-20T19:18:00.000-05:00

Last week I did a second value poster study with my class. We are attempting to solidify this concept before moving on to color temperature. Here is the very quick demo I did for them.

They all worked hard the first week to understand what they were seeing and get it down, judging one value against another as they painted from the background to the foreground and from darkest to lightest.

We used raw umber and ivory black to mix our darkest value, then mixed a middle value.

Using mixtures of the middle value with our homemade black we mixed two additional dark values.

Then we used the middle value with titanium white to mix two additional light values.

This resulted in a string of color puddles that gave us 7 values to work with. They should eventually work toward seeing 9 or 10 values.

This gave them experience simplifying basic forms into values without the complication of color or temperature.

It also gave them experience mixing paint into color strings, a great way to work and the method I teach.

Next week we will continue with this two steps forward and one step back journey learning these color theory concepts.

I will have them do a rub out painting using burnt umber which is a standard under painting practice and one my students love once they give it a try.

Patience my lovely students, remember practice while reaching is learning! Linger in the uncomfortable zone.

This is one of my 9x12 figure sketches using this technique. I painted it in Charleston last fall while on the Women Painting Women on Expedition painting retreat.

Here is a link to a few of my other posts about teaching including one about the rub out technique. I'll post the demo after class next week.

Miller Gallery - CONTEMPORARY REALISM: Invitational

2011-08-18T12:44:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to have been invited to participate in this show!

Opening Friday, September 30, 2011, 6-8 pm

About the show from Miller Gallery's Website:

This group show brings together many of the finest, renowned realists in the United States, including Daniel E. Greene, Jonathan Queen, Glennray Tutor, Cesar Santander, Karen Hollingsworth, Helen Crispino, Timothy Jahn, Ron Monsma and many more.

My paintings "Flight Plan" and "Enlightenment" are on their way to Cincinnati.

"Flight Plan", 23x32, oil

"Flight Plan", Detail

"Enlightenment", 24x24, oil on panel


"Enlightenment", Detail

I've written about this painting before in my post "Enlightenment Ponderings"

The gallery is located at:
2715 Erie Avenue - Hyde Park Square
Cincinnati, Ohio 45208
phone-(513) 871-4420
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 10-5:30 / Thursday-Friday 10-8 / Saturday 10-5:30 / Sunday 10-2
Miller Gallery

Romantic Realist, Really?

2011-08-17T10:27:00.007-05:00

My work was featured on the ArtistADay website on July 16. It's been fun reading the comments by various viewers. A couple have mentioned Romantic Realism as a genre for my work. Curiosity piqued I turned to Google and Wiki for a quick definition.

Ann Rand defined romantic realism as a portrayal of life "as it could be and should be." She wrote: "The method of romantic realism is to make life more beautiful and interesting than it actually is, yet give it all the reality, and even a more convincing reality than that of our everyday existence."

Today's realists have many modifiers attached as we and others try to categorize our work. Contemporary, Traditional, Social, Political, Hyper, Photo... If Romantic Realism means a love of beauty and discipline of technical skills then I'm fine with the label. Does it also include work of a conceptual and symbolic nature like my work?

Considering the piece that is on my easel at the moment they may very well be right. This piece is in progress, 30x40, as yet untitled and is for my two-person show with Forrest Solis at Peterson-Cody Gallery in Santa Fe, NM, in November 2011.

I invite you to visit the ArtistADay website and rate my work by clicking on one of the boxes 1-5, five being the highest, You can also share that page with your facebook friends by clicking the like button under Share.

ArtistADay is available as a Google gadget for your Google home page. I have it on mine and enjoy seeing a new artist each day from all over the world.

Two Steps Forward - One Step Back

2011-08-10T19:06:00.003-05:00

This week I had my oil painting class do quick poster studies of a silver mug and an egg. This is my demo piece. I call this The Value of Back to Basics. (I apologize for that but I love puns.)

I've had several students quiz me about the difference between the color properties of value and temperature. Since experience is the best way to learn I designed this simple exercise to take them back to a basics lesson. Back to basics is a great way to freshen up and invigorate even the most experienced painter.

We used raw umber and ivory black to mix our darkest value, then mixed a middle value.

Using mixtures of the middle value with our homemade black we mixed two additional dark values.

Then we used the middle value with titanium white to mix two additional light values.

This resulted in a string of color puddles that gave us 7 values to work with. They should eventually work toward seeing 9 values.

This gave them experience breaking down simple forms into values without the complication of color or temperature.

It also gave them experience mixing paint into color strings, a great way to work and the method I teach.

We will be continuing with this for a few weeks in my class working on these color theory concepts, taking small steps backward and forward. Learning to paint is that kind of meandering journey!

Here is a link to a few of my other post about teaching.

Art Renewal Center's International Salon Awards

2011-08-07T11:40:00.003-05:00

The Art Renewal Center's 2010-2011 International Salon honors have been announced. My paintings "Fast Lane" and "Voice of the Tiger" have been named finalists in the figure category, and my drawing "Mage" is a finalist in the drawing category. I'm honored to have my work included with such wonderful company!

"Fast Lane" can be seen at Peterson-Cody Gallery in Santa FE, NM, you can see my previous posts about this painting, here.

"Mage" can be seen at Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA, my previous post about this painting may be viewed here.

"Voice of the Tiger" was sold through Robert Lange Studios in Charleston, SC, last year in association with the Women Painting Women show.

Here's a short video of the painting in progress and details.

I have several previous posts about the WPW show.

Many thanks to the people at the Art Renewal Center for encouraging and celebrating realist art in the contemporary art scene.

Farewell San Francisco!

2011-08-02T22:16:00.008-05:00

The last few days were spent exploring the city's delicious art and painting in it's garden's.

Jacob Pfeiffer at John Pence Gallery.

Will Wilson at John Pence Gallery.

John Pence Gallery.


		We found this Banksy on Howard and 9th,


Went in search of a reported Banksy on Haight Street and all that's left is the small dribble of red. We were stunned that it had been painted over!

Yarn Bomb, another type of pretty cool street art.

My daughter and I painting at the Japanese Tea Garden in the Golden Gate Park. 9x12, oil on panel

A small plein air oil sketch I did at the Golden Gate Park. "Water Lilies", 9x12, oil on panel


On our way home from San Francisco, we just happened to run in to Nowell and Sadie Valeri, who we had had the privilege of house-sitting for for the past two weeks. Destiny had intervened once again to cross our paths and it was a wonderful end to our trip.

If you are still looking for inspiration San Francisco style check out Sadie Valeri's artwork here. She will be posting work on from her five weeks spent in France soon!

More San Francisco Inspiration!

2011-07-29T11:22:00.006-05:00

This week I had time to do a little painting and continue exploring the city.

"Sadie's Orchid", 9x12, oil on linen

My daughter in front of the ferry building.

Maybe it's my Florida roots but I love the graphic quality of palm trees.

Willow trees in Sausalito.

Muir Woods National Monument Park.

The play of light and dark in Muir Woods was incredible.

I'm amazed at the eco friendly aspect of San Francisco, everywhere there are compostable paper cups, flatware, disposable cups, virtually everything is recyclable! Very little goes to the landfill. Garbage is separated into recyclables, compostable and landfill.

(BTW spell checker doesn't know the word compostable, sad day)

Wine tasting tour in Sonoma Valley, YES!

Bougainvillea on Lombard Street.

Strange public toilet on Castro and Market, it has a sliding door and auto disinfecting toilet, sink and floor after a 55 second door closing, purchased from France and modeled after public toilets in Paris.

Found this sidewalk graffiti and thought it was cool, later found it in other places around the city. Did a little research and found that if is the street artist Jeremy Novy.

A modified Jeremy Novy on Post Street.

A favorite find was a large Scott Fraser painting in the window of the Jenkins Johnson Gallery. John Pence Gallery is museum huge! I saw amazing work by Jacob Pfeiffer, Anthony Wiachulis, Juliette Artistide, Carl Dobsky, Will Wilson, Zach Zdrale... and the list goes on.

More about other galleries and new artists I've discovered during my lovely San Francisco days, but for now I'm off to explore on my last day in San Francisco.

To Be Continued...