The Garden

OK I didn't paint today, one more morning of fiddling about in the yard/garden/pond.
I do consider the garden to be a creative endeavor, so here's a couple of pics. I hope to get out this afternoon and do a painting, I posted a pic of the pond 'cause my paintings usually only show a very small part of the whole. A while back I was blog-tagged by Jo Castillo. I won't tag others but I have enjoyed reading the seven things that most people don't know on various blogs I visit...so Here's my list.

1. I secretly wanted to be a writer for many years and I have many journals and quite a few poems hidden away. I stopped journaling about 15 years ago, but I still write the occasional poem. I show them to no one.

2. I suffer from terrible vertigo, yet I love the view from tall buildings, mountain tops etc. When I went to Yosemite I had to lay down on my stomach to peer over the edge of half dome...still felt like I was going to fall, but the view was priceless!

3.I still harbor the thought that I should stop painting still lifes, landscapes etc. and spend the rest of my life only doing portraits and figures because I think portraying people is the noblest form of artistic expression.

4. I live in New Jersey because my parents and family are here, if they weren't I would surely move to the mountains of New Mexico. I love the sea, but the the southwest stirs my soul more then anywhere I've ever been.

5. I'm quite neat in my home and at the work place, but my paints and studio area are totally messy and disorganized.

6. I quite drinking in 1991, before that I spent ten years downing a bottle of vodka daily.

7.I have a bullfrog in my pond and I feed him worms and grubs out of the garden every day. You can see him ( sortof ) on the little island among the rocks in the top picture. I've collected frogs and toads all my life because my older sister called me "The Toad" when I was a little boy !!

Clams III

It's been a long haul since I decided to change the painting from it's abstract background. And to think it all started with an image in my head of two rectangles...This one sure took on a life of it's own, and I am sure glad it's complete. I could probably write pages more about this painting, but it's time to let the picture do the talking. There are still some minor corrections and a few more dots and dashes to add ...and a signature. I'll be entering it into the Noyes Biennial....Hope it's accepted!!
I've prepared lots of 5x7 and 8x10 panels so now I can finally get out and paint the garden before it's past it's prime.

Uncle Jonathan

My Uncle Jonathan and his three sons all excell at baseball. I have nary an athletic bone in my body, but I can draw baseballs!! My Aunt commissioned this illustration type drawing for Jonathan's 60th Birthday tomorrow. Happy Birthday Uncle Jonathan !!
9x12 pen and ink

Silenced Laughter

Every year the laughing gulls appear here in South Jersey around April. I love their laughing squawk. For me it is a harbringer of summer and days on the beach. Hearing it affects me like a beloved old song. Someone hit this poor thing in the alley behind the flower shop this morning. I carefully brought it home and did this quick sketch in oil. 16x20 canvas

Discarded Styles: From the Vault 1985

I used to work in this cubist type style on occasion back in the eighties when my painting was at it's lowest ebb ( wouldn't produce anything for months at a time ).
This Gazebo painting was done for a juried contest I saw in the paper. It was not accepted, I was crushed ( heheheh ). I did not intend for it to look like a church although that's what most people saw. Years later my Niece saw it and asked if she could have it, it has hung in her bedroom ever since. It's acrylic on masonite 12 x18.
I am deep into Mother's Day floral work this week. My client picked up the boat painting that was comissioned a few months ago. I realized after she left that I did not get a photo. Argh!! I'm very close to finishing the large Clams III painting. I've never spent so much time on a single work and I doubt if I ever will again. I kept thinking of all the other paintings I might have completed in the time I've spent ( 4 months ) on this piece. Look for a post about it after Mother's Day.

After the Beach ...work in progress

I was invited to enter a show at the Ocean City Art Center entitled " The Vanishing Beach Cottage" I spent a few hours driving along Ocean Drive; a scenic route that traverses seaside towns here in Southern-most New Jersey. I saw many cottages, though none on the actual beach. I found this humble little bungalow (on the beach) at 41st street in Ocean City. I was really drawn to the outdoor shower right off of the back porch. Outside Shower heads like that really strike a cord with my experiences of being on the beach as a kid. Anyway I took some photos then ran to the store to buy a beach towel, came back and took a few more..I ran out of light, didn't have time to sketch, felt wierd tromping aound on someones property. A neighbor was watching me from across the street with a suspicious glare. Ah the price of art. Here is todays effort with oil on a 9x12 panel. The photo makes the lines off kilter, but they look quite right in real life.

Spring Twigs

5x7 oil/panel

Uncut Daffs

This past week I've been spending a lot of time in the garden and making a waterfall for the koi pond...I guess that could be considered another creative endeavor as well. I think of Monet when I'm out there. Today was so nice I sat outside and did this 9x12 study of the daffodils. I really didn't want to cut any more, since they're the only thing blooming. Ah spring!

Classic "Scatter" Painting ...from the vault

Faded Hibiscus...I gave this to my Sister for her Fiftieth Birthday in September of 2005. One my favorites. 16x20, oil/canvas. These are shriveled up buds from my red hibiscus tree.
I'll be in two exhibits in Milleville from now until May 16th. I have a dozen smaller paintings in the "Alcove" at the the Rennaisance Art Center and two large paintings in the spring juried show for the Society of New Jersey Artist's at 501 n. high street.

daffodils and tube of paint

more daffs 6" x 11" oil/wood

From the ( recent ) Vault: Tuscany Wine

This is only from a couple of years ago, but I just now took a photo. The painting was commissioned to me by my Sister's Fiance'. They are Wine Buffs and these are some of their favorites ...with a picture of the winery in the background. The photo in the painting was taken by them earlier that year while on a visit to Italy. Of course it was fun to record my own image in the bottles...an added bonus, heheheh.
The painting is 16x20 oil on canvas

Werner Pfarr's Free Drawing Project

A while back I discovered a Drawing Blog by Werner Pfarr. I found it appealing because Werner lives and draws around Nice, France which is where I was born. Even more interesting is Werner's Free Drawing Project. He will send you a small drawing in return for a photo of the drawing once you recieve it. Then he frames the photo and does a drawing of that. That piece becomes the next free drawing. The idea being that this could stretch into infinity. You know ...a drawing of a drawing of a drawing,or as I learned on Werner's blog a Mise en abyme. Pretty cool if you ask me. Here is my little second generation drawing that I received from Werner. He has already done the next piece from the photo I sent.

Blue and Gold

Tiny flowers from my garden. 4x6 oil/wood

From the Vault: The Fisherman

Here's an acrylic I did of my Dad back in the eighties. I was at my parents house today taking some photos of my older paintings, including my first self portrait at the age of 17...added to the self portrait post.

Three Mussels

A friend told me of a spot on the beach where there was lots of driftwood. When I got there I found nary a stick, but tons of these small mussel shells...one of my favorite subjects, especially when they are still joined. Tried to stay quick and loose with this small study. Approx. 6x6 oil on wood.

better daffs

another try, this time out of the vase. 5x7

Pesky Daffs

Every year now I try my hand at these, with results that are always displeasing. This is a small one...4x6 canvas

Rose Bowl

These are a couple of "blown" roses I brought home from the part time job. In the floral business blown means fully open and probably pretty close to dying. They're no good for selling, but nice for painting I think. 5x7 oil/panel

White Diver Dan

I read somewhere a reference to small paintings like this posted on a blog as "Blog Paintings". I have no wish to try and do one of these every day, but doing them frequently is a good thing. Plus they do sell well. These little ceramic Occupied Japan figurines were made for aquariums, although they are often mistaken for spacemen. I think the inspiration was the diving apparatus out of Jules Verne's book 2000 Leagues Beneath the Sea. This is oil on board 5 1/2" x 7 3/4s. An odd size for an odd little man.
....now back to the big stuff!

Jack

An oil study of my partner Jack from several years ago. This March we will have been together 16 years!!....wow
I've been working away on the large clam painting. Also two commissions...both birthday presents, so I won't post them here until after they get to where they're going.