Looking to a New Year!

Commerce!  The buying and selling of trade. I will now be

offering one of a kind gilded frames and art through my

blog.  Starting the first of the year. I'll keep you posted.

Oil painting by Gerome. Courtesy of Minneapolis Institute of Art. 

Oil primed surfaces

This is my first result painting on an oil primed surface. I used only one brush,(which is a no-no) but I just wanted to lay down some paint.

I now see a whole different animal. This is fun but the paint acts a bit different. I like
it. I need to explore more. Good thing I have a few more panels to paint on. I now
understand about "make a brush stroke and leave it."
There isn't a stitch of snow outside, but am eager to get out and plien air the neighbor
hood.
5"x7' oils, on oil primed surface.

How to..

For the past several years, I have been painting on

gesso'd boards. I make them myself from a recipe

I'd learned  from gilding.

They are very absorbent, and would allow me to work

in the "fat over lean method of painting. 

But there's been talk from folks about oil primed surfaces.

They say it makes a difference, and to try it out.

I've had this underpainting white for many years. I stopped

using it because it set so fast. Also with the bottle of

artist medium, it set quick also.

I went ahead and mixed the underpainting white with the medium. It mixed like taffy,
but soon had it buttery enough to trawl on with a palette knife.

I will try this oil primed surface out and let you know how it works!

meowie

An old friend stopped by to paint, so I caught/ did this pose of my cat. He moves  a lot!

James Gurney did a post about an artist that painted farm animals. They don't pose, so
 it's a good practice.(They move around a lot)
I love my cat. I wonder if I could paint him from memory?

Artist study

Going through some archives, I saw this and wanted to paint it.

 I can learn by painting from another painting. I never try

to do an exact copy, but if I can echo things, I know I'm learning.

oils on gesso'd board 9"x12"

St. Genevieve

I ran across this painting , and was stunned by it's beauty.  It reminds me of  my wife Renee.
She took loveing care of our children. She was a Saint in many ways, just like St. Genevieve.

  The artist, Charles Spaque Pearce was new to me. I did however do a pastel of one of his
paintings several blogs back. (a little girl with a white cap/hat on) I only saw the image in a book,
and didn't know it was painted by him.

So when I saw this painting of St. Genevieve, I started looking at his work. I am Thankful to have
the means to discover art that is "out there." Old & New.
My 'Big Kiss' painting was not accepted for what it was intended. So I'm free to do what I want
with it.
Back to the drawing board!

!News Flash!

I'm going to interupt my regularly scheduled program to bring good news: I'm going to be a Grampa for the 3rd time! WOW! I mean really, !WOW!

I found out, but was to keep it under wraps. But my son, Wes, just gave me the "green light" to announce it.
This will be their,(Wes & Audras') 1st time to have a child. So everyones excited.

They have been wanting to become parents.  Now they can  experience it.  I joked to Wes that now he can
throw all the Ideals out the window, and become a student of the child.

I believe that the child already knows how to be a child, He/She will teach them how to be parents! Ha!
This is gonna be GREAT!! (I mean that with a dab of devilishness, I do know they will be loving parents.)

Here is a picture of Wes & I when he was just  a stinker! I have since gained 500lbs. and lost all my hair.
But Hey, that's what kids will do to ya! ha:)

p.s. He has his mothers smile, and his fathers brains! Look out world!

-

Wow

Working large is a whole different animal. Not only did I go through
a ton of paint, I was able to loosen up and slash the brush with 'chords'
you can't do on a smaller scale.
Painting big is funner than I thought! :)

After some discussion with an artist friend, I decided to

paint this in oils instead of sign paint. Now I'm glad I did.

I made a much larger glass palette to accommodate  the colors

and mixing area. I wanted to try colors I've heard talked

about on other blogs. I wasn't so concerned with using

a particular color palette, or a limited color palette.

I wanted to try new mixtures to see what I could get. This is

an experiment I've wanted to try. If I create a monster, well

Halloween was just here!

This painting is not finished. I wanted to post its progress

at this stage. I don't want to fiddle with it, so a few dabs

here and there and I will call it done.

I hope you like it.

45"x48" oils on wood panel.

Big Kiss

I'm working on a 4'x4' wood panel. This is from a small painting I did awhile back.
I'm working out the values,(gray scale) befor I start painting. This is my first pass at
it.
It will be painted in signpaint,(enamels) as a part of 4 panels to be hung in and around
the metro area. All for fun, but they will be for sale!
I'll post the progression of this. Thanks!

idream

i think it's great to dream, infact i think it's what forms our real world.
pastel on paper 21"x32"

>"< Meowie

I love my cat! When I get home he is often watching out the window. I did a quick sketch,
and embelished it at the studio. No photos to work from.
pastel on paper 21" x 32"

a friends frame

Someone from blogsville sent me this frame. I was told to have this for one of my paintings!
I could gild it anyway I want. It's 8"x10" and what a treat! The profile is rather bold, so I must
paint something bold to work well with it. (It's all about the art folks!)
Now I need to find a bold subject!
This will be an ongoing project!

Gold bricks -n- Beer mugs

Today kicks off Oktoberfest!

Many of the micro breweries are proud to display there beers.
Minnesota is fortunate to consume these tastey brews.

Please drink responsibly! Thanks! ( Killabrew!)

re"PUB"lic

A couple weeks ago, I painted this logo on the inside wall by the bar. It was entertaining to
the customers during lunch time.
Now they asked if I would paint on the outside wall a bit larger so I have.
I was able to sell them on gold stars and gold beer mug, which I will do later this week.
I will post that when it's done.
sign paint,(enamels) 8'x16'

I love you Grandma Cookie

And Grandma Cookie loves you sweetheart:)

Up on the roof

 I now have roof access! This ladder gets me on top of things.(hang on and don't look down!)

If you look down 1st Ave.N.E. you can see the new Twins stadium.

 The back alley from the roof is a fresh perspective.

Across the street is an old tree in the middle of a parking lot.  I can see a series of roof  work.

 And if I'm really good, maybe I'll see Santa come down this chimney! Anyway, I'm looking at
things and possibilities. Thanks for stopping up!

Heart shadows

I spotted this scene and thought it would be interesting to paint. I made the greens with cobalt,
lemon yellow and smuggled red into it. Brush and palette knife. 10"x10" oils on canvas board.

Pastel study

Worked on this today. From a picture in a magazine.
30""x40"pastel on brown paper.

Latenight walk

Went for a walk the other night and saw this. I painted this from memory the next day to recall the mood.
The neon light reflecting on the water tower looked cool. It's a quick thumbnail sketch, I wasn't going for
perfection as much as recalling the scene.
8"x10" oils on gesso'd board.

A day on the lake

In Minnesota, you're never to far from a lake. I got a call from my friend, "Jimmy"
 asking If I wanted to go fishing. "Yep, that would be great!"
So I spent the whole day in the boat.  I caught fish, relaxed, and enjoyed the views.

It's always good to get on the water, so the next time someone tells you to go jump

in the lake, say thanks! I needed that!

I caught some dinner, and as we began to leave, these guys were loading a homemade
contraption for the milk container boat race that is held every year. The guy had to
peddle  to paddle the boat. It worked perfectly!

Almost a year

Lately I've noticed I don't multi-task like I used to. To much just confuses me. Then I shut down and call it a day.
If I call it a day without having one, not only do I loose ground, but I now have an amount of regret
or "noise" in my head for the next day.
I need to concentrate when I work, paint, draw, carve and doodle.

So what do I do? Well I'm down sizing quite a bit. I'm selling the house, and moving closer to my studio.

After 6+ years of cancer, my wife died last August. I was her care giver, and did all I could to maintain our home and welfare. It became exhausting.

There were many times I felt helpless and unable to accomplish most tasks. Personally, I failed miserably on a regular basis. Or so I felt. I had high expectations that I could not meet. I was over my head, but wanted to save my wife and her health.

So I blindly continued to do what I could. Hoping things would get better.

Three weeks before Renee, my wife died, I thought there was still hope. She was "cancer free" several times during those 6+ years. So I wanted to think she still had a chance to beat this condition.

In the end I had to bring her into the hospital her last week. I no longer could care for her, the way she needed to be cared for. I could see her loosing ground each day.

She had her 55th birthday in the hospital. It was acually her last cognative day. She rapidly began to shut down.

I was called 3:30 in the morning to come into the hospital. Renee was asking for me.
I arrived shortly after they called. Renee was uncomfotable.
Several hours later she went into a coma. I notified our kids and they came to the hospital.
Although she wasn't talking, she would twich her toes,or eyebrows to let use know she could hear use.
We all said what we wanted to say to her.

Renee died that evening before the sunset.( 7:40pm. 8-7-10 ) I think she was hanging on for us. She loved us all very much. We all loved her very much.

When she died, she looked truly at peace. All the painful expressions left and she looked more beautiful than the day I met her.

It's been almost a year. I try to move forward. Everything is difficult and strange to me. Things that were important no longer matter. Yet I know I must do something. I'm stuck, or can't let go.
At times I look to find meaning in all of this, and I see a magnet on the fridge that says," Live well, Love much, Laugh often"
To me, that was Renee's code she lived by. This will not be so easy for me.

 Tortoise .Weathered black walnut chainsawed. (approx.200 lbs.)

Mermaid

Went to the car show this weekend. This chrome Mermaid  was fantastic.

Chances of rain kept some away. This caught my eye, I want it!

I felt like a kid at a car show! Everything was big!

painting a Thunderbird

Please forgive my backside.( And I look heavy in this.) I was mostly concerned that I'd have plumbers butt I didn't!
I was painting these on a regular basis,back in the early 80's and other styles too. Her I am one more time a few years ago.

Looking for Sunshine

Strange weather huh? Things are different in every way.
I've been moving to a new location closer to the studio.
My new home will be NordEast Minneapolis.
Took some time to paint today, it felt good! Hope to be
painting every day very soon.
I want to explore all the tips and ways to make a better
painting. Info from artists I've met blogging. Put time in
on the easel.
I've got better paint.
I've got better brushes.
I've got Stapleton Kearns signature series Take it easel!
( I'll give a review on the easel as I can. So far I've used it once
and feel cool because it works great!)
This painting is fresh, I have to get a better shot with no glare.
Felt good to paint. Hope you like it.
6"x8" oils on canvasbord. 16k pale gold, water gilded frame.

He Is Risen!

Christ defeated death, so we can too!

Took a walk through the woods today, it was beautiful.
Saw some deer, the creek was running, many birds chirping.
Ate Easter dinner at my sons house, his wife Audra made
Luthuanian easter eggs for the grandkids. I've never seen
these before. She used leaves and onion skins. Fun!

Minnihaha Falls

This morning my underpainting was dry so I

went into it with color. This is another way to

approach the 'canvas'. It sure helped to control

the values!

oils on gesso'd board 8"x10"

Minnihaha Falls

The water is flowing, the ice is off the lakes!

This is a scene many people come to in Mpls.

I mixed cobalt violet & Indigo blue and used

liquin for a medium, (per Stapes advice)

Once this drys I can add color.

8"x10" oils on gesso'd board

.

Cody sleeping

My daughter called early this morning asking if I could watch Cody.

He was sick with a cold, and couldn't go to the daycare.

Sure! I love watching my grandson. I read storys, he watched batman,

and soon feel asleep on the couch.

Prime time to do some art! so I sketched him while he slept. I'm loading

this up just in time, he's now awake.

charcoal on gessod' board 5"x7"(he's a cool lil' guy, I call him Bud!)

The most incredalbe thing!

I just read a cool story over at Stapes Blog! It moved me
to post some things I recently saw. The spirit of art can never be broken!



I think she looks happy!




This is happy too :)



Anders Zorn, wow! She's happy!





Titian, and the golden age of Ventian Painting.
Venus looks happy!

Me and my shadow out on a lake.

I caught some fish, I was happy!

Titian out my window

The billboard outside my studio window advertizes the Venitian painting exhibit
at the Minneapolis Museum of Art. I have tickets to see this, and it's been too long
since my last visit. I was told to see it! I'll go this week end.