September 2009

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It’s still about creating

September 13, 2009 in Creativity, Editorials | No comments

I haven’t painted in 2 days… ACK! No, I’m not stopping or losing steam. I actually want to paint more and I have a lot of ideas for where I want my painting to go.

On Friday, a couple of friends came over and we jammed out in the garage. Bass/guitar/drums. It was a lot of fun. Never done that before. Need to do that more often.

Today I went on the Sacramento Second Saturday Art Walk. It wasn’t so good today. A lot of shit. But that’s okay, I really looked today. Really stopped and looked at the technique, the texture, the brush strokes. I learned, I talked to an artist, I enjoyed the old architecture of midtown Sactown. It was fun. It was art. So it counts as my daily art.

Contemplating Bernie

September 11, 2009 in Process, painting | No comments

“Contemplating Bernie,” 5″x7″, oil on canvas board, NFS

"contemplating bernie," 5"x7", oil on canvas board

"contemplating bernie," 5"x7", oil on canvas board

Sometimes you take a chance and it doesn’t work out. But you know, deep inside ya, that you did what you could and you’re happy with how things turned out after all. Sometimes life is like that. Sometimes you just gotta sit back and contemplate your life. Consider. Reconsider. Evaluate.

I am trying to keep my paintings loose and bold. On this painting, I kept at the details. I shouldn’t have. My first idea was the right one – reach for the big brush, Steve! But, no, I had to go for the detail brush. The tiniest of brushes, the eensy little one is a foul temptress and she got the best of me today.

But you don’t grow if you don’t learn from your failures. I learned today that the bigger brush, the bold stroke is my friend, is my protector from the succubus, if only I will heed the warning.

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Three Wayward

September 10, 2009 in Daily Painting, painting | No comments

“Three Wayward,” 5″x7″, oil on canvas board, $100

"Three Wayward," 5"x7", oil on canvas board

"Three Wayward," 5"x7", oil on canvas board

My third painting, so, yeah, I guess this is apropos. But I had ulterior motives.

Three figures, three shadows draping the sidewalk as the figures silently wait, three strangers sharing an unspoken moment. Three places to go, three ideas of what’s right and wrong; three together, three alone.

I liked the cast shadows. I felt like I was asking these three where they were going. Three strangers whose shadows touched for a moment. While they waited at the light, three shadows became fast friends and savored their chance encounter.

Contrasts. They’re fun literally and figuratively.

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Tenacity

September 9, 2009 in Creativity, Daily Painting, painting | 5 comments

“Tenacity,” 5″x7″, oil on canvas board, $100

cupcake_small3

Painting challenges can be fun. They can also be frustrating. I scraped the canvas twice with this one before I finally stopped trying to get details and let the paint flow where it wanted to flow.

Sometimes you have to do that. Listen to the painting. Sometimes you have a plan, a mental image you’re striving for. Sometimes you get close to that goal, sometimes the picture takes you for a ride.

This persnickety little cupcake took me for a ride. Then it kicked my shin and spat in my eye for good measure.

In the end, though, I won. And so here you have “Tenacity.” My second painting. Let’s see how far tenacity carries me.

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Summers End

September 8, 2009 in Daily Painting, painting | No comments

“Summers End,” 5″x7″, oil on canvasboard, NFS. September 7, 2009.

beach2_small

This is the first oil painting I think I’ve finished since 1991. Really. 18 years.

That’s a long time.

However, I did it. I want to do a painting a day, but may end up doing at least one per week, maybe 2 or 3. Depends on my schedule.

The title of the painting has several meanings. The actual subject is my friend’s daughter. She snapped the pic this is based on – it was one of the last days of summer, September, at the beach, in Maine.

The title does not have an apostrophe. That’s intentional. The painting means more to me. I haven’t finished an oil painting since the summer of 1991 when I joined the Navy. Summers end, and so do painting careers, if you let them.

I live in California and the heat is letting up. Summers end, but they just lead to new beginnings, as that little girl launching forth without abandon will discover for herself.

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