Another Year

Ending the year finishing up paintings. Some that I've just started, some lingering projects. Some new (for me) techniques I'm trying, and some new themes.
A good part of the new year will be devoted to photographing work to list for sale online. It's grunt work but has to be done.

Bird Talk

Cape Elizabeth
Watercolor on paper.

Sitting with my watercolors on the rocks by the Ocean at Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The rocks are generally a tan slate color as I showed them. There was this one huge black rock that seemed to cut through the others like a whale.

While I painted, a curious seagull landed in front of that big black rock. He studied me for a while.

Seagull: "Well.........Aren't you gonna put ME in your painting?"
Me: "OK."

I had this small watercolor matted by a gallery. The image size is 5 x 8 inches, with a three inch mat and foam core backing. I'm throwing the mat and backing in for free, because it really makes the painting look nice. The outside demensions of the mat are 10.75 x 13.75 inches. Acid free.

Initialed by me, lower right (on the rock)

Always happy to receive your comments or questions, just click the link.

Cheers,
rick

The painting.

Available at artfinder.com/rick-paller

(my online shop)

Today's a bit unusual. All the paintings I have currently working are at the point where they need to dry and cure before I can move on with them. I guess I get the rest of the day off. See ya. 

On The Easel

This is on the easel at present. An unfinished oil painting of a favorite view of Lake Allatoona, near Red Top Mountain in north Georgia. A fair amount left to do before this one is finished. I want to bring the sky colors down into the water and then see where to go with it. I'll post the finished piece when it's ready.

Photographing some art from the racks.

 

Photographing some art from "the racks," to put them online for sale.

When I get these photos shot, edited, and written up I will load them to my ArtFinder page and they can be purchased online from anywhere in the world. Cool.

My ArtFinder home page can be accessed by the link on the right. I know, shameless promotion. Just trying to make a living.

There's 30 pieces online now, and I hope to have 100 more by this time next year. Honestly, selling art is more work than making art.

I was going to title this blog entry  "Shooting A Cow," because it's about photos I'm shooting, but I thought better of it.

So click the link already :-)

Found it, sort of.

Tree On Arthur's Creek

I've been looking for this drawing for a while. I have it in storage, somewhere in the files in my studio. It is, I guess, under something or between something else. But I stumbled upon this image the other day, so I thought I'd post that. It's a bit grainy as it is an old camera shot but it is what I have.

I always liked the drawing. Tangled roots fascinate me, and I remember drawing this some years ago. Put on my plumbers boots and stood in the middle of the creek with my easel, paper and charcoal. Cold day in February and the water was REALLY cold. When I stepped in a hole in the creek, and water came in over the top of my boots, I declared that the drawing was finished.

On the easel today.

Experimenting.  Using oil paint on canvas with a beeswax medium.  I really like the way it paints, and the matte surface when it dries.  My only concerns are how "tough" it will be to scratches, etc.  Also are there any compatibility issues, like cross contamination into non-wax paintings if I use the same brushes or solvents. Or can it be varnished like a traditional oil painting.

Like I said, I love the look and the way it handles on the brush. Just frustrated that there is so little product information available. I have looked.

Note to manufacturers:  Make some of this info available. You might SELL MORE of the medium.

Mrs. Blackwell's Field - Then and Now

 

Then

 

Now

O bonny Portmore, I am sorry to see
Such a woeful destruction of your Ornament Tree
For it stood on your shore for many's the long day
Till the long boats from Antrim came to float it away.

All the birds in the forest they bitterly weep
Saying, "Where shall we shelter or where shall we sleep?"
For the Oak and the Ash, they are all cutten down
And the walls of bonny Portmore are all down to the ground.

O bonny Portmore, you shine where you stand
And the more I think on you the more I think long
If I had you now as I had once before
All the lords in Old England would not purchase Portmore.

***********************

Irish Traditional

Painting from the mid '90s. Photo last week.

Ballerina

Here's a painting from a while ago. It's still one of my favorites. A pastel on Fabriano Roma paper, painted from life. A beautiful young lady posed in costume for a group of artists and this was my result. I had the stained glass window effect on the paper already, as I had started it for another painting. That one was abandoned, but I thought the stained glass was perfect for this painting.

You can get note cards with this image here:

Ballerina Note Cards on etsy

Cheers

rick

Skull & Bones in the Studio

 

I like to draw skulls, bones, muscles etc.  It's some of the best practice I can think of.  I have a variety of skulls and bones around in the studio. Some that I bought, some that I found in my wanderings. Coyotes, deer, wild dogs, cattle. Even squirrels and lizards. Bones and skulls are some of the best teachers for an artist. I have a human skull REPLICA that I bought. Had to paint it with oil paint to make it look like bone.

 

Back in art school we had real skeletons to work from. Maybe I'll post some of my old drawings from school one day.

Last Show for Circus Elephants

Above is one of my illustrations from the 80s or maybe the early 90s.

Here's a link to an article about Ringling Circus ending the Elephant Shows after 100 plus years.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_LAST_CIRCUS_ELEPHANTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-05-01-09-42-43

DON'T FORGET TO VIEW THE GALLERIES!!!

Look at the banner above, just below the masthead on this page.  Lots of paintings and drawings, organized by subject. Thanks for looking!