"The Best Holiday Ever!" Miniature Art Show

A Ball of Thread 6x6 Oil/Panel

Cheers! 6x6 Oil/Panel

 The above two paintings are going to be included in "The Best Holiday Ever!" Miniature Art Show at SouthWind Gallery in Topeka, KS. The show opens on November 7th and goes through December 31st. If you are in the Topeka area stop in and say hello to Gary Blitsch and the rest of the fine folks at the gallery.

InkTober 2nd 2014 - Happy Birthday Groucho!

Today is Groucho Marx's birthday! I thought I would dedicate my Inktober 2nd drawing to the iconic glasses with the bushy eyebrows, nose and mustache we all have worn at one time or another.

Drawn with Pigma Micron pen and Sharpie.    

InkTober 1st, 2014 - "Valves" from my sketchbook

I decided to try and participate in the InTober Project 2014 started by Jake Parker. This is the first drawing submitted to the InkTober Project 2014. I think this is a great idea to get yourself drawing daily and working in one of my favorite mediums–ink!

This drawing was done in The Art of Watercolor Sketchbook using a Pigma Micron 01 pen, size 3.5x5.5 inch. The InkTober Project 2014 tag was added in Photoshop. 

DEMO - "Ball of Thread" - Part 2

To start with I cut this 6x6 inch panel out of a larger 1/8" MDF panel I had and then gave it several coats of gesso with a touch of sanding in between each coat. I used a spray gesso which worked great, it went on smoothly and evenly. I prefer painting on a smooth surface rather than a surface with brushstrokes or even canvas texture.  

I then toned the panel with burnt umber using thinned down oil paint with Gamblin OMS and I let that dry for several days. I prefer painting on a toned surface just to kill the white and unify the painting a bit.

I worked out the size and placement of the arrangement with vine charcoal and brushed away everything except the lightest of lines; some of the charcoal lines disappeared altogether. 

DEMO - "Ball of Thead" - Part 1

I spent about an hour or so working out this little still-life composition this evening. It is the subject of a small 6x6 inch painting that is going to be exhibited at SouthWind Gallery in Topeka, KS as part of their Holiday Mini-Show. A Ball of Thread is a little bit of a play on words, it's really a Ball jar containing thread...hopefully people will get it. 

I paint most all of my still-life paintings from life and I think it has made a difference in the quality of my work. In this setup the light is from above. I'm hoping I can capture the quality of the light on the various colors of thread in the jar and create a nice atmosphere around the setup all in a mini painting.

SOLD! "Copper Pot with Lemons"

"Copper Pot with Lemons" Oil/Linen Panel 8x10 Inch

This little painting was featured this week on the home decor' website www.onekingslane.com and it sold. I packed and shipped it off to it's new owner in Atlanta, GA. This was my first time painting lemons and copper. It was a fun learning experience. 

114 S Jefferson Wellington KS (AKA The Pink House)

Sketchbook - 114 S Jefferson, Wellington, KS 

This is a very unique home in downtown Wellington just past the First United Methodist Church. It is a landmark of sorts and is commonly know in the area as the Pink House. It has not been a residence for many years but the home is being cared for. I had an opportunity to take a tour of the home several years ago before work was done to preserve it. This is a quick sketch I did in my sketchbook on Sunday afternoon and then added some color using Photoshop.