Old, Borrowed, New & Blue

The brick I borrowed from a friend, it came from the Tomb of Augustus in Rome, The Blue Jay feather I found last month...and the jawbone? I have no idea where that came from. Once again indulging my love of hard edged details. I may return to this in a few days, needs some more detailing :) 9x12 oil/panel

Third Octopus

8x10 oil/panel

Second Octopus

SOLD
4x6 canvas



Not quite as blue as the photo, it's really overcast this afternoon,

Octopus

8x10 oil/panel


A study for another work in my octo series. I find these extremely fun to paint. Small deceased animals are so compelling to me. It's not an easy subject to sell, but then I ask myself what( and who ) am I painting for exactly? Too many answers to that question. I'll save myself some brain ache and just keep going on instinct.

On a side note, I participated as a judge in a juried art show today. It was a first for me and I was ( luckily ) able to rely a bit on the experience of the two other jurors. We had to select 50 paintings out of 157 entries and then of course choose the prize winners. Not an easy process, but very interesting. The show is presented by the Ocean City Art Center and runs for the month of November. I can vouch that it is a collection of very fine work in a wide range of style and technique.

Baby Chinese Cabbage

4x6 oil/canvas




Not too far from my home there is a huge Asian Market. One of my favorite places. I have found many an inspiration in their vast and diversified inventory.

.....for paintings and meals!

Two Inkwells

I worked on this 5x7 oil a bit more after taking the picture, but now it's too dark to get a decent photo so I'll go ahead and post this one...Fixed the elipse on the green bottle and made a few other adjustments. I got caught up in the background of faint blue light shining through dark venition blinds ( in case you were wondering what those stripes are )...Yesterday's painting was not worthy of posting....I was going to title this one "Not Bittersweet"! It goes that way sometimes...For me painting is almost like an act of faith. When things don't go well I have to believe that by persistant practice they'll get better again...heck even better then before. So far in the last twenty months that has pretty much proven to be true.

Two more Marsh Paintings

I never hesitate to let my influences be known...and these little studies were surely influenced by the plein air work of Jan Blencowe. I've been following her beautiful paintings of Southern New Englands' Wetlands these past few months. Jan just had two paintings selected to represent her homestate of Connecticut. Congratulations Jan!

These are also 5x7 acrylic on panel

Fun with Acrylics

SOLD

When I bring out my plastic basket of acrylic paints it's like visiting an old friend I've lost touch with...or perhaps outgrown. I use them this time of year to paint my holiday cards. I felt like just messing around and doing a few wetland scenes. I'm slowly but surely revving up to go out and paint the marshes plein air...until then, these are just imaginary excursions. 5x7 panels

Blue Delph

SOLD
Needed to give the cadmiums a day off....
5x7 oil/panel

Open Shell Yellow

4x6 oil/canvas

Obligatory Pumpkins

After all...it is October.
One thing about painting from life...life happens. I was just getting into this little 5x7 when someone showed up at my doorstep. She was here to buy a couple of paintings ( a good and worthy distraction )...when I got back to the painting a half hour later the sun had shifted an unreasonable amount...all values on the windowsill totally changed. How could it be? I considered wiping it all off, but went ahead and finished the little darlings off as best I could. God I'm having fun. Seriously.

Better Circus Peanuts

When I started this blog last year I had only peripheral knowledge of the "Daily Painter" movement. Duane Keiser was the only painting blog I looked at. I really just wanted someplace to post some of my smaller paintings and drawings in tandem with my website. I had not the slightest intention of actually becoming a daily painter, but here I am doing small paintings at least six days a week. I'm taking a moment to express my gratitude to all you artists who blog because your influence has really upped my drive to keep improving. I truly love looking at the variety of good quality art every day....
I felt like I was leaping over a stepping stone when I did this last 6x4 painting of this so very orange candy.
Painting on a daily basis was something my highschool art teacher told me I should always do...and that was a very long time ago..and you know what? She was right! I don't think she imagined that I would relearn that lesson 30 years later from a group of daily practicing artists residing all over the world...pretty cool!

The Gift

Thursday was a very long day. I worked all day in the flowershop then had to go out for the evening. When I came home around 9:30 that night there was a gift left for me at the foot of my chair where I paint. I have two cats and a basement full of holes! I was so tired, but knew I had to paint this at the moment 'cause I really didn't want to have to save the poor thing. Into the yellow dish he went. I don't like painting late at night because it really revs me up and makes it difficult to sleep. Glad I did it tho. Now I have Two small animal paintings. Not sure why I like to paint in twos so often, but it just feels right.
4x6 canvas

Here's some pics of the other creative endeavor. We had to do 80 of these hundred dollar centerpieces...they were placed on top of tall pedestals ...a lot of work. I disdainfully call them "round mounds"...big blobs of color...not really that creative when you get right down to it. At least not to a tired and jaded old designer like myself. I hope I never feel that way about my painting. I don't think I will. Flowers have certain limitations that makes floral design incomparable to the art of painting pictures.

Mushrooms and Acorn

SOLD
That little yellow dish I brought out for the sparrow has really caught my fancy. Here's another ...preparing for dinner, but just had to paint these first painting! I'll be doing some time at the flowershop for the next two days so look for the next post friday or saturday.

Early Morning Ageratum

I was out poking around the garden early in the morning and saw these little blue ageratum that must have seeded themselves last year and just now decided to show up. What really caught my eye was the shadows on the rocks. I dashed in grabbed my paint stuff --perched precariously on another rock and started. I think I had five whole minutes before those shadows dissapeared. Plein air work is so chancey. Difficult for a control freak like me. I notice that my outdoor paintings ( usually garden scenes ) tend to be much darker in value then the still lifes. Interesting.
I have a french easel I've never used. When I do these garden studies I wonder that I don't do more outdoor work.

Circus Peanuts

These had to be the most challenging objects I've ever tried to paint. I've had in mind to do a larger "scatter" painting of these candies since doing " Night at the Movies" two years ago. Someone sent me some in the mail thinking they would inspire to to do the painting if I actually had them in the studio. I gave them a try yesterday morning...something about that fake shade of orange with the blue shadows...felt like I was in way over my head. I think this is a good thing...can't improve without stretching...I will have to do more studies before even thinking about the larger piece. The panel is primed and waiting...emphasis on the ''waiting'' part!

4x6 oil

Sparrow

Out walking yesterday and I found this dead sparrow lying on the path. I was reminded of a painting I saw on Wet Canvas by William Wray last year, so brought it home and set it in this little yellow dish. It reminded me of how much I enjoy subjects like this even though they are not that popular with my friends and family...or most potential buyers! I did two paintings of octopus last year...the 'Dried Asian Octopus' is still my favorite painting to date. Guess I'm a little weird that way. I grew up in a family of men who love to hunt game. Although I don't enjoy hunting myself, I look at dead animals very objectively and often see much beauty there.

Last Pear

Here's the last in my little group of pear paintings. It's a stormy day here in New Jersey...great painting weather!!
4x6 oil

Japanese Rice Crackers

These two paintings perhaps mark a return to my "Scatter" style still lifes, most of which you can see on my website. They were fun to do and if/when the sun comes out I'll replace these images with a truer version.
4x6 oils

I had a bitch of a time trying to photograph these inside...It's going to rain the next few days here in the northeast.These images are close, but still a bit off... the nice subtle tonality in the backgrounds has been lost.I have this digital camera with all kinds of functions, but trying to figure them out realy makes my brain ache. I took classes when I got the thing, but that was three years ago...a year before I decided to pursue painting on a professional level. Perhaps I'll ask for a scanner for Christmas!.. Anyway I'm sure you don't want to hear of my minor troubles....but still it feels good writing about them and letting you know all is not perfect in Chuck Land

Rose Hips

This is an 8x10 oil on panel.
Sometimes I go outside and just wander around my gardens hoping something will catch my eye to paint...these two hips from my yellow rose bush were just the thing.

Back to the Pears...in pairs

5x7 oil on panel

Chambered Nautilus

SOLD
I've tried to paint this shell at least twice before with no success. This little one just flowed right out ...funny how that happens. A good lesson in 'not giving up'
4x6 oil/canvas panel

Yellow-Orange Gerber Daisy

Happy October! I put the pears aside to do this architypical daisy in a vase painting. I used to dread trying to paint gerber daisies, but practice has made them much less daunting..in fact a real pleasure.
5x7 oil