Nikki

A commission I picked up while I was in Florida. I always get attached to pets as I paint them. 8x10

Three Years and Counting

Yesterday marked Three Years since I began this blog. Sometimes when I look back I feel that I've grown much as a painter... other times not so much. I do know that I can handle the medium ( oils ) far better then I could in 2006. I also know that my taste for pop art subjects has all but vanished. I've also learned ( largely through journaling ) that I can not predict what I may paint in the future. And more then anything I've learned that I have much further to go and grow than I ever imagined back when I returned to painting in 2005. Temper that last bit with a much clearer understanding now of what my goals as an artist are ..and a realistic attitude about where I stand in the wide world of realistic oil painters.
Several months ago I ran into some problems ( and problems still ) with Google Analytics. I am no longer able to keep track of who and how many visit this blog. That was terribly important to me and I suppose I may have to start a new blog altogether if I want to regain that window of information. Letting go of the obsession of who's watching has been a good thing. I'm still selling a few paintings from here ( far more then my website and far less then shows and commissions ) Selling was not my goal when I started Chuck Law's Art Pages and though it became so for a while it seems that for now I've gone back to happily using this venue primarily as an open record of my painting process...a wonderful digital sketchbook for all to see. My goal is to keep things here mostly visual as I tend to lose myself with words. Thanks to those of you who take the time to comment because yes, even though I can know longer tell who's looking in I still care quite a bit...after all I'm not just painting for myself. That has been most significant and perhaps the most spiritual lesson of all.

* photo of Great Blue Heron perched on my Koi pond!

Fixing what needs to be Seen

"High School Parking" is the darkest piece I've ever worked on. I'm carefully coaxing the subject out of the shadows of twilight

Seeing what needs Fixing

...I often have a very hard time being able to tell what's wrong with a painting...mine as well as others. A few days away from this made clear that the sky was incorrect, the value and the edges of the clouds were way too strong. I kept thinking there was something a bit cartoonish about this painting, I hope this was it.

Nearing completion...Grassy Sound

It's been interesting working on 4+ paintings at the same time. I'll be taking a brief break from painting for the next few days as I devote myself to working in the Flower Shop for Valentine's Day.

Winter Morning, Patcong Farms

11x14

High School Parking

a work in progress... I quickly blocked this in while the image was still fresh, the rest will be done from the photo reference. 26x30

Snowy Day at Birch Grove

I chose to leave the flakes out when I painted this, there were plenty in the paint though. 5x7

Second Stage Grassy Sound #2