Monday, March 25, 2013

"Still Life with Grapes" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

"Still Life with Grapes" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas
This painting is a bit of a departure for me.  I don't typically like to set up and arrange a still life.  I prefer to stumble upon something that catches my eye.  In any case, I really wanted to paint grapes so I bought a bunch at the market and then went about the task of trying to come up with a pleasing composition.  I added the jug as a compositional element for some height and additional interest.  The jug had a flower pattern on it but I liked the simplicity of keeping the jug one solid color.  I also like the color scheme of 2 basic colors - the red grapes with everything else as a version of white.  Purchase information is at the end of this post.

For those interested in my painting process, I included a photo (see below) of the start of this painting.  I began with a simple line drawing of the basic elements.  Then, using acrylic paint, I created an underpainting to map out the color scheme.  You can see a warm, brown tone in the back ground in contrast with the cool, blue tone in the front of the table at the bottom (which makes it appear as if it is in shadow).  Even though I covered most of the acrylic paint, I still allow some to shine through and to influence the final painting.  For example, to make the grapes as translucent as possible, I carefully added color in thin layers and didn't completely cover the acrylic base.



In other news, I'm co-hosting my final "Artists Helping Artists" radio show this week.  We're broadcasting early, Tuesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. E.S.T. since my co-host, Leslie Saeta, is traveling.  This week's topic is "Talking the Talk … How to Talk about Your Art and Make the Sale.”  To listen to this show, or, any previous shows, you can click here.

"Still Life with Grapes" is an 8 inch square painting and is available for $150.  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase using a credit card/Paypal or here for other payment options. 

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

"Sweet Tooth" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

"Sweet Tooth" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas
I arrived for my shift at Art on Main without a painting plan.  I looked around the gallery for inspiration and settled on these candies.  I really struggled with the composition in this one.  I arranged and then rearranged the candies.  I added different kinds and then took some away.  In the end, I'm pretty happy with the balance of colors and shapes.  In a way, they remind me of a school of fish. Purchase information is at the end of this post.

In other news, on Thursday, March 21 at noon E.S.T., I'll be co-hosting the "Artists Helping Artists" (AHA) radio show once again.  This week, we're interviewing Master Artist Carolyn Anderson.  It should prove to be an interesting show!  You can listen to the show by clicking here.  You can either listen live, or, the show is recorded and can be accessed at any time after the broadcast.  (You can also call 646-915-9243 to listen via phone during the broadcast).

"Sweet Tooth" is a 6 inch square painting and is available for $75.  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase using a credit card/Paypal or here for other payment options.


Wednesday, March 13, 2013

"Vintage Bug" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

"Vintage Bug" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas
I have a weakness for vintage VW bugs.  They remind me of my childhood.  I can remember seeing the advertisements where the price was only $1999.  Amazing.  I tried to keep this painting loose, simple and use minimal brushstrokes.  Purchase information is at the end of this post. 


In other news, I'll be co-hosting the "Artists Helping Artists" radio show on Thursday, March 14 at noon (EST).  You can click here to listen to the show.  Once the show airs, you can still click the above link to listen to a recorded version.


"Vintage Bug" is a 6 inch square painting and is available for $75.  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase using a credit card/Paypal or here for other payment options.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

"551" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"551" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas
I was asked to paint the most adorable cabin which couldn't be much more than 100 square feet.  This little guy has a ton of character complete with a weathered look in soft greens and blues.

In other news, I'll be co-hosting the "Artists Helping Artists" radio broadcast at 9 a.m. E.S.T. on Thursday, March 7 with artist and marketing expert Leslie Saeta.   You can listen to the show by clicking here.  You can either listen live, or, the show is recorded and can be accessed at any time after the broadcast.

Our show is titled, "Team Up to Boost Your Art Career to the Next Level."  We'll be discussing how groups of artists can collaborate to form a peer mentoring group or a cooperative gallery to enhance their art careers.  I've officially made the co-host page - click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to see my photo and a brief bio.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

"Back Bay" - 20 x 20 inches - oil on canvas"

"Back Bay" - 20 x 20 inches - oil on canvas
I finally finished the "Back Bay" painting that I had been working on for a while.  I had to let this painting marinate in my mind for some time before I figured out the approach that I wanted to take.  I originally had included more buildings but ended up cropping it closer. Even though this is clearly a painting of buildings, I like the abstract quality created by the large blocks of color. I was particularly interested in the reflections in the windows.  Purchase information is at the end of this post.

In other news, I will be co-hosting the "Artists Helping Artists" radio show for the month of March.  The show is live on Thursdays (usually at 12 p.m. EST) but this coming week will air at 8 a.m. EST.  You can find links to the current show (which isn't posted yet) and all the previous shows by clicking here.  I hosted the show on December 20, 2012 and if you'd like to listen, click here.  Support for the show has been steadily growing and there are now over 15,000 listeners!


"Back Bay" is a 20 inch square painting and is available for $400.  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase using a credit card/Paypal or here for other payment options.