Virginia Parker, painter

Answered Prayers: Harmonium & Answered Prayers: Aphrodite

2012-01-29T13:57:00.000-05:00

Returned to Answered Prayers: Harmonium yesterday. Mostly worked on the candles and altar area, and the harmonium keys. Compared to the little tomato paintings this thing is huge, lots of canvas to cover. Kind of fun to haul out the big brushes. The photo is off because the light is glaring on the center pew, but you get the idea.

Today I worked on Answered Prayers: Aphrodite. Once I get paint on all the canvas, including the candelabra, upper wall and the cherub on the right, I'll tackle the shadowed nude on the left. It's going to take a lot of layers to get the dark as deep and velvety as I want.

Global +Tomato

2012-01-26T14:17:00.001-05:00

I spent the day on Global Knife, tackling the handle with its pattern of dots. Added more colors and layers of paint on the blade, and revisted the tomatoes themselves. Did layers of scumbled yellows and reds, and started picking out the fine details on the seeds and creases in the tomato stems. Getting close to final highlights.

About to draw the next one - either Tomato and Walking Dead Knife or a knife from Uzbekistan. Good times.

Answered Prayers : Quickdraw

2012-01-24T15:31:00.000-05:00

This is Quickdraw, the second in the Answered Prayers series. My prayer for my son's happiness turned out to be big wall climbing, thus the coiled rope and the quickdraw, made from two carabiners and a dogbone strap.

Today I worked on the golden twirly thing on the upper left - don't know what exactly it is, except covered in gold. Put more shading on the rope. Finished the quickdraw detail. Added texture to the balustrade. Puts darker darks inside the dark browns of the spine and branches of the candelabra. It's getting there. Here's a detail showing the quickdraw and a bit of rope.

Tomato Trio

2012-01-13T15:47:00.004-05:00

Started at 8 and worked until 3. First, the Carpenter Knife - I glazed the reds, added texture to the surface and interior, upped the scale of the leaves and seeds and added another layer to the background.

Next the Edinburgh Dirk - layers of variations on red, reworked the handle, added blue and pink highlights to the blade, grain in browns and greens to the table, underscored the shadows.

Finally, another round on the Global Knife - all of the background, additional texture and detail inside the tomatoes, the beginning of the pattern on the handle.

Thinking the first two may be done. but I often think that at the end of a painting day. I'll see what I think in the morning when I look at them with fresh eyes.
For now it's a cup of tea, and my Nook by the fire. It's cold today in Atlanta. Brrr.

Global Knife

2012-01-11T16:50:00.001-05:00

More work on the tomatoes, sharpening detail mostly, and a first pass on the knife. To come - a gazillion tiny black dots on the handle, each with it's own white crescent of a reflection. Total painter bliss for me. Glad I have two virtually done, and two more in the works.

I went to the gallery to pick up Gripland, which is going to the juried show 'Reflections' that opens January 2. First time I saw my work from Origins & Derivations at Mason Murer, and they looked lush and generous, just full of color and life. Of course they were gorgeously lit and well spaced, and that has something to do with it. I had a moment of disbelief that I had anything to do with making them. A good moment.

Tomatoes of the heirloom variety

2012-01-09T15:42:00.003-05:00

After a long holiday layoff, during which I recovered from a major operation, took a workshop on using my iphone camera app, and painted multiple small cavalier sketches for the Swan House, I am back in the studio at last, working on tomato paintings I started last year.

Today, I tackled the heirloom tomatoes and a Global knife. Borrowed that knife from the contractor who worked with me on my bathroom, a terrific woman with a keen sense of design.

This morning was all about placing tomato colors. I've got their names written down somewhere - a Mr Stripey is all I can bring to mind. They are still floating, and the knife got no paint at all, but progress was made. Going to go pop it in the drying box.

Shameless plug for an art and music maker extraordinaire

2012-01-08T07:58:00.000-05:00

That's my daughter Emily, the creative geyser-in-chief of the art/performance band, The Back Pockets. They've been approved for Kickstarter, an online fundraiser for art and music projects.

Please check out the link The Back Pockets Circle America! and donate a few bucks. You get to make art and music happen, and my undying gratitude.

Note the entertaining premiums offered for various amounts, $5-$5,000.

Who They Are: The Back Pockets are a flock of musicians, performance artists, & dancers based out of Atlanta Ga. Since our conception in Aug. 2008, we have played over 300 shows, released 4 albums & several music videos, & extensively toured the southeast. We hand paint every cd cover, hand sew every lyric book, do all booking, managing, & producing ourselves. Shows are elaborate acts of theater, audience interaction, set design installation, costuming, & music.

What they're doing: The Back Pockets hope to embark on an "epic circle america tour" beginning March 8th & ending May 6th 2012, while creating a short film, spreading the joy of our elaborate shows, & promoting our newest album. Film to be based on our actual lives w/ added elements of magical realism, directed by film maker & bff Bill Guzik!

Last of the cavaliers

2011-11-24T12:03:00.001-05:00

Last of the Swan House Gallery show cavalier series. All done. Of course, these are my favorites. Thankful for this quick, happy series.

oil sketches

2011-11-21T17:36:00.001-05:00

This morning's effort
It won't be dry enough to take to the gallery tomorrow, but maybe by Thursday.

Flirt, 5x7", oil on board

Daughter gave me a ride to Binders to find frames, then we took turns throwing a ball to Maddy the dauntless tri-color. I have begun thinking of these as little oil sketches. I love what their body language expresses, more than the hair-perfect portraits.

Seven spaniel paintings

2011-11-20T19:57:00.001-05:00

Since November 7th, I've spent four days in hospital and two weeks post surgery quietly recuperating. Here I am with spaniels and my Nook.

Last week the news came that three of the four cavalier paintings sold before the show opened. Would I do more?

I went straight to the studio and mixed paint. Glad I did that little drawing the other day, a profile of a Blenheim, my first dog. I plan to do three more total and see how it goes.

And here they are. All 5x7. oil/board. Robert is framing them for me tonight, and I'll deliver them to the Swan Coach House Gallery Tuesday. I have one more drawn but we'll see how these do. So far, one of life's simple pleasures.

Wait

Blenheim Profile

Watch

Little dogs mean a lot

2011-11-04T19:03:00.000-04:00

Painted a few small (5x7") works for the Little Things Mean A Lot show at the Swan Coach House Gallery that's opening November 17.
Decided to use my in-house models, who pose for kibble. I had pulled source images from the Corporal Works of Mercy series. And, honestly, what says 'little things mean a lot' more than an itty-bitty spaniel with a big old heart?

Sit

Stay

Down

Leave it

Born a bubble off of plumb, off-kilter perspective works for me

2011-10-18T14:24:00.000-04:00

Current incarnation of the second Sgian Dubh. I got rid of the fussy background and am much happier with it. Still need to darken up the handle a bit, and add some more glisten to the tomato.

Back to the harmonium, fiddled with the placement of the tile, and where I want the reflected candlelight. The perspective is definitely wonky, but I've decided that the slightly off kilter-ness suits me. I'm thinking of it as a happy accident.

Did a bit more on the Divided canvas. I won't be putting climbing pitons on the wall - they would be invisible at this scale. Might lean Emily's banjo on the wall. Jury is still out on this one.

Finished a drawing yesterday of a new candle set up, not shown here. It's horizontal, half in shadow and half candle lit in front of a scrolling bit of marble and half obscured cherub. I'm going to add a woman's torso seen from behind to the left side of the canvas, not unlike the male in Gripland, but more shadowy. Heh.

Patterns and texture

2011-10-14T13:59:00.003-04:00

Worked on Harmonium again: the marble veining at the top, and the patterns in the tile below. I'll be adding texture for ages. Glad I've got four paintings in rotation (not counting two small tomatoes.)

Stiletto about finished. The photo is lacking some of my favorite details. For example, on each candle is a wisp of a black wick with a red spark on the tip. The flames are a curve of blue, then pale yellow punched up with flake white. They are flickering because when someone kicked her shoes off and ran, she created a draft.

Got my son to leave me a bit of climbing equipment he calls a quickdraw - it looks like two carabiners linked by a little flat bit of a strap. I plan to hang it off one of the candelabra arms in Twirly.

Harmonium Keys

2011-10-11T15:45:00.000-04:00

Had a great day developing the harmonium.

Mostly it was about keyboard, knobs and going a little crazy with color in the shadows.

Next I'll be working on the different marbles doing veining. Those patterns reminds me of maps seen underwater. Very Zen, hand-eye activity.

About to draw my second horizontal image that's half velvety dark shadow and half illuminated carved stone and candles.

Took some photos to Wolf today - another couple of images for the behind the scene crew series that I'm pulling together. Feels great to be going full tilt in the studio.

The quiet before the storm

2011-10-09T16:44:00.000-04:00

Before the reception began, I took photos of the space and my work on the walls.
It's a quick visual tour.

In front of the entry-

Roses and Vampire Diary Knife & tomato-

first wall-

second wall-

third wall-

Fourth and home-

Thirsty, and me with 20/60

I had a great night, and the folks at OCAF are wonderful. A class act.

Tonight! OCAF solo show. Paintings #15, 16 & 17

2011-10-07T11:34:00.000-04:00

20/60 Self Portrait, 20x24"
The artist will be present and, if it's cool enough, wearing this coat. Say howdy, if you are so inclined .Relativity series

Death Takes A Holiday, 24x30"
Sometimes Death is not the enemy, it's a servant in disguise. Who else opens the door wide enough for the next generation? Relativity series

Clothe the Naked, 24X30
One of the corporal works of mercy and the painting that led me down the dark country road of figurative work. Corporal Works of Mercy series

Origins and Derivations, a solo show of paintings by Virginia Parker

Artist reception next Friday, Oct. 7, 6-8pm

OCAF Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation

34 School Road, Watkinsville, Ga, 30677

706-789-4565

ocaf.com

Tomorrow night, artist reception 6-8pm

2011-10-06T14:34:00.002-04:00

Tomato & Vampire Diaries Knife, 10x10"

I love to paint knives and tomatoes. This time I went with a box cutter borrowed froma nice grip on the Vampire Diaries crew. South of Eden series

Tomato & MacphersonSgian Dubh, 16x20"

Tomatoes and a sgian dubh,ceremonial Scottish dirk graciously offered by my Scottish host, on the ledge of a Georgian house Edinburgh. Southof Eden series

Solo show this Friday: paintings #9, #10, #11, & #12

2011-10-05T07:12:00.000-04:00

Bitter, 18x24

My relationship with sugar is ...complicated. South of Eden series

Sweet, 18x24"

A nostalgic look atcherished sources of sweetness. South of Eden series

Corn & Consequences, 14x18

A comment on the profit-driven practices of corporateagricultural and the connection to obesity and diabetes. South of Edenseries

Spin, 24x24
Transforming heavily subsidized corn into a plethora ofproducts. South of Eden series

Solo Show this Friday, paintings #7 & #8

2011-10-04T07:39:00.000-04:00

San Marco Savanarola Chair, 30x40"

The persistenceof art over intolerance. Savonarola convinced Botticelli to burn his paintings, yet people still come tosee Fra Angelica’s frescos in San Marco monastery. On the Road series

Blood & Knavery II, 16x20"

These obsolete and abandonedtools of writers suggest the porous border between extinction and evolution. Metamorphosisseries

Solo show, Paintings #5 & #6

2011-10-03T07:15:00.003-04:00

El Cap Swing, 30x30" What does faith looks like? Big wall climber swings out over Yosemite valley on a rope. Behind him the Cathedral Spires formation, with the Central Pillars of Frenzy climbing route. Relativity Series

Hambidge Harrow, 16x20, Inadvertent sculpture, a harrow rusted solid from disuse. South of Eden series

Origins and Derivations, a solo show of paintings by Virginia Parker

Artist reception next Friday, Oct. 7, 6-8pm

OCAF Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation

34 School Road, Watkinsville, Ga, 30677

706-789-4565

ocaf.com

Solo show Oct 7, paintings #3 & #4

2011-10-02T06:33:00.000-04:00

King of Hearts, 16x20" They're called Cavalier King Charles Spaniels for reason. Relativity series

Gene Pool Roulette, 18x24" The DNA that buoys one person up, may drag another under. Beware the ancestral undertow. Relativity series

Origins and Derivations, a solo show of paintings by Virginia Parker

Artist reception next Friday, Oct. 7, 6-8pm

OCAF Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation

34 School Road, Watkinsville, Ga, 30677

706-789-4565

ocaf.com

Solo Show Oct 7th, painting #2

2011-10-01T08:10:00.002-04:00

Gripland, 20x24"
The natural habitat of the filmset; a forest of C-stand, flags, scrims, and apple boxes. Relativity series

Origins and Derivations, a solo show of paintings by Virginia Parker

Artist reception next Friday, Oct. 7, 6-8pm

OCAF Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation

34 School Road, Watkinsville, Ga, 30677

706-789-4565

ocaf.com

Solo show and, yes, of course you are invited!

2011-09-30T08:32:00.000-04:00

WHAT: Origins and Derivations, a solo show of paintings
WHO: by Virginia Parker

WHEN: Artist reception next FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 6-8pm
WHERE: OCAF Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation
34 School Road, Watkinsville, Ga, 30677
706-789-4565
ocaf.com

THIRSTY 20x20” oil/canvas

Conceived during Georgia’s drought, the meretricious beautyof disposable plastic water bottles. South of Eden series

This week before the show, I'll be posting images of the paintings and a sentence or two about them.

Candle 1, beginning of Candle 2

2011-09-26T19:54:00.001-04:00

Added another layer to Candle 1. Lots of scumbling and a little bit of adjusting angles. Picking up a pair of red stilettos on Wednesday to photograph. Planning to add one teetering on the edge of the step, and one lying on its side in the aisle.

Here's the raw start of Candle 2, affectionate working title Twirly. You can see it's related to the other, but the perspective and color palette make it very different. The candle holder tilts slightly left. I'm going for a slightly off-kilter, the world could slide out from underneath you at any moment feel. In my experience that's when grace happens.

OCAF space and light

2011-09-24T08:12:00.000-04:00

Unloaded paintings at the old school house which houses the OCAF galleries. Fantastic light, high ceilings, old wooden floors - just a great space.

Leaned the work against the wall in the order we carried it in and it looked as random as confetti after a parade.

Since this show combines previous series with new works, it has the look of cousins at a family reunion - each person is an individual, yet you can definitely see the family resemblance.

Half an hour later, the remarkable Charles Warnock had placed the paintings in juxtapositions that made gorgeous visual sense. It was like watching a magician pull a rabbit out of your own hat.
I'll take photos on the night of the reception of each wall. What a transformation! It was like handing the man apples and a a bag of flour and getting back a Tarte Tatin.
I'm writing brief captions for each painting this weekend. Thrilled all over again that I was asked to do this. Thank you, OCAF!

Some assembly required

2011-09-22T16:04:00.001-04:00

Taking the paintings to OCAF, an hour and a half away, for my solo show. This is the whole shebang on the garage floor. I ended up packing it twice, using cardboard, towels and sheets in between layers.

Then I mixed paint for Candle 2, which I call Twirly in my head, and started in. When it's a wee bit further along, I'll post an in progress photo.

Between the packing, getting a flu shot, and starting a new painting, I am whupped. Getting a pedicure. What? Don't look so shocked. You know Raphael would totally go for a spa day.

Candle I

2011-09-20T14:13:00.002-04:00

Another layer - deepening values, scumbling the tile and stone shadows, starting to delineate the delicate wrought iron.

Pretty sure I want to put shoes in this one. One near the front and another farther down the nave, as if she was running away, like Cinderella.

One of the things I loved about this image were the doors in the distance, and the shadowy aquarium green light coming in from the upper right. Also the contrast of the substantial marble and stone with the twirly wrought iron.

Robert, bless him, wired all the solo show paintings last night. Varnished Thirsty and the Macpherson sgian dubh this afternoon. My Mason Murer paintings are heading over at 4. Delivery to OCAF is Friday.

Genus Loci underway

2011-09-20T08:19:00.000-04:00

Here's the source photo and the top of the drawing I worked on this week. It's a basilica in Trasteverre in Rome. That's mosaics on the walls behind the columns and candles. Intricate as all get out and my idea of bliss.

And this is the beginning of the first candle painting (working title: candle 1). The burnt sienna I used to tone the canvas about blinded me. I'm using burnt umber to tone the rest.

Once I decide whether I'm adding a banjo, keyboard, or pair of high heeled shoes, it will get a more specific title.

I toned three more canvases, placed the white background on a new tomato painting and worked on the candles above. hotographed bells, a keyboard, banjo and a harmonium in various positions and angles out in the garage, using a white wall and open door to stand in for the stone church steps. I started another tomato painting with heirloom tomatoes by filling in the white marble background. I sanded down a failed painting on a nice 30x40 canvas. I'm going to re-gesso it and use it for one of this candle series.

I've got four paintings in the drying box. All's right with the world.

edicole sacre

2011-09-15T15:55:00.000-04:00

I won't have much to show for a while, but I started on a new series this week. Every surface in my studio has photographs on it. I'm mixing and matching elements from photos I took in Florence, Rome and Venice. This series is about what communication between the material world and the divine looks like.

There are large candle stands for tall tapers, and shorter ones with tiers that look like miniature stadium seating and hold votive candles. Some of my favorites are electrical: you put a Euro in the slot and twist on a red glass cylinder and it lights up. In each of these I had lit five candles one for each member of my family. Lighting them was a form of visible prayer, a wish made with fire, wax and thread, that rises like smoke. In some of the source photos the architecture is an important element, in others its mostly shadowed shapes and glow.

I plan to combine the candles with elements I associate with my family - a painted banjo, or child's accordion for Emily, various bells and a bird for Robin, climbing gear for Parker, C-stand and apple box for Robert, hourglass, quill, tube of paint for me. I'm also toying with the notion of painting a drape across the top and down one side of a few of them. A sort of framing device, but mostly because I adore the look of drapery in still life painting.

I am painting them in two sizes, 16x20 and 18x24. I'll do one 30x40. As of today I've drawn two, and started painting one. I'll be gessoing more canvas today.

Sgian Dubh #2

2011-09-10T13:14:00.001-04:00

Finishing this one up. Worked on the stone and crumbling stucco yesterday and the tomatoes today.

Leaves need a bit more paint, along with a push of the darks and the final highlights. Then I'll go to the other version and move it along. Maybe mix the paint for the first of the candle series. Thinking of titles for the new series. Wish I could remember the name of those little shrines on street corners in Italy, the niche overhead with an icon or a statue, and always a candle or fresh flowers.

Sheath, blade, and scumbling over stone

2011-09-06T19:05:00.001-04:00

Back to the second of the sgian dubhs. Worked on the wall, the handle, sheath, and blade then scumbled over the stone. Like a holiday after struggling with the faces in the Tornado. Stopped before I blew past something acceptable and stuffed it in the drying box.

Here's a photo of my lovely new racks, with the drying box perched on the top. Labor and ingenuity contributed by my spouse. Finally, storage for canvases. New unused canvas on the left; finished, in progress and on hold works on the right.

Now to wash my brushes, then a book and a bit of a read.

Tomatoes and tornados

2011-08-31T13:52:00.000-04:00

Back to the tomatoes and the Scottish dirk.

Added the tomatoes this morning. After lunch going back to place the leaves.

Listening to The Forgery of Venus as I paint. I'm thinking about the protagonist's yearning to work in an time of faith and meaning, a pre-ironic age and about the marriage of technique and skill with inspiration and creativity in the service of portraiture. Good times.

Yesterday I worked on the Tornado (Aftermath)

Added pine needles and general yard trash. Worked on the brick lattice, the garage wall, and added paint to both figures. The faces don't read well on this photo, but I'm working carefully there. At the end of the day I cleaned my brushes and hated it, but after dinner, it didn't look too bad. 'Just keep swimming,' as the little fish says in Finding Nemo, 'just keep swimming.'

2011-08-28T08:12:00.000-04:00

Thirsty, 20x20", oil/canvas

I wish every painting was this much pleasure to make and I ended up with the sense of yes, that's exactly what I was going for.

Once I finish Tornado (Aftermath) I have a few tomato & knife paintings lined up. Thinking about what I want to do for a new series, the concept.

There are several more of the portrait-esque paintings I wanted to try, mostly using images from my modeling days in new contexts, but I don't know if I want to suffer through the ones that are dead ends or don't work. I'm pondering doing a few small studies of them, sort of like 'let's have coffee' instead of 'lets get married!'

There are also a few paintings left over from other series that, like Thirsty, were either drawn or started or planned, but that I couldn't get done before the show date. There's a whole category - candles in churches - that I wanted to do back at the very start. I ended up doing Table for One instead. I might revisit that, for my own happiness. I've had every gallery owner tell me that religious work doesn't sell, but if ever I was free to follow my bliss, it is now. Actually I don't think of votive candles lit in Catholic churches in Italy as religious. It's about the spiritual impulse to add light to the world, to think of others, to wish for their well being. Something too about aligning with other human beings who have shared that impulse, for generations unto generations.

So maybe it's tomatoes, little portrait studies, and big candles in churches.

Thirst almost quenched.

2011-08-25T06:21:00.000-04:00

Spent yesterday on Thirsty. Just flew along.

Down to indicating the sand texture. The base color is working for me, that mottled neutral. Hoping to not go all OCD and try to paint each individual sand crystal. I'm thinking lightly stipple, with an almost dry brush. Three values. I have an old stipple brush from back when I stenciled patterns on the walls - 1980-82?- and I'm not afraid to use it.

Tornado (Aftermath)

2011-08-23T14:02:00.000-04:00

While Thirsty dries I'm back to its meteorological opposite, Tornado (Aftermath).

Worked on the wall to the right, the rhododendron shrub in the foreground, a terracotta sun sculpture on the wall, and gleefully added trash to the ground. Cleaned up my profile a little. This took all morning and I had to look at a photo of the last session to see any progress. This painting absorbs hours of work like sand sucks water. I've got three weeks and change to have this, Thirsty and one of the tomatoes done in time for the OCAF show. I may have to skip a few naps.

Thirsty

2011-08-21T14:48:00.000-04:00

I started this back during the drought, when I was still working at Atlanta Magazine. The title is Thirsty. I was in love with the meretricious beauty of crumpled plastic waterbottles, the contrast of light glinting off the water and dessicated sand sucking moisture away.

I got to one point and put it aside. Always meant to get back to it. Today I jumped on it. Four hours later, there's progress.

There will be more layers, more subtle shading and punched up contrast, but I have no doubt it will be done in time for the OCAF show.

Sgian Dubh #1

2011-08-18T15:10:00.000-04:00

Laid in the background with a trellis, a pot with a shrub, and the back of a chair. What I really like is the cord wood cut and stacked behind the chair. Thinking of taking the chair out and just indicating the logs.
Reworked the sheath, the blade, the hilt and stone. Added a layer to the tomatoes. Leaving the background loose, maybe even looser than it is here.

Sgian Dubh, times two.

2011-08-16T14:43:00.000-04:00

I've started working on the Edinburgh tomatoes with the two vintage sgian dubhs (pronounced see-ann doo). They are small, singled-edged knives, worn tucked into the top of the kilt hose, and belonged to my host's family. Beautiful pieces.
This handle looked like wrapped and woven leather, with an amber-colored stone (perhaps a Cairngorm stone?) on the hilt and silver work on the scabbard. Added in the reds and did a bit of texture on the wooden table. This was set up in a little stone courtyard filled with potted plants and plenty of light. I may make the background very hazy or I may not. Jury is still out.

For the second sgian dubh painting, the tomatoes and knife are balanced on a ledge outside my B&B bedroom door. This dirk handle appears to be made of antlers or horn. I picked up a bit of vine that was growing in one of the garden pots, and held in the corner for the shot. It's a variety of honeysuckle, obviously much hardier than its southern American cousins. I liked the leaf shapes and the curve of the red violet stem, the contrast of organic with stone. And then there's that great red/green thing.

Today I placed the stone, mortar and stucco colors. Love the stonework and stucco textures. The canvas is 14x18, bigger than my usual 10x10 for these. I wanted it to be as close to life-sized as I could make it.

After wrestling with that self portrait, this is pure pleasure.

Central Pillar of Frenzy

2011-08-02T17:14:00.001-04:00

Here's the latest version of El Cap Swing, now re-titled Central Pillar of Frenzy - that's the name of a particular climbing route which is Parker's favorite. It's visible on the Cathedral Towers formation in the background. This round I worked on the trees behind Parker, the scree, and the specific routes on the lighter, left-hand face of Cathedral Towers.

Plugged away on Gripland. Have got most of the detail in, except one sandbag. Could use a few more leaves, and Robert's hands need attention. Next time I'll be working on unifying it and pushing the darks and lights. It's all about the glow.

Mountain sides and Moochie

2011-07-27T18:09:00.000-04:00

Worked on El Cap Swing - entirely on the right hand side of the canvas, punching up the darks and adding texture, plus another layer of paint on the climber.

If you remember the Sanctuary painting, I made one final change to it - added Moochie, sitting on the chair/throne.

Here's a detail. The eyes aren't finished, but the rest is.

I have my own reasons as to why I did this, but I think I'll let the painting speak for itself.

Gripland, the c-stand and sandbag jungle

2011-07-26T13:45:00.000-04:00

Back to Gripland today. Mostly worked on cleaning up the set wall on the left hand side, mottling the floor, and adding shadows to C-stands. More c-stand edges plus artificial tree leaves tomorrow, then starting on the heaps of electrical cords.

I've pretty much decided this is what I want on my October solo show card, so the pressure is on to have it finished and photographed by mid-August.

Storm debris and strands of hair.

2011-07-25T14:34:00.000-04:00

Worked on Tornado yesterday while Gripland was drying. Re-did the darks, and added lots of debris, especially on the slate path. Pretty soon it will be time to tackle the pine needles, and they are legion.

Also worked on the self portrait. Lots of cussing. Some hair pulling out over painting individual strands of hair. Not unlike painting pine needles, now that I think about it.
The rose patches on the back of the coat, the paint brush, and the texture on the edge of the mirror frame went well.

Self portrait x 3

2011-07-14T15:57:00.000-04:00

I worked on the self portrait today.

Here's a detail of the face - It's too wet to put in all the fine lines, but the shapes are there.

Except for a few more key sags and wrinkles, I am going to use great restraint and not polish this. If I get the urge, I'll work on the mirror frame. heh.
The hand and brush need another few rounds, and I'll and clean up the sleeves and the edges where the hair lies over the coat.
The solemn expression? The curse of an overbite - I didn't want to paint teeth and I can't smile without them showing.
.

Adding figures, while chanting 'NOT a portrait NOT a portrait NOT a portrait'

2011-07-13T18:03:00.000-04:00

I spent the afternoon laying in the two figures and adding some paint to the brick lattice. Somewhat daunted by the amount of hours I'm going to have to put in to get this where it needs to be.
.
I had my OMG moment of realizing how much work it's going to take to cover this much canvas with leaves, pine needles, and bricks.
I got past it with the idea that sometimes all you need is boldness and bigger brushes.

Down in Gripland again

2011-07-11T18:34:00.001-04:00

Today it was Gripland's turn at bat.

I placed the raw lumber back of the set wall on the right, darkened the ceiling, started filling in the floor, indicated some of the leaves on the various silk trees, and did a few of the c-stands on the right. Also threw another layer of white on the glowy scrims. My eyes are ready to roll up in my head. It's a tad...complex. It's a matter of patiently working my way across. I'm saving the ladder and the male figure on the lower left side for desert.
Time to clean the brushes and make dinner.

Tornado Aftermath

2011-07-07T16:51:00.001-04:00

Here's the start of Tornado Aftermath.
Yesterday I painted in the main tree trunks and broken limbs, and parts of the garage, brick lattice and the house wall. The tree crashed into the roof over our bedroom during a tornado. It's a good visual metaphor for the tornado that was Emily as a teenager, roaring through the home.

Today I worked on the shapes indicating sky, branches, and pine needles. Below; adding fallen limbs, greens that will become the pine needles, the walkway to the house and the coiled water hose that hangs on the side of the house. Worked on the raw ends of wood here and there and the dark in between the brick lattice.Yet to come are the figures of Emily and I on the right - she's standing next to me and holding an apple, looking at the camera with this pleased little smirk.

Emily dropped by, and said that, as usual, this is her favorite stage of my work. She loves it semi-painted, with part of the grid and drawing visible.

Gripland begins, triple self portrait gets a mirror and easel

2011-07-05T18:19:00.000-04:00

Here's the beginning of Gripland. I spent several days on the drawing; a forest of C-stands, behind a tv series set wall, with a small figure of a naked man walking through it. It's the literal behind-the-scenes jungle where the film techs live. It's monochromatic in a glowy way, mostly variation on burnt umber and ocher.

I revisited the triple self portrait, adding a silver frame mirror on an aluminum easel.

I still need to invent some kind of shimmer to signal the mirror's surface, and to refine the painted portrait without losing the 'in progress' look of it.

Back in the trenches

2011-06-29T10:03:00.000-04:00

It feels so good to be back in the studio. Finished two of the tomato paintings yesterday.
Starting a new painting - Gripland - today.

Pre-flight painting

2011-04-20T15:07:00.002-04:00

What better way to while away the pre-flight hours than work on tomatoes?
First - yesterday worked on the handle and rivets of the knife, and added the seeds lying on the black marble tile.

Today I sharpened up the seeds and the bakelite handle of the knife on this one

Added the gold band and rim to the plate, and deepened the joints between the wood.

If I can figure out how to load photos from my camera chip to the iPad, I'll try to post some of my sketches during the trip.

Tomato progress

2011-04-18T15:04:00.000-04:00

Added the tomatoes and the Kramer knife blade. First layer done except for the gold band on the plate. All about getting things placed right.

Another layer on everything, particularly the plate. Still not sure about the white background above the plate.

Next Wednesday I'm leaving on a month-long trip to London, Edinburgh, and York. It's part of my continuing art education. I made the executive decision not to start two of the big, more complicated paintings before I leave, since I have these to work on. Tomorrow I'll work on the Vampire Diaries knife, maybe do the drawing for Gripland.
I've been sketching in the morning, limbering up. When I'm on the road I mostly sketch, take photos and soak in the juice one can only get when standing right in front of works of art. I'll haunt the hallowed halls the National Gallery, the Tate, The Wallace Collection, etc. DOubt I
ll catch the bouquet, but you never know.

New day, new tomato painting

2011-04-13T14:54:00.002-04:00

I've never put so much paint down so quickly, but that is probably due to the amount of black.
Tomatoes & Vampire Diaries Knife, day one.

One tomato, two tomato, three tomato, four.

2011-04-12T14:24:00.000-04:00

Started the commissioned Tomato & Kramer Knife today. Worked on the wood background, the cobalt ellipses of the plate and the knife handle.

Into the drying box it goes. I've put the tomatoes on the aqua plate on hold. Thinking about changing the background.

I have another - Tomato & Carpenter Knife - on a blue willow plate, and Tomato & Vampire Diaries Knife - with the delicious flaming skull mat knife - on standby. This afternoon I'll stain two more canvases with a thin coat of burnt sienna, hoping to grid and draw them tomorrow. No way they'll be finished before I leave for London, but it's nice to have things in progress.

I've come up with a title for the series of portrait based paintings - Hardwired.
The common thread of those works is how they look at the push-pull of environment and heredity, the combination of chromosomes and circumstance. Though I am a fan of free will, I suspect that destiny is just another name for DNA.

All done

2011-04-11T16:31:00.000-04:00

Sanctuary, 16x20", oil/canvas

Drawing two more tomatoes and mixing the color for Aftermath.

Tomato & Hambidge Knife

2011-04-09T22:20:00.000-04:00

Day after the show, and off went the Tomato & Hambidge Knife to a new home. It''s a lovely feeling to see my work find its place in the world.

The Realism show opened last night at Mason Murer Fine Art

2011-04-09T06:56:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the good wishes, y'all.
I went early and got to meander around and really look at all the other work. I was moved and inspired by my fellow artists.
I'm always surprised by who turns up and this show was no exception. I saw people from all corners of my world - coffee and bookclub, painting class, church and family. I met a couple of Facebook friends for the first time, and even some of the film techs made it out (they are usually still working on a Friday night, but I got lucky)
My three pieces in the show were spread out, so I didn't have to stand in one spot. The tomato painting was on an easel a the reception desk, and Death Takes A Holiday was on the wall next to the bar so I can safely say everyone saw it. The other piece selected was one of my very first, Cafe Ricci. I found the cafe across the Arno, in a shaded square on one of my first trips to Florence. Love the fig pie and the Raphael postcard of la fornarina. That's hot chocolate in the cup, by the way.

Stumbled home went to bed. Nothing to do now but paint, draw and go to London in two weeks.

The El Cap Swing in Yosemite

2011-04-05T18:25:00.000-04:00

Back in front of the easel. Worked on El Cap Swing, which I started in last May (yep, a year ago) only to grind to halt as something wasn't right. Finally decided to pop the canvas off the stretcher bars and re-stretch, making the composition tighter. It took a while to recover from that.
Yesterday I took on the rock formation on the right hand side of the canvas, El Capitan itself, and today I tackled the valley floor and most of the pine trees. Tomorrow I'm working on the Cathedral Spires in the background.

I realized after a mere three days out of town and away from paint and the feel of a brush in my hand, I have a serious painting Jones. No surprise to you guys, huh?

Hot Off The Griddle

2011-03-29T18:17:00.000-04:00

Worked on Sanctuary, mostly the two large scale painting on either side of the center. Subtle suggestions of features for the faces, glory hallelujah blue on the virgin's robe, shadows under the feet. It's very nearly done, and what a pleasure it's been.

Took a final photo of Gene Pool Roulette. Time to start uploading new works to the website, but I still don't have a title for the portrait series, so for now I'm going to create a new portfolio group called 'Hot Off The Griddle.' Or maybe 'New Works.'

I have three on the drawing board - literally - one for the portrait series (me and Emily looking at a tree that fell on our house), one that's a companion to Sanctuary and one that's Robert in Gripland.

Self Portrait x 3

2011-03-28T20:38:00.000-04:00

Went back to the portrait today. Lightened the background, reshaped the mirror frame and added the beveled edge, began pulling individual hairs across the face. Added to the chintz pattern on the coat. Just plugging along.

One for the money, two for the show

2011-03-25T17:13:00.001-04:00

Varnished and wired, ready to deliver to Mason Murer and the realism show, opening April 8.

Death Takes a Holiday, 24x30, oil/linen


Tomato & Hambidge Knife, 10x10, o/c

Suggesting a Chandelier

2011-03-22T20:27:00.000-04:00

Worked on the Sanctuary painting today - the bottom edge of the chandelier (at the top of the frame), and the tops of the columns. I love the slightly off-kilter set of the chandelier. It was like painting a crystal glass of water, lots of random ,abstract shapes that make up a visual sum greater than its parts.

Varnished three paintings - Gene Pool, Death takes a Holiday and Tomato & Hambidge Knife. Started in the garage, but finished in the drying room as a horrifying number of winged insects, airborne wisps of seed pods and dog-related effluvium headed straight for the sticky surfaces.

Fruit and Vegetables

2011-03-19T17:46:00.002-04:00

Spent yesterday taking photos of tomatoes & knives. Still in garden today - worked on peaches on a silver tray.

Then back to the the Mae West of tomatoes on an aqua plate with Carpenter's (my painting teacher's) knife.

Face on the Canvas

2011-03-15T17:05:00.001-04:00

Here's the first pass of my portrait on the canvas. It will get sharper, plus more wrinkles and other marks, but not polished, because it's an in-progress painting and not a reflection.

I did this working from a few white chalk marks, and a photograph taken a few weeks ago. I stopped before I blended all the subtle color changes into silly putty.

Here's the whole thing at current stage.

I need to do something to the mirror surface. Make it slightly hazy? Add gleams of reflected light? And the frame needs punching up. Think I'll set it up in the studio and work on the frame and the mirror surface from life instead of from the photo.

Peaches & Japanese Knife

2011-03-14T15:55:00.000-04:00

Pulled out a painting I started last fall, before I got sidetracked by the portrait idea. It's a variation on my ongoing love affair with knives and tomatoes - peaches on a silver tray. Messed around on the surface of the fruit and the knife, then worked on the under color of the silver tray. The trees outside the window reflected in the rim. Actually looking forward to doing the engraving lines, mostly swirling. I'll probably end up as enamored with the tray as I am with the fruit.

Tomato & Hambidge Knife

2011-03-12T16:01:00.000-05:00

I pulled the little tomato painting out and finished it today, give or take a highlight or two.

Something is so satisfying about them. This one is a fish knife loaned from a friend who works at Hambidge.

I think I'll go ahead and draw up the other two, one with a knife from my art teacher and one with a very curious gold colored knife with an edge that looks like a flame pattern. It belonged to a friend's grandmother and is engraved with her name, Wise.

The Realism show. Friday, April 8 at Mason Murer Fine Art

2011-03-10T14:31:00.000-05:00

Death Takes A Holiday. 24x30" Oil on canvas

One coat of varnish short of being ready for the show.
Got a very nice email from the director of the Mason Murer gallery asking for Death Takes a Holiday for their Realism show, Friday, April 8. Yippee.
I pulled it out of the drying room, gave it a good look over, punched up the light on the shoes, did a wee bit of highlighting on the lion's mane and signed it in brick red on the bottom right.

Back to the Sanctuary

2011-03-09T15:50:00.000-05:00

At this point I dive into a section to sharpen and clarify it, and also scoot around the rest of the canvas where the same colors are needed, making changes that have a cumulative effect.
Today I worked on the center painting, the top and back of the throne, and edges of all the picture frames, plus another layer on the oriental carpet to narrow the brass rods and give them the right curve. Scribbled a little more pattern on the marble columns.

Here's the overall.

Next up - the top of the throne area and the chandelier.

Subtraction and Addition

2011-03-08T18:08:00.000-05:00

I decided the artificial flower brooch was a distraction and took it off the mirror image, but kept the red knit top.

Took out the maul stick altogether and made the repainted canvas a scant half inch narrower. Worked on the hand. Before I started painting, I placed features with a few chalk marks - my plan is to paint directly on the canvas without an under drawing.

The most fun part - recess - was working on the coat back, especially the panels made from a rose chintz. To come: many more small flowers and twining stems, a rick rack edge. I do love this coat.

Indicating patterns and bas-reliefs

2011-03-06T12:46:00.000-05:00

Painting away on the pattern in the oriental runner, and the gilt carvings and bas reliefs around the throne. Very loose for me.

A detail of before

And here's after.

Stopping for lunch and to remix paint colors.

Face In the Mirror

2011-03-03T13:07:00.000-05:00

After a little time off (painting the church interior), I returned to the triple self portrait.
By the end of the morning, the image in the mirror is closer. Much to do on the hair and knit top, but I know I can get there from here. Here's a close up -

The wet paint is reflecting light, but you get the idea. I added a layer of detail to the mirror frame and the central figure's hair. Put another layer of paint over the background.

I'll work on the pattern of roses on the coat this afternoon. Next up will be painting the sixty year old face on the canvas. I may try painting directly, without more of an under drawing than a few guiding chalk marks. It may be looser than the mirror image. Still thinking about it.

To Chandelier or Not to Chandelier

2011-03-02T07:11:00.000-05:00

Finished the first layer of the two big paintings on either side and the painting over the throne in the center. Two of the figures on the left hand side are angels (the halos gave them away- their wings are very faint and almost translucent) The rest are shepherds with a distinctly Greek look. The center image in the oval frame depicts Christ crowned, with God overhead looking down from a cloud.

Now I have to decide whether to include the crystals of a chandelier that dips into the top of the painting. I know what it is, because I saw it in situ, but will the viewer who comes to the painting cold know? Do they need to know? I like it, especially like the way it's just a glimmer that's off center at the top.

I was the source of general hilarity yesterday, when I explained to some friends that I'm doing this painting as a break from the rigors of portrait painting. But it's the truth.

Painting Saints and Shepherds

2011-03-01T06:02:00.001-05:00

Working on the two large paintings in either side of the throne. John the Baptist is on the right, and and the figure on the left is a shepherd holding a ewe. The blue robe belongs to the Virgin.
My autodidact art education includes time spent absorbing the extraordinary artworks that fill Italian churches. That, plus a Presbyterian childhood steeped in vacation Bible school, taught me to recognize the symbols that identify the saints.
My favorite part was getting to paint that lapis lazuli blue. So so gorgeous. I'll post closeups after I've developed the painting a little more.
Spent an hour searching (thanks Google!) for the name of the church - it's the Greek Orthodox church of St George in Vienna.

I can resist anything but temptation

2011-02-27T14:02:00.000-05:00

Couldn't resist going back and working on the under color for the oriental runner. Also suggested the carving on the chair atop the dais, which I think of as the throne.

Tweaked proportions here and there, and did a bit of detailing on various frames. That's technically cheating, because my method is to cover the entire canvas with a layer of paint before I move into details. Again, I couldn't resist. Ah. temptation I can safely succumb to.

Here's closeup of the lower left corner.

building form, waiting for saints

2011-02-25T18:00:00.000-05:00

Added the columns and the marble wall that reflects sky. plus more of the wooden paneled seats on the right hand side. The forms are beginning to emerge. The two blanks on either side are larger than life size paintings of saints.

This will go in the drying box for the weekend, and I'll pull out one of the portraits to work on. I see adjustments of volume and angle I'll need to make and a drier surface will serve me well. Can't wait for the pop of the red and purple oriental runner, and the incredible lapis lazuli bluesin the three paintings, but don't want to worry about smearing the wet surface with a careless swipe of the wrist. This is the main reason I keep several canvases going at once.

because you have to start somewhere

2011-02-24T21:16:00.000-05:00

Started a new painting, working title Sanctuary. Mixed colors this morning, and put paint to canvas this afternoon. It's small - 16x20"- and intense. No big fields of color anywhere, more like painting a mosaic. And not a face in sight (I don't count the two saints in paintings on either side of the dais, and God on a throne in a oval painting in the center). It will be a welcome distraction from the portraits.

Here's the initial drawing on toned and gridded canvas. My reference is a photo I took in Vienna. That's our auxiliary puppy Maddy wandering through the studio.

Roughed in the marble floor, left side mahagony seat, corner bit of red carpet, and steps up to the dais.

To come - marble columns, carved wooden columns, marble walls, three paintings within the painting, a chandelier, gilded frames and moldings and an oriental runner.

Cabbage roses, striped sleeve and background

2011-02-23T16:51:00.000-05:00

Mixed colors for the background and put the first layer on - I intend the right side to be darker than the left, and a sort of warm medium/dark green with brown swatches. This is still pretty transparent but I'm happy enough with it to keep going with that background palette.

Worked on the coat sleeve and the rose panels. Tweaked the nose of the mirror image. Just cheerfully plugging along. Looking forward to developing the bronze mirror frame. Considering changing the knit top in the mirror image to something that resembles the coat.
The big challenge will be painting the 60 year old face on the canvas with the right amount of distortion for the angle.

puddles vs portraits

2011-02-22T13:56:00.000-05:00

Worked on faces and hair, but mostly the water's surface. Love painting water. Next time I do H2O, I'm leaving the pesky people out.

Portrait of the artist

2011-02-21T19:57:00.000-05:00

Here's the start of the triple self portrait. The mirror image - taken from a photo of me 40 years ago - is far from done, especially the hair and no background at all as yet. That's a little bunch of flowers made of fabric pinned to the sweater. I look forward to doing the detail on that.
I'll do the portrait on the right from a photo of me taken last week. I painted the linen canvas, because I'll leave it partly unfinished.
I worked on the coat today. Red, pinks and oranges in a sort of scumbled abstract, with cabbage roses.

Haven't decided about the background. Instead of a generic dark, I'm thinking it might be a mid value of burnt sienna with some sap green mixed in. Or I might go with ultramarine blue grayed down with cad orange

water abstracts

2011-02-18T06:12:00.000-05:00

Worked mostly on the bodies under the water - like painting little abstracts. Feeling good about it but longing to get far enough along to do the shimmer on the surface of the water.

Death Takes A Holiday

2011-02-09T14:44:00.000-05:00

Death Takes A Holiday. Concentrated on the walkway and and shoes, pushed some darks and lights in the shrubbery. Varnish will make a difference in the darkest areas. Might give the sky one more layer.

detail -

progress on two portraits

2011-02-01T07:13:00.000-05:00

I ended up painting another layer of water yesterday morning. Next time out I will begin the scumbling, and the time after that glazes. At the very end I will make those delicious fractal patterns of light on the surface. Meanwhile, I'll also plug along on the faces.

Yesterday afternoon I worked on the skeleton suit, skull mask, jeans and sneakers of Death and the Lion.

I'll be painting details of the ground cover alongside the sidewalk today, and add to the texture of the sidewalk itself.

Gene Pool Roulette, or Undertow

2011-01-30T13:17:00.000-05:00

This speaks to me about the maternal - the womb where it all the begins. Robin, who's wearing goggles and underwater, suggested the title Hereditary Undertow. Hmm.
Did one version of the face on the upper left and then scraped it of
Really struggled with Emily's face in the upper left. I had to wipe off the first attempt completely. Put in a shape that seemed so wrong. Once it was dry I re-drew the chalk grid in that one place and that showed me it was about fifth too big and wrongly positioned. Placed the eyes nose and mouth with chalk and painted for about three hours.
This is the second version and I feel like it's going to work. I can get there from here. I am reminding myself that I paint like I write - rough start, then lots of editing and fiddling until layers of detail make it worth seeing.

I am saving all the water detail for desert.

Onward and Upward - triple self portrait

2011-01-22T18:24:00.001-05:00

After spending a month gestating ideas and doing preliminary photography and drawings, I'm back in front of the easel with multiple canvases in progress. I switch around depending upon what's wet and what inspires me on any given morning.This post is about a self portrait. It's new territory, but I have got the strongest pull to do it. I just hope it works.
Here's an image of the 1646 triple self portrait by Johannes Gumpp that initially inspired me. His central image of the painter that's painting himself from a mirror image is very featureless, just a bit of his white collar and his hair break the dark shape.

My version is me painting a self portrait by looking in a mirror, where I see myself at 20 years old, but the portrait I am painting shows my actual age of 60. This speaks to the fact that I do not see my aged self in the mirror. The exception is if I catch an unintentional glimpse of myself out in some store. I never recognize that old woman as me and it's always a shock.

For the young self, I'm using a photo taken in 1970. I remember taking the photo very clearly - what I was thinking, how my hair was pinned up, the way I held my shoulders - there's even a kind of muscle memory to draw on. made a lot of effort to duplicate a photo, getting as close as I could to the angle and attitude of the original.

I'll paint a 16x16" canvas of the 60 year old me first. It's what I'll work from when I do the big triple portrait. Spent the morning drawing. Used graphite and chalk for the grid and a few highlights. It's a starting point.
I made myself dizzy trying to work out the bit about reversed reflected images and what that meant to my composition. I claim artistic license.
The most pleasant surprise is the establishing photo of the back view came out much more interesting than I thought it would.
I knew it was going to be complicated but I have a plan. It's good to have a plan.

At the beginning again

2010-12-15T18:48:00.000-05:00

The show went wonderfully.

After a moment to catch my breath and set my course, I begin again. That's one of things I love about art - investigating what tugs at you, drawing the map as you go along.

I'm heading into new territory that's autobiographical and archetypal. I'll be tackling images that include landscape, interiors, still life and portraiture.

The first piece is from a photo I took 19 years ago. It was Halloween and and Robert was carrying my son down the street.

The first pass that laid in the street, sidewalk and some of the shrubbery.

Yesterday I added the skeleton suit and the lion costume.

Today I worked on Parker's face, the landscape next to the house on the left, and the skull mask.

Here's a closer view of the heads.

My plan is for the background to have that hazy nimbus feel, like the Harrow painting, and the two figures to catch the eye with more sharpness and detail.

This image is about what lies beneath father/son relationship. This kind of thing - the actaul story, the metaphorical fable, the image, the fact I kept it for 19 years, and knew I wanted to paint it almost as soon as I knew I wanted to paint - is why I love art.

Auditioning tomatoes at Whole Foods.

2010-11-16T19:54:00.000-05:00

Corporal Works of Mercy series is done, dry, wired, varnished and delivered to the gallery. Friday is the opening and everyone is welcome. It's Mason Murer's holiday party, with more than a dozen painters' new works, food, drink, music, and rumors of interpretive dancers. If you come, be sure and say hey. I'll be the one looking happy. I love getting work in on time and making my deadline.

Mason Murer Fine Art

This is what I worked on today, tomatoes from a roadside stand and a plate and knife from Hambidge. It was so relaxing. I love painting tomatoes and interesting knives with a history.
A friend brought me a butter knife he loves, with an amber handle. I took it for a palette knife at first. I'm off to audition tomatoes at Whole Foods.

Nearly done!

2010-11-05T13:13:00.000-04:00

Ransom the Captive nearly finished.

My favorite bits are the lock and the reflection in the dog's eye.

Well, there's a bit to do on the Blenheim's ears. I had to steal the reference off of another dog's head as it was just a brown blur in the original photo.

Jump

2010-10-31T21:29:00.000-04:00

I took a photo of Bury with sunlight slanting on a part of it, like a broad shaft of light from heaven was beaming down on this dog (if heaven was located to the upper right).
I loved the way it looked, and I decided to do it. Now. Deep breath. Jump.

Go big or go home, as my son says.

This was ...liberating. I'm glad I did it.

I'll be brightening up the fur from the top of the shoulders to the top of the ears. I'm thinking it''s the light of the great beyond you know - "go to the light ...." Or maybe the grim reaper has a really big flashlight.
It's not particularly logical, but it pleases me visually.

(un)Bury the Dead

2010-10-29T16:08:00.000-04:00

Worked on fur detail, as in individual hairs, and tried to make his paws and front digging leg look dirty. It will need more peach/red tones. Also did a glaze on the bone. It will never be what I initially imagined, but I am not without hope that it will be done in time. I am okay with the dirt. Note to self - an idea without a working reference is just brain electricity. It's not ready to paint.

Ransom the Captive

2010-10-29T16:06:00.002-04:00

Painted the bars of the cage and some fur detail. Each bar has two thin stripes down the side in different colors - violets, blues, greens and browns mostly. The photo doesn't really show it, but you get the idea. Blenheim is still far from done, so here's a detail of the cage. I can't wait to sharpen up the bolt and lock.

Buried

2010-10-25T17:07:00.001-04:00

Worked on Bury the Dead.
Closer, though not there yet, especially the front leg feathers which will be getting much darker. I'll be breaking up some of the lights on the body as well. I am once again swearing to myself that I won't start working unless I have a reference that's absolutely solid. I have one for the body, another for the paws, a third for the head, and too many different Georgia clay references to list.What was I thinking?

7 down 2 to go

2010-10-23T22:13:00.000-04:00

Two hours painting. Five hours battling with photoshop.
All but two paintings are finished, and I am hustling them towards completion. The six that are done are up on my website (after much gnashing of teeth and patient explantions plus an extra boost from a friend) and I've emailed them to the gallery.
Down to the wire now with Ransom the Prisoner and Bury the Dead.

Highlights, reflections and silver bells

2010-10-06T15:05:00.000-04:00

Kept going on Comfort the Sick this morning. Listening to a Ian Rankin mystery the whole time. Book on CD from the Library - playing through the computer. Turns out to be a good combination with painting. For me this work stands on the devotion of the black dog expressed by his posture, and the tilt of the puppy's head.

Did highlights on the coat, a lot of paw detail.

Worked over the entire puppy, from ears to tail. Still needs another layer or two. This pup is as speckled as a trucker's mudflap.
Added the pink collar with the tag and two jingle bells.

Added stronger shadow/reflections beneath dogs and wheelchair.

Jammie stripes

2010-10-05T17:40:00.000-04:00

Easy day. Did a bit of shopping, and knitted while listening to an Ian Rankin novel on CD - lovely Scots voices.
Painted stripes on the jammies.
Some days are just lovely like that.

Rawhide bone

2010-10-04T17:22:00.000-04:00

Worked on Visit the Prisoner. Reworked the caged dog's fur, plus the cage background and cardboard beneath. Added the water dish and the rawhide bone.

Put lot of time into his face and especially his eye and his paws, pressed against the bars

Time's up

2010-10-03T13:00:00.000-04:00

Another happy painting day, this time on Harvest+Time.

Carrot tops, darks and lights on most of the leaves, both kohlrabi (is that the plural of kohlrabus?), highlights on the triangle and precise marks on the compass.

When Bitter is sweet.

2010-10-01T20:39:00.000-04:00

Returned to Bitter, the painting I was working on before I went to the dogs. heh.
Painted the silver spoon, the hypo needles and the draperies. I could not put a brush stroke wrong. It felt so right. I remembered how much I love doing still lifes.

I've decided that a problem painting is like the out of control kid in an otherwise easy going group. The difficult kid gets 80% of the attention just to keep him from biting someone's ear or setting fire to the drapes, and all the good kids get a little distracted attention and mostly benign neglect. The result of my musing is that my troubled painting is currently in time out so I can spend some quality time with my good paintings.

Tomorrow I'll be photographing a rawhide bone to add to Visit the Prisoner and painting in the floor drain.

Visit the Prisoner

2010-09-27T17:23:00.000-04:00

I've spent the day on Visit the Prisoner. I'm using the concrete floor in the garage as a go by for the floor, and worked on the dog inside the cage and the cardboard scrap he's laying on. After a break, I tackled the visitor - a Blenheim I borrowed from the neighbors. Her name is Ginger. There is probably going to be a rawhide bone added at some point
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Bones and dirt, two more dogs

2010-09-25T17:43:00.000-04:00

Inspired. Found a visual reference of dirt with a root that looks like a rib bone. It was in a corner of a photo I took of guys burying a sprinkler system. I added it to the lower left corner. Added black to fur. Changed angle and length of forward paw. Added dirt behind paw. Extended ears. Lengthened bone into the ground and added and deleted clods of dirt.

Went to breakfast at HomeGrown.

Then did a first pass of the two dogs in Comfort the Sick. Painting Moochie was a pleasure, the pup a revelation in how pink her underbelly is. Compared to painting dirt, the wheelchair should be a snap.

I took a couple of hours to read and nap, so I can stay up late (um, 9pm) to attend daughter's performance at the High museum tonight.

On a mission

2010-09-22T14:42:00.000-04:00

Started painting at 9:30, didn't look up until 1:30, and then realized I'm wound tighter than a tick. My inner timer went off and it's dinging like crazy - hurry hurry hurry.
My next show at Mason Murer opens November 19. I just counted the days left to paint and I'm in get it done, deadline mode.
Painted the chair, shins, crevices, fur and fingers on Clothe the Naked. Not in that order.
Needs shadows under the fur here and there, and all the blue highlights redone, plus a little work on the paws.

Start of 'Comfort the Sick'

2010-09-21T14:46:00.000-04:00

Great painting day.
Decided on the background and table top colors for Comfort the Sick. What's really in the background is a wooden matchstick blind (no way) and they are on top of a pine table with a piece of Lexan (like glass) that reflects (double no way). I went with a couple of values of a chamois color for the top, and a few variations on gray (conjured from purple, ocher, sap green and white) for the table. Mixed 'em up, spread 'em on, blended with a big brush, then wiped most of it off. Works for me. The white parts are the little puppy looking up on the left, and daughter Robin in a wheelchair with Moochie leaning against her leg and the wheel, looking up on the right.
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Then I revisited Bury - it needed another layer on the background - then hit the darker places on the dog.

That took the morning, 9-1, after which I ran to the grocery store (cupboard was bare), the drugstore, and home. Chillaxing now, eating duck breast and mango salad (take out). Considering the benefits of a nap.

Just broke open the fortune cookie which reads, I am not making this up, 'You should be able to undertake and complete anything you desire."
Wowser.

Harvest+Time + blue skies

2010-09-20T16:42:00.001-04:00

After trying various backgrounds, including a view of a cabbage garden, which turned it into the painting equivalent of the tv show Hoarders (Too. Much. Stuff.), I went with blue. Bit of violet at the base.

Happy now and back on schedule to be done for the November show. While I was up I added the directions on the compass and a bit of texture to the burlap drape. Still needs feathery carrot tops, and possible some layers of glaze on the leaves, but after languishing behind the drying room door for months, it's on the home stretch.

Virginia Parker, painter

Answered Prayers: Harmonium & Answered Prayers: Aphrodite

Global +Tomato

Answered Prayers : Quickdraw

Tomato Trio

Global Knife

Tomatoes of the heirloom variety

Shameless plug for an art and music maker extraordinaire

Last of the cavaliers

oil sketches

This morning's effortIt won't be dry enough to take to the gallery tomorrow, but maybe by Thursday.

Flirt, 5x7", oil on board

Seven spaniel paintings

Little dogs mean a lot

Born a bubble off of plumb, off-kilter perspective works for me

Patterns and texture

Harmonium Keys

The quiet before the storm

Tonight! OCAF solo show. Paintings #15, 16 & 17

Tomorrow night, artist reception 6-8pm

Solo show this Friday: paintings #9, #10, #11, & #12

Solo Show this Friday, paintings #7 & #8

Solo show, Paintings #5 & #6

Solo show Oct 7, paintings #3 & #4

Solo Show Oct 7th, painting #2

Solo show and, yes, of course you are invited!

Candle 1, beginning of Candle 2

OCAF space and light

Some assembly required

Candle I

Genus Loci underway

edicole sacre

Sgian Dubh #2

Sheath, blade, and scumbling over stone

Tomatoes and tornados

Thirst almost quenched.

Tornado (Aftermath)

Thirsty

Sgian Dubh #1

Sgian Dubh, times two.

Central Pillar of Frenzy

Mountain sides and Moochie

Gripland, the c-stand and sandbag jungle

Storm debris and strands of hair.

Self portrait x 3

Adding figures, while chanting 'NOT a portrait NOT a portrait NOT a portrait'

Down in Gripland again

Tornado Aftermath

Gripland begins, triple self portrait gets a mirror and easel

Back in the trenches

Pre-flight painting

Tomato progress

New day, new tomato painting

One tomato, two tomato, three tomato, four.

All done

Tomato & Hambidge Knife

The Realism show opened last night at Mason Murer Fine Art

The El Cap Swing in Yosemite

Hot Off The Griddle

Self Portrait x 3

One for the money, two for the show

Suggesting a Chandelier

Fruit and Vegetables

Face on the Canvas

Peaches & Japanese Knife

Tomato & Hambidge Knife

The Realism show. Friday, April 8 at Mason Murer Fine Art

Back to the Sanctuary

Subtraction and Addition

Indicating patterns and bas-reliefs

Face In the Mirror

To Chandelier or Not to Chandelier

Painting Saints and Shepherds

I can resist anything but temptation

building form, waiting for saints

because you have to start somewhere

Cabbage roses, striped sleeve and background

puddles vs portraits

Portrait of the artist

water abstracts

This morning's effort
It won't be dry enough to take to the gallery tomorrow, but maybe by Thursday.