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!

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