Celebrating the Portrait as Fine Art

I'm so pleased to have work showing at Haynes Galleries, in their Thomaston, Maine location. The show includes many artists who's work I admire, respect and drool over. The Celebrating the Portrait as Fine Art  exhibit will be up through July 26, 2014.

Haynes Galleries, Thomaston, Maine

Enlightenment, 24x24, oil on panel, Building a Life Series

Click read more to see details, and an article about the show.

Ode to Melancholy or an Ode to Joy?

I'm so pleased to announce that my painting Ode to Melancholy has won a Certificate of Excellence in the Portrait Society of America's 2013 International Competition. 

"Ode to Melancholy", 24x36, oil on panel

Ode to Melancholy is a portrait of my daughter at a sad time in her life. In painting her, she became a stand in for our melancholia, a universal human experience. It reminded me that to understand joy one must fully experience the melancholy, the painful parts of life, not just get through them. There is a sweetness in experiencing life fully and John Keats put it so well in his poem that I borrowed his title for the title of my painting.

The Portrait Society of America has put together a beautiful collection of paintings that have won the 20 Certificate of Excellence Awards, and the 20 Finalists. The Finalist's paintings will be at the Art of the Portrait Conference, April 26-29 in Atlanta, GA. It will be wonderful to see them in person!

(I've had Ray Charles and Georgia on my mind.

I'm so looking forward to seeing friends from around the country!)

I will be there with The Incognito Project book, at the Artist's Book Signing table, Friday, April 26 at 12:30 pm. If you are at the conference stop by and see me! The book will be available at a special conference price of $55,  $10 off the usual retail price. 

Professor Rattus and Her Royal Court, Pages 94-95

Professor Rattus and Her Royal Court, Pages 98-99

 The Activist Pages 110-111

Ode to Melancholy has proved to be a favorite with judges over the past year. Maybe because it is such a heart felt moment.  It won an Honorable Mention in The Artist’s Magazine 2012 All-Media Online Competition, an Art Renewal Center’s 2012 International Salon, Chairman’s Choice Award and was a finalist in The Artist Magazine’s  2012 competition.

Ode to Melancholy is in my studio for the time being. If you'd like to see it, just let me know. Not around Pelham, AL? I guess a few close-ups will have to suffice. 

Art Renewal Center, International Salon, 2012 Results Are In!

I'm so pleased to announce that Ode to Melancholy has won a Chairman's Prize in this competition and The Three Fates was named a finalist.

The show is a wonderful collection of realist artists so be prepared to spend a long time enjoying the work on the site! Art Renewal Center International Salon 2012

Artist's Magazine's 2012 All Media Art Competiton

I'm happy to announce that my painting Ode To Melancholy has been awarded  an Honorable Mention and can be seen with all the winners in various categories such as watercolors, acrylics, pastels, graphite, charcoal and ink, colored pencil, mixed media and collage on their website.

Find details of the painting and inspiration about this painting at Ode to Melancholy, oil on panel, 24x36

The Grand Prize was Song, oil, 72x36, by Zoey Frank.

The first place in the oil and oil pastel category was Conversation by the Piano, oil, 25.5x17.5 by Nick Alm, from Sweden.

Ode to Melancholy may be viewed in person at Sugarman-Peterson Gallery in Santa Fe, NM.

"Story Within" at Peterson-Cody Gallery

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.

How to Photograph Oil Paintings, Part 2

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.

"Ode to Melancholy"

24x36, oil on panel

The model is my daughter and the title is inspired by the poem
Ode to Melancholy by John Keats, 1819.

No, no! go not to Lethe, neither twist

Wolf's-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine;

Nor suffer thy pale forehead to be kiss'd

By nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine;

Make not your rosary of yew-berries,

Nor let the beetle, nor the death-moth be

Your mournful Psyche, nor the downy owl

A partner in your sorrow's mysteries;

For shade to shade will come too drowsily,

And drown the wakeful anguish of the soul.

 

But when the melancholy fit shall fall

Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud,

That fosters the droop-headed flowers all,

And hides the green hill in an April shroud;

Then glut thy sorrow on a morning rose.

Or on the rainbow of the salt sand-wave,

Or on the wealth of globèd peonies;

Or if thy mistress some rich anger shows,

Emprison her soft hand, and let her rave.

And feed deep, deep upon her peerless eyes.

 

She dwells with Beauty—Beauty that must die;

And Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips

Bidding adieu; and aching Pleasure nigh,

Turning to poison while the bee-mouth sips:

Ay, in the very temple of Delight

Veil'd Melancholy has her sovran shrine,

Though seen of none save him whose strenuous tongue

Can burst Joy's grape against his palate fine;

His soul shall taste the sadness of her might,

And be among her cloudy trophies hung.