Nifty

Long ago, the denizens of an online art forum decided to exchange watercolors of postcard size. The idea was that groups of ten would each send an original watercolor to every other member. That is, you would do nine originals and receive nine in return. As is often the case with such ideas, it was only partially successful. The exchange was at least twenty years ago, and I retained only a few images of the works I sent others. The ones I received in return have disappeared. 

This particular little work was drawn in ink and then painted. 

 

the Painter

"The Painter (after Leyendecker)" oil on panel, private collection

This painting began as a copy of a work by JC Leyendecker but rapidly changed into its current form. In the Leyencecker a young painter is roasting a hot dog over his pot-bellied stove. But I wanted something more immediate so I made the old man who stares at us, holding his palette. In effect, making a painting in whoch the viewer is the subject's subject. 
 

Oktoberfest

Yes, of course it is not yet October, but the fall events here have already begun. The biergarten in  Waterworks Park (see my September 2 post), not far from my home studio, had a weekend Oktoberfest event with music, food trucks, exhibits, a pen full of baby goats for kids to pet, and a lot of beer (mugs too). My Saturday sketch group--well, some of us--decided to take a look. 

"Oktoberfest in the Biergarten," wc/ink on paper

There had been rain in the morning but the clouds were scudding away to the east and skies were beginning to clear. We got a mug and sat in the shade, watching the crowds build, now that the rain had stopped. It was cool and pleasant and not so crowded as it would doubtless be in a short time. 

I sketched and painted this small watercolor in a small sketchbook. 

The Blue Dome

"The Blue Dome (Arnie's), Tulsa," oil on panel 

A decade or so ago, after a visit to Tulsa, Oklahoma, my old home town, I painted a cityscape of the emerging arts district that was at the time reclaiming an old and decrepit area northeast of downtown. Anchored by a circular building with a blue done (and named The Blue Dome District) the area now has fine dining, clubs, art galleries, and shopping of course. 

The blue domed building was once a service station in the Art Moderne style, with numerous gas pumps, service bays, and a big office. Over the years it faded, closed, and went to ruin. Now it's been repurposed as a bar and grill named Arnie's Bar, that traces its own lineage to another part of town. Arnie's was once owned and hosted by it's namesake, a former big-band musician. The original Arnie's was a long, narrow room with a door to the sidewalk and one to the back alley. Any day, if you walked in, big band or jazz music would be playing on his reel to reel recorder. 

Age

"Age," graphite and chalk on paper, 8x10

This study of an elderly woman's face was a personal drawing exercise. It is graphite and chalk on toned paper, lighted and shaded using a method known as chiaroscuro (literally clear and dark). Many of my earlier charcoal and graphite works have not been digitized. This one is relatively recent. 

Nocturne

"Washington Square Nocturne," oil on panel, ca. 2003

One of the more interesting and difficult subjects for art is the night. When done effectively, nocturnes evoke the dark hours whether colors are true to life or not. 

Certain painters like Frederic Remington are known for their paintings of darkness and shadow. Although his work was as an illustrator of Western life, Remington's nocturnes transcend. Using his personal experiences in the West he evoked the dim lights of night, from pale green moonlight to the cold flicker of steel in darkness. 

Long ago Remington's example gave me reason to attempt similar ideas. In the end, only a few of those studies has survived, the others having gone into hiding somewhere. 

 

The Glass Palette

Sometimes, when no important project is pending but I want to paint, I simply look at what is in front of me and start. This painting was done years ago in response to just such a situation. I was standing in my studio, looking for subject and spotted these three bottles, each with a different color of water. They made an interesting subject, but I needed to see how they transmitted light, so I sat them close to the window, on the edge of my steel table, next to my round glass palette. Using an old failed painting as my surface I quickly did this work (about 11x14 I think). If you look at the lower right corner you can see vestiges of the older painting, which I think look like reflected light. 

The bottles have three simple shapes and three colors and make for great drawing practice. 

Emulating Paint

Although it isn't my maintstream medium, digital drawing and painting has undeniable allure for me. First, there is little prep and zero cleanup Second, today's computers and other digital equipment like display tablets and portable sketchbooks (think iPads) make images that are superior to those of a few years ago. 

"Portuguese Coast," digital painting

This digital painting was done using a photographic reference, with considerable modifications. The program was Sketchbook and I used a Wacom display tablet. If you thought it was actual paint from a tube, I wouldn't be surprised. This project shows how well a computer can emulate a real-world oil painting. The result could be transferred to canvas--printed--and sold, I suppose.  

In the Biergarten

The big park near my home studio hosts an outdoor beer garden during the warm months of the year. There are chairs and picnic tables scattered in deep shade under ancient trees. The selection of brews is adequate and tasty and the setting pleasant and cool. A bike trail nearby brings cyclists needing a rest as well as plenty of folks who come to the park for the garden itself. 

I spent an hour or two under the trees, savoring a cool breeze and a cooler beer.