6

As I wait for surgery on Monday, I am unable to paint or sketch. In fact, I can’t do much of anything right now. So, I’ll remember happier days like this one – the day  I went fishing on Sugar Creek.

 

 

3

Over the past several weeks I have suffered a lot of problem with my legs.  They are very painful and I can barely move.  I’m scheduled to have a surgery on May 17th.  Because of my inablity to walk, I’m unable to work in my studio.  This drives me insane!

I got a sketch pad and some pastels and drew a quick self portrait while trying to relax in my bedroom.  Here it is.  It certainly isn’t what I’d normally do.  I have some exciting cityscapes and landscapes in my studio, but they’ll have to wait.  You’ll have to look at this sketch.  By the way, you can use hair-spray as a fixative on pastel.

 

Us

11

This is a painting of my wife, Norene, and me.  We sat in front of a mirror to paint it.   Norene has been my inspiration.  She encouraged me to follow my art career long before I decided to start it.  Each painting I do is because she wants me to do it.  I love her.

You should see that the painting is very simply done with just shapes of colors and values which came together to form our portrait.

8

Sarah is standing in a harvested corn field while holding the back of a dining room chair. She is solitary, no one else is with her. A single home is in the background and two other buildings stand resolutely.

The sky is painted with a knife, as is the cornfield. The artist does not know what the painting means.

 

5

The gathering place in many small towns in America is the local bar. This painting is of one of them in southern Indiana.

The  two main things in this picture are the bar and the large mirror. The items closest to us on the bar are painted larger than the persons further back. This gives the illusion of depth. They are almost silhouetted, so no detail is needed. Your mind puts the features in.

The top-right hand portion of the painting is of the mirror. You see reflected in it the front window and entrance to the establishment, as well as the reflections  of the bottles that are on the counter. Again, the bottles are painted simply with quick strokes of color. Your mind sees what is there.

7

We all called our maternal grandmother “Grandmuzzie.” We absolutely idolized her! We lived near Salt Lake City but she was from Idaho Falls, Idaho, so it was such a treat whenever we got to see her.

I remember once we took her to the Great Salt Lake. It is seven times saltier than the ocean so you can just sit back in it and you’ll bob up and down like a cork. Grandmuzzie didn’t want to get into the water, so she just sat in a chair, dressed in her Hawaiian Muu Muu and shaded herself with an umbrella. That was fifty years ago.

I’ve portrayed the afternoon sun by making the right side of her very light with shadows going to the left side of the painting.

8

This portrait is of recording artist Roy Gentry. He is in a “reflective” mood, yet his “reflection” is in the tabletop. Note the natural light coming in on the right from a window. I’ve painted his arm and face  almost white to portray it. The left side of the picture shows shadow. Note the fist, the face, and his jacket.

 

7

I sold these two paintings this last week. They were both from my Madison show.

You should know that all paintings in my blog are for sale unless otherwise noted. If you’re interested in any of them, contact me.