Another Special Order Finished

I couple months ago I recieved  a fan mail from someone who had been admiring a painting in a gallery that represents me. After thinking about it for some time he noticed it missing one day when he stopped in. I thought he was joking when he wrote to see if I had that painting available, as I just the DAY BEFORE received a check for it. -He was hoping the gallery had returned it after having it for a while and was suffering some buyers remorse.

I said I wold be happy to work with some of the elements that really drew him to the painting in the first place. We agreed I would do three sketches and and he could choose his favorite for me to work from for the finished work. It was kind of fun, and I ended up liking all three. (ok maybe one more than the others but I won't tell)

 A bit hard to tell in these photos but hopefully you get the idea. Basically working with a gold leaf circle large foreground/background split, and a very soulful face that wasn't to kooky.

The finished piece. I like how it came out. Waiting for the paint to dry, but the customer loved the photo.

Special Order Recession Buster

Here are a two small pieces I did for a customer who loves my work and just couldn't afford a larger framed original painting. She gave me several paintings of mine she really liked and things about them and I agreed to do two paintings and she could choose her favorite.

                      Luckily the subject matter was easy and fun. (These are each 6"x 7")

She loved them both and decided to go with this guy above.

So the other piece joins it's friends on the wall. -All currently available priced between $200-400. (most are $250.)

My Favorite Place at Art School

When I was on a trip back east in September I stopped by for a very quick visit to Rhode Island School of Design. I have not been back there since I graduated in 1987. Wow have things changed. It struck me that they bought up half of downtown. I just couldn't imagine how huge it had become, but luckily my very favorite place had not changed even a bit. It's called the Nature Lab and is basically a lending library for every natural object that can be preserved somehow. 

 I was allowed to freely open any cabinet or drawer I wanted, move stuff around, but really as you can see in the photos every little cabinet is it's own picture perfect setup.

 Every Item get a number that is used when you check it out.- Just like a library book. I Can remember checking out a bat with it's wings outstretched in a little flat box. I have no recollection what assignment I may have needed a bat for.......

 Just some of the bugs and butterfly collection.

 I liked this bird box, but had trouble with the light bouncing off for a great photo

 There is an attached room that was all skeletons. Every student had to sketch a full skeleton from the 'lab' as one of the first drawing assignments.

I hope they always keep this room. One of the good things about visiting was that even though the school had grown by leaps and bounds, most of the actual buildings are some of the oldest buildings around. Located in one of the most historic districts in New England. So on the outside it was like I'd never left.

When I Fight With a Painting

As promised a brief look at a recent painting that I just struggled with. Sometimes a painting seems to just effortlessly go along start to finish, and every now and then it is a real struggle. I thought I would show you one of those.

 This image of three birds developed out of me scribbling onto some wet paint. I often enjoy the game of this, finding an image and re-shaping things. I really liked the composition and three birds, but midway through the colors were not working. Mostly the background. I think I changed it many times and nothing seemed to work. (That is when I quit for a day or two.) When I next came back to it I took drastic action and just painted over the entire image a dark warm brown tone (see above). There is something oddly taking a painting you have spent a lot of time on and covering it up.

Then little by little I went and 'erased' the parts to expose the birds, leaving the dark color as a sort of shading then went added highlights. The above image is what it looks like when I do this just before I blend it. 

Here it is finished.  I especially am fond of the little blue bird in the corner

Some Studio Tour Photos

Well here it is all cleaned up and hung for the mid October Ojai Studio Artist's Tour. I always forget to photograph things when they are looking spiffy and so made a note this year to do it. I had planned to take some during the event, but somehow I am either the one engaged in a conversation or photographing peoples backsides as they look at the wall. Didn't seem to make for very good shots.

 Lots of jewelry.

 The little 'Recession Buster' corner.

And of course my good friend 'baby' Joe Mueller takin' care of business for me. I could never do it with out him. And a heartfelt thanks to you all who keep coming to visit me. Cheers. Chris

New Paintings Part Two

Just the last two paintings I don't think I put up here. The top one is from a very quick sketch I did with my Art and Thought Lab teacher Maria Lucia Philips. I liked it and decided to spend time making it into a painting. A few people asked if it was a self portrait I said yes, but then again they are mostly all self portraits in a way. ( duh the profound deep thinking of an artist) 

This is a very long landscape that was problematic as it didn't fit on the easel. I kept having to move it from left to right to work on it. I have done a couple with this format. I like the shape for a landscape in particular.