Ok, so I got my act together to create a video of select paintings from 2012. I'm doing much better than last year considering that my 2011 paintings video was created in August of 2012. Click the image below to enjoy a 2 minute video:
In other news, I've been working on a painting that is in a larger format than I usually tackle. It is 20 x 20 inches. Here are some photos of my progress so far. I hoping to finish it in the next couple of days.
I put a pencil grid on my canvas. Using red paint, I start to sketch out the design using my photo as a reference.
I continue working block by block. I like to use red paint as I sometimes let glimpses of it show through in the final painting. I can always cover it if I want.
The line drawing is nearly complete.
I used acrylic paint to block out the basic color scheme. Most of the acrylic paint will be covered by oil paint in the end product.
Working primarily from dark to light, I start putting in the large blocks of color for each building.
"Le Gourmet Jardin" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD
Sometimes when
you throw good things out into the universe, you are repaid many times
over. I painted a similar painting some time ago and gave it to Marie,
the owner of Le Gourmet Jardin, a charming shop which is connected to the Art on Main gallery. Marie has been a good friend and I simply wanted to show my appreciation.
Marie kindly hung
the painting in her shop for her customers to admire. Since that time,
several folks have fallen in love with the painting and have asked me
to recreate it for them. This is my third commission from the original
painting. Like I said, sometimes the universe will reward you many times
over for a good deed. So, once again, Marie, thank you.
Now that the pressure is off, I wanted to reflect a bit on what I
learned from the "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge. So, here are some
of my thoughts: There is inspiration all around us.
Ordinary can be extraordinary. Probably my favorite painting is "50
Shades of Gray" which is a bottle of hand sanitizer on the edge of the
sink. What is your favorite? Sometimes the paint just flows, sometimes it doesn't.
There were a few paintings that were just effortless -- the painting of
my dog Cooper is one example. The honey bear and spoon painting was a
struggle. Too much pressure! I really love to paint but didn't really like the pressure of having to produce on a daily basis. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I was surprised to get many compliments on some paintings that I didn't
think were quite up to par and a few critical comments on paintings I
really liked. Practice makes better. Ok, the saying is "practice
makes perfect" but there is no such thing as perfect art. I do know
that my painting skills improved and I gained confidence throughout the
month.
Thanks to all of you who followed me on my painting journey during the
month of January. As I said before, I appreciated everyone who took the
time to write.
