Recent Posts
Brainworks: Daily Painting
Return To Blog Listing
I am an oil painter. I post my paintings and thoughts about painting here.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'mythology'
Happy Christmas......
I am sure many of you got as much snow as we did over the last few days. Being socked in, I have had plenty of time to cook, which is really just a thinking exercise. As Christmas and the close of the year approach, I stand in my studio, thinking abo...
On the easel...
I have about four of five painting that have been waiting to be addressed. This one is finally coming along and some new ideas are bubbling up...."Nuthatch"commissioned painting5" x 7 " oil on panel(I have had many orders for these small paintings, s...
Small paintings
The 5" x 7" paintings on panel are in high demand of late and I have been working on those commissioned pieces over the last week. I have sold four that hang in the Athenaeum show and have a few commissions in line. Although I really prefer to work o...
Women Artist
The interesting current letter from Robert Genn at the Painter's Keys."Dear Artist, Last night I was giving a short talk and signing books at one of our local art clubs. I happened to notice no men were in the hall. The club has many male members, th...
Wright to Read Program Wednesday Night
We had seven Wright to Read kids and tutors (and friends) last night at the gallery to do some creative story writing about my paintings. This whole experience was new to me, but I worked really hard to step out of my comfort zone and in the end it w...
Wright to Read program
Tonight, kids in the literacy program Wright to Read are coming to the Athenaeum gallery to hear me talk a bit about creativity and then choose one of my paintings in the exhibit to write a short story about. This is new territory for me, but I am ...
Today\'s Painting
This particular painting has been hanging around unfinished for a long time. It is one of the few paintings that I was wrong on for the original idea. Usually, a painting ends up almost exactly like the original vision. This one had at least four dif...
Self Portrait
The portrait. I keep thinking it is done (like the baboon painting....which, I worked on today) but I began to think about what it says about me...being a self portrait. My love for animals and the fact that they are the subjects of my painting coupl...
Good Times
Did you grow up in the 70's like I did? CHIPS, the Dukes of Hazard, the Love Boat...Good Times?Remember that J.J, played by Jimmy Walker, was a young aspiring painter? Do you know that the amazing neo-mannerist paintings used on the set and credits w...
Veterans as Artists
In the "Combat Paper Project" veterans make their uniforms worn in combat into paper and then into works of art. This cathartic process of papermaking and creating art helps them embrace their combat experiences. This is a very cool project and is a...
The Athenaeum Opening
The opening of the Athenaeum show last night was really great. Plenty of friends and family present along with others. I really enjoyed engaging new friends about art and all manner of topics from Andrew Wyeth to pet pigs. Receiving such wonderful f...
Update
The Athenaeum opening is this Sunday. It has been an odd week. I have worked some on paintings in progress, and started a new painting, but really mostly have enjoyed relaxing and getting some other things done this week. Family is coming in, some fo...
Breathe and relax.......
I feel a pretty big internal sigh of relief after delivering the show for the Athenaeum yesterday. Those of you who have been with me through the journey of the last several months know I was a bit overwhelmed by it all. But, it all got done and with...
Upcoming Gallery Opening
Varnishing paintings is on hold with all the rain we are having. I may be able to do a little painting today just because of this weather.I reminded of late how much history there is in Northern Virginia area. The historic Silversmith House in Frede...
Tuesday Update
I think I have forgotten how to paint. Five weeks post-last painting, and feeling it. When I took on two shows opening within a month of each other, I knew it would be a challenge getting enough good work, but now the ongoing framing (with two damage...
FCCA hanging at the Historic Silversmith house
Sunday was a rainy day to transport paintings, but we did it and the FCCA show is hung and looks fantastic. Anne has one side of the space and I have the other. Our work is drastically different from one another, but I think it works great. Something...
Humane Society Blog Post
Not much that needs to be said....As a person who loves animals and as the they are the focus of my work, I cannot turn a blind eye to these issues. I share so we can all be informed.May we not ever tolerate the cruelty, abuse and neglect of any liv...
Countdown to FCCA and NVFAA
I am just beginning to feel the pressure of not painting for the last three weeks. There is an out of sorts feeling that also can be attributed to traveling, I suppose. It almost feels like I am neglecting myself in some way by not painting.Going ove...
Update
We are off to Atlanta this week. Since we returned from Virginia Beach, all my time has been spent assessing paintings, and getting all the promo created and printed. I also have a new laptop to set up and switch files over, so there hasn't been any ...
Countdown to opening day.
I am always amazed when a painting moves so quickly along, without a hitch. It does not happen often for me, so I am basking in the wonder that is the "Shepherdess." She seemed to come along like magic. Meant to be.Craig and I went to visit family ov...
Today\'s Painting
"Shepherdess of the Open Sea, Source of all Fish Life"36" x 24", oil on canvas...
Flash, Shepherdess of the Sea
The body is essentially complete. I will continue to build up the fish roe and lay in the ocean over the rest of this week, and barring any problems, she will be who she is by Friday.I am pleasantly surprised at how freaked out people are over this p...
Today's Painting
The beautifully bizarre vision came to my mind about the Shepherdess today. I was getting that she had something to do with water, but I couldn't figure why or how. But now it is clear that she is overseer and source of fish life, so her legs are mad...
On the easel....
Yesterday, I started having a new flare up of shoulder pain. I sort of have been pushing through it, but now feel pretty sore, so I could only paint a few hours today.I am really intrigued by where this is going. Her little face just speaks volumes ...
Monday.....
The Shepherdess....
As I countdown to the two openings in November, my to-do list is getting longer. I spent the day photographing, assessing, and applying retouch varnish to around 15 paintings. I need RAW images of everything, as I have been really lax about getting g...
Painting....
I love my creative use of blog titles....need to work on that...Ok, so I lied about getting those images up. Worked at finishing up the "Landlord" but really was not happy, so I had to rework a bit. I felt the lion's mane was becoming an entity of it...
Painting
I made a lot of progress on the "Landlord" painting today, but it is really cloudy out and the end of the day, so I can't shoot an image. It should be completed tomorrow. I made the body an enormous birds nest...Also working on the tamarin painting a...
Today's Painting
These little birds are so delicate. I used the goldcrest, a European bird, for most of the detail, but changed the markings some. This is evolving in that magical sort of way created things can....one stroke at a time....
Update....
While painting last week, I watched (or listened to, mostly) a Ken Burns documentary about Thomas Hart Benton. The painting I am standing in front of in my banner above is one of his. A self proclaimed enemy of modernism, Benton was a forerunner of t...
