More Christmas

Here is a sign that I did for my daughter's boyfriend's mother to give to her father. Fun sign and painting of a rainbow trout.

Busy Christmas

I had to wait until after Christmas to post a couple of pieces that I completed. This is Dover. I have used another pooch from this customer for a long time—Normandy, the black lab. I also did another dog—Beau—for my daughter's boyfriend. I will post that later as I don't have the picture downloaded yet.

I also did a house drawing, but had to do it so quickly that I wasn't able to get a scan. Bummer.

I've been working on an illustration for a book, but I will have to see if anyone will be bothered by my posting the illustration before the pitch.

So, very busy, just not able to share much visually. I will be firing up the painting effort with my new easle! (Christmas goodie from my girlfriend of 31 years) I have a commission first, then start working on paintings for next year's BFA.

IF: Prehistoric

I haven't done Illustration Friday in a while, although I follow it in lurker pretty regularly. I had the need to do a little drawing, so here are some beasties following the kill by some prehistoric hunters. Its good to draw--even badly.

Long Time No Post

It's been a long time since I posted. I finished the Marine Corps Marathon run and did some hiking in the Adirondacks this past month. I haven't been painting because I've been replacing my windows (almost done). It's time for our company holiday card and the illustration I created is here.

What's been taking up my time

Ok, hopefully none of your screens broke when you opened this post. I have been a little behind in creating any artwork because I have been focusing on my sentinal event for my 50th year--training for the Marine Corps Marathon on Oct 31 in DC. That's my chunky butt in the middle of my 23 mile training abuse last weekend. I don't know why I feel obligated to put that here, but I do. Perhaps someone will take pity on me and give me artwork to do rather than allowing me to be out on the street looking like this!

The group that I am training with, Marathon Rocks, is a part of Easton ROCKS, which raises money via marathon for after-school activities for kids in our area. We raised $25,000 for the YMCA to put toward construction of an after school facility. A drop in the bucket, but a knoble effort none the less. So, two more training runs and then the big event. I am dressing up as a scary, hairy, marathoner for Halloween. BEWARE if you are in DC!

Chesapeake College Art Show and Sale

I dropped off the Grazing Belties yesterday afternoon for the 33rd Annual Chesapeake College Art Show and Sale. They were beginning to get the 131 pieces of art together and hang the show, so I breezed around seeing what was there.

There were a couple of interesting paintings in the oil/acrylic category. Two that caught my eye were a painting of an outcropping of river rocks and a painting of a sand dune. Both were very colorful representations of very monochromatic subjects. Both artists embued the images with lots of purples, greens, blues, and reds while maintaining a sense of the greyness. Pretty cool.

I enjoyed seeing some of the watercolors and photographs as well.

The show has a category for computer generated art. I should have entered something in that category, but I was unclear as to what was included. I talked with the event promoter about the criteria, because it seemed that it was about Photoshopping photographs.

She said they really didn't have any criteria, just that it was original and was generated by a computer. She showed me an image that was some bouys that had been run through the watercolor filter. It was ok, but still had very little art applied to a pretty nice photograph.

She invited me to help define criteria for next year's event. I will have to think about that. I told her that my very talented friend Greg would be a good person to discuss this with as well. He is accomplished at both traditional and electronic creation of art.

I look forward to the show. I hope the cows sell, but I would enjoy having them around as well.

More on the Weekend

Here are some shots I took while at the BFA on Saturday. It was a really beautiful place and a spectacular day.

Two stories

I was sitting in my booth getting used to the whole event and a young mother came in with her child in a stroller and mother in tow. She walked up to the Oxford Cottage painting on the easle and asked where the cottage was. I said Oxford, Maryland. She had a really puzzled look on her face and said, "That was my grandparent's farm." We chatted for a few minutes and I said she "had to have it." She agreed and purchased the painting, asking if she could leave it there while she went around to the other booths.

After a while, when she didn't return, I asked my sister-in-law and BFA volunteer--the fabulous Adrienne Mayberry--to check if she had processed her credit card. She called back about the same time that the woman arrived with a sad look on her face.

She was having some buyer's regret and had seen a photo of the Eastern Shore that was less expensive. I said, no offense to the photographer, but this picture had waited for a year in an Oxford restuarant unpurchased to come here and meet her. With this painting you get the only one--an original--and a story. She was sold.

Second story:

On Wednesday before the event, I was on FB and for some reason was able to see a post that one friend from college left on another former roomate's photo. I reconnected with the old roommate and his wife (also an old Mount friend) and was very happy for that little surprise.

Before leaving for BFA, I posted a general invitation to "come on down and visit" to my wall.

They did! I was overjoyed to see them and Lisa and I chatted it up for about an hour about kids, etc. As they prepared to move on to the rest of the festival, Bill--a man of few words--said, "I want that one." He pointed to the Canoe painting. So it now resides in Wallingford, PA.

This was my first festival in a very long time. I do a lot of freelance illustration and commissions where I make artwork to other people's specifications. This was my largest (althought very small) effort displaying my artwork created to express my point of view. It was well-received and I am overjoyed that the two paintings went to people with a connection to the artwork and me.

Once I posted on FB my reason for doing artwork. I hope that some distant relative is inspired to create artwork because they see a piece of work that I created. I continue to explore what this means to me.

Well, I now have to create many more pieces and maybe even some prints for next year's show. The cows are going in the Chesapeake College Art Show and Sale next week. Hope they sell!

Brandywine Festival of the Arts 50th Anniversary

BFA has come and gone. I have to start working on art for next year!

It was a great experience for me and I signed up for the same space for next year. The guys on either side of me were super. I was in the international area with Bobby the photographer from Jamaica on one side and Brian Yung from Hong Kong on the other. Our spot was incredible providing great shade and we were in front of the live music (awesome acts). It was loud enough to have impact, but you could hold conversations.

Lots of traffic on a beautiful day 1. Sold two paintings, Oxford Cottage and Canoe. Gave away lots of cards and had some nibbles on commissions. It rained on day 2, but ended up ok for the second half of the day.

I also painted the Mustang Dune painting on site. Live painting is fun.

I have some good thoughts for next year and hopefully will do some prints for sale as well.

New Work: Canoe

I really strived in this painting to keep loose and impressionistic. As I laid in the sail color, I was worried that the purple was too dark. Amazing what happens when you put green opposite that color!

I like this.

I was watching a biography on Fredrick Remington the other day. He commented about struggling with color after working so long in black and white. It wasn't until he painted night scenes that he felt he really made a successful transition. I grew up looking at Remington prints in our bedroom. Great action, motion, and storytelling. The illustrators of the early 20th century that I grew up looking at—Remington, NC Wyeth, Howard Pyle, Rockwell—all had a bold, colorful way of rendering stories.

Still working on last minute artwork for the Brandywine Festival of Arts. Getting very anxious about getting everything done and making a good impression. Oh yeah, and selling art!

Grazing Belties

Latest work. I really like this!

More from Saturday

I worked on this commission for Laura and built a prototype wall for the booth. Very productive day. Got to start a new piece today. Work, work, work, work...

Newest painting--Lick Your Chops

Just finished this one in my effort to create new work for the Brandywine Arts Festival (last post). I am really happy with this painting. Hope you enjoy it.

Trying to get organized

I am getting things ready for September 11-12 and the Brandywine Festival of the Arts. I have a booth to try to sell my artwork. If you are in the Wilmington, Delaware area come and see all of the great artwork, crafts, and jewelry while enjoying great food and music.

Go to the website http://brandywinearts.com

New Work: In the Beans

This is hot off the easle. My latest painting, "In the Beans" is a picture of a white barn in a soy bean field along Oxford Road in Maryland. I hope you enjoy.

IF: Breakfast

We were having a great deal of trouble keeping the bird feeders from the squirrels and attracting song birds. A friend suggested coating the feeder hook with vaseline and placing it away from anything the squirrels could jump from. That worked for a while until we had some hard rain.

After recoating, the finches are able to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner without interruption by the furry varmints.

IF: Diary

I haven't posted in a little while, so I thought I would participate in Illustration Friday this week. The word is Diary, so I've drawn this young girl enjoying her swing after reading her diary. She seems to be enjoying herself.

Two new paintings

I have been working on the painting of the surf fishing couple for a couple of weeks and finished it about a week ago. My wife and I were sitting in the pool and she pointed to the Martin house and said she thought it would make a good painting. So I did a little plein air on Friday night.

Walk on the Beach

IF: Paisley

This week's Illustration Friday word is paisley. According to Undiscovered Scotland : "Paisley lies on either side of the White Cart Water, four miles south of where it joins the River Clyde at Renfrew. Though it takes a close look at a map to realise that Paisley hasn't quite physically merged with Glasgow, whose centre lies several miles to the north east, the town has a distinct background and heritage, and retains an equally distinct identity. "

I have drawn the Town Hall of Paisley for this week's Illustration Friday. Go to the website to learn more about this historical burg.

Just to get things started

I can't stand not having any artwork up yet, but I am a little distracted right now. I have a new painting, which I will post later, but for now I'm going to post some comfort food.

New Blog

I spent the last year working on my old blog http://www.365two50.blogspot.com which was a year-long project of creative inputs. I captured my year up to my 50th birthday in terms of illustrations, designs, paintings, and photographs.

Since that blog has come to an end, I needed a vehicle to post artwork as I create it. This is just that blog. So an new blog for this old dog is a new trick.