Surf and Turf

OK ..maybe I've gone too far with the cute/catchy titles, please forgive me, I just couldn't help myself. Does this make me less serious as an artist? I've been second guessing myself and my work waaay too much lately. It is when I start thinking too much about what I'm doing and why that I often come to a standstill.
I felt weird combining shells and leaves...because I think to myself, well they don't go together and no one will like it or want to buy it. Yet I did two small pieces last year with shells and moss ( they were snail shells I picked up in Hawaii)...and they sold rather quickly. Part of my drive to paint does have to do with approval...wether I want to admit it or not. It's when I let that feeling take over that I start to lose something...so before I start getting to introspective or philosophical let me stop here....
Here it is
8x10 oil/panel

Homeward Bound

This is an image for a painting that has been in my mind probably since I was a teenager. I've been riding the CapeMay-Lewes Ferry since I was a small child. My Father was in the Navy and we were stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, where I grew up. It's a six hour drive between there and here in South Jersey where my families roots are. During the sixtes and seventies we drove up Rt 13 about once a month. The Ferry ride over the Delaware Bay was always a treat...and always a sign we were almost home. We rarely took the ferry on the way back to Virginia, instead taking the Delaware Memorial Bridge. It was always a homeward bound event.. Hence the title.
I still visit Norfolk frequently. August 12th I made the trip to attend a friends wedding. On the way home I scheduled the Ferry Trip. I was stumped to draw anything on the 45 minute boat ride, but I did take several digital photos of the wake from the third deck, looking down on the the people leaning over the rail from the second deck. Here is the result. I don't work from photos very often and figures are a rare event in my paintings ( although I've attended countless life drawing sessions! )...but this view is so strong for me personally, it just had to be done .
I'm still feeling so caught up with this image that I may yet do a larger version. This one is 16x12 oil on panel.

One last 5x7 Leaf Painting

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Certain paintings seem to defy my digital camera...this was one. I took several photos and none come close to the true colors. I think maybe the outside lighting is too late in the day. I'll give it one more try tomorrow, but here's the closest to life for today.
I've enjoyed these leaves. I'm planning to do at least one more larger piece...9x12 I think.

An Old Leaf....or Two

I smiled when I saw Jan's comment on " A New Leaf " last night...as I had just finished up the Little Red Leaf painting...Yes Jan I have started to think about fall. The change of seasons has always been my most powerful Muse. I'm also finding great beauty in how the fresh leaves ( that don't get a chance to "change" )reveal subtle hues of pink and grey greens as they fade and dry. These leaf paintings remind me of Georgia Okeefe ...and for some reason Thomas Hart Benton came to my mind when I was painting the Little Pink and Green one.

The Two Little Leaf Paintings are 5x7 oil on canvas.

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A New Leaf....or Two

Finally broke the dry spell and painted these two this afternoon. This time of year the squirrels are building thier nests and my yard fills with fallen clumps of oak leaves. It's weird how I can sometimes loose the desire to paint so strongly. I've been beating myself up over not producing anything these last few weeks. I have plenty of beautiful and interesting subjects all around me....yet they all left me cold .....until I was picking up these leaves.

5x7 oils

oil study canna lily leaves

I found an extra half hour today to quickly dash this little study out...not really my usual stlye..but then I'm not feeling my usual self! Hopefully ending the dry spell...did some sketches too...maybe I'll post a pic of them tomorrow.
oil 5x7

Self Portrait 1982

I've been suffering from painters block for the past ten days. Part of this has to do with working more hours at the day job and being too tired to tackle the art thing when I get home. I posted this old picture ( acrylic/canvas 18x22)because it always reminds me of how I've been dealing with this for a very long time now. I was twenty two when that portrait was done...a desk clerk at Caesar's in Atlantic City. I'm sitting on the couch in front of a mural I painted on the living room wall of my small apartment. The uniform,canvas and serious expression show the struggle of working a so called regular job while still trying to be an artist.
The rest of this (painters) block has to do with indecision, fear and self pity. I know these are part of the process and in the past 18 months I've gotten past these little funks pretty quick. This one is stretching out way too long though and I'm reminded of the times in the past when I quit for years because it was just too much trouble. I don't ever want that to happen again so perhaps posting this pic and writing about it will clear a channel.

Floral Cards

Two 5x7 cards for two very different occassions. The first is for my Mother's Birthday in two days. These are little blue floweres called "Balloon flowers"
I'm not sure of thier real name. I picked them from a friend's garden yesterday. Some actually open into pretty star shaped blooms, but I liked the little balloon shapes ....and the pretty blue color is one of Moms favorites...This was done with markers and colored pencil.
The second is for a sympathy card to a good friend who just lost her mother. I keep a few of these on hand for such times. The mini-calla lillies are done in sepia watercolor.

Sunglass Series: All together Now

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Thought it would be fun to view em all together. Two sold for 75.00 each at boardwalk show....

A weekend in Ocean City

It was oh so hot...
and I didn't sell alot...
Yet I got to go swimming
...but you wont see that shot.

Final (for now) Sunglass Painting..and Blue Shell

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Here are two from today....should be dry for the show in Ocean City this weekend. When I do these last minute pcitures I use Liquin as a medium with the oils because of its fast drying properties. With most of my work however, I use only stand oil as a medium...I like the paint to dry slower when possible.
Glasses are 8x10 panel
Shell 4x6 canvas panel

Shells and Badges

Here's the Ocean City Painting. I really toned down the badges for a couple of reasons...not sure about copyrights on the badges themselves and I don't want to do a painting thats restricted to one geographical location...but still, there is enough showing that locals would recognize the badges. Really I'm just in love (still) with the orange clams and mussel shells. I have a few details and a bit of glazing left on the wood to do...but this is pretty much finished.
I was really happy with the timing on this...Began Tuesday night, finished Sunday morning...about 12 hours "brush to canvas". A couple of years ago this would have taken me three times that amount of time. Working everyday, wether painting or drawing, has given me an increased ability to work directly and efficiently that I just couldn't imagine when I used to paint only occasionaly. The only probelm is that the more I learn how to paint...the higher ( my self set )standardard raises and the more I realize I need to learn. I find myself having to make harder and harder choices in choosing what to paint...but that should be another post.

Young Lady's Sunglasses

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I saw these on sale at the craft store where I sometimes buy supplies...and just knew I had to paint em.
I've been working on the larger piece for the last few days...should be ready for a photo tomorrow afternoon...so stay tuned!!

The Wee Lassy glasses are 8x10 panel

even more sunglasses

Well this makes number five in the sunglass series. 8x10 oil on panel.
I've been working on a larger painting for the Ocean City show in two weeks...I'll post when finished...here is a pic of the set up tho.
I did quite well with the one day art sale in Ventnor last Saturday..sold two larger pieces..Yeeha! One was the 'Angelwings on Board' paintings posted here last month!

Little Black Eyed Susan

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Thought I was out of time to do any more painting before the weekend, but I just squeezed this one in....or out depending on your view
4x6 oil/canvas

Two more Cherry Paintings

5x7 oil on panels



..For those of you who may wonder, all these small paintings( and most of the large ones) that I post on this blog are for sale. I was pricing the works when I first started blogging, then I stopped...the main reason being that I haven't reached a definative pricing scale for my work...I will say this I do offer discounts on multiple purchases. If you are interested in any of these you can reach me at my email address CLAW4JC@aol.com or via the inquiry link on my website. Sometime in the coming year I plan on opening a paypal account and possibly branching over to ebay. Right now for the summer, I'm just too busy doing shows and fairs to devote the time here on the computer...there is so much to learn.
...Anyway I've done two additional cherry paintings as I sold the other two. My first Internet Sale!! ....besides I love painting Cherries, especially as my interest in beachy subjects is waning. I have two more small 4x6 panels and one 8x10 to complete by Wednesday evening for the show this Saturday in Ventnor. After that I'll be returning to some larger more involved work.

More moonshells

I'm starting to get just a wee bit tired of the small shells, but with the trays of them on my work table it's so easy to place a quick arrangement. I have one more planned larger "beach" painting...more beach badges...this time from Ocean City. I belong to the Art Center there ( a very nice place ) I really enjoy their boardwalk Artshow every August...The show is Huge I think last years' was close to a hundred artists! ...Anyway here is yet another 8x10 shell painting..oil on panel

More Glasses

It wasn't sunny, but I did this little 8x10 outside anyway. Painting a brightly colored towel was much more challenging then sand.

Rainy Day Hydrangea

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The cool hues of an overcast day were perfectly seen in this hydrangea on a windowsill. My kitchen windowsill is my favorite spot for a flower...something to look at while I do the dishes! I hadn't planned on painting this one but he's been working on me for almost a week now...the cloudy day giving the nice dark background made it just too perfect to resist.
8x10 oil/panel

Sunglasses

After painting and selling the other sunglass paintings I felt I needed to do one out in the actual sunlight. Real outddor light is vastly different then an indoor spotlight. I even have one of those full spectrum bulbs, but nothing beats the real sun!! Now of course i keep thinking about how interesting the reflections might be on the real beach!!...Anyway these are from yesterday, today it's quite cloudy rainy and dark. I just completed a nice painting of a hydrangea in a jar on my windowsill, but its too dark to photograph...perhaps tomorrow. Anyway here are the real SUNglasses 8x10 oil/panel

Summer Treats: Watermelon Study & Owen

Along with cherries I love to paint slices of watermelon...and then eat them.... so I dashed this one out rather quickly. I also had to share some with my cat Owen 'cause he just Loves watermelon! He kept trying to hop up onto the tabel where the stilllife was set so I made sure to let him have his own cat-sized slice. Such a strange beast! He also loves cantelope and honeydew.

Painting 9x12 oil/panel

Same Place Last Year

..I didn't get a picture of myself at the CapeMay show this year, but I can show you last year's. That was the first time I had shown my work publicly in almost ten years....I was so nervous. New paintings and a new Tent!!! I didn't sell a lot, but I sold a couple of more expensive paintings that made it a much better show financialy then this years'. I know these outdoor shows can be unpredictable and when I do them I always keep my expectations pretty open...that way I can have a good time.Interaction with the public and other artists is always an interesting experience, and just spending the day looking at the Ocean is a pleasure.
..My next show is in two weeks in the City Of Ventnor which is the town next to Atlantic City here at the Jersey Shore. I'm looking forward to this one, my Fathers Grandfather was City Clerk of Ventnor for 25 years back in the 30s & 40s so I have a real feeling of roots in that town. Plus I lived there myself for 13 years back in the 80s. A nice town with a great boardwalk and a beautiful view of the Atlantic City Sklyline!
..Check in tomorrow for a pic of the Watermelon painting I finished tonight.

Not at the Beach

It's the 4th of July and I did my favorite holiday activity...painting. I really do not spend time sitting on the beach anymore.. especially during holiday weekends. These glasses were done from the cool comfort of my airconditioning! Heck I don't even like to go out at all during the holiday if I can help it...SO many people here at the shore...all of Pennsylvania it seems. I do feel blessed to live by the sea...its really great in September...less crowds! Then there's the beauty of winter storms and crisp Ocotber days...gosh I could go on and on. Even though I may gripe about the shoobies (what we call summer tourists here in south jersey ) The rythm of living in seaside resort has been a part of my life since I can remember. I will be out there with the crowds in a few days and I'm really looking forward to it!

Two Little Cherry Paintings

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The photos of these are bit off...it was getting dark outside, but I was eager to keep up with the updates. I do little paintings of cherries like this almost every summer...Its not that I set out to, but as soon as they come in season they first inspire my stomach...then when I start washing them I just can't resist trying to capture that shiny dark alizarin surface and the little whip-like stems. Last year I did them as cards in sepia. These are 5x7 canvases.SOLD

Orange Clams with Feather

Here's the one I mentioned yesterday...hot off the easel. A picture of my very messy setup as well...Oddly I'm pretty neat and tidy about most things.There's just something about painting..especially when I'm on a roll...that brings out the slob in me! This is a 9x12 oil on panel

Beached Glasses

A 9x12 oil on panel of sunglasses...a subject I return to periodically. I actually have a large platter of sand on my worktable that I use for reference with these beachy paintings. I have another seashell work in progress that should be completed tomorrow, I'll try to remember to take a pic of the setup. I only have a few more days of oil painting before the outdoor show in Cape May. I have about a half a dozen more small panels I want to complete. The smaller beachy paintings sold really well last year.

More Bivalves

It may appear that I am Sunday Painter these days, but I spent much time this week framing, organizing, preparing surfaces and other less fun aspects of being an artist. My first outdoor show is in two weeks...the Cape May Promenade...weekned of July 9th.
Here are three more studies of Angel Wing Shells...all 4x6

Happy Father's Day

Here's a card I just completed for my Dad for Father's Day. It is a 5x7 charcoal study of the Des Moines in the port of VilleFranche on the French Riviera...the ship he was stationed on when and where I was born; Nice France, 1960. Thought he might like this...photo wasn't too great so I kept it kind of vague...not easy for a detail lover like me!

AngelWings on Board

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Here 'tis just about complete...these are like the child of the much larger Clams II that I did this time last year. 24x12 oil/canvas.

AngelWing

OK OK I know I try not to post works in progress on the blog...but here's the start of the Angel Wings...about and hour and a half. I love these shells..I did a painting of a really large one I found in Nags Head when I was fresh out of highschool..one of my very first shell paintings...now 28 years later I'm doing the second Angewing painting. These are really small...I was thrilled when I found them...they're actually are a bay shell...they live in mud flats. Very fragile and worthy of their name.

Feather and Mussels

I'm finally getting back into a rhythm with painting. Here's one just completed 14x18 oil on canvas. Started another of Angel Wing shells today...gonna be a goody I think...good start anyway