In The Country - Exhibit at United Country Wichita

SOLD! Green Basket

I just love the colors in the painting, I'm sure I'll paint this basket again.

SOLD! A Snifter's Worth

I painted this some time ago and it finally has a home.

Longaberger Basket

This pen and ink drawing is of a small Longaberger basket titled "Discovery Basket 1492 -1992". This is one of the many Longaberger baskets in my wife's collection. I must say I have a fondness for these baskets myself.

Spartus six twenty Camera

I just started a new Moleskine and this is the first pen and ink drawing in the book. I must say that I love old cameras; there is something about the thought of these old cameras capturing moments in peoples lives and the effort it took to see the results. There was always that time of anticipation and sometimes excitement when you first got the pictures back. Who knows if the pictures this little camera produced are still around. I hope they are stuffed in a dusty photo album somewhere with names on the back telling someone somewhere about a moment when the world was much younger.

Art on the Trail

I had a great day of painting. I participated in Art on the Trail at the Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita, Kansas. I was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the wind was practically nothing except an occasional gentle breeze. What more could you ask for as a plein air painter. Thank you to all the folks at the Great Plains Nature Center, it was fun.

Silver Ornament & Art Presentation

Yesterday I gave a presentation on art to a group of ladies. I hope it was interesting, I know it was too long, but it's tough to shut me up when I'm talking about something that I'm so passionate about. I gave this little 5x7 inch painting away in a drawing. Ladies if any of you are reading this, I had a wonderful time yesterday, I hope you did as well.

SOLD! School Days

The Problems with Plien Air Painting

I just love these little animated shorts.

Fallow Fields

Click here to bid

This is a typical fallow field here in south central Kansas.

Question: What Is Art?

Different Strokes From Different Folks!

"Through the Fence"

8x6 in Oil Canvas/Panel

Karin Jurick started a new blog last week called Different Strokes from Different Folks. The objective of the blog is that she posts a picture every Wednesday and anyone that wants to can paint their interpretation of that picture. This is my interpretation of this week's image. Thanks Karin, this was fun.

Jacob

This little painting is of a young friend of mine name Jacob. The source photo I used was a year or two old so he's changed a little bit. The little smurk on his face is still the same.

Prix de West 2008

My wife and took a daycation on Saturday and went down to Oklahoma City which is about an hour and a half from where we live in southern Kansas. We did some shopping and dining and went to see the Prix de West exhibit at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. It was a great exhibit filled with exceptional artists of course (even though I'm not much of a cowboy art enthusiast.) The exhibit ended yesterday.

We also went down to the Paseo Art District in OKC. This was our first visit to the area. They have monthly events the first Friday of every month. Lots of galleries and restaurants. We got there late in the day so we didn't get to wonder into too many of the galleries. We did have a wonderful visit with artist Lyn Kopta at the Mariposa Gallery. I'm sure we'll be back to that area soon.

Paintings Available on eBay

If you want a great deal on one of my small oil paintings then you need to head over to eBay and catch one of my pieces I have up for auction.

Just Click Here.

SOLD! Motif #1, Rockport, MA

Red Canister and Garlic

Click Here to Bid

I posted this little painting a while back. It's up for auction out on eBay.

"Savior" - Digital Abstract

You're probably thinking, "Where is Skeet and What have you done with him?" Well back to my normal stuff later in the week. I am truly fascinated with the kinds of graphic things that can be done with the computer and let me tell you the above painting is primitive in comparison. This painting was done in Photoshop 6.0 (yes and ancient version I know, but it's all I have.) For some reason when I'm doing this kind of work on the computer I feel abstract so that's often how things come out.

And yes, I do believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior.

What? Cartoons?

Yes, it's true. I occasionally enjoy doing a cartoon or two. I use to do cartoons all the time and publish them in company or church newsletters, but I haven't done that for a while. Cartooning is not as easy as you might think. I definitely admire those cartoonists who can come up with a gag and a drawing every day.

The cartoon above was done as a reminder to my church choir to please come back from their well deserved break. The cartoon below I just did because I had the image in my head. I still don't have a gag for it. It you think of one you might pass it on to me. As always I love to ready your comments.

Inkwell and Pen - 6x6 inch Oil

"Inkwell and Pen"

6x6 inch Oil Unframed

[PURCHASE]

I collect fountain pens and all kinds of old writing ephemera so you would think I would paint more of these kinds of still life. Perhaps there's more to come. Enjoy.

Susan Carlin on USTREAM.tv

I sat in on a USTREAM.tv painting session held by Susan Carlin yesterday afternoon.

After getting home from church and lunch I had missed most of it but what I caught was very good. It looked like, based on the comments, that everyone was having a good time watching Susan paint her kitty cat. I've been tracking her blog for quite some time now and I really like her portrait work. She recently did some knife painting which I thought was terrific. Go check her out, she posts pretty regularly.

SOLD - Snow on the Carriage House

SOLD - Bales Along The Creek

Red Delicious in a Longaberger - 6x6 inch Oil

My wife collects Longaberger baskets and it occurred to me the other day that I had never painted one of these fine baskets, so I did. I'm sure they will appear again.

Bales and a Barn - 8 x 10 inch Oil

Charity Auction:
I painted this small piece for a charity auction in Emporia, Kansas. The auction is being held by the Kansas Grand Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star and will go to support two different charities: one is heart related the other is spinal-cord research. The auction is today and I hope it will bring a good amount to support those two worthwhile causes.

My View:
I think it's important for every artist to use the gifts and graces she/he has been given and give back in ways like this. If you haven't donated some of your work to some cause you believe in yet then seek out an opportunity to do so. You'll feel better for it.

Short Stacks - 10 x 8 inch Oil

Short Stacks

8 x 10 inch Oil/Panel (framed)

PURCHASE

This was a fun little painting I did over the 4th of July weekend (I was in a red, white and blue mood). It's going to be in the Reals Gallery show I'm hanging today.

William J Reals Gallery of Art Exhibit

Just a reminder to everyone about the one man show at the William J Reals Gallery of Art.

William J Reals Gallery of Art-West

I am really late on getting this promoted. I hope a few of you are able to get by in the next 6 weeks and see the exhibit, especially if you weren't able to get to the Coutts exhibit in El Dorado, Kansas. There are a couple of new paintings that were not in the Coutts show so even if you were at the show in El Dorado come by and see the new pieces.

The exhibit is at the William J Reals Gallery of Art-West at The University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, 1010 N Kansas, Wichita, Kansas. There is a reception on July 11, 2008 at 2:30 pm so stop by and have a little punch and a cookie or two and enjoy the exhibit. The paintings will be up until August 29th so if you miss the reception stop by anytime.

Wheat Festival Buttons

Yes, I am the winning designer of both the 2007 and 2008 Wheat Festival Button designs. I must say it is pretty neat walking around Wellington, Kansas during the Wheat Festival (July 9-13) and seeing my button design displayed proudly on peoples shirts. I understand that last year's design (the Wheat Festival Penny) was the most popular design ever; we'll see how this year's design sells.

I'm already fretting about next year's design and this year's festival isn't even here yet.

Moleskine®: Pope John Paul II and Father H

Just a couple of sketches from my moleskine®. The sketch on top is of Father H.J. Setter a priest in Wichita, KS. I did this sketch from a photo that appeared in the Wichita Magazine June 2008 issue. The photo was actually taken by Randy Tobias/Wichita Magazine. It seems that Father Setter is a cigar aficianado and is pretty well known in the cigar world. It was an interesting story.

After finishing Father Setter's sketch I felt the need to seek out a photo of the late Pope John Paul II. Unfortunately I couldn't find anyone to credit this photo to. I'm not Catholic although I am a part of the catholic church (that's catholic with a little 'c' meaning the universal church.)

Sketches done with mechanical pencil HB lead.

Green Basket - 8 x 10 inch Oil

"Green Basket"

8x10 inch Oil (unframed, Free Shipping in USA)

$80.00

Finally a painting! It's been about two weeks since I actually painted anything. I've done some drawing and some sketching but to actually paint it seems like ages. This little painting actually started out as a warm up painting before getting back to one of the larger pieces I've been working on. I actually spent more time on it then I thought I would. I found myself just enjoying each stroke.

Unless it gets purchased by you or someone else very soon, I think I'll put it in my up coming show at the Reals Gallery at the Kansas University School of Medicine in Wichita, KS. More on that show later in the week.

Moleskine Sketches

These are just a couple of lunch time sketches in my most recent Moleskine. Both are from photos that I didn't take myself so I can't take credit for that. The one on the left was from an original photo by Susan Treft and the one on the right I found in the latest issue of Mid-West Living Magazine. These were done with mechanical pencil, HB lead.

"Bryana" 8x10 Graphite

This is a pencil drawing I recently finished for a friend of mine. This is her daughter, the first of three drawings she has commissioned me to do.

I haven't worked in pencil for quite some time and in some ways it was refreshing to jump back into it. For many years it was all I did along with pen and ink.

Any comments from anyone? I'm always willing to hear them.

Peg Box - SOLD

Peg Box

5"x4"

oil - Multimedia Art Board

I love this little painting and I thought about keeping it for myself, but I can't keep all the good ones. At least I know where it is and can go visit it occasionally. Thanks Greg and Juliah, I know you'll find a perfect spot for it.

Exhibit at Century II, Downtown Wichita, KS

"With a Banjo on My Knee"

24x30 in. Oil/Canvas

$720

Purchase this Painting

This painting is part of a Kansas Academy of Oil Painters group exhibition at Century II in Wichita, Kansas. The painting is one of three (3) that I have in the exhibit. This is a self-portrait and yes, it's true, I play banjo. Stop buy and take a peek at the exhibit, it's up until June 30th.

Southwind Gallery - Topeka, KS

I am very please to announce that I have two paintings juried into an exhibit at Southwind Gallery in Topeka, KS. Go out and check out the exhibit online or if you are in Topeka between now and July 14th stop in and see the exhibit in person.

"Apple Bowl" - 8x8in Oil/Panel

Apple Bowl

8x8in Oil/Panel

Unframed, Free Shipping in USA

$90.00

This is a small painting I did a week or so ago. I primarily wanted to see if I could handle the various reds as well as the shadows on the bowl. I used an almost top view as my perspective on this which flattened out the bowl a bit but I think over all it works pretty well. It's definitely more colorful them most of my other paintings. I like that.

"Odd Duck" SOLD

The exhibit at Coutts Memorial Art Museum ended yesterday and one of my favorite little paintings sold. I will miss this odd little duck, but I'm sure it's going to a good home.

Thanks to everyone at Coutts for a good show a special thank you goes out to Mary Binford Miller and Nancy Whitaker for sharing the show with me.

Derelict

Derelict

4x6 in. Oil/Plywood

Purchase

This is a tiny landscape I painted last night. It's of an old farm house a few miles from where I live. I've actually painted it before. When your painting this small it's definitely difficult to do any level of detail...at least for me. It was fun.

Grapes on White

Grapes on White

4x5 in. Oil/Plywood

Unframed

$35

This is a little sketch I did recently of some green grapes. They were pretty tasty.

On and Off

"On and Off"

5x7 inch Oil/Canvas Panel

$45.00

(unframed, includes shipping in USA)

I am a big fan of Carol Marine's paintings. I love her loose brushwork and clean color. It is so not like how I paint. I had a couple of apples handy and a little time on my hands so I thought I would set up a still life with a "Marine perspective" and see if I could capture that "something" she does on the canvas. I don't think I'm even in the same town much less the same ball park, but it was fun!

Purchase This Painting

Dave The Painting Guy - Dave Darrow

I have watched Dave Darrow paint for quite some time now and frankly I should have blogged about him before now. He is a fabulous painter of portraits as well as other genres. His brushwork is full of grace and precision. I personally think you'd be hard pressed to find a better portrait artist (no he's not paying me to say all of this.)

But wait there's more....

Just in the last couple of weeks he has started painting before a live audience (an internet audience that is) as Dave The Painting Guy. If you enjoy watching a professional artist at work in his studio and would occasionally like to ask as stupid question (like me) or two, then you need to tune in. You can go to www.davethepaintingguy.com and find out when he is planning to paint again and then go get registered to log in and chat.

If watching live doesn't fit your schedule, he also had previously recorded sessions you can watch as well. He is very generous with his knowledge and experience. Overall he's a good instructor. I hope to be able to attend one of his workshops sometime in the future, we'll see.

In the mean time, see you at Dave's!

EmptyEasel.com

Today I wanted to quickly tell you about an eNewsletter I get every week. The newsletter comes from a website called www.emptyeasel.com and it is literally packed full of information for both the beginning arts and the advanced artist. There are some incredible articles about selling art over the web, about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and everything else you can think of relating to the internet.

The website doesn't just focus on selling art and websites. There is plenty of other information on this site. If you are serious about your art, there is a wealth of information for you at www.emptyeasel.com.

I've been receiving the eNewsletter for sometime now and I'm just now beginning to try and apply some of the things I've learned. Gooooood Stuff!

Shave and a Haircut ..

Shave and a Haircut..

Oil/canvas/Panel

5x7 inch

This little painting will soon be on eBay so keep watching because soon I'm going to be posting several small paintings on eBay.

Coutt's Memorial Art Museum - Exhibit

We had a wonderful time at the artist reception for the exhibit at Coutts Memorial Art Museum in El Dorado, Kansas, this past Friday evening. Mary Binford Miller, Nancy Whitaker and myself were all present for the reception along with around 40 other people. The ladies from the museum indicated that we had a good attendance. I did a gallery talk on the subject of Relationships within the context of Art. As a part of that talk I read a neat children's book entitled "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds. The talk was well received. I also did a drawing for 2 small oil paintings; one went to Jim Clements and the other to a lady named Dixie Rose.

If you haven't had a chance to view the exhibit it will be up until May 28th. Stop by and see it and let me know your thoughts. ss