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Challenge Number 3 and ‘Why he was always in such a hurry.’

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:50:00 -0500

What’s the Difference between Exploring and being lost? The Journey is the Destination. These were the words Dan Eldon wrote on the first page of his journals. It is also the subject of Challenge Number 3 for Michael Edens, Martha Marshal and mysel

Afternoon on the Prairie

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:06:00 -0500

This is a rather fast knife painting, an approach perfectly suited to acrylic paint. The colors were mixed directly on the board and moved around only as much as needed to the shapes and light-dark contrasts. Even the colors in the tree (ultramarine

The Country House

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 09:50:00 -0500

The Country House acrylics on 16x20 canvas panel

Coincidence or Something Else

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:54:00 -0500

To get you started into this Ghostly Eve of October, I have a weird but true story for you to ponder:Although I believe there’s a paranormal realm that surrounds us, I am a skeptic in regards to most claims. In fact I think 99% of ghostly encounte

"A quick bite" (Apple and grapes) - in acrylics!

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:11:00 -0500

I painted this in acrylics on a watercolor paper! I don't do acrylics very often; I really do enjoy the blendability of oils, and even their messiness. But it takes time to paint in oils! In comparison with my previous post's painting, it took me alm

Rockface

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:19:00 -0500

Abstract painting allows a level of freedom that can be hard to deal with if one is coming from another, tighter style. Today’s post illustrates that well for me.Rockface was done in two sessions. At first the underlying cooler colors (blue, violet

Waiting for the boat

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:59:27 -0500

… to be painted. I did this little painting for the monthly acrylic challenge. Actually there should have been a nice tugboat in the middle of this river, but somehow I do have some trouble painting it. My first attempt failed terribly and I ha

WWII Polish Girls and The German Soldier's Boots

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:44:00 -0500

More than one million Polish were deported to forced labor camps in Nazi Germany during WWII. There are no accounts of the number of people who were murdered in the work camps. Those who survived remember only the horror. My 84-year-old neighbor Hel

Urban Jungle - Another Abstract Piece

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:00:00 -0500

Some years ago on a visit to the University of Michigan Museum of Art, I was awed by a much publicized exhibit the title of which I no longer remember. The exhibit occupied the entire main hall of the museum and consisted of 5-6 canvases, each about

Fast and loose

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:16:00 -0500

The term 'fast and loose' usually conjures up visions of sloppiness. Not so in impressionist painting where the emphasis on speed was often driven by the artist's desire to capture the moment. The rapid pace and minimal reworking of the paint gave

Ezekiel’s Vision or Ever Read the Bible?

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:56:00 -0500

Ezekiel 2:5In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month of the fifth day,… I saw visions of God. In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces.. Gleamed like burnished bronze. Each of the four had the face of a man, and

Time-of-day effects in a landscape

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:50:00 -0500

That landscapes are subject to daily and seasonal changes provides opportunity to explore the same scene many times over. In the case of the impressionists, such exploration often spanned many years of their lives. The simplest approach I believe is

Hyacinths for the soul

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:56:00 -0500

With my last ten bucks I purchased my Hyacinths for the Soul today at the Granville Farmer's Market. What a glorious sight! It was one of those perfect Yellow, Blue, and Green days with the air so crystal clear that colors vibrated. Oh, I know the

Fairy Work or Christmas Already?

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:48:00 -0500

I heard the rustling. Then the laughter.Turning, looking, - nothing after.Day became night, then morning arrivedA delicate chair had been contrived.I turned. I looked. I found my smirk.This is imperative evidence of fairy work.“Who cleaned up the

The Emperor’s New Clothes or "Vikki’s Ban on Blog Awards Revolution.”

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:05:00 -0500

Do you remember that childhood story, The Emperor’s New Clothes? It was a fairy tale by Danish poet Hans Christian Andersen about an emperor who hires two swindlers to create a new suit of clothes for him. The swindlers tell him the cloth is invisi

Green Dragon Ornament

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:55:00 -0500

I sculpted this a few days ago and rather like how it turned out even though it wasn't what I planned. Originally the dragon was on a glass ball that I painted the inside so it was all gold and green. I kind of dropped the ornament after baking the

In Art Sometimes The Sum Is Indeed Greater Than The Parts

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:08:45 -0500

I’m working on a big art project for a school auction. My class is 4th graders, 9 and 10 years old. All of the kids in the class must participate in a piece of art that will be auctioned off at the beginning of October. Organizing 30+ kids

A Christmas Gift Special

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:36:00 -0500

A few years ago, a friend gave me a chair from her storeroom. God only knows how old it is. I had mentioned that I needed a chair for my studio. I wanted something that I wouldn’t worry about getting paint on. She said her chair would be perfect a

Ode to a Turnip or A Poem by Vikki North?

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 11:55:00 -0500

Oooooh Turnip you’re so misunderstood.No one loves thee, as they should.High in vitamins and needed starch,You sit alone dry and parch.Only Spinach is dreaded more than thee.Or maybe slimy Okra and that little green pea.Oooooh Turnip your life is u

Le Ballon Rouge or Le Défi de Michael

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:49:00 -0500

Parlez-vous le français ? No? English it is then. My French needs some major brushing up anyway. This painting is the second in an ongoing challenge between artist Michael Edens and myself. This started when I visited Michael’s site. I really lik