I enjoy spreading them out every so often...taking pics, sharing on Facebook or Instagram...they have become like little friends, extended family...and remind me of my own journey thru this world and travels.
The six pieces above are all around 5"x 7" to 6"x 8" in size. The one in the upper right at this time is spoken for...and will be heading to Alaska shortly.
This above was just sent out this morning heading to Alaska, and a partner to bless another...5"x 9" oil. I love backlit subjects. Perhaps now have two retinal tears (left and right eye) and laser surgery I should rethink my plein air habits (though this was a studio study). I like the opposing contrasts of light, dark...warm and cool colors. Painting is for me..."the color of light"...and putting marks down alla prima efficiently...cleanly is most satisfying.
Another (above) that went out this morning, 6"x 8" study of sunset light thru Spring flooded timbers along the Peshtigo River not far from home. I did an original plein air study, then this studio experiment, and then a 16"x 20" larger linen that was accepted and exhibited this past year in the American Impressionist Society Exhibition out in Utah. What a wonderful honor that was. This piece is actually available should any wish to inquire...
16"x 20" oil on linen "Flooded Timbers Sunset" AP
So, running out of storage causing me to turn to small studies, is something of a habit I have not been accustomed to. But, as in the case of a couple national exhibitions now has proven to me the great benefit of working out ideas smaller.
This next one is in my possession. I think I will tag them as "AP" (artist's possession)...meaning not sold, perhaps not as yet having any intent to sell or let go. It just means, I have it...
4-1/2"x 6-1/4" "Morning Light" "spoken for and reserved"
I typically use trim tape, like you would use to tape off floor and window trim before painting walls, paint, and then peel off. Leaving the margin gives me flexibility if I should then adhere to a laminate panel, or other arrangements. At which time I could then trim on a bandsaw.
My paintings are final varnished with Krylon Kamar Spray...
Many may not know, but I paint portraits, started by painting wildlife for the first seventeen years of my career winning various state and regional awards, stamp designs, etc; and then I did "Sporting Portraits" for a good while. I am fascinated by treating the face like a landscape...a fore, mid and background with similar rules of depth perspective, warm and cooling color and values. My small studies are close in keeping to "mud heads" where labored rendering and likenesses are not near important as paying attention to the color of light, the shapes and values of those lights and artfully playfully with the brush applying paint.
Here is one example of a quick Kevin Costner I did from Dances With Wolves...6"x 4-1/2" AP
Taking more time than I had hoped, but not surprised. I'll end this post here...and continue another time. Hope you enjoy.
Oh...and I should say, if you haven't blogged for awhile, by clicking on any image, you will bring up a larger image to view.
So, I have been on an adventure somewhat removed from many other things because of this obsession of painting small cardstock studies. Prepped on this paper to receive oils, drying within 1-2 weeks, I can store as many as seventy paintings in a smaller four inch deep plastic bin with lid, separating each with wax coated papers. In time, I bought a couple black portfolios, black pages with clear protective sleeves and have been able to carry all these original oils underarm to share. Pretty crazy really...
The advantages painting these small studies has proved ENORMOUS for my prolific habits, now retired from teaching art and use of a larger classroom, my years and years of books, materials home. A nice house, three bedroom, but no basement, smaller closets. One bedroom is where I do my studio painting when not outdoors painting plein air, and where I practice my music and song writing/producing. My closet is full of guitars and sound reinforcement equipment, a corner of the room taken by a computer used for recording tracks of my music. I have an attached room between garage and the house full of framed works, and no room really to grow.
I have plans and intent to build a 16'x 20' outbuilding on my property, with a loft for storage where I can paint, carve, greet the curious that stop by. But, what to do about that habit of painting? By painting on cardstock and small, I can work out ideas, experiment, use what I think are successful studies to then lead to larger in-studio stretched or linen panels. But, the sheer volume of paintings I can do without deficit of lack of space doing these has been energizing!
In the meantime...I have come to know from time to time friends on social media that share dire situations, urgent care needs, medical life saving procedures...and quite frankly could use some help. They may have go fund me pages up, they may have links, and likely a Facebook page that people can join...understand the challenges being faced, and enjoin and partner to face those challenges together.
Thus comes the purpose of me sharing these small studies here. I do not know truly how many of these small studies I will let go. My original intent was to approach gallery owners to see the lot of them, and hope they might see a half dozen they would want me to paint much larger and give me space in their gallery. The one thing I am intending, is to take high resolution images of the work, and eventually put together a DIY coffeetable typ book of the works, with descriptions, perhaps one or two step by step instructionals and thoughts near the end of the book. But...
And that is a BIG BUT...!!! My proposal (know I am a person of faith) is that as God leads...prompts my heart, and if I feel it pleases Him...I will let a few of these go (when and how many I don't know?)...and those that will share in this partnership of care and blessing will have opportunity to own one of my studies (free...I will give it to you)...in turn for your conscience and heart to determine what to give in donation to support the needs of special people facing tough challenges.
You may have to be patient with me...going by the peace I feel...the inner wrestlings, I may let a half dozen go and stop. Or a few...stop, and then a month or so down the road I might feel persuaded and inclined to let a few more go for someone else. It is a venture, and one I can't predict.
My intent is no seeking of "gee, what a nice guy" attention kinda thing. I know most artists that paint NEED to sell their work, pay bills, and to eat. I know also there are artists that will recognize the difference between what sold serves to answer their own "need"...or when it comes down to it, their "wants." Believe me...I have wants...as mentioned my outbuilding...but then an ATV quad with plow to clear snow from my driveway, as working an Ariens snowblower to clear a 180' driveway and access is getting tougher on my 63year old knees! But, retired...life has been good...and I weight what is truly a "need"...and how I wish life would go ideally with what I would like.
Then, I think of those few God puts on my heart...whose wants and needs intertwine just wishing to be physically whole, and without pain. So, I have laid it out. Over the next few posts I will share small oil study works...including those having gone to a new home. You may inquire...email me, comment if interested. But again...don't feel bad please if at the moment I choose to hold on...or stop giving freely for a time being.
9"x 12" oil on stretched linen, painting in Marquette, Michigan on location (plein air), where the McClure Dead River is on its final run to empty into Lake Superior. Callin' it, "Descent of the Dead River" Painted during one of my upper Michigan plein air workshops I was teaching.
this 9"x 12" plein air (painted on location) was an experimentation in a bluish undertone, which I believe gave a nicely imbued overall wintry color harmony and mood.
This 8"x 10" oil served as a study for a much larger40"x 50" gallery wrap oil on wild turkeys scratching thru snows and feeding in a distant wooded meadow corner...
detail-
You can see in the larger painting I decided upon a warmer theme, but I enjoy the natural mood of the smaller painting as well. As always, please note...you can see a larger image by clicking directly on the images above.
This was a reversion to my wildlife art career years, where even something this small as 5"x 4" using acrylics would have had me applying detail on detail for hours upon hours. Painted a few years ago now and living in a national forest, I have not divorced myself from my love of wildlife and time outdoors, but I explored painting wise other challenges, one about 25 years ago now taking my paints outdoors painting from life, or what is called today "plein air."
With the nature of painting from life, the fickle nature of available light hanging around and cooperating or quickly disappearing comes that knack for putting a thing down, deft handling of brush...and I found myself curious visiting my old love to see if this same handling, but in oils, could develop a satisfying subject. I have done a number of such works now relatively much less time, focusing on rendering with value and color and brushwork suggestion. I was quite delighted, though it would not give those old state department natural resource expects satisfaction in counting feathers! That said, in passing observation of fowl from life, you won't find yourself counting feathers!
Painted here in NE Wisconsin, a drive down a dirt road about two miles to a side dirt small cul de sac, parking provided for visitors, and then about a mile's hike in, up and down good forested hills. Lovely day to spend...set up on the Pine River, a near 40' falls. Painted on location from life. This river's bend comes just before the falls looking upstream, and the light was lovely with the foreground in shadow.
