After Rehearsals

11" x 14" oil on stretched canvas

Today has been a busy one so I'm posting a painting I completed today but started earlier.  Jackson hosts the International Ballet Competition and the last one was last year.  The rehearsals are on the Belhaven College campus and I parked in the parking lot there one afternoon to try to get some candid photos of the dancers.  I feel like a stalker at times with my camera but I really enjoy figurative painting and it's about the only way you can get truly candid shots.    If people see you, they either stop and pose or look disgusted and go the other way.  I would probably do the same thing myself with a stranger trying to take my picture.  If you ask to take the picture, they also pose.  Oh well, so I try to sneak in a few shots here and there. 

Pirate Study

6" x 6" oil on canvas panel

This pirate and I fought for a good chunk of my morning and I'm not sure who won the battle.   My reference photo wasn't too good - not enough color and I had to make it up as I went.  Last summer,  I was in Houston, Texas visiting my sister and we decided to go to Whole Foods where they were celebrating "Pirates Day" or something like that.  This was a customer who was dressed to the nines in pirate costume and he was really into his character.  I asked him if I could take his picture and he was more than eager to oblige.  He was a pretty convincing pirate - never once did he really smile.  I had my flip camera and I was able to film him.   This photo really has a glare, but now on the left side.  I still can't figure out how to photograph these.  The light reflects off of the oils and I am always experimenting with different areas of my house to take these in.  I welcome any suggestions in the "comments" section.

Give Me That Fish

6" x 6" oil on canvas board

This was painted today in my Tuesday painting group.   There was nothing I could find that I was dying to paint so I selected this fish photo from some of my files.  It was a challenge trying to stay loose and not paint in the individual scales on the fish.   

German countryside

6" x 6" oil on canvas board

This is my yesterday's daily painting.  Because of the storms that rolled through,  it was so dark by late afternoon that I couldn't get a good copy in natural light, which is the ideal for photographing these.   The glare of morning light has sort of washed out the right side of the canvas but this is my entry for the latest daily paintworks challenge.   Two photos of German roads were submitted to the challenge and we selected the one we wanted to paint.  I selected this one because I liked the shadows in it.   You won't see too many landscapes posted here because they are the ones that give me the most "fits"!   Hopefully I will have another painting completed by this afternoon and can post it since this is Monday's painting. 

Mayes Lake #2

6" x 6" oil on canvas board  - SOLD

Busy day today because the art show starts at 11:30 and is not over until 5:00.   I am posting this painting that was done earlier this year since I won't be home to paint.  I need to get back in the groove tomorrow. Use it or lose it is apropos to painting for sure!   Sometimes I will spend all morning on a painting, then end up wiping it all out when it just doesn't work - hope tomorrow won't be like that.   We'll see!

Modified Abe

8 x 10 oil on canvas board

A few weeks ago for the daily paintworks challenge, we were supposed to paint Abraham Lincoln from an old black and white photo.  We could either paint him in color (make it up) or we could use a 3 color palette of only burnt umber, ultramarine blue and white.  After submitting, I modified mine a bit and added the red tie - it needed a little color!!!!  I didn't place him so well on the canvas, I wish more of his hair showed.   That's why I like these daily exercises, you learn something each time.   We have been busy today setting up for the show at St. Richard, lots of artists there working in many different mediums - glass, pottery, photography, painting, custom clocks, you name it!

Mug Shot #1

6" x 6" oil on canvas panel

I've been getting ready for a show this weekend and haven't had time to paint today so I'm posting one I did a few weeks ago.  This is painted from a mug shot.  The idea came from another daily painter who painted a different mug shot each day for 100 days.  They are really fun to paint because there is such a variety - male and female,  they aren't "posed" and none are smiling.  Interesting faces and of course each with a story!  I probably won't be able to paint this weekend but I will continue to post with some daily paintings I did last month.